Volume 120 Spring 2014 Roundup Issue 1

EMPTY HOUSE: Pierce College students sit outside the empty and unopened cafeteria that is scheduled to open St.

Cafeteria scheduled to open

Lovebirds

Meghan McGillicuddy Roundup Reporter

An opening date for the campus food court and an explanation for the non-functioning emergency blue phones were given at the Pierce College Council (PCC) meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27.

Larry Kraus, associate vice president of Administrative Services, spoke on how the food court on campus is not yet open for student use and announced that there will be a “soft opening” on Monday, Mar. 17.

“We are not going to do any advertisements for it. We are just going to open it,” Kraus said.

“There will also be a contest for students to name the food court.”

The contest will allow students to change the name of the food court with the vendor, according to Kraus. He did not specify how the contest will take place or when the contest will occur.

The vendor, Lovebirds Cafe and Bakery, has signed a nine month contract with Pierce but there has been no mention of a long term vendor.

The cafe will begin its hiring process Monday, March 3 as previously reported by the Roundup.

In addition to the announcement of the long awaited opening date in regard to the food court, the PCC discussed safety concerns on campus.

Kraus addressed the issue of the blue phones which are placed around campus so that students can utilize them in case of an emergency to reach the campus Sheriff’s office

Sexual assault under investigation Campus

safety concerns ourish a er a ack

herself in her vehicle and drive away. She then called a friend and reported the incident to the LAPD Topanga Division.

New Wi-Fi system available

A new password protected WiFi system which allows students internet access throughout the campus was enabled Monday, March 3.

The new Wi-Fi system requires students and faculty to log on to the “Pierce Ap” network with a username and password, according to an email sent by Wendy Bass, distance education director.

“Wi-Fi is not new on our campus, we have had it for a few years. What is new is that students will be required to sign in using their student ID and password in order to access it,” said Bass.

The username and passwords for students will be the same as the ones they use to register for classes and faculty will use their email address and corresponding password. The logins for students will be their ID number starting with “88” and PIN password.

For new students and faculty that do not have their ID number or email address set up yet, the network will remain accessible for the next three weeks. After that point, students and faculty will be required to log in to the network according to Bass.

directly.

The problem is that many of the emergency phones do not work. These particular blue lights have a “bandage” on them to indicate that they are not functioning properly, according to Kraus.

The phones in parking lot seven do not work because of an “underground communication issue,” Kraus said. There is no specific date as to when the blue phones will be fixed, but there are plans in place to move forward.

Many board members raised a concern that students do not know which number to call in case of an emergency.

Kraus reminded the board members that Pierce has its own direct line to the campus Sheriff’s

office, who have deputies that can immediately respond to emergencies on campus.

“The emergency number on campus is 4311. Students can dial it from their cell phones if the blue lights are not working,” Chair of the PCC Lyn Clark said. “Students need to know this number.”

The emergency telephone number Clark is referring to is, 818710-4311, which connects to the campus sheriff.

The PCC is actively discussing ways to improve safety and security on campus, according to Kraus.

“We definitely care about student safety. At the end of the day, we want students to go home happy and healthy,” Academic Senate President Kathy Oborn said.

Ducking the weather

A man providing roadside assistance sexually assaulted a female student in parking lot 6 on Feb. 10, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

(LAPD)

The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Parking Lot located near the Music Building. The suspect arrived on the scene as roadside assistance aid and while charging the victim’s vehicle, proceeded to pull her toward him and grab her breasts and buttocks, according to officials.

The victim managed to pull away from the suspect and lock

The suspect is described as a Latino male between 35 and 40 years old with facial hair and was seen driving a white four-door Prius with a towing company logo on the side.

The incident was first reported to the LAPD, and the Pierce Sheriff’s Department was first informed of the incident on Monday Feb. 24.

Pierce College President Kathleen Burke sent an email to the faculty and staff of the college with a detailed explanation from Sheriff’s Captain Cheryl Newman-Tarwater as to why two weeks had passed after the crime occurred before it

was reported to the Pierce College community.

Sheriff’s Deputy Al Guerrero received a letter from the LAPD on the morning of Monday, Feb. 24 with a crime report about the sexual assault according to the email.

Deputy Guerrero followed procedures per the Clery Act and immediately notified his superiors and the administration of Pierce College according to the email.

The investigation is ongoing and the Sheriffs believe their detectives are close to resolving the case according to the email.

If you have any additional information regarding this incident please contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department at (818) 719-6450.

“I think this will be best for students,” freshman John Hardy said.

Right now, “hot spots” are set up throughout the campus. These “hot spots” are areas where students will get the best signal strength. These areas include places like the Freudian Sip and the Library Learning Crossroads. The site map shows areas where students will get the best signal strength.

