Volume 128 Spring 2018 Roundup Issue 1

A look into a

Library creates a display dedicated to Black History Month

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @TwitterHandle

Asense of community and empathy are created when revisiting the past of others. The Black History display in the Library Learning Crossroads includes books authored by well known figures such as Issa Rae and David Pilgrim.

While students are encouraged to read any of the literature from the exhibition, an important part of showcasing these publications is the sense of feeling students get when they see the display.

Library Department Chair

Paula Paggi said that people like to see themselves in a story and this display helps them to do that.

“I also do think it’s to open doors and awareness for other people to understand other points of views,” Paggi said. “Awareness goes both ways, I think that is a great way to encourage that.”

The library’s exhibitions are reflective of the Pierce College community as it highlights the diverse ethnic, cultural and even academic groups on campus.

Mario Macias, instruction and reference librarian, said the library wanted to make sure that everyone on campus felt that their cultural identity is appreciated and celebrated.

Macias said that their displays are showcasing cultural as well as educational information in hopes to enrich students’ academic and cultural journey for intellectual growth.

Recognizing what makes one different and creating a space to w

that diversity is part of the reason the library has these displays. This helps students understand that throughout this campus they are represented.

With a goal of featuring local and regional information, Macias said short biographies from Pierce faculty were collected and used in the display.

Preview: Softball to begin

After cancelled games cause late start, the teams first game is Feb. 22

REBECCA O'NEIL

Reporter

@RebeccaRoundup

The 2017 softball season was filled with hardships on and off the field, finishing 2-33 and dealing with the unexpected death of starting pitcher Madison Tupper. The opportunity to erase the memories of last season will have to wait, with the first two weeks of the 2018 season cancelled due to a lack of players.

Softball requires a minimum of nine players on the field during defensive innings. Assistant Coach Mark Cooley said the low headcount came as a surprise given the team’s solidity in previous seasons.

“We had a lot of kids who were here in the fall session and the winter session that committed to the year that quit last second,” Cooley said. “50 percent of the players that were here over the fall session that committed to the year didn’t follow through with what they said they were going to do.”

Cooley attributed the decisions of the departed and remaining players to differing levels of commitment and said he was startled and disappointed by those who left.

“Any time someone gives me their word and says this is what I’m going to do, I believe them,” Cooley said.

Cooley said the low interest in softball this year was not for lack of leadership effort.

Short film honors franchise horror icon

VANESSA ARREDONDO Managing Editor @v_anana

The hockey mask may be the most iconic image in horror movie history, but few know who the psychotic killer was. Sean Richards’ documentary film reveals that.

Richards, an actor, a writer and a producer, presented his documentary film “Friday the 13th Part 3: The Memoriam Documentary” during this semester’s first Media Arts Speaker Series event.

Fueled by childhood nostalgia for ‘80s horror movies and respect and admiration for an old friend, a firsttime filmmaker set out to create a work that would capture the spirit of an iconic franchise.

“These are all iconic characters. It’s part of our cinema history,” Richards said. “It was the 80s, it was boom time for horror.”

Tracie Savage, a Pierce Media Arts professor, acted as Debbie in “Friday the 13th: Part III” and was interviewed for the documentary. She helped organize the film viewing and Q&A.

“The idea for tonight’s event was to motivate young filmmakers to just get out there and do it,” Savage said. “Here’s this guy who has never produced a film before, and here he’s got a 40-minute film that is produced wonderfully.”

“I recruited last year for the very first time ever in the history of the softball program,” Cooley said. “I went and talked to 12 different local high schools and four different club teams.”

Cooley said these visits, conducted entirely without a recruiting budget, yielded 32 potential team candidates, but only one student followed through.

“It’s all volunteer time calling up high school school coaches, begging to come out to talk to the group,” Cooley said. “It starts there. You’ve got to go out and recruit and make it happen somehow.”

Cooley said that although he and head coach Breanne Parr were able to find replacements for their five unexpected losses, they realize that their season’s journey is only just beginning.

“There are some kids out here that have never touched a ball before. This is college ball, so the level of difficulty is high,” Cooley said. “We have a large hill to climb.”

While the softball coaches struggled to keep their team alive, the campus-wide advertising piqued the interest of a number of women who never played softball before.

Francesca Canales is one of the five new players on the team. She had never played before last week, but figured that this was the perfect opportunity.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

“We wanted to highlight them as being not only part of the Pierce community but also part of the African American community and how that resonates with the activism and diversity of the Pierce college community,” Macias said.

Macias said creating a space to celebrate diversity is part of

the reason the library has these displays. This helps students understand that throughout this campus they are represented.

“Seeing the displays made me realize this campus is a lot more diverse than I thought,” said student Kyle Dizon. “Even if it was just a small fact, I learned something new I didn’t know

before.”

In the past, the library has showcased diverse displays such as Hispanic Heritage Month and the Harry Potter series, and Macias said the library plans to continue this tradition every month.

dpadilla.roundupnews@gmail.com

Richards said he was motivated to make the documentary film after learning that Richard Brooker, who played psychotic killer Jason Voorhees in “Friday the 13th: Part III,” died of a heart attack in 2013, the year of the film’s 30th anniversary.

