Volume 131 Fall 2019 Roundup Issue 3

Brief: Union votes out president

Pantry's back in session

Promoting student success, one necessity at a time

BRYAN CARBALLO Reporter @BRCreport

The AFT Local 1521A executive council voted Monday, September 16th, to remove current president Velma Butler immediately.

According to the results of two internal investigations, Butler is accused of allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from the union treasury for personal use and retaliating against members who spoke out against her.

Butler was replaced the following day by Ruby Newbold, a temporary AFT administrator.

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Brief: Potential Impeachment

ASO senators discuss removing new president

JESSE BERTEL News Editor @JesseBertel JACKSON HAYANO News Editor @HayanoJackson

ASO members requested an impeachment hearing for ASO President Miguel Orellana during a senate meeting on Tuesday, September 24.

Vice President Stephanie Lopez, Club Council President Nicole Alfaro and Treasurer Brandon Le read off a list of offenses that they believe Orellana committed during his presidency.

One of these offenses included breaching privacy by taking senators applications when he wasn’t supposed to.

Le claimed that the applications contained sensitive materials such as student transcripts, addresses and I.D. numbers.

“Taking the senators applications posed a security beach, specifically a breach in privacy because of the potentiality of replicating or revealing the private documents when they were supposed to be disclosed in a private place,” said Le.

Orellana is also being accused of missing mandatory meetings, not being present during his office hours and not participating in the ASO booth during Club Rush.

Orellana claimed that these offenses are misconceptions and that the mistakes he made were unintentional.

“As a non-traditional student, I have a non-traditional way of doing things. I believe that this is a big misunderstanding,” said Orellana.

Orellana said that these offenses should not warrant an impeachment hearing, and that the ASO should be focusing on more important issues.

“This is so early in the semester to be nit-picking at someones learning process, and I think that’s a big waste of time,” said Orellana.

ASO voted on a motion to move the meeting to next week. The motion was passed by a vote of 4-1, with one abstaining.

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Studying for tests and finishing homework are obstacles for most students, but what if they are hungry and have no place to lay their head down?

The Brahma Pantry is initiating a Basic Needs Support Program.

In addition to offering support by providing food, the Brahma Pantry will now be helping students with other necessities, such as housing, toiletries and counseling.

Jocelyn Sarria, a neuroscience major and a member of the Students Against Student Hunger Club (S.T.A.S.H.), has been utilizing the pantry since its opening last year.

“I want students to know that it’s free,” Sarria said. “I want them to know that no one is judging them and that it’s a safe space for them.”

Sarria also mentioned that the pantry provides students with resources that will benefit them academically.

“Looking into research and statistics, students do better when they have a full stomach,” said Sarria.

D’arcy Corwin, the Brahma Pantry Leader, said that she holds meetings with students so that she can understand any individual necessities they might have.

“Those one-on-one meetings are when I get to really connect with students to see what their needs

are, so I can get them those support resources” Corwin said. Students work with Corwin to see

what resources are available to them, on and off the campus.

Jackie Macon, a student who goes to the Brahma Pantry, explained how you can get up to 10 snacks a week, and can also get two meal vouchers that can be used for either a subway box or a meal from the cafeteria.

“My favorite snack has to be the honey chips,” Macon said. “ And my favorite meal is the Subway tuna sandwich.”

Another student who visits the Brahma Pantry is Quarterback Luke Flanagan, who comes by everyday to get something to eat before his fivehour practice.

“D’arcy is a saint, she's the best person.” Flanagan said.

In order to qualify, students have to sign what is called a “Welcome Form”. They provide their name, student I.D. and check off a list of additional support resources that

they may interest them.

The Brahma Pantry is located next to the old library building, and is open Monday and Wednesday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Students can also sign up for one-on-one meetings, which are held Tuesday and Thursdays.

But this time it's Pierce onal

BRYAN CARBALLO Reporter @BRCreport

Football players often consider the gridiron a battlefield where the opponent is thought of as an enemy.

Last season, wide receiver Kareem Miles was fighting for the Victory Bell as a player with Los Angeles Valley College. Now, Miles is looking to win the Victory Bell for the second straight season, but this time it’s with Pierce.

Every year, the Brahmas and Monarchs participate in a rivalry game dubbed the Victory Bell, where the winner gets to take the bell home until the following year. Valley College has held onto the bell for the past four years, but the football team is hoping it makes its way to Pierce.

Miles is doing everything he can to ensure that the bell does come back to Shepard Stadium.

“I just go hard at practice,” Miles said. “Just building chemistry with my team and letting them know how important this is.”

Although he’s a transfer student, Miles isn’t an unknown face to the team or the coaching staff. Earning 828 yards and 10 TDs last season, Miles caught the eye of John Austin, the wide receivers coach.

Austin has been coaching at Pierce since 2014, and he sees a lot of potential in Miles.

“He's a freak of nature, has great speed, great hands. He is a big playmaker for us,” Austin said. “He’s gifted, has a lot of talent, and has so much room to grow.”

Austin explained how when Miles is on the field, he’s all

about business. He said Miles is a quiet guy who keeps to himself. It could be tough to get words out of him, but he said it could be a good thing for him, as it potentially limits distractions.

Jeremy Boyle, special teams coach, had similar high regard for the esteemed wideout.

“He’s a great guy, not one problem with him, he’s getting good grades,” Boyle said. “He drives 2 hours to get here so he is dedicated.”

Miles recently got an offer from Southern Miss. Whie Miles has only played one season of college football, there are people out there who are keeping a close eye on him.

Miles said he is thinking about signing with Southern Miss, but his focus is on this season.

Coming off a tough loss against West LA on Sept. 14, Miles was in high spirits and

seemed hopeful as he prepares for the big game.

Kevin Lendio / Roundup

Neuroscience major, Jocelyn Sarria, picks up her choice of protein bars from the black cabinet inside Brahma Pantry, Sept. 18, 2019, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Kevin Lendio / Roundup

Jorge Marroquin grabs his snack from the fridge inside Brahma Pantry, Sept. 18, 2019, in Woodland Hills, Calif

“I want them to know that no one is judging them and that it's a safe space for them.”

- Jocelyn Sarria

Member of the Students Against Student Hunger Club bcarballo.roundupnews@gmail.com

Ben Hanson / Roundup

Kareem Miles jukes during a game against West L.A. College at Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept 14th, 2019. The Brahmas lost 6226.

From the desk of the Roundup: Editorial

-Corrections-

Volume 131, Issue 2:

Front:

Pierce College's mascot name

Clarence was spelled wrong in the caption.

Features:

Navodya’s name was spelled

Look for deals, "trash" for sale

While “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is a common phrase, it holds truth for any college student looking for a cheap alternative to finding things they need without breaking the bank.

