Volume 125 Fall 2016 Roundup Issue 4

ROUNDUP

Volleyball is second in state

Brahmas drop a set in its win against the Vaqueros

of Pierce’s mistakes in the second set.

“They’re really big on just keeping the ball in play and making us work and making us create more errors,” Alvarez said.

The state's second-ranked women’s volleyball team continued to roll, winning its ninth straight game, despite sloppy play against Santa Barbara City College.

Pierce took the first set with a score of 25 to 17. Santa Barbara won the second set, 25 to 16. Pierce came back and took the third and fourth set, 25 to 23 and 25 to 18.

With this victory, Pierce is now 162.

“Even though we won, we were just off,” Pierce coach Nabil Mardini said. “It was an ugly match, but we found a way to win.”

Pierce played aggressively in the first set, getting off to a fast start and managing a six-point advantage over their competitor, 9 to 3, by the first timeout.

Sophomore setter Hayley Alvarez had 11 kills and 12 points. Coach Mardini said she was the game’s standout player.

At one point, Santa Barbara was able to bring Pierce’s lead down to three points, but the Brahmas took the first set with an eight-point advantage.

Pierce was unable to bring this same energy to the second set.

The team failed to take advantage of many of their shots, with several missed serves and uncontrolled spikes landing out of bounds.

Alvarez said the Santa Barbara Vaqueros were able to take advantage

The Vaqueros were able to accumulate points with tips that the Brahmas could not get to on time, which was a key component for Santa Barbara’s win of the second set.

The third set began similarly to the second. The Brahmas could not get the ball to their setter, and were often scrambling.

Santa Barbara’s blockers often tipped the ball, which lead to them scoring a point when the Brahmas could not return the ball over the net.

At one point, the Vaqueros had a seven-point advantage, 18-11, but couldn’t hang on to their lead.

The Brahmas slowly began scoring again, and once they solidified their momentum, they were able to take the set.

Santa Barbara’s Coach Ed Gover said his players were successful in certain areas of the game, but were unable to recover after the Brahmas took the lead in the third.

“We let things slip in the middle of that third set,” Gover said. “[The Brahmas] put a lot of pressure on you, and our girls have to make sure they hold their composure. [Pierce] started making some errors and then it was our turn to make some errors.”

With newfound power, Pierce entered the fourth set with energy similar to that of the first.

The Vaqueros were affected by the return of Pierce’s controlled shots and began making mistakes. Many

Peyton

top

ITT closes doors Department of Education pushes for community colleges to accept students

SAMANTHA

About 45,000 students were prepared to start classes this month at ITT Technical Institute, until they received an email on Sept. 7 about the college permanently closing due to federal and state investigations, according to the Pierce College website.

attempting to

of Santa Barbara’s shots landed out of bounds and their defense was not as strong as it had been.

Despite being in the lead, the Brahmas were still making messy

plays in the final set, with spikes and sets going into the net. In the end, Pierce won in the fourth set, 25-18.

Pierce’s next match will be at

Editorial: Make America vote again

Issues like student loan rates, educational standards and admissions policies are on this year's November ballot. And who better to vote than those impacted by such initiativescollege students.

The problem is some students aren’t registered to vote because they missed the registration deadline or they’re new to voting and aren’t aware of the process, while some just aren’t interested or motivated to vote.

Oct. 24 is the last day to register to vote, but don’t wait last minute, register today. Rock the Vote, a non-profit organization that has been encouraging young people to vote since 1990, can help you register to vote online in less than two minutes.

College students represent the needs of such a diverse constituency. No matter your race, gender or age, your vote counts.

Along with trained volunteers, Pierce administration should provide students with information to get them engaged and help them cast their ballots.

The Associate Student Organization (ASO) or the Student Services should organize workshops to help students understand policies and candidates and guide them step by step on how to register to vote.

College students, also known as millennial voters, are more diverse than any other constituency.

According to nextgenclimate.org, out of 44.4 million registered millennials only 9.7 million voted in 2014. No one said voting is easy, but someone should help educate students on how to register.

There are some who know how to vote and are familiar with the policies and candidates, but still choose not to go to the polls because they often face practical hurdles that keep them from voting.

Despite conventional attitudes about college students not being “adults,” much of your daily life involves serious and important decisions.

Within the next four years, you might be graduating, getting a job, moving out, paying for health care or starting a family. The policies you vote for have a huge influence on your life, during and after college.

Students learn to improve themselves

everyday through higher education, so why not educate yourself for something important like elections?

According to campusvoteproject.org, in 2008, 21 percent of young adults said they weren’t registered to vote because they missed the deadline, 6 percent said they didn’t know how or where to register.

To register online all you need is your California driver's license or California ID, the last four digits of your Social Security number and your date of birth. There are many online registration sites, but the recommended site is reigstertovote.ca.gov.

If you’re not sure what is on the ballot in November, ballotpedia.org has a list of all the propositions and can help you understand them.

We could also use social media as a way to connect. With Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, we could share links and clips of candidates, and information about what’s on the ballot to inform and educate one another in the easiest and most diverse place.

Young adults have the power to make a difference, and a way to achieve this is to make their voices heard at the polls on Election Day. College campuses should be the obvious choice for students to seek information and become civically and politically engaged, yet why do some feel bombarded in the free speech area when asked if they are registered to vote?

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed as a college student, because when dealing with classes and grades, voting might not be a high priority

on your to do list, but it shouldn’t feel like a chore. Voting is a way we can make responsible decisions and help make a difference.

To some, watching debates can be either entertaining or confusing, depending on if you know what’s being discussed. Educating yourself and learning about what they’re arguing makes it easier to understand. If you missed the first presidential debate, there are still two remaining on Oct. 9 and Oct. 19.

Whether you’re heading to a polling booth or voting by mail, no matter how you vote, just vote. If you’re registered to vote, but not sure who or what to vote for, you need to educate yourself. Our future depends on it.

