Volume 129 Fall 2018 Roundup Issue 5

The international language of dance

Thursday concert with Afrikasa takes the audience on a journey

NICK MARTINEZ Reporter @NickEsai

As the audience found their seats, all that lay before them were instruments and chairs, with no musicians too be seen. Seemingly from nowhere, a drum started beating, and then another, and almost immediately as if by natural instinct the crowd began clapping to the rhythm. From behind the curtain entered Afrikasa, one member at a time, each beating a lung drum.

The band consisted of 4 members, one bassist, one guitarist, and two drummers. After their intro song, one of the band members yelled out “Greetings everyone when someone says Akwaaba, it means welcome, so when I say Akwaaba, you say it back,” said Marwan Morgrabi, to which the audience shouted back at him.

It was from there that they transitioned into their first song, Dagomba, a piece about the common troubles of everyday life. None of the drummers missed a

Preview:

beat.

Transitioning into their next song Mother Africa, Marwan Morgrabi, one of the band members, once again reached out to the crowd, asking them who wanted to go to the jungles of Africa with them, to which the crowd cheered. The song was instrumental, but not lyricless, as with their drums they communicated a story, as to what can only be described by the band as “Drum Poetry.”

The song had a slow tempo throughout, but then the song began to speed up, to which impressive feats of percussion were displayed, leading to a dramatic finish.

After the song fellow member and Chief Swale began explaining their two main drums, the lung and gungon nu drum. Both originate from Northern Ghana and are used as a form of communication in that country.

“The Lung Drum is the one who speaks, while the gungon nu drum is the one who answers, Marwan Morgrabi said.

After which the group began to call up volunteers to dance during their next

song, Kente Dress dance. A total of 10 participants walked on stage, with Marwan Morgrabi, noting how this is the first time they have ever had more males than females come up to dance.

The song consisted of a solid percussion piece, now accompanied with a suiting dance routine.

When the song ended, the participating dancers returned to their seats, and the band began prepping for their final song, Afrikasa. This is also the bands nam, which translates to Africa speaks, Africa dances and Africa heals. After beginning to play, the band begins throwing instruments to audience members, encouraging them to come and play until the song came to an end.

“If you all are wondering, these instruments are all from home depot,”Kweku Anash said jokingly as the performance wrapped up.

The next concert will be held Thursday, Oct. 11, featuring jazz vocalist Karolina and Tom Rainer on jazz piano at the PAB Mainstage at 1 p.m.

Day of Politics returns to campus October 17

To Kaycea Campbell, the Department Chair of Political Science & Economics & Criminal Justice, the event acts as a way to spread more information about a wide range of political issues.

For many, being educated on the current political situation can be hard without the proper guidance or exposure. The upcoming Day of Politics event might be of interest.

First held back in 2011, Pierce College’s Day of Politics is an event held in the Great Hall on Oct. 17 where students can learn more about current political ongoings, usually within the state.

A major focus this year will be placed on Proposition 10 and Proposition 6, which deal with rent control and the possible repeal of the new gas tax respectively.

“It’s pretty much to expose students to a lot of different issues related to legislation, a lot of issues related to the political system, representatives and all of that stuff,” Campbell said. “So it is more of an information dissemination process.”

Denise Robb, an instructor of political sciences and one of the organizers of the event, hopes to provide students with a chance to meet with Californian political figures and get a better understanding of policies.

“We can’t cover them all because there’s so many of them and we can’t cover all the candidates but we do

have one of the candidates for the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the state of California.,” Robb Said. “We have both candidates running for State Assembly, including our own assemblyman, Jesse Gabriel, who is representing the district and running for reelection.”

Genesis Descua, one of the club presidents of Pierce Democrats, believes that because the upcoming election in November, there’s also been an extra emphasis on getting students to register to vote by clubs and staff.

Not only has the November election brought a shift in the focus for the Day of Politics, but it has also helped garner more attention for the event than it would have gotten beforehand, which may result in a larger turnout.

“Every year it takes a different theme,

and this particular year it’s fallen right in that period where we have a major election coming up,” Campbell said. “So there’s a lot of activity, there’s a lot of buzz, there’s a lot of supplemental stuff that’s happening. So I think that all of that is acting as a promotion for the event, I think that it will probably be one of the bigger ones in terms of drawing in the crowds this year,” Descua said. For those attending the event, political discussion isn’t the only thing to look forward to, as the University of California, Los Angeles, who often coproduce this event, will be providing pizza.

Unique Manns / Roundup

Chief Swale from the group Afrikasa, dances with students at the Thursday C oncert on the Performing Arts Building Mainstage on Oct. 4., 20 18, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Unique Manns / Roundup Marwan Morgrabi and Chief Swale from the group Afrikasa, performs in the Thursday Concert on the Performing Arts Building Mainstage on Oct. 4., 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Unique Manns / Roundup Emmanuel Amissah Allase Amis from the group Afrikasa, performs in the Thursday Concert on the Performing Arts Building Mainstage on Oct. 4., 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

A

However, this is not the first time that the institute has shown support for new mothers. In fact, CSUN offers lactation classes to promote the practice of healthy breastfeeding to its students, stressing the benefits for both mother and child.

But what about here at Pierce?

The student population may be less, 60 percent to that at CSUN, but if you extrapolate those numbers, an estimated 45 women could use safe lactation spaces. And that doesn’t take into account that, according to a study from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, more parents attend community college than four-year universities.

Regardless of wanting to provide a location for mothers, there is the issue that it is a Title IX violation to not provide such an area. And it’s not as though our campus lacks the space.

What about transitioning one of the many faculty offices to a lactation station or a space in the Health and Childhood Development Centers? The problem isn’t a lack of space or need. The problem is that these women time and time again get overlooked by not just their schools, but by their workplaces and many other public spaces,

-Corrections-

Front:

The page for the concert story featuring The String Family Players was incorrect.

Page 3 Campus Life:

The photo of the Hispanic Heritage Celebration was taken by David Tejada.

See any errors we missed? Email us at: newsroom.roundupnews@ gmail.com

s of fall 2018, the California State University of Northridge (CSUN) has installed four lactation stations across campus for breastfeeding women. Statistics from the university’s Institute for Community Health and Wellbeing website indicate that 62 women used the lactation centers in the 2016-17 year, which then grew to 75 the following, recording a total of 924 visits.and are left to breastfeed in dirty bathroom stalls.

These areas wouldn’t only be used for breastfeeding. The rooms could be used for mothers to pump the breast milk, and refrigerators provided to safely store the pumped milk.

According to the recommendations of the Mayo Clinic, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding is the best option for newborn babies. In their research, nutrition provided by breastmilk has been proven to significantly reduce the chances of newborns developing numerous health conditions such as respiratory issues, obesity and even Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

Everyone has the right to pursue a higher education while maintaining their health and the health of their families and children. Why not put aside a private space for our breastfeeding students to take care of themselves and their babies between classes?

