Volume 130 Spring 2019 Roundup Issue 14

Let your voice shine

Dominic LeFort has been named spring 2019 Commencement Speaker

JESSE BERTEL Reporter @JesseBertel

Dominic LeFort didn’t have a role model when he needed one the most. Now, he does – it’s himself.

LeFort, the Associated Student Organization (ASO) vice president, hopes use his commencement speech at graduation to share some of his story about how he overcame barriers that he faced many years ago.

“I really struggled with a lot of bullying and harassment because of my LGBTQ status,” LeFort said. “As I got older someone told me that I should be the person I needed when I was growing up, which is sort of what led me down the path of starting a nonprofit that brings education to schools so that they can better support their LGBTQ students.”

Dominic LeFort is 27 years old and describes himself as a nontraditional student. According to LeFort, his speech draws from overcoming challenges in his personal journey.

“The theme for the speech is the power of perseverance, and I dealt with a lot of educational obstacles when I was in middle and high school,” LeFort said. “I want people to know that if ever there are points in your life where you don't have enough perseverance and maybe you're just letting obstacles stand in your way more than they should, it doesn't have to stay that way and you can take life back into your own hands.”

Dean of Student Engagement

Juan Carlos Astorga explained that LeFort was chosen by the Selection Committee because his speech struck a chord.

“Each year we have a different theme and each, each year we've selected an individual that can really resonate to the theme,” Astorga said. “Dominic is an amazing individual. He's very passionate and he has some really wonderful ideas.”

In addition to being Vice President of ASO, he has also taken on the challenge of connecting the Pierce college community with the larger community outside the college through social media like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as chair of the ASO publicity committee.

Astorga and the faculty have taken notice of his social media success.

“Our imprint on social media has grown by leaps and bounds because of the expertise that Dominic brought to the position,” Astorga said.

LeFort explained that he brought his work experience to the college.

“I had taken some of what I've learned with my nonprofit work and was able to use the social media here on campus to see how I could impact students here,” LeFort said. We started with 200 students on the Aso Instagram page and now we're approaching 2000.”

LeFort is in the process of transferring to a UC, possibly UC Riverside, where he will continue to pursue his passion.

“I'm going to be pursuing a degree in gender and sexuality studies. I started a nonprofit

about two years ago that brings LGBTQ education to middle and high schools,” LeFort said.

According to LeFort, working with an LGBTQ nonprofit organization gave him the confidence to enroll at Pierce.

“I probably would not have gotten back into school if I didn't find a reason that I was so passionate about to push me to enroll,” LeFort said. “Now that I've gotten back into school I've

really identified new priorities.”

Social and Cultural Committee

Chair Nicole Alfaro explained that she never had any doubt that LeFort would be chosen as the student speaker at graduation.

“His speech, I heard it, I read it and it was honestly amazing,” Alfaro said. “It like gave me chills and as soon as I heard him practicing it, I was like, ‘they're going to choose you. I know there's no way that they

won't.’ So when I found out that they did, I was like, ‘I knew it.’ That speech was amazing.”

According to ASO Senator Jenni Severin, LeFort is the perfect student speaker for the event.

“He's like the voice for Pierce College kind of because he organizes everything,” Severin said. “He's on social media, makes sure everybody knows about what's going on and he puts other people's interest in front of his own.”

Astorga explained that budget constraints in recent years led the college to shift from contracted speakers to student speakers and the change has had a positive effect on student morale.

“We had a little bit more money and in previous years they might've brought in a contracted speaker to come in and do a speech,” Astorga said. “Then we realized that we were having these flybys, people who showed up did their speech and left, but they really didn't have the personal connection to what Pierce meant to them, which is what we realized that our commencement student speakers do.”

According to Astorga, LeFort was selected because his speech conveys a personal and relatable message.

