Volume 130 Spring 2019 Roundup Issue 2

Mapping out free speech

Designated zones have been added around the campus

BELEN HERNANDEZ

Campus Life Editor

@b313nh3rnand3z

Pierce College has expanded its free speech zone, which is open to the public, and it added three speech areas that are specifically for students.

The issue arose when Kevin Shaw, a Pierce student, filed a lawsuit.

The student speech zones are by the Arts Center, in front Alder and from the Library / Learning Crossroads up to the Ginger building. The public free speech zone has been expanded along the Mall from the Mason entrance to the student drop off.

The free speech zones are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., according to Los Angeles Community College District Administrative Regulation B-38.

Those not affiliated with LACCD are required to make their presence known to Student Services. They will be asked to fill out a “Los Angeles Community College District Free Speech Area Voluntary Acknowledgement Form.” Although the form is voluntary, it is used for documentation and assessing the need for security, according to Regulation B-38.

There are restrictions within the free speech zone. People cannot use amplification, touch, or assault individuals, ask for donations, interfere with class, obstruct foot traffic or participate in illegal activities.

Interim President Larry Buckley supports the expansion of the free speech zones.

“I was kind of surprised that on a campus as big as ours, we had such a small, defined free speech area. The agreement we have, to expand it up and down the Mall and other places, is very suitable,” Buckley said.

Buckley said the zones are both mandated and tradition. He said they're an important part of the

culture within community colleges.

“It's a long tradition in the history in California colleges and universities, and free speech going back to the 1950s to ensure that the faculty, staff and community have an engaging place where they can exercise their first amendment rights,” Buckley said. “Free speech

zones were created with the idea that they're in a center place where people on campus can connect to them.”

Buckley said his one concern regarding the free speech is regulating the noise.

“I don’t want classes disrupted,” Buckley said. “I worry a little bit

about if people can hear inside of classrooms and are disturbed. Nothing like that has happened. Knock on wood, it won’t.”

Denise Robb, a political science professor, believes that this benefits students, giving them more space to exercise their first amendment right.

Robb said students will have a

bigger opportunity to make their voices heard, because students will be able to differentiate between those who are students and the public.

“They get to hear different opinions from different points of view,” Robb said. “They’ll be heard because they’ll be in areas where there’s more foot traffic.”

Although some people agree with the changes made to the free speech zone, some people wonder why we have one at all. Some students believe free speech should not be limited to one or more sections of the campus, rather free speech should be exercised throughout without restrictions.

Manon Guijarro, a studio arts major, said designated zones for free speech contradicts freedom of speech and believes it may have a negative impact on the first amendment rights of students.

“I think that hinders the whole point, sectioning people off. If you’re giving us free speech, why would you put us in a certain section,” Guijarro said.

Victoria Schron, a vet tech major, said the free speech zones give students a space to express their opinions.

“I think it would be good to have separate ones because then there’s twice the opportunity to make your point heard,” Schron said.

Robb believes the case was made stronger with the help of the Attorney General.

“I think that it was a winning case. I think that the Attorney General, maybe, joined in and it seemed to work,” Robb said The newly appointed freespech zone sections for students and the public can be found on the updated Pierce College map.

“I am glad that they decided to expand the free speech zone because we have 428 acres and a tiny little free speech zone,” Robb said. Robb believes that having seperate free speech zones will not have a negative effect in students’ rights.

“The first amendment was done for us, there are some countries where your hauled away in the middle of the night for speaking your mind. In this country you can even sue to get more space to speak your mind,” Robb said.

Out of date? Let's update our classrooms

who have no technologies in the classroom at all,” said Psychology and Statistics Professor Jennifer Moses.

of an update.

If you’ve ever taken a math or statistics class at Pierce, chances are you took it in one of the modest, lowtech classrooms on campus.w

But in an age where interactive and smart technologies are becoming more and more popular, some teachers are feeling left-out because their classrooms are not up-to-date with modern technology.

“Math, statistics, psychology -there are a whole bunch of disciplines

Moses is referring specifically to the 1300, 1400 and 1500 buildings (Behavior Sciences, Math, Computer Sciences), whose only ‘technology’ involves lighting and air-conditioning.

IT Coordinator and Spanish Professor Fernando Oleas shares Moses’ sentiments.

“All those buildings in the math area lack technology,” Oleas said.

“We need better technology that is sufficient for teaching our students.”

Oleas described the classrooms as being outdated, and they are in need

And while the administration does agree with Oleas, there is still a debate over which technological products to buy for the classrooms.

In order to solve this dilemma, Oleas has put together two ‘demo rooms.’ The demo rooms will be located at 1301 on Tuesday and at 1402 on Thursday. Each room will feature two different devices that faculty will be able to experiment with.

“One is an interactive board called Mondopad,” Oleas said. “The other one is like a smart TV but it can connect to the internet. It functions like a smartboard.”

The goal of this demo room is for faculty to decide which technology they think is best suited for their classrooms. Faculty members can interact with the different types of technology and experience first-hand how it works. This demonstration will help faculty and staff decide whether they prefer the Mondopad or smart TV.

“We want to see what works best,” Oleas said. “I will be collecting feedback. We as faculty will make a collective decision as to what is necessary for us to use.”

Instead of ushering in the new semester in a celebratory fashion, students are sprawled across campus hunting for books in the Student Store, quickly revising their outfits because of rapid changes in weather and circling the school parking lots in hopes of finding a spot.

This process shouldn’t be so taxing.

The inclusion of a mobile app where students can access precious Pierce College information that’s dedicated to easing the early semesterly mayhem could be advantageous for our student body.

