Volume 133 Fall 2020 Roundup Issue 2

Late start classes beginning soon

See page 4

Food distribution centers open to community

See page 5

One woman's daily fight for change

See page 6

School nurse helps students from home

See page 10

Co-Founder of The Valley Of Change Latora Green holds a peace sign in the air toward drivers in Sherman Oaks, Calif. on Sept. 29, 2020.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

www.theroundupnews.com

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

Katya

Samantha Neff

Lindsey Whittaker

Benjamin Hanson

Cecilia Parada

Angelica Lopez

Shehreen Karim

Victor Bretado

Arielle Zolezzi

Joey Farriola

Pablo Orihuela

Paola Castillo

Felipe Gamino

Josh Price

Alejandra Aguilera

Giselle Ormeno

Peter Villafane

Sherry Irani

Taleen Keuroghlian

Letters to the Editor

Policy: Letters and guest columns for or against any position are invited. Letters should be kept as brief as possible (300 words or less) and are subject to editing. Letters must be signed and include a valid mailing address and telephone number. Pseudonyms or initials will not be used, but names may be withheld upon request and approval of the Editorial Board. The Roundup publishes “Letters to the Editor” that are not obscene or libelous and do not contain racial denigration. Writers are given the opportunity to revise unacceptable letters. The Pierce College Roundup will not publish, as letters, literary endeavors, publicity releases, poetry or other such materials as the Editorial Board deems not to be a letter. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. the Sunday prior to the issue date.

Editorial Policy: The Pierce College Roundup position is presented only in the editorials. Cartoons and photos, unless run under the editorial masthead, and columns are the opinions of the creators and not necessarily that of the Roundup. The college newspaper is published as a learning experience under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials 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.

EDITORIAL

Homes have become childcare centers, offices and learning places in the span of six months. While going through these changes, many students aren’t able to get quiet time at home to attend class, do homework or visit office hours.

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) should follow the lead of many college and university campus libraries that have allowed students to visit by appointment only.

This would help students work in a mostly distraction free environment.

Appointments would control the amount of students that are inside and allow for time to sanitize and rotate dedicated study areas.

Time slots could also be limited to a maximum of two hours at a time. Special

cases with consistent internet problems could have an extended period of time and the eight study rooms would accommodate that need.

Students would have access to a stable internet connection, a safe place to work and research materials, which could be left in bins and collected to be sanitized after they left.

Just as maintenance staff have remained in charge of keeping classrooms sanitary, they could also be tasked with sanitizing materials used in the library.

Stanford University’s Green Library has a reduced capacity and limits appointments to professors, graduate students, post-docs, fellows and visiting scholars.

Stanford requires students book appointments using their student portal with a current student ID.

Green Library also requires visitors to

follow entry requirements like wearing a mask at all times while inside, using a specific entrance, queueing, staying six-feet apart and limiting study rooms to individual students.

The district could bring student workers who were furloughed or let go in the spring when campus closed to help maintain sanitary spaces for students and professors, checking people in and out of the library.

Overall, opening the library would benefit students and professors who don’t have access to a quiet learning environment, access to materials and reliable internet connection.

The library’s 58,929 square feet is ample space to be able to implement these changes safely.

College is expensive and educational materials required by classes add to that amount.

Open Educational Resources (OER) should be widely implemented and advertised by institutions to alleviate financial burdens.

By encouraging colleges and universities to use mostly OER, students are statistically more likely to sign up for more courses, more likely to graduate and lower the institution’s retention rate, according to David Harris, editor-in-chief of OpenStax, a Rice Universitybased publisher.

When adopting OER, Edscoop reported that in 2016 Pasadena City College’s estimated 46,396 students saved the college more than $4 million in commercial textbooks. Pasadena City College also

reported an increase in student engagement and enrollment.

Orange Coast College has the OER website on its library’s page so students can find out if their book is available for free.

Textbooks can cost each fulltime community college student more than $1,000 each year. Inside Higher Ed reported that more access to OERs has saved students more than $10.7 million in learning materials across 38 colleges.

Students go to great lengths to have access to class material and will sometimes torrent textbooks, illegally download PDFs, take photos of a classmate’s textbook or go without one.

Institutionally implemented OER linked on Pierce’s library would help students.

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Teachers are important members in society, burdened with educating and inspiring the leaders of tomorrow.

So it can be disappointing for students to go into a new school year to find teachers using copyrighted lecture notes for the semester.

College professors should craft unique lesson plans not only to build a sense of camaraderie and engagements with students, but to avoid legal issues.

Professors are not allowed to upload copyrighted material to Canvas, so students that work at a slower pace than the professor won’t be able to revisit the notes after class.

Although the professor can assign textbook readings or websites to further supplement the lecture, a student would not be able to have their instructor as a resource while they review the material.

Another problem that stems from copyrighted lecture notes is that the professor may lose credibility in the students’ eyes. Students look forward to hearing about how an expert will convey the subject. So when a professor reads off of a textbook or from copyrighted slides, it leaves them feeling jaded.

And with the cost of tuition rising, students may feel cheated knowing they could have learned the same thing from simply purchasing a $100 textbook.

Professors using original notes might build a stronger connection to their students starting from the fi rst class. Students would feel confi dent in their instructor’s mastery of the subject.

