Volume 122 Spring 2015 Roundup Issue 3

ROUNDUP

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 | Volume 122 - Issue 3 | Woodland Hills, California | One copy free, each additional copy $1

@roundupsports

Conversation with the chancellor

Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez will be oncampus to field questions Thursday, March 26 from 11 a.m. to noon in the Performing Arts Building.

Share your thoughts about the LACCD on Facebook and Twitter with #Piercenews

Hoffman widens gap for Seat 1, Fong to fill Seat 7 immediately

Andrea Hoffman’s lead in the race for Seat 1 on the LACCD Board of Trustees increased from 937 to 1,619 votes, according to the Los Angeles City Clerk.

The latest results were counted on March 12, and are still unofficial.

Thursday, March 12, at the Pierce College tennis courts in Woodland Hills, Calif.

ʻTankʼ captains tennis

Former heavy armor operator excels on court, gridiron

SALVADOR FARIAZ

Assistant Sports Editor

For someone who has been taught the art of discipline, his hyper presence is anything but reserved and his happiness is contagious.

Jason Sturdivant is a dual-

athlete at Pierce College. But before he became captain of the football and tennis team, he served three and a half years in the United States Army.

Although the difference between serving in the army and having a leadership role on a college sports team is significant, the time that earned him the nicknames “tank” and “army” prepared Sturdivant for the roles.

“I learned respect, discipline, leadership,

Olympic Weightlifting highlights new classes

The course will be beneficial to students and student-athletes, because it will increase their strength and keep their bodies conditioned, Hank said.

and how to operate while stressed,” Sturdivant said. “Everything had to do with stress.”

In Sturdivant’s senior year at Crosby High School in Waterbury, Conn., he had a Marine recruiter come to his house everyday to talk to his parents to prepare him for the Marines.

The recruiter was reassigned to Massachusetts and Sturdivant decided to enlist in the Army instead.

“My Marine recruiter left me,” Sturdivant

said. “So to get back at the Marines for taking him away from me, I took myself away from the Marines. I said bye to the Marine office and walked across the hall to the Army office.”

Sturdivant was trained to operate a tank at Fort Irwin in San Bernardino, Calif. He had missions that started in the Mojave Desert and ended in Death Valley, which left him dripping with sweat.

Mike Fong won Seat 7 by more than 70,000 votes, and was set to begin his duty on the board July 1. But the board voted unanimously for him to fill his seat immediately in lieu of its vacancy that was created by Miguel Santiago’s resignation in December.

Share your thoughts about the LACCD Board of Trustees on Facebook and Twitter with #Piercenews

Planetarium shows free for faculty, staff Faculty, staff and their families and friends will be able to attend two planetarium shows this semester for free, courtesy of the Astronomy Department.

The shows are Friday, March 20, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Monday, April 20, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., in the Planetarium in the CFS.

Share your thoughts about the planetarium on Facebook and Twitter with #Piercescience

Pierce College will get new classes in history, economics and kinesiology, which will include Olympic Weightlifting.

Strength and conditioning coach

Matthew Hank said the Olympic Weightlifting course will be a great addition to the department, and that its high-intensity workout will be extremely popular.

“I think it is important to have a class that teaches how to properly perform and implement Olympic Weightlifting into exercise routines,” Hank said. Students have not spent extra time to maximize their strength because of the risk of injuries, Hank said. Olympic Weightlifting will help with conditioning, and the proper training will minimize the risk of injury, according to Hank.

The strength and conditioning coach was asked by students several times if he could teach them Olympic Weightlifting, so the course was introduced to the Curriculum Committee, which is lead by Art instructor Constance Moffatt.

But Olympic Weightlifting will not be the only new class at Pierce.

History Department Chair Richard McMillan said the History Department is trying to bring back classes such as Asian History and Middle Eastern History

“Since 9/11, there have been demands by students to have a Middle Eastern history course,” McMillan said.

This semester the college added

ʻMAJOR MATTERSʼ medical school preparation workshop

The Pierce Counseling Faculty will host the first in a series of “MAJOR MATTERS” workshops about specific majors offered by the college.

Its first workshop will cover how to prepare for medical school with the right major and general education pattern at Pierce.

The “MAJOR MATTERS” workshop is Friday, March 20, 12:45 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the CTC Room on the first floor of the Student Services Building.

Share your thoughts about Pierce’s majors on Facebook and Twitter with #Piercemajors

Softball drops eighth straight

Mohammad Djauhari / Roundup

“Academics are important, but Iʼm not working this hard to just be a buff dude with a B.A.,” said Jason Sturdivant, team captain of both the tennis and football teams. “Iʼm trying to go the furthest.”

@S_Fariaz

CHRISTOPHER ESCOBAR Roundup Reporter @cescobar46

-File photo/Seth Perlstein

-File photo/Mohammad Djauhari

Photo Essay: Vibrant

Skylar Lester / Roundup

Kinesiology major Jesse Diaz practices parkour in front of Library / Learning Crossroads at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. Thursday, March 12.

Column: Wi-fi

VICTOR RODRIGUEZ vrodriguez.roundupnews@gmail.com @vrdogriguez2100

The inconsistency that Pierce College’s Wi-Fi is infamous for has become the running joke on campus, and the frustration experienced by not having a connection is universal.

We pay our fees and come to class, so why are we being subjected to what can only be referred to as modern-day torture?

This struggle has existed since Wi-Fi was first implemented on campus. With the long list of problems that is created by faulty connectivity, a long list of failed solutions has followed suit.

Last year, there was an attempt to regulate users by restricting access to everyone except students and staff. This practice utilized the student numbers and PINs given while registering at Pierce.

This reduced the strain caused by large amounts of people trying to gain access, but it also seemed to have a problem with the login the screen that allowed you to enter the necessary information.