According to Bass, there are plans to expand the Wi-Fi signal in the future, but new Wi-Fi towers will not be constructed on campus at this time.

The number of students on the network will not affect the signal strength, however, the speed of the Wi-Fi will be affected by the activity students are performing while connected, according to Mark Henderson, the information technology (IT) manager of Pierce College.

Activities such as downloading movies and music are currently prohibited because it will slow down the Wi-Fi speed, and the copyright infringement is a serious offense and will not be tolerated, according to Henderson.

“Copyright infringement is not a practice that is supported by Pierce College, nor should it be tolerated by anyone. It’s illegal activity. If you see someone participating in such behavior, then it should be reported,” Henderson said in an email.

The IT department’s main concern and focus is safety and security, according Henderson. They are working to ensure that only Pierce students and faculty are accessing the network at this time.

“We are not going to do any advertisements for it. We are just going to open it.”

-Larry Kraus Associate Vice President of Administrative Services

rain. March 1.

Genna Gold Managing Editor

Meghan McGillicuddy Roundup Reporter

Students react to ongoing construction

“I think it’s taking a little while but I’m excited to see how it comes out.”

-Jessica Pasaye Nursing Major

“I think it’s ridiculous that it got halted and now that I’m leaving I can’t take advantage of it.”

-Kevin Getchius Film Production Major

“The amount of time seems cumbersome. It’s disconcerting to see so much space not being used. It’s an absurd amount of time it’s taking.”

-Frank Harris Chemistry Major

“I love the library that was built but they need to hurry up and finish the cafeteria.”

-Adam Cook Pre-Veterinarian Science Major

Beat class boredom

AKA: Ask Kate Anything Advice Column

Prejudice isnʼt pretty

Derogatory public discourse detracts from the Pierce experience

At a college campus, people are expected to carry themselves with a certain level of professionalism, but at Pierce College there seems to be a trend of deteriorating social standards. This is clear in the lack of respect with which students acknowledge themselves and one another. Deviation from mutually respectful social dialogue is giving rise to cases of offensive behavior.

The city of Los Angeles is a very metropolitan forward-thinking community with many cultures influencing the environment and the area’s lifestyle. However, even in a modern and up to date society such as Los Angeles, there are not only overt signs of racism but covert and unintentional instances of racism as well.

Covert racism, which is discriminating against a person without having any harmful intent, usually stems from being ignorant to today’s social norms and can be influenced by a person’s background.

Even if the intent of a statement isn’t discriminatory, an innocent statement like “That’s so ghetto” or “She’s so ratchet” can be hurtful to people.

Society’s members are a product of their upbringing; people mimic those closest to them. Parents, siblings, friends and communities at large influence the way individuals think, act and react to certain situations.

Kate Noah

AskKateAnything@gmail.com

Boring classes: we all have to take them at one time or another.

At this point in the semester, your classes are locked in unless you want to pay for a class you don’t finish. Even if you managed to avoid all undesirable classes this semester, if you want to graduate and/or transfer, you have to face them eventually.

You are not alone in the facing of dreaded classes. Everyone has subjects they don’t enjoy, whether it’s math, English, history, biology, political science, or all of the above. The good news is that in every class, there are students who love and thrive in that subject.

Find them. Buy them lunch. Become their friend.

Often those students are just as good as the teacher at explaining new or difficult material. They will have more time to spend with you than a teacher, and those students usually love to see people they help succeed. Plus you will have a friend in class which automatically makes any class better.

So what if you can’t find those students, or you have a problem making new friends or talking to people you don’t know? What then?

You can always see a tutor. That’s basically the same thing minus the friendship, but you really have to adhere to their tutoring

schedule. Still, it’s a good option.

One little trick that works for many things in life is to adjust your attitude about the subject you dislike so much.

Perhaps you wake up on the wrong side of the bed and you set out in the morning in a rotten mood. You can be annoyed and angry all day, or you can choose to cheer up.

Smile. Wave at people. Call someone you love that always makes you happy and have just the smallest conversation. Put on a fun, upbeat song. Dance a little. Before you know it, that bad mood is gone.

The same goes with this rotten subject. Pretend you like it. Act like you like it. Really pay attention, and let the teacher’s enthusiasm for the subject ignite your own. It’s hard to actually listen to someone who is passionate about something and not walk away with at least a little interest in whatever they were talking about.

If the professor doesn’t seem enthusiastic, find someone who is, and let them persuade you to be excited to learn. If excitement is too much to muster, at least try for interested.

No matter what you decide to try, just give that class a fair chance. If you go in with a predetermined mindset of misery, of course you’re not going to like it. But nothing can be all bad. Look for the good and the interesting, and you will find it.