Photo illustration by Josh Price

Tackling test time

Should professors allow tests to be open notes?

Open notes PRO

As students adapt to online learning, professors should be working to help them be successful by allowing open note exams.

Students have been deterred from taking classes this semester because they fear not performing well in an online setting, which has been a factor in the decline of enrollment at community colleges.

Notes serve as a safety net for students to reassure themselves of their thoughts and answers. By allowing students to have this added level of confidence, they will be more focused, giving them a greater chance at earning higher scores.

When the term open note or book test is used, a common misconception is that a professor allows students to cheat, which is not the case.

Most answers require critical thinking and analysis that cannot be found in the text or online.

For those kinds of questions, they can exercise their knowledge of the subject by reading and finding answers to the ones they would have most likely guessed incorrectly on.

There is another belief that students will

BY RYAN FLEISHER

rely too much on having the notes rather than taking the time to study before the test.

But, they are doing the studying when they’re spending time looking over their notes to ensure they have the correct resources to assist them.

Some students do not have the time to take several hours out of their week to master and memorize material because of the challenges this pandemic has caused.

Although they may complete almost every assignment and understand the subject completely, it’s possible they could score poorly on an exam and fail the course.

They should not be penalized on a test for not remembering every detail of a subject. It is important that students, who are still trying to better their education during this time, be given support rather than harsher conditions.

During these unprecedented times, professors should be administering open note exams because of the benefits that they bring.

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Closed tests CON

BY AURORA RIVAS

The coronavirus has forced classes to move online, and many students are hoping teachers can be understanding by allowing open note and book tests.

But, will this ultimately help students learn the required material?

Students often prefer open book exams because it decreases test anxiety and does not require a lot of memorization. But, it does not take their understanding of the material into consideration.

Closed book exams help strengthen their ability to memorize and retain information.

In a field study comparing closed and open book testing in university classes, the University of Kassel in partnership with the University of Erfurt’s Department of Psychology found that the closed book group performed and yielded better results.

According to the American Test Anxieties Association, about 16-20% of students have high test anxiety.

When students form healthy study habits, they become comfortable with exam material, gain self-confidence and learn skills that they can use throughout their lives, such as the ability to prioritize and manage their time.

When tests allow for open notes, they’re

Now or later?

not taking the time to acknowledge what parts of the material they need to focus on because they already have the answers readily at hand.

Closed book exams allow students to recognize what sections of the material they understand and what sections they need to spend more time on.

When they are made to rely on their memory and study habits, it encourages them to push harder. This helps students learn from their mistakes and hone in on areas of difficulty.

Professors can also benefit from closed book exams.

They can gauge where students stand academically and pinpoint what areas they’re struggling the most in.

In turn, the class benefits from this because the professor will know how to help those who are having a hard time.

Whether classes are in-person or online, the goal of learning should be the same. Closed book exams not only help push students to understand the material but to retain it as well.

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Is synchronous or asynchronous more effective?

Synchronous PRO

Despite the shift to online learning, many students still haven’t attended a virtual class, according to a survey conducted by Common Sense Media.

Students who are taking virtual classes have reported less engagement because they lack the motivation to perform schoolwork due to the conditions of being in quarantine.

Professors should consider incorporating synchronous learning techniques into their virtual classrooms. Since synchronous learning forces students to join classroom sessions in real-time, this allows them to communicate and collaborate with others just as they would in a classroom setting. The only difference being it takes place virtually.

Peer discussions at the moment consist of commenting on a classmate’s post on Canvas, in a robotic way, for participation points. This can negatively instigate the feeling of loneliness.

According to Psychology Today, loneliness has proven to be detrimental

BY ZOE RAMIREZ

to an individual and can impact irritableness and depressive behavior.

Social interaction can change this, even if it is done through a camera during synchronous learning.

This will allow students to be part of a community. It will remind them that they are not alone since others are most likely experiencing similar emotions to them.

Synchronous learning will also be helpful to teachers.

Since students will be attending a live session, attendance would be more manageable to record. This is better than how teachers are currently grading participation by the amount of hours a student spends in a Canvas course shell.

BY AURORA RIVAS

The shift from in-person to online classes has opened doors for different methods of teaching and learning.

Asynchronous learning allows students to complete their work at their pace within certain deadlines and is an effective method of learning for students.

Student exam performances were higher in a group assigned to asynchronous online discussions, according to a study conducted by the Southern Illinois University Behavior Analysis and Therapy Program.

The ability to work at one’s own pace allows students to engage at a rhythm that works best for their personal schedules. This creates a productive learning environment because it prevents students from feeling like they are overwhelmed or running out of time.

Asynchronous learning also benefits adult learners and students who are parents.

Asychronous CON

But, asynchronous learning allows them to prioritize and focus on what they need to do without certain pressures that would come with a set class schedule.

When classes are taught with live lectures, it forces students to learn at their professor’s pace instead of their own, causing students to feel they can’t keep up.

Asking for help by interrupting an online lecture can be intimidating but with asynchronous learning, students can reach out when they feel comfortable.

Instead of students feeling like they are falling behind, this method of learning lets students feel free to prioritize any assignment or class they choose.

Each student has different needs and priorities.

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According to data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, one in five college students are parents. Juggling classes while raising children is difficult because being a parent is a full-time job.