Poor Wi-Fi performance might be fine for those in a math class, where all that is required is a piece of chalk, but this leaves specific departments in what can only be described as a bare-bones operation that no amount of arithmetic will solve.

Last month, an automotive class marched from the outskirts of campus to the IT department. No one was able to get online, so all productivity halted.

On a smaller scale, yet just as infuriating, time-sensitive assignments jeopardize student success if they depend on Internet connectivity.

The Pierce College library was supposed to be a beacon of light and our guide through the storm, yet last semester, during finals week nonetheless, if you had brought in your personal web-enabled device you were pretty much out of luck.

By the time you realized that the connectivity problem was the fault of the Wi-Fi and not your device, all the computers that were wired-in were taken.

What was a student to do?

With multiple finals to study for, I had a stroke of genius. I packed my laptop, charger and other tools, and headed to Taco Bell.

I had discovered that Taco Bell offered free Wi-Fi. Better Wi-Fi than Pierce.

A couple hours and a reasonable amount of burritos later, I had successfully led a cram session for a study group in my class.

The allocation of resources needed to remedy our situation cannot be a simple task, but promises are made every year that only raise our expectations.

But every year, like clockwork, these expectations aren’t met.

Administrators should have office hours

Community colleges are public institutions, funded by the taxpayers, and as such it is critical that students have open access to the people who run them.

Instructors and professors at community colleges are required to maintain regular office hours, and to clearly post those hours for their students. Administrators, such as the college president and vice presidents have no such requirement, which leaves the student body completely out of the loop when important decisions are made. That closed-door policy should be replaced with the same rules that apply to instructors. If students are unclear about a teacher’s expectations, standards or plans for the semester, they know when and where they can find that instructor, and are guaranteed the opportunity to clear up any concerns. Pierce’s administrators hire and fire instructors, approve new classes and sections, sign off on important budget decisions and employee checks, and participate in union negotiations, and they make all of these decisions without ever meeting with students-atlarge.

According to Chapter IX, Article VIII of the Los Angeles Community College Board of Trustees, “The president has the primary educational responsibility of insuring [sic] the opportunity of all members of the college community to attain their educational objectives.” The president cannot possibly accurately gauge whether or not she is meeting this requirement if she does not meet with the students she represents.

One power the president holds is the ability to approve or cancel construction projects. The LA Times revealed major flaws in that system in a massive 2011 exposé, which showed that among other disasters

district-wide, projects to improve the Pierce farm proved catastrophic and amounted to $1.8 million of California bond money. Much of this occurred before the current administration took office, but it’s hard not to be worried that those same problems may resurface when the administration refuses to speak to concerned students. According to transparentcalifornia. com, President Kathleen Burke’s total annual pay - including benefits - is $220,578. When Burke took office in 2010 she signed a three-year contract, with an initial base salary of $163,292. That figure was released in the middle of the Great Recession while teachers and classes were being cut districtwide. Millions of dollars pass through the president’s and vice presidents’ hands every year, and the only way

students can find out how that money is being spent is to possibly skip class to attend budget committee meetings. The documents that state law requires the administration post promptly and publicly are outdated. The budget committee meets monthly, but the most recent meeting for which the minutes are available is from July 2014. Kathy Oborn, president of the Academic Senate, said that is due to issues with the Sharepoint system the college uses, and that those issues will hopefully be addressed soon.

When asked about Vice President Rolf Schleicher’s availability, administrative assistant Linda Solar said Schleicher “can’t just drop everything he’s doing” when a student requests to speak with him. That is to be expected of the upper levels of administration. The campus

has roughly 25,000 students, and asking the administrators to “drop everything” would be preposterous, and that is not what this proposal seeks to change. The idea is that once a week, for one or two hours, each upper level admin would set aside time to open their doors and allow students to come with questions.

By doing so, they would not only make a show of good faith and transparency, but would encourage student involvement, and cause the students they represent to become more invested in their campus. Students who take pride in their campus are far more likely to succeed, and successful alums are in turn more likely to reciprocate that support, much the same way that four-year universities rely heavily on donations and support from their alumni.

E-Cigs on smoke-free campus

changes lately. According to Phil Wahba from Fortune, it is said that by the year 2018, the amount of E-Cigs in the United States is expected to grow nearly 24 percent per year, with about $1.5 billion in the market.

phenomenon is E-Cigs.

The E-Cig has had a rise to fame because of its so called safe and harmless vapor that it releases.

Development Center. One of the designated smoking areas on the Pierce College campus is Lot 7, right near the Child Development Center.

CHRIS ESCOBAR cescobar.roundupnews@gmail.com @cescobar46

Smoking tobacco is a bad influence on people, especially when they start at a young age.

Tobacco can cause many issues all over your body. It can damage areas such as the heart, lungs, vision, blood cells and so on. It’s disturbing to see young people smoke because tobacco is detrimental in many different ways.

Now you see commercials from people who are trying to make a change to convince people to quit smoking. That is why former addicts are being shown and how smoking has affected their lives when they started at a young age.

It is disturbing to see people who struggled with nicotine addiction broadcasted to the world.

Ever since those commercials appeared on television, there has been a better solution to help people who smoke kick the habit.

Electronic cigarettes and hookah pens have been introduced to the world as a healthier alternative for both smokers and the environment. They also get people to smoke less tobacco and realize the benefits that come with this practice.

E-Cigs have been making

The amount of tobacco cigarettes in the United States has dropped 29.6 percent since 2004 and continues to decrease as time goes on. In the spring of 2010, thanks in part to the Working Environment Committee, Pierce prohibited smoking on campus and has been smoke-free for five years.

The only exception the WEC offered was that students can only smoke in designated areas. That was probably a better way keep students who smoke outside of campus and not have them affect other students. What has been most useful around campus are E-Cigs and hookah pens.

