Volume 120 Spring 2014 Roundup Issue 11

Photo Salon: Showcase for photography students, Page 5

Weather station director dies Professor’s legacy remembered

Raymond Garcia Online Editor

William “Bill” Russell, instructor of anthropological and geographical science and director of the Pierce College Weather Station, died from a heart attack during a surgical procedure on Monday, May 12.

Pierce announced the professor’s death in an email sent out by President of the college Kathleen Burke on Thursday afternoon, May 15.

Russell received the National Weather Service’s distinguished Special Service Award in 2004, and received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by Congressman Brad Sherman in 2012, according to the email. He was a member of the California Geographical Society and the Los Angeles Geographical Society.

Pierce among top ranked in state College reported as No. 14 of 19 top transfer community colleges in Calif.

Meghan McGillicuddy Roundup Reporter

Pierce ranked among 19 community colleges that sent about half of its students to a University of California, according to the University of California

(UC) Transfer Action Report that was reviewed at the Pierce College Academic Senate meeting on Monday, May 19.

The UC Transfer Action Report surveys the community colleges across California and tallies how many students transferred to a UC school.

Santa Monica City College was ranked number one, with 783 students transferring to a UC between 2012-13. Other schools, such as Feather River College, only sent one student to a UC, according to the report.

“They really need to improve the scope of where they

are getting their transfer students from,” said Sunday Salter, director of the Transfer Center.

The UC Transfer Action Report proposed that community colleges should look into improving their counselors and counseling resources in order to make the transferring process easier.

“I think that counseling does a pretty good job, but they need a little help in getting the word out as well,” said James McKeever, assistant professor of sociology.

In addition to improving counseling, the report suggested that colleges make it easier for students to choose classes that not only meet their need for their major, but can also be transferred to a UC school.

“There is a huge push on all of our departments to modify our curriculum,” said Joe Perret, an instructor in the computer application and office technology department.

Should community colleges follow through with the plan

ENCORE for student director

Aspiring lmmaker hones his cra on campus

Richard Zamora Roundup Reporter

In one day on a film set he went from prop man to baby director, and the tool that set him on the path of his new career was bubbles.

“Nobody doesn’t like bubbles,” said Jimmy Wagner, former child

therapist, turned director and Encore student at Pierce. “They’re like little rings of smiles.”

Wagner has worked on many projects, including the film “Baby Boom” with Diane Keaton, and the television show “Friends.”

It was on the set of “Baby Boom” that Wagner discovered he was able to calm a crying baby with bubbles

long enough to shoot a scene and thus began his new career.

“The film came to a complete stop, everybody was going crazy, the director was pulling his hair out,” Wagner said. “I went up to him and I said ‘Can I try something?’ and he said ‘Anything you want.’”

Wagner ran to the prop truck and returned with bubbles, which did

to modify their curriculum to meet the needs of the students transferring to a UC, it will create more competition between community colleges across California.

“What that means for us is that we need to continue our push to make sure that we are offering the right courses for our UC-bound students and that is major prep. Their major prep is what sets them apart from everyone else during the admission process,” Salter said.

One of the final things the UC Transfer Report touched on was cost. Attending a UC rather than a California State school is usually more expensive, and that has caused the number of students applying to a UC to decrease.

The idea is that the change in curriculum will encourage students to at least apply to a UC.

“Cost shouldn’t be a deciding factor when a student applies to a UC,” Salter said. “A student should apply to multiple colleges and then they can decide where to go based on cost.”

the trick. Wagner was even able to blow the bubbles in such a way that he directed the baby’s gaze.

“The director calls me over and said ‘You’re fired. You’re never going to do props again. You’re going to direct the baby from now on’,’’ Wagner said.

Wagner is currently working on a short series modeled after a “Baby Snooks”, a character played by Fannie Brice, who was a wellknown comedienne of the 30’s through the 50’s. The series has five episodes up on YouTube with ten

Russell joined the Pierce College staff in 1984, and in 1985 he became the director of the Pierce College Weather Station. The weather station at Pierce College has been in operation for over sixty years and is recognized by the National Weather Service. With help from students and staff, Russell obtained grants for rare sensors to record data for obtaining the most accurate statistics.

Russell taught courses in geography, meteorology and environmental studies, and currently he was teaching Geography 1 and Geography 3. He had been a part of the Los Angeles Community College District for over thirty years, according to the email from Burke.

Russell is survived by his two sons, Blair and Blake, and his granddaughter. Memorial will be held on Saturday, June 7. To R.S.V.P

more still to shoot. Wagner’s goal is to reach 30,000 hits in order to gain the financing and freedom to produce his other projects.

“I figured maybe we could redo it and give it a new millennium twist,” Wagner said. “And that would be to use relevancy of today with jokes and things that were current.”

“I was going for the older generation, maybe people who are 40 and up,” Wagner said.

[See DIRECTOR , pg. 5]

CAMPUS CLOSED FOR MEMORIAL DAY

NO CLASSES Monday, May 26 and Tuesday, May 27 «««

Tracy Wright Editor - in - Chief

Raymond Garcia / Roundup

Studentsʼ photos displayed on the second floor of the Library and Learning Crossroads for the 37th annual Photo Salon on May 14.

Ramerez / Roundup File Photo

STREET BEAT

Challenging classes

“Anthropology. Just having to go and research, and do it all on my own made it hard. You have to go and be proactive and figure it out all on your own.”

-Ariel Andalon psychology major

LACCD should lobby MTA to subsidize students

With the growing cost of community colleges reaching the level of some universities, many students are hurting financially. If community colleges are to maintain a level of affordability and a viable option of education for people, we must find a way to bring down some of the cost and one of the best ways to do that is to make public transportation free to all LACCD students.

The Big Blue Bus, which services the area of Santa Monica and parts of West Los Angeles, offers fare-free rides for current Santa Monica College students. Although SMC is not a part of the LACCD, their tuition fee per unit is the same as the colleges within the LACCD. Being able to offer such a deal to students is invaluable and would greatly help in bringing down some of the costs of college.

