Volume 128 Spring 2018 Roundup Issue 10

Pierce president selected as new chancellor for SOCCCD

will begin the position on July 1. Her eight-year tenure at Pierce will end that day.

The South Orange Coast Community College District Board of Trustees unanimously selected Pierce College President Kathleen Burke as its new chancellor. She

“I am pleased to welcome Dr. Burke as chancellor of the South Orange County Community College District,” Board of Trustees President Timothy Jemal said in a press release from SOCCCD.

According to the press release,

Burke’s duties include overseeing an $800 million budget, about 4,000 employees, and district operations for Saddleback College, Irvine Valley College, and the Advanced Technology and Education Park, which serve more than 60,000 students a year.

Jemal said that the board was impressed with Burke’s

bureaucratic community college experience, and her knowledge will help the district prosper.

“She brings meaningful experience dealing with challenges and successes in community college, and she’s had a lot of successes,” Jemal said.

“Experience means a lot. We are a dynamic district, and she brings

that seasoning.”

In May 2010, Burke was selected by the Los Angeles Community College District as the President of Pierce College. Prior to that, she was the vice president of academic affairs at LA Trade Tech College.

LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez said the district congratulates Burke on her

selection as chancellor of the neighboring district.

“LA Pierce is in a very steady and stable position because of the leadership of President Burke. She has provided leadership to our district in exemplary fashion,” Rodriguez said.

Brahmas take state!

JOSHUA MANES Spotlight Editor @TheManesEvent

It had been 15 years since men’s volleyball hoisted a state title. Over the course of four sets Saturday night, the Brahmas changed that.

In the CCCAA State Championship final, the No. 4 Brahmas found themselves opposite the No. 2 Orange Coast College Pirates, a team they lost to in straight sets back in February. But there was no desire for a parlay or retreat.

“We might not have the prettiest record, but we’re playing the best

volleyball when it matters,” Brahmas head coach Lance Walker said. “And that’s a special thing. That takes grit.”

The opening set was a back-and-forth affair, neither team able to take control. The largest lead for each team was two until the Brahmas held set-point at 24-21 before finally taking it 25-22 on a kill by Cole Chea.

“My job is to get the big kills,” Chea said. “That’s all I’m needed for.”

The Pirates fired back in the second set, winning 25-17 in dominant fashion. Orange Coast held the lead in the set from 4-3 on.

The third set started out much like the first with both teams jockeying for

position, looking to claim the critical momentum. Seven set points were played until finally the Brahmas came away with a 31-29 win. With only one set between them and a state title, the Brahmas stormed out of the gates, leading by as much as nine points multiple times in the first half of the set. But as you would expect from the No. 2 team in the state, Orange Coast was not ready to fly the white flag. Trailing 19-11, the Pirates fought their way back into the match. A six-point run cut the lead to 19-17, but that’s as close as the Brahmas would allow them to get. Fittingly, the final point came on a kill

from tournament MVP Chea, assisted by Bernardo Roese, the conference MVP, a sight that was seen throughout the season.

Chea did not want to let the match go to a fifth set.

“Don’t let it go any longer than it needed to be, that was my mindset,” Chea said. “My sweaty outside hitter was like ‘This is the last shirt I have, you better put it away.’”

Chea finished the night with 21 kills and 25 total points, bringing his totals to 30 and 38 in the two games. Despite the individual honor, Chea stayed humble about his performance.

“I can say easily that other people

deserve it more,” Chea said. “I feel like everyone should be MVP right now. It’s a title. I got the big kills, but really, who gave me the sets, who got the passes for the set.”

Joining Chea on the all-tournament team were Morgan Wadlow and Roese. Team captain Roese, who finished the season second in the state in assists per set with 10.11, added 48 assists in the title game.

The title is the eighth for men’s volleyball, and the first since 2003. That 2003 victory capped off a four-year streak of state titles.

Randi Love/ Roundup

Jake Kessler hits the ball over the net as Orange Coast College's Will Donald and Colby Elder try to defend the ball during the state championship game on April 28, 2018 at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif . The Brahmas defeated the Pirates in four sets to become the 2 018 title winners.

Randi Love / Roundup

Morgan Wadlow jumps for a kill as Orange Coast's Bradley Hankus tries to block the ball during the state championship game on April 28, 2018.

Randi Love / Roundup

Grant DeGrasse bumps the ball during the state championship against Orange Coast on April 28, 2018 at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif.

Randi Love / Roundup

Bernardo Roese tips the ball over the net as Orange Coast's Will Donald tries to block it during the state championship game on April 28, 2018.

At school, professors grade students based on how well they perform on assignments and tests. However, professors also have the option to grade students on participation. Participation shouldn't be included in a course's curriculum. It could give an incentive for teachers to grade students they like with positive scores and others they don’t like with negative ones.

Participation isn't a clear way to grade a student's work ethic. If it is so effective then, students that show higher participation should be

-Corrections-

Volume 128, Issue 9: Page 4: In "The road to Ojai..."

Daniel Vinterfeld's name was spelled incorrectly.

Page 12: Richards Espinoza's email was incorrect on "Honors for 7 players and 1 coach." His email is rjespinoza. roundupnews@ gmail.com

See any corrections we missed?

Email us at newsroom. roundupnews@ gmail.com

the ones with the highest grades in class, but that isn’t always the case.

Some professors believe that class discussions can enhance their students learning. Sometimes when a student participates in class they are not contributing to the subject, but rather giving their experiences.

The site, The Bull & Bear wrote, "Such a system threatens to punish some students, while at the same time increases class time wasted on useless interjections."

Speaking out loud doesn't reflect a student's ability to remember the material. Some students give out responses that have no real

DAVID ZAYER Reporter @DavidZayer

meaning.

The site, The Bull & Bear wrote, "Students either go to classes to contribute irrelevant comments for the sake of receiving marks, lose 5 to 10 percent off their final grade because there is no real incentive to attend."

Students grades shouldn't be based around just meeting a requirement by participating.

