Volume 122 Spring 2015 Roundup Issue 5

ROUNDUP

@roundupsports

Students offer

free tax prep Volunteers assist with VITA program

Business 10 students have learned the fundamentals of how to prepare state and federal taxes, and will offer free tax preparation Saturday, April 4, for anyone with an annual income lower than $50,000.

Instructor Norachai Chawareewong has taught the class for two years. The free tax service has been offered by the The Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA) program.

“I really want to see this program grow,” Chawareewong said. “You cannot sign up for this class twice. Many of the preparers are returning students and cannot re-enroll, and they have taught themselves to qualify for the advance certificate provided by the IRS.”

Around eight students will prepare the taxes with the help of experienced volunteers for around 50 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

“It’s really rewarding,” said accounting major Helen Jung Suh. “They are really happy because some people actually get money, thousands, back.”

Travel agent Jackie Zhuang signed up for Chawareewong’s class to gain experience in a new field, and to have something else to fall back on.

“I was just thinking of getting a side job and expanding myself in another kind of field,” Zhuang said. “I have a small business myself, but I don’t know how long it’s going to last.”

Tax filers arrive at 9 a.m. with W-2 forms in-hand to help ensure a smooth process and allow for the largest refund, Chawareewong said.

The VITA program’s free tax filing is Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to noon in BUS 3218.

-Compiled by Seth Perlstein

Spring break April 6-10, next Roundup April 22

There will be no classes the week of April 6 for spring break.

The next Roundup issue will hit newsstands after the break April 22.

What are your spring break plans? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter with #piercespringbreak

ASO election April 2123, first-ever e-ballot

The Associated Students Organization’s (ASO) election is set for April 21 to 23, and will use electronic balloting for the first time.

Links to the electronic ballots will be emailed on April 21, according to Michael McGee, ASO treasurer.

The candidates will introduce themselves at the Day of Politics Thursday, April 2, from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Great Hall, and will debate in the ASO April 16 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

STOMP at UCLA PRESENTS

Who will you vote for when the candidates are announced? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter with #pierceaso

NFL vet to coach offense

The 16th Annual STOMP TRANSFER CONFERENCE

UCLA STOMP transfer conference

Former Viking, Jet, Jag joins revamped football staff

MEGAN MOUREAUX Managing Editor @meganlmoureaux

Getting drafted by an NFL team is a long shot, even more so if a player doesn’t come from a major university. But there’s a new coach at Pierce College who knows exactly what it’s like to go from a small school to playing on Sundays.

Matthew Hatchette graduated from Langston University, a Division II school in Oklahoma,

and played in the NFL for six years. Hatchette brings his professional experience to the Pierce football team as the new offensive coordinator.

The former wide receiver was drafted in 1997 in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings. He played three years for the Vikings before he played for the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. After he retired from the NFL in 2003, Hatchette moved to Los Angeles and began teaching football camps and local high school teams.

“I pretty much got into the high school football portion of coaching, and since then it’s kind of

evolved,” Hatchette said. “Now this opportunity came up through some friends out here at Pierce while training some high school kids. I decided it was a good opportunity, so I took the position.”

This will be Hatchette’s first stint as a college football coach, as he mostly teaches off-season camps for Nike and Elite 11, where he works with some of the top high school players across the nation.

“That kind of gives me a widespread view of the talent across the nation on this level,” Hatchette said.

Friday, April

UCLA will educate community college students about transfer strategies, its majors, student housing and financial aid at its Student Transfer Opportunity and Mentor Program (STOMP) conference. The STOMP conference is Friday, April 24, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

24th,2015

8:30am—4:00pm Ackerman Grand Ball Room

Chancellor visits, answers audience questions

Nieman and two Sheriff’s officers escorted an audibly upset former Pierce Foundation Director Dennis Washburn from the building.

SCOTT PREWITT News Editor @s_prewitt

LA Community College

District Chancellor Francisco

Rodriguez fielded questions March 26 at a Pierce College event dubbed “Conversation With The Chancellor.”

Rodriguez addressed several issues centered around the district’s budget woes during the recession, and attempted to reassure audience members that those issues are in the past.

“I’m not concerned about this year’s budget, or the following year’s, but three or five years from now,” Rodriguez said. “And the good news is, we’re finally out of the recession.”

Rodriguez said between the 200809 and the 2013-14 school years, the LACCD cut its enrollment by 20,000 full-time students. He added that the district is starting to increase enrollment to pre-recession numbers.

But before Rodriguez took the stage, Facilities Director Paul

“This is not a way to run an airline, I’ll tell you that,” said Washburn, also former mayor of Calabasas.

Pierce President Kathleen Burke took the stage after the incident and welcomed the chancellor. In her introduction speech, she made reference to the event’s private nature.

“I just want to remind everybody this isn’t a public event,” Burke said.

However, the event’s fliers made no reference to that, and listed only the “Conversation With The Chancellor” tagline, accompanied by Rodriguez’s name and the location, date and time of the event.

Do you want to transfer to UCLA? Tell us why on Facebook and Twitter with #piercetransfer

The Student Transfer Outreach & Mentor Program

ʻMAJOR MATTERSʼ engineering seminar

UCLA invites all community college students including dents that have been historically underrepresented ties such as: students of color, low-income, first and non-traditional interested in pursing higher the UC system. Don’t miss out on the opportunity strategies and resources for a successful transfer! WORKSHOPS

* Financial Aid * Admissions updates for

The Pierce Counseling Faculty’s workshop series “MAJOR MATTERS” will shift its focus to engineering for its latest installment. It will cover how to prepare for the engineering major and how to get guaranteed admission to a University of California school.

* AB540 information * Students with dependents

* Admissions selection and criteria

* Graduate Professional

* Transfer Strategies * And much more!!!!!

Beginning March 16th through April 22nd RSVP www.admission.ucla.edu/stompconference

The “MAJOR MATTERS” engineering workshop is Friday, April 3, 1 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

For more information contact: Cristina Garcia or Asani stomp@saonet.ucla.edu 310.206.8118 UCLA

Co– Sponsored by Undergraduate Admission

Rodriguez called for questions at the end of his address.

