Volume 128 Spring 2018 Roundup Issue 7

A cup of Joe before you go

CAOT professor volunteers at Mammoth Lakes with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra

Mammoth Mountain is the place where Pierce instructor Joe Perret and his wife Nina met, fell in love and got engaged. But after an injury to Nina’s back led her to stop skiing, Joe no longer had a partner in the snow.

Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra (DSES) was able to get him back on the slopes with others. It also provided him with the ability to help people who may have never thought they would be off stable ground.

Perret has been instructing with DSES for about 10 years.

“It combines some of the things I really love,” Perret said. “I love the mountains. I love to ski. I love to teach—you put it all together and that’s what I do.”

DSES is an organization that aims to make sports affordable and accessible to people with disabilities. Adaptive equipment is used to enable people to participate in winter and summer activities.

“We have given them a section of their life back,” Perret said. “They lost the recreational part of their life, and they now have a feeling of accomplishment that, if they can do this, they can do anything.”

Executive Director Kathy Copeland founded DSES in 2003. She said there was a need for a separate disabled sports program at Mammoth Lakes.

She said the organization is all-

inclusive. Any disability, age, or gender—they can get them out on the hill.

DSES instructs more than 400

students, offering over 3,500 lessons a year. According to DSES staff, about 23 percent of students are people on the autism spectrum, and about 20 percent are people who have suffered a traumatic physical injury.

“It’s an equalizer,” Copeland said. “People come up here in their wheelchairs; They are used to being on the pavement, and then all of the sudden, they have the world opened up to them.”

Perret said that instructing his students at Mammoth provides similar rewards to teaching at Pierce.

“The biggest thrill is when it clicks. When suddenly, they get it, and they get that look on their face,” Perret said. “You get the same thing in the classroom. That’s why I enjoy teaching.”

Perret said that being a volunteer instructor for DSES has taught him to be more patient. And, in the long term,

BESA molds businessmen

Organization aims to bring entrepreneurial ideas to life

said that the Finance Committee approved to fund BESA’s idea because they thought it’d be a beneficial experience for the business students.

Making new connections

Academic Senate members had a detailed discussion on WiFi

RICHARD ESPINOZA Reporter @EspinozaReport

Though some of the blue fences have been taken down, campus construction is not complete. However, administration said they are working with what they have to address concerns about phone service and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher spoke about campus safety for Pierce faculty and students at Monday’s Academic Senate meeting. He updated the senate about the safety improvements that have been made.

Members of the senate were particularly concerned about the lack of cell phone and internet access in the Center for Sciences. Bonnie Lemus, a nursing instructor, said she is unsatisfied with the limited Wi-Fi access.

“They have no cell phone coverage or internet access in the Center for Sciences building,” Lemus said. “Not only does it interfere when being able to making presentations to students, it interferes with emergency access we might need.”

Schleicher said that building upgrades were made 10 years ago, and the CFS was not designed or constructed for cell phone and PC access.

“The world has changed, and everyone wants cell phone and internet access. The problem is that the walls are impenetrable, so there is not enough Wi-Fi in every classroom,” Schleicher said. “We are spending millions of dollars to upgrade.”

Lemus said that Schleicher was no help to her, and she did not receive the answers she wanted.

“It cleary needs to be a priority, primarily for safety, but also for student access to the internet for educational purpose,” Lemus said. Scheicher also addressed the issue about the blue construction fences. He said that the fences were up too long because of an issue with the contractors.

both practices provide experience and knowledge for the other.

Through DSES, students can have half-day adaptive sports lesson in the morning or afternoon. At least two instructors assist during the private lessons. All expenses cost about $95, and if needed, scholarships are offered.

DSES Director Laura Beardsley said that physical or mental disabilities should not prevent someone from

participating in recreational winter sports.

She said she has learned a lot from working with differently abled people.

“It’s been such an incredible experience because you get to meet and know and understand people whose experiences are completely different from yours,” Beardsley said.

“We had fences on campus since I have been here,” Schleicher said. “They were located in areas near the North of the Mall. I needed these upgrades right now, primarily for students and faculty. I had my crew come in during the break and remove the fences.”

Buying school supplies individually at the office supply store can be expensive and time consuming.

But the Pierce College Business and Economics Student Association (BESA) has a possible fix.

The ASO has given BESA $25,000 to invest in the Pierce Supply Drop, a business idea which will offer boxes filled with a myriad of supplies that meet the basic needs of the typical college student.

