Volume 119 Fall 2013 Roundup Issue 2

Winter intersession may be restored

100 winter courses may be restored, enrollment may be open as early as Nov. 11

Proposition 30 granted Pierce College the proper funds to add 100 sections to this past fall semester and on Monday Sept. 23, the Academic Senate discussed the possible arrangement establishing a campus winter session.

Pierce College President

Kathleen Burke opened the discussion regarding 399 new enrollments for this fall semester, which equals a 1 percent rise, falling short of the 6 percent expected increase in enrollment.

In hopes of making up for this loss, Burke opted for the approval of opening a winter session to the students.

“We’re going to be doing a little bit of catch up here,” Burke said.

“I told them to consider at least 50 sections for the winter. In fact, I

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think we can go up to 100.”

According to Burke, rather than add sections to the spring term, an open winter course would give the college the statistic they’re looking for in an increase of enrollment and registration numbers. There are 28 departments which in turn contain their own disciplines that would be spread among the 100 sections.

“We have a short window to get this done. We could ramp this up pretty quickly,” she said, “We want our students to enroll.”

If these plans are adopted, enrollment is expected by early Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11.

“I think winter classes would benefit students a lot. I’m only taking one class this semester and I’d need that opportunity to get those classes in,” said freshman Marie Flores. “I was busy during summer so I wasn’t able to take classes here and I was really bummed. Winter isn’t such a busy time.” There were circumstances where students exiting high school and

Pierce falls to Cerritos

Bobak Radbin / Roundup

KICKING IT: Pierce College women’s soccer goalkeeper Jenna Koziol (right) reaches out to save the ball against Cerritos College on Sept. 20. Pierce lost 0–3. [Visit

Campus voted top place to be employed Daily News readers vote Pierce College the No. 1 place to work

simply a vehicle by which [to] show the results of the poll.”

entering Pierce weren’t able to register for any classes, according to Burke. These students ended up going to other schools, going out of state, or going to work instead.

“Even though they were squeezed out a year or two ago, they don’t realize those opportunities are opening up again,” Burke said, “They haven’t come back to us.”

According to Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass, online classes could be an option over the season.

“They do rather well for winter classes,” said Bass. “There can be two online classes as opposed to one face to face class.”

The Los Angeles Community College District is pushing to open more opportunities. According to Burke, in order to push the enrollment numbers, campus Senate will have to increase community outreach, marketing, and scheduling to bring information about the available Pierce opportunites.

Cal State Northridge freezes enrollment Budget woes affect university

Kat Wilson Roundup Reporter

California State University, Northridge will not be accepting new students for the upcoming spring 2014 semester due to budget cuts, according to CSUN officials.

The decision was made by Dr. Timothy White, chancellor of CSUN and 22 other state universities, according to Carmen Chandler, the PIO and director of media at CSUN.

“This was not our decision. It came to us as a bit of a shock,” Jennifer Cai, an Admissions and Records representative, said.

Although this change of enrollment was implemented, it ensured that there would be enough money for CSUN to offer necessary classes in the spring, according to Admissions and Records representative Jean Ross.

“The main reason this decision came around was because there are more than 38,500 students enrolled this fall. That’s a record,” Chandler said.

With the ample enrollment, cuts needed to come from somewhere, according to Chandler.

“Most of us are unhappy with this decision, and it doesn’t help that we are one of the only schools that need to close enrollment for this spring,” Ross said. “There’s lots of anger and sadness.”

The Daily News awarded Pierce College the “2013 Daily News Reader’s Best Choice” award for its readers’ favorite place to work.

Vice President of Advertising for the Daily News Paul Ingegneri explained that the acclamation is given after readers populate a ballot in print, where they can simply hand in their nominations, or online, where they can type in whichever establishment they wish during the month of June.

“On an annualized basis we do the Reader’s Choice Poll, which is a combination of in-print and online ballots of about 200 different categories,” Ingegneri said. “We’re

Pierce College Public Relations Manager Doreen Clay explained that the newspaper often calls her to let her know that the contest is occurring, and though Pierce won the best college or university in 2010 and 2011, it lost in 2012.

“This year I found out we could again vote, so I sent everybody an email in the college and said, ‘Come on you guys, let’s all vote that we’re the best college and/or university,’ and instead we won for best workplace,” Clay said. “So I was very surprised and pleased.”

However, while Clay believed that “as far as community colleges go, Pierce is definitely at the top,” she still feels that it deserves the recognition that it did receive.

“I actually do [think this a great place to work] because I’ve worked at a lot of places in my life,” Clay said. “I’ve been here at Pierce College for 11 years in a couple of different roles, and every place has its beauties and its challenges, but I think overall Pierce College is definitely my favorite place to work—no question. “

Garrett Wein, a 19-year-old psychology major who is a student worker in the Academic Counseling Office likes to help people and was given a lot of assistance when he first started attending Pierce.

“It’s really confusing for a lot of people at first,” Wein said. “So being able to help new students in a way that I was first helped when I came here is pretty cool—I would say that’s the most rewarding thing.”

Bookstore assistant and Freudian Sip worker Genesis Sierra, an 18-year-old nursing student said that she feels the same kind of support from her co-workers on a daily basis.

“Honestly, my co-workers are part of my family,” Sierra said. “I’m really attached to them—just knowing that this is my last week hurts me a bit, but it’s fine.”

Clay suggested that it is because of this family-natured atmosphere that she remains an advocate for the school.

“I almost feel like it’s a small town,” Clay said. “There are just so many interesting people and things and departments that [makes the campus] just a pretty fascinating place.”

New students, both freshmen and transfer students, will be affected, but there are some exceptions to this spring closure, according to Ross.

“The students going for their AAT (Associate of Arts Transfer) and AST (Associate of Sciences Transfer) degrees will still be admitted,” Ross said. “It guarantees that they get their full B.A.”

The AAP and AST degrees require that a student begins two years at a community college and continues for two more years at a CSU to finish the degrees off, according to Ross.

Although the halt of enrollment is unwelcome, it shouldn’t have that much effect on those who tried to apply for the spring semester, according to Chandler.

“We only get a handful of

applicants each spring,” Chandler said. “The majority enter in the fall, so we want as many resources available to them as possible.”

Therefore, Doctor White, chancellor of CSUN, decided to cut back with enrollment this coming spring to further allow current students to get classes they needed, according to Chandler.

“We’d be cutting back on a minor loss, further allowing new students to enter CSUN through the fall semesters,” Chandler said. “Enrollment for next fall opens Oct. 1.” Chancellor White was unavailable to discuss CSUN’s change in enrollment.