Why not create a totally inclusive campus that promotes and provides students with ways to live healthy lives while pursuing an education? We can do better for our peers.

Work, more than a career

Many prospective students recognize Pierce as one of the top transfer colleges in LACCD. While a lot of programs focus on helping students reach long term transfer and career goals, there are not many resources that help students find work while attending classes.

The success of students goes beyond the four walls of a classroom and stretches out to the working world. Finding a job can be difficult on its own, but Pierce College can help speed along this process by becoming the bridge between local businesses and students.

According to a study done by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, over the past 25 years, more than 70 percent of college students work while also going to school.

There should be a place on campus that can connect Pierce students who want jobs with people in the Woodland Hills community looking to hire. Students should be able to go to one place to find all the information they need to get a job.

This can be done by having one place where local businesses can post about jobs available in the area. Additionally, students seeking part-time work would be more inclined to apply for jobs at businesses that are closer to campus because it would make getting to work from school much easier.

If there was a community board dedicated to legitimate job postings in the area, this could help students find jobs close to Pierce and develop professional relationships within the Woodland Hills community.

This also incentivizes people to attend Student Success Workshops pertaining to resume building and interviewing skills. Finding a job either part-time, or full-time can be a stressful. Pierce can play a role in making this process easier for students who are interested.

If there was a job board posted in the Associated Students Organization building, students would have one place to find work from local businesses around campus.

Local businesses can post job listings on the board on campus so that students who are seeking work can become aware of opportunities that they otherwise would not have access to.

Additionally, these businesses could post on a community Facebook page to inform students who are interested about jobs that are available in the area. Another idea is to have a frequent job fair located on the mall. The

fair would consist of different vendors and booths where students could gather additional information.

Another way to make students informed about employment opportunities is to post them on the schools website. In doing so, students would make it easy for

students to access these opportunities not only on campus, but online and at home as well.

Illustration by Daisy Rodriguez / Roundup

Photographers:

are not obscene or libelous and do not contain racial denigration. Writers are given the Sarah Rosenberg Abram Yousef David Tejada Alexander Moreno Unique Manns Abagail Hernandez Ian Felix Brianna Goodrich Sonya Miller Maja Losinska Andrew Susanto

Pia Haywood Maxwell King Wyce Mirzad Daisy Rodriguez

opportunity to revise unacceptable letters. The Pierce College Roundup will not publish, as letters, literary endeavors, publicity releases, poetry or other such materials as the Editorial Board deems not to be a letter. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. the Sunday prior to the issue date.

EDITORIAL

under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.

Artists:

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

Sexual assault prevention

SOFI MATZAGANIAN

Sexual assault and harassment have been dominating the news cycle the last several weeks.

Campuses are not immune to these types of behavior, which is why Performing Arts Department Chair Michael Gend presented a proposal to support recommendations developed by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Academic Senate on Oct. 8 discussed the report on sexual harassment, which provided guidelines to prevent mistreatment of women.

Sexual harassment is an issue covered in Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, and since then, it has remained just as prevalent of an issue especially in the workplace.

“All that we do every year is really just a mechanism for compliance,”

Gend said. “And compliance is the same as prevention and to improve transparency and accountability.”

Gend also spoke about a specific incident that took place at Pierce College where a performing arts student was sexually harassed by a teacher. He said there is only one investigator for the entire district that looks into these harassment cases specifically. It was for this reason that the student had given up on her case being investigated properly.

Until the investigation of a case is completed nothing happens for the student, Gend said. In addition, teachers feel as if there is nothing they can do in terms of Title IX because the situations must be investigated individually.

However, even though some professors and department chairs faced difficulty dealing with specific cases, Denise Robb, an instructor of political science, spoke about a situation where she was able to resolve the issue quite smoothly.

“We have a Title IX coordinator and we took care of it within 24 hours,” Robb said. “I think it was addressed pretty well.”

A similar topic mentioned in the discussion is that there is no policy that prevents teachers from engaging in a sexual relationship with a student so long as the student is not currently enrolled in one of their classes.

The floor then turned to Cara Gillis who is a member of the ethics committee. Gillis shared with the senate what exact protocol is in place when it comes to a student engaging in sexual conduct with a teacher.

“The code of ethics already has really extensive language about how one ought to approach and engage with their students,” Gillis said.

“There is no specific prohibition against sexual conduct.”

The topic of sexual assault is something that is being had on campus by faculty and students.

LACCD’s current solution is to bring awareness to sexual assault and its prevention through the mandatory online learning module released in September.

The senate plans to vote on the proposal on Oct. 22 in the next meeting. smatzaganian.roundupnews@gmail.com

Designated lactation space needed

Missing facilities for women appears to be in violation of Title IX

ALEXIS CANELO Reporter @alexiscanelo_

Pierce College does not have an authorized place for students, faculty or staff to express or store breast milk, which makes Pierce appear to be out of regulation under Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972.

Lactating mothers who double as students are entitled to a designated room to express and store breast milk under Title IX.

Title IX states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” These protections extend to lactating women.

Benne has allowed women, including faculty, to pump breast milk in empty exam rooms of the Student Health Services building. However, Benne said it is neither appropriate nor safe.

“I feel bad that they don’t have a room,” Benne said. “This is our student health center. It’s not supposed to be for faculty and staff, but I also don’t have any desire to have them pump in a bathroom, if that’s their only recourse. I let them, though they understand that if there’s an emergency and I need the room I’m going to have to interrupt and they’ll have to go elsewhere.”

Since the exam rooms at the

DANIELLE PADILLA News Editor @dcxpadilla

Students who have been at Pierce for more than a year remember the era of math and English placement tests.

Now, Assembly Bill 705 takes away the power standardized placement tests have over incoming students. Instead, students will be placed in transfer-level math and English classes based on new criteria.

The bill was enacted on Jan. 1, 2018 and requires California community colleges to allow students the opportunity to enter into transfer-level English and math courses within a one-year time frame. The placement of students in these classes will be based on high school GPA, coursework history and grades received.

This method is based on a local version of the Multiple Measures Assessment Project, which has been around for a year, factors in one’s high school academic history when being placed into transfer-level classes.

Some students are probably more familiar with the more dated version of English and math placement, which was through a test before one’s first semester at Pierce. Since it was a standardized test, students were often misplaced in course levels that didn’t match their capabilities.

“Placement tests are not

Health Center are not designed specifically for breastfeeding, the area is not an ideal spot to express and store milk.

“We’re a little bit better than a bathroom, but I can’t guarantee that there aren’t lingering bacterial

particles and viral particles in the exam rooms,” Benne said. “We clean once a day in the morning and then we wipe down everything in the evening when we close,” Benne said. Benne said the liability is too

high for an infant’s milk to be stored in a non-regulated environment. The Student Health Center is not equipped to store infant’s milk.

