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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.