BESA plans to purchase 200 boxes to sell by the end of the semester.

ASO Treasurer Matthew Aguilera

“We thought it’d be a lucrative plan, but also a good experience for BESA,” Aguilera said. “It’s a good learning experience for people in that club and for those interested in business and entrepreneurship. They also provide an alternative to purchasing needed school supplies.”

Josh Lipman, the president of BESA, said that the organization will create conveniently packaged and affordable boxes of school supplies to sell at the student store.

He said the student-run, oncampus business venture benefits the student consumers as well as those

behind the idea.

“This is such a unique opportunity for students to gain that experience if they are interested in business or plan to start their own company,” Lipman said. “They will be given the opportunity to get hands-on entrepreneurial experience and learn all the lessons that experience teaches, without the personal financial risk that it normally entails.”

BESA asked the Student Business and Entrepreneurs and Investors Group (SBEIG) to partner with them for this business venture. The club’s president, Parker Selby, said he and other members were ecstatic to participate.

“This is something they want to get their hands on. Not everybody

has an idea to start a business, so when you have one knocking on the door, I think everyone should take the opportunity to work and learn about it,” Selby said.

Calculators, pens, and notebooks are included in the green camo-print boxes. But Lipman said that once the business picks up traction, they will make boxes catering to specific

majors, such as art, with different designs.

Randi Love/ Roundup

Joe Cardenas, Joshua Paget, Josh Lipman, Ani Keioglian and Luciano Leon, members of BESA, put supplies into one of their supply boxes near the Associated Students Organization at Pierce College in Woodland HIlls, Calif., on April 9, 2018.

Shae Hammond / Roundup

Joe Perret and Brenden Steinman secure Russell Johnson into the ski lift on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 30, 2018.

“I love the mountains. I love to ski. I love to teach—you put it all together and that's what I do.”

-Joe Perret CAOT professor

Shae Hammond / Roundup

Joe Perret, CAOT instructor at Pierce College, smiles between lessons with his student on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 30, 2018. Perret is a volunteer ski instructor with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, who assist people with physical and cognitive disabilities.

VANESSA ARREDONDO Managing Editor @V_anana

Besides the obvious issue of connection, there are problems for professors. Some rely on the internet to teach their lessons.With the implementation of smart boards and large screen projectors in the newer modeled classrooms, some professors have taken to having fully online curriculums. That includes downloading their daily lessons to Canvas for later use, or playing videos from YouTube. But it is hard to get technology to work in a timely fashion due to the spotty Wi-Fi.

A solution to the problem would be to lay down fiber optic cables for Pierce. These cables would take time, money and effort on the part of Pierce to implement, but the result would provide high speed internet with a consistent connection throughout the entire campus no matter where students are located. Pierce has a base of at least 20,000 students a semester, thereforre, a large wireless system is needed. On top of this, Pierce has 426 acres of land that includes parts that are just farm. While it may be easy to say the farmland would not need to be covered, it is missing the point. All of Pierce needs to have functional Wi-Fi to work in harmony. With classes still being held at the farm the need is still there to have a good wireless connection even if it is a small percentage of people using it. this would allow for everyone to have equal access to the internet on campus.

With the farmland aside, most classrooms at Pierce are unable

to get a consistent wireless connection. At random times of day it can go from decent to none existent. There is places on campus as well where there is almost none. The Center for Science is a dead zone in most of its areas.

The planetarium has actually no connection to Wi-Fi at all which has caused problems with emergency messages getting to

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students.

This is compounded by the fact that the entire campus is splitting only one gigabyte of data for the entire campus. It’s easier to see the problem when such a small amount is being shared by such a large population.

Pierce is currently facing budget issues, but recently the Wi-Fi systems were upgraded. What the upgrades are, though,

Pro: A place for individualism

In the age of social media, individuals are acquiring more creativity.

When looking closely at what social media has become, one can see how it is part of our daily lives. Social media is essentially a tool for the benefit of our creativity.

Social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat support different types of media including images, video and audio. Each of these act as a platform for artists to express themselves in a variety of ways.

As technology develops, people are better able to present their ideas to a much wider audience than ever before, encouraging people that otherwise wouldn’t be interested in making art.

The internet is a major source of creative ideas that millions access daily, each bringing their own influence on the online world.

In The Guardian article titled, “Is technology making us more creative?” Tomas ChamorroPremuzic writes that there is a large number of innovative products and services in the digital revolution that transformed a significant part of our lives.