“In the temperature controlled refrigerator that I have, that’s for my vaccines,” Benne said. “The liability is too bad, it’s too high for an infant’s milk to be stored in a non-regulated environment.”

In addition to not having a proper place to express milk, Pierce also doesn’t have a safe environment to store the milk.

Senior Office Assistant of the Child Development Center Jacqueline Pacheco believes it would be convenient if there were multiple areas students could safely breastfeed, pump or store milk.

“We do have sort of a large campus where it does take some time to walk across, to and from each of the sides of the campus,” Pacheco said. “Maybe they have somewhere to be, if they have to go drop off their child and go to a class right away. It does create an inconvenience if there’s just one area,” Pacheco said.

Jessica Escoto, a nursing major and mother, believes the lactation rooms should be implemented because it could help mothers on campus. Years ago when Escoto was breastfeeding she would have to find a quiet place to cover herself with a blanket.

“I think moms should have a place to feel safe,” Escoto said. “Nowadays people see it as sexualized if you do it out in public.”

Rundown Brahma Blotter

These incidents were reported between Sept. 30 - Oct. 6

Reported by: Danielle Padilla

09/30

• Trespassing

A male was contacted by officers for trespassing and was escorted off the campus.

10/1

•Trespassing

Four males were warned and advised the cross country area is closed to the public.

10/1

•Petty Theft

Two backpacks were stolen outside of the therapy room in the South Gym.

10/1

•Student Injury

indicating a level of intelligence in any respect,” Multiple Subject Tutor Lindsey Lazo said. “I think that’s a newer thing that we’ve been really discovering in this last decade. It is that standardized tests aren’t accurate to people’s capabilities and that’s why they switched from looking at these assessments to looking at high school GPA and what they call the Multiple Measures Assessment Project.”

Placement tests and testing are not always indicative to one’s level of learning and create problems for students placed in longer english and math sequences.

For example, if a student was placed in English 21 due to their placement test result, it would take them an entire school year to reach a transfer-level English course. This lengthened sequence oftentimes keeps students from reaching their educational goals because of the persistence it takes to reach a transfer-level course.

“The theory is that you are allowing more students access to transfer-level courses and therefore completion rates will be higher,” said Math Department Chair Eddie Tchertchian.

AB 705 examined completion rates from past years to see how students react to longer course sequences.

Crystal Kiekel, the director for the Center for Academic Success, said that the reason for the legislation is because it aims to help students with pathways success versus course success.

When students pass a course that is course success, but when students complete the English course sequence, this is pathway success.

Kiekel also said that an important piece of data to look at when talking about AB 705 are the demographics of students who are placed into below transfer-level courses.

“We’re talking about a system that’s going to disproportionality place our most underserved in this system form which they never escape” Kiekel said.

The process of students being placed in courses below transferlevel and finding pathway success in English and math sequences is part of the AB 705.

“We would be doubling our success rate by just putting them into English 101,” Kiekel said. “The state legislatures looked at the current system and lot of evidence from across the country, and they were like this is unethical.”

One of the concerns that is brought up with AB 705 is if students are adequately equipped to handle starting in transfer-level English and math courses.

“Implementing AB 705 could be difficult and daunting class for math and English faculty because we need to ensure the students get the proper support,” Tchertchian said.

While students start in a transferlevel English or math course, this does not mean every student will be successful.

“The main thing we have to do is prepare for students who are coming into English 101 who might have

traditionally placed into English 21 or 28 and offer them services that will enable them to succeed,” said English Department Chair, Brad Saenz.

Whether students have not taken an English/math class in years or barely passed the course the first time, faculty are looking for ways to help students.

An important resource that will aid in the transition to AB 705 compliant courses would be the help from support lab classes and embedded tutors.

Potentially having embedded tutors in all transfer-level math and English classes could assist students find the help they need to reach course success. Also, support lab class could help students receive the extra help they may feel they need to pass the class.

Pierce is still trying to figure out a way to properly help students succeed with AB 705.

Tchertchian said the math department has weekly team meeting with 15 volunteer faculty members from the department who are still trying to develop a plan for AB 705.

Conversely, the English department is constructing a tentative three-level plan that includes a presemster workshop, more coordination with embedded tutors and a support lab class.

The savings on the metro bus go round and round Metro University Pass, which was once exclusive to students, may soon be available to staff

SOFI MATZAGANIAN

Campus Life Editor

@sofimatz

The University Pass system, which has found student success, will soon extend to staff, making public transportation more affordable.

U-Pass is a metro card that lowers the cost per ride. The plan is to eventually include staff and the general public. Metro passes can cost nearly $1,000 a year, however with U-Pass, students and eventually faculty will be able to buy a bus pass for only $195.

students, all that is needed to qualify for the the U-Pass program is enrollment in classes at Pierce College. Once students purchase the pass, they will receive a sticker that has smart chip technology, which they will place on their student I.D.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY Danielle Padilla/Roundup

The

U-Pass

community.

daily basis. If U-Pass was available to faculty and staff it would help reduce the amount of money spent on public transportation.

According to Administrative Analyst Brian Silk they are working on a new program with Metro for a U-Pass for the staff, and eventually want to offer this to the community as well.

According to Silk, there is no minimum number of participants for the U-Pass program to be available to the staff. At maximum, the price will be $50 per month per employee.

Additionally, these fees will be charged according to the number of trips an individual makes. With the pass, each ride will cost a staff member a discounted amount of about $1.40.

Pierce Bookstore Assistant Manager of the Bookstore Candy Van said they hope to make the store a place where the public can buy their metro cards. “We are working to get it for

A student cut his knee at the Center for Sciences and paramedics transported him to the hospital.

10/2

•Vandalism

A door knob was broken off a door at the Earth Sciences building.

10/2

•Hit and Run

A student reported that her vehicle was hit in Parking Lot 1.

10/3

•Verbal Altercation

Two students had an arguement in the South Gym.

10/3

•Trespassing

Someone was warned and advised that the cross country area is closed to the public.

the entire community,” Van said.

“We’re interested in signing a contract to be the authorized seller of the bus passes.”

Students can purchase a pass by going to the school’s website, taking a survey and bringing in proof of completion of the survey to the Bookstore. After approval from the store, the student can then get the smart chip sticker.

U-Pass has been available to students for the last two years, and is currently being made possible for not only the staff, but the general public as well.

Van said she would eventually want the student store to be able to sell passes to everyone outside of the Pierce community. This will make it possible for members of the general community to come to the Bookstore and purchase a metro pass for themselves, thus benefiting from the discount as well.

10/3

•Traffic Collision

No one was injured in a the two-vehicle traffic collision near the stadium.

10/4

•Verbal Altercation and Battery

A male and female were fighting in Parking Lot 7.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station General Information: Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Marc Dionne/Roundup

California State University Northridge already has lactation rooms available for students, faculty and staff.

