Volume 131 Fall 2019 Roundup Issue 10

Pierce student dies in car accident

Cesar Perez was part of the MEChA program, supported his family with 6 siblings and single mother

Cesar y Louis.

A row of lit candles with religious figures lined the sidewalk on Parthenia Street alongside an arrangement of flowers in vases. The asphalt ground was spray painted in white cursive—R.I.P.

Pierce student Cesar Perez, 19, and brother Louis Perez, 16, were passengers in a Chevy truck, according to KTLA, when they died in a car crash Sunday on Parthenia Street, between De Soto Avenue and Mason Avenue. The 20-year-old driver of the vehicle, Pablo Roman Trujillo Carrasco, was arrested on suspicion of murder, according to KTLA.

The teen brothers were killed after Carrasco “drove into oncoming traffic, lost control and

slammed into two parked vehicles,” according to KTLA. The brothers were pronounced dead at the scene. Elva Rodriguez lives near the crash site and said she witnessed the aftermath. Rodriguez said she saw the brothers being taken away in body bags by the paramedics. “A lot of people were here and the two bodies were the only thing I saw,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t know how [the car] flew to the other side.”

Top Middle: Sherry Ramos and Diana Millan hug after Pierce's final regular season game against the Ventura College Pirates at the VC Sportsplex in Ventura, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2019.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson.

Students who want to change their legal names to their preferred ones can now do so on Canvas.

Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass explained the importance of the change.

“I like the idea of students choosing their preferred name because I think that’s their identity and that’s who they prefer to be,” Bass said. “Students are entitled to have the name they want to choose.”

Center: Sofia Caparelli sits dejected after Pierce's final regular season game against the Ventura College Pirates at the VC Sportsplex in Ventura, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2019.

by Benjamin Hanson.

Since the program was founded in 2001, the soccer team has always reached playoffs. However, in the course of 90 minutes, they were unable to keep the streak going as they lost to Ventura College.

The Pirates were all offense from the start as they beat Pierce 5-0.

Head Coach Adolfo Perez said it is very disheartening that they won't be in the postseason.

"We were the only program to make playoffs for 18 straight years. All good things come to an end,” Perez said. “It makes you appreciate all those years more. All these [conference] stars, you never value them until you go through something like this.”

The Pirates took the lead in the seventh minute through Jacqueline Rivera.

The pressure mounted on the

Brahmas six minutes later as Ventura doubled their lead when Sammy Zanini scored from 20 yards out, giving Pierce goalie Joanna Cerda no chance at saving.

Ventura went to halftime with a 2-0 lead.

Perez said they had dealt with pressure throughout the season with all the injuries that occurred.

“We had players hurt, while others were ineligible and it was a battle. We averaged three losses in 18 years and now this year we lost 10 games. Very tough,” Perez said.

Top Right: Head Coach Adolfo Perez reacts to a Ventura score during Pierce's final regular season game against the Ventura College Pirates at the VC Sportsplex in Ventura, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2019.

Bass said that this change will make it easier on students who want to change their legal names.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson.

Brahmas have made the playoffs every year in program history ... until now

After the break, the Pirates added a third goal in the 55th minute. Jacky Espinoza scored on a shot from 25 yards out.

Rivera would get her brace in the 61st minute as the Brahmas needed to score five for a chance at reaching the playoffs.

Jasmin Ambriz 10 minutes later scored the fifth and final goal which gave Ventura the win.

Team captain Diana Millan said she was disappointed after the loss.

“This was my last game here at Pierce and I wish we would have

kept on going,” Millan said.

Millan expected for the team had done a lot better not only for this game, but in the season.

“We started off slow and that is where it affected us. In this game we could have responded right away after we conceded and it was unfortunate for us,” Millan said.

Isabel Diaz said most of the goals could have been prevented.

“Before they would have to go through my office where they would have to take a screenshot and prove they have changed their preferred name and that we change it on canvas,” Bass said.

Students can go to SIS and change their name and the grades at the end of the semester will be under the preferred name. However the name will change only on canvas.

President Alexis Montevirgen said that students had been asking to change their names in the past.

“This is in response to several of our students wanting to be able to identify using another name preference,” Montevirgen said.

Top Left: Nirmolakpreet Kaur walks back into position after Ventura scored during Pierce's final regular season game against the Ventura College Pirates at the VC Sportsplex in Ventura, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2019.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson.

Lendio/ Roundup

(Left to Right) Omar Rivera and Ernesto Suarez light the candle at the memorial of Louis and Cesar Perez on Parthenia Street in Winnetka, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2019.

[see DANCE PHOTO ESSAY on pg. 6]

Photo

(Left to right) Jasmine Sanchez and Amanda Mason practice during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Cecilia Parada

(Left to right) Veronica Cruz, Patricia Moreno, and Treesa Kadayumkal practice during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage in Woodland Hills, Calif.,on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Cecilia Parada.

Students gobble up food at the Give Thanks event.

SAMANTHA NEFF Reporter @sam_neff_

Thanksgiving falls around the time of year where college students are stressed about their finals and the end of the semester.

The holiday is an essential time for students to spend time with their loved ones and take a break from the stress.

Students and professors deserve a week off, instead of two days, for Thanksgiving break so they can relax with their family or friends.

According to smartasset.com, 95% of Americans spend the holidays with their family.

After Thanksgiving break, students have about two weeks or less until their finals begin. A week off could provide time for students to study for exams or catch up on school work that they’ve missed throughout the semester.

According to an article by Scientific American, relaxation is important for a student’s success.

“Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form

stable memories in everyday life.”

Most people can agree that it is easier to get through finals after they have had a few days to relax and review schoolwork. However, if they only have two days to do so, they miss out on time they could spend with their loved ones.

Professors and students also are not given enough time to travel.

If a family member lives in another state, a student would have to miss one or two days of school simply to make it on time.

Unfortunately, if they aren't able to travel then some are left with no choice but to spend the holiday by themselves. While many could argue that most employees do not get a week off from work, they are also not expected to prepare for upcoming projects and essays during their break like students are.

Attendance in the classrooms on the Monday and Tuesday following the weekend after Thanksgiving is already low due to students and professors taking a week long break anyways.

Students and professors would benefit from having a week off for Thanksgiving break so that they are able to get more done and be less stressed when returning to school.

College is hard, and students need outlets that relieve stress and build school pride.

An esports team could benefit the campus community by attracting new students and creating connectivity to a growing global community.

A varsity esports team is a video game group that represents a college or university and competes with other educational institutions.

Many colleges now have facilities for esports training because the cost of investing in gaming computers and other gear can be provided by sponsors. The only other thing needed is a workspace and access to the internet, which could be a designated classroom that isn’t being used.