The LACCD should work with the Metropolitan Transit Authority to offer fare-free rides to its students the same way the Big Blue Bus offers fare-free rides to SMC students.

“Chemistry 60, with Professor Goodman. He wants to make you think like you’re a real chemist. He makes it a lot harder than it should be.”

-Michael Abrishamian kinesiology

Letter to the Editor

Regarding Growing Concern on the Farm, May 7, by Tim Toton

Hello. I wanted to compliment your staff on the great cover story about the loss of Pierce’s land. It was one of the best articles I’ve ever seen in our campus newspaper.

Thank you, Craig Kramer English Department

Never fear a summer challenge

regular 16-week semester, that same workload in half or one-third the time does seem overwhelming. Impossible, even. But you will not be taking 12 units.

Not only would it benefit the students within the LACCD, but it would benefit the MTA as well, maybe not immediately, but moreso in the future. Years from now, students that have used fare-free rides would remember and would continue to support the MTA by using public transportation more often. People that are not qualified to use such a service would recognize the proactive community service student fare-free rides provide and use more public transportation as well.

The caveat to this is that the Santa Monica and West Los Angeles area, as well as SMC, is a much smaller area and campus respectively where as LACCD is comprised of many campuses and encompasses a much larger

area, but ridership within the area the Big Blue Bus operates is very high because people support the Big Blue Bus’ community outreach this service provides.

There is a discounted fare that the MTA does provide to students but there are challenges to get it. For a person to qualify for the MTA’s discounted fare, a college student must be enrolled in at least 12 units, fill out an application with some evidence showing the enrollment, and then either mail that form to the MTA or turn in the form at their customer service center located in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. Once that is all completed, a student has to play the waiting game until the MTA mails the reduced fare tap card.

This approval process is not only difficult, but time consuming for a student that needs the discounted TAP card immediately in order to get to classes. This is not mentioning the fact that not every college student is attending full time, leaving out part time students who are ineligible for the discounted rate.

It will be a difficult endeavor for the LACCD to work out a deal with the MTA to provide this service for its students. The MTA is a private business whereas the Big Blue Bus is city operated. In the likelihood that a fare-free ride system be unfeasible for the MTA to offer to LACCD students, the MTA can revise the requirements to become eligible for the discounted rate to include every student, not just full time students.

It isn’t free, but the $36 a month for the discounted rate is better than nothing. If the LACCD and MTA are smart, they will recognize how valuable it is to offer this service to all students.

Pros and Cons: Whether to take summer courses or a breather

As the 2014 spring semester draws to a close, the students of Pierce College begin to weigh their options, head to summer school, recharge the batteries or go to work.

“Dear Kate, I’m thinking about taking summer classes, but I’m a little bit scared because they’re so short. What should I do?” -Scared Student

Dear Scared,

Yes, the summer session is quite a bit shorter than the fall and spring semesters, but don’t let that fact intimidate you. The summer is a fantastic time to get ahead in your classes, catch up, or even explore a new interest.

During the spring and fall semesters, most students take multiple classes. Thinking about the summer with the mindset of one who takes 12 units during a

Pace yourself. Take one class for each of the 5-week sessions, or one to two classes during the 8-week session. You will be spending more time per week in each class, but your brain won’t be required to remember four or five different subjects at once.

You can immerse yourself in only one class and concentrate solely on that subject, making summer actually a little easier than the fall and spring, rather than more stressful because of the time constraint.

Do you have a question for Kate? Don’t shy away, ask Kate anything by sending an email to AskKateAnything@gmail. com. If you have a question of a sensitive nature, your identity will be kept a secret.

mrios.roundupnews@gmail.com

With summer school being offered by the Los Angeles Community College District, Pierce is one of nine schools offering a comprehensive summer curriculum.

Providing students with an opportunity to get ahead of the game in their academic careers, it is a no brainier that students should take advantage of Pierce’s summer program. This summer Pierce has changed it’s summer schedule, offering even more classes and dividing the summer schedule into three separate parts.

Making the schedule flexible, the school is offering an eight week session, from June 16- August 9, Session A, from June 16- July 19 and Session B, from July 21- August 23. There is seemingly no down side to the new schedule as Pierce is giving all students a choice.

Summer classes aren’t forced upon those students who might need them but taken by those who choose to, speeding up their stay at the community college level. Pierce offers students who would like to solely focus on their major the opportunity to work on their prerequisite courses during the summer. This would help eliminate them from the students schedule in the fall or spring.

While there is little room for error when attending college, summer school provides a fast paced environment for those committed to getting through their classes and moving through college. The courses offered during the summer can also be a benefit as the class sizes will be smaller than the average class size during the other semesters. In a class with fewer students, this may allow for more time and interaction with the professor.

With summer quickly approaching, it is time that Pierce students take advantage of the opportunity to speed along their process at the community college level by taking summer school courses and help further advance their college education.

-COMIC

mmcgillicuddy.roundupnews@gmail.com

Some students may be uncertain as to whether or not they should take summer classes. There could be some advantages to completing classes during the summer, but for the most part, summer should be a time of rest and relaxation. The summer schedule for Pierce College is already online, and many have already registered. By now, a lot of classes can be full and students may find themselves disappointed that they did not jump on registration quickly enough, but maybe it’s not such a bad thing.

Summer session is much shorter than the standard 12 week sessions in the spring and fall semesters. Since they are shorter, summer classes are more intense and fast-paced. Many classes meet four days a week: Tuesday-Friday for three hours at a time.

A student doesn’t necessarily need to overwhelm themselves with more school. If a student really has a need to be productive, they can find a summer job or maybe even an internshaip in the field the wish to peruse. Having an internship, even if it’s unpaid, can look great on a resume.

