Volume 128 Spring 2018 Roundup Issue 12

Protest

Brahma Queer Collective organizes sit in at The Great Hall to voice concerns over campus issues

Can too many messages drown out a protest?

JOSHUA MANES Spotlight Editor @TheManesEvent

Protests on college campuses are a long-standing tradition. It is an act often portrayed as a rite of passage and a means of shaping a maturing identity.

Demonstrations, walk-outs and marches have grown in coverage and frequency in recent years. The Women’s March and #Enough were national movements.

While the protest held Thursday was on a lesser scale, the voices of those involved and the concerns they share are no less important.

They spoke from the heart, uncensored, and were heard by administration and ASO.

Many of the concerns that were expressed are real issues that much of the student body, faculty and administration might agree with.

However, their message may have been lost by bringing up every problem at once.

If there is no clear message, is there one at all?

Seven students marched down the Mall carrying white signs, shouting their discontent through a megaphone, then proceeded to sit on the ground in front of the Great Hall and voice their concerns and demands to improve community and academic conditions for Pierce College students.

The Queer Brahma Collective spoke against college administration during a sit-in protest at the Great Hall on May 10.

Protesters said administration is ignoring student needs by devaluing clubs and events and prioritizing faculty and staff.

Gabriella Castleberry-Gordon, the president of the Queer Brahma Collective, said the protest was organized to inform and create change.

“Our main goal was to raise awareness to the faculty, staff, and administration about some of the issues students face just trying to go to school here,” Castleberry-Gordon said.

Nate Mendoza, a member of the Queer Brahma Collective, said administration was “all talk” and no action. Mendoza

said their demonstration was necessary and successful.

“I actually feel very empowered by the fact that the Queer Brahma Collective were able to pull this off and get together,” Mendoza said. “It took a lot of bravery, organization and resistance. We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

ASO President Efren Lopez said he was surprised that the flier circulated by the Queer Brahma Collective about the planned demonstration listed ASO as a contributor to the overall problems at Pierce College.

“I was confused because ASO has had all these talks about the administration and the district too,” Lopez said. “And we funded them for their first Pierce Pride event, but I think it’s a good thing that they did this right away.”

ASO senator Gisela Tarifa asked to speak during the protest. She said she’s had trouble promoting events on campus that she thought should have occurred.

Tarifa said that sometimes she didn’t receive answers and she felt as though she was overlooked. She said that she understood how that could happen, although it was infuriating to her.

“Doing a lot of things on campus this entire year has been really tough, really hard to get a lot of help and a lot of

faculty and administrative support,” Tarifa said. “Sometimes I didn’t get my emails responded to, sometimes I wasn’t even informed, sometimes it was as if they didn’t even exist when I had it months and months planned.”

Mario Macias, the co-adviser of the Queer Brahma Collective, said he supports student clubs and understands the concerns they might have.

“I’m aware of some of the bureaucracy, and I can understand the frustration with the pace of the system,” Macias said. “But sometimes, it’s a systemic problem rather than a one-person or one-department problem.”

Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga was a witness to the demonstration. He said it is important that administration know the student perspective to solve college concerns.

“It’s upon us to take a step back and be able to listen, hear critically what they want us to know, and be able to work on those things and give them an update on what we’re currently doing, what we’re trying to do and bring back some of the feedback,” Astorga said.

[see PROTEST on pg. 9]

-Gabriella Castleberry-Gordon President of the Queer Brahma Collective

For an on-looker, it may be difficult to connect with a protest if they don’t have a clear idea of what is being protested. How can they get behind it, if they only agree with half of the message and disagree with the rest?

Administration issues, ASO funding decisions, Wi-Fi, campus materials and prices on campus were just some of the things brought up that covered the campus as a whole.

This is not a problem that is unique to Thursday’s protest. During the protest held on campus following the Presidential election, a plethora of concerns were raised, and some took the opportunity to express their feelings regarding issues that were indirectly linked to the election, like feminism. While those feelings are real, and no less deserving to be expressed, it took away from the overall message.

Thursday, the overall message was that, to put it bluntly and oversimplified, things suck. But there is no one entity to blame. Issues with the district, the campus, administration and ASO can’t all be solved by one group.

However, Thursday’s protest may be the beginning of getting these seen by the eyes that can make a change.

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BRIEF:

Gender

the Village

JOSHUA MANES Spotlight Editor @TheManesEvent

Last week, two existing bathrooms in the Village were converted to gender inclusive bathrooms. These two join the staff bathroom in the Center for the Sciences as the only three inclusive bathrooms currently on campus. jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Randi Love / Roundup

Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters sits with the protestors after hearing their concerns in front of the Great Hall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May, 10, 2018.

Shae Hammond / Roundup

Gabie Castleberry-Gordon speaks as part of a protest with the Queer Brahma Collective in front of the Great Hall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on May 10, 2018

“

Our main goal was to raise awareness to the faculty, sta and administration about some of the issues students face just trying to go to school here.”

The issue of Pierce’s dropping enrollment rate has cropped up repeatedly this semester. Administration and faculty have offered varied opinions explaining why potential students might be disinclined to attend Pierce, but this lull may be due in part to a simple lack of appeal.

The commercials running on TV and cursory searches over the internet don’t paint an enticing picture of Pierce College. What can be seen is all rather generic, and doesn’t capture the quality of education offered here. The college needs to cultivate a more inviting image, and it needs the resources to do so.

Pierce should allocate funds to an advertising budget that would allow the college to produce more creative and effective means of reaching potential students.

These funds would be independent of the LACCD’s District-Wide Marketing Budget, which is listed in the 2017-2018 LACCD Final Budget. Though this budget states that a reserve of more than $588,000 is available for marketing purposes, not a cent of it was listed as having been allocated to any of the nine college within the LACCD, and no comprehensive marketing campaign is outlined in the document.

Santa Monica College, which boasts in its 2016-2017 Annual Report that its ad campaign “has led to SMC’s 26th consecutive year as number one in transfers to the UC system,” outlines in its Tentative Budget Report that 10 percent of a reserve of over $13 million is to be spent on advertising. The Annual Report also includes a comprehensive marketing strategy that “[uses] the messaging mediums of broadcast radio and their associated digital properties, outdoor transit posters, and select local publications.”