The Education Department has begun reaching out to community colleges near ITT campuses to encourage them to accept students.

Founded in 1969, the for-profit technical institutes had more than 130 campuses in 38 states, and eight campuses in the Los Angeles area. According to Rolf Schleicher, vice president of administrative services, ITT lost their financial aid because they did not comply with accreditation standards.

“When you lose financial aid it’s really hard to keep operation open because that’s the bulk of what their students were supported by to pay their high tuition,” Schleicher said.

Schleicher thinks ITT oversold what they could provide to the students, and the consequences are that students have high debt and need to find a way to get their degree or certification elsewhere.

“It’s horrible for the students. Absolutely horrible. It was almost inevitable when you charge that kind of high tuition and the students can’t get the jobs that they promised them,” Schleicher said. “It becomes a problem in the long run.”

Schleicher said the Academic Affairs Department, Student Services and the President Kathleen Burke, are currently looking into accepting students, but there are many requirements before a student can qualify for admittance.

According Juan Carlos Astorga, dean of student engagement, if ITT students want their units transferred to another school, then they have to pay off their loans. Otherwise, if they want debt forgiveness, they would have to start over at a new school.

“It's like they told a lie,” Astorga said. “They promised an education, but the students didn't get it.”

According to Schleicher, ITT failed to inform their students and faculty before closing their doors.

“That’s not a good design. Even for a company that’s going out of business, they should still try to set up their clientele and their customers so that they have an opportunity to go somewhere else,” Schleicher said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com] sambravo.roundupnews@gmail.com ngostantian.roundupnews@gmail.com

MONICA VIGIL Reporter @monica_a_vigil

Calvin Alagot / Roundup

Moyles (18) is met at the

of the net by Santa Barbara City College's setter Kiana Pisula (14) after

spike the ball on Sept. 30 at Pierce C ollege in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Nelson Simmons / Mascar-mascart.tumblr.com

STREET BEAT

College can be expensive, what do you do to save money?

“I work full-time and usually put away more than half of the money I make. My sister and I also have a lot of classes together so we split book costs or with my cousins.”

-Suheidy Vasquez, 21, Undecided major

“I try to discipline myself the best I can and not go out or eat out. I always eat at home. Whatever my mom gives me is what I eat.”

-Juan Meraz, 19, Child Development major

“There are a lot of programs on campus that help students out with book expenses. EOP&S book grant varies per amount, but some students get about $300 to $500 for a book grant that they can use to buy books. All you have to do is maintain three counselor appointments.”

-IyiolaAkinbohun,18,ComputerSciencemajor

“I try to get the least amount of classes possible. I try to get at least two classes in a semester because you wonʼt be able to save or be able to pay for all your classes if you get too many.”

-Niloufar Valizadeh, 20, Undecided major

“I carpool here, it saves money. Itʼs cheaper then taking the bus, which can add up over the weekend since I take three buses to get to campus. For school materials I try to keep what I had from prior semesters.”

-Jose Galvez, 21, History major

“My car has eco mode. Every time Iʼm almost near the end bar, I just press the button, which saves gas for another two days until I put another full tank.”

-Joshua Aglugub, 19, Nursing major

-Corrections-

Volume 125, Issue 3:

Page 8 : In the article “The pursuit of Happyness begins here,” it states that Anthony Happy was at one point living out of his care. He was living out of his car.

Choose your fate; debate

People hear sound bites or see quotes online showing what presidential candidates have said during a political event. For example, in February, 2016, Donald Trump said to Time magazine, “I’m going to look into colleges. We’re going to do something in regards to really smart financing.” Does that make any sense, or provide any information?

With the election just 34 days away and two more presidential debates to come, we should organize “viewing parties” at Pierce College, followed by a panel discussion that can help students and even faculty understand what is being said.

The first presidential debate had more than 84 million television viewers that stayed tuned in from start to finish, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Although alternative viewing options were not included in the 84 million viewer tally due to the difficulty of gathering the number of people who watched via cell phone, tablet or computer, the previous record of nearly 80 million viewers was exceeded. The debate that pulled in those numbers was in 1980 for the Ronald Reagan and President Jimmy Carter clash.

How many people actually

understand and can make a conscious decision based upon what the candidates are saying during the debates? Viewing parties and panel discussions offer people an additional source of information and discussion topics as well as clarify ideas that are not clear. It is important to have all the facts.

Here’s an example of a candidate that was unable to recall information while being interviewed.

Chris Matthews hosted a Town Hall featuring Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson and his running mate Bill Weld on September 28. During this time, Matthews asked Johnson to name a foreign leader that he had respect for.

Johnson’s first response, “I’m having another ‘Aleppo moment.’”

After being flustered for about one to two minutes, he finally said the name of a former Mexican president, due to help from his running mate.

In early September, Johnson made an appearance on the show “Morning Joe,” and one of the panelist asked him “What would you do, if you were elected, about Aleppo?” Johnson’s response was “What is Aleppo?” The panelist responded that is was the epicenter for the Syrian refugee crisis, where he was

Stephanie Cardenas

School Mode

Once again, it feels as though the semester is slipping through our fingers. We find ourselves scrambling to adjust to early morning wake-up calls and late nights, finishing papers. It can feel like the apocalypse could rain down tomorrow, but it wouldn’t matter because, almost halfway through the semester, you have a 10 page essay due that just has to get done.

Don’t freak out. Although it may seem as if everything handed to you by a professor is an impossible task, getting back into “school-

Photographers:

Amy Au Reza Rastegarrazi

Ezzat Wanas

Calvin B. Alagot

Jordan Nathan Sonia Gurrola

Advisers:

Jill Connelly

Jeff Favre

Tracie Savage

Advertising Manager: Matt Thacker

then interrupted by Johnson who said he knew what it was.

This topic is in large discussion in relation to foreign affairs. He is running for commander in chief and has now at least twice not had an answer in regards to foreign issues or affairs.