Specific classes like Speech 101 or Theatre 270 require students to participate in class, but that same standard shouldn't be applied to all classes. Expecting students to respond to a question in class they

Pro: Grouped together

faced with a real life challenge.

When a hard problem is at hand, many perspectives can help solve the issue collectively.

have never encountered can leave them dazed.

Instead, professors should encourage an open classroom where participation isn't mandatory. Participation should be an option for students if they want to ask questions for a deeper explanation on what their professor lectures on.

To encourage students to come to class, professors can have short quizzes that account for small portions of the students grades. This can be done periodically throughout the semester and can focus on the lecture from that day. This would require students to stay

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

I decided to seek

the whole lecture and focus on what the professor is presenting.

Professors can also ask students to keep journals or side notes and turn them in at the end of class. Students can also, give feedback and ask to go in further detail on a specific subject during next class. If professors take away mandatory participation, then students will be more comfortable in their class and will show higher quality in their performance.

Strength is apparent in numbers and it always has been.

Throughout the history of human beings, people have always worked in groups. Therefore, it would only be natural for group work to be assigned in college.

In “The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunters and Gatherers,” anthropologists Richard B. Lee and Richard Heywood Daly write that humans as a species are meant to work in groups, and still do.

“Surprisingly, in an increasingly urbanized and technological world, dozens of hunting and gathering societies have persisted and thrive world-wide, resilient in the face of change, their ancient ways now combined with the trappings of modernity,” Lee and Daly wrote.

Groups are able to divide the workload taking away any extra stresses of the task. In a group project, assigning roles and doing research separately can result in a more efficient presentation.

According to The National Survey of Student Engagement, students have more success in college when working in groups.

The data shows how cooperating with others to solve problems prepare students to deal with the real world. This helps students think off-the-cuff when

Depending on a person's personality type, when a professor assigns a group work project, some students may become shy and feel awkward, while others feel encouraged.

Once settled in, regardless of personality, students should feel comfortable that they are a part of a group.

Humans are social beings, therefore individuals who primarily take on tasks can cause one to feel isolated over time.

Better results come from group cooperation. One example of this is the World Wars. Because of their lack of allies, the Germans lost not once but twice.

According to the English Catholic Historian, Lord John Acton, it is possible that a sole individual can be too powerful.

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Acton said.

Evidence from human history and statistical data from the present time show that group work is beneficial when assigned in college. Although everyone is different in their own ways and we can all learn something new from one another, as working alone is overall detrimental.

One of the hardest skills a student will ever learn throughout their college career is self-reliance. Therefore, having the crutch of group projects is more detrimental than helpful to a student’s education.

There is always that one student in a group project who is unreliable. For this instance, we’ll name him Tim. Tim has an alright personality, he’s easy to talk to and seems responsible (the key word being ‘seems’).

Fast forward two weeks before the project is due, and Tim is nowhere to be found. There is a worrying empty space in the PowerPoint where Tim’s assigned part should be. All of a sudden, the very seemingly normal classmate has dropped off the face of the planet. It is not until a week before the deadline he resurrects to say he hasn’t done his part due do some mysterious ‘sickness’ that had him incapacitated.

Now it is two days until the deadline and Tim seems to have put more effort into his excuses than his assigned part.

Due to this group project horror story – everyone has no doubt felt, at some point in their academic career, that group projects are ineffectual.

According to a study by Carnegie Mellon University titled, “What are the benefits of group work?” group work is never 100 percent.

Cartoonist:

“In fact, group projects can – and often do – backfire badly when they are not designed, supervised, and assessed in a way that promotes meaningful teamwork and deep collaboration,” the study wrote.

While professors sometimes try to integrate failsafe systems such as peer evaluation sheets that count for a grade, this still does not fix the problem. The true issue is that only a couple of students end up doing the work required to get a passing grade; whereas the Tims of the world ride on the backs of their success.

Despite graded peer evaluations, this does nothing to temper the cynicism that is formed during group projects due to the inequality of the workload. Even with group collaboration, college cannot teach a student motivation. The quality of the work will be unequal, therefore, the education received will be unequal among students.

Grand Canyon University’s Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching reports, the act of grading a group project can prove difficult to the professor.

Too often students are lumped together under the term “group work” and are expected to just make it work. These group projects are hardly planned out well enough to suit a variety of students in a way that equally distributes the work load and promotes collaborative learning.

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.

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History found in construction

ROSA ORTEGA Reporter @RosaGabOrtega

Public Relations Manager Doreen

Clay said there are about 20 memorial plaques, eight of which have an unknown history, that were found at Pierce during construction.

Pierce College Committee (PCC) members discussed in the April 26 meeting the need for a task force to decide what to do with the found plaques.

President Chair of PCC Brian Walsh said they don’t have enough information about the people that the plaques belong to, but they’re working to find out as much as possible because some of those names are on buildings that are scheduled for demolition.

Faculty decided that those that haven’t been installed should be found a place, but it is necessary to research their history first.

Clay said some of the plaques read “in memory of” and have names of old faculty, but there are no records of the people they honor. Their only guess is that they could be instructors who died during their time working at Pierce.

“There was no internet then, so there’s nothing on the internet. And there’s no written history about that person or why they were given a plaque or who gave it to them or anything. It’s difficult to find information because it’s so old,” Clay said.

During the meeting, Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher also discussed crime and said few incidents were reported in April, but bike stealing has been a recurring problem. To help with this, there are plans to install a surveillance system on campus to help regulate the issue.

The board also voted Ryan Patrick Gendron the new vice chair. He will replace Patricia Doeleitzcsh.

Gendron said this new position is a great opportunity to become more involved at Pierce.

“I’m interested in becoming more involved in chair governance,” Gendron said. “I’m excited, and I think it’s going to be a good step for leadership for me.”