Pierce could use SMC’s ad campaign and breakdown as inspiration for its marketing strategy. SMC’s track record of attracting and retaining students merits

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examination, at the least. With a reserve of advertising funds that aren’t divided among eight other schools in some vague, district-wide attempt at attracting students, Pierce could create highquality media that is focused and interesting.

The college could begin by detailing what makes the Pierce experience worthwhile. Multimedia pieces could capture the creative events organized by the students at the Pierce farm, or the talent of those in the Theatre Department as they put on their various productions.

Pro: Internet access the day away

DAVID ZAYER Reporter @DavidZayer

With technology becoming even more apart of humans lives and being integrated into classrooms, internet access becomes more of a necessity.

Students have begun to rely on technological devices to complete homework assignments, and some classes even require that class and homework be done only online. For example, MathLab is an online portal that assigns and collects student work. Without access to the internet, students are unable to complete these assignments.

Over the internet, teachers can access the homework assignments in class and give students feedback right away. This helps the students and teachers stay up to date on grades.

But internet access does more than just help with homework.

Nobody wants to lug around heavy books when they could have all the information at their fingertips in the form of their phone or tablet. Physical textbooks cannot be updated with the speed and efficiency of electronic books. A new edition would have to be made, distributed and purchased by students. With e-books, the buyer only ever pays a one time fee and has access to the book forever. Having internet access helps students learn from the most recent academic findings.

Being able to access e-books in

class through Wi-Fi provided by the school would help students access class material more easily and affordably.

According to trends. collegeboard.org, the average cost of books are $1,200 a year throughout community colleges and universities. The cost of e-books are significantly lower.

According to Mill City Press, e-books cost an average of $2.99 per book. With accessible internet access, students can buy, download and use these more affordable options whenever they are needed.

Internet access is also a necessity because it gives students the power to research any type of document on the spot. Students can share a document via the internet through various apps, such as Google Docs or Canvas. They can even share the app through texting.

The internet provides a lot of free resources. In addition to multiple apps and websites, YouTube is the perfect resource for lectures. Sometimes instructors have difficulty communicating a certain topic to students, which is when an educational video for instructional use can come in handy. If classrooms did not have a strong Wi-Fi connection, this would be impossible.

Overall, internet access in class helps students on their journey to become successful. It makes things more accessible, affordable and effective.

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There’s no shortage of attentiongrabbing functions and characterbuilding programs at Pierce, but they need to be given the proverbial spotlight for potential students to be drawn in.

The quality of education and the variety of pastimes available

GLORIA BECERRA Reporter @gloriab75636814

When a student is focused on a lesson that their professor is teaching and automatically becomes distracted by the student sitting next to them, giggling at a phone screen, it throws away all concentration.

Internet access within classrooms draws students’ attention away from the lecture given by their professors and directs it to their phone screens instead. Professors might as well teach their lessons to dogs since they would pay more attention than addicted tweeters and instagrammers.

The few times that I've brought my laptop to class and had it on my desk specifically to take notes, I got bored and ended up checking my email and logging into my Instagram and Twitter accounts because of the free internet access available to me in class.

If students didn’t have access to Wi-Fi in class, they couldn’t disrupt themselves and others.

Along with the distraction internet access can pose to students, it also opens a door to cheating.

According to the U.S. News article, “One Third of Teens Use Cellphones to Cheat in School,” author Zach Miners wrote about the findings of a poll that was given to students regarding the

Cartoonist:

"IjustboughtaSwitch, whichisagameconsole, andI'vebeenonitway too much. I think the portabilityisreallycool.

at Pierce makes the college unique among other schools both within and outside the district . But Pierce needs to show that to prospective students, not just parrot it in uninspired commercials and bland pamphlets.

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amount of students who have cheated at their school. The poll found that one third of teens in school use their cell phones to cheat with the help of internet access.

“Two thirds of responders to the poll–which surveyed 1,013 teens in late May and early June– say others in their school have cheated with cell phones. More than half admit to using the internet to cheat,” Miners wrote. Thanks to internet access and phones, it is beyond easy to cheat in class. Students can cut and paste text from online papers and use them in their own in class papers, go on Quizlet for answers to a quiz they are about to take and can look up any form of information needed for any subject. Internet access takes the job away from professors, which is to teach and inform.

Cellphones are already bad enough with wireless internet access, but if a school gives free internet access to students, it only speeds up the process of being able to google a Quizlet before a pop quiz. Free internet access in classrooms fuels the inclination to cheat.

Students should turn off their phones, leave their laptops at home and pay attention to their professor’s lectures. Internet access is a disturbance to those who use it.

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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.

-Nazaret Jarekian, 20, Psychology

“I havealotofoldgames, sotheGameBoyDMG.I stillplayPokemonand oldergameslikeTetrison it."

-BrianPark,24,Biochemistry

“MyChromebookbecause it'salaptopandatabletat thesametime.Iliketaking notes with it because it savespaper."

-KristenCabayan,30,Biology

Con: World wide distractions

"Thecomputerbecauseit makeseverythingeasier becauseyoucantype paperswithitorplayvideo games.Youcanalsolisten to music."

-Dustin Tan, 19, Nursing

Cartoon by Randi Love

ASO wants you to ride your bike to Pierce

Bike It provides students with incentives for more sustainable, green options

CAMILLE LEHMANN Reporter @camilleslehmann

Students had a chance to win a prize while helping the environment on Pierce College’s Bike it Day.

The Associated Students Organization (ASO) hosted the event on Tuesday, May 15 and asked students to share a photo on social media with #LAPCBikeItDay.

“Bike It Day is just to encourage people to use environmentally friendlier options to get to school, because I know a lot of people that go to Pierce live really close,” said Erin Baker, chair of the sustainability committee.

ASO is motivating students to take photos of themselves biking, walking, carpooling or taking public transportation to school and post them on social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram with the tag #LAPCBikeItDay to enter the raffle for a chance to win prizes.