Students typically do not watch or know about third party candidate’s town halls or rallies. Having viewing parties for the various town halls and debates present students with more opportunities to learn about policy ideas and those that are running for the highest office.

Students at UCLA hosted viewing events for the first debate across their campus, and more than 200 were present in one of the auditoriums that was used.

Jacob Soboroff, a political correspondent with MSNBC, goes out to various political events around the country and also holds focus groups. There is a plethora of political science professors on our campus that can provide an informational discussion. These are examples of people that can be on a panel. Political reporters, commentators, journalists, and even authors tend to take to the internet and television at the end of a debate to discuss their thoughts on what was said.

Hosting a debate viewing party can get students more

sleep. Setting a bedtime is a good way to make sure we get in more than just a power nap to rest our bodies. If our bodies are healthy, our brains are healthy, which leads to a successful semester.

involved and can increase the number of voters for the election.

Maya Kamami, an editor for Drexel University’s The Triangle, wrote an article for cnbc.com about why college students aren’t voting.

“In 2008, 44 percent of 1824 year-olds voted, the least out of all the age demographics. In the 2012 election, only 38 percent of 18-24 year-olds voted, again, the least out of all the age demographics. These decreasing numbers should be a reason for concern. The nation’s youngest aren’t voting,” Kamami wrote. The vice presidential debate was October 4, and a viewing party and panel discussion could have been held to allow students and faculty another source of information. The remaining two presidential debates are October 9 and October 19.

Day of Politics is currently the only event on campus that will allow students and faculty to attain information in regards to politics. This event is also on the same day as the final presidential debate.

The Great Hall has a large enough area to hold a substantial number of students and faculty for a viewing party, and for the upcoming debates the hall should be packed. Get your experts and make it happen.

commitments, it can seem like there’s just no time for anything else. Seeing friends and family is an easy way to get rid of any tension caused by school or work.

mode” takes time and is going to be frustrating, but you’ve been able to do it before the semester gets the best of you. There’s no doubt that school is important, but taking care of your mental and physical self is just as significant.

As college students, we tend to forgo a proper meal for a power bar or a few cups of coffee. However, preparing a small meal like a salad, or even a bag of trail mix, is a better option. We also forget that we need real

Staying organized is also key. Buy a planner and jot down deadlines for homework, projects, and exams and set aside times to get class work done at home or on campus.

Procrastinating is every student’s worst enemy, which, in turn, leads to rushed work and unnecessary stress. Staying on top of all your important dates is going to make the semester easier to get through and will help pass all your classes.

Possibly, the most important thing for a great semester is to have a balance between schoolwork, actual work, and friends and family.

Assignments can get overwhelming and for those with job

Taking a weekend off, or even just one night off, can be the difference between a bad week or a good week. Being around people we actually care about lightens up our mood and when it’s time to start the week again, we start off eager to get things done as best we can.

Being a college student is difficult and adjusting to an academic environment can be exhausting. We all come to class and then go off to tend to our personal commitments.

However, what’s important to remember is that a successful semester isn’t just about the A’s but valso about ending the semester glad that you reached your goals and didn’t drive yourself crazy at the same time.

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Writers are given 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. 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.

Quotes gather by Londy Sagastume | Photos by Reza Rastegarrazi

Illustration by Victor Rodriguez

Cartoonists: Nelson Simmons Chanaelle Chahayed

Opinions needed

MONICA VILLACORTA Reporter @MVillacorta48

There’s a place for everything, including your thoughts on the Pierce College campus. The Associated Students Organization (ASO) is planning to place suggestion boxes around campus where students can have a place to put all their opinions and recommendations about the campus.

“It’s kind of a great idea because I could see the potential in this college, just maybe more voices have to be heard,” kinesiology major Michael Magana said. “I would love to see more agriculture, to see more green and cleanliness toward the restrooms, so I guess that stuff can go in the suggestion box.”

The idea was brought up in a senate meeting last week by ASO senator Rita Ngaka. It’s not the first time the school has tried to put out suggestion boxes, however, this time they hope to encourage more responses by placing more boxes around the campus in accessible areas.

Rita Ngaka, an ASO senator, recommended the suggested box to be put on campus to increase students involvement.

“Primarily our job as senators is to advocate for students,” Ngaka said. “Yes were students, but we’re only one student, so we only know what we’ve been through personally, and that’s very limited because it’s only ourselves, so if we’re going to advocate for the entire student body we need a place where we can get complaints and what the students want, not just our own experience.”

Ngaka, said the suggestion box is merely an idea but is still in discussion.

The ASO seemed to be interested in the suggestion box on campus or online.

“I just thought of the suggestion box, we haven’t really talked about how we’re going to do it, where it’s going to be, how long it’s going to be there, is it permanent,” Ngaka said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

School looks for new web designer

Pierce website needs makeover; administration seeks a full-time web designer for site maintenance

SERGEI CUBA Reporter @scuba_digger

The Information Technology department currently does not have a web designer for the Pierce College website. Carlos Guzman is the web architect, but is not assigned to maintain the site’s presentation.

According to Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher, they have been looking for a web designer for some time now to fulfill requirements and guidelines set by the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA).

The new classified position requires someone to design, develop, and maintain the college’s web portal and supporting pages. The new full-time web designer will cost $108,077.14 per year with benefits.

“The web architect can't do all the things a web designer does, so now we want to get both,” Schleicher said. “We can make a much more useful website.”

Juan Astorga, dean of student engagement, said he would love to

Chanaelle's

see a more user-friendly website that will provide students an easy-to-navigate hub of Pierce information.

"Our campus would really benefit from having a web designer, making our web page more interactive, being able to help make them more userfriendly,” Astorga said.

According to Schleicher, Pierce has a participatory governance model and a methodical budgeting process that goes through four divisions: the president's office, student services, academic affairs, and administrative services.

“Whenever we go through this budgeting process, it's a ranking process, there are members assigned to it and we vote democratically for what gets assigned,” Schleicher said.

