Volume 134 Spring 2021 Roundup Issue 1

Pierce professor wins 2021 Hayward award

See page 3

Pierce College becomes vaccination site

See page 4

Brahma Pantry, COVID-19 edition

See page 4

Pierce student catering for Netflix

See page 5

Medical Assistant Janet Aragon vaccinates Betty Robison at the COVID-19 testing and vaccination center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2021. Photo by Bala Subramaniyan.

Max Osburn Michael Loizzo

Dominique Dungo

Ariel Gil

Madison Creekbaum

Shandani Jackson

Michelle Oakes

Reza Rastegarrazi

Brenden Rodriguez

Tatyana Ekemekjian

Ashley Adan

Marquesha McCoy

Raquel Frohlich

David Pashaee

Sergio Moreno

Michaelis Sanchez

Dominaja Lewis

Going green by growing food From the desk of the Roundup EDITORIAL

Green thumbs don’t have to be for plants; they can be for communities too.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of people have been struggling financially due to layoffs and less hours at work. In some cases, people were uncertain whether they’d be able to have enough food at home.

According to a study by USC, one in four L.A. County households experienced food insecurity within the first four months of the pandemic.

With Pierce’s large campus measuring 426 acres, dedicating

a space for a community garden should be fairly easy.

With a community garden, opportunities would open for people in the area to become more active, have healthier diets and it could potentially ease the stress of many families.

A community garden study, published by the Oxford University Press, said participants voiced the idea that gardening contributed to the improvement of their mental health.

The Oxford study added that in many cases, some of the participants were able to make a significant difference in their household food cost by

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.

BY REZA RASTEGARRAZI

Being on camera may make some people nervous, but in the test setting, others argue it may be necessary.

With the COVID-19 restrictions forcing classes to go online, schools should keep Proctorio to prevent students from cheating on exams.

When students come to class in person, they apply a series of principles like not speaking without permission or not cheating during exams.

Because in-person teaching has ceased, we have to adapt these practices to the online environment. Proctorio pushes students to learn the material and prepare themselves for exams.

According to Oregon State University, Proctorio analyzes anything unusual and uses the data to figure out whether or not there’s been fraud. Any unnatural movement will cause the computer to automatically notify the

substituting store-bought foods with the local produce.

Community gardens are also inexpensive and sustainable. Pierce has an agricultural program, so students would be able to help maintain the garden and get a learning experience in the process.

Researchers from Texas State University found that students who frequently used greener spaces were able to apply what they learned in college better than those who did not.

For COVID-19 safety measures, the garden should have various plots that are reasonably spaced to avoid crowding. Those

PRO Proctorio Should Pierce College use it?

professor of the course..

The University of Venus said that Proctorio uses detection technology. With the program, professors are able to adjust their settings and may also accommodate students with disabilities.

Texas Tech University said that according to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), using webcams does not invade the privacy of students.

During the exam, it is not possible to access any of the files on your computer and only monitors your movements. When the exam is over, the student’s computer is completely disconnected from Proctorio.

This program should be a necessity now that the classes have transitioned to a virtual environment. With this research, it can be said with certainty Proctorio won’t create problems for the students, but will help them learn instead.

rrastegarrazi.roundupnews@gmail.com

BY MAX OSBURN

Since the move to online schooling, teachers have made huge adjustments to how they organize and operate their courses. Classes are executed through Canvas, lectures are held on Zoom, and tests are secured by Proctorio.

According to Proctorio’s official website, the program is intended to ensure the total learning integrity of every assessment,but it has been met with controversy and criticisms.

Academic dishonesty is a serious issue and preventative measures should be put in place while a majority of schooling is still online. However, the methods by which assessments are secured by Proctorio may hinder the academic performance of students, place unnecessary financial burdens upon them, and invade their privacy.

Academic-related anxiety is a phenomenon that plagues many students, whether it is during a presentation they have to give in a class or turning in a project that they have worked weeks on. Test anxiety is a well known variation of this.

Mayo Clinic said on their website that nervousness and dread can seriously hinder a student’s academic performance. Mayo Clinic also said that this would most likely interfere with a student’s test taking ability.

With the already existing pressures and anxiety that come with the global circumstances of COVID-19, it’s easy to imagine why recording during an exam may further contribute to test anxiety in students.

Worrying about the many red flags that Proctorio is programmed to pick up can be distracting, which is counter-intuitive during tests that include time limits.

A Proctorio requirement also places unnecessary financial burdens. A lot of the pre-exam requirements for Proctorio to work include high speed internet, a working webcam, and a working microphone. This may not be available to all students.

Students would have to go out and buy these items to have them up to Proctorio’s pre-exam checkup standards. Enforcing students to

interested in participating in gardening should be required to wear masks. As another precaution, Pierce could install hand sanitizing stations. Having a garden could be a benefit to the community needs, especially during these tough and unpredictable times.

CON

obtain these items would directly impact low-income households.