They have five available finalist prizes which are, $10 Bookstore gift cards and one available grand prize that is a $25 loaded TAP card. The drawing will be tomorrow, May 16, and it will be announced at about 3:30 p.m.

“We want to influence a culture change here at Pierce. There’s a lot of people at Pierce who aren’t engaged and don’t care. We don’t recycle, and that’s a big issue. We want to shift the students into a

more mindful direction in regard to the environment,” Baker said.

ASO president Efren Lopez said that Bike It Day works in conjunction with other programs and plans that are carried out on campus to motivate the school to adopt a more environmentally friendly mindset.

“Bike It Day is part of a big push, at least from this year’s ASO, to really just make the campus more environmentally conscious. This is a long-term development plan with the battery drive, the green grant, and the Preserve Pierce Masterplan,”

Lopez said.

Lopez said that climate change is getting worse, so hopefully when students transfer or graduate, they will be cautious about the wellbeing of the planet. Members of the ASO hope students will learn about sustainability at Pierce College. Their goal for this event is to get students more involved with becoming eco-friendly and commuting to school on a bicycle or carpooling to contribute to a cleaner environment.

Student Engagement Coordinator and Counselor Lara Conrady-Wong said that one of the things ASO really focused on this academic year has been sustainability. Conrady-Wong said Baker is doing a good job educating the Senate on finding more ways of helping Pierce become sustainable.

“She toured other campuses trying to find things that can make a little difference in our carbon footprints,” ConradyWong said.

Low enrollment, no funds

Administration analyses admission rates

REBECCA O'NEIL Reporter @RebeccaRoundup

As the economy sees a decline in employment opportunities, college enrollment tends to increase.

But now, as Pierce’s lowenrollment threatens the college’s financial stability, administrators’ wheels are turning.

“You have to think of it like a business, really. You have to keep things going even though we’re not for profit. We’re not looking to make money, but we’re certainly looking to keep things running,” Salter said.

Salters said funding cuts directly impact facilities, access to teaching

materials, class schedules and availability.

“When we have fewer students here, we have to start closing sections of classes. That hurts students at the end of the day because there’s less availability in the time slots that they like,” Salter said. “Maybe they enrolled in a class that got cut right before the beginning of the semester, and now they’re scrambling. It’s just terrible. It’s not an outcome that anyone wants.”

Dean of Student Services William Marmolejo said enrollment concerns extend to the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Office and beyond.

“We are struggling with enrollment district-wide, not just here

“It’s basically ASO encouraging students to take their bikes to campus or anywhere for that matter, I like it not only because it’s a sustainability effort but it’s also for fitness and

at Pierce. In fact, it’s not just in the district, it’s up and down the state of California. We’ve seen the trend the last couple of years when we compare our enrollment from previous years,” Marmolejo said.

Marmolejo said students that remain are taking fewer classes, which further exacerbates the issue.

Salter said Pierce enrollment of non-traditional college students, ages 20-45, is decreasing.

“We’ve had zero percent decline in our high school enrollment. Those students have stayed consistent, if not grown, because of the College Promise program,” Salter said.

Salter attributes the former demographic’s low enrollment to the state’s robust economy.

“Typically, when the economy is in an upward trend and there are lots of employment opportunities, we see a decline like this,” Salter said.

“If there’s a job, I’m going to work.

Vacant farmland remains empty

Plans to open an agricultural center is years away

RICHARD ESPINOZA Reporter @EspinozaReport

A new agricultural building is planting seeds for the future of education.

An agricultural center has been proposed on the vacant farmland, but faculty say it may not be constructed or open to students for a few more years. However, plans for the size and location of the proposed building have already been discussed.

Pierce College Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheri Berger announced that the new Agriculture Education Center will be located in the northwestern corner of the campus on Victory Boulevard and DeSoto Avenue.

Berger said the building will be approximately 8,800 square feet. It will include one general classroom, a laboratory, a meeting room and two faculty offices. She said the design also has two green houses and a parking lot for 80 vehicles.

In a email interview, Berger said the building was prioritized in the Measure J list of bond projects, and that the reconstruction will benefit the college community.

“This will allow faculty and students an innovative curriculum to prepare students for gainful employment in the agricultural industry,” Berger said.

Berger said the Agriculture Education Center will facilitate the college’s ability to prepare students for the agricultural workforce in fields such as plant propagation, plant breeding and seed production. “We want to prepare students

academically for transfer to UC, CSU and major agriculture universities with a strong technical foundation in agricultural science,” Berger said. David Salazar, Chief Facilities Executive for Build LACCD Program Management, said that his college project team will be managing the construction for the building.

In an email interview, Salazar said that LACCD approved the venture because it would be beneficial to agricultural students. “The purpose for the building

wellness.

Erin is doing a good job publicizing it and trying to get the word out,” Conrady-Wong said. “This is the first time we’ve

If there’s not a job, I’ll retrain, I’ll go back to school and figure it out. I’ll change paths. That’s typically how the trends go.”

Marmolejo said it is important for students to remember how beneficial it is to have a degree, even in the face of immediate prosperity.

“The benefits of having even an associate’s degree, but especially a bachelor’s degree, can be very beneficial over a lifetime for your career,” Marmolejo said. “A million dollars is what I’ve heard someone who has a bachelor’s degree make over someone who doesn’t.”

Marmolejo said the college encourages its students to take a look at the long term perspective.

“In the short run, you can get a job 12, 13, 14 bucks an hour, but in the long run, if you have your BA, you can make 30-40 bucks an hour, as opposed to staying stagnant at that pay,” Marmolejo said.

done it, but hopefully whoever I pass the torch to for the following year with carry on similar initiatives,” Baker said.

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Vice President of Student Services

Earic Dixon-Peters said he and his peers are seeking solutions regardless of the macro-causes.

“I definitely think there is some funding, structural concerns statewide—looking at how we are measured in accountability measures, success measures—but before we go to the state to ask what we can get from them, we need to look at our own data and say what are the gaps and concerns and the areas we need to address,” Dixon-Peters said.

Dixon-Peters said Pierce needs to do whatever is within its financial means to overcome the enrollment hurdles.

