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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.
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It's been one year since the story on the investigation regarding coach Carlos Woods surfaced, and while baby steps have been taken, there is still more that needs to be done.
The report from the investigation has been at the college since the beginning of the year, and while Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen confirmed the dismissal of Woods, what is the status of the report and sanctions?
According to a May article on the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Cabrillo College’s Board of Trustees decided to suspend the football program for two years following rule violations.
If Cabrillo’s Board of Trustees can make a decision quickly during a pandemic, what is the hold up at Pierce?
One violation that Cabrillo mentioned in a March 13 article published by the Sentinel, was sophomore all-state receiver Kameron Pleasant, who hails from Detroit, said 17 players shared three places at the Soquel Knolls Condos this season. He also noted that in 2018 there were 30 players living in five, two-bedroom apartments at the Breakwater Apartments in Twin Lakes.
That was similar to what was reported happening at Pierce where there were 30 players living in an apartment complex on De Soto
Avenue and Vanowen Boulevard.
That is not the only issue.
According to The Roundup, bylaw
2.6.1 in the CCCAA constitution was also violated, which prohibits out-ofstate recruiting.
There needs to be transparency.
Former players, fans and Pierce alumni have a right to know what is going on with the program.
Those involved with athletics must stay on top of this. Interim Athletic Director Susan Armenta shouldn’t have to wait until October to get the full report, which she should have had months ago.
One solution can be to create a committee that has knowledge on football to address this issue and make a decision that would be sent to the president, vice president of Student Services and the interim athletic director. They can also be involved in imposing internal sanctions.
Also, Southern California Football Association Commissioner Jim Sartoris and the CCCAA would be briefed and could impose additional sanctions they believe are necessary.
The pandemic has impacted everyone. That shouldn’t be an excuse as to why things don’t get done.
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As grocery stores, restaurants and other businesses have reopened to the public, people have been required to wear face masks
As many of those places, as well as public areas, have signs to remind people to wear masks to slow the spread of COVID-19, it would be beneficial for Pierce College to do the same.
Students were on campus throughout August to finish their auto, welding, animal science and nursing classes from the spring 2020 semester.
Pierce already has face masks requirements but having signs as a reminder would help enforce the guidelines, especially when more students return to campus.
Staff should also be encouraged to remind students to follow safety guidelines.
A photo published by USA Today
showed children from North Paulding high school in Dallas, Georgia, crowded in the hallways and with the majority not wearing face masks. Many schools that reopened advised students to wear masks but did not require it, leading to many children participating in the spread of COVID-19.
Advising students to wear a mask when coming to school is simply not enough to keep everyone on campus safe.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in August that schools planning to reopen should enforce safety guidelines that included wearing a mask and social distancing.
Signs being placed on the outside of campus, parking lots and on classroom doors would encourage students to take the face mask requirement seriously and remind them that it’s important to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Improper disposal of face masks and gloves in public places is becoming not only a serious health hazard, but an environmental issue as well.
Before returning to campus, it is important to be prepared and know how to prevent this from becoming an issue.
When students are finished with class or walking back to their cars, it’s crucial that they don’t throw their masks or gloves on the ground.
This leaves the responsibility of cleaning up others personal protective equipment to the staff and janitors on campus, putting them at high risk.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the safest way to discard face masks is to either put it in a plastic bag or put it in a trash can.
Pierce College promises to “increase opportunities for student access, readiness, retention, and success” as stated in their mission statement goals. But Pierce will fail to fulfill this promise unless it takes action to suspend synchronous classes for students on November 3.
To minimize stress for students, Pierce should cancel classes on Election Day to allow students ample time to vote in person.
Amid confusion about mailin ballots and absentee ballots, people have chosen to vote in person to ensure their vote gets counted. This has resulted in longer lines at voting centers. In many states, people are waiting up to two hours to cast their ballot.
Students who have classes on Election Day may feel discouraged to vote if they are unable to find time to go to a polling center and further
discouraged by long wait times.
By suspending online classes on Election Day, Pierce will allow students to engage in their civic duty and take part in this national election.
A recent report by Tufts University for Research and Civic Learning found that already 5 million eligible young voters have voted and this number is expected to increase as Election Day nears. This number is a significant increase from the 2016 Election when only 39% of eligible young people voted.
As Election Day is on the horizon, Pierce should take part in increasing the voting engagement for young voters by suspending class on that day.
Students who are working on Election Day may also find it difficult to make time to get to a polling center.
According to Pierce College’s scorecard, 68% are part-time students. The pandemic has placed economic burden on
students, causing many students to become essential workers during this health crisis.
