Volume 120 Spring 2014 Roundup Issue 12

UP I N S I D

Spring 2014 Commencement

#LAPCGrad2014

Isla Vista killer once attended Pierce

Elliot Rodger took computer class in 2009

Matt Gottesman Roundup Reporter

The 22-year-old man who killed six people, wounded 13 and took his own life near U.C. Santa Barbara Friday in a premeditated rampage previously attended Pierce College, according to Pierce records.

In his manifesto initially obtained by ABC affiliate KEYTTV, “My Twisted World,” Elliot Rodger wrote that he attended class at Pierce. Dean of Student Services Marco de la Garza confirmed Rodger enrolled in Computer Science 501 in the fall of 2009.

“The place reminded me of Taft, though the people seemed nicer and the environment was less intimidating,” Rodger said in the manifesto.

Attempts by the Roundup to reach Professor Robert Grogan, who taught Computer Science 501 in 2009 were unsuccessful.

The London-born Rodger said in the manifesto he moved to Woodland Hills early in life where he went to Pinecrest and Farm School, now Woodland Hills Private School.

“The town of Woodland Hills has great significance in my life,” Rodger wrote. “My 5-year-old self at the time could not imagine how significant this place will eventually become for me.”

Rodger also attended Topanga Elementary Charter School and spent a semester at Moorpark College after leaving Pierce, he said in the document.

Amanda McNutt, a Pierce student and water polo coach of Veronika Weiss, one of Rodger’s victims, grieved for her teammate at the swimmer’s memorial at Westlake high school Monday.

“She did whatever she could for her team. Anything,” McNutt said. “She’d give you the shirt off her back. She never thought of

herself. She always thought about everybody else.”

The Roundup respected families’ request to not enter the memorial, but McNutt said the pool deck lights were turned off after the crowds cleared and the swimmer’s friends swam with glowsticks and played catch in remembrance of their teammate.

Before the memorial, McNutt expressed how difficult losing her teammate was.

“It’s [going to] be pretty hard today.” McNutt said. “If it had been somebody else and not her, she would be the one there that would be picking it all up.”

Residents of Santa Barbara paid their respects to the victims at multiple memorials with flowers, candles, chalk drawing, and vigils.

Daniel, a 20-year-old UCSB student who withheld his last name, contributed to the memorial chalked on the street in front of the Santa Barbara delicatessen riddled from Rodger’s warpath.

“This could have been any one of us,” Daniel said. “And the fact

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

Students embrace each other at the memorial site for Christopher Ross Martinez inside the I V Deli Mart in Isla Vista, Calif., on Monday May 26. Flowers were placed in the window where bullet holes remained at the since opened deli.

that he had 400 rounds of bullets in his car, it really shakes me up.”

Pierce College has a behavioral intervention team where faculty and staff can document students who they are concerned about.

“I think the behavior intervention

team is our best defense at this point in time. I think what’s important for the students to understand is that if they see something of concern or hear something of concern is that they tell the faculty member and then that person can turn around and file

Authorities investigate month old sexual battery incident

Genna Gold Managing Editor

the report,” Health Center Director Beth Benne said.

Benne said she would like to see more training on campus about safety and mental illness.

“There is such a fine line between the rights of the mentally ill and the rights of everybody else who might be in danger and is it fair to assume that everybody with a mental illness is a potential time bomb? No, it’s not at all,“ Benne said.

Feminist club founder and secretary Michelle Borsco offered a different perspective based on information released in Rodger’s manifesto.

In the manifesto, Rodger goes into detail about his failed interactions with women in the past.

“A lot of people are saying the shooting happened because of mental illness, and that may very well play a part in it, but there are plenty of people suffering from mental illness that aren’t shooting up schools,” Borsco, 25, said. “This was definitely fueled by misogyny and men’s feelings that they are entitled to women and their bodies.”

Year of club presidency prepares student for speech

Student commencement speaker prepares for graduation

Marissa Nall News Editor

A year of working with the Club Council and the Associated Students Organization (ASO) around a packed schedule of classes and the stresses of being an international student has prepared Krishna Ayungao for a variety of challenges.

This year’s graduation will feature Ayungao, the president of the Club Council for the academic year 2013-2014 as the student commencement speaker. Ayungao, who submitted her speech alongside several other active members of the ASO and student bodies, continues to fine-tune her speech with help from professors and hindrance from

RUONLINE?

her nerves.

“I try not to think about it until it’s actually here,” Ayungao said. Her time at Pierce and as Club Council President has thrown many demanding situations her way, she said, but taught her a lot about how to manage a hectic schedule.

“I was taking 18 units every semester and I don’t work because I’m an international student, so I can’t work outside of campus. It was pretty hard catching up with all the deadlines,” Ayungao said. “My first semester here was probably the first semester that I dropped from a 4.0.”

Much of her work, however, has given her a taste of event planning, contributing to her goals after Pierce.

“I want to be an anthropology professor but short-term I kind

SPORTS: Top athletes5 for the fall 2014 Semester

of want to work in a project management setting or an organizing setting because I like organizing events and managing

things,” she said. “I discovered that I really love being pressured and I like the thrill of doing events.” Her projects for the last year

have included such campus events as The Halloween Carnival, the Spring Festival, the Club Council Chill Out, and, most recently, the ASO and the Club Council Banquet.

Gus Sandoval, the current ASO president, worked with her on several of these projects and was happy with the results of the year.

“It’s been my pleasure to work side-by-side with her. Krishna has definitely displayed a lot of leadership and organizational skills with regards to various club council and ASO events that she planned,” Sandoval said.

Ayungao also worked closely with the clubs to streamline processes on campus for them.

“She has also instituted several programs with various different clubs as far as getting them the appropriate knowledge on how to submit the appropriate forms, paperwork, and other activities,” Sandoval said.

[See SPEAKER , pg. 4]

A student was the victim of an alleged sexual battery on the Pierce College campus on April 30, according to a crime report released by the campus Sheriff’s Department on May 26. The crime was reported May 24, and the incident is currently under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau. Further information will be provided as soon as it becomes available. The Special Victims Bureau can be contacted at (562) 946-8531 for any questions or information.

Safety Tips:

The Pierce College Sheriff’s Department suggests to always be aware of your surroundings and do not hesitate to call law enforcement if you feel threatened by anyone.

In case of emergencies, the campus is equipped with “Blue Emergency Phones” that connect directly to the campus Sheriff’s station or call them directly at (818) 719-6450 or 311 on a campus phone.

Annual speech contest

Winners to receive cash prizes

Nadine Gostantian Roundup Reporter

The annual Speech Tournament, initiated last year by Michelle Silver, professor of communications at Pierce, will take place again this year on May 30, 2014 in the Village Room 8342.

According to Silver, all current Speech 101 students can compete and have a chance to win cash prizes and students can also earn extra credit by just attending the Speech Tournament.

The Speech Tournament will be in two categories: informative and persuasive speaking. First place winners will get a chance to win $200, while the second and third place winners will win $100 and $75 respectively.

Silver advises students to check with their speech class instructors about obtaining extra credit for their courses.

This is the second annual Speech Tournament at Pierce. According to Silver, last year’s was a success, with hundreds of students participating in the event.

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

A UCSB student writes words of encouragement in chalk at the I V Deli Mart in Isla Vista on Monday, May 26 where Christopher Ross Martinez was shot and killed in the planned mass murder by Elliot Rodger

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

Krishna Ayungao poses in front of the Bull on the Mall on Monday, May 26. Ayungao is the student commencement speaker at this yearʼs graduation.

STREET BEAT

Plans for summer

-Rachel Al-Hassanieh psychology major

“ I’m just going to work. Full-time working. Maybe two jobs. Anything that gives me money. I’m going to transfer to UCSD in the fall.”

-Mandeera Wijetunga political science major

“ I want to travel. I want to get out, I don’t want to be here. I want to travel just throughout California. If I get enough money I’ll be driving out of state.”

-Shaleah Green marine biology major

“This summer I intend to get into shape. After this hard long semester, between work and school, I kinda put that on the back burner, so I’m definitely going to step that up a little bit.”

-Julian Shermis computer science major

Letter to the Editor

Regarding Scooby’s Corner Issue 11, Volume 120

Dear Roundup, I am a fan of Ethan Hanson’s weekly column in the Roundup. He has a real gift for delivering crisp, well-crafted writing, and he engages the reader every time. It seems inevitable: Ethan will get a position as sports reporter for a national news outlet down the road. Go, Ethan!

Prof . Pamela J. Brown

Bust out old

books for some bucks

AKA: Ask Kate Anything Advice Column

Pierce College should try to conserve water

With thousands of students and faculty constantly on campus, colleges use up a ton of water. Although it flows freely from our sinks and showers, a lot of the time people and institutions don’t realize how limited and precious a resource water actually is. As the summer heat quickly approaches and California experiences its third consecutive year of a severe drought, it is important that Pierce finds ways to conserve and control the use of its water.

Luckily, Pierce has already jumped on the conservation bandwagon by implementing many environmentally conscious policies, which can be found online in the “Climate Action Plan.”

Some of the guidelines include collecting all storm water to re-use onsite, reducing potable water demand for all landscaping by a minimum of 50 percent, utilizing Xeriscaping (gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation) and drought resistant planting, reusing and collect greywater (wastewater generated from wash hand basins, showers and baths), reducing potable water demand for buildings by at least 40 percent and installing waterless urinals in all new and existing buildings.

Conservation on campus can go a long way to reduce environmental stress on our region and although the existing rules are beneficial, there can always be improvements to the system. The Department of Water and Power (LADWP) projected, for 2013-2014, the lowest ever water deliveries from the L.A. Aqueduct and the highest ever purchase of imported water on record. One of the easiest ways for the school to do its part to reduce its water usage is to follow the City’s Mandatory Water Conservation Ordinance, which can be found online on the L.A. Department of Water and Power’s website.

The ordinance, which has been in effect since 2009, limits outdoor watering

to three days a week and prohibits residents and businesses from using water for landscaping purposes between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The campus needs to take these rules seriously and stop running the sprinklers during peak hours of the day to avoid the water being evaporated before the soil can absorb it.

Another way the campus can conserve its water usage is to fix faulty plumbing. A perfect example is in the beginning of the spring 2014 semester when a flood broke out on the Mall, spilling out gallons of water for almost an hour.

There was no plan of action, and as a result valuable time during which the emergency shut-off valve could have been closed was spent in an effort to locate the proper valve in the first place. The maintenance staff should train for such emergency situations and be ready to handle them to avoid problems.

Another problem location where water is wasted is in the soccer field next to the Village area.

For at least two years, water has leaked from an unspecified pipe and seeped into the ground, soaking parts of the soccer field and turning the ground into a muddy slush. There has been signs of work in trying to remedy the situation but it appears little progress has been made to fix the problem.

The Botanical Gardens is a great example of what can come from following a plan to fruition. Not only is the location beautiful, but it has water-efficient irrigation and landscaping that uses native and drought-resistant plants.

