Volume 121 Fall 2014 Roundup Issue 4

Best friends form a Special Team

Two all-star athletes reunite to help the Brahmas this season

Megan

One of the last things people think or talk about with football is special teams. But these two players have managed to make a name for themselves and have created an unbreakable bond between them at the same time.

They met in 2012 during the Prepstar SoCal California Classic North vs. South All-Star game, became fast friends, but quickly moved on with their separate college lives.

Two short years later, they would be reunited and playing football together again.

Long snapper, Blake Word, and kicker and punter, Jamie Sutcliffe, work together for the Brahmas on one of the most important and underrated parts of the team. Being a part of the special teams comes with a different kind of pressure and strong need for mental toughness.

“In other positions you can make a mistake and have it go unnoticed, but as a long snapper, punter or kicker, all eyes are on you every time you’re on the field,” said Kicking and Special Teams Coach of four years, Bob Bognet.

Protest at Trustees meeting Students: Keep culinaryour programs

Nicollette Ashtiani Roundup Reporter

Nearly 300 students, chefs and graduates showed up to the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board of Trustees meeting to protest the board’s proposed elimination of its culinary arts program.

LACCD’s culinary program is one of the largest, oldest and widest recognized culinary arts programs in the state, said Freddie McClain, sociology professor at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATT).

“The uniqueness of the program strongly encourages a positive academic mindset,” McClain said.

“The students in the program can actually see the fruits of their labor being purchased and appreciated by faculty, staff and students.”

The LATT students want to decide the fate of the culinary program said, James Johnson, president of the Associated Student Organization at LATT.

[See TRUSTEES, pg. 3]

“These two guys are playing the two most individualized positions in the most team-oriented sport, so they have to be mentally tough.”

Sutcliffe, 21, recently transferred from University of Utah to Pierce College looking for a new opportunity. He has been playing football for six years but this is Sutcliffe’s first semester as a Brahma.

He came to Pierce after his allstar teammate, Word, saw a post on social media suggesting he was leaving Utah and decided to tell Sutcliffe about Pierce football.

“Blake went out of his way to talk Jamie into coming here. He knew we had an opening and he knew it was a good school for him to come to and showcase himself to go to the next level,” Bognet said.

Word, 20, has been playing for the Pierce College Brahmas for two years.

He started playing football when he was 8 years old for local teams like the West Valley Eagles and the Chatsworth Chiefs. Word’s father, who played football throughout high school before joining the Marines, encouraged him to play by putting him into different training camps and getting coaches to help Word build his game.

Local bar hosts student art

e Bunker opens its doors for Ode to Nature showcase

A dive bar, The Bunker, was transformed for an evening from neighborhood tavern to art gallery by a Pierce College double-major, her bartender-manager and the bar’s aesthete owner.

Art and nursing major Aimee Malgapo’s “Ode to Nature” art show featured works created by 13 Pierce and Cal. State Northridge (CSUN) students. The nature-inspired pieces ranged from oil paintings to photographs, and spanned a 20-foot stretch of previously empty wall-space in the bar. The show was The Bunker’s second and Malgapo’s first.

“I thought this would be my dream job,” Malgapo said. “It’s pretty exciting.”

The Bunker owners Josie Wagner and Wagner’s son, Daniel Velazquez, said they wanted to help local student-artists show their

work.

“It’s about the community and the students,” Wagner said. “They wanted to expose their art, and they didn’t know where to go.”

Malgapo knew right away she wanted to have her first art show at The Bunker when she visited it for the first time.

“I saw the bare walls and was like, ‘Oh my God, I could totally put my stuff here,’” Malgapo said.

Struggling groups get help Equity Plan revised to include state funding

Andrew Escobar Roundup Reporter

The show’s theme was not chosen with such ease. Malgapo debated with her friends whether it needed one or not, but ultimately decided for the show to have one “so that the audience would get a feel for it, and connect it all.”

Pierce illustration major Tawny Therrien shouted “glory to mother earth” when she and Malgapo discussed the show’s theme.

“I don’t like randoms,” Malgapo said. “It’s too weird. I like the idea of pulling things together. That’s what I’m all about.”

Malgapo’s manager and The Bunker bartender Geg Nartates, who said he earned a bachelor’s degree in art history from CSUN, said The Bunker’s been trying to help revive the San Fernando Valley art scene that he believes is “on the way back.”

“A lot of artists, especially young artists, don’t have a place to showcase their work,” Nartates said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

The Pierce College Equity Plan was revamped for 2014 to include state funding and analysis for a wider range of struggling student demographics, said Director of the Center for Academic Success Crystal Kiekel.

The Equity Plan consists of annual data that examines how certain demographics of students perform academically at Pierce.

The plan exists to identify and analyze the demographics that tend to struggle so that the school can establish programs to help them improve.

“The Equity Plan is our obligation to identify the underserved students and improve our work so that we can help the students we are not currently serving,” Kiekel said. “It is both a state-mandated and moral obligation.”

The data used, is collected from three specific groups – males, African Americans/Latinos and students with disabilities.

[See EQUITY, pg. 3]

Moureaux

Copy Editor

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

Jamie Sutcliffe was convinced to come to Pierce after playing for the University of Utah by long time friend and teammate Blake Word.

[See TEAM, pg. 7]

Seth Perlstein News Editor

Stacy Soriano / Roundup

Left: The Bunkerʼs back wall displays Pierce students art work during the Ode to Nature Art Show. Right: Evelyn Gutierrez watches former Pierce student Christian Angel sketch.

“A lot of artists, especially young artists, don’t have a place to showcase their work.”

- Geg Nartates Bunker bartender

STREET BEAT

What do you think of Pierce’s WiFi? What do you think of Pierce’s WiFi?

“I have bad experience with WiFi. [It’s] good only in the library. It’s inconvenient because I’m on campus 25 hours a week. During that time I probably have like an hour, two hours in between classes to study and when the WiFi’s not available, it’s really inconvenient for me.”

-Cherron Howard

Nursing major

“There’s certain hot spots that are good and the rest of the spots are really bad. The computers at the library work with the WiFi. If you bring your laptop, that’s when you’re really messed up, then you have to rely on the library computer.”