“Although Dominic is sharing his story and his message, the students that are graduating and participating in commencement can see their own story reflected back and what that means them so that they can see how far they've come as well,” Astorga said. Astorga wants students to take away from the speech a sense of the transformational power of education.

“I really am hoping he conveys at the commencement that whatever experiences and roles have brought us to Pierce, what we've collectively gained from it is a sense of self that's connected to believing that we are more than what we will be, and that we can be better as a community, as a campus setting, but also as contributors to society.”

jbertel.roundupnews@gmail.com

Mahalo, Buckley Do the Bio Blitz

Life Science Department gave tours of the wildlife at Pierce

shows the importance of taking the time to live in the moment.

we'd like to keep doing this in future years” DeVaney said.

Nature can be breathtaking, yet most of the time it goes unnoticed.

The first Biological Diversity event (Bio Blitz) was hosted by the Life Science Department on May 22. The goal for this event was to make students aware of nature and the wildlife that inhabit Pierce College.

Life Science Professor Brandon Jones said that it's important to admire the wildlife that is at Pierce.

“What we're trying to do is to get people to understand there's a lot of life here, and there's a lot of different kinds of life and to kind of appreciate it,” Jones said.

The all-day event had faculty taking students on a tour of different locations around campus.

Jones said that it is this event

“A lot of times we get stuck in kind of a rut and we see, things in front of us, but not necessarily the things around us” Jones said.

“We see trees, we see people, we see cars, we see concrete. But when you look a little closer you can see the variety. The idea is to find the diversity that we can actually see here on campus”.

Students met with faculty and staff at Building 600 where they had displays of the different types of birds, insects, plants and other animals that are in campus. They also showed pond water from the botanical garden and used a microscope to take a closer look.

Life Science Chair Shannon DeVaney said that the this also educated students on the different types of creatures.

“We hope to get everybody on the campus involved and

Assistant Professor of Anatomy Teak Lee said this is event is crucial because it’s informative.

“This event is important because it gives the campus in general an idea of biology, it exposes the students to the different diversity that's found on campus in terms of plants, animals, insects and just different organisms that exist,” Lee said.

Lee said the the tours give students a guide of what to look for if they where to go to a specific area by themselves.

“To kind of give the individuals that are participating in this event a specific guided toward these, these walks give them insights into specific parts of the campus,” Lee said.

bhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Interim President Larry Buckley joined Pierce College Aug. 6, 2018, and since then many faculty and administration said he has embodied the essence of “Aloha Spirit” through his by cultivating a deep sense warmth and affection within the campus community as he governed.

June 30, 2019, will be the end of his duties as acting interim.

Buckley said making new connections and learning in a new environment shaped the best moments during his journey at Pierce.

“I've had over 30 years of experience – in many places, a couple of different states. And you think you've seen it all and know everybody,” Buckley said. “It's great when you come across something totally new and different and people surprise you and inspire you. I had a lot of that.”

the President Malina Koani said their mutual fondness for their Hawaiian culture fostered a sense of familiarity between them.

– and have strong ties to – the same place, working with Dr. Buckley has been like working with someone I already knew — someone I was comfortable with

“He’s very approachable and willing to listen and collaborate,” Koani said.

“During his entire time at Pierce, he’s never turned down a request for a meeting with anyone whether they be faculty, staff, or student.”

On May 20, 2018 the Academic Senate honored Buckley with a special resolution, which according to Academic Senate President and Professor of Sociology Anna Bruzzese, was the first time, to her memory, that it has been done.

BELEN HERNANDEZ Campus Life Editor @RoundupNews

Chris Torres / Roundup

Dominic LeFort , the ASO vice president, stands looking over Rocky Young Park at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 28, 2019. He will be giving the 2019 commencement speech for graduation on June 4, 2019.

NATALIE MIRANDA Editor-In- Chief @RoundupNews

Chelsea Westman / Roundup

Brandon Notosubagyo uses binoculars to birdwatch at the Arboretum during the first BioBlitz at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 22, 2019. [see JUMP on pg.