Enforcing such programs on campus would not only help in the conservation efforts of the state in this time of drought, but also save the campus money.

“More conservation will reduce our imported water purchases and save our customers money–it can make a serious difference,” said LADWP General Manager Ron Nichols according to the company website.

Pros and Cons: The worth of getting an AA prior to transfer

Living in a world where rules, necessities and expectations are constantly changing, students must now look to transfer to a four year institution as associates degrees no longer hold the same value.

With community college acting as an alternative route after high school, students attending Pierce College are presented with the option of pursuing an associates degree and heading into the workforce or transferring to a four year school after receiving an AA Degree. The best option is to transfer to a four year and get a bachelor’s degree. Students have the ability to make those early college years worth the most by focusing on a four year university. Transferring to a four year means that students are already half way to getting their bachelor’s degree.

Kate Noah

AskKateAnything@gmail.com

“Dear Kate, What should I do with all these schoolbooks I’ve accumulated? Is it worth it to sell them back to the bookstore?” -

Burdened Bookworm

Dear Bookworm,

Selling your books back to the bookstore might be the easiest and most convenient option (besides maybe burning them in a bonfire), but you won’t get much money for them, which doesn’t seem too fair for a poor college student.

A good way to maximize the amount of money you receive for your books is selling them on Amazon. It’s easy to get started

Volume 120 Issue 11

with a seller account, and all the books you want to sell are most likely already listed and easy to find.

List the books you have, decide how much you want for them, and you’re all set. When someone buys your listing, you will be notified by email, and you have two days to send it off.

Amazon takes a percentage of the fee and you have to make a trip to the post office, but it’s worth it when you receive close to the amount you paid for the book in the first place.

Another option is taking your more expensive books to the same classes next semester and finding students who haven’t planned ahead and want to take advantage of a better price than the bookstore offers. You don’t have to sell it for much less than it’s going for at the store for both of you to get a good deal.

-Corrections-

Page 1: The obituary for William Russel was accidentally cut off. To R.S.V.P. for the service call (818) 602-7675.

Page 3: The article ‘Clubs Participate in ASO-hosted Spring Festival’ was authored by Sedigheh Sirchi.

Page 4: A typo appeared in the photo of Kristin Lassonde taken by Steven Castanada Page 5: The first place photo for the Creative category belonged to ‘Amira Fickeworth.’ Page 8: Ehan Hanson’s proper title is Sports Editor.

It is a waste of time if a student is capable of achieving their bachelor’s degree and choose not to. The benefits are too great to pass up especially when students who choose to continue can complete their degree in two years. In many instances, a bachelor’s degree is linked to a higher earning potential with employers often opting to hire the person with a better education. According to the LA Times, in 2012 people with a bachelor’s degree made about $17,500 more than peers with a high school diploma. Studying for your bachelor’s degree not only provides an opportunity at a better financial situation but gives students a better opportunity to decide what to do in the future. College is a place where students are able to take classes they feel will benefit them in their career choices and change majors if they so choose.

The ultimate goal of students attending Pierce College should be to transfer to a four year institution. Earning an associates degree is something to be proud of but if given the opportunity, students should earn their bachelor’s degree. Not doing so, or trying to, is a disservice to an educational career.

Meghan McGillicuddy

mmcgillicuddy.roundupnews@gmail.com

Many students come to community college with the ambition of transferring to a fouryear university.

After completing the required courses in a community college, students often earn an associate’s (AA) degree in addition to the transfer requirements.

There are several benefits to earning an AA degree before pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

The first benefit is time. An AA degree takes less time to earn than a bachelor’s degree. For full time students, it can take an average of two years to complete about 60 units, the minimum requirement needed to earn an AA degree.

The second benefit is cost. Going straight to a four-year university can be expensive, but the cost can be decreased significantly if a student decides to pursue an AA degree first.

Not only does a student spend less time at a four-year university, but overall cost can be cut in half for students with AA degrees. Some fouryear universities have special accommodations as well.

Earning an AA can be an advantage when applying to four-year universities. There can be less competition for those who have earned an AA degree because students have already completed entry level requirements rather than a student who is applying straight out of high school.

Some students may not plan on transferring to a four-year university after earning an AA degree. More careers are becoming available that do not necessarily require a bachelor’s degree. Some careers include dental hygienist, nursing, construction management, and legal assistant, just to name a few.

In certain career fields, it may be worthwhile to be employed before continuing to pursue a bachelor’s or a more advanced degree such as a master’s degree. Getting an AA first can lead to a more focused education in pursuing a more advanced degree.

-COMIC STRIP-

Reporters:

thereof.

“I’m going to take summer classes. English 21 and 28. I’m going to spend my whole summer in school.”

Photos by Diego Barajas. Quotes gathered by Nadine Gostantian.

Faculty debate solutions to increased student debt

Oil

tax and adjustments to major options o ered as ways to keep students out of debt a er graduating

Richard Zamora Roundup Reporter

College tuition has been rising for both community colleges and universities. Students now face tough choices when determining how to pay for higher education and often find themselves in large amounts of debt before they have a job.

Senate bill 1017, known as the oil severance tax, is being proposed as an option to help lower the cost for students. In a debate hosted by the Resistance Against Gutting Education (RAGE) group Thursday in the Great Hall, Professor of Economics Pamela Brown and Professor of Sociology James McKeever debated on how best to fund education and the passing of SB 1017.

The money that the bill generates comes from a tax that would be placed on oil companies for extracting oil in our state. Currently California is the only major oil producing state that does not have such a tax, according to Gustavo Sandoval, an intern with the American Federation of Teachers.

“50 percent of all the money that’s generated is supposed to go to the California community college system, the Cal State University system, and the University of California system,” Sandoval said.

The other half of the tax money will be split evenly between funding for medical programs such as Medical, Medicaid, and the Covered California program, and California parks and recreation facilities, Sandoval told more than

100 students before the debate. “I’m for the passage of senate bill 1017,” McKeever said. “This is a very wealthy group of people. There was a time when the wealthy of this country was taxed 90 percent of their income. They didn’t mind as much as the wealthy do now who get taxed 17 percent of their income and the reason why is they kind of understood what their taxes went to– the infrastructure of the country itself.”

With the increase in funding for education as a result of these taxes, the financial burden would potentially be less for students. This would prevent students from being excluded from higher education simply because of their inability to afford classes.

“I would like to see education become free again. I think education is a right that most people should have. Let the system wash you out if you’re unable to compete or if you’re unable to sit there as a student because college is not for

you,” McKeever said. “But I don’t think what should wash you out is the fact that you can’t afford an education. That seems unjust and unfair and I see this as a social justice issue.”

One problem that Brown, who is against SB 1017, believes has contributed to the financial problem is the fact that many majors aren’t viable in the career market. After graduation these students find it difficult to apply their major in the workforce.

“The majors have gotten wackier and more exotic, and more unsustainable when it comes to finding a career. What concerns me is the science and technology that we use everyday have been neglected,” Brown said. “We’re warning students to pick a major that actually has commercial value. I think the most efficient way to fund education is to get a student loan and then once you get your job you have the end dues of the service pay off all the costs including student loans.”

By being more conscious of this when choosing a major, Brown said, students will be better equipped to pay off debts. This wouldn’t require the need for more taxes, which Brown believes isn’t the right approach. She believes that schools could be more efficient with money they already have.

Brown argues that as a taxpayer she is helping pay for services that she has no interest in or will never use.

“I think students should pay their own tuition or get a loan to pay for their own educations. We hear a lot about that education should

be free but of course it’s not free.

The taxpayers pay for it,” Brown said. “The taxpayers are paying for your education so they can use your services in the future but taxpayers may not value every major that comes out of a community college.”

The current system has sacrificed a competitive spirit, Brown said.

“They’re obviously not going to fall anytime soon because we do not have a lot of competition when it comes to providing those services. Most of the educational institutions are unionized. They are run by labor cartels,” Brown said.“If you have a great professor and you want them to have more classes, the union decides who gets additional units. And you don’t so you’re really getting overpriced mediocre service because your economic rights have been taken away by protected union rules.”

The Internet is not being used to its potential and Last In First Out policies have created unacceptable

Data for moisture grids shows water savings

Marissa Nall News Editor

Testing continues for the moisture control grids installed in March as part of the Plant Sciences 827 class, showing initial results of water conservation and increased plant health.

Three plots of land were used to test new water-saving technologies, one as a control, one testing the grids and one testing a waterretaining polymer, according to Ilana Korchek, a horticulture major and the student team leader of the project. All three plots are connected to sensors that measure water levels and stop watering when the ground is saturated.

“Basically, we’re testing the water. It’s a water management test,” Korchek said. “The sprinklers are connected to the moisture sensor device that’s in the ground. If the sensor says that there’s enough water, it’s going to stop the sprinkler from over-watering.”

The grids, provided by Sources Unlimited, are placed six inches below the surface of the soil and trap water after irrigation. After the first month of testing on that plot, water savings from 20-40 percent have been measured, according to Ray Ambrosini, who collaborated on the creation of the product.

“We are finding—it’s amazing— there’s a significant difference,” Korchek said. “The plot of ground that has the moisture control grid is using less water than the other two plots and the grass is much greener,

Stacey Aravelo Roundup Reporter

A task force that hopes to bring more awareness to environmental sustainability at Pierce College was recently created, preparing to join forces with a district-wide program.

Denise Robb, an assistant professor of political science at Pierce, and Beth Abels, associate professor of architecture, created the committee about two months ago and wish to create an official program on campus.

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) began a $6-billion district-wide

fuller, more developed.”

By retaining water at a level of six inches below the ground, the grids encourage roots of plants to grow deeper, which also contributes to plant health, said Ambrosini.

“The moisture grid pulls the water down, six inches below the ground and it allows the roots to extend that long, so the roots are well-developed,” Korchek said.

Adjunct Instructor of Agriculture

Len Markowitz, who teaches the class, said further testing needs to

be taking numbers through the summer and even fall.”

While the initial results show promise, weather patterns could also affect the efficacy of the products being tested and more data will be collected to observe them throughout the year.

“You need about a year to watch the water and especially through the different seasons to see the reactions you’re getting with different weather conditions,” Markowitz said. “I’ve used water sensors on other projects but this is the first time that we’re evaluating a professional product.”

The use of plastic could also be a concern in the implementation of products such as the grids, if their use were more widespread, but Ambrosini asserts that they could actually reduce harmful pollutants used in landscaping.

“I mean, the worst thing that harms things are fertilizers, if used wrong. That runs off into the groundwater and into the ocean, so with something like a grid, you wouldn’t have to fertilize as much,” Ambrosini said. “A lot of times you’re fertilizing to help the potassium and phosphates, to help the roots.”

driving everywhere and I’m seeing synthetic turfs and I’m thinking ‘oh man.’ In southern California, we want grass. We want natural, we want to breathe, we don’t want everything to be desert scape.”

Korchek, who will be continuing the project through the summer and fall, is encouraged by the results so far and by her experiences with the horticulture program.