Pierce College should hold a student yard sale so that those wanting to get rid of certain items can find an easy, safe and reliable way for getting them to someone who could find them useful.

Students are often throwing away items that are still in good condition because they don’t have any use or the space for them. Some would rather upgrade to the newest edition of an item than continue using the one that they currently have.

Unless an object is broken beyond repair, then it is not trash. According to planetaid.org, about 640 pounds of trash is produced by college students yearly.

Simultaneously, there are students who need items such as books, clothing, furniture or even bedding but can’t afford to buy or replace them.

Buying and selling online can be risky and unsafe. Money can be lost on items that don’t fit the description, or sometimes it is never sent. Objects that are too heavy, such as furniture, can be difficult or expensive to ship and require meeting face-toface to make the transaction.

Having a garage sale can allow students to see exactly what they’re getting when they’re getting it. There’s no tricky business involved because they can physically test whether it actually works.

This also helps avoid the dangers of having to meet a stranger from the internet as it’s all done on campus. Considering that the sale would be catered specifically to students by students, almost all of the items being sold would be relevant to what a college student needs: from used textbooks to technology, bikes or school supplies such as backpacks or calculators.

Colleges, including Dartmouth and Harvard University, have done moving out sales when students are leaving their dorms as part of their

mission to keep the campus sustainable and green. Nonprofit organizations volunteer to help, and all proceeds are usually donated to them afterward.

While Pierce doesn’t have housing, it doesn’t take away the fact that there are still large amounts of waste being produced by college students trashing their supplies at the end of each semester so that they can start anew the following year.

Seeing as how all of social media is making posts about reducing waste, there should be no

trouble finding volunteers to help organize, and filter through and price the items that are donated. For some who only have one or two things they need to get rid of, they can choose to give it to the collection of stuff being sold.

However, if Pierce wants to plan it differently by having the students’ sell their own items, then that would solve the issue of who is going to handle them. Those who have more than enough to fill a table could register for a booth using their student identification number.

To wake up or sleep in?

The garage sale could be organized in the Victory Parking Lot 7 where other events such as the Topanga Vintage Market and SuperCar Sunday are held. It could take place during the weekend when the parking lot isn’t in use by students. Although having a sale like this could be useful all year-round, a reasonable time would be at the start and end of each term. This would give students the opportunity to find things that they may need throughout the year.

Pro: Take morning classes Con: Take night classes

An advantage that community colleges typically provide to their applicants are a wide variety of classes such as weekend, late night and early morning classes.

While it is important that all these classes are offered for students with tighter schedules, it is beneficial for students to take morning classes because they tend to be more dedicated to their classes, succeed more and have time in the day for other activities besides school.

When students begin their day with an early class, it allows the rest of the day to be used for other aspects and qualities of life. Whether it be homework, work or simply spending time with friends and family, finishing up classes earlier allows time in the day to get things done.

For those who have to balance work life with school life, it can sometimes be disadvantageous entering a classroom environment after work. After strenuous work in the morning, it can be difficult to pay the amount of attention necessary to succeed in the classroom.

Balancing afternoon and late afternoon classes can be difficult for students with jobs. Part-time

jobs are often based on shift work, and not too many companies are accommodating to mid-shift starts. Typically shifts will start in the morning or at night, so it causes a conflicting time slot for the student if they get out of work after their morning shift and have to head to school immediately. For a student to learn properly, it is essential for them to have an active mind. According to Inc. com, the brain is most effective around 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. because it is in acquisition mode. The circadian rhythm, the body’s inner clock, allows the brain to function better at certain times. It has been found that this morning time frame is a peak point in the day for the brain to learn new things.

People who take morning classes are also prepared to learn and develop better time management skills. If they have a 9:35 a.m. class the next morning, they might think twice about spending a late night out and focus on prepping for class instead.

A morning student, if they want to get proper sleep and good grades, will figure out how to manage the rest of the day after exiting the classroom. It’s easier to work around the few blocks of classes they have in the morning than if their classes were to start at night.

While there isn’t sufficient

evidence to prove taking morning classes will raise a student’s GPA, the Washington Post reportedly found in a study that students who take morning classes do not typically consume as much alcohol and other substances as those who take later starting classes.

To succeed in a morning class, there simply isn’t time to spend numerous late nights out abusing substances. Alcohol and other substances can cause problems in learning and retaining memory.

The brain needs proper sleep to transmit short term to long term memory. This means sleep deprivation is a big obstacle to proper learning. According to the study, students who abuse alcohol inherently experience more sleep deprivation than those who don’t because the body has to process the substances during the time it needs to rest.

Because students who take morning classes need to sleep and wake earlier, they'll be less likely to consume these substances allowing them to learn more efficiently and coherently.

Students should elect to take more morning classes, if available to them, so that they can be more successful and better dedicated to their collegiate learning experience.

Night classes are beneficial in more ways than one, especially for students that can’t take a morning or afternoon class. Students who have fulltime jobs or family obligations can’t be in classes most of the day. It’s often not easy to maintain an all day schedule for an average working student.

Classes that are during the day get filled up quickly compared to ones offered at night.

Due to the fact that night classes have lower enrollment, this allows a class setting to be more intimate. A small class creates an opportunity for a tight knit bond to be built between other students.

those who are the same age.

Based on a study done by Oxford University, lead scientist Eiluned Pearce concluded that taking part in weekly evening classes can boost someone’s well being regardless of the subject that they’re studying.

According to an article by CNBC, over 70% of students from the past 25 years have maintained a job while going to college. While not everyone has a full-time job, the time during the day that isn’t filled with the classes could be used to partake in an internship, extracurricular activities or clubs. Some people tend to function better at night than they do in the early hours of the morning. Having to study and prepare for the next class session by pulling an all-nighter the day before is not healthy for someone’s physical and mental health. Students who choose to take night classes are able to study their notes and prepare for the next class meeting during the middle of the day instead of at night.

Professors cannot simply slow down for one or two people when a class size is large. Students benefit from these night classes because they are then able to obtain one-on-one lessons and guidance from the professor. Having this class size helps students that need the strength to sharpen their weaknesses.

While instructors are usually the ones doing the teaching, another source of learning in a class is from the classmates themselves.

Afternoon classes tend to have people who are either in their early twenties or are still in high school. College night classes have a mixture of adults from all age groups.