-Hector Borjas Biology major

“It’s bad. I have to pay $20 extra per month. I use this [iPad] and it has a personal hotspot on it. If I didn’t have this [iPad] and didn’t share the Internet from this to my MacBook then I’d be dead in the water.”

Lockwood Veteranary technology major

“Personally it’s bad to me. Everybody’s on [the Internet], they’re watching videos, they’re on Youtube, Facebook. If I’m trying to do homework, I can’t do it. It keeps going in and out and it’s just a bother.”

-Yasemin

Keller

Undecided major

-Corrections-

Volume 121 Issue 3

Page 1: Alex Oloo is the ASO president, not the president-elect.

Page 5: Jaël Allen’s name is misspelled.

Page 5: James McKeever is not Latino as stated in the story.

Page 7: Stacy Soriano’s name is misspelled.

Page 7: Jasson Bautista’s name is misspelled.

Bicycle, skateboard lane on the Mall a must

The law regarding no bicycling or skateboarding on campus was made not only as a safety measure for students, but as a way to keep Pierce College from being liable in case an accident were to happen. However, since its implementation some students still break the law by continuing to ride inside the campus.

Citing these apparent law breakers has not stopped people from riding within the grounds of the campus and it probably never will. Instead of ticketing those who break the law, why not make the campus more bicycle and skateboard friendly?

In the past couple of years, the city of Los Angeles as well as other cities in the county have made major strides for bicyclists. They have accommodated the trend for this alternative mode of transportation by adding more bike lanes on the road and having events like CicLAvia, where large portions of major surface streets are closed off to cars while bikes, skateboards and pedestrians are free to navigate these car-less streets.

It doesn’t take much to make Pierce rider friendly and we have the means and space to do so.

The Mall is wide enough to make bike and skateboard lanes to either side, leaving the middle for pedestrians to walk through. It isn’t an absurd idea to implement because anyone can see that the bulk of pedestrian traffic on the Mall keeps to the middle anyway.

Bike and skateboard lanes can also be implemented along Brahma Drive, which starts from Winnetka, flows up the hill and goes through to the Mason entrance of the campus.

Making a rider lane through that corridor would cut riders’ need to snake through the parking lots, avoiding potential accidents between a rider and a car backing out of a space.

To keep the status quo, the sheriffs would have to aggressively enforce the law by citing everyone who breaks it, but having a sheriff deputy or cadet stationed on the Mall throughout the entire day is a waste of resources and who wants to be a hall monitor on a college campus?

This rider-friendly plan of making a dedicated lane on the Mall that connects to a lane through Brahma Drive makes sense and would be beneficial for everyone.

Community colleges should offer bachelorʼs degrees

mrios.roundupnews@gmail.com

Due to the number of people living in California without a bachelor’s degree, ranking the state 14th in its share of people aged 25-34 with B.A. degrees, it’s time that California Community College officials take matters into their own hands by offering bachelor’s degrees at local community colleges.

Discussions to include B.A. degrees began on August 22, 2013 at a conference call where California Community College Chancellor Brice W. Harris appointed a study group to review aspects of a bachelor‘s program at the community college level.

The document made its way to Governor Jerry Brown where he signed legislation on September 28, 2014, allowing California Community Colleges to award

29 percent of UC and CSU students transferred from community colleges

bachelor’s degrees not currently served by UC or CSU schools.

It is planned to be in 15 college districts by no later than the 20172018 academic year.

Offering four year degrees at local community colleges would give students a cheaper alternative to universities while getting the same quality education, further preparing individuals for the workforce.

According to the California Community College chancellor’s website, 29 percent of UC and CSU students started at the community college level.

As a result, California has the opportunity to take an idea already used in 21 states and offer a four year education. If Community colleges were to offer B.A. degrees, it would help

Flydoskope by Tobennh Dacanay

Average UCLA tuition: $33,000 per year

Average USC tuition: $65,000 per year

local students who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford out-ofstate tuition or a university that was close to home.

The cost of a USC education, a private institution, is just shy of $65,000 for a full year while UCLA, a public university charges about $33,000, according to their respective websites.

California community college students pay significantly less as the average revenue needed to support one full-time college student is slightly more than $5,000 per year, making the community college route a smarter option.

A cheaper education can also improve college graduation rates as some students may be willing to spend the time in school if they don’t feel like they are drowning

-COMIC STRIP-

Average community college tuition: $5,000 per year

in debt, giving them a fair chance to succeed and pursue other opportunities. By 2025, California’s demand for college-educated workers will outstrip the supply, according to the chancellor’s website.

It is imperative that the students of today are prepared for the future of tomorrow as the associate’s degree will soon be the equivalent to that of a high school, making the bachelor’s degree a necessity. California community colleges should offer a B.A. degree because it will give students a chance that they might not have had before. It will give students another opportunity to grow, to better themselves and ensure a brighter future.

tlanimator@gmail.com

Illustration by Nick Part

-Linda

Photos by Amira Fickewirth Quotes gathered by Matthew Robinson

Manuel Rios

GSA Club to host events Spirit Day, fundraiser and panel to spread LGBT awareness

GSA Vice President Cameron Brenner said.

Oct. 5 - 11 – Compiled by: Seth Perlstein

9-17—Fraud – A man asked a student in the North Gym to cash a fraudulent check at 2:30 p.m.

Pierce College’s Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)

club will host an allday event, fundraiser, and discussion panel on three separate days to support and educate students and faculty members about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

The all-day event, Spirit Day, is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 16. Students and faculty are encouraged to wear purple to honor and remember LGBT people who have committed suicide because of bullying.

“We are here for any student,” said GSA President Jose Moran. “We’re here to let the faculty and Pierce College know that we’re here for them.” Spirit Day was originally

scheduled to be held on the Mall, but a lack of funding changed those plans.

“That may be changed to just wearing purple and I might send out a letter to all faculty to let them know what Spirit Day is,” Moran said. “We just don’t have the funds.” The fundraiser will be at Pizza Rev on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 11 a.m.10 p.m. proceeds will go to the club. Pizza Rev will donate a percentage of sales from anyone who mentions or shows a GSA flyer.