Do you have a question for Kate? Maybe you just need some advice. Well look no further because Kate is here for you. Don’t shy away, Ask Kate Anything by sending your questions to AskKateAnything@gmail.com.

As an example, someone that is brought up using racial slurs as a normal part of conversation would not give it a second thought that they could be perceived as being racist.

Even though people are raised to emulate elders, it doesn’t give license to ignore the obvious evolution of our free-thinking society and stay in the dark ages where being racist wasn’t thought of as an issue.

Pierce College is a microcosm of L.A. with a population of more than 29 thousand students and more than half of the student body identifying as “non-white,” according to Los Angeles Community College scorecard. Students cannot travel the hallways or walkways of the campus without experiencing the diversity that is Los Angeles. Although the campus is situated in a relatively upscale neighborhood, and has a diverse population, there are still occurrences of people being seemingly unaware of how politically incorrect their comments sound.

Just because someone’s parents or elders were raised in a different time and act a certain way is not an excuse to live in a bubble and not evolve with the maturing society around them. It is inappropriate to merely mimic the same low standards picked up from an ignorant environment in a college setting where the bar for acceptable public discourse is higher. With mindfulness, overt racism will become a thing of the past.

-COMIC STRIP-

Poll responses from 31 students as gathered by Giuliana Orlandoni.

Photos by Jason Sudds

incident report

Center cited for child supervision shortfall

children

by a campus maintenace worker

posted at the CDC for the next year.

News Briefs

- Compiled by Tracy Wright

Daylight Savings Time [3/9]

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 9 for Daylight Savings.

Media Arts Department Speaker Series [3/17]

Feb. 10 - March 1

– Compiled by Genna Gold

2/10 - Sexual battery - A female student reported a sexual battery in parking lot 6 to the Los Angeles Police Department.

2/11 - Assault with force likely to produce great bodily harm - Students were involved in a fight by the Business Office area.

2/12 - Unauthorized use of personal info - Student reported someone wrote a check using his name.

2/13 - Petty theft - An unknown person

Caleb Johnson Features Editor

Two children were found playing unattended outside the front of the Child Development Center (CDC) by a campus maintenance worker on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The children escaped while they were in the playground, which has an open area that leads back into the lobby and out the front doors. They exited the playground and walked through the front doors of the building where they were found by campus gardener Humphrey Beem, according to a letter sent by the CDC to parents outlining the incident.

Beem found the children playing outside the doors and promptly returned the children to the center and into the hands of staff.

The CDC was cited by the California Department of Social Services with a Type A violation for lack of supervision . The civil penalty for this violation would be $150, but Pierce College’s fine was waived due to it being a public entity, according to the posted documents regarding the violation.

Phyllis Schneider, Director of the CDC, described the issue as multi-faceted in origin.

“Teacher supervision needs to be improved,” Schneider said. “It’s a two-fold solution – monitoring kids and correcting adults.”

Proposed solutions include erecting a proper barrier that would be accessible by adults, posting a cadet at the front doors to monitor comings and goings, changing parent behavior, and instructor training.

“Our concern for a couple of years has been access by the public,” Schneider said. “And even more now that children can go out.”

The CDC is now pushing for change even harder after the scare, with a meeting planned this week to discuss the matter of a physical barrier separating the playground from the main area.

“We’re looking for an appropriate barrier,” Schneider said.

The meeting will discuss which type of barrier would keep the center most secure, while not affecting other safety measures.

Teachers have gone through a class to reinforce their supervisory abilities. Miyuki Yatsuya-Dix, one of the instructors in the CDC, says they will be much more careful.

“We’ll be one hundred percent supervising the children,” Yatsuya-Dix said. “We had high expectations, and they fell.”

Parents are also expected to reinforce the idea of when it’s okay to go places, and how to understand when they shouldn’t. Parents were immediately notified of the issue when the children were found, according to Schneider.

“All the parents were notified of this,” Schneider said. “It’s public information, no secrets.”

Dean of Student Services David Follosco is involved in finding and putting solutions into effect.

“We are concerned,” Follosco said. “We’re looking at every sort of thing we can do and what’s the best solution for the situation.”

2/26

2/26 - Student injury - A veterinary student was kicked by a goat by the Farm Center

2/26

The licensing report that came along with the violation must be

Another faculty member will also be brought to the facility, posted in the main lobby to monitor the adults and children who pass through the center.

The Soldiers Project and student outreach specialists from Cal State University Northridge and Cal State University Los Angeles.

There are worries about prohibitory costs with posting cadets, or possible fire hazards with a childproof gate. Possible solutions are to be looked at and explored for the issue in terms of what is best for safety and cost for staff, students and the school.