“We can address these areas with our own budgetary alignment and focus on that,” Dixon-Peters said.

Dixon-Peters said his office’s Stop Out and Part Time survey, combined with the College Promise follow up questions, were designed to look

at and create feasible solutions to increase the number of part-time students and full-time students.

Dixon-Peters said most students answered that they stopped attending college because of work. Two thirds said they were not full time because they have jobs.

“Then I asked how many jobs do we have on campus that are available for students, and when you look at our work study program, we only have 99 positions. So if I have approximately 13,000 students who are part-time, and two thirds say they are part-time because they have to work, and I only have 99 positions open for work study on campus, how can we be successful?” Dixon-Peters said. Salter said the college is looking for ways it can improve its performance and attract students.

will help provide instructional and greenhouse environments with a state of the art laboratory,” Salazar said. “The two green houses will allow students to learn greenhouse management skills and sustainable food production techniques for the 21st Century.”

Dean of Math and Science Donna Mae Villanueva said she is excited about the agricultural building.

]

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.

Photo illustration by Marc Dionne

A student unlocks his bike at the rack by Parking Lot 7 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on May 15, 2018. Students took pictures and posted them on social media with "#LAPCBikeItDay."

Children like college too:

past Child Development Center activities and kids on campus

Planting the seeds of change Club addresses misconceptions and stigma surrounding industrial uses of hemp

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

After seeing the damaging effects of cancer and other virulent diseases, Andrew Hemphill began looking for a solution. Hemphill realized that the best way to take action would be to learn more about a largely untapped resource — hemp.

Hemphill said that there was an element of inevitability in the curiosity he developed for hemp.

“It was destiny, really,” Hemphill said. “Just having been personally affected in my life and in my family with several cases of cancer and illness – things that are a result of the toxic, not holistic, unsustainable way that we’ve been living in as a society.”

Hemphill said that he researched the ways society is perpetuating harmful and unsustainable behaviors. Since furthering his knowledge, Hemphill said he started the Industrial Hemp Club to help students on campus understand the versatility of hemp.

“Before I started the club, I had just learned about industrial hemp and its many uses. I had become an activist,” Hemphill said. “I just wanted to take my passion for this planet and the things it can do for us, and I saw we have an opportunity to establish a hemp program.”

Hemphill said that the club emphasizes educating others about the variety of ways hemp can be used as a resource. He said hemp can be used in paper, fuel, plastic, clothing construction and even medicine.

Sam Schatz, vice president of the Industrial Hemp Club, said he is fascinated by the medicinal impacts of hemp.

“I’m more on the medical side because it’s a personal family thing,” said Schatz. “I just know it can do so much more wonders than what these doctors are prescribing people.”

This is just one of the topics the Industrial Hemp Club covers in meetings.

The aim of Industrial Hemp Club meetings is to create a dialogue about hemp that is often overlooked because of the misconceptions that

surrounds hemp and hemp products. This reputation is something that Hemphill says hinders the club.

“The only opposition, I guess you can say, is the stigma of what hemp is,” Hemphill said. “No, it’s not a drug. No, you don’t get high off of it. You make oil, plastics and paper. It’s not the hemp that people think, it’s industrial.”

Hemphill said that the practical and sustainable uses of hemp are often forgotten because people associate the plant with other crops in their plant family, like marijuana.

The club seeks to change the stigma that surrounds hemp and expose students to the industrial side of plant with a proposal for an

industrial hemp program.

“Industrial hemp research can now be done in the United States. So as a college – specifically an agricultural college with a 100-acre farm – we qualify, and we have the potential and infrastructure to establish a hemp pilot program like schools such as Cornell, Kentucky University and several other schools,” Hemphill said.

Hemphill said that if Pierce adopted a pilot hemp program, it would work similarly to a vocational area of study. Through the program, students would be able to earn certificates and work in apprenticeships in the hemp industry Hemphill said.

Hemphill said that although this proposal is still in the planning

stages, the idea is something that could potentially grow across the community college system. He said that Los Angeles Trade Technical College has a sister club to Pierce’s Industrial Hemp Club, and that the two clubs are collaborating to build their intercollegiate community through the “Industrial Hemp Alliance.”

Hemphill said that with backing from the Industrial Hemp Alliance and the sponsors from hemp industry, he is anticipating the Pierce College Pilot Hemp Program to ready students for the future.

“By working with these corporate sponsors and stuff like that, it’s going to be a breeding ground for students

to get jobs directly into the industry, and I think that’s why there’s a lot of interest,” Hemphill said. “It is going to create an opportunity for the students to learn about something that there is interest in.”

The Industrial Hemp Club has 85 members, and Hemphill said there is potential for the pilot program to grow to other schools. The Industrial Hemp Club’s work and presence has not gone unnoticed on campus. Nick Aguirre, a Pierce College Student, said he has been made aware of the club and their activities.

“I’ve definitely seen them on campus,” said Nick Aguirre, a Pierce College student. “Although I am not

in the club, they do have a certain presence on campus. It’s always interesting to see what they’re up to and what they will do.”

Hemphill said the club’s purpose is important to the campus because it not only educates students to the realities of hemp, but can potentially launch Pierce into a new era of sustainability.

“It really is an opportunity for Pierce to lead the forefront of this emerging industry that is going to make some real, sustainable, holistic change,” Hemphill said.

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Shae Hammond / Roundup

Andrew Hemphill, president of the Industrial Hemp Club, poses in the Botanical Garden at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 10, 2018.

A laboratory for growth

The rumble of kids on tricycles as they zoom past, and the flick of a paintbrush on canvas might seem like fun leisure activities.

However, they are more likely teachable moments for the children who occupy the Child Development Center at Pierce College. Behind the locked glass doors, the Child Development Center serves as a daily care facility to Pierce College students and the community.

A separate function of the center is to act as a laboratory for students who are studying the field of child development.

While the students have a place to grow in their field, the children do as well. For example, each step involved in painting on canvas provides an opportunity to redirect negative energy into positive or to understand primary colors.

Building critical thinking and social skills are the main focus of the professors, caretakers and teaching assistants. Separate yards of the center offer a variety of activities, such as sand and water play, as well as swing sets and art activities.