According to the Pew Research website, low-income students disproportionately miss out on online assignments.

“1 in 3 households that make under $30,000 a year don’t have the internet,” Pew Research said. “And lacking internet access at home can make or break a student’s academic achievement.”

Students that come from lower income families may have added financial strain to keep up with the Proctorio standards by paying for new technology or for a higher-speed internet connection.

Another concern of using Proctorio is that it invades a student’s privacy. Though there isn’t necessarily a person that monitors through each recording, Proctorio does record and assess whether or not the student subject elicited any suspicious behavior.

Constant monitoring may make students feel as if their privacy is being violated. Not all students have the best living conditions and may not be able to control their environment. They may also feel self-conscious with a program recording their every move.

It is the same reason why students aren’t required to turn on their webcams on Zoom; not everyone is comfortable with it.

All of these criticisms toward Proctorio seem to almost work together in contributing to student’s stress and anxiety. The materials needed and the high speed internet requirements can put strain on students and families financially can place further burdens on them outside of the challenges already being faced.

It would be ideal to ensure academic honesty without creating an uncomfortable environment. Unfortunately, there are too many aspects of Proctorio that make students uneasy.

Photo Illustration by Bala Subramaniyan

Pierce professor wins 2021 Hayward Award

A sociology educator recieves one of the most prestigious honors of the year

BY REZA RASTEGARRAZI

As a teenager, he was the basketball coach at Valley Plaza Park.The parents of the children who played in the park were not sure if someone so young would be able to lead the team. He coached so well that one of his students, Gilbert Arenas, even found his way to the NBA and the Washington Wizards.

That teenager, James McKeever, found similar success as a Pierce College professor. His efforts and dedication have been recoginzed with the 2021 Hayward Award.

The award, sponsored by the Foundation for California Community Colleges, is usually given to community college faculty who demonstrate the highest level of commitment to their students, college and profession.

“It’s an amazing honor to receive it, especially knowing how many people out there deserve it as much or more than I do,” McKeever said. “But for me it’s not about the award, it’s about the work I do for the community ,and that’s the most important thing.”

Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen summarized Mckeever receiving the award as “a feather in the institution’s cap”.

“James McKeever is just one example of the great faculty that we’re lucky enough to have on campus in terms of their scholarly activity, their commitment to the field, diversity, equity and inclusion,” Montevirgen said in a Zoom interview.

Pierce Philosophy and Sociology

Chair Cara Gillis said that she is lucky to call McKeever her friend and appreciates his company at the college.

“You can have these really hard, intellectual conversations about so many different subject areas, and James is always willing to share what he knows with you,” Gillis said. “The faculty and the students are super fortunate to have him because he helps everybody kind of rise up.”

Gillis said that during her transition as chair of the Philosophy and Sociology department, McKeever

helped her become familar with the rest of the faculty.

“He was the [previous] department chair, so when I was taking over he told me to come to the meetings and introduced me to everybody,” Gillis said. “James does so much amazing stuff on campus. It’s like he has his finger on the pulse of what’s important to our students on campus.”

Mckeever hopes to inspire others the way was as a youth.

Director of Valley Plaza Park Bill Dusenberry said that he mentored and encouraged McKeever to pursue community work.

“You never know how big or little something you say to someone is going to mean and make a big

No sports for LACCD In-person conditioning is expected to return

BY FELIPE GAMINO

After deciding to optout of early spring competition, Pierce College and all Los Angeles Community College District schools have decided to not participate in the late spring sports.

The seasons affected include men’s volleyball, baseball, softball and swim.

Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen said the decision was made by the presidents along with the chancellor.

“We have opted out because the county is still in the purple tier,” Montevirgen said. “As soon as we’re able to, we intend to bring back inperson conditioning, and perhaps even some potential inter-league competition.”

Montevirgen also said that Pierce is unable to commit to opting-in for sports at this time because of the uncertainty.

Last semester, LACCD decided to not compete in early spring sports. For Pierce that included football, soccer, women’s volleyball, water polo and basketball.

Interim Athletic Director Susan Armenta said that she informed coaches of the decision to opt-out.

“We already had an idea of what was going to happen, but we wanted to get confirmation from the district,” Armenta said. “The coaches were disappointed, especially seeing that other schools in our conference were getting the opportunity to play.”

difference in their lives and then they’ll go on to do other things for other people,” Dunsenberry said.

McKeever said that through his commitment to the community, he fell in love with helping his students, and community colleges would hold a special place in his heart.

“I’ve always felt like I have to give back to the spaces that had given me so much, and community college gave me a lot,” McKeever said.

“There are no more hard working, deserving people than the students that go to community college. They

come from such diverse backgrounds ,and I just feel lucky to be able to work with them.”

rrastegarrazi.roundupnews@gmail.com

Students and workers slowly becoming synonymous

As their families face financial struggles from the pandemic, students forced to find jobs

BY MADISON CREEKBAUM

Juggling work and academia is nothing new for Pierce College students, but the toll of a global pandemic has increased the need for students to find immediate employment.