–Compiled by Tim Toton http://calstate.edu/as/stats.shtml

Jasmin Miko Roundup Reporter

Kashish Nizami Roundup Reporter

“Most of us are unhappy with this decision.”

Thumbs up & Thumbs down

DOWN: Sticky gum issues

The bookstore stopped selling gum while vending machines on campus charge $1 for a 25 cent pack that is advertised in the machine for 65 cents.

UP: Winter intersession

Thumbs up to the Pierce College administration for considering to bring back the winter intersession this year.

-Poll Results-

Do you have a medical marijuana card?

A little farm in the big city

Paving over our school’s roots will kill its tree of knowledge

Agricultural students at Pierce College have witnessed the dwindling of the school’s resources, from farm animals to the civil war reenactment.

Could the Farm Center be next?

Since the establishment of Pierce College in 1947, the school has stood out from the rest of the colleges in the San Fernando Valley.

Year round activities such as the Harvest Fest, Christmas tree sales, agricultural-based education programs, and the produce center take advantage of the continuously growing Farm Center.

Although Pierce College is constantly beautifying itself, over the years Pierce has lost hundreds of cattle and various other animals as well as the civil war reenactment.

It’s a sad thought that future generations might never have the opportunity to experience

the haunted maze or purchase Halloween pumpkins at the produce center.

Pierce would never be the same without its yearly hayrides, petting zoos, birthday parties and carnival attractions, but with the evergrowing urban landscape being built around the school, the center will soon look outdated.

If the farm center is the next on the list of terminated programs, not only will the annual events and produce sales disappear but the yearround jobs the center offers Pierce students will be gone as well.

The school made an agreement with the manager of the farm, Robert McBroom, at the opening of the center to hire a significant amount of students for their year-round positions to help as many students as possible find decent work close to school.

McBroom takes pride in the family-run

atmosphere the center has and refers to his dedicated employees as “lifers,“ because most of the employees have been at the center for four or more years, and hope to be employed for many more to come.

Some of the most recent improvements the lifers have done are the wooden canopies pavilion in the back section of the center as well as the grass fields.

These new fields have added to the scenery of the center and attracted some of the Warner Center businesses requesting to have their corporate picnics at the center.

These updates have already boosted the popularity of the center and are only a few of the additions McBroom hopes to have the time and chance to put into action.

“We’re hopeful for many more seasons to come,” said McBroom.

* out of 70 responses

Silent construction sites deafen school morale

Opinion

Roundup reporter

Manuel Rios mrios.roundupnews@gmail.com

Half-finished construction over numerous parts of the Pierce College campus is affecting school morale, making it time that Pierce College officials do something about it.

Pierce College has undergone many changes since its founding more than 65 years ago. Buildings have been built, renovated and taken down, making the Pierce

Does the half finished construction affect school morale?

College campus what it is today. There are currently 24 projects that have been completed — 12 projects are currently under construction, eight are in moratorium, three are in planning and one is in the design stage, according to a Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Building Program Monthly Progress Report from July 2013.

Construction projects that students say should have been finished are now an unattractive sight. Students must now avoid all construction zones by maneuvering around just to get to classes.

Business major Brandon De Jesus, 20, says he thinks the halffinished construction definitely affects school morale.

“My first class is here at the Performing Arts Center and my other class is towards the North Gym,” De Jesus said. “I have to go all the way down towards the Student Center just to get through that little pathway instead of being able to cut through.”

Due to all the construction that is currently underway it doesn’t make sense for Pierce College to take on more construction. Motives seem to be in the right place but taking on too many projects at once can prove costly.

A total of $648 million in funding has been used for many projects such as the construction of the Child Development Center, Physics Building renovation and Physical Education Facilities, according to the LACCD. Buildings put on

-COMIC STRIP-

hold include the Digital Arts and Media Building and Agricultural Education Center.

The construction not only presents students with a tougher challenge to get to class but to some students, it ruins the school’s appearance.

Radiology major Michelle Guzman, 20, says she feels like the construction plays a part in what the school looks like.

“It looks horrible,” Guzman said. “It makes our school look ugly.”

With the Pierce College campus full of unfinished construction projects and their plans for more, it’s time for school officials to finish what they started and make the projects that are on hold a top priority.

* out of 100 responses

Illustration by Maria Salvador / Roundup

Illustrated by Lauren Vellve / Roundup

Daily News votes Pierce No. 1 workplace in Los Angeles

[DAILY NEWS, cont. from page 1]

She continued on to explain that she believes that Pierce College was voted the best place to work by the Daily News readers because there has been more than its academic development over the past decade.

“We work on a beautiful campus; it’s always changing and growing,” she said. “We’ve had a complete renaissance of our buildings which are now beautiful, and there are so many interesting people here—so many experts.” Clay even painted a picture

of one event in which the Pierce College women’s soccer team made her feel that this campus is certainly home for her and makes it a fun place to work after The Pit flooded once and “it became this beautiful lake.”

“The girls’ soccer team decided to launch a canoe and row out into the lake, and it was such a bizarre thing to do that we had news helicopters,” Clay recalled with a laugh. “I was standing at the lake and the news channel helicopters [were] calling me and asking me about these girls in their soccer

incident report

– Compiled by Genna Gold

uniforms rowing in their lake, and we then became one of ESPN’s ‘Top Athletics Events’ in the nation that week because it was such an unusual event.”

As for the future of Pierce College, Clay is confident that it will continue to grow as an exponentially better school and work place for years to come.

“I feel like the environment is great,” Clay said. “It’s positive all the time; there’s nothing to complain about—[the environment] actually motivates you.”

Blood drive draws a crowd

Pierce community contributes

Caleb Johnson Roundup Reporter

Nearly 60 people gave blood at the Bloodmobile on campus Thursday, Sept. 19 in front of the Student Community Center.

According to David Keys, a program coordinator at CedarsSinai medical center, approximately 58 pints of blood were donated.

Cedars-Sinai provided gifts to the students who

Senate

donated, most notably free tickets to the Los Angeles County Fair for the first 50 students. They also gave away ice cream and T-shirts. The Bloodmobile will be back at Pierce College before Thanksgiving, for a two-day blood drive, according to Keys.

Students interested in donating blood may contact the Associated Students Organization at (818) 710-4211 about upcoming blood drives.

argues

Amending bylaws still a concern for campus

Kate Noah Copy Editor

Discussion among the Pierce College Academic Senate members became necessary when the topic of the presidency arose in their meeting on Monday.

