Volume 121 Fall 2014 Roundup Issue 8

Health Center orders extra flu vaccines

Megan Moureaux Social Media Editor

Pierce College Student Health Center has ordered an additional 50 preservative-free flu vaccines, according to Director of the Student Health Center Beth Benne.

Benne said the Health Center had originally ordered 100 flu vaccines in mid-October, but didn’t order as many as they usually would because of the Affordable Care Act.

“I thought more students would have health insurance this year and they would be able to get it for free at their provider’s office,” Benne said. “But you can’t beat the convenience [of Pierce College] and sometimes the providers can’t get you in for several weeks.”

The original 100 vaccines that were ordered were gone in four to five weeks, according to Benne. But she ordered an additional 50 vaccinations and will potentially order more if the flu-shots are in demand.

Construction plans revised Head project manager explains upcoming builds

Andrew Escobar

The Pierce College Master Plan for construction projects north of the campus Mall has been updated and the planned media arts building will be downsized, College Project Director Ed Cadena said during the Academic Senate meeting on Monday, Nov. 17.

The media arts building is supposed to be built where the old library currently stands and was originally planned to be a large, three-story building. However, construction costs will result in the schematics being revised.

“It has now essentially been downsized to a much smaller building,” Cadena said. “I don’t

want to limit the creativity of the architects, but it’s probably not going to be three stories.”

Cadena confirmed that the old library would still be removed to make way for the media arts building.

“In the North of Mall currently there are eighty classrooms being programed to become smart classrooms with SMART boards and projectors,” Cadena said. “The south of mall when it gets revisited is supposed to have that same

consideration afforded to it.”

In addition to discussing the media arts building and North of Mall, Cadena also said that the Performing Arts building, which is now heading into its fourth year of reconstruction, might be opened by next spring.

“We have a target that I think is very achievable which will go ahead and allow occupancy for the spring session,” Cadena said. “We are having to go through some hoops that are inflamed with the

Public address system in works

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher said Pierce College has put funding into a bond to add a public address system to the school’s in case of emergency. It was widely agreed upon at the Pierce College Council (PCC) meeting on Oct. 24 that though the response to the Oct. 16 threat at Pierce College was an improvement to its emergency communication,

there were still issues to be resolved.

Concerns about campus safety and emergency response have been emphasized particularly this semester after two incidents caused a campus lockdown and evacuation within weeks of each other.

The most recent incident started when Deputy Alfred Guerrero received a call about a private message sent on Facebook that said, “Do you have class tomorrow at Pierce? Don’t go.”

Attached to the message were pictures of loaded automatic

weapons.

“We checked his Facebook profile and found things that were redflag-ish,” Guerrero said. “I can’t talk about what they were right now as this is an ongoing investigation.”

Pierce College President Kathleen Burke and Guerrero acknowledged the outstanding response from the city. California Highway Patrol, special units and the FBI immediately responded to the threat, according to Guerrero.

hottest fire you could imagine and doing backflips through it.”

The update announcements came as a surprise to the senators, however. After Cadena began speaking about them, the senators expressed that they had not been included in the plan’s recent revisions.

Joe Perret, professor of computer applications and senate treasurer, said that even though there was some faculty input in the recent updates, the Academic Senate should have been directly consulted on the matter.

“We need to make sure that any revisions to this plan are approved by the shared governance factors here on campus,” Perret said. “There may have been faculty input, but those select faculty members don’t necessarily represent the whole faculty governance of the campus.”

Another senator, professor of psychology Angela Belden, shared

a similar opinion to Perret.

“We see a lot of unilateral decisions being made without shared governance,” Belden said. “We’re a senate, we need to do something.”

Belden’s statement was received with applause from her fellow senators during the meeting.

Despite Cadena’s assurances of fidelity in regards to the construction plans, some senators remained unsure of how efficient the construction will actually be once it starts.

Constance Moffatt, instructor of art history, said that she hopes the builders perform better on the North of Mall projects than they did on the South of Mall ones.

“I would like the builders to get some feedback from the users of those buildings in the North of Mall area,” Moffatt said. “I just hope that they do a great job.”

There are two types of flu vaccines, but Pierce only uses the injectable inactive virus, according to Benne.

“The inactive, which is what we gave, works in three to four weeks,” Benne said. “It technically can’t make you sick.”

Students are encouraged by the Health Center to make an appointment for the flu vaccine to face the annual flu season that started this month.

First Lastname Roundup Reporter

Jordan Williams

Roundup Reporters

“We are having to go through some hoops that are inflamed with the hottest fire you could imagine and doing backflips through it.” -Ed Cadena College Project Director

STREET BEAT

Intramural sports connect community

Would you rather take a withdraw or a fail?

Would you rather take a withdraw or a fail?

Playing team sports has a unique way of bringing people together. The Pierce College community would benefit greatly from establishing an intramural sports program.

Intramural sports are sports played between groups of students from the same college for recreation.

According to a 2006 study by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, students who participated in intramural sports felt happier and less stressed, improved their self-esteem, helped them make friendships on campus and overall improved their satisfaction with their college experience.

Intramural sports could also benefit students who haven’t played a sport but are looking to stay in shape or just exert stress built up from their studies and exams. The system could also provide an outlet for the more recreational athletes to play on campus.