Imagine a world in which, the inventory of our Student Store, traffic updates and weather reports could become available in our hands.

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) currently has a mobile app that allows you to view your grades and financial aid status but, no school in our district has made one specifically for their respective campuses.

Many colleges across the country have invested the time and resources in creating such apps. California State University, Northridge (CSUN) has one of the highest rated mobile apps in the entire country, according to letsnurture.com.

CSUN’s mobile app allows students to have access to the employee directory, calendars with school events, parking lot capacities and even a full virtual reality campus tour of the school.

Their Information Technology Department is responsible for the cultivation and maintenance of the app. According to savyapps.com, “Apps built by smaller shops, possibly with only 2-3 people, likely cost anywhere between $50,000 to $100,000.”

This feat may be too much to ask, but there are many functions if there were a collaboration with

JESSE BERTEL Reporter

certain departments and facilities around campus in which a Pierce College mobile app could excel.

The need for an app becomes necessary in these last few weeks, where sporadic rain in the San Fernando Valley came as a surprise to many. Sure, you can check the weather app on your phone to figure out how to dress for that day. However, Pierce College has a running weather station that gives live reports of the conditions of the Woodland Hills area. You can find this at piercecollegeweather.com/about.

This underused resource found on our campus could potentially save students a trip home to change their outfits in these winter and spring months. Nothing is worse than showing up to school thinking you have ample time get to class, then discovering that the only parking spot available is on the opposite side of campus. This can become a slippery slope, turning you from early to late.

With new construction happening around campus and the influx in the number of students

driving to school in the early weeks of a semester, it can help save time finding a parking spot on campus.

The Pierce College Sheriff's Department avidly directs school traffic when it becomes too busy. If the Sheriff’s were to provide police reports to student’s smartphones, via the app, on local accidents and parking lot capacities, similarly to CSUN’s app, students could adjust their schedules and leave earlier to make it to class on time.

Our Student Store is regularly

stocked full of snacks, school supplies and a plethora of Pierce clothing. Yet, finding your books stocked remains difficult.

There needs to be a way where the Student Store could update their stock in books. Students could independently check if their book is at the store and plan a trip knowing they’ll get what they need.

Schools including East Tennessee State University, have established a mobile app centered around their bookstore and have reported that having a bookstore

Weekend Financial Aid Office Hours?

Pro: Weekends all the way

Students at Pierce College deserve more access to financial aid assistance, not less, and opening the Financial Aid office on weekends would make it much easier for working students who are struggling to achieve their academic goals to get the assistance they need.

There are so many obstacles to education for those who are struggling financially, anything that can be done to ease the transition into college and help those students would help them achieve their academic goals.

Education is absolutely necessary and effective at helping raise people out of poverty. According to Borgen Magazine, the benefits of education combating poverty are eightfold: Education raises literacy, increases income, helps reduce instability and corruption in communities, promotes healthier lives, empowers females, increases food security and nutrition, develops technical skills and boosts economic growth.

People attend Pierce College from all walks of life, from those who come from low-income families to working parents, to those who want to develop skills that will increase their pay, to those straight out of high school who want empower themselves early by finding a career path. College students are increasingly in need of financial support, especially as the cost of living in Los Angeles rises.

According to U.S. News and World Report, 58

percent of undergraduate students at Los Angeles Pierce College receive some form of financial aid support. Any argument that opening the Financial Aid office on weekends would be too costly and raise the budget would have to ignore the needs of financial assistance toward educating those who can't afford the high cost of education, as well as the benefits of educating impoverished communities in the economic growth of the country.

Clearly, the benefits outweigh the costs. Higher education levels the playing field and promotes economic stability. Working class people need access to assistance on the weekends because many of them work full-time jobs and have difficulty taking time off from work in order to begin the uphill climb of going back to school and continuing their education.

It’s difficult enough for working students to find the time to take classes. Many students are commuting long distances from all across the greater Los Angeles area. Working students are often struggling with transportation as well, taking buses and driving through the nightmare of LA crosstown traffic.

Every hurdle in the way of education for people who are struggling financially is a form of systematic suppression. The future of this country is shaped by the working and middle class and by providing more access to education, we ensure that the American dream of upward mobility is accessible to everyone.

In short, we need to ease access to education and financial assistance for those who need it most, however possible.

Con: Keep it closed

HARLEY DAVIS Reporter @ht_davis

The Financial Aid Office at Los Angeles Pierce College normally opens at 8 a.m. on weekdays. It closes at 4 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, and at noon on Friday. While there have been several schedule changes, it has maintained those hours on a fairly regular basis.

It has been suggested that opening the office on the weekends for just a few hours might prove useful to some students whose schedules are busier than others.

This is an exercise in overextending the infrastructure of an efficiently functioning machine.

Recently, the financial aid office added a new tool to its repertoire, Qless, which is an online, cell-phone based queue or waiting line for service counters. Students can logon, get their place in line, get status updates on the line movement, bump themselves down the line to give themselves time to reach the office, ask for help, or even leave the line completely, all at the press of just a single letter in a standard text message.

With the office open most of the school day, it’s highly accessible between, before, and after classes. With Qless, you can get in line when your 24-hour math class takes a break, get an update every few minutes, and know where you stand, and if you won’t make it to the office in time, you can bump yourself down the line a bit, so you don’t lose your opportunity for the day.

database increases the possibility of students buying a book for their respective classes.

This system could ease the long lines running outside the Student Store and help you get the supplies you need without the trouble.

There are many possibilities for a dedicated Pierce College app. New policies should be ordered to push Pierce into the modern age, keeping our student community more connected than ever.