Asynchronous learning is the best method of teaching and learning through online classes because it allows students, regardless of their personal lives and schedules, to grow and progress at their own pace.

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Health service options

BY ISABEL RAVENNA

Health and wellness issues dominated the Pierce College Council (PCC) discussion on Sept. 24 as members examined the most effective ways to help students during continued remote learning

Pierce’s Student Health Center (SHC) has transitioned online through a virtual portal. The SHC is providing physical and mental health resources, including stress and anxiety groups through Zoom.

“We want to be offering types of programs that are in demand and being responsive to our community,” Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen said.

Communications

In addition to the basic needs and food insecurities, emergency and technology funds are priorities to Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters.

“It’s about communicating with students and letting them know we’re here for them,” Dixon-Peters said.

Students have been sent updates regarding housing, food and COVID-19 resources in the valley.

Volunteer opportunities

There are volunteer opportunities for individuals who want to get involved assisting the local homeless population.

“We are gathering a group of volunteers to train and participate in a problem-solving workshop training provided by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority to help at-risk students to prevent homelessness and properly connect them with community resources,” Student Support Committee Robert Loy said.

This does not exclude advocating for and supporting more cultural clubs on campus and educating students on topics such as racism and injustice through events.

“[This is] our commitment to culturally responsive programs as part of our equity and social justice,” Montevirgen said.

Events

Diversity Committee Co-Chair Megan Truxal has a calendar on the committee website which includes campus events along with culturally relevant holidays and the multicultural week taking place in the last week of October via Zoom.

“The first event will be a presentation on Islam and Islamophobia,” Truxal said. “She second, we have a transgender activist scheduled to speak. We are also working with the performing arts department. They will be having a performance called ‘Facing our Truth.’ The performance consists of 10 minute plays on race and privilege.”

Vaccinations

Pierce is also attempting to be prepared for when a COVID-19 vaccine is available. By making use of this year’s flu vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccinations may be readily available to LACCD students.

“We are trying to get drive-in fly vaccinations on all locations so it’ll be a shoo-in for COVID vaccines eventually,” Director of Health Center Beth Benne said.

Hard-to-convert classes

In addition, some lab classes are returning to campus. While there is an official process to approve which classes can be held in-person, classes have been identified as hard-to-convert, and have returned to campus.

“It’s been a while to try to identify the parameters for them [hard-to-convert classes] but it looks like they’re returning,” Dean of Academic Affairs Donna-Mae Villanueva said.

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Laptop distribution delayed

Some students still waiting for latest shipment of computers

BY JOSHUA BLEIWEISS

As courses transitioned online, COVID-19 exposed the digital divide with students who have access to reliable internet and computer access and students who do not.

To close this divide, Pierce College offers a program that distributes Lenovo Chromebooks to students who need a reliable laptop to fulfill their online courses.

“What we’re trying to do is… let you all know that we’re here for

you, and we’re also adapting,” said Pierce College President Alexis S. Montevirgen.

Montevirgen said that late start classes were implemented to accommodate those without reliable computers to allow them enough time to settle in.

However, the laptop order of 14,886 Lenovo Chromebooks set to be delivered at the start of the Fall semester was delayed.

According to Pierce College Public Relations Manager Doreen Clay, the result is that LACCD switched to ordering 14,881 Surface Go laptops instead of a local vendor,

but the delivery was also delayed.

Clay said while every equipment order is different, the district has been working all summer diligently to get the laptops to students, but COVID-19 has made it difficult to get orders in and timely deliveries made.

The Surface Go laptops are new additions for distribution, while Chromebooks are a returning item. Some of these items are “reconditioned,” while others are not.

Full time Pierce College student Einna Macavinta received a Dell Latitude 11 laptop last semester and

said she felt the program helped her in her time of need when courses went online.

“I initially rented a laptop because I couldn’t afford one,” said Macavinta. “After saving up from work, I finally bought myself a new one.”

The laptop that was given to Macavinta from Pierce College helped her complete online courses until she was able to purchase one on her own.

Pierce Students who do not have reliable computer access at home can apply to this program through the application located in their

student portals under Scholarships and Financial Aid, said Clay. When the devices arrive, half will be given away and the remainder will be loaned to students depending on each student’s specific needs.

The goal of the laptop distribution program at Pierce College is to eliminate the gap between those with reliable computer access and those without reliable computer access.

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Late-start classes are coming Students can still sign up for eight-week courses

BY KARLA AVALOS

Pierce College announced that more than 75 latestart and online classes, most scheduled to begin Oct. 26, according to the school website.

According to Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen, enrollment numbers for the fall semester dropped 9% compared to last year.

Late start classes are expected both to challenge the deficit and also to increase the avenues for students to overcome obstacles.

“We are providing students an opportunity to not have to wait until the winter or spring semesters to jump back in school and get into those late start classes,” Montevirgen said.

After five months of remote learning, students continue to face real-life challenges because of the pandemic.

From the inability to enroll in full-term classes due to high demand, to lack of proper equipment or access to the internet, to unsuitable housing conditions or unemployment, late start classes offer relief for the students affected.

“Maybe at the beginning of the term, students were feeling a little overwhelmed by all of their classes so maybe they dropped one, but then a few weeks go by and they feel like they got a handle on it,” Angela Belden, professor of psychology and statistics said.