Kinesiology major Frida Ortuno’s father is at high-risk for contracting COVID-19 and was forced to stop working for Uber because of a previous liver transplant.

Ortuno was able to get a job at a local boba shop where she works about 15 hours a week to help her family pay for bills and groceries.

Ortuno said that working part time and attending school is a difficult challenge.

“My schedule at work is constantly changing, and because of that, I have to keep my studying in check,” Ortuno said. “I try to take care of everything, but I will admit that there is more of a struggle to keep myself on track.”

Ortuno said that the stress of working and attending school during the pandemic compelled her to take fewer classes to make her coursework easier to manage.

“I have to really take care of deadlines and when I have work, it’s already proven itself a challenge,” Ortuno said.

Ortuno said she misses the engagement and motivation that came with being inside a classroom with teachers and students.

Child development major Fuchsia

Ullah has also taken a job to help her family while her father works hard to maintain his small business.

Ullah said she has to pitch in with her job at Chick-fil-a where she typically works 40-45 hours a week.

Ullah now takes 13 units at Pierce to make her work schedule feasible.

Ullah said she thinks the pandemic has taken away the enjoyment and curiosity that comes with learning.

“Working more has affected my school work. I have a “get it done” attitude and I take less learning experience out of the labs and assignments. There is a lot more stress and anxiety around school work without having the time to attend Zoom meetings.” Ullah said.

“I have to come home and learn the material and submit it by the due date. I will find myself finishing up

assignments during my breaks to catch up and have free time at home.”

Ullah said that working long hours and the impending deadlines has caused her to struggle to maintain the grades she earned before the pandemic.

“The pandemic has resulted in me feeling very emotionally unstable which sometimes reflects in my academics as well,” Ullah said. “My grades aren’t as high as they once were as it’s hard to actively pursue perfect scores when so much is going on around you.”

Ullah said her interest in school has decreased because of the lack of human connection in online classes and her inability to attend Zoom

lectures during work.

“I feel like online classes are not as easy to keep up with and learn information from as in-person classes. I can see myself focusing more and investing more time into school once it’s in-person and I can interact with my classmates.” Ullah said. “It’s also not as fun when there isn’t anyone to talk to in my classes or ask for help, which leads to school feeling more lonely than ever.”

Ortuno and Ullah can see their lives returning to normal once the pandemic is over. Until then they will continue to balance their work and school life to help support their families.

Pierce Counseling Department

Chair Tara McCarthy said the counseling department works in an increasingly intimate way with their students.Not only are students reaching out to counselors about academic concerns but for health, financial, and housing reasons as well.

“Now, a lot of it is around basic needs, food insecurity, housing insecurity, job insecurity, either their own personal health issues or having to manage other health issues of family members that they live with,”McCarthy said in a zoom interview. “There’s a lot more than just academics that are being discussed now with students.”

McCarthy said students are reaching out to counselors for referrals to services like the Brahma Pantry, financial aid, technology scholarships, and the CARES Act emergency fund.

Many students are having to make serious decisions surrounding their academic life, according to McCarthy.

“A lot more students are considering the option of dropping classes or taking fewer classes,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy said some students had to make tough decisions on delaying or completing their goals to be successful. and women’s track and field.

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Armenta confirmed Montevirgen’s remarks about the possibility of returning to in-person conditioning. She said they are working on a plan to bring student-athletes back to campus, but will need approval by the president.

Despite not competing, Armenta said there has been high involvement from the freshman students.

“We have good numbers with our freshmen even though we understand many have left since we are still under virtual learning,” Armenta said.

Armenta said she has kept in touch with the student-athletes. Last semester, the department had a virtual gathering where they explained how this semester was going to be and listened to any concerns the students had.

Head baseball coach Bill Picketts said he’s hopeful they’ll be able to return next year.

“It is disappointing, but I know there is a reason for it,” Picketts said. “They are looking for the best interest of our student-athletes. I don’t think it was a huge surprise. They were prepared either way regardless of the outcome.”

Picketts said that he plans to get his players in for the summer so they can return playing. He also said that for those that are transferring, he wants to get them into four-year institutions.

“Most of the players I spoke to want to come back,” Picketts said. “As frustrating as it has been, for the past two years it puts the guys in a pretty good situation physically and academically. And for those that are moving on, my job would be to get them to the next level playing baseball.”

Defensive Tackle David Tucker said he wasn’t happy that the district decided to not play football in early spring. Tucker also said that while things are getting better in terms of the pandemic, they are not out of the woods yet.

“I believe it was for the best [to optout] so they keep all of us safe,” Tucker said. “Most of us were disappointed. However, we know it would give us more time to prepare for our season.”

Tucker said he is optimistic things will get better in the coming months, and that he’s excited about the possibility of returning to athletic conditioning.