49 percent transferred to a university and graduated in a 4-6 year pattern, as opposed to only 17 percent of those who only received a partial aid of about $1200, according to press releases from the Institute for College Access and Success (TICA).

A typical full-time student has two to three classes a day, often with an hour or two between. Many also have part-time or full-time work outside of class, but work those hours after their last class ends. In between, they often have time to visit an office or two, but little time to wait. Thanks to Qless, the waiting game just got easier.

On average, it takes roughly 10 minutes to get from the PAB building to the financial aid office (at a decent paced walk). It takes about 4 minutes to get to the office from the café, 5-6 from the great hall, and 7-10 from the library. From class areas to waiting areas, supply shops, or hangout areas, the office isn’t far on foot. It’s easy to access once you are on campus, and you don’t even have to stand in line to wait in line.

To make a special trip on the weekend costs time to those taking public transportation, gas money to those who drive themselves or have somebody drop them off, and incurs the cost of a day permit to park if they haven’t purchased one already. This defeats the idea of even applying for financial aid in the first place.

It also costs to run an office on the weekends, the same as it would for a weekday, but often with overtime hours for some employees. Much of the work requires computer time, the office has to be well lit, and paperwork is often printed out. Add phones and other electrical equipment and the costs rise. From a strictly fiscal standpoint, the added overhead would be irresponsible and wasteful. jbertel.roundupnews@gmail.com

There are also new measures that take into account the full cost of attending college. Of the California students that received about $7500 a year to cover costs,

the Sunday prior to the issue date. editoriaL PoLicy: The Pierce College Roundup 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

Illustration by Melissa DiTommaso / Roundup

"My geography class is easier to navigate than Pierce's website."

"If only Pierce College had an app."

"The only app Pierce has is of the campus map. Heck, even Costco has an app."

STEM studies in Europe

French consulate pays for students to study abroad

JACKSON HAYANO Reporter @hayanojackson

Have you ever dreamed about taking a break from classes to stroll the romantic streets of Paris or to sunbathe on the beautiful French Riviera?

If you have, then your dreams might not be too far from reality.

STEM major programs.

“The consulate is planning to expand [the bootcamps] to humanities,” Pra said. “Many students are more interested in history, architecture and fashion [than in STEM programs]. They might expand by next year.”

The second program is a month long stay in France. Students can apply to different colleges

“It’s not super expensive,” Ngo said. “It will be about 1,500 to 2,000 U.S. dollars [for a few weeks].”

The third program is offered to students who wish to fully immerse themselves in French culture and obtain a degree in France. Aside from studying, students will also be introduced to French companies and will be able to find employment working in a job that is related to

Vintage Market

Rundown Brahma Blotter

2/19 3:09 p.m.

•Incident

Staff reports an unknown female got upset when she was told she cannot pet or feed the horses

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

For

2/20 1:00 p.m.

•Petty Theft

A man stole a textbook from the Bookstore.

2/20 2:45 p.m.

•Graffiti

Graffiti was found in the Village men's restroom.

2/21 11:07 a.m.

• Student Ill

A student had a seziure in class and was transported to the Hospital by Los Angeles City Fire Department in room 916.

Pierce College

Sheriff’s Station

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

General Information: Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Chelsea Westman/Roundup

Rachel Day explains to shoppers what items she is selling at the Vintage Market at Pierce College

From Frankenstein cars to Tesla Technichian Pierce student builds cars and his future after landing dream job

SHALEAH GREEN Reporter @roundupnews

From scooting around Santa Monica Smog shops to driving decked out eco-friendly cars, Steven Guevara can say he drove his goals to the success finish line.

Steven Guevara, a Pierce College Automotive program graduate, now works at one of the nation’s leading automotive and electric power company, Tesla Motors.

Guevara is one of the head technicians at the Tesla Van Nuys Service Center and an instructor to entry level technicians for Tesla Motors.

As a teenager, Guevara had dreams of becoming a truck driver. However, it wasn’t until he was 19-years-old that he discovered he had two obstacles in his path, one of which was due to his age.

“You have to be 21 years-old to get your certification to handle hazardous material, and nobody will hire you unless you have that,” Guevara said.

With a long journey ahead and no drive to waste, Guevara knew he needed to start somewhere. That somewhere just so happened to be at the undercarriage of his first car, a Chevy Cobalt.

“It was one of the cars I could afford at the time. I wanted the faster one and I couldn’t get it at the time. I wanted to make the Chevy Cobalt faster, and I think that is where the passion grew,” Guevara said.

Guevara’s passion for working on his car sparked a powerhouse when he enrolled as a student. Many of his professors took notice of Guevara’s natural skill and drive and they began encouraging him to turn his handy hobby into a career.

“The teachers steered me into the right direction and pushed me to be more than just a technician.

They pushed me to not just go for just any shop and to never stop learning,” Guevara said.

Guevara learned many lessons from many of his professors, but one professor was the most impactful on his college career, Professor Tom A. Fortune.

Thomas A. Fortune, the Chairman of Industrial Technology Department and instructor of Auto Technology classes at Pierce College, sees many students every day in his classes. Students enroll in automotive classes for hobby or tend to stay in the class for a short period, therefore, Fortune has a hard time deciphering the inspired from the uninspired students at the beginning of the semester.

“Steven was a good student, attentive, quiet, always did his assignments, and never gave me any problems,” Fortune said. “You never realize what you have until you are looking at it, and Steven was just that. I never realized how talented and skilled he was until I was looking at the grades and final assignments at the end of the semester.”

Not only did many professors encourage Guevara to push himself but counselors as well.

