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.