Distance Education Coordinator

Wendy Bass said there will be changes to the faculty email, which will be connected to the student information system on July 1. She said if faculty have important emails that they’d like to save, they still have time to sort that out.

rortega.roundupnews@gmail.com

[from PRESIDENT on pg. 1]

Rodriguez said the replacement has not been selected. He said internal applicants go through a ten-day process. He said the process needs to conclude before July 1, so they can name someone in the role before Burke transitions.

“If we are unsuccessful determining someone from that internal pool, then we look toward external candidates,” Rodriguez said. “I see the process moving very smoothly, and the excellent service that faculty and staff experience, I’m fully confident those experiences and services will continue uninterrupted. It’s an excellent college and it will remain that way.”

In 2016, Burke’s salary as president was $225,935 plus an additional $6,000 and benefits of $43,658, according to transparentcalifornia.com.

During the SOCCCD Board of Trustees meeting on April 30, Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Cindy Vyskocil said that at the start of her new position as chancellor, Burke will have an annual salary of $350,000. That doesn’t include the $100 per month to cover internet and telephone services, $165 per month for cellphone, $625 transportation stipend and $10,000 relocation stipend.

Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters said he is confident that the LACCD chancellor will make the right decision, whether to name an interim Pierce College president or search for a new one.

Dixon-Peters also said that he thinks the position as chancellor for SOCCCD is a great opportunity for Burke. “My first thought was, ‘Awesome for her.’ What it shows is that her record speaks for itself,”

Cafeteria vouchers vow to feed

120

$5 coupons distributed to hungry students in need

REBECCA O'NEIL Reporter @RebeccaRoundup

The Los Angeles Times reported in June 2017 that 65 percent of students on Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) campuses could not afford balanced meals.

This academic school year, the Financial Aid Office, CalFresh and St.A.S.H. (Students Against Student Hunger) tried to alleviate food insecurity on campus by providing 120 $5 vouchers to Pierce College’s Pacific Dining cafeteria.

The vouchers, which expire at the end of May, were given away by a representative from CalFresh at a St.A.S.H. stand on the Mall last week, political science professor Denise Robb said. Vice President of Student Services Earic DixonPeters and Financial Aid Director Anife Robinson facilitated the vouchers’ distribution.

Robb said the vouchers were created by ASO Senator Gisela

Tarifa, who also serves as chair of the Community Welfare Committee and works with St.A.S.H. Tarifa co-authored the Brahma Initiative, an ASOdesigned resolution to bring awareness to surrounding student homelessness and food insecurity.

Tarifa said a Pierce-local response to these issues may be especially necessary given that low-income students may be overlooked in an area as prosperous as Woodland Hills.

“You know, there’s a stigma against college students who face these insecurities, like, ‘Oh, wow, you should be living at home with your parents,’ when we know that isn’t how it is for everyone,” Tarifa said. “Especially being on an affluent campus, or being in an affluent area, it makes you want to just tell no one, stay quiet, and deal with your problems yourself.”

Tarifa said this stigma may keep the demographic in need from asking for help, but conversely, peer-led food justice groups are not privy to students’ financial information that they

could use to identify the target of their good will.

Tarifa said that there’s no way for her to know if the vouchers are distributed to the people who are in legitimate need.

“St.A.S.H. will never know if someone is truly in need unless they share their story, but helping one person helps everyone, if you think about it,” she said.

Tarifa said CalFresh, in collaboration with the Financial Aid Office, does know who the vouchers ought to go to.

“Through St.A.S.H., I found out the ends and pieces on how the school works, and I found out that financial aid takes care of that information on who is foster youth, who is homeless, who is food insecure. They have that information because students fill out forms for financial aid,” Tarifa said.

Engineering major Emmanuel Francisco said he stood in line to receive an orange from St.A.S.H. and a voucher from CalFresh because a lifetime of hardship taught him to use the resources around him to get a step up.

“I’ve known what it is to struggle, and from that, to take advantage of the free, great opportunities you can,” Francisco said.

Robb said the vouchers are not new, so much as revived.

Years before the Times’ study was published and Pacific Dining established a presence on campus, Robb said the beloved owner of the former Falafelicious food truck, Ofir Bass, wanted to nourish lower income students before and after he took over the previously unoccupied cafeteria space.

Robb said during her time on the Foundation for Pierce College, she was able to raise $600 worth of student coupons with Bass’s help. After Bass lost the cafeteria bid to Pacific Dining, however, the vouchers were nullified.

“I called Pacific Dining and said I lost out on this $600, because the vouchers were no longer good anymore. I asked them if they would honor them, and they said yes,” Robb said.

Rundown Brahma Blotter

These incidents were reported between April 22 -April 28

04/20

Traffic Report

A hit and run against a parked vehicle was reported in Parking Lot 7 at 10 a.m. 04/23

Trespassing

An adult male was giving lessons on soccer field without a permit at 3 p.m.

04/25

Student Injury

A student was injured at the swimming pool.

Dixon-Peters said. “That other institutions see the value of her and they want her to be the head of a system. Not just a president of a college, but a system of multiple colleges.”

Vice President of the LACCD Board of Trustees Andra Hoffman works at Glendale Community College. She said she met Burke when she was the chair of the Visual and Performing Arts Department. She said Burke went on to do great things for Pierce as its president.

“It's a huge loss for the district and a huge loss for the college. She’s an incredible capable leader and she will do great things for Southern Orange County,” Hoffman said. “She has contributed as a true leader in all the capacities that she has served, but I think that she has done a particularly good job at Pierce College.”

Thomas Fallo was appointed as the acting chancellor of SOCCCD in November 2017 after Debra Fitzsimmons announced her retirement in October last year, according to an article in the Saddleback College Lariat.

Fallo was to serve as chancellor until summer 2018 when a permanent hire would be made.

As of April 30, Fallo resigned his position and Vice Chancellor Ann-Marie Gabel became acting chancellor.

Public Relations and Marketing Director Jennie McCue said that Fallo was only able to serve for a short time and Gabel will serve as interim until June 30, when Burke will take over as the permanent chancellor.