Pierce Adjunct Counselor and Industrial Technician Alex Villalta has been at Pierce since 2015 teaching Automotive Technology.

Villalta was Guevara’s professor during his studies and immediately began to notice his complex natural ability.

“He was always paying attention, going over and beyond expectations, and overall just being engaged and challenging in the field. He was definitely very good with electronic equipment, which most people are not,” Villalta said.

It wasn’t until Villalta and multiple other faculty members and students heard about Guevara’s big project, The Swap, that they knew he was destined for transportation greatness.

“He did an engine swap, which was quite impressive. He took

a Corvette engine and put it in a Nissan 240 SX body, which is completely different and way bigger. Everything that you can think of he did himself,” Villalta said.

With all the knowledge Guevara acquired from college, he applied for an Entry Level Tech Position with Tesla Motors and got the job.

“The Tesla Santa Monica showroom is right next to my route home. When I began noticing the car showroom while sitting in traffic everyday, I knew one day I’ll work at a cool car company like that,” Guevara said.

Guevara said he loves working with Tesla Motors as an Instructor and Technician. He compares the job to working in another company known for its innovations.

“It’s a very high and fast paced environment, busy all the time and its phenomenal at how quickly we are expanding. There’s a lot of deep culture involved, very similar to Apple. It’s a very tight group,” Guevara said.

Guevara is happy to know that a lot of students here on campus are following in his footsteps, and are looking to get involved in the future of automotive. Guevara encourages students to continue to educate themselves through reading and learning about thier passion.

“All you have to do is one step a day, and that’s all it takes. Something very minimal, not some unrealistic goal. Just something everyday to prove you’re moving forward,” Guevara said.

Guevara is looking forward to being more involved with on-campus events coming the first week of March this spring semester.

“I definitely want to get my Nissan 240 SX out there because a lot of students want to see it because it’s very Frankenstein because there are so many different parts in there,” Guevara said.

sgreen.roundupnews@gmail.com

Making friendly connections

3,355 miles

away

Young ambassador represents his home while taking a trip to Japan

Usually the American college experience takes place on campus, but one student found his pathway while overseas.

Harut Tatulyan, a philosophy student, tutor and club president found his direction after taking a trip to Japan under the Mayor’s Young Ambassadors Program (MAYA).

“The trip definitely gave me insight as to what I want to do with my career,” Tatulyan said. “Before I was kind of confused, but now I want to look more into international relation jobs that study different cultures.”

Tatulyan sheds light on the MAYA program, which is what got him to Japan in the first place and what its purpose is.

“The MAYA program is hosted by the LA mayor’s office (Eric Garcetti) within the international affairs office,” Tatulyan said.

“I like the idea of representing where you are from and to represent your country feels like an honor.”

Tatulyan said this program was well advertised through email to eligible students. It first begins with the application process, then an interview, and finally the wait is on to see if you were selected for the trip

The eight-day trip gave students the chance to go sightseeing and gain history lessons about Japanese culture. Tatulyan said the experience was more than he expected.

“I thought based on what we hear about Japan that the city is like L.A. because of the highrise buildings and technology, but the culture is so ingrained in almost everything that it was an immersive experience,” Tatulyan said. “You felt very connected.”

Tatulyan said that learning and speaking Japanese was more

stressful than he thought, but the locals were friendly people who would go out of their way to direct you to your desired location. He also wants to learn more languages in order to be able to communicate with others in their language.

He believes that the main goal of the trip was to connect L.A. to their sister city of Nagoya.

“It was really rewarding because even though, there was that language barrier between us, it was like wow they know about us and we know about them through our sister cities,” Tatulyan said.

Another culture shock for Tatulyan was in the food that he was served.

“When we hear about Japanese food, we think the basic ramen and sushi, but it was interesting to see how much miso soup they had. Every meal you had miso soup, rice and pickles,” Tatulyan said. “It was like wow no wonder they are so healthy, every meal was balanced and had probiotics to help digest everything.”

Tatulyan said the MAYA students all bonded and formed a sense of community.

“Along with the other LACCD students who went, we still stay in touch,” Tatulyan said. “We all connected to the point where we want to go on another experience like that.”

Tatulyan also has been

tutoring the logical philosophy courses since last spring at the Center for Academic Success (CAS).

“It’s really good because not only does it connect them to you as a tutor, but it connects them to the tutoring center at Pierce,” Tatulyan said. “So, if they need any other tutoring they are more inclined to come in versus a student who is a little more hesitant.”

Crystal Kiekel, the Director of the CAS, said Tatulyan is super informed, very amicable and a very successful Philosophy

tutor who is well respected by his colleagues.

“I think one of the reasons he gets so many students is a combination of the fact that he is just a really welcoming and warm person,” Kiekel said. “He is just the sort of person who is going to say hi to you if you walked by and he is going to ask you how you are doing.”

Tatulyan said the MAYA program is a good opportunity for college students looking to travel abroad.

“No one would expect that this program, that would pay for

their tuition is also maybe one day, going to allow me to travel internationally,” Tatulyan said.

“It’s a rewarding opportunity especially for students who don’t have this opportunity otherwise.”

If he had the opportunity to travel again, Tatulyan said that he would return to Japan or another Asian country.

“Honestly I want to go back to Japan, especially now that I’ve started to learn japanese,” Tatulyan said. “If it came down to a different country, I like the idea of more exploration in Southeast Asia.”

Tatulyan also stated that he doesn’t want to be stuck in one place and not be able to travel.

“Whatever job I have, I don’t want to be in one city, one country, I want to travel around,” Tatulyan said.

Isha Pasricha, the Associated Student Organization (ASO) President sums up the kind of person who Tatulyan is.