One student seated in the back of the theater asked the chancellor why there were no notifications on the vacant cafeteria to explain the absence of food vendors. Burke stepped onto the stage and redirected the question to Associate Vice President Larry Kraus.

“I assume you’re talking about the fact that the cafeteria had been open at one point, and that the contract wasn’t renewed with that company,” Burke said. “Larry, is

Larry [Kraus] still here? So you’ll take care of that Larry.”

Kraus responded affirmatively.

However, he had no information when he was asked about it later that day.

“No, I don’t have any [answer],”

Kraus said. “I don’t have any information right now.”

Rodriguez also addressed a question about whether costs to operate the cafeteria were taken into account before its construction during the recession.

“Uh, so, what we want to do is, you know, and, when the district was running food services through a variety of mechanisms,” he said.

“It was spending, it was costing the district about $700,000 per year to do that.”

CTC Transfer 101 workshops HIV/AIDS Awareness

The Career and Transfer Center will host free workshops for students to learn about transfer resources, minimum transfer requirements and general education pathways.

The workshops will happen Wednesday, April 1, 10 to 11 a.m. and Thursday, April 2, 1 to 2 p.m. in the Career and Transfer Center Workshop Room on the first floor of the Student Services Building.

Where do you want to transfer to? Tell on Facebook and Twitter with #piercetransfer

“EducationforLiberation”

Calvin Alagot / Roundup

LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez speaks to Pierce College at the “Conversation with the Chancellor” event hosted by Pierce President Kathleen Burke on March 26 in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Mohammad Djauhari / Roundup

Former NFL wide receiver and current offensive coordinator of the Pierce College football team Matthew Hatchette draws plays on a mirror inside the Wet Class and Adaptive Physical Education room on Thursday, March 26. Woodland Hills, Calif.

MONICA SALAZAR Roundup Reporter @salazarmonica8

-Additional reporting by Harry Bennett

BEAT

What are your plans for spring break? Are there a lot of options for people in LA?

Busy campus calls for place of solitude

It’s no secret that we live in a much faster-paced world than the days of our grandparents. Early mornings, late nights, and multiple deadlines often make people feel like they need a timeout from life.

Now more than ever, time for reflection, contemplation and a sanctuary you can feel at ease in is necessary for the spiritual well-being amongst all people.

If Pierce had a Reflection Room, it would be an allwelcoming and necessary space to add to the campus, as it would provide an area that is accepting and that caters to needs of all students - religious or not.

This space would not be for congregations or preaching, but for quiet prayer, reflection or meditation that would enable students to calm themselves spiritually, which would in turn enable them to focus and have a level head to concentrate on their academics.

Instead of creating a room to look like a chapel, temple or mosque, the Reflection Room interior should have seats and lots of floor space to be a quiet location, ideal for introspection and contemplation.

According to Student Health Center Director Beth Benne, some college students suffer from anxiety, and by providing a space for them to meditate and practice breathing techniques, it will contribute to optimal mental health and enhance coping strategies to deal with everyday life.

Some may argue that separation of church and state prevents places like reflection rooms from being on campuses, but these rooms transcend religion and provide an area for both the religious and non-religious.

Other university campuses around the country have already adapted to their students’ needs, such as California State University, Northridge, which has provided a space for the growing number of students, both religious and nonreligious, who need a place to unwind and relax in silence.

It is hard to cater to all communities, but by allowing a space for all students, the Reflection Room responds to the needs of students and symbolizes that these needs are important.

Pierce College views diversity as a strength, and if it establishes a Reflection Room, it can meet the needs of its diverse students. By using an unused room, perhaps one in the library courtyard, it would be a low-cost solution to a big problem, and would show that Pierce is sensitive to the multicultural needs of the society we serve.

Mandatory voting to be required of US citizens

Voting Rights Act guaranteed that right to all Americans, the vast majority of the country seems to have developed mass-amnesia.

Child Development major

–CORRECTIONS–

Volume 122, Issue 4

Page 1: The vote count and margin of victory reported in “Battle for Board of Trustees Seat 1 is final” included only the city of LA. The total vote count

80,426

79,305

SCOTT PREWITT sprewitt.roundupnews@gmail.com @s_prewitt

Universal suffrage is the foundation of any true democracy, but all too often it is seen as a right of citizenship, when in fact it is a civic responsibility.

By charging non-voters a nominal tax, that money could be put toward campaign finance reform, advertising local elections, or spent on programs aimed at getting low-income students involved in the political system.

For much of this country’s history, only white, landowning men could cast ballots in elections. Women didn’t gain that right until 1920, with the 19th Amendment. And although the 15th Amendment “guaranteed” black men the right to vote in 1870, many states continued to find new and creative ways to rob them of that right for nearly a century, until the Voting Rights Act became law in 1965.

Both of those groups fought an inconceivably difficult uphill battle against that inequality, defying odds that were heavily stacked against them, and ultimately secured the right to have an equal voice in the system that had treated them, at best, as second-class citizens.

Their struggle against that system began before America declared its independence, and the torch was passed from one generation to the next for nearly 200 years before they won that fundamental human right.

People were imprisoned, beaten, committed to asylums, and hanged, but they kept fighting, knowing that even if they never lived to step foot in a voting booth, their children and grandchildren could benefit from the blood they spilled.

Now, just 50 years after the

The United States Election Project found that only 30 percent of registered voters in California cast their ballots in the 2014 general election that saw Republicans take control of Congress.

The Pew Research Center found that African-Americans and minorities in general made up only 22 percent of likely voters in 2014. Conversely, minorities made up 43 percent of those likely not to vote in the same election.

That figure is startling. Three in 10 people in this state are making decisions that affect 100 percent here, yet the other seven believe their votes are inconsequential.

As that statistic creeps closer and closer to one person in 10, or five in 100, it is likely that the elected officials who win with such minute support will have little-tonothing in common with 95 out of 100 people they’d be tasked with governing. The interests of the candidate and the interests of the governed would be at irreversibly crossed-purposes.

A world where nobody votes wouldn’t look like Shangri-La, it would look like Berlin circa 1938. A small tax for those who refuse to participate in the decision-making process looks far less like fascism than a future where 1 percent of the population makes all of our decisions.