“There has been an explosion of creative activity in the technology space: there are over 3m apps, and 300 hours of YouTube video are uploaded every minute,”

Chamorro-Premuzic wrote.

“According to some estimates, every two minutes we snap as many pictures as the entire population of the world did in the 1800s.”

Some may argue that individuals aren’t creative anymore because ideas are being used from the internet, it takes an inspired, creative mindset to be engaging and get people’s attention.

Being a part of social media requires a tremendous supply of creative ideas for content. Any post in diverse forms show creativity on behalf of the publisher as it is their own personal beliefs on display. It’s not making us less creative, it’s giving us a boost to get our ideas recognized and getting inspiration from previous individuals.

Social media for many is a way to stay in touch with contemporary culture and that is the basis for most artistic ideas.

On YouTube, some videos posted daily receive hundreds of millions of views, greatly influencing major audiences and ultimately spreading ideas and creativity.

As YouTube stars post videos and get a huge amounts of feedback from their subscribers. Fans are able to give them ideas, therefore expanding their creativity as society continues to see examples of how collaboration and social creativity play a significant role to the modern age.

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Damiesha Williams

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Advertising Manager: Matt Thacker

is fuzzy. There is no notable changes in speed or functionality when it comes to connection on campus. According to a 2007 cost analysis by the U.S. Department of Transportation stated that in California it would cost $260,700 for each mile of fiber optic cable. while the price seems steep Pierce would only be a fraction of that, and the speed difference would be immediate.

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

Is there more to social media than a retweet, share or reblog?

If one scrolls through their social media feed they will find a plethora of original ideas, but how many of those are their own?

Although we live in a digital era and ideas can be shared instantaneously, not everyone has something original to add. Creativity has become scarce among the public since people can simply look to social media and see what others before them have done.

The internet is home to a lot of innovative and unique ideas regarding food, fashion, movies, music and more. This means when people see something on their social media dashboard that they find interesting, they simply share it. Now, this isn’t a bad thing because ideas are meant to be shared.

However, the problem lays with the fact that people do not take the time to creatively add to an idea. Social media gives people this “follow the group” mentality. Instead of contributing something worthwhile, people tend to just imitate others that came before them with a retweet or share.

In the Psychology Today article titled, “The Science Behind Why People Follow the Crowd,” Rob

Cartoonist:

Henderson wrote that humans are not always as knowledgeable of their thoughts as they believe to be.

“We use the decisions of others as a heuristic, or mental shortcut, to navigate our lives,” Henderson wrote.

Social media gives people new ideas, without letting people discover new ideas on their own. This type of idea sharing does not offer people a chance to exercise divergent thinking. As a result, social media does not foster creativity among the masses.

The ability to retweet and share someone’s original post on social media conditions one to just perpetuate content, instead of creating it.

For example, I am a person who uses the cooking videos on Facebook as a cookbook. I follow those recipes precisely with no margin for error. While my dishes always turn out as the video shows it will, rarely do I add anything of my own to the recipe.

Therefore, when I must prepare a dish that I did not see on a Tastemade video, I am completely clueless.

Despite being a wellspring for knowledge and culture, social media often discourages creative thinking. People are inclined to share posts and ideas that do not belong to them instead of creating original content.

While fiber optic cable may be a large undertaking for installation and cost it would fic Pierce’s Wi-Fi problem. Fast internet is more of a requirement for a school. Pierce should take the step needed to solve the problem without worrying about potential costs, and just look at solving the problem. clehmann.roundupnews@gmail.com

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court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.

“A machine that could capturealltheawareness thateveryoneholds aboutanything.Haveit superchargedandpowerup, then bomb the world with the knowledge,sothateveryone would have common sense."

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Con: Playing the same game

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The virtual world of counselors Students on and off campus recieve free advice through video chat

For those who cannot set the time aside to travel to Pierce, receiving counseling is often not an option. However, a new online service is offering students the ability to speak with counselors from the comfort of their own homes.

Pierce College offers students an online counseling software called Cranium Café that allows them to meet with their counselors virtually.

Students can find the Cranium Café software through the “counseling” tab in the school’s website. They can create a free account with their student ID that allows them to start making FaceTime-like virtual appointments.

Although this is a free online tool for Pierce, some students aren’t aware that they have this option, and few counselors have started using it.

General counselor Lily Duong received training for the software and said it wasn’t complicated. Although she still prefers that students meet with her face to face to create a comprehensive education plan, she uses Cranium Café to counsel students who cannot physically attend school.