“The students reported benefits including increased selfconfidence, a greater feeling of control over their lives and more willingness to take on new challenges,” Pearce said. There are students who say that their experience with attending late classes are enjoyable and different compared to taking them during the day. One noticeable distinction is that finding parking tends to be easier than going on a treasure hunt for parking during the day. There isn’t the usual need to rush to a class because spots are more accessible. A factor that students can consider when deciding if a night class is for them is whether they are a night owl or a morning person and at which times of the day do they feel most productive and aware. In either case, there are advantages to the night classes which is why they continue to be offered and students continue to take them. tdillon.roundupnews@gmail.com

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Classes with adults, who have had experiences outside of school, can bring great conversations and knowledge. Most of the time they have the best understanding of how things work and clearer answers to questions than

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

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THOMAS DILLON Reporter @roundupnews

NYLE MALDONADO Reporter @roundupnews

Making the cut

18 class sections canceled for fall 2019 semester

“Some students need it to finish their program,” Berger said. “Even if that class has six students, if that class doesn’t stay, those six students don’t finish their program.”

Berger recommends that students take full advantage of their registration dates and plan their schedule ahead of time. Doing so gives administration the ability to fill a class appropriately.

On the chance a class is canceled, students will have enough time to reorganize their schedule.

Dean of Academic Affairs

Margaret Gavarra-Oh explained that while cancelling a class is sometimes unavoidable, students are never abandoned and remain a priority.

“I need to know that these classes are not going to be a bottleneck toward the students to graduate. We don’t cancel the same class within two years,” Gavarra-Oh said.

When classes are canceled, the department chair will notify students and provide different time offerings or alternative classes.

Defensive Back Jalen Burton understands the importance of being able to schedule his classes around his busy days.

Healthy Food, Healthy Living Plans underway to create campus food garden

PAOLA CASTILLO Reporter @TheRoundupNews

Pierce College might soon have a fall harvest of its own.

Faculty members have been planning to create a food garden on campus that will provide fresh produce to students.

The project is being led by Department Chair for Industrial Technology Elizabeth Cheung and Architecture Technology Professor Beth Abels.

After hearing about the high percentage of food-insecure students in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), Cheung and Abels wanted to find a way to provide fresh produce for those that might not have access to it.

“[Pierce] is a place that has a tradition of farming,” Abels said. “And it seemed like it made sense to start thinking ‘how could we grow fresh produce that would serve the pantry and serve S.T.A.S.H. and Art Soup so they can make soup with fresh produce?’”

information.

Canceling a class before the semester starts is not ideal for either students or faculty.

In the week prior to the start of the fall 2019 semester, 18 sections were canceled.

Vice-President of Academic Affairs Sheri Berger explained the factors and reasoning behind cancelling a class. “We’re looking to see where

the demand is; what classes are filling, and which ones aren’t,” Berger said. “We’ll cancel something that doesn’t have a high demand for something that does; we do a conversion. This happened a lot this year with the AB705 in English and Math.” Assembly Ballot 705 is a statewide legislative decision that changed the way students are placed into English and Math.

In the past, Pierce College used a placement test to classify what transfer level math and english classes they belong in. AB705 now requires high school information to determine this

“In this new model, it was hard for us to predict how students were going to be placed,” Berger said. “We took a guess. It turned out we needed more statistics and algebra [classes].” Classes are usually cancelled due to low enrollment. However, some classes with low enrollment may still be kept due to their importance.

Though 15 is the number of students required for a class to remain open (eight if the class is considered advanced), some classes with fewer than eight students are not cancelled.

“I decided to schedule my classes in the morning, because we have meetings and practices in the afternoons, and get home in time to do my homework,” Burton said. “Even if my class were to get dropped, I have good coaches and staff that can help me find another class to fit my schedule.”

Despite the cancelled classes, Pierce finds itself at 101% enrollment rate from last year and still above the 97% enrollment rate of the surrounding district.

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Cheung said that students will play an important role in what types of produce are grown in the garden.

“What we grow could be driven by what the desires and needs are, and students could be involved in the actual growing and maintaining of the garden,” Cheung said.

Life Science Department Chair Shannon Devaney is also involved with the project. Devaney said that the garden will help alleviate the worry that food-insecure students have, and also offer healthier options to choose from.

“It's hard trying to help someone learn when you know that they don't have enough to eat,

and don't have enough healthy food to eat,” Devaney said.

Students who took classes with Cheung and Abels last semester got to design systems for the potential food garden.

“We have a new system,” Abels said. “They're very little. It’s a fish pond thing that's going to provide fish nutrients to the plants.”

The location for the food garden hasn’t been decided yet, but Cheung and Abels hope that it will be in reach of the students.

“I think ideally it's somewhere that's visible,” Cheung said. “Somewhere

-Elizabeth Cheung Department Chair for Industrial Technology

that’s not super far away.”

There is no definite plan for how the food will be distributed to students, although Cheung has suggested setting up a booth that will showcase the crops.

“Like once a week, a kind of pop-up where we're out on the mall or somewhere visible with the recent harvest and people can just come and take what they want,” Cheung said.

Students who’d like to take part in the creation of the food garden can contact Elizabeth Cheung, Beth Abels or the Symbiotix Biology club for more information.

Remedial classes dropped

Math and English classes cut by AB 705

KATYA CASTILLO Reporter @TheRoundupNews

Success rates and drop rates may seem like opposites, but a new law may challenge that notion.

With Assembly Bill 705, increased drop rates may ultimately lead to higher success rates.

The bill attempts to increase the probability that students will take and complete transfer-level English and math classes in a one year timeframe.

To achieve this, students are no longer required to take assessment tests to be placed into transfer-level courses during the fall 2019 semester. Instead, course-level placement will be determined by high school coursework, grades, and GPA.

Ultimately, the bill is supposed to decrease drop rates over time.

While the goal is to increase student success, Chair of the Student Success Committee Crystal Kiekel notes that drop rates are currently rising as a result.

“More students are dropping math courses than they had in the past, and they think it's because all of these people who may not have otherwise gone into transferlevel courses are getting in there and getting a little freaked out,” Kiekel said.

Many students are dropping remedial English and math classes because they are too easy and it takes longer to graduate if they have to work their way up to the transfer-level courses.

Academic Senate

Representative Sabrina Prieur explains that the district is unsure of the exact number of students who are dropping these English and math classes because it’s still too early in the semester.

“A lot of times, they don’t have the assignments back at three and

four weeks,” Prieur said. “When they start getting their papers back, and start having those really large assignments come in, then that's really going to be a better indicator of the number of people who are going to be dropping.”

In order to raise the number of students that start in transfer-level English and math classes, the school has lowered the number of remedial courses offered.

Students must meet two requirements to be placed in a pre-transfer course; they must be highly unlikely to succeed in the transfer course, and enrolling in a class one level below must increase their chance of success in the transfer-level course.

With fewer remedial courses easily available to students, colleges are now required to offer more help and support programs to students to ensure their success in transfer-level classes.

For example, Pierce College has embedded tutors in every English 101 course. Additionally, there is a writing center, 30-minute tutoring appointments and workshops run by faculty members and tutors.