Mandatory voting should not be a law in this country, especially when many Americans are not wellinformed on what they actually vote for.

President Barack Obama mentioned an idea that would force all adults to vote here in the United States.

There are over 20 countries that have a mandatory voting law, according to PBS. But in the U.S., there are many different races and cultures that differ from the countries that have these policies.

Many people want to see a person of their race or gender become the next president, and they will vote for someone solely on that logic, regardless of the candidate’s actual beliefs or policies.

When President Obama was elected, he won because of race and popularity. There were many voters that wanted to see the first AfricanAmerican president and were going to vote for him no matter what he said or promised to do for the country.

Young voters were another reason

Obama won, but a great number of them had no idea what they were voting for and just picked someone they recognized from social media or television appearances.

The young Americans voted without being informed of who was running against Obama, and they had no knowledge of any current or future legislation.

In today’s society, it seems that voting has become a popularity contest. The younger generation also votes just to get an “I Voted” sticker and share it on social media.

“We shouldn’t be making it harder for voters, we should be making it easier,” Obama said.

Making it harder to vote is a better idea that would make sense for this country. Mandatory voting for all adults means everyone is going to vote in this country, even those people that do not want to vote.

Someone who does not want to vote shouldn’t be forced to.

Having some sort of test to be allowed to vote is what Obama should be suggesting. Forcing voters to take a test to be allowed to vote would eliminate the people that vote just because they can, as well as those that just want to be part of a trend.

There are people that do research and learn about what they are voting for, and those should be the people allowed at the polls.

If people continue to say that they want their voices to be heard, then they should be willing to take an exam to prove how qualified they are to cast a vote.

The deadline is 11:59 p.m. the Sunday prior to the issue date. Editorial Policy:

The Pierce College Roundup position is presented only in the editorials.

Cartoons and photos, unless run under the editorial masthead, and columns are the opinions of the creators and not necessarily that of the Roundup.

The college newspaper is published as a learning experience under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.

be a letter.

“I was coming from Temecula so the Inland Empire gets really boring. Here in LA is so much fun. That’s one of the reasons why I’m out here.”

-STEPHEN PALMA

Nursing major

“There is a lot of stuff to do. But it kind of depends on if you have transportation and your schedule, but there is a bunch of stuff to do.”

- ASHLAND ANDERSON

Business major

“There are quite a lot of options for spring break in LA. You can always go to the beach [or] you can hang out with your friends. ”

CASSANDRA PATTERSON

Translation & Interpretation major

“Training for volleyball and honestly, I’ll probably work because I coach and that’s all really. I don’t have any major plans. Maybe go to the beach. ”

- CALLIE KRUSE

Kinesiology major

Quotes gathered by Jaël Allen | Photos by Megan Moureaux

“I feel like there are a lot of options anywhere, not just LA. But it’s more fun to go outside LA. ”

- NICHELAE HENDERSON

was actually

for Hoffman and

for Vega, with a margin of victory for Hoffman of 1,101 votes.

Page 4: Rudolfo Covarrubias name was misspelled as Covarrudios in the ‘Jah’ feature.

–COMIC STRIP–

Flydoskope by Tobennh Dacanay

Students

to redesign college seal

PCC will review, select new seal for official documents

CARA HUNTER Online Editor @CaraRoundup

Graphic design students at Pierce will draft a new official seal for the college and compete for the final approval of the Pierce College Council.

Assistant professor of art and multimedia Michael Cooperman was at the PCC’s meeting Thursday to propose concepts for a new Pierce College seal. The current seal features a typewriter and candle, and has not been changed since the mid-’90s.

“My students get to compete against one another for the chance to use an official Pierce College seal in their portfolios, like they would in the real world,” Cooperman said.

Members of the PCC said they want an updated design to better reflect the Pierce College of the 21st century. Suggestions included the addition of a modern computer to replace the typewriter.

The Pierce College seal is primarily used in official documents, such as academic transcripts, scholarship awards and letters from the college.

“We’re the judges and the clients,” said Lyn Clark, chair of Computer Applications and Office Technologies. “We’ll select three seals and submit them to the President, and she’ll decide if one, two or three of them make it.”

Senior Administrative Analyst Mofe Doyle said students, as well as the PCC, should help decide.

“Students should also pick, I don’t want it to be just us by ourselves,” Doyle said. “Students should have a voice, it’s democratic.”

Event boosts AIDS awareness

Anonymous testing returns, no HIV-positive results reported

SHARLA SMITH Roundup Reporter @SharlaMSmith

Free, confidential HIV testing returned to Pierce College’s HIV/ AIDS Awareness Week after liability concerns at the district level resulted in the cancellation of the tests last semester.

The two-week event also included speakers who visited classrooms to discuss life with HIV/AIDS.

“I think when anybody gets tested, that’s a success,” said Student Health Center Director Beth Benne. “I think anything that ups the awareness of our students, staff, and anybody else who comes on campus to get tested is a good thing.”

Two groups, BIENESTAR and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, performed tests on-campus. The

method used by the organizations required only a small finger prick, and results were available within 20 minutes in most cases. Benne said a total of 157 people were tested this week, none of whom tested positive for HIV/AIDS.

According to Benne, speakers from the Being Alive organization visited 10 classrooms this semester.

“Being Alive speakers went into classrooms at faculty members’ requests, and spoke about living with HIV,” Benne said. “These people are all HIV/AIDS-positive, and come from all socioeconomic and ethnic walks of life.”

Steve Bolan, a speaker from Being Alive, has been involved with HIV/AIDS Awareness Week at Pierce for about a decade. He said it is important to meet with students, because he puts a human face to the disease.

“Pierce is by far the most

sophisticated in AIDS education of the colleges that I know of in the county,” Bolan said.

When Bolan was diagnosed with AIDS in the early ’80s, there was little information available about the disease. The treatment options used today were unheard of at that time.

“Back then, it was such an unknown and scary disease,” he said.

Bolan said a positive result today is not the death sentence it once was.

“At one point you would get tested and there was nothing you could do about it,” Bolan said. “Now you can do something about it, you can get very effective treatment.”

The BIENESTAR organization administered HIV tests on March 23 and 26, and provided results within one minute. AIDS Healthcare Foundation conducted HIV testing on March 24 and 25, and had the results ready for students in 20 minutes.