“He has a positive outlook on life and is the type of person who sees the glass half full,” Pasricha said.

Chris Torres / Roundup

Steven Guevara, lead technician at Tesla Van Nuys, prepares to shift in his Nissan 240 SX in reverse at the Art Hill at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 22, 2019. Photo by Chris Torres.

GINA WONG Reporter @ginabwong99

Nick Martinez / Roundup

Harut Tatulyan sits by the fountain outside the CAS building holding a Maneki-Neko at Pierce College Woodland HIlls, Calif. on Feb. 25, 2019. It was one of the souviners he bought during his trip to Japan, it is supposed to bring in good luck and fortune.

“He has a positive outlook on life and is the type of perso who sees the glass half full,”

-Isha Pasricha ASO President

Thursday concert changes its tune

Series mixes classical instruments with modern music renditions

BELEN HERNANDEZ Campus Life Editor @b3l3nh3rnand3z

The doors opened at 12:45

on Thursday Feb. 21 for a performance by the Forte Brass Quintet, in Pierce College’s Performing Arts Center. They played instruments such as the trumpet, french horn, the tuba and the trombone.

Genres were played from classical music by Mozart, to the Mario Bros. theme song, to a hit rock song by the band Kansas. They also gave a history of each genre they performed, giving the audience a feel for what to expect.

Stephanie Walters, an undecided major, said that her favorite part of the performance was how they incorporated classical instruments into more modern music.

“I really liked when they started to get to the popular music, because I think I have heard brass, and those types of instruments playing classical and renaissance music,” Walters said. “But I thought it was fun to hear the more modern music with those instruments.”

Walters believes that performances likes this are need to have a background in music.

“Of course, I think they are amazing. I appreciate everyone who made the effort to make it

happen.” said Walters. “I think it’s really important to have the students see live performances and also just be aware of all the music, and music history. “

Barbara Laronga, a Forte Brass Quintet player, believes that

What sports or clubs would you like to see added on campus?

"Isayweshouldhavegolf.Alotofpeoplelookpastgolf.I playedgolfmyselfandwhenIwenttothegolfcourseIfelt relaxed.It'sarelaxingsport."

events like this are beneficial for students.

“I think that a lot of students benefit from seeing instruments that they might have not ever seen perform live before,” Laronga said. “I also think that learning

GINA WONG Reporter @ginabwong99

-NashaAvijeh

Communications

"[AWorkoutClub]Imeanitcouldbeanything.Couldgo offcampus,run,liftweights."

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about different genres, like we did a walk through different genres all the way up to pop music and video game music is important to so they can see the history of it.”

Laronga also mention to the audience that she first fell in love with the trumpet when she was in elementary school and they demoed instruments for her class.

Laronga hopes that students leave with a positive mindset when they see her group perform.

“I hope they have more enjoyment of music and maybe it will inspire them to see some more live music, or maybe inspire some of them to pick up an instrument themselves instead start,” Laronga said.

Gabriella Sherman, a business major, believes that watching performances such as the Forte Brass Quintet opens up students to learning more.

“I am a business major but it’s still really cool to see things that are important in other peoples majors because then you become a well rounded person,” said Sherman.

There are free concerts at the Performing arts Building mainstage, which are open to the public. The next concert will be a Feb. 28 performance by Dramane Kone- African Rhythms.

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Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) students kicked it into high gear last week, thanks to some handson experience with a race car.

STEM week opened Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the Great Hall and was split into a two-day event held on campus, followed by a Friday field trip to CSUN, where a dozen students got a tour and a chance to work on a high performance vehicle.

Students were able to meet and gain advice from STEM transfer students. While Thursday, Feb. 21 was a chance to meet with STEM professionals who are working in the field.

Physics Department Chair Dale Fields said the event benefits students because it is practical experience for them and they are getting recent information.

“To me, being knowledgeable, being able to take something from sort of a gut decision and turn that into a conscious choice by going and exploring STEM week, you can say, ok, yes, this is exactly what I want to do,” Fields said.

Transfer students were also present to share their experience and knowledge of being a STEM major after graduating and moving onto a four-year institution.

Jamie Hale, a former Pierce

student and a mechanical engineering major, said she believes events like these help students figure out which college is better suited for their major.

“I just want to help them the way I kind of felt like I was helped,” Hale said. “Maybe help them decide because I'm assuming if they already are in STEM they already kind of have an idea of what they want to do.”

According to Lily Duong, a Pierce College counselor, this event gives the students the opportunity to meet people who work in the stem field and to understand what it’s like to be in the real world.

“Sometimes, you don’t get the opportunity every day to get to meet people who are forensic scientists or to meet a professor who worked for UCLA, what it is like to teach if they want to go in the field,” Duong said.

Many students were able to mingle with STEM professionals and explore all the different careers in STEM.

Adrian Harper, an I.T. and software developer for Cloud 77 talked to students about the importance of utilizing their skills in the workforce.

“One of the things that I definitely encourage anyone in any career, but definitely in a STEM career is to build up your portfolio,” Harper said.

"Ifeelthatthereshouldbeaclubthatdealsmorewithstudent engagement.IknowASOexists,butIkindofwishtherewas schooldancesandstudentactivities."

-WilliamDaugherty Business

Angelica Lopez/ Roundup

Ido Meshulam playing his trombone at the Thursday concert on Feb.

21, 2019, in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

C L U B

R U S H

Dancing, gaming, politics and farming are some of the many fields that Pierce clubs offer.

The Associated Students Organization (ASO) held its two-day Club Rush on Feb. 20 and 21, where students were introduced to the various clubs offered.

