Volume 135 Fall 2021 Roundup Issue 5

Come on through to the Brahma drive-thru

Pantry provides students with support and necessities

BY GISELLE LOMELI Reporter

The campus has not returned to its preCOVID bustling daily activity, but Pierce College is reaching out and giving students a helping hand.

Pierce held a Brahma Pantry and Basic Needs Program Drive-Thru event on Oct. 14, from 2-3 p.m., at the Student Dropoff.

Brahma Pantry and Basic Needs lead coordinator D’arcy Corwin talked about the importance of spreading awareness for the event.

“I always want students to know that they have a support system in our program and at Pierce,” Corwin said. “I feel amazing when the students connect with us and show that they want our support because I never want students to feel isolated.”

Corwin said that in order to be eligible for these services, a student needs to be enrolled in a one credit or non-credit course. In order to reserve a ticket, students need to sign up through the “Brahma Pantry Welcome Form” that can be found on the Pantry’s website. From there, their application will be reviewed and validated.

“I want to make it known that even if a student may not be able to get a care package at that moment, we will definitely make sure a student comes away with something and receives services,” Corwin said.

Students who participated in Thursday’s event were able

to take home both a vegetarian wrap and a protein chicken wrap, depending on their dietary restrictions.

Everytable is a program that the Brahma Pantry works with to provide meals that are pre-packaged. Students can heat them up without cooking involved, which is easy and

healthy, Corwin said. All packages go to students and if some are not distributed, they will be given at a different event.

The Brahma Pantry also provides care packages that include shelf-stable items such as dry pasta, rice, pasta sauce, different snacks and toiletries.

Brief: Mandatory COVID-19 testing extended a few weeks

Cleared4 at any time, and can schedule appointment times for COVID-19 testing, upload vaccination status or fill out an exemption form.

Exemption forms must be filled out at least two days in advance prior to the deadline day to give the District enough time to look over and approve it.

LACCD Director of Communications and External Relations William Boyer wrote in an email that students and faculty should complete the requirements as soon as possible, and to contact the District if they have not yet received any emails from Cleared4.

“Do not waste valuable time contacting the District,” Boyer wrote. “Due to the volume of last-minute requests, it might take Cleared4 up to 48 hours or longer to respond to your request.”

“It’s pretty easy because we just place the items in the students' trunks when they drive up to campus,” Corwin said.

The Brahma Pantry also supports students through referrals to campus and community student support programs, CalFresh enrollment

support, case-management support, rental assistance and anything else they may need Corwin said.

Along with their partnership with Everytable, members of the LAPC Bookstore help with purchases and organizing.

Brahma Pantry volunteer Kimberly Castillo said that the event is a huge benefit to the community.

“I think a lot of our students during these times really are in need,” Castillo said. “I give props to D’arcy from the Brahma Pantry who put this toether and to everyone else who’s here volunteering to support our students.”

Corwin said that she has received emails from students that have given her positive feedback and shown appreciation for the services.

“Students were saying that it was like opening a present,” Corwin said. “They said that it felt like it was a holiday to receive all the fun stuff so that made me feel good.”

Jeannine Fisher came to the event to pick up a care package and said how grateful she was for the service.

“Oh my, this has been such a complete blessing,” Fisher said. “Things are a little tight and this helps take some of the stress off of me financially.”

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Brief: Bots in late start classes

BY TRISHA ANAS Editor-in-Chief

BY TRISHA ANAS AND ANGIE ALVAREZ Editor-in-Chief and Reporter

The Los Angeles Community College District announced a grace period for compliance with the vaccination mandate, which was put into