JORDAN WILLIAMS jwilliams.roundupnews@gmail.com @JWRoundUp

Signs are posted, students are warned, designated areas have been made, but students still find a way to smoke anywhere they please.

It isn’t a secret that students take advantage of the smoking zones we have on campus, but now students think that if they smoke electronic cigarettes, it means they can smoke anywhere.

A phenomenon that has been sweeping across the country over the last few years has made its way into Pierce College. That

In reality, the E-Cigs have been found to be just as, if not more, harmful than cigarettes, so much so that Chicago, New York and Los Angeles have banned them in public places.

Researchers from the University of Southern California published a study in August of 2014 that stated the second hand vapors from E-Cigs have a significant increase in the harmful metals chromium, nickel, lead and zinc.

When used at high temperatures, E-Cigs can release a cancer-causing chemical called formaldehyde, according to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine in January of this year.

That formaldehyde can travel into classrooms and even worse, affect the children at the Child

This toxin can raise the lifetime risk of cancer five to 15 times more than the risk caused by smoking.

E-Cigs can be beneficial, but the endangerment to the user as well as others outweighs its benefits.

It’s bad enough that students have to deal with normal second hand smoke, so to allow potentially more harmful E-Cigs on campus is a mistake.

If major cities have banned E-Cigs in public places, Pierce College must do the same.

Lester

–COMIC STRIP–

Flydoskope by Tobennh Dacanay tdacanay.roundupnews@gmail.com

News Brief: Accreditation

JULIE LUDERS Roundup Reporter @JLuders_Roundup

Attendance was low at the Pierce College Planning Committee as members addressed Pierce’s upcoming accreditation review for 2016.

The objectives of accreditation, as stated by the Accreditation Steering Committee, are an evaluative process and a seal of approval for institutions of higher education.

“March is a transition month, however accreditation is going well so far according to the new updates I have received,” Margarita Pillado, newly-appointed Co-Chair of the Pierce College Planning Committee, said.

With important events in the future, Co-Chairs Oleg Bespalov and Pillado urged the College Planning Committee members to encourage fellow members to be present at upcoming meetings so that the committee can be more efficient.

[From NEW CLASSES, pg. 1]

more classes of Women’s History and Latin-American History.

The history department wants to add more classes in the upcoming semesters to lower class sizes and help students register for the classes they need without having to crash.

Moffatt also wants to add more courses in future semesters, and hopes for the senate committee’s approval to expand students’ success in the future.

Moffatt announced the new classes in the Academic Senate meeting.

But she can’t predict student behavior on whether or not students will keep crashing courses even after more classes are added.

“These classes may make our offsprings more attractive,” Moffatt said.

Senate reviews horticulture hires and repairs

Reporter @Tahashikano

New modifications to a horticulture viability review were approved last Monday by the Pierce College Academic Senate.

The modifications aim to add faculty and possibly repair defunct buildings.

If the propositions by the committee are not enacted, the program will eventually close down, which would impact the upkeep and maintenance of the various agricultural locations and affect environmental science and biology classes.

“We have one horticulture teacher who has sent in his retirement papers,” said Department Chair of Agriculture & Natural Resource Leland Shapiro. “We need to hire one right away.”

The process by which the college enacts these proposals is a long road, said Donna Mae Villanueva, dean of academic affairs.

“Once the committee makes the recommendation, they send it to the Educational Planning Committee, then to the senate president,” Villanueva said.

After the recommendation reaches the senate president, she adds a motion to the agenda, and if approved, it is then sent to the college president who ultimately decides its fate, according to Villanueva.

Several plans were proposed in the 2014 follow-up to the original horticulture viability review committee report back in 2007. Those issues included the demolition and replacement of the run-down greenhouse and lathe house that were damaged during the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

In addition, the study examined the possible establishment of

a business arrangement with Pierce’s Enterprise Office. Such an arrangement with the Enterprise Office can help establish the program as self-sufficient and able to provide students with hands-on job training.

The Horticulture Viability Study Committee is a senate-directed action to review that department and ensure that the college’s instructional supplies are used properly to fulfill the needs of the students.

A review was performed in March 2007 for this purpose, as outlined by the Pierce College Horticulture Viability Committee Report, published in May 2007.

A recommendation was made to replace the greenhouse with three standard industrial greenhouses and two bungalow-type classrooms identical to the classrooms in the Village.

The recent committee modification may lead the school

WE START AS STUDENTS WE LEARN BEYOND THE CLASSROOM WE TRAIN IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THEN WE TAKE ON THE WORLD

Incident Report

March 8 - March 14

-Reporting by Vanessa Arredondo

3/12—Student Injury

A student was hurt while allegedly helping at the farm’s sheep unit. The incident occurred at about 1:30 p.m. The sheep did not respond to calls for comment.

to hire a horticulture instructor to replace Jody La Chance, who has submitted retirement papers.

Multiple attempts to contact La Chance were unsuccessful.

There is currently an instructional assistant who helps with lab classes, supervises volunteers and club members when faculty is unavailable, and helps maintain various locations of the program.

“[The Horticulture Program] needs to get back on its feet,” said Keith Peabody, the instructional assistant that was hired in the Fall 2014 semester. “[The program] started out with $19-million bonds, now it’s one million.”

The locations maintained by the horticulture department include the S. Mark Taper Life Science Botanical Garden, the Nature Preserve, the Arboretum, along with the Braille Trail, which are considered valuable resources for the Agriculture Department.

3/11—Ill Student

At about 6 p.m. Wednesday, a student suffered a seizure while in class in CFS 92022.

3/9—Fire on Campus

The Sheriff’s Department reported a construction gate near the library “was set on fire” after 9 p.m. An officer responded and extinguished the fire.