Students learned about the clubs, met current members and signed up to attend future meetings.

Besides sports and school related events, clubs are one of the ways to get involved at school, to share ideas with others and to make friends outside of the classroom. Visit the ASO Clubs page on the Pierce College website to view club descriptions and the times and locations when the clubs meet.

Photos by Christopher Torres, Sonia Gurrola and Chelsea Westman

Copy by Angelica Lopez

Photo by Chelsea Westman.

Photo by

Torres.

Right:

Left to Right Martha Cejudo, Deputy Lazaro Sanchez and Joceline Valdez at The Veterinay Sciences Club during Club Rush at Pierce College.

Photo by Sonia Gurrola.

Photo by Sonia Gurrola.

Left to Right Ralph Walker , Amanda Harris and Scott Haley At the Dance Club, dancing at Club Rush at Pierce College. Photo by Sonia Gurrola.

Men's Volleyball Baseball Tennis Softball

Moving on to the next level

Coach graduates from high school scene

in La Puente, before going to Pasadena City College.

He would transfer briefly to Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University before graduating from California State University, Northridge.

College football programs are bringing reinforcements whether it be players or coaches, and at Pierce it is no exception as Richard Dax Sanchies comes in as the new quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator.

Sanchies comes to the program having been the head coach at Hawkins High School in 2017 and Ribet Academy last year.

Sanchies said that he learned a lot being in those two programs.

“I took the adversity that came from a rebuilding program and it taught me how to be patient and having goals,” Sanchies said. “Going through the different ups-and-downs with both programs it pushed to be a lot better as a coach.”

Sanchies feels ecstatic to be one of the coaches at Pierce next season.

“I was really excited because [Carlos] Woods definitely is a great coach. He has a lot of experience. I had a meeting with him, we talked and he allowed me to be on the coaching staff,” Sanchies said. “I feel that it is a good opportunity for me to learn more and to continue coaching at the next level.”

Woods listed several traits of the new hire.

“He is an effective communicator,” Woods said. “He possesses great leadership and has been a head coach at the high school level. He has been in the fire in the sense that he has taken over programs, going through adversity and he was able to sustain those programs back to success.”

Woods said that Sanchies will be a great addition to the team.

“He is really on top of some of the guys and maximizes their talent and it is a great plus to bring him on our staff to get to where we want to be,” Woods

said. Woods said Sanchies will be a huge help in bringing in the local players since he lives close to Pierce and

knows the area well.

Sanchies knew that he wanted to play football early on. He played quarterback for Nogales High School

Brahma of the Week

Max Edwards

Sport: Basketball

Position: Forward Class: Freshman

High School: Simi Valley

41 total points over two games last week. He has tied teammate Anthony McIntyre with two Brahma of the Week selections.

What do you feel you can improve on?

“Being more consistent and improving on defense.”

Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?

“I just listen to music and visualize what I am going to do in the game.”

If you weren’t playing basketball, what sport would you do?

"I played football and baseball when I was little, so either one."

Any plans after Pierce?

“Getting to a four-year school."

Brahmas Scoreboard

Sanchies said his coaches taught him many lessons as a player that he still holds on to today.

“Opportunity does not have a time window. It can come at any moment and you have to be ready for it,” Sanchies said.

Sanchies said that anyone that comes to Pierce must be willing to work from the moment they commit to the school.

“When I look at players, first I see their character. Will they get along with the team, the coaching staff? I look for someone who is not going to get in trouble,” Sanchies said. “Getting guys that fit the program and players who understand that positions are not given to them.”

Sanchies said players who performed well at other schools sometimes don’t fit-in at the next level. He said that everyone that signs up has to compete for places and high school accomplishments don’t matter at the next level.

Sanchies said the coaching staff has great chemistry working together.

“They are very embracing,” Sanchies said. “We have a group chat going on. We talk about the different players coming in and we come with different ideas on how we can help the team for next season.”

Cameron Perry, quarterback, will be on the team next year. He said he looks forward to working with Sanchies.

“He’s impressive. He knows a lot about the game. I feel that he could teach me and improve my game. I just hope he does great and helps us succeed next season,” Perry said. “I know he is going to give his all so I must do the same as well.”

fgamino.roundupnews@gmail.com

Tennis recruitment mishaps

Team struggles to find enough players

ABDUL ALI Reporter @abdul20224210

In a sport filled with competitors looking to impose their will, the Brahmas tennis team struggles to find players looking to compete.

The Brahmas tennis team only rosters a total of four players, hindering their ability to compete this year.

They have yet to win a match and have also postponed three matches due to a lack of players.

The lack of players is not only affecting the matches they can play but also how competitive they can be.

Christian Ponce, a member of the tennis team, said it forces him to play a larger role as a freshman.

“I get to play better players but sometimes those players are just too good,” Ponce said. “I would have been playing four or five as a freshman, but since I'm forced to play number one, sometimes it's not even competitive.”

A roster with the small size of only three players has left many wondering why there is a shortage of players.

“So far, the turnover in terms of playing in their first and second year has been so great. I'm trying to pinpoint exactly why that is,” Tennis Head Coach Long Dao said. “Most of my guys that I bring in are freshman players, so they have two years of eligibility. I know for a fact that a few guys have applied for jobs and gotten jobs, so that always gets in the way.”

While the shortage of players has no doubt affected the team's ability to compete in games, sophomore Daniel Vinterfeld insists that it has no effect on the team's mentality.

“It hasn't affected us because it's the same coach and I know the new players that are here,” Vinterfeld said. “The other players that weren't able to return and that chose not to return either had a better opportunity for tennis, or just didn't want to play.”