“First and foremost, it shares Richard Brooker’s journey. It’s a personal touch behind the scenes,” Richards said. “You see who they are portraying the characters on the film, but you don’t see who they are, so you get to know them on a personal level.”

Richard McMullen is an actor who returned to school full time as a film major. He attended the event because he is interested to learn about professionals breaking into the field.

“Anybody out there who wants to be a documentary filmmaker that, if your project is something that may have been done a bit before, it may make it more difficult to see your project through, but still he was able to do that,” McMullen said.

Savage acted as Debbie in “Friday the 13th: Part III” in her last role before going to college.

“It was absolutely a blast. I worked my entire childhood since I was 2, and I was going away to study journalism,” Savage said. “I knew that I was pretty much done with acting. I got this role, and I thought, ‘Well, it will pay for college.’ I didn't know that it was going to turn into the cult film that it is.”

Richards said he met Savage at a horror convention 15 years ago, and he contacted her through Larry Zerner, who played Shelly in the original film, to be interviewed for the documentary.

“Looking back on these interviews, everyone one brought their own brand. Tracie brought professionalism and great stories,” Richards said.

The documentary presents behindthe-scenes footage, photos and personal accounts from the actors and crew, which Richards said is important and interesting to fans of the genre.

“As horror fans, you get to know the people behind the production,” Richards said. “You share their experiences of a time that’s unfortunately in a capsule; the horror movie has changed quite a bit, so I’d like to preserve that.”

Shae Hammond/ Roundup

Black History Month is celebrated with display cases containing books and idols that show its importance in the Library Learning Crossroads at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills, Calif on Feb.20, 2018.

Shae Hammond/ Roundup

Darvel Lossangoye hits the ball back to Bakersfield's Nayib Rivera for an overall win of 8-1 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 15, 2018. The tennis team is 3-2 after a loss to Ventura College on Tuesday, Feb. 20. The team's next game is Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Glendale College.

The recent shooting in Florida has people across the country focused on how they can stay safe on and off campus.

As media outlets continue to inform the public of the latest violent acts, the demand for preparedness is heightened.

Pierce should work toward having a more comprehensive system of informing everyone on campus about how to stay safe and what to do if they are faced with a threat.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 34 shootings in the United States since Jan. 1, all of which resulted in multiple injuries and/or deaths.

A 2016 study done by Citizens Crime Commission of New York City showed that there was a 153% increase of shooting incidents on or near college campuses during the 2011-12 to 2015-16 school years compared to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 school years.

Currently there is no system to ensure that everyone on campus is explicitly informed about all of the safety resources that are available to them.

While the campus already has safety precautions put in place, there is never a bad time to reevaluate current procedures to ensure that everyone on campus knows how to be safe.

The Sheriff's Department on campus has their office and emergency phone number and Emergency Booklet is posted on the college website.

Campus payphones may also be used to connect directly to the oncampus Sheriff’s station by dialing *86.

The Sheriff’s Department said that they heavily rely on the information posted on the college website and other outlets on campus including the Roundup.

Even though Pierce has potentially helpful systems, students and staff may not be aware of what

is available to them or how to access them. One possible solution to keep students more aware of safety resources at Pierce is to create a video to be included in every student’s orientation. The video can go into detail about what resources are available to students on campus and how to access them by including locations or building numbers and important

phone numbers.

Examples and tutorials can be provided in the video to demonstrate how to use equipment such as the emergency phone and even make suggestions for how students should handle a threatening situation.

In addition, the video can be posted on the Pierce website with the emergency handbook for anyone to view again with additional phone numbers to call if they have any

outstanding questions. Communication is a big part of keeping a campus safe and it is necessary for Pierce to find ways to communicate more efficiently.

The campus could invest in the Barracuda, an intruder defense system that can lock doors even if they open in or swing out.

The Barracuda runs as low as $62 depending on the type of device needed. There are other companies

“Paris.It'snottoobad,it's nottoogood,it'sjustinthe middle. You can fix whatever youneedtofixwhenyouget there."

-ApriyanaShackelford,18,Child Development

that have similar products, but it should not cost more than $9,500 to protect each room on campus.

While there are already precautions in place to keep everyone on campus safe, there should continue to be a constant effort in finding ways to improve them.

“Korea,wheremyfamilyis, because that's sentimental tome.Ifeellikeeverybody wantstogowheretheyhold somethingtotheirheart."

-JulianColey,21,Enviornmental Science

The traditional path of college academia after high school is not always the wisest educational plan for a variety of students.

By the end of their high school careers, students will have all the tools necessary to academically succeed in college. However, despite being intellectually prepared for college, nothing can adequately prepare a student for the life beyond adolescence.

A gap year, as explained in the PBS News Hour, is an excellent way for students to come back to college with a refined sense of self and direction in their studies.

While the surrounding stigma of a gap year is that of laziness, this assumption cannot be further from the truth. Gap years, if done effectively, can lead one down a path of self-discovery. This process helps students avoid the inevitable existential dread or slump that usually awaits them halfway through their college career.

By taking a year off to volunteer, intern, or globetrot, a student will come back to the academic world with a drive that can guide them through the next steps of their educvational path.