The discussion panel is “Transgender 101” on Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2-5 p.m., in the Great Hall.

“It’s a safe environment where people could talk about openly about their sexuality, any questions that they have regarding that,” said GSA Member Dayana Manriquez. “And you get to know people that are interested in the same subject.”

The club spreads awareness about issues, topics, situations, upcoming events and things that are useful to know and that help people,

“I would like to see the support of the faculty for the transgender awareness and for spirit week if we can get them out there,” Moran said. “To show them we have an LGBT community and maybe we need more education at Pierce. I would like to see our pierce students come and show their support to us and everyone else.”

Spirit Day

Thursday, Oct. 16 all day

Fundraiser

Wednesday, Oct. 22 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Pizza Rev 6439 Canoga Ave. Transgender 101 Tuesday, Nov. 13 2 - 5 p.m.

9-22—Petty Theft – Aviator sunglasses worth $300 were stolen from the financial aid office at 2:30 p.m.

9-25—Petty Theft – An iPhone 5 was stolen after a student left it plugged in and unattended in BUS 3200 between 2:15 p.m. and 2:50 p.m.

10-8—Petty Theft – A teacher’s copy of the book “Principles of Physics,” valued at $300, was stolen from a desk in CFS 9106 sometime between Sept. 2 - 14.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station

General Information: (818) 719 - 6450

Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Persian festival to celebrate ancient Iranian/Zoroastrian holiday

Food, drinks, DJs, dancing, live performances and artists to entertain, spread awareness

Nicollette Ashtiani Roundup

Los Angeles-based, Persian satellite-television network

Royal Time TV will host its third annual Persian Festival to honor Mehregan, an ancient Iranian and Zoroastrian celebration that dates back millennia, at Pierce College on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Mehregan is no longer celebrated in Iran because it conflicts with the laws of the Islamic Republic, which has been Iran’s political system since 1979, Royal Time TV employee and event organizer Kourosh Aladin said.

“I feel very excited to celebrate this event, and that we can also share it with others,” Aladin said.

Mehregan originated from ancient Persia more than 6,000 years ago. It represented the time for harvest and tax collection. The festival has depicted and celebrated Persian culture, history, friendship, affection and love, which has included a custom to give others small gifts.

Festival participants today wear new clothes and set tables filled with decorative, colorful and symbolic items. It’s still a festival that represents love and friendship,

New data for increasing student success

[From EQUITY, pg. 1]

Three new groups were added in 2014 – veterans, students with foster parents and low-income students.

Kiekel said the three new categories are a result of the state’s recent increased investment in community college student success, which came from the passing of state bills.

“Quite honestly, the state had not put a premium on student success in the past,” Kiekel said. “But what we’ve seen since 2006 is an increasing attention to the student success initiative.”

This increased interest in student success led the state to give $426,292 to fund Pierce’s Equity

Delivering Health [Oct. 15]

The Department of Anthropological and Geographical Sciences Colloquia Series presents Delivering Health: In Search of an Appropriate Model for Institutionalized Midwifery in Mexico.

Guest speaker Lydia Zacher Dixon will discuss how the Mexican government is studyig midwifery, and figuring out how it can make it an official part of its healthcare system.

Wednesday, Oct. 15

1 - 2 p.m.

ART 3300

Plan, Kiekel said. This is the first time the plan has ever received funding from the state.

“I think it’s a good thing that we want to look at these groups,”

Associate Professor of Philosophy and former Pierce Equity Plan committee member Mia Wood said.

“I’m very, very happy about the low-income demographic because so many people who come to Pierce are struggling mightily to make ends meet.”

However, the addition of the new groups has brought its share of challenges, dean of institutional effectiveness Oleg Bespalov said .

Gathering data on the new groups has been tricky because data on these groups wasn’t always

News briefs

Meet Your Major Fair [Oct. 23]

Faculty members will host Pierce’s sixth Meet Your Major Fair, which will teach students about the school’s majors.W

All students are welcome, including those who already have a major, but still want to learn more about other majors.

“The major fair is here to help the students understand that there are more options out there,” Career center director Joanna B ZimringTowne said.

recorded in the past, according to Bespalov.

“For the groups that we don’t have data on now, we have to wait until data becomes available to report on them,” Bespalov said. “In the past, we didn’t collect foster youth data.”

The plan is still in its developmental stage, but the new dynamic of having three additional groups to analyze as well as money to spend on helping them achieve success is encouraging, Kiekel said.

“I’m really excited about strengthening the programs on campus,” Kiekel said. “The goal of the Equity Plan is to change the culture of the campus for the better.”

even though it isn’t celebrated in Iran anymore.

Royal Time TV’s recent Mehregan festivals have included appearances by members of congress and and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, said Simin Tehrani, owner of Royal Time TV.

“Last year Mayor Garcetti even danced with the crowd,” Tehrani said.

Tehrani was inspired to spread awareness of Iranian culture when she got negative feedback from her son after she enrolled him in a Persian class when they were living in Colorado.

Maintenance workers need larger budget

[From TRUSTEES, pg. 1]

“We feel that each campus should have the authority to decide on this matter based on the needs of their students,” Johnson said.

But a final decision has not been made, and programs will not be affected, The Board of Trustees said.

“There’s no plan to get rid of the culinary program. We believe there must have been some sort of

confusion,” said Scott Svonkin, President of the Board. “As of now, many campuses don’t have many food options or cafeterias at all. We just wanted students to have options, and easy access to affordable food.”

The LATT culinary program’s future was not the only item on the board’s agenda.

Education Workers United expressed its concern about the small maintenance budget across

the district.

Employees talked about their inability to properly maintain campuses because of a lack of supplies. They also explained the issues of overworked employees and a lack of supplies.

”I hope you have soap or paper towels,” Maintenance and operations district employee. Emily Rodriguez said. “Because it’s not uncommon to find empty rolls and dispensers.”

“I remember when I came to pick him up he was upset with me for enrolling him in the class,” Tehrani said. “Others were not understanding of his culture. It was different to them. That’s when I realized I wanted to help spread awareness.”