However, there are some disadvantages to using Cranium

Café. More than one appointment is necessary to complete everything students need, and completing paperwork can be complicated online.

“The face-to-face online is great. But as a long-term, sometimes there’s certain things that I haven’t been

able to do online, like transcript evaluations,” Duong said. International students’ counselor Abby Watson uses Cranium Café to communicate with international students who are enrolled at Pierce, but haven’t yet arrived in the country. Watson said the Wi-Fi signal is an

Efficient with solar panels

Pierce saves money by creating 2 megawatts of power

the first known use of renewable solar energy dates back to the 1830s.

issue when she connects with students, but overall, the program is beneficial.

“There’s a lot of things that you can do with it. You can share forms with the students and fill it out. It’s pretty great,” Watson said. Before Cranium Café, international students couldn’t meet

with a counselor until they arrived to the United States, and by that time, most students were already enrolled in classes. Watson is now able to help international students complete the application process and an educational plan so that they have the same class opportunities as national students.

Communication Disorders major

Ary’l Burgoyne hadn’t heard of the Cranium Café, but said that she remembers that there were other colleges offering similar programs when she was applying during high school. She said online counseling is convenient for busy students.

“Sometimes students don’t have the time for in-person counseling, especially when they have to deal with walk-ins and other people with appointments,” Burgoyne said. “Having a software like this, where it’s online, is more accessible. But it’s just a matter of if the counselors have the time to give these online students proper advice like the in-person students have been getting.”

Although in-person counseling is encouraged, Duong said she’d like students to take advantage of the software because it’s free.

“Honestly, I’d like to see more people know about Cranium and counselors start doing it,” Duong said.

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Rundown Brahma Blotter

Have you ever wondered how Pierce College, with it’s 426 acres of land, powers its buildings and infrastructure?

Well, in large part, you can thank the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, but the campus does it’s part with the help of solar panels.

Director of Facilities Paul Nieman said Pierce College produces 2 megawatts of power. Now, with technology advancing everyday, power can be drawn from natural sources.

“Everything takes power now, when it didn't use to. I know there was a discussion when the campus launched into this saying this will save us. I hope this will just keep up with excess demand that we have,” Nieman said.

According to Go Solar California,

French physicist Edmond Becquerel discovered that certain materials produced small amounts of electric current when exposed to light. Since then, technology has advanced to provide clean, renewable energy.

Go Solar California is a campaign that encourages the state to pursue environmentally friendly alternatives to meet power and resource needs.

California has 4,732,000 homes powered by solar panels, and produces the most solar energy than any other state in the country, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

However, Nieman said he’s not sure how much money Pierce saves yearly by employing solar panels.

“It's a long term investment. I wish we could quantify how well we were saving but, it’s really difficult. If things stay constant between now and next summer, we may be able to get a solid comparison of what happened last summer,” Nieman said.

Nieman said the existing panels will be renovated and more will be incorporated to save energy on campus.

“A Vista switch was put in; a requirement from the DWP that the Pierce College bond absorbed with a million-dollar price tag. If we want to exceed 2 megawatts, we need another Vista switch,” Nieman said.

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher said there are additional benefits to having panels over the parking lots.

“It's a desert out here. It gives us a lot of shading for people in their cars, which makes it much more comfortable,” Schleicher said.

Deshay Thompson, a child development major, said it would benefit Pierce College to go solar.

“I am on board. I also heard they are trying to make California use completely renewable energy by 2025. That’s so close. It’s really exciting.”

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photo illustration by Randi Love

This is a screenshot of the cranium cafe webpage that allows students to speak with a counselor online. There are options to study with classmates as well as chats with counselors in group discussions. REBECCA O'NEIL

George Apikyan / Roundup

Solar panels above the parking stalls in Parking lot 1 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 7, 2018.

No incidents were reported this week, according to the Pierce Sheriff's Station.

Skiing in a winter wonderland

Photos by Shae Hammond and Randi Love. Copy by Randi Love.

Brenden Steinman and Joe Perret, volunteer ski instructors, explain techniques for using a monoski to Russell Johnson on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 30, 2018. This is the first time Johnson has been on a monoski. He used

A biski sits in the snow during the Spring Expo for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 31, 2018. A biski is used as a method of sking for some of the disabled athletes that learn through the DSES program.

Photo by: Shae Hammond

Joe Perret and Brenden Steinmen, volunteer ski instructors with Disabled Russell Johnson how they will raise him into the ski lift on his monoski Calif., on March 30, 2018.