According to Schleicher, they put faculty first because they want to make sure the program is available to students.

“Year after year, Mark [Henderson] had put his items on the list and wasn't able to secure his resources,” Schleicher said.

“So it came down, it wasn't a priority for the college.”

According to Kraus, there are

shorts:

funds waiting to be approved before moving forward.

"We've asked for funding for this positiRTW˝ß on which was approved by our participatory governance process, and it has gone through the budget committee and through the council, and now to the president for review,” Kraus said.“It all has to do with funding availability.

It didn't take so long, it's just a process of finding and identifying funding streams that we can use to pay for the position.”

According to Schleicher, not everyone agreed with the decision to hire a web designer until he began recommending it to faculty.

“So in our demands it was high on our list, but we only get it if everyone else agrees that it's a high-in-demand item,” Schleicher said. “I should say that the operational portion doesn't get supported as effectively as it should until I came in and started advocating it very hard.” Schleicher said the website is a tool that allows the community and the students to engage with what the college has to offer.

“It's a very powerful tool and it helps us internally too, because

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we can use the intranet to share forms and documents of reference points, so it becomes a kind of a file cabinet,” Schleicher said.

“It’s information that people can tap into online or anywhere, internally and externally.”

"We have a web architect and we don't have a web designer so they can't really do the same thing,” Schleicher said. “One is the backend, the web architect, and the other on the front-end, the web designer. Two of them complement each other and provide a service."

Schleicher said they have been trying to hire a web designer for a while. They have a list of personnel commission and they set up a panel and have interviewed candidates to get the process afloat.

"Guzman has been here since I've been here,” Schleicher said. “I came in roughly four years ago in September. I've been trying to make a lot of changes, trying to make us more customer friendly, fix infrastructure and do what I did for fortune 500 companies."

[For

Rundown Rundown

These incidents were reported between Sept. 16 - Oct. 3

Bravo

by: Samantha

Reported

9/16

• Pornographic materials

A male non student was viewing an inappropriate website on the library computers. He was asked to leave the library. Incident was reported around 2 p.m.

9/28

• Heat exhaustion on track field

Comic by: Chanaelle Chahayed Instagram:@Chanaellec

Seven high school students attending a track meet fainted due to extreme heat on the cross country field. One runner collapsed on the course and an ambulance responded. The student was taken to the medical tent on site and was given ice to cool down. Students went home because the track meet was cancelled.

Pierce College

Sheriff’s Station

General Information:

Emergency:

(818) 710 - 4311

ASO introduces 'suggestion box'

The art of Horseback Riding

In the heat of the late afternoon sun, Pierce’s intermediate horseback riding students brush, shoe and saddle their horses at the start of class in the stables of the Equestrian Center. Learning to ride a horse is all about getting on and staying on, according to instructor Dr. Patricia “Patty” Warner.

However, in intermediate horseback riding, students learn how to build off of basic skills like tack room and safety procedures. It’s where students begin to communicate with the horses.

When the horses are properly saddled and groomed, they are lead down a pathway to the arena, a spacious area where the soil is moistened for the horses to walk on.

With riders mounted on horses lined up across the length of the arena, students wait for instructions from Warner. Walking in straight lines, walking a correct circle and keeping the horse between the reigns and legs are some of the challenges the students work on.

Students walk their horses in a counter-clockwise motion until Warner yells, “Reverse,” which means the students must turn their horses around in place and continue in the other direction without running into another horse and its rider in the middle of the arena.

By the end of the exercise, the class gained valuable information on what they need to improve on or have improved on since last class.

“I love these people,” Said Warner. “All of them are just great kids and can take instruction great.”

Right: Melissa Hernandez, horse science major, cleans the shoes of her horse, Mike, in the Equestrian Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif on Sept. 28, 2016.

Middle: Raui Ramakrishnan (left), Breanna Ries (center), Sarah Black (right) and classmates, ride their horses in the arena at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2016.

Bottom Left: Vannesa Litvsnlff, nursing major, brushes her horse, Blaze, at the beginning of her intermediate horseback riding class on Sept. 28, 2016 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Bottom Right: Rama Ramakrishnan (left), Raui Ramakrishnan (center), and Sarah Black (right), ride their horses in the arena at Pierce College to practice walking in straight lines, on Sept. 28, 2016 in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Photos and copy by Taylor Arthur

Thursday concerts return for the fall

“There’s almost no repertoire for this combination in the baroque period,” said Rong-Huey Liu.

Over 30 years of tradition continues as the first of the semester’s 10 free Thursday afternoon concerts premiered in the performing arts building on campus on Sept. 29. The lights were dim, the room was full and ready to welcome the melodic music into the audience’s ears.

Last Thursday's concert featured classical music from different historical periods and countries featuring instruments like the oboe played by Rong-Huey Liu, piano played by her sister Vivian I-Miao Liu, and on the cello Vivian I-Miao Liu’s husband Robert Vos.

This was a family affair for the musicians and their first time all playing together for an audience.

Each piece was accompanied by educational interactions with the audience. Rong-Huey Liu shared history and knowledge about the instruments and composers of each piece.

“That was great because usually they perform and they leave,” Kristen Sharp, child development major said. “I think people need to open and broaden their horizons for music.”

The ASO sponsored event will be held every Thursday, discounting Thanksgiving Day, at 12:45 p.m. in PBA 3500 and is open to the public. Professor James Bergman is hosting the weekly concerts and lining up a variety of music.

“I try to get a selection of different stuff, a lot of variety.

Classical music is not one thing and jazz isn’t just one thing. It’s something that you can experience,

share, and you can even do yourself if you really get into it,” Bergman said.

ASO is hoping to bring the music closer to the students.

“We did ask if there would be a possibility of them doing one or

#PopPierce

“I’m

Population Pierce is a Roundup social project that started in February 2016 focusing on the students, faculty and staff that inhabit the Pierce College campus. Share your story with us

two concerts a year down here on the mall or the great hall or maybe the park,” ASO president Barbara Lombrano said. “ There are students that don’t take any classes up there but that would then be exposed to it more.”