“Our concern is for the safety of everyone,” Follosco said.

with the Financial Aid, Scholarships and Veterans Department.

Award winning photographer, Kirk McKoy, will be the next speaker in the Media Arts Speaker Series at the Great Hall on Thursday, March 13 at 7 p.m. The event is free.

Aids Awareness Week [3/17-3/28]

The Student Health Center will host free and confidential HIV testing in Lot 1 between 3/233/27. In addition, speakers are available to visit classrooms and discuss HIV and AIDS related issues. For more information regarding booking a speaker for a classroom, contact the Student Health Center at (818) 710-4270.

Free tax preparation for students

Students who need help preparing their taxes can attend a free class sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service on Saturday mornings in the Business Education building 3218 through April 5.

G.I. Bill which includes post 9/11 veterans.”

Veteran and military students were invited to the Welcome Back Lunch in the Pierce College Great Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Those who attended the event were able to get reacquainted with peers while learning about available resources on campus.

“This event is one way for the veterans to connect with the campus, to connect with the different services that we offer, and I would like to address them and give them a heads up about new regulations for priority registration,” said Anafe Robinson, director of Financial Aid, Scholarships, Veterans and Foster Care.

The event began at 11 a.m. and lasted until 1 p.m. The students had access to community organizations including the Chatsworth Vet Center, Sepulveda Vet Center,

“I have a lot of veteran friends who are going to the event,” said Alex Vasquez, a student veteran. “I think it is wonderful that we are getting veterans together and letting them know what the school offers them.”

The keynote speaker at the event was Levi Kinnard, a veteran, CSUN graduate and Chief Executive Officer of his own business.

“Through this event, we are trying to bring back the Student Veterans Organization. We had it three years ago, it was chartered through ASO,” said Robinson. “The plan is to reignite that organization again so that the veterans have their own club where they can hang out and bounce each other’s experiences and ideas off each other.”

The event was put on by the Counseling Department in coalition

“ I think it is wonderful that we are getting veterans together and letting them know what the school offers them.”

-Alex Vasquez Student Veteran

“In the Fall, there were about 548 veterans who identified themselves in their applications for admissions. About half came to the veterans affairs office in the Fall to be certified for the V.A. benefits,” said Robinson. “A majority of the veterans are under Chapter 33

The students that attended the event found the opportunity beneficial in meeting fellow veterans on campus they might not have met otherwise.

“I think veterans should go [to the event] because veterans should be friends with each other and they should connect with other veterans at the school,” said AJ Khosroabadi, a student veteran. “All veterans, especially combat veterans, I do not care what branch you are, there is an automatic friendship there.”

Pierce will also be hosting a panel of student veterans next month to help faculty understand how they can help these students in the classrooms. For further information for Veterans and military assistance on campus, contact the Veterans Affairs office at (818)-710-3316 or pierce-veteran@piercecollege.edu.

Two

were found outside the gates of the center

New teacher adding it all up Math professor draws a ention with his style and air.

Gostantian Roundup Reporter

Two markers dance across a board, equations pouring out in two tones that create an easy to understand format. One pen is not enough for this class, lead by one of the new mathematics professors on campus.

Steve Chow is one of the new math professors at Pierce College, and he prefers to use two colored pens in one hand while writing his math formulas in class.

“Writing in one color is too boring for me,” Chow said. “So I like to write in two colors.”

Chow’s style of two-in-one writing using has garnered the attention of his students, who now do the same.

“I was really happy when the students were copying what I was doing,” Chow said. “They want to take the same notes so they have two pens in one hand.”

Even the administration has taken notice of this new teacher and his methods, separating him from other teachers with this unique writing style applied to his teaching.

“According to the department chair this is what I am known for,” Chow said, laughing. Chow recalls one student actually using a black pen and red pen on his test.

“I promised the class that I would use a red pen to grade,” Chow said. “So I got mad at him. But then I thought, you know what let me let you use the red pen, and I will change to purple to grade your tests.

One day I hope I will learn how to use 3 pens in one hand.”

Chow said he particularly enjoys being at Pierce College, and that the offices remind him of dorm life.

”I really liked the department,” Chow said. “It’s just like falling in love at first sight.”

Although Chow is new at Pierce he is not new to teaching. He first started his teaching career with high school students in 2008.

“After I got hired, I was like ‘wow, everybody is so friendly’,” Chow said.

“We stay here five to eight hours a day and see my office mates a lot, so we get to know each other really well.”

Chow started his education at a community college. He transferred to UC Berkeley after 2 years and finished his master’s degree at Cal Poly Pomona in math and a concentration in teaching.