“There are all sorts of reasons, but certainly, the eightweek model is an excellent model because you can focus on one class more intensely,” Belden said.

As remote learning has become the new norm due to the closure of campus to prevent the transmission of the coronavirus among students, the amount of late start courses increased considerably to more than 70 to adjust for high demand.

“This pandemic has caused a lot of disruption, and our focus and our hope is to provide options for our students,” said Earic Dixon-Peters, Pierce vice president of Student Services.

“Late start classes have always been a part of our strategy before the pandemic. But even more so now, we have these late start classes because of our students’ needs. To make sure that they have the opportunity to enroll and

complete their educational goals.”

While the eight-week model of late start classes makes learning fast paced and more intense, the content of the courses is slightly adjusted to accommodate for the time, but the quality of the lectures, assignments, and tests remain unchanged.

“We have to deliver the same content, no matter the format. Whether it’s a 16-week, a fiveweek or an eight-week, the content is the content,” Belden said. “It’s dictated by the course outline of the record, and as a faculty member delivering this kind of material, you have to cover it no matter what.”

“It’s a great idea to take advantage of this model because you can get one more class in the semester,” Belden said. “One more thing to mark off your to do list, one more class finished, one more step towards your goal.”

Students from many walks of life, varied circumstances and from all ages that are currently attending Pierce have different needs.

The various choices offered at Pierce promote inclusivity and are vital to students as they

try to figure out what path to traverse towards their objective.

“We understand what our students need, and that their educational goals and outcomes varies from getting a certificate or being a lifelong learner, to transferring or just getting their AA degree and going out into the workforce,” DixonPeters said. “We know on that spectrum a lot of our students are trying to complete their educational goals.”

Dixon-Peters emphasized that students should know about the different services provided by Pierce, such as online tutoring, online support programs, EOP&S, academic counseling, health support and dedicated faculty.

“It’s important for them to know as they start their courses that there are several support mechanisms that we have in place to help them complete their goals,” Dixon-Peters said.

“All of these programs are here for our students so they can take advantage of them to help them to stay on track.”

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Alexandra Krotova operates a lathe in the Industrial Technology building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 29, 2020.

“This pandemic has caused a lot of disruption, and our focus and our hope is to provide options for our students."

Earic Dixon-Peters

Vice president of Student Services

Controversial statues still standing Calls grow to remove Old Trapper’s Lodge from Pierce

BY ZOE RAMIREZ

Since the widespread protests that erupted from the killing of George Floyd, statues across the country were torn down as a rise against racism.

Now, many in the campus community are looking more closely at a historical landmark installed at Pierce College in 1988.

Old Trapper’s Lodge is a series of statues that were put into campus and were considered to be folk art. The several statues depict indigenous Americans, some of which are seen kidnapping and stabbing other individuals, which many have found disturbing.

“My feeling about the statues is that they are a part of Pierce’s racist past and present,” sociology professor James McKeever said. “That really needs to be changed.”

Mckeever, who has been a long time advocate toward removing these statues, said there’s been talk but no action.

“I give the new president and chancellor till the fall semester to do something about it,” McKeever said. “They’ve been talking about who they’ve been in conversation with, which includes the state, but nothing literally has been done yet.”

Considering the lack of progress, McKeever believes that the statues won’t be removed anytime soon. McKeever, who has been in this fight for about nine years, says he hopes to see them gone in 2-3 years.

“We are actively pursuing the correct and proper way of getting the statues off campus,” Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen said in a Zoom interview.

Montevirgen explained that Pierce College does plan to remove the statues but wants to contact the family of the artist and allow them to be part of the removal process.

“We are continuing to work with places that may take them out, but also trying to initiate contact and have a conversation with the family of the artist,” Montevirgen said.

Montevirgen added how removing the Trapper’s Lodge statues creates a difficult process because of how large and heavy the artwork is.

“It’s not an easy piece of work that you can lift up and move to another location. These are very large statues

that are cemented in at certain points,” Montevirgen said.

Brian Walsh, the chapter president for the faculty guild, has also been fighting to remove the statues.

Strongly agreeing with McKeever, Walsh believes the statues are horrible and are incredibly racist.

Along with difficulties of agreeing to remove the statue, Walsh explained that there are many legal issues that must be dealt with.

“Anybody can come on campus and anybody can check it out,” Walsh said. “It’s a public art installation. The fact that it’s a state landmark, you have to jump through many hoops. You can’t just rip it up and get it.”

Obviously, the process of eliminating the statues will take some time. Especially with the rise of pandemic, strong advocates like McKeever and Walsh are limited to what they can do.

Many students have been feeling outraged because this process has taken years.

Manon Guijarro, a student attending Pierce, believes that the statues can be offensive toward Pierce’s diverse community. Native American students in particular can feel uncomfortable by what Old Trapper’s Lodge depicts.

“I’m really big about how they want to turn down the statutes regarding all these issues,” Guijarro said. “I’m really supportive of it because it’s very triggering for people of Native American descent, African American descent, Asian descent, etc.”

Guijarro also believes further action should be taken to speed up the removal process.

“I think we should push for a protest to remove the statues,” Guijarro said. “I’m really happy for the professor doing all this work. We need more people to back him up and get this done. This is not acceptable.”