All of these mental and physical health benefits should be enough to convince the college leadership to look into such a sports league on campus. Another incentive could be the improvement of the Pierce community.

Pierce has a commuter culture. Students are largely disengaged from the community, demonstrated by the regular shortages of Associated Students Organization senators and relatively low attendance at official college sports games.

Intramural sports could give students a reason to be active on campus and bolster community activity.

Good omens for this system can be taken from the recruitment success of

Quotes

Volume 121 Issue 7

-Corrections-

the Pierce College rugby club.

More than 100 students enrolled in the newly-formed club. While this club intends on being more competitive, offering more lower-intensity sports to students could be even more successfully increase community involvement. The system could also supplement the official sports on campus, providing opportunities for players of sports not offered by the Athletic department, such as men’s soccer.

With all the benefits of this system in mind, the ASO should gauge interest in intramural sports at Pierce and talk to the administration about pushing forward in the creation of intramural sports clubs.

Students who are interested should reach out to the ASO about forming their own recreational clubs and leagues for the upcoming semester.

Intramural sports would provide the element that would bring Pierce students closer together and more active.

Are withdraws or fails worse for studentsʼ transcripts?

leave a good impression on your records, especially if you want to transfer to a university. An F is the worst thing that could ever appear on your transcript.

GPA calculations and removed from their transcripts.

When a student receives a W it appears as though they gave up more than halfway through the semester.

Some students may be nervous when deciding to withdraw from a class or to fail, but students with identical grades, and similar classes that choose withdraw over fail actually held a higher GPA. We have all been there when the semester is flying by fast, and you realize that you aren’t excelling as well as you would like to in a particular class. You are then faced with the decision to withdraw or fail the class.

Some students look at withdrawing in a negative way, but it doesn’t have to be. There are few things that could have a positive affect if you choose to withdraw rather than fail. Withdrawing rather than failing is definitely the best choice for you and your GPA. A W will appear on your transcripts but has no effect on your GPA at all.

Withdrawing can actually help you keep a good GPA. Not making the decision quickly to withdraw can result in you receiving an F on your transcripts, which does not

You may be eligible for a refund depending on when you withdraw, but it’s highly likely you can get your money back. It is your responsibility to withdraw quickly to ensure getting your money back. A withdrawal is considered an attempt at a class, unlike fail which appears that you sat through the entire semester and still failed.

Who in their right mind would risk their GPA, academic status and the possibility of not getting into the university of your choice? It’s a no-brainer that you should withdraw rather than fail. Pierce College is all about student success and successful students should choose withdraw not fail.

The Center for Academic Success is available to all students who may need a tutor for numerous subjects. The CAS also offers one on one, or small group tutoring to help Pierce College students achieve academic success.

If you feel uncertain about withdrawing speak to your professor first who may give you an option for extra credit to assist you in passing the course, and then follow up with advice from your counselor.

Jäel Allen

Some students believe that taking a withdrawal is better than receiving a fail but that is not always the case when trying to perfect your transcripts for transfer.

Although there is a strong difference between an earned fail and an unearned F, receiving an F may be easier to remove than a withdrawal.

An earned F means that you have failed to meet requirements to pass the course although in various cases students receive an unearned F by failing to drop the course by the specified date.

In this case students have a few options to choose from in order to clear their record and have a properly weighted GPA.

In the event that a student receives an unearned F they have the option to retake the class and replace it with a higher grade.

This is a great option because it not only gives the student a second chance but gives them the option to petition their old grade, have it unaccounted for in their

The Admissions and Records office gives all students the opportunity to petition almost anything especially their grades.

Students can fill out a request for review petition. This is a chance for students who have received a fail to repeat the course within LACCD and replace it with the higher grade received on their next attempt and the fail unaccounted for in your GPA.

Students can also file for academic renewal, which gives them the option to remove the fail completely out of your GPA once two years have passed and the rules for academic renewal are changing with the hopes that it will soon only require one year to pass instead of two.

If a student receives an F they can have it removed with either petition and uncalculated in your GPA which seems like a better fit than to have a W on transcripts which can only be removed after you have re-taken the course.

This is a better option for a student to receive an unearned F and use a petition to have it removed from their transcripts and GPA rather than taking a W.

Flydoskope by Tobennh Dacanay tlanimator@gmail.com

-COMIC STRIP-

Page 2: Aaliya Shakoor is misspelled as Aaliya Shakdor in the street beat.

“I would rather take the fail because the university I’m trying to apply to doesn’t look kindly on W[ithdrawals].”

-Arnold Sweetwood

Art major

“I would take the withdrawal because you can always take the class again and to me it feels like a fail looks worse than a withdrawal on your transcript.”

-Johnae Fisher Psychology major

“I would take the W because I feel like the fail is going to ruin my GPA. It’s not a good look but it looks a lot better than having an F.”

-Breanna Brown

Animal science major

Photos by Diego

Barajas

gathered by Manuel Rios

“Withdrawal because it’s easier to take the W off than a fail and if you go to a university, they won’t know what a W is.”

-Ivan Solis Businnes administration major

Tavian

“I would rather take the withdrawal because I don’t want to have a fail on my record.”