According to the Gap Year Association, 90 percent of students return to college within a 12 months of starting their gap year.

Pursuing a gap year does not necessarily mean a definite stop to school. It simply means taking a break to pursue other avenues of education.

The most common thing students do while on a gap year is travel. Whether it be to somewhere domestic or international, this is a tremendous way to grow as an individual. One is exposed to cultures that are different from their own, forcing them to leave their ethnocentrism behind. During their travels, students will also meet people from all walks of life who will teach them lessons that can only be taught outside of a classroom.

Additionally, students who take a gap year to undertake an internship ready themselves for future careers. This is done simply by students building a resume with practical work experience as well as networking with professionals in their desired field.

Upon returning from their gap year, students will come back with an education that cannot be learned in any college class. A year off to pursue one’s passions will lead to the experiences that will mold one’s value and expand their worldview. Overall, this is an experience each student should undergo before committing to the marathon of a race that is higher education.

CAMILLE LEHMANN Reporter @camilleslehmann

A gap year is taken by students as a break to work, travel, or simply rest their brain between secondary school and college. Though, students should make sure that their gap year doesn’t turn into gap years. Whether it’s taking a break to work or to experience and travel, the biggest disadvantage to taking time off can lead to a waste of time. It can be an unproductive experience for students to take a gap year, causing them to forget most of what they learned, lose focus, and fall out of the academic routine.

Students that tend to waste time also lose momentum and hesitate to return to school when given the opportunity.

If students decide to waste time, they can be at risk when they return to school. With that being said, if their activities spent during a gap year don’t contribute to their education, their chances of being accepted into a university will be decreased.

According to the Nation Center for Educational Statistics, students who delay attending college and decide to take a gap year are at risk of veering off track.

“For whatever reasons students wait to enroll in college, those who do delay are at considerable risk of not completing a postsecondary credential when compared with

their peers who enroll immediately after high school graduation.”

Taking a gap year can result in financial struggles, as many students tend to spend more money instead of saving. Traveling is an exciting opportunity, but can be very expensive.

A big factor that students worry about when taking a year off is financial aid. Although students are still eligible and may qualify for FAFSA, they will have to reapply and are required to do more work.

Some scholarships that universities offer are against the idea of taking a gap year and will not allow it. Therefore, it can be a huge disadvantage for students by putting their chances of getting financial aid and grants at risk.

Some students prioritize their time, energy, and money into their careers rather than getting an education in school. They fail to acknowledge the limitations that they are placing on themselves by giving up academics, in the form of entering college directly after high school.

Many students who take a gap year, get caught up with work and their social life, as well as start to develop financial difficulties.

Therefore, taking a gap year should be discouraged, as students end up getting distracted, focusing on responsibilities that can further become a challenge or a burden.

“AtiebetweenItalyand Tokyo.Ononehand,ifIwas goingtogoforthemost easygoinglifethatreflects someofmyhobbies,Iwould choseItaly.ButifIgoforthe morebusinessend,itwould beTokyo.”

-Andranik Nazarian, 21, Business

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.

Photo Illustration by Joshua Manes / Roundup

Pro: A year of rest is best

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

Con: Take a gap, that's a wrap

“Probablysomehwherein Sweden.Freehealthcare,it's cold,andI'veneveractually livedinsnowbefore,sothat would be nice.”

-LouisGavia,23,English

Celebrating a brighter future

Transfers and professionals contribute to a two-day STEM week panel event

REBECCA O'NEIL Reporter @RebeccaRoundup

Job opportunities are plentiful for science and technology, so providing students with insight into the field was a nobrainer.

Students explored majors within Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics at a meet-andgreet with STEM professionals at Pierce College on Feb. 20 and 21.

General Counselor and Event

Facilitator Lily Duong organized the event, which is the second in Pierce’s history, that gave students an opportunity to learn more about transfer requirements and life beyond their degrees.

Duong said the STEM event offered an appropriate time and place for students to pose questions to people that they might not have had an opportunity to interact with otherwise.

“We want to have a STEM culture on campus,” Duong said. “I really wanted to expose students to STEM and have them think about whether or not they want to transfer to a UC or a Cal State as a STEM major and, on top of that, I want them to be able to talk to professional people.”

Duong said she invited students from other schools to share with Pierce students what it was like to be a community college student and transfer to CSUs or UCs.

Career and Technical Education Counselor David Turcotte facilitated the panel and said that last year’s professional guests came from a number of corporate backgrounds that varied in name recognition and size.

“We’ve had some major people from Google, NASA, JPL and Snapchat--some very big corporations and very small businesses here in the valley that I think are great for students to see what’s possible, either for

employment or starting their own businesses,” Turcotte said.

Turcotte said the College and other state-funded programs are concerned with creating a STEMfriendly environment because they want their graduates to be employed

“STEM is one of the things we are pushing in our Pathway programs because we know that’s where the jobs are,” Turcotte said.

The week’s events paint a realistic picture of the demands STEM students face.

UMOJA explains aid

JOSHUA MANES Spotlight Editor @TheManesEvent

College is expensive, but there are resources available that can ease the strain. UMOJA hosted the Financial Aid 101 Workshop on Tuesday to introduce students to the

opportunities provided.