Incident Report

March 22 - March 28

-Reporting by Scott Prewitt and Victor Rodriguez -Compiled by Vanessa Arredondo

3/26—Student Collapses

A student collapsed in the Freudian Sip at about 12:30 p.m. and left the campus by ambulance. The cause of the collapse is unknown.

3/25—Fire Alarm

Pedro Prieto, HIV counselor from AIDS Healthcare Foundation, said prevention is a critical aspect of HIV/AIDS education.

“Part of staying alive and being healthy is getting checkups, and while HIV is something that might not affect everyone, it could without them knowing,” Prieto said.

BIENESTAR HIV Counselor Sandra Medina emphasized the importance of safe sex.

“We’re here for prevention,” Medina said. “We give a lot of information to students, we give them condoms, and talk to them about how important it is to use them.”

Bolan said that because the disease is out of the headlines, some people have become complacent.

“We need to let people know it’s still out there, just waiting to pounce,” Bolan said.

HIV/AIDS Awareness Week is expected to return next semester.

A fire alarm sounded at about 2 p.m. in the CFS building, and continued for 10-15 minutes. The cause is unknown, but a faculty member said it may have been a false alarm.

3/23—Car Crash

Two cars crashed at about 5 p.m. by the Winnetka entrance to Pierce College. No injuries were reported, but both vehicles were damaged.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station General Information:

(818) 719 - 6450 Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Alan Castro / Roundup

ASL teachers collaborate to sign

Sign language duo educates future interpreters, shares pay

ASHLEY LʼHEUREUX Roundup Reporter @LHeureuxAshley

Acollision of two worlds

is made possible by Kathy Goodson and Stephanie Durand, who co-teach American Sign Language by splitting the pay rate.

Durand and Goodson offer Pierce their knowledge of sign language and break new ground by co-teaching.

Students enrolled in ASL 5 experience both the hearing and deaf aspect of this visual language.

“We really applaud the modern language department, they have given us this amazing opportunity,” adjunct instructor Stephanie Durand said.

Durand, who was born deaf, has a different perspective on the world according to Goodson.

“I’m a hearing woman and so I get to learn about the culture from a direct member.,” adjunct instructor Goodson said.

This is the first semester at Pierce that the duo has taught together.

“We have 40 students who are highly motivated, and they motivate me,” Durand said. Their co-ed work ethic does not go unnoticed on campus.

“They are very innovative and student-centered,” Dean of the Modern Language Department, Barbara Anderson said. “This is the first interpreting training class for sign language where a hearing and deaf professor have knowledge from interpreting.”

Money was never the motive for the co-teachers, There was a mutual decision to split the pay between the interpreters to allow

the class to operate.

“It’s a three-unit class, so we’re being paid 1.5 units,” Goodson said. “We are more interested in the students’ benefit than our pocketbook with this course.”

Goodson and Durand have an individual outlook to offer in their expertise of interpreting that keeps the students engaged. Both instructors are very supportive of each other’s viewpoints of American Sign Language.

Educating students on what a deaf person encounters in the hearing world is not the easiest task.

“So instead we have a deaf person who gets to represent what we are trying to teach them,” Goodson said.

Their passion to share this knowledge gives an advantage to the American Sign Language program at Pierce.

“To be an interpreter you need an understanding of the hearing and deaf world, so as a co-teaming experience, the students benefit greatly,” Goodson said.

“My favorite part about teaching are the students when the light bulb goes off and they’ve learned,” Durand said. “I love seeing people wanting to be apart of my community. It’s really uplifting.”

Both professors encourage that everyone in this world should attempt to grasp the skill of sign language. The younger someone learns a method of communication, the quicker the knowledge is resonated.

“For hearing and deaf babies, it’s easier to pick up sign language at that young of an age,” Durand said. Her niece’s first language was ASL because of how easily visual aids are communicated.

“I am not deaf and I’ve traveled to other countries and countries I didn’t know the language,” Goodson said. “I’ve been frustrated , but knowing ASL and seeing deaf people in these foreign lands, I am actually able to communicate with them because there’s a benefit of knowing a visual language.”

The relationship between Goodson and Durand is full of support and knowledge.

“Stephanie’s energy is infectious and she’s also like the energizer bunny - she never ends, she never stops,” Goodson said. “Coffee. It’s the coffee that helps,” Durand said. “Kathy

knows her stuff, and she knows interpreting, she’s got the heart and soul.”

This teaching experience created a whole new aspect of learning..

“I would like to see more co-teaching classes on campus as well as cross-disciplinary,”

Goodson said.

“That would be really wonderful to have a public speaker come in and talk to students about combatting the nerves that come up with interpreting, and I just think it would be an amazing opportunity for interdisciplinary teaching on this campus,” Goodson said.

Professorʼs approach connects physics with nature

Instructor uses holistic style to teach intimidating subject

SHARLA SMITH Roundup Reporter @sharlamsmith

Armed with creativity and a holistic approach, professor Michelle Meyer tries to make an intimidating subject relatable to students.

Meyer has taught at Pierce College since spring 2003, and she uses a holistic style of teaching to help students learn physics. The goal of holistic education is for students to be able to make connections between what they’re learning and real world applications.

“What’s important is for students to make connections with physics and nature,” Meyer said. “You have to teach fundamentals, but it doesn’t

have to be boring. There should be some major connections.”

The holistic method is aimed at tapping into the many different ways that individual students learn, which is a lot different than the usual one size fits all curriculum. As part of her holistic teaching style, Meyer does not give midterms. Instead, she gives students weekly quizzes.

“I give weekly quizzes, because I do not believe in midterms,” Meyer said. “Weekly quizzes keep students on a learning pattern, rather than them knowing the fourth week into school they’re going to have a midterm, and it turns into cramming, and they lose that fundamental step of learning bit by bit.”

She tailors her classes to maximize retention of what was

learned.

“My approach is not to give them technically super hard physics problems, because they’re not going to gain anything from it,” Meyer said. “If I have to take a day of class to reinforce ideas I will do that.

Through use of the senses, she is able to help students make connections between concepts and applications.

