Farm Center throws festival

Council discusses updates on projects College advisory group plans on xing Wi-Fi, cafeteria and classes

Genna Gold Roundup Reporter

Pierce College Council met for its monthly meeting discussing the status of the school’s finances and updates on the progress of campus projects and activities on Thursday, Sept. 26 in the College Services Building conference room.

Like other Los Angeles Community College District campuses, deliberations regarding the campus bookstore spending more money to maintain its operations than it took in last year has become a major concern, according to Don Sparks, a Pierce physics instructor who spoke in regard to the budget committee report.

“The bookstore did dip into their reserves,” said Bruce Rosky, associate vice president of Pierce.

Halloween Harvest Festival open now through Nov. 3rd

General Admission $5 Children under 3 enter free

Hours of operation

Festival Hours

Sun - Thurs 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Fri - Sat 10 a.m. - midnight

Corn Maze Hours Sun - Thurs 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

- Sat 10 a.m. - midnight

For additional pricing and ticket information: Visit halloweenharvestfestival.com

Monica Velasquez Features Editor

Walking into the Pierce College Farm Center with the sound of country music in the air, the sights and aromas transport visitors from the urban setting to dust-covered farmland for the 9th annual Halloween Harvest Festival.

The Farm Center is open to the public between Sept. 27 and Nov. 3, from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Kidfriendly attractions include pony rides and arts and crafts, but when the sun goes down the center is transformed into a Fright Fest that has thrillseekers holding each other a little closer.

Hannah Sweiss, 29, and her daughter Sannah Sweiss, 3, have made the Harvest Festival an annual tradition for the last three years.

“We’ve been waiting for it to open, so that’s why we came on the very first day,”

Hannah Sweiss said.

I went on a pony ride,” Spielman said. “So whenever I have a kid that comes and it’s their first pony ride, and they’re super excited about it, that makes me feel special to give them their first ride.”

The plan is to have each of the ponies give rides no more than four hours a day in order to not overwork the animals, according to Spielman.

Palmdale resident Harley Roque, 20, goes to College of the Canyons and works at the Harvest Festival.

His favorite part of the day is being able to tell kids jokes, while they mine for gems and fossils in the sand at his station.

“What does the farmer plant?” Roque asked, trying to keep a straight face. “Beets me.”

“I got into it because on my first birthday I went on a pony ride.”

Spielman Pony Handler

He smiled as a little boy and his family came up to mine for the treasures hidden in the sand.

After the he pours the sand in the strainer, the miners get to keep all the gems and fossils they find, according to Roque.

He also provides them with an information card so the experience is educational.

She said they took advantage of the arts and crafts tent to paint pirate and Frankenstein masks for Halloween and plan to be back numerous times throughout the season.

Sannah Sweiss was all smiles as she rode the Magical Carousel with her mother by her side.

After the carousel, guests can ride “Paint,” one of the eight ponies that will be accommodating riders seven days a week.

Wendi Spielman is one of the handlers that works with the ponies. She grooms Paint to get all the dust off and picks his hooves to make sure there are no rocks in them before he gives his first ride.

Paint was selected to give rides because of his calm nature.

“He’s one of our most reliable ponies, real calm and collected,” Spielman said. “He’s one of the first one’s we go to.”

Spielman had her first encounter with a horse at a young age, and it was then that her love of horses began.

“I got into it because on my first birthday

: See photos from the first day of the Harvest Fest

It is also all about the interaction with the children for twin sisters Marie and Marisa Flores, 18, who were hired to work at the Arts and Crafts tent.

The twins, both Pierce College students whose majors are undecided, help children paint masks and create small art projects.

“I’m excited to watch the different way that they paint the mask, and how some people are creative,” Marisa Flores said.

The twins are looking forward to taking advantage of other activities available for guests.

“The bungee jumping, it’s fun,” Marie Flores said. “Or any of the jumpers are cool too.”

Unlike her sister, Marisa Flores is looking to be frightened by the Fright Fest attractions.

“I’m excited for the scary corn maze,” she said. “ I hear there are chainsaws chasing people, so I’m nervous and excited for that.”

All of the Fright Fest attractions including the Creatures of the Corn maze are open after 7 p.m.

5: See the Student Spotlight featuring Josh Stevens

Ongoing discussions regarding restructuring the store’s business models to boost yearly revenue included restricting book sales to just the first few weeks of each semester and maintaining a larger variety of other items on the shelves.

“One of the main problems is students are running to get their books online on Amazon, or not at all,” Sparks said.

Another subject of concern was the new food court and how it continues to remain unused and empty.

“We’re all anxious about the food court,” Pierce Associate Vice President Larry Kraus said. “There have been some recent developments at the board to make the move, or it possibly already has been done, to take the necessary steps and void the [request for proposal].”

Administration was having issues earlier in the year with regard to the district-wide food vendor, making the decision to look at alternative companies to provide the school with services based on a one-year contract, according to Kraus.

Poor enrollment numbers are another cause for anxiety, which the Enrollment Management Committee has linked to challenges with the campus phone system, lack of space in classes, CSUN admitting their largest freshman class, and Prop. 30 opening more classes state-wide allowing students to go elsewhere, according to Barbara Anderson, dean of academic affairs.

Even though the enrollment percentage was not raised from last fall as much as had been hoped, Pierce has confirmed there will be about 80 courses available for the winter intersession beginning Jan. 6 – Feb. 2, according to Anderson.

With the amount of confusion regarding mandatory usage of the new LACCD emails, the Information Technology Committee is strongly encouraging students and faculty to attend their brand new IT open houses on the fourth Thursday of every month, according to Wendy Bass, Pierce’s distance education coordinator.

“It is not a gripe session,” Bass said. “It’s an opportunity to find out what’s going on with the IT department and to get some questions answered.“

The IT department has also been tackling the issue of the slow internet speed on campus. Plans to add more Wi-Fi towers, one going to the Auto Tech area, as well as the reinstitution of a campus-wide Wi-Fi password are just a few of the ideas being discussed, according to Bass.

“We have a finite amount of WiFi,” Bass said. “Anyone right now can access it.”

Reply to David Schamus, Academic Senate Senator-at-large, by Gus Sandoval, president of the Associated Students Organization.

After reading your letter to the editor in the September 18, 2013 issue of the Roundup I was very moved. When I addressed the faculty Academic Senate, in my mind, it was not within the realm of possibility that a member of the Senate might take time out of their day to write something which described me as a “bright light”, or might write: “The students, and this campus as a whole are lucky to have you here as a leader”, or “You inspired me.”

Thank you for your kind words. They were very flattering and made my friends and family smile when reading them. When addressing the senate on September 9, I was simply stating what felt like to me is “the obvious”. The faculty, staff, and administration of Pierce College are capable of greatness. More than capable. The key ingredient to this capability will forever be, as you stated in your letter, what is necessary amongst a group of individuals working towards common goals: consensus.

As I stated during my address to the Senate, I hope that this consensus is achieved sooner than later. This did not mean that I am insensitive to the issue the Academic Senate was deliberating. It was simply more apparent to me that the issue was divisive. The students and faculty of Pierce College deserve an Academic Senate that is working diligently towards academic matters, with consensus.

I thought maybe I was alone in feeling like the discussion seemed divisive. I’m glad I was wrong. I wish you and the other members of the Academic Senate luck and wisdom in renewing your consensus. I am grateful that you are a member of the Academic Senate, and assume you will help champion this effort.

Sincerely, Gustavo Sandoval

umbs up & umbs down

UP: Sheriff escort

A late night walk across campus can be scary. So it’s a nice function of the campus sheriff to provide a ride to one’s car.