UMOJA counselor Melody Smith believed the event was a good idea because, as an academic counselor, she is asked questions about financial aid often.

“I don't always get the opportunity to answer them or I refer them to financial aid for their specific scenarios,” Smith said. “I wanted the workshop to answer those one-

Turcotte described the rigor of the coursework as “very tough.”

“You’re taking science classes depending on the STEM major, computer science, biology, physics, and they involve very sequential list of courses, mathematics, physics, chemistry,” Turcotte said. “Typically your stem majors are going to be 60-70, even to 90 units to transfer.”

Turcotte said completing that number of units can be especially

on-one questions but also answer questions for when students transfer, because they don't necessarily know that process either.”

According to Smith, students are confused about financial aid, especially those right out of high school.

“They don't necessarily know or they just do BOG,” said Smith, referring to the Board of Governors fee waiver, which has now been replaced by the California College Promise Grant. “Or maybe they came

challenging for students hoping to complete their education in a timely fashion with obligations outside of school. Duong echoed this concern.

“We want people who are undecided or just starting to consider STEM, because as a STEM major you have to start earlier,” Duong said.

Astronomy Professor and Physics

Planetary Sciences Department Chair Dale Fields said the week will most likely have motivated STEM students doing their daily grind by

in with the LA College Promise and they don't necessarily understand why they have to do FAFSA.”

Archaeology major Jasmine Thompson, 19, is a first-year student who says she didn’t know anything about financial aid before today.

“This is probably the best I’ve got to understand what is going on with financial aid,” Thompson said.

Student worker and UMOJA student Jordan Rice, 21, attended the workshop and learned that he can still apply for a tax-free pell grant even as

Rundown Brahma Blotter

showing them “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“There are a lot of classes you have to take to be a STEM major and we’re seeing people who are successful at it, both students who have recently transferred and also people that have gone on to become employed in STEM, so you can see what kind of jobs are out there waiting for you,” Fields said.

a BOG fee waiver recipient.

“I wanted to stay as far away from anything that is going to put me in debt. That’s not how you build wealth, owing somebody else money,” Rice said. “Lord knows, even though I’m driving my momma’s car right now I put a lot of gas money in there and repairs.”

It was the FAFSA deadline of March 2 approaching that prompted the workshop, according to Smith.

“Just having those dates ready I know roughly when I need to have

those in,” Rice said. Rice found the workshop was beneficial in ways other than scholarship deadlines.

“There’s always resources and different avenues you can take as well as scholarships,” Rice said. “It’s good to have those people in your contact. I know a number of students here shared contact information with the person that was doing the presentation.”

jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Brian Caldera / Roundup

Civil engineer student Johnathon Bui asks the panel about future careers in STEM jobs while David Turcotte hosts the Q and A in room 600 at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb.20, 2018.

Hoops and hollas for free

The first tailgate of the semester brings out team spirit before the conference game

Managing Editor @V_anana

The first tailgate of the semester kicked off supporting the Pierce men’s and women’s basketball teams hours before its conference game.

Associated Student Organization (ASO), UMOJA and CSUN’s Strength United booths set up in front of the South Gym to educate passing students about resources and programs available on campus and to cheer on the Brahmas before the games.

Men’s basketball head coach Charles White said it benefits the team if the Pierce community is involved and attends the games.

“I think the basketball program is the least advertised,” White said. “I love it when Lara brings the students in with pizza and T-shirts and makes it festive.”

Lara Conrady-Wong, the Student Engagement Coordinator, said that ASO collaborates with other organizations, such as Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S), UMOJA and Strength United to bring awareness to programs offered on campus, while supporting school athletics.

“It’s another venue to show our support for student athletes,” Conrady-Wong said. “It’s a way to bring a lot of different students together. We are hoping to do more collaborative events.”

UMOJA handed out free T-shirts to all participants, ASO

had free pizza, drinks and snacks, and Strength United had “This Is On Us” pledges to end sexual violence for visitors to sign.

Julia Stern, a prevention specialist counselor, was representing the CSUN chapter of Strength United, a community organization that offers free services to those that have suffered from sexual or domestic violence.

“We are here raising awareness, but more importantly, we are raising prevention awareness,” Stern said. “Sexual assault doesn’t have to occur as long as we start changing our cultural attitudes and how we talk about it and address it. This is saying, ‘Step up and do something before something terrible happens.’”

Melody Smith, an UMOJA counselor, said that the UMOJA program started last year, and students, including athletes, have joined.

“UMOJA means unity in Swahili,” Smith said. “At UMOJA, we like to create a sense of community. It’s been a great turnout.”

Dallas Johnson, a member of UMOJA and small forward on the men’s basketball team, said the tailgate event was created to support Brahma athletes, particularly sophomore players during that night.

“They want to support the sophomores and send them off on the right foot,” Johnson said.

“The more people there, the more spirit we have. That always boosts morale.”

Club Rush is a must

Students can make connections and participate in activities on the Mall on Feb. 28 and March 1

RANDI LOVE

Editor-in-Chief @randi_love29

Club Rush is back to show off what pierce college’s extracurriculars have to offer.