“This is an exciting time in higher education as we focus on increasing opportunities and success for our students,” Burke said in the press release. “I’m grateful to have been selected

to serve as the chancellor of the South Orange County Community College District and to work with a board of trustees that is so dedicated to the communities we serve.”

Dixon-Peters said that with Burke as president, the college has been moving in the right direction.

“Change is good for colleges, and it will be difficult for us, but I think it’s a wonderful testament of her work here and she’s well deserving of a chancellor position,” Dixon-Peters said.

Jemal said that he was impressed with how Burke managed the accreditation process at Pierce College. He said it is an important part of being a college administrator and a leader, and he hopes she will take their district in the right direction.

“We have a fantastic multicollege district in South Orange County. Kathleen is the right person to lead our district at this time,” Jemal said. “It’s a phenomenal opportunity for her and our district to continue to move forward and serve our students the best we can.”

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.

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.

Reported by: Jordan Nathan and Rocio Arenas

“It's a huge loss for the district and a huge loss for the college.”

-Andra Hoffman VP of LACCD BOT

File Photo by Nico Heredia

Decades of champions

The Brahmas season started off slow with eligibility issues limiting the roster, but assistant coach Teddy Niemira believes that helped get them to this point.

“We learned to play more volleyball because of it,” Niemira said. “When it comes down to it, we knew what we were made of, and we were made of more than them.”

The early season limitations left the Brahmas with a poor out of conference record. In fact, the 14-6 overall record is the worst record the Brahmas have had in a championship season, nudging out 2000’s 14-4 mark. Walker was a member of that

2000 championship team, and now, in his seventh year as head coach, he gets to experience the feeling from the other end of the bench.

“That’s probably one of the greatest and most honorable things,” Walker said. “Being able to do this for a school that has given me so much.”

Walker said that this victory is not just about what was done this season.

“We’ve worked on this for seven years. There’s a lot of bridge builders that got us to this point,” Walker said.

“There’s a lot of guys who have come through our program to set the foundation for Brahmas to come.”

Walker said the crowd made the night special. Namesake of

the Brahmas’ home court Ken Stanley was in attendance, as well as Pierce College President Kathleen Burke.

“It’s about Pierce pride, but I think it’s more important to them,” Burke said. “They’ll remember this their whole lives.”

Walker’s title win as a player was the first of four straight for the Brahmas, and he knows that the team can not rest on their laurels heading into next season.

“Now it’s up to the guys who are coming back on how hard they’re going to work now that we have the target on our back,” Walker said.

[from WIN on pg. 1]

Randi Love / Roundup

Cole Chea hold up his Most Valuable Player award after the state championship game against Orange Coast College at Fullerton College, in Fullerton, Calif. , on April 28, 2018.

Randi Love / Roundup

Cole Chea hold up his Most Valuable Player award after the state championship game against Orange Coast College at Fullerton College, in Fullerton, Calif. , on April 28, 2018.

Compiled by Randi Love

Clybourne Park's racial tension enlightens the audience

clear to all.

JESSICA VAUGHAN A&E Editor @JVaughanRoundup

Trapped in a charming midcentury modern bungalow, familial burdens surround former parents Bev and Russ as they pack up their home, from Clybourne Park to anywhere else.

“Clybourne Park” written by Bruce Norris, follows the story of a house and the ever-changing world around it. Norris pulls no punches in this brilliant gut-wrenching monster of a play.

Midway through the civil rights movement, current owners Russ and Bev suffer the loss of their son and decide it’s time for a change of scenery, inadvertently selling their home to a black family which their white neighbors have a problem with. Fast forward 50 years and we focus on Steve and Lindsey, a white couple trying to relocate into the now black up-and-coming neighborhood of Clybourne Park.

Esdras Toussaint has directed a masterwork that this generation needs. While the future is always going to be important, it’s also essential that we take a hard look back at how we got here. The parallels in these two timelines are as ominous as they are frequent. This powerful, touching, funny and enraging play is as complicated as the life it mimics.

Both acts are slow to start, beginning with meaningless conversation and trite politeness halted by a passionate explosion of heavy topics. This cleverly shows the

audience how tense everyone is just under the surface.

Matt DeHaven stole the show with his performance as Russ. A broken man who is still mourning the loss

of his son, DeHaven commanded the stage and exploded with emotion.

Russ realized there was nothing left for him in Clybourne Park and made his sorrow and grief crystal

DeHaven as Dan, a silly and light construction worker, plays a deceptively large role. Dan is directly responsible for one of the biggest pieces of symmetry in the entire production and DeHaven delivered beautifly.

Elyse Hamilton as Bev breaks the hearts of anyone with a mother. Her transparent cheeriness and infinite attempts to help her husband are a sign of someone just trying to survive. Without a career or a child to care for, Bev doesn’t really have anything left to do besides trying to discover the origin of neapolitan. In an effort to calm her loud mind she tries to expedite the move by frantically packing and giving away anything she can’t pack.

Hamilton as Kathy is a standard shark of a lawyer, while not too important to the story. She does a great job nonetheless.

Erika L. Holmes as Francine was the embodiment of stoicism for people of color in the 50’s. Constantly being shut out or talked over by her white employer, smiling politely at every insulting insinuation, while Bev simultaneously insists they are “friends.” At times it seems as if people of color are ghosts, just existing as talking points for their white counterparts.

Holmes as Lena through no one’s fault but society’s seems eerily similar to Francine. Despite not working for anyone in the room she still gets glossed over as her white counterparts discuss trivial facts about geography.

A pomegranate tree holds the Armenian culture with its branches, reaching out to spread inclusivity and history — a symbol of life and tradition.

Pierce is a place that encourages and celebrates diversity and planting a pomegranate tree on campus was a way to commemorate the Armenian heritage.

President of the Armenian Students’ Association Lori Patatian said that with the presence of a large Armenian community in the area, the Armenian Students’ Association wanted to come up with a way to leave a lasting mark for students at Pierce.