“I want to get back on the field, improve on my footwork and also get in the weight room,” Tucker said. “I don’t want to wear a red shirt for another season. I just want to see my teammates and my fellow athletes get a chance to practice.”

Photo By Sergio Moreno

Los Angeles Pierce College Professor James McKeever, 55, stands infront of a mural at the Valley Plaza Recreational Center in North Hollywood, Calif, Feb. 22, 2021.

Photo by Dominaja Lewis Frida Ortuno, takes a phone order during a lull in what she says is a typically busy day working at Boba Cha Cha, on Thursday, Feb. 26. Located in Sherman Oaks, Calif

“I’ve always felt like I have to give back to the spaces that had given me so much, and community college gave me a lot”

James McKeever Sociology professor

Pierce offers Express Counseling

BY MICHELLE OAKES

The Pierce College Counseling Center has established a virtual platform, making it more convenient for students to get help.

Express Counseling is the latest addition to Pierce’s website. Students are able to drop in to the online center and speak with a counselor for up to 15 minutes from their computers and smart devices.

Judy Lam, the counselor of New Programs, said that the center has been able to reach more students because of the service.

“Just in the last few weeks, we have served hundreds of students through Express Counseling,” Lam said. “The service is more streamlined.”

Before the pandemic hit in 2020, the center offered online counseling services that were minimally available to students in need of assistance.

To help with students seeking to speak with a counselor, the department opened up a live chat feature on Cranium Café. According to Counseling Department Chair Tara McCarthy, students were not impressed.

“We started getting feedback that it was difficult to find a counselor online,” McCarthy said. “It was very frustrating. It turned into a scavenger hunt for students.”

McCarthy said that because of the rapid demand for counseling support online, counselors had to act fast.

“We rebranded the service to help with changes in the pandemic,” McCarthy said.

According to McCarthy, there are multiple counselors who are scheduled to be in the Express Counseling Lobby every hour and help students while in their virtual office.

“It’s kind of similar to when students used to be on campus when they would fill out a form and have a few quick questions answered,” McCarthy said. “We turned that into an online space.”

The newly upgraded online counseling system has already received positive feedback since it first rolled out during winter session this year.

Academic Counselor, Lily Duong said that though the transition to online services was difficult at first, teamwork helped everything go smoothly.

“For (students) to be able to go into Express Counseling and see a counselor, and for us to be available to help them is really a win-win situation,” Duong said.

Duong also said that counselors are now able to offer greater online support than ever before.

“It’s all about the students,” Duong said. “We want our students to be successful, accessing whatever resources are available to further their education and to eventually transfer to four-year schools.”

According to Lam, students can drop-in to Express Counseling to get help on pivotal academic questions, like what classes to take or to create one-to-two year academic plans. Express counseling also covers general counseling inquiries like prerequisite clearances, college procedures, policies, referrals to campus resources and math/english placement.

“Don’t be discouraged in making appointments,” Lam said. “We want to make sure students get the help that they need.”

The counseling department is online Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. You can use your student portal account to log in.

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Behold the Brahma Pantry, COVID-19 edition Free drive-through pickup for those with food insecurity

D’arcy Corwin sets up several containers of food on the side of the Los Angeles Pierce College roundabout on Brahma Drive on a Thursday morning. She awaits a line of cars. Groups of four meals are neatly bagged, boxed and ready to go.

Pierce’s Brahma Pantry and Basic Needs Program (BNP) organized a drive-through food pickup event on Feb. 25 for students in need.

While the pantry has been operating on campus since 2018, changes had to be made because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Corwin, who leads the program, said that despite the adjustments, she’s grateful that students are still able to get the help they need.

“It has really been a labor of love, community and hard work to get to where it’s at today,” Corwin said in a

“It has really been a labor of love, community and hard work to get to where it’s at today. It’s different than what we imagined before and it’s in a totally new shape and form, but I’m still very happy that we’re able to provide services to students.”

D’arcy Corwin Brahma Pantry

Zoom interview. “It’s different than what we imagined before and it’s in a totally new shape and form, but I’m still very happy that we’re able to provide services to students.”

The drive-through offered four, free, chef-prepared meals, courtesy of food subscription service “Every Table.”

Though students were required to come in a vehicle, Corwin said that the pantry offered virtual grocery gift cards for those who were unable to attend the event.

Student Support Committee Chair Robert Loy said that not only were the meals affordable, but were on the healthier side too. Food assistance is not the only thing the program offers.

Loy said that on top of the pantry, the service extends to other basic needs.

“We have different focus areas, whether it be food insecurity or housing insecurity,” said Loy in a Zoom interview. “We’re also talking about

technological insecurity because now we’re working remotely. We’ve been doing surveys in coordination with the districts to really understand what students are going through.”

Loy also said that the pantry has been delivering meals to students’ homes since December 2020.

