Major

Informational seminar gives students options

Transfer deadline is Thursday, and the anticipation of transferring or registering for fall 2018 is leaving many students wondering if their major is right for them.

The seminar in the Great Hall informed students of what they can do with their major and how to pick the right one.

English instructor Brad Saenz coordinated the event with the Student Rights and Resources Organization.

Saenz said the organization is a peer mentor group that helps students know their rights, but it also informs them of the resources available on campus, such as the Transfer Center, career and personal counselors and financial aid assistance.

“It's information that students need to know for themselves and for their academic career to know what resources we have here at Pierce,” Saenz said.

Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter was one of speakers at the event.

Salter presented the value of being strategic when choosing a major for transfer. She said a lot of students are unaware of the importance of selecting a major, not just for personal interest, but also so they can be accepted to a school they want.

Coming off of a 2-21 record last season, women's basketball surpassed that win total over the Thanksgiving break.

Women’s basketball (3-2) defeated both the Los Angeles Harbor College Seahawks and the Oxnard College Condors in tournament.

Taneysha Davis-Woods lead the team with 28 points followed by Diana Kohanzad with 26 points in the 67-66 win over the Seahawks.

Davis-Woods scored the most points, but Kohanzad had 9 rebounds and 4 steals in the 38 minutes she was on the court.

Coming off a win against Los Angeles Harbor College on Friday, the Brahmas faced Oxnard College on Sunday.

Assistant coach Kimberly Mayes Taylor said the game went

“The girls started to play together and came together as a team. They shared the ball and moved the ball quickly,” Taylor said. “Offense kind of started to click today. We had a couple of our bench players come through and really produce.”

At the half, the score was 2625.

In the end, the Brahmas pulled away and had some breathing room against the Condors with a 56-41 victory.

The Brahmas may have led the entire game against the Condors, but coach Jim Couch said it wasn’t as strong as it could have been.

“We won it, that's one thing,” Couch said. “It wasn't pretty, but we'll take any win.” the last few semesters, and he also organizes Planetariums for students and the community to enjoy.

Although the Brahmas won both tournament games, there are still things the team needs to improve, Couch said.

"I think it's a good group, they just got to learn to listen a little bit," Couch said.

Couch thinks they need to communicate and effectively listen, but Davis-Woods said the team works well together and they can count on each other.

"My teammates are really good motivators, and they always have our backs. Being engaged in the game is only going to push us to work harder," Davis-Woods said.

This is Davis-Woods’ first year at Pierce, and she hopes to transfer out-of-state, but is focused on the here and now. She said she needs to improve on the court and how she contributes to the team.

"I feel like I rushed a few things, but that just comes with time," Davis said.

Despite the things they needs to improve on, the women's basketball team has kept a positive attitude.

"Our girls are now ready to play," Couch said.

“We have one typically early on and one pretty late so we can get different parts of the sky, because the sky constantly changes over the course of the year,” Fields said. “It’s the same sky, but we get different chunks of it at different times.”

At night, Pierce students explain and demonstrate to guests what they are viewing in different parts of the night sky.

“Whenever dealing with computer screens, there's always CG graphics, so we never really know if what we see on TV is real, but to actually look through a telescope at a planet with your own eyes, this thing really actually exists out there,” Fields said. “I think that’s a valuable and really fun thing.”

“You need to look at the competitiveness of the major and whether it is impacted or not,” Salter said. “You also need to think about what you will learn as a result of studying that major. Is it something that you will carry with you into the workforce? Are you going to be successful studying the subject, or will it be a challenge for you to keep grades up?”

Salter said lower grades reduces a student’s chance of being accepted into graduate schools, and it may also reduce internship or job opportunities.

“If you can choose a major that plays to your strengths, you can find a university where you can find success. This can help propel you into lots of different potential careers,” Salter said.

Saenz said students don't know how to decide on a major, and they don't see the connection between career and major.

Saenz said the speakers provided information to help make those decisions, and also make sure students know that they are resources to help them.

“One of the most important things about events like this is the opportunity to see how studentfriendly the counselors are,” Saenz said. “It help to get students thinking about important things like major selection.”

Anthropology major Anna Bogdanovic is a member of the Student Rights and Resources Organization and she said this is the first semester she has been extracurricularly involved on campus.

She said it was a good experience to help put the event together, and she learned a lot by attending the seminar.

Bogdanovic said she learned that people often choose majors solely based on what they think will make them the most money, not realizing that there are a lot of other factors, and they have a lot of opportunities once they choose the right major.