McKeever said he’d be filled with emotion the day this issue gets resolved.

“My first reaction was to tear up a bit,” McKeever said. “We should not have to fight this hard. People of color, LGTBQ+, women, have been fighting since the inception of the country. To get this close and see it actually go down, it would be one of my greatest accomplishments at Pierce College.”

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LAUSD expands food distribution

BY BENJAMIN HANSON

BRIEF

Academic Senate

BY ISABEL RAVENNA

Academic Senate members continued discussing its proposed Anti-systemic Racism Resolution on Sept. 28.

The senate voted at the request of the Administration of Justice Department to remove wording in the proposal because several members argued that it singled out the department, according to political science professor Denise Robb, who was speaking on their behalf.

The portion of the proposal that was removed stated “an emphasis be placed on first-responders disciplines such as Administration of Justice.”

The senate then voted to postpone votes and discussion halfway through the meeting after a motion was made by senate member Brian Pierson. Pierson said he received requests from other members who were unable to attend the meeting due to their observance of Yom Kippur.

In other senate news, Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen gave an enrollment report, and said that as of Sept. 28, Pierce has a 93% headcount compared to last year and is at 89% compared to last year with a duplicate enrollment count of about 41,740.

According to Montevirgen, Pierce has 2% more enrollment and headcount than the district’s average.

ASO Student President Jamie Crespin reported that the recent Club Rush, Constitution Day and Latino/Latina Heritage Month were successful.

The next Academic Senate meeting will be on Oct. 12.

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COVID Team Meeting

BY KAMRYN BOUYETT

Covid-19 Response teams discussed student ID cards, delivering laptops to non-LA Promise students and possibly opening up classrooms for faculty at a Zoom meeting on Sept. 23.

After Team B’s update, Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters talked about prioritizing the distribution of laptops to LA Promise students.

“Yes, we had a delivery of laptops this previous week on Thursday and Friday for L.A. Promise students,” Peters said.

Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carolos Astorga expressed concerns with students receiving two pieces of equipment.

“It makes no sense for one student to get two different pieces of equipment because that’s one less for another one that could potentially receive it,” Astorga said.

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Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher described how helpful student ID cards could be for students choosing not to turn on their cameras during class. The testing software, Proctorio, sometimes uses student ID cards before beginning the monitored test provided, added Wendy Bass, the Distance Education coordinator.

“We’ve got to help them help themselves. And sometimes they may not realize that this whole way of learning is going to be very challenging,” Schleicher said.

The last point brought up in the Team B and C meeting was getting software for science classes with labs or allowing professors to come in and record their own lab.

Dean of Academic Affairs

Donna-Mae Villanueva suggested that remote science professors should use their classrooms to record new lectures because using their old lectures might be a FERPA violation. She also explained that other colleges within LACCD are allowing faculty to record on campus.

Photo by Deveion Hicksonbottom

Alexandra Krotova operates a lathe in the Industrial Technology building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Aug. 29, 2020.

Photo by Christopher Saroj

Outside Esteban E. Torres High School, David Morales, a LA’s Best worker, takes out cartridges of milk meant for members of the community that visit the Grab & Go center on Dozier Street outside the high school on Sept. 24, 2020. Food provided each day comes from the Newman Center Prep Site, is different every day and is available to anyone who needs it during COVID-19. The centers are open Monday- Friday, 6 - 10 a.m.

Photo by Christopher Saroj

(From left) Bianca Guerrero, Lyca Gonzales, Joceyln Ruiz and Byron Alavarez, members of LA’s Best put food in bags and hand them to members of the community at the Grab & Go Center located outside Esteban E. Torres High Swchool on Dozier

"It’s hard work. It’s hot. There’s smoke, but my ancestors went through worse. We matter and we’re not going to ask for it. We’re demanding it."

Latora Green

Co-Founder of The Valley Of Change

Co-Founder of The Valley Of Change Latora Green holds a sign that reads “End Police Brutality” toward drivers in Sherman Oaks, Calif., on Sept. 30, 2020.

A sign resting on a foldable chair has a portrait of George Floyd with Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Latora Green (right) holds an ice cube to Marggi Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Latora Green holds a sign with the words “I Can’t Breathe” in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

The Valley Of Change

Sherman Oaks woman organizes daily peaceful protests

BY BENJAMIN HANSON

While protests remain active, there are fewer in early fall than there were during the summer months.

But one local organizer has remained steadfast, standing on the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Sepulveda Boulevard every day since May 31 to peacefully protest against police brutality and systemic racism.

Co-Founder of The Valley Of Change Latora Green protests for Black lives.

She sets up a canopy, tables, speakers, coolers for water, chairs and signs for people that join her at noon in front of the steps by the water fountain, and stays until 8 p.m.

Green flashes a peace sign with one hand and holds a black sign in the other hand that reads “End Police Brutality” and “I Can’t Breathe.” Drivers that honk in support are met with a friendly wave from Green and other participants.

Green said it is important to be there everyday to help reach as many people as she can with her message.

“I want to inspire people,” she said. “I want to educate and motivate people to believe that they can do anything.”

Green said standing in front of the Sherman Oaks Galleria for eight hours a day can be challenging.