Other students may want to focus on getting a paid job for the summer. This can enable them to pay for classes, books, supplies, etc. during the school year.

Not only can students travel abroad, but they can travel within California or even Los Angeles. Los Angeles is home several theme parks that may offer summer specials to locals and students.

There other places students can enjoy within Los Angeles. Walking along the stress of Hollywood is another great example. People come from all over the world to famous landmarks like the El Captain and Pantages Theaters.

So relax, take a vacation. See some of the sites of Los Angeles or travel. Go camping, hang out at the beach with friends, see a movie, and visit with friends and family. Students deserve a break after working so hard throughout the year.

major

“My Oceanography 1 class. My professor was totally awesome but it was a late night class, from seven to ten, and he was just kind of a mellow teacher so I would often times zone out by accident.”

-Chelsea Nelson hospitality business major

“I’m pretty sure it’s math. I’m not very much of a math person. Just because I’m Asian doesn’t mean that I’m automatically going to be smart at math.”

-Clara Valino communication major

Meghan McGillicuddy

Photos by Marc Dionne.

Quotes gathered by Nadine Gostantian.

Contract issues for campus Language and leasing impede Foundation activities

Tim Toton Roundup Reporter

Contracts and timing have vexed the Foundation for Pierce College’s fundraiser with the Topanga Vintage Market (TVM), officials said, stripping them of badly needed operational funds.

“There’s some dispute in terms of some of the language [the Foundation] struck out of the contract. They took out a provision,” said Rolf Schleicher, vice president of Administrative Services. “[The contract] was withheld from them until it’s resolved.”

The Foundation’s financial manager Kathy Zanghi said they secured TVM as a vendor in October 2013 before they had a new agreement with the collegeit was subsequently approved in November.

“There were a number of issues at that time because the Foundation had no [charter] contract with the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to even exist,” said Larry Kraus, associate vice president of Administrative Services. President Kathleen Burke said the college assisted the Foundation by allowing TVM to operate under a college agreement.

“They could not be compensated the first two months of the vintage market because they did not have an active contract with the college so they brought it to the college,” Burke said. “We did them a favor because the vintage market wanted to start.”

go,” she said. “Then you get a call from legal downtown and they say you can’t do it that way. Well, you can’t cancel it because you have already signed a contract with the people who are putting it on. It’s just awfully confusing - what they want and what they don’t want.”

Foundation officials said they have little legal support to navigate the documents.

“It seems that they’re assuming we are all attorneys and we’re not. We’re just trying to keep the Foundation going. We’re trying to be professional,” Zanghi said.

Kraus said the Foundation cannot take this type of permit and write a third party permit off of it.

The Foundation then submitted a new contract to LACCD to cover past and future TVM events under the permit, Zanghi said.

incident report

April 13 - 19 – Compiled by: Marissa

Nall

5-13—Vandalism – A student reported a bald man hit his windshield before driving off in a silver Jeep Wrangler after an argument over a parking spot.

5-14—Suspicious Person – An unknown male was asking students for money and drugs in front of the Student Services Building.

5-14—Suspicious Person – The same male outside the Center for the Sciences was asked to leave campus and warned against trespassing after he was reported talking to himself and passers-by.

5-15—Suspicious Circumstances – Skateboarders jumping on the planters in front of the Library/Learning Crossroads were advised not to damage school property

5-15—Verbal Altercation – A male and female student had a verbal altercation in class.

5-17—Student Injury – A student was injured in Auto Tech class.

Graduation speaker confirmed

Tavis Smiley to speak at 2014 commencement

Tracy Wright Editor-in-chief

Noted author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and talk show host Tavis Smiley is confirmed as the keynote speaker at Pierce College’s 66th commencement ceremony on Tuesday June 10, at 6 p.m.

The Topanga Vintage Market website states the flea market outgrew the Westfield’s Promenade Mall parking lot in Woodland Hills and now they’re a fundraiser for Pierce College.

Zanghi said, “as the ink was still wet” on the charter contract, they drafted local permit and fundraising documents with the college to get TVM back under the Foundation.

“We thought we were okay to

“We thought the district would approve the retroactive contract as they always had in the past for this type of a fundraising thing,” she said. “It was refused.”

Kraus said LACCD does not approve these contracts retroactively, however.

“No. Absolutely not. This is not something they would do a ratification on,” he said. “They do ratifications for permit for uses.”

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

5-17—Suspicious circumstances – Two students in the village reported a woman lunging toward their faces, possibly with a cigarette. The area was searched and she was not found.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station

General Information: (818) 719 - 6450

Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Clubs participate in ASO-hosted Spring Festival

Ice cream, entertainment and activities help students cool down and de-stress before nals arrive

Heni Sirchi Roundup Reporter

Cooling down by the sprinkling water of the fountain, walking barefoot on the wet meadow on the hottest day of the year, the Spring Festival gave students a chance to gather and bond in the Rocky

Young Park.

“Spring Fest is a social cultural event and at the same time a club fundraising event. The Co Council and The Social Culture Committee is financing this event so that clubs can fundraise,” said Club Council President Krishna Ayungao. Spread out on the grass were several inflatable structures

CSUN SUMMER SESSION

Summer 2014 Forecast:

including a rock wall, obstacle course, and giant rolling balls.

“It was fun. A lot of fun. Happy people. I am going now to jump on the rolling ball,” said 22-yearold environmental science student Adrian Covarrubias.

Photo booths, henna tattooing, root beer floats, and sumo suit wrestling were the other attractions

Brainstorms EXPECTED –May through August

“We’re excited,” Vice President of Student Services, Earic Peters said. “It took a while to make things happen and it worked out.”

Smiley’s persistence in education and active political involvement in media and journalism has helped him win awards and multiple doctorates from colleges. Smiley was also recently honored with a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.

“He talks about encouraging students to persist and be active members of society, and that’s just the beginning,” Peters said.