“We thought that planting a tree with a plaque would be a good idea,” Patatian said. “We chose a

pomegranate tree because it has such a significance in the Armenian community so we thought that it would be the perfect representation of who we are without being overpowering.”

Patatian said she is happy to represent her culture at Pierce.

“It means that I get to spread awareness and people get to learn about my culture and something that I'm so proud about. It's important to me that people know who are Armenians are. I'm proud to be Armenian,” Patatian said.

Doreen Clay, public relations manager, said she appreciates the diversity of cultures on campus.

“I like the fact that Pierce can support so many different students from all over the world and their heritage,” Clay said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Taylor Arthur / Roundup

Bev (Elyse Hamilton), Albert (Stan McDowell), and Karl (Trevor Figueroa) perform during the dress rehearsal of "Clybourne Park" in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 23, 2018.

Natalie Miranda / Roundup

The Armenian Students' Association President Lori Patatian spoke at the Arbor Day Tree Memorial on April 27, 2018, at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

8 was worth the wait

Champions.

1986, 1988, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and now 2018.

The Brahmas returned from the CCCAA Men’s Volleyball State Championship with new hardware, memories, and their eighth state title.

Their road to the championship was not an easy one, facing the top two teams in the state.

First, they faced the undefeated No. 1 Long Beach City College Vikings in the semifinals, defeating them in straight sets (25-12, 25-20, 25-19) on Thursday, April 26.

In the finals, the Pirates from Orange Coast College, the No. 2 team in the state, stood in the way of the Brahmas.

The match was a competitive, back-and-forth four set affair (25-22, 17-25, 31-29, 25-21).

The Brahmas had faced the Vikings and Pirates three times during the regular season, twice against Long Beach, losing in straight sets in all three matches.

The title is the eighth in the history of the men’s volleyball program, and the first since 2003. The most recent state title for Pierce was women’s volleyball in 2012.

Both of those titles came at the end of multiple championship runs. The men in 2003 capped off four in a row, while the women completed a three-peat.

Top Left: Max Petuhov hugs a teammate after their title win against Orange Coast College during the state championship game on April 28, 2018 at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif.

Top Right: Blake Omartian hoists the 2018 state title championship trophy above his head after their game against Orange Coast College on April 28, 2018 at Fullerton College, in Fullerton, Calif.

Middle: Cole Chea laughs after his teammate dog piled on top of him at the conclusion of the game against Orange Coast College during the state championship game on April 28, 2018 at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif.

Bottom: Men’s volleyball players celebrate after they defeat Orange Coast College in the state championship game on April 28, 2018 at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif. This is the programs eigth title win, and the first in the last 15 years.

Photos by Randi Love. Copy by Joshua Manes.

Someone’s in the kitchen with Gloria Alumna hearkens back to childhood to pursue career in baking

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

The wafting smell of Gloria Zarate’s freshly baked confections invite customers to her food truck, Yummy Pie Babies. One taste is designed to transport customers back to visions of childhood.

Zarate’s own was filled with memories assisting her dad in the kitchen.

Before immigrating from Mexico to the U.S., Zarate’s father owned and operated a bakery with his brothers.

While Zarate’s father ended up following a different career path, the love and enthusiasm he instilled in Zarte for baking did not diminish. Rather, those memories of childhood nostalgia are what Zarate said she emulates in all the food items on her menu.

Growing up, my dad would always bake for the family,” said Zarate. “When we would have parties or any celebration, he and his brother would get together, and they’d make these gorgeous and humongous cakes. So, I was always attracted to that, and found I had a knack for it.”

Fueled by the passion for baking she shares with her father her, Zarate said that when she was faced with an opportunity to start a new career, she chose one in the art of baking.

Zarate spent years in the corporate world with her now ex-husband doing transportation consulting. Together, the two started the business and worked together. However, after the two divorced, Zarate was at a crossroads in her career path.

“Now that I had the experience of setting up a business with my ex-husband, it fueled my... I don’t know if it’s actually fearlessness or stupidity. I thought, ‘We’ll give it a try and see what happens,’” Zarate said.

Zarate said that was the point she decided she wanted to try baking professionally.

She said she didn’t initially plan on opening a food truck. Instead, she wanted to start with something small, like selling at farmers markets.

However, that changed when she and her current husband, Jeff Quintero, fell in love with food trucks.

“We’ve always had an attraction to food and going out and dining,” Quintero said. “We enjoy the exploration and finding a little hole in the wall that just has a

great taste. We enjoy sitting at the counters and observing what’s going on around us.”

The pair said that the lively mood is one of the reasons they were first drawn to food trucks, and is why Zarate said she decided to open her food truck, Yummy Pie Babies.

Zarate also said she enjoyed the sense of friendship and support that seemed to fill food truck events.

“We really enjoyed the atmosphere in those events,” Zarate

said. “There’s this community that’s built around people eating. I find it to be true now that I am in there as a vendor. I still like it, the people are so nice. It’s just a very festive atmosphere.”

Keeping up with the lighthearted feeling at food truck events, Zarate’s dessert food truck caters to those looking for a sense of nostalgia.

Zarate said another one of her goals is to help customers make memories.

Since Zarate‘s menu items are flavors inspired by her childhood memories, she said she hopes to share the idea of a home-cooked dessert with people who may not have had the same upbringing as her.

“Younger generations may not have had that experience because both parents have to work nowadays,” said Zarate. “So now, I’m hoping that their parents can kind of have this experience for the first time and share it with their

kid. They can bond and have these type of memories.”

Zarate said she adds an element of sentimentality to her dishes that make them personal and more enjoyable for her customers. Quintero believes the amount of detail Zarate puts into her work is what makes her desserts more distinguished than others.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Bleu Briggs / Roundup

Gloria Zarate and husband Jeff Quintero prep to start their day selling their baked goods at Yummy Pie Babies dessert truck at the Cypress Certified Farmers Market in Los Alamitos Calif.

