Volume 127 Fall 2017 Roundup Issue 4

Admin sows the seeds for farm plans

Construction scheduled for 2020 to expand agricultural program and relieve community concerns

For Student March go to page 7

At the forefront of campus safety

Pierce is taking measures to enhance security

In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting on Sunday morning, administration is reinforcing current safety guidelines and precautions.

Pierce College Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher and Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Larry Kraus said the campus already has measures in place to help with pre and postincident situations.

Kraus and Schleicher are among the 43 administrators and support people who have been trained for active shooter and other emergency situations. Staging areas and more than 18 100-person emergency supply depots exist around campus.

VANESSA ARREDONDO

News Editor & RANDI LOVE

Photo Editor

Pierce College is moving forward with plans to use the property on De Soto Avenue and Victory Boulevard for educational purposes serving the Agricultural Program after the closure of the Farm Center left the area vacant for two years.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheri Berger assured the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization (WHHO) during last Wednesday’s meeting that there will be no commercial or

residential development on the Pierce College farm.

“We are a farm in the city, and that is very unique. I don't know another big farm sitting in an urban area. We need to preserve that,” Berger said. “That's what makes Pierce College so unique. We are serving students who grew up in the city, who may have never seen a cow, who don't know where their food comes from.”

According to Berger, an agricultural education center is set to be built in 2020. The building will be 8,000 square feet and will act as anchor to the Agricultural Program, filling the area left by the Farm Center. Two greenhouses, each 1,000 square feet, will also be built in a way that allows future expansions

The Brahmas take a knee

President Trump's NFL comment fires up political movement

ARIELLE ZOLEZZI

Reporter

@ArielleZolezzi

President Donald Trump’s attack on NFL players who took the knee didn’t stop them from protesting. Nor did it stop the Brahmas during their Sept. 30 home game against San Diego Costa Mesa College.

Trump said Friday that NFL owners who see players “disrespecting the flag” should say “get that SOB off the field right now, he’s fired.”

The president also took to twitter and said, “If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem. If not, YOU'RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”

Many NFL players have taken after Colin Kaepernick, former 49ers quarterback, who started the movement back in August 2016.

Since then, athletes from most of the NFL teams as well as high school athletes, college athletes and athletes of other professional sports have joined in on the protest by kneeling during the national anthem.

The movement has also made its way to Pierce. The football team had a group of players kneel during the national anthem during their home game.

Wide receiver Keith Marshall was one of the players who took a knee during Saturday’s game.

“I don’xat really like Trump’s comments. If you want to take a knee during the national anthem, then you should be able to do that,” Marshall said. “I took a knee today, not necessarily because of the tweet, but because I

when funds become available.

The Farm Center’s five-year lease ended in 2010, and owner and director Robert McBroom was given a year to vacate the property, the Daily News reported. After refusing to leave the property, the district and McBroom came to a settlement, which stipulated that the center would close indefinitely to the public the day after Christmas 2014, and the area would be vacated by April 15 the following year.

According to Berger, the college didn't renew the lease because the primary goal is to educate students, and using that land and bringing it into the Pierce agricultural instructional program would provide more benefits and help complete that mission.

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher added that the Farm Center was great for the community and provided K-12 educational services, but conflicted with the institution’s focus to provide optimal postsecondary education.

“Until we changed what we were doing, we would never get the educational programs to move forward fast enough to give students what they need,” Schleicher said. “Across the state, there was a need for education in agricultural and plant sciences; there was a high demand for students, and our program was not fulfilling that demand. So, we made an assessment and decided to go in this direction.”

The Farm Center was gone by

the end of 2015, and with it left the Halloween and Christmas festivals. The area remained vacant for about two years, and Woodland Hills residents became concerned that Pierce would get rid of the farm completely.

John Walker, executive vice president of WHHO, said that for decades, there have been movements of people trying to acquire pieces of the land for commercial use.

“The developers that drive past there everyday, their mouths water, and they just can’t believe that property doesn’t have something on it. That it doesn’t have 15-story buildings, ” Walker said.

[see farm on pg. 8]

“We have a lot of mutual aid arrangements in place,” Kraus said. “But to deal with an environment that is happening so quickly, what we also need to do is get a camera system in so that you can see where the issues are, and to what extent, and know what you’re walking into.”

Schleicher said that the school has dedicated more than $150,000 to equipment for emergency response. Kraus said the teams constantly meet for training sessions and to make sure all equipment is up to date.

There are three types of communication in place; mass text, the phone system and 2-way radios.

According to the annual security report for 2017, in the event of a campus emergency, where it is necessary to notify students and staff of impending danger or critical information, Pierce has established a communication protocol to engage as many students and staff as possible, in the shortest amount of time.

It is important that all current technology and communication modes be used to widely distribute the information as quickly as possible, but prior to that, Schleicher said, we have to look for things on campus that may be suspicious.

“So the first thing is to try to get information, like if we hear anything that happened in a classroom or if we hear anything on the campus, is it related to a student or someone from the public,” Schleicher said.

Shae Hammond / Roundup

don’t think the world is in the best place right now, and it shouldn’t be a big deal if we want to show that it matters.”

This subject has been a touchy topic. Some have taken the stance that the protest is disrespectful to the men and women who have served and died for this country.

On the other hand, supporters of the cause say the protest is not about disrespecting the flag, but bring up the cause.

Interim ead coach James Sims said he is on both sides of the coin because he is a disabled veteran. He said that the president’s comments are disrespectful.

“These are some terrible comments,” Sims said. “I fought for our country, but I was defending the constitution, and that goes along with freedom of speech and protest. I’m personally not going to kneel, but I don’t have a problem with people kneeling.

It isn’t about the song or the flag, it’s about the constitution.”

Many veterans have taken to social media to support the protest with pictures of them in uniforms and kneeling. Some family members of veterans who died in battled kneeled with their folded flags.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Kraus said it’s an ongoing process where the safety teams meet and keep up with things going on both on and off campus and also make sure equipment is working properly and not dated.

“We have training sessions with the team, and they’re constantly getting new equipment and supplies. They’re testing their backpacks and the flashlights,” Kraus said. “So, all the time, we’re always checking and rechecking to make sure we have the most up-to-date first aid and survival quick kits to help students and staff.”

[see campus safety on pg. 7]

Mohammad Djauhari / Roundup

The Farm land has remained vacant since the McBrooms last leased it for the Farm Center in 2015. Pierce College plans to use the land for educational purposes.

Six Pierce College football players take a knee during the National Anthem prior to the game against San Diego Mesa College, on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. For the game story go to page 9.

RANDI LOVE

Photo Editor @Randi_Love29

Death struck Las Vegas Sunday evening as 64-year-old Stephen Paddock took to the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and rained bullets down on the crowd across the street at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.

When active shooter incidents happen, there is typically mass panic because people are trying to get to safety and aren’t sure of where to go or what to do.

Pierce has measures in place to help assure the safety of students, faculty and staff. (See page 1 for more information.)

In the event of an active shooter on campus or other emergencies, the first things that needs to go out are mass texts, emails or phone calls using our emergency notification system.

The problem is that people don’t update their information with current phone numbers and email addresses. It should be required that students, faculty and staff keep this up-to-date every semester.

Test messages should be sent out at least twice a semester to make sure the method is working properly.

We should also have lockdown drills and evacuation drills at least once a semester that help students, faculty and staff understand what to do in case of an emergency.