Photo by: Randi Love

wonderland

Joe Perret glides down the bright white snow with a smile on his face as he follows behind a student learning how to ski. It isn’t one of Perret’s Pierce students studying computer applications.

Perret volunteers with Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra at Mammoth Lakes.

DSES focuses on athletes with physical and cognitive disabilities.

Perret has volunteered with the organization for 10 years, and he assists with the Spring Expo that shows the equipment used by disabled skiers.

They take people for rides in biskis to show them how someone with a disability learns to ski. They also give lessons to anyone interested in quickly learning.

The main clientele for the organization is children, but many adults also participate with DSES. Perret enjoys teaching all of his students, but feels connected to paraplegics because they have to learn in a different way than most others.

DSES is a part of the national organization Disabled Sports USA. Creator of the division, Kathy Copeland, founded DSES in 2003.

“This program enables everybody to get out and enjoy the great outdoors. It’s an equalizer,” Copeland said. “People come up here in their wheelchairs, and they are used to being on the pavement, and then all of the sudden, they have the world opened up to them.”

Perret plans to volunteer until he can no longer physically handle the job.

“I’m pretty old, but I’m in pretty good shape,” Perret said. “As long as I can do it. They’ll move me down as time goes on and I’ll get easier and easier stuff.”

Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra

Founded in 2003

More than 200 volunteer instructors Serves at least 1000 students

used to snowboard.

Photo by: Shae Hammond

Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, show their student monoski on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes,

A collection of skis sit in the snow next to the Spring Expo tent on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 31, 2018. These skis are used by the Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra instructors during lessons on the slopes with their students who usually are in monoskis or biskis. Photo by: Shae Hammond

Russell Johnson skis down a slope using a monoski as instructor Brenden Steinman follows behind him on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 30, 2018.

Photo by: Shae Hammond

Joe Perret teaches Russell Johnson how to use a monoski for the first time on Mammoth Mountain in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., on March 30, 2018. Photo by: Shae Hammond

Open mic night showcases students' diverse experiences and talents

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

The method of sharing words and stories has been used to forge connections among people dating back to ancient times. UMOJA’s Open Mic Night on April 12 seeks to do the same.

UMOJA is a program that is centered around African and African American culture but is open to all students. One of the purposes of the event is to spotlight different forms of student creativity.

According to one of the 18 UMOJA practices, sharing African American intellectual, spiritual and artistic voices is a part of the program.

By following this practice, Jordan Rice, a student worker for UMOJA, believes this will allow students to share their thoughts and ideas of culture on the Pierce campus.

“We want to be able to give our students both an opportunity to celebrate that culture as well as to personify it and live through it,” Rice said. “The art and the culture is very important to the students here in the program as well as the program itself. It’s very much an outlet amidst the turmoil, the responsibilities that we have and it’s important that we have this.”

While the event is called an Open Mic Night, students are encouraged to showcase any art or original piece they wish to share.

Melody Smith, an UMOJA

counselor, said students are encouraged to showcase their creativity through any medium they choose. Smith said students can express themselves through poems, dance, food dishes and art.

“We have a lot of artistic students that are in the program,” Smith said. “So, we wanted to create an opportunity for them to be able to share their voices in different ways and means of creativity.”

This event is something that gives students a chance to express themselves despite the challenges

Preview: Here they come

Senior Day spotlights what campus offers

DANIELLE PADILLA Reporter @dcxpadilla

The transition of high school students to the world of college academia sometimes can be a daunting experience. This year Pierce College aims to alleviate those worries by hosting Senior Day on April 13.

Senior Day is an event that partners with high schools to showcase the resources available on campus to high school seniors who plan to attend Pierce in the fall semester.

Will Marmolejo, dean of student services, said the event will include walking tours led by Pierce staff, meetings with academic departments, booths for student government and clubs, music, lunch and activities.

other classes that are not well known to the potential students will have the opportunity to try to attract potential students to Pierce during this event.

Marmolejo said high schools participating in the event are coming from “feeder” schools, such as Taft High School, Birmingham High School and Granada High School. He defines “feeder” schools as those Pierce students have come from in past years. These schools are contracted with Pierce and will have students arriving on buses for the event said Marmolejo.

“Those high school students – if they’re interested in coming to the event – they let their school know and then that high school counselor will work with our staff here so that we have a list of all of the students,” said Marmolejo. “Everyone that boards that bus, we’ll know who they are, we welcome them, we give a little Pierce gift, go on the tour and then get taken back to school.”

they face in their everyday life.