Former Senate Vice President of Academic Policy Kathy Oborn succeeded to the presidency on Sept. 23 after much debate about protocol and bylaws when former president John Zayac stepped down from the presidency, as reported by the Roundup. With the confusion behind it and the new president elected, the Senate started a discussion on the topic of

amending its bylaws to allow for special elections in order to set a clear protocol, should it be needed in the future.

“I think we really do need to modify the bylaws to say what scenarios would cause a special election,” Senate member David Schamus said. “Because of the lack of clarity this time I’d like to get the faculty involved so that a bunch of people made this decision, not 15.”

The discussion took a turn when Margarita Pillado, who previously made a claim for the presidency opposite Oborn, made a suggestion for a vote.

“I think another question to pose to the body is [if] we want to have a special election to elect a new president or to ratify the current president,”

August 26 - September 14

8/26 - Petty theft - Unknown person stole backpack from staff member’s office. A day later it was found behind the mailroom.

9/5 - Possible criminal threat - Student making threats at Auto Tech building toward L.A Pierce College.

9/9 - Grand theft - Unknown suspect stole construction rebar from campus construction site between the dates 7/2/13 and 7/3/13.

9/10 - Vandalism - Unknown person broke student passenger car door window in lot 8. Nothing was taken.

News Briefs

In search of Foosball Pros

The shoe company Rider Sandals, will be at the Campus Philly College Day event on Friday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. - 4 p. m. with the last stop on our Fall Foosball Tour in search of the best collegiate foosball players.

$10, due at the time of the visit. They take cash, check, Visa, MC and Discover. Call for a brief appointment at 818-710-4270.

Free tutoring and workshops

The worshop will be on Sept. 26 from 1 - 2 p.m in the CTC workshop room on the first floor of the Student Services building.

Planetarium show Assistant Professor of Astronomy Dale Fields has planned a planetarium show for all students on Oct. 2 from 7 - 9 p.m. in the Center for Sciences.

Pillado said.

Senate member Anthony Gabrielli explained that this was not possible because Oborn was duly elected, according to the bylaws.

“What would that do to the legitimacy? We have a set of rules in place,” Gabrielli said. “She is the president. You can’t change the rules after the game is over.”

Gabrielli stated that the Senate had just fought about this issue for two weeks, and asked if they wanted to fight it again.

“I just think it’s time to move forward and go on with business in the Senate. Let’s revise the bylaws as they sit and see where that takes us,” Gabrielli said.

Campus assault suspect arraigned

Parolee arrested this month to be sentenced

Jeffrey Howard Roundup Reporter

A parolee responsible for an assault in a classroom in the Pierce College Village earlier this month is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Friday, Sept. 27 at the Van Nuys Municipal Courthouse.

Branden Saighe, 27, who is not a registered student at Pierce is being remanded at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility as he awaits his

hearing.

Saighe was arrested Sept 9. after he confronted another man during a classroom session, causing brief chaos and confusion for students.

“A non-student walked into the classroom, went to the back and threatened to take over the class with a weapon,” Lt. Rod Armalin of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Community College Bureau said in a previous Roundup article.

Saighe, the parolee, was denied any type of leniency at his arraignment on

Sept. 18. He has two prior felony charges according to Shiara Davila-Morales, a spokeswoman for the District Attorney Public Defender Media Relations Office.

In 2009 he was convicted of forgery and identity theft, according to DavilaMorales, and is currently facing a felony count for criminal threat and one misdemeanor for simple battery.

For continued coverage of this story, follow up with the Roundup.

Senate ignites tobacco laws

Possibility of more smoking bans on campus

Kat Wilson Roundup Reporter

A written tobacco regulation will be considered for approval by Pierce College’s Academic Senate.

Beth Benne, the director of Pierce’s Health Center, announced the news at a Senate meeting Monday afternoon.

“I hope we can get the president’s approval,” Benne said. “The Health Center is compiling a program called ‘Stop’ for keeping tobacco off of Pierce.”

The program against tobacco would be run by students who are interested

in addictive study, according to Benne. An essay contest will aid the Health Center in choosing four or five winners for the program, according to Benne.

“Then, hopefully, we can offer it campus-wide to both staff and faculty and students next semester,” Benne said.

Due to their increasing popularity, the college’s tobacco regulation includes electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigs,” according to Benne. “We did incorporate e-cigs under the umbrella because they’re not FDA approved,” Benne said. “I am attending a webinar on Oct. 9 for e-cigs actually possibly becoming a valid tobacco

sedation tool.”

Furthermore, the Health Center will confirm illnesses via phone notes or check-ups to provide students a legitimate reason to stay home from class due to being sick, according to Benne.

“When a student is sick, please believe them,” Benne said to the professors. “If they come in and see me, I will be glad to give them a release from class and let you know when they should be back.”

In addition, inactive flu vaccinations are available for $10 at the Health Center. Contact (818) 710-4270 for more details.

over presidency H H O U S I N G

The Rider Sandals event features a foosball tournament where the winner will be crowned “Campus Foosball Champ” as well as being awarded a Rider Sandals prize pack including cash. Attendees of the event will also be able to get free Rider Sandals giveaways, register for a spring break trip giveaway & challenge some friends to foosball games.

Flu vaccines now available for students

The 2013-2014 Seasonal Flu Vaccine has arrived at the Student Health Center. They have received 200 vaccines which will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone. The cost this year is again

Free tutoring and workshops in multiple subjects are now available in the new location of the Center for Academic Success.

Formerly in the Village, the CAS has moved to its permanent home on the ground floor of the new Library Learning Crossroads Center in Room 5130 and is ready for business. Open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Club charter deadline approaching

The deadline to re-submit your club charter is Oct. 1. Call 818-719-6411 or e-mail pierceaso@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Ace the interview workshop

The Pierce College Career and Transfer Center will provide a workshop on interviewing skills.

UCLA on campus Admissions representatives from UCLA will be on Pierce’s campus Oct. 1 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the Transfer Center. Visit Pierce’s Transfer Center website and click on University Rep Visits to set up an appointment.

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Bobak Radbin / Roundup

BLOOD: Tanya Cotto, a veterinary technology major, gives blood for the first time in the Cedars-Sinai “Bloodmobile” on Sept. 19.

Dreams of a would be doctor cut short Scholarship to be created in memory of Pierce student

Danielle Martin, cofounder and former vice president of Pierce College’s Habitat for Humanity club and former Associated Students Organization (ASO) senate member died on June 21, just two weeks after graduating from Pierce. She was 21.

Martin was born with Goldenhar’s Syndrome, which caused misalignment in her body.

The cause for Goldenhar’s Syndrome is unknown according to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.

On June 10, she had a jaw alignment surgery that went as planned, but she had a preexisting brain aneurism that ruptured and was discovered too late, according to information on Habitat for Humanity’s club website and confirmed by family.