Lockdown drills mean do not leave your classroom or office, and if outside, find somewhere safe where a door can be closed and locked.

Evacuation drills are for exiting a building and getting to safety. Instructors should make sure to keep a roster for each class. Should a situation occur in which immediate exit is necessary, the campus will have something to keep track of all personnel and students.

Some jobs require watching a video during orientation that explains what to do in the event of an active shooter. We should require the same of Pierce students, providing the information during the first day of class or campus orientation.

This should also be a requirement for instructors, similar

Volume 127, Issue

Page

Dehbozorgi's

to the sexual harassment or Title IX training already implemented. Brahmas responding with actions and voices through empowerment (BRAVE) is an initiative on campus that promotes “see something, say something,”

which encourages bystander awareness and encourages people to intervene. (See more information on page 8.)

Each classroom and office should have posters or signs that show where to go in the aftermath

“Someone fell off a chair that wasactuallybrokeninthe smokingarea.”

Professors can speak however they want to. They are in charge of the classroom and the students.

Professors set the rules, and students are aware of this from day one. If students do not like to hear foul language, they can drop the class, or take it with another professor at a different time.

Students take classes to fulfill their academic requirements. Students' focus should be on passing the class, and not so much on the professor's way of speaking. Professors are hired to teach the subject, not to instruct on morality. Moral lessons are taught at home.

Each professor has a different approach to teaching, and it should be respected. Some teachers can be more calm, and of few words, while others can be more expressive. Foul language is a form of expression. It can express strong emotions that are required to get a point across during a lecture. Professors choose this certain way of speaking because they want to express themselves more verbally. This manner of speaking is used to communicate more effectively with students.

Professors deal with college students, not children. They teach classes filled with adults, and not kindergarteners. They shouldn't have to worry about choosing their

words before speaking. Professors are free to be themselves, and should not feel like they need to portray someone else while they are lecturing.

Students should be aware of the real world. We live in a world where every human being is different. We all have different ideas and different ways of thinking. We have our own opinions, and we all have our own way to communicate.

Professors are not breaking school rules by using foul language. They are using their freedom of speech. College is a place where the majority of students are adults. Most students are older than 18. They've heard foul language before, either at home, on television or on the streets.

Professors should be allowed to use foul language because they are not harming the students in any way. They sometimes use this method to grab students’ attention and make the class less boring. Some professors use foul language to bond with their students. Using foul language makes the teachers more approachable. It makes them seem more down to earth. Students feel more comfortable with their teachers, and therefore they reach out to them more. They ask questions in class and become involved in the lecture, rather than falling asleep.

smatzaganian.roundupnews@gmail.com

of an event or in case of an evacuation. The information on the sign or poster should include your current location and your nearest safe zone.

These measures cannot assure that a dangerous situation won’t

MICKIE SHAW Reporter @mickieshaw77

Professors are to be respected, treated with courtesy, and definitely not cursed at. It's rude and disrespectful. It could get you tossed out of school. There are clear expectations of student’s behaviors. However, should professors be held to the same standards, or be allowed to be disrespectful, curse and potentially offend?

If a teacher doesn’t practice decorum then why should students?

Professors might use bad words to make a point, or when reading from a book, such as historical works.

But professors cursing in the classroom is unprofessional and disrespectful toward their students. Pupils often admire and view their professors as role models.

Walking through the Pierce campus, it’s clear that using foul language is commonplace. Students don't need to have their already crude habits reenforced by a highly educated, supposedly sophisticated, professor who is occupying a privileged and prestigious position.

“Therewasanoldladyon rollerskatesfeedingpigeons bread,whilerandomly singingtothem.”

-ParsaYousefi,17,Computer Science

happen, but it shouldn’t take a national tragedy for people to start thinking about prevention and procedures.

but also be an example of how to use words to communicate effectively, and not just to offend or shock people.

Deciding to swear in a classroom can also open a pandora's box of expletives which are weighted very differently on the dirty word scale. What scale of measurement determines the line where a curse word goes from harmless to unacceptable? Are there dirty words that are guaranteed not to offend anyone? Probably not.

Some people don't curse. Occasionally, it's surprising to learn who swears and who doesn't. One could assume that cursing would put a particular person at ease, when in fact it makes them uncomfortable. However, it is rare that a person feels offended by someone using clean language.

Curse words are not appropriate in a professional setting, and are not polite when speaking publicly. Foul language in the workplace can even get you fired. The classroom should not be an exception to real world standards of behavior.

“Isawaguyonahoverboard wearingaonesieonhisway to class.”

-SydneyPapp,18,Architecture

Higher education should hold higher standards for students and teachers. Professors should not just teach their expertise,

-RandyRamos,34,Information Technology Cartoonist:

When professors use profanity it doesn’t make them more approachable, or benefit the students. It only normalizes vulgar speech. *For advertising call Matt at (818) 710-2960

mshaw.roundupnews@gmail.com

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.

Illustration by Beck Shields / Roundup

Education inspection

PCC discusses solutions to enrollment worries

ARIELLE ZOLEZZI Reporter @ArielleZolezzi

A 2 percent decrease in enrollment might not seem like a lot, but it is causing administration to reassess the programs and services provided by the school to find a solution for those decreasing numbers.

The Pierce College Council (PCC) met Thursday, Sept. 28, and spoke about the enrollment drop and possible measures to increase student experience to encourage incoming and returning students to complete their education.

Vice President of Student Services

Earic Dixon-Peters reported the demographics found by the Pierce College Retention Research survey. He said that in fall 2015, 22,016 students were enrolled, and the following spring semester, 7,457 students did not re-enroll.

“We are hoping that our initiative to pay for students fees their first year if they commit to a full-time student load will address the issues that we found in our survey,” Dixon-Peters said. “We also have our summer bridge program, which we are hoping will have an impact on students taking more units.”

The survey also found that students were not unsatisfied with their college experience. Eightyone percent of students who didn’t re-enroll were satisfied with Pierce College, and 82 percent said they would recommend the institution.

It was determined that factors attributed include class availability and material expenses, according to the survey.

Isha Pasricha, vice president of the ASO, said students should be more vocal about student issues that could be fixed.

“I genuinely appreciate the faculty that is here taking time out of their lives just to make the students’ lives better, and we should grab that hand they are extending,” Pasricha said.

azolezzi.roundupnews@gmail.com

Pierce is under FIRE

Preliminary hearing scheduled for First Amendment lawsuit

NOAH GOLDBLOOM Reporter @noahgoldbloom

Student Kevin Shaw filed a lawsuit last semester stating that his First Amendment rights were violated by campus administration. The suit is in the early stages, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16 to determine whether it will go to trial.

Shaw is being represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), an organization that fights for students’ rights on college campuses.

Brynne Madway, a staff attorney at FIRE, said the first hearing will determine if Pierce College can have the case dismissed before it goes to court. Madway said she hopes the case can be settled, but her team would take the trial to court if necessary.

“It was right in the middle of the elections,” Shaw said.

He was handing out Spanishlanguage versions of the U.S. Constitution outside of the Free Speech Area on Pierce and was asked to stop or be escorted off campus. He was told that he needed to be in the Free Speech Area and also have a permit. Shaw said he tried to set a meeting up with Pierce administration before resorting to legal action.

“I then spent a month trying to get a meeting, and they wouldn’t give me a meeting,” he said.

Brynne Madway, a staff attorney at FIRE, wants the lawsuit to bring change to Pierce College. She said that cases like these have removed the free speech zones on campus entirely.