Chow also prepares students in the Math Club, which he co-advises with Scott Maccarone, for the American Math Association for Two Year Colleges competitions.

The math club has not decided on a new room or meet times yet because the semester has just begun, but information will be sent out when they do, according to Chow.

Chow teaches a handful of classes at Pierce, including Prealgebra, Elementry Algebra, Arithmatic, Calculus I, and Ordinary Differential Calculus.

“I enjoy teaching and the students,” Chow said. “I get to teach the class that I want and the subject that I like. It is really amazing.”

Jesus Castro Roundup Reporter

Veganism has grown as a movement on campus, gaining enough momentum for a club and spreading awareness of this leafy lifestyle.

Last semester, Vegan Society Advisor Stephanie Winnard and her colleagues did a vegan outreach service on campus, giving away vegan baked goods and starter guides on becoming vegan.

to adopt a 100% plant-based diet but it’s also a loaded statement, according to Winnard.

“Veganism is a whole philosophy. It’s not just a diet it’s a lifestyle,” Winnard said. “You’re speaking out against animal cruelty, against wreaking the environment, and the misallocation of resources.”

Club President Crystal Enzaldo says spreading awareness is one of her main priorities.

Pardees Fassihi, an 18-year-old Economics major in a class of his, is happy with the way Chow teaches.

“He is adorable,” Fassihi said. “Always makes jokes, and makes the class enjoyable.”

Nafisa Arif, an 18-year-old English major and student of his, commented that Chow was “the perfect teacher.”

“He’s really good and explains a lot,” Arif said.

Being one of the younger looking teachers on campus, when asked about his age, Chow joked, “This year is my perfect cube (27), Next year I will have my perfect number (28), and in two years I will be in my prime (29).”

Falafels flying fast off the truck New food carrier curries the favor of students

people for Pierce faculty.

“At first we just did catering for the science building, the English department, and others,” Bass said.

“And we just became a success.”

Variety has hit Pierce College once again, this time in the form of a new food truck located on the mall by the campus library.

For the first time, a food truck serving middle-eastern cuisine has become a sensation in just two weeks of opening its mobile kitchen to the student body.

Owner of the Falafelicious food truck, Ofir Bass, explained that they’re here to stay for a while, keeping the much-needed variety on campus.

“This is our first semester,” Bass said. “We are under contract to be here for one year.”

Falafelicious started as a restaurant in Northridge late 2011, and had responded to the catering orders of over two hundred hugry

Students seem to flock to the truck, taking advantage of the new variety for their taste buds and prices that match the other food trucks on campus at $5.

“The other day we sold out of food,” Bass said. “We sell the food to students at half price then what it really is at the restaurant.”

The truck has yet to make a presence at other campuses, making Pierce College it’s only mobile venue other than their restaurant for the time being.

“My partner Linda Clumeck and I would love to expand and have a food truck on every campus,” Bass said.

Yanir Regev, a student at Pierce, is one of many who have taken to

the new food truck on campus.

“This place is delicious,” Regev said. “Straight from Israel, great for vegans.”

Falafelicious serves a variety of food alongside their falafels, including lemon chicken breast and other foods.

According to Bass, all the food is healthy and freshly cooked. He stated that the food does not only represent Israel but shared common recipes from the Mediterranean and Middle East.

“I feel like I’m in school again,” Bass said, commenting on the welcome the truck received in their first couple weeks.

The truck is located on the mall next to the library, and serves the campus on Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

“About 25 people signed up and the interest was noted, so we decided to go forward with it,” Winnard said.

The Pierce College Vegan Society is hoping to grow in numbers to spread their message.

“The timing is right because right now there is a national conversation regarding where our food comes from,” Winnard said. “The effects of our food not only on ourselves, but on our environment & really on our whole world.”

From a practical point of view, being vegan means to avoid the use of any kind of animal products and

“To get people to think differently about the way they choose to eat, the way they choose their foods consciously, because a lot of people don’t really think about what they’re eating,” Enzaldo said.

There are currently no set activities for new members to look forward to, but Winnard said they’d like to do vegan potlucks, watch documentaries and discuss them, and host debates.

“Everyone is welcome. You don’t have to be vegan or even a vegetarian. It’s open to anybody who’s interested in learning more about a vegan lifestyle,” Winnard said.

For full story visit www.theroundupnews.com

Nadine

Kayla Akil Roundup Reporter

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

VEGANS: Members of the vegan club meet at Rocky Young Park on

“Writing in one color is too boring for me.”

-Steve Chow Mathematics Professo

Ageless Art

In a classroom seemingly stripped bare—there is nothing written on the whiteboard and nothing decorative hanging on the muted forest green wallsf—approximately 30 elderly students are hunched over artist easels and concentrating on their artworks.