Martin was active at Pierce, and due to her involvement on campus, the ASO is in talks to establish a scholarship in her name, according to ASO president Gus Sandoval.

“If scholarship criteria depends on what [those named in the scholarship] were involved with when they were alive, I’d like to follow suit and tailor it to Danielle,” Sandoval said.

Habitat for Humanity club president and cofounder Iona de la Torre said the club would not have existed without Martin, and that she hopes the scholarship goes to someone with her level of dedication.

“She was incredibly driven and

independent. She was so focused on getting things done,” de la Torre said. “In any group situation, she really pulled it together.”

Martin’s cousin and former Pierce student, Alex Ramos, said that because Martin had a physical disability, people would assume she was also mentally disabled, and this motivated her to prove people wrong.

“She would study harder, she would do more,” Ramos said.

“She was someone not to be underestimated in any sense of the word. She was so spirited. She was so brave. She was so determined, so driven, and she didn’t let any type of handicap or set-back delay her or slow her down. She was very smart, and in the words of Mr. T: ‘I pity the fool who underestimates her intelligence.’”

De la Torre was one who certainly did not underestimate Martin. The two became close friends while riding the bus to school together, and De La Torre often thinks of all the jokes the two shared. She appreciates how funny Martin was, and that “she just said the darndest things.”

“She would tell people that she had more nose jobs than Michael Jackson,” de la Torre said, in reference to the number of facial surgeries she had more than 20.

After attending Pierce together for some time, de la Torre left for a while, and when she came back, she was pleasantly surprised to find that Martin had not yet transferred as she had planned.

“I was so happy that she was still here. Of course I wanted her

to pursue her dreams, but I was just happy that I had my Danielle back,” de la Torre said. “She was my lifeline at Pierce. I’m so grateful for the time we had together.”

The dream that Martin was pursuing was to go to medical school and become a doctor of psychology, and she was so proud when she graduated from Pierce, according to de la Torre.

“She would say, ‘this associate degree is one step closer to me

Free workshops and tutoring on campus available for students Hidden student resource open 5 days a week

computer lab completed,” Kiekel said.

Besides having 62 tutors in the learning center to aid students, workshops are also a major part of the facility.

becoming Dr. Danielle Martin,’ de la Torre said.

According to Ramos, Martin was very serious about both ASO and her desire to go into medicine, and she dedicated her time to volunteering whenever she could.

“Whenever there was a blood drive she would either volunteer or she would donate blood herself,” Ramos said. “That was her field and she was very passionate about it.”

Ramos said he hopes that the

person who gets the scholarship will make the most of it, because that is what Martin would do.

“I really speak on behalf of my whole family when I say that that’s a huge honor. There are not enough words to effectively explain how much that means. It’s something nobody expected,” said Ramos.

“Though I know that everyone knew she was involved, I think it’s just a huge sign that they are more than grateful for what she did.”

Share your memories of Danielle on the Roundup Facebook Page at facebook.com/ theroundupnews or on Twitter @ roundupnews.

CLUB411 CLUB411

Underneath the second floor of the Library and Learning Crossroads Building, there is a resource that is still unknown to some Pierce College students.

The Center for Academic Success offers free tutoring with trained tutors and host workshops available for students in different topics.

Crystal Kiekel, the director for the Center of Academic Success, manages the learning center hoping that students will find tranquility when catching up on homework, take advantage of making an appointment with one of the tutors, or just involve themselves in a workshop.

“We want Pierce College students to succeed in every possible way they can with our support,” Kiekel said.

Accounting major Aichata Traore, 21, is a current student at Pierce who never thought she would be working at the center as a tutor helping her fellow peers.

Students at the learning center have access to free tutoring as well as professors who are available to answer any questions students may have regarding that subject.

“The center is a very organized place with no disruptions,” Traore said. “The people who work here are friendly and really helpful.”

The subjects for tutoring range in a variety of selection-English, mathematics, economics, philosophy, chemistry and so on.

“Sometimes different professors are here in the center and volunteer their time to assist students either with a quick question or a full assignment,” Traore said.

For the most part, students can work one-on-one with tutors or work with small groups instructed by the tutor.

The atmosphere at the center is respectful, organized and success driven, according to Kiekel.

“There are sections of the center set up for different subjects being taught and soon we will have our

Two of the main workshops include writers [starting from the very basics of sentence components up to research paper resources] and study skills [giving students the basic tools on how to prepare for an exam] which are the most important variables in the academic curriculum, according to Kiekel.

“These have been developed over several years and we’ve had them as long as the learning center has been around. We revise the materials periodically and work with the English department to have the best information for students,” Kiekel said.

Peer tutoring is beneficial to both students and tutors because the students get a new approach of learning a subject rather than being in a classroom of 60 people and the tutor develops leadership skills that will prepare them for the real world, according to Kiekel.

“I truly believe that peer advising and peer tutoring is really critical for success,” Kiekel said.

The center is in a secluded courtyard of the library located on the first floor.

Criminology, law and society major Vanessa Godoy, 20, has been coming to the center for about three years now.

“My experience coming to the center was good. The tutors seemed a bit rushed at times but overall it is a great space to study and work,” Godoy said.

The center has been around since the early 1990s and still strives for student achievement, according to Kiekel.

The two ways of making an appointment with a tutor are by calling the center or visiting, but students are advised to call depending on the subject they would need tutoring in, according to the Center for Academic Success page on the Pierce College website.

The Center for Academic Success hours are Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

MEETING: Members of the Robotics Club put together their latest creation, on Sept. 5.

Making mechanical friends Members mentor students despite lack of funding

A small group passes a pair of robots around, each working on a small aspect of it before it moves on to another person.

The Pierce Robotics Club is engaged in the creation of two robots they first presented during Club Rush.

Pierce Robotics Club meets from 6 to 10 p.m. every Thursday in Room AT 3808. There is no knowledge or classes required for membership, and there are no membership fees, according to the president Yiran Tong.

“We learn about technology and do cool stuff,” Tong said.

The club welcomes students from all majors; the only thing needed is an interest in robotics.

Meetings range from entire sessions being dedicated to planning or building, to fund-raising discussions, peer-conducted lectures, or even card games amongst friends if nothing else is on the agenda for the day.

James Azmoun formed the club in the fall semester of 2010.

His participation in his high school’s robotics club gave him a thirst for more.

The club uses Vex Robotics parts and electronics to build many of their creations.

Vex also hosts competitions, though it is mainly on middle and high school levels.

Vice President Reza Ali has taken care of organizing many of the club’s events, like the most recent Relay For Life event at Pierce College where they created a robot to walk with them.