MAY 27–AUGUST 19 (12 weeks)

MAY 27–JULY 8 (6 weeks)

JULY 9–AUGUST 19 (6 weeks)

With a deluge of university credit courses to choose from, CSUN Summer Session can help you

 Accelerate your progress toward a degree,

 Advance your career, or

ONLINE REGISTRATION BEGINS

 Soak up new knowledge for the sheer delight of it.

Whatever your academic goals, chances are you’ll find a class within the wide selection of courses offered—many of which are now available online.

http://summer.csun.edu

for the students. Clubs were present to fundraise and promote their remaining activities for the semester.

“I feel like I am a child again. I love Pierce College,” said Christina Angelakopoulou, an international student from Greece.

As finals week gets closer, the event provided students a chance

No classes Monday and Tuesday [5/26-5/27]

The campus will be closed to students in honor of Memorial Day, Monday, May 26. Tuesday, May 27 there will be no instruction but campus services will be open.

to get their minds off finals stress and at the same time get involved in activities and life on campus.

“Club Council is organizing an end of the year celebration for all Pierce Students. During this outdoor party, Alpha Gamma Sigma will have our final fundraiser of the semester,” said Club Council cosponsor Iqra Hamid.

News briefs

Finals schedule posted [6/3-6/9]

The schedule for finals has been posted for the week of June 3 through June 9, 2014. To find the shedule and the campus calendar, visit www.piercecollege.edu/ schedules.

– Compiled by Marissa Nall

Students can compete for cash [5/30]

A public speaking tournament will be held in Village 8342, Friday, May 30. Cash prizes, extra credit and refreshments are all being offered for participation.

Make $4,000 in 1 Month

Looking for a brown-haired, blue or green-eyed Caucasian woman between the age of 19 and 28 that would be so kind as to give me one cycle of eggs (one month).

My husband and I have been trying for over a year with no success to have a family and are praying that someone will see this.

If you are interested please call my doctor at (818) 344-8522

Let the office know you are calling from Pierce College

APRIL 2 at art, music, food trucks!

MAY 25

Show your Pierce ID

Bring a friend for free

“We would return anything that is owed to them, absolutely. We have no interest in harming them in any way.”

-Rolf Schleicher

Vice president of Administrative Services

FILE PHOTO courtesy of The Smiley Group, Inc Tavis Smiley

Being a new student at Pierce College can be overwhelming -- a student has to learn how to navigate the schedule, financial aid if they choose to apply, and other paperwork.

This could be even harder for an undocumented student who is finding their way around the college’s campus.

Fortunately, for undocumented students, there’s a club on campus that can help them navigate. We Bring Unity for Immigrants and Life to their Dreams (B.U.I.L.D.) is a club that supports undocumented students at Pierce.

“It’s great to be around people who share a commonality because it’s hard to adapt at school,” said 19-year-old Paloma Jacinto.

We B.U.I.L.D. was originally created due to the lack of an AB 540 group at Pierce College, and was designed to support the DREAM Act in 2010.

AB 540 is an assembly bill that became law in 2001, and is designed to create an exemption from paying nonresident tuition for nonresident students who have attended a high school in California for three years,

and received a high school diploma or an equivalent.

The DREAM Act provides conditional permanent residency to immigrants who arrived as minors, graduated from a U.S. high school, and lived in the country for five years in a row before the bill was put into effect.

“We bring unity to immigrants and life to their dreams. We also

provide links to resources,” Club President Willy Morales said.

Morales has been living in the United States since he was 11 and is currently majoring in psychology at Pierce College. He was a member of the club for three years before becoming president.

way into job

Math teachers that swim do exist at Pierce College.

Developmental Math Professor Kristin Lassonde enjoys her life not only in the classroom, but in the water as well.

“I swam with the swim team at the Rose Bowl Masters, as faculty we get to swim with the team for free,” Lassonde said.

With her classroom located a few feet from the campus pool, Lassonde looked toward the sparkling blue water in awe.

“I participated in a turkey shoot on Thanksgiving. We all swam in a contest for the closest to seed time, where you’re placed with like-speed people” Lassonde said.

She also ran half a marathon and has been working on running for the past two years.

“I love my students. A lot of Math 115/125 entry students who take my class just started off,” Lassonde said.

Lassonde boasted about her athletic accomplishments, but was not shy on speaking of her students.

“At first they may not have got it in the past, but sometimes it takes time for things to sink in at the right moments,” Lassonde said.

Originally from Texas, Lassonde

Wednesday, May 21

Alpha Gamma Sigma meets at 1 p.m. in BUS 3206.

The Psychology Club meets at 1 p.m. in the ASO Conference Room.

The Political Science Club meets at 1 p.m. in the ASO Office.

The Philosophy Society meets in the ASO Conference Room at 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 22

The Anthropology Society meets at noon in CNC 3808. Alpha Gamma Sigma meets at 1 p.m. in BUS 3206

The French Club meets at 2 p.m. in the ASO Office.

We B.U.I.L.D. meets at 3 p.m. in the ASO Office.

the world,” Morales said. Regem Corpuz, the clubs founding president, will be a speaker for this Fridays conference. Corpuz, now a former Pierce Student, created the club after noticing a lack of knowledge about immigration assistance at Pierce.

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

Friday, May 23 Immigrant Empowerment conference in the Great Hall from 4 to 7 p.m.

Monday, May 26 Film Club meets at 3:40 p.m. in BEH 1310.

Habitat for Humanity meets at 4 p.m. in BEH 1309.

Tuesday, May 27

The Architecture Club meets at 3 p.m. in AT 3800

at 3 p.m. in the ASO Conference Room.

To

25 feet long,” ASO Club Council President Krishna Ayungao said.

attended UC Santa Barbara for a summer math research program and also moved to be with her husband after maintaining a long distance relationship.

“I’ve been in Cali for six years now. I also went to college [at UCSB] as well,” Lassonde said.