File Photo by Katya Castillo/ Roundup

From the desk of the Roundup: Editorial

Paying to participate in an event that celebrates your accomplishments is a strange concept, but that’s normal for college graduations.

After students pay for and finish all the classes needed to earn a degree, they are expected to purchase a cap and gown so they can participate in the graduation ceremony.

The problem is that can be a financial burden for some students and even cause environmental harm. Pierce could help solve this problem by creating a program that lets students donate their gowns when they are done with them so other students can borrow them.

The cost to buy a gown at the Student Store is $40 and if you want the sash to go with it, it’s an extra $44. You can find cheaper gowns online for around $25 but even that can feel wasteful for some people, especially when it’s going to be used for a few hours before being thrown away or packed up.

Allowing graduating students to donate their gowns after the ceremony to be used in the future would allow everyone to participate.

Also, Reusing gowns can be an environmentally friendly option because most gowns are only used for a few hours and many of them end up in the trash.

According to wehatetowaste.com, in the past 30 years, more than 100 million gowns have added to the waste stream. This is a problem because most gowns are made out of polyester, which is a non-biodegradable plastic and these gowns can be reused from 10-12 times, according to budgetdumpster.com.

All Pierce would need to do is collect them, clean them and store them. It would be a cheap program that could help many students and Earth.

If Pierce couldn’t run the program on its own, there are companies they could work with, such as University Cap & Gown, which have rental and reuse programs that they customize for any school.

According to the company’s website, they look to “Provide programs to schools, colleges and universities that encourage reuse of souvenir gowns. Our souvenir gowns are constructed so well they can be used an average of six times, not just once. Numerous years of testing has proven our reuse program to be a successful solution for environmentally conscious academic institutions.”

By making a gown closet program, Pierce can help students financially and go green for graduation.

Abortion support groups for female students

The new legislation Alabama senators passed on Tuesday, May 14 would make performing an abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by 10 to 99 years or life in prison for the provider. The only exception would be when the woman’s health is at serious risk, there is no exception for pregnancies that resulted from rape or incest or survivors of human trafficking. Needless to say, this stripping of reproductive rights has sparked a major controversy.

AP News reported that other states such as Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio and Georgia have also recently approved bans on abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occurs in the sixth week of pregnancy, but none as strict and outright as Alabama. With what looks to be a slow turn over of Roe v. Wade, this could leave many women feeling scared, shamed and alone. This won’t only affect women in the states who have started

to ban abortions, women across the country are going to feel the ripple effect from this legislation. Pierce could show backing for its female students by opening an anonymous support group for women that either need to talk about their options, women who have or are currently going through that situation or women who are just scared of where we are heading and need to talk. We could have counselors that have expertise in this field come

on campus to suggest possibilities, alternatives and could possibly provide information for clinics that can give further information.

Abortion is already such a hard topic to talk about, especially for the woman that are put in that position. If these women can’t find a positive outlet that can lead them through their difficult time it could lead to other life threatening situations such as depression/other mental health problems, substance abuse and unsafe abortion practices.

It would benefit the female student body’s mental and physical health for Pierce to show that no matter what you believe there is still support.

The abortion ban would go into effect in six months if it isn’t blocked by legal challenges, so they haven’t taken effect just yet, but people aren’t wasting time to protect their reproductive rights.

CBS reported that 50-plus organizations, including Planned Parenthood, SisterSong and

Walking on or away from the stage?

NARAL held more than 400 rallies coast-to-coast Tuesday in opposition to new restrictions on abortion. Every state across the country, from California to Indiana to Florida, will host at least one event. If students want to find the closest protest, they can visit the #StopTheBans website, which features a map of the 400-plus registered events.

