Abandoned field in need of a team School athletic facilities haven’t been maintained

BY MADISON CREEKBAUM

The Academic Senate appointed Tuesday a new representative after a heated discussion about potentially offensive and discriminatory comments one of the candidates said were leveled against her.

Alex Villalta was appointed as the Senate Representative on the Pierce College Council on March 22. He was the only person running after Garineh Avakian withdrew her name from consideration.

Avakian expressed her disdain toward the process of the election and she said that there were things said about her that she found unacceptable.

“What has transpired in the past few weeks, regarding this election is demoralizing and unprofessional to say the least,” Avakian said. “I understand we are in a remote environment, but campaigning for this position has been gruesome, especially on my part. I was contacted by campus faculty warning me and notifying me involving shenanigans, discriminatory racial and derogatory comments spread about me trying to persuade people on how to vote.”

James McKeever, a member of the Academic Senate board led the discussion about these concerns of unprofessionalism.

“I feel like this election has brought out the worst in us,” McKeever said. “I’ve heard how some lies and innuendos about some people that can even come off as borderline sexist and racist even if they don’t mean it that way, that’s the way it does come off. They have been used to kind of sway votes and I think that’s wrong.”

Communication Studies department Chair Yeprem Davoodian expressed his feelings about the ethical way faculty should treat each other.

“Pitting people against each other is not something we need to do,”Davoodian said. “Instead of engaging in this toxic process, we need to urge everyone to empower themselves, and take the initiative and speak up on their own behalf to departmental decision leadership.”

The meeting continued without further explanation about what possible sexist or racist actions had occurred. Many senate body members said they felt uncomfortable confirming Villalta due to the nature by which Avakian had withdrawn from consideration.

District Academic Senate

Representative Jamie Langan expressed her unease toward voting Villalta as the representative of the Senate for Pierce College Council. She urged for the delay of the vote until more information was released.

“I would love to hear the whole story,” Langan said. “These are serious allegations and it needs to be addressed in this body.” But the vote proceeded, and Villalta was confirmed.

“I honestly have mixed emotions right now, “Villalta said. “If Garineh changes her mind and wants to continue with the vote, I would appreciate that, but if not, maybe not very pridefully, but I will continue with representing the Senate PCC.”

After Villalta’s appointment, the Senate continued to pass several items on their agenda, including a Resolution in Support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Students, Staff, and Faculty in response to recent violent hate crimes directed toward Asian Americans. This resolution restates the support and inclusion for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as well as the college’s intolerance of discrimination. mcreekbaum.roundupnews@gmail.com

BY FELIPE GAMINO

The athletic facilities coaches and student-athletes use at Pierce College have sat empty for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a previous Roundup story, Pierce President Alexis Montevirgen said he wanted to have the athletes return to conditioning after the Los Angeles Community College District decided to opt-out of competition in February.

Now that LA County is moving to the orange tier, it is more possible, but the question arises in what condition will the facilities be when they go back.

Interim athletic director Susan Armenta in an email acknowledged that there are some maintenance issues.

“As for our facilities, we will be requesting maintenance for the [baseball] field and stadium. It doesn’t appear that Kelly field has been maintained, unfortunately,” Armenta wrote. “As for Shepard Stadium, I have seen some of the grounds around the field maintained, but not I’m aware of the field itself.”

Armenta said the softball field is in similar condition to Joe Kelly Field. She mentioned that the stadium and other facilities are safe.

They will address how they can fund the maintenance of the fields altogether.

Former athletic director Bob Lofrano in a phone interview said he is primarily concerned for the outdoor facilities although every facility should be looked at.

“Do you want to take a ground ball at shortstop if it bounces and breaks your nose? That’s the way to put it. I’ve been on campus twice during the pandemic and I looked over the baseball field and it didn’t look good at all,” Lofrano said. “If I was a father and my kid wanted to play there I would be very concerned about the outdoor facilities. Not the pool nor the gym.”

Lofrano added, “Just go back to 2020. The baseball team couldn’t play any of their games on the field because it wasn’t in the right condition. That is absurd. All the hours I put in to maintain it and Billy [Bill Picketts] as well to maintain the field. However they need help. And help comes from the school. To not play home games last year is a travesty.”

Lofrano said he had the idea of maintaining a facility year-round.

He said the trainers should make the call if the facilities should be able to be used because the well being of the athletes conditioning is important.

“The health of the studentathletes is the main goal,” Lofrano said.

Lofrano said no one should expect for the facilities to be better if no one has been on campus in over a year. Head men’s basketball coach Charles White said in a phone interview he has a plan if they are allowed to use Ken Stanley Court to condition.

“I’m not too worried about the facilities. They are safe. What we would do is we would have the players in pods. 10 players per pod. There will be no rotating around. Get tested at least once a week. If someone tests positive, that whole pod would have to get tested and quarantine,” White said

He said the district should give the green light to return as soon as possible.

“There are 30 students in the class. The assistant coaches and I want to see our players in person and not only on Zoom,” White said. It doesn’t matter if we meet inside or not, let’s just meet and greet.”

Interim head football coach Anthony Harris in a phone interview said it is valuable for the studentathletes and coaches to practice again at the stadium.

“It is a great thing for us to return so we can get positive feedback from one another and it is good for our mental and physical health,” Harris said. “It is great to be working with Susan and do everything we can to get our athletes back on campus We are heading in a positive direction.”

Harris said Armenta is a huge advocate for the coaches, and athletics in general.

He said the players and coaches are excited to return and joked saying that he has earned a PhD in Zoom meetings.

Harris mentioned that it is very important to have the in-person interaction and said they want to hit the ground running like other community colleges are.

“Since our field is synthetic grass you don’t need to cut or mow it. We will probably just need to use the sweeper and blower to get the leaves out of the way,” Harris said. As soon as we get the green light, we will get out there and get it cleaned up for our student-athletes,”

Harris said.

Harris said there is enough space for everybody to condition.

“One of the things that I like from the coaches, the staff and our athletic department is we operate like a family,” Harris said. We want to see everybody succeed and if we need to share space we share space. That is what we do.”