“I think it has possibilities. I think it’s a definite option for people to put in their landscaping,” Korchek said. “I’m so impressed with the horticulture program. The teachers take a real, sincere interest in students and even other students are so helpful and friendly. And it’s encouraging that people are taking an interest in things like this and saving water.”

Markowitz plans to continue tests on water conservation with his turf grass management class in September, by researching which types of grass might use less water.

circumstances such as Bhavini Bhakta who lost four separate teaching jobs at four separate schools over the course of eight years, according to a handout quoting unionwatch.org provided by Brown before the debate.

Pierce has recently experienced the firing of a Kathy Zanghi, account manager of The Foundation, Pierce’s nonprofit organization. The charity is a separate function from the college so tax money such as what SB 1017 would generate could not be used toward situations like Zanghi’s.

More taxes are not the best solution, Brown argued. She spoke of classrooms where costs could be lower by having one good teacher with a larger class instead of three mediocre teachers with smaller 12 person classes.

“You pay more to go here than I paid to go to Cal State LA 10 years ago,” McKeever said. “Obama kept the interest rates on student

loans down, which is good, but with these lower interest rates all these universities started thinking they could charge higher tuition. They’ve pointed out the next great financial crisis is going to be about student loans when the average student is going to start taking out nearly $100,000 in loans.

Current students could become the generation waiting to buy a house, both speakers agreed, but with a potential major that makes it difficult to compete in the future job market and large amounts of student debt, the wait may be longer than it was for previous generations.

A date has not been set on the vote for SB 1017 and students are encouraged to call or write to their state senator with their thoughts.

“We really want people to get the word out and call their senators. Let them know how they feel,” said John Del Valle, 23, a math major and invtern with the AFT who comoderated the debate.

be done before final conclusions can be drawn.

“The center plot with the grids is showing a reduced amount of water but I don’t think we’ve done enough studies to warrant that as a success yet,” Markowitz said. “Ilana will

sustainability program in 2002, in order to “modernize its colleges… taking steps to reduce the colleges’ carbon footprint,” according to their website.

Other schools in the district including Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC), have established local “Go Green” committees to raise awareness on campus like the “Go Green LAVC Sustainability,” according to its webpage.

Through the Sustainable Building Program created by the LACCD, Pierce College was distributed $648 million, according to the Sustainable Building Program facts sheet from 2010. 64 percent of the funds given

The grids are also made of recyclable PVC materials and have no exposure to the sun, decreasing the chances that they could harm ecosystems where they are used in planting.

“It’s safe for the environment. It’s not going to break down,” Ambrosini said. “I don’t want to turn the world into plastic. I’m

to Pierce have been spent in construction of buildings including the new Maintenance & Operations Facility and the new Library/ Learning Crossroads Building, according to the Building Program Monthly Progress Report from March 2014.

Even though larger projects like the construction of the buildings and the integration of solar panels and energy efficient features help “greenify” the school, both Robb and Abels want to help increase awareness and do more.

“We’re going to be facing extreme climate change, all the science points that out,” Abels said. “A new study was shown saying

“I’d just like to thank the students for being involved and the moisture grid company for allowing us to run these tests, and thank the students for looking at the future of our industry,” Markowitz said. “Because that’s where these tests are leading us—more water conservations, better plant choices, better water usage for our root systems. This is the way our industry is going so this is the first of hopefully many tests that we’ll be running in the future to reduce our water use but still maintain our beautiful landscape throughout the campus and the community.”

that they are expecting a 4-feet sea level rise within the next twenty years, that’s all of Miami, Fl.”

Robb said that she supports campus awareness and wants to make it “more sustainable.”

“I witnessed with my own eyes that we are not recycling in our offices,” Robb said. “Our blue bins... get thrown into the regular trash and it all gets mixed in.”

Pierce College has several blue recycling bins spread all over campus. They can be found inside the library, classrooms, and offices.

Two solar-powered trash compactors by BigBelly Solar have also been placed in front of The Freudian Sip. These solar compactors “can reduce trash collections by up to 80 percent,” and also reduce “greenhouse gas

A new chapter president for the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild has been confirmed.

Fernando Oleas, Chair of the Modern Language Department, was elected the new president in a race that came down to a 129 and 90 vote against candidate Joseph Perret, Computer Applications and Office Technologies instructor.

“I was very pleased with the outcome,” Perret said. “I want to

– by Genna Gold

congratulate Fernando on his win.” Perret echoed the sentiments on his Facebook.

“Congratulations to Fernando. Thanks to all who supported me. It was close 39 votes, so I think my message of Peace-Participationand Progress resonated with the faculty. Let’s work together to make some of these changes happen.” Oleas was unable to be reached for comment at time of print.

emissions,” according to the Waste Management’s website.

Babak Tabar, a 29-year-old graphic design major at Pierce, said he uses the recycling bins at school about 40 percent of the time when he’s throwing away plastic containers or cups.

“Recycling is important but some people don’t care,” Tabar said. “It depends on their mood, like me if I’m angry then I most likely won’t care.”

Larry Kraus, associate vice president of administrative services at Pierce, had no comment on Pierce’s current recycling program that he said is handled by the Plant Facilities Department, but said his office recycles ink cartridges.

“Faculty and staff members are encouraged to bring their ink

cartridges once they want to buy new ones,” Kraus said. “We take old cartridges and ship them off to a recycling company.”

CopyTech also recycles paper and uses blue recycling bins in its office, according to Rogelio Padilla, a clerical trainee at Los Angeles Pierce College Copytech.

Both Abels and Robb encouraged students to join the sustainability task force on campus. Abels said that she believes students should be trained and better educated in order to be better prepared for the future.

“There’s a tremendous amount of things for students to do to get involved,” Abels said. “No matter how much students believe in it or not, its like gravity: you don’t see it and you don’t have to believe in it but it’s still there.”

Project to continue through summer and fall to analyze conservation technology

Nicolas Herredia / Roundup

Pamela Brown, second right, expresses her opinion against James McKeever, right, during a debate held in the Great Hall, Thursday, May 22. Also involved in the debate were ASO members Krishna Ayungao, left, Gustavo Sandoval, second left, and Julieta Arce, center.

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

Charlie Ringled from First Class Vendors cleans broken glass and puts up caution tape surrounding one of two vending machines that were broken into in the Village and North Gym areas.

“I would like to see education become free again. I think education is a right that most people should have.”

-James McKeever Professor of sociology

“This is the way the industry is going so this is the first of hopefully many tests that we’ll be running in the future to reduce our water use but still maintain our beautiful landscape throughout the campus and the community. ”

-Len Markowitz Adjunt instructor of horticulture

Sustainability committee formed to address recycling Campus group aims to develop new policies for environmental awareness

Union election results confirm new president

A sign is worth a thousand words to some Passionately motivated deaf professor teaches American Sign Language to Pierce students

The room was silent. Standing in front of a classroom illuminated by an overhead projector, she was in the spotlight. The room soon filled with a soft laughter as Kristine Hall began posing like a model while students got ready to record her for an upcoming project with their cell phones.

Kristine Hall is a full-time American Sign Language (ASL) professor in her fourth year at Pierce College. She was born in Georgia to two deaf parents and is one of four deaf children.

Growing up in an all-deaf family gave her confidence and a very high level of self-esteem with being deaf.

“I felt so lucky, my parents were deaf and could understand,” Hall signed. Hall’s family moved from Georgia to California when she was just five years old. Hall and her siblings attended school at the California School for the Deaf in Berkeley (now relocated to Fremont), where she considered herself “very lucky.”

“Everyone was deaf and I could communicate freely with teachers,” Hall said. “Not through an interpreter.”

She then attended college in Washington D.C. at Gallaudet University, where she majored in Communication Arts. The college is mainly for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also admits a small number of hearing students.

After college, Hall decided to move back to California where she became a teacher’s aid at Marlton School, a K-12 public school for children who are deaf.

While teaching at Marlton, the principal suggested to Hall that she should get a degree in teaching and

become a full time teacher.

“Teaching ASL is fun. It’s a hands on activity class,” Hall said.

That’s when she began working at North Valley Occupational Center teaching Language Development to deaf adults, some of which had never learned sign language before.

After 10 years at North Valley, as well as being a part-time professor at CSUN, she began teaching fulltime at Pierce College.

“I love it here,” she said. “I love watching my students grow and improve.”

Lindsey Morrison, an ASL 2 student and deaf studies major, wants to work with deaf children.

Morrison had never taken sign

-Kristine Hall American Sign Language

language from a deaf teacher before and wishes she would have taken Hall’s ASL 1 class. After enrolling in ASL 2 with Hall, she feels like she really got “the whole package.”

“Kristine is patient with students, she makes you feel so comfortable,”

Morrison said.

Hall has students who are both deaf and hearing. She loves having her deaf students share their life experiences with her other students. Hall says she values her students’ perspectives and encourages students, both deaf and hearing, to broaden their horizons.

“I want to help people understand there is a deaf community and that it is rich, so rich,” Hall said.

Alongside Hall since the start of her time at Pierce is sign language interpreter Ellin Sherman.

Both agree they are lucky to have each other. Hall joked that not many interpreters can keep up with her because she signs so fast.

Pierce designs from LA to off-broadway Professor and student travel to New York for professional experience

From the classroom to the stage, one lucky student has been given the opportunity to help design an off-Broadway production and work with entertainment stars Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally.

This semester, the Theatre Arts and Dance Department officials can boast of having a professor and student travel to New York to work on an off-Broadway production.

Formerly from Virginia, Taylor Cullen, a theatre major, was chosen for the opportunity by Theatre Arts Department Chair Michael Gend, who would accompany her to the production of “Annapurna.”

The show premiered in Los Angeles in 2013, starring Nick Offerman, who plays Ron Swanson in the television series Parks and Recreation, and Megan Mullally, one of the stars of Will and Grace.

Gend worked on the show where the well-known theater and television actors made it a hit in Los Angeles. After its premiere a producer asked if they wanted to go to New York.

“I got hired to design a production off-Broadway as the lighting designer,” Gend said. “As part of the package I got to pick people that I wanted to work with and then I asked them to give Taylor a student internship position as the assistant lighting designer on the show.”

Cullen, who has worked with Gend before on campus productions such as “The Fantasticks” and “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” hopes to become a stage manager and believes this opportunity will further her goals.

“Taylor’s been one of my best students so when I was negotiating the contract on this off-Broadway play, I had her in the back of my mind in addition to a couple of other

students and ultimately settled on her,” Gend said. “It’s a unique opportunity as far as I know.”

While there, they explained, Cullen kept a prompt script for lighting cues that would be transferred to a spreadsheet for lighting operators, detailing when lighting would change depending on how Gend would set the show.

As a lighting designer, Gend framed shots for a stage the way a cinematographer would frame a scene for a camera.

Lighting choices were made to convey movement, day-to-night scenes, location, mood and “to keep the audience looking where we want them to look and then make expressionistic, subtle artistic choices about how we interpret the world of the play,” he said.