“This competition is what drove James to create

Meets every Thursday from 6 -10 p.m. in Automotive Technology 3808

the club,” Ali said.

Unfortunately for the club, Vex Robotics competitions were lacking on a collegiate level.

“We try to get other colleges interested,” Ali said.

With the lack of competition, the club turns to itself to learn more about the subject and their interests as a whole, and to the community as mentors for high school robotics clubs at El Camino Real and others.

Current plans for the club include an airplane competition, splitting the club in half and pitting the sides against each other to see which can plan and build the best plane.

They are pushing for funding, however, as there isn’t much that can be done in the way of group projects without additional support.

The club’s newly elected treasurer, Casey Spencer, was put into place because he had been handling much of the club’s funds and donations in the first place.

“Hopefully we get funding,” Spencer said. “That’s what this all rests on.”

Despite the halt on funding, they push on and encourage new members to join and learn, or even just drop by to see what goes on if they are interested.

“You don’t have to know a thing about robotics,” Spencer said. “We just want you to be interested.”

To learn more about this and other clubs visit the ASO website at http://pierceaso.webs.com/clubs.htm and keep checking theroundupnews.com for more CLUB411.

Monica Salazar / Roundup

BITTERSWEET: Iona de la Torre, president of the Habitat for Humanity Club holds up a picture of herself with Danielle Martin at the same spot they posed for this past June at their graduation from Pierce College, two weeks before her death, on Sept. 20.

Omar Barillad/ Roundup

“I truly believe that peer advising and peer tutoring is really critical for success.”

-Crystal Kiekel Director of Center for Academic Success

Chiara Perbil Roundup Reporter

Kate Noah Copy Editor

Caleb Johnson Roundup Reporter

Simplicity and emotion inspires artist

Art Gallery opens the semester with exhibition of line portraiture by award winning creator

The Art Gallery came alive on the evening of Sept. 19, when the exhibit “Lines that Speak,” a compilation of line art that portrays family and the Los Angeles lifestyle, came to Pierce College.

Art Gallery Director Monika Del Bosque hosted the exhibition of work by Armenian line artist Srboohie Abajian, because of her admiration for the artist and her drawings.

“I thought her artwork would be very applicable to our students,” Del Bosque said. “I also really enjoy her line work.”

Crystal Aghevli, a student who is thinking about majoring in art, loved all of Abajian’s pieces, especially the ones of her children.

“I was captivated by the children watching television,” Aghevli said. “I was really curious to see her perspective on what our young people spend their time doing here.”

Abajian was born in Yerevan, Armenia where she began her education in art, obtaining her Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees. She has had many accomplishments,

including exhibitions at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Glendale’s Brand Art Gallery and Laguna’s Art Museum. She was also named Artist of the Year for 2013 by the city of Glendale and has been awarded grants by the Puffin Foundation and Creative Capital Funds. Through her accomplishments, she knew her mission was clear: to reach out to the public to tell them what art means to her.

“Art can be entertaining and enlightening,” Abajian said. “Entertainment in art is very common today, but that is not my goal. Art should change people’s thinking, and can change people’s lives and society.”

She began studying art in 1977, and then a decade later, took her skills up a notch with sketching and oil painting. Between 1988 and 1992 she started her abstract paintings using experimental techniques. During this time she painted her first “Self Portrait” piece and “Agony,” her first abstract piece. She also began her monotype pieces, primarily influenced by the deadly earthquake in Armenia in December of 1988, which killed 23,000 people and ruined 400 villages.

In 1993 she moved to the United States and continued her artwork. While most of us are used to the hustle and bustle of the

Los Angeles life, Abajian was overwhelmed by the congestion in Los Angeles.

“When I first moved here, I was really surprised,” she said with a smile on her face.

to find her own style of art.

“After reading a lot about art, I decided I wanted to make simple and emotional art. For simplicity I decided to use only lines. For emotion I exaggerated the characteristics and moods of my subjects,” Abajian said.

Her inspiration came from many different artists–both painters and film makers–such as Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Charlie Chaplin, and Hayao Miyazaki, just to name a few. During this time she also began her “motherhood” pieces in which she emphasized portraits of hands, specifically expressing “love and care.”

From 2001 to 2008, she focused on portraits and social content.

“I see cultural differences in this country and also different lifestyles, values and relationships, which inspired me to talk about social issues,” Abajian said.

from life everything we want. We can get material stuff and spiritual understanding.”

In 2012 Abajian had her second window installation, titled “Finding Value,” the idea about consumerism in Los Angeles. Although the lifestyle change was very different from what she experienced in Armenia, she successfully adapted through her work. “Being an artist is good because my mind is open to life, to society, and I have my perspective to say what I want to say through my art,” Abajian said. And since she has a goal of expanding her art to the public, she decided that Pierce would be another way to reach out.

“I chose Pierce College so students could learn something. It’s about art and school. Not commercial galleries or money, but about education,” Abajian said. She ended her presentation with the idea that art is always about discovering something new.

“There were lots of cars, but no people.”

Because of this, it inspired her 2009 artwork of auto portraits in Los Angeles and the relationship between cars and people.

Between 1994 and 2000 she took a break from her artwork to concentrate on her two children. When coming back to the art scene in the latter part of 2000, she wanted

Two left feet not allowed in this club

Students show off their best hip-hop dance moves

parking lots.”

Like any physical activity, the day started with a warm up. The dancers formed a “cypher,” or a dance-off circle.

Dancers of all ages can be seen busting a move on the second day of callbacks in the North Gym of Pierce College on Sept. 14.

“I am looking for heart,” said dance instructor and choreographer Wendi Baitey. “People here have various dance backgrounds in ballet, jazz, modern, and then there’s even the street kids. I am just looking for raw talent.”

Successfully adding this class is not as easy as it would appear. Students arrive for the first day of auditions and try their best to prove to the instructors that they have what it takes to keep up with a professional course.

“We are looking for professional,” said Denise Gibson, adviser to the Street Dance Club.

“This is an audition. We see what they have to offer and if we see professional, then we give them an add slip to get them into the class. The [Dance] Club on campus is really for those who didn’t make it in, but still really want to dance.

I’m sure you’ve seen them dancing around on campus, and even in the

“The cypher is to get them moving and loosened up. It’s also an opportunity to see what they got and what kind of styles they have,” Baitey said.

“I

Opening up the dance off to JayZ’s “Tom Ford,” the performance began. Showing off their own original styles one by one, variations of hip-hop and street dance flowed from the performers. More commonly known to the dance community as “breakers,” they showcased their acrobatics against each other in a blur of arms and legs while cheers and shouts

could be heard from onlookers.