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

Pro: Walk and own that stage Con: Graduating free of charge

GINA WONG Reporter @ginabwong99

Graduation is an exciting time for students, as it is a celebration of their achievements all of the hard work they have done, and students should walk the stage despite the high costs of graduation attire because no financial burden should stop them from participating in commencement.

Some students may agree with the fact that the college experience is not an easy task to complete and by walking the stage it provides them with the feeling that they have reached another milestone in their education.

According to collegestats. org, “among all racial groups, college graduates are more likely to report their health as “very good” or excellent” and the difference is mostly found among Hispanic and white graduates, as respectively, 43.1% and 42.7% are more likely to report better health.

Walking the stage and participating in commencement can be an emotional high for students because all the long nights of staying up doing homework and

studying for tests has led to this one moment of receiving your diploma and hearing your name being called out by your teachers, while your family watches on and shouts out your name from the crowd.

Also, at times attending college can seem like it takes forever to finish, but when the day comes all the feelings of anticipation and worrying that you will never leave fades away the moment you step on the stage.

Another added benefit of students participating in commencement is that they can take pictures with their friends and be able to capture memories because it may be the last time that you will ever see these people again.

Although the cost of graduation cap and gowns are expensive, students should not have to be obligated to purchase these items because a California law requires schools to provide students with the attire at no cost.

Students already have the worries of student loans looming over their head, and the last thing that they need to worry about should not be the missed opportunity because they cannot afford the graduation attire packet.

In the Pierce College Student

Store, a college cap and gown set with a sash is $89.35. While an academic cap and gown cost $43.80.

However, Pierce can attract more students to attend graduation if they offered students the opportunity to rent a cap and gown.

For instance, some students will have the luxury of borrowing their sibling’s gown, but others will not have that opportunity.

Instead of having them purchase one, offering rental cap and gowns would be beneficial because a graduation gown is like a wedding dress, in that it will only be worn once for the occasion, and only for a couple of hours, as it will eventually end up sitting in their closet at home.

In addition, a change that Pierce could make in terms of the ceremony would be to separate the different departments and have individual ceremonies, as this will decrease the duration of the ceremony.

Students should walk the stage because not only is it a celebration of their achievement, but it is also a way of giving back to the parents who have made sacrifices for our education and to make them feel proud.

gwong.roundupnews@gmail.com

Maja

NICK MARTINEZ Features Editor @NickEsai

Walk? I think not.

Getting an associates degree and transferring is an achievement, but is still just a stepping stone to another level of higher education.

Graduating from a community college does not validate walking across stage at a graduation ceremony.

According to payscale.com, those with a bachelor's degree make 20 percent more than those with just an associates degree.

The majority of students graduating from a California community college are going to transfer to a University of California or a California State University. If all goes well and they continue their education, then this won’t be their only opportunity to walk for graduation and they will be earning a higher level degree to further warrant it.

According to gradschoolmatch.com, only 2.5 percent of university graduates go on to attend graduate school after receiving their bachelor’s degree.

Advisers:

This would mean that graduating from a Cal state or UC could be the only opportunity to walk at a college graduation, making it an even more important event in someone's life.

Walking is not free either, as the cap and gown have to be purchased from the student store a college cap and gown set with a sash is $89.35. While an academic cap and gown cost $43.80.

Most students who attend community college are already living on a budget and it can be difficult to save money to pay for these fees.

Especially those who do not receive any financial aid and have to pay for their classes out of pocket.

If students choose to participate, there should not be any commencement fees charged at least to low-income students. It would be ideal to have an option to rent a cap and gown as it’s only going to be used for one night.

Especially if it is just from a community college, there would be no need to keep it and it would most likely be sitting in a closet.

The ceremony is also a long process, as there are many students to be read off to receive

their degree on stage. The time you spend actually receiving your degree is cut short, making it feel overall less special.

This means you spend most of the graduation day sitting down listening to names being listed off for hours.

Some people also have difficulty getting a whole day off to themselves. A lot of community college students work part-time and even full-time, and some of their jobs can be challenging to get certain days off.