Cullen and Gend were in New York for the first few weeks of April, Taylor staying through Spring Break and Michael a week later. “Annapurna” opened April 21 and has been running regularly.

“Designers set the show and then we fly away and go work on other things after the show is put together,” Gend said. Cullen was also able to fill in as a stage manager one day, staying “on book” for the actors.

“She participated in that process as well, with Nick and Megan, for rehearsal one afternoon, which is a great experience for a student to have because you’ve got celebrity actors on stage, very accomplished performers, and you get to work with them as if you were a peer,” Gend said.

Both opportunities are valuable resume builders for the theater major, as off-Broadway productions are the second tier of American theater, according to Gend, housing smaller, more intimate pieces like the two-actor play.

“Working on ‘Annapurna’ really helped my understanding of stage lighting and I believe a SM should have a good deal of knowledge about every aspect of the show,” Cullen said. “Eventually, I’d like to work here in LA starting out at smaller theaters and working my way up to bigger ones.”

Having transferred from California State University, Northridge after her first year in California, she decided that the University of Southern California was the program that would best further those goals, and transferred to Pierce to save money while she worked toward them.

“My serious goal is to one day

be an in-house SM for Center Theatre Group, which works in the Ahmanson, Mark Taper Forum and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion,” Cullen said.

Many of the jobs she’s had to do while on the east coast have taught her about the duties of a stage manager, such as writing performance reports on each rehearsal and performance, placing the cues, and working on lighting.

“I learned a great deal about how to properly light a show, how a professional stage manager schedules a full cast and crew, and most of all how unreliable taxis are when you’re trying to get to work at 10 in the morning,” Cullen said.

Robert Cucuzza, a former adjunct instructor in the department, collaborated with Cullen and Gend on other campus productions and praised their work.

“I met both of them when I was hired to direct ‘The Fantasticks’ at Pierce College in the fall of 2013. Michael was my scenic designer and Taylor was my stage manager,” Cucuzza said. “The show was a wonderful success, in many ways, because of them.”

“I was a student here up until I was 21 and the grandest scope of a project I got to work on was at a community theater in the Woodland Hills area,” Gend said. “So that’s really rare for a student at a community college to work on something of that scale. In terms of the whole country, New York is basically the theater capital.”

Cullen says the production gave her valuable skills that will benefit her in both her scholastic and professional life.

“In my time working in NYC, I gained a lot of insight as to how a professional production is run,” Cullen said. “Here at school we try to recreate that professional environment as much as possible, though at the end of the day many of us, as students, are still learning.”

“We have a certain synergy,” Sherman said.

“We’re a team,” Hall added.

But a sign language interpreter isn’t supposed to be viewed as a “helper.”

“We are equal,” Hall said. “Ellin and I work with the students on an equal level.”

Hall hadn’t experienced many frustrations or difficulties with being deaf until she began working on a hearing campus and had two hearing children. But she is thankful to Pierce College and sees the Pierce community as a family.

Hall has been happily married for almost 14 years to her husband Richard, who is also deaf. They

have two children together, Kalissa, 10, and Maxella, 6, both are hearing. Hall was also the first-ever deaf contestant on the game show “The Price is Right.” Her episode is available for viewing on YouTube. This summer, Hall will begin her Sign Language teaching masters program back east at Gallaudet University and will graduate next year. She will continue teaching at Pierce College this fall and welcomes all students to enroll in her ASL or Deaf Culture classes.

“I have a passion to teach people who are motivated to learn,” Hall said. “This is my passion, it’s not a secret.”

Student speaker to share her success story

“Over all, she has really kicked it up a notch, in my opinion, from the standard of what we have expected of Club Council presidents over the years.”

Ayungao has been training the incoming Club Council president over the last few weeks to hand over the reigns to Lakshika Ruwanpathirana.

“I love her, she’s very intense. She has a very intense personality. She follows me up, texting me in the middle of the night. She’s very eager to be trained,” Ayungao said.

Sandoval also expressed his sadness at the end of the year, leaving both his own position and all the people he had worked with.

She’s truly going to be missed next year but she’s also been training her replacement, Lakshika,” Sandoval said. “She is completely and totally dedicated to her fellow students, the student government on campus, to all the events, and she’s been an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the year.”

Being ASO president, he knows how it feels to leave an office, as Ayungao is doing.

“For me, this represents the culmination of ten years at Pierce. It’s been a huge part of my life. The past two years is when I really started getting involved with things on campus. I’m really going to miss Pierce,” Sandoval said. “I’m really going to miss all the students and professors, all the friendships and acquaintances and relationships that I’ve made over the past years here. I don’t think anyone ever completes a term of office and feels like they’ve done everything they wanted to do. I certainly don’t feel that way and for that reason, I just wish I had more time.”

Ruwanpathirana said she was excited to begin her new role but sad to see Ayungao leave.

“We organized the Spring Festival together and she helped me, explained the duties and things like that,” she said. “Mainly it’s to monitor all of the clubs, see what’s going on with them, and see if they need any help. We’re supposed to have a Club Council meeting and meet with them to see what they want and how we can help them succeed. I’m starting in fall.

I’m very, very excited. I’ve been meeting Krishna a lot to see what I have to do and it’s been really fun and I am looking forward to it.

Ayungao also expressed her sadness to leave, but is looking toward the future. She plans either to work for a year as a managing intern or transfer to U.C. Irvine. Her advice for students graduating or continuing at Pierce would be that “it’s okay to not have it all figured out. You plan as you go, you plan ahead, but if things change you adapt to those changes but at the same time looking forward to the future. Sometimes it works when things don’t go your way, you think ahead. There’s a lot of options for students and I think it’s important to realize that staying in a community college isn’t necessarily bad, as long as you learn a lot from your experience at Pierce.”

“Teaching ASL is fun. It’s a hands on activity class.”

Professor

“It’s okay not to have it all figured out. You plan as you go, you plan ahead, but if things change, you adpt to those changes.”

-Krishna Ayungao Club Council President

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

Professor Kristine Hall signing “I love you” in American Sign Language in her classroom at Pierce College on Tuesday, May 27.

Megan Moureaux Special to the Roundup

[From SPEAKER , pg. 1]

Marissa Nall News Editor

Photo provided by Taylor Cullen

Student Taylor Cullen and Professor Michael Gend preparing for

Furry fellows find forever families

Pierce College couple saves several dogs om euthanization & helps them nd a loving home

Salazar

Woofs, whines and whimpers can be heard in the distance.

A tall, white picket fence blocks the scurrying legs, wagging tails, slobbering mouths and dirty paws that welcome anyone who crosses the gate.

A calm, sturdy young man looks over the yard and suddenly shouts, “Shepard, stop that.”

Standing up, he separates a German Shepherd puppy from a brief, rough and tumble puppy brawl.

A smaller dog springs to the man’s lap as he sits down and begins petting it. A broad smile crosses his face at the sight of the white, curly haired creature.

This is a typical Sunday afternoon for Jose Barrera.

The 27-year-old has been a fulltime automotive student at Pierce College for the past two years.

Growing up in North Carolina, Barrera owned many dogs of all breeds and sizes, Pit Bulls being his favorite. His current Pit Bull Terrier and “little body builder,” Oreo, was one of his first dogs that he rescued from a shelter in 2006.

“He loves them and he loves proving people wrong when it comes to the stereotype people have of them,” Barrera’s wife Silvia Gutierrez said.

Barrera moved to California in 2005 after meeting Gutierrez through a mutual friend. They both share a love and passion for dogs.

The two canine lovers married in July of 2007 and are expecting their first son this July. Their passion for caring for animals has turned into a lifestyle.

Together they own a house in Van Nuys, California. Besides attending Pierce College, Barrera works as a full-time mechanic at Tri Star Auto

Center around the corner from his house, making it easy for him to check in on the many attentionloving puppies that he fosters.

Gutierrez, 24, former veterinarian major at Pierce, works at a plasma center to help support Barrera in finishing his education. Once finished, he hopes to eventually support her to do the same.

At a glance, it might seem like a simple young couple’s life but these two generously dedicate their free time to 10 furry and rambunctious creatures that have taken over their front yard.

“I guess you could say that she’s the one to blame,” Barrera said It all began when Gutierrez’s

no longer in his cage. He was about to be put down. Barrera immediately asked if he could adopt the dog. The shelter said yes.

Volunteering at the shelter became a routine for Barrera. Being around the helpless little lives gave Barrera a sense of purpose knowing that his action may be small, but it was worth it. He began adopting a more dogs during his time there.

Recognizing the passion and dedication of Barrera, the shelter began to call him asking if he would want to take any dogs that were about to be put down. Barrera would refuse at first but after seeing the puppies, he caved in and would take them home.

beloved German Shepherd puppy ran away in 2006.

“In the process of looking for him, going to shelters here and there looking for him, that’s when I came across Oreo,” Barrera said.

The small Pit Bull was a “bait dog,” thrown into a group of larger dogs to fight for its survival.

Barrera described Oreo as a mean looking dog with scars and scrapes tattooing his bulky black and white body.

In order for Barrera to adopt this gentle giant, he had to prove that he could handle him. Day after day, Barrera volunteered walking, feeding, playing and doing anything he could to win him.

After one month of volunteering, Barrera one day saw that Oreo was

The couple naturally decided to let what was once a hobby become a home to numerous street dogs of all sizes. They work in and out of their schedule to care for these dogs as if they were their own, knowing that the puppies will eventually leave to their “forever home.” Gutierrez and Barrera understand that just because they are troubled dogs does not mean they have be euthanized. “Kinder for Rescue,” founded by Laurel Kinder, a well known dog rescuer, is the organization that the couples work with to give their dogs the best process in finding a home.

“We try to make them easier to adopt. We don’t want to them to be returned for something so small as to they don’t know how to walk on a leash,” said Gutierrez. “So we’ll get them trained. We’ll take them for walks and get them used to a normal dogs life.”

Gutierrez explains they are not like other fosters.

“It’s not just about keeping them and giving them food every morning and night. We end up keeping them until they go to their future home. We will stay there the whole day [at the shelter] until they got adopted,” said Gutierrez. “And if they didn’t get adopted we would take them back home, which not a lot of fosters do.”

Modern mechanization aides students

Assistive techology instructor helps enable disabled students

colleague and a Pierce College Sign Language Interpreter Specialist. “But he also has a playful side.”

Club 411: International Students Club

Foreign students nd sanctuary with fellows who share similar experience

His hands ceaselessly glided across a black notebook disguised as a tablet, showing the intricacies of modern technology.

His index finger pointed to the screen, clad in graph sensors and buttons with sensitive microchips, acting as a surface for writing on with a smart pen.

He demonstrated that it transcends what you write from this special paper to cell phone applications by recording and taking pictures of what had just been written.

In his office, tucked in the Special Services castle of the Student Services kingdom, this smart pen becomes his magic wand – a tool that could change note taking in the waking moment.

This 37-year-old man is none other than Suleman Ishaque, the instructional assistant of assistive technology for disabled Student Services at Pierce College. Holding this position since 2012, his first start on campus was as a student studying computer science.