With more students balancing work along with classes, Pierce can alleviate this burden for working class students who may have inflexible hours.
American University has already taken steps to address this issue and will cancel all their synchronous classes on Election Day to allow students to take part in the democratic process. The University has a tradition to close every four years for Inauguration day but a new tradition was implemented to close the university every Election Day. Pierce needs to take the intitative to make civic engagement accessible for all students by canceling classes on Election Day.
Photo by Bala Subramaniyan A mural with Angela Davis at Highland Park in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 23, 2020. Photo by Bala Subramaniyan"I am voting because I still have hope for us to recover. I still have hope for us to heal from the damage that’s been done, even if it may take a while for us to come back. We need to be resilient. We need to vote."
Trisha Anas
After four years of a Trump presidency that felt more like a two-term presidency, I am tired. My mental state has been depleted, and my sense of optimism has diminished.
But this will not stop me.
For this election season and for future elections to come, I am voting.
I am voting because I understand that voting holds great responsibility. I am voting because I understand that not everyone has the privilege to vote. I am voting because I feel the need to fight for those without a voice.
The pandemic showed us an ugly underside of the country. Asian Americans are still facing racism due to the virus' point of origin in Wuhan, China.
The seriousness of the pandemic has been downplayed and resulted in more than 200,000 deaths that could have possibly been prevented if the U.S. had taken COVID-19 seriously in the first place. These bouts of racism and ignorance have so far been encouraged by Trump.
To be a Filipino American working on the frontlines at a hospital, worrying about my patients and about my own safety is incredibly exhausting. I am voting because I want change.
On top of the pandemic, hate crimes have been increasing. This includes both racially charged incidents and homophobic incidents. Trump’s constant hateful and ignorant rhetoric has been fueling hatred the last couple of years which lead to an increase in these racist fueled hate crimes.
According to the Seton Hall Legislative Journal, “The Southern Poverty Law Center reported 867 hate incidents in the ten days following Trump’s Election,” whereas during the Obama administration, “there were several laws and executive orders that enhanced protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community or increased their rights in the United States.”
I am voting because I want to see this country move forward, not backward.
Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican should not matter when thinking about who to vote for during the upcoming election. It is a matter of morality and logic.
The gap between the parties has widened during Trump’s reign and made the idea of bipartisanship a foreign concept when we should be coming together to move forward from this.
I am voting because I still have hope for us to recover. I still have hope for us to heal from the damage that’s been done, even if it may take a while for us to come back. We need to be resilient. We need to vote.
Although the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was supposed to secure every American’s right to vote, voter suppression is still as prominent today as it was in the 1940’s and 1950’s. It may not be people with ropes and dogs waiting outside the polls, but it is alive and well.
NPR host Michel Martin reported that within “the last few years, a number of states have made aggressive efforts to purge voting rolls and to make more demands of people trying to register to vote.”
Martin also mentioned that people may not remember, “but in the 1980s, a consent decree blocked the Republican National Committee from posting armed off-duty law enforcement at polling stations in minority neighborhoods.
Today, voter suppression isn’t as in your face, and that is what makes it so dangerous.
One way that suppression at the polls has been able to continue is moving and closing polling sites.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights reported that states across the American South have closed nearly 1,200 polling places since the Supreme Court weakened a landmark voting-discrimination law in 2013.
Some of the ways the government is facilitating this is by having shorter voting hours and photo-ID requirements. But this has not discouraged voters.
The report found that there are even seven counties in Georgia now that have only one polling place.
CNN reporter Joshua A. Douglas wrote that a number of courts are refusing to protect the right to vote.
“Although some federal district courts have eased certain election laws to make it easier to vote during the pandemic, the Supreme Court and federal appellate courts have mostly reversed these rulings,” Douglas said. “The appellate courts are instead unduly deferring to state legislatures and election officials.”
It is disturbing to see voter suppression so easily navigate throughout our democracy, because it defeats the purpose.
We must band together as a country, to protect the rights that should have never been at jeopardy.
If you are a registered voter make sure you vote early and make your voice heard, either by mail or at a ballot-dropoff center that can be found either at Pierce College or one of the many dropoff centers in your surrounding area.
But don’t stop there. Once we elect who we want in office, we must hold these elected officials accountable and demand protection of our rights and freedoms.
“There is a lot at stake this election and it is natural not wanting to get things wrong, but this is a genuine moment in history that people are going to look back on and you don’t want to say that you just stood there quiet.”