“I use language, animation, and tactile things,” Meyer said. “I’ll bring things in for students to handle, so that they can then embed themselves into it with touching, and being able to move it around.”

Meyer also uses mnemonics to help students remember things.

“I like to use fun mnemonics so that students will have something silly to remember, but they’re now

making a visual connection too,” Meyer said. “For example, we’re learning certain concepts and we say we pray to this particular law.”

According to Dale Fields, chair of physics and planetary sciences, his department is one of the most diverse on campus. He said that the physics department tries to tailor its teachings to the students through research of what techniques work well.

“The physics department focuses on physics education research so that they can find what techniques are the most useful at teaching students how to learn physics,” Fields said.

Dr. Margaret Wessling, physics professor, said that some physicists have focused their research on how people learn physics.

“One of their overwhelming findings was that people don’t learn very much from lectures,” Wessling said. “People don’t really retain it unless they’re doing something active themselves.”

Meyer understands and remembers what it’s like to be in her students’ shoes.

“I relate to my students because I know their struggles. I struggled with taking physics as an undergrad pre-med major,” Meyer said. “I have a bachelors in molecular biology and my masters in physics, so I have a greater sensitivity to the non-engineering students.”

Two of her classes were cancelled this semester, Physics 66 and 67, due to lack of enrollment.

“I’m not happy they cancelled my classes,” Meyer said. “I had 14 students enrolled, and two who were going to add the first day of class, but our campus is looking to have maximum fill capacity for each class, and 15 students is the minimum.”

“To change the philosophy to a more business approach, which is to fill those classes up and be cutthroat with it, is not in the students’ interest and it’s a major disservice

and disruption,” Meyer said.

She also stated that students take her physics classes because they have to, not because they want to.

Being women in physics has its hardships according to both Meyer and Wessling.

“It’s definitely something that you notice,” Wessling said. “There is still a big gender imbalance, for instance, in my Physics 101 class, only 11 out of 39 students are women, and that’s actually a pretty high ratio.”

“It’s a problem because female students look around and see a lot of guys and think that they don’t belong there, and I’d like to see that change,” Wessling said.

Meyer dealt with the adversities of being a woman when she worked in the engineering industry.

“There are still issues with men dealing with women, especially if women don’t act in a subordinate role,” Meyer said. “Women who have their own opinions and are proactive throw off a lot of men.”

Although Meyer has worked in both the aerospace and commercial engineering industries, she finds teaching to be the most gratifying.

“I like to see the light bulb that turns on when students get over the trepidation that physics has to be super technical,” Meyer said. “I prefer teaching to working in the industry, because students actually say thank you,” Meyer said.

Raymond Gonzalez / Roundup

Kathy Goodson (left) and Stephanie Durand teach ASL 5 in VLGE 8210 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Raymond Gonzalez / Roundup

Michelle Meyer teaches physics in CFS 92041 in Woodland Hills, Calif.

The malodorous play that you canʼt avoid

Dark comedy ʻCheeseʼ debuts for the Pierce audience

BRITTANY HENDERSON

Features Editor @BrittanyJanai

One of the uses for cheese is normally on a burger, but for Playwright and Director Laurel Ollstein, she takes the meaning of cheese into a symbolic direction.

Pierce College’s Theater Department held its debut performance of the play “Cheese,” which lived up to its description as a pungent comedy March 27, 2015 at 8 p.m. in the Performing Arts Building.

Cheese had two acts and was published by Original Works Publishing in 2010.

The stage was intimate and was close enough for any of the eight

cast members to touch the audience.

To match the theme of a 70s-style home, the props and setup were done perfectly. It was a living room with brown wooden walls, a small brown couch, and wooden shelves that gave off a “Brady Bunch” vibe. There were 10 props that stood out on the stage and served as a reminder to the most important theme of the play, cheese.

Carefully placed on shelves and tables throughout the staged living room were yellows statues that were meant to represent sculptures made of cheese. The name of the play had two meanings that tied into a physical and emotional aspect. The physical aspect was the fact that cheese sculptures were visually on stage and represented the odd obsession of one of the characters, Griffin, played by Vincent Cusimano.

The emotional aspect symbolized that if there are years of denial, lies, and secrecy then just like the food cheese, it will start to smell and rot.

The character, Jesse, played by Trevor Alkazian, gave the audience the setup to his family and life only to start the play in a shocking manner with an obscene word that definitely was an attention grabber.

The rest of the dark comedy stayed consistent and had a highlighted comedic relief throughout the play by charismatic

An opportunity to shine

First open mic event of the semester delivers in dramatic fashion

VICTOR RODRIGUEZ

Roundup Reporter

@vrodriguez2100

Whether it be stand-up comedy or heart-felt poetry, the Pierce College Open-Mic Night hosted a number captivating performances for the student body, faculty and the community as well.

Taking place on the night of March 25, this event featured cozy red couches scattered throughout The Great Hall. At first it may have seemed unnecessary, but they came in handy when the string of performances lasted for three hours straight with no intermission.

English Professor Marra Kraemer, attendee and coordinator of the event, was nothing less than shocked when the crowd turnout was larger than first expected.

“I’m so excited,” Kraemer said. “Look at this turnout, we expecting only 25. When we showed up we realized we didn’t have enough chairs.”

The only rule to follow was a time limit of five minutes per performance. Other than that, performers had complete freedom as to what they could share with the audience. Unlike Kraemar, Master

of Ceremonies John Accardo anticipated the diverse group of performers that participated in the event. “I was expecting what we got,” Accardo said. “We got a lot of different performances from students showcasing their talents.”

Students and instructors alike displayed talents that varied from the classic stand-up comedy routine, to solo-guitar serenades. There was even a rendition of Alfred Tennyson among the bunch.

English Professor Emily Anderson shared her satisfaction with the skills shared that night.

“I think it was a big success actually. We were really happy with the turnout, really amazing talent I thought. Really great poetry, spoken word, really wonderful musicians,” Anderson said.

There was a common theme around the room as performers and supporters asked why open-mic night does not happen more often. “Let’s have more of these let’s give a space to students who want that,” Anderson said.

There is something to be said about a person who can get on stage, and share their hard work with the world.