Tehrani saw Pierce as a solution.

“Being that it is a college, we wanted to take this opportunity to expose Iranian culture to a younger generation, and our community as well,” Tehrani said.

Tehrani wants Royal Time TV to get more involved with students and the festival.

“I want students to help plan the event next year, and assist with setting up, maybe present some awards to students and maybe even have a student run show on our station about diversity,” Tehrani said. “We encourage and welcome all nationalities. Bring everyone you know.”

The festival will feature food, drinks, DJs, dancing and live performances. Performing musicians include Iranian artists the Black Cats, Shahrokh, and more.

The Mehregan festival is Sunday, Oct. 19, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., in Rocky Young Park and Parking lot 7.

Reporter

– Compiled by Seth Perlstein and Luis Ayala

“We encourage and welcome all nationalities. Bring everyone you know.”

- Simin Tehrani Royal Time

owner

Estefani Zamorano Roundup Reporter

“It’s a safe environment where people could talk about openly about their sexuality.”

-Dayana Manriquez

GSA Member

Science Expo returns to campus

Telescopes planted along the mall in front of the Library/Learning Crossroads, camera equipment from various manufacturers carefully laid out on display inside the cafeteria and world-renowned astronomers giving lectures for the intrigued crowd to take in. The SIA Expo returned to Pierce College on Saturday, and re-introduced the campus and community to the world of science and astronomy.

Attendees were treated to events that included face painting, solar viewing and planetarium shows throughout the day. Co-sponsered by Woodland Hills Camera & Telescopes, this year’s SIA Expo is now an official AstronomyOutreach (AOn) event, which would make the SIA Expo an annual event.

Copy: Mohammad Djauhari

Beth Abels of the Pierce College Department of Art and Architecture explains a 3D printer to Jack van der Brug, 8, in the Center for Academic Success. Photo: Nicolas Heredia.

Brian Stevens (left) assists Michael Frey (right) as he looks through one of the Lunt solar telescopes on the Mall. Photo: Erick Ceron.

Model Savannah Patronete poses for a group of amateur photographers during a portraiture workshop in the courtyard of the Library Learning Crossroads. Photo: Nicolas Heredia.

The Pierce College Science Club holds experiments for SIA Expo attendees in the Center for Academic Success.

Photo: Brandon Steadman

Planetarium show probes student minds

General Admission

Friends, and family of all ages are welcome to attend

Next showings

October 29

Wednesday

7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

November 21

Friday 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

For additional information:

Contact:

Dale Fields

Associate Professor of Astronomy FieldsDL@piercecollege.edu

Science, Imaging and Astronomy Expo brought together space enthusiasts as well as students

Relaxed in reclining seats with the ambience of a dimly lit room, astronomy lovers of all ages explored the universe in the planetarium at Pierce College’s Center for the Sciences on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Pierce College held its second annual Science, Imaging and Astronomy (SIA) Expo allowing science and astronomy enthusiasts to connect and indulge in a world of telescopes, satellite images and three dimensional astronomical pictures.

One of the main attractions offered at the SIA Expo were the different Planetarium shows. The shows were scheduled throughout the day and many gathered to expand and gain their knowledge of the universe and the world around them with Pierce College Astronomy Instructor, Dale Fields.

“The rest of the universe is an understandable thing,” Fields said. Fields tried to make one of the main goals of the Planetarium show a way for people to see that our universe is not chaotic and that it is something that we have the ability to figure out and the capacity to understand.

According to Pierce College student and physics and astronomy tutor, Stavros Diamantopoulos, the planetarium show is always something attractive even if

-Dale

you don’t know anything about astronomy.

“The planetarium is cool, and it attracts all ages,” Diamantopoulos said.

There were three different shows that went on throughout the day.

Morning shows of “The Voyager Files” and “Hubble Discoveries” as well as a mid-day presentation about “Exploring the Universe.”

The first show of the day was based on The Voyager and its missions along with analysis and photos of different planets in our solar system, space probes and their features.

The third and only presentation about “Exploring the Universe” gave an in depth lesson of the world, planets, universe and galaxies around us.

Fields said that he does more night time observations rather than the early morning events, like the blood moon on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Starting with a view of the sky and how the sun moved during the day from morning to night, Fields began with an on-earth view then zoomed out for a larger view of our home planet.

“We could be the descendants of

Martians,” Fields said.

The planetarium shows were a way for people to gain some perspective on the multiple possibilities of our galaxy’s development and how the universe around us affects every aspect of life.

Leaving viewers with a better understanding of life through short animations, pictures, different dimensions and views of the planets and their surrounding moons, some audience members were even able to pick out their favorite portions.

“My favorite part was probably the pictures,” said Moorpark College student Paul Mauricio.

There were many things that audience members gained from the show.

Pierce Groves, 7, a student from Blanche Reynolds Elementary School was one of the biggest enthusiasts in the crowd asking many questions and trying to fulfill his curiosity.

“Can you bring dirt to Venus and then plant a tree and then it could filter the carbon dioxide?” P. Groves asked.

According to P. Groves, going to the planetarium show helped him learn that our galaxy and universe are bigger than we may think.

“I know that Mars used to have a ton of water, but it used to be the most watery planet in the galaxy, but then an asteroid destroyed all the water slowly,” P. Groves said.

The Grove family came to the SIA Expo because of their son’s curiosity.

Pierce’s father, Keith Groves,

Koobang Emsemble delivers Es-haghi Brothers bring the heat for concert

A large crowd grew in the stifling Thursday heat, while students restlessly waited to enter the recital hall. Around 1 p.m., the crowd began to shuffle through the doors of MUS 3400 and the room was quickly filled.

Through the hum of low level chatter, Associate Professor James Bergman walked to the front of the stage. Bergman clapped to gain everyone’s attention and the chatter gradually faded.

“I think today is going to be a pretty cool concert. These guys, they have been here before and I know them from the past,” Bergman said.

When Misaq and Matin Es-haghi stepped onto the stage, a calm fell over the audience. The Es-haghis are two brothers, who learned traditional Persian music from their father Dariush Es-haghi. The family performs together as the “Koobang Ensemble.”

