Volume 135 Fall 2021 Roundup Issue 10

out who's checking in to campus

QR scanners validate wellness surveys for students, staff and faculty

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Reporter

Student Services and the Library at Pierce College have incorporated a new QR scanner to help employees review Cleared4 codes.

Library Department Chair

Lauren Saslow said that students who regularly visit the library have no difficulty with the checkpoint. But she also said that there are some issues with the COVID check-in system.

“There’s a lot of hiccups still,” Saslow said. “A lot of students aren’t aware that they’ve gotten the email or the text about Cleared4, so that’s been hard to help students locate that email and get that all set up.”

Saslow said that the system had been mostly working efficiently in tracking which students entered the building, and that had made it much easier for faculty.

If people don’t have their QR code on hand at Student Services, they could fill out and submit a physical form of the questionnaire before asking for what they need.

But Career Guidance counselor assistant Nasha Avijeh said that the physical forms and students' lack of awareness is an issue where more efficient methods to track students through ID would make things easier and more

comfortable for them.

“Certain obstacles would be students coming in and not doing the survey, and I think the way we could take care of that is if we had a system that would verify through student ID which could result in a much easier system,” Avijeh said.

Saslow also said that students had encountered difficulty when it came to accessing their private link through their email.

“We tell people to go into the settings and switch it,”

Saslow said. “We find that the email that you get each day is problematic because when you click on the link, you’d have to copy the URL and paste it.”

With the new scanning system set in place, some students said they feel safer while others said they don’t understand how it’s efficient.

Student Ivan Mendez said that implementing the vaccine mandate was the go-to move, but he doesn’t understand what the check-in points relating to

the questionnaire are about. “We already had to submit something saying we are vaccinated, but I wouldn’t have a problem with having to do the survey,” Mendez said. “It just seems more of a hassle than anything.”

Some students said that they appreciated the measures Pierce has taken to ensure safety on campus.

Student Jina Kim said that the check-ins feel like a useful addition to the campus.

“I actually really like it,”

Kim said. “I think it’s a smart way to make sure all the students don’t have symptoms and it’s effective.”

Student George Estrada said that although he didn’t utilize the library or any of the resources at school, he feels safe knowing that Pierce is taking precautions.

“I feel like that definitely makes me, as a student, feel more comfortable coming into school,” Estrada said. “But I do agree with the vaccine mandate, and I feel like just as long as you’re vaccinated you should be fine coming in.”

According to Saslow, there are issues with the surveys including how transparent people are when they fill it out daily, how it is being enforced on campus and whether there are consequences for not completing it.

Saslow said that some people are so used to answering no to those questions that if they do have an issue, it becomes a major concern.

“I even got used to answering no to all the questions and I have to stop myself,” Saslow said. “I know people who have done that, and even one person who had results pending did that. They later found out that they were positive for COVID.”

Student Nelson Solares said that though he feels the campus is not doing enough to enforce

measures, students should take more initiative to fill in the gaps.

“It’s one thing to depend on having people check on others, but I think as students we should check ourselves,” Solares said. “I don’t really see that happening at Pierce.”

As for other administrative buildings like the Center for Academic Success building, employees at the front desk are asking students to show their QR code without scanning them.

CAS Office Manager Marcos Garcia said that although there are only a few students who occasionally enter into the building, having the scanners will probably benefit the tutoring center once they start expanding in the spring because CAS Tutoring Director Crystal Kiekel plans on adding a few more tutors for in-person services.

Avijeh said that the front desk of Student Services would be able to be more helpful if there was

“We could help with adjusting,” Avijeh said. “A lot of students who are older have difficulties with technology, and maybe we could have someone designated here to just help with the technological issues. I think that would help a lot with the transition.”

Licorice Pizza served in the Valley

Director Paul Thomas Anderson hosts college press conference for his film

BY ANASTASIYA OREL Reporter

Licorice on pizza does not sound like the best combination, just like some people don’t like pineapple and ham.

But don’t worry, no one is making up strange combinations.

Paul Thomas Anderson hosted a college press conference on Nov. 19 for his upcoming film “Licorice Pizza,” which references a former chain of record shops in Southern California.