Students can take a relaxing break away from the books on Thursday afternoons and find themselves indulging in music right on their own campus.

“It’s fun to introduce classical music to the students, they’re

not all music majors but they’re learning music,” pianist Vivian I-Miao Liu said.

mvillacorta.roundupnews@gmail.com

Alagot / Roundup

Oboist Rong-Huey L, pianist Vivian I-Miao Liu, and celloist Robert Vos are a family performing in the 3500 Arts Building for the ASO Afternoon Concert series at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

This doctor does more than Dolittle

Instructor instills

surgical skills

MONICA VIGIL Reporter @monica_a_vigil

On a typical Monday she prepares the furry patients for surgery, leading them to the O.R. that doubles as a classroom. It’s there Jennifer Adelini discusses the procedure in-depth, before having her students assist.

Adelini teaches several classes in the Registered Veterinary Technology (RVT) department, including the laboratory for “Clinical Procedure in Animal Care”, in which she spays and neuters cats and dogs. In this lab, students are involved with the patients’ preparation and recovery process.

“They can take what they’re learning in lecture and apply it to a real life situation, and gain more confidence in taking care of those animals, while still being supervised and having a safety net,” Adelini said.

Adelini worked as a part time professor at Pierce for the past five years, and recently became a fulltime instructor.

For the past three years, she has been the surgeon and instructor of the clinical procedure class.

Angela Killips, instructional assistant, worked in the class before Adelini became the professor, and said that she enjoys working with her, despite worrying that she wouldn’t be able to adjust to a new surgeon.

“I was a little concerned with a new instructor coming in after I’d worked with a specific instructor for a lot of years in the surgery class,” Killips said. “But when she came in, we clicked like we’d been working together forever. The students love

her. She’s really easy going, but very on the right mark with what students need to learn and patient safety, so it’s a good fit.”

Adelini said she decided she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was in college.

She went to the University of California at Davis, one of the 30 universities in the country to have an accredited veterinary school. That’s not the reason she chose to attend that campus, but once she was there and heard about the program, she decided she wanted to pursue that career.

“I talked to our family vet about what he does and I was interested,” Adelini said. “I did not know when I

was a little kid that I wanted to be a vet.”

When Adelini was young, her parents divorced. As a result, she lived mostly with her mom, who did not make a lot of money. Financial problems arose.

Although neither one of her parents attended a four-year university, it was always expected that she would.

“We were low income,” Adelini said. “But education was always a priority. My parents always emphasized the need to do well in school.” Adelini was the first in her family to graduate from college.

She said the transition into living at school was difficult because she didn’t know what to expect, since she didn’t really know anyone who had gone to college.

Regardless of having no previous exposure to a college lifestyle, Adelini adjusted and discovered what she wanted to do.

In her early career, Adelini worked in private practices. Soon after, she began teaching.

“I was interested in finding different ways to use my education and move away from private practice and one of the technicians that I worked with was a student here [at Pierce] and had heard that they were

looking for an instructor for the anatomy lab,” Adelini said.

She began at Pierce by teaching one class for a few years. Then, the department offered her a second class to teach. When a position opened up in January of this year for a full-time instructor, they offered it to Adelini.

Adelini said one of the hardest parts about being a teacher is not having all the answers, even though teachers are in a position where they sometimes think they should.

“Realizing that, while I know a lot about anatomy and veterinary medicine, nobody knows everything,” Adelini said. “It’s a lot of pressure. Knowing when to recognize your

own limits. But that serves as an opportunity for me to keep learning too. The students keep you on your toes and keep you challenged and that’s a good thing.”

Second year Pierce student Skyler Rosso has had Adelini as a professor for two classes and said he had a really good experience with her.

“What I like most is that she’s a really good resource for anybody looking for a job in a veterinary industry or anybody already in it or just starting out,” Rosso said. “She’s a really, really good career resource and I like that a lot. I would definitely take her class again.”

According to Adelini, one of the biggest rewards she gets as a teacher is hearing from former students who are doing well.

“I’m proud to say over the last five years, I’ve had several of my veterinary students who are now in medical school, email me and tell me how great things are going and it’s nice to hear that they found their experience in anatomy useful and helpful,” Adelini said.

mvigil.roundupnews@gmail.com

Head, shoulders, knees and bones

Anthropology professor seeks to expand department

VICTOR RODRIGUEZ Managing Editor @vrodriguez2100

The face—it’s the focal point of the human body. It’s where emotions, expressions and empathy resonate. It is a wordless introduction. It is who we are.

For Brian Pierson, adjunct instructor of anthropology, the face paramount’s his passion for the art of forensic facial reconstruction, and it has lead him to his current position here at Pierce College.

“I like the idea that bones can tell us so much. The way that I look at a skull, for example, is kind of like the underlying shape of the face is really all there,” Pierson said. “And you can learn so much about the person’s life, lifestyle, and death through the bones and that, I think, is the most fascinating aspect to me.”

Earlier in his life, Pierson worked as a special effects artist in Los Angeles. He eventually decided to attend Valley College, transferring to UCLA finishing up his undergrad education. Pierson then attended Tulane University in New Orleans, LA completing a master’s degree and a PhD.

While at Tulane, Pierson made strong professional relationships, one of which is Trenton Holliday, department chair of anthropology at Tulane University.

“Professor Pierson is a real Renaissance Man - this is a guy who reads everything he can get his hands on in anthropology, and related fields who can repair or soup up just about any car or motorcycle you throw at him, and [he’s] a heck of a good sculptor,” Holliday said through an email interview.

Holliday considers Pierson’s ability to sculpt an important skill as facial reconstruction is one of

Pierson’s areas of expertise.

John Verano is a professor of anthropology at Tulane University, as well as one of Pierson’s contemporaries.