Even the simple act of hanging up a coat or helping others in the yard are ways that a child can learn something, according to Melissa Brisbois, the lead teacher.

Below left: Two children work together to gather water to make sand castles in the back yard of the Child Development Center at Pierce College on May 10, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Top: A group of children race around the concrete pathway in the center of the yard at the Child Development Center at Pierce College on May 10, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

A child examines a toy car before playing in the backyard of the Child Development Center at Pierce College on May 10, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Below right: A child paints on a paper canvas with a brush to redirect his energy into a positive activity in the central courtyard of the Child Development Center at Pierce College on May 10, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Roundup News.

Student recital lacks variety throughout the performances

The student recital delivered a performance showing immense talent and demonstration of skill, however, this was barely enough to remain engaged through repetitive artist selection and uninteresting homogeneity in the program.

The Music Department’s continuation of its Thursday concert series saw students from Pierce’s Applied Music Program (AMP) take to the Performing Arts Building Mainstage to display their talents.

Ferhiz Brewer, an instructor of music, said the May 10 student recital was held to demonstrate the skills enrollees have developed as part of the AMP. The recital included half of the students enrolled in the program, and was the first of two scheduled.

The day’s recital featured performances by 10 students, which covered a wide range of instruments, vocal styles and musical periods.

The recital began with a repertoire of two songs played by Ross Mantor on the marimba, a percussion instrument, and one on the drum set, followed by a vocal performance from Cassandra Leisher.

Both students presented well and commanded the stage with professional presences. The music performed by Mantor and Leisher spanned multiple centuries, and

included artists ranging from Beethoven to Henry Purcell.

Sahande Zare performed third in the recital with a Bach suite played on the violin.

Though Zare’s technical performance was masterful, it portended a somewhat dull thread running through an otherwise fascinating and diverse program of music. Zare was one of three students whose performances consisted mostly of Bach pieces.

As the performances carried

on, it was difficult to reconcile the desire to hear students showcase their talents and the uniqueness of their instruments with the desire not to hear them play another song by Bach. Russel Mannino and Kevin Nguyen followed Zare in the program with repertoires heavy with pieces by the Baroque artist as well.

Though Mannino and Ngyuen, like the performers before them, took to the stage with impressive professionalism and musicality,

A glimpse into 2019

Film Club screens Blade Runner for film series

REBECCA O'NEIL Reporter @RebeccaRoundup

More than 80 students and faculty gathered in the Great Hall on Thursday, May 10, to watch Blade Runner and discuss the classic’s multitudinous themes and current cultural relevance.

Cinema professor Ken Windrum, journalism professor Jeff Favre, psychology professor Chad Snow, as well as Pierce students Steve Lopez and Andrew Shaktah led a Q&A panel discussion with the audience, many of whom saw the the movie for the first time.

Favre said Blade Runner’s psychological and philosophical angles are timeless and beg the same questions now that they did when the movie first came out in 1982.

“It’s one of those things that remains relevant when it was written, when it came out and now. It becomes more and more relevant

in time. Last night, my six year old asked, ‘What if we’re just dreaming this? What if someone is dreaming us?’ Favre said. “What’s reality and what does it matter if we’re all a simulation inside Elon Musk’s computer?”

Snow said the film’s juxtaposition of the characters’ memories— supposed man Rick Deckard and replicant robot Roy Batty—create a false idea of what the audience considers human.

“Human memory is largely inaccurate. Studies have shown you can plant false memories in people’s brains,” Snow said. “So saying you’re not human because your memories are fake— that’s problematic.”

Snow said it is possible that the replicants’ creators limited their innovation’s lifespan to four years because of their designs’ immeasurable and increasing capacity to feel.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

the quality of their performances were slightly undercut by the fact that the music they played began to sound a bit tired by the time they recited it.

The Thursday concert series continues on May 17 with the second AMP student recital. The recital will be held at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage at 1p.m. The doors will open at 12:45 p.m.

Stephen Nicholson / Roundup

Vocalist Cassandra Leisher performs at the Applied Music Program Student Recital at Pierce College, Woodland Hills Calif., in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage on May 10, 2018.

ANDREW FORTIN-CALDERA Features Editor @afortincaldera

Shae Hammond/ Roundup

A group of students attend the Film Club's screening of Blade Runner in the Great Hall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 10, 2018. afortincaldera.roundupnews@gmail.com

Words are nothing without weight Six winners awarded cash prizes at the 6th Annual Speech Tournament

MONICA VIGIL Program Director @monica_a_vigil

Students use their words to communicate more than just a speech. Contestants put words to action to start a conversation for change.

The ASO-sponsored speech tournament took place on May 11 in the Great Hall and cash prizes were awarded to winners.

Anna Lundmark placed first in the informative category and Diana Hovhannisyan placed first in the persuasive category, each winning $200.

Communications Professor Michelle Silver organizes the annual event with the support of her colleagues. She thinks the 75 speakers and audience alike benefitted from participating.

“Students were excited that they had the opportunity to participate in the tournament as speakers because they challenged themselves and others who attended as audience members really enjoyed seeing their colleagues speak about issues that they felt passionate about,” Silver said.

Hovhannisyan said she loved the experience and that during her presentation, she had a feeling that

she was going to place in the top three.

“I could feel the energy coming from the audience. I could see their eyes paying attention,”

Hovhannisyan said.

In her speech, she argued for the acceptance of refugees into the United States, a topic that was inspired by an episode of the PBS show “Frontline.”

“I saw the episode called ‘Exodus’ and I was shocked. I was just so shocked to see how these families are suffering,” she said.

According to Hovhannisyan, the event lasted about five to six hours.

Competitor Akane Saito, who was the runner up in the informative category, said he was hesitant to participate upon first hearing about the tournament because he is an international student.

“I wasn’t confident to give a speech in English,” Saito said.

“Even after I decided to participate in the speech competition, I was really nervous. I practiced really hard, but also my professor and my friends supported me a lot. So I couldn’t believe that my name was called as second place.”

He said that his Speech 101 professor, Robert Loy, encouraged Saito to participate despite his

inhibitions about his proficiency in English.