[for the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

On a stage of his own

Adjunct professor brings the laughs to the classroom

BLAKE WILLIAMS Reporter @BlakeMWilliams_

Have you ever thought about why we do the things we do? Adjunct Professor of humanities Michael Schuster often thinks about these things.

“The fi rst time that somebody used the middle finger to insult somebody, how would they know that it was an insult,” Schuster said. “You show them your middle finger and they’re like, and what am I supposed to do with that? And you’re like, you’re insulted, deal with that.”

Schuster has been teaching humanities at Pierce for three years now. He also writes and performs as a comedian and actor.

While those professions sound very different at fi rst thought, Schuster has noticed an overlap in all of them.

“They’re all performative,” Schuster said. “I think that you need to be engaging. You need to read the room, you need to communicate succinctly and need to be able to talk in front of people and not freak out.”

There are also similar moments in teaching and performing when you do something right and you realize that it was received well.

“I think there’s ah-ha moments when you teach students, almost like with that for the comedy crowd, when something hits and you can feel it,” Schuster said.

Schuster never wants his classes to become repetitive or boring. He said his fear is becoming boring. He always looks for new ways to present the lecture material to make it relevant and entertaining for the students.

Pierce nursing student Diana Rivera described his class as

informative while also saying he does a great job of keeping the class fun.

“His quotes that he says are just hilarious,” Rivera said. “He makes us laugh all the time.”

Performing is never without nerves, though. He always tries to keep his classes and routine fresh but there is always a fear that it falls flat.

“I still get a little bit nervous the fi rst day of teaching,” Schuster

said. “The fi rst day of the semester there’s a certain excitement, kind of like an opening night.”

But for him, teaching isn’t as nerve wracking as performing a comedy routine or acting on stage.

“Hopefully no teachers have ever been booed or heckled midlecture,” Schuster said. “That would be terrible. That could definitely happen in front of strangers that you don’t have to grade.”

Schuster knew he wanted to be

a writer since he was in junior high school. While at San Francisco State University, he got a bachelor’s degree in English.

During his time there, he found his passion for comedy, acting and his interest in American studies, which is a subset of humanities. He then decided to get his master’s degree in humanities. It wasn’t a smooth path through school for him though. He dropped out of college a few times before

realizing he wanted to get a degree.

“That’s a good lesson for the students,” Schuster said. “I’m not the best example because I quit school like two or three times and was like, I don’t need this. Then I eventually realized that jobs out there are not the best without a degree.”

When he was fi rst interviewed for his job at Pierce, Department Chair James McKeever could tell he would be a great fit to teach at Pierce.

“He had this really down to earth kind of feel and approach to him that I thought would resonate really well with students,” McKeever said. “He seems to have really good rapport with them and you know, he’s funny.”

McKeever said Schuster is an excellent teacher who does everything that is asked of him while he always seems to be full of energy.

“He really loves what he’s doing,” McKeever said. “He just really seems to love teaching.”

That passion for teaching translates into motivation to be the best teacher and entertainer he can be.

“I think you want to be as entertaining and as inspiring as your LeBron’s,” Schuster said. “I think we all aspire to be the LeBron of teaching in some way.”

While teaching, comedy, acting, and writing take up most of his time, Schuster enjoys going to see a movie and discovering new music. He also plays on a co-ed softball team in Burbank.

As a writer, he works on producing scripts for television that he hopes will get picked up one day.

“It’d be nice to have something developed, something picked up,” Schuster said. “If you could hook onto a show, if you could make working in Hollywood seem like a nine to five, that kind of steady work would be a nice dream.”

Until that day comes, Schuster will continue to ponder why we do the things we do.

“I’m supposed to be insulted because you just showed me a finger,” Schuster said. “What if I wave 10 fingers at you, what do you think of that? And you’re like, no that doesn’t work. That’s jazz hands, that means nothing. The middle finger is something.”

Anny is OK, and she’ll make sure you are too

New counseling hire brings years of experience from other campuses with her

KENDALL SHANNON Reporter @The_Valley_Life

Students can encounter many obstacles when trying to get help with their college career. Pierce College has hired Ahn “Anny” Ho to be a part of its counseling staff.

A month and a half ago, Ho, was chosen by a committee including Pierce College’s Vice President to be a counselor. Ho has a cheerful attitude and finds her passion in helping students go the distance to their college goals.

Ho makes the most out of every chance she gets when talking with students.

“I love helping the students and that’s where I’m willing to go, a lot of the time, the extra mile for students because I really believe that every single interaction you have with the student is kind of like an opportunity,” said Ho. “It’s an opportunity for me to make a great connection with the student and really help them”

Ho adds that because students don’t get the needed support from counselors, it can lead to them feeling discouraged when getting into to their preferred school.

“I think it’s access for students to go to college and for students to go to where they want to go. A lot of the time students think because of either my income, because of my family history, or because of these obstacles, I can’t go do this,” said Ho. “And that’s where my passion is to be ‘You could do whatever you want to do but you have to believe in yourself. And really give them that support and remind them. It’s not easy, but they can do it if they put in the work.”

Before Ho was a counselor she enjoyed the study of English until she changed her path.

“I got my undergraduate degree

in English. I originally wanted to be an English teacher and then when I realized when I was in the high schools,” said Ho. “I was like, ‘Wow, I totally want to counsel.’ I want to spend most of my time doing that. I went to Cal State Long Beach and I got my master’s in counseling.”

Ho is new to the district but is well experienced from previous counseling positions at Orange Coast College, Cypress College, and Golden West College.

“I come from Orange County, so I’m more familiar with that area, but now I’m getting familiar over here. Also I have taught the summer bridge program for the counseling 40 class,” said Ho.

Alyce Miller, counseling chair, shared the committee, in which she is a part of, chose Ho for multiple reasons.

“We all felt that she was someone that was qualified to move forward. she had the skills, ability, and they do a presentation also during the interview process as well. And she was strong in all areas in the interview,” said Miller.

Ho already has plans to help better the counseling unit as a whole because of her already prior knowledge in other specialties like stem majors.

“I’m really interested in stem. I used to be a stem counselor,” said Ho. “I used to do a huge variety of experience, but I’m very passionate about stem. I’m hoping to really increase stem and make sure students are more involved other than just academics. Getting into research, networking, internships.”

Ho believes the step to helping the unit more begins with getting accustomed to Pierce College and continuing from that basis.

“I want to get adapted to pierce and start understanding the resources, the community, things like that. And then start looking into, what is the need. Like I noticed that I was talking

to another counselor and I asked hey is there a stem program here on campus?”

Ho is happy with the new position she has as a counselor and has already taken a liking to her coworkers.

“I love it. Oh my gosh, everyone here is so nice,” said Ho. “Not that I’m not used to it, but it’s really nice to be a brand new person coming in and having a team that’s super welcoming.”