3/9—Parking Lot Brawl

Two students got into a fight over a parking space in Lot 7. The brawl broke out around 11 a.m. in Row L of the parking area, and deputies responded to reports of battery.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station General Information: (818) 719 - 6450 Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

At CSU Channel Islands working side-by-side with professors, industry experts and professionals is an opportunity for every student. They bring theory into practice. They learn how problems can be solved. These are more than field trips or internships to put on resumes. These are the lessons on which to build careers.

INTERNSHIP: CI interns held semester-long positions at more than 35 business partner and non-profit community organizations for 20142015 Academic Year. As part of the Henry L. Hank Lacayo Institute for Workforce & Community Studies (HLI) Internship Program, the Pleasant Valley School District Office hosted interns Chelsea Ames and London Lang in the Curriculum and Occupational Therapy Departments.

LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE

Learn more at go.csuci.edu/lapc

ALAN CASTRO Roundup

Cody Calderon / Roundup

Horticulture instructor Jody La Chance shows a flower to student Kristine Behrens in CFS 91008 in Woodland Hills, Calif. on March 16, 2015.

-Compiled by Scott Prewitt

BSU revamps club with full force Black Student Union wants Pierce to know it is here to stay

The existence of the Black Student Union has been a mystery and considered a gray area for students at Pierce College.

The Pierce College Black Student Union resurged after a several-year hiatus and now looks to make a prolific impact on the school.

After a layoff of more than three years, the Black Student Union is ready to build unity and support throughout the Pierce community.

According to its mission statement, the BSU seeks to “develop respect for self and community,” as well as promote unity between cultures and collective growth as intellectuals.

The union wants to promote an environment where everyone is mutually supportive. It aims to provide a support system for relations within the Pierce community.

Susan Lawino, an adviser of the Black Student Union, said that the BSU wants to create a place that provides students with educational and career services, but also serves as a place where they can relax.

“We are going to set up mentor workshops. Also, establish a place where people can come with resume help. Black Student Union is a place where you can come get help, get advice or chill and kick back,” Lawino said.

The BSU wants to learn from its previous shortcomings to develop a continuous foundation. In the past, the union struggled to maintain its organization because numerous key

members would transfer to different schools.

The union experienced positive results last fall and wanted to build off its success to create an organization that emphasises social issues, but also maintains cultural inclusivity.

A common misconception the group members of the BSU encounter is that their group pertains only to AfricanAmericans. This is not accurate, according to the union.

Naturally, the BSU looks at issues through the African American perspective, but also shows empathy to all cultures.

The overall goal is to change the negative connotations that exist between different cultures, and show that people are people.

The BSU wants to take an active approach on universal issues. It ultimately wants to show that it is part of the community.

The overall theme within the organization is family. If a member has an issue, the BSU wants to be a reliable source of help.

The Pierce Union also wants to reach out to Black Student Unions at other colleges and universities. The ability to network will help its members when they are ready to transfer to different universities. It will also help give Pierce’s BSU the ideologies of building a strong foundation.

“It’s all about support,” said Tené Coleman, vice president of the Black Student Union. “If there is the same type of club on two different campuses, then I feel we should be able to support each other and help

each other.”

The BSU also wants to go beyond traditional meetings and gatherings in its attempts to foster a sense of unity. They plan to hold poetry nights, have motivational speakers and provide workshops that will benefit its members.

To add different perspective and guidance levels, the BSU affiliated

From the beat to the classroom

Former cop heads multiple departments

than 30 years as both a student and teacher at Pierce College.

activities for various ethnic groups on campus, such as Black History Month events.

itself with different faculty members at on campus. This will help build different outlets inside and outside the Pierce community.

The union’s current focus is to grow its membership. There is power in numbers, and since the Black Student Union reemerged on campus, its following has steadily increased.

In the near future, the BSU wants to be active in the community, deliver its message of peace and align all cultures.

“The ultimate plan is to rehabilitate the mind of the minority so we can stand as the majority,” said BSU President Caleb Word.

When it comes to the profession of a teacher and police officer, there is normally little connection to be made between the two.

As the Department Chair of Political Science, Economics, Criminal Justice and Chicano Studies, Kathy Oborn spent more

Born in Woodland Hills, Oborn graduated High School in 1972 and worked at a Los Angeles bank for several years. Oborn went on to serve as an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department from 1983 to 1990.

In 1981, Oborn worked in different offices on campus, and was the Ethnic Center coordinator. As coordinator, she set up different

It wasn’t until a fellow classmate told Oborn she’d make a great police officer that she actually considered the criminal justice field. At 29 years old with four children, she had her first experience with the law and decided to join the police.

Oborn completed a six-month program at the original Police Academy located by Dodger

Stadium and had her first job at the 1984 Olympics. She then worked in Administrative Vice & Narcotics until an injury placed her back in school.

When she recalled her most memorable moment as a police officer, Oborn spoke about a heroinaddicted teenager who she advised to get help when she wrote his report. Months later, the teenager approached Oborn on the street to thank her for her encouragement to make a change.

When Oborn reflected on why she became a police officer, she said it was the desire was to help others.

“ I wanted to make a difference, although it is hard because not everyone wants to help,” Oborn said.

Oborn stressed the importance of how she wanted her children to grow up in a house and wanted to attain a better lifestyle. The only way to do that was to attend Pierce College and get a degree.

As a student at Pierce, Oborn was heavily involved in many school activities, such as the Student Senate and Club Council, and she was also elected student vice president.

In 1992, she received a bachelor’s degree in sociology in from California State University, Northridge.

Oborn’s hunger for education didn’t end there. In 1994, she received a master’s in educational psychology and counseling, as she wanted to become a counselor and return to Pierce College to “give back and allow students to have the great experience she had.”