Changes came to Club Rush last semester to establish a “fun feel,” they are trying to convey that same vibe from last semester to continue the tradition.

Under the Associated Students Organization’s president, Efren Lopez, and his student government some changes were made to increase the turnout of not only students.

ASO Club Council President Kosar Afsari said this influenced her decision to move the location of Club Rush.

“What we’ve done differently from past clubs rushes and other ASO’s is we no longer have them stretched out throughout the mall.”

Efren Lopez said. “It’s more in the hub in the middle of campus, which kind of had this more enclosed party, festival kind of thing.”

This decision came to life by way of Afsari who said it helped allow more clubs to fit in the space and took advantage of a nice area on campus.

“We don’t have enough canopies so I could totally use this shade for more clubs and it's more like a wider

situation and the whole background looks really good with the logo in the middle,” Afsari said. “It’s also closer to ASO for students to carry the canopies and the chairs and the tables because we don’t want to torture them.”

as well.”

Freshman Christian Lopez is completing his first year and saw the clubs set up last semester, but was not sure he wanted to join any at the time.

“It was my first semester. It was a little unexpected,” Christian Lopez said. “I didn’t think community colleges had that vibe, but now I’m hoping to find somewhere to fit in. I’m undecided in my major, but maybe a club can give me a sense of which direction to go.”

Efren Lopez hopes to bring the clubs closer to ASO and have them more involved than in the past.

“We really want to work more on outreach and talking to the other clubs and have them connected to ASO and not only club council,” Efren Lopez said.

The most important goal of Club Rush for the spring is to reach students and keep clubs available on campus to give a feeling of community.

Dear Students, History is in the making and time is calling out for your attention. The sacred power of education, advancement and equality is the key to the success of our society. Endowed with empathy, devotion and envisioning endless possibilities towards progress, I believe that, you the students are the gateway in passing the solemn transfer of this great power to our next generations. Here in America, we are blessed with the Declaration of Independence that serves us the rights of equal opportunity. It is only upon us to preserve these rights, promoting peace and progress. I stand to remove the burdensome student loan and heavy debt conditions. I stand to create new better paying jobs and to remove economic hardships faced by the students for many years. It is in this noble cause that I stand to serve and protect your future, asking you for your heartiest help and participation. God bless you and God bless America.

Afsari is hoping for more clubs to be involved, but has a thought on how it may turn out.

“Last semester we had around 60, I’m expecting the same,” Afsari said. “A few, I already know are not coming back because their presidents are transferring and the club is just demolished and they don’t care enough to pass it on, but i’m trying to get people to sign up for those clubs

“Like always, new clubs. Clubs to be present to students so students can not just be academically good, but can be involved on campus,” Afsari said.

Club Rush takes place along the Mall on Wednesday, Feb. 28 and Thursday, March 1 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

I will fight your fight, for your rights and for your future. I will be your champion for humanity. I will set our youth on a winning path and strengthen women in the workforce. Women are pillars of our workforce and TIMESUP for sexual harassment.

Natalie Miranda/ Roundup

Paulina Guevara hands out pizza at the basketball tailgate in front of the South Gym at Pierce College. The ASO and UMOJA partnered with the Athletic Department to gain further support for Pierce's basketball teams in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 14, 2018.

“I didn't think community colleges had that vibe, but now I'm hoping to find somewhere to fit in.”

- Christian Lopez Student

Revelation in communication Department chair finds a connection to his roots through cultural literature

The path through life is rarely direct. But, for one faculty member, its twist and turns has led to a comfortable and gratifying position at Pierce.

Communication Studies

Department Chair Yeprem Davoodian said he’s at a point in his life where things are comfortable, and he has solid foundations surrounding him that helped him get to that point.

“If I were to die tomorrow, I would be content,” Davoodian said with a knock on wood. “I can say it with 110 percent assurance, it’s a dream job for me. The money is great and whatever, but everyday you’re making a change.”

Davoodian said that being a faculty member may not sound pleasing to everyone, but it’s perfect for him. He said the joy of helping his class realize something that they hadn’t before is gratifying to him.

“You make accomplishments everyday, so when you see your student struggling academically, or even a student that has disabilities and they’re there and paying attention to you, you cant put money on that and I know that sounds cliche,” Davoodian said. But he didn’t always have a heart for communication, he said his interests lied elsewhere.

“I grew up watching Saved By the Bell, and for me as a first generation, I looked up to certain things I saw on television,”

Davoodian said. “Growing up I was very much attracted to tv and film. So when I graduated high school, my girlfriend at the time said ‘are you going to go to school.”

Although his family is Armenian, they relocated to Iran and when he was 4 years old, he moved to the U.S.

Davoodian said that he barely

completed high school, but that did stop him from pursuing a career in television and film while taking a few classes in college. The problem, he said, was that when you are good at something, but don’t have background knowledge, it can backfire on you.

“You kind of get cast as the amazing production assistant that can do everything for $75 a day,” Davoodian said. Davoodian decided to switch gears and enrolled at Cal State Northridge to study a new interest. He tried his hand at history for a year, but didn’t enjoy it and leaned into communication studies instead.