Student Worker David Kashanirokh praised Ho’s work as a counselor and had nothing bad to say.

“Working with her has been good. she seemed qualified from when I talked to her. Most of the people who come ask her questions are usually pretty satisfied. I look forward to working with her in the future,” said Kashanirokh

Outside of counseling Ho enjoys finding new places to eat but has a different-than-most sense of taste in her food choices.

“I like to eat. I like to Yelp a lot. Like I love food. So if anyone ever has food recommendations, I’m always taking it because I like to try new restaurants,” said Ho. “Even though I love to eat like a love to eat, I kind of selective on what I like. Like I’ll try everything but I’ll immediately know what I like and what I don’t like. And I don’t like chocolate. Like I don’t like chocolate at all. Like I’ll try it every couple of years and it just does not taste good to me.”

Miller said having Ho on the counseling staff has allowed the counseling office to offer more services to students.

“Glad to have additional faculty to help serve the students it helps to have more appointments and availability to students where as before sometimes they wouldn’t have that access.”

Natalie Miranda/ Roundup

Adjunct humanities professor Michael Schuster talks about his career as a comedian in his office at Pierce College while holding a microphone on Oct. 8, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif. Schuster has been in the sketch and standup comedy scene in Los Angeles for 15 years.

A major fair at the Great Hall

Representatives from different departments help students pursue their dreams

CAMERON KERN Campus Life Editor @ckernroundup

The great hall may not seem special, but for some students last week it may have been a place that changed their futures.

That's because it hosted the Meet Your Major Fair Thursday.

The Fair provided students–decided on a major or not–with a chance to maximize the Pierce College experience with knowledge of many programs and majors available to them on campus.

Students were able to talk to faculty members, counselors and representatives from dozens of departments available to students at Pierce inside the Great Hall from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Margarita Pillado, an adjunct spanish professor and representative of the modern languages department, was one of the many teachers responding to students and taking part in the fair. Pillado spoke on the beneficial aspects of having faculty members from every department readily available in one room.

“Students who are already deciding on a major could discover

Preview:

that they can create synergies with different departments,” Pillado said.

“We have all sorts of different programs. Students sometimes don't realize the entire scope of what's out there and to just have better vision is very important.”

-Dale Fields Chairman, Physics Dept.

Many of the departments brought props or visual aids as a way to provide students with a tangible look at the area of study and what it has to offer.

Chairman of the Physics Department Dale Fields had a globe displayed with specific coordinates surrounding it. He spoke on how new information can inspire students to take up a career path they weren’t expecting.

“I think it gives us an opportunity to talk to people who maybe don't know yet as to what they are going to do and to get people to think

‘I didn't even know this was a possibility.’ Just give people more information so they can make the best choices,” Fields said.

As a representative of the STEM

To the planetarium and beyond

Astronomy program hosts first sightseeing show of the semester

ALEXIS CANELO Reporter @alexiscanelo_

“You wanna know what the sky looked like on your birthday?” Professor Dale Fields asked. Experience the cosmos from the comfort of a chair at the first planetarium showing of the semester.

The first showing will be held Wednesday, Oct. 17 in the Center for the Sciences.

Dale Fields, an astronomy professor and discipline advisor, will be hosting the event from 4 -6 p.m. Doors open at 3:45 pm and seating is first come, first serve.

Fields hosts the event twice a semester at different times to reach the widest range of students. He can answer questions ranging from, “Was that a UFO?” to “What did the sky look like on my birthday?”

“Every semester we try to do at least two planetary shows that are open and free to everyone. I try to do them on different days, because we want to reach the greatest number of people and show them some of the coolness that actually happens out there,” Fields said.

The six projectors in the

your major?

planetarium allow one to experience the stars, in a completely unique way.

“It is a thing where we can project the sky up onto the inside of this dome and give you a sense of flying through space itself, visiting different planets, visiting different parts of our galaxy, going out past our galaxy into the intergalactic space that’s there at the extent of the cosmic microwave background. All these are different places we can go with our planetarium,” Fields said.

Fields limits his time on a prepared presentation in order to answer students’ questions.

“Astronomy is one of those amazing sciences where people are interested. People want to know what’s going on with space. Even if it doesn't seem to directly affect them, people still want to know and so I want to really honor that. I want to reach out to them and help answer their questions.

Like, the UFO that was in the sky last night was actually a SpaceX launch and so maybe people want to know what goes on with that, how can they tell what’s going on and happening in the sky,” Fields said.

Cindy Leon, a pre-vet major,

heard about the planetarium showing last semester, but was unable to attend.

“I had school, job, classes, things, you know life happens. It seems cool. It seems cool to be able to come.” Leon said

Amir Ranjaber, a kinesiology major, believes the event may attract students to the field of astronomy.

“I think it’s nice, because those that are actually in that field and major it can be helpful to them. It can also pull other people towards that major,” Ranjaber said.

Hamed Seyyedi, a biology major and first-year student, has never been to the astronomy building, but is interested in the event.

“I want to be there. For my first time, it should be interesting, because I’ve never been in this case,” Seyyedi said.

Wednesday’s event will be held at the Center for the Sciences. Seating is limited and doors open at 3:45 pm. The next planetarium showing will be held Dec. 7 from 5- 7 pm.

acanelo.roundupnews@gmail.com

“Ipickedmymajorbecause sinceIwasakidIalwaysloved workingwithanimals.Iknew itwassomethingIsawinthe future.”

-JazminLozano Pre-VeterinaryMedicine

“Iwanttohelppeoplein general.Youʼreabletofeel betteraboutyourselfbecause knowingthatyouarehelping otherpeoplemakesyoufeel better.

-IsaacLim Nursing

(Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program, Fields believes that Pierce has one of the better STEM programs found in the valley. “I think Pierce offers the best

Preview:

STEM education of any school in the area. It surpasses any other programs in the community college system. I’m really proud to come in and work here,” Fields said.

Students who have a general idea of what major they would like to pursue can benefit from attending events like this in order to gain a more in depth knowledge of the field itself.

Chet Senarathme knows he is interested in the STEM program but isn’t quite sure as to what facet specifically. Senarathme spoke with Fields on the science program. He learned a great deal from Fields on what he can do with a STEM degree and now has an idea of what he wants to do in his future.

“My interest was STEM from the start. But I didn't know whether I’d go into medical or engineering. But after talking with him (Dale Fields) he showed me that chemistry is a big part of STEM and I enjoy chemistry. So if I can go into Med School with chemistry, I definitely would,” Senarathme said.

Fields said he hopes students benefit from all that Pierce has to offer.

“We have all sorts of different programs. Students sometimes don't realize the entire scope of what's out there and to just have better vision is very important,” Fields said.