The coming-of-age movie follows two characters growing up and falling in love in the San Fernando Valley during the early 1970s. Starring actors Cooper Hoffman, Alana Haim, Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper, the movie is being officially released on Dec. 25, 2021.

The movie opened in Los Angeles on Nov. 26.

The film’s premiere at the Regency Village Theatre also included a film accurate recreation of “Fat Bernies Pinball Parlor” pop-up next to

the theater at 945 Broxton Ave.

While reviews have been mostly positive, it has received criticism for a scene involving a stereotypical depiction of an Asian accent by a white character.

Anderson said in an interview with NBC News that the film is set in the 1970s and shouldn’t be told through a modern day lens.

"I think it would be a mistake to tell a period film through the eyes of 2021. You can’t have a crystal ball, you have to be honest to that time,” Anderson said. “Not that it wouldn’t happen right now, by the way.

My mother-in-law’s Japanese and my father-in-law is white, so seeing people speak English to her with a Japanese accent is something that happens all the time. I don’t think they even know they’re doing it."

Anderson shoots most of his films in the Valley and said he shares a personal relationship with it.

“You’re making a film and you’re asking an audience to care about it, so I care about it and where I come from,” Anderson said. “I want my love for it to be evident on-

screen. It was a combination of great joy and great melancholy that we went looking for locations because many things in the Valley have changed.”

Anderson said filming in the Valley has challenged him to explore places he didn’t know about and has become a byproduct of being a filmmaker.

“Pierce College is four minutes from where I am now and that resulted in a lot of joy from all of us who live and work here,” Anderson said. “My friend Gary started a waterbed company at a pinball store and pinball was illegal in LA. All these details are specific to the San Fernando Valley, and when it all adds up as a whole, it just feels like, yeah, that happens in the Valley all the time.

"They’re very cinematic and very specific to this place more so than anywhere else.”

Photo by Pauline Gener

Student Juvenal Lopez scans his Clear Pass QR Code at the Cleared4 computer as part of the newly added COVID check-ins at the Library at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 24, 2021.

Photo by Pablo Orihuela

A Licorice Pizza poster outside of the Fox Theatre in Westwood, Calif., on Nov. 28, 2021.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG?

“MyfavoriteChristmassongis 'WhiteChristmas,'butthecover byPanic!attheDisco.”

--EmilyLeeds

Free menstrual products, period.

During campus hours, women don’t have time to run to the convenience store or ask around campus to grab menstrual products.

Pierce doesn’t offer free menstrual products in any of the restrooms available, which is a cause of concern.

According to the article on voanews.com, women pay more for personal products and services, including razors,

“MyfavoriteChristmassong isprobably'LastChristmas'by GeorgeMichael.”

--MelissaJauregui

shampoo, haircuts and clothes.

Women’s products cost 7% more than similar products for men, and they pay more than men for comparable personal care products 56% of the time, according to the study conducted by New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.

If Pierce provided free menstrual products in women’s restrooms, it could save women having to find another way to

“'MommyʼsKissingSanta,'by The Jackson 5.”

--Devin Barker

manage their issue and would be easier financially.

According to the online article by reuters.com, nearly half the women said there were times in the past year when they could not afford to buy food and period products.

More than half the states still tax menstrual products as a “luxury” item.

It is not a luxury. It’s a need. It affects a woman’s sense of self, dignity and her ability to

participate in daily life.

Women should not have to deal with menstrual product taxes.

Providing free menstrual products at school would help ease the anxiety for women and would demonstrate that menstrual equity is a matter of human rights.

According to the online article by nbcnews.com, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law in California last month that

Pro: Pets have their perks

will require free menstrual products be provided starting next fall for middle school, high school and college students. Although that is a step up, we should take action immediately and not have to wait another year.

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

“'AllIWantforChristmasisYou,' butspecificallytheMariahCarey rendition.”

--MichaelWertenberger

BY SOPHIE WARD Copy Editor and Reporter

College can be a stressful time for many students, both academically and emotionally.