While she pursued her degree, Oborn worked in the Outreach Program and Training Partnership Act Program at Pierce College for four years. She worked with people who had lost their jobs and helped them learn skills to attain new ones.

Hired as Dean of Student Services in 1994, Oborn served in this position for eight years. She oversaw the Associated Students Organization and was the international student advisor.

“Before 9/11, we had over 600 international students and had an incredible program,” Oborn said.

Passionate about all things criminology, Oborn took pride in

the courses offered at Pierce.

“We have one of the best criminal justice programs as we have great faculty, a judge who is a superior court judge, a deputy district attorney and a couple lawyers,” Oborn said.

Oborn emphasized the importance of responsibility to the police department.

“They look for people with strong integrity, good work habits and skills, honesty, humble, and trustworthy,” Oborn said.

Oborn is a mother to seven children who range from 24 to 39 years old. One of her sons joined the Marines and fought in the Fallujah War in Iraq. Oborn described the time as “ tough.”

“It wasn’t fun, but he made it back safe,” Oborn said.

Oborn gave thanks Pierce College for where she is today. She’s the chair of four different disciplines and became the president of the Pierce Academic Senate when the previous president moved to New York.

“We’re an academic program,” said Oborn, as she discussed the criminology courses at Pierce.

“We’re not a career and technical education program, because to be a police officer, you have to make it through a police academy.”

Kim Rich, A Criminal Justice Professor at Pierce College said “I’ve known her since 2008, she hired me,”

“As a department chair she’s been very good to me, very accommodating and is very supportive of the department, the disciplines and the people. Students often tell me how much they love

her and her classes.”

Oborn spoke about her annoyance at the thought of classes being non-transferable and took the old criminal justice classes and ensured they were Cal Statetransferable so students wouldn’t waste time or money.

Oborn had experienced that in the past when transferring her credits to a four-year college.

“Our program is different from most because we look at the psychology of the criminal justice system, meaning the ‘three CsCops, Courts and Corrections,’” Oborn said.

Within the past eight years, 16 students have ended up at law schools to further their educations, and others in various different areas such as social work, private security or working at the DMV

“She seems to care a lot about her students, and lets us know how she can help us out. She’s a professor who is really interested in our education and how we are treated as students,” said Octavio Sanchez, a student of Oborn’s administration of justice class.

When asked why students should consider the criminal justice field, Oborn said that it is a study that continues to constantly evolve.

“The Criminal Justice world is so similar to that of journalism, it’s always changing, and there’s always something new,” Oborn said.

Malik Walker / Roundup Caleb Word, BSU President, Susan Lawino BSU Adviser, and Tené Coleman, BSU Vice President at the Pierce College Library in Woodland Hills, Calif., Mar. 12, 2015.

Malik Walker / Roundup

Tené Coleman, BSU Vice President, speaks about the future of the BSU Club Pierce College, Library / Learning Crossroads, Woodland Hills, Calif., Mar. 12, 2015.

Skylar Lester/ Roundup

JAMES TRANSFER DEGREE

STEWART RoundUp Reporter @ jmstweartrn arts dePartment Guaranteed Transfer Guaranteed Transfer

Theater Preview: ʻCheeseʼ

Food Review: Tomato Patch

Comfort food comes in all shapes and sizes. Laurel Ollstein’s play “Cheese” premieres at Pierce on Friday, March 27 in the newly restored Performance Arts Building.

The dark comedy tells the tale of a deadbeat actor, a grieving mother, and a man that is obsessed with making carvings out of the rotted, smelly, milk by-product.

The first play to be performed in the Performance Arts Building after its renovations, “Cheese” is a rarity in the fact that it is a play that is actually written and directed by a Pierce staff member.

Writer, director, and Play

Production Instructor Laurel Ollstein has a reputable status in the acting and play-writing community, and said in an e-mail where her inspiration from the production

came.

“Cheese is a play that I wrote awhile back when I was a member of The Actors’ Gang (Tim Robbins theatre company). There was a production of it at the Gang as well as a few others around the country. It’s a dark comedy about finding yourself - about loss - about family, and yes, about cheese. “

Ollstein, along with a few other theater instructors, is responsible for hosting the auditions, assembling the all-student cast, and helping the cast rehearse.

Theater manager and producer of the play Michael Sande expressed his content for the new facilities, but seemed more focused on the idea of being part of a creation from his own department.

“It’s a dark comedy, it has something to say about certain issues, but at the end of the day it’s about entertaining you and making you laugh,” Sande said. “That’s what Laurel is really good at as a play-write.”

Sande also stated his feelings of optimism regarding the fact that “Cheese” is a never-before seen production.

“It’s hard because people have never heard of this play,” Sande said. “If you take a chance and come and see it, I guarantee you’re going to love it.”

While the Performing Arts Building did receive several new additions, the only new factors from a technologic standpoint are the lighting and sound.

Technician John Jones, who works in the theater department, went into slight detail of the status of the technology.

“We’ve always had a full shop,” Jones said about the previous resources available. “The old sound system was built in 1981.”

Performances begin March 27 and end April 5. Prices are $15 for general admission and $12 admission for seniors and students. For more info, call 818-719-6488.

LA Women: In her own words

Exhibition shows the determination of women who create art in dark places

HARRY BENNETT Roundup Reporter

@hb3reports

Atop the Pierce Art Hill, which overlooks the ambiance of Woodland Hills, the group exhibition “LA Woman: On Her Own Terms & Haunted” catered to a variety of audience members.

On Thursday, March 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., students, visitors and supporters were able to enter the art gallery and see the group’s artwork first-hand.

The strategically-lit room showcased more than ten exhibitions, which included various forms of visual artwork such as motion pictures, three-dimensional sculptures and still photography.

Toward the end of the show, Pierce Assistant Professor of Art Monika Del Bosque introduced the audience to the event’s guest curator Elizabeth Wild.