Manjit Sahota, a student at Pierce, has been utilizing the Brahma Pantry home deliveries since it started. Sahota, who is a vegetarian, said that the service was convenient for him.

“Most of the stuff I saw that they were giving away in the drive-through was like chicken or other meat,” said Sahota in a Zoom interview. “I think one of them had a salad but I wasn’t going to pick up four free meals just to get a free salad. When they deliver to you, they do have the option of just vegetable bowls.”

Sahota has been experiencing food insecurity since April 2020, but like many other students, having the pan-

try gave him relief.

“I’m happy with their service and what they’ve done for me so far,” Sahota said. “The Brahma Pantry and having someone like D’arcy on your side is kind of encouraging me to not quit college. It’s a thumbs up.”

The next Brahma Pantry drivethrough event is scheduled to be on March 25, 2021 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. Students interested in registering can contact D’arcy Corwin through her email at corwind@piercecollege. edu.

Pierce College becomes vaccination destination

The location becomes the largest site in the West Valley

BY TRISHA ANAS

More than a dozen cars lined Victory Boulevard Tuesday morning as residents waited for the opening of a new vaccination site at Pierce College.

Pierce, in partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department and Carbon Health,is the city’s sixth super-site to open. The site expects to vaccinate about 3,000 people a day with the Moderna dose. Pierce also doubles as a COVID-19 testing center.

Those eligible to be vaccinated must have appointments and can register through the Carbon Health website.

LAFD’s Public Information Officer David Ortiz said that he hopes residents throughout the county are aware of the different vaccination sites opening near them.

“A lot of people have the tendency to go to Dodger Stadium because that’s the most well known site,”Ortiz said. “We want to bring awareness that these vaccination sites are available in most areas of Los Angeles.”

Dodger Stadium, as well as a couple of other vaccination sites in the area, experienced vaccine shortages last week.

“We have people from different organizations ramping up their ability to vaccinate the public,” Ortiz said. “It’s a big, combined effort with different people managing their sites separately, but we all get the vaccines from the same source.”

While Dodger Stadium’s vaccination site is a drive-through operation, Pierce’s is a walk-in.

Audrey Hensley, one of the site’s staff members, said that it felt less stressful to have the site smaller and organized this way.

“The fire department kept our numbers low so we could work out some of the kinks in the system,” Hensley said. “We have more little segments here. [The site] is more filtered. As long as the vaccine supply keeps coming, we’ll be able to keep vaccinating people.”

Hensley also said that she believes in the effectiveness of the vaccine and that the only way to get over the COVID-19 pandemic is to get enough people vaccinated.

With more vaccination sites opening, the public can expect the vaccine to be more accessible to them, according to Ortiz.

Catrina Payne, a registered nurse also working at the site, added that the process felt more

efficient and effective.

“There’s a pre-check in, which is helpful because the other sites don’t do all of the computer stuff,” Payne said. “When the patient comes here, it’s just a lot quicker and they appreciate that because they’re not sitting in their cars waiting for a really long time.”

Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen said that allowing the city to operate a vaccine site at the college meant a lot to him.

“This is something that we’re committed to as a college in terms of making sure we are of service, not just for our students but for our community,” Montevirgen said.

Though the site is only administering the Moderna doses, Ortiz said that he is encouraging people to get the vaccine when they can, whether they’re the Moderna or the Pfizer doses.

“The vaccines are safe and they protect people’s families and the people that they love,” Ortiz said. “As a society, we need to make sure we are not just thinking of ourselves, but everybody else too.”

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Photo by David Pashaee. D’arcy Corwin places meals in a car for the Brahama Pantry event at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif,. on Feb. 25, 2021.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

Pierce College President Alexis Montevirgen and Los Angeles City Council Member Bob Blumenfield at the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2021.

BY TRISHA ANAS

Small businesses staying afloat These shops fight to survive as they see a decline in customers

BY BENJAMIN HANSON

What does a children’s dance studio, a comic book store and a smoke shop have in common?

They have all been forced to adopt different business practices to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kristen Karasek co-owns Reflections in Dance, a children’s studio in Canoga Park. Since March of last year, the studio has been open for indoor classes for only 10 days.

“The pandemic has completely changed the entire structure of what was our in-person business,” Karasek said. “Not only did we have to adjust to Zoom and online classes, we also started doing classes outside.”

Karasek said that outdoor classes are held at a park where there are challenges. The instructors and dancers are subject to the weather, other people and traffic noises.

“It’s a whole new dynamic because you’re dealing with a different set of variables,” Karasek said. “Inside the dance room, the kids have a special floor for their feet and they have mirrors so they can see what they’re doing.”

Karasek said she was passionate about the positive effects dancing has had on her students and hopes for a return to indoor classes.

“[Dancing] teaches so many other things. It teaches self-discipline, teaches self-confidence,” Karasek said. “We just want to get back in and help our students make the best of their everyday lives.”