Arielle ZolezziDon’t get me wrong, it is easy to understand the basis behind feeling that you can’t morally support one candidate or the other, but besides the moral crisis our country is falling under at the moment, there are other things on the ballot that can change our lives.
The Knight Foundation reported that in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, around 43% of eligible voters did not cast ballots.
There is a lot at stake this election and it is natural not wanting to get things wrong, but this is a genuine moment in history that people are going to look back on and you don’t want to say that you just stood there quiet.
Proposition 18 concerns election policy, including campaign finance, election dates, election systems, redistricting, suffrage, and term limits. There are 13 other states with similar measures on the ballot.
According to BallotPedia. org, statewide measures include the first-ever appearance of gigeconomy policies on a statewide ballot, unique psilocybin mushroom use and drugcrime policy measures, wolf reintroduction, a veto referendum on cash bail, and state flag and state name change measures proposed after the killing of George Floyd.
With all of the recent protests and awakenings that have been occurring in the United States, this is one of the most important times to get as many people as possible registered and to the polls because we the people have the power to change what does not serve us.
People want to use the excuse that their vote doesn’t matter, or that their state is already blue or red so there is no point, but that is far from the truth. Not only is it a civic duty, but arguably a moral one as well.
There was a time where people were losing their lives just for the opportunity to cast a ballot, so we shouldn’t take this right for granted.
You can be the change you wish to see in the world, one ballot at a time.
"Iwouldrecommend peoplegoingoutletting theirvoicesbeheard,and exercisetheirimportant rights:freedom,free speechandgovote.That isthemostimportant thingaboutthis election.”
-OlegAgaronov
"There'sreallynoroom tob*tchifyoudon'tvote. Iunderstand,there'sa millionpeopleoutthere voting,what'sonemore votegoingtodo?Itcould doeverything?”
- Nick Lane"It'sprobablythenumber onemostimportant principleofthiscountry tohavefreeandfair elections.TheConstitution says,'WethePeople.' It'ssoimportantforour determinismtovotein theseelections.”
- Brendan O'Shea"Tomakeitabetterplace formykids.ThatʼsallI got.”
-TimCassidy
"Itwaseasy."
"Everyvotecounts.It couldalwaysbethatone votethatmaydetermine whathappens.”
- Diane Quintanilla
"Well,Iamvoting becauseIthinkthat leadershipisnecessary forrunninganation, specifically,theUnited States.Thisisbasically themainreasontovote, andeveryonethatcan vote,shouldvote.We needaleader.Wejust can'tleaveitouttherefor peopletotakeadvantage ofit.So,votebecauseit's good."
- Mike Edri"Myparentshavealways beensuperactivein politics‒MSNBCison rightnow.Andso,Imean, itwasalwaysgoingto beaninevitabilitythat Iwouldvote.But,even personally,Icareabout whatishappeninginour country,so,youknow, votingdoesmatter.So,if Icandoanythingtohelp withwhatʼsgoingonin ourlivesorlessfortunate people,Iʼlldothat,you know?”
- Jaden Weinstein
"IamvotingbecauseI wouldliketoseechange, foreverybody.Weneed somechangealready.Itis goodtovote.Inevermiss tovote,wheneveritis thetime,Igo.Ihavebeen votingsince1966.Iwas livinginNewJerseyin thebeginningandthen wemovedhere.Andwe continuetovote,trying todobetter,muchbetter foreverybody,notonly forus,forall.”
-YolandaDelgadoQuotes and photos gathered by: Cathy Pia and Katya Castillo
Not voting isnʼt the flex you think it is
WHAT ARE YOUR HALLOWEEN PLANS?
Should people participate in trick-or-treating this year?
H alloween will be different this year, but that doesn't mean that people shouldn't go trick-or-treating.
While California state health officials recommend people skip it this year, they didn't prohibit the activity.
How does a parent explain to their child that they can't go trick-or-treating this year?
Children have had it hard this year with their summer canceled and their school going virtual. Halloween is probably one of those holidays that they are looking forward to celebrating.
If adults can go out to restaurants and dine outdoors by following safety guidelines, why can't parents take their children trick-or-treating and do the same?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated their guidelines last month for people who want to go trickor-treating.
The CDC recommends avoiding direct contact with trick-or-treaters and setting up a station with individually bagged treats for them to take.
Trick-or-treaters can incorporate their masks into their costumes, but the CDC said not to wear a costume mask over a cloth mask as it could create difficulty breathing while walking.
Participants could stay six feet away from others who don't live in the same
"Wenormallywouldgo todifferentpartiesevery weekendinOctober,butthis yearmyhusbandandIhave decidedtojustinvitemysister andherboyfriendoverand hangout.Wedonotwant toexposeourselvestolarge gatheringslikewenormally wouldhave,"
- Ellie Cedillo
household, bring hand sanitizer, and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before eating any treats.