“In a nutshell, I’m the computer geek at the department,” said Ishaque with a genuine interest after his smart pen demonstration.

Originally from Pakistan, Ishaque moved to Simi Valley at the age of 24. Upon moving from one country to another, he enrolled at Pierce as a full-time student.

From there, he was hired onto a temporary assignment within the Special Services Department and as luck had it, he was hired immediately for his position.

“He has a very specific job that he does,” Pierce College Interpreter Coordinator Louise Sulka said. “He is very personable and helpful.”

Instructional assistant of assistive technology for Special Services

Having an older sister who is blind, Ishaque grew up understanding the challenges of her depending on him and his family for various tasks. She ultimately became his inspiration for the work he is currently involved in – to use technology as a tool for learning disabilities.

“Once I came in as an office assistant, I saw what difference I could make,” said Ishaque.

After spending more time with him, it quickly became apparent that

he not only deeply cares about the Special Services Department, but he is passionate about technology.

With a childlike excitement, he elaborated on his home devices in his tech-driven world. In his apartment, a Roomba vacuum roams the carpet and within his reach, he holds the power to change the thermostat settings on his phone without actually having to be home.

“When it comes down to business, he is very serious,” said Nicholas Sumandra, Ishaque’s

At Pierce College, Ishaque is the go-to man who trains Special Services students how to use hitech hardware that ranges from smart pens to an adaptive mouse to a refreshable braille display. He is one of the workers who transcribes books into alternative media for easier access.

“Honestly, I am a very lazy person,” Ishaque jokingly said. “I use technology to make life easier.”

As you sink in deeper into his technological world, you learn that he is also interested in deepsea fishing and was chosen to be a union delegate for The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.

This position allows him to “carry a voice” for public colleges in California. Not to mention, Ishaque is a political coordinator for the entire district.

“I carry the voice at the state level,” said Ishaque.

This voice that Ishaque talks about has battled sanctions in colleges, expressed arguments for more school funding, and has fought for the rights of the American Federation of Teachers.

One of the propositions that he was involved in was to stop class cuts during summers at public colleges – the reason why there are three summer sessions at Pierce.

He also mentioned that he is pushing for more technology use within the classrooms, as the smart pens are only available for personal purchase and are not publicly provided by the Special Services Department due to low funds.

“Technology, gadgets and that sort of thing are what I’m interested in,” Ishaque stated. “When this position opened up, I was like, ‘wow, I can do what I love.’”

The Chelsea Lately Show, Six Flags Magic Mountain, hiking to the Hollywood Sign, and going to the movies are just a few things that the International Students Club plans to do.

The club likes to plan different events throughout the semester so club members can get a taste of what Los Angeles has to offer.

“They are one of the more active clubs on campus,” said Curtis Smith, adviser of the Associated Student Organization (ASO).

The International Student Club is an active club on campus that aims to promote diversity and create lifelong friendships with students of different countries, according to the ASO webpage.

The club meets in the business building in room 3201 on Thursdays at 1:00 p.m.

“Anyone can join the International Students Club,” said Abby Sandico, director of the International Student Program and adviser to the club. “The club was started to assist international students and get them acclimated into a diverse community.”

“We all get along despite having different backgrounds,” 21-yearold Kariann Coe said. “We still talk to former members of the club, which is cool.”

This close-knit group of students may have found it easier to adjust to their new life with the club, which acts as an extension of the International Student Program, according to Sandico.

“It may be harder for those who come from different countries,”

-Abby Sandico Director of the International Student Program and Club Adviser

Sandico said. “Many of them are here by themselves and do not have family members here.”

Some travel from as far as the Middle East for an education, which is what 29 year old Abdullah Alawaja did. He is the current vice president of the International Students Club, and moved here to Los Angeles three years ago.

Now Alwaja is a film major and vice president of the International Students Club.

The International Students Club has a wide range of events throughout the semester. Some events they are involved in, such as Diversity Day, are open to all students who wish to attend.

Alwaja also showed a video clip about Saudi-Arabia. The video showed tall buildings decorated with mosaic tiles, which turned out to be mosques.

Men were praying inside them and reading scripture from the Quran, the sacred scripture of those who practice Islam.

Every summer, Alwaja returns to visit his family in Saudi-Arabia.

“If you’re not an international student, it’s ok, just join,” 21-yearold Sabrina Walangare said.

Amira Fickewirth / Roundup

Instructional Assistant of Assistive Technology Suleman Ishaque at his desk in Special Services. Ishaque is the self-proclaimed computer geek of the Special Services Department.

“Technology, gadgets and that sort of thing are what I’m interested in. When this position opened up, I was like, ‘Wow, I can do what I love.’”

-Suleman Ishaque

Monica

Special to the Roundup

“He loves them and he loves proving people wrong when it comes to the stereotype people have of them.”

-Silvia Gutierrez

Wife of Barrera

Monica Salazar / Special to the Roundup

Student Jose Barrera with one of his many adopted dogs at his house on Saturday, May 17.

Amira Fickewirth

Special to the Roundup

Meghan McGillicuddy Roundup Reporter

“Many of them are here by themselves and do not have family members here.”

The Hot Sauce Food truck

The Hot Sauce food truck on campus has been around for the past two years, serving hungry students, staff and faculty everything from tacos and burritos to burgers and fries. The trucks is owned by Rafael de la Fuente, while his wife Gloria de la Fuente and son Andy de la Fuente help take care the business. Some students, like Timothy Clocker, even regularly choose the truck as their food source of choice on campus. He says the food from them is “always good, it’s always perfect.“

Copy and Photos by Caleb Johnson

Below: Students standing in line to order at the Hot Sauce food truck at Pierce College.

Left: Owner Rafael de la Fuente puts together food with his wife Gloria de la Fuente in the Hot Sauce food truck by the South Gym at Pierce College.

Owner Rafael de la Fuente cooking up orders for students on the Hot Sauce food truck at Pierce College outside the South Gym on May 21.

Above: Andy de la Fuente hands a student her order from the Hot Sauce food truck at Pierce College on May 21.

SPRING GRADUATES 2014

The Roundup will provide full day coverage of graduation events, starting with the Student Awards brunch on the Music Lawn at 9:45 a.m. The next event will be the Faculty Gala at 3:00 p.m. followed by the graduation ceremony at 6:00 p.m. in Rocky Young Park. Be sure to follow us online and use #LAPCGrad2014 to share your day with us on social media sites. Congratulations graduates!