He took a few communication

studies classes with Sally Kassamanian, assistant professor of communication studies, who also began working at Pierce

around the same time.

Kassamanian and Davoodian both share an Armenian background, which led them and other faculty members on campus to work together on a project to commemorate the Armenian genocide for this semester.

“I’m part Armenian, part Lebanese. And the Armenian part of my family, I can say are survivors, my great grandparents survived the genocide, which is why I am here today,” Kassamanian said. “It’s a part of me, it’s in my bones, I can feel it in my bones and it’s just a great thing to be a part of.”

When Davoodian first began teaching at Pierce in 2007, it was

a little unexpected for him.

“Pierce was the first school that offered me a teaching position right out of graduate school. Right when I finished, one of my faculty over there saw me walking in the hallway and says ‘Hey you want a job?’ and I said ‘yes’,” Davoodian said. “He says ‘contact Barbara Anderson.’ so I picked up the phone, she interviewed me and she said ‘You’re starting in a couple of weeks.”

Anderson was the department chair of communication studies at the time, and said Davoodian seemed to meet all the qualifications and had a good personality.

“I really appreciate that, when

he first came to campus as a full time professor, he brought great energy to the classroom and the department,” Anderson said. “He brought with him a background in student engagement. All that he brought with him is wonderful.”

Davoodian said that, growing up, he didn’t always see this as his path. But, after learning more about his background, culture and himself, he came to love it. He teaches interpersonal communications, group study and argumentation, the latter of which he said isn’t exactly his favorite because of its confrontational nature.

“Growing up, I’ve always had to stand up for myself and my brother. I was ‘that’ younger brother; if there was a fight, I’d be the first one to step up and say ‘let’s go, let’s do this’,” Davoodian said. “I’ve realized I’m not a confrontational person, but I will put up a fight.”

As he learned more about his culture and background through books, he began to root himself more into his community and want to do more to educate others.

“When you read something and it’s powerful, it brings out all your emotions-—your anger, your sorrow, your pity and fear. I think it’s important because it doesn’t matter who you are,” Davoodian said.

He and other members of faculty have reestablished the Armenian Students Association and hope to help them educate others in the community about the genocide and other areas of their background.

“I personally now have a viewpoint of we have to embrace who we are. We can’t be the same, that’s the point. We all have our individual flavors,” Davoodian said. “You mix in the flavors. Have some fun. Show who I am. Taste a little bit of this, taste a little bit of that, but retain it because I think that is America.”

Controversial exhibit hidden on campus depicts racial stereotypes and causes discord Art of the Old West makes new enemies

do so may be difficult due to the exhibit’s status.

In the back of Pierce College, located between the horse stables and the agricultural science building, lies a fanciful world of cowboys and indians, saloon girls and pioneer mothers; most in casual stance, a few in action poses, and all part of a strange American Folklore exhibit called “The Old Trapper’s Lodge.”

However, while some think the works in the exhibit are playful, a number of students are concerned that they debase American Indians as bloodthirsty savages and women as sexual objects.

One construction “Pegleg Smith Fighting Big Bear” depicts a large Indian attacking a smaller white man splattered with blood. Another statue called “Kidnapped” depicts a half-naked white woman being abducted by a darker Indian standing on a pedestal of heads.

Blatigenous (Black, Latino, Indigenous), a pan-ethnic campus club, brought the exhibit to the attention of their Pierce club adviser and Chair of the Social Science, History and Philosophy Departments, James McKeever.

“These statues and displays are racist and misogynistic,” McKeever said. “We are a largely Latino campus, considering the mestizo nature of Latinos, mixed with a lot of indigenous blood, you can see how this can be very hurtful.”

McKeever said he has brought the issue to the attention of Pierce

President Kathleen Burke, but has not had a detailed discussion with her. McKeever said she has been open to talking with students about the exhibit, but Burke may not have jurisdiction in this matter.

McKeever said that this semester has been a particularly difficult year for the school, and he hopes more attention can soon be given to the matter.

“We teach our students to be

reasonable in the way we approach these things. What you want to do is go through the proper channels first. Sometimes when you give people the opportunity, they’re going to do the right thing

anyway,” McKeever said. “We would ultimately like the exhibit removed.”

Despite McKeever’s wishes to see the statues removed from campus, he said that the process to

“The issue is not an easy call since the exhibit has an AB393 designation, which gives it, and other Americana artwork in the state, an official historical position,” McKeever said.

Likening the matter to the removal of Confederate statues, McKeever asks, “Times have changed. Does it have to be on our campus?”

The college does not provide any funding for maintenance; instead, anonymous individuals reportedly provide upkeep to the statuary and surrounding landscape. After more than 30 years, the concrete on mesh displays are decaying and may meet their final fate with the elements.

The lodge was built in 1941 by trapper John Ehn (1897-1981), a fan of the colorful Old West and a selftaught artist. He created the statues and a boothill-type graveyard to promote his lodge in Burbank.

While the main buildings of the lodge were demolished in 1981, the surrounding promotional statues, tombstones and artifacts were salvaged and given to Pierce College, by whom, no one seems to know.

It is said that anonymous volunteers stop by and retouch the statues, but admininstrators can’t confirm this.