“There are all these additional supports in place that weren't there a year ago. We just need to figure out how to get the support to the students who need it,” Kiekel said.

Chairman of Mathematics

Eddie Tchertchian believes that support services are important, but so are remedial classes.

“It's not gonna help with the drop rates, but I think it's definitely an option that students need,” Tchertchian said. “I urge all students to look for their rights because we should be offering the students the choice of what class to take, certainly not dictating to them what class to take. By removing those remedial courses, the chancellor removed their choice.”

Photo Illustration by Sophia Gomez/ Roundup

Classes being cut is for the benefit of the student body as a whole.

“What we grow could be driven by what the desires and needs are, and students could be involved in the actual growing and maintaining of the garden."

Rhythmic diversity of drums

Thursday concert series continues with percussionist performance

Preview:

Thursday Concert

NAVODYA DHARMASIRIWARDENA

Photo Editor @TheRoundupNews

The Thursday concert series is returning to Pierce College this Fall with a structured approach.

A lineup of unique performances by instructors from the Music department are scheduled to make way to the stage.

Doors are open to everyone, every Thursday at 12:45 p.m. at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage (PAB). Various genres will be performed every week, therefore, each week will be different.

Charlotte Betry, former Pierce student and current Music department faculty, will be performing at the next concert on Sept. 26. She regularly plays the piccolo with the La Canada Orchestra and Flute/Piccolo with the Afro-American Chamber Music Orchestra, OC Winds and Flute Sonic Orchestra to name a few. Apart from playing flute

and piccolo, Betry teaches classes to various age groups apart from Pierce.

Playing the guitar being his talent Dr. Hugo Nogueira will be performing on Oct. 3 at the Thursday concert series. Currently being part of the Music department faculty, he has performed in many different states in the United States. Everyone joining in these performances will get the chance to enjoy various music and collaborations. Some interactive performances as well, where audience get to go on stage and perform with the musicians.

Oct. 31 is the joint faculty recital, where all music faculty gets together to perform on one stage.

Applied music program recitals will be happening on Nov. 7, Nov. 21 and Dec. 5, where Pierce students will perform. Nov. 14 will also be a student recital.

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The history of Dagomba resonated from the three Lungas, talking drums, and two Gungons, bass drums, on stage.

Kevin Good introduced the music of Dagomba, a group in northern Ghana, and the rhythmic diversity of percussion during his Afternoon Concert at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage Sept. 19.

The 40-minute-long program began with an ensemble of traditional Dagomba praise drumming, featuring Good, Katie Eikam, Justin Bardales, Cole Castorina and Kevin Moran.

“Zhim Taai Kurugu” initiated

backstage with great intensity. The group were wearing Dagomba smocks and continuously played onto the stage barefoot. Good had dress shoes on being that he was to perform different styles of percussion throughout the production.

After a brief pause, they got on their knees and performed “Nantoo Nimdi” in the center spotlight. Bardales chanted in Dagbani during this composition. His voice echoed above the booming drums as if both were communicating orally and musically.

They finished up the set with “Nyagboli,” while Good returned backstage.

Following the act was Good’s original piece, “Slow, Fragment, Vibraphone.” His source of inspiration derived from Sappho poems and the “Odyssey” by Homer.

Good captured his desire to work with fragments and how they work as a whole in a larger structure via a metal vibraphone.

The notes from the bars of the vibraphone were soft, yet left a ringing sensation in the ears long after their duration. There was a shift from consonance to dissonance that blended in a relaxing manner despite their different pitches.

Seemingly doing a 180-degree turn, DesoDuo debuted an original by Bardales titled, “Poor Crusty.” Motivated by Indonesian sounds, Eikam and Good used the snare drum and bass drum to establish a beat. One drummer would go off beat, then return while the next drummer went off until both would reconnect in unison, only to begin the cycle again.

“I try to show both sides of percussion. Something like the

Help is around the corner

Resource awareness fair informs students of campus services

PAOLA CASTILLO Reporter @paaolacaastillo

The unsung heroes of Pierce College lined up down The Mall Sept. 17 and 18 for the Annual Student Services Fair.

The event provided a chance for students to meet representatives and discover various services offered on campus that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Joleen Voss-Rodriguez, the Program for Accelerated College Education (P.A.C.E) Director, said she isn’t sure that students know about the resources Pierce provides. She hopes students will understand that there are people who want to help push them forward.

“We're really here to support students toward success and that, I'm hoping, is the message that students receive,” Voss-Rodriguez said. “

Like, ‘Wow, look at all these amazing services and support services we have here to help them succeed.”

P.A.C.E. is a program that allows students to graduate and transfer with an associate's degree within 2 years. Students in the program are still considered full-time and aren’t limited to certain types of classes.

Voss-Rodriguez said the program can be joined by any student, but its main target is working students to give them more time to work with their families..

Individual student success wasn’t the only focus that was present at the fair. The academic learning community Umoja was present in promoting its services.

Umoja CGCA Rozalyn Randall

said the Umoja program is similar to a black student union or a family.

Randall said that Umoja looks for students from all walks of life, but that they look to promote a different perspective.

“We are specifically on campus promoting the African and African American perspectives and views on education and current topics,” Randall said.

Apart from academics, the student fair also helped students find resources that can assist them on a personal basis.

Beth Benne, the director of the Student Health Center, said she hopes that the fair will let students know they exist. She said students don’t usually know about the services they provide until they are needed.

“Students don't know we exist until they're ill. We get a lot of students who need to be tested for their class,” Benne said.

Benne continues by sharing her concerns with uninsured students. She said they are the ones who should know about the services that the Student Health Center provides.

“Those uninsured students are the ones that I really worry about. I like to say if you're uninsured we should be your best friends,” Benne said.

Nicholas Aguirre, a student who attended the fair, said he heard of it because of his friend. He described how welcoming the fair was.

“It's a lot less people at this time than it is during the day, so it was a lot more calm. The people were very friendly and informative,” Aguirre said.

Access to the Student Services page can be found on the left-hand side of the Pierce College website homepage under “Student Services.”

Dagomba drumming or ‘Poor Crusty’ really shows the bombastic side of loud beats and rhythmic things we can do,” Good said during a transition. “Something like my piece shows a little more delicateness. I really love the range that each of these instruments have.”

Good received a Bachelor’s in Percussion Performance and Musical Composition at the Hartt School in Connecticut. As an undergraduate student, Good’s first composition professor was David Macbride who wrote “Triptych Mvt. 1.” Macbride was influenced by Indonesian bamboo wind chimes that were repurposed into instruments.

Macbride died a year ago. Good will return to Hartt School this October for Macbride’s memorial concert.