“It’s hard work,” Green said. “It’s hot. There’s smoke, but my ancestors went through worse. We matter and we’re not going to ask for it. We’re demanding it.”

Marc Bender frequents multiple Black Lives Matter protests, including The

Latora Green Co-Founder The Valley Of Change

Valley Of Change’s protest. Bender said he wants to see a change in the presidency.

“We want people to vote,” he said. “But it’s more than that. People have to do everything they can to make this a more just, democratic and egalitarian society.”

Artist Quincy Clemens said he is relieved when people show support by honking their horns or smiling at them.

Green hopes to bring change no matter how many people stand beside her.

“Whether it’s one person out here, 50, 100 or 5,000, we’re still getting the same message across,” she said. “They give me the hope and courage to keep going.”

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PHOTOS BY BENJAMIN HANSON

"I want to educate and motivate people to believe that they can do anything."

Marc Bender crosses Ventura Boulevard holding a sign that reads “Honk 4 a new prez!” in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Nolan Schied makes a sign that reads “This Is What A Police State Looks Like” at The Valley of Change daily protest spot in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Nolan Schied holds a sign that reads “This Is What A Police State Looks Like” at The Valley of Change daily protest spot in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Marggi Markowitz’s neck to help her cool down in

Latora Green holds a sign with the words “End Police Brutality” on the corner of Sepulveda and Ventura boulevards. in Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Students leave the stage and go home

Pierce Theatre Department transitions to online classes and performances

BY ZOE ANNE RAMIREZ

Performing live shows, attending dress-rehearsal and experiencing the joys of an audience’s applause are now a thing of the past for the Theatre department as they settle into an online platform.

All productions have been performed live through Zoom webinars because campus is closed.

Michael Gend, a theater professor at Pierce, said the department is presenting its first Zoom production called “Really Really.”

Gend said that although it’s an exciting and new experience, performing a live play comes with many downsides.

“Things may go wrong, things may go right. Internet connections may come in, internet connections may go out,” he said.

Gend also explained that interacting with the audience has been another obstacle they have been trying to overcome. Usually at theater shows, the actors are able to interact with the audience, making the experience more entertaining and interactive.

Gend said that they have been trying to make the best of Zoom’s features and possibly use the chat box so that actors can connect with the audience.

“Our biggest challenge right now is coordinating with our audience through Zoom,” Gend said. “How to set their screen up, just so it feels

much more presentational. During the play, the chat window is open the entire time so that the audience can respond.”

Actor Manon Guijarro explained that performing online has been a struggle.

“We’re still learning how to work through zoom and having to push through,” Guijarro said. “We have to keep our composure doing live theater with experiencing technical difficulties.”

But she believes that this experience has been good for her and her fellow castmates, and believes that the performances can be a success.

“We actually inspired a few other theater departments on how to proceed doing live theater on zoom,” Guijarro said. “It was an amazing experience that many won’t get the chance to feel.”

Gend said that actors likely prefer being together on stage.

“I noticed that the students are really missing the social interaction,” Gend said. “I even noticed students in my class log into zoom early to say what’s up, what’s going on. We are trying to give our students as many opportunities to get that communal experience.”

Sherazade Irani, the assistant stage manager for Pierce’s production, says that she believes actors are actually rather quite adaptable to these kinds of abrupt changes.

“To be an actor, you need to be really adaptable to these things,” Irani said. “I personally think they

are doing a great job. Using this art to describe how they feel and put themselves out there, even though it’s through a webcam.”

But this being her first production, Irani explains that the process was a strange experience for her, as she was unable to meet with her fellow actors.

“Being an assistant stage manager for an online production was a weird experience,” Irani said. “We no longer have prop designers for the actors, so now they have to get stuff from their home or we can give them the stuff.”

Irani explains that the teamwork process has also changed due to online transition. No longer on campus, there is much less collaboration involved in creating a play.

“All the teamwork in theater is really whittled down,” Irani said. “It’s just you and the actors now. There’s no lighting design, there’s no scenic design. It’s what actors can do for themselves.”

She also expresses that the lack of connection is something that bothers her as well. It’s much more different to be in person than on a zoom with your castmates, which Irani explains.

“Like the whole part of theater, it’s just one whole collaboration,” Irani said. “If you’re just face-toface for these allocated zoom times, you can’t receive anything back, you can’t gain any real relationship.”

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‘Really Really’ is really good

Virtual production impresses

BY ZOE ANNE RAMIREZ

“Really Really,” a play depicting the aftermath of a college sex scandal, was Pierce College’s first virtual theater production that was impressively yet hilariously performed through Zoom.

Theater involves a lot of collaboration. But with the rise of the pandemic, Pierce’s Theatre department was forced to switch gears and host its plays virtually.

Although this may seem impossible, the “Really Really” cast performed a great show that kept audience members engaged and entertained, almost as if it was in-person.

The play follows characters Leigh (Monique Garcia) and Davis (Kayvan Shaikh) after they spend a night together at a college party. As the play goes on and Leigh’s boyfriend Jimmy (Sonny James Lira) finds out about their flirtatious exchange, Leigh accuses Davis of rape, causing an uproar among the characters.

Throughout the play, each character could be seen and heard perfectly.

Actors needed to move their cameras to mimic motion and interaction

throughout the show.

Actors were forced to create their own sets and use many props.