The stigma of video games as nothing more than a waste of time that makes children lazier is antiquated and needs to be readdressed, especially in the college community. These preconceived notions cause a lot of misunderstandings about what esports are and what value they actually bring.

Participation in programs like these benefits students and campuses. Esports programs can function through student-run production, marketing, broadcasting, coaching, management and game development. Students learn teamwork and problem-solving skills that can enhance career advancement opportunities.

The growing popularity of esports is an opportunity for Pierce to take the gaming community seriously as a professional career path.

Esports audiences are beginning to rival the audiences of physical sports, which is impressive considering that the overhead is such a small fraction of the cost compared to live sports. The rapid growth of esports has grabbed the attention of major cities such as Arlington, Texas, which built a $10 million esports stadium to cash in on the new market.

Esports has already become a serious profession for those that are heavily involved. In the very near future, college esports could be a viable career path for professional competitors. Instead of ignoring the changing employment landscape, Pierce should embrace forward-thinking programs such as these.

According to gamedesigning.com, college esports programs grew from only seven colleges and universities in 2016 to 63 institutions by 2018. With many of these colleges now offering esports scholarships, clearly this is a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon.

Considering the rapidly decreasing college enrollment at Pierce which has led to a budget deficit, perhaps esports would help to revive the campus spirit that can attract new student enrollment.

MAJA LOSINSKA Reporter @RoundupNews

Thanksgiving tradition has almost always been a definition of delicious home cooked meals and time spent with family.

However, for some students, Thanksgiving break is a waste of time.

A week off of school for the holiday would be beyond excessive, especially when the semester is nearly coming to an end.

Usually teachers would assign projects or homework during the break anyway because of the loss of class time.

This makes it almost impossible for students to relax because they have to think about their grades and assignments.

It is often easy to forget the material learned from the previous week when there's a gap in between.

be open for the rest of the week leading up to Thanksgiving.

While spending time with family can be great, it can also be overwhelming.

Family members reel off college and personal life questions that nobody is ready to answer. Almost everyone can relate to having to sit through awkward conversations about the future with an aunt or cousin and thinking of ways to change the topic.

Not going home for Thanksgiving is also beneficial for a student’s budget.

Time for school

If time was given for the holiday, teachers may find it difficult to get through the entire curriculum right before finals. When students get back from the break, class would have to be spent reviewing and re-teaching material instead of moving forward.

It is harder to adjust to a normal routine after a week of doing nothing. A break would simply hurt students in an educational way.

A student’s brain remains charged and in the “learning mode” if school continues to

Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest time to travel. According to the American Automobile Association, about 4.5 million Americans are predicted to travel on plane during the holiday break. Not only are airports jam-packed, flights can be expensive and are usually delayed, which can cause problems and be time consuming for some students.

With so many other people going home for the holiday, driving home could take longer than necessary because of traffic.

In the U.S., Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday. With school being closed on Friday and then having the weekend following that, students already have a considerable amount of time to rest. There is no need to have the whole week off in addition to that.

Photo illustration by Jesse Bertel

Family and friends of the siblings left candles, flowers and other offerings Monday at the crash site.

Jose Rivera, a friend of Cesar Perez, said he attracted people with his outgoing personality.

“He was a really happy guy and funny around other people,” Rivera said. “He was the life of the party, a really good dancer.”

Perez was a part of the MEChA club on campus and helped out at the Dream Resource Center, according to Pierce President Alexis Montevirgen.

Montevirgen said he was sad to include the news of Perez’s death in his report at the Academic Senate meeting Monday.

“Our thoughts are with Cesar and his family during this difficult time,” Montevirgen said.

The Health Center is available for counseling services for any students who need it.

“The campus will assist in providing resources necessary to support affected students, faculty and staff,” Montevirgen said.

The Student Health Center cannot currently schedule counseling appointments because there isn’t counseling spots available.

However, Health Center Director Beth Benne

The fi nal draft

Writing Center going strong

that I was really helpful or I really helped them understand something and in my mind, I didn't know I had that impact on people,” Uche said.

School suffers student budget woes

Academic Senate discusses deficit

ALEJANDRA AGUILERA

said she’s instructed her front office to let in students without an appointment who need grief counseling.

The center also can refer students to off-campus counseling resources.

“I think I would have the students call and say, ‘I’m really struggling with the loss of my friend who died this weekend,’ and just identify,” Benne said. “They don’t have to go through any detail.”

Benne said counseling helps to process grief because it allows people to address their concerns.

“We just let them talk,” Benne said. “It's very raw and very new and most of the time [talking is] all somebody needs.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for funeral funds.

According to the page, Cesar Perez provided the majority of living expenses for his mother and six siblings.

As of Monday night, the page has raised more than $10,000.

A fundraising car wash is also scheduled for Nov. 24 at Canoga Park High School at 9 a.m. to raise donations for Perez’s family and to cover funeral expenses.

Students who need additional help can call the Student Health

aaguilera.roundupnews@gmail.com pvillafane.roundupnews@gmail.

11/11 5:30 a.m.

Petty Theft (Electrical)

Unknown suspect stole copper wire from El Rancho Drive.

Everyone learns in different ways, and the Writing Center at Pierce was created last semester to help accommodate those looking for assistance in their writing.

Center for Academic Success

(CAS) Director Crystal Kiekel said the Writing Center now provides computer access to tutors and students beyond their 30-minute sessions.

“When your 30-minute appointment is up, it's no longer ‘Okay, bye-bye, leave,’ right?” Kiekel said. “It's like, ‘Okay, your 30-minute appointment is up. I'm going to go and help somebody else for 30 minutes, but you can sit here and continue to work on your paper and somebody will circulate and answer questions.”

Kennedy Uche, a tutor, said he doesn’t just help students with their English essays, he also helps students with essays for other classes, such as political science, psychology, sociology and anthropology.

“There'll be times where students go up to the front desk and tell them

English Professor Christopher Corning explained that going to professors’ office hours and visiting the Center for Academic Success help students make the best out of their education.

“The people who do these things are going to get a whole lot more out of their classes and out of their overall education experience than anybody else,” Corning said.

Corning said that since the Writing Center opened, he has seen an increase in performance from his students who are seeking resources from course-embedded tutors.

“I can always tell the difference between a student who is not seeking resources because they're not really showing up to class as much as students who are showing up to class asking me questions,” Corning said.

The Writing Center is currently open three times per week. Kiekel explained that it will open four times per week in the spring semester Monday through Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with Wednesdays lasting until 7:00 p.m.

egarcia.roundupnews@gmail.com

11/11 12:20 p.m.