Arthur Willner, a partner at Leader & Berkon, is hoping the

case doesn’t have to go to trial. He said that the complaint has been filed, and the first hearing will determine what happens next.

“The college wants to hear what the court has to say,” Willner said.

Willner, who is helping represent Shaw, is dissatisfied with the way free speech is being handled at Pierce. Willner said that during his time in college, he had the whole country as his free speech zone. He said Pierce limitations are a disservice to students.

“As a public college, Pierce has

to uphold the First Amendment,” he said. “I’m not worried about zones.” Willner described colleges as a marketplace for ideas, with Pierce limiting the area, it blocks and restricts the exchange.

Willner said the ultimate goal is to abolish the Free Speech Area and the need for permits, making the entire campus a free speech zone.

Pierce College administration did not respond to questions about the pending lawsuit. Vice Chancellor of Finance and Resource Development for the Los Angeles Community College

Rundown Brahma Blotter

These incidents were reported between Sept. 24 - Sept. 30

Reported by: Vanessa Arredondo and Jose Herrera

09/28

•Student Incident Student was feeling ill and transported to the hospital via paramedics at 9 a.m.

09/28

•Bicycle Theft

An unknown suspect stole a bicycle between 2-3p.m. from the North Business education building.

District Robert Miller sent an email response about the matter.

“Although we do not typically comment on ongoing litigation, discussions are ongoing and we continue to work toward a resolution,” Miller said in the email. Through all of this, Shaw is hoping to benefit Pierce. Shaw said that getting rid of the permit and the free speech limitations will lead to easier discussion on campus.

“I would like to see Pierce College stop restricting students and professors,” Shaw said.

ngoldbloom.roundupnews@gmail.com

09/29

•Suspicious Person Sheriffs reported a possible transient stalked pool and cafeteria areas.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station

General Information:

Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Photo illustration by Mohammad Djauhari and Taylor Arthur

The illustration above depicts a woman holding a newspaper on the free speech zone at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Brushing up the vintage market

Patricia Curedale attributes vintage market idea to her creative experiences

ROCIO ARENAS Reporter @rarenas_roundup

In the San Fernando Valley, not many vintage markets have had the opportunity to open their stands to the public. But Patrice Curedale is changing that.

Co-founder, public relations manager, marketer and artist, Curedale started the Topanga Vintage Market in 2012.

Since its beginning, the market has hosted more than 180 vendors, selling anything from antique clothing, to 100-year-old bottles, to exotic, taxidermied insects. The market offers automobilia, organic soaps and other trinkets.

Curedale earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, San Diego, with a major in Chinese studies, communications and visual arts.

Curedale’s career began in television and film. She continued to pursue her love of fine art in the Bay Area and managed several art galleries. Then she took an interest in public relations and marketing.

According to Curedale, her creative spark ignited when she knew she could combine her artistic abilities with the marketing expertise she had acquired and start a business.

Curedale is a mother of two sons, Aidan and Liam. When her sons were young, she managed the Topanga Children’s Festival at the school they attended.

Curedale partnered with local mom and artist Lori Rotblatt to run the Topanga Vintage Market.

According to Curedale, she and Rotblatt sought to gain income from their passion while still having time to spend with their children.

Rotblatt earned her art degree from Cal. State Long Beach and studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She then began working with art in her community.

“I was involved in the vintage art community for two years prior to starting this. I have a degree in art, and I love my family’s memorabilia,” Rotblatt said. “Like many collectors, you have too much stuff and you want to find a way to sell it.”

Many people have their hobbies

and unique interests, and some people even make a profit from their talent or possessions.

According to Curedale, dumpster diving is a hobby that adds to her creative perspective.

“We both liked to go to estate sales and garage sales, and I actually like to dumpster dive,” Curedale said.

“We were both single moms and we were just trying to find work that would give us flex time.”

The market got its start at the Westfield Promenade in Woodland Hills and eventually grew out of the space and was moved to Pierce College.

Curedale said her passion for the eclectic stemmed from childhood.

According to Curedale, it began with watching her mother collect antiques for decoration and wanting to find treasures preserved in time.

“I don’t know if it’s a gene, or nature or nurture,” Curedale said. “I can’t resist picking something up off the curb and rescuing it, and you’ll find with the vendors here it’s the same way.”

Curedale, a Topanga resident, displays her artwork at galleries in the community.

According to Curedale, the art community is very important to her,

and her vintage markets help support and promote artists.

“There are so many vintage vendors in Los Angeles because it’s such a strong flea market circuit,” Curedale said. “Many of these vendors make a living doing vintage shows.”

Curedale and Rotblatt recruited vendors from local flea market and vintage shows.

“First we hoofed it around to shows like the Rose Bowl Flea Market and Long Beach Flea Market and just cherry picked,” Curedale said. “We asked the people we liked, both for what their goods were and

personality-wise.”

One of the vendors Curedale has in the Topanga Vintage Market is antique bottles vendor Don Wippert. According to Wippert, he joined the market after being approached by Curedale and Rotblatt at a Ventura County vintage market.

“I started collecting in 1990. I joined the Los Angeles Bottle Club so I could know what to buy, and I wanted to know the value of things,” Wippert said.

Wippert said he had an early curiosity with vintage goods.

“I worked at a landfill for many years, and I kept seeing all these

antiques being thrown away, and I started picking up a few things,” Wippert said. Curedale said she hopes to expand the business, adding more vendors and customers who are curious about reconnecting with their childhood memories, as well as supporting the local art community. Curedale invites unique vendors to open their shops at the Topanga Vintage Market every fourth Sunday of the month to share their antique goods with the community.

rarenas.roundupnews@gmail.com

It takes a village to raise a Pierce student

UMOJA program on campus supports African American students in academics and community

Due to the nature of community college, students often come and go, and are not always given the opuurtunity to form connections.

Umoja, the Swahili word for unity, is also the name of one of Pierce College’s newest programs, which incorporates village life to unify students by teaching history and culture.

UMOJA is a student support program that encourages African American students and others to learn about the culture, encouraging service and teaching leadership skills. The program, set up by UMOJA counselors Melody Smith and Lakashia Nelson, is inspired by traditional African villages.

UMOJA students participate in a year-long program, taking classes taught by specifically trained instructors. Learning courses are linked together so students can make connections between different subjects. Faculty collaborate to create common themes, projects and assignments.

“There’s a lot of benefits to the program, including a learning community with set classes throughout the year. Classes include English, African American history, sociology and math,” Smith said. “There is also mandatory counseling.”

According to Smith, the goal of the program is to create community relationships among the students, professors, mentors and counselors.

UMOJA was started in 2006 by college faculty to help at-risk, educationally and economically disadvantaged students build a foundation for success. The

program receives $2.5 million in funding from California and is active on 46 California community colleges. It’s also partnered with the California State University (CSU) and University of California (UC) systems, where many UMOJA programs students plan to transfer. Different services are offered by UMOJA, such as academic,

career and personal counseling, local field trips to UC and CSU campuses, cultural events, mentoring, guest speakers, textbook rental assistance and student success workshops. Fully paid trips to historically black colleges and universities are offered twice a year, the first one being in October. Ladell Chapple, a business

major, joined UMOJA after being invited to one of the tours.

“I went on a college tour trip with them last semester and that was pretty exciting,” Chapple said. “I learned a lot. We went to Grambling State, Texas Southern, Dillard, Prairie and Xavier in Louisiana. It was a good experience.” Creating a sense of unity also

involves teaching the history and culture.

