From the desk of the Roundup:

During the morning hours at Pierce College, students commute to campus and anxiously look for a parking spots, eager to get to class on time.

Though the stress of parking eases throughout the day, it is a consistent issue that students still keep in the back of their minds during their time at Pierce. The Business Office needs to reinstate restricted parking passes at the $20 rate, which is the current cost for Fall parking permits at Valley College and Los Angeles City College.

Currently, Pierce offers one kind of parking pass in the business officepreferred. Although Peirce offers $3 for daily parking and $1 for 30-minute parking passes, there is not an option for a regular or restricted pass, so all students are fighting for the same limited spots daily.

The Pierce College Sheriff’s Department website says that “the responsibility of finding a legal parking space rests with the motor vehicle operator.” Often it can take more than 30 minutes to find a legal parking space on the 470 acre campus. For a more effective parking experience, the Pierce Business Office, where parking permits are sold, should begin to offer both preferred and nonpreferred permits. Preferred passes will cost students more and will be accepted in all lots, but have priority in parking lots 1 and 7, which will not be accessible to cars with regular passes.

“Parking Lot 7, the largest lot, offers easy entrance and

-Corrections-

Volume 127, Issue 7, Page 3: Jordan Nathan's email was incorrect.

Volume 127, Issue 7, Page 4: Shilo Nelson's military affiliation was misrepresented in the photo caption.

Volume 127, Issue 7, Page 10: Manny Luissi's name was misspelled.

exit routes,” according to the Pierce website. According to the Pierce online page titled, “Map and Phone Directory,” ASO preferred parking passes currently cost $27, which includes the $7 dollar ASO fee necessary to acquire preferred parking.

Though the website also notes a cheaper restricted parking pass for $20, the business office no longer distributes these passes, as the only option available to students is preferred parking.

Students who qualify for disabled parking, should automatically gain a preferred parking pass for $20, as disabled spots will be in preferred lots.

Anyone parking in a Pierce College lot without a parking pass is susceptible to a $30 parking ticket fee, which if unpaid will accumulate to a larger fee.

According to the Pierce College website, all student

Pro: Good lessons in group projects

or class. We learn, through effective group work, to value the motivation and energy given to us by being part of a successful team.

fees must be paid before a parking pass is acquired.

Though students may see a parking pass as a waste of their money, the cost of semester-long passes are refundable.

“The parking permit must be returned at the time the refund is requested,” according to the Pierce website. “No refunds are allowed on day permits.”

If a student cannot afford preferred parking but is worried for their safety,

TAYLOR THIBODAUX Reporter @taylorthibbs

“Thecorpsebridebecausethe undeadlookwasjustsocool."

-CatelynnPulido,17, Psychology they may request an escort from a sheriff’s deputy.

“When desiring an escort, either come by the station, or call 818-719-6450,” said the Pierce College Sheriff’s Department website. “Requests will be completed as quickly as possible based on priority, available personnel and completion of emergency calls.”

Cooperation is the key to success in many ventures throughout life. Our jobs, our personal relationships, our college careers—we are more likely to see positive results through joint efforts. Yet, it seems that the “group project” is as much cause for dread for the average student as midterms and presentations. Group projects offer us the opportunity to gain better understanding of both the values and intricacies of working with others toward the best possible outcome of any undertaking.

Through group projects, we see that individual facets of an assignment can be completed to a higher degree of quality when they are focused on by a student whose task it is to complete it, which results in a superior finished product. In other words, group projects demonstrate that many students working diligently on different parts of a project can produce better work than one student attempting to do everything.

The encouragement, support, and positive examples of others in a group project can have profound effects on our abilities to perform well in a given task afortincaldera.roundupnews@gmail.com

Most importantly, group projects allow us to hone our professional communication skills. Though an effective team supports and motivates its members, it also holds them to certain expectations so that the group can complete its project to the best of its capabilities.

Ultimately, group projects are like anything offered by school—their value is that which students take from them. Given the myriad of benefits group projects offer students who take advantage of the opportunities for enrichment, professors should implement group projects as required assignments.

And to students: If you’re dead set on lamenting every group assignment that you are meant to take part in, then you’re only depriving yourself of the chance to develop worthwhile capabilities. However, if you see them as the opportunities to learn valuable skills in professional cooperation, you will most certainly be benefiting yourself in the long run.

Photographers:

Group projects add too much drama to the already stressful life of a hardworking college student.

Imagine being forced to be in a group with three other people you know nothing about. You must exchange numbers and keep in contact, but after the assignment is done, you continue to receive messages from one of your groupmates.

The classmate may message you inappropriate things at all hours of the night. Then you have to see them in class... that’s awkward.

Individuals get stuck working in group projects, and they have to pull the majority of the weight. They are forced to work with people they don’t know, and work harder because others in the group are not taking it as seriously.

Individual thinking could also be affected in the process of group projects. While the main objective is to get one end result, most times not everyone’s ideas and opinions do not get heard. This forces members of group to not even say their opinion on what

Cartoonist: should be done or they don’t even try to come up with their own ideas. tthibodaux.roundupnews@gmail.com

The timing of completing a project could also be held back. Say you are on a tight schedule for finishing the project, and everyone can not agree with on decision. This pushes back when the project can be done and not having to rush and finish it in the last hour.

Getting everyone to meet at the same time can be a complete nightmare. One person might work and attend school and is only available at night. The group members’ schedules may conflict. It’s even worse if the group consists of three or more people. Coordinating only 1-2 hours of time with that many people’s schedules is practically impossible.

Dealing with multiple personalities can be a lot to handle as well. You may have the person who gives no input whatsoever, the person who is stubborn and believes all their ideas are correct, or the person that has no idea what’s going on in the first place. How in the world are you supposed to pull these people together so you can get your “A” and be done?

-LiamDavis,20,Physics call Matt at (818) 710-2960 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.