Petty Theft (Backpack)

Unknown suspect stole student's backpack from South Gym.

11/13 8:01 p.m.

Student Injury

Student hurt left leg during the football game.

Pierce is projected to have a $3.5 million dollar deficit for this academic year.

As a result, the Emergency Budget Task Force (EBTF) was created this fall semester to make recommendations on cutting down the deficit by June 2020.

Instructor of Psychology and EBTF member Angela Belden explained the process of budgeting.

“Basically when it comes to budgeting, there are two things: you either cut or you make more money,” Belden said. “Cutting is very hard because that means a reduction in services to students, it could mean a reduction in staff or faculty, it could mean a lot of things and those things feel terrible.”

President Alex Montevirgen says he anticipates closing the deficit gap as the year progresses despite being “well above” budgetary funds for the year.

“We were instructed that we are not going to be doing any massive hiring this year, which is a complete turn from how we’ve done in the past,” Montevirgen said. “I believe, within the figures from the past five years, we have brought on several hundred new faculty districtwide.”

Belden said the EMBT recommended allowing enterprises to build solar panels on parking lot seven, similarly to those in parking lot one. This would generate a $1.3 million revenue with zero cost to Pierce.

Since soliciting interested

11/13 9:45 p.m.

Criminal Threats

One student made threats to another in room 1301.

companies takes time and effort for reviewing district approved contracts, movement on the solar panel proposition can be seen next year if worked on “now,” according to Belden.

-Angela Belden

Academic Faculty Senate Secretary Jennifer Moses said the budgetary crisis is “multifaceted” with additional impact from “outside entities.”

“Our budget deficit is not of Pierce’s making and it is unfortunate that Pierce seems to be required to balance the budget by doing hiring freezes when we cannot solve the budgetary problems on our own because we didn’t create the problem on our own,” Moses said. “It’s unfortunate that at this point it’s all on us to figure it out.”

aaguilera.roundupnews@gmail.com sneff.roundupnews@gmail.com

11/15 9:01 p.m.

Student Injury

Student hurt her left knee during a performance on stage in the Theater Arts.

Photo by Kevin Lendio/Roundup

A memorial for teenage brothers Cesar and Louis Perez displayed photos and candles on Parthenia Street in Winnetka, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2019.

“Cutting is very hard because that means a reduction in services to students, it could mean a reduction in staff or faculty, it could mean a lot of things and those things feel terrible.”

Instructor of Psychology

Reported by Jackson Hayano

[From Student on pg. 1]

EDUARDO GARCIA Reporter @egarcia23

Photo by Kevin Lendio/ Roundup

Sitting inside the Writing Lab at Pierce College, (left to right) English tutor Shauna Marsh proofreads Arian Masoumi's research paper on Nov. 14, 2019,

Dance Department invites the neighborhood

ALERT the CUL de SAC features student and faculty choreographers in semesterly dance concert in the Performing Arts Building

PETER VILLAFANE Reporter @pcavillafane

Dance is communal, bringing in people from all walks of life as performers and as fans.

That was the concept for the Dance department’s fall concert “Alert the Cul de Sac,” which ran from Friday to Sunday. The concert brought in the dance team from the high school Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences (VAAS).

While there was no theme, most of the dances were created by company members and they covered personal events.

“Lost in… ILYT, ILYT, ILFA”

The opening performance conveyed a somber tone and introduced a romantic conflict between the two main leads. The choreography by Chair’Donai’ Brooks was powerful and perfectly matched the music, especially when the tempo picked up. Themes of anger and pain could be felt from this exciting piece.

“Venus Vixens”

Minor technical errors did not detract from the overall fun energy of this piece choreographed by

theater major Melaney Garcia.

Dancers matched the bright pink background with an equally bright and flirty attitude. They made dancing in heels seem easy.

“Temptations”

This VAAS piece choreographed by Bradley Boleman and Samantha Tzintzun was immediately dramatic and captivating. The group was impressive and the tricks including lifts and cartwheels were a delight to see.

“Departing Memory”

This piece was centered around the idea that “the collective memory is never as strong as time moves us along.” Artistic Director Brian Moe’s choreography was hauntingly beautiful. The dance featured simplistic movements and audible breaths, which helped to convey the theme. This piece’s ending was captivating as well.

“In the Night”

This routine was compelling exciting. Dexter Amande, Gabriela Freire and Salma Ubwa were in the pocket, hitting the beat hard at every point. The choreography by Jenny Ghiglia and Marae Onsgard featured fast footwork and a fun ending.

“Lessons”

This VAAS piece featured structured group work. The

dancers choreographed by Bradley Boleman were clearly having a good time.

“Absence of Light”

The second act closed with a piece by the Pierce Dance Company, which featured an intriguing storyline. It was dedicated to those “learning to see without light.” Jasmine Sanchez, the main dancer, was effortless and seemingly weightless in her movements. The piece as a whole was impactful and gripping, from the eerie, dark characters to the

“Faux Jangles”

Act Two opened with the only solo of the night, a tap piece featuring dancer and student choreographer Katya Castillo. The piece had fun interactions with stairs and platforms. Castillo landed her spins beautifully and was in sync with the song’s tempo the whole time

“Forever in Ink”

This piece featured elegant choreography by theater arts major Joyanne Tracy. It was set to spoken word and a piano cover of Christina Perry’s “A Thousand Years.” Dancers Rachel Logan, Mimi Taylor, and Tracy all had gorgeous extended lines, but it was hard to focus away from Tracy.

“Press Play”

Every dancer’s personality

Donut forget to give thanks Thanksgiving-themed event hosted on campus

EDUARDO GARCIA Reporter @egarcia_023

An appreciation toward someone you love does not have to be as fancy as buying an expensive bouquet of roses.

On Thursday, many students ate donuts, relaxed with music, wrote thank you cards and posted leaves of gratitude on a board for the “Give Thanks” event at the Student Engagement/ASO Center.

“We wanted students to get a chance to remind themselves of all the wonderful things that they have or the people that they have in their life whom they're thankful for,” said Sidra Bahadar, Peer to Peer Mentor coordinator.

Students filled the “Brahmas Are Thankful For” board with fall season leaves, with some sharing they’re grateful for life, themselves, family, friends, coworkers and campus opportunities. At card-making booths, students wrote gratitude cards using design supplies, such as colored pencils, sharpeners, paper and letter tracers.

Steven Blugrind, an attendee, said he’s thankful for himself and his family. He thinks writing a card of thankfulness for someone is a good surprise and is a special treat that is as good as Valentine’s Day.