When asked about the exhibition’s message, Wild explained how the artwork was produced in atypical locations.

“LA Woman really represents how artwork

unorthodox environments. A lot of these artists were able to produce work in garages as opposed to a classroom or studio,” Wild said. “We have connections with female artists from our local Winslow Garage in Silverlake as well as spaces in Australia, so what we show is really worldwide.”

Last Thursday’s display promoted feminist artwork, but Wild said that she wants to add work from male artists into future exhibits.

“We are hoping in the future to add in male artists who can provide similar artwork. This year may be all females, but down the line we would like to expand our galleries into connecting with a wider demographic,” Wild said.

As guests continued to circle the room, Pierce College sophomore Christian Barrow was fixated on a large painting called “A Female Neanderthal & I” by Holly Topping. Barrow, who wants to get into the graphic design field, also liked to distinguish themes in contemporary art.

“My two favorite works tonight is this one in front of me and the one in the corner, called ‘Agatha’

MARC DIONNE Roundup Reporter @marc_d_photog

A restaurant opened for 40 years, Tomato Patch is a restaurant that has deli foods and vegetarian options for everyone who goes to Woodland Hills.

The Tomato Patch is a small restaurant that is hidden inside of a shopping center in Corbin Ave. but when you walk in to the restaurant you will see something different.

Walking in to the restaurant you see a restaurant that it has two windows for ordering food with two area to sit at. There is big windows naturally lighting the restaurant and a nice patio to sit at as well. The happy reception from the kitchen and ordering makes for a great ambiance.

The menu is printed out in

by Mary Anna Pomonis. This one right here by Topping is interesting because I am trying to figure out the meaning of the photo. It seems like there are two different messages represented by the primitive-like woman and the woman who looks like she lives in the present day,” Barrow said.

One of the artists present at the event, Beth Elliot, was an expert in the installation field. She described the themes of her art and how her color choices contributed to them.

“My artwork represents the connections of the world and universe. I use a lot of aqua and blue shades, which depicts the sky and the ocean which are very important elements in our world. I really try to emphasize a lot of positivity in my artwork through vibrant colors and meaningful messages,” Elliot said.

A short video that portrayed subliminal meanings in the feminine world represented the “Haunting” portion of the exhibition.

By the end the show, the art gallery’s packed house slowly filed its way out of the room and back into Woodland Hill’s luminescence.

small brochures and they have both deli sandwiches, vegetarian sandwiches, salads, freshly brewed tea, and yogurt shake.

Sandwiches come on various breads as wheat, sourdough, white, pita, bagel or egg and comes with a slice of cucumber, slice of pickle, and shredded carrots.

Salads are served with pita bread or crackers and with the choices of dressing like Ranch, Italian, Honey Dijon, Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette Caesar, Chinese Chicken and Blue Cheese.,

Having the BLT sandwich on pita bread makes it light but bold because of the bacon. Triple Threat is a zesty salad that has tuna, tabuli, Grape leaves, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and Romaine lettuce. The Veggie sandwich is a tangy sandwich that you can add red onions or alfalfa sprouts

After eating the meal, they give

you a 2 oz. cup of frozen chocolate yogurt as compliment.

Many people around the area know of this place like Kirsty Baker recommending the chicken salad as she sits with her co-workers as she eats there once a week knowing that her co-workers eat there as well.

Kristy Baker said “Reasonable prices” for the Tomato Patch and talking to owner Lucy Ekiziam saying that this place has been open for 40 years and said “This place is known via word of mouth”.

Being open for the past 40 years adds history to the place and having a five star rating on Yelp helps with showing the quality of the food being served.

The Tomato Patch is located on 19730 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with many times being busy.

Skylar Lester/ Roundup

pita wrapped BLT sits in front of a Triple Treat salad on the green in front of Tomato Patch.

comes at the

Edgar Amezcua / Roundup

Cheese Cast, Rehearsing for performance in Woodland Hills Los Angeles Calif. On March 12.

A Vibrant Campus

Life on the campus of Pierce College is varied and unique. Walk from one end of the Mall to the other and you may see students actively performing parkour moves by Library / Learning Crossroads, break dancing next to the bull statue, or you may run into Kronk the goat.

On the Art Hill, you can find students rehearsing inside the newly-renovated Performance Arts Building for the play “Cheese,” which will premier on Friday, March 27.

No matter where you go on campus, there will likely be an interesting sight to see.

Top: Veterinary technology club member, Yuri Foreman pets Kronk the goat during Club Rush on Thursday, March 12. Kronk, who is widely adored on campus, is cared for by the pre-vet / vet-tech club.

Photo: Skylar Lester

Right: Jerome Watts holds up a zombie poster for his club, Architecture and Design, during Club Rush on Thursday, March 12, 2015.

Photo: Andrew Caceres

Right: The cast of “Cheese” rehearse for their opening night performance inside the renovated Performance Arts Building on Thursday, March 12.

Photo: Edgar Amezcua Skylar Lester / Roundup Pierce College kinesiology major, Jesse Diaz, practices parkour in front of Library / Learning Crossroads on Thursday, March 12.

Volleyball self-sustains Lack of money leads team to seek sponsorships

SHARLA SMITH Roundup Reporter @sharlamsmith

The minimal funds the athletics department receives from Pierce College has led the men’s volleyball team to find ways of funding itself through sponsors and fundraising.

Head coach Lance Walker believes it’s important for the team to make connections with business owners for sponsorship. These connections make up for the lack of financial support.

“This year we received $3,000 from Pierce, which can be used for equipment needs like balls and nets,” Walker said. “We can’t use it for food, uniforms, or travel fees for away games and tournaments.”

Athletic director Bob Lofrano divides the money between all of Pierce’s athletic teams.