Saito’s speech was about smart contact lenses, a new technology that can help people with diabetes.

Saito thinks the experience taught him about himself and the

things he is capable of. Pierce student David Araujo placed third in the persuasive category with a speech about why people should get involved in the fight against human trafficking.

“It’s a topic close to my heart,”

Araujo said. “I’ve actually met people who have been trafficked and come out of it. I’ve not only heard the stories.”

This was his first time participating in the tournament and he said he never would have

imagined that he would actually place.

“I did it for extra credit,” he said. “But being up there and having people come up to me afterwards and telling me how it touched them and being recognized, it was a very huge achievement.”

He spoke about an organization called ZOE International that helps men and women get rehabilitated.

“I feel like we can make a huge difference. If Starbucks and CocaCola can make so much money, we can do the same thing,” he said.

Araujo said he wants to minor in communication because of the impact the event had on him.

Silver said the speech tournament had fantastic speakers and that the turnout was great.

“The Great Hall was packed with students and spectators with standing room only. It was rewarding to see so many students come out to support the event,” she said.

Akane Saito placed second and Ellen Lenderman placed third in the informative category. Michael Sawinski placed second and David Araujo placed third in the persuasive category.

The 7th Annual Speech Tournament will occur again in Spring 2019.

mvigil.kpcr@gmail.com

JFLA offers interest-free loans up to $10,000/yr. to students of all faiths in the Greater Los Angeles area. Seriously, no interest. You can thank us later. Interest-free loans are available for technical, vocational and trade school, junior college and undergraduate and graduate education. Loan amounts vary and are renewable annually as long as you remain a full-time student. At the rate you're going, heck that could be a while.

Randi Love / Roundup

Rodolfo David Araujo (left), third place persuasive speech winner, and Akane Saito (right), second place informative speech winner, stand in the Botanical Gardens on May 15, 2018, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Astorga said it’s important for students to voice their opinions and for faculty to listen.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students, our Queer Brahma Collective, to really express themselves, and speak true to power,” Astorga said.

Castleberry-Gordon said that they want to make sure administration knows that community college students should be valued. She said Pierce isn’t just a place that students attend for two years and then transfer.

She said Pierce students should be able to host events, use the library, have reliable Wi-Fi throughout campus, and have access to basic resources that are available at fouryear institutions.

Macias said students were concerned about student life and issues that may impede success on campus. He said some issues that stood out to him were the frustration and discontent about organizing events, the lack of student resources for marginalized groups, and a lack of sufficient mental health resources.

“They touched upon a lot of issues and problems that I was aware about already, but it’s still useful to hear them being articulated from students themselves,” Macias said. “I’m glad that they were able to create a space for themselves to express these concerns, not only to other students, but to the administration and faculty.”

Castleberry-Gordon relayed a list of concerns and demands that she collected from students, which included a call for better training for club fundraising.

“My first immediate response is, we have a lot of work to do. My second immediate response is, although this is a group of seven, they speak for many on campus,” said Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters. “A lot of students feel the same exact way. They touched on a variety of issues. As we continue to work with our students, we need to get feedback from them.”

Dixon-Peters said that students felt that they had to protest and yell to feel like they were being heard.

“Unfortunately, it got to a level that they had it, they were done, they were fed up. And they felt they needed to do a sit-in to get our attention even more,” Dixon-Peters said. “Which means even though I’ve met with them a few times, my response wasn’t good enough, and I

Protest against Pierce

understand that.”

Mendoza said the Queer Brahma Collective members decided to protest during the Film Club’s movie screening event only because it was the upcoming ASO-sponsored event. Blah said they appreciate the Film Club’s understanding.

“I’m pleasantly surprised with the turnout, I was surprised to see administration who have been neglecting us present, and I was really happy to see the Film club stand in solidarity with us despite that this may have inconvenienced their event,” Mendoza said.

Film Club President Andrew Shaktah said that Ken Windrum, the club adviser, called him after receiving an email from the Queer Brahma Collective explaining the plans and intentions of the demonstration.

“That’s all we really knew, and

invalidated students with special needs.

Macias said he saw faculty and administration taking notes during the protest. He said he thought that the administration was actively listening to the students’ concerns.

“It’s always good to voice this out because we need to remind

administration that students are still struggling here on campus, and maybe the pace in which they are seeing improvements is not fast enough,” Macias said. “Most faculty care about the well being of students. Not every faculty member is well equipped to handle the struggles of students, but in general, I feel like we try to teach ourselves and train ourselves how to better help our students.”

Astorga said that administration needs student response to gage how well it is doing.

“One of the most amazing recommendations that they had that resonated for me was having the students be a part of the decisionmaking to develop a climate survey for students,” Astorga said. “What are we doing right, what do we need to do better, and how can we do it better?”

Tarifa said her position on campus exposed her to another side of administration that students are not aware of because they aren’t a part of senate.

List of demands provided by the Queer Brahma Collective

I was a little worried that maybe it might get in the way of our event. But when I read their emails to me, I appreciated how respectful they were. I understand their motives, and I fully support them,” Shaktah said.

Though he agrees with their stance, Shaktah said he wanted to give them the opportunity to speak for themselves and be heard.

“I wanted to step aside and support them and let them know it is being heard,” Shaktah said. “In the end, I really do think it should be their voices. I’m really honored to stand next to them, but I’m not going to stand for them.”

As part of their list of demands, the Queer Brahman Collective asked for mandatory LGBTQ safe zone training for faculty because some students said they have been disrespected. They said some faculty were unresponsive to their calls and emails, and administrators

“Being a part of student government, I learned a lot of the insider parts to bureaucracy, especially the administration here on campus,” Tarifa said. “A lot of our faculty members are not paid enough, and they’re not staffed properly. That is an issue that has to do with our board and our district.”

Tarifa said the burden falls on the Board of Trustees and the district, and they need to support the school.

“It is up to the board. It is them. They are the ones that are able to allocate the proper funds to make sure what is passed and what resources we need on campus are available to us,” Tarifa said.

Astorga said that students decided that their needs were not met, and they decided to organize.

