If you were the president of Pierce College, what would you change?

I am writing in response to the editorial in the Nov. 4 edition of the Roundup regarding a smartphone app for Pierce College. I teach CS559, “Advanced Programming For Mobile Devices,” where students learn how to develop iOS apps. We took a vote in class and accepted the challenge of developing

-Editorial- he fitness center on the Pierce College campus is host to all sorts of people with at least one thing in common, they’re here to exercise.However, the fitness center isn’t a free-for-all, sports teams and weight training classes dominate the gym for nearly the entire week. Pierce community services has set up an “Open Gym” Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:30-8:30 pm. Sessions require a fee of three dollars per visit and the participant must be at least 14 years old.

Two hours of exercise at three dollars per session, three nights a week isn’t a broad enough time slot to allow an adequate number of would be gym-goers into the fitness center. Pierce should allocate the resources necessary to keep the gym open on the weekends, when the majority of students don’t have classes.

There wouldn’t be a need for weekend sessions if the athletic department was given a private, separate gym dedicated to the various needs of their sports teams. A student who has chosen to compete at the collegiatelevel is entitled to an environment that enhances their ability and allows them to thrive. Most equipment athletes use would seem foreign to the more casual crowd of weight trainers and

“One thing that I would change about Pierce would actually be that they offer more majors in a variety of different categories.”

Pro

GARETT CECIL

Gcecil.roundupnews@gmail.com

@Garettsfeed

Taking classes during summer and winter break may sometimes seem tiring, but it is the most efficient way to stay focused on the long term goal – to obtain a degree. Long-term breaks may be detrimental to a student’s focus, and can lead to distractions from succeeding in college.

Taking an intersession course will set a student on a fast track to success. In enables a student to get ahead, or stay on track of the goal to graduate.

“Iʼll try to improve the wifi since it always seem to be dropping out in the library.”

Quotes by Victor Hererra & Maritza Serrano an iPhone app for Pierce. At this point, a number of the features listed in the editorial are not feasible to develop within our course framework. One factor is the upcoming implementation of a new Student Information System (SIS), which would affect a number of features and probably make them obsolete in the Fall of 2016 if SIS follows that schedule. What we do plan to implement at a minimum is a mapping app, automatic reminders regarding drop dates for full-semester classes and possibly interfaces to existing Pierce apps which serve students. Note that this is not an official Pierce undertaking, and it is not a for-profit effort, so the app will be free.

The target date to submit this to the App Store is Finals Week of this semester. We will keep you posted.

Cordially, J.H.

“Hank” Murphy Lab Assistant of Computer Sciences

If a student takes a mandatory class during break, this allows them to take a different class when the normal school semester starts. This way students can get ahead on their educational plan, and transfer or graduate, sooner than expected.

Young adults who attend community college after high school usually have a plan to transfer after two years. This is because most counselors tell them that it is possible.

However, most students don’t realize how hard this is to accomplish. The best way to reach a two year goal is to take courses during summer and winter break.

Every student can relate to being stressed because of too much work. It is hard to juggle

Carly

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Los Angeles Mission College was granted an exercise facility exclusively for students. At $90 per semester, it still beats Pierce. CSUN has an enormous gym, complete with rock walls. These are made possible by including a gym membership in the final tuition price.

If a student were to utilize all the opportunities of Pierce’s open gym, the breakdown would look as follows; at three dollars per session, open three days a week, a student would pay nine dollars a week or $36 a month. In the same vein, there are only six hours of open gym a week, or 24 hours a month. As college students, saving money is crucial. Gym memberships offcampus may better suit someone’s needs. Crunch Fitness is a more frugal $10 a month, and sits a mile away from CSUN. 24 Hour Fitness, while on the higher end at $44 a month, grants

Pro/Con: Taking intersessions multiple classes during one semester, especially if they are trying to complete 60 units in two years. Think about completing a five page essay, math homework, science homework and writing and practicing a speech, all in one night. This can lead to sleepless nights, which is not an effective way to retain information studied the night before.

A way to avoid this type of stress, is to take less classes during the semester, and taking one during summer or winter break.

In addition to decreasing stress, taking a class during an intersession can lead to better grades. It will allow a student to focus clearly on one class. It is much easier to obtain an A with less stress during a semester.

Intersession courses are much shorter than semester courses. Semester courses tend to run around 16 weeks.

Winter and summer sessions will usually run about four to five weeks. Having a shorter class can help a student succeed in a class they might normally struggle with. If a student has a hard time with math, taking a math course during break will allow them to focus just on that class. They can put all of their energy into obtaining a good grade.

Con

As I finished signing up for a summer class, I knew deep down that my mornings were gone for the next few weeks. Pierce College offers classes to be taken at a rapid pace over the summer between June and August or over the winter in January.

The classes usually meet four days a week, and the instruction moves at an accelerated pace.

So for students that could mean weekly tests on rapid fire lectures, short due dates on papers or projects and long hours spent in a classroom followed by mounds of homework.

Take an English class for example, an essay could be assigned on the first day and due the next week. For a math or science class, a new chapter or subject could be taught every class meeting.

For students who need time to let things develop the class could be moving too rapidly that they are soon left in the dust trying hard as they might to keep up.

Not to mention the students who work as well as go to school, this could mean a full week of class followed by work and then the vast amount of schoolwork forced upon them by the class itself.

access to any branch of the franchise and is also open 24 hours.

The South Gym, which is mainly used for karate classes, yoga classes and circuit training can easily be renovated to include userfriendly weight machines and a cardio-centric area. The amount of revenue that a community gym, that invites not only students but all willing to sweat, is well worth the money that would be spent.

Leaving a student with late nights and little sleep could eventually land a student behind as they struggle to balance all the facets of their lives. For teachers the intersession classes can be equally daunting, Having to shrink down their lectures to be able to cover every section of their lesson plan. Also the shortened time frame does not allow for students to truly comprehend dense material as it is often condensed to accommodate the time allotted.

Teachers often do not only teach just one class, as students often do not take only one class leaving teachers with many late nights to grade papers, prepare lectures or get their lesson plans organized.

Pierce also only offers a few classes of each section over these intersession time frames, primarily basic classes, and students may have to adjust schedules to be free to take such classes.

Last summer I took two classes over summer and I frequently found the pace dumbed down to fit the five week semester. But yet the classes required mounds of homework, such as an essay assignment due almost every other day or a chapter of reading each night to be prepared for the next day’s class.

For some classes the teacher is forced to assign a large amount of homework or reading just to get by, and some students prefer in class discussion or lectures to the reading of a book.

the opportunity to revise unacceptable letters. The Pierce College Roundup will not publish, as letters, literary endeavors, publicity releases, poetry or other such materials as the Editorial Board deems not to be a letter.

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.

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