Irma Bustamante

Sharon Byon

Karen Barrera

Kelly Berry

Lisa Bowman

Jennifer Brezinski

Ice Dube

Hovhannes Daniyelyan

Adam Downie

Guadalupe Gonzalez

Ina Gonzalez

Mayra Gonzalez

Josefina Gonzalez-Barragan

Aaron Goodwein

Joseph Goon Sedgh Naseri

ADaisy Abrenica

John Accardo

Bertha Acosta

Inna Acosta

Nina Adel

Tsebaot Admasu

Andy Aguila

Cynthia Aguilar

Dulce Aguirre De Melgar

Mariam Ahmadi

Shadi Ahmadizadeh

Jonathan Akerele

Ryan Akers

Gregorio Alarcon

Winnona Alba

Gabriela Alcaraz

Brianna Aldana

Maria Aldave Cabrera

Mehak Ali

Hakeem Allonce

Christina Alquiros

Alexander Alvara

Rodolfo Alvarado

Martha Alvarez

Albert Amaya

Monica Amini

Marghalara Amiri

Laurel Anderson

Shanti Anderson

Jonathan Andrino-Vela

Christina Angelakopoulou

Paulina Antounian

Anabella Apfelbaum

Sarine Aratoon

Hana Ardiano

Sherman Aria

David Arias

Steve Arias

Coral Armour

Danielle Arnold

Jennifer Artinian

Monica Avalos

Nancy Avalos

Rashin Avvali

Krishna Lou Ayungao

Ellie Mhey Azucena

Joseph Azuela

Ayla Aguilar

CCarmen Caballero

Julia Cabrera

Deyanira Caceres

Maria Cachay

Michelle Camarillo

Wil Canizalez

Jan Martin Capulong

Stacey Cardona

Aaron Carpio

Kassandra Carrillo

James Carter

Richard Catabona

Theresa Chavez

Mousa Chehada

Yaroslav Chekin

Joseph Christian

Ryan Claravall

Fallon Clark

Megan Clifton

Jasmine Cloyd

Ori Cohen

Sarah Colaco

Gianni Coleman

Kayla Colley

Erik Collins

Ashley Colon

Carlos Colon

Lucia Constantini-Graham

Karina Contreras

Mari Carmen Contreras

Diana Coosemans

Zaira Cordova

Cheyenne Corl

Ana Corona

Sireena Corona

Daisy Cortes

Crisman Cosme

Daniela Cossio

Gissel Coto

Michael Cox

Rosa Iris Cruz

Rosa Yesenia Cruz

David Crystal

John Czifra

Virgilio Cerna Choto

Joseph Cervantes

Alice Christensen

Catherine Cobb

Dennis Collatos

BDavid Babajoni

Matthew Babela

Sina Bagha

Arthur Bagoumian

Arik Baharouzi

Marriam Baluch

Jairo Banuelos

Alicia Barragan

Sebastian Barrientos

Elena Bartel

Jorgelina Bastias

Zoha Batool

Erick Bautista

Melissa Bautista

Dalar Bazik

Brenda Becerra

Monique Bell

Christie Belvin

Eduardo Berganza

Gina Bernard

Sarah Bernstein

Andrea Berrios Vasquez

Michal Bibian

Andrew Blum

Justin Bolding

Courtney Bolen

Kimberly Boles

Michelle-Marie Borsco

Michael Bostedt

Jacqueline Bouchnak

Vartan Boursalyan

Maya Bovshow

Michael Bovshow

Carl Braxton

Aaron Brewer

Sonja Brewer

James Brown

Michelle Brownlee

Jeremiah Buenrostro

Thu Bui

Julia Cooper Brittney Cueto

EStarlene Early Hourdad Ebrahimi

Maria Elhawary

Melissa Elist

Neda Emami

Yashar Emami

Joshua Engle

Ivonnah Erskine

Samuel Escalante

Wendy Escalante

Beda Escobedo

Adrian Estrada

Niyousha Etemadieh

Sylvestine Etienne

Brieanna Everts

Tannaz Gorjimahfroujaki

Nicole Grandstaff

Christopher Gray

Kim Greek

Davis Green

Cheyenne Grogan

Kira Guarino

Katie Guerin

Nicole Guerrera

Lucia Guerrero

Yessenia Guillen

Cecilia Guillen-Loza

Yuliya Gurevich

Luis Gutierrez

Miguel Guzman

Kristopher Galang

Julio Garcia

Kim Garland

Zulfar Ghulam-Jelani

Andrew Gibson

Briana Guadiana

JPaloma Jacinto

Anne Jackson

Sonnica Jackson

Victor Jackson

Shanaz Jafarian

Shelly Ann Jagroop

Negin Jahani

Samantha Jansen

Jose Javier

Mark Jensen

Juan Jimenez

Vanessa Jimenez

Olga Johnson

Lenar Jones

Julie Jordan

Jennifer Joy

Greta Juarez

Doroteja Jurisic

Blayne Jensen

Yueming Ma

Ariel Mac Intosh

Ghazaleh Maccabi

Vanessa Macias

Mani Maddah

Susan Mahmood

MBanafsheh Mahmoudi

Ardavan Makaremi

Saam Malekahmadi

Philipp Maleko

Drazen Malinis

Frances Kay Manalac

Hillary Manly

Diana Marinova

Kelly Markley

Johanna Marks

Kristel Marquez

Maria Marquez

Daniel Marshall

Brent Martin

Alfredo Martinez

Deborah Martinez

Ingrid Martinez

Jasmine Martinez

Jocelyn Martinez

Kissy Martinez

Mayra Martinez

Samantha Martinez

FDanybell Farhad Nikcheh

Sara Farsi

Hannah Feldman

Ryan Field

Brandon Findling

Angelica Flores

Carlos Flores

Karina Flores

Rocio Flores

Bianca Florian

Amanda Flynn

Natalia Fominykh

Cezka Fornoles

Joyce Francis

Liliana Franco

Rebecca Fredrickson

Yao Fu

Jessica Fuentes

Mayra Fuentes

Edgar Fincannon

Carlos Flores

Susan Frank

Will Friday

HMalikan Haddad

Benjamin Hakak

Kevin Hale

Shaquan Hall

Morgan Hampton

Elizabeth Han

Andrew Haro

Carolina Haro

Elvis Haro

Derek Harris

Jacquel Harris

Jennifer Harris

Annie Hartonian Rahemabad

Cynthia Harvey Tucker

Shahdad Hashemidaryani

Daniele Hausman

Jamie Hawks

Renee Haynes

Christina Helgager

Andrea Henderson

Karissa Hendrie

Akisha Henri

GNatalie Henriquez

Anissa Hernandez

Jennifer Hernandez

Jonathan Hernandez

Mariela Hernandez

Raul Hernandez

Vanessa Hernandez

Kristopher Galang

Sara Gallagher

Nama Gallander

DJose Gallardo

Itsel Gallegos

Din Galmidi

Dinora Galvan

Crystian Garcia

Erika Garcia

Marisol Garcia

Michael Dadbin

Arshak Dallakyan

Ashot Dallakyan

Shannon Daly

Ramesh Danesh

Catalina Daneshfar

Natanella Daneshrad

Magen Daniali

Nourma Daoud

Davi Dardon

Matthew Dash

Staci Davidson

Lawdan Dayani

Christopher De Castro

Iona De La Torre

Dilini De Silva

Zahra Deghani

Monica Delgado

David Deloya

Veronika Denisova

Allan Denolo

James Depaola

Arlett Diaz

Patrick Dib

Andrew Diehl

Diep Dinh

Kim Dinh

Tho Dinh

Carina Dominguez

Tatiana Doni

Roberto Garcia

Vanessa Garcia

Natalie Garrison

Amahirany Gaspar

Kaniel Geeslin

Rebekah Geeslin

Kelly Gegenheimer

Chirstina Gergis

Marjan Ghaffarinia

Shabnam Ghazaei

Zulfar Ghulam-Jelani

Kristin Gillingham

Christy Gipson

Natalie Giraldo

Damion Gittens

Kendra Glade

Brandon Glass, Sr.