Today, many students are unaware of the location, because it is generally not promoted and can barely be seen from El Rancho Drive, as it is hidden by trees and a chicken brooder.

Vanessa Arredondo / Roundup

John Ehn’s controversial statues depicting the Old West fill a hidden area in Pierce College, known as The Old Trapper’s Lodge, in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 20, 2018.

Shae Hammond / Roundup

Yeprem Davoodian poses in his office with his books in the FO 2404 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 20, 2018.

“I’ve realized I’m not a confrontational person, but I will put up a fight.”

-Yeprem Davoodian Department Chair

RANDI LOVE Editor-in-Chief @randi_love29

GENE WICKHAM Special to the Roundup @RoundupNews

You want options? We’ve got them

If students want a bite to eat, they can either sit down for a meal or choose the grab-and-go option.

A food truck parked at the front of the South Gym serves a diverse menu of fast food, including fries, burgers and burritos. They have a breakfast menu as well as lunch and dinner options.

The Brahma Café offers students caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as sandwiches and baked goods.

One of the most popular drinks is the Thai iced tea.

There also is the cafeteria catered by Pacific Dining, which tries to serve the needs of hungry students between classes.

They offer pre-packaged foods as well as made-to-order dishes.

There were two other food trucks on campus, but once the Los Angeles Community College District made a change in fall 2017, the others were removed.

Photos and Copy by Shae Hammond

Left:

Bottom:

The Pacific Dining food truck sits in front of the South Gym at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif on Feb. 20, 2018. The food truck is available from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 8 a.m. - 3 p.m on Friday.

Brahmas win final season game Basketball ends season with a win over Santa Monica College

Men’s basketball fires back up for their last game of the season battling it out with the Santa Monica College Corsairs, winning the game 10391.

Early in the first quarter, The Brahmas and Corsairs were going back forth putting points on the board, both teams started out with a strong defense as well as offense. There were a hefty amount of personal fouls from both teams.

Pierce early on was demonstrating their proficient team chemistry, all players moved the ball around the court consistently.

However this wouldn’t stop the Corsairs from staying on top of the Brahmas by applying a trap defense throughout the game.

Santa Monica pulled a slight lead on Pierce.

“They had a chance to go to the playoffs so it was important that they stepped up because they were eligible to go,” said Charles White, men’s basketball head coach. “Our record doesn’t reflect our talent and capabilities, but overall I’m happy with the season.”

The pressure that Santa Monica was applying lit a fire under Pierce, they seemed to wake up for the late end of the first half. Key steals by players like Jordan Newt and Chance Cole helped even out the score.

Jordan Newt asserted his presence on the court through both halves, at the end of the first half made a steal and got back to back lay-ups followed by a three pointer. Putting a total of 30 points up for the game.

“We told ourselves we gotta start playing harder, we were playing lazy a little tired a beat up from our last game,” said Jordan Newt, team captain and point guard/ shooting guard. “This is probably my last game of junior college basketball so I just had to go hard and do what I can my last game.”

Pierce ended the first half, Santa Monica maintaining the lead over Pierce.

The Brahmas came back the second half ready to take back the lead, presenting a strong defensive attendance on the court, taking it back early in the second.

Chance Cole also put up a grip of points throughout both halves for a total of 22, Cole is followed by Randle Lacey (15 pts.) and Christian Guillory (14 pts.) for top scorers of the game.

“We are always a better second half team, so once coach talked to us we did what we had to do, stayed aggressive, trusted the system and stuck with it” said Chance Cole, small foward/ shooting guard.

The rest of the second half consisted of the Corsairs trying to keep up with the Brahmas, but around the four minute mark with Pierce up 92-80, Corsairs started to fall back.

TheBrahmas broke 100 points and and maintained their cushion lead until ending the game with a final score of 103-91.

The Brahmas end the 20172018 season with a 10-16 season record. Pierce had a young team this year with five sophomores and eight freshman.

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Men’s volleyball face the El Camino College Warriors after losing in straight sets to the Long Beach City College Vikings.

The Warriors are 3-2 after defeating Fullerton College in five sets.

The game begins at 6 p.m.

After getting enough players, the softball team will have their first game of the season when they face the Moorpark College Raiders.

The Raiders come into the game with a 10-4 overall record. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. on the softball field.

Baseball (2-9) looks to get back to it’s winning ways when they face the Oxnard College Condors.

The Condors come into the game with a 4-7 overall record. The game begins at 2 p.m. at Oxnard.

Men’s volleyball host the Santa Monica College Corsairs looking to improve on their 2-3 overall record.

The Corsairs won their previous game against Grossmont College in straight sets.

The game begins at 6 p.m.

Baseball (2-9) is on the road when they travel to Bakersfield College.

The Renegades come into the game with a 5-9 overall record.

Bakersfield lost their previous game against Golden West College by a score of 3-1. The game starts at 12 p.m.

ARIELLE ZOLEZZI

Sports Editor @ArielleZolezzi

Shae Hammond/ Roundup

Pierce College’s Jordan Newt does a layup against Santa Monica College’s Ernie Valadez and Daniel Estes at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica Calif. on Feb. 18, 2018.