“I consider it to be my wheelhouse

piece inbedded in me,” Good said. “This is the first time I’m playing it since his passing. It’s a very special performance that I wanted to share.”

The movement is one of a three part series. Good utilized a wooden Marimba, the largest instrument on stage, to carry the notes from his sheet music and into the ears of listeners.

To close the show, the ensemble of five returned to Dagomba praise drumming. They demonstrated their skills with a bit of improv heard in “Namog’ Yili Mali Kpion Kpam,” “Nagbigeau” and “Nanigoo.”

At last, they finished with “Damba.” Bardales, who was wearing a different smock than the others, demonstrated why his was contrasting. His smock was larger and more airy which opened wide while he danced and jumped during their final performance.

He would stomp to the rhythm of the drums and slowly crouch down with the ensemble crouching with him. He was the leader and would walk toward them but they would step away from him. He would in turn step away from them as they walked toward him.

Their chemistry was evident as they danced off stage yet continued to play backstage. Their drumming was muffled but still they went on as if for their appreciation of Dagomba and for the amusement of themselves.

The next Thursday Concert will be on Oct. 3 at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage and will feature Charlotte Betry, a piccolo and flute performer.

aaguilera.roundupnews@gmail.com

Buying and selling chic antiques

Topanga Vintage Market returns to Pierce Parking Lot 7

DHARMASIRIWARDENA Reporter @RoundupNews

If it’s the fourth Sunday of the month, students know Parking Lot 7 will be filled with much more than cars. The Topanga Vintage Market returned to Pierce College with priceless antiques, artifacts, vintage clothes, tools and toys from around the world at bargain prices in one place.

Plenty of free parking, food trucks, music and secure, safe shopping experience gives this environment a relaxed atmosphere among the shoppers.

Seller Gregory Scott hasn’t been to the market for two years, but he is back to show and sell his Lego character collection, vintage camera and Disney Park pins.

“Everyone that does this business, they have it in their blood. Not everyone can do this, Scott said. “It’s a lot of hard work and you have to be out on the hunt finding this stuff all the time. I buy these Lego characters and make them. People collect these.”

Over 180 vendors gather at the Vintage Market every last Sunday of the month. Various sellers’ collections fill tables, tents and even the asphalt ground.

Vendors from over miles away come here in hopes of recycling their unwanted treasures. All sorts of trinkets can be found at the Vintage Market.

Vendor Hal Freeman had been coming here for the past four years

and he thinks the locations and crowds that flock the Topanga Vintage Market are different from other places.

“It’s about a mile away from where we get our stuff, so it’s the closest place and we love that.” Freeman said.

Visitors and shoppers at the Vintage Market range from different ages as well as professions and areas. They come to have a nice time, enjoy the moment and find unusual items to possibly take home.

“It’s a different crowd that comes here than the Rose bowl. Get a lot more younger people here, the mentality is different, a lot more relaxed. Not so intent on getting that bargain in,” Freeman said.

The sun didn’t stop the crowds, as people were still coming an hour before closing.

Shopper Michelle Mejia said it’s her first time at the Vintage Market and has recently moved to

the neighborhood. She said she was excited to see what she could find her new apartment.

“We just got here so we are getting ready to look through this place. Just looking for interesting stuff,” Mejia said.

Bringing back lost techniques, rare collections and limited editions is another specialty at the Vintage Market.

Austino Obi Okafor is a hand/ block printing artist. He prints t-shirts mainly based on the Volkswagen bus.

“Me and my wife are trying to bring back the diffusion art technique, which was lost many years back. The hardest part of this technique is you have to cut the design out the opposite way,” Okafor said.

The next Vintage Market will take place Oct. 27 and will start at 8 a.m.

(Left to right) Courtney Swink, a P.A.C.E Counselor and Joleen Voss-Rodriguez, the P.A.C.E director talk at their booth about the objective of P.A.C.E at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 17, 2019.

Angelica Lopez /Roundup

(Left to Right) Kevin Moran, Cole Castorina, Katie Eikam, Justin Bardales and Kevin Good put on their last performance of the day during the Thursday Concert on Sept. 19, 2019 in the Performing Arts Building Mainstage at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

NAVODYA

Kamryn Bouyett / Roundup

Rachel Day demonstrates handcrafted instruments at the Vintage Market at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2019.

Katya Castillo / Roundup

Nothing beets locally grown

Free farmers market comes to add flavor to Art Soup

MAJA LOSINSKA Reporter @RoundupNews

If a warm bowl of soup is good for the proverbial soul, students can now get more holistic care through additional organic offerings.

The Art department on Monday increased its outreach beyond the Art Soup service with a free farmers market. Its purpose is to address and assist food insecure students, according to art professor Monika Ramirez Wee.

“We’re averaging between 4060 students who come and get the soup or produce. We went through the first slow cookers in just 15 minutes,’’ Wee said. Wee is the founder of the Art Soup and Free Farmers Market Idea.

“We unofficially started last semester but now I’m trying to actively publicize it,’’ Wee said.

The Art Soup planted the seed of the actions that can be done to help out Pierce students.

“I’ve noticed, the day the Roundup ran the story about Art Soup, there was an editorial where someone wrote in, ‘Why don’t we have a farmers market on campus?’’’ Wee said.

Brahma Food Pantry didn’t have the capability to take the fresh produce, but when they heard

about Art Soup, which started out very small between Wee and the faculty, they committed to provide Wee with all the produce and she was the one to get it out.

“When we make Art Soup, we send our excess products down to the Brahma Pantry and that just gave me an idea, ‘why don’t we put the produce out because we don't use all of it in the soup,’’’ Wee said.

Thanks to the Foodforward organization, Wee doesn’t only provide students with a warm meal, but they are also able to pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables.

Foodforward is a non-profit

organization that fights hunger and prevents food waste by helping people in need and rescuing the excess produce.

They work with public orchards and LA farmers markets who have excess produce or food. Instead of it going to landfill or be thrown out, they try to divert it to people who need it.

As stated by Foodforward “According to the NRDC, up to 40% of food in the United States is wasted. At the same time, 1 in 9 Californians lacks adequate access to food.”

Wee said Foodforward originally started by the artist Rick Nahmias in Los Angeles.

“It was started to address the fact that a lot of people have fruit trees in their backyards and in particular, the elderly are not able to go pick their harvest,’’ Wee said.

According to Foodforward, “In the last nine years, Food Forward has rescued over 60 million pounds (240 million servings) of fresh local produce.”

Wee doesn’t know what glean they’re going to get each time, but it’s usually the reflection of whatever is currently in season for the local farmers.