It is especially true for jobs that give students certain days off to allow them to go to school in the first place.

If a job rejects a time off request on graduation day, students would either have to find someone to cover them, or call out all together. This creates more of a hassle for something that isn't necessarily a requirement. And that is what it comes down to. Graduating on stage is not a requirement to get a degree or to continue your education. It is an option that will cost time and money, making it not in the best interest for graduating students.

Photographers:

position is presented only in the editorials. Cartoons and photos, unless run under the editorial masthead, and columns are the opinions of the creators and not necessarily that of the Roundup. The college newspaper is published as a learning experience

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.

Illustration by Jesse Bertel

Don't mess with "mama bear"

Child Development Center Director set to retire

JACKSON HAYANO Reporter @TheRoundupNews

Child Development Center Director Phyllis Schneider, who refers to herself as the "mama of the school," will be retiring at the end of this semester.

Schneider began her journey in child development as a student at Pierce. She later transferred to CSUN and then spent 25 years working for the private sector before being hired at Pierce as the Director of the Children Development Center (CDC) in September 2011.

“It was nice for me to get this job because I started as a student at Pierce College,” said Schneider. “And it was especially nice to come back and wrap up my career here.”

Under Schneider’s management, the CDC went through several changes.

“We had a lot of retirement in the first four years,” said Schneider. “So I had the responsibility of hiring replacement faculty and that gave me a wonderful opportunity to have a strong say in the direction that this center was going.”

Schneider said that one of her proudest accomplishments as CDC director was hosting parenting classes known as Coffee with Phyllis. The events allowed parents to come and

Bruzzese said it was a pleasure working with Buckley.

“He encouraged an open dialogue in an atmosphere of mutual respect,” Bruzzese said. “He was interested in building trust across the whole campus. He attended and stayed for the entire duration of the Senate meetings, not only giving an administrative report but also listening to faculty concerns. It was clear that he

ask any questions they might have about their children.

“I’ve done years of parent classes here which had not been done [at Pierce] before,” said Schneider. “It’s the thing I love to do the most and is probably one of the best things that I do.”

Schneider said the classes give information and support to any parents attending the meetings.

“We cover a variety of topics whether it’s about how children grow, dealing with family issues, education, what’s going to happen

respected shared governance and was genuinely interested in the well-being of the College.”

Bruzzese said his humble approach to leading is evident in the way he worked with others.

“Larry’s leadership style communicated his authentic care for the campus and the community,” Bruzzese said. “He has a unique ability to bring people together. He was the first to take responsibility when things didn’t work out and the last to take credit when they did.”

when they go to Kindergarten, sibling rivalry, food issues, sleep issues etc.,” said Schneider.

Schneider said that her time as CDC director had been a memorable experience.

“The best part is sitting out in the yard and enjoying watching the children and remembering why I’m doing this work,” said Schneider.

Child Development Center Adjunct Faculty Tracy Hovsepian said that she will greatly miss working with Schneider.

“It’s been an absolutely amazing

Koani said she thinks Buckley will be remembered for his compassion during the Woolsey Fire.

“I think his biggest legacy will definitely be his response and leadership during the fires,” Koani said. “I don’t think anyone at our school or in our nearby communities will ever forget his decision to open our campus for the evacuees.”

Buckley said he enjoyed his time with the faculty, staff and students.

“I have wonderful memories of the folks here. That doesn't mean

experience working with her,” Hovsepian said. “She’s the most supportive director in all the areas. Her knowledge and passion about the quality of this field is very unique. We’re going to miss her.”

Senior Office Assistant Jacqueline Pacheco said that working with Schneider had been a memorable and rewarding experience.

“From the beginning I’ve always felt very close with Phyllis. She’s like our mama bear,” Pacheco said. “Whether it has to do with work or not, she’s always someone that you can approach and go to. I’m very sad that’s she’s leaving. She’s been the best boss I’ve ever had.”