-Keondre Perry Criminal justice major

Illustration by Nick Part

“I would take the W because I don’t want my financial aid to get messed up.”

-Deyon Haripon Mathematics major

Family, friends protest fatal shooting of Pierce student [Nov. 15]

Family and friends of 22-yearold Pierce College student Josue Fuentes gathered in Van Nuys on Saturday, Nov. 15, to protest his fatal shooting, according to KTLA.

Fuentes was shot and killed near Victory Boulevard and Haskell Avenue on Nov. 10, around 3:15 p.m., after police responded to a call about a man with a knife who was cutting himself, according to the LA Daily News.

People at the gathering held signs that read “your job is to protect not to kill,” and “you think you have the authority to kill a minority,” according to KTLA pictures.

By Seth Perlstein

Entrepreneurship training

[Nov. 21]

The college will host a free workshop to teach students about business and entrepreneurship on Friday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. in BUS 3208.

Topics include how to develop a business plan, operate and manage a business and freelancing.

– By Seth Perlstein

Class drop date

[Nov. 23]

The last day to drop a class for a W instead of an F is Sunday, Nov. 23. Classes dropped after Nov. 23 earn an F.

Read the W and F opinions on Page 2 for more.

Seth Perlstein

Walk wins program contest

All-U unifies transfer, degree information

Tavian Quinn Roundup Reporter

The contest-winning All-U student success program was created and designed by Pierce College marketing major Henry Walk to help students complete their degrees, certificate and transfer goals.

Pierce’s marketing department teamed up with the Achieving the Dream organization for the contest to create the new student success program.

“I thought it would be great for students to have a one-stop destination to find all the answers

they need to transfer, or obtain a degree at Pierce College,” Walk said “I shared the common frustration of thumbing through the jumbo catalogue, or non-stop clicks on the website to find what I was looking for there. The All-U section now has everything students need to know about obtaining a degree or transfer, and how to succeed in doing so.”

The program was created to be an avenue for students to take advantage of all the resources that Pierce offers by organizing them on a single web page.

“All-U is a nationwide initiative to improve the success of community college students,” said Doreen Clay, Public Relations

Festival Encourages Diversity

Nicollette Ashtiani Roundup Reporter

From lines of Iranian vendors and loud Persian music, to dozens of picnickers and overcrowded dance floors, Pierce College was transformed into a hub of Iranian culture.

Royal Time TVs third annual Persian festival was on Oct. 19 at Pierce College to honor the ancient Persian holiday called Mehregan.

“I normally set my store up at raves. This is a first for me. It’s different, but I like the music and am having a good time,” Daniel Guiguys, vendor at the festival and Owner of Sfynx Apparel, said.

The festival’s main goals were to help educate the local community

and younger generation about Iranian culture, and to encourage more diversity.

“This is my second time here, but I come just to support my culture,” said Farnaz Shafie, Iranian Festival attendee and Student at California State University, Northridge. “If

as if it could be more organized,” Santa Monica College student Daniel Stump said.

Manager. “I graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Communications Studies. 20 years later, I returned to Pierce College and began taking classes to sharpen my skills. I’ve really enjoyed and benefitted greatly from my classes at Pierce.”

The program will also bring added awareness of the services and opportunities the school offers.

“I didn’t know the program existed,” psycholgy major Angel Gonzalez said. “I feel like in connection with a counselor it can be more helpful.”

The name of the program came from Walk’s desire to make it about the students.

“Like the slogan says, it’s All-U,” Walk said. “It’s all yours,

the student’s, the degree programs, the transfer programs, financial assistance, study help, it’s all here to help the students succeed and reach their goals.”

All-U is not a club, but a program that was designed to help students succeed. There are banners and posters on teh Mall and around campus.

“All-U at Pierce College was an outcome of Achieving the Dream, a nationwide initiative to improve the success of community college students,” Doreen Clay, Public Relations Manager, said.

For quick access to all of Pierce’s transfer, major and graduation information visit www. piercecollege.edu/all-u.

11/13—Bike Theft

A bicycle was stolen from a bike rack near VLGE 8037 around 8:40 a.m. when its cable lock was cut.

11/12—Student Incident

A student was caught drinking beer in the library at 5:05 p.m. The student was warned, and a report was written.

11/11—Criminal Threats

An agriculture department faculty member received a threatening message on the Farm Center’s voice mail at 12:46 a.m.

The investigation is ongoing.

11/6—Petty Theft

A student’s iPhone was stolen from a desk in the Library / Learning Center.

The student got up to make copies sometime between 11:20 a.m. and noon. She left her iPhone and other belongings at the desk. When she returned, the iPhone was gone.

11/5—Student Incident

Two students in Parking Lot 7 argued about a parking space.

11/4—Vandalism

The driver side door of a student’s vehicle was keyed by an unknown person in Parking Lot 1 between 8 a.m. and 11:05 a.m.

11/4—Petty Theft

A student’s bike was stolen from the Village bike rack between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

someone who wasn’t familiar with the culture were to come, they wouldn’t learn much about this holiday, or more about our culture, you would just see it.”

Despite their efforts, many of the festival attendees were of Iranian decent, but have expressed their desire for more diversity to expose their culture to others.