Will Schofield, a first year graphic design major, is taking one of Lassonde’s classes and likes her

teaching style.

“I really enjoy it. I like her style of teaching. It’s really cut and dry, very understandable,” Schofield said.

Another student, Dennis Miller, enjoyed her teaching style as well.

“Honestly, homework, groupwork -- it all helps me understand the material better. She teaches us. We teach each other,” Miller said.

The Associated Student Organization hosted a Spring Festival with an obstacle course, dunk tank and more at Pierce College’s Rocky Young Park.

The event took place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, and was open to the public.

The event was also in an effort to raise more school spirit, according to ASO social cultural Committee Chair Iqra Hamid.

“We have a rock wall and we have a bungee run, an obstacle course and Titanic slide that is

Many of the attractions were free, according to ASO President Gus Sandoval. The event had food and fundraising from various clubs.

“The Spring Festival is mostly geared towards clubs and fundraising for clubs,” Hamid said. “I think there were about 20-25 clubs participating.”

The event was open to any passerby who wanted to participate or buy goods from the clubs.

“We haven’t had a lot of events this semester, so we’re trying to end it with a big one,” Hamid said. “It’s mostly for fun and helping out clubs.”

New teacher Kristin Lassonde excitedly solving a math problem.

her

Spring Festival hosts a variety of events Student Celebration draws people despite the day’s heat Jessica Boyer Arts & Entertainment Editor [For the full story visit theroundupnews.com] We B.U.I.L.D. will be hosting this year’s Immigrant Empowerment conference on Friday, May 23 in the Great Hall.

Roundup Advertising baileyjd@piercecollege.edu (818) 710-2960 The Roundup extends a heartfelt thank you to all the local and national advertisers who supported the newspaper and the Pierce College campus community during the Spring 2014 semester. We look forward to serving you again in Fall 2014 The Roundup extends a heartfelt thank you to all the local and national advertisers who supported the newspaper and the Pierce College campus community during the Spring 2014 semester. We look forward to serving you again in Fall 2014 Roundup Advertising baileyjd@piercecollege.edu (818) 710-2960

Camera Champs

Several student photographers win awards at Pierce College Media Arts Department event

Richard Zamora Roundup Reporter

Some of the best work from photography students in Pierce’s Media Arts Department is on display in the Library & Learning Crossroads at the 37th annual photo salon, which celebrated its opening on Wednesday.

Photography students from any skill level were able to submit their work from this semester. The submitted work was selected by Pierce professors from the Media Arts Department to be displayed in the photo salon before being judged by outside professionals and awarded first and second place in

Best in show

First place: Rick Rose

Second place: Craig Kinder

Dancers

Kitty Rodriquez Roundup Reporter

The Dance and Theatre Arts Department is having a spring concert that will be taking place at the Pierce College theater tent located by the entrance off of Mason Avenue and Victory Boulevard. The show will take place May 30 and 31 at 8 p.m. and June 1 at 2 p.m.

six categories.

Rita Nisan is a photography instructor at Pierce who originally came here in 2002 as a student from Iran. She had photos in previous photo salons in 2003 and 2004.

“When I came here I already had my bachelors degree in photography,” Nisan said. “I took English classes here and I realized there were photography classes and it was easier to understand the teacher.”

Nisan said the photo salon is an opportunity for students to explore the art of photography.

“These photos are meaningful, they’re not just snapshots,” Nisan said. “We as photographers can entertain people, we can educate people. It’s kind of a developing

Portrait

First place : Jennifer Cruz

Second place: Nicole Delgado

literacy.”

Oscar Villa, a 21-year-old cinematography major, was impressed and inspired by what he saw.

“It’s amazing work. I really like the one of the mini cooper drifting. I’m a big fan of cars,” Villa said. “I would like to be in the car industry shooting footage for them, covering formula one races to drift races.”

Tavian Quinn, a 25-year-old journalism major, is currently in Journalism 101 but after attending the show is considering adding photography to her schedule next semester.

“I want to know how to do everything in the aspect of journalism on each side of the camera,” Quinn said.

Studio

First place: Amber-Rose Kelly

Second place: Kela Celoaliaj

perform ‘Montage’

with the cost of $10 for admission to the show.

Artistic Director Denise Gibson said she is excited for their upcoming show called “Montage.”

She is proud of her students along with their hard work that has led them through this entire semester.

Rehearsing for 14 short montage stories, Gibson is estimating about 100 dancers for their show which will run about an hour and 45

Landscape

First place: Rick Rose

Second place: Lynn Levitt

minutes including the intermission.

“It’s fun to see them succeed,” Gibson said.

Even though they have had to deal with a few setbacks in their production, Gibson and her students have stepped up and been able to collaborate together.

For reservations please contact 818-610-6598 or to buy tickets online go to www. brownpapertickets.com.

Creative

First place: Amiria Fickewirth

Second place: Jonathan Andrino

Photojournalism

First place: Nicolas Heredia

Second place: Joshua Duarte

Applications Being Accepted for Fall 2014

‘20’s show is the cat’s pajamas

[From DIRECTOR , pg. 1]

“And possibly to see if it’s so wacked out that it could appeal to the 20 to 30 something group because they don’t know who she [Brice] is. They don’t know about that comedy.”

“It’s cute and it could be a family comedy which is what Fannie Brice was,” Wagner said. “She appealed to the entire family. Kids liked her because this was a kid actually being smarter than adults much like ‘Leave it to Beaver’ or Dennis the Menace.’”

Weston, who would only hint at her age by saying she was definitely a senior, describes Missy, her character in ‘Little Miss Know it All’ as “very precocious and a big know-it-all like kids are.”

“He had a good idea and thought this would be something we could

work on together,” Weston said as her voice suddenly shifted into that of six-year-old Missy. “Because you see I talk like a little girl and sometimes I do voice overs and stuff so I thought it’d be a good idea.”