Lauren Henderson, UMOJA counselor assistant, thinks what students will get from this event will be the sense of community and understanding.

“The biggest take away is seeing someone like you take a that step because it’s a big one for a lot of people to get on stage and be creative openly,” Henderson said.

UMOJA’s Open Mic Night is on Thursday, April 12, from 4 - 6 p.m. in the Great Hall.

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The event will also include faculty demonstrations of different curricula offered on campus said Tanya Miller, senior secretary at the academic affairs office who has worked to coordinate academic demonstrations for Senior Day.

“We got a lot of feedback last year from our classroom tours and demonstrations,” said Geremy Mason, senior secretary of student engagement and one of the organizers of the event. “Students got to see a side of the campus that a lot of them don’t know exist.”

Mason said that tours not only take students through classrooms, but also highlight the farm and botanical gardens. Electives and

While Pierce has done a similar event in the past called “Discover Pierce,” Miller believes this event is different as it emphases on another aspect of transitioning students to Pierce.

“We had a similar event last year, this one is a little different focus,” Miller said. “It did not have the same focus for matriculation and this one does – making sure students are fully ready to begin courses in the fall.”

Senior Day will emphasize and ensure that potential students are aware of what awaits them at Pierce.

Randi Love / Roundup

Jordan Rice, UMOJA president, gives other members of the organization a sample of a song in the UMOJA Village at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 9, 2018. They are having an Open Mic Night on Thursday, April 12, 2018.

"We have a lot of artistic students that are in the program."

-Melody Smith UMOJA Counselor

Wi-Fi woes

Limited infrastructure and capacity slows connections across campus

infrastructure," Henderson said. “They did not design it for wireless so they have to go back and fix it.”

The CAS tutoring center, bathrooms, Planetarium, library , and various rooms in the Village are just among the few places on the campus that don't have a strong Wi-Fi connection.

connection. I was on the second floor in the Planetarium and I legit had to walk downstairs near the parking lot just to send a text message," Webb said. "The Wi-Fi here sucks."

If Pierce receives funding from the bond, the Wi-Fi capacity would be increased to a planned 10 gigabytes, Henderson said.

Most people have become reliant on the internet for the majority of daily tasks. The Pierce College community is no different.

Many assignments are turned in through Canvas even for classes that meet in-person. Some professors depend on an internet connection for lesson plans and overall instruction.

However, students, teachers and staff have nearly all experienced connection issues with the Wi-Fi across campus.

Adjunct instructor of journalism David Blumenkrantz has dealt with Wi-Fi connectivity issues in his Journalism 251 class, which takes place in the Elm 1700 building.

"There have been times where the class and I have thrown our hands up in frustration because we are so dependent on Wi-Fi here,” Blumenkrantz said. “This is a visual class and students do presentations online where they use online sources. So, if you don't have a strong Wi-Fi connection here, it throws you back into the 1990s where you'd do puppet shows."

According to Pierce College IT manager Mark Henderson, the campus has only one gigabyte of Wi-Fi capacity.

"If the Wi-Fi is running slow, it's because the usage is based on the density of the Wi-Fi connection infrastructure, how many people are trying to use the one gigabyte we have all at the same time," Henderson said.

According to Techopedia.com, Wi-Fi capacity is “the maximum amount of data that may be transferred between network locations over a link or network path.”

There are 25 hotspots to boost the wireless signal throughout campus. Henderson said wherever there is wireless infrastructure, there is a hotspot. But, not every place at Pierce has wireless infrastructure built, leaving these areas with little to no connection.

"A lot of places on campus that don't have Wi-Fi is because they don't have infrastructure to plug anything in, therefore we are trying to build more

Weak Wi-Fi results in more issues than just slow-loading web pages. Christopher Webb, a Pierce College economy student, said he always seems to receive and send text messages late on his phone.

"The [Center for the Sciences] by far has the worst Wi-Fi

According to Henderson, there is a possible solution in the works using bond funding. "We are trying to fix the Wi-Fi connection issue through a bond as a base level service districtwide project to make sure every campus has a base level of services for different things. Wireless is one of those," Henderson said. "So, once we get the funding we will buy the equipment."

Instructor of Journalism

The increased capacity could be the answer to many of the complaints regarding network speeds on campus.

“We need better Wi-Fi that does not struggle because students do most of their homework on the internet,” student Engelbert Pereza said.