“I really like the music and food, but if you don’t speak the language it’s hard to enjoy. I don’t even know the purpose of the festival. I feel

But Royal Time’s efforts did not go unnoticed. Of the many Iranian Vendors spread out on The Mall, a handful was more geared towards the younger generation and diverse cultures.

-Rolf Schleicher Vice President of Administrative Services

One vendor, Siamak Afshiar, Owner of Transforming Life Sober Living, set up his informational booth at the festival to reach out to the young adults and college students to provide information about drug abuse, addiction and his rehabilitation program.

“We came here because it was on a college campus, and we want to reach out to young adults and teach them preventative measures in regards to drugs,” Afshiar said.

Staff to discuss Ebola readiness

of Health Center, will also speak at the event to inform students how to prepare for an outbreak.

Microbiologist and Pierce College professor Margarethe Cooper will lead an Ebola readiness event called Dispelling Myths About Ebola on Nov. 20, at 4:30 p.m., in the Center for Sciences Lecture Hall.

The Ebola epidemic of 2014 is the largest in history and has primarily affected the residents of West Africa, according to the United States Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention. Dispelling Myths About Ebola will inform the students and faculty of Pierce College on the history and current state of the Ebola virus, as well as ways to prepare for a potential outbreak. Beth Benne, Pierce’s Director

“About two thirds of the presentation is going to be about the history of the disease, the biology behind the disease,” Benne said.

“My role really is to inform on what the health center is doing to prepare for any possibility,” Benne said. “Right now we’re getting ready. We follow the health department’s protocol.”

For updates and coverage of Dispelling Myths About Ebola visit www.theroundupnews.com.

Erick Ceron / Roundup

Marketing major Henry Walk holds a poster for All-U, the student success program he created, on the courtyard steps of the Library / Learning Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on Nov. 17, 2014.

–

Lynn Rosado Sports Editor

“Right now we’re getting ready. We follow the health department’s protocol.”

-Beth Benne Director of Health Center

“We are putting funding into our bod program now to do that. That’s something we are seriously looking at.”

–

Joshua Duarte / Roundup

Club 411: FAST Club

Producing well-rounded automotive technicians

Vanessa Arredondo Roundup Reporter

Fast doesn’t just mean speed for the Pierce College FAST Club, though it certainly is an important quality for the members as they build and repair motor vehicles.

The FAST Club, Future Automotive Service Technicians, was established in 2012 by Tom Fortune to bring support to the automotive department, by raising funds and awareness as well as guidance to students interested in the field.

“The main objective is to show all these students what this is all about, give them a career path, and give them the ins and outs of the business to be able to go in the field and be successful.” President of FAST Club Jose Barrera said.

Pierce College students can complete an associate’s degree in automotive technology, through a transfer agreement with Cal State L.A. receiving a four-year degree in industrial technology.

“You gain the knowledge here to fix things and now you get the knowledge on how to create things,” Barrera said.

“We are trying to get rid of all

Wednesday, Nov. 19

Alpha Gamma Sigma meets at 1 p.m. in BUS 3204.

Gay Straight Alliance Club meets at 3 p.m. in BUS 3218.

Geology Club meets at 4:30 p.m. in the CFS room 92049.

The Law Club meets at 12:45 p.m. in the ASO

Monday, Nov. 24

The Business Economics Student Association Club meets at 1 p.m. in BUS 3204.

The Pre-Health Club meets at 11 a.m. at the ASO office.

F.A.S.T

those bad stereotypes that we as automotive technicians have and build up on our reputation.”

The FAST Club tries to connect with the automotive community through events such as Supercar Sunday, held every Sunday in Woodland Hills as they gather together sharing their passion for the automotive and motorsports enthusiasts.

“I see it as a ‘support group’ for other people who love automotives,” said automotive technician major Bryan Garcia-Mittre.

“It’s taught me a lot and showed me that I can get to some pretty high places by doing what I love.”

Every year the club participates in a toy drive sponsored by Supercar Sunday and hosts their own toy drive at Pierce each year.

“Car guys have a bad reputation,” Barrera said.

“You see it all the time on the news ‘racing kills couple’; it’s just a way of showing that we are not all the same. We hold civil events and good can come out of it.”

Although the FAST Club was originally formed to raise funds for the automotive technology department, they have made sure to provide as many resources as they could for their students.

“If you look around the side and the back [of the automotive industry building] there’s no grass,” Barrera said.

“There’s just pine needles, dust, and dirt. It’s not being maintained. This corner of the industrial building is neglected.”

Many students belonging to the automotive department thought it was unjust about the conditions around building and sought out a remedy for the problem.

Through a union representative, they contacted the necessary people and within a couple of weeks the grass was put in front of the building with an added vending machine near the department.

“People want to come to learn, people want to be here, it’s just a matter of getting the funds, getting the classes up,” Barrera said.

The FAST Club plans to start a

Nicolas Heredia / Roundup

Members of the Fast Club explain their electric VW to a family during their SIA Expo held at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

petition to regain access to the lot across the street.

The members of the club are prepared and willing to do the clean-up themselves. Gaining access to this building will give

them more storage and learning space, Barrera said. FAST Club meets every Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the industrial technology room 3401.