Instructor Deborah Hurewitz-Pitt walks around the Art 3312 room and stops to study some of the students’ progress with their painting recreations.

“The underside needs to be a darker yellow,” she said to a student, who was in the process of painting a photo of a yellow bird perched on top of carnation pink flowers.

Every Tuesday, the students meet for Oil/Acrylic Painting, one of the free noncredit art classes offered under the Pierce College ENCORE program.

Described as an open workshop for artists of all skill levels, the class is left to paint at their own pace and leisure. The students also have a chance to display their work in the ENCORE Art Gallery.

“There’s lots of room to grow here,” said Karren deGorriciho, one of the students in the class.

Some of the members of the class repeatedly take the course because they come to love it so much.

“You get to relax and think about nothing for three hours,” said 70-year-old Peggy Chiate. “I get very depressed when I can’t get to class.”

Hurewitz-Pitt also finds relaxation with the class.

“I don’t have to grade the students,” she said. “It’s a much more positive environment.”

Text by: Michaia Hernandez

Special to the Roundup

Photos by: Nelger Carrera

Photo Editor

Top Left: Mali Merat, 76, Works on her painting named Horeses in the Rain.

Top Right: Jim Robin, 72, fisnishes up his paint named Winning the gold inspired by the olympiad Adelina Sotnikova.

Center Left: Irv Starr, 73, paints on his canvas, named On the Way to Giverny.

Left Bottom: Intructor and Deborah Hurewitz-Pitt, helps her student Ginette Dacher, 70.

Bottom Right: MArgie Walker, 75, works on her painting, named Uptown gir, during Art class.

Have a Sip of coffee

Professor has co ee hours for students

Samantha Bradford Roundup Reporter

Rather than collect dust in the faculty offices behind the mail room, one professor has chosen to take his office hours to the public by sharing coffee and conversation with students.

Usually garnering the attention of a small group, anyone is welcome to discuss numerous topics with Professor Joe Perret, every Monday morning at 8 a.m. in front of the Freudian Sip, for casual conversation.

The group covered a broad range of topics. Subjects discussed encompassed people with handicap disabilities, the events taking place in Ukraine, healthcare and the assignments going on in Perret’s classes.

Perret has been hosting this event for four years now. He is a professor of Computer Applications-Business Communications at Pierce College.

“I really like getting to know my students,” said Perret.

The hour he takes out of his day each week helps him to understand his students on another level. This has had a positive effect when in the classroom.

This activity Perret participates in eliminates communication problems and opens the door for his students to feel free to talk to him at any time. Being accessible to them gives Perret insight on his students needs.

“Because they connect with me, there is more of a tendency for them to communicate earlier on,” Perret said.

Another attendee this past Monday, was Perret’s student from his Internet of Business class, Linda Ressegieu.

The open environment takes the edge off of students and allows them to open up and speak about numerous topics.

On Monday, March 3, a student named Michael Gilliland joined Perret. Gilliland is not a student of Perret’s, but he happened to see his sign in front of the Sip and decided to join him for coffee.

“Never have I ever heard of a professor just sitting out and having coffee with students,” Gilliland said. “I like the idea of casual conversation, because that’s when people learn the most.”

After being able to attend Monday’s “Coffee with the Professor,” Ressegieu shared how she feels about it.

“I think this is going to open [our class] up and it shows that he really wants to mingle with us,” Ressegieu said.

None of her other teachers have given her an opportunity like this.

Persistence is key. Although not every session is successful, Perret continues to sit out every Monday morning to give his opportunity to all students. All students are welcome to have a cup of joe next Monday, March 10 at 8 a.m.

The Topanga Vintage Market offers live music, food from various food trucks in the Los Angeles area, and over more than vendors selling vintage collectibles and antiques at Pierce College on March, 23.

Co-founder Patrice Curedale expressed her gratitude to Pierce for hosting the event on campus since the market had become too large for it’s previous venue.

“Right from the start we were trying to create a fundraiser,” Curedale said. “With Pierce as our venue, we were able to give our funds back to the community instead of a shopping center.”

The market donates its earnings to The Foundation Program at Pierce, which develops resources and increases public awareness to support the students, educational programs

Art gallery on the move

Art tours San Fernando Valley building by building

participate,” Kim Morris said, “When you’re an emerging artist, every opportunity is a good opportunity.”

and campus for the benefit of the community served by the college.

The market also offers a place for artists to display their work and original creations at Artists Alley.

One vendor is a former Pierce College student, Don Wippert. He specializes in selling vintage and antique bottles. He is also a former president of the Los Angeles Historical Bottle Club.

“Most of my bottles are over 100 years old,” Wippert said. “I have been collecting bottles for over 25 years. I like to specialize in stuff from the west.”