Other campuses have recently upgraded the Wi-Fi on campus and seen an improvement.

“I have heard technically all the time that maybe this

area or that area does not have any Wi-Fi service,” East Los Angeles College communications specialist Jason Van Cleve said. “When we got our new buildings all the new Wi-Fi equipment that had been installed has provided the latest and greatest internet service.”

gbecerra.roundupnews@gmail.com rjespinoza.roundupnews@gmail.com

“If you don't have a strong Wi-Fi connection here, it throws you back into the 1990s where you'd do puppet shows.”

-David Blumenkrantz

Adjunct

Photo Illustration by Joshua Manes

From ASL to EIC and ESPN Former Roundup editor finds success at major news outlet

Moureaux said “I think I’m just this comfortable doing it.”

When she left Pierce, her goal was to transfer to the University of Oregon. However, she was offered a job with NBC Los Angeles and remained in California.

Despite initial reservations and an unrelated course of study, this former American Sign Language student discovered her passion for journalism and has kept her eye on the ball, leading her to a career with ESPN.

Megan Moureaux said she had journalism in the back of her mind since high school. However, she said she hesitated to follow a career in journalism because she doubted her writing skills. She said she majored in and studied American Sign Language for two years before she decided to study journalism. She said she realized that she had a passion for it, and decided that she would pursue journalism instead.

Moureaux joined The Roundup and rose to the position of editorin-chief in fall 2015. Now, she is working at ESPN in Los Angeles as a producer, and gets to cover sports from college football games, Major League Baseball and professional basketball.

Moureaux said her job is one of a kind.

“I don’t think of it as a job because I just love doing it every single day. I’m happy to go to work, so I shouldn’t call it work, maybe. But I love doing what I do,” Moureaux said.

Moureaux said that sports have always been part of her life, and that fact helps build up her confidence in her job. She said it feels uncomfortable to watch a game as a spectator rather than as a journalist.

“I don’t get nervous at all for sports stuff, and I should. I look back at things and I’m like, ‘wow, how I was not like a complete wreck?’”

Moureaux said she didn’t plan on staying with NBC longer than five months, but did because she had gotten hands-on experience in the field that she wouldn’t get in school.

Moureaux said it wasn’t easy to decide between taking the position with NBC and continuing her education, but decided she could always earn her bachelor’s degree through an online program.

“It is a hard decision to choose, but I feel like you have to trust your gut on it. Believe in yourself and know that you can do something without having a degree,” Moureaux said.

During her time at Pierce, Moureaux said she wanted every story to be special, and she pushed for everything to have a special spot. At ESPN, Moureaux said she doesn’t get to write like she did at The Roundup and misses it because she enjoyed writing about individuals who aren’t very known and sharing the sides of athletes that aren’t shown in the media.

Even though she doesn’t get to write, her ideas are often used to assist her colleagues. Her coworker and reporter at ESPN, Edward Ashoff, said Moureaux always presents her team with ideas.

“She is definitely the one who runs the creativity switch in my brain,” Ashoff said. “She’s a go getter. She’s not afraid to keep going with her ideas no matter what you say which I think is a good trait.”

Ashoff said they started working together last year during the Rose Bowl, and have worked closely since December. Ashoff said Moureaux doesn’t feel like a coworker because it’s very easy to work with her.

Athletic Trainer Leonard Ramirez remembers Moureaux from her time at Pierce as a reporter and editorin-chief. He said Moureaux always tried to include as many people in the athletics department so that they could be recognized by the media.

“She was very social, coming in here and just talking to us. Sometimes, when we had 20 minutes before we had to go out and cover a game that she was going to cover, she’d come in here and just talk with us. Nothing so much as a story, just as a person,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez received an award titled “Friends of the Media Department.” Before Moureaux spoke to him during her time with the Roundup, Ramirez said that he hadn’t been acknowledged by the Pierce media.

Moureaux said that even if she wasn’t a journalist, she’d still be involved in sports. If she didn’t have a career focusing on sports, she said that he would entertain the idea of following a path that involved her love for baking.

She joked that she would make a career for herself as the “bake sale mom.”

“I bake all the time, it’s like my stress relief around the holidays. Even now, I just like to bake for people,” Moureaux said.

Moureaux said she has been encouraged by friends to open a bakery when she retires, and said she is keeping that idea in her back pocket. For now, she said she loves her job, and it hasn’t held her back from anything.