Greg Gaston a automotive major works on his truck during F.A.S.T club in the industrial technology building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

“You gain the knowledge here to fix things and now you get the knowledge on how to create things.”

-Jose Barrera

Club President

Karen Roy shows off her Tennessee Walking Horse during the Parade of Breeds at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 15,

Parading in elegance

Majestic horses light up the Equestrian Center for the annual Parade of Breeds exhibit

identifying each horse by its breed and physical traits.

former students participate in the parade with their own horses.

Thursday Concert: Ruslan Biryukov

At the top of Pierce College, across from Lot 5, Shepard Stadium and the cross country course, the rustling sound quieted at the flick of a switch.

The almost immediate change from light to darkness drew all eyes toward the center of MUS 3400 Thursday, Nov. 13.

Sharp rays of focused light were aimed diagonally upward toward center stage, which revealed the reddish brown wood color of Ruslan Biryukov’s cello.

Biryukov is an international award-winning cellist and founder of the Glendale Philharmonic. Originally from Russia he was educated at the Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory and the USC Thornton School of Music.

The talented musician has performed on campus as a solo cellist, with a pianist in duets, and in a trio with a pianist and a clarinetist. He has also performed with a quartet of cellos.

Before he started each composition Biryukov explained something about the composer as well as a little history about the piece. In honor of Handel, he chose to collapse a duet into a cello composition.

“So today I will perform a piece by Handel called Passacaglia. Essentially it is a set of variations,” Biryukov said. “Originally it was composed for organ and then there was a transcription made for violin and cello. Today I will try to perform it on cello solo.”

Biryukov aggressively attacked

the first note of the song. He then performed the entire piece with passionate precision.

The combination of harmonies and phrasing created such a full sound, that it was almost as if he was being accompanied by a violinist.

Isabel Murashko is a Pierce College English major that said she enjoyed the performance.

“I thought it was really impressive. Especially since he didn’t have music in front of him the entire time,” Murashko said.

“[I was] just watching how fast his hand was moving, and he wasn’t even looking at his hand. He had his eyes closed.”

After the applause, Biryukov took a few moments to wipe his brow with a cloth, and then he easily segued into how Bach composed for churches in the cities, in which he lived.

“There was a period of 10 years, actually I think 12 years, when Bach moved to the city of Kothen, and that was a city that couldn’t afford to have an organ,” Biryukov said.

“So that’s the period when Bach composed his famous Brandenburg Concertos. Six suites for cello solo.”

His performance of Bach’s Suite No. 2 in D minor was delivered with as much passion as the first piece. He paused briefly as he transitioned through each movement.

Biryukov’s energy filled the room, which left some of the audience on the edge of their seats.

“You could ask him to play cello at anytime of the day and he’ll show up with his cello, and God knows what else and he will play for you,” Adjunct Music Instructor James Bergman said.

Biryukov closed the concert with a wonderful performance of the Suite for Solo Cello composed by Gaspar Cassado.

“He’s probably been here every year. He’s got a tremendous amount of music knowledge as to what he can do,” Bergman said. “And the students love him.”

Clicking saddle boots and upbeat country music filled the Pierce College Equestrian Center as over 40 breeds of horses walked, trotted and galloped in front of an audience on Nov. 15.

The fifth annual Pierce College Parade of Breeds included horses brought from all over California. The parade consisted of an introduction to the participating horses, riding competitions, and informational segments about the horses.

The parade is supposed to be a day of fun and education for equine students and the general public, according to Director of Equestrian Sciences Paddy Warner.

Warner said that she started the event as a better way to educate her students on different horse breeds after one student failed to correctly identify a horse during a demonstration ride.

“At that moment, I realized that I can’t have my students looking at breeds from a book, so we started this event,” Warner said.

“I think that most people don’t get to see horses outside of a book. The best thing about the agricultural department here is that it’s handson,” Warner said. “When you see them in person, you can’t compare that to book knowledge. Hands-on is the way to go.”

The owners displayed their steeds to the audience during the reining demonstration round of the event. As the horses were shown, Warner’s students from her equine sciences classes were tasked with

Members of the general public were also invited to test their knowledge, with a prize being awarded to whomever correctly guessed the most breeds.

Warner and Ron Wechsler, the former director of equine sciences, acted as emcees for the parade, telling jokes and giving hints about each horse to the test takers.

“This facility was built here specifically as a learning tool for the community,” Wechsler said. “There’s nothing better than having things take place here that the community can enjoy.”

Chelsea Holzer, the President of the Boots and Saddles Club, said that the parade is a great way of educating the community on horses.

“This event teaches you while you’re having a fun time. I think the parade brings those who aren’t normally horse people to an event that allows them to learn about what we do and what the different types of horses are,” Holzer said.

After the display round, several riders participated in a brief rodeo event that included barrel racing and jumping.

Following the rodeo, the horses were brought back to the display area. At this time, their breeds were revealed along with short lessons about each individual breed, allowing those who took the test to check their answers.

“When you actually see them live, it makes it easier for you to love and appreciate each different horse and all of their different disciplines,” Holzer said.

Warner said that one her favorite aspects of the event is seeing her

Eva Loeffler, one of Warner’s past students, brought her Fell pony, Minnie, a native English breed of horses, to the parade.