“Today we have one instrument named the Persian tar, that Matin is playing,” Misaq said. Martin stood with the instrument on his lap. While leaning it on it’s base, he turned it from side to side to show the audience.

The tar is a six stringed instrument, strung in pairs. It is much like the sitar and played like a guitar. “It has movable frets because we are [using] quarter tones. When we

are in standard play, we change the frets as we play,” Masiq said. The free concert series isn’t only about the music, they’re also about music education.

To Masiq’s right sat a round wood hand drum, called the tonbak. It’s played using all ten fingers, while resting on the performer’s lap. The finger tapping creates a deep conga drum-like rhythm.

The Es-haghi brothers continued to alternate instruments with each song they performed. Their phrasing and articulation throughout the concert captured the attention of the entire audience.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

heard about the expo while on his way to work and thought his family should come check it out.

“I heard about it on the radio,” said K. Groves, who works for the Naval Satellite Operations Center.

One thing that Diamantopoulos enjoyed was that Professor Fields stayed after the show and answered almost every question from the crowd. He explained things to people

which made them feel closer to the field of astronomy.

“As an astronomer part of my job is to remind you of how important everyone here is,” Fields said.

Photo courtesy

Mohammad Djuhari / Roundup

Dale Fields, Associate Professor of Astronomy, introduces the Planetarium to some of the attendees of the Science, Imaging & Astronomy (SIA) Expo.

“We could be the descendants of Martians.”

Fields

Assistant Professor of Astronomy

Mareo Lawson Roundup Reporter

Jaël Allen Roundup Reporter

Her thing is genentics

Helping families one step at a time

Vanessa Arredondo Roundup Reporter

Inside the offices of the Center for Sciences building are various doors decorated with plants and animals.

However, one door belonging to a certain faculty member, is special. On that door hangs a plaque that reads: Professor Jaime B. Beavers.

Beavers isn’t just her last name, she’s also extremely fond of the animal. Her door is covered with all things beaver related.

“It’s a great last name,” Beavers said. “I like it most because beavers are really eager, they’re hard workers, all things students should be.”

Five years ago, Professor Beavers was known as Professor Beavers, but as a prenatal genetic counselor. As a genetic counselor she would assess genetic risks for reproductive or personal health and provide information of all the possible options.

“Many individuals find that information useful for planning a delivery appropriately or to make special arrangements for children that may have special needs,” Beavers said.

“Of course, there’s always individuals who use the option for pregnancy termination.”

Originally, Beavers had not planned on being a genetic counselor. When studying for her bachelors degree in Psychobiology at UCLA, she was approached by one of her professors, head of the DNA laboratory, Wayne Grody with a proposition to shadow a genetic counselor. She accepted and applied to the program after that.

“I think he decided that because he thought I was a better people person than lab person. He said, ‘I think you enjoy talking and interacting with people more than you enjoy research work.’ He was right,” Beavers said.

When asked about hobbies in relation to genetics, Beavers jokingly replied that she had six boys, four her own and two as a result of her marriage.

In 2000, after having just barely graduated from UCLA and three weeks before going into graduate school at CSUN for a master’s in genetic counseling, Beavers married. Her family of four sons and her husband’s family of two sons united.

They “were drowning in children” so they mutually decided to not have another.

The marriage transition was easy for the boys, in fact, they hoped for that outcome.

“Our oldest boys were friends since kindergarten and they wanted

Rise of The Giants

Larger than your average pumpkin

Megan Moureaux Copy Editor

Daria Matza is an adjunct professor at Pierce College but also recently co-directed a documentary with her husband, Mark Devendorf, called “Rise of the Giants.”

Matza has been working on and making documentaries for around 15 years and won an Emmy as an editor for a documentary named “An Inaugural Ride to Freedom.”

“Giants” follows different people on their journey to growing giant pumpkins.

The pumpkins can grow to over 2,000 pounds and some are even larger than cars. Matza started making this documentary back in June of 2013 and finished the editing process in September 2014.

Matza found she was infatuated by the process of growing giant pumpkins and after doing some research, she found out giant pumpkins grow up to 50 pounds a day.

“I was just kind of taken by the fruit,” Matza said.

Matza started off by emailing different pumpkin clubs all across the country. Her documentary began when she received an email from a farmer who she met in Utah while visiting with family.

“He was great, he connected me with all these other people and the ball just kind of started rolling and moving fast,” Matza said.

cards. The most a giant pumpkin seed has sold for was $1,600. But growing giants pumpkins takes a lot of work and dedication.

“Some people say it takes three things to grow pumpkins: seed, soil and luck,” Matza said. “Other people say weather and other factors, but from what I can see it starts with the soil.”

The current world record for growing a giant pumpkin is held by Tim Mathison from Napa, Calif. His pumpkin weighed in at 2,032 pounds in the 2013 Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off hosted by Uesugi Farms in Utah.

When the competitions ends, people do various things with their giant pumpkins. Some people participate in pumpkin drops where they drop their giant pumpkins from a crane. The pumpkins are also fed to the local zoo elephants. But the one that resonated with Matza the most was the hollowed out pumpkin boat races.

“I saw the image of a giant pumpkin and someone rowing in it like a boat and I just thought it was crazy and it just stuck with me,” Matza said.

Matza doesn’t have another idea for her next documentary in mind yet. “Rise of the Giants” came to her and she feels open to whatever the next one should be and feels it will come to her as well.

“A lot of people say it’s love at first sight and I kind of feel like that happened to me,” Matza said.

us to meet. Two of mine were best friends with his two,” Beavers said. “It’s very sweet. It doesn’t usually go well like that when your children want you to know each other and marry.”

Beavers did not receive genetic counseling while pregnant with her four sons. She had her boys before she had studied genetics and knew the field in depth.

“I would now, though, without question because knowledge is a useful thing to make decisions, whatever decision it is you want to make,” Beavers said.

From 2002 to 2009 she was a fulltime genetic counselor at Genzyme Genetics (now Integrated Genetics). She started teaching at Pierce College in 2006 as a parttime adjunct and became a fulltime professor in 2009.