“I have met some wonderful people here at Pierce. I will not miss some of the stress, but I will miss the relationships,” Schneider said.

Schneider says that she plans to stay active in retirement.

“I gotta say, it’s going to be nice not wake up at 5:30 in morning and have to put on makeup. But I’m not going to be one of those people that sits in the recliner and watches TV all day,” Schneider said. “I have a fiveweek trip planned to France this August. I'm also going to travel to South America next winter.” A selection committee will convene over the summer to choose Schneider’s successor.

that there weren't challenges, but we met them together as a team. This is the ideal kind of situation that you want as a college president, so I couldn't have been happier,” Buckley said. “A great cadre of people are ready to take that on together with new leadership and renewed vision and direction. I have every reason in the world to believe that we'll continue on the strong path ahead.”

nmiranda.roundupnews@gmail.com

5/22 5:08 p.m.

•Student Incident

A verbal dispute between a student and staff occurred in the Welding Parking Lot.

5/23 11:50 a.m.

•Student Ill

A student was ill in classroom 3205. The paramedics were called and the student declined transportation.

Photo by Chelsea Westman/Roundup

Christine Silva shows her green painted hands with the Child Development Club during Artsy Thursday on The Mall at Pierce College.

[From JUMP pg. 1]

Incoming merger causes potential stress for students

Cengage and McGraw-Hill Education take over textbook publishing industry

ABDUL ALI Reporter @TheRoundupNews

Two of the largest textbook publishing companies, are merging by 2020, decreasing the number of textbook suppliers, and potentially increasing the amount of money students pay for them.

According to Pierce College

Librarian Clay Gediman, this most likely means an increase in textbook prices.

“These are two big

Brief:

publishers, and so if they're going to be merging you have less competition now, so trying to negotiate for a cheaper cost of a textbook is going to be pretty hard to do because who's the competitor to negotiate with them,” said Geidman. Assuming the deal receives regulatory approval from the Department of Justice, the two companies would combine to make the second largest textbook publishing company in the U.S. Gediman also talked about the effect it would have in the classroom on professors trying to choose which textbook to

implement into their class.

“I would say that looking at the merger from a classroom perspective, it's cutting out on the different choices that instructors have between choosing textbooks and being able to negotiate a slightly cheaper cost for a certain book,” said Gediman. “In a way it will limit professors ability of overseeing the total cost of the class.”

According to Candy Van, the assistant manager at Pierce Colleges bookstore, the merger could also spell trouble for the store being able to place orders correctly.

“Cengage and McGraw-Hill are both very big companies who already have customer service issues,” said Van. “It’s going to make life harder for all of us because the service will only get worse the bigger they become.”

Van also elaborated on the challenges that could arise from the two textbook juggernauts merging.

“Depending on how the merger is done their platform could be a nightmare for us,” said Van. “Cataloging books by the isbn number has already gotten more complicated throughout the years and

Construction opens up campus

After postponement, project on roads nears completion

construction by the Center for the Sciences heading out to Mason Ave. has been water, according to Buckley.

this will just add to that.”

For accounting major Trevor Becker, the possibility of textbook prices going up is a dreadful one.

“I think that textbook prices are already too high as it is,” said Becker. “If two of the biggest textbook companies are merging I don't see what will stop them from from jacking up the prices through the roof.”

While students may be concerned about these textbook prices going up, the CEO’s of Cengage and McGrawHill Education are looking to keep the students in mind.

Brief:

The construction on Brahma Drive (the hill) that connects the De Soto entrance to the Performing Arts Building at the top of the campus has been closed for most of this semester but is now back open.

The road was scheduled to be closed from December 3, 2018, to February 3, 2019.

Head of the Bond Construction Project Marco Tarantino cited weather conditions were one of the setbacks.