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One Book One Campus One Discussion

Pierce College selects graphic novel for their annual summit

KENDALL SHANNON Reporter @The_Valley_Life

Pierce College continues its annual One Book One Campus program and it’s relating Summit coming Oct. 29, highlighting “The Race to Incarcerate” by Marc Mauer, Pierce’s selected book for the program.

Through the One Book One Campus program, Pierce College librarians select one book for Pierce to focus on. This leads to multiple teachers collaboratively teaching on one book through multiple subjects.

Pierce College Librarian Mario Macias said that once a book for the academic year is chosen, many professors may include it in their curriculum, hopefully sparking a campus-wide conversation about one book.

One Book One Campus is an annual program that started three years ago through Lisa Valdez, an outreach librarian. Valdez began the program to bring to surface what is happening in our current society.

“We do it to just raise awareness about different things going on in society and also to give students an outlet to or even opportunities to advocate for something.” said Valdez.

Some teachers have used the

book in the previous years as their whole curriculum. Theatre Professor Michael Gend, created a play for Pierce based on Malala, the book 2016-2017 book choice.

“She created a script of a kind of the key points of the book and created it into a more theatrical performance where we had students play various world leaders. And we had one student claim Malala.”, said Gend. “There was our music ensemble of vocalists in our choir and our instrumentalists. And we commissioned a composer to write a completely new piece of music that was completely inspired by the book.”

Gend said the book was easy to incorporate into the syllabus and including the book in its syllabus brought the campus together.

“I think what it did was help the campus as a whole to create a kind of awareness of different programs because there were a lot of students that came to watch that concert.” said Gend. “We performed it over two nights and there were students that don't normally come to theater or music events at all.”

The Unlocking Justice Summit event will be taking place on Oct. 12 in the Great Hall from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is centered around The Race to Incarcerate and will host keynote speaker and UC Berkeley

“I felt like there was a lot ofopportunities.Mydad isabusinessguysoIʼve beenarounditalmostmy entirelifesoIjustfeltlike it was a natural transition”

-Andrew Licona

Business

student Aaron Harvey, who was previously wrongfully incarcerated. According to Valdez, he's going to be coming back to talk about gang documentation and how people are being stereotyped and profiled for certain crimes. He will then talk about his experience in the system and how he was railroaded because he actually won his case.

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“I love the communication partofitand communicatingwithpeople andbeingontheradioand stuff.Ilovebeingoutthere intheworldandlearning about one another and justbeingapartofit.”

“Ipickedmymajor becauseduringhighschool Itookfouryearsofvideo productionwithmyteacher and we also to conventions and workshopsinSanFranciscoand Texas.”

-Jasmine Melendez Film

-Jake Solorzano Broadcast Journalism

Smith makes sure students sign up for the

College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Danielle Padilla/ Roundup Denisse Aguillon holds a copy of "Race to Incarcerate" at the Library/ Learning Crossroads at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

No life like the farm life

The Pierce College campus is the only community college in the surrounding area that has a farm. Courses taught on the farm allow students to learn and to gain hands-on experience applicable to real-life situations.

There are different animal units on the farm that house sheep, goats, cows and chickens.

The purpose of these classes are to teach students how to feed, clean and maintain the farm and its animals.

According to the course description, Animal Science 596, the agricultural enterprise projects course is a lab opportunity for students that “involves planning, developing and completing an individual or group animal or crop production project under the guidance of a faculty advisor on the College farm.”

Photos and Copy by Natalie Miranda

Top: Daniel Okadd, a large animal nursing student, pets a goat while doing a check-up at the Pierce College Farm on Oct. 2, 2018, in Woodlannd Hills, Calif.

Middle Top : A donkey looks over the fence at the Pierce College Farm on Oct. 5, 2018.

Middle Bottom: (L-R) Maria Duarte and Elisabeth Abreu, animal science students, take care of the sheep on the Pierce College Farm.

Bottom Right: An overview of the barn at the Pierce College Farm.

Bottom Left: Natalie Albizo sits in the sheep unit at the Pierce College Farm with Cookie, one of the sheep.

The Meech shall intercept the Earth

Cornerback Dimetri King leads the conference in INTs and the the Brahmas D on the field

ARIELLE ZOLEZZI News Editor @ArielleZolezzi

What matters more, a leader on the stat sheet, or a leader on the field? Why not both?

Dimetri King came from Orlando, Florida to play football at Pierce College in hopes to have a better chance at getting into a good university and moving up in his football career. Having played football since he was 6 years old, King landed with a suitcase full of determination and dedication.

“I come from a city where a lot of people don’t make it,” King said. “I’m not the tallest, I’m not the biggest, I’m not the fastest, but it’s all about how much heart you have.”

When King arrived at Pierce last year, he switched out of his usual role of safety to try a new position as a corner. King feels that he has grown to love the position and that it has helped him become a more versatile player.

Coming into his sophomore year, King stepped into the leadership role, with the support of his teammates.

King says he comes to the field with the intentions of lifting his teammates up and helping them reach their full potential as well as fulfilling his own.

“Getting everybody on the same page is important so we can click as a team,” King said. “I’m just trying to be that leader each and everyday from when I wake up until I fall asleep.”

Last season, King had zero interceptions. This motivated him to kick it up a notch. This year, King leads the American - Pacific Conference with four interceptions through five games.

“Effort will take you a long way,” King said. “It’s truly about how much heart you put into each down, until the clock hits triple zero.”

It is important for student

Season Preview:

athletes like King to have an adult that they can not only lean on, but relate to in some way so that they can receive guidance with open arms and ears. King had previously heard of the new corner coach Gerald Bowman before he arrived to Pierce. He learned of his accolades from USC football, coming from Pierce himself.

“He just coaches me different, something about him you can tell he knows what he’s doing and I have developed from him,” King said. “He has taught me a lot as a person both on the field and off the field, a huge impact in my life and I thank him for that.”

King explained that Bowman

coaches him in a USC styled structure grooming him for the Division 1 level of football. He thinks that this has given him a great insight to what to prepare for and expect for the years to come; while at the same time strengthening his leadership skills by having a good example.

From the moment that he came to Pierce to coach, Bowman recognized that King was one of the stand out players and that he was a leader. This a catalyst that formed a bond from day one of meeting each other.

“He has always been respectful and coming to work, that’s all a coach really wants,” Bowman said. “I had people like myself to be there for me when I was playing and it

Water Polo ready to hit the pool

Brahmas still in search of first set, 0-4 on the season

Volleyball home opener

Brahmas still in search of first set, 0-4 on season

EZZAT WANNAS Reporter @EzzatWanas

Women’s volleyball is still searching for its first win of the season after losing in straight sets to Citrus College.

The Brahmas lost the first and third sets 25-15 and the second 25-13.

With the loss, the Brahmas drop to 0-4, last in the Western State - East Conference.

Head coach Edison Zhou said that at the beginning of this game, they were 50-50 to win the game, but co-captain Rachel Wiley was ill.