After teaching the group a complex dance routine that they memorize in minutes, the performers were to listen to a selection of songs and pick which ones they would rather dance to.

“I have them decide on a song choice to see how serious they are about this class,” Baitey said. “I showed them a fun song, and a song that was slower but filled with meaning. They chose the one with meaning and heart.”

One does not have to be a student at Pierce to be in the program. Jarek Hernandez is a 12-year-old boy who made the cut through auditions.

“I have been dancing for five years. I got started when I was watching the Jabbawockeez one day and I felt that was what I really wanted to do,” Hernandez said.

Once the dancers make it into the class, they have to continue to prove that they can remain on the roster.

“This is a class. If you miss two rehearsals, you will lose you spot and become an understudy,” Gibson said.

For those that did make the cut and received an add slip, dance rehearsals are Saturdays from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the North Gym.

She said that to her, it was a fresh look at American society and what it meant to her coming from another country.

After years of hard work, she was given her first chance to go public with her art with an installation at the Glendale Galleria.

“This gave me a chance to access a large audience,” Abajian said.

Her installation, titled “Getting it,” represents the idea that, “We can get

“I think being an artist is very special for me because art is a very powerful tool to say what you want to say to people,” Abajian said. “I am very happy being an artist. It is very fulfilling and satisfying when you have a message and you’re able to reach a big audience.”

The Art Gallery will display Abajian’s work through Wednesday, Oct. 23 in Room 3300.

Johnathan Andrino - Vela / Roundup

LINES: Los Angeles artist Srboohie Abajian (center), exhibit curator spoke to guests at the opening ceremony at Pierce College’s Art Gallery, on Thursday, Sept. 19.

“Being an artist is good because my mind is open to life, to society and I have my perspective to say what I want through my art.”

-Srboohie Abajian Artist

have them decide on a song choice to see how serious they are about this class.”

-Wendi Baitey Dance instructor/choreographer

Gabrielle

Photos by: Mohammad Djauhari and Monica Salazar / Roundup SAMPLING: (Top L & R) Some of Abajian’s artwork displayed in the Art Gallery, Room 3300. Bottom: Srboohie Abajian.

FRIDAY NIGHTS AT THE FARM

Members of the community gather at the Farm Center to enjoy the fun and food at the last Friday Night Certified Farmers Market of the 2013 summer season.

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

FOOD: People gather at the last Friday Night Certified Farmers Market of the year to buy snacks At Pierce College Farm Center, in Woodland Hills, Calif., Friday Sept. 20th.

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

PONY EXPRESS: Farm visitor Olivia Stiwell, age 4, smiles after riding a pony at the Pierce College Farm Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., Friday Sept. 20th.

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

MOO~VIE NIGHT: Spectators gather around the Pierce College Farm Center for the screening of the film, Field of Dreams, at the Pierce College Farm Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., Friday Sept. 20th.

Annabella Apfelbaum / Roundup

FARMERS & CHARMERS: Square Dance Club gives a chance to socialize while exercising the mind and body at the Pierce College Farm Center, Woodland Hills, Calif. Sept. 20, 2013.

Touchdown twins

Brothers stick together as both get scholarships to a four-year

Social media takes a toll on many people’s lives, but uploading a video online had the opposite effect on two brothers: they were given the opportunity of a lifetime.

Standing tall at 6-foot-5, and geared up in sneakers and workout clothes, twin brothers Tyree and Tyrin Stone-Davis exude an enthusiasm for the sport they’re about to practice: football.

grades were bad coming out of high school and couldn’t get any scholarships, so coming to Pierce would help us get more exposure since there’s more opportunity out here,” Tyrin said.

Striving for their goals, Tyrin decided to upload a video at the beginning of this semester onto Hudl.com, which is a sports recruitment site available to athletes and coaches. Mike Bellamy, a coach from the University of Illinois, watched the footage and reached out to the brothers.

“Coach Bellamy called Tyrin, because he had seen his highlight tape on Hudl,” said Tyree. “A few weeks later he flew out to [California] to see us work out in person, and offered us both a full ride scholarship.”

Tyrin said that because they have always played with each other and have a high level of talent, they possess everything any school would need, and the fact that they play different positions helps them stay together.

“We felt relieved that we got into the same school so we can get the exposure we need to make it to the next level,” Tyrin said.

some obstacles along the way: living on their own away from home, juggling football and school.

and his voice is heard.

The Philadelphia natives have been playing football together since they were eight years old; Tyree playing cornerback and Tyrin wide receiver.

“We came to LA because our

The twins’ ultimate goal is to make it into the NFL, having admired and studied players such as Darelle Revis, a cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and A.J. Green, a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Although the twins received a scholarship, they did experience

“For now school work is the hardest part. We’re both taking accounting, sociology, anthropology, and economics,” Tyrin said. “If all goes well and we pass our classes we will be on our way to Illinois to start the spring ‘14 semester.”

Though they are still young, the

twins are embarking on a journey they hope will last for the rest of their lives. Tyrin and Tyree both have faith that if they work hard they will get where they need to be as long as their future involves football.

“If football doesn’t work out, I want to be a coach,” Tyrin said. Tyree agreed, adding that he also wouldn’t mind a career as a model or actor, as long as his face is seen

Women’s soccer win in one-sided victory Pierce defeates Valley College 5-0 for second straight win

Pierce College’s women’s soccer team won its second game in a row on Tuesday, Sept. 17 against Los Angeles Valley College by a score of 5-0. The win improves Pierce’s record 2-2-1.

The game was at Monarch Stadium and began with a strong first half from Pierce, in which they scored four goals.

The first goal for Pierce was scored by midfielder Diana Argueta. She curled in a free kick to open up the scoring.

Argueta would continue to have a good game in the midfield by once again playing offense and defense for Pierce.

Sophomore forward Shawnie Moore added to Pierce’s lead by scoring a header off of a wellplaced cross into the box.

Valley struggled to get any offense going and could not find the final ball to unravel Pierce’s

defenders. Valley had two good chances to score on errors by Pierce’s defenders, but their shots were saved by freshman goalie Jenna Koziol.

The first half dragged on for

halftime by curling in a goal from outside the box just before halftime.

During the second half, Valley pushed back hard, gaining better control of the ball and with far less defensive errors. The second half was back and forth. Both teams were creating chances, but neither could get the ball into the back of the net.

Although Valley put up a fight, Pierce managed to break through once again. Somers scored her second goal of the game by tapping in a cross by sophomore defender Karina Ramirez, who had pushed up in attack.

“I feel extremely happy,” Somers said after the game. “Things are starting to look bright for us.”