Students wait in line while Christy Caceres (far right) pours herself some of the soup being offered during Art Soup on Sept. 16, 2019, in front of the gallery up on the Art Hill at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Visualizing film through sound

Speaker Series guests educate students about writing audio description and voiceover

MAJA LOSINSKA Reporter @RoundupNews

Imagine watching a movie but not being able to visualize it. For people with visual impairments, it is difficult to understand the elements hidden within gestures, sceneries and actions of film.

Audio description is a crucial aspect in providing information and visual content, that’s where description writer Justin Sohl and voiceover artist Laura Post come in.

Sohl and Post were featured guests of the first Speakers Series event at the Great Hall on Monday, hosted by the Media Arts department.

Sohl is a lead description writer who has a background in film from the University of Southern California (USC).

‘’Before audio description, going to the movies for individuals who are visually impaired could be a rather unfulfilling endeavor,’’ Sohl said. He has been in the field of audio

description for 18 years, starting at WGBH, a National Public Radio provider located in Boston, in 2001.

He said even though he never thought audio description would be his profession, his passion to film industry led him to De Luxe company where he currently works.

“Any film or streaming content you watch, De Luxe has its hands on it,’’ Sohl said.

Sohl gave students a brief history of the company and talked about the audio description process. He said the idea of audio description goes back to the very beginning of Talkie Era in 1929, when people were trying to do live audio description in the New York of Bulldog Drummond film.

‘’Even back then there was a look towards inclusivity for blind individuals in media,’’ Sohl said.

Sohl provided examples from his previous productions he worked on to show comparison of the scenes with and without audio description.

He said there are a lot of visual details that would be totally lost to

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have any superpower in the worId, what would it be?

Quotes gathered by Katya Castillo

Photos by Angelica Lopez

BEAT

the blind audience without audio description.

‘’We’re painting a picture of a film so the blind consumer can experience the same films and television programs as other individuals,’’ Sohl said.

The process of writing audio description usually starts with watching the film and taking notes on moments where characters are named, different locations are established or on something that’s going to be relevant later.

Sohl talked about the audio description work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He said some of the important scenes were deducted because of the extremely high security right before release.

‘’They intentionally degraded a lot of the images, so I didn’t exactly know what happened until right before release they gave us a clean version we had to quickly describe on the fly,” Sohl said.

Laura Post is a voice actress and voice director best known for anime characters.

“My first movie was Rise of the Guardians, and I’ve been doing it ever since,’’ Post said.

According to Post, the narration recording process usually takes twice as long as the length of the movie.

Voice objectivity is one of the biggest challenges as a voice actor, according to Post.

“As an actor you really want to act, but it’s not our job to tell the audience how to feel about the movie,’’ Post said.

Post said movie narration requires a lot of practice and matching the tone, or scenaric theme.

Sohl said pauses are an important part of the narration as well, and sometimes it speaks for itself.

‘’Don’t describe something unless it needs to be there, because you’re interrupting those carefully orchestrated collages of sound effects, music and dialogue,’’ Sohl said.

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Ramihata Nursing

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“Thesuperpowerofwisdom.Ifeellikethat’s whatweneedinthisworld.Sometimeswe needtorealizethatmoneyisn’teverything.”

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“TelepathybecauseI wouldliketoknowwhat peoplearethinking, toknowwhattheir intentionsareandif they’regoodorbad.”

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Villar Culinary Arts

I had telekinesis and it was thesickestthingever.Ithinkit wouldbereallyfun.”

-Kaysen Pharillo Chemistry

Angelica Lopez / Roundup [For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

Vegetables are offered free to students as part of the Free Farmer's Market on Sept. 16, 2019, in front of the art gallery up on the Art Hill at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Angelica Lopez / Roundup

V INTAGE M ARKET

Artists and collectors display wire-wrapped rocks, potted plants and collectible coins as people of all ages browse the filled tables. They excitedly talk about their products and explain their process and inspiration for making items, while sharing stories of how they acquired such a vast assortment of stuff. Vendors showcase and sell their crafts at the Topanga Vintage Market on the fourth Sunday of each month at Pierce College.

A Lego Hulk is displayed at the Topanga Vintage Market at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2019.

Photos and Copy by Katya Castillo

Devin Bachmeier looks through clothes in the Freckle Bug Vintage boutiqe at the Topanga Vintage Market. Adele Hare wraps wire around a jewel at the Topanga Vintage Market.

Juan Ortiz walks through his plants at the Topanga Vintage Market. Christine Moradians (left) and Jesse Moradians (right) sit and laugh with community members at the Topanga Vintage Market.

Playing with numbers and finding the music in math

Pierce professor juggles teaching on campus and producing songs at home

SAMANTHA NEFF Reporter @sam_neff_

Music students learn the basics of quarter notes, arpeggios and chords, while tagnets, cosines and waveforms remain in the realm of math studies.

But math professor and independent musician Gerry Kamin can see the two as interchangeable.

“There is a very deep relationship between math and music going to the heart of both of them,” Kamin said. “In music, the fundamental thing is the note, and what is a note but a wave form, it’s a sign wave. So in the most fundamental sense math and music have a deep deep relationship.”

Kamin has been teaching math for twelve years now and has been involved with music since he was four-years-old. He is originally from Windsor, Ontario, but grew up in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan.

While currently a math professor at Pierce and an independent musician at home, Kamin has had an obsession with both of his passions at an early age, but it was when he was working towards his neuroscience degree that he really saw how the two were intertwined.

“I was fascinated by mathematical models of how the brain works including when you listen to music,” Kamin said. Your ear literally dissects the music into its component sign, wave, and cosine waveforms, in studying the brain, I got very interested in mathematical models.”

However, Kamin first wanted to get into music when he was a child, after seeing a special broadcast of The Ed Sullivan Show.

“The first appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show back in the 1960’s, believe it or not, that was the reason a lot of people became musicians,” Kamin said.

“At the time it had a massive impact on people, including me, as a very

young kid.”

But it wasn’t only Kamin’s passion for music that pushed him to start playing instruments, but also his parents.

“I come from a family where you were just expected to learn instruments at a very early age, it was a requirement,” Kamin said.

“So I learned through taking lessons that I was forced to do, then as I got into my teenage years I started pursuing music that I loved rather than was I was forced to play.”

Kamin started off playing the piano, but then took an interest in playing guitar when he was 17. The Detroit area itself may have also supported his passion for playing music.

“I was in the Detroit area which was a really big music town back in those days, thats where Motown was so a lot of the great artists of that era came out of that area,” Kamin explains. “Detroit was really the musical center and was considered the rock n roll capital of the world back then.”

Kamin creates rock music in the same way he believes many musicians do, by relating it back to the era he grew up in.

“Listening to my music, you definitely get the feel of 70’s kind of psychedelic , Hendrix, Led Zeppelin type of rock n roll,” said Kamin, whose music is available on streaming sites, including Spotify, Apple Music, GooglePlay and at www.gerrykamin.com.