“When the captain is sick, everyone else can be nervous,” Zhou said.

Despite being under the weather, Wiley led the Brahmas with seven kills, followed by Keturah Scott with six and Catelynn Pulido with five.

For Citrus, Gina Lipscomb led the team with 14 kills.

Zhou said that they are going to prepare everyone to become leaders on the court.

“When the first leader is sick the second one can lead and so the rest. To gain a progress to our team, we need to focus in the hitting, serving is good, passing is good, blocking

over time will be good,” Zhou said.

Zhou said they need to improve on talking with each other during games and that they must enjoy playing the sport they are involved in.

“When we have a hard time we need to communicate, giving hand to our teammates,” Zhou said. “Try to play happy volleyball, enjoy playing and when you are in the volleyball court show your friends and your parents your happy face.”

Assistant coach Meaghan Wheeler said that every match is a learning experience.

“We are continuing to learn in each match, each point, and think how to learn from our mistakes,” Wheeler said.

Wiley said she felt better so she played against Citrus.

“When you lead your team, it is not just individual effort it is a team effort, and I think if everyone have the effort to put into the game we will win and succeed. “We need to “learn from what we did and keep building and make less errors,” Wiley said.

The Brahmas are back on the court on Oct. 12, when they host Victor Valley College at 6 p.m.

ewannas.roundupnews@gmail.com

NICK MARTINEZ Reporter

@NickEsai

After playing two back-to-back games at the preseason tournament at LA Valley College, water polo shifts gear as they get ready for their season opener.

Unlike other fall sports at Pierce, water polo typically begins practicing when the semester starts, as opposed to in the summer.

Head Coach Judi Terhar believes that this has been a usual problem she faces every year, but now they finally get the head start they need.

“We have had water polo here at Pierce for quite some time now, but when Moriah Van Norman became athletic director she immediately got us in a position to have a summer water polo program so we could be prepared for the season and we have never had that before,” Terhar said.

“Our first game is a week or two [after school starts] which is impossible to even assemble a team, let alone start practicing and getting them in shape,” Terhar said.

Last year the team finished 0-7. Terhar believes that

implementing the summer practices has already has had positive effects all around.

“We have a more committed team,” Terhar said. “Students don’t miss a practice, they are here everyday and we are growing as a team together, and that is all I can ask for.”

Returning player and team captain Cassidy Hoffman has grown confident since the summer practices were implemented.

“In the summer we had practice for an hour and a half every night, and I think that’s how we got some of the girls on the team this season, and this made me really hopeful, especially for the new girls as it was a way to learn more about the sport before the season usually starts,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman said that the new faces are committed and are excited to get started.

“Last year we had less players and even now we still don’t have a large team but we definitely have more players that are more enthused with the sport as compared to the previous season.” Hoffman said that there is a

different vibe in the program.

“Overall this year I feel a lot better with our team, Everyone is definitely more dedicated, everyone is showing up to practice, and through that we have had more productive practices,” Hoffman said. “We are all working a lot harder during our practices so that everything goes smoothly for our next game.”

Van Norman believes that the team has a solid foundation for its upcoming season.

“I’m excited about the season, I think that coach Judi do a great job of building the whole student not just a water polo player,” Van Norman said. “I think it’s really important that were all mindful that as educators that we are helping students along their journey wherever that journey is and water polo is one part of that.”

The water polo team will have their first game on Oct. 10 at Citrus College against the Owls.

Their only home game will be against the Santa Monica College Corsairs on Oct. 17 at 3:30 p.m.

brought something out of me that I see is doing the same thing for him.”

Head coach Carlos Woods also attested to the fact that King is one of those players that comes out to give their all and helps guide his team in a successful path.

“He gives you everything you want in terms of being a great leader, being an effective communicator, he gives a 110 percent into everything that he does and it shows,” Woods said. “He’s gonna give you his best effort, so whoever comes in and gives him a big time offer is going to get a great return on their investment.”

azolezzi.roundupnews@gmail.com

Alex Moreno / Roundup

Azin Vazirizadeh practices for her next water polo game at Pierce College Oct. 5, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Unique Manns / Roundup

Dimetri King on the field in the first game of the season against Mt. San Jacinto College Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 1 2018.

Samantha Bravo/ Roundup

Keturah Scott tries to spike the ball during a game against Citrus College on Oct 13, 2018, at the Pierce Colleg South Gym, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Eyes on her goals

Iliana Yanez plays the field and keeper for Brahmas soccer

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

In soccer, a player must be ready for the moment the coach asks her to go into the game.

It’s no exception for Brahmas soccer as goalkeeper Iliana Yanez who had to fill in not only playing in goal, but also as a midfielder.

The soccer team has been struggling with injuries. Goalkeeper Madison Holland and midfielder

Irene Reyes are out for the rest of the season with torn ACL’s.

Yanez said that she has played in goal the majority of the time, but had to step up in a different role due to the lack of players.

“I pretty much played goalie my whole life. I’ll play on the field here and there when we were winning or if they needed me because of injuries,” Yanez said. “But being a goalkeeper is what I have been drawn to since I was little.”

Yanez mentioned the difference in playing both positions.

“I have to be focused. It’s an amazing feeling, but at the same time everything that you do is on a magnifying glass. If you make one mistake, it can cost everything,” Yanez said. “If you are on the field, for me it is fun because I don’t play on the field as much. I just give it my all. It is a little less pressure, but I still do my best.”

Yanez grew up around the sport. Most of her siblings played soccer and her parents were supportive of her going to all her games.

Yanez was born in the U.S., while her parents came from Mexico.

Next fall, Yanez wants to be in the nursing program, and she is currently finishing her prerequisites.

She wants to be a nurse for kids with developmental disabilities.

Before moving to Texas, Yanez would play pickup games with her family. But when she arrived in the lone star state things changed.

“They put my brother and I on a team. We were in the same club West Houston Soccer Club, but in the boys and girls teams,” Yanez said.

Yanez played for Cinco Ranch High School and said how great the soccer program was.

“They really helped me develop my skills and playing with those girls was really competitive and they pushed me to get better,” Yanez said. “In the years I was on the varsity team we went to the state tournament. It was a really fun experience and I’m glad I got to do it.”

Yanez looks up to Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea. She admires the way he makes saves and the way he plays with the ball.

Yanez said since coming to the soccer team she has felt welcomed by her teammates and coaches.

“I’ve made friends for the rest of my life on this team and people I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for soccer. The team and the girls are amazing,” Yanez said. “They are all so unique. I’m really blessed to be on this team.”

Yanez found out of the soccer program through a coworker who played on the team a couple of years back.

Yanez said that she likes the coaching staff because they always motivate her to do well.

“They have been pushing me to do my best. I like coaches that are tougher on me. It is what I’m used to. It brings out the best in me,” Yanez said.