While there are cities across Southern California that are restricting or banning treat-or-tricking, such as Beverly Hills, other cities are trying to look for alternative ways to keep the spirit of Halloween alive.
The Burbank Police Department is hosting a "Reverse Trick-or-Treat" starting Saturday, Oct. 24, where officers will bring treats to children.
They will also have a pumpkincoloring contest. Children are encouraged to print out a Halloween pumpkin template, color in the blanks and tape it in a window that faces the street so officers can see when they drive by during patrol.
People should continue to celebrate Halloween by going trick-or-treating because the spirit of Halloween shouldn't change because of COVID-19.
BY RYAN FLEISHERE very year trick-or-treaters go door to door in their costumes to receive candy and have friendly interactions with neighbors, but Halloween will look differently in 2020.
Los Angeles County public health officials announced in early September that trick-or-treating would be banned. They quickly retracted their statement after receiving backlash and said it was simply not recommended.
There should not be trick-or-treating this Halloween because of the safety concerns regarding COVID-19.
There are many alternatives that have been suggested by local and state public health officials to ensure families that they can still enjoy the holiday while staying safe.
Families can go on a walk in their costumes without stopping at houses to get candy. Other alternatives include hosting Zoom parties to show off costumes with family and friends, carving pumpkins and watching movies in the comfort of your home.
Health officials’ main concern regarding trick-or-treating is the potential of spreading COVID-19 through handing out and receiving candy.
But, it is almost possible to create a safe way to get candy while trick-ortreating.
"Iwouldnormallytakemytwo daughterstrickortreatingat thelocalmallandwewould hostayearlyHalloweenparty. Thisyearwearenothaving ouryearlypartyandIwillbe takingmydaughterstothe drive-intrickortreatingatthe WestCovinamall,"
- Vanessa Villanueva
Social distancing guidelines require six feet of distance between people, and handing out candy does not follow those rules.
Some houses leave candy out in a bowl on porches for trick-or-treaters to grab, but it is unsafe for many people to be grabbing candy out of the same bowl because of the possibility of spreading the virus.
If someone who has the virus were to give out candy, they would be putting trick-or-treaters and their families at high risk of contracting COVID-19. If a trick-or-treater who may have the virus goes door to door, they could be exposing whole households to the virus.
This Halloween will serve as a reminder that the virus is still here and the public needs to continue to do their part in stopping the spread of COVID-19. By skipping it this year, there’s a higher chance that future Halloweens will go back to normal soon.
"Iusuallygoallouton HalloweenasIcelebratemy birthdayduringthistime. However,withallofthe Covid-19restrictionsthisyear Iamfindingitdifficultto continuemyyearlytradition. ThisyearIamrentingacabin inBigBearandwithfourclose friendswewillbecelebrating itoutthere," -MarlynAlas
"Iwouldnormallyworkon HalloweennightsinceIam aserveratahighendscale restaurantinMalibu.Myfamily wouldhostapartytocelebrate Halloweenbutwiththis pandemicwehavedecided nottodoanythingandstay indoors,"
- Gabe Beltran
Members of the Academic Senate discussed systematic racism and the usage of the term ‘Latinx’ on Oct. 26.
Speech instructor Christine Ersig Marcus spoke about systematic racism and antiblackness.
“The term systematic racism is a crucial general concept, but it does not adequately capture what African Americans are facing, anti-blackness does,” Marcus said.
She explained that the Black community is more often discriminated against compared to other communities, according to a Los Angeles Times report that the highest number of violent hate crimes were towards the African American community.
President Alexis Montevirgen shared Pierce’s enrollment reports. As of Oct. 25, Pierce’s headcount stands at 94% compared to the District’s which is about 92%.
In terms of enrollment, Pierce is at 90% while the District is at 88%.
Overall, City College’s enrollment is first in the District followed by Pierce.
Montevirgen said he’s also planning town hall meetings to share updates on COVID-19 and to address students’ reactions to distance learning.
Jeanette Maduena from the counseling department proposed an amendment to switch ‘Latin communities’ to ‘Latin American communities.’
“Latin is a language, it is not a person,” Maduena said. “As a person of Latino background, I do not identify with that. Latin communities is not appropriate, and I would like for it to reflect Latin American communities.”
The Senate then discussed the newly coined term ‘Latinx.’
Automotive service technology instructor Alex Villata spoke about how he has no issue adopting the term Latinx because not doing so is discriminatory toward the LGBTQIA+ community.
