readiness of

easily be found on the school’s website under the Campus Safety & Sheriff link and “Emergency Booklets” are also available in each classroom. These booklets, that offer recommendations on what to do during an earthquake and a map showing evacuation sites around campus, should be placed inside a visibly labeled box, much like first aid kits, which can be easily seen and accessible to anyone. Having these items, however, isn’t enough.

Along with participating in the annual Great California Shakeout, Pierce should also implement a campus centric annual earthquake drill of its own.

Implementing these ideas help better prepare us for the next major earthquake when it happens and it is in everyone’s best interest if these were to be implemented as soon as possible.

ready for the job search. Start with people you know. Most of the time, employers will hire someone recommended by one of their current employees or someone they know over an unknown candidate with a decent resume.

Campuswide Response To Emergency Situations

Brian Walsh

While I share some of the concerns raised in the editorial “Less Preaching, More Teaching,” the focus should be on determining where that fine line exists between sermonizing and legitimate discourse. Yes, it is a problem when faculty are seen imposing political and religious views to a captive classroom audience. When this occurs, students are encouraged to seek out the counsel of the department chairs. I advise students to seek out the instructor after class or during office hours. Most of the time when students make an extra effort to reach out to express their concerns, a resolution is achieved. However, if the instructor has created an environment in which it is not safe to seek help, as questions or express a differing opinion, then there is a problem. When this behavior is reported, it is taken very seriously.

The chair maintains the confidentiality of the student if necessary and the administration is notified. This system works. The department chair has a responsibility to students, faculty and the integrity of the profession. Adding new procedures for “advisers” to conduct investigations would likely be a violation of the contract and dangerous to academic freedom Multiple investigations can cause faculty to retreat into academic closets, denying the necessary openness of dialogue between faculty and students that is a hallmark of good instruction. Where is the line? Faculty cannot be expected to check their ideology at the door. Engaging students in debate is a fundamental to teaching. If the instructor is explaining their thought process and challenging a student’s beliefs, that is part of the learning process. If the instructor is creating a hostile learning environment or insulting an entire nationality or ethnic group, that is frankly unacceptable. We need a campus-wide dialogue to help both students and faculty see the fine line more clearly and know when it is being crossed.

-Corrections-

Volume 120 Issue: 2

Page 1: ‘Budget is in the black’ was authored by Lynn Levitt.

Page 1: Pierce College Contingency Fund should be the Los Angeles Community College District Contingency Fund.

Page 3: Rayman Lim’s title is the faculty lead for the PATH program.

Page 3: Anne Bruzzese should have read as Anna Bruzzese.

Page 4: Astronomy Society should be Astronomy Club.

Page 7: Cordell Landers attended Long Beach Jordan High School, not Long Beach Poly High School.

“How do I get my 19-year old grandson to get a job while going to college. Are there any tricks to get interviews for part time work?”

Helpless Grandmother

Dear Helpless, Getting a job in this economy can be tricky and frustrating. Throw in a school schedule to work around, and it can very well feel impossible. But the good news is: college students everywhere find and hold down jobs while going to school.

The very first thing you want to do when looking for a job is to be professional. Dress nicely and be polite. Most places don’t want to hire a slob. If a person doesn’t care about their physical appearance and the way they come off, they are probably not a good candidate to represent a company.

Along the same lines, when looking for a job, possible employers will look for you on social media, so make sure your Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram feeds are free of offensive material and don’t show you getting drunk constantly.

Have a clean, simple resume. Even fresh out of high school with no formal work experience, most people have activities from school, volunteer service, babysitting, clubs they were active in, or something they can list to show responsibility. Make sure all spelling is correct. Have five people look at it for accuracy and suggestions.

After all that preparation, you’re

Opinion

Marissa Nall jboyer.roundupnews@gmail.com

This may not seem fair, but as a company, it is safer to have someone vouching for their new employee. If someone they trust believes that a person would be an asset to the company and a good employee, that person is likely to be considered much more highly than someone with no ties.

After you ask around about openings at places where family or friends work, just start applying everywhere. Fill out applications wherever you go, and remember, always be polite.

Also be persistent. If you really want a job, let them know. Research the company and tell them why you would love to work for them. Call them a few days after you turn in your resume and remind them that you would love to work for them. Contact them again a few days later.

Many places only accept applications online. In these cases, after applying, go into the place and ask to speak to the manager. Tell them that you applied online and that you just wanted to introduce yourself and let them know you would really like an opportunity to interview. Be the face that sticks out to them. Have a firm handshake and a warm smile.

And when you get that interview? Be polite, be friendly, and show them why they want to decide to hire you.

Do you have a question for Kate? Don’t shy away, ask Kate anything by sending an email to AskKateAnything@gmail.com. For those who wish to to remain anonymous, your identity will be kept a secret.

A deadline is approaching and not for homework or midterms.

March 31 marks the last day to arrange for qualifying medical insurance under the Affordable Care Act. After that, people get slapped with a fee and still have to pay any medical bills out of pocket.

The fee is called the “individual responsibility payment” and it’s aimed at discouraging those without medical insurance from remaining uninsured, according to Healthcare.gov.

Since it’s currently illegal to refuse emergency care to anyone, those with serious medical needs and no insurance to pay for preventative care wind up waiting until their condition is bad enough to admit them to the emergency room. As well as being inherently unsafe, this can lead to incredibly hefty bills and even bankruptcy for the person receiving care.

When they go unpaid, they result in higher costs from insurance premiums to tax hikes for everyone else in the system.

However, this fee doesn’t actually solve the problem of people remaining uninsured. Rather, it just levels a new expense on people who usually can’t afford insurance in the first place, while giving them no coverage in the event of illness or accidents.

The simple solution is for America’s 45 million uninsured adults to enroll in qualifying medical insurance, including but not limited to: private plans, Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, Tricare and Obamacare.

For those who cannot afford it, though, or for those who are unaware of their insurance options, the fee charges at least 95 dollars per person this year, and it goes up significantly for 2015 and after.

The fees would be tracked and enforced by the IRS, according to an article by Jennifer Davidson:

“The Penalty Fee for Not Having Health Insurance in 2014: How Much Is It and Who’s Exempt?” For those with insurance, there will be a new form required as proof when tax season comes around. For those who do not have it, there will be yet another charge for the IRS to garnish wages.

Though lack of coverage is a problem in America, this seems like an inadequate solution and a blatant plug for Obamacare. The argument for or against nationalized healthcare is an unnavigable abyss on both sides. But this fee, as part of the Affordable Care Act, doesn’t stop taxpayers and insured households from bearing the burden of expensive medical treatment for the uninsured. It simply penalizes people for being uninformed or unable to pay. There are other solutions that could be applied. Preventative care is possibly the most effective way of minimizing massive healthcare costs and incentives could be given to care buyers and insurers alike to make these services more available.

Similarly, tax breaks and other forms of incentives could be given to businesses to extend insurance to part-time employees, offsetting the costs businesses face by their own fees and penalties under the new healthcare legislation.

As it stands, however, this fee appears to be nothing more than an ill-thought-out way of making the Affordable Care Act appear more successful, at steadily increasing costs to taxpayers who are already having trouble making ends meet.