Yanez said that her coaches have taught her to not blame herself for the goals she concedes.

“One of my coaches told me that

it has to get past every player before it gets to you so you win as a team, you lose as a team,” Yanez said.

Head coach Adolfo Perez said that Yanez has had a good year so far.

“She’s done great. She didn’t come in as the number one goalie so she took advantage of the circumstances,” Perez said. “She has been a pleasant surprise.”

Cynthia Rosa, goalkeepers

Fall sports use 8-week course to prep

gameplay.

All athletes that are participating in fall sports were given the opportunity to be a part of an eight-week summer session class to prepare for the season.

The eight-week, one-unit course, approved by Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheri Berger, was not mandatory, and allowed teams to physically and mentally prepare for the upcoming season.

Athletic Director Moriah Van Norman was excited the course was approved. She believes the students are lucky to have a vice president that cares about their interests academically and in sports.

“It’s the first time ever that all of our fall sports have gotten a preseason conditioning course. Judi Terhar has been coaching here for years and this is the first time she’s actually had a course which is great for student retention, completion, but also preventative for injuries,” Van Norman said. “So, it was exciting that Sheri Berger, our vice president, approved it on the academic side.”

Lindsey Duncan, assistant water polo coach, said the course allowed the athletes to prepare as the season started. The time saved on conditioning the team could go towards learning tactical skills and

The course allowed Terhar, the water polo head coach, and Duncan gauge how much interest there was in the sport. In the course were players for the coming season, and high school students that may play for Pierce in the future.

“We were able to focus on skills, conditioning, and basically help prepare our girls to be ready as soon as the season started to get into more gameplay and less conditioning, and tactical work,” Duncan said.

The course also allowed the team to bond before the season began.

“I think overall, especially for some of the newer girls, the freshman coming in, it helped them get acclimated to what we expect. Conditioning-wise, they were able to be conditioned much quicker. So, we don’t have to take as long at the beginning of the season which is basically what we wanted and they’re able to bond more as a team,” Duncan said.

Rachel Wiley, opposite hitter for women’s volleyball, participated in the eight-week session.

“It was just a few girls, but I think that we really conditioned hard and practiced at a good level and at a certain level that we need to. I think we practiced efficiently and practiced hard. I think we’re ready for the season,” Wiley said.

Soccer hitting its stride

coach, said that Yanez is a very hard worker and doesn’t surrender easily. “She’s determined to get better each day at practice. There hasn’t been a day where she has slacked off. She has pushed herself to the limit. Even though she gets tired, she just continues to improve on a constant basis,” Rosa said.

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Football opens conference play vs. SBCC

Shepard Stadium sees Saturday action for the fi rst time in three weeks

conference schedule at 2-3 overall, coming off a thrilling 44-43 win against the College of the Desert Roadrunners.

Brahmas spend the week on the road, come back 7-3-2 at the start of conference play

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

Brahmas soccer kept their foot on the accelerator getting wins over the Oxnard College Condors and the Moorpark College Raiders.

With the win the soccer team extended their winning streak to four games, improving their overall record to 7-3-2.

the deficit. Cruz and Hill added two more goals to secure the win.

Perez said that against Moorpark, the team maintained the consistency and overall felt they did well.

“I think we kept our poise. Against the Raiders it was good. We got up 2-0 at the half. We talked about playing that complete game because we either play well the first half or the second half,” Perez said.

After two weeks on the road and last week’s bye, football is back home at Shepard Stadium for the start of conference play.

First up for the Brahmas in the American - Pacific Conference are the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros (1-4). The Vaqueros have dropped their last four games after opening the season with a 45-0 win over Compton College.

The Brahmas begin the

Running back David Kates scored three rushing touchdowns in the game, and cornerback

Dimetri King had his conference leading fourth interception.

King is not the only Brahma on the top of leaderboards.

Quarterback Jonathan Saavedra leads in yards per game (191.4), nearly 30 yards more than Pasadena City College’s Mario Bobadilla.

Saavedra’s top target, receiver Christian Graves, leads the

Brahma of the Week

Keyonna Hill

Sport: Soccer

Position: Forward

Class: Freshman

Hometown:

Atlanta, GA

Scored four goals in the games against Oxnard and Moorpark College.

Scoring four goals in the two games last week, what was the overall feeling?

“It was great to be able to contribute to contribute. I was really happy I was able to score the goals.”

How do you prepare for games?

“I will listen to music. I talk to my mom and I just get my mind right before the game.”

What do you feel you can improve on?

“My first touch. I need to imrpove on that and focus more in the games.”

If you weren’t playing soccer, what sport would you be playing?

“Basketball or running track.”

Who do you look up to in soccer?

Lionel Messi.

conference in yards per game (67), and his 268 yards are 56 more than Pasadena’s Drew Pendleton and David Telles, despite playing one less game. Graves is also tied for the lead in receptions (16) with a third Pasadena receiver, Forest Fajardo.

In their out-of-conference schedule, the Brahmas averaged 27.6 points per game, allowing 36.6.

The Brahmas open with two games at home, hosting Pasadena City College (2-3) on Oct. 20. then they head down to LA Harbor College (2-3) on Oct. 27.

On Nov. 3 the Brahmas will be

back home, hosting powerhouse Allan Hancock College (4-1) and their dominant rushing offense. Hancock averages nearly 300 yards per game on the ground, led by Ryheem Skinner, the number two running back in the state, averaging 135.8 yards per game. As usual with the Hancock game, kickoff will be earlier, at 4 p.m.

The Brahmas finish the regular season with a trip down to Santa Monica College (1-4) on Nov. 10 for an afternoon game at 1 p.m.

Head coach Adolfo Perez said the team has had major improvements.

“We've been a little bit more consistent. Kind of like a big thing was putting Gisell [Cruz] in the middle. I took her out of the front line. And the irony she is scoring more goals from the midfield,” Perez said.

The Brahmas got the win against the Condors by a score of 6-1. Jordyn Conlon and Keyonna Hill led the team with two goals.

In the game against the Raiders, the team won 4-1. The Brahmas at the half were up 2-0, but at the start of the second half, Rebecca Ramirez scored to cut

Brahmas Scoreboard

Diana Salonga, midfielder, said she has been proud of the team’s winning streak.

“It’s great honestly. Like it hasn’t occurred to me yet that we are on a four game winning streak. And I do hope that we can continue this especially since we are heading into conference play,” Salonga said.

Salonga said the Brahmas came out motivated from their two road games.

“The team came out with positive energy. Since our two games were away. We weren’t comfortable with the fields, but we did a good job at managing that,” Salonga said.

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Andrew Susanto/ Roundup Goalkeeper Iliana Yanez analyses the game from her goalpost in a game against Victor Valley College on Sept. 28, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

JOSHUA MANES Editor-in-Chief @TheManesEvent

ALEXIS CANELO Reporter @alexiscanelo_