Like many other vendors at the market, Wippert favors Pierce over the Topanga location.

“Parking is an improvement here and there are bigger spaces.”

As far as foot traffic he said the

traffic flow has been getting better every month.

No pets are allowed and the market plans to stay open rain or shine with the price of admission being $2.

The next Vintage Market will be March 23 in Parking Lot 7.

For more information regarding the market, visit the Pierce Vintage Market website: www. topangavintagemarket.com.

Under the high ceiling of their newest gallery location artists students and creators mixed and mingled, taking in the unique brand of the San Fernando Valley art.

The Sudden Impact exhibit, put on by the 11:11 Creative Collective, showcased artists from the local area and San Fernando art institutions including Pierce College, California State University Northridge, The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, and others.

“We couldn’t have gotten any luckier with moving into this empty retail space,” Erin Stone, one of the coordinators of the event and a former Pierce College student said. “It screamed ‘turn me into a gallery.’ We definitely put a lot of work into it,. And of course, you can’t get any better than being on Ventura Boulevard.”

The event is part of a travelling gallery project that works with the city and property owners to turn unused retail spaces into temporary art galleries. This location will be open through the month of March, rotating through various works and arrangements.

“The opening night is really for the artists,” Stone said.

One of her main goals is to create an art scene in the Valley, giving artists a place to network and be inspired by one another.

“She [Stone] actually contacted me and I was like I totally want to

Morris also said the availability of the art to the general public and the use of such local spaces brings the art to new markets.

“Being an artist or in the art community is sometimes an elitist or standoffish thing to the rest of the world, and I think that this space and the way that they utilized the window display will pull people off the streets,” Morris said.

It is also a good opportunity for artists to brand themselves, sell prints and work with the Creative Collective group.

One of the largest pieces was interactive, enabling the audience to take part and even take a piece home.

“Lend You an Ear,” was composed of two large heads, front and center in the room, missing their ears. Participants were encouraged to write about particularly emotional experiences and insert them into the piece, later to be published anonymously, in exchange for a plaster ear of their own.

work to be

interactive because it’s not about me, it’s about we,” said Michelle Kim, the creator of the piece. Her use of primary colors was intended to represent mixing of races and the heads themselves had no gender.

“It’s not about male or female. It’s about all of us,” said Kim. “It’s important that the audience can take a part of me, a part of my work. It’s how I’m giving back.”

The Getty Architecture Independant Study group from Pierce college is on it’s fourth leg of touring since it’s inception at the Getty Museum. Their photographs show the San Fernando Valley at an artist’s perspective.

“I love to come out and meet people and see the artwork,” Candance McKay said.

Stone recruited her after seeing her work with the Bad Apple Artist Collective, an international online group.

“She said I can do whatever, so I just searched the Internet and came up with the underwater theme,” said McKay, whose piece was created specifically for Sudden Impact.

The Sudden Impact event will be open through March and is one of the 11:11 Creative Collective’s many projects. Many of their art walks, murals and festivals can be found all over the Northridge, Tarzana and Canoga Park areas.

“Our mission is specifically to promote and expose art in the San Fernando Valley,” said Stone. Find 11:11 Creative Collective, visit www.11ACC.org.

Lynn Levitt / Roundup

VENDOR: Christina Catania, vendor for Juniper & Lane Vintage mans her booth, during the Topanga Vintage Market, Feb. 24.

James Channell / Roundup

ONE ON ONE: Professor Joe Perret holds court at the Freudian Sip for his weekly “Coffee with the Professor,” March 3.

Marissa Nall Roundup Reporter

“Because they connect with me there is more of a tendency to communicate.”

-Joe Perret Professor

“It screamed, ‘turn me into a gallery’.”

-Erin Stone Artist

Jeffrey Howard Roundup Reporter

PIERCE SPORTS SCHEDULE

March

March

Men’s Volleyball (4-5, 1-1)

March 5 @ Moorpark 6 p.m.

March 12 vs Santa Monica 6 p.m.

Competition team takes 3rd place Pierce wins big in Long Beach

Nadine Gostantian Roundup Reporter

The Pierce College cheerleading competition team won third place at the King of the Bleachers competition held in California State University, Long Beach on Sunday, Feb. 23.

Among the competitors of Pierce were El Camino College which won first place, and Fullerton College which won second place in the College Co-Ed category.

Pierce, along with receiving a third place trophy, has also qualified to compete in the Best of the West competition that is going to be held in the Long Beach Pyramid on March 15 through 16.

Coach Jenny Ghiglia, said she believed in the group as they were talented and committed to representing Pierce.