David Durrani is one such student. With his guitar in hand, he entertained the crowd with an

original song entitled “Lost.”

“I wrote that song about a year ago… I was in a weird situation with my teacher and this girl I was seeing and myself,” Durrani said, “It felt great man, after doing it multiple times, you get used to it, you just feed off the crowd.”

Durrani, who has performed at Pierce Thursday Concerts a number of times as well, enjoyed the event and hoped to see more open-mic gatherings like this in the future.

“These things are great, there’s so many people you just don’t even realize do this type of stuff,” Durrani said. “There’s people I saw in my geology class, and I was like holy crud, the quiet person in the back just whipped that out.”

The night of exhibition gave the Pierce College community a platform, a place that could reveal a hidden skill which might not been cultivated anywhere else.

character Mamie, played by Javierra Torres.

Characters that played key roles in the suspenseful build up were Cindy, played by Elyse Hamilton, Billie played by Meagan Truxal, and Chris played by Fiona Cheung.

At the time of intermission the theme of the play continued with servers giving out cheese and crackers to the audience for a snack as they set up for the second act.

The music during intermission

was even dedicated to cheese including a remix of Snoop Dogg’s “Drop it like it’s Hot” was then changed to “I like Cheese a lot”.

The second act brought things up to speed for the year of 1990 and allowed the character Jesse to insert himself in the scenes with the other actors as a teenage boy.

At this time, all of the issues that were festering like rotted cheese and had to be confronted.

Ollstein was able to sit back and watch the cast act out her written work on stage.

During the comedic parts of the play, Ollstein would laugh along with the audience as if she’s watching it for the first time herself.

‘Cheese’ definitely pushed the envelope on topics that are considered uncomfortable to society. Death, homosexuality, murder, and deceit were all points brought up in the play but still kept a comedic flair which was impressive.

Cheese will continue to be performed until April 5, 2015.

Lynn Levitt / Special to The Roundup ʻCheeseʼ actors showing a diverse branch of performance skills.

Lynn Levitt/Special to The Roundup

Fiona Cheung and Meagan Truxal feel a little more than animal magnetism during their show at Pierce Collegeʼs Performing Arts Building in Woodland Hills, Calif. March 24.

“It felt great man, after doing it multiple times, you get used to it.”

-David Durrani Open-Mic Performer

Studio

Launched in April 2010, KPCRadio.com is an Internet radio station based out of Pierce College that is run entirely by students. The station strives to be a resource for local news, entertainment and social issues, while providing a platform for students to express their ideas.

KPCRadio.com features 25-minute shows that are hosted by club members, journalism majors and professors. The shows cover a range of topics from vegan food in the Valley, to health and kinesiology.

The station is a sister network of Pierce journalism publications The Bull Magazine and The Roundup News, and requires no prerequisite to join. Each member of KPCRadio.com has brought his or her own unique skills and experience to its diverse and talented staff.

-Photos by Skylar Lester

Right: Careful fingers adjust the sound controls during the recording of “In the Hot Box” with Mareo Lawson.

Far Right: Matt Gottesman works in the Studio Control Room while model Teresa Leyva is interviewed by Roxana Flores for her weekly show, “Snapshot.”

Jessica Guarneros interviews her sister, Karina Guarneros in the Studio Live Room during her show “To the Rescue” for KPCRadio.com on March 23.

Left: Model Teresa Leyva during her interview on “Snapshot” with Roxana Flores.

Below: Program Director Matt Gottesman works in the Studio Control Room.

Kiwi coaches Pierce rugby

New Zealand native applies long-time experience

JAMES STEWART Roundup Reporter @jmstweartrn

Few people who understand the fulfillment of teaching youth. Phil Grieve, head coach of the Rugby Club, values every moment he can use the game of Rugby to inspire and influence his players.

Even though Los Angeles community colleges are not eligible for intramural sports, Grieve treats his Rugby team like a traditional college team.

He makes sure his players stay in good academic standing, are disciplined and consistently play each game with intense focus. The enjoyment he gets teaching rugby to young people is one of Grieve’s ultimate joys in life.

Through rugby, Grieve wants to instill the concepts of hard work, camaraderie and how to set individual goals. Also, how to simply let things go, and move past situations.

“The beautiful thing about rugby is it’s about respect for each other,” Grieve said. “It is about going out and playing hard, but the moment you step over those white lines, it stays on the field.”

Grieve began playing rugby in 1974 in New Zealand. His father was his first coach. It was from him that he first learned the mental and physical strategies of the game.

The competitive proficiency he developed enabled Grieve to play on several professional teams throughout England and Australia.

Grieve was recruited to play for a USA D-3 team in 2001 in the San Francisco Bay Area. He moved to Los Angeles, got married and started his family. Although he moved on to a career in construction, he continued to play and coach rugby in his spare time.

In New Zealand, rugby is a way to keep kids off the streets. It helps build the youth’s focus and gives them principles. This is one of the main reason why Grieve wants to coach rugby at Pierce College.

Rugby’s popularity in the states is growing expeditiously, so Grieve feels there is no better time to start coaching.

“Coach Phil, he puts everything into coaching,” said Reed Sigmon, a player and president of the rugby club. “He puts in 100 percent, which shows me to give 100 percent every single time.”

The practices that Grieve coaches are intense. They are action-packed from start to finish. Grieve knows when to step in and when to let his team figure things out on its own in practice. This helps build the connections that are needed in its matches.

At the end of practice, Grieve makes his team run nine 100yard sprints. He understands the temperament of his team, so he pushes his players in different ways. If he has to be more aggressive to certain players or nurturing to others, he does so accordingly.

“Fundamentals, the passing, dedication and always pushing yourself farther than what you can do, is what I learned from coach Grieve,” said rugby player Marcus Wade.

Building up the club in the future

is one Grieve’s top priorities. Even though Pierce cannot acknowledge the club as an official team, they

will still play different colleges to show that they are on par with every other school. Grieve is dedicated

SCHEDULE

April 1-21

BASEBALL

Thursday, April 2 @ Santa Ana 2 p.m.

Friday, April 3 @ Harbor 12 p.m.

Tuesday, April 7 vs. Hancock 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 9 @ Ventura 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 11 vs. Ventura 1 p.m.