Brahmas can't knock Vikings off

Men's volleyball loses in straight sets, dropping

Men’s volleyball were unable to break the Long Beach City College Vikings’ seven-game winning streak after losing in straight sets, 25-23, 25-23, 25-22.

Head Coach Lance Walker said this was a good game to learn from.

“Today we lost by one or two points. One or two plays and we can go back and we’ll look at that and we’ll learn from that,” Walker said. “It was a very proud moment as a coach and a great learning experience for us and I think it was a fantastic game for all the fans to watch.”

Walker said that the energy of the game and of those in attendance were great even though they lost.

“Today was a fantastic day, and it definitely wasn’t a loss in my eyes,” Walker said. “We may have an ‘L’ in our column now from it, but man it was great.”

Cole Chea led the game with 11 kills.

Team captain, Bernardo Roese, also said that facing the Vikings was a memorable experience. He also said he was happy the team followed his lead throughout the game, and was very happy to play a team like the Vikings.

“I think it was a really good game,” Roese said. “It’s my second year here and I think it was the best volleyball I saw in two years here.”

Roese said there’s more to learn, and mistakes happened when they were under pressure but that they’re going to get better.

“Next time we face these guys, we might win,” Roese said.

Jayson Moore, opposite hitter said practice helps them get mentally ready for games, but little mistakes affect them. Moore, along Cole Chea and Morgan Wadlow are the team

leaders in kills.

“I feel like I’m playing my role on the team. The passing is great. The setting is great, so I’m just trying to do my job as a hitter and get the job done,” Moore said.

Chea said that they treated the Vikings with the same respect they know they would get, and there was no reason to be scared, but fear still played a role in their loss.

“We got a little scared at the end

and we shouldn’t have,” Chea said.

Walker said he noticed the fear as well, but in the Vikings. He saw a side of them saying that they may be an undefeated team, but saw Pierce’s potential to beat them.

Vikings’ head coach, Jonathan Charette, said that even though they got the win, his team still has a lot to work on.

“Pierce really tested us tonight and gave us a good idea of how we

A hard way to end it all

Women's basketball loses in final season game

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor & SHAE HAMMOND Photo Editor

Women’s basketball, 5-19, saw their season end with a loss to the Santa Monica College Corsairs by a final score of 76-53.

For the first three quarters, the Brahmas were down by seven points. In the fourth they reduced the deficit to two losing 18-16 in the last quarter.

Head Coach James Couch said his team played well then they did in previous games.

“I think they played harder than in their last 15 games,” Couch said. “We haven’t scored 50 points in the last 10 games.”

The team came into this game losing against the West LA College Wildcats 84-32. Vanessa Galvez led the game for the team with 17 points. She also made six three pointers out of her eight attempts.

Galvez in this game also led in points for the team, scoring five more points than she did against the Wildcats. She also had three assists and a steal. Amber Pope also had the same stats as Galvez.

Diana Kohanzad and Adriana Penate also led the game in points for the team with 13 and 12 respectively.

Penate played her last game for the team and she evaluated her performance.

“I felt I did great. It was my last game. So I tried to play hard,” Penate said.

Penate also gave insight on what the team can inprove on for next season.

“We have to run the place. We have to learn to share the ball,” Penate said. “We need to play more hard.”

The team suffered a lot of turnovers in the game, giving up the ball 21 times, six more than the Corsairs.

The Brahmas had better eficiency in the three points department scoring 10 out of the 16 shots they had. The Corsairs only scored six out of their 18 attempts.

From the free throw line, SMC scored six in their 12 tries. The team scored only five, but in 18 attempts.

The team led the game in rebounds with 41, eight more than the Corsairs. Corsairs’ head coach Lydia Strong said the Brahmas played much better than before. The previous game ended

73-52 in favor of SMC.

Jessica Melamed had 28 points for the Corsairs and Strong said she played well especially being her last game for the team.

“She is pretty much our whole team. It was Sophomore night so it was her last game and were really happy she played well,” Strong said.

]

need to move forward in next week’s practice,” Charette said.

During the game, the official had to step in and warn the players on their behavior and things said across the net.

Walker said they were pushing their opponent just like it should be, and that the official could not take away the players’ energy. He wants his players to play with character.

“I’m proud to represent the guys,

and I’m proud that they did that in that fashion today,” Walker said.

Wadlow also said that the team face everyone with the same mentality, no matter the record.

“I think our team is athletic and skilled enough to have confidence against anyone we play,” Wadlow said.

Overall, the team was okay with taking the loss. Walker said they will be prepared for the next time they

face the Vikings, and is confident that his players will be “hungrier” for a win against them.

“It’s okay if Long Beach wins the Battle, we’re preparing for war,” Walker said.

Their next game is on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at El Camino College at 6 p.m.

Shae Hammond/Roundup

Pierce College's Diana Kohanzad looks to pass the ball against Santa Monica College's Angelina Moreno at Santa Monica College.

Shae Hammond/ Roundup

Pierce College's Brent Norkus hits the ball between Long Beach College's Miller Davis and Victor Villarreal at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 16, 2018

ROSA ORTEGA Reporter @RosaGabOrtega