Tyrome Walton II, a fine arts major, wants to transfer to USC to study film and television.

“I have never been good at history classes, but maybe its because I’m not learning about my own history,” Walton said.

“I never learned about my own history in high school. I never

learned what African Americans contributed to history, so I thought it was a good opportunity to learn.”

The UMOJA Village is a conference room with couches, study tables and small cubicles with computers for student use. The walls are decorated with pictures of African art, African American baseball players, and a large picture of President Barack Obama, the first African American U.S. president.

Keaton Hicks, a 17-year-old Pierce freshman, said that he goes to the Village daily.

“It’s very friendly. Everybody comes up to talk to you,” Hicks said. “They offer you a lot of stuff, pretty much anything school related. If you need help with homework, or you don’t know how to get textbooks, if you don’t know where your class is on campus, they’ll show you.”

The Village allows program students the chance to communicate and make friends. According to Chapple, the Village is really peaceful and quiet.

“My favorite part of Pierce is the Village,” Chapelle said. “I come here, I do my homework and eat. They have a lot of information to offer. I love it.”

According to Smith, UMOJA is open to all students.

“It is a cultural immersion in the African American experience. I think students of that background would be particularly interested in this,” Smith said. UMOJA information can be found at the UMOJA Village next to the ASO room under the Pierce College Library / Learning Crossroads. Melody Smith can be contacted on the Pierce UMOJA website: http://piercecollege.edu/ offices/umoja/.

Titus Littlejohn / Roundup

Patrice Curedale , co-founder of the Topanga Vintage Market, poses with an oversized toothbrush at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017.

MICKIE SHAW Reporter @mickieshaw77

Samantha Bravo / Roundup

EMOJA counselors Lakashia Newsome and Melody Smith (left to right) smile for a photo at the Student Service Fair at Pierce College on Thursday, September 7, 2017 in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Tailgate rallies community at Shepard Stadium

Student leaders organize event to promote school spirit and support athletes before football game

Instead of studying on a Saturday night, community members rallied before the football game versus San Diego Mesa College to muster school spirit and support fellow Brahmas.

On Saturday, Sept. 30, the Pierce College football team kicked off its third home game with a tailgate party that included games, free food and a raffle for the students in attendance. The event was a collaborative effort by UMOJA, Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S) and the Associated Student Organization (ASO).

“Tailgate has been a great opportunity for ASO student leaders to be able to work with other student leaders on campus to come together for a fun event with students, faculty and staff to support student-athletes

at Pierce,” Student Engagement Coordinator and Counselor Lara Conrady Wong said. “We have had a great showing. It's been really fun,

and it's an opportunity for students to also go to the football game afterward.”

Smith said the tailgate event

was a fun and thrilling time for students, and she considered it to be a successful collaboration between Umoja, EOP&S, and ASO.

EOP&S is a state-funded program designed to support low-income and underserved students. Its office is located on the second floor of the

Student Services Building.

“I feel that the tailgate event is a good way for us to share our programs with students and reach out to them more,” Student Services assistant Latice Gustavis said.

Gustavis said the tailgate event was a good way to show underprivileged students that there are organizations established to assist them.

ASO co-organized the tailgate with other organizations to enrich student life through campus and community events.

“I love to see a lot of the students from our programs show up and engage and participate in the games. Community members are connecting with students from across the different programs,” UMOJA Counselor Melody Smith said.

UMOJA handed out shirts to students and staff members who signed in at the information booth. The shirts said, “We Support School Spirit, Brahma Pride.”

Miguel Montanez, an Admissions and Records assistant, attended the tailgate event and many of the Brahma’s football games this season to show his support.

“I think the tailgates are really important. They are a way of bringing the school together and helping out the student athletes to show them that we support them, with what they do out on the field athletically, and also academically,” Montanez said.

Pierce student Jordan Rice helped pass out information for UMOJA and mini footballs to support the players.

“This tailgate is a beautiful event where we get to share a good time, as well as our passion, with new people, other students and their families,” Rice said.

“They are a way of bringing the school together and helping out the student athletes to show them that we support them,”

-Miguel Montanez Admisiion and Records Assistant

Students march for free education

“Sign the bill” was chanted through the streets of Downtown Los Angeles as participants, including Pierce students, marched in support of tuition-free education to full-time community college students in California.

The march began at Pershing Square and ended at City Hall on Saturday, Sept. 30. Los Angeles residents organized the march to urge Gov. Jerry Brown to sign AB-19. Brown has until Oct. 15 to sign or veto the bill.

Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, President Pro Tempore of the California Senate Kevin de Leon and human rights activist Melissa Demyan attended the march in support of free community college.

Associated Student Organization President Efren Lopez and Chair of the Community Welfare Committee Gisela Tarifa attended the march.

Lopez attended the march because he believes education should be available for everyone.

“I’m at the march because I think one of the fundamentals of upward mobility is higher education,” Lopez said. “The bill that they’re advocating here is just sitting on the governor’s desk, ready to sign.”

Protesters seek to achieve free education and enhance student loan forgiveness programs for those who are in debt.

[ For more information, read the march article on page 7. ]

Photos and copy by Samantha Bravo

Above: (Left) Juliana Romero, (center) Chair of the Community Welfare Committee Gisela Tarifa, and (right) Associated Students Organization President Efren Lopez march to City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 in support of AB-19, which would make education free for first year community college students.

Above: Tosha Meeks puts the finishing touches to her poster for the Student March at Pershing Square on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 in Downtown Los Angeles, Calif.

Right : The march ended at City Hall where activists and assembly members spoke about AB-19 on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 in Downtown Los Angeles, Calif.

Students march for education

Los Angeles residents take to the streets in support of Assembly Bill 19

SAMANTHA BRAVO Editor-in-Chief @sammybravo93

Angelenos, including Pierce students, marched down Hill Street in Downtown Los Angeles in support of Assembly Bill 19, which would make college education free for one year.

The bill is sitting on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk awaiting his approval or veto.

The march began at Pershing Square and ended at City Hall, where organizers and participants made their speeches about the future of affordable and accessible higher education.

In 2015, President Barack Obama proposed two years of tuition-free community college for eligible students. AB-19 creates the California Community College (CCC) Promise Program to provide tuition-free education at a CCC for one academic year to all students.

Students marched down the street with posters, chanting, “Sign the bill,” and “Education is our right.”

Associated Student Organization President Efren Lopez attended the march because he believes education should be available for everyone.

“I’m at the march because I think one of the fundamentals of upward mobility is higher education,” Lopez said. “The bill that they’re advocating here is just sitting on the governor's desk, ready to sign.”

Lopez said it’s important for the government to provide education to students who can’t afford it.

“Some people say it could be a human right or a great necessity, especially in today’s society,” Lopez said. “It’s very important for people who can’t afford it or don’t know how to go about it, that it’s an option for them to go and move up in the world and get the proper education.”

Chair of the Community Welfare Committee Gisela Tarifa attended the march to support free education

for herself and for students in the future.

“If it wasn’t for Pierce College, I wouldn’t have a higher education right now,” Tarifa said. “I probably would’ve taken a break from high school and probably start working and never get that opportunity to have a higher education.”

Tarifa wants her siblings, and anyone, to have access to education in the future and not have to worry about affording college.