“If a friend of mine wrote a card and he was thankful for me, it could bring positivity towards a friendly relationship,” Blugrind

said. “If I'm thankful for a certain person, like a girl, I'm thankful for them. They might think of it as something good or maybe something romantic and they'd be like, ‘“Wow, I mean to this person way more than I think how the situation is.’”

The Peer-to-Peer Mentor Program and Associated Students Organization (ASO) coordinated the event, which lasted from 12-2 p.m. Students who couldn’t make it had an opportunity afterwards to enjoy donuts and write cards.

Bahadar said she’s happy about the turnout.

“I really am happy to see the students engaged in making cards for people whom they're thankful for,” Bahadar said. “I wasn't sure

STREET

BEAT

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions and what are they?

if students would still like doing that.” Summer Mehrzai, an attendee, said the importance of writing gratitude cards is expressing how you feel and hopes the person she gives her card to will feel warmth.

“I know you can't express everything, but at least writing something, just a little bit, and giving it to someone else could probably brighten up their day,” Mehrzai said. “Like if I received something like that, I would be like, ‘Oh my gosh! Thank you!’ I would feel warmth inside that someone at least made the effort to make a card.”

egarcia.roundupnews@gmail.com

of Justice

“Igettogetherwithfamilyandwe haveaturkeydinner,butsinceIam Latino,itisturkeyinthebread.”

-Ernest Hernandez Astrophysics

shone during this piece choreographed Dexter Amande, Elijah Aguilar, Derek Zhang and Anya Li. It was beyond amusing to see the dancers’ faces light up with joy as they hit every beat hard with attitude.

“Bradley’s Angels”

This piece by VAAS was clean, with all dancers in sync for the performance. The group as a whole was strong straight through to the ending, skillfully managing their bandanna props.

“The Salem Sisters”

This broadway number was appropriately set to “I Put a Spell on You.” Dancers from the Pierce Dance Company were fun and engaging, making the performance as a whole enjoyable.

“Haunted by What Will, Was Is.”

This piece was a showstopper. It featured a light and video effect that played with shadows and silhouettes. Technical Director, Lighting Designer and Sound Designer Edward Salas is commendable for the show as a whole, but for this piece especially. Dancers Gabriela Freire and Cheyenne Smith were breathtaking, and their performance could stand on its own even without the screen effects. It was like a museum

piece come to life.

“Period”

The last VAAS piece of the night highlighted the strengths of all their dancers. The group work was clean overall and the choreography had good transitions.

“Como Tu”

This salsa piece choreographed by Denise Gibson was fun and

flirty and allowed dancers to showcase their personalities. Every couple made the dance their own, drawing the viewer’s eye to all parts of the stage. Great dancers make audiences want to dance with them, and that was the effect that “Alert the Cul de Sac” had this weekend.

pvillafane.roundupnews@gmail.com

Tracking the right career path

Geographic Information Systems Day features five speakers

level and is used to recognize the Geographic Information System technology.

Geographical Sciences Instructor Adrian Youhanna said Pierce’s relationship with GIS is unique and a rare one to come by.

“This is an extremely unique program that we have because nobody else within our district, at the other eight colleges, have a GIS certificate program. The closest one is about 50 or so miles away at Rio Hondo College and Cyprus College. We are also the only community college in California that has an AA degree for GIS,” Youhanna said.

Three high schools, Northridge Academy, Birmingham Community Charter and Cleveland, also attended the events.

GIS major Tanzi Jackson gave a presentation on Farmers Markets and Food Insecurity. She said she wants to let know students know GIS exists and can be applied to a majority of fields.

The field of Geographic Information can not only dig a student into a unique academic path, but it can be incorporated into a future career.

Pierce College held its fifth celebration for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day Wednesday in the Great Hall. The

event hosted five guest speakers who displayed the variety of ways GIS can be applied in everyday life.

State Government employee and student Steve Brand gave a presentation on his analysis of the Los Angeles County climate. He said GIS is too broad to describe in a singular way.

“There is a lot to GIS. It's just one word that encompasses a lot, but if I could simplify it, it's like storytelling using maps or geography,” Brand said.

GIS Day is celebrated at a national

“Iusuallyhaveafriendsgiving. Weusuallyjustmakeita potluckandwatchmovies.”

-Ronald Lu FineArts

“If you're into computers or into maps, but you're also into environmentalism, tracking fires, water or traffic, there's a career there for you,” Jackson said. “I once saw Petco was hiring a GIS analyst probably to find where to put new stores.”

Brand has already graduated with a Bachelor's Degree but wanted to gain more technological experience. He is an internship away from getting his certification.

[For

]

“Itismycatʼstraditionmorethan anything. When people gather in my house, she likes to bring in an animal. I guess she wants tobepartofthefun.Iguessher bringing in a live animal is our tradition.”

-ValerieVaca Environmental and Occupational Health

PAOLA CASTILLO Photo Editor @paaolacaastillo

Quotes by Marc Blais

Photos by Sergio Torres

“Mymommakestamales everyThanksgivingandevery Christmas.”

-Abisai Gonzalez Administration

Kevin Lendio / Roundup

Former Pierce College student, now manager for Transportation Management Center in the city of Burbank, David Wilcox talks to a professor during the GIS day on Nov. 13, 2019, in Woodland Hills, Calif. Wilcox spoke at the event and discussed a GIS mapping project on traffic division fiber cables and switch status.

“Ourwholefamilyactually comingtogetherandcooking. ForactualThanksgiving,we allgoovertomygrandparents houseandthenprepareallthe mealstogetherandtheneat themafterwards.”

-Donovan Inniss MechanicalEngineering

Students hang up gratitude notes on coloful loved for the Give Thanks event at the Student Engagement/ASO Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2019.

Sophia Gomez / Roundup

Melaney Garcia practices during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Builing at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2019.

Cecilia Parada/ Roundup

Pierce Applied Music Program perfoms

The Performing Arts department held their second student recital in MUS 3400 on Nov. 14 BLAKE

KATYA CASTILLO Photo Editor @PhotosByKatya

Classical compositions by J.S. Bach and Franz Shubert mixed with modern music by David Bowie and Adam Levine as students from the Applied Music Program (AMP) at Pierce performed in the latest Thursday Concert.

Carolyn Lozano Archbol and Zachary Friday opened the performance with the slow, peaceful composition Lezione 6, by Ferdinando Carullo from, Methode complete pour guitare au lyre, op. 27. The duo, dressed in black, sat on a classroom stage surrounded by 10 guitars, four pianos, one drum set and two microphones as they waited for students shuffling feet to settle before beginning.

After the duet, Samantha Rosenberg sang with Michaell Bustamante on the clarinet and Lance Merrill on the piano. They performed the lengthy, dramatic, German lied The Shepherd on the Rock, D 965, by Franz Shubert.