“That’s the era I came out of and that was the music I was into at that time,” he said.

Aside from the drums, Kamin plays all the instruments that are included in his music. Many of his pieces include vocals, but he says he rarely sings his own songs, so usually other people are doing the vocals. But when he isn’t recording, Kamin is happy to just play his guitar everyday.

“I play every night and that’s really the highlight of my day,” Kamin said. “It’s at the end of the

day to get my guitar out and play for an hour. Some nights you play better than others and some nights when you’re really just feeling like you’re on fire is an amazing feeling just to participate in the creative process.”

While he may play a lot, Kamin also spends a lot of time listening to other artists’ music as well. He has a youtube channel that acts as a sort of library of bands and artists that he likes.

“I really love the era from 1966 to 68’, however I think there’s an amazing amount of good music right now and there has been for the last 4 years,” Kamin said. “I’m

as much a music listener as I am a player. I love music, I love seeing live music and I love listening to it and I continue to do so.”

As dedicated as Kamin is to music, teaching is also incredibly important to him. Math department chair Edouard Tchertchian talks about how passionate Kamin seems to be about teaching.

“He seems to like teaching a lot, I’ve walked by his room before and he’s always very enthusiastic,” Tchertchian said. “ Always very energetic he’s keeping the students engaged, moving around and doing all kinds of things, I think he really

enjoys what he does.”

Tchertchian does not understate Kamin’s value to the math department, and considers him a very passionate professor.

“I think he’s a very dedicated instructor who cares for his students and an instructor that likes trying different things and staying up to date so it’s good to have him in the department,” Tchertchian said.

Kamin didn’t always think he would end up teaching, but he’s developed a love for working with all kinds of different kids.

“I was planning on a music career but things don’t always work out as

planned,” Kamin said. “I needed to make money and I love teaching and I love interacting with kids so it was natural thing to start teaching.”

Nerissa Cambel, a student of Kamin’s, has also noticed how Kamin has discussed the relationship between math and music in the classroom.

“He’s a really funny teacher and great at teaching,” Cambel said. “He says that math is like music because with music you need to learn it with your own fingers just like math. How you have to do it over and over again in order for you to memorize it.”

sneff.roundupnews@gmail.com

More inclusive I.D.E.A.S. help foster

Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success club forms on campus

EDUARDO GARCIA Reporter @roundupnews

Undocumented students, DACA recipients and allies may be relieved to learn that there is a safe and supportive club on campus that offers workshops, resources and opportunities to help them achieve higher success.

The ‘Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success for all students’ (I.D.E.A.S.) club works with the Dream Resource Center (DRC) to provide a welcoming community and a second home to students, regardless of their ethnicity or legal status, according to club president Yajaira Garcia.

“We give [our members] the supporting hand and encouragement to continue in school, to fight for whatever it is that they want, to feel they can accomplish anything anyone could accomplish,” Garcia said. “We want our students to feel that they have a chance.”

This year, club vice-president Luis Morales said that he wants to do more workshops, one of which includes “Know Your Rights.” He also wants to bring other workshops that teach students how to prepare for an internship and build a resume for a job interview.

“I feel like that’s one of the key points for undocumented students where I came in with [a similar status] when I got the job as a peer to peer mentor,” Morales said. “I came in thinking I might not get it because I’m undocumented. So I feel like we need to have a workshop [that] shows how they can prepare for it.”

As a past peer mentor and current DACA recipient, Morales said he wants to connect one-onone with the members.

“Maybe some sort of counseling for the club,” Morales said. “I want to see someone that focuses, let’s say the Dream Resource Center,

on undocumented students,” he said in reference to counselors and himself.

Club secretary Sebastian Araujo said even though he is a U.S. citizen, he came in the spring semester as a member to get information such as what to do if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to his door, how to identify a fake warrant from a real warrant and what to do if he was outside or driving.

“One of the most helpful [resources] was having guest speakers from a pro-immigration organization,” Araujo said. “They gave us templates, they gave us a little card. So let’s say ICE or you

get confronted by a border patrol agent and you don’t have papers or aren’t a U.S. citizen, you can just give [them] that red card. You don’t have to speak. Like, you’re defending yourself with that one card.”

Garcia expressed that this year, she wants to have at least two social gatherings. One of which includes working the Brahama pantry and the International club to assist undocumented students with food needs.

“Undocumented students may not have the money,” Garcia said. “[They] may not have the ability to get EBT to buy food, and the pantry is a perfect place for our

undocumented students and just any student to [recieve] nutrition they don’t have.”

The DRC and I.D.E.A.S will work together to provide resources and other services such as events and programs for students on campus, according to Kimberly Castillo, who is the club adviser and the Instructor of Special Assignments for the DRC.

Because the DRC is new, there will be a grand opening celebration at the library courtyard from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, according to Castillo. Following that is a “DACA/ Immigration Task Force” meeting from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the

Katya

Faculty & Staff Center 600.

Castillo also stated there will be an “Undocumented Students Week of Action” from Oct. 14 to Oct. 18, and the club may get involved.

“That’s a week where different schools in California try to incorporate activities to support undocumented students,” Castillo said. While some students may have a busy schedule that conflicts with club meetings, Castillo recommends them to still be a part of the email list.

“Please be a part of the email list, at least, so that [you] can at least get emails and the information about what’s going on

about upcoming events,” Castillo said. “Maybe [you] can plan ahead if there was something that [you] really want to attend.”

The I.D.E.A.S. club will first meet Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 11:30 a.m., according to Garcia. It will be at the Student Engagement/ Associated Students Organization (ASO) Center.

“You don’t have to join I.D.E.A.S., but just know that there is a place for you here,” Garcia said. “Just know that we are here to help. We’re not here to judge. We’re not here to report you. We’re here to provide services, a community and a safe space.”

Castillo/ Roundup

Yajaria Garcia, I.D.E.A.S club president, poses for a photo at the Dream Resource Center located in the Associated Students Organization building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept. 24, 2019.

Kevin Lendio/ Roundup

Gerry Kamin, a professor of math and independant musician, stands with a piano with a text book on hand at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage at Pierce College, Sept. 19, 2019, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Women's Volleyball Football Soccer Water Polo Men's Basketball

Brahmas lose in straight sets to the Citrus College Owls Volleyball drops home opener

KATYA CASTILLO Photo Editor @PhotosbyKatya

After winning their season opener over the West LA College Wildcats, women’s volleyball hosted the Citrus College Owls in their home opener Friday night.

However, the Brahmas weren't able to pick up the win as they lost to Citrus in straight sets, 25-11, 25-18 and 25-17.