“The parking lot and road work experienced a rain delay due to Wednesday’s sudden storm,” Tarantino said. “The hour and a half rain flooded the construction zone. This slows us down a couple of days, but we are on schedule to pour asphalt on May 28. If we keep going we will be

done by the end of the month.”

Interim President Larry Buckley said the larger purpose of the road repair was that the road was falling apart.

“It was just filled with holes that had been repaired and repaired again, and it had to go,” Buckley said. A challenge with the

“So as they have been making road changes, all kind of water lines have broken, and if you go out and look, you’ll see there are plastic tubes in every which way,” Buckley said. “They’re trying to keep the water under control. As the water was leaking they were beginning to see that linkage, which could cause that whole parking lot to be undermined.”

Kevin Hernandez, an automotive major, expressed that the road work has been a burden when getting to class.

“I used to park in the agriculture parking lot by the barn, and before the construction, I would get here an hour early,” Hernandez said. “Now, I park in the Victory parking lot and sometimes I would arrive ten minutes before my class.”

gwong.roundupnews@gmail.com

According to an article on insidehighered.com, Michael Hansen the Cengage CEO and Nana Banerjee the CEO of McGraw-Hill Education have both stated that focusing on affordability for students is the right way forward.

With the combined estimated value of five billion dollars this merger is sure to change the landscape of the textbook world. Only time will tell how big the impact of this merger has on students.

Privacy invaded

Alleged "peeping Tom" in North Gym

ALEXIS CANELO Reporter @TheRoundupNews

A special bulletin was distributed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department after a woman reported seeing a cellphone pointed towards her while she was showering.

The incident occurred in the North Gym women’s locker room Thursday, May 23 at approximately 7:10 a.m. The suspect put his phone through a gap where the water drains divide the women’s and men’s restrooms.

The woman screamed and the suspect removed the phone; she finished her shower and then reported the incident.

The victim did not see any distinguishing features on the hand or cell phone.

The suspect could not be located and remains at large. The suspect is most likely male.

Photo by Maja Losinska/Roundup

Parking lot 7 construction that's blocking off the campus traffic flow, Pierce College, Woodland Hills, Calif., May 8, 2019.

Choir students end semester with recital

The Los Angeles Pierce College Choir will be presenting the 2019 Spring Concert Saturday, June 1 a 7 p.m. with Victoria Simonian on piano and Dr. Garineh Avakian as conductor.

This is the time of the semester where all the choir students come together to show how hard they have worked while performing traditional spirituals along with proclaimed masterworks.

“The comradery we feel is incredible, we all care about each other and we all support each other and Dr. Gaga is amazing she is one of the best directors,” said Elizabeth Amann. “Finally having everything come together is a dream, we sound so amazing and I can’t wait to hear us at the Performing Arts Building.”

Along with the group choir songs, there are also some solos that will be shining through during the performance as revealed by Karen Listick, one of the members of the choir.

“I love hearing everyone’s solos, but I love being apart of this group,” said Karen

Listick. “Doing something that you’ve worked so hard on and watching come together is great.”

The choir will be performing an array of pieces ranging to even the more difficult ballads.

“I’m excited to perform the Battle of jericho because it is very complicated but it is so much fun to sing with everyone once we get it down,” said Kate Listick, another choir member.

The music instructor and

What are your plans after Pierce?

“After

"IcametoPiercein2007andItransferredtoMissouri

conductor, Dr. Garineh Avakian is always looking for people in the Pierce community who want to come and be apart of the choir.

“Most of these people aren’t music majors, and if people want to be apart of something that is so beautiful, everyone is so supportive,” said Dr. Avakian. “I mean singing for ten minutes a day alone can relieve stress.”

“IhopetogotoCSUNandstartabusinessby

Line Dance, Texas 2-step and Square Dance

Farmers & Charmers Square Dance Club

Sonia Gurrola/ Roundup Daniel Miranda rehearses for the Spring Concert on May 22, 2019 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Bringing more to campus than the average student

New Club Council President hopes to make improvements in the fall

GEORGE APIKYAN Reporter @RoundUpNews

If there was an award for the most socially involved student, it would most likely go to Nicole Alfaro, who tries to attend every event on campus that she can.