The clean, controlled clarinet and voice complimented each other throughout the piece. Rosenberg showed off her immense vocal range, moving her shoulders up and down along with the notes as her instrumental counterparts complemented and matched her melody.

Following the symphonic music, Lexi Cantu and Victor Villacorta performed the psychedelic rock song Space Oddity, by David Bowie.

Cantu didn’t simply sing but rather performed. She acted out talking through an earpiece and floating through space as Villacorta accompanied her on the piano.

Next, Jason Guiterrez and Jonathan Myers ditched the acoustics and plugged in their electric guitar and electric bass for their contemporary take on Little Prelude in E minor by J.S. Bach. The two interacted on

the stage, smiling at each other and raising their energy throughout the song.

As the electric duet unplugged their instruments, Isabel Navas and Alexander Reyes prepared for their performance.

Navas sat cross-legged on a tall stool as Reyes tuned his guitar and prepared for The Moon Song by Karen Orzolek. As the two performed, Navas swayed slightly and tapped her foot against the stool as Reyes closed his eyes and smiled with the music.

The peaceful duet was followed, by Abtin Farrokh and Sahand Zare on the violins, and Lance Merrill on

the piano. They performed the fast paced Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1034, by J.S. Bach. The swift, staccato piano set the quick, upbeat tone of the music.

Next, as Shelley Quinn adjusted her bass guitar strap, Jonathan Myers, also holding a guitar, grabbed the microphone.

“This is for all your special someone you think about under the starlight, under the moonlight and in the sycamore trees,” Myers said.

They performed a contemporary version of Dream a Little Dream of Me, by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, incorporating guitar solos.

Students composed the next two

A glimpse of France

The French Club held their second annual Tourné es Film Festival

Former professional basketball player and star of French film “De sable et de feu,” Kamal Moummad participated in the Q&A of Pierce College’s second annual Tournées Film Festival.

Moummad, who considers himself to be French-Moroccan, found a deep connection to the movie’s message and the main character.

“This film really touched me to the core,” said Moummad. “Whether or not you're a legal or illegal, you know, you've traveled to that country and you're trying to reach a better life for yourself.”

Filling the venue ambiance was French music, the likes of “Je l’aime a Mourir” by Francis Cabrel as well as French hip-hop artist Orelsan’s “La Pluie.”

Traditional Moroccan food, couscous, and popular French carbonated beverage Orangina, were provided to truly immerse the festival goers.

The film “Tazzeka” centers around Elias, who works in the convenience store of his Moroccan village and has a passion for the culinary arts that far exceeds the means of his environment. After a chance encounter with a TV chef, Elias must leave his home, his ailing grandmother and the only life he has ever known in the pursuit of his dream.

The film received an ovation from the 130 students, staff and community members that comprised the audience.

While other films showcased at the film festival touched on topics including AIDS activists and The Holocaust, “Tazzeka” mirrored a current and on-going issue in the US.

Sign Language major Carlos Ayala was able to offer an opinion

WILLIAMS Managing Editor @BlakeMWilliams_

The fall 2019/winter 2020 issue of The Bull magazine is coming to newsstands at Pierce College on Friday, Nov. 22.

The theme for the issue is live performance and features 10 stories focused about performers, such as rappers, dancers and clowns.

The magazine also has a photo illustration about the state of arts and music programs in America.

Cameron Kern, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, said the staff was small but their work made up for it.

“The staff was the most hardworking, consistent and dedicated that I’ve ever seen being on the bull itself,” Kern said.

Another challenge was that most of the staff was new to journalism and doing this for the first time, but Kern thinks they did well.

“I’m really happy with how it came out,” Kern said. “I’m happy with the photos we got and the content that we ended up getting.”

He also said the magazine wouldn’t be what it is without Kevin Lendio, the managing editor, who helped make a lot of the decisions.

The full version of the magazine is already online at Issu.com and the stories can be read at thebullmag.com.

pieces.

Aro Caitlin invited Edwing Franco on the drums and Taylor Frankel on the electric bass to perform his composition Consider. Caitlin incorporated a poem he wrote about a bird into the bridge of the song.

“I was thinking about the nature of mobility and the different modes of transportation, whether you’re going by foot, bus, rideshare or by wings, and that made me wonder about the nature of choice. So this song is about the power of choice,” Caitlin said.

Jacob Kudjer composed the next song Birdsong, which is the first movement of his three-movement composition. Kudjer had Michaell

Bustamante on the clarinet, Shelley Quinn on the cello, Victor Villacorta on the piano and Sahand Zare on the violin.

Finally, a large group with six musicians performed Sunday Morning, by Jesse Carmichael and Adam Levine. The lead singers, Andrea Davis and Micahela Shumpert, danced in synchronization as the rest of the group moved around. The lively, upbeat song concluded the student concert.

The next AMP recital will be on Nov. 21 in the Performing Arts Building on the Art Hill.

kcastillo.roundupnews@gmail.com

bwilliams.roundupnews@gmail.com

Ted talks at Pierce

Sports broadcaster and author comes to speak on campus

Despite his junior college professor telling him he would never make it in the broadcasting industry, Ted Sobel would go on to meet 750 Hall of Fame inductees, be the longest tenured current LA-based radio sports reporter and have a book titled “Touching Greatness” on the way.

During his talk with Pierce students about his career and family, Sobel reminisced with a story from his junior college days of what a professor said to him.

“’First of all, you're not that good at what you do. I'm not impressed at your talent. Your voice is too high and you're wasting our time and your time in this class,’” Sobel said.

Rather than let that be his fact, he held onto it for a different reason.

on the movie as well as its message and delivery.

“If I can say one word to define what this movie was, it was fantastic,” Ayala said. “I really felt like this was a great way to touch on the topic. Immigration is really a worldwide thing.”

Ayala, who migrated here with their family and gained citizenship, gained a new perspective after seeing the film.

“Seeing this film makes me understand that for many people that is not the case,” Ayala said.

“They're constantly worried about shelter, if they can support themselves. But most of all, they're worried about getting caught.”

French Club member, Moroccan native and Business Major Khamsi Khadija, who was also a part of the Q&A panel, was thankful for the opportunity to share another side of immigration.

“There is another kind of immigration and also the psychological and the financial issue everybody is dealing with,” Khadija said. “I am so happy to have this opportunity to share it with everyone.”

While immigration was the main focus of discussion with “Tazzeka”, third and final Q&A panelist, Spanish Professor Fernando Oleas touched on more.

“We can approach this from different angles,” Oleas said. “You are reconnected at that moment with the music as well so that's very interesting in terms of the artistic representation of the film and trans over the in terms of this particular personal story.”