However, owning a pet can improve one’s college experience.

Many students find themselves lonely or isolated while attending college, especially those who are new to their campus. Having a pet can reduce feelings of loneliness by providing companionship and love to their owners.

Pets can also be a reminder of one’s home to those who bring their pets to college. In addition, pets can be easy conversation starters. Many pet lovers enjoy

“'JingleBells.'Youcanʼtbeatthe classics.”

--Jesus Alvarez

stopping and talking to others. Having a pet opens up opportunities for one to meet fellow pet lovers, improve one’s social life and form new friendships. Owning a pet can also improve one’s emotional and mental health. College students often struggle with stress, anxiety and depression.

According to a survey by the Human - Animal Bond Research Institute, 74% of pet owners said owning a pet improved their mental health. Pets can improve one’s mental health by offering their owners a distraction. Whether it be playing with or cuddling them, having a pet is a good way for one to take a break from their studies.When one cuddles, plays or simply looks at their pet, humans’ oxytocin levels increase, according to

the Washington Post. Oxytocin is a hormone that is linked to love and makes one feel good.

A 2019 study by Patricia Pendry and Jaymie L. Vandagriff found that college students who spent ten minutes petting a dog or cat saw a reduction in their cortisol levels, which is a hormone responsible for stress. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said having a pet can improve symptoms of PTSD. Pets can also positively affect one’s physical health. According to the CDC, owning a pet can decrease blood pressure, cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels. These relate to one’s cardiovascular health so when these levels are lower, there is a less likely chance that one will have a heart attack. Pets, especially dogs, can also

encourage students to engage in physical activity. Routinely taking a walk or run with a dog can positively affect one’s physical health by encouraging them to stay active and get some fresh air. Pets also teach students responsibility. They require lots of care. Students need to ensure their pet is healthy, stays active, is fed and loved. Owning a pet can help students improve their time management skills by forcing them to attend to their needs throughout the day while balancing the stressors of school and work. Being able to manage one’s time is a beneficial skill that students can also use inside the classroom. Having a pet can also help students learn how to follow routines and schedules, since being a pet owner requires that pets are fed and taken

outside at certain parts of the day.

Pets can also be expensive. When students own a pet, they can learn how to manage their finances and will be able to decide on which things are necessary to purchase and which things can wait. Having these money management skills will benefit students as they continue to live on their own and have to make more payments.

Although pets require large amounts of responsibility, time, and money, they are great for college students who want to improve their health and happiness. Owning a pet teaches students how to balance their academic life and personal responsibilities, while at the same providing them a friend.

Con: No pets for students

BY WALTER ORELLANA Reporter

Going to college can be a stressful and daunting task for any student attending full time, working and living on a ramen budget. Being a student comes with a lot of responsibilities, including getting to class on time, spending long hours on research and staying up late to tackle last minute homework assignments.

Attending college is not for the faint of heart, and to add a pet to the equation can

easily become overwhelming when any amount of free time for friends and family is as valuable as gold.

Having a domestic pet is a major responsibility and can be costly. Unlike a house plant that can be left alone for a week without care or water a pet needs constant attention, care and food; not to mention if they get sick or need to visit a veterinary hospital the medical bills can quickly pile up.

According to Caring Pets, “Having a pet means you have to bathe them, clean up after them, get them exercised, and feed them. This is the

kind of responsibility some people might not be ready for in college, particularly if you have a full-time class schedule.”

While there may be benefits to having a pet in college, the fact that a student’s social life is limited due to full time classes, assignments and saving money for school tuition, owning a pet can socially and financially set a student back.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, “Owning a pet while in college can pose several problems. These include sanctions from universities for having pets on campus and difficulties

securing affordable, petfriendly housing off-campus.”

Owning a pet doesn’t end when a school semester ends. Most pets can live well past 15 years so a long term commitment is needed as well as making sure that while a student is away at school or working a pet sitter is available to watch the domestic animal.