Valley, as freshman forward Michelle Somers added another goal. Somers recovered the ball after a bad pass back to a defender and slotted the ball past the keeper to make it 3-0.

The goals would not end there.

Freshman midfielder Maria Gutierrez made it 4-0 before

Valley’s head coach, Greg Venger, stated the team’s goal had been to control Pierce’s midfield and force the weaker players to match up against its strongest players.

“I thought we played much better the second half,” Venger said.

This second win seems to have raised the morale of Pierce as a whole, as the coach and team alike were smiling and exchanging happy banter with each other after the game.

Pierce’s head coach, Adolfo Perez, says this win was great for the team’s recruiting purposes and believes the team has made tremendous progress.

“This is the most goals we’ve made all year,” Perez said.

Pierce players and coaches agree this win helped the team.

“Our energy helped us play as a team,” Arguete said. “It gave us confidence.”

Pierce will hope to continue this run of form, but it will be difficult as they take on the current nationally top-ranked women’s soccer team of Cerritos College.

“We’re looking forward to playing the number one team,” Somers said. The game will be on Friday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. at The Pit at Pierce.

“Fortunately we have a supportive family who can’t wait to see us play and are actually coming to our Ohio state game,” Tyree said.

In hopes of making it big in football, both Tyree and Tyrin know that everything requires dedication and a little bit of elbow grease.

“Everything big starts out small,” Tyrin said.

Tyree won’t let anyone tell him

there’s anything he can’t do. He believes everything is possible.

“Dreams really do come true,” Tyree said.

The twins are red-shirting sophomores and are not on the active roster for the Pierce football team, however you can see their older brother Tre, 21, play for the Brahmas at their next game on Saturday on the road against L.A. Southwest College.

Women’s volleyball drops sixth game while on the road Pierce loses to Citrus College droping overall record to 2-6

Castro Roundup Reporter

The Pierce College Woman’s Volleyball team lost 1-3 against Citrus College on the road Tuesday night.

Head coach Shin Jung of Citrus College said that his team needed to be cautious when going up against Pierce College on Tuesday night.

“We need to be consistent,” Jung said. “Pierce is a dangerous opponent, we can’t give them a window to beat us.”

Jung added onto his comment saying that the team needed to worry about itself limiting its miscues: serving, digging more balls in the back row and making less hitting errors.

The game started off in Pierce’s favor taking the first match with 2520 score getting 12 kills compared to Citrus College’s eight kills. Most of the other points from the match were earned by attack errors.

The second set of the night was won by Citrus College 25-18, where 11 points were made on attacking errors by Pierce.

However in the third set Citrus College was able to get 12 kills for a 25-21 win to take the lead 2-1.

The final set of the night went to Citrus College 25-22 with 14 kills where both sophomore Ana Bui and freshman Danielle Hundley, helped seal the victory getting five kills each in the last set.

Bui and Hundle led the offense for Citrus College combining for 26 out 40 kills for the team.

Jung said his team is still trying to find it’s ground this season.

“We’ve been doing ok. We’ve

had our ups and downs, but we’re still trying to find our identity,” Jung said.

Jung also said that their serving was able to make up for their hitting and receiving through out the game.

-Shin Jung Head Coach of Citrus College

Nabil Mardini, head coach of the Pierce woman’s volleyball team, had a few positive and comments about his team’s performance that night.

“Offensively, we did better,” Mardini said. “We didn’t dig the ball too often, our setting needs more work; we need to make more kills.”

Sophomore Kira Guarino led the offense for Pierce College with 13 kills while freshman Savannah Loutzehiser grabbed 21 digs throughout the game.

Mardini continued on, saying that his team would be able to benefit from some mental focus for the team’s next game against at the Pierce Invitational next weekend..

“We need to play with a little more courage; we need to play with some guts,” Mardini said.

“Things are starting to look bright for us.”

-Michelle Somers Freshman forward for Pierce

Monica Salazar / Roundup

BULLET: Tyrin, 20 cornerback (left), and Tyree, 20 wide reciever (right), Stone-Davis wear their University of Illinois gear proudly, on Sept. 23.

“We felt relieved that we got into the same school so we can get the exposure we need to make it to the next level.”

-Tyrin Stone-Davis Wide reciever

Nelger Carrera/ Roundup

BREAKING AWAY: Pierce’s freshman midfielder Diana Argueta breaks through Valley College’s defense. Pierce goes on to win the game with a 5-0 score, on Sept. 17.

“We need to be consistent. Pierce is a dangerous opponent, we can’t give them a window to beat us”

Jesus

Caleb Johnson Roundup Reporter

Monica Campos Roundup Reporter

PIERCE SPORTS SCHEDULE

Football

Women’s Volleyball

Sept. 27-28 - Pierce 4th Invitational

Oct. 2 - vs Antelope Valley at 7 p.m.

Sept. 28 - @ LA Southwest at 6 p.m.

Oct. 5 - vs West L.A. at 7 p.m.

Women’s Water Polo

Oct 2 - @ Ventura at 2:15 p.m.

Oct. 10 - vs L.A. Valley College

Women’s Soccer

Sept. 27 - @ Glendale at 5 p.m.

Oct. 4 - @ Santa Barbara at 7 p.m.

Athlete finds 2nd home at Pierce

Syrian basketball player moves to America after bombing incident at local university

Ara said. “Over 100,000 men, women and children have died there.”

September of 2012 after violence spread to the city of Aleppo.

Running late for class is never a good thing for college students, but for one it was a life-saving event.

Gasia Sarkis, 21, who was attending the University of Aleppo in Syria in 2012 was not at school at the time a bomb exploded on campus as a result of an ongoing civil war.

“Before the fighting started, Syria was a very peaceful and free country,” said Ara Sarkis, Gasia’s father. “It was a free economy where employment was high and it was a safe and fun place to visit for tourists. That was before March 15, 2011, when everything changed.”

On that day, there was a revolt in the city of Damascus when a group of mostly-young protesters demanded reform and the resignation of President Bashar alAssad.

This is when the war first started.

“It is a massacre in Syria now,”

Winning start to water polo season

Women’s

water polo team crushes Santa Monica

The first game of the season for the women’s water polo team ended in a dominating victory of 14-4 over Santa Monica College on Sept. 19 at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatics Center.

“It’s the first one of the season, and we’re really just going to take it game by game,” Pierce’s head coach Sarah Van Norman said. “It would be great to go undefeated like the girls did last year, but honestly we are going to take it game by game. We would love to win conference again, but overall success is really about progressing throughout the season and growing and learning and being great teammates. That’s success in my opinion.”