Leaping off the page with graphic lit Club seeks to further illustrate storytelling as an academic subject

REBECCA O'NEIL Reporter @RebeccaRoundup

The orange hair appeared messy at first, but with a closer look, each neon spike, varied in length and width, is molded and angled neatly. Beneath the bright bangs, dark eyes peer through blue contacts that belong to a body covered in a black pleather, with a matching cape chained together.

English major Madison Reeves is not dressed for Halloween.

Rather, the vice president and treasurer of Pierce College’s Graphic Literature Club is cosplaying as a Disney-owned, Square Enix-directed video game character from Kingdom Hearts— Sora

Connor Drescher, Graphic Literature Club President, recalled attending a convention with Reeves and going to a restaurant while dressed in character, describing the experience as an empowering one.

“We went to WonderCon together and we sat in the middle of Chicken and Waffles together in that outfit, and it was probably one of the more formative experiences

in my life,” Graphic Literature Club President Connor Drescher said.

Reeves said that appearing in public dressed as fictional characters has given her the courage to wear her cosplay regalia with confidence.

“I stopped caring about wearing cosplay in public like seven Denny’s trips ago and like ten conventions ago. I’ve been to way too many,” Reeves said.

According to Assistant Professor of English and Graphic Literature Club Advisor Mickey Harrison, Reeves, Drescher and the other members of the club revitalized the former Pierce College Comic Club after the first iteration dissolved due to in-fighting and subsequent disinterest last year.

“This year, it seemed like all the fire was lost. I really liked the club because I thought it represented a demographic on campus that is usually largely ignored, and I’m including myself in that. But comic book geeks and pop culture fans in general are marginalized from academia, so I thought this was a really important club to keep people on campus and bring people together,” Harrison said.

Harrison, who is occasionally referred to as Headmaster Riddler

by club members, said he reached out to students in his English classes who might have been interested in continuing the club. He said Reeves stepped up, got the word out and reached out to Drescher.

Harrison said another integral change to the club was its name.

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“The name was switched from the Comic Book Club to the Graphic Literature Club last year, as I feel that attracted a more serious audience,” he said.

Reeves said the name change from Comic Club to Graphic Literature Club has more empathetic results as well.

“It sounds more inclusive, like instead of just comic books, we have anything with words and pictures,” Reeves said.

Drescher said the name change was a prudent decision given the club’s larger goals and its members’ academic aspirations.

“Part of the reason we’re here

right now is to get more attention to graphic literature as an academic and respectable medium, which is the direction I think comics are going today anyway,” Drescher said.

Reeves, who helped generate an intentional space and community on Pierce campus as a seasoned cosplayer, said the ultimate goal of the Graphic Literature Club is to bring everyone together.

“This is part of why graphic literature club and english club and literary magazine are like the english trifecta. We’re all really good friends and hang out together,” she said.

Reeves said the club’s conversations and presence as animation advocates serve the genre their club seeks to further.

“Part of the goal is to make English palatable for the general student population because, a lot of the time, we study English in 200 year old texts that maybe people don’t care about that much. But then maybe they go see a movie and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I love The Avengers, I love this character, I love this character arc,’” Reeves said.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

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Stephen Nicholson / Roundup

The Graphic Literature club poses at Pierce College in Woodland Hills Cali f. on April 26, 2018.

1Book Campus

Pulitzer prize winning author visits campus to discuss immigration

BRIAN CALDERA Multimedia Editor @btvcaldera

Pierce College’s Great Hall was packed to the brim with students last Thursday, as Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Sonia Nazario lectured about her experiences writing her national bestselling non-fiction book Enrique’s Journey.

Enrique’s Journey is currently Pierce College’s choice for their One Book, One Campus program in which “Members of the Pierce community, including students, faculty, staff and administrators are encouraged to read a common book throughout the semester and to participate in campus-wide, thematically-integrated activities,” says the Pierce College website.

Inspired by her experiences as a child with journalists during Argentina’s Dirty War, Nazario would become the Wall Street Journal’s youngest reporter at 21 and continued to have a lucrative career in journalism for the past three decades, using her master’s degree in Latin American studies to tackle social issues both in and around her country.

Written as an eight piece article for the Los Angeles Times, Enrique's Journey is a journalistic retelling and examination of a titular 17-year old Honduran boy named Enrique on the path atop a series of South American railways to reunite with his mother in the United States.

Initially inspired by the personal story of her housekeeper Maria del Carmen Ferrez, Nazario decided to investigate the large numbers of abandoned children, whose mothers decided it would be better to seek opportunities in America and financially support their children from afar. She personalized the story by following Enrique specifically on his journey on “el tren de la muerte” (the train of death), a series of trains and roads which would lead Enrique from central Honduras to the border of southern Texas.

“I asked myself in 2014, why would a child do this? What kind of lousy parent would allow them to make this journey? The reality is, it is actually safer to make this journey now than to stay in countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Those are countries that have kill rates only second to Syria and Afghanistan and we know what's happening in those countries,” Nazario said.

Leaving their home countries out of fear of gang retaliation, political corruption and death. These children would seek refuge in the United States, usually to be deported back to their countries regardless, with many children denied an attorney, forcing them to represent themselves in front of the immigration appeals court.

“To me, certain truths became self evident. These children are refugees, that’s a term we use with other people, but somehow not with our neighbors to the south. That's someone who unlike an economic migrant coming here for a better life,” Nazario said “A refugee is someone who is fleeing for their lives, someone is trying to kill them back home and they are being persecuted without a government that can or will protect them. Unfortunately, many are being turned back from Mexico and are killed within days of being turned back, by the same people who threatened them before they left.”

Those that do make it through to the United States are often in for a grim reality check as they reunite with mothers that cannot live up to their expectations

or dissipate the resentment that their children have accumulated for them over the years.