As the losses seem to pile up, there is still a future for this team and those of them on it.

“Improve as much as I can to potentially transfer and play for the school that I’m transferring to,” Vinterfeld said. “I plan on transferring to UCSB to hopefully play on their team and having some impact on that team as well.”

As the brahmas have two scheduled matches quickly approaching in the next four days, they look to add experienced players that could reap some benefits from joining the team.

“Pierce is a good place to kind of kickstart someone's career as in let's say a high school player had a decent junior career but didn't quite make it to division one, two or three,” Dao said. “Pierce is a good place to just start over, work hard and see how it goes.”

For the foreseeable future, the Brahmas will continue to play as many matches as they’re allowed to play with only four rostered students. The Brahmas next scheduled match is at home against Glendale on Feb. 28 at 2 p.m.

Preview: Men's volleyball open conference play

Three games in the books and a 1-2 start to the season, the Brahmas begin conference play when they host the Long Beach City College Vikings on Wednesday, Feb. 27.

Men’s volleyball were crowned conference champions in 2017 and last year as they put the title on the line against six other teams.

Last year, Pierce got the win over LBCC in the semifinal round of the California Community College Association State Championships held at Fullerton College.

The Vikings were undefeated heading into the game against the Brahmas, but that came to an end in straight sets on Apr. 20.

The Brahmas come into the game against the Vikings having lost in straight sets against the Irvine Valley College Lasers.

LBCC on the other hand lost to Orange Coast College in four sets on Wednesday, Feb. 13.

L @ Pasadena 11-1

L v Ventura 15-4

L @ Moorpark 2-0

Softball Tennis MVolleyball MBasketball Swim

Baseball

After the Vikings game, Pierce are on the road when they face Antelope Valley College on Mar. 1. AVC are 1-4 to start the season with Anthony Lee leading the Mauraders with 28 kills.

The Brahmas than host four straight games against Santa Barbara City College on Mar.6 and Golden West in a nonconference game two days later.

On Mar. 13, they face the Santa Monica College Corsairs who are 1-4 and last in the conference

standings.

The Brahmas than have a date with the conference leaders El Camino College on Friday, Mar.15, before going on the road to face the Moorpark College five days later. Both teams have a overall record of 4-1.

Pierce than visit LBCC on Friday, Mar. 22 before hosting the Mauraders on the 27th.

The Brahmas go on the road to face Santa Barbara City College on Mar. 29. The Vaqueros are 3-1 with their only loss coming

against the.

In April, the champions wrap up the regular season with three games. On Apr. 5, the Brahmas are on the road to take on the Corsairs.

Five days later they pay a visit to the ECC Warriors before ending the regular season hosting Moorpark on Apr. 12. All games will begin at 6 p.m.

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

Christopher Torres/ Roundup

Richard Dax Sanchies, new quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator, prepares to throw a football in the middle of Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb. 20, 2019.

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

“Opportunity does not have a time window. It can come at any moment and you have to be ready for it.”

-

Richard Dax Sanchies Quarterbacks coach and recruting coordinator

Christopher Torres/ Roundup Freshman Christian Ponce serves the ball in the second set of a singles tennis match against Santa Barbara City College at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif on Feb. 7, 2019.

Chelsea Westman/ Roundup

Gene Kim (3) sets the ball against the Irvine Valley College Lasers on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Ken Stanley Court Woodland Hills, Calif.

Baseball loses its swing Brahmas fall to the Lancers, drop to 4-7 overall

JOSHUA MANES STAFF @TheManesEvent

Baseball’s recent slide continued Saturday, losing to the Pasadena City College Lancers 11-1. The loss is the fourth in a row for Pierce.

Offensively, the Brahmas struggled to find a rythm and cash in on the opportunities presented, stranding six men on base.

“We need to keep the same approach,” head coach Bill Picketts said. “We’re just struggling with the situational hitting. A couple times we had second and third and we just aren’t taking good at-bats, and we haven’t done much of that the whole season.”

Despite the inability to score, Picketts felt the bats were livelier than previous games.

“We took some good swings,” Picketts said. “We're working on something specifically with the guys as far as their approach to hitting, their mechanics, and I'm seeing them apply it during the game which is huge. As much as I'm not happy about the outcome, I am happy with the process. The offense is getting better.”

Dirk Ryan and Brandon Lavallee each had two hits on the day. Lavallee reached base on all three of his at bats, starting with a drag bunt in the second inning.

“I saw the third baseman playing back, he was almost on the outfield grass,” Lavallee said. “If I could just get it down, get it fair, it didn't even have to be a perfect bunt, I knew and trusted my speed in order to get on first.”

Picketts said Lavallee had been struggling at the plate.

“I was actually proud to see him do that because a lot of guys when they're frustrated offensively try and do too much,” Picketts said.

The Brahmas’ lone run came in the sixth inning. Center fielder Diego Harris led off with a triple to deep left field, and scored on a balk from Lancers’ pitcher Patrick Peña. Starting on the mound for the

Brahmas was Johnathan Kennedy, his first start of the season. The Brahmas lost two starters early in the season, and that has left Picketts trying to fill the holes.

“I'm trying to find another couple of guys, and he's kind of the logical choice,” Picketts said.

Kennedy allowed five runs, four earned, in 3.1 innings pitched.

“I'm ok with it if we can build from there, because he's going to end up being one of the guys,” Picketts said.

Kennedy was able to work out of trouble twice in the first inning. With runners on first and third and

no outs, Kennedy got a ground ball double play that let one run in.

After an error, steal and wild pitch the Lancers had a runner on third again, but Kennedy forced another ground ball to get out of the inning.