Earth-2 Comics in Northridge

was closed for indoor shopping for a month and a half when the pandemic started. General Manager Kris Koller kept the comic book store alive by offering mail orders to their regular customers.

“We were completely shut down and we weren’t getting new products,” Koller said. “When our distributors and our publishers decided to start back up, we began curbside.”

Earth-2 has since reopened for in-person shopping at limited hours.

Koller said the maximum occupancy is eight people. Occasionally, an employee will step outside to accommodate a customer who wants to come in.

“Because we’re open now, with limited capacity, we still offer mail-

orders and curbside for those that may not feel comfortable coming in,” Koller said.

The walls of the store are lined with hundreds of comics, action figures and other pop culture memorabilia. The collections rack, a long bin with past issues of comics, has been covered with a tarp to prevent close contact with others.

“Standing here [and browsing] creates what the Department of Health called significant contact,” Koller said. “We are following the county’s health guidelines and I’ve decided to limit access to back issues.”

Koller said one of the biggest challenges during the pandemic was losing customers due to California

State University Northridge’s temporary closure.

“A lot of businesses here in the Northridge area are feeling the pinch because there are no students,” Koller said. “Where we pull a decent number of our customers from is not available to us.”

Koller has been with Earth-2 Comics since 2012 and enjoys the close relationships with customers that sprout from running a small business.

Koller said he enjoys it when customers discover new things from his recommendations.

“I worked for big box stores for a long time,” Koller said. “It’s a much more intimate setting in a small business like this.”

Cig City carries the standard fare of cigars, cigarettes and glass smoking pipes but stocked on the shelves is a plethora of imported snacks and drinks from all over the world.

Cashier Dann Ruiz runs the small smoke shop on days when the manager is out. Ruiz said that customers who do not respect the health guidelines laid out by the CDC are the biggest challenge to running a store during the pandemic.

Despite this, Ruiz said the best part of working at a small business was meeting different people.

“There isn’t one specific working class coming here,” Ruiz said. “ We see a wide variety of different people here every day.”

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Co-owner of Reflections in Dance

Staying active during the pandemic

Professors and students share ways to stay in shape outside of the gym

BY ARIEL GIL

Balancing work and a workout may not seem like an easy challenge for some people, but it’s not a problem for some Pierce students and staff.

Professor Christopher Corning of the Pierce College English department has been maintaining his cardio routine throughout quarantine.

“I’ve recently turned 40, so I challenged myself to do a 40-mile run,” Corning said. “I went just last week and did the 40-mile run in about seven and a half hours.”

This challenge is one of the many he has completed. Corning recently signed up for and completed an eight-week 500-mile challenge.

“I logged all my running on an online platform,” Corning said. “Each day I would log how many miles I had run and how long it would take me.”

Corning is approaching an anniversary that will be celebrating his accomplishment of running at least a mile daily for the last two years.

“My wife tells me when I don’t run I get grumpy,” Corning said. “If I get some miles in, especially before my son wakes up, then I just feel a little more prepared to handle being a father, a teacher, a husband, being a human.”

Corning is not the only professor at Pierce who takes on bold and new physical challenges.

Professor Cara Gillis, Chair of Philosophy and Sociology at Pierce College, has been known for her extraordinary physical accomplishments.

“I did ‘Race Across the Country’ in 2012 as a part of a two person team,” Gillis said. “I

was supposed to do a solo version of the first third of that called ‘Race Across the West’ this past summer before it was canceled by COVID.”

Prior to COVID, many of Gillis’ bike rides were focused outside. She currently focuses on her trainer, which keeps her bike stationary, and the app SWIFT as a placeholder for the “real” bike ride experience.

“I sit on my bike trainer during a lot of meetings,” Gillis said. “There is so much that happens right now because there isn’t a separation of spaces between home and work.”

Both professors mentioned how maintaining their physical health also helps their mental health.

“You always feel better when you’re done exercising,” Gillis said. “If your body isn’t feeling great, your mind won’t work well.”

Pierce alumni Andrew Apparis and current Pierce student, Amy Apparis, have both been

working out from their home ever since quarantine has been set into motion.

“Quarantine did not affect my workout regimen at all, and if anything, it made me want to work out more because I’ve been so bored at home,” Andrew Apparis said.

Andrew Apparis also said he prefers working out in the comfort of home, and considers himself lucky to have all the needed equipment.

Amy Apparis said that she felt motivated by seeing other people at gyms working out. She also said that she prefers the gym environment because she finds it motivating and socially stimulating.

“Now, I workout at home watching Youtube videos,” Amy Apparis said. “Andrew and I work out together occasionally. We would both push each other, strive to do better and achieve our own personal records.”

Amy tries to maintain a schedule of working out five days a week and resting two, while Andrew works out about four days a week while resting three.

“Working out helps me feel more productive,” Amy Apparis said. “Putting energy into my workouts helps me feel at ease.”

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Photo by Benjamin Hanson.