Larry Thouin, Chair of the Life and Sciences Department, said his first impression of Beavers was that she was very enthusiastic, knowledgeable and full of energy.

“She has been a great asset to Pierce College,” Thouin said. Biology 110, though a longexisting course in other colleges, is only a recent course at Pierce College due to a lack of genetic specialists to teach it.

“She developed it and we chose that course from the list of curriculum courses that were available and she made it possible,”

Thouin said.

“She’s one of our departments hardest workers. She’s very organized, very diligent, and good to work with and has great ideas.”

per week.

She started running in junior high on the boy’s track team as schools were only just beginning to transition into having girl’s teams.

“This was in Michigan and they were just beginning to recognize the importance of funding sports for women, too,” Beavers said. “They didn’t let us compete with males, but they let us train with them.”

Californiaborn Beavers, in her youth, constantly moved back and forth between California and Michigan due to her father’s work as an adman for Chevrolet.

“It’s just like a really fun, exciting group of people to be around and their enthusiasm is contagious and there was a lot of really great stories that I was just excited to follow-up on.”

All giant pumpkins can be traced back to the Dill’s Atlantic Giant seed that originated from Nova Scotia, Canada. Seeds range in prices and some are even traded like baseball

A free screening of the documentary will be held on Thursday, Oct. 30 in the Great Hall at Pierce College. For more information about “Rise of the Giants” visit riseofthegiantsmovie. com.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Professor Beavers also teaches Biology 3, (Introduction to Biology) and Biology 6 (Major’s Biology.)

“She’s very interested in the major,” said Beaver’s Biology 6 student, Arturo Quinones.

“She tends to go off in a ramble sometimes and it makes you think,‘Oh, well, okay, at least it isn’t boring, and it’s not a waste of time, it’s informative rambling. She’s really engaging.”

Now a fulltime professor at Pierce College, she only works as a genetic counselor on a contract basis with Integrated Genetics.

“I didn’t know I would love it so much,” Beavers said.

Despite being so busy with teaching, she finds time to run five to seven miles at least three times

“We were sometimes in Michigan where the cars were being made. We were sometimes in California where the commercials were made. We moved every three years,” Beavers said.

“When I turned 18 I stayed put [in California]. I said, ‘I am done with moving!’ It’s hard to have to keep establishing a life every three years.”

When she has free time away from work, she makes it her first priority to visit her sons, those who live in the state as well those who live outside the country. Beavers has found both teaching and counseling to be very rewarding.

“It’s an amazing thing,” Beavers said,” taking biology and seeing how it affects lives, to know biology and then see it play out.”

Gay Straight Alliance Club seeks to educate community

Matthew Robinson Roundup Reporter

There are many clubs at community colleges across the U.S. that are exclusive to certain cultures, races, and genders. However, exclusion has no place with the Pierce College Gay/ Straight Alliance [GSA] Club.

Discussions for the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) community can be a controversial subject, but fortunately for Pierce there are two well-informed and mature leaders. The GSA club is led by President Jose Moran and Vice President Cameron Brenner.

“I wish they [America] had more education, more about what it’s like to be in the transgender community, the gay community, the bisexual community or the pansexual

community,” Moran said. “They think we’re all the same and it’s not true.”

Brenner, a theater costuming major, said he wants to enlighten and inform others on the topics in the LGBT community.

“To inform and enlighten others upon topics in the LGBTQ community and acknowledge our existence and others existence and the fair equal rights that we deserve,” Brenner said.

With leaders like Brenner and Moran, the club not only serves as a forum for the LGBTQ community, but an inviting place where everyone is welcome and treated equally.“I’m very passionate about this because it means a lot to me,” Brenner said.

“It offends me that people really think we need to divide ourselves, we should be more of an inclusive society.”

Moran, a sociology major, was elected as the GSA president last spring, but his official duties as president only started this semester.

One thing about the club that brings a smile to Moran’s face is the interaction with new people and relationships the club has built with other clubs and organizations on campus.

“I enjoy meeting new people and networking with outside organizations like Francisco [Rivas],” Moran said. “As well as finding resources for the LGBTQ community outside of school.”

For more information on the GSA Club, visit room BUS 3218 on Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Stacy Soriano / Roundup

Professor Jamie B. Beavers posses in her office located in Center for Sciences building at Pierce College.

Erick Ceron / Roundup

Professor Jamie B. Beavers posses in her office located in Center of Sciences building at Pierce College.

“She’s one of our departments hardest workers.”

-Larry Thouin Instructor life of Science

For Donne Lobendahn, the 6’8, 340 lbs offensive lineman, who helps protect the blind side for the Brahmas, life is better than before.

Lobendahn, 25, who comes from a family rich in its football legacy, was stuck. After his playing days at Gahr High School in Cerritos he became involved with some of the wrong people and lacked the maturity it took to be a successful athlete. He played football at Cerritos College where his dad Vince Lobendahn was a coach.

“Initially when I started junior college I didn’t understand the kind of dedication it required, the sacrifices I needed and the struggles,” Lobendahn said.

“I had to adapt everyday to the struggles and challenging homelessness and going nights without food. I had nobody at times, I had to learn to be independent.”

Lobendahn failed to succeed in the classroom as well as the football field. He didn’t like school and couldn’t hold various jobs, playing football and going to school led to homelessness.

“I didn’t take school seriously at first and so I never understood the value of it,” Lobendahn said.

“I was homeless because I couldn’t make any money at the time. I got hungry and there were days where I didn’t eat. There were nights where I felt like crying until it broke me down to get what I needed.”

Lobendahn struggled to turn his life around while the rest of his family was having success. Meanwhile little brother To’a Lobendahn maintained a high grade point average and along with his tremendous talent of being a skilled offensive lineman, he was accepted to the University of Southern California (USC) on an athletic scholarship.

Donne looks up to his little brother and says that his two main goals is to get a bachelor’s degree and join his brother at USC.

“It would be a dream come true to play with To’a for the Trojans,” Lobendahn said. “Ever since we were kids we always wanted to play on the team and he is an inspiration for everything that I do.”