Tuesday, April 14 vs. Santa Barbara 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 16 @ Santa Barbara 2:30 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

Friday, April 3 vs. Santa Monica 6 p.m.

Wednesday, April 8 vs. Long Beach 6 p.m.

Friday, April 10 @ L.A. Trade Tech 6 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Thursday, April 9 @ Hancock 2:30 p.m.

to showing the worth of the rugby team.

Tennis drops final match

Season ends with loss to Pirates

his teammates were capable of a successful season.

Tuesday, April 14 @ Cuesta - double header - 1 & 3 p.m.

Thursday, April 16 vs. Ventura 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 18 vs. Barstow 12 p.m.

Tuesday, April 21 vs. Moorpark - double header - 1 & 3 p.m.

A lack of belief led the Pierce College tennis team to lose it’s final match of the season and end the season with only two wins.

The team faced Orange Coast College on Thursday, March 26 at Pierce College and fell 8-1.

Brahma freshman Artiom

Dimitriev won the only singles match against the Pirates’ top player. Dimitriev explained that

Former Marine brings first aid knowledge Sports intern becomes invaluable

to 1985, which gave him the chance to see the world. During that time he was stationed in Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms, as well as in the West Pacific, the Indian Ocean and Africa.

Randy Ackermann has, in his life, served his country, served his family and now, he serves Pierce College as an intern in the athletics department.

Ackermann is part of a generation that values industry and a strong work ethic. After he completed his time in the Marines, he returned home to work in his family’s concrete business for more than two decades before reenrolling in school with a focus on athletic training. Those he works with speak highly of their colleague.

“He is a good team member to have,” said athletic trainer Robert Horowitz. Horowitz said that Ackermann’s knowledge of first aid and CPR are also invaluable skills for a person who works in athletics.

Ackermann served in the Marines for eight years, from 1977

“[It was] interesting. Got to go to a few places, see a few things, a little bit of memorabilia here and there,” Ackermann said. He joined after the Vietnam War ended, as a way to further his education.

“I was out of high school, I wanted to go to college but I didn’t have the money, so it was a good time to go,” Ackermann said. “It was peacetime, and a lot of people went in the service during that time. It was back in the seventies and it was just a good time to go.”

After he left the service as an “E5 EOD Specialist Sgt.,” he headed back home to Avon Lake, Ohio to work in the family business.

“I went back home, and I worked in the family business for over 20 years, it was our concrete

restoration business,” Ackermann said. “You know, working in airports, removing rubber paint residue from the runway buildup.”

Ackermann began working at Pierce as an intern in the athletics department in September. Kinesiology major Mauricio Romo said he enjoys working with Ackermann.

“He’s a real fun guy to work with,” Romo said. “He’s a student athletic trainer, he usually helps out with treating patients, and treating athletes. Sometimes during game days he helps us set up, and he helps us give water to the players.”

Romo said Ackermann has spoken just briefly about his time in the service.

“He told us that he was in the Marines, and that he celebrated Veterans’ Day,” Romo said. “He told me that he took the day off and did some steak on the grill, and just enjoyed it.”

Though Ackermann assists with all of the sports, Romo said if he

“I think they need to believe in themselves,” Dimitriev said. “I want them to know that they are way better than they think they are. They should practice and play more so that they can keep improving.”

After the series of doubles, Orange Coast defeated Pierce 3-0. Pierce head coach Rajeev Datt explained how during a nonconference match, the teams will continue to compete until the end.

“Since this is not a play-off match, we will play through no

matter if the team has won or not,” Datt said. “This is essentially to give the guys good practice playing under pressure. It’s also for potential rankings as well.”

Datt said that despite the team’s loss, his players have improved greatly since the beginning of the season.

“I’m really pleased,” Datt said. “All of them are improving at a different pace, but that’s really all I’m looking for. Over here it’s academics first and then tennis. All I can hope is that they get some place good in life.”

Friday/Saturday, April 3-4 (Singles matches)

SWIM & DIVE

Friday/Saturday, April 3-4 @ Pasadena (Invitational) All day

had to guess he would say football is Ackermann’s favorite.

“He works on all of them [sports] but probably his favorite is football,” Romo said.

Back in Ohio, Ackermann played football at his high school in Avon Lake, which he described as a “small town, small community.”

Ackermann spoke kindly of the students he sees everyday in the athletics department.

“It’s like any other place,” Ackermann said. “You’re just young kids, playing ball, wanting to go to Division I schools. If they get the offer, and if all best works for them, I wish them well.”

He said that given his choice of an ideal place to work, he would choose Pierce.

“[I would] Probably [stay] right here, since I’m already here. But then it’s really hard to say, down the road from now where I would go. Where I’m needed, making the change is very possible.”

Tim Daoud / Roundup Pierce College sports intern Randy Ackermann helps treat athletes in the athletic training room.

Joseph Rivas / Roundup

Rugby head coach Phil Grieve instructs his players at practice at Cleveland High School in Reseda, Calif.

Andrew Caceres / Roundup Pierce College tennis player Nick Kerhulas keeps his eyes on the ball.

KATERINA CHRYSSAFIS Roundup Reporter @katchryssafis

@Roundupsports #BRAHMABRIEFS

Former pro looks to grow offense

Last semester, Hatchette trained about ten Pierce football players alongside Terrell Owens, a wide receiver and six-time Pro Bowl selection, and a few other NFL players. Sophomore wide receiver Wendell O’Brien, is one of those players and is still being trained by Hatchette and Owens.

O’Brien said Hatchette has a lot to teach the team. The football team struggled last season with a record of 3-7, and most of the coaching staff will not return for the 2015 season.

“I think it’s going to be a good thing for the team if everybody buys in, works hard and we can play as a team,” O’Brien said.

“It’s going to be a good season.”

Athletic director, Bob Lofrano said regardless of Hatchette’s NFL experience, he hopes the new offensive coordinator can bring some knowledge, caring and understanding to deal with players of this age as long as the team buys into the process.

Baseball splits home games

The Bulls lost at Moorpark College on Thursday, March 26.