The creativity of the actors shined because actors performed in such a way that made the audience feel like they were within the play’s location, despite actors performing from the comfort of their home.

For every scene, actors changed location depending upon the setting. Although it wasn’t the same background for each character, it worked well throughout the play.

The play was separated into scenes so actors had to create transitions by switching their camera on and off every time a scene ended. This allowed them to tell the story in an orderly fashion and switch settings every now and then.

Nevertheless, “Really Really” was truly an experience. Even during a difficult time, the actors put on a great show despite the challenges of not being physically together. You can watch it on YouTube until Sunday Oct. 4 at 6 p.m.

Screenshot by Cathy Pia

Cast members Monique Garcia (Leigh) and Sonny James Lira (Jimmy) perform in the virtual production of ‘Really Really’ via Zoom.

Screenshot by Cathy Pia

Cast members Jacob Villapando (Johnson) and Kayvan Shaikh (Davis) perform in the virtual production of ‘Really Really’ via Zoom.

Photo by Cathy Pia

Monique Garcia shows her light set-up in her bedroom for the performance “Really Really” on Sept. 23, 2020.

Photo by Cathy Pia Manon Guijarro prepares for her performance as Haley in "Really, Really," on Sept. 23, 2020.

Making progress for possible return

Student athletes find creative ways to stay in shape while Pierce remains closed

BY RYAN FLEISHER

W ith sports seasons tentatively scheduled to begin in February 2021, Pierce student-athletes have been gearing up to be able to return to competition.

It has been six months since the last time a Pierce sports team has played a game, and players and coaches have been anxious to get back to competing.

To stay in shape during this time, student-athletes have improvised and adapted to working out off campus by going to local parks and gyms to stay in peak physical condition.

“I’m glad players are taking the initiative to workout on their own, but it’s hard to know if they are being safe without supervision,” Armenta wrote.

Baseball player Kenny Baumgartner in a phone interview talked about how his coaches have been helping him and his teammates stay in shape.

“We send coach videos of ourselves doing workouts along with videos of us doing baseball related activities so that he has an idea of what is going on with his players,” Baumgartner said. Baumgartner has been working out and throwing with minor league baseball players and has been getting instruction from a private pitching instructor so that he can come back and be better than the last time he was on the field.

“I have been preparing to have myself be ready if they asked me to play tomorrow,” Baumgartner said.

Interim Director of Athletics Susan Armenta mentioned in an email interview that while it is not ideal to have teams meet through Zoom, the athletic department has prepared coaches to use Zoom and Canvas effectively.

“Coaches have gotten training on how to use the tools on Canvas or how to incorporate external resources so they can

Kenny Baumgartner Baseball player

prescribe exercises, drills, and videos to view in preparation for practice,” Armenta wrote.

“We have included James Sims, our Fitness Center Coordinator, assisted by Tamera Brown, our facilities coordinator, to conduct virtual workouts.”

Men’s head basketball coach Charles White has designed his team’s Zoom workouts to get his players in top physical condition for basketball season without players having to leave their homes.

“We spend the first hour of practice working with the Pierce strength and conditioning coach and then we spend an hour after that doing basketball skills training led by our coaching staff which can be done right outside players’ homes,” White said in a phone interview.

With some players still going and working out outside of their homes amidst the pandemic, the top priority of administration and coaches remains student-athletes safety.

“Every practice we remind our players to wear a mask, wash their hands, and stay safe because we need everyone healthy for when we do get to be together as a team,” White said.

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“I have been preparing to have myself be ready if they asked me to play tomorrow.”

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Donovan Waitman tosses a medicine ball at a wall at Neighborhood Hitting Academy in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan Donovan Waitman (L) and Makayla Lopez (C) prepare for their next workout with trainer Andru Cardenas (R) at Neighborhood Hitting Academy in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan Donovan Waitman does a one-handed shoulder press at Neighborhood Hitting Academy in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Donovan Waitman does agility drills outside of Neighborhood Hitting Academy in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Tuesday Sept. 22, 2020,

Nurse blends her happy place and working space

College Student Health Center director continues student outreach from home

BY YVETTE CELAYA

Home for Beth Benne has been a place to get a job and enjoy her "happy place" on the porch sitting with her husband.

Now, her home has been split into two.

The Pierce College Student Health Center (SHC) remains closed, but as its director, Benne continues to serve students through online means.

She has developed a new routine since March while working from home at her dining room table.

“I don’t think we ever imagined this as a worst-case scenario,” Benne said. “But we’re here, we’re moving forward, we’re finding workarounds.”

Benne, who has been the Student Health Center director since 1993, attributes her positive spirit to the same circumstances and role models that encouraged her to pursue nursing.

Growing up in a military family in San Diego, Benne was exposed to medicine when she spent time at a hospital in Camp Pendleton at age 11. She also had Navy Nurse Commander Mary Kelly as a mentor to guide her.

Benne stayed close to home and attended nursing school at Point Loma College. She tried her hand at different specialties—geriatrics, pediatrics, obstetrics and nursery. But she found her calling in another field.

“My senior year, I was assigned to a medical oncology floor, and I fell in love. It was eye-opening,” Benne said.

That same year, she and her college roommate decided to apply at the Huntington Hospital in Pasadena. The nursing staff were shocked when both women said they wanted to work on the oncology floor.