“In reality, Latinx has to do with our gay community and not our side,” Villata said.
ASO President Jamie Crespin said that Latinx is gender-neutral and “is something the student body at Pierce would like to see included” in the Resolution Against Systemic Racism.
Villata further encouraged the use of Latinx.
“I’m an immigrant myself,” Villata said. “I am a proud, robust member of the Latino culture and I don’t see a problem with having Latinx added to this language.”
Assistant professor in modern languages Margarita Pillado said she respects how communities identify themselves, but disagrees with the term Latinx because it causes erasure and lack of traits.
“I understand the desire of a further discriminated group, which is the LGTBQIA+ to have a name, a sense of belonging,” Pillado said. “X has taken over and does not represent that community.”
After discussing many topics, the Academic Senate didn’t vote on solutions toward systematic racism. Senate members will work on the resolution in smaller groups instead. The next Academic Senate meeting will be on Nov. 9.
The Pierce College Council (PCC) on Oct. 21 explored ways to pay for new expenses brought by teaching from home. Math Department Chair Eddie Tchertchian wanted to talk about the additional money that could be used through Proposition 20, passed in 2000, which allocates state lottery funds for educational materials for public schools.
“It’s really the entire Pierce community that is working remotely,” Tchertchian said. “A lot of us are having a hard time with equipment, with connections, with bandwidth, with all kinds of technology.”
BY KARLA AVALOSImmigration continues to be a controversial topic in the public opinion just as voters around the country cast their ballots during the current presidential election.
Leaders from the California Community Colleges and the Los Angeles Community College District came together to advocate for more aggressive support and resources for their students without legal immigration status.
Members of the community college system in California culminated the 1st annual Undocumented Student Week of Action Summit with an exchange of ideas and solutions to encourage and uplift these students in their pursue of higher education.
“We’ve had multiple activities this week all aimed at advocating, providing support, resource2s, awareness for our undocumented community not just here in LACCD, but indeed throughout California,” Francisco Rodriguez, LACCD Chancellor said. “We organized webinars and virtual panels that were directed to our students, faculty, counselors and administrators in our district and statewide.”
The LACCD represents the most significant number of undocumented students in a single district in the entire country.
“We serve almost 10,000 undocumented students in the LACC district. That’s more than the CSU and UC systems combined,” Gabriel
Buelna, member of the LACCD board of trustees said.
This fact presented the opportunity to create a movement that could reach as many students in the Los Angeles area as possible as the leaders attempt to tackle systemic racism within the community college system.
“This is a very important week for us. This is a week of action. This is a critical part of our language particularly when we are talking about higher education, about undocumented students, and about diversity, equity and inclusion,” Eloy Ortiz Oakley, California Community Colleges Chancellor said. “Action is a keyword that we have to place a focus on and to hold us accountable to.”
For the California community colleges there couldn’t be a starker motivator to address their students and offer them support given the considerable number of undocumented students in the Los Angeles district alone.
“We have the largest number of undocumented students of any higher education system in America. It is our responsibility to speak the loudest for our students,” Chancellor Ortiz Oakley said. “I'm very proud of the work that's happening here this week. It’s continuing to lead the way toward a better life for all of us by us creating a better opportunity for them, all of our lives are better.”
Supporting and providing resources for this community represents challenges specially when the federal government pushes back against the effort, but leaders like
California Governor Gavin Newsome and Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley are strong and outspoken allies of these students.
“Our board of governors has not only agreed that undocumented students should be a priority, but that they are very passionate about it. The last two governors that I have worked for, Governor Brown and Governor Newsom, have also been very supportive of our undocumented students as we recognize they are important for our future,” Ortiz Oakley said.
Undocumented students still suffer the stigma of not having the proper paperwork to be full-fledged citizens. But having allies in the higher education field becomes a ray of hope as they navigate their college education.
“We don't get to decide who comes to us for support, who comes to us for opportunity, and we are talking about opportunity for everyone regardless of what background they come from,” Chancellor Ortiz Oakley said. “And this week in particular, we are talking about undocumented students.”
Chancellor Ortiz Oakley stressed the importance of bringing down the stigmas and the judgment passed on these students who simply want to belong without fear or shame.
“These students make-up a large portion of our communities. Regardless of how they got here, regardless of your beliefs or positions on immigration policy, they are here, they are with us, they are part of our communities. They and their
families are tremendous assets to our communities,” Ortiz Oakley said.
Investing in these students’ higher education is a win for their communities as many of these students will remain where they grew up and become part of California’s workforce, according to Ortiz Oakley.