Vanessa Godoy

Tara Gohari

Limor Golan

Isaac Gomes

Lourdes Gomez

Cameron Gonzales

Vanessa Gonzales

Albertina Gonzalez

Eric Gonzalez

Erick Gonzalez

Fanny Gonzalez

Gonzalo Gonzalez

Vanessa Hernandez

Willy Hernandez

Amanda Herrera

Matthew Herrera

Behnaz Hesari

Caitlin Heskett

Susan Hoagland

A’Shai Hodge

Cindy Hodge

Steven Holden

Michael Hong

Nikan Hosseini Dehkordi

Ishkhan Hunanyan

Mario Hurtado

Melanie Hroziencik

Shannon Hurwitz

KAnthony Kalandjian

Noorjehan Kanji

Deborah Kanter

Annie Karamanukyan

Ruwange Karunaratna

David Kashani

Ean Katz

Manpreet Kaur

Mazyar Kavousisharifabad

Shannon Kearns

Anni Kechichian

Justin Kelley

Sara Kelley

Amber-Rose Kelly

Shidrokh Keshavarz Rahbar

Alina Khachi

Shahed Khadim

Tania Khanlari

Vartouhie Khatchadourian

Joseph Kidd

Jamie Klein

Gilad Klibanov

Jacob Kline

Erin Knell

Saghar Kohanpoolad

Eliana Kohanzad

Shaghayegh Kosari

Benjamin Krasner

Sevrine Krasnow

Ryan Kuromiya-Hsu

Kanyapa Khaothiemsang

Velvet Martinez

Navid Massachi

Gary Mathis

Michelle Mcclain

Andrew Mccrea

Richard Mcwilliams

Lori Mecham

Azucena Medina

Damasia Medina

Jonathan Medina

Erick Melgar

Viviann Mendez

Gabriela Mendoza

Hugo Mendoza

Ryan Mendoza

Sara Mendoza

Maria Beatrice Menor

Shahryar Mesbahi

Nicole Mesriani

Nancy Messiha

Lini Mestar

Bryan Meyer

Jonathan Miguel

Tiffany Miller

Sogol Mirfakhraei

Behrang Mirzayi Malayeri

Sakina Mohammad Naser

Justin Mohrsaz

Jennifer Molina

Jeffrey Monico

Ian Monterrosa

Nicole Montes

Milagro Montiel

Jonathan Montoya

Iliana Moreno

Melissa Moreno

Tim Morris

Megan Moureaux

LAsiana Ladage

Hong Lam

Alyssa Lao

Alyssa Lara

Joana Lara

Aremy Laris

Aleksandar Lazarov

Ori Lazarovits

Henry Lazo

Curtis Le

Jamielyn Le

Julie Leach

Vivian Lee

Young Hoon Lee

Adriana Lee Park

Daniela Lemus

Mehrnaz Mousavi

Sarai Munoz

Megan Murphy

Katherine Myers

Andy Mai

Kristen Marzolf

Kenna Mcinerny

Maribel Medrano

Gabrielle Melville

Hugo Mendoza

Lini Mestar

Andrew Moresi

Ezequiel Moya

IRaymundo Ibarra

Rachel Ignelzi

Sean Ilejay

Jessica Isaacs

Samy Isaza

Ava Issary

Sahar Izadi

Jasmine Ibarra

Ryan Levinson

Miriam Llanos

Annette Logan

Allelu Lomboy

Casie Long

Anahi Lopez

Angela Lopez

Jacqulyn Lopez

Lazaro Lopez

Stephanie Lopez

Arash Lorestani

Leandro Lubrico

Issa Lutfi

Leandro Lubrico

Neelofar Najib

Veronica Navar

Mehran Nawabi

NChristaline Nederlk

Christian Neff

Cody Nelson

Margarito Nevarez

Jonathan Newell

Eric Nguyen

Shahab Nikmehr

Nicole Nilan

Axa Nimnualrata

Nicolas Nisperos

Zachary Noel

Dianna Nomanim

Karim Nooh

Mireya Noris

Korina Norman

Tina Nsubuga

Laura Nunez

Wendy Nunez

Kathryn Najar

Keitha Pinckney

Juan Pinedo

Mehran Pirouzmand

Daniel Piza

Jennifer Piza

Karla Pizano

Valerie Plascencia

James Plaza

Darlee Pleitez

Deirdre Poillon

Jiran Pooretemad

Alejandra Portillo

Geraldina Portillo

Lisbeth Portillo

Sadaf Pournasr

ORobert Prim

Yvonne Perdomo

Gregory Phillips

Andy Reveles

Doris Reyes

Janelle Reynoso

Maria Reynoso

Ricardo Reynoso

Rubab Reza

Darcy Rice

Ricardo Rico

Marcia Riso

Diana Rivas

Rosario Rivas

Kamron Rivera

Marcia Robles

Gabriela Rodas

Aimar Rodriguez

Crystal Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez

Gerome Rodriguez

Kitty Rodriguez

QMichael Rodriguez

Jovany Rodriguez Hernandez

Gustavo Sandoval

Jessica Sandoval

Mariapaola Santacruz

Jamie Santana

Christian Santiago

Leslie Santos

Wendy Santos

Edmond Sasooness

Alex Sawelson

Brittany Scheffler

Jacob Seldes

Michelle Selvaratnam

Rita Semerjian

Patricia Sermeno

Nicole Settles

Anthony Shack

Sima Shahabi

Farnaz Shahvir

Ankit Sharma

Justin Sharpe

Steven Sheldon

Alisdair Thorburn

Debra Tiesi

Giovani Tjoe

Roderick Todd

Lillian Tong

John Tongilava

Alexander Toomians

Sylvie Torrence

Erika Tovar

Aichata Traore

Darinka Trujillo

Victor Trujillo

Martha Reuben Tumbokon

Rashonda Turner

Meidrah Tyler

Yiran Tong

Keyoka Wade

Robert Wagstaff

Sabrina Walangare

Tawni Wallace

Rachel Wallin

Sanda Warda

Chris Watanakul

Jessica Watanakul

Dominique Waters

Jeremiah Watson

Lorani Weeraman

UGarrett Wein

Wanda Welch

Michelle West

Anthony Williams

Michel Williams

Hannah Obanero

Adefolakemi Ogun

Frederick Orantes

Julio Ordonez

Tiffany Ordonez

Ashley Orland

Deborah Orta

Joao Ortega

Stacy Ortiz-Hudosh

Kezanae Owens

Whitney Quinlan

Jamie Quinn

Angel Quintanilla

Sandra Quintanilla

Oscar Quinteros

Joanna Rodriquez

Jon Rogister

Erfan Rohanifar

Zachary Rohbani

Dalon Rollison

Julie Romero

Yvette Romero

Jessica Romo

Joshua Romo

Angel Rosales

Nancy Rosales

RRenee Rosborough

Sarina Rossi

Elizabeth Ruano-Cervantes

Elizabeth Rudnick

Robert Rutecki

Casey Ragland

Julie Shevelin

Anna Shirazyan

Oshrit Shlomian

Sahar Shoar

Jennifer Sierra

Josue Sierra

Jullian Silvia

Maria Simanjuntak

Harjinder Singh

Melissa Smith

Stephanie Smith

Lauren Smithson

Nareg Sokonian

Hasti Soltani

Ricardo Soto

Kevin Sparks

Adam Spector

Elizabeth Ulloa

Stephanie Ulloa

Tia Winston

Kevin Wong

Patricia Wu eremiah Watson

Amber Whittaker

Jennifer Wise

PMichael Paartovi

Gregory Paiz

Myong Pak

Reyna Palacios

Gabriella Palomino

Michael Pammit

Sang Hoon Park

Arpita Patel

Bradley Paul

Jordon Peart

Angela Pelamati

Christy Pena

Maria Penate

Paola Pereyra

Danielle Perez

Salvador Perez

Yesenia Perez

Lessie Perry

Dorothy Pfeiffer

Christina Phung

Shari Pierce

Kirsten Pierre

Raja Pile-Hijr

Syeda Rab

Juan Rada

Jacob Radparvar

Andrea Ramirez

Cynthia Ramirez

Monica Ramirez

Sarah Ramirez Ahmari

Edwin Ramon

Christina Ramos

Jose Rangel

Sara Rashidi

Sourena Rashidi

Sima Rashidizadeh

Robin Rastegar

Brandon Raxtun

Shantal Razban-Nia

Walker Reade

Dan Reback

Jeffrey Recinos

Cristobal Rendon

Stephanie Rendon

Mayra Renteria

Franz-Neil Reola

Cindy Reynoso

Karla Rodriguez

Edgardo Roncagliolo

Maribel Splopuko

Amanda Srisawang

Ann St. Pierre

Carin Stafford

Ian Stevenson

Tyree Stone-Davis

Marc Strommer

Jasmine Strong

Amanda Stuebe

Susanna Suard

VGiovanni Valdivia

Alma Valenzuela

Elvia Valenzuela

Josias Vargas

Nestor Vargas

Raquel Varnado

Ankine Vasoyan

Alejandro Vasquez

Marissa Vasquez

Nancy Vasquez Chavez

Janice Vassil

Michael Vazquez

Yvonne Vela

Jose Velasquez

Cecilia Victoria

Yumeji Vigo

Sabina Villaescusa Pineda

SRachelle Saad

Mahsa Safaei

Navdeep Sagoo

Yalda Saheem

Steven Sakamoto

Jasmin Salas

Joana Salas

Katherine Salas

Ivan Salazar

Juan Salvador

Daniel Salvatore

Madelaine Sanchez

Alejandro Sandoval

Yohan Sung

Ryan Smetzer

Luis Villalobos

Madeleine Villanueva

Wendy Villanueva

Stephanie Villegas

Lorraine Elaiza

Huong Vo

Tal Yaakov

YWShantel Yaghoobian

Jose Yanez

Emilee Yanik

Shemiran Yohana

Gina Youhaneh

April Yslava

TMichelle Tadeo

Matthew Taghavi

Armen Tchapanian

Jacob Thompson

Vivas

Giovanni Valdivia

Jillian Van Liew

Veronica Vargas

Armando Velarde

ZRebecca Zaghi

Caroline Zaman

Wenqian Zhang

Sona Zograbian

Daisy Zurita

Q&A: Head coach Nabil Mardini e mastermind behind three consecutive championships for the women’s volleyball team

Nadine Gostantian Roundup Reporter

After three seasons of winning state championships, head coach Nabil Mardini suffered setbacks in the 2013 campaign and it resulted in the Brahmas being ousted in the first round.

For Mardini though he is in a new era with a blend of seasoned sophomores as well as some talented young freshmen. Hopefully this year will be different for Pierce as the women’s volleyball team tries to reestablish supremacy in the state.

Mardini sat down for a Q & A with the Roundup to discuss the future of his team and what he expects for the upcoming fall season.

Roundup: For this year’s Hall of Fame, your first team to ever win the state championship, the 2010 team is going to be inducted into the Pierce College Hall of Fame. What made them so great and why were they so special?

Nabil Mardini: They were not the biggest roster, they were not a most athletically gifted and they played teams that I thought were more talented. But they played like a team and like one cohesive unit. Just to see them play and the group of people that I got to coach was extraordinary. We had players that just gave themselves for the team.

Lindsay Kuramoto even though she tore her ACL playing basketball and was a redshirt freshman played a huge contribution because she had no car and commuted all the way from Pasadena to Pierce just to help out this team. Another was Julianna Hicks was is the toughest player I ever had to coach. She played the whole season through a fractured tibia. You just don’t see that every day. She was one in a million and it is very rare to have a player like her in any sport or organization. The team overall was just blue collared, just a bunch of individuals who came together as a team. As a coach it is flattering to see that kind of effort that was put out by this team.

RU: What is this team doing to prepare for the upcoming season and what are you excited about?

Mardini: They’ve been working really hard this offseason. The

Lofrano does good with Hall of Fame

Ethan Hanson Sports Editor

Sports Column

With the last week of school, finals and fellow Brahmas graduating, it begs the question who will these Brahmas be in years to come? Will they move on to be successful? What will these people accomplish and what lies ahead for the future?

With many former Brahmas moving on to bigger and better things, the school is in debt to Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lofrano, who will be putting on the second Pierce College Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony this week at the Woodland Hills Country Club. With Lofrano at Pierce, it has allowed the school to maintain its heritage and honor the past and present in sports.

Athletes from the past who attended Pierce in its humble beginnings are able to come back and see what they did and reminisce about their accomplishment while they were at school. By Lofrano maintaining a Hall of Fame it allows Pierce to have merit and to have a history that has long been forgotten. It is very rare these days to hear the stories or even a mention of what someone did in the past from Pierce.

sophomores are getting better and their volleyball I.Q. is improving massively. We are also getting a lot of size this year with our freshman. We are picking up Chelsea Lawrence a 6’3 freshman who is from Palmdale as well as Ashanti Barnes who is 6’1 also from Palmdale. We’re getting a new libero Bianca Pattani from Visalia who is pretty solid. A lot of size with the new freshman along with the development of our sophomores, I’m excited.

RU: What are the sophomores doing that are helping them earn the moniker of contenders?

Mardini: They are playing together in practice and I am watching the team spirit unfold before my eyes. This team right now is worried less about the individual effort and worried more about the success of the team. You can see it and you can feel it. That talent has to show through the effort of the team but I am seeing it unfold. But the togetherness gets better and I

feel like this team has a good shot of doing some great things this year.

RU: Who is going to be the toughest team you’ll play and why?

Mardini: We played a lot of good teams. But usually our competition is Bakersfield college. But they’re not going to be in our conference anymore although we play them. They moved to the south from the north. We used to be in the south but we’re in the north now.

RU: Why are they the toughest team?

Mardini: They’re very well coached. It’s a good program, good coach. He does an excellent job coaching them.

RU: What do you think needs improvement the most in the team?

Mardini: We just need to be regrouped in terms of talent. Make

sure we’re all healthy. But in terms of improvement we were always looking to improve every time we stepped on the court. If I had to pick one thing I would say our left side attacking or hitters have to better. But we do have some key players coming. Its not official until August 15. So that’s why I don’t want to put their names until its official.

RU: What will this team need to do in order to play at an elite level?

Mardini: We need good left sides. Obviously the girls are working hard trying to get ready. I think we have a lot. Like I said, with the returning players that we have, and with the freshman and the incoming class I think we’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.

RU: Who is the most exciting freshman that you are going to have this season?

Mardini: It’ll probably be Autumn Russell. She is a 5’11

outside hitter from Templeton, Calif. She is dynamic. She can play all six rotations. She is a good blocker, has a tremendous jump serve. There are a lot of things she can do. “

RU: What does it take to be a champion and win a state title?

Mardini: That can take a book with a lot of chapters in it but obviously it takes a bunch of individuals, in a nutshell, who can elevate the play of their teammates around them. In my opinion, a group of individuals who don’t care who gets the credit in the end. All on the same page. All for one goal, one purpose, one reason. And a good old fashioned hard work. That’s all it takes.

RU: So does this team have what it takes?

Mardini: Absolutely. We’ll be back. The Brahmas will be back, I can promise you that.

Brahmas to be honored in 2014 Hall of Fame class

16 former athletes om Pierce will be inducted into the Pierce College Athletic Hall of Fame

Pierce College will have a new class to add to its Athletic Hall of Fame as 16 former Brahmas will be immortalized on Wednesday, May 28.

The event will take place at the Woodland Hills Country Club. The event will feature some of the members of the new class.

The person in charge of making the selections was Athletic Director Bob Lofrano.

Each athlete to be inducted have made an impact in their time at Pierce. Some of the inductees are from the 90’s and earlier. Only three of the 16 inductees are from the turn of the millennium. Here is the list for the third class of the Pierce College Athletic Hall of Fame:

Rich Auerbach (‘68) - Baseballplayed 10 years in the MLB

Kevin Barnett (‘94-’95)

Volleyball - 2 time All American at Pepperdine and part of the 2000 and 2004 U.S. olympic Team.

Joe Cascione (‘90-’91) - BaseballLed Cal Lutheran to back to back Division III College World Series. Current baseball head coach at Los Angeles Mission College.

Gary Comer (‘60-’61)

Track&Field - All American at Pierce in 200 yard and 400 yards. In the 400 yards he was also state champion. All American at USC in 4 x 100 relay in ‘64.

Jim Fenwick (‘70-’71) - Football - Over 30 years as football coach at college level. Current athletic director at Los Angeles Valley College.

Jamie Flynn (‘09-’10) - Diving - Flynn won a state diving championship in 2010.

Steve Hertz (‘69) - Baseball - 26 years as baseball head coach at Division I level. Hertz has 697 wins and spent 24 years at Gonzaga University.

Marian McWilliams (‘78) - Tennis

- Voached the Pierce College women’s tennis team to state title in 1978. McWilliams was also the Pierce College athletic director from 1978-1996.

Tony Oddo (‘63-’64) - Basketball

- Made the All Conference team at Pierce and spent two years at USC. Oddo coached over 30 years.

Eldin Onsgard (‘70-’72)

Swimming & Water polo - All American in diving and water polo. Coached at Pierce from 1979-1986.

Bob Samuelson (‘85-’86) Volleyball - Won player of the year while at Pierce. Spent two years at CSUN and was part of the 1992 US Olympic Team.

Bill Spooner (‘75-’76) - Football - following his playing career as a wide reciever. Spooner is currently in his 25th season as an NBA official.

Neal Sweeney (‘63-’64) - Football - All American wide receiver at Pierce. Played two years at Tulsa University and then played for the Denver Broncos in the NFL.

Erica Vangsness (‘09-’10) - Soccer - Western State Conference player of the year. Spent two years at USC.

1992 Men’s volleyball team - 20-2 record as state champion.

2010 Women’s volleyball team29-3 record as state champions

At least with Bob Lofrano’s Hall of Fame it allows students to identify with NCIS actor Mark Harmon who played football at Pierce before moving on to play football at USC and then later become successful in Hollywood with one of the most recognizable shows on television. With Lofrano setting up the Hall of Fame, students know that current professional baseball players like Barry Zito and Coco Crisp used to roam the hallways at Pierce. By honoring the past, Lofrano is helping preserve at least some piece of heritage with the school. While the rest of the school seems to forget about the potential impact by people that attended school, Lofrano makes sure that recognition is given where it is due.