After his struggles at Cerritos and problems becoming eligible, Lobendahn went to College of the Canyons (COC), the team that won last year’s state championship and is known for getting athletes into shape.

But things took a turn for the worst while playing a pick-up basketball game in 2012. While he was playing, Lobendahn stepped awkwardly and shattered his left ankle which would require surgery.

“At first I wasn’t going to go but my girlfriend made me go to the hospital,” Lobendahn said. “But when I got to the hospital things only got worse.”

Not only did Lobendahn end up breaking his ankle, but the cast that was applied to his ankle was wrapped too tight and caused blood clots. The injury forced Lobendahn to take a whole year off from football to get back to full health.

“I literally had to learn how to do everything all over again,” Lobendahn said. “I had to learn how to walk. I couldn’t shower on my own and I couldn’t do the simple things I needed in life.”

Lobendahn got inspiration from his girlfriend of two years Allison Perry. Perry saved Lobendahn’s football career, and his life.

“He has a good heart and he’s very strong,” Perry said. “We have helped each other through some hard situations, he helped save me from throwing my life away. He makes me a better person.”

After Lobendahn got rehabilitated, he had a choice to make. Either to stay at COC or join Pierce College that has had a good reputation of getting players into Division I programs. He found out about Pierce through a number of former COC players who had joined Pierce along with his friend, Brahmas defensive tackle Chung Lee.

“We have a brotherhood and we stick together,” Lee said. “We help each other out and we want each other to be successful.”

Even though Lobendahn was finally healthy by the spring of 2014, he still lacked the necessary motivation and needed someone to push him. It couldn’t be a coach, but a mentor and he found that with sophomore offensive lineman David Barajas.

“I told him the first thing he needed to do was to work his [tail] off,” Barajas said. “I’d have to tell him all the time to not be afraid and sometimes he would want to quit on himself. I just told him that he had to persevere and I didn’t want him to fail.”

Sports briefs

The Pierce College women’s water polo team played a rough match against the Cuesta Cougars losing 19-7 on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center.

“Cuesta is a really good team so we’ve just been slowing the game down on our end,” Pierce’s coach Moriah Van Norman said. By the third quarter both the Brahmas and the Cougars put up two more points making the score 14-5. The next game for the Brahmas is today at Santa Barbara at 3:30 p.m.

– Compiled by Lynn Rosado

The Pierce College women’s volleyball team defeated Mission College on Friday, Oct. 10, in the fifth set (30-28, 21-25, 19-25, 25-19, 15-9).

Mission amped up its momentum and strategic kills, as they won the second set with a score of 21-25 and the third set with Pierce losing by 6.

“I think we were expecting to beat them in 3, not in 5 but we’re all proud of the win nonetheless,” middle blocker Sofia Mastro said.

The next game for the Brahmas is today at Cuesta at 6 p.m.

Barajas also talked about the strength it takes to recover from a bad injury and that the only way to get better is fighting through it.

“Whenever he said his ankle would start to hurt, it wouldn’t actually be hurting it’s just his mind telling him that he couldn’t do it,” Barajas said.

For Lobendahn he ultimately lived up to the challenge and survived both spring workouts and summer training to make the team. Even though his team is struggling with a 1-4 record he tries to be a positive influence.

“I’m trying to keep everyone positive and show them that just because we have taken four losses in the last four weeks doesn’t mean that we aren’t capable of having a successful season,” Lobendahn said.

“I just want to instill hope in people and I want them to have faith and that this team is still a contender for the playoffs.”

“He has a great attitude, if you give him constructive criticism he “He has a great attitude, if you give him constructive criticism he doesn’t take it negatively, he takes it as a positive and he’ll fix it,” said Word’s long snapping coach, Chris Rubio.

Rubio ranked Word amongst the Top 30 long snappers in the nation for the class of 2015. Kicking and punting coach, Chris Sailer, has ranked Sutcliffe as the number one junior college kicking prospect in the nation.

“He’s one of those guys that given the opportunity he’ll be outstanding,” Sailer said. “I think he’ll find success no matter where he plays.”

Both players are hard-working and focused in making sure their game is always on point and that the Brahmas are successful.

“The one thing my dad brought up to me was that he never gave up no matter what it was and to just keep working hard. Hard work will always pay off and it did for him,” Sutcliffe said.

But Word and Sutcliffe have a special synergy that can’t be found with every kicker and long snapper duo. Bognet talked about the chemistry the players had even before Sutcliffe came to Pierce.

“They had a chemistry already and when you’re together all practice, every practice as specialists, which is what these guys are, it just builds,” Bognet said.

After hitting it off at the All-Star game, these decorated athletes have built an even stronger relationship and spend time together on and off the field.

“My dad was jokingly saying if you have a really good snapper you make sure you treat him right,” Sutcliffe said.

“If you have a really good snapper, treat him like your best friend and Blake’s one of my best friends for sure.”

The two players have built camaraderie and besides their joking demeanor on and off the field, they had nothing but praise for each other.

“No matter what, if I have a really good punt, if I have a decent punt, a bad punt, whatever it is, it doesn’t have to be a punt or just a kick in general, he [Word] will always give me props,” Sutcliffe said.

“If I had to honestly say something about Jamie, it would be that I’m really glad that he’s here,” Word said.

“Seeing him everyday and just being able to be on the field, working with him everyday and doing football stuff with him everyday, it’s a lot different than it was and I love the fact that he’s here and I would not want a different kicker.”

Video of Word performing trick shots

“They had a chemistry already and when you’re together all practice, every practice as specialists, which is what these guys are, it just builds,”

-Bob Bognet Kicking & Special Teams Coach

Division I football transfer success

Martinez has turned Pierce football into a recruiting hotbed

new stadium, the coach built the program by marketing his players.

Since 2010, Pierce College has transferred 73 football players to 50 different Division I schools.

The 50 schools ranged in variety from traditional national powerhouses the University of Oklahoma (tight end Isaac Ijalana) and the University of Southern California (safety Gerald Bowman), to Pac-12 conference contenders Arizona State University (wide receiver Jaelen Strong).