Wagner wrote the initial idea for the improv group Spring Chickens after hearing Weston.

“He [Wagner] then asked one of his friends if he could film it and we ended up putting it up on YouTube,” Weston said. “Jimmy does all the writing, I do all the music.”

Anthony Palmieri is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and a long time friend of Wagner. When it came time to start filming the scripts he wrote, Wagner called in Palmieri to direct.

“He [Wagner] called to see what

I could do so we sat down and went over what it would cost, what we would need,” Palmieri said. “We pulled some favors from people we knew in the business and we put it together.”

All five episodes currently online were shot in a single day. After shooting was complete the editing process began and it was there that the project gained its final black and white treatment.

“When we sat down with this project we talked about how we wanted it visually to look and after sitting down and watching the cuts a couple of times it was decided to give it a classic look and to make it look different than your typical skits that have been put on film,” Palmieri said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Richard Zamora / Roundup

Attendees of the Pierce Media Arts Departmentʼs 37th Annual Photo Salon look at the dozens of photographs dispayed in the Library/ Learning Crossroads building.

Giuliana Orlandoni / Roundup

Jim Wagner and Sherry Weston post for a photo to promote their show “Little Miss Know It All.”

Afull-courtpressforspecialsuccess

The Tri Valley Special Olympics Southern California Basketball Program makes Pierce’s South Gym its practice facility. The team has been using the gym for over four years and the program provides athletes with disabilities the opportunity to develop multiple skills for their personal lives through the sport of basketball. The group of athletes, ranging in age from 11 to 49, train for three months each year and participate in two competitions. They are trained by a volunteer group of coaches and assistant coaches who work directly with them to improve their basketball skills, serving as role models as well as helping them in their personal success.

Christopher Caran dribbles the ball against two defenders during Special Olympics basketball practice in the Pierce College South Gym on May 4, 2014.

Coaches: Gary Wales (left) Shannon Hall (Middle), and Larry Miller (right) talk to athletes from the Special Olympics Basketball Program about the upcoming competitions during the last practice of the season.

Alex Patriki is one of the 49 athletes from Tri Valley Special Olympics Program who practice in the south gym.

Photos and copy by Erick Ceron

Football team lose three coachs to rival Juan Navarro, Cordell Landers and Claude Clayborne have le Pierce for Valley College

Ethan Hanson Sports Editor

Three football coaches will be trading in their Pierce College playbooks in exchange for Los Angeles Valley College paraphernalia starting fall 2014.

Juan Navarro will serve as head coach while Cordell Landers and Claude Clayborne will continue as running back coach and linebacker coach. Landers will also take the position of recruiting coordinator.

The Brahmas under Navarro kept opponents’ offenses to fewer than 20 points in six of the 11 games played last year. The defense he coached helped the Brahmas win their first American Division Bowl Championship since 2010.

Navarro’s first coaching job started in 2004, when he worked as an assistant defensive line coach at the University of Redlands. Since 2004, he has worked at Miami and Florida International where he spent four seasons, including serving as the director of football operations in 2008.

With the background he has, Navarro has never taken on a head coaching position but felt that the transition to Valley will help a program that is in need of a kick start after going 4-6 last season.

“We just got to bring a lot of organization and a lot of passion to what we are doing,” Navarro said. “We got to be passionate about football, passionate about development and leadership. We have to want to develop, have to want to go grow and have to want to believe in the system. We are going to have to have an overall belief in the process.”

Although Navarro coached at Pierce for only one year, his impact was felt throughout many of the Brahmas players who got to know him, including Brahmas offensive lineman Thomas Henry.

“From what I’ve seen last season you have to believe in his philosophy to succeed,” Henry said. “He is that kind of coach whose mentality is crazy. To be honest, to define crazy is to define coach Navarro.”

Navarro’s job at Valley will be tough, considering he doesn’t have a full staff yet, but Valley hasn’t had an active head coach since January, when former head coach Larry Kerr took a job as defensive coordinator at the University of Northern Colorado.

Navarro also has yet to meet some of his players and integrate himself into the culture of Valley College.

“I think the program needs to take a step forward in terms of the development and the processes

Baseball team rises above expectations

The Brahmas were also sixth in the state in hits and were ninth in runs scored.

we want to implement here,” Navarro said. “Coach Kerr left some collegiate concepts within the system and we need to continue to foster that and have a great positive attitude. We must play with a relentless effort and we have to respond with phenomenal character. Those are my goals here. Are we behind as far as spring ball? Yes, but however, it is my responsibility to teach them the standard of performance and make sure we achieve that.”

It will be a different story for Landers, however, as he gets to go back to Valley College, where he was a player during the 1999-2000

seasons. After being away for over 10 years, he felt “it was time to come back home.”

Landers was appreciative of his short time at Pierce, albeit it was only three months.

“I want to thank coach Martinez for the opportunity,” Landers said. “I think he is an awesome coach.”

Landers feels that the Monarchs’ current coaches, who have all played Division I football, will give Valley the edge. The Monarchs are looking to end the Brahmas’ five-year reign with the Victory Bell after being defeated 42-9 last season at Valley.

“I don’t think that Pierce is going to have the coaching that Valley

will have,” Landers said. “We have all been Division I. They have no one on that staff that has been at our level.”

Landers also feels that with the addition of Clayborne and himself at Valley, Pierce will no longer have an advantage in recruiting.

“We can out-coach anyone and out-recruit anyone,” Landers said.

The once-dormant rivalry between Pierce and Valley is now heating up again with all three new Monarch coaches being former Brahmas.

To add fuel to the fire, Landers took shots at Brahmas’ athletic director, Bob Lofrano, and offensive

coordinator, Jason Sabolic. “Lofrano has no love for the football program,” Landers said. “They also have a bad offensive coordinator. None of the players respect Sabolic as a coach.” Valley’s coaches now have the Monarchs excited about their opportunity to be a competitive football program once again. The Victory Bell is always on the mind of Landers, who wants nothing more than to watch Pierce lose and bring the bell back to Valley after five long years away from home.