“She looked at me like I had two heads. I remember her calling up the head nurse and saying, ‘Blaine, you’ve got to get down here, you’re never gonna believe this. I’ve got two new grads who want to work for you,'"Benne said. “All of the stars aligned, it was fate. But then we did get burnt out because everybody died back then.”

After working in that environment, Benne said she needed healing time. She spent five years at

the Huntington Blood Bank, where she worked with HIV patients and did blood transfusions with outpatient care.

Subsequently, she worked for five years as the school nurse at John Muir High School. It was during this time that she completed her credentials, and a Master in Health and Science.

Although work afforded her time to focus on her growing family—by then her husband and two children— Benne became disillusioned with her limited role in working with minors.

“I couldn’t even pass out a tampon to a young woman her period,” Benne said. “That was frustrating. I found myself becoming a babysitter of kids who didn’t want to be in class.”

Benne applied for the Health Center director position at Pierce College and interviewed in January of 1993. In June, she received a call from former Pierce College President Robert Garber offering her the position.

Initially, she declined. Garber invited her to take a tour to check out the new Health Center. During the tour, he convinced her to substitute for the two remaining weeks of that summer’s session.

“I fell in love with the job in two weeks,” Benne said. “I could help people—I could give that young lady the tampon. I could give somebody Tylenol, I could do a TB test or immunizations, and it was part of my licensing.”

Garber offered her the job again, with one condition—it was a new

position, and she would have one year to "make it or break it." Benne consulted her husband.

“My husband was a firm believer in me being satisfied at work, that I needed to have job satisfaction to be happy—whole person happiness, right?” Benne said. “The best decision we ever made. That’s the beginning of the story.”

During her time at Pierce, Benne has been part of the Health Services Association – California Community Colleges, she served as presidentelect from 2011 to 2012, followed by two more years as president and past president, after serving on their E-Board for 15 years prior.

“She is a voice, and she’s fought her whole time at Pierce to advocate

for students in the organization of health services, not just for Pierce, but for all students in the area of health and wellness,” said Sharon Manakas, colleague and fellow HSACCC member.

Recently, she succeeded in raising the health fee to facilitate better care, including a full-time psychologist.

“The most important thing is that she believes in preventative health care as a growing need of the student population,” said Loralyn Frederick, Student Health Center assistant. “She probably wants to leave behind a legacy for the next person who will step in her shoes.”

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“She is a voice, and she’s fought her whole time at Pierce to advocate for students in the organization of health services, not just for Pierce, but for all students in the area of health and wellness.”

Engaging students through social media New member of Diversity Committee gets social

BY KAMRYN BOUYETT

P

eople often think of librarians as quiet people with their heads buried in books, but there’s one librarian who’s as savvy in the social media world as he is in the Dewey Decimal System.

Mario Macias connects the Library / Learning Crossroads to the rest of the world by managing its Instagram page.

Macias has worked at the library for five years and was the first Latino librarian to be tenured at Pierce.

He has noticed the importance social media has on student engagement since the shift to online learning.

“I’ve grown to value that type of outreach, even though it’s never been formally supported.”

While managing the social media page, he has connected with students and representatives of the Associated Students Organization (ASO), such as Sierra Bledsoe, who is the student advocate for the Diversity Committee.

In a Zoom interview, Bledsoe talked about how she connected

with Macias last semester when Macias was an unofficial member of the committee. After becoming an official member, Macias has been bright and energetic coming into meetings.

“We really connected very well because I had so many ideas and then he was just kind of like the right hand,” Bledsoe said. “He was like, yeah, let’s do that.”

Co-chair of the Diversity Committee Micheal Habata explained in an email interview that Macias started attending meetings about three years ago and slowly became more active during the spring semester of this year.

Habata also described that Macias’ expertise in working with social media and online platforms was helpful when growing the Diversity Committee’s new Instagram account.

According to Bledsoe, Macias had the tools to help bring her initial idea of the Instagram account to life. After a couple of weeks, they already had 113 followers.

“That’s why I was saying that we worked hand in hand because

I wanted these things done,” Bledsoe said. “I just didn’t know what tools to use, and he brought those tools to me so that we can use them and work with them.”

In addition to the Diversity Committee, Bledsoe uses the tools provided by Macias and applies them as Publicity Committee chair.

Macias’ wants to help get students involved with the Diversity Committee and other student services by sharing the skills he’s learned.

“I’ve been trying to use my skills and talents of coordinating social media…and trying to share those skills and wisdom, or just emotional support to the other student services who are also active on Instagram.”

Macias’ goal as a member of the Diversity Committee is to gain more engagement from students through social media platforms while providing a space for students to interact with the services provided by Pierce College.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Mario Macias, a new Diversity Committee member, stands in front of Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2020.

Photo by Vanessa Rivero

Beth Benne sits in her ‘happy place’ with husband John Benne in Burbank, Calif., on Oct. 1, 2020.

“I’ve been trying to use my skills and talents of coordinating social media and trying to share those skills and wisdom .”

Mario Macias Diversity Committee member

“I don’t think we ever imagined this as a worst-case scenario. But we’re here, we’re moving forward, we’re finding workarounds.”

Beth Benne Director of the Student Health Center

Sharon Manakas Colleague