“Our work is to take these assets, take these amazingly talented, committed & passionate individuals and give them opportunity. Opportunity to not only support themselves and their families, but opportunity for them to support our communities, our state, our country. To make us all better,” Chancellor Ortiz Oakley said.
In an effort to allocate CARE Act funds to all students in the state, Chancellor Ortiz Oakley sued Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education who wouldn’t allow the California Community Colleges to assist undocumented students with federal funds. Chancellor Ortiz Oakley won in court.
“It is not a vision for those of us who have opportunity, it is a vision of success for every student because every one of our students matters to our future. I’m very proud of the way our system has responded and very proud of the way in the face of this opposition from Washington D.C., we continue to protect and value our undocumented students. But they need more than protection. They need clear opportunity.”
For the full story, read online
Modern languages professor Fernando Oleas explained that these funds could only be used for faculty to be able to work better remotely.
Oleas said that there are tools that he uses in his classroom that help him teach remotely.
Brian Walsh also wanted to talk about the obligations of Pierce’s administration in regard to Proposition 20.
Walsh said according to the faculty guild Article 9 B1-4, the district is obligated to provide faculty with a chair, plexiglas, desk, computer and internet connection.
“These are things that are not up for discussion in shared governance,” Walsh said. “This is not a democratic issue, this is just a legal issue in terms of the contract, and we have Article 28 to address that.”
He also explained that LACCD hasn’t found a proper way to take in these requests and reimbursements from the college.
“We do have to find resources to really make us all successful,” Walsh said. “Faculty of course, but everybody needs to have the tools at their now-home office to successfully serve students and to carry out the college’s mission.”
arivas.roundupnews@gmail.com
Islamic Center of Conejo Valley
Religious Director Imam Muhammed S. Mehtar presented at Pierce College’s 2nd Annual Multicultural Week and educated attendees on the faith of Islam.
Mehtar was born in South Africa, speaks English as a primary language, and moved to California in 1985 to get his degree.
But he said judgements made about him after the events on Sept. 11 led him to focus his study on his Islamic faith and never looked back.
“I had a very good, well-paying job and then Sept. 11 took place,” Mehtar said. “I was wearing suits in America, working and studying in America and after this date, somebody asked me the question, ‘Are you against us or for us?’ I can give my life and blood and they will never fully accept me so I figured I can go ahead and study my religion more.”
Mehtar believes that one factor is the idea that the religion of Islam contains many viewpoints that the West finds difficult to understand.
“It’s stupid that people are so scared of Muslims when their neighbor is Muslim and they still think that they can be a threat even though they are all around the world and are just as good a person and probably even better
than you are for judging them,” 19-year-old California State University Northridge student Maya Zarafshan said.
Mehtar pointed out that cultures have judged one another since the beginning of time, and that it is not specific to Islam.
“There is a very important thing there,” Mehtar said. “Religion has a viewpoint. Culture has a viewpoint. The Constitution has a viewpoint. It’s the same way people make fun of America. They say that Americans throw away their elders to strange homes. This happens everywhere.”
Mehtar touched on the common criticism of Islam’s roles regarding women in society. He explained that this culture is guided by the Quran, which specifies women’s societal role.
“As far as rights are concerned, the Quran gives tremendous amounts of rights to women,” Mehtar said. “A woman must be treated when she gets married and likewise, when she is living with her parents, she doesn’t have to pay a single mine. It is the father’s responsibility. Individuals are coming in and muddling up the virtues of the religion and saying that Islam is not fair.” Mehtar said that these differing ideals blurs the line between culture and social issues and is the cause for the stereotype regarding sexism in Islam.
“I think every culture has their own ways of doing things and one culture can’t judge another,” 19-year-old Pierce Student Adi Ward said. “I personally don’t think it is unjust, I just know that if I was personally limited in this way, I would feel an evident inequality on an everyday basis.”
Mehtar talked about the Islamic perspective on the LGBTQ community and said that the faith does not call for individuals to be stoned to death for their sexuality. However, he said that the culture is not as accepting of those who wish to marry within their gender as America is today.
“The statement is that, if they cannot marry the opposite gender, Islam asks what is keeping you from marrying,” Mehtar said. “And if the answer is to be kept private, they cannot do anything about it. The only problem they have is people running around flaunting it. It is to be kept private in a similar way that it is disrespectful for a man and woman to be displaying PDA.”
Mehtar said that the Islamic society can defend gays and lesbians if they are being hurt. He said Muslims believe that it is their god-given right to defend them. Ultimately, they cannot commend the actions that take place within the queer community, for marriage is to be kept between men and women, but they are to preserve
humanity.