Earth-2 Comics General Manager Kris Koller stands in his shop in Northrdige, Calif,. on Feb. 24, 2021.

“The pandemic has changedcompletely the entire structure of what was our business,”in-person Karasek said. “Not only did we have to adjust to Zoom and online classes, we also started doing classes outside.”

Kristen Karasek

Photo by David Pashaee

Socially distant, Mercedes Lopez serves a customer at Old NewYork Deli & Bakey in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 24, 2021.

“My wife tells me when I don’t run I get grumpy. If I get some miles in, especially before my son wakes up, then I just feel a little more prepared to handle being a father, a teacher, a husband, being a human. ”

Christopher Corning English professor

Photos by Sam Neff

Top right: Amy and Andrew Apparis stretch outside of their house to stay in shape in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2021.

Bottom right: Andrew Apparis spots his sister Amy while lifting dumbbells during their workout outside of their house in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Feb 26, 2021.A2021.

Dining Out

Photo by Manu Multani Paige Johnston (L) and Reilly Veneman (R) enjoy coffee and conversations at La Mo Café in Turlock, Calif., on Feb. 19, 2021.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Juan Juarez cleans the table at EMC Seafood & Raw Bar at The Village in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 4, 2021.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Hand sanitizer greets customers at EMC Seafood & Raw Bar at The Village in Woodland Hills, calif., on March 5, 2021.

Over/Under Public House server Jareg Svoboda takes an order from customers during lunch time in Burbank,

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

A Veggie burger and fries from Over/Under Public House in Burbank, Calif., on March 4, 2021.

LA County opens outdoor dining

recent decrease in COVID-19 cases prompted Los Angeles County to allow restaurants to offer outdoor dining starting Jan. 29, 2021.

In November, the county forced restaurants to only offer takeout and delivery services because COVID-19 positive cases were rising.

The county announced a new reopening protocol. Restaurant employees who are serving the customer will be required to wear a mask and face shield at all times, a maximum number of six people are allowed per table, customers sharing a table must be from the same household, tables should be at least eight feet apart and televisions must remain off.

Despite these protocols, resturant patios are filled with customers.

ABY BALA SUBRAMANIYAN bsubramaniyan.roundupnews@gmail.com

Photo by Tatyana Ekmekjian

Parking lot transforms into outdoor dining with table and chairs at Cafe Rio in the Valencia area in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Feb. 18, 2021.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Over/Under Public House server Jareg Svoboda takes an order from customer in Burbank, Calif., on March 4, 2021.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan

Customers dine outdoors under heat lamps at EMC Seafood & Raw Bar at The Village in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 4, 2021.

Photo by Bala Subramaniyan Burbank, Calif., on March 4, 2021.

Student caters to the stars for a Netflix show In between Zoom classes , Angela Rodriguez works on set for family business

BY MICHAEL LOIZZO

Hard work, dedication and love are not the only things that get Pierce College student Angela Rodriguez through her 16-hour days working for her family’s catering company.

It’s the pursuit of running her family’s business one day.

Rodriguez is an 18-yearold business major at Pierce. Throughout the last few months, she has been working on movie and TV show sets.

“I love that we are a Hispanic owned company, and I feel that helps us thrive,” Rodriguez said. “Since our business has been the same since my uncle started it in the 1980’s, I feel there are things we can improve upon, but they don’t listen to me.”

Rodriguez said she spoke with actress Kristen Bell who suggested they use biodegradable/eco-friendly materials while on set.

“I feel that investing in biodegradable materials, adding more of my female cousins and being more creative will really take our catering company to the next level,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez’s ideas to help her family’s catering company do not go completely unnoticed. Her cousin, Carolina Rodriguez, said that Angela’s imagination and creativity helped them grow up and still does to this day.

“Angela is the first person

“ I love that we are a Hispanic owned company and I feel that helps us thrive. Since our business has been the same since my uncle started it in the 1980’s, I feel there are things we can improve upon, but they don’t listen to me .”

Angela Rodriguez Pierce College Student

my family goes to,” Carolina Rodriguez said. “Whether it is business or life, they always go to her. She is just so good at planning things out, doing things correctly, and getting the job done.”

Carolina Rodriguez said that because of Angela Rodriguez’s ambition, working with her feels fast-paced.

“She wants things quick and right now,” Carolina Rodriguez said. “Our parents love things done ahead of time, so there is time left over as Angela strives and takes leadership.”

For most students, the last

year has mainly been work and school from home, but for Angela, it includes work and school from different set locations.

“I love it so much,” Angela Rodriguez said. “Every day is something different. There is always something to do.” Angela Rodriguez’s childhood friend, Sara Garcia, said she is inspired by Rodriguez’s hard work and dedication.

“She is so smart and hardworking,” Garcia said. “It’s inspiring when she’s doing school full-time and helps with the catering company. She is on set for 12 hours a day and still attending a Zoom class.”