According to Medium, “Animal shelters located near colleges find that some students may abandon their pets when their pets are no longer convenient, especially during the end of semester. If you are not willing to make the commitment, the best

option is not to adopt a dog in the first place.” College life is meant to be filled with learning experiences, making new friendships and networking to create future opportunities. Being restricted to pursue such avenues due to caring after a pet can potentially create missed opportunities and a better future after college life.

worellana.roundupnews@gmail.com

Quotes gathered by Shayne Tamkin

Photos by Bre Jenkins

Photo by Maddie Schade

Starlight the cat sits behind a laptop in Northridge, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2021.

Omnipresent racism in America Library hosts its fifth One Book, One Campus panel discussion

BY ANASTASIYA OREL Reporter

Students are taught how systemic racism and racist ideologies are prevalent throughout history. But they are not only issues of the past. They are also problems of the present.

These topics remained a central focus as the Pierce College Library continued its One Book, One Campus series on Nov. 19, following Ibram X. Kendi’s book “Stamped from the Beginning,” and they discussed how racism was and still is invisible.

Assistant professor of History Christopher Strickland began the discussion with a brief history and progression of northern racism. He introduced the Pequot War in New England as the first major war between colonists and America’s indigenous people. Other conflicts that demonstrated progression of racism in the northern parts of America included the Northwest Ordinance in 1787 and the Wilmot Proviso in 1846. Strickland said these advancements had created the notion that California and Oregon were free territory and anti-slavery but also antiBlack.

“It’s interesting when we take a look at the invisibility of northern racism,” Strickland

said. “The prejudice of race appears to be stronger in the states that have abolished slavery than of those where servitude has never been known.”

In the 1800s, there was an increase of discrimination and violence toward African Americans and their communities. Employment, housing, and the legal political system impacted Black life in racist ways.

Strickland said racism was invisible and omnipresent through the framing of what was deemed racism and what was not, having a lot to do with slvaery and control in dehumanizing actions. An increase in European immigration both compounded and challenged existing racism.

“Where one sees racism, another may see ‘a social solution to a social problem’,” Strickland said. “Virtually every sector and institution of society was deemed off limits to Btlack people in the north in the 1800s.”

Instructor of Life Sciences

Shannon Devaney discussed the scientific justification of northern racism in the 1800s. She introduced American physician and scientist Samuel G. Morton’s work of collecting skulls and studying the differences among races.

“When we look at what he actually did, it’s just rife with mistakes, with bias, and with all sorts of inappropriate

interpretations,” DeVaney said. “This science was hugely influential and so to me, this is an example of cross pollination of racist ideas and it feeding further advancement and justification of racist policies.”

Devaney said that only within recent years has this history been discussed. She said that as a scientist, it is important to have conversations such as the

Stamped from the Beginning series is important to have and needs to be reckoned with.

Instructor of Arts Beth Abel said that gentrification is a current problem as much as it was in the past.

“That desire to demolish neighborhoods by putting in infrastructure, that is urban renewal and that is our history,” Abel said. “You look at freeways like the 105, which ran through low-

To campus or not to campus?

Dual delivery classes will be offered in spring

income primary Black and Latino neighborhoods in the 90s, and the LA River and where it is located. It’s not something from the past, it is currently our way of acting.”

Screenshot by Anastasiya Orel

revelation. “It’s so indoctrinated that this was what we had to do in order to survive and become a state,” Cortes said. “It is sad and frustrating that this is told to us as what was necessary to have freedom and not told the way it should be. We’re harming our generations of kids who believe in it.”

aorel.roundupnews@gmail.com

BY SOPHIE WARD

Copy

and Reporter

Pierce will offer dual delivery classes. Students who sign up for these classes can choose to either attend class in person or only attend class remotely.

Regardless of how students attend these classes, the instructor will be the same and will teach both groups at the same time. There will be two sections, but they will be combined into one class.

Pierce Chapter President of the Los Angeles College Faculty Guild Brian Walsh explained that dual delivery is designed to allow professors to teach more students, despite being limited to having only 28 students physically in a classroom.

“We have the OWLs coming to every classroom,” Walsh said, regarding a

camera that follows the teacher around the classroom.

“What we want to do is open the opportunity for classroom faculty to take advantage of this. The in-person class cap is 28, but if you use this technology, you can have up to 40 students—28 in person and the rest remote.”