Though the movie spoke on matters of immigration, family and loss, Moummad touched on how translations and subtitles give an accurate depiction of the spoken word. He said they do not always give the full picture.

“You don't do a translation, you do like a version,” Moummad said. “You want people to be able to watch the film, enjoy the film, and not spend too much time reading. So, you have to make it short and concise and get to the meat of the translation. You get the meaning. You get the essence of what they try to say.”

“That was a motivator all these years later,” Sobel said. “I don't think about it very often, but it comes back to me when I get a chance to speak.”

While his professor spoke against his dreams, Sobel took his opportunity to do the opposite with upwards of 80 students in attendance.

“I want you to know, to me the most important thing, not just in journalism, but your life is passion, be passionate about what you do,” Sobel said. “If anybody tells you that ‘you can't do it,’ but you think you want to do it, don't even pay attention, ‘can’t’ is a cancer.”

Communications major Williams Pena, who wants to have a future in broadcasting, left Sobel’s talk with a lasting takeaway.

“He said that he had to learn different techniques and different approaches throughout his career,” Pena said. “And I know that for the rest of our lives, we're going to have to be able to evolve in order to succeed in the field that we choose to go to.”

Nursing student Emily Kumagai also found advice from attending Sobel’s talk she did not know she needed.

“My biggest takeaway is that even though I am a STEM or nursing major, there are definitely options for me to pursue a career in broadcasting,” Kumagai said. “This event definitely gave me a little more purpose and direction in terms of what I want to do with the media.”

Sobel also spoke about some chapters from his upcoming book, one

of which speaks about his uncle Carl Foreman and how he hopes to clear the stigma around the “communist” party, since he was once affiliated.

“It was a Hollywood-based group that wanted to do things for society,” Sobel said. “He was trying to help people, writing scripts about how African Americans were denied work.”

Another chapter, entitled “Anatomy of an Interview,” Sobel said recounts the injustices faced by female journalists.

“Barry bonds is in the most disgusting human being I've ever had to deal with,” Sobel said. “He just got out of the shower tries to make the women uncomfortable pretending he was going to take his towel off and just saying stupid stuff. Like from elementary school.”

When it comes to his longevity, Sobel attributes it to not resting on his laurels.

“I started out with cassettes, so I had to learn how to do digital editing,” Sobel said. You have to evolve with the program, with society, with everything. You have to understand. You can't just live in the past.”

Benjamin Hanson/ Roundup

Ted Sobel listens to a student speak about school experience at the Faculty & Staff Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 13, 2019.

Pablo Orihuela/ Roundup

Donna Accardo, an English professor and one of the event's interdisciplinary coordinators, announces to the audience who guessed the location of the Eiffel Tower correctly during the 2nd Annual French Film Festival at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov., 7, 2019.

Angelica Lopez/ Roundup

(Left to Right) Michaela Shumpert and Andrea Davis sing "Sunday Morning" during the Performing Arts department's student recital #2 on Nov. 14, 2019, in MUS 3400 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

AARON ESTRADA Reporter @AirOnNews

AARON ESTRADA Reporter @AirOnNews

The cover for The Bull magazine's fall 2019/winter 2020 issue. Photo courtesy of Cameron Kern.

ALERT the CUL de SAC

Student and faculty choreographers shared personal experiences of breakups and blindness through movement and music in the fall dance concert. The Pierce College Dance Company, along with dancers from Pierce and Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences (VAAS) performed in Alert the Cul de Sac, directed by Brian Moe. The concert, which ran for three performances, featured 15 dances that students worked on for eight weeks. While most dancers auditioned for the concert in the beginning of the fall semester, two of the pieces featured the Dance Company, led by Denise Gibson.

COPY BY KATYA CASTILLO

TOP LEFT:

Mimi Taylor practices during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Cecilia Parada.

TOP RIGHT:

(Left to right) Yesenia Alvarado and Eriel Amoroso practice during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Cecilia Parada.

MIDDLE: The Pierce College Dance Company practices during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Cecilia Parada.

BOTTOM: Derek Kosol and Yesenia Alvarado practice during the Alert the Cul de Sac dress rehearsal in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Cecilia Parada.

Woodwind artist changes the world with her clarinet Music professor speaks to her students with the language of music

ALEJANDRA AGUILERA Reporter @_ale_aguilera

Despite generations of clarinet players in her family—including her grandmother and both of her parents—Wendy Mazon originally wanted to learn how to play the drums.

The public elementary school

Mazon attended in Sacramento didn’t offer drums to students who wanted to join band, so, instead, she chose the clarinet because she perceived its black body and silver keys as cool-looking.

By then, she fell in love with its sound, which led her to eventually win a Los Angeles Area Emmy in 2016 for Children/Youth

Programming for teaching winds and strings at Children’s Music Workshop.

“What’s so cool about the clarinet is that it’s a lot like the human voice.

What I mean by that is, it can have different colors to its sound,” Mazon said. “You can play so soft that it sounds like the sound is coming out from nowhere. It can come in, be really big, and then disappear again like it was never there and not all instruments can do that.”

Mazon is a professor at Pierce and directs the Pierce College Symphonic Band. She’s also a professional clarinetist, a journey that has been influenced by her family and teachers throughout her academic career.

In Sacramento, Mazon lived in a two-bedroom apartment with her family of five. Her father, Dionisio Sr., worked in a factory while her mother, Paula, worked at Sears. Despite not having “a lot of stuff” growing up, Mazon recollects when her mother saved enough money to rent her a clarinet.

“I remember her taking me to the store and us getting an actual clarinet,” Mazon said.

“Understanding how much work they put into so I could just have that to play, was very important to me.”

While studying at Cosumnes River Community College in Sacramento for three years, Mazon’s goal was to play soccer for a Division 1 team. After being recruited to play soccer for California State University, Northridge (CSUN), she moved to Southern California.

The first time she received a private clarinet lesson was at

CSUN, where Mazon earned a Bachelor’s degree in music education and a Master’s degree in music performance.

Mazon took a break after her Master’s degree between 200206. During this time, she attended a clarinet concert performed by Håkan Rosengren. She reached out to him to privately teach her because she believes in life-long learning.

“I’ve not heard a clarinetist play like that before,” Mazon said.

“That’s all you have to do, is to hear him play and then you go, ‘I want to study with you because I want to sound like you, I want to play musically and passionately as you do.’”

Since Rosengren is a professor at Cal State Fullerton, she had to drive two hours to attend lessons at Fullerton. During the two hour drive back to the San Fernando Valley, she would replay the lesson in her head. She played a beautiful sound and

she was very conscientious about trying to be true to the composers and their original thoughts,” Rosengren said in an interview via telephone. “She loves to take on challenges. She never shied away from that path. She’s a very capable musician, serious musician and wonderful clarinetist.”