“I don’t want my little brother or my cousins, anyone that’s going to take that next step out

IT's move slowed Despite new home, 9 department members remain in the old building

JORDAN NATHAN

Reporter @JNathan_Roundup

The newly renovated Faculty / Staff and Resource Center may look empty and closed next to the Library / Learning Crossroads, but it is soon going to be home to the entire Information Technology Department.

Vice Associative President of Administrative Offices Larry Kraus said that now that the Faculty / Staff and Resource Center is completed, the IT Department is ready to move in. However, due to configuration issues, some IT members will have to wait longer to relocate.

“It is a very successful thing for the IT Department to move into Building 600. It will still take a while to move the whole department,” Kraus said.

The IT Department's webgroup, Media Center IT and management moved into the new building in July.

According to IT manager Mark Henderson, there are about nine IT members left in the bottom floor of the Pierce Media Center, the department’s previous location.

Henderson said IT members are still in the old building because the school is setting up the Resource Center.

“The configuration means that the electrical and the data networking have yet to be completed,” he said.

Kraus said it’s an ongoing process where the safety teams meet and keep up with things going on both on and off campus and also make sure equipment is working properly and not dated.

“We have training sessions with the team, and they’re constantly getting new equipment and supplies. They’re testing their backpacks and the flashlights,”

Henderson, who has been at Pierce for 11 years, said that the move will be good for him and his technicians. Soon everyone will be able to work together in a newer building, he said.

“It'll be great once we are all over here. It'll be physically great to have us all in one spot,” Henderson said.

According to Henderson, the IT Department's move from the Media Center to the Resource Center is necessary because IT is an important aspect of Pierce infrastructure, and it has different roles that maintain the daily function of technological structures.

“We are responsible for and try to support all the campus technology and applications. We support the district applications on a more local level,” Henderson said. “We are in charge of the school's website, networking, desktop support and server support. Every person here has a function, and each one has specific job classifications.”

Hank Murphy, an instructor of computer science information technology, said that the move was a step in the right direction.

“The move into the newly renovated 600 Building has been a long time coming, and we certainly hope that it can improve the service as well as their facilities,” Murphy said.

jnathan.roundupnews@gmail.com

Kraus said. “So, all the time, we’re alway checking and rechecking to make sure we have the most up-to-date first aid and survival quick kits to help students and staff.”

Pierce College has a team that meets periodically to discuss incidents which could lead to unacceptable behavior on campus as a preventive measure

of high school, to not feel able to obtain an education. Everyone needs an education,” Tarifa said. “Knowledge is power. If you’re not educated, if you’re not aware, you don’t know how to take the next step in life.”

Student march organizer Gavin Pierce said he hopes this march will show how much free education means to those in need.

“This march is in support of AB19, and our goal is to get eyes on AB-19, because right now, it’s just sitting on the governor's desk. All he has to do is sign it,” Pierce said.

“By publicizing that and gathering the public support for it, we can really push Gov. Jerry Brown to actually sign that.”

Pierce said the passing of this bill would be a major stepping stone toward free education in California.

“And once that happens, millions of students in California are given free tuition for their first year at community college,” Pierce said. Pierce said he thinks Brown has not signed the bill because he is waiting to see if it get’s the support it needs.

“I think this event is going to show that yes, there is a need for it. Yes, there are people who are going to fight for it,” Pierce said.

Once the march headed toward City Hall, participants started to line up to speak.

Human rights activist Melissa Demyan attended the march to support free community college.

“We need to engage with millennials. We need to do more for voter turnout. We need to make sure that our voice is present,” Demyan said. “We will fight with the urgency that we need to have

when we’re talking about issues that matter the most to us.”

Demyan said there are not enough student voters. Only 60 percent of millennials are registered to vote, compared to 78 percent of baby boomers and nearly 90 percent who are 70 years or older, Demyan said.

“It’s really important that we’re present at events like this, and that we’re electing millennials to office so they can represent us and our issues,” Demyan said.

Assemblymember Miguel Santiago spoke at City Hall and said that he is fighting for education rights for the future generations.

“Give us that hope. Give us a quality education that isn’t going to put us in debt for the rest of our lives,” Santiago said. “What we are fighting for is a better future than the generations before us, and if we were to do anything for our kids, for our community, to get educated people, we know we can encourage people around us to go to college.”

[For photos of the event, go to page 6. For video of the event, go to roundupnews.com]

DACA cocoon spun

LACCD task force and Pierce allies offers undocumented students support

Reporter

@ArielleZolezzi

While the monarch butterfly begins to migrate south for the winter, the colorful insect will be seen popping up around campus in the form of stickers on some office doors.

The Los Angeles Community College District, has committed itself to protecting the rights of undocumented students who attend college and receive state aid under the provisions of AB 540.

LACCD has created a districtwide task force to provide the best information and resources to all of its undocumented students. Pierce College’s representative for the district’s task force is Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga.

Pierce has established ally training for faculty and staff, which is, essentially, if a faculty member agrees to support undocumented students, they will sign an agreement stating that they will serve as a resource and will not disclose immigration status.

“Some of our amazing faculty have committed to being allies to our undocumented students. Hopefully, students feel comfortable going up to these professors and talking about what is going on in their lives so that they can receive whatever help they require,” said Isha Pasricha, vice president of the Associated Student Organization.

After they go through training, they are given a sticker to put on their office

to decrease the likelihood of threatening or violent behavior.

“Those two things are important to understand, because if it’s a person from the campus, many times we will have a Behavioral Intervention Team already here,” Schleicher said. “They’ll know of students backgrounds and that they have some instability.

They’re trying to keep check on that with Sheriff's Department and Student Services.”

After the Las Vegas shooting,

window. This informs others that they are there to serve and to create a safe place where students can ask for help.

The names of all faculty members who have signed up as DACA allies are on the Pierce College website home page under the Counseling Center tab.

“I try to update the website as much as I can, especially with what is going on right now with DACA,” said Jeannette Maduena, head counselor of immigration resources. “There are tons of resources here, and I just hope more students become aware of them and start using them as well as the faculty.”

The website also has a list of off-campus resources that include legal aid, scholarships, healthcare and advocacy groups, as well as providing a directory for non-profit organizations nationwide. Outside legal help includes the Central American Resource Center, California Department of Social Services.

Organizations provide DACA applications and green card renewals, with the focus to provide a path to citizenship.

According to the website, it has information regarding undocumented students’ rights in case of a confrontation with police or US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Although the deadline for a recipient's final opportunity to renew DACA ended Oct. 5, Madueña encourages students and faculty to use the resources provided to help themselves, students and families

Kraus said, the first thing that came to his mind was gun control and how desensitized the country is now.

“It’s a major issue in the United States. How many guns you have is a gun issue,” Kraus said. “It’s about this whole issue of how we deal with an active shooter environment. It’s just the whole sense of the nation. We’re all playing these games, these shoot‘em-up, bang bang games.” Schleicher said the most

become more aware of their rights.

The website includes a list of DACA allies listed by department with each member’s contact info.

ASO has also been involved with outreach to aid undocumented students as well as organized a protest in support of DACA earlier in the semester. They along with the political clubs on campus united to advocate on behalf of student education.