Davina Meza, team captain and setter, admitted the team felt nervous because it was their first home game and a lot of the team are freshmen.

“I think we could have done better. We got a lot in our heads, but I think we still brought some energy, so that was good,” Meza said.

Carrie Wright, assistant coach, believed their nerves got in the way of their performance and is hopeful for future games.

“They performed a lot calmer and more confidently on Wednesday, but we had some really nice moments of greatness,” Wright said. “We had some really good serves, some great hits and some nice blocks. So I was proud of parts of their performance and know we can do better.”

Lily Eaves, outside hitter and defense specialist, recognizes the Brahmas lost a few points for basic violations.

“Hopefully we can clean up our serving and work on our rotation so we don't get called off for irrelevant points,” Eaves said.

Meza believes miscommunication affected their game and working on it could fix future problems.

“It's easy to talk to each other on the court, so we just need to do a lot more of that in practice as well,” Meza said. “We're just going to push harder and practice every day and then our performance will show in the next game.”

Meza said the Owls had good hitting targets.

“They did well and their defenses really well. They were always on the move and that's really good,” Meza said.

Eaves also talked about

playing against the Owls and their performance.

“I think towards the end of it we started to come back together and

I think Citrus was a really good school, a tough competition, but I think we pulled through and we're

Brahma of the Week

Amelia Weckhurst

Sport: Soccer

Position: Midfielder

High School: El Camino Real

Scored two goals and had an assist in the games against Harbor and Victor Valley College.

You scored twice last week against Harbor and Victor Valley, how do you evaluate your performance?

“It was surprising. I wasn't expecting to do that and I'm really happy that I was able to do that and help my team.”

In what areas do you see room for improvement?

“I'll say in cardio and just relaxing more when I am playing.”

How do you want to be remembered by?

“Being kind and understanding.”

Favorite soccer player?

“Lionel Messi.”

Brahmas Scoreboard Football

L @ SD Mesa 49-6

WBasketball MBasketball Water Polo

A victory for sssssoccer

Pierce wins on the road, improve to 3-4

FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor @fgamino13

Pierce women’s soccer was not the only visitor at Victor Valley’s soccer field on Friday, Sept. 20.

During the game, a rattlesnake slithered onto the field, causing a delay as it had to be removed by authorities.

The Brahmas didn’t let this come back to bite them as they picked up a 2-1 win against the Victor Valley College Rams.

The reason was a rattlesnake that invaded the field, which authorities had to remove so the game could resume.

Amelia Weckhurst who scored one of the two goals in the game said she went to see the snake.

“I actually went to have a peek and they laughed at me,” Weckhurst said. I didn't get too close to it. I'm not really scared of them.”

Head coach Adolfo Perez said game was stopped for five to 10 minutes.

“The police came. I guess they are so used to it in Victorville because the guy had a special tool to get it out,”

Perez said.

Perez said that this will be the last week of non-conference games.

“Conference begins and nothing will be a given. All teams will be

playing to their full capacity, so we need to be on top of our game,” Perez said.

Rams took the lead through Ariana Toranzo in the 21st minute. She was assisted by Sinai Guzman.

Their celebration was cut short as Weckhurst gave Pierce the equalizer.

She was happy to put her team back in the game.

“I was pleased because it was after we got scored on. It was great because we were able to respond well,” Weckhurst said.

Towards the end of the first half, VVC’s Izela Avalos was shown a red card leaving the Rams with 10 players.

Preet Kaur gave Pierce the lead in the 57th minute being assisted by Weckhurst. That goal gave Pierce a 2-1 win.

Bailey Swain went the full 90 in goal having four saves in the game.

Kaur said the team were compact and they are having better chemistry on the field.

“It helped us not to run as much and it definitely showed because we were more organized and were able to score,” Kaur said.

Brahmas are back on the field Friday at Clovis before traveling to Moorpark. Both games are at 4 p.m.

getting better, still figuring out our adjustments,” Eaves said. “But I'm really happy to be on this team and we have a lot of spirit and it was pretty good.”

[For

Going for new opportunities

Sofia Caparelli leaves CSUN for the juco scene

Sometimes a step backward is moving forward. Instead of clashing with the coaches and not getting better at soccer, Sofia Caparelli, 19, decided to attend Pierce for a fresh start.

She previously played center defensive midfield for the women’s soccer team at California State University Northridge (CSUN).

Caparelli said soccer wise it was a good fit for her.

“I needed to leave to pursue what I wanted to achieve,” Caparelli said. “I came to Pierce because I felt like it would be a good school to help me restart my soccer career. You know, start from the bottom and, again, make it all the way to the top.”

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) categorizes universities and colleges into divisions based on overall student body and athletic.

Over 350 schools and 6,000 athletic teams have a membership with the organization. CSUN is ranked a Division One university and is part of the NCAA’s Big West Conference, alongside schools like UC Davis and Cal Poly.

Caparelli said that many of her teammates are amazing.

“Some of them are on national teams,” Caparelli said. “We played against schools like UCLA, USC, top high-end girls who’ve played at that high level.”

Now Caparelli is one of three captains on the soccer team and continues to be a center defensive

midfielder.

Defender Julianna Euyoque said Caparelli is smart when she is on the field.

“She’s the brains of the game,” defense teammate Julianna Euyoque said. “On the field we hear her saying ‘Come on girls, you got this, let’s go.’ You always hear her voice.”

Adolfo Perez, soccer head coach, said there are only three returning players on the team this semester.

“It’s very tough that we have a completely new team, but Sofia’s a leader,” Perez said. “The girls respect her a lot. I think when we get her more fit she’s gonna be a lot more dangerous.”

Since the start of the season on Aug. 27, the team has won two games and lost four. However, the losses don’t discourage Caparelli.

“This season I’m excited to

have that feeling of achievement and success with my whole team and not just me individually,” Caparelli said. “I feel like I can help the girls pursue playing at a higher level and I can help them get there.”

Her soccer career began at 13 years old when her father, Vicente Caparelli, began coaching her. She says he taught the basics: how to pass the ball, how to read the game, how to love the sport and how to be passionate.

Yet Caparelli’s asset is in her footwork.

“My strong foot is my baby,” she said. “I feel like I’m definitely going to help out the team by having a strong foot to assist with long kicks, good free kicks and good shots.”

Ben Hanson/Roundup

Phelony Havliand and Gianna Ros block an attack by Karly Moreno during a game against Citrus College at the South Gym in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Sept. 20, 2019. Brahmas lost 3-0.

ALEJANDRA AGUILERA Reporter @TheRoundupNews

File Photo by Cecilia Parada Sofia Caparelli defends the ball during a game against Harbor College on Sept. 17, 2019, at Pierce College's John Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif. Brahmas won the game 2-0.