“We’re coming for the bell,” Landers said.

After going 7-6-1 to start the 2014 season the Brahmas baseball team gained momentum to carry them further into the postseason than Pierce College has seen since 2008.

Between March 8 -22 Pierce would then get into a rhythm winning six of their first seven to open the conference season.

After a shutout loss to Santa Barbara ending the run, the Brahmas faced Oxnard who dominated the Brahmas throughout the season including the postseason.

Earlier in March, despite striking early in the game, Pierce could not come back from a four run rally from Oxnard in the second inning the game. Daniel Barazza, who was pitching for Pierce, was unable to settle into his comfort zone, giving up four runs in the 12-5 loss.

This time around, Pierce fell 8-2 and in the very next game Oxnard pitcher Austin Kamel threw a no hitter on March 29.

This season’s team has 20 freshman players in a team of 28. Strong offensive performances during the season from Joe Moran (.370) Austin Peters (.341) certainly aided the team. The Brahmas ended the season with a batting average of .295 and an on base percentage of .389, one of the highest among California community colleges.

The pitching was a little shaky however with a team ERA of 5.10. While the numbers at a glance are unfavorable there is promising talent on the roster. Michael Knopf ended on a high winning two of his last three games of the regular season with a 3.88 ERA for those games. Pierce went on to win five of their next ten games. The tenth game against Santa Barbara was a hard blow as it put a Brahmas post season in question but they were able to pull off a 3-2 win in their next game propelling them into the first round off the playoffs since 2011.

First up was Jared Robinson who pitched eight scoreless innings for Cerritos in a 5-1 victory. Down one game in a three game series was a stressful position for the Brahmas but doubleheader on May, 3 saw a calm and composed Barazza getting the save after seven innings and only one run allowed by freshman pitcher Harsa Prahara. Barazza then Started in game 3, which Pierce, won to move into the Super Regionals, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since 2006.

First game in the Super Regionals against Oxnard, Pierce suffered from early errors that contributed toa 9-1 loss. Game two required extra innings as Oxnard eventually came out on top after

twelve. A majority of the team will be returning next season and flashes of future promise should make for a stronger and hungry Brahmas baseball team.

For the Brahmas to be successful next year they will need to bolster their pitching to be considered a contender. Compared to the Brahmas, Oxnard, still in the hunt for the state championship, has a team ERA of 2.03 and opponents are hitting .204 which goes for best in the state. Pierce showed promise with Knopf finishing strong down the stretch but, for a team with a former pitcher for a head coach and only eight pitchers on staff, the Brahmas are in desperate need for starting pitching.

The Brahmas infield was also atrocious, especially at shortstop where Austin Peters committed

26 errors in 40 games and had a fielding percentage of .877. The worst team in the state in team fielding percentage was Imperial Valley but even they were able to crack 921. Even though he is a freshman, 26 errors as a starter in college is unacceptable at every level. If Pierce is to be successful Peters is going to have to work hard and dedicate his entire offseason to making himself a better fielder.

Overall, the season for Pierce was one of its most successful in years. They proved that they can hit the ball and showed that this team also has an identity. But there is room for improvement. A new year, a new pitching staff and hopefully a smoother shortstop in the hole will make Pierce a contender for the playoffs, the conference and a state title.

Season Stats

Overall: 21-19-1

Winning Percantage: .524 Conference:

Home: 8-8

Away: 12-10

Neutral: 1-1-1

Jason Sudds / Roundup

Dylan Tashjian, #1, making a connection with the ball versus Santa Barbara City College, April 22.

Brahmas have rst successful season since 2011 with help om eshman players

Nicolas Heredia/ Roundup

Cordell Landers is one of three coaches to leave for Valley College.

Richard Zamora Roundup Reporter

Carlos Islas / Roundup

Right-handed relief pitcher, Nick Gendian pitches against Oxnard.

Carlos Carpio/ Roundup

Juan Navarro is the new head coach of Los Angeles Valley College.

Q&A: Rookie sensation Joe Moran

Freshman out elder helped Brahmas baseball team reach rst Super Regionals since 2006

Ethan Hanson Roundup Reporter

Brahmas outfielder Joe Moran, who helped lead the Brahmas baseball team to their first playoff berth since 2010, has been named the Roundup’s player of the semester. Moran, a freshman, played right field and hit .356 on the season while providing depth to an outfield that not only made the playoffs but knocked off Cerritos College and advanced to the Super Regionals for the first time since 2006.

Roundup: You were one of the leaders of the team yet you were only a freshman. What a season!

Joe Moran: It was a new team. I had a lot of sophomores that brought me in and I felt comfortable here playing. The coaching staff was great and I worked hard. We had a great team this year and every guy fed off of each other so it was easy to go out there, play relaxed, succeed and do everything it takes to win a ballgame and that ultimately gave me the success this year.

RU: 20 of the 28 players on your team were freshman, how come you were able to stand out above the rest?

Moran: I try to stand as a leader with my play on the field then really talk with the team. I don’t like to be a loud vocal guy, but I am vocal when I need to be. I think it all started game one when we went up to Bakersfield for that tournament to start the season. Right from the first at-bat when I let off the game I was looking to hit the first pitch I saw and I hit a single right up the middle. I think from there it all

clicked right off there. I think that was the moment that kicked it off.

RU: Head coach John Bushart said that “This was one of the most special teams” that he has had in awhile. What is your relationship you have with him as well as the other coaches?

Moran: Our coaching staff took in every player and they were unbelievable. They took every player under their wing, and you go ask them a question they’ll do everything they can to help you out. It was a teaching process in the fall. They got us ready for the season and assistant coach William Picketts told us to trust in the process and we really took a hold of that as a team and it brought us a lot of success.