Santa Monica College, whose season opened up with a one-outof-four-win scorecard at a Cuesta

Gasia, who played on the National Syrian basketball team, remembers having to practice amid the turmoil that was surrounding the country.

“I remember that going to practice was scary,” said Gasia.

“We were afraid that bombs were

Gasia, who describes herself as being Armenian-Syrian, has now been playing for the Pierce College women’s basketball team for two years.

The sport is in her blood, as her father—who started playing basketball from the age of 13—was part of the National Syrian team and the Homenetmen basketball club. Before the civil war started, he was a successful businessman who sold spare car parts.

Since the Sarkis family has reunited, they have made the transition from living in Syria to starting a new life in Encino.

Gasia is now pursuing her dreams of being a Division I prospect and maybe even turning pro.

going to go off. We risked our lives every single time we went to play. After the bombing, I decided once and for all to leave Syria and come to play basketball in America.”

Her family followed in

“One of the toughest parts about coming to America was communication, learning how to speak English,” Gasia said. “Also, I didn’t know the system about how to get classes and getting used to the culture.”

With the help of former Pierce player Mare Chirishyan, Gasia

was able to talk to head coach Jim Couch and from there, Ken Stanley Court became her new home.

“I am truly blessed to be here, not stuck in war,” Gasia said. “I want to prove to myself that I can play in America.”

Gasia’s troubles back in Syria are now far away, and she can focus on family, school and playing basketball.

Even though Ara no longer coaches actively, he still consults his daughter on her game.

“I think Gasia is the best basketball player from Syria. However, [she] needs to improve her free throw shooting,” Ara said with a slight grin. “My wife and I are going to support our daughter and come to as many games as possible.”

Women’s volleyball team splits four games, wins 2 drops 2 Defending champions fail to take 3rd tournament

21-25, 17-25, and 22-25 on Friday Sept. 20.

true potential this weekend,” Lester said.

College tournament over the weekend, seemed confident about how the match would end up.

“I think that the two teams will match up pretty well and from last weekend, I think that they are going to improve a lot,” Santa Monica’s head coach Jennifer Bullock said.

Within the first five seconds of the game, the Brahmas took possession of the ball and utility player Darby Schuett fired in the first goal, setting the mood for the rest of the match.

By the end of the first half, the score was an unrecoverable 10-2 over Santa Monica.

“Going in I was feeling a little nervous, but I knew we were going to win,” sophomore utility Maggie

Kurzeka said. “Everyday we just practice shooting a lot, and you just focus on tuning up every day.”

The victory over Santa Monica was led by sophomore Kurzeka with more than five goals, Samantha Buliavac with two, and Andrea Young and Sara Booth, both with single goals.

“We are defending Western State champions and I’m excited that this is their first match,” Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano said. “They just have to play the game, and I think we will do well. We are really well-coached with the Van Norman sisters and Judy and they’re ready to go.”

The next home game for the Brahmas is Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m.

Water polo falls in Citrus tournament

campaign sophomore set player Sara Booth remained optimistic about the team.

Kurzeka said. “A relatively new team but with not as much experience.”

The Pierce College woman’s volleyball team won two games and lost two games at this year’s annual San Diego Mesa Woman’s Volleyball tournament which happened from Sept. 20-21.

The tournament games took place at Mesa College and Grossmont College with a total of 16 teams participating, according to www.sdmsa.edu.

“It’s a long standing tradition. We’ve been doing it for years,” Dave Evans, dean of athletics at San Diego Mesa College said.

The big winner this year was Glendale Arizona, who won all four games, having taken home a championship plaque and won MVP of the tournament.

Pierce won 3-1 against Canyons: 28-26,25-20,24-26, and 25-15 and lost 0-3 against Glendale Arizona:

Pierce also won 3-0 against Cirtus College: 25-16, 25-16, and 25-19 and lost 0-3 against El Camino: 19-25, 14-25, and 17-25 on Saturday Sept. 21.

Nabil Mardini, head coach of the woman’s volleyball team at Pierce said that his team did a good job at the tournament.

“We did very well. We passed the ball better, the girls did a good job,” Mardini said.

Kim Lester, head coach of the woman’s volleyball team at San Diego Mesa, said that the tournament has been held annually for 28 years and she’s been running it for the past 11 years.

“We’ve always gone [to the tournament at San Diego Mesa]. We won the last two tournaments,” Mardini said.

Lester also thought that her team did well this weekend.

“I was exceptionally proud of my team. We learned a lot of our

Lester also had a few things to say about the other schools that participated.

“Grossmont is a very tough team, very physical,” Lester said. “Pierce is always a competitive [team], they play with a lot of aggression and fire. They [Pierce] compete well. Mardini said there are a few things the team needs to work on before their game against San Diego Mesa this Friday.

“We need to work on our defense a little,” Mardini said.

Evans said that the tournament has a few ways of benefiting the participating teams.

“It’s pre-season. It helps [the participating teams] for their conference games,” Evans said.

Evans also commented on how great it is to be able to host the tournament.

“The quality of competition is outstanding,” Evans said.

Pierce College’s women’s water polo team went into the Citrus tournament with a tall order ahead as they had to matchup against the defending state champion Golden West.

It was too tall of an order however the Brahmas got crushed, losing to Golden West 17-3. Considering that the Brahmas are only in their second season in their program after winning the Western State Conference during their 2012

“Considering that we were playing against the defending state champions, we did actually pretty well,” Booth said. “Yeah we got beat pretty bad but overall we played pretty well.”

The Brahmas were able to recuperate, however, later on in their second game beating San Diego Miramar 15-7. Sophomore utility player Maggie Kurzeka felt the team was a lot more prepared playing a team of their calibur.

“Miramar was a lot like us,”

Miramar came into the game with only 11 players on their roster compared to the Brahmas 16 which gave Pierce an advantage.

The Brahmas now have some time to rest before their next game when they play Ventura College on the road. Kurzeka wants the team to become more physical and aggressive leading up to their next game against the Pirates.

“In practice we’re going to have to learn to try harder with each other,” Kurzeka said.

Monica Salazar / Roundup

OUT OF HARMS WAY: Gasia Sarkis, 21, plays forward for the women’s basketball team after leaving Syria.

Mohammad Djauhari / Roundup

SHOT AT GOAL: Sierra Marroquin attempts a shot at goal during a game against Santa Monica College on Thursday, Sept. 19.

“I am truly blessed to be here.”

-Gasia Sarkis

Basketball player

Ethan Hanson Roundup Reporter

Ethan Hanson Roundup Reporter

Mike Washington Roundup Reporter

Jesus Castro Roundup Reporter