“Muslims do not stand for evil and violence,” Mehtar said. “There are political situations that force them to act in certain situations. Problems are nothing new. For thousands of years they have been around. You have to use what God has given you. You use your scriptures and God has given you peace and tranquility. There are political things in place that force people to turn away from the book. The same way as black people in America.”
Mehtar said that people look at him and assume that English is not his primary language and speak to him very slowly.
“I think the American government is to blame for the stereotyping of Islamic individuals for the way they look after 9/11 occured,” Zarafshan says. “In middle school, kids called me terrorist because I’m persian and kids get that from somewhere above them.”
Mehtar said any type of phobia can be linked to a lack of understanding.
“Some of you might be very hurt at what I said today,” Mehtar said. “However, whether what I’m saying is relevant, what is relevant is that we can have this dialogue.”
Imam Muhammed Mehtar Religious Director at Islamic Center of Conejo Valley Screenshot by Karla Avalos Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley talks LACCD members in a Zoom call on Oct. 23, 2020.“I had a very good, well-paying job and then Sept. 11 took place."
BRIEF:
BY MARIA GABRIELThe streets of the Mid-Wilshire section in Beverly Hills were filled on Oct. 11, 2020 with thousands of demonstrators rallying for the “March for Victory” protest in support of the Armenian community against the Azeri-Turkish aggression.
Fighting continues over the disputed region of NagornoKarabakh, resulting in numerous military and civilian casualties. Nagorno-Karabakh, also known as
“Artsakh,” is recognized as part of Azerbaijan territory but populated and controlled by Armenians.
The march started at the Pan Pacific Park on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles and ended near the Turkish Consulate on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.
Cousins Ani Chivchyan and Varsenik Meschyan, residents of Glendale marched to show their support for all Armenians and to raise awareness. It is important for them to have their opinions heard.
“My grandma lived thru the 1915 genocide. Watching this
unfold again is very traumatic for us,” Meschyan said. “We are united, we are strong, and we will win.”
“We want recognition for the 1915 genocide, and we want Turkey to be accountable for it,” Chivchyan said. “We want Artsakh to be an independent country.”
mgabriel.roundupnews@gmail.com
There are now more options to vote on campus. In addition to the ballot box on Winnetka Avenue and Victory Boulevard, the Faculty and Staff 600 Building has again been converted into a voting center.
Pierce also is offering curbside voting for those who cannot physically reach the center. A worker will assist voters and bring necessary materials directly to them and place their ballots in the box, according to the Los Angeles County Clerk website.
President Alexis Montevirgen said having the center has been great. He said he was impressed and happy to see that when he went, the line was around the library stretching into The Mall.
“I'm very pleased at the turnout, the civic engagement,” Montevirgen said. “I think that the message is out there, that this is a crucial and critical vote and election.”
Montevirgen encouraged people to take the initiative to vote and to take the time to inform themselves on the propositions and candidates.
About 16 volunteers were there to assist voters. Several voters in attendance said that going to the center was easy.
Nick Lane went and said he encourages people to go because their vote matters.
“There's really no room to b*tch if you don't vote,” Lane said. “I understand there's a million people out there voting. What's one more vote going to do? It could do everything.”
Lane said he voted early to make sure his ballot gets counted.
Brendan O'Shea grew up in Woodland Hills and said he visited the voting center at Pierce because it was the closest one to him. He encouraged people to exercise their right to vote and said that the center followed safety protocols.
“I voted because it's probably the number one most important principle of this country to have free and fair elections.
The Constitution says, 'We the People.' It's so important for our determinism to vote in these elections.”
Jeanette Straschewski said that while she struggled while using the technology at the center, she thought her experience was “smooth sailing” because she went early.
"It's easy,” Straschewski said. “Get out there and do it. Read through the propositions. Go with your gut. Get out and do it."
Daniel Coyle also said voting was especially easy because he had used the machine before.
"I can't believe why someone wouldn't vote," Coyle said.
To access the voting center, enter Parking Lot 7 through Mason Avenue and Victory Boulevard. It is open now until Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
pvillafane.roundupnews@gmail.com
Photo by Katya Castillo“There's really no room to b*tch if you don't vote. I understand there's a million people out there voting. What's one more vote going to do? It could do everything.”
Nick Lane
Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird” spoke volumes in 1969 about the injustices of those who suffer oppression at the hands of systemic racism. More than half a century later, those words still reflect the experiences of people in 2020.