“They found themselves facing certain levels of bureaucracy, and they felt compelled to say, ‘Enough is enough. We want to be heard.’ I think they have every right to say that,” Astorga said.

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

Queer Brahma Collective, on behalf of and in solidarity with the students of Pierce College, hereby present the administration with a list of concerns and demands in regards to student success, extracurricular support, and enrichment of academic life. We feel that key structural elements of how ASO and other forms of student engagement function do not effectively allow students or Pierce College to flourish.

Issues such as low retention rate, high student turnover, and a majority demographic of parttime students are contributing factors which affect fostering a campus community. However, students at Pierce deserve the same access to academia, healthy student life, and a safe, engaging work environment that any 4-year college student should receive. We have drafted this document in hopes to enlighten administration to students’ needs in hopes to cultivate a better Pierce.

-Better training for clubs/fundraising

-Mandatory LGBTQ safe zone training for ALL faculty

-Feelings of disrespect felt between faculty and students

-Faculty inaccessible and unresponsive to emails, phone calls, or meetings

-Higher levels of transparency between students, clubs, and administration

-More expansive research/data in regards to students

-Feedback on student satisfaction

-Needs based assessments and surveys that align with student needs

-Internship opportunities for students in the Office of Institutional Effectiveness in order to prioritize student voices when administering these assessments

-Support staff positions created to facilitate restructuring the framework of how administration interacts with students

-Administrators invalidating students with special needs (Hearing/Audio/ASL) Background noise in classrooms prevents translators from providing effective service.

-Staff, faculty, administration garners praise off students’ achievements and efforts

-When told about a problem or issue, the response is “join ASO senate” or “next year we can…”

-Organization in which students can participate in enacting change in regards to assessments, feedback, surveys, student satisfaction etc.

-CopyTech not able to print copies, Library ink printers not readable, wifi almost unusable

Marc Dionne / Roundup

ASO member Gisela Tarifa speaks to Gabie Castleberry-Gordon, Oliver Guss, and Nate Mendoza during the student protest organized by the Queer Brahma Collective in fro nt of the Great Hall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills Calif., April 27th 2018.

Shae Hammond / Roundup Nate Mendoza , Oliver Guss, and Gabie Castleberry-Gordon protest against Pierce College on the Mall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on May 10, 2018.

Randi Love / Roundup Yisel Borges participates in a protest for LGBT rights in front of the Great Hall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on May 10, 2018.

Shae Hammond / Roundup

Earic Dixon-Peters is handed a list of demands from the Queer Brahma Collective during a protest in front of the Great Hall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on May 10, 2018.

[from PROTEST pg. 1]

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students, our Queer Brahma Collective, to really express themselves, and speak true to power.”

-Juan Carlos Astorga Dean of Student Engagement

Baseball improves on last year's finish

Brahmas make it to the regional round; end with an overall record of 21-19

CAMERON KERN Reporter @ckernroundup

After missing out on the postseason last year, the baseball team finished their season after being eliminated in the regional round against Cerritos College, securing the second seed in the Western State South Conference with a 14-6 record.

Even though the team felt disappointed, they were still able to remain in high hopes. Colton Snyder, infielder said he was able to grow as a player and as a person from the efforts of head coach Bill Picketts.

“It was sad that we lost early in the playoffs but it was a great season overall and I think we had some of the best coaches in the entire state of California. This season made me a better person on and off the field,” Snyder said.

The Brahmas finished the season with a 21-19 record overall with a win percentage of .525 and making it to the playoffs.

Picketts said that at the beginning of the season it took some time to train pitchers to the college level, but he said they got

Season review:

better as the season progressed “Physically, we were young on the mound. It took awhile for them to get some experience and it took awhile for them to get there. I had very little experience coming back on the mound and I think in the

beginning of the year that kind of affected our success. Over time we got better,” Picketts said.

Ty Isbel, infielder, agreed with Picketts stating the team ultimately did improve after a rough start.

“In the beginning, we thought

we were the best team out there but we kind of humbled up. We had a rough patch in the beginning but we were able to bounce back and make it to the playoffs. It was a great year,” Isbell said.

The team hopes next year they

will be able to once again crush there rival Mission College who finished in third with a 24-16 record overall and 13-7 in conference.

“Mission College – they want to beat us just as bad as we want to beat them. Every game we played against them was good and it'd get very rowdy. I think in the future we are gonna focus more on us and not them,” Snyder said. Picketts has been head coach of the Brahmas for the past five years and says that things are finally starting to fall in place for things as far as the culture they are trying to create. And he accredits this to

the team’s work ethic.

“Our saying ‘here is a hard 90.’ I stress that from day 1. They have to give you that effort every single time they step on the field. That’s exactly what I told them after the last game. If years down the road they can remember giving 100% of their effort then I’ve accomplished what I want to do as coach and mentor,” Picketts said.

Picketts expressed that creating a truly great community college sports team is tough because the student athletes aren't under scholarship, usually have outside responsibilities like jobs and the players are usually there for only two years.

Picketts said he accomplished creating a team he is proud to coach.

“What makes a good team is hopefully you can create that culture where the academics are important, the athletics are important and you can teach them some social skills along the way. And if that can all come together with one group of kids, then hopefully you can have success,” Picketts said.

ckern.roundupnews@gmail.com

Men's tennis team wrap up successful year

Brahmas win conference title in doubles, compete in Ojai state tournament

Darvel Lossangoye and Gavin Dail who together won the conference championship in doubles.

Dao mentioned that Siraj Dail who was number three on the depth chart had a great season.

With the most successful season in two years, tennis secured second seed in the Western State Conference with a 7-4 record overall and 6-2 in conference, a major step up from last season, where they finished last.

A lot of the rapid success the team has experienced this season, according to Tennis Head Coach Coach Long Dao, is the commitment and talent the team has obtained this season.

Dao said some of the players that truly stood out this season were

“I felt like Siraj could've played higher up on the lineup but because Gavin and Darvel were there he kind of stayed at number three the entire year. He had a really successful year, he really could've done as well playing higher up on the line up,” Dao said.

Dail shared that he believes the teams success primarily stems from Dao’s scouting process.