“All sports receive equal amounts of money, with the exception of football, because football has so many players,” Lofrano said. “I probably shouldn’t give equal amounts, because some teams don’t have the same amount of players, and I’m going to look at that in the future,” Lofrano said.

As players are recruited, Walker and assistant coach Bronson Oliveira explain to them that it takes a lot of outside work to be a part of the team.

“It’s a time-consuming process,” Oliveira said. “It’s a lot of work for the guys and coaches as well.”

Walker made sure that new players are informed on what it means to be on the team.

all of our equipment and uniforms, so whatever they bring in is what we’re going to get,” Walker said.

“I don’t want the guys to ask their parents for money. I want them to go out into the community and shake hands with business owners and ask if they’ll sponsor us and put a donation into our foundation account,” Walker said.

Walker is proud of how much his team accomplished in terms of funding, but there is still a sense of disagreement with the small amounts the team receives from the school.

Freshman outside hitter Garrett Degrasse doesn’t think that it’s fair that the team has to do its own fundraising.

“I think that being a college volleyball player, you shouldn’t have to pay so much money,” Degrasse said.

The team has many sponsors, including Cavaretta’s Italian Deli, Denny’s, Galpin Ford, Ralph’s, and Body Dynamix.

“Last year we brought $12,000 into the volleyball foundation,” Walker said.

Cavaretta’s supplied the team with sandwiches for all of the team’s road games at a discounted price.

“We’re always ready to help out local organizations,” said Cavaretta’s owner David Weisberg.

“We supply the team with lunches for its away games, we purchase advertising space, and we promote the team on our website,” Weisberg said. “We do what we can to help out.”

Denny’s on Ventura Boulevard in Woodland Hills is also a sponsor of the team.

SCHEDULE

March 18-24

BASEBALL

Thursday, March 19 vs. Oxnard 2:30 p.m. (away) VOLLEYBALL

SOFTBALL

TENNIS

Scott Aaronson / Roundup Assistant coach Bronson Oliveira of the Pierce College menʼs volleyball team picks up food for the team at Cavarettaʼs, one of its sponsors located in Canoga Park on Friday, March 13.

“I tell the guys up front that we don’t have the luxury of being a team that’s funded by the school for

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Squad flies high, but not high enough Pierce cheer team takes third place against elite competition

The Pierce College competition

cheer team lost to California Baptist University and University of Southern California at the Aloha International Spirit Championships Saturday, March 14 at USC.

Pierce was one of three teams that competed in the advanced college division. Head coach Jenny Ghiglia knew that her squad had to go up against some tough competition.

“California Baptist University is known to be the best cheer team in California,” Ghiglia said.

“For what we did, I’m very proud that we were able to be a part of that on the same level as them.”

Freshman flyer Vivian Herrera is confident that the team will be able to turn things around at the next competition.

“It definitely was not our best performance, but I believe that the team is going to learn from this experience, and we’ll be stronger in our next competition,” Herrera said.

“I was part of a basket toss that didn’t go up. My foot slipped and it was really sudden,” Herrera said. “It was the center basket, so it really got to me that I didn’t get to hit that basket.”

Although the team came in third, it was only 10 points away from second place.

“We were very close to USC in points, there was only a 10 point difference between us,” Ghiglia said. “We received an 11-point deduction for our falls, and that’s what made the difference.”

Sophomore base Andrea Henderson thinks the team needs to come together to offer each other encouragement after Saturday’s loss.

“Our flyers had a lot of mistakes

at the last competition and I know they’re feeling a lot of pressure right now,” Henderson said. “We need to do some team bonding to boost the morale. We can go out there and win, but we just have to pull together and work really hard.”

A fall occurred during a pyramid stunt in addition to the failed basket toss.

“This was the first time I saw them drop these stunts, so as a coach I just say let it go, and move

on,” Ghiglia said. “The ability was there, but their nerves got the best of them.”

The team faces difficulties by not being recognized by the athletic department. Athletic Director Bob Lofrano doesn’t believe that cheerleading is a sport.

“Cheerleading is not a sport, it’s an activity,” Lofrano said. “It goes along with sports because you always see cheerleaders at the games, but they’re not competing

against anybody. A sport is competition.”

The lack of support from the athletic department and not being recognized as athletes motivated Ghiglia to form the competition cheer team.

“When he said that we were not athletes that made me feel like all he sees is us supporting them, and that’s what made me start the competition team,” Ghiglia said. “He needs to understand that there

is a difference between a spirit team and a competition team, and if he ever went to an event he would see what cheerleaders do.”

Overall the team had a good experience and will work on its timing, focus, and execution. They will also do some conditioning to boost stamina.

Herrera has worked on her basket toss, which now has an increased level of difficulty. However, she isn’t feeling any pressure.

“They’ve increased the difficulty on that basket, and if we complete that, it would be the most advanced basket that Pierce has thrown,” Herrera said. “I tried it this Sunday and it went really well, so I’m looking forward to improving that.”

The next competition the team will prepare for is the Cali Finale in Bakersfield on April 18-19.

“We’re going to work our butts off,” Henderson said.

SHARLA SMITH Roundup Reporter @sharlamsmith

Alan Castro / Roundup

Pierce Collegeʼs cheerleading competition team holds up its third place banner after competing against California Baptist University and USC on Saturday, March 14 at USC.

Dual athlete leads by example

He was ranked as an E-4 Spc. and started as a driver in the tank and moved his way up to being a loader and then finally a gunner.

Sturdivant was honorably discharged and received both an Army Achievement Medal and Good Conduct Medal. He made a personal decision to not reenlist and to pursue his academic and football goals.

He went online to search for California community colleges and he found Pierce College to be his best option.

After joining the football team, the coaches immediately threw him into a leadership role when they discovered his army experience.