Angelou and other groundbreaking writers serve as inspiration for “Honor,” a collective creation featuring an ensemble cast of seven actors. It uses themes from the Black Lives Matter movement to swiftly and capably work its magic of persuasion over an audience, which for the time being, can enjoy
the experience from an electronic distance.
Directed by Anna Steers, and assistant director Nikki Barnes, “Honor” successfully opened Friday and ran for three performances over Zoom.
There are a lot of moving parts, which the production uses to great effect. Under normal circumstances, there should be some story time winners and losers, but here that doesn’t happen.
Even at just more than an hour, and a brisk pace, sometimes too brisk, there’s a distinct sense of equality in the acting performances that makes this particular ensemble piece so enjoyable and rewarding to watch.
Thematically, "Honor" lifts the
lid on the current social malaise and enthuses for an agenda that draws from many notable sources, both old and new. And it attempts to shine a light on some of the conventions, traits and deflections that have frustrated real progress in American society.
Technically, it is a crisp ensemble piece energized by an enthusiastic cast and well executed by its crew. It features clever visual choreography using single, double and multiple zoom frames featuring at one point, all seven of the cast working together in apparent unison, even though some scenes were pre recorded while some were done live.
Much of the early dialogue is a sequence of shared readings from
the works of novelist and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison and, later, of poet and civil rights activist, Maya Angelou. The visual staging set around a recital of Angelou’s classic poem “Caged Bird,” was particularly memorable.
Throughout the play, the actors work their individual spaces well and never appear disconnected from each other. The continuity they manage to achieve is a tribute to the hard work and professionalism of cast and crew.
Opening and closing with strong solo performances of the classic and evocative Labi Siffre composition, “Something inside so strong,” "Honor" taps into a rich vein of musicality throughout. Highlights include “Angel Down,” by Lady
Gaga, “I Need You To,” by Tobe Nwigwe and “Pretty Brown Skin,” by Eugene King.
"Honor" has light and dark, comedy and tragedy, and several points in between. Not everything goes as together perhaps as neatly as it should. Live theater on Zoom remains a challenge on many fronts, with dialog occasionally becoming unintelligible as the actors experience Wi-Fi issues at their individual locations.
But it will entertain you, inspire you, and then at its dramatic apex, it will shock and sadden you. In a moving sequence of stills, the audience bears full witness to the consequential loss of life that has brought the BLM movement onto the city streets throughout the
United States in 2020.
In the final analysis, the production presents a series of fast flowing imaginative scenes that explore complex personal and social issues in a highly visual and, at times, musical way.
Theater in the pandemic age, in particular at LAPC, is making a solid attempt to reinvent itself and remain part of the conversation. Even in its lightest moments, "Honor" still manages to communicate the essential virtues of freedom, tolerance, friendship, self-belief and mutual respect. “Honor” is available on YouTube.
Photos of famous Italian Americans line the Wall of Fame in a Brooklyn pizzeria.
This might seem like a normal sight, but what if that pizzeria were in a predominantly Black neighborhood? Should it feature Black celebrities?
This is the premise of Spike Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing,” which depicts racial tension and explores themes of racial inequality.
Pierce College’s Film Club discussed “Do the Right Thing” on Oct. 21 as part of its film screenings open to the public. The club chose this movie because of its continued significance to current race relations.
Participants were asked to watch the film before attending the Zoom panel discussion.
During the call, participants were able to type questions
in the chat for panelists and other participants to answer.
Instructional assistant Sean Collins-Smith was one of the panelists. He said the movie was poetic and full of metaphors and is still relevant despite being 31 years old.
“One of the other things that this film shows, unfortunately, is how things have changed and how things have not changed and unfortunately they have not changed very much,” Collins-Smith said.
Panelist and film club member Hannah Howell said “Do the Right Thing” was the first Spike Lee film she had seen. This was her second time watching the film.
She said the film brought up the question of what the right way to protest is in relation to the current Black Lives Matter protests.
“The message that Spike Lee opened up in this film really helps guide that difficult conversation,” Howell said. Lizi Escobar was another
student panelist. She said her father would tell her stories about him growing up in the Bronx and its similarities to the Brooklyn neighborhood in the movie.
“It makes a great point of racial divide between Black and Brown and other minorities,” Escobar said.
Other panelists were sociology professor James McKeever and media arts professor Ken Windrum.
Panelists and participants also discussed the film’s symbolism and cinematography.
Attendees commented on which character they connected to the most and whether or not destruction of property plays a role in the film and in present-day protests.
The film club will have their next panel discussion on the movie “Selma” by Ava DuVernay on Oct. 27.