Rosengren advised Mazon to get her Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at the University of Arizona. Between 2006-09, she would live

in Arizona on the weekdays, fly back to the San Fernando Valley and teach clarinet privately on Saturdays, a study on Sundays and then fly back to Arizona to begin the cycle again.

Eventually, she earned her Doctorate in musical performance and a teaching certificate to be an instructor in higher education, which she has been doing at Pierce since 2016.

“Not only is she a professor, but she’s also a professional musician,” Maria Bates, a member on Mazon’s tenure committee, said during an interview via telephone. “On top of that, she has a passion for what she does and compassion towards her students. She has a really nice balance between being rigorous and at the same time being kind and inspirational to her students.”

In her spare time, Mazon performs as the principal clarinetist at the Filipino American Symphony Orchestra (FASO). The orchestra focuses on transforming Filipino folk tunes, patriotic songs and lullabies into western classical music. FASO had a sold-out show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in August. Their new holiday-themed show will be on Dec. 7 at the White Memorial Church in Los Angeles.

In her office at the Music Department, she has a framed memorial program of her basketball coach Carrie Lynne add who died in April of last year.

Although Ladd only coached her for a year, Mazon applies what Ladd has taught her into everyday life.

“Some coaches can be just in your face really mean and degrading, but she wasn’t like that. She always had faith in you,” Mazon said. “If I can even be close to anything like that, I would be happy to inspire and influence people to follow and do what they love and be good at it.”

aaguilera.roundupnews@gmail.com

Passing along knowledge one dance at a time

Pierce instructor emphasizes education through choreography

SAMANTHA NEFF Reporter @ sam_neff_

If he’s in a playful mood, which he often is, Brian Moe will say the reason he likes to dance is because he can’t sit still.

But the truth is, he usually uses a quote from Isador Duncan to explain his career path.

“Isadora Duncan, one of the founding mothers, said that ‘first there must be joy’ and I really kind of delve into this because it’s something that’s so simple, this very idea of why we dance” Moe said. “Well, because it makes me happy, because it brings be joy.”

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Brian Moe started dancing at age 4. He found interest in teaching when he was still in school and loved choreographing dance.

“I like to pass on this knowledge of the body that I have, because dance is experimental,” Moe said. “You can’t just read a book and be amazing you have to actually do it and experience it and invest in it and that’s probably the hardest thing someone will ever do.”

Moe has been a dance instructor at Pierce for four years and has been teaching college level dance for eight years. He has worked hard to make sure the school offers a degree in dance that will hopefully be available within the next year.

Moe said he loves teaching children of all ages but enjoys teaching college students.

“I love college because it’s more of an academia, so it comes from a more heavy place, and I can be a little bit more cerebral with teaching it,” Moe said. “Rather than a kind of monkey see, monkey do where they don’t really understand fully the functionality of it because they don’t understand their bodies.”

Chairman of Theater Michael Gend said Moe is a great colleague to have and he enjoys

working with him.

“After meeting for four fall semesters, the committee decided unanimously to recommend him for tenure since he is exactly the kind of instructor we love to have here at Pierce College, forever being for as long as he chooses to work here,” Gend said.

Gend said Moe is excellent at organization and leaving an impact on his students.

“His impact I think will be filled primarily a few years down the road, even more so than it is now,” Gend said.

“He’s developed a degree that Pierce College is going to begin offering once the state approves it, an associates degree in dance for the dance students, so it’s the first dance degree that Pierce will be offering.”

Paloma Ferrer, has been a dance student at Pierce for three years said Moe’s classes are her favorite.

“Honestly Brian cares a lot about his students and the pieces and work he does for this school. He has a lot of pride in,” Ferrer said. “I think that’s something I really admire as a student to see in my teachers.”

“I did not have a lot of confidence coming into dancing at Pierce but he was there from the first semester I came to support me in my dance experience and encourage me to just reach for it, try new things and not be scared,” Ferrer said.

One thing Moe is bothered by is when he meets students that danced when they were little, but their parents eventually stop them from taking classes because they believed they could never have a career in dance.

“The great injustice that we have in our society right now is that they push kids into dance so young that they fall in love with it,” Moe said. “Then when they ask ‘what do you want to do with your life’ and the kids say ‘I want to dance’ they project their fears onto the kids and say ‘oh no you

don’t want to do that’ and they pull them out, that is the most heartbreaking thing.”

Moe believes anyone can dance and it is a way to unify

people.

“I dance because I find a joy in movement, I enjoy the community of dance,” Moe said. “People go out to dance, it’s a

social behavior, insects dance, all animals dance, everything dances, everything vibrates to some sort of rhythm, it’s not a far fetched thing so when people tell me they

can’t dance I tell them ‘yes you can’, everybody can dance.”

Katya Castillo / Roundup

Wendy Mazon , a music instructor, sits with her clarinet on the Art Hill at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 15, 2019.

Kevin Lendio / Roundup

Brian Moe, the dance instructor, dances ballet at the North Gym studio, on Nov. 11, 2019, in Woodland Hills, Calif. Growing up with siblings who love dancing, Moe started as a 5-year-old boy gaining an interest to learn ballet.

Women's Volleyball (2-11) Football (3-7)

Pierce beats Santa Monica in last game of the season Brahmas win nail-biter

Football ended their season on the right foot, getting the win over the Santa Monica College Corsairs in Saturday’s conference game.

Acting head coach Anthony Harris was happy with his team’s 3427 victory.

“Well it's always good to finish the season with a win. However, way too many penalties, tonight was a crazy night. I don’t know why. Glad to come away with a win,” Harris said.

Three minutes in, Trevor Gill gave Brahmas the lead after an interception by Jalen Burton.

Their lead was doubled after Jakobe Harvey ran for three-yards making it a 14-point game.

Chandler Bradley said being able to score was an awesome feeling.

“If it wasn’t for my teammates it wouldn’t have happened. I’m really appreciative about what my guys can do up front, because of them we made it happened,” Bradley said. “We stuck it out, we fought through to the end, we didn’t give up. Me and the team we fought hard and made it happened, we got the W,” Bradley said.

The Brahmas defense stepped up on fourth down when Dante Witcher Jr. prevented the SMC offense from converting. Zivaiishe Smith also recovered a fumble from the Corsair offense.

In the second quarter, Eric Best prevented a first down on third and eight and the Corsairs had to settle for a field goal. However, a

few possessions later they scored a touchdown and converted a twopoint conversion, making it a three point game.