“We did a forensic case together [in Louisiana], involving an unidentified skeleton found in a wooded area... thanks to a facial reconstruction Professor Pierson did on the skull, we were able to make a preliminary identification that eventually led to a positive identification by matching the missing man’s DNA with samples donated by his mother and sister. It was one of those cases you are pleased to have worked on, because we were able to resolve a case that looked unlikely to be solved,” Verano said in an email interview.

Both Holliday and Verano have noted how his skills are not limited to the modern-day human skull.

“His specific research focus is in paleoanthropology and facial reconstruction techniques applied to both modern humans and fossils,” Verano said.

Anthropological facial reconstruction can also be applied to our genetic ancestors.

“He and I worked on a forensic case in rural Louisiana together, and we are collaborating on a project to reconstruct the face of the Amud 1 Neanderthal,” Pierson said.

The Amud 1 Neanderthal is a 45,000 year old skull that features an elongated nose, brow ridge, and jaw. It is named after the Amud cave in Israel where it is believed to be discovered in 1961 according to australianmuseum.net

Adrian Youhana, the department chair of anthropology at Pierce College has seen positive feedback concerning Pierson’s teaching style.

“When we get his student evaluations back they always say how much they really enjoy him. They

learn a lot, and he’s very passionate about what he does,” Youhana said. “I think he’s a very good team player too. He works well with his colleagues, and works well with me as a department chair. We’re very excited to have him.”

Youhana has also confirmed that Pierson is on the tenure track for instructors.

“He’s incredibly enthusiastic, he’s energetic, and students really like him,” Youhana said, “He’s doing a really great job. He’s a really valuable member of our department.”

Pierson’s talent has not gone unnoticed by groups outside of academia. The phrase “publish or

perish” isn’t exactly how Pierson would describe his situation at the moment.

“I actually do a lot more tv than I do publications. I’ve been invited as an expert on a few different tv shows recently. One was called ‘The Strange Truth’ and that was on the National Geographic channel,” Pierson said.

Pierson is invested in the longterm growth of the anthropology department and the development of students who wish to study in similar areas.

“My future goals, really, are to continue to expand our department as we’ve been. Since we’ve been here, we’ve been able to offer three

new classes that we didn’t offer before- two in the anthropology department and we’ve also been able to offer an associate’s degree for transfer,” Pierson said. Thirdyear Pierce College student Carolina Stoll is taking Pierson’s cultural anthropology class this semester and checked out his positive reviews on ratemyprofessor.com.

“He doesn’t use a book, that’s one thing I found kinda odd, because personally for me I like to go back when I need something, but we could record his lectures so that’s very beneficial,” Stoll said.

Even being 1,900 miles away from former colleagues, Pierson’s lasting

impression remains with those he worked with.

“I haven’t visited Pierce College, although I stay in touch with Professor Pierson, and see him frequently at scientific meetings. We are proud to be able to call him a Tulane PhD,” Verano said.

Additional reporting by:

Richard Espinosa

"It’s a lot of pressure knowing when to recognize your own limits. But that serves as an opportunity for me to keep learning, too. The students keep you on your toes and keep you challenged and that’s a good thing."

-Jennifer

Adelini Instructor of Animal Sciences

Taylor Arthur/ Roundup

Jennifer Adelini poses next to a stuffed training dog during her class where she teaches her veteranary students how to check for ulsers in the eyes of animals in the Vertranary Technology building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Calvin Alagot/ Roundup

Assistant Professor of anthropology, Brian Pierson worked in Hollywood for a decade as a special effects artist on films such as Zack Snyder’s 2006 adaptation of “300.” In his new forensics class, Anthropology 119, Pierson teaches students how to analyze bones to help solve criminal

Brahma of the Week

Quotes gathered by: Felipe Gamino

Photo by: Calvin Alagot

How do you prepare for games?

“I’m already thinking of what I’m going to do with the ball, my passes and my shots. I have to get my orange juice and my meal and to just be focused.”

How do you feel about your performance on Friday?

“I had the winning assist. It was a big day for me and not because I performed good,

but I had to prove a lot to my teammates, my coach and my family that was there what I can do with the ball and that I care about this team.”

What do you feel you need to improve on?

“Probably my attitude. Not getting to emotional and overwhelmed when things don’t go my way.”

What are your individual goals for the season?

“My individual goals. If I am not scoring to get my assists. When it comes to soccer I want to get more fit, and also

want to get back into a D1 school. To work harder than my opponents my teammates and to just grow more as a leader.”

What do you want to achieve with your teammates?

“ Our goals are obviously to win conference. Keep our stats up, winning games and scoring. Also coming together, rebuilding the team connection, having each other’s back and just working hard for one another.”

Brahmas outrun the Rams

Soccer comes back to end its two-game losing streak

JOSHUA MANES Reporter @tweeporting

The Brahmas shined under the Friday night lights of Shepard Stadium, controlling the ball on offense for most of the game.

With its victory, the Brahmas snapped a two-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Desert Rams of Victor Valley College.

Pierce now holds a 6-2-1 record, sitting comfortably atop of the Western State Central Conference.

Victor Valley struck first with a goal in the 37th minute. Midfielder

Alexis Lopez, who returned from a knee sprain, answered right back for Pierce, igniting the Brahmas.

The crowd was vocal all night at the Pierce footballs’ Shepard Stadium, which gave the Brahmas an advantage — normally its games are played The Pit.

“There’s a lot of energy,” Pierce coach Adolfo Perez said. “You can hear the fans. We don’t get that at our place. They get pumped up.”

Leslie Ramirez, forward, shares Perez’s sentiment about the crowd.

“I live for Friday night lights,” Ramirez said. “The atmosphere, everything. The crowd, the energy,

it’s how a home game should be.”

Ramirez assisted on the eventual game-winning goal with a cross that midfielder Adriana Sosa headed into the back of the net.

Ramirez pushed the Desert Rams defense throughout the game with

multiple shots on goal.