“I love coming here and seeing the different breeds,” Loeffler said. “Even though I’m into horses, there are some breeds here that I’ve never seen or heard of before.”

She has participated in the parade for the last three years, and she said that she plans to return in the next coming events.

One notable attendee of the Parade of Breeds was Pauline Pierce, the granddaughter of Pierce College founder Clarence Pierce. Pierce traveled from her home in San Diego, bringing her son, Scott Ewing, and 9-year-old grandson Cole Ewing.

She said she wanted to show Cole the college that his great-great grandfather founded.

“My grandfather founded the school in 1947. Nobody had any idea that it would be such a fantastic college, and each time we come to visit we’re more and more impressed with what’s happening here,” Pierce said.

She said that she was excited for the Parade of Breeds, and that she’s happy to see that Pierce is keeping her grandfather’s agricultural vision alive.

“All the students that we talk to are so kind and outgoing, and they have such positive things to say about the school. It’s just a real pleasure to be here and be associated with such a wonderful college and student body,” Pierce said.

The Parade of Breeds is generally scheduled to take place in October

Food Review: Vincenzoʼs Pizza

Mareo

Voted best pizza in the San Fernando Valley for 2012-2013 is Vincenzo’s Pizza, a cozy, hole in the wall pizzeria that can easily be passed by anyone driving down Balboa Boulevard.

This restaurant has a classic “mom and pop” restaurant vibe right here in the heart of the valley.

On a usually busy Saturday

afternoon, a college football game plays on the flat screen as you enjoy your meal.

The small staffed restaurant prepares one calzone and a few delivery orders for its customers.

All though the staff is small and not all of them speak English you still get the laidback and relaxed vibe that comes from a closely knit group who works together as family. This isn’t your average day job, this is a home. “You come here it’s like a family,

Just 5 weeks beginning Jan. 5, 2015

everyone has each other’s back and is here to help each other,” cashier Jacob Kline said.

There are many choices for the American Italian cuisine from pizza and calzones to pastas, sub sandwiches and salads.

Everything is fresh and made to order and the amount of food they give is more than filling, perfect for a college student’s tight budget.

Lawson Roundup Reporter

Mareo Lawson Roundup Reporter

Nico Heredia / Roundup

Andrew Escobar & Cristina Pimental Roundup Reporters

PArade of Breeds

The Parade of Breeds, presented by the Pierce College Equestrian department, showcased several horse breeds on Saturday, Nov. 15. Department Advisor Paddy Warner and former advisor Ron Wechsler hosted the event. From Clydesdale to Fell Pony, over 40 different horses trotted around the arena with their proud owners leading the way. The event drew spectators of all ages and featured activities such as face painting and horseshoe decorating. Warner tested her students on the different breeds and encouraged the audience to test their own knowledge of the horses. After the horses marched around the arena, several riders competed in barrel racing and jumping competitions. After the rodeo events all of the horses were brought back into the arena and their breeds were revealed to the students and the audience. One special guest in attendance was Pierce College founder Clarence W. Pierce’s granddaughter Pauline Pierce along with her son and grandson. Pierce was happy to see that the equestrian department was keeping up the school’s agricultural roots and upholding what her grandfather had envisioned for the college.

Paddy Warner and Ron Wechsler wave the American flag as the song, “God Bless the

Minnie the Fell Pony is dressed as a unicorn at the 5th Annual Parade of Breeds Photo : Diego

Ashlynn Lawrence rides her Quarterhorse to a stop at the 5th Annual Parade of Breeds held the Pierce College Equestrian Center in Woodland Hills Calif. Nov. 15, 2014. Photo : Diego Barajas

Christina Tomas with son Kai and daughter Zoe and Lauren Hattem with son Byron set up a blanket watch the Parade of Breeds. Photo: Amira Fickewirth

her Quarterhorse with

guard Malik Johnson and point guard JR Williams practice to try and make a strong comeback this season.

Menʼs basketball preview Team looks to make turn around

The Pierce College men’s basketball team looks to make a comeback after a poor 2013-2014 campaign. The Brahmas couldn’t find an offensive rhythm until late in the season when they were out of playoff contention.

Offense

Offensively the Brahmas are going to be running out of a halfcourt set much similar to a motion offense but with a lot more options when opening up the perimeter. The game requires a presence down low but due to the lack of size the Brahmas will have, Pierce will have to rely on Jordan Fuller and Devron Henderson to make jump shots.

Defense

Defensively Pierce is going

to have to be able to rotate better around the perimeter to make up for lacking a true center. Head coach Ed Babayan finally thought they were going to have the upper hand with center Beau Brown. But Brown was found ineligible after being just one unit short of the 24 units to play and now he is sidelined unless Brown can get the unit back to play.

Players Just a year ago, JR Williams was one of the most electric point guards in the state. Although his shooting percentage two years ago was 33 percent, he averaged 6.2 assists a game. Before last season Williams tore his meniscus which caused him to miss the entire 20132014 season. Now that Williams is back, he brings not just speed and leadership, but Williams’s shot is much improved. Fuller coming into his sophomore year will be expected to

Brahma

Soccer

of the

Under his wing Owens helps Brahma

Ethan Hanson Sports Editor

On a chilly Saturday night at Pierce College’s John Shepard Stadium, the game between the Brahmas and the Santa Monica College Corsairs was filled with football greatness on the sidelines. It was former wide receiver Terrell Owens, who was on hand to watch one of his disciples play the game that he dominated for decades.