“We just officiated the dreamer’s coalition, and a few things we are

going to be doing is helping ASO and the student leaders on campus understand the sensitivities and gain awareness of the issues immigrants and DACA recipients are facing,” said Efren Lopez, ASO president. “We are trying to get a mindset structured and start implementing all that we want to do with the dreamer’s coalition the right way.”

azolezzi.roundupnews@gmail.com

Jose Herrera/ Roundup

Jeannette Madueña, counselor and lead for immigration resources, speaks at the Academic Senate meeting in the Faculty and Staff building on Sept. 25, 2017 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. Madueña talks about a workshop for faculty and staff that would provide them with skills and knowledge to aid undocumented students on campus.on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017.

important incidents the campus focuses on are active shooter, earthquakes and fires. Schleicher said schools are a generally a big target because there’s more anonymity.

“Most incidents of an active shooter get shut down because someone from a family, or friends or a coworker informed authorities, and they can take down that threat before it gets activated,” Schleicher said. “But high schools and colleges, it’s

really hard, it’s almost impossible to differentiate who’s going to be a shooter or not.”

To report a crime, contact the Sheriff’s Department at 818-7104311 or use the blue emergency telephones located throughout the campus. The phones are activated by pressing the blue button which will dial the Sheriff’s office directly.

ARIELLE ZOLEZZI

Samantha Bravo/ Roundup

Participants march to City Hall on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 in Downtown Los Angeles, Calif. in support of AB-19, which would make education free for first year community college students.

“Knowledge is power. If you’re not educated, if you’re not aware, you don’t know how to take the next step in life.”

- Gisela Tarifa Chair of the Community Welfare Committee

[Campus safety, from pg. 1]

Taste of the pacific

Bay Area company takes over as LACCD food vendor

VANESSA

ARREDONDO

News Editor @V_anana

Pacific Dining, LACCD’s districtwide food vendor, has taken over the operation of the cafeterias at five colleges, including Pierce, and provided food truck and vending services to the district during its 90day trial period at the start of the semester.

“The acquisition of the LACCD district was great,” Pacific Dining manager Brian Robertson said. “We got all nine of those, five of which already have cafeterias. A few more cafeterias are being built.”

According to Robertson, West LA College, Valley College, City College, Pierce College and East LA College, all opened their cafeterias within the first two weeks of the semester.

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher said the new food vendors have been very well received by the Pierce community.

“So far, the new vendor has been very favorable,” Schleicher said.

“We have heard good things from the students, faculty and staff about the assortment of foods because they have opened up all the bays in the cafeteria.”

Last semester, LACCD chose San Jose-based Pacific Dining as the outside vendor that would be in charge of providing cafeteria, mobile and vending services to all nine colleges. The vendor signed a ten-year contract with the district.

The acquisition forced out the Hot Sauce Truck and Falafelicious Catering owner Ofir Bass, who had taken over the cafeteria just months prior.

“I believe they chose us primarily because of our experience and our background,” Robertson said. “We opened a lot of cafeterias, and we’ve never lost an account in those 27 years, which I think reflects pretty well. We love to open up cafeterias, or take over ones and improve them.”

According to Robertson, having one provider for all nine colleges is beneficial for the school system and provides consistency.

However, Bass and Hot Sauce Truck owner Rafael De La Fuente disagree and said that small businesses are being run out by big corporations that will not provide the same level of attention to its consumers.

Bass sold his restaurant earlier this year to focus his complete attention on the Pierce cafeteria. Bass’ fatherin-law and businessman Leon Hasson said that they have given up. They sold the food truck and the restaurant and have left the food service business.

Walker said WHHO has been working with Pierce for 30 years, and it has fought against any venture that threatens the agricultural nature of the college.

“We have a position that the farm will always remain a farm and will not be used for anything other than that,” Walker said. “It will remain an agricultural institution, and we will fight that to the end. Our organization opposed anything that was going to go on there because, basically, once the camel gets his nose under the tent, then all of it begins to go.”

Though members of the community expressed concern for the farmland’s fate, Berger said the property had alway been intended to be used for educational purposes.

“To a lot of people on the outside, you see just land. And you don't see anything on it, and people think, ‘Oh, I can put something on it,’” Berger said. “We see instruction. We see laboratory space. We see training for our students.”

Pierce College will begin modifications to the farmland, revamping and adding to the Pierce Agricultural Program beginning with the arboretum project set to start construction phases in 2019. The arboretum on the southeast side of campus along Brahma Drive will be renovated to be up to industry

“We are done. We vacated the premises because they terminated our lease,” Hasson said. “We sold our restaurant the beginning of this year to focus fulltime on Pierce because it was very busy and growing. We sold

-Rolf

that business to put all of our attention on Pierce, and we got screwed.”

According to De La Fuente, the Hot Sauce Truck was offered a contract to continue providing food services on campus, but he said the stipulations of the agreement were too inconvenient for the company.

To continue working at Pierce, De La Fuente would have to drive 12 hours a day back and forth to pick up and leave the food truck at Pacific Dining’s commissary.

“I told the company that I would love to work with them, but it was impossible for me. I don’t blame the company; they have to make their money,” De La Fuente said. “If there was another way, I would have loved to stay and work at Pierce. I was happy there. The students loved me, but this was a district decision. The school wanted to work with me, but the district wanted nothing to do with us.”

Not allowed on campus anymore, the Hot Sauce Truck parked outside on Victory Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue for the first few days of the semester, but moved its services because business was slow.

“It’s understandable,” De La Fuente said. “The students couldn’t come out because they don’t have time, and they have class. I made too little out there, so I had to go somewhere else. I’m on streets around here and there.”

Robertson said that he is aware that the food trucks on Pierce had their leases terminated and Bass was forced to relinquish the cafeteria, but he does not know enough about it to comment.

standards. Horticulture 4900 was the original base of the program, but is now deemed too small and outdated for agricultural educational purposes, in addition to being unsafe due to sustaining earthquake damage.

Schleicher said that the budget for the renovations and the new buildings are coming from Measure J. The Agricultural Science Building has $8,734,903 and the Agricultural Education Building has $9,385,216.48 budget and an additional $6,600,000 from a district wide contingency.

In the distant future, Berger said, Pierce hopes to build a community area where residents can view the students’ produce and work, and perhaps sell some homegrown products.

“You all have a priority for the agricultural program and so do we,” Berger told WHHO Wednesday. “We have no intention of getting rid of the program. We want to take that piece of land off of Victory and De Soto and bring it back into the instructional program, where students will learn how to do food production, learn how to use state-of-the-art technology, so that they can go out into the workforce or transfer.”

Walker said that the property must remain an agricultural land available to the students and the community, but there will always be people that oppose that.

“There will never be a time when

However, Robertson said, he is excited to contract with Pierce.

“Pierce is one of the busiest. It was awesome the first and second week,” Robertson said. “It’s crammed in there. There are long lines, and it's been really good. We are really excited about Pierce.”

Pacific Dining began operations 27 years ago in San Jose. According to Robertson, Mercury News was the first cafeteria the company provided food services to.

What began as a small business, expanded as more community college accounts were acquired in Northern California. The first community college cafeterias served by Pacific Dining were in San Mateo County.

Pacific Dining moved its company to Southern California about three years ago, Robertson said. The first cafeteria it ran in the region was the College of the Desert in Palm Springs.

“Southern California has been a goldmine,” Robertson said. “From there, the company has grown considerably and taken off. We have a lot of accounts here. We have given a lot of people jobs.”

Pacific Dining contracted LA Mobile to provide food truck services on campus and First Class Vending to provide vending services.

“Something we don’t traditionally do, but we did in this case because we thought it could be a lot more beneficial for the school, is we subcontracted vending and mobile operations,” Robertson said. “These companies provide vending and food truck services to all the colleges in the district.”