But Ramirez nearly didn’t play in this game. In the previous game she received a yellow card for misconduct when she cussed out the official, and then clashed heads with Perez, refusing a sub

Ramirez knows she was wrong, and looked forward to this game.

SCHEDULE

Oct. 5 to Oct. 12

Water Polo

Wednesday, Oct.5 vs. Santa Monica 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 12 @ LA Valley 3:30 p.m.

Soccer

Friday, Oct. 7 @ Oxnard 2 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 11 @ Santa Monica 3 p.m.

Football

BYE week

Womenʼs Volleyball

Wednesday, Oct.5 @ College of the Canyons 6 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 7 @ Moorpark 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 12 vs Hanocock 6 p.m.

“I felt like Friday was definitely a chance for me to redeem myself and show the girls I want to be here. I’m here for them and I want to work hard,” Ramirez said. “I want just to play and just go out there and do what I came to do, just play soccer. Get a W and assist or score, so I’m glad we got the result that we needed.”

The Brahmas needed the victory after dropping the last two games against Chaffey and Ventura College, both games at home. With two games left before the start of conference play, it is even more important for Pierce to be playing well.

“This is a game that we needed, you hate to go into conference on a downer,” assistant coach Willie Diaz said. “We still have Taft and Oxnard, so one more week until conference starts for us.”

Mitch’s Pitches

afterwards.

“That’s why she didn’t start,” Perez said. “We met with the team and that’s what they had decided to do. We respect the team a lot so it was a mutual decision between the team and the coaching staff.”

Lack of support leaves athletics department without full-timers

kinesiology department. He did not receive an interview any of those three times. Sabolic, like many of the other coaches, is a teacher at a different campus during the day. He teaches chemistry at El Camino Real High School, and drives over to Pierce for football practice in the afternoons.

MONICA VIGIL Reporter @monica_a_vigil

Sports coaches, on many college campuses, teach classes throughout the day and then transition to leading practice for their team. Pierce is not one of those colleges.

None of the 13 sports coaches at Pierce are hired as full-time instructors, despite the athletic department’s attempts to change that.

Athletic Director Bob Lofrano said he was the last person to be hired as a full-time coach in 1989. He was hired to coach baseball and teach physical education.

Lofrano said the problem with coaches not being full-time instructors is that they have to get a second, and sometimes third job off campus, and as a result are not accessible to the student athletes.

“What if there’s a problem,” Lofrano said. “What if [the athletes] need some guidance and their coach is selling real estate until 3 o’clock? It’s really a burden.”

Lofrano said he does not know why the coaches are overlooked when the kinesiology department has an opening for a full-time teacher, but he has been vocal about wanting this to change.

“I think it’s a burden on the whole campus because athletes are here all day long,” Lofrano said.

“They wait around for practice. It’s not like the regular student who comes in at 8 and leaves at 12 because he lives three miles away, goes home, eats lunch, goes to work. The athletes wait.”

Football coach Jason Sabolic wants to be a full-time instructor at Pierce. He has been an adjunct faculty member for the last 13 years, and said he has had three opportunities to be hired within the health and

“I think it’s a burden on the whole campus because athletes are here all day long. They wait around for practice. It’s not like the regular student who comes in at 8 and leaves at 12 because he lives three miles away, goes home, eats lunch, goes to work.

The athletes wait.”

-Bob Lofrano Athletic Director

“Football is a full-time job with this many kids,” Sabolic said. “They’re roaming around. That’s one of the major problems. There’s no oversight of those 120 kids [involved with the football team] and that’s a big group on campus.”

Chance Cole, a sophomore on the basketball team, said getting a hold of coach Charles White

before or after practice isn’t a problem for him.

“We have his phone number, so I can call him during the day, but it’d be better if he was here,” Cole said.

According to Lofrano, the hiring committee on campus is aware of the athletic department’s desire to have at least one of their coaches hired as a full-time instructor.

Lofrano said the committee has, in the past, agreed to grant the department’s request, but never followed through with the decision.

“I’m not saying we don’t have support,” Lofrano said. “But we don’t have support in that area where coaches can be hired.”

According to the Los Angeles Valley College website, seven of their eight athletic coaches are also kinesiology instructors.

Lofrano said coaches also share some of the blame. In other schools, there are coaches who are hired and then stop coaching.

“That’s been a problem for years throughout any school district, throughout any school,” Lofrano said. “It’s a two-way street. You have to be honest about that.”

mvigil.roundupnews@gmail.com

The Brahmas next game is at home in The Pit against Taft College on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m., followed by a trip to Oxnard College on Friday Oct. 7 at 2 p.m.

jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Briefs: Former Pierce quarterback drafted to CFL

The Canadian Football League has drafted former Brahma Nick Arbuckle. In 2014, Arbuckle graduated and moved on to Georgia State University.

Arbuckle was the Brahmas’ quarterback from 2012-14. He racked up 6,626 passing yards and 73 touchdowns. He also had 29 interceptions and 27 sacks.

He led the Pacific Conference in 2013 with 259.3 yards per game. His final season as a Brahma ended with a nearly 60 percent passing rate, 2,852 yards and 26 touchdowns.

At GSU, he had 51 touchdowns and 7,651 yards from 2014-15. In 2015, he had 471 passing yards in a single game against Texas State University. Arbuckle was an unsigned free agent who attended the Pittsburgh Steelers tryouts during the summer.

It ended with no contract being offered. At 6 feet and 225 pounds, Arbuckle was considered to be deficient in arm strength, athleticism, and height, even though last season at GSU he had 28 touchdowns, 4,368 passing yards and a .631 passing percentage.

The Calgary Stampeders, a team within the CFL, extended a contract for three years to Arbuckle. Prior to leaving GSU, Arbuckle served as volunteer assistant coach to head coach Trent Miles and the offensive staff for the 2016 season.