Walsh said it is up to the faculty member who teaches a dual delivery class to decide on whether or not a student from the remote section can attend the in-person section. Faculty members are also not compelled to record classes, but they may choose to do so.

Technology librarian Clay Gediman discussed how testing and exams will work in dual delivery classes.

“If the instructor wants to have all in person exams, the meeting dates would probably have to be put in the notes in the schedule to let the students know ahead of time that they will be obligated to come into class to take those tests at those times,” Gediman said.

“It’s just these little things that are going to be tough to remember as we kind of

prepare ourselves and make sure we try to catch as many as we can before it happens.”

Gediman also explained the differences between dual delivery classes and HyFlex classes. Unlike dual delivery classes, HyFlex classes allow students to come to class in person or attend remotely based on their preferences on any given day. Students who sign up for the remote section of a dual delivery class will need their instructor’s permission to attend the in person section of that class. However, both dual delivery and HyFlex classes use the same technology.

Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs Donna-Mae Villanueva said that Pierce is still working on how to effectively communicate to students what these classes entail.

“I know that there’s been a group that’s been putting together language that will be included so that students will know that these classes are combined, so they can choose either to be on the online version or face to face

version,” Villanueva said.

Instructors who want to teach dual delivery classes will have to go through training. According to Distance Education Coordinator Wendy Bass, training will occur in person and remotely during Pierce’s winter session.

Walsh said that instructors who teach these classes will receive stipends. Pierce’s goal is to have these stipends paid by the end of March.

Pierce is the only college offering dual delivery classes in the LACCD, according to Walsh. Some departments like anthropology and media arts have already started practicing using dual delivery in the classroom.

Because of the flexibility of dual delivery classes, Pierce hopes to see improvements in its enrollment.

“We have new technology stipends and it lets the school find a new way using technology to address the enrollment problem,” Walsh said.

p.m.: 7 p.m. classes continued

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Christopher Strickland smiles during the One Book, One Campus event via Zoom on Nov. 19, 2021.

Pierce College’s Academic Senate discussed the learning options available to students for the spring 2022 semester on Monday, Nov. 22.

Editor

Screenshot by Sophie Ward

sward.roundupnews@gmail.com Monday Dec. 13 8-10 a.m: M/W or M classes who meet at 8 a.m. 9-11 a.m.: 8 a.m. classes continued 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: M/W classes who meet at 11:10 a.m. 12:30-2:30 p.m.: 11:10 classes continued 2:15-4:15 p.m.: M classes who meet at 12:45 and M/W classes who meet at 2:20 p.m. 4:30-6:30 p.m.: M and M/W classes who meet at 3:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:35 p.m. or 4:40 p.m. 5:20-7:20 p.m.: M classes

who meet at

Saddling up for stable classes Professor goes from taming ponies to teaching students

Maryland may be famous for its blue crabs, but if that's all you know about the state, Pierce College equine science professor Heidi Paul will say you’re missing out on one thing—Chincoteague ponies.

The horse trainer and riding instructor grew up in Maryland horsing around with wild Chincoteague, which are referred to as ponies because of their small stature created living for generations on the Assateague Island off the coast of Virginia.

She laughed as she recalled her childhood introduction to the native ponies of Assateague.

“They asked us to come in and break ponies because we were kids,” Paul said. “Back in that day, you could throw your kids on somebody’s wild pony, nobody cared. So that’s what we started doing. That’s how I started breaking horses.”

Paul’s journey at Pierce College began as a student. In the 1980s, she knew she wanted to expand her horse knowledge and heard that Pierce had a good equestrian program. She began taking some courses but had to take a break for a few years to raise her children and work on her

horse business. She returned in 2007 and graduated a few years later with two degrees, one in STEM and one in sociology.

She already had years of practical, hands-on experience, but equine nutrition and farrier science, which is hoof care, are everevolving with new research and discoveries.