According to Robertson, under the contract with LACCD, Pacific Dining recommends a vending service, but a college can choose whichever vendor they’d like.

“Colleges have the option, as we’ve been told, to look at vending that fits their needs,” Schleicher said. “It’s preferable to go with Pacific Dining and their affiliates, but it’s also in our best interest that we get the best vending machines for our campus.”

According to Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Larry Kraus, food services will generally remain the same. However, all catering services will need to be approved in writing by Pacific Dining. Kraus said that this will be implemented so that the college can earn back a percentage of the orders to maintain lower pricing for food and drinks sold.

varredondo.roundupnews@gmail.com

a developer will go by that property and say, ‘I’m glad it’s a farm,’” Walker said. “They will always go by that property and say, “How can I get my hands on that?’ It’s just the nature of the beast that floats through the community.”

To quell the concerns of the Woodland Hills community, Schleicher suggested WHHO make a taskforce to keep in touch which projects going on at Pierce. He said they already have a Bond Oversight Committee that meets monthly, but the formation of a task force can provide additional communications to the interested parties.

“I think there's a lot of misinformation going around. And I'm willing to cut through that because we need to have a relationship that is transparent,” Schleicher said. “We just want to make people aware of progress, and they should be aware of our progress in our strategic plan.”

Schleicher acknowledged the community's concern that a big business would move into the space, removing Pierce’s connection to its original agricultural roots.

“There's more than running events that are enterprise oriented. Could I make more money using enterprises in there? Absolutely. But that's not what we are here for.”

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A B.R.A.V.E new campus

Bystander awareness program encourages students to intervene

MANNY LUISSI Reporter @mgluissi

It takes more than supernatural abilities to be a hero and save the day. Through a new bystander awareness program at Pierce, anyone interested can be trained to be that hero.

The Brahmas Responding with Actions and Voices through Empowerment program focuses on teaching students how to intervene and neutralize a violent or dangerous situation before it escalates. The program is modeled after a national program based on the University of Arizona’s Step Up.

B.R.A.V.E.’s mission is to raise awareness about behaviors that aid others, increase motivation to help one another, and ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals involved.

Student Engagement Coordinator Lara Conrady Wong introduced the campaign to leaders on campus, which was then co-sponsored by the Associated Student Organization and the Diversity Committee.

“Hopefully, the B.R.A.V.E. program can be an overarching program that everyone feels they could be a part of,” Conrady Wong said.

The program began at Pierce in June with training for administration, faculty, staff and student leaders.

“Students and staff worked together on how they would

manage a situation, and it was really amazing to see the different ideas that groups came up with and how it empowered the people in the training,” Conrady Wong said.

ASO sponsored the training in which Becky Bell, the creator of Step Up, introduced the principles of B.R.A.V.E. and educated the community about why bystanders don't intervene and how they could intervene in a scenario in which violence or danger is possible.

Scenarios were presented and groups decided on possible solutions to problems that the Pierce community could face.

Co-chair of the Pierce College Diversity Committee Michael Habata said that awareness was the focus.

“The point of the training is to get people to recognize that something really is going on, and to get them to do something about it so it does not go on without any intervention,”

he said.

The ASO will be promoting the ideas of B.R.A.V.E. through scheduled events throughout the semester, the soonest being the Clothesline Project in October.

Multi-colored T-shirts will display messages to raise awareness about different types of sexual assault.

Holly Hagan, the textbook buyer for the Pierce Bookstore, has coordinated the Clothesline Project for years. B.R.A.V.E. will help coordinate the upcoming event.

Other possible events include a veteran’s event in November and a de-stress event in December to coincide with finals week.

The ASO will be hosting the events to promote bystander awareness and to pass on their training to students to make the B.R.A.V.E. program become part of the overall campus culture.

Students who want to get involved in the B.R.A.V.E. program are encouraged to attend the events, see what B.R.A.V.E. has to offer and ask questions about any concerns they may have. Students are also encouraged to attend ASO Senate meetings, which are open to the public.

“Students can get involved by talking to Lara and seeing how they can help out at one of the events and also attending the events,” said Efren Lopez, the ASO president. “A student can make sure that the faculty is understanding of the bystander awareness program as well.”

“Hopefully, the B.R.A.V.E. program can be an overarching program that everyone feels they could be a part of,”

-Lara Conrady Wong

Student Engagement Coordinator

“We have heard good things from the students, faculty and staff about the assortment of foods because they have opened up all the bays in the cafeteria.”

Schleicher Vice President of Administrative Services

[Farm, from pg. 1]

Brahmas Scoreboard

T @ V Valley 1-1 Volleyball

Soccer Football Water Polo

W @ Foothill 3-1

Football drops home record Brahmas lose first home game to San Diego Mesa College

The Brahmas (2-3) home win streak was snapped in a 31-13 loss to the San Diego Mesa Olympians (4-1) at Shepard Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 30.

The Olympians put the pressure on the Brahmas scoring on their first drive with a Logan Vallo 12-yard rushing touchdown to give the Olympians a 7-0 lead.

Pierce responded quickly on the next drive. Running back

Kyshawn Richards broke away for a 75-yard rush putting the Brahmas inside the Mesa 10yard line. Richards scored from the 1-yard line two plays later to tie the game.

A missed field goal from each team was the extent of the offense until late in the second quarter.

The Olympians took the ball 80-yards in under three minutes, taking the lead on a Jack Akey 9-yard touchdown reception.

The Brahmas first possession of the second half started at their own 15-yard line following an Olympians punt. On third down Joseph Branch scored a 76-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, leaving Pierce trailing 14-13.

Mesa extended the lead on a 90-yard drive, finished off with Akey scoring his second touchdown of the game.

Ronnie Ochoa further extended the lead with a 23-yard field goal, bringing the score to 24-13.

The Brahmas would struggle to move the ball the rest of the game. Quarterback Jonathon Saavedra finished with four interceptions, including a pick-six by Jordan

Gochenour that would cap off the 31-13 victory for Mesa.

Offensive coordinator John Austin attributed the Brahmas’ inability to maintain control of the ball to complacency following their win against Mt. San Jacinto College on Sept. 23.

“You have to have that drive and desire to get better every week. And, after San Jacinto, I think we kind of lost touch with that,” Austin said.

Interim Head Coach James Sims said that Mesa posed a challenge that the Brahmas had not yet faced this season.

“They played a good football game. There’s no excuses,” Sims said. “They shut us down offensively. No team has shut us down like that the entire season. We have to get back to the

drawing board and get better.”

away from the end zone, ending the game with a score of 31-13.

Despite the loss, defensive coordinator Dylan Flannery said that it acts as a lesson to the Brahmas to remain level-headed during games.

“We’re 2-3, and a lot of the guys on the team were acting like they were 4-0,” Flannery said. “Hopefully, this humbles them. We have the guys, we have the coaches, we have the talent and we have the steam. We just got to finish and make plays.”

The Brahmas are off next week and are back in action at Los Angeles Valley College on Saturday, Oct. 14.

Mesa kept the Brahmas back in their territory for the remainder of the game.

Mesa ran out the clock 10 yards

Out of the comfort zone

Talent has no boundaries, and the distance between states does not deter some prospective students from reaching their educational and athletic goals. State borders couldn’t hold back these two out of state volleyball players from finding a second home at Pierce College.

Linnea Romero and Victoria Estes are new additiions for the volleyball team. Romero and Estes are both students that have traveled from their hometowns to join the women’s volleyball program .