Now Alfaro, who knows so much about what happens on campus, she is in the best position to put that knowledge to use.

“You know, clubs make a big difference, so I was like, ‘I want to make clubs the best they could be. What position could I have to accomplish that?’” Alfaro said. “So then I looked up the positions and saw Club Council President and said, ‘That’s the title I want. I’m going to get that name.’”

But Alfaro wasn’t just given the title. After joining the ASO (Associated Students Organization) during her sophomore year, she immediately became a Chair for the Social and Cultural Committee.

“After I got that position, everyone was telling me to run for senator, so I did and here I am today,” Alfaro said. Alfaro’s ability to communicate and contribute with everyone on the student council, as well as her organization skills, really set her apart from her peers.

“For Club Rush, I was always out there, no matter what they needed I was on top of it, I always introduced myself to all the club members and let them know who I was, what I stood for and where they could find me if they needed anything,” Alfaro said. “I just really wanted to make an impact.”

Alfaro said she finds this job therapeutic, even with the chaos, multi-tasking and responsibilities thrown her way.

“I like it, this is like a

getaway for me, I can come to the office and organize everything, I’m kinda OCD about it,” Alfaro said. “It feels so great to have the title and responsibilities because you’re

not just guiding people, you’re also learning from them, being able to network and get your name out there is also amazing, I was shocked on how you do.”

Nicole addressed that she

to have these little pop ups to let the students know they’re there, not just on Club Rush –not everyone can attend it so being able to have these pop ups and post fliers and have these fundraisers, I want to guide them to be more active,” Alfaro said.

Alfaro plans on making this accessible for the clubs by providing them with what they need and providing more discussions during club rush next fall.

“I wish clubs could see, recognize and be more organized. I know clubs could fall out due to transitions in officers, but I just wanna help them, you know,” Alfaro said. “We will catch you if you’re falling, it’s that easy.”

The current ASO President, Isha Pasricha, is excited to see how the new Club Council President will contribute to the ASO with some words of advice.

“The great leadership skills and soft skills that she has already developed by being apart of the senate in the past year has helped her become a great candidate for

Nicole Alfaro cuddles a goat after the Goat Yoga event held on May 13, 2019 at the Pierce College Rocky Young Park, Woodland Hills, Calif.

Semester in review...

Say goodbye to spring and hello to fall 2019.

While many want to put this semester behind them, let’s not forget about all the good that came with it.

There were major wins in sports with the Pierce cheer team getting first place at the Spirit Cheer Competition. The Theatre department’s production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights” and the battle of clubs in ASO’s Club Olympics earned other firsts for the school.

Although these events and accomplishments have passed, many return almost every semester. Students can start looking forward to Club Rush and lots of goats.

Photos by Katya Castillo, Navodya Dharmasiriwardena and Nathan Chung Copy by Angelica Lopez

Bottom Left: Samantha Wernik pets George the Sheep at Club Rush on Feb. 20, 2019, on the Mall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Photo by Navodya Dharmasiriwardena.

Bottom Right: Brian Corbita and Mansoor Azizi from the Alpha Gamma Sigma club compete in the

by Nathan Chung.

Right:

by

Photo by Katya Castillo.

Brahmas of the Semester

Spring2019 MVPs

The Brahmas of the Semester were the top Pierce players in their respective sports. They were selected by The Roundup News Sports Editors based on their stats.

Photo by: Blake Williams/Roundup

Photo by: Joshua Manes/Roundup

Photo by: Felipe Gamino/Roundup

Photo by: Chelsea Westman/Roundup

Photo by: Chris Torres/Roundup

Photo by: Joshua Manes/Roundup