RU: Your team has a variety of personalities. From the bat biting of third baseman Alex Sawelson to the facial hair that center fielder Dylan Tashjian became famous for. What made this team so successful?

Moran: I’ve never been on a team like this. It was awesome. Every guy got along and we had fun no matter what. We developed a relationship that I think is going to last for the rest of our lives. We’ll talk about baseball forever.

RU: Your team played some of the toughest competition in the state, including #3 ranked Santa Ana, who you swept during the season series. From the get go nothing seemed to intimidate you or the team.

Moran: Our team was not intimidated by anyone we played. The pitching that we faced and that showed during the first round of playoffs against Cerritos. We lose the first game and we come back the next day and we take two games

on them. Then we play Oxnard who beat us four times during the season in conference, who kind of gave it to us and didn’t play our next game. Next game we take them into a game that maybe shouldn’t have gone into extras and we didn’t want our season to end and we held on for just a little bit longer.

RU: What is it like living and being a part of that legacy that was created by players like Barry Zito and Coco Crisp who are now in the majors?

Moran: I take pride every time I come on this field. I think you also take pride just as well in our coaching staff. All four of our coaches played some kind of major league baseball, minor league baseball. In all we respect that as players and we really look up to them as role models.

RU: Your season came to an end against your conference rivals Oxnard College, who beat your team six times in a row. What will you have to do next season to build off of what you’ve done so you not only remain a competitive team, but defeat the Condors and establish yourselves as the best in the Western State Conference?

Moran: We got a good group of our core players coming back. We do lose a couple of bats in our lineup that we’ll have to replace but we’re going to get a lot of our pitchers back and hopefully get some new freshmen in. I think with our team just how we bonded this year and the way we play I think it will be the same next year. We’re going to have the same group of guys, 20 freshmen coming back and I think we are going to teach our freshmen the way our sophomores taught us this year and I think we’ll have another great season.

Cross-town rivarly gets boost as Pierce loses 3 coachs to Valley

Scooby’s Corner

Ethan Hanson Assistant Editor

In light of the recent comments made by former Pierce College running backs coach Cordell Landers, now at Valley, he has made one thing clear: Valley is going to have the same attention (be it negative or positive) given to them as is given at Pierce.

Former Brahmas wide receiver who will be headed to Illinois in the summer called Landers’ comments “childish.” True.

Calling out an opponent who last year handed a 42-9 beat down is anything but wise, but all the same the comments made allow the Brahmas to at least think and maybe question them a little.

Also begging the attention is this: how much does being a former Division I player factor in as to how well you can coach and also recruit? Recruiting in this case is something that Valley has needed and a presence that hasn’t been around for a long time.

Meanwhile Pierce last year alone had players from 16 states including powerhouse football states like Florida and Texas which eat and breathe football. So where does Valley stand in terms of being able to recruit? Pierce clearly has the advantage.

Pierce’s success breeds talent and is a destination where players really want to go. Pierce has had winning seasons in three of the last four years, the down being when Pierce played all of its games on the road due to the reconstruction of John Shepard Stadium. Even then Pierce was still able to get players out and yet again trounced Valley

despite its lowly season in 2011.

That was followed by two straight seasons of bowl wins with the Patriotic Bowl in 2012 and then winning the division title in 2013 over Chaffey.

With coach Landers now at Valley talking about having better experience and Division I pedigree it begs to differ what was his success in the past. Just so happens that his last few seasons when he was with Citrus College for four years he did not have a winning season.

Just goes to show you what trash talk will do. A man talking about all the credibility in the world, yet all the same he doesn’t seem to have any.

The fact is he didn’t even win a bowl game at Valley while Pierce has remained relevant and now is one of the faces of junior college football at least in Southern California.

The trash talk, although not advised, does offer a spark. It helps insinuate friction and brings attention to a rivalry that really hasn’t had much. Two teams in the San Fernando Valley, both with deep roots and a legacy that goes back over 50 years yet in the past seasons has seen as much as much actions as pencil shavings.

The shavings aside though, there is nothing like a feud to set things off. The animosity and the gall that Landers showed towards Pierce takes a page out of how for a brief blip in history Dennis Rodman was apart of the Los Angeles Lakers. Different men, different sport but same result. It was dirty laundry that ended Rodman’s time with the Lakers well for Landers he simply took his laundry and went home back to Valley.

Landers’ comments that call out the athletic director and the offensive coordinator are giving the Brahmas only more motivation to not only maintain its possession as being a competitive football team,

but to try and destroy the Monarchs the same way they have been doing the last few seasons.

Only this time, three former Brahma coaches are on the other sideline. One of them opened his mouth and might have taken his comments just a bit too far. By saying what he said and opening his mouth, Landers has made this more about him then it does even his own school. A man who prides himself on being about “the team” and about “his players” has made it all about him.

Forget the fact that three former coaches are now at Valley, that in itself would have been fine. If there is a struggling program like Valley, then it offers an opportunity for those who desire leadership to lead and create something on their own.

With Landers however, this is about how much he wants to prove to everybody else how good he is.

For Jason Sabolic however after the insult by Landers kept his composure by saying “He liked it and that he can’t wait for the game.” Not a backlash statement to continue the tension or a fire back quote directed at Landers.

Sabolic simply went on with his business although judging by the sly grin he is now more motivated than ever to prove the critics wrong and give Pierce just another reason to flex its muscles and show why they are better.

A season in question on whether they will be able to field a whole team at Valley, Pierce on the other hand continues to go through OTA’s. Now a match has been struck and things have gotten personal. Only two things will come once the game begins on Nov. 1 at John Shepard Stadium: either the Monarchs come out as a competitive team that makes the Brahmas work or it’ll be a Brahmas team that will come out motivated not only to play, but give Landers, Navarro and the rest of Valley College an utter beatdown.

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

Joe Moran, right fielder for the baseball team, poses for a photo on Joe Kelly field. Moran was chosen as the Athlete of the Semester by the Roundup.