“If you come here as a mom, like my former house cleaner did, you are going to send money out so your kids can eat and they'll study past the third grade, that’s all she was able to do, that's huge. But it's equally true if you leave your kids for ten years, I’ve interviewed hundreds of these kids, they will resent and walk up to the line upset at their mother for leaving them for that long,” Nazario said. “They to one say ‘I would've rather have my mama in central america or mexico by my side to love and protect me, then in the U.S. sending the Nike shoes, soccer balls and even the money to eat.’ I heard a boy in an LA highschool say to his mom’s face, in front of me, ‘Even a dog doesn’t leave it’s litter,’ and these mothers often lose the most precious thing which is the love of their children.”

Nazario’s efforts would win her the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing and her photographer, Don Bartletti, the Pulitzer Prize for feature photography, but Nazario would say that more important than the accolades and awards is bringing light to the daily struggles of immigrants that would otherwise go unnoticed.

“Today I had dozens of students come up from Iran, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and from all over the world and saying this is my story, of being uprooted, being seperated from family, coming from a new land and facing hostility,” Nazario said.

Many people who work closely with migrants and illegal immigrants would agree with that sentiment such as Pierce Librarian and event coordinator Lisa Valdez.

“I understand these stories first hand and i can see them which makes the experience much more profound and i just feel like it's something we should talk about. I'd like students to continue to support our events, to come out and learn more about what is happening in our society, to just start doing more reading and make themselves aware of the things that are going on because everything that is going on affects their lives in way or another,” Valdez said.

The events Nazario witnessed over her time in central america has undoubtedly had an effect on her mental and emotional health, as Nazario has reported both anxiety and distress when seeing cargo trains going by to this day and persists about the importance of journalists seeking help to maintain mental health.

“Cops and social workers need therapists and so do journalists, if you see bad things you need to deal with that . there's a dart center for trauma that tries to educate journalists about these issues and getting help,” Nazario said.

Donna Accardo, chair of the English department, doesn’t want the importance of Nazario’s work to be underestimated.

“It affects our students, it affects our families, it affects what we are as a nation and what we are as teachers and educators. I don't know a teacher that went into this field without wanting to help people, help students and help change lives and this is what she devoted her life's work to,” English department chair Donna Accardo said.

Although she will carry that burden around with her, her sacrifices for the story has impacted many lives around the country and has done a great deal to sway public opinion in regard to immigration.

Photo Illustration by Joshua Manes

Bleu Briggs / Roundup

Sonia Nazario signing her book, Enrique's Journey, at the Immigration Celebration and Resource Fair at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills Calif., April 27th 2018.

Bleu Briggs / Roundup

Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author giv es a speech at the Immigration Celebration and Resource Fair at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills Calif., April 27th 2018.

by Beck Shields

Answer Key Issue 9

Tennis on the grand stage

Brahmas compete in the 118th edition of the Ojai state tournament Football names new head coach

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

There was Brahma representation as the tennis team took part in the 118th edition of the Ojai State Tournament in both the singles and doubles competition.

The tennis team came into this tournament having their best season under head coach Long Dao.

The Brahmas finished the regular season in second place behind Ventura College with a 7-4 overall record.

Daniel Vinterfeld took part in the tournament only in the doubles competition, in which he and his partner Siraj Dail were knocked out by College of the Deserts’ Joshua Bailin and Jakob Dvorken in three sets (6-4, 2-6 and 13-11).

“Overall I feel underwhelmed.

I feel I could have made it further with my partner, but we weren’t able to make it to the round we wanted to,” Vinterfeld said.

Vinterfeld said that competing in the tournament was a great experience.

“We got to meet people from other colleges. It was challenging. The competition was tougher than what we had all season so that challenged us to perform better,” Vinterfeld said.

Vinterfeld said that they could have improved on execution and scoring the big points in their doubles match.

[Siraj] Dail also took part in the singles competition in which he made to the round of 64 when he was knocked out by Palomar College’s Patrik Trhac in two sets. His cousin Gavin made it

further reaching the round of 32 before being eliminated by American River College’s Paul Bhatia in three sets (1-6, 6-4 and 6-3).

“This was the first time in four years that I went back to the tournament. We got to do other things other than playing tennis. We got to go kayaking and we ate at some great places,” Gavin Dail said. “It’s a different kind of environment since the tournament is 118 years old and its the biggest tournament on the west coast.”

Gavin Dail and Darvel Lossangoye came into Ojai winning the doubles competition

in the Western State Conference tournament held at Ventura College in the first weekend of April.

In the round of 64, they got the win over Mt. San Antonio College’s Matthew Diamond and Brandon Nevarez in two sets (6-2 and 6-1).

However in the round of 32, they were knocked out by Ventura College’s Alex Martin and Jakob Rinschen in two sets (6-1 and 6-3).

Lossangoye also was involved in singles as he made it all the way to the round of 16 when he was eliminated by Riverside College’s

JOSHUA MANES Spotlight Editor @TheManesEvent

Pierce College has officially announced Carlos Woods as the new head football coach.

Woods comes in with 13 years of coaching and training experience at both the college and professional levels, serving as an assistant coach for both the Cincinnati Bengals and Indianapolis Colts organizations.

This is Woods’ first head coaching

opportunity at the collegiate level.

Woods met with coaches and players at Shepard Stadium Thursday for the first time.

“I really commend the guys that are still here,” Woods said. “That says a lot about their character, who they are.” Woods met the coaches and team for the first time on Thursday. He met with players individually this week. Updates to come.

jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Baseball runs wild over West LA College

“I’ve always had the power to do it. I mean just getting good pitches and putting good swings on them. You know, the ball does the rest,” Lewis said.

Kanye Trustfill in two sets.

“It was my first time going to Ojai. I met different people. I had fun playing and sometimes you have a hard day. I played three matches. It just takes practice,” Lossangoye said.

Lossangoye wanted to go past the round of 16 as his goal was to win the singles competition.

“My goal this year was to win. I didn’t, but I never give up I just work hard and get ready for next year,” Lossangoye said.

fgamino.roundupnews@gmail.com

Powered by six homeruns in the game, three from Gabe Curtier, baseball finished the regular season with a definitive 20-5 victory against the West Los Angeles College Wildcats.