The Corsairs had an opportunity to tie the game with a field goal before halftime, but it was blocked by Ijaaz Rashid

When play resumed, David McCullum connected on a pass to Bradley for 97 yards. After scoring, the game was delayed when SMC’s Brandon Freeman suffered an injury to his ankle and was transported to the hospital.

Santa Monica College head coach

Kelly Ledwith was proud of his team for how hard they fought to stay in the game. It was an emotional night for the visiting team but they are

hoping for the best next season.

“Will build the foundation we started tonight and will build on it and I think by next year will be pretty excited about where we are moving,” “After that injury in the third quarter, the way they rebounded and came together I was extremely proud of how they came till the end,” Ledwith said.

When play resumed, McCullum connected with Miles for 43 yards, making the score 27-11.

The Corsairs got back into the game with a touchdown of their own. Brandon Brock would respond for Pierce, making the score 34-18.

“I knew I had to do one for my team. We finished with a W, that’s a positive. I’m proud of my boys,”

Season Review: Water polo

Team finishes 1-6 overall, eliminated in play-in match

experience,” Pitariu said.

Recruiting was not easy on the coaches and the team.

Brock said.

Corsairs’ Tristan Rudell put SMC 10 points behind the Brahmas. They followed with a field goal to make it a seven-point game. With less than a minute, the defense stepped up, forcing a fumble from Santa Monica to win 34-27.

“Since I’ve been here for only five weeks and the strength of our team has been defense,” Harris said. “When we must make a play and get things done defense caused a fumble at the end of the game, but we recovered it and got the W.”

The Brahmas finished the season 3-7 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

In a season filled with obstacles, water polo finished the year when they were eliminated in the play-in game by cross-town rival LA Valley College.

The season started with a loss against Citrus Coege in the first home game since 2017.

Pierce had many new recruits even after the season started and had the uncertainty of how the process would go and how the new recruits would work with the team as a whole.

Water polo assistant coach Micrea Pitariu wants to recruit the best for the team as soon as possible to avoid the same situation that they went through at the beginning of this season.

“Having a lot of new girls mixed with the more experienced girls, there was a lot of learning done really quick, but it still hurts when you don’t have people who don’t have the

“It was definitely hard because of the uncertainty of who we were going to have on our team then also getting them eligible, getting the orientation done, psychical done and everything,” Pitariu said.

Water polo player Maria Sandoghda said they needed time to adapt.

“I think our start was a little rough just because we didn’t know each other really well. But towards the end we bonded a lot and we got stronger. We got to know each other’s strengths and worked it out,” There were few main issues when it came to play against other teams.

“Sometimes I feel like we struggle coming back on defense and for the offense sometimes we didn’t really move that much but towards the end of the season we improved a lot,” Sandoghdar said.

in two sports and majors

Most students might think that it would be impossible to be a doublemajor, but Allison Schamber is doing just that, as well as playing two sports and working a job.

Schamber is a sophomore who is majoring in animal science and equine. She is on the swim and water polo teams and works as a lifeguard for Los Angeles County, a job she was able to get through playing water polo.

Schamber said that she is able to balance everything and also tries to stay organized.

“It is a very heavy workload, but just always keeping track of my time and planning out my schedules before hand instead of waiting until the last second helps,” Schamber said.

“The hardest part of balancing all of it is, probably, the time management, finding time to work, and just getting enough sleep so that you can continue with practices and don’t fall behind in classes.”

Judi Terhar, the head women's water polo and swim coach, said that she believes sports help give Schamber an advantage when taking on this workload.

“It is because she is so strong willed and she is a very determined person,” Terhar said. “It is these sports, specifically, that make you a strong individual and make you be able to handle things in life that come your way, because you have fought through situations like this.”

Schamber began playing water polo her junior year of high school at John Burroughs High School in

Burbank.

Schamber said that she enjoyed volleyball and swimming, so she thought water polo would be the perfect sport for her. After high school, Schamber went to Colorado State, but she was not playing water polo and really missed it.

She transferred to Pierce College and became a full-time student in the spring, and is now back to playing water polo this fall.

Schamber plays the hole set position, which Terhar described as equivalent to Shaq in basketball, or the center position. Schamber was voted a team captain of this year’s team.

Mircea Pitariu, the assistant women’s water polo coach, said that Schamber was made team

captain because of how she is always helping her teammates and her positivity.

“She always has a positive attitude and she does a really good job when things arent going that well at keeping that positive mentality and keeping that drive to go forward,” Pitariu said. “She communicates well with the other girls and helps everyone get better as a whole.”

Schamber said that water polo has helped her develop leadership skills that help her as a team captain.

“Through water polo I learned to be courageous and just an overall really good leader,” Schamber said. “I’m someone who does things first, I don’t wait for others to tell

me what to do anymore.”

The day before the first game of the season, Schamber injured her right shoulder. She isn’t quite sure how she injured it, but she still played in the first game Citrus College.

Since the first game, she worsened the injury during practice and was unable to play against Santa Monica College on Wednesday Oct. 16. She is currently waiting to get an MRI and is hoping to be back in the pool as soon as she is ready.

Terhar said that she expects Schamber to be a commanding force for the team when she returns from her injury.

“She has got some wicked shots and we can’t wait to get her in a

position where we can watch her dominate,” Terhar said. “I expect her to be the dominant player that we know she can be.”

Pitariu said that he expects Schamber to come back and have a meaningful impact on games for the team.

“If she makes a full recovery I expect her to play in playoffs and to have some really good games over there,” Pitariu said. “I expect her to lead our team as a whole.”

Schamber hopes that after Pierce College she will be able to go to the University of California, Davis and continue her major.

Schamber said that she has always had a love for animals and

that as a veterinarian, she hopes she can help animals.

She also hopes that she will be able to continue playing water polo and continue to swim after she leaves Pierce.

Pitariu said that he believes Schamber is definitely capable of playing water polo past Pierce and hopes to help her get her there.

“She would definitely be able to play at the next level and I would love to help her look for that next program, mentor her and coach her into that next level of play,” Pitariu said.

Cecilia Parada/Roundup

Dennis Mack attempts to avoid Alexander Zaragoza during a game against Santa Monica College at Pierce College's John Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif., on No v. 16, 2019. The Brahmas won 34-27.

File photo by: Benjamin Hanson

Cindy Rivera (18) attempts to block Piper Lavine's (9) pass during a game against Citrus College at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2019.

File photo by: Benjamin Hanson Allison Schamber with a water polo ball in the pool at Steven E. Schofield Aquat ic Center in Woodland HIlls, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2019.

File photo by: Benjamin Hanson Allison Schamber goes for a shot during practice at Steven E. Schofield in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2019.