Romero comes from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is planning to major in kinesiology to pursue a career in physical therapy. She is planning to transfer to the University of California, Los Angeles or California State University, Northridge.

Romero said she first began playing volleyball when she was 11 years old and mentioned her father inspired her to play the sport.

“He’s played sports all his life, and he’s tiny like me, but he plays with a big heart,” Romero said.

Romero said she came to Pierce because she wanted to fine-tune her athletic skills.

“The program is just so intense that you have no choice but to get better,” Romero said.

Romero said that compared to other volleyball teams she had played on, she thinks all her teammates are on the same page, and has a shared mentality to be competitive.

Romero said that the team is successful, because there is an abundance of responsibilities that come with being apart of a team.

“There’s a lot of strong

personalities, so there are a lot of leadership roles, and everyone fulfills them very strongly,” Romero said.

Romero said her experience on the team has been positive, and she is constantly being challenged.

“It’s very hard, but that’s what I came here for,” Romero said.

Estes left her hometown in Pasco, Washington. Estes said

she is majoring in business with a concentration in marketing. Estes said she one day plans on becoming a CEO, but before that happens her plans are to transfer to a university in the Southern California area or Texas.

afortincaldera.roundupnews@ gmail.com

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

The women’s volleyball team upsetted Cabrillo College on Saturday, defeating the no. 1 seed in straight sets.

The Brahmas ended Cabrillo’s perfect record, which was 10-0 before their game.

The team ranks no. 10 in the state, but that didn’t prevent the team from pulling one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Head Coach Nabil Mardini was proud of his team and praised them for their performance against the top seed in the state.

“We played some good volleyball that’s for sure. We deserved to win,” Mardini said. “We made the ride back home a lot easier.”

Haley Rousselle had 32 kills in both games, with 14 against Cabrillo. She said she was happy with her

Preview: Volleyball 10/6

Volleyball 10/4

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

The women’s volleyball team return to Ken Stanley Court following their doubleheader win on Saturday.

The team come from beating Foothill College 3-1 while upsetting the number one Cabrillo College in state in straight sets.

Head Coach Nabil Mardini mentioned that the team has won some pretty big matches, but have not been consistent.

“We have won some big matches this year. The thing is that we have not maintained our consistency,” Mardini said.

Moorpark College come from beating Victor Valley in straight sets.

Moorpark are second in the Western State- North conference with a 5-3 overall record.

The game starts at 6 p.m.

The Brahmas are on the road as they head to Allan Hancock College looking to maintain their winning streak going.

The Brahmas are first in the Western State- South Conference while Hancock are last in the Western State- North conference.

Head Coach Nabil Mardini mentioned that his team takes it one game at a time and won’t overlook Wednesday’s opponents.

“I haven’t really talked to them about the game against Hancock. We take it one game at a time. We have to be ready for both games,”Mardini said.

Mardini mentioned that the team have to improve and not to be overconfident.

“I told the girls that we have to improve and maintain success and relaxing. So for the game we need to make sure that we are focused and not relax,” Mardini said.

The game starts at 6 p.m.

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Brahma of the Week

Haley Rousselle

Sport: W Volleyball

Position: OH

Class: Freshman

Hometown: Elk Grove, CA

32 total kills in the doubleheader against Foothill and Cabrillo College

How do you feel about the wins?

“I feel so proud of our team, the spirit and how we stepped up against the number one team in state.”

How did it feel to get 32 kills in both games?

“I finally got to play my position and it motivated me to do well.”

What is your favorite sports memory?

“Beating Cabrillo on Saturday.”

Do you have any pregame rituals?

“I listen to music as it prepares me for the game.”

teammate’s performance.

“We beat the no. 1 one seed in the state. It felt good to be that one to give them the loss and put our name on the map,” Rousselle said. “People will look at their record and ask who they lost to. Oh, it was Pierce.”

Rousselle said that the game defined the team, and she was happy with what they achieved on Saturday.

“I am so proud. I don’t even know how to put it into words,” Rousselle said. “We all stepped up. We all did our job and got what we deserve.”

Libero Tallie Monsalve said that it was the best game they have played as a team.

“We played well collectively and showed that we really wanted to win that game, and we ended up beating the no. 1 in the state.”

The team returns to action at Ken Stanley Court against Moorpark College on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Game begins at 6 p.m.

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Shae Hammond/ Roundup

Nate Gedeus tries to run past San Diego Mesa’s Eric Munoz at John Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept. 30, 2017.

ANDREW FORTIN-CALDERA Sports Editor @afortincaldera

W @ Cabrillo 3-0 L v SD Mesa 31-13

“Hopefully, this humbles them. We have the guys, we have the coaches, we have the talent and we have the steam.”

-Dylan Flannery Defensive coordinator

Leading on the field by example

Captains lead the path toward the team's objectives

Leadership is vital in any situation. Taking initiative and stepping up when things aren’t going in your favor can help restore and unify a team.

Soccer captains Gisell Cruz, Ashley Oviedo and Adriana Sosa are committed players who are working hard and leading by example, Head Coach Adolfo Perez said.

“It is putting a lot of pressure on them. It is not just about picking sides on game day, but deciding what uniforms to wear. All the girls look up to them,” Perez said.

Freshman Gisell Cruz is studying kinesiology, hoping to go into sports medicine and work for a professional team, she said.

According to Cruz, she knew soccer was the sport she wanted to play since she was 6.

“I started watching my brother play soccer, and I wanted to be like him. I started playing with his team, so I would only get a minute of playing, but I was happy to be on the field,” Cruz said.

Cruz hopes that she will achieve the mental and physical goals she has set for herself. Mental toughness is a big part of the game, and she wants her team to know that it is not always mandatory to win a game.

“I’m hoping that they all keep their eye on the prize, but to have fun with it. It is not a job. It is to relieve yourself of stress,” Cruz said.

Oviedo, also a kinesiology major, is a sophomore who said

natural to her because she comes from a sports-driven family. According to her, she started playing the game at a very young age and always wanted to play from then forward.

“When I was younger, I wasn’t the greater player, but when I hit a certain year, I started to develop better skills,” Oviedo said.

opinions. I feel like I’ve become a better leader,” Oviedo said.

The team has grown very close this year, according to Oviedo. She hopes that moving forward, they can win games and stay connected.

Sosa, also a sophomore, is undecided about her major, but has been playing soccer for 13

Lori Matlock/Roundup

2 - 5 1 - 2 2 - 6

3 - 2 0 - 0

Soccer 10/6

The soccer team are on the road as they head to College of the Canyons for one of their tough outings of the season.

The Brahmas are currently 6-2-2 and have the same overall record as the Santa Momica College Corsairs.

as a confidence booster.

“The best part of playing soccer is showing off what you’ve got. You can express yourself on the field and let out all your feelings, and then all your problems go away,” Sosa said.

As the season began, Sosa sprained her knee and was

can, hopefully get scouted, and that we can make it to state. I have high expectations for the team,” Sosa said.

Katherine Castillo said that her new captains have great leadership skills on the field.

“I feel like they are all really good contributors. They are all great motivators, and they

Head Coach Adolfo Perez mentioned that going to COC is tough because their opponents play on turf.

"It is going to be a tough game. They are doing pretty well and it is the biggest field we played on," Perez said.

The team will be without

Gisell Cruz, Adriana Sosa and Ashley Oviedo before a match against Citrus College at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept 12, 2017.