“It was the last game of the season, so I just wanted to put some good swings on the ball and get as many hits as I could and it just so happened to be mostly homeruns,” Curtier said.

Curtier said he stays focused by looking for his pitches and not chasing balls out of the zone.

“I just wait for my pitch and take advantage of it,” Curtier said.

With the win, the Brahmas improve their overall record to 19-17, 14-6 in conference play.

Brandon Lewis got the Brahmas started in the first inning with a solo HR, his conference leading sixteenth. Lewis also leads the Western State South Conference in batting average (.389) and RBIs (50).

Brenden Lavallee added a tworun HR in the first, and Curtier hit the first of his three.

West LA threatened in the second with bases loaded, scoring their first two runs of the game In the bottom half of the second, Michael Tillman hit a home run for the Brahmas and JJ Gonzalez added an RBI single as the team extended the lead to 7-2.

During the fifth inning, Lavallee scored a double for the Brahmas and Curtier hit his third HR, pushing the lead to 11-2.

Head Coach Bill Picketts said the Brahmas went into the game against West LA calm and relaxed.

“We knew that we were going to playoffs and so there was more relaxation than there was excitement. They came out relaxed and had a whole lot of fun,” Picketts said.

gbecerra.roundupnews@gmail.com

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Randi Love/Roundup

Daniel Vinterfeld swings toward the ball in the round of 128 doubles match in the Ojai tournament on April 26, 2018 at Hueneme High School in Oxnard, Calif. Vinterfeld and Siraj Dail were eliminated after a three set loss.

GLORIA BECERRA Reporter @gloriab75636814

Assistant coach receives top honor

Teddy Niemira is named Coach of the Year by the Western State Conference

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

It takes a certain level of commitment to walk one of your student athletes to class and then sit through the entire lecture by their side.

But that's just what Teddy Niemira, assistant coach to the men’s volleyball team, did.

Head Coach Lance Walker recounts the time Niemira went to great lengths for one of their student athletes. One of their players was having attendance issues in an English class and Niemira took it upon himself to execute a solution.

Niemira said after he walked the player to their class, he heard from another student that within five minutes the player left the classroom.

“I walked into his next class with a pair of handcuffs and said to him if I hear about you leaving class again I will handcuff you to this desk and I will leave you here, then I left,” Niemira said.

After hearing that class will be studying a book Niemira enjoyed, he decided to join the class for a couple of weeks to ensure the player was regularly attending classes, which he did.

Niemira’s willingness to go the extra mile for players is something that Walker said he was impressed at.

“That is something we discussed as a possible solution, I didn’t think he would actually go through with it and do it,” said Walker. “But Teddy would sit in class with a player to make sure he passes his class.”

This anecdote is just one way Niemira has demonstrated his

dedication to the team.

By working as a mentor as well as a coach, this is one of the reasons Niemira was made Coach of the Year.

Although Walker was initially nominated for the award, he

decided there was someone more deserving this year.

“I said I really appreciate the nomination, but I really feel that with all the hard work that has been put in this year, Teddy should be Coach of the Year because a lot

of the success we had this year is really because of him,” Walker said.

Through Niemira’s devotion, the team has strived to be successful in all aspects.

Players on the team have said

Niemira’s readiness to help them throughout their college career is what sets Niemira apart from other faculty members.

“Every subject that I’ve had in the last two years he’s told me oh I can help you with that,” said Blake Omartian, left back . “He’s not just somebody I want to have on the court with me, he’s someone I can utilize off the court as well.”

Along with extending extra academic help to players when needed, Niemira also provides students with his time.

As a coach, Niemira works to strengthen the players’ skills through training. However, Niemira does not stick to the allotted time of team practices in the gym.

“If you ask him that you want to practice at 4 a.m. he’s going to be here to help you,” said Bernardo Roese, team captain. “He’s been here every day 100 percent, he never gives less than that.”

Leading by example, Niemira continuously shows his devotion to the program.

Niemira not only motivates the team with words of encouragement, but with math.

“A big thing I did at the very beginning, 280 days ago, is I said ‘If you could just be one percent better every day, you will double four times,’” Niemira said. “At one percent increase, you’ll double every 70 iterations. So, I said ‘Just every day be one percent better at whatever you’re trying to do.’”

Niemira said the heart of Niemira’s message is that of perseverance and endurance. To continually keep working towards a goal is what Niemira tries to instill in the team.

Walker said one of the reasons

Niemira and him work well together.

“Teddy’s a pretty factual coach, and I’m a very emotional coach,” Walker said. “Teddy, I think grounds me very well. We talk about strengths and weaknesses and he’s the Ying to my Yang.”

This partnership has led the team to winning the state championship beating the defending champions in four sets.

Walker attributes a lot of the team’s success to Niemira and players agree that Niemira’s commitment to the team has helped bring them to the level of achievement they are at now.

“I truly think that any challenge that’s thrown as me, physically especially, I would be able to overcome it with the mental mindset that I developed with Teddy by my side for this year,” said Grant DeGrasse, libero. “He cares so much and it’s inevitable to see the success that we are.”

Niemira puts effort into the individual relationships he fosters with the players.

Walker said he has seen a lot of growth in Niemira in the past year.

“Teddy made some really big changes of this year from last year of personality traits, work ethic, just some major things, mentoring. On so many different levels he made a lot of changes that I’m really proud of him,” Walker said.

Walker said one of the reasons Niemira and him work well together.

“Teddy’s a pretty factual coach, and I’m a very emotional coach,” Walker said. “Teddy, I think grounds me very well. We talk about strengths and weaknesses and he’s the Ying to my Yang.”

dpadilla.roundupnews@gmail.com

Randi Love/ Roundup

Teddy Niemira holds the state title trophy won by men's volleyball in the South Gym on May 1, 2018 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. This is the first championshi p for Niemira as a coach with Pierce.