During the past summer Owens met Pierce College wide receiver Wendell O’Brien who was coming off a decent freshman campaign but was still looking to prove that he could be a player quarterbacks could look for to make a play.

Owens who now resides in Calabasas has been working out at Pierce for the past two years.

O’Brien saw Owens, and after a strong workout, the legend who is second all-time in receiving yards agreed to put the young Brahmas sophomore under his wing.

“He wanted to pick my brain about some of the things that I have done,” Owens said.

“He’s a hard worker and definitely a guy that wants to learn and wants to get better.”

of frustrated because he wasn’t in the offense and he wasn’t getting the ball,” Owens said.

“I just told him don’t count the number of plays. Just make the plays count.”

Brahmas wide receivers coach John Austin has witnessed the changes in O’Brien since he has worked out with Owens and credits him with turning Wendell into a bonafide star.

“The biggest change that I have seen in Wendell’s game is that he has better hands,” Austin said.

“He has always been a good route runner but never was consistent at catching the ball. T.O. has helped him with that and Wendell has gone from being just a guy in the rotation to one of our primary starters. He is one of the most improved players on our team.”

Owens’ advice paid off for O’Brien in the end.

During the last game of the year he had his best game against the Corsairs, with five receptions for 41 yards.

“When he first met me he said I run NFL routes,” O’Brien said. “But the main thing he helped me out with was my mentality. Just going out, being a dog and playing my heart out every single time.”

carry the load scoring wise. Coming off of a strong second half to last year’s season, Fuller averaged 11.4 points well coming off the bench. As the season progressed, Fuller became more confident in his role as being the team’s shooter and he finished three of the last four games in double figures. His production will be needed and now that he has more experience in the Brahmas offensive set, he should do a lot more damage.

Concerns

The biggest question of all is the health concerns for Williams. Coming off of a season in which he had major knee surgery, can he still be productive? The early indicators say yes. In practice he still knows how to push the tempo and find his teammates. The movement laterally has not been affected and all signs are that Williams is back and better than ever. However with that said, Pierce will play close to 30 games

Week

Mayra Lopez - Forward

Stacy Soriano / Roundup Mayra Lopez scored two goals, one in each of the last two games of the regular season for the

During the last week of the season Mayra Lopez scored two goals in two straight games as the Brahmas finished the season defeating Cuesta College at home 5-1 and Oxnard 3-0 on the road. Lopez had a strong second half, and is now one of the Brahmas’ primary scoring threats heading into the playoffs.

You have been on a roll these past few weeks, why have you been playing so well?

The hard work has definitely paid off. I definitely have a supportive team right behind me as well as the coaches. They are always pushing me. I have definitely been able to overcome a lot of the obstacles that have been holding me back and I definitely expect us to bring all that hard work come playoffs.

In the last two games of the year you scored two creative goals, one against Cuesta and one against Oxnard. How are you able to make the moves that you make to get around defenders?

It is definitely my style of play and I like to create plays and it’s something I have been working on for a long time now. I definitely decided to put it on the field and try to bring the same energy and the same hard work to our game this Saturday.

What mental approach does it take to keep playing through the hard times?

I believe that is the beauty of soccer right there because it’s not always going to be easy. It has been very hard for me and my team to maintain good form. But I believe with the right kind of motivation, the right kind of hard work and just focusing on what you want and not stopping; that mentally has gotten me to where I am right now.

What does your team have to do to make sure this team goes farther in the playoffs than last year’s team despite not winning a conference championship?

I strongly believe we’re hungry for the state title. It’s very upsetting to know that we weren’t first in conference like last year. But we have our eyes on the prize and we are going to push as far as we can in playoffs.

[For the full interview visit theroundupnews.com]

in about a four month stretch. Can Williams stay healthy? That remains to be seen.

Conclusion

As a team Pierce has to shoot the ball better with a field goal percentage of 37.2 percent. Those numbers aren’t up to the standard that the Brahmas know that they are capable of playing to. Also during its recent tournament the team turned the ball over in two of the three games. Pierce will look to clean up and turn things around with their first game at home tomorrow against Glendale at 5 p.m.

Owens provided wisdom for Wendell at the beginning of the season when O’Brien wasn’t getting the touches he needed.

“Early in the season he was kind

“It’s been a blessing. He really believes in me.”

For the full story visit theroundupnews.com.

Athletic Department

M.E.N.D. Food Drive

Thursday, Nov. 20

8 a.m. - 3 p.m. South Gym

-Ethan Hanson Sports Editor

Stacy Soriano/Roundup

Pierce College shooting

Ethan Hanson

Sports Editor

Football loses final game at home

Megan Moureaux Social Media Editor

The Pierce College

football team ended its season with a 68-34 loss to Santa Monica City College on Saturday, Nov. 15 at John Shepard Stadium.

Pierce was first to put a score on the board with a touchdown by sophomore wide receiver Bryson Martinez about five minutes into the first quarter. The Santa Monica Corsairs followed with a 21-yard touchdown by wide receiver Deon Hall to tie the game 7-7.