The Raiders outscored the Brahmas 6-5. It was a close game with both teams tallying up 14 hits each, but the difference was in the pitching. Raider right fielder

Garrett Serino was able to score the winning run from a wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The Bulls went back on the road to face Allan Hancock College on Friday, March 27.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Austin Peters pitched a complete game.

Pierce asserted its presence in the top of the second inning when the Bulls scored two of its four runs. The game finished 4-2, and the Bulls never trailed in the game.

Record: 11-15 | Standing: 4th

Volleyball wins one of two road games

The Brahmas lost its road game in five sets to Santa Barbara on Wednesday, March 25.

Two of the five sets were prolonged in order for a team to win the set by two points and both sets went to Pierce. The Bulls lost 3-2 despite its good outside hitting due that included blocks and season high digs from the Vaqueros.

Pierce won its next away game against Moorpark College on Friday, March 27. They won the first set and went on to win 3-1. (2518,18-25, 27-25, 25-21).

Record: 6-9 | Standing: 5th

Softball gets its first conference win

Ventura College swept the doubleheader they hosted against the Pierce College softball team on Tuesday, March 24.

The team won its first conference game against the Moorpark College Raiders on Thursday, March 26.

Pierce was quick to put runs on the board and scored four runs in the first inning. They won 8-7 on five hits.

Second baseman Christina Cerda hit two of the three RBIs in the game.

Record: 3-14 | Standing: 4th

Men and womenʼs swim places high

The swimming and diving teams had a meet at Santa Barbara Community College on Saturday, March 28.

The men’s team placed second after placing third in its previous two meets.

The women’s swimming and diving team placed fourth in its meet. In its first two meets they placed first but it was difficult to complete the trifecta due to the absence of four of its 12 athletes.

“I think (the team) has to buy into what the new coaches are trying to teach,” Lofrano said. “They have to buy into the system, whatever that system is.”

Hatchette began playing football at an early age and said he loves everything about it.

“Oh, it’s in my blood. It’s embedded in me,” Hatchette said. “Ever since I was 5 or 6, I was at home jumping over the couch with the ball in my hand and scoring touchdowns like I used to see Walter Payton do on Sundays.”

After high school, he began to understand what football had taught him so far, and what it did for him as a person in terms of building discipline and determination. Hatchette said it kept him focused through his life path, and that it all became possible through football.

“I think that’s when I realized it was more than just a sport,” Hatchette said.

“I’m just trying to teach life lessons through football to these young men, but for myself it’s just embedded in me.”

Hatchette said he heard about the offensive coordinator opening through his good friend and Pierce defensive coordinator, Torry Hughes.

“He asked if I might be interested and

I was like sure, I’ll look at the opportunity. Then from there it kind of evolved with talks with head coach Sabolic and it kind of went from there.”

Although Hatchette wasn’t part of the coaching staff last season, he knows what adjustments need to be made for this year’s team and wants to make sure players are held accountable.

“I think it goes back to the discipline and the team chemistry and team character,” Hatchette said. “Things that are important.”

Last season had nothing to do with Hatchette, but he knew the team was a little bit undisciplined.

“Players doing their own thing and not

Player Week of the

being held accountable,” Hatchette said. “I think those things have to change and if those things do change then you’ll see the product on the field change as well.”

Hatchette said there’s one coach in particular that taught him the most about the sport, and who he plans on using some coaching philosophies from.

“Dennis Green is probably the best coach I’ve ever had in my life,” Hatchette said. “I think it’s just from the point of view of being fair, number one. Second, I think it’s from his point of view as letting everyone know where they stand at all times.”

Growing up Hatchette sat in front of the television on Sundays,watched game after

game and took down different stats. But when he went to the NFL, he admired how teammate and fellow receiver Randy Moss played the game.

“Moss he didn’t have to do things that a younger, not so talented player like myself had to do,” Hatchette said. “So I had to see how he had to differentiate things to learn. He would never have to catch balls in the offseason because he had such natural hands.”

But Hatchette doesn’t only want to win this season, he wants to share life lessons with his players as well.

“There’s three things I think that are the most important. If a kid calls you in three to four years and asks you for a reference

for a job, if one of the kids calls you when they get married or have a kid, and if a kid calls you when you get sick when you get old. If one of those players calls, then I was successful,” Hatchette said. Hatchette plans to teach the team his offensive philosophy, and work on the details to perfect them. He believes if players can do that, the team will be successful.

“Do I want to win every game? Yes,” Hatchette said. “Do I want to win championships and all that stuff, that’s an absolute yes. But I also think at this point of these kids’ careers, there’s life lessons that are more important than the actual sport.”

Austin Peters - right-handed pitcher

How does it feel being named PotW?

“It’s an honor, it’s never happened to me before.”

How was the transition from full-time shortstop to full-time pitcher?

“A long time ago in high school I was a pitcher. When I was a sophomore I pitched a lot, but ever since then I haven’t really pitched consistently. The transition back was a little weird because it’s been awhile since I’ve pitched, but I got back into it pretty quickly. I‘m starting to feel more comfortable now.”

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

“Lately we’ve been alright. We’ve been missing key components of the game at the wrong time. We don’t get timely hits, but we’ve been hitting the ball very well. We get a lot of hits every single game, we just don’t get hits at the right time or we miss a pitch and don’t capitalize on it. Other than that we’re fine, we’ve been doing good.”

What is your favorite memory while playing for Pierce?

“My favorite memory is the game against Hancock last season at Pierce when we walked off against Hancock, that was a fun game.”

What are some of your expectations for the team for the rest of the season?

“I just kind of expect them to keep doing what they’re doing. Working hard and getting better every day.”

Do some games mean more to you than others?

“No, they all mean the same. The most important thing is trying to get a win, so they’re all just as important.”

What is the most crucial moment of the game for you?

“Probably when I have runners on base and it’s a tight game. That’s when it starts to get a little difficult and changes a little bit I guess.”

-Photo by Megan Moureaux

Photo/Quotes gathered by Megan Moureaux

Austin Peters is a 19-year-old right-handed pitcher for the Pierce College baseball team. Peters pitched a complete game in Friday’s win against Allan Hancock college, and

Mohammad Djauhari/ Roundup

Offensive coordinator Matthew Hatchette goes over plays during an offseason meeting with the Pierce College football team.