Moureaux said her only regret is not going to college straight out of high school, but that hasn’t affected her positivity or persistence.

“Everything happens for a reason, and I’m a big believer in that. You are what you’re supposed to be,” Moureaux said.

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Erick Saldago / Roundup

Pierce alumna and former Roundup editor-in-chief Megan Moureaux poses in Northdrige, Calif. on March 23, 2018.

ROSA ORTEGA Reporter @RosaGabOrtega

(as of 4/11)

Baseball Tennis

Preview: Tennis update:

After securing second place in conference and having their best regular season in years, Brahmas tennis has more reason for celebration as some will be competing in the Ojai State Tournament at the end of the month.

In singles, Gavin and Siraj Dail and Darvel Lossangoye have all advanced.

Gavin Dail is in the semifinal of the Western State Conference tournament, which continues on Friday. April 13.

The finals will be held at Ventura College on Friday, April 13. The finals for singles will begin at 11 a.m. and the doubles will start at 3 p.m.

In doubles teams, Gavin Dail and Lossangoye advanced to the Ojai State tournament on April 26. Siraj Dail and Daniel Garcia lost in the quarter finals.

Brahma of the Week

Cole Chea

Sport: Volleyball

Position: Opposite hitter

Class: Sophomore

High School: El Camino Real

20 kills against the Raiders in five-set win.

Two straight wins against the Mauraders and Raiders. How does it feel?

"It was very crucial. I'm really proud of the team. My only regret, we didn't finish it earlier."

Have you seen a huge improvement since you first started?

“I started a bit lazy. However, I have improved and I'm getting crucial points this season."

What are you looking forward to in the final two games of the regular season?

“If we go undefeated in conference, it will be the best feeling in the world."

What do you want the grey shirts to learn from this season?

"They always have to work hard and be the bigger person on the court."

Commitment pays off

Five baseball players named to Academic All-State team

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

Being a student athlete requires balancing school work and extracurriculars by doing homework and attending practice.

While that balance may be tough for some athletes, five baseball players were named on the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Academic All-State team.

Pitchers, Alexis Miranda and Kris Johansen made the team, while infielders Nick Pico, JJ Gonzalez and Will Picketts were awarded.

Head Coach Bill Picketts said that he wants to see all his players succeed.

“I talk to them at the beginning of the season and I tell them that my goal is to get them to the next level, and the easiest way for me doing that is academically,” Bill Picketts said. “Athletically, it is on them to see how better they get.”

Bill Picketts said that this has been the most players to have made the Academic State team. In his first year, he only had one player

make it.

Bill Picketts said that they don’t have study hall, so it falls majority on the players to catch up with their class assignments.

“At the next level, wherever they go, the coaches are going to

have them study as a team. I’m not full-time, so it’s hard for me, but I do make it a point,” Bill Picketts said. “Hopefully the freshman can get inspired to achieve it next year, but it is on them to make time for their academics.”

Bill Picketts said he has no issues with them missing practice if they let him know that they have a test or need to study.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Volleyball returns from Moorpark with win

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

The No. 7 Brahmas had to dig deep to beat the No. 9 Moorpark College Raiders in five sets in Friday’s conference game. With the win, the team improved their overall record to 9-6 and remain undefeated in conference, going 4-0. The Brahmas came into the

game after they got the win over Antelope Valley College in straight sets, while the Raiders lost to the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros in five sets.

Cole Chea led the game with 20 kills, followed by Morgan Wadlow who had 15.

Roese, who came into the game ranked second in the state in assists per set with 10.51, added 51 assists to his total. That number was matched by Sean Fitzpatrick for Moorpark.

The team won the first set 2523 and the second 25-20. When the Brahmas were on the verge of ending the game in straight sets, Moorpark pushed back and won the next two sets to tie the game at two. They won the third set 29-27 and the fourth 25-20.

In the fifth and final set, both teams went back and forth, and neither could close out victory after 15. The Brahmas would eventually get the upper hand and win the final set 20-18.

Jordan Moses led in kills for the Raiders with 22, followed by Bradley Freyder with 18. The Brahmas have two final regular season games before playoffs. They face Santa Barbara City College on Wednesday in which the winner will secure the conference title, before hitting the road on Friday when they face AVC. Both games start at 6 p.m.

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Shae Hammond/Roundup

Kris Johansen, JJ Gonzalez, Alexis Miranda, Nick Pico and Will Picketts sit in the dugout on Monday, Apr. 9 at Joe Kelly Field at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.