“He recruited a lot better players this season, so the standard itself started at a much higher level. We

had like six completely new players and our top four players could beat our previous number 1 from last season,” Dail states.

Dao said there were difficulties when trying to assemble a great team locally because of the allure from four year universities and that there's a lot to learn when entering a season on a college level straight from high school.

“This team here is mostly freshman players, so there’s a lot of learning involved with them, but more than half of them will be returning next year to play so just by knowing what's going on and what happens give them an ability to focus on what needs to be done,” Dao said.

ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Workplace Success Certificate Program

Starts on June 15, 2018

Program Details: This noncredit program provides students with critical tools and skills to succeed in the workplace. Students will complete self-assessment and accordingly plan a career, learning current job search practices, resume preparation, interviewing skills, appropriate verbal and nonverbal communication, workplace etiquette, and management of time and stress. Students will increase their likelihood of career success by also putting together immediate and long-term actionable goals. This class will increase students’ employability and job opportunities, to help them obtain and retain jobs. Upon completion of all program requirements, students will earn a certificate of completion.

Number of hours: 48

Question:

Lossangoye, who comes from Africa with years of tennis experience under his belt, said he still was able to learn and progress as a player by playing for the team.

“Playing for a team is something that I never did before so I learned that no matter what you are, even at Pierce you’re very significant in the group. So the success of the team doesn’t only depend on the coach, me or the number 2,3,4...but the whole team,” Lossangoye said.

Lossangoye said Pierce College is the best place to start because it has opened him up to more opportunities.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Geriatric Caregiver Certificate Program

June 11 – August 3, 2018

Program Details: This non-credit program prepares students to care for elderly adults in their own homes with focus on basic client needs and the skills required to meet those needs including the physical, psychological, and social challenges of the elderly person living at home. This program is designed for students pursuing an entry-level career as a caregiver. Topics covered include: nutrition needs of geriatric patients, emergency care, managing a home environment, measuring and recording vital signs, observation and documentation, and more. Upon completion of all program requirements, students will earn a certificate of completion.

completion of all program requirements, students will earn a certificate of completion.

Number of hours: 75

Gavin Dail hits the ball against Cerritos College's Kwang Lee in the Ojai tournament on April 26, 2018 at Hueneme High School in Oxnard, Calif.

Randi Love/Roundup

Brandon Lewis slides into homeplate against Cerritos College's Andre Alvarez during a 9-4 loss in the second game of the series against the Falcons on May 5, 2018 at Cerritos College in Cerritos, Calif.

CAMERON KERN Reporter @ckernroundup

“What makes a good team is, hopefully, you can create culture where the academics are important, the athletics are important and you can teach them some social skills along the way."

-Bill Picketts Head Coach

Striking out the batters and criminals

Starting pitcher receives three acceptance letters to pursue his education

GLORIA BECERRA Reporter @gloriab75636814

After pitching all season for the Brahmas, Alexis Miranda can finally let go of holding onto a baseball and instead hang onto all three of his college acceptance letters.

Miranda holds a 3.95 GPA and was one of the five players that made the All-Academic state team, which honors the baseball players in colleges who have 3.5 GPA's or higher.

Miranda went on to discuss his enthusiasm toward achieving the award and what he did to stay focused on keeping a high GPA.

“It's a great accomplishment. I've always stressed grades my whole life. I always prioritize my studies, agendas, timing and planning helps. I also love getting my schoolwork done before Thursday, so that way I have weekends off,” Miranda said.

Miranda started most of the games this season. He made 13 appearances throughout the season finishing with a (3-4) allowing 82 hits and 51 runs.

Head Coach Bill Picketts said that Miranda gives his best in every game.

“He hasn't missed a start, and he competes his rear end off anytime he goes out there,” Picketts said.

Miranda shares his experiences while being on the mound.

“When I am on the mound, I am pumped. My adrenaline is rushing and personally it helps me big time. I throw harder and perform well.

I love pitching because you can control the entire game,” Miranda said.

Miranda was accepted into three colleges. They are UC Davis, Cal State Los Angeles and UCLA. He would like to play baseball at Davis,

but would like to go to UCLA for academics.

Miranda is studying criminal justice and if he doesn't pursue baseball, he hopes to become a detective for the LAPD.

Miranda has been playing baseball since he was only 4-years-old. Starting off in T-ball at Northridge Little League, then making his way to playing on the Varsity team at Birmingham High

School.

Miranda said he thanks his father for inspiring him to play and fall in love with baseball.

"He is the reason I play baseball. He's always been a diehard baseball

fan. He's the one who got me into it. Practicing and everything is all because of him, I love it," Miranda said.

Another inspiration for his passion for baseball stems from

one of the most important people in his life, his grandmother. His grandmother passed away due to breast cancer when he was only 12-years-old. He said he always remembers her watching him play.

Miranda said he plays in honor of his grandmother.

“I play for her. And school has always been for her. Before she passed away, I promised her that I would finish school,” Miranda said.

Miranda explained what playing for his grandmother means to him everytime he steps on the field.

“Playing for her is just basically to work hard and have fun more than anything,”Miranda said.

Picketts said Miranda's studious ways is related to his sportsmanship.

"His work ethic on the field is second to none. He is always prepared, and I know he does the same in the classroom. He has been a huge part of our success this year," Picketts said.

JJ Gonzalez, first baseman said he's been teammates and close friends with Miranda since 2014. He said Miranda has a positive impact on the team.

“He's a really good person overall. He loves to mess around and when it's time to get serious, he makes sure people are focused and ready to go,” Gonzalez said.

Miranda said he loves his teammates and the brotherhood that is shared between them.

"I've really enjoyed this team, we feel like family. We get along really well, we mess around a lot and have a lot of fun," Miranda said.

Miranda said he lives by his motto, and he implements it into every game.

"When you want to succeed, as long as you breathe, that's when you will be successful," Miranda said.

gbecerra.roundupnews@gmail.com

Natalie Miranda/Roundup

Alexis Miranda, pitcher, stands in Pierce College's Joe Kelly Field dugout in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Thursday, April 26, 2018. He holds a 3.95 GPA.