Santa Monica went on to score two touchdowns to take a 21-7 lead, but the Brahmas initially kept the game close after a 35-yard touchdown by sophomore wide receiver Earl Hargrove.

The game played out similar to the season and was “full of ups and downs,” according to head coach Efrain Martinez.

“It was typical of the entire season,” Martinez said. “Its up, its down, its up and its down, very inconsistent.”

The Corsairs scored two more touchdowns that the Brahmas followed with a touchdown by freshman wide receiver Jamere Austin with 20 seconds left in the second quarter to end the first half 34-21.

Santa Monica scored four touchdowns to make the score 62-21 with less than 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. With about eight minutes left in the fourth, Jamere Austin scored

Womenʼs

basketball

preview

Pierce will play with new faces

Conclusion

With no sophomores in sight for head coach Jim Couch, the Pierce College women’s basketball team will be filled with brand new faces.

Since Brahmas shooting guard

Nichela’e Henderson tore her ACL, Pierce is left with a young team that will need to grow up fast if they want to be successful.

Offense

Offensively the Brahmas will be running a Princeton motion offense to score. With a lack of a true perimeter threat, Pierce will rely mostly on scoring through picks, rolls, and slicing to the basket. The Brahmas have the speed to execute these plays with guards such as JaVay Dawn, the team’s best ball handler, and Adrienne Bailey who is the team’s most well-rounded player. Pierce will also have a downlow threat with Ahlisha Henderson that scored 21 points and had 18 rebounds in her second game of the season.

Defense

This team is one of the most poorly conditioned teams at Pierce. There is not much fault to be placed on the players, as it is the coaches that are not preparing the team during the preseason. If the coaches for Pierce expect the team to just play into getting condition, there will be a lot of frustration with the players because there is more of an emphasis on fitness than practicing the game of basketball.

Players At six feet three inches, a wide body and a sister who was a successful player with Pierce, Henderson has the makings to be one of the best players that Pierce has ever had. She is fundamentally sound, has an offensive repertoire that allows her to work inside and outside as well as being quick and agile defensively. She will be the base of this very young Pierce team. Knowing the tradition and culture that Pierce had in the past, she will attempt to lead the Brahmas back to bigger pastures.

JaVay Dawn is an impressive ball handler and her overall speed makes her one of the more dynamic players for Pierce. In addition to her speed, she has the knack for making flashy passes, but flashy doesn’t always mean smart. With a bad tendency to turn the ball over too much, she will have to take a more simple and fundamental approach if the Brahmas are to run their offense effectively.

Adrienne Bailey in terms of raw ability and effort will be a player to watch out for this season. She is the Brahmas best perimeter shooter and most athletically gifted player guards on this team. What she will have to work on though is maintaining her confidence and trusting herself to make the right plays. It will be a process for the team to get antiquated this season without any sophomores, but she has the potential to make this team more competitive.

Dawn has the potential to be one of the Brahmas biggest assets on the court, but her stubbornness could also be Pierce’s downfall. She is turnover prone at times and the attitude on the court is not worthy of college basketball. The Brahmas lost their first two games of the season by double digits, but she can’t turn on herself or the team since the season is barely beginning.

Conditioning has been and will be the biggest issue for the Brahmas all season long. This is a team that struggles getting up and down the floor and if nothing changes, it will be a long season for the Brahmas who play in one of the most competitive conferences in the state.

Pierce head coach Jim Couch will have the tough task of putting the pieces together for this young team. Without a returning sophomore in sight after Henderson went down, Couch is left without any veterans who know his system. For Couch, he has the talent and the athleticism to make this team competitive, but the playoffs will be an elusive goal unless the team can play the game consistently.

With Dawn, Henderson and Bailey the Brahmas team has a good foundation to make for a solid basketball team but it takes more than good player to win especially at the college level. The conditioning has to improve drastically and it will be the difference in the team’s overall success.

his second touchdown of the night from an 11-yard pass by freshman quarterback Sean Smith.

“It was a bumpy road through the whole season,” Austin said.

“But I feel the end of the season picked up.”

Bryson Martinez scored his final touchdown for the Brahmas from a pass by sophomore quarterback Edrees Ahmadi with about a minute and a half remaining in the fourth quarter.

Santa Monica beat Pierce 68-34 to end the team’s season 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the American Pacific Conference.

Pierce College athletic director

Bob Lofrano said the team’s season was below average.

“I’m not going to say disappointed because each year’s a new year for every team,” Lofrano said. “People graduate or people leave it’s only a two-year process, so pretty much every year you’re playing different guys and it just didn’t gel this year and that’s probably the reason they ended up 3-7.”

Martinez said the team and coaching staff will be looking into upgrading the talent level during the offseason.

“We’ve just got to regroup and make some coaching adjustments, some player adjustments,” Martinez said. “It’s not a simple fix, it’s an entire fix.”

Austin isn’t sure what will happen next year, but wants to continue to play for the Brahmas.

“I just wish we could’ve had a better record,” Austin said.

“This was my best losing season.”

Ethan Hanson Sports Editor

Megan Moureaux / Roundup

Pierce College wide receiver Bryson Martinez (1) blocks a Santa Monica College player while carrying the ball down the field.