Paul’s extensive equestrian career took her across Southern California. She worked in a variety of disciplines —— racing, carriage driving and endurance riding. Some of her work has been in public service as well. She was hired to use her horses to teach a youth eight-week, after-school riding program run by the City of Los Angeles at the Stonehurst Recreation Center.

Brian Henderson, a retired schoolteacher and Paul’s friend, was encouraging her to look for a job at Pierce. While working for the Los Angeles Park Rangers Mounted Unit as an instructor, she saw an ad for an adjunct professor, applied, and was hired.

“What they want is experience in the field, and I definitely had that,” Paul said.

Henderson was confident that she would get the position.

“They’re going to hire you to be the horseback riding instructor, I know it, I know it,” he recalled saying.

The timing was not great.

Paul began her new job at

Pierce in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic hit, and schools across the country switched to being fully online. Paul said that learning to switch from inperson to online overnight was not an easy task.

“I’ve always been teaching, whether I was giving riding lessons or doing clinics,” Paul said. “So the teaching part was easy. The computer part was not so easy.”

Leslie Garcia, a student at Pierce who is working toward an Equine Science degree and hopes to transfer to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, enjoys learning from Paul.

“I like her commentaries and I like when she adds her own experiences,” Garcia said. “I would find myself looking at the animal science classes and hoping Heidi was teaching one of the classes. I think she’s just a very enjoyable person and she makes the lecture so much more fun.”

Paul never expected to end up as a professor at Pierce and is delighted that she can continue to share her equestrian knowledge and guide students to success.

“I’m enjoying this,” Paul said. “I’m still new. And I’m really looking forward to going back on campus with the horses. That’s what I love doing.”

rfrohlich.roundupnews@gmail.com

RAQUEL FROHLICH

Photo Editor

Photo by Raquel Frohlich

Heidi Paul, a professor of equine science at Pierce College, interacts with Piglet and Morning Star in Lakeview Terrace, Calif., on Oct. 24, 2021.

Photo by Raquel Frohlich

Heidi Paul, a professor of equine science at Pierce College, poses for a portrait in Lakeview Terrace, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021.

Photo by Raquel Frohlich

Heidi Paul, a professor of equine science at Pierce College, interacts with a horse in Lakeview Terrace, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021.

Life finds a way W

hile campus lacks the lively hustle and bustle of students roaming, the Pierce College Botanical Garden remains abundant with life, including the animals that call it home.

Rabbits, hummingbirds and ducks are brimming with energy, filling the garden with activity in a peaceful and quiet sanctuary on campus.

Plants also sprout from ponds and surround the area with lush greenery.

Copy by Cecilia Parada

A cottontail rabbit sits in the Botanical Garden at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 25, 2021.

Photo by Dominique Duñgo.

A hummingbird sits on a branch in the Botanical Garden at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2021.

Photo by Brandon Sinclair.

A duck swims in a pond in the Botanical Garden at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 25, 2021.

Photo by Dominique Duñgo.

A water lily in the Botanical Garden at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2021.

Photo by Brandon Sinclair.

Across the street from Pierce College on Corbin Avenue, a strong scent of fir trees fills the air.

Oliver Holt Sons & Daughters Christmas Trees is a familyowned business that’s been around for more than 60 years.

Customers can find noble, Douglas and grand firs in various sizes. But these are not the only thing they’ll find here.

Handmade decorations fill the lot, capturing that holiday feeling.

Copy by Trisha Anas

Christmas ornaments for sale at Oliver Holt Sons & Daughters Christmas Tree Lot in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2021. Photo by Jasmine Casanova.

Grace Haycock makes Christmas ornaments to sell at Oliver Holt Sons & Daughters Christmas Tree Lot in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2021. Photo by Jasmine Casanova.

The price tag of a Christmas tree from Oliver Holt Sons & Daughters Christmas Trees in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2021. The tag also has the contact information of the family-owned company’s website and phone number. Photo by Jasmine Casanova.

I t ’ s B e g i n n i n g t o L o o k a L o t

l i k e C h r i s t m a s

Lizdet Flores decorates the small Christmas trees at Oliver Holt Sons & Daughters Christmas Tree in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov 30, 2021. Photo by David Pashaee.