Wouldn’t it be great if the rest of the school followed suit? To not just have a sports Hall of Fame but a Pierce College hall of fame? Where the famous people who supposedly went to Pierce and then went on to do great things whether it was a pioneer in the medical field or being a famous actor were honored for their work and for their fame?

That is ultimately what needs to change at Pierce and follow Lofrano’s example. It is not merely putting a name up on a wall to last a lifetime, a decade or maybe even a year. It is about providing recognition for the school. The reason why Pierce is so good at sports is in part due to how players are recruited and the quality of coaches that are at Pierce. But it also has to do with the fact that players recognize names. They recognize the fact that if they work hard enough, like Crisp and Harmon, they too can move on to a four year school or potentially even play at the major leagues.

In terms of the rest of the school and the administration, they should look at Lofrano as an example of what happens when you honor the past. By honoring the past you can create a heritage. Students shouldn’t be having to go on wikipedia to find out that Joseph Gordon-Levitt from Inception went to Pierce.

Wouldn’t it be great if students knew that famous people actually went to Pierce and moved on to greater and better things? Incoming freshmen could use these people as motivation to make themselves better, noting that if this person can do it so can they. It is not merely about throwing reputable names out there, it is about trying to make the school a viable place to go to where the most talented and hardworking students can come and learn and be successful.

The Hall of Fame provides perspective, it provides history and an identity of heritage. Wouldn’t it be great if other aspects of Pierce could be associated with the same?

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

Nabil Mardini proudly stands in front of the womenʼs volleyball teamʼs trophy case on May 27, which showcases the teams three consecutive titles under Mardini.

Carlos Islas Sports Editor

From left to right New Pierce College Athletic Hall of Fame members Joe Cascione, Marian McWilliams and Jamie Flynn.

Top 5 athletes for the fall semester

Sports editor Ethan Hanson picks ve of the best Brahmas to look out for in the upcoming sports season

Football-Defense

Jay’Onn Myles, sophomore 5’8-Cornerback/Kick Return and Punt Return

Palmdale, California

Description: Poise and leadership in a nutshell pretty much describes the Brahmas defensive leader this past season. Myles made a splash from the get go in his freshman season, during the second game of the season against Mt. San Jacinto he returned a 58 yard punt for a touchdown. Myles then had a 98 yard extra point return on a blocked kick for two points. That game would highlight a year in which Myles had 28 tackles as well as four interceptions to make him one of the most recognized corners at the community college level despite being only 5’8. Myles played a large part in the Brahmas victory in the American Bowl Championship game by recording one of his four interceptions which helped Pierce hold Chaffey to only 179 passing yards. Myles will be looking for another successful year, he already has offers from many Division I schools including Arizona State, University of Arizona and University of Southern California. Expect him to be the glue that holds the Brahmas together, whether it is on special teams or guarding the best wideout on the field.

Head Coach Efrain Martinez: “He’s one of the hardest working guys that we have on defense. He’s one of our returning leaders that we will be able to count on this year to help us lead our team. We are really excited about him, his future is bright. He is definitely a Division I prospect. He conducts himself very well. He’s a very well

Women’s Volleyball

Sage McClain- sophomore.

6’0 Middle/Opposite

Oak Park, California

Description: Sage McClain will be given the task to help lead the Brahmas women’s volleyball team that for the first time in three years showed they weren’t invincible. After three consecutive state titles, they struggled and showed that they were not the same dominant team. Although they won a share of the Western State Conference title, they were soon ousted in the first round, leaving head coach Nabil Mardini searching for answers. Luckily for him, McClain was one of those answers. She has really developed her skills over the past year by showing massive improvements in her passing as well as in her defense. Whether it is at the net or tracking a ball that is tailing away, McClain does her best to not let a point slip away. McClain has also taken the role of being the chief organizer both on and off court, leading the team whether it is in workouts or making sure that Ken Stanley Court stays pristine. Overall, with her improved skills as well as a highly touted freshman class hand-picked by Mardini, expect this season’s squad to forget about the doldrums of last year’s often sporadic play.

Head Coach Nabil Mardini: “Sage along with other girls has

Women’s Water Polo

Sierra Marroquin-sophomore

5’3- Utility

Burbank, California

Description: Marroquin will be leading the Brahmas women’s water polo team, a team that is only in its third season. Despite the program being in its infancy, the Brahmas in water have won two consecutive Western State Conference championships.

They won a title in its opening season in 2012 and then shared the title with Los Angeles Valley

spoken kid. He’s a role model and that’s typically what you want out of every junior college kid. The kid is a role model student-athlete. Everybody should be like him.”

Defensive Coordinator Kort

Huettinger: “Jay’Onn is a great corner and he’s a great leader on the team. He knows how to lock people down, he knows how to stand up for the guys but he also knows how to get on the guys when they need to do their work proper. He saved us a lot last year with the field goal returns when teams would kick them short and he would block them. He had a couple of great returns that decided some games and helped us win a lot.

In the bowl game against Chaffey he locked down one of their main wide receivers. For his size he has got the biggest heart because he’s not that tall but he’s got the biggest heart out of anyone on this team and he can ‘D’ up a 6’6 receiver or a 5’2 receiver it doesn’t matter. He’s smart, he knows how to read the ball and he knows how to read the quarterback. He is an undersized corner but he knows how to jump and get the ball out of the wide receiver’s hands and he knows how to play to his height and use it as an advantage. He definitely takes the advantage away, you wouldn’t even know he was 5’8.”

Women’s Soccer Diana Argueta-sophomore

5’3- Midfielder/Forward Reseda, California

Description: Diana Argueta was one of the most underrated and underlooked players during the Brahmas’ successful season last year. Argueta led the Pierce College women’s soccer team to a Western State Conference title, its first conference title in three years. Her passing ability is one of her biggest strengths along with her decision making in offense and defense combined with her defensive prowess, which made Pierce one of the best stories of the year. The team started the season losing three of its first four games, yet they were able to turn it around and make it into one of the most successful runs in recent memory. To go along with the conference title, the Brahmas made it to the second round of playoffs for only the second time in the program’s history. With a new incoming freshman squad that has been highly touted by head coach Adolfo Perez, she’ll be the experience and leadership Pierce will need in order to maximize that potential.

Head Coach Adolfo Perez: “The sky’s the limit for Diana. She’s one of the best holding defensive midfielderss that Pierce has had and that is saying a lot considering the amount of success Pierce has had throughout the years. She is the glue

Football-Offense

Earl Hargrove, sophomore

6’2- Wide Receiver

South Philadelphia, PA

Description: Hargrove is expected to do great things this upcoming fall. He follows a long line of Philadelphia natives that have become star wide receivers at Pierce. First it was Jaelen Strong who is now at Arizona State having a prosperous career for the Sun Devils and was among the top wide receivers in the Pac12 conference. Then it was Tyrin Stone-Davis who will be headed to Illinois in June. With a season under his belt, Hargrove was slow to learn the offense at the beginning of last season but blossomed down the stretch. His 6’2 frame along with his strong upper body, tremendous speed and agility will make him Pierce’s favorite target this year offensively. Combined with his offseason regimen where he has been studying more film, developing his football I.Q. and most importantly learning the offense, Hargrove hopes to become “Earl the Pearl.”

from the middle and the one that links the midfield to our forwards. Her success is not measured on her stats. Her ability to win the ball and then produce immediate offense after that is incredible. She’s a quiet leader, she leads by example. There are examples of vocal leaders and there are leaders who are not vocal and she’s one of them. But her impact will be felt.”

Assistant Coach William Diaz: “Diana is a very talented player that has the ability to be the best player in our conference as a center-mid. Last year she was the mold that kept everything together and held a midfield line and put it together. She was the missing piece that we needed there and she came in and solidified a line that made a big impact during games.”

Nelger Carrera / Roundup

Captain Sage McClain will lead the womenʼs volleyball team.

shown massive improvements. She has better speed on her arm swing. She is a critical asset if you want to make a switch to the left side. We’re thinking about maybe changing her to an outside hitter, we’re thinking about it. But it is too early for me to decide on the court. I like what Sage is doing. She is doing a good job of leading the girls and she continues to be very positive. She is always

College in 2013. Marroquin was thrown into the pool in high school after growing up playing baseball and being on Burroughs High School’s team. Followed by offseason pool workouts with her teammates she was cut from the baseball team, made the switch and it has been water polo ever since for the Burbank native. Despite being only 5’3 she has one of the strongest set of arms on the team as Pierce looks for its third conference title in water polo.

Outgoing sophomore utility

Darby Schuett: “Sierra has an insanely hard shot and her no-look shot is crazy, one of the best I have ever seen.”

positive. We do need to work on her confidence a little bit and she knows that. She just needs to be a little bit more aggressive and cocky. Her volleyball I.Q. is a lot better and she understands the intricacies of leading a team. Just being the leader on and off the court. She is very vocal about it, but her overall game and everybody else’s game is so much better.”

Head Coach Sarah Van Norman: “Sierra is going to bring a lot of experience. She is a fantastic shooter and she knows how to drive and set up a lot of the other players. Her experience is what is going to make next year’s team successful. We are very excited on what she brings and she has a major chance of becoming one of the captains next year. In terms of the team we are always focused on recruiting. Not really worried about the past, but worried about the present and who we can develop as players in terms of what we have. Just in terms of the system that we have in place but I think we’ve set ourselves up for another solid season.”

Head Coach Efrain Martinez: “Earl Hargrove will continue the line of dominant wide receivers we have had here at Pierce College. He played last year, but last year he was just learning the offense. Now he’s learned the offense and now he is going to excel even more. He is going to be getting a lot of attention as being one of the best wide receivers in the country. He’s got the body type of one of the better wide receivers that we have had here in the past and that is Damon

Julian. Julian coached him last year and I see Earl move and I say ‘Wow, That’s Damon Julian.’ So I call him ‘Little Damon’ because he’s got that big physical body type that you need to succeed at this level.”

Offensive Coordinator Jason

Sabolic: “Hargrove was a valuable weapon last year until he got injured midway through the year and it was kind of tough for him to come back. But this year he has really rededicated himself and is a physical specimen. As far as his rededication, it has happened in

the weight room and you can really see his body transform. Now him along with the other wide receivers last year that were freshman, now sophomores that have that year under their belt, understand the offense. They know exactly where they need to be and it just makes for a good coupling. Comparing Earl [Hargrove] to Julian [Damon] is a great comparison, but Damon liked to block and we’ll see if Earl will be as physical as Damon was. We’ll see, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he can play at the Division I level.”

Giuliana Orlandoni / Roundup Earl Hargrove, sophomore wide receiver, expects to have a breakout season after an in jury plagued 2013 campaign.

Giuliana Orlandoni/ Roundup

JayʼOnn Myles plays cornerback, punt and kick return for the Pierce College football team tosses a ball around on May 22.

Erick B. Ceron/ Roundup

Diana Argueta, 19, plays keep up with the ball, during practice On May 22.

James Channell / Roundup Sierra Marroquin practices her aim at the Pierce College Aquatic Center on May 21.