Angela’s family-owned catering company is now working on the second season of Netflix’s original series “Gentefied.” The story, ironically, is about three Mexican-American cousins chasing the American Dream with their family-owned taco shop.

“Angela is just getting started,” Garcia said. “I am confident she will make their family’s catering company bigger than it already is.”

mloizzo.roundupnews@gmail.com

Angela Rodriguez hopes one day to take over the family business and make modern advancements. Los Angeles, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021.

Mickey Harrison and the Fantastic World of Graphic Fiction

English professor offers a new class that dives into animation

BY: DOMINIQUE DUNGO

As a child, the Calvin and Hobbes newspaper comic strip and cereal were a morning staples in English professor Mickey Harrison’s home.

Now, that morning routine is shared with his students - minus the cereal.

Harrison’s Graphic Fiction course is the first of its kind to be taught at LACCD, and he made it transferable to both UC and CAL State for IGETC.

“Universities and colleges are stuck in this archaic idea that the only way to teach English is by continuing to teach classics,” Harrison said. “I’m not saying there’s no value in them, but I don’t think that’s the end all be all. I think there needs to be options for students.”

Harrison said there are a few misconceptions about graphic literature and he feels they should be presented as a way for students to learn.

“I think people get confused with the medium of comics,” Harrison said. “Just because they’re images drawn on a paper doesn’t mean they don’t merit legitimate and academic study.”

Harrison said through the 1930’s and 1960’s, comics were mostly about superheroes that were printed on cheap paper which made it hard for people to take it seriously academically and should only be read for pleasure.

“It was labeled into that cheap medium for a long time and it’s only now clawing its way out of that to realize there’s true academic literature to be studied in comics,” Harrison said. “What is not graphic literature is traditional print media/traditional books of literature.”

Harrison attended UCLA for his undergrad and his teaching

career started in 2013 when he worked in El Camino College in Torrance, then started teaching at Pierce College in 2014.

Elizabethan literature was Harrison’s studies and his main concentration. Harrison didn’t have any background as a graphic novel expert but grew up reading comics.

For his graphic literature course, Harrison said the best way to present his syllabus was in a comic book format.

The first book Harrison had his class read was “The Arrival” by Shaun Tan, which had no words, only pictures.

“We must learn to read visually, to not just read words,” Harrison said. “It’s a great lesson for students to have to take their time and understand what is trying to be conveyed through visual rhetoric and have visual literacy for us to realize that we need to slow down a little bit too.”

As this class is fairly new, the

greatest challenges in orchestrating a new course amidst COVID for Harrison was the “no sense of community the way we would have it normally.”

“If I was on campus, I’d be putting up flyers everywhere, I’d be going to classes and talking to people,” Harrison said. “There’s no way to reach students the way that I do in person and so because of that the class has 15 people in it and that is kind of upsetting to me.”

Pierce student Todd Barnes said he took what he learned from Harrison’s Harry Potter class and had an open mind with the Graphic Literature class.

“I began to see this art form with comics and how they were able to take words and pictures,” Barnes said. “To take the 5 senses from visual to smell and be able to use art to connect with you emotionally and get an emotional catharsis out of you”

Barnes said that when he began to see things non-verbally and only from a picture standpoint, he was able to connect and feel as if he was going into a different culture.

“Taking the class has given me an appreciation with art that I had ignored since I was a kid,” Barnes said. “I was able to use it at my work with creativity and apply it to my task at work where I’m able to produce more than others.”

Barnes said it would be nice to take the class again with other artists.

“Graphic literature is a great class for artists to build their skills and partner with other people,” Barnes said.

Pierce student Renee Asanas has taken many of her English classes with Harrison.

“Taking this graphic literature class opened up eyes to start reading more graphic literature,” Asanas said. “During the semester of the class, I found an app called Webtoon where readers could read graphic literature written by other writers from all over

the world and create and publish their own graphic novels.”

Asanas said taking Harrison’s Graphic Literature class has impacted her perspective in reading more graphic novels.

“I even started reading manga, thanks to my brother who used to work in a comic bookstore,” Asanas said. “It is hard for me to start reading graphic novels because I am picky when it comes to the type. I won’t read a novel because a friend suggested it to me. I’ll read a novel if the storyline interests me.”

Asanas said she enjoyed the energy in the classroom and the

class taught her to “not judge a book by its cover.”

“The class put me in a great mood in the morning and it gave me a nice start to my day,” said Asanas. “Whether it was Professor Harrison playing some music or joking around with him or other students.”

Harrison said when students read things that they’re interested in, the class teaches itself.

“When you teach things students want to read, they become the teachers.” Harrison said.

File Photo by Ashley Shellmir

Professor Mickey Harrison in his office at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 2, 2020

“I think people get confused with the medium of comics. Just because they’re images drawn on a paper doesn’t mean they don’t merit legitimate and academic study.”

Mickey Harrison English Professor

Photo courtesy by Mickey Harrison