BRONZED: The Pierce College cheer competition team poses with their trophy after they won third place on Sunday, Feb. 23 at CSULB.

Softball team still swinging Brahmas kick season o a er canceling 7 games

playing for other schools.

that.”

“If you don’t have the timing you could hurt somebody. So I have to pick someone that has good timing, a positive attitude,

Sports briefs

Pierce’s softball team may have lost their doubleheader against Santa Monica Tuesday Feb. 25 at home, but scored a victory by taking the field after having to cancel their first seven games of the season.

Santa Monica opened up the game with an inside the park homerun and continued to display a strong offense throughout the game.

Multiple errors by Pierce also helped Santa Monica take the first game by a score of 22-0 and the second with a 29-7 final score. Both games were played to the fifth inning.

“We executed our game plan. We ran plays and we ran them correctly,” said Santa Monica head coach Daniel Soto. “We’ve had a tough time with that. In the last two games and these ones included we’ve really come into our own. It was really frustrating before that.”

Coach Soto was aware of the recent trouble Pierce’s softball team has had to endure and was impressed with the their resolve.

“We didn’t know what to expect coming out here. I know they had a tough time fielding a team and they got one going on late in the year. They gave us an honest effort,” Soto said. “A lot of times when it’s tough like that sometimes you think you’re going to come out and these girls are just going to quit on you and your team doesn’t really get any work in. But these girls really gave it their all and we really appreciate

Pierce’s softball team was in danger of being cut because of a shortage of eligible players according to Pierce’s Athletic Director Bob Lofrano.

“We had to cancel a lot of games and that’s not right,” Lofrano said.

“It’s just a matter of getting them eligible.”

In order for a player to gain eligibility they must pass academic as well as medical requirements. Along with enrolling in 12 units and maintaining at least a 2.0 GPA, they must also submit to physical examinations.

“I stopped playing about a month ago because only three girls showed up to tryouts,” Suard said. “Last year there was like 16 girls showed up to tryouts and we had a lot of great girls come out and play but there was like six girls going to different junior colleges where the program was actually a softball program.”

Suard also believes the absence of head coach Pat Grennan was felt by the team and perhaps contributed to the lack of interest.

“It’s just hard when colleges around us have a four coaching staff that are working on batting, fielding all that kind of stuff and we only have one coach,” Suard said. “The girls didn’t want to go to practice anymore.”

Moore addressed the difficulty with getting players early in the season.

“It’s hard getting girls in the beginning because the preseason starts before school does,” Moore said.

According to assistant coach Danny Moore, eligibility must come from both outside and within the school.

“They need to have a physical examination and have a medical form stamped by a doctor.” Moore said. “Then they need to be examined by our staff, given a concussion test and things like that before they’re cleared for play.”

Former player Susanna Suard said the reason some players didn’t return from last season was because of the difficulty with the coaching staff combined with the appeal of

As for the absence of Grennan, who could not be reached for comment, Pierce’s athletic’s director offered this explanation.

“He’s been battling [a] kind of an illness. I’ll just say that, it’s personal,” Lofrano said. “We kind of thought he’d be there yesterday, but he’s been sick. So we’re battling through it. The girls are doing a good job. They’re out there and that’s what we want them to do. Just get out there and play.”

one to represent the college and themselves,” Ghiglia said.

Jamell Anderson, one of the cheerleaders, said he likes to think positive when he’s going to a competition because, according to him, you would never know what the other team is bringing to the mat. “I didn’t expect us getting third place because our routine was so clean,” Anderson said. “But it was based on difficulty and that’s where we were lacking.”

Contrary to the other cheerleaders, Karlanda Duquesnay thought they did “amazing.”

“Personally I’m very proud of the team, sticking to everything and not dropping,” Duquesnay said. “Cause sometimes at practice people get into their own heads and doubt themselves. But I’m glad we went up there and stuck.“

Currently this was the team’s second competition of the season.

The cheerleading team’s next competition will be “Best of the West” at the California State University Long Beach Pyramid.

Baseball Tennis Men’s volleyball

The Pierce College baseball team’s game against LA Harbor College was postponed due to rain. No make up date is available yet. In its previous game Pierce lost to East Los Angeles College in a 6-0 shutout defeat.

The tennis team’s game on Feb. 27 at Ventura was postponed due to rain. The game will be replayed on March 6 at Ventura at 2 p.m. The Brahmas are hoping to continue their winning game after beating Bakersfield 7-2 on Feb. 25.

The men’s volleyball team will be looking to add another victory after losing one and winning one in their last two games. The Brahmas’ last victory was when they beat Santa Barbara in straight sets on Feb. 28.

Nadine Gostantian / Roundup

Richie Zamora Roundup Reporter

Lofrano Athletic Director