“My approach for this game was honestly to trust my defense, which I think I tried to do but they just found holes,” Kennedy said. “Throw strikes, keep a low pitch count so I can go pretty far.”

The Lancers seemed to have an unorthodox approach at the plate, trying to go the opposite way on most pitches.

Cougars maul the Brahmas Men's basketball lose last game of season

The last game of the season for men’s basketball ended in a blowout loss to rival team College of the Canyons Cougars by a score of 9662.

The Brahmas, with the loss, finish the season 13-15 overall, 1-8 in conference play missing out on the playoffs.

Head coach Casey Weitzel said that the Cougars played a good game.

“They really wanted it, it was their last home game, and they had more energy,” Weitzel said.

It was a close game in the opening first half, until Cougars player Chris Joo subbed into the game and scored a 3-pointer on his team’s next offensive possession.

The Cougars led 20-4 early in the first half, during which the Brahmas were in a scoring drought for about seven minutes until guard Max Edwards hit a 3-pointer to make the score 25-7.

The Brahmas had 12 turnovers during the first half compared to COC’s six. Many of the turnovers came from seven steals from the Cougars.

“We didn’t play as a team tonight,” said winger Kevin Fassu.

Tempers started to rise as Weitzel was called for a technical foul in the first half with frustration towards the referee’s calls.

Weitzel said it was an interesting game because there were a lot of technical fouls.

“There was one where they got four shots and the ball back, and I have never heard of the rule that the referee told me,” Weitzel said. “One was a miscommunication on our end, we had a guy that thought he was sub out and then he just ran to the floor and that’s illegal.”

Season Preview:

Swim returns to the pool

NYSHEKA HERRING Reporter @HerringNysheka

The swim team prepares for their first official meet of the season as they look to improve on last year's finish when they fell short of the state championships.

competition that makes or break us from championship,” Juo Sato said.

The other swim meets for the Brahmas are Mar. 16 at College of the Canyons, followed by a trip to Ventura on Mar. 29.

“It's obvious that that's something that they really work on, that right centerfield approach for the right handers and it pays off,” Picketts said. “It's difficult to get them out.”

The loss gives the Brahmas a record of 4-7 heading into conference play.

WSC-South play for Pierce opens on Tuesday when LA Mission College comes to Joe Kelly Field. Lavallee is scheduled to start on the mound for the Brahmas.

According to Lavallee, his preparation is different depending on if he’s in the field or on the mound.

“It's more of getting my mind prepared when I'm pitching, when I'm playing the field it's more body prepared,” Lavallee said. “Pitching is more mentally driven.”

After the Mission game, Pierce will go on the road on Thursday, Feb.28 when they face LA Valley College. First pitch is at 2 p.m.

jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

The Brahmas competed at the Pentathlon in the 100-yard butterfly, 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard breastroke, among other races.

Head coach Judi Terhar is passionate about helping out her swimmers perform.

“I absolutely love to take young men and women to help them understand that the things they do in the pool and work out are the same kind of stressors that you go through life so that they are prepared to handle those,” Terhar said.

One of the new faces on the team is Mario Marshall. Terhar said that he could be the fastest swimmer in the state.

Jacob Jepson said he is happy to be practicing again.

“I feel good to be back in the water after a month. It feels really good today now that we have the sun today versus last week with rain and being cold,” Jepson said.

Pierce have their first official meet on Friday, Mar. 1, at Santa Monica College. The team will not have a home meet for a second straight year.

“That could just be for practice and competition. That’s the only

The Brahmas will also go to Pasadena to compete in the invitational on Apr. 5-6. They will also compete in the conference championships from Apr. 18-20.

Terhar said everyone was a hard worker, and she even had swimmers from other teams who wanted to join.

The men’s swim team ended 6th out of seven teams. Not enough swimmers led to the team unable to place for certain competitions.

They made it to the conference championships but did not place high enough to make the state championships.

At the conference swim championships, the women’s team finished in fourth place.

Four Pierce school records were broken, including two by freshman Cecilia “CJ” Hansen. Hansen broke the school record in the 200 meter breaststroke with a time of 2:30.59, and in the 400 meter individual medley with a time of 5:02.47, a time which qualified her for state.

Wyatt Feldman hopes for this season to be an improvement.

“We were less prepared and not as in good shape as we are now although we are still more tired because it’s later in the season. meet,” Feldman said.

nherring.roundupnews@gmail.com

After the first half was over, the Cougars led 40-18. During the second half, the Brahmas looked different offensively as shots started to fall, and most of them were made by guard Max Edwards.

After a couple of 3-pointers made, Edwards started to see more double team by the Cougars, although Pierce’s defense didn’t change.

The Brahmas couldn’t start a comeback run due to the Cougars hitting shots of their own after they would score.

The Brahmas did score 44 points in the second half compared to 18 points in the first, but the Cougars outscored them by 12 points.

JUSTIN MIRANDA Reporter @justinmirandapc

Rhythm Sinclair/ Roundup

Kevin Fassu, winger, scrambles for an out-of-bounds ball in the away game against College of the Canyons on Feb. 22, 2019.

Joshua Manes/ Roundup

Dirk Ryan at bat for the Brahmas in the fifth inning against Pasadena City College on Feb. 23, 2019, in Pasadena Calif.

“We're just struggling with the situational hitting. A couple times we had second and third and we just aren't taking good at-bats, and we haven't done much of that the whole season.”

-Bill Picketts head coach

Joshua Manes/ Roundup

Juo Sato s wims the butterfly at practice on Feb. 20, 2019, at the Steven Shofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.