Let me pitch you something: Pierce should adopt outdoor sporting classes where adrenaline junkies, thrill seekers or students looking to step out of their comfort zone, can harness the rush of living on the edge. By outdoor sporting classes, I am not talking about competitive sports (although, they can be), I’m talking about sports where improvement is the only way to earn a W. Sports like: bicycling, surfi ng or mountain climbing. Pierce already has a horseback riding class, so why not expand?

College is a time and place for young adults to be set up on a path to discover passions that will last a lifetime. Because parental sheltering has signifi cantly decreased, students are willing to take more risks; an outdoor sports class would be prominent because it can develop hobbies that will stick with you for life.

According to losangelessurfinglessons.com, one private surfi ng lesson costs $125, while a group lesson, with random people of different age groups, cost $90. Whereas at Pierce, it’d only be $46 per unit for a full semester. You would also be establishing connections with other students who more likely have similar interests.

Pierce can buy beginner surfboards for $200 to $400 online or at sporting stores. According to a study done by the University of Maine, on average, it costs $3,876 annually to own one horse.

It’s time students can play a sport and take a class where the only way to fail is to not show up to a recreational course. But if you are a person looking to experience something fresh and exciting, then you can’t possibly take no L’s enrolling in these classes.

Let’s bring excitement back to Pierce.

mnodelman.roundupnews@gmail.com

All 13 Pierce coaches work part time due to small athletics budget

Leslie Ramirez Freshman

“There’s a lot of energy. You can hear the fans. We don’t get that at our place. They get pumped up,”

-Adolfo Perez Soccer Coach

Abdolreza Rastegarrazi / Roundup Ramsʼ Jordan Hemstedt battles for the ball against Brahmasʼ Leslie Ramirez as she attempts to score a goal at Shepard Stadium on Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Shining under the stadium lights

Color guard member brings her talent to the soccer eld

JOSHUA MANES Reporter @tweeporting

Touring the country in a bus, sleeping at schools and performing at stadiums such as the Rose Bowl, Stanford, and the Georgia Dome with 100,000 eyes staring down at you from the stands in Lucas Oil Stadium is how this soccer player spends her summer vacations.

For freshman Tylee Low summer’s include riding across the country in a tour bus for color guard and this semester she joined the soccer team at Pierce. Low, 17, is a forward on the Brahmas, but outside of Pierce she is a member of the color guard for Pacific Crest, a team in Drum Corps International.

“It’s like the major leagues for marching bands,” Low said. “There’s high school, college, and then DCI. I perform on one of the middle ranking, world-class groups.”

Low discovered color guard and drum corps her freshman year of high school. Initially a member of the band, Low saw the opportunity to drop her clarinet and pick up a flag for the color guard, and leapt at it.

“I did marching band for the first part of my freshman year, and I realized there were also girls who got to dance and spin flags, the color guard,” Low said. “I thought to myself ‘Why am I going to wear this ugly band uniform that doesn’t fit me, when I can go and wear a pretty dress and makeup, and dance around the field, and look cute all the time.’”

But it wasn’t just about looking cute for Low. With the help of her uncle, she trained and improved her skills. This was a true test of dedication, as she was playing soccer at the same time.

“I picked it up really quickly, and I wanted to progress faster than

other people,” Low said. “My uncle did color guard so he taught me how to do rifle, which is the second highest line.”

Low’s uncle trained color guards in the Army, and he taught her the intricacies of the technique that she didn’t learn at school. This added training helped Low earn a spot on Pacific Crest’s color guard.

“It says a lot for Tylee to be able to make a spot in a world-class corps and perform at such a high level,”

Pacific Crest Executive Director Stuart Pompel said. “There a very few people on the entire planet that can do that.”

Corps members spend the summer on the road performing.

This summer they left on June 4 and returned Aug. 14. The one hundred and fifty members on the team, aged 16-21, pack into a bus

and ride across the country, having to sleep at the schools or venues they later perform at. An idea that might sound fun at first, but the stress from the travel and constant go can get to anyone, and Low’s teammates are glad she’s there.

“She’s [Low] really fun,” Pacific Crest teammate Frida Macias said. “She’s a great person to be around when we’re all feeling down.”

The performances the corps puts on are not small. Pompel describes them as “blockbuster performances,” one hundred and fifty members moving with precision and choreography. The final culmination of the summer came in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts and host to multiple NCAA Final Fours.

“You walk in from the tunnels

and you can’t really see anything besides the field and the ground level,” Low said. “Then you get closer, and you see the seats just keep going and they don’t end, and people are filling the front rows. The first thing they tell you is, ‘Don’t freak out, you’ve done this before.’ But there’s 50,000 people staring at me over there. And of course I catch myself in the jumbotron.”

Learning a routine in five minutes and performing it in front of 10,000 people in a couple hours can be stressful, but the fast-paced style that fills her summers helps Low out on the soccer field for the Brahmas.

“It helps you deal with pressure and adapt quickly to things,” Low said. “I can see this person’s here. I know they’re going to come mark me and I need to figure out a new

way to do things. It opens your eyes to see more of what’s going around you.”

Low has been out on the soccer field since she was 3 years old, originally as a way to spend time with her mother and older sister. Over the years Low’s love for the game grew, and she saw the strong familial bonds that sport can bring.

“I learned that I could make a lot of friends through sports,” Low said. “When it came to highschool there was a whole set of athletes and everybody just loves each other.”

Coach Adolfo Perez sees promise in Low’s game.

“She hasn’t fully grown. She’s one of our younger players,” Perez said. “She’s going to be a tremendous athlete.”

jmanes@roundupnews@gmail.com

Calvin Alagot / Roundup

Pierce women's soccer forward Tylee Low (8) is in her first year at Pierce coming from John F. Kennedy High School where she was Color Guard captain and competed in nationals. Low poses for a portrait on Sept. 29, 2016 in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Calvin Alagot / Roundup Pierce women's soccer forward Tylee Low poses for a portrait at John Shepard Stadium.