For other athletes it is not about getting a Division I offer, but the ability to get a free education.

A player like former linebacker Martin Henry choice instead of going to a Division I school chose to go to Southern University and A&M College.

But Pierce wasn’t always a hotbed of Division I talent or had the ability to get players into programs.

“When we came here, this was the worst junior college football program in the state of Calif.,” coach Efrain Martinez said. “We had no tradition. We had nothing to offer these kids.”

The program lacked top-notch facilities, which is what many community colleges used to attract top talent, Martinez said. Instead of a high-end weight room or

“We worked overtime making phone calls to four-year schools,” Martinez said. “Other coaches don’t care about that. All they care about is winning. That’s where the loophole was, and we were able to get in.”

But he wasn’t selling hype.

Martinez advertised the right players to the right schools, making sure the players he sent all over the country fit with the programs they went to.

“The secret is not to B.S. those schools out there,” Martinez said. “For example, there’s a certain type of kid that could play at USC. I’m not going to sell USC a kid that can’t play there, because that would ruin it for everybody.”

Defensive line coach Kort Huettinger said they told scouts and coaches about every aspect of their players, not just what they did on gameday.

“We make sure we inform the coaches recruiting them about the player, their work ethic, their classroom ethic, everything about them,” Huettinger said. “We know that they’re spending a lot of money, so we know that if we lie to them, and they recruit somebody bad, that either they’re not going to come back here, or they’re going to get fired for bad recruiting.”

Martinez’ strategy grew the program. Many current Brahmas came to Pierce because of its reputation.

Sophomore cornerback Jay’Onn Myles didn’t get much attention from recruits when he was an undersized player at Palmdale High School, so

he chose Pierce as a stepping stone to a four-year university. Myles was second-team all conference last season, and is tied for the team-lead in interceptions this year with one.

“The resume of getting dudes out is wonderful and amazing,” Myles said. “It’s kind of shocking to see what they do year in and year out, and that was really the big thing for me coming here.”

But Myles wouldn’t be the first high school football player from Palmdale to make it to Division I football by way of Pierce. Linebacker Jordan Stanton was at Pierce for two years before transferring to the University of Wyoming in 2013. Stanton led the Cowboys with 133 total tackles

last year, and was named Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Week this season in week two after he racked up 13 tackles, one tackle for loss, and one sack in the Cowboy’s win against Air Force.

In 2012 sophomore kicker Jamie Sutcliffe was a redshirt freshman at the University of Utah. After an unsuccessful 2013 campaign, he transferred to Pierce to reboot his college career and get back on a Division I roster. Now he’s the Brahma’s starting kicker.

“They’ve had numerous amounts of success here with guys going out to top-notch schools,” Sutcliffe said. “I felt at home the second I came here.”

Martinez said his motivation for

transferring players to four-year schools has extended far beyond Division I football. He said the bigger picture has always been to get players a free education.

“Those guys get the notoriety, because that’s Division I,” Martinez said. “But the guys who become the presidents go to Division III.”

Pierce transferred a combined 53 players to Division II, Division III, and NAIA schools since 2010.

Freshman wide receiver Earl Hargrove said he’d be happy to go just about anywhere, as long as he could play football and get an education.

“I used to care about prestige, and stuff like that,” Hargrove said.

“But now I just want to play.”

Wolny gets support in win

Ethan

The Pierce College women’s soccer team has been the bright spot for the Brahmas sports program in what has been an otherwise forgettable season for the other teams.

The Brahmas avoided a slip up against a lesser opponent and thanks to leading goal scorer, Paige Wolny, they defeated the Allan Hancock Bulldogs 3-0.

The Bulldogs came in with a record of 2-8, but the Brahmas played like the defending Western State Conference champions. Pierce dominated the game with ball position and maintained control by doing a good job of spreading the field and forcing the Bulldog defenders to work.

In the first half the Brahmas had 13 corner kicks, however Pierce would only score one goal in the first half and it wouldn’t come off of those corners.

The first goal was made by freshman Taylor Bailey. Bailey, who usually plays back-up goalie to goalie Jenna Koziol, came in as

a forward and found Wolny with a header. The header was put in front of Wolny’s feet and from there it was a one-on-one battle with the Bulldogs’ keeper until she found the back of the net in the 35th minute.

Even though it was Wolny who scored, it was Bailey that set up the play and has become a known asset for the Brahmas up-front.

“Everyday I am just out there to go and prove every time I step on the field I can play no matter what position,” Bailey said. “I got the opportunity and made the best of it.”

and pounded back in for Wolny, who now has 12 goals this season for the Brahmas.

“My teammates are just doing a good job of finding me in spots where I can score,” Wolny said. “We should still be doing a lot better, but I still liked the way we played today.”

Mendias would then finish the Bulldogs off a few moments later in the 65th minute with a chip just under the crossbar to seal the win for Pierce.

“We came out a little bit slow in the first half,” Perez said. “That second half, we executed and played some of our best soccer we have seen so far.”

Pierce now has a record 6-2-4 (20-1) and will be on the road again Tuesday, Oct. 14 to face the Ventura College Pirates who are tied for second with the Brahmas have an overall record of 6-2-2 (2-0-1).

After the half Pierce did a better job with execution. In the 64th minute, Wolny scored her second goal of the game with assists from both sophomore Alexis Mendias and freshman Mayra Lopez. After a chip toward the left side, Lopez put a shot on goal that was deflected

Notes: Forwards Kiana Riles (cheek bone) and Marissa Albano (right ankle) are now healthy and will play in Friday’s game against Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. Riles has missed three weeks after suffering the injury against Long Beach City College and Albano prior to injuring her herself in practice had scored two goals in two consecutive games.

Seth Perlstein Roundup Reporter

Hanson Sports Editor

Mendias scores and adds assist

For photos and stories from last week’s games visit theround up news.com

“That second half, we executed and played some of our best soccer we have seen so far. ”

-Adolfo Perez Pierce soccer coach

Photo: Raymond Garcia/ Roundup

Since 2010, the Pierce College football team has transferred 126 athletes into four year colleges and 73 play at Div. I programs