Sturdivant compared it to being thrown to the wolves at first, but his love for the game kept him interested and he’s never had problems as a captain.

“Football is the number one sport to me and

it will always be the number one sport to me,” Sturdivant said.

Sturdivant is majoring in psychology, but he considers it a backup plan as his primary focus remains football.

“Academics are important, but I’m not working this hard to just be a buff dude with a B.A. I’m trying to go the furthest,” Sturdivant said.

In the time between football seasons, Sturdivant plays on the Pierce tennis team.

“There is no ceiling to Army’s potential,” said tennis head coach Rajeev Datt. “Nobody on this team has a better work ethic than him. If I would have gotten my hands on him as a 10, 12 or even a 15-year-old, he could have gone and played at a university on a scholarship.”

His role as captain on the team goes beyond making his teammates better tennis players. Datt said that Sturdivant leads by example to help

Player Week of the

make his teammates better people.

“I think he brings in a lot of energy whenever we are on the court,” said freshman teammate Manish Kumar. “He taught me to always be positive no matter what.”

Sturdivant’s goal is to be a defensive back at a division one school, specifically San Diego State University.

Sturdivant still recalls the memories from his years in service that he can remember in detail. He would listen to hard rock to get him ready for a mission and while in his tank. From a tank to a locker room, Sturdivant hasn’t changed his preparation methods.

Before games, he still listens to rock bands like Linkin Park and Nirvana, but before he takes the field or court, he slows the music down and listens to artists like Sam Smith or Drake.

“I’m a nerd on the low,” Sturdivant said.

Tennis team outmatched

SCOTT PREWITT News Editor @s_prewitt

Manish Kumar - tennis player

How does it feel being named POTW?

“I found out about it yesterday at the gym. My teammate Jason told me, ‘you’re the player of the week.’ He made a pretty big hype about it, so I was excited. I wasn’t expecting it but I was really excited yesterday.”

What do you think about how your team has been doing lately?

“The team has been improving initially it was a slow start, but everybody is getting their game together and everybody is getting into a better mind set. Everybody wants to win. It’s a very good environment on and off the court.”

Do you personally like playing singles matches or doubles better?

“I would say it’s a mix. Currently in the season I’ve been winning more of my singles matches than doubles. But I really like to play doubles because that gives me an opportunity to hit my opponents and that’s what I love to do.”

What is your favorite memory while playing for pierce?

“It was actually my last match. I was playing a guy from Glendale College and there was some controversy. He was calling me names and he was given a couple of warnings and he was really instigating me throughout the match with every single point. It was a special match because I really had to win that match and I was in the right frame of mind. Nothing could affect me that day and I came out as a winner in two sets. So I was really happy about that match.”

Do you have a pregame ritual?

“Yes, I shower twice before my match. That’s kind of funny. I don’t use water bottles, I just use the bottles that are provided from the coach because I don’t think it’s lucky when I am using my bottles. I use a towel in every match and between each and every point. And of course I plug in my headphones at the end of team meetings, during warm ups I try to stay away from everyone and listen to my music.”

In the previous loss to Glendale, only one Pierce player won his singles match, freshman Manish Kumar. Kumar is the top-ranked player on the team, and won his match again on Thursday. He is undefeated in singles matches, with a record of 9-0. Kumar used anything to his advantage, including the wind speed. “I knew it was going to be windy this afternoon, so my strategy was to play with the wind,” Kumar said.

Team captain Jason Sturdivant said that strategy was part of the team’s overall approach and credited Kumar as one of his strongest players.

“For singles, we play to our strengths and we exploit our opponents’ weaknesses,” Sturdivant said. “Manish, that’s his strategy. He wears them out. He wears them out until they’re gritty.”

In the second set between Kumar and Orojian, Orojian made allegations of cheating.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Small strike zone

JESSICA BONILLA Roundup Reporter @bonilla_jess

The strike zone shrank and an abundance of walks led the Pierce College softball team to its eighth loss of the season on Monday, March 16 at home against Orange Coast College.

The game went seven innings and Pierce lost 8-1.

Brahma freshman pitcher Nicole Linderman struggled to throw strikes consistently and walked batters, which allowed Orange Coast to score two runs in the fifth inning.

Menʼs volleyball loses two straight

The Pierce College men’s volleyball team got its sixth loss of the season on Wednesday, March 11 against Santa Monica College.

Pierce won the second set, but went on to lose 3-1 in four sets. (25-21, 26-24, 25-12, 25-20)

“I could have done better,” Linderman said. “I lost faith in myself towards the end. I need to train better and prepare for the heat because I got a little tired towards the end.”

Linderman’s slow pitching toward the sixth inning was a due to an incomplete team, two of whom are replacement pitchers.

Pierce head coach Danny Moore remained calm and supported his team throughout the game.

“I think the girls battled hard. They just didn’t hit well. The hitting didn’t come around when we needed it,” Moore said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Baseball team beats third place Cuesta

The Bulls went on the road after a BYE week and defeated Cuesta College on Saturday, March 14.

Sophomore pitcher Elliot Keene faced three batters, but got the 7-5 win in relief of sophomore starting pitcher Austin Peters. Record: 10-10 | Standing: 3rd

Mohammad Djauhari / Roundup

Jason Sturdivant, captain of both the tennis and football teams and an Army vet, plays with his racket on the tennis courts of Pierce College on Thursday, March 12, 2015. Woodland Hills, Calif.

Quotes gathered by Sal Fariaz | @s_fariaz

Photo by Megan Moureaux | @meganlmoureaux

Tim Daoud/ Roundup

Pierce freshman catcher Alicia Augustinus is safe at first base.

The Pierce College tennis team is 2-6 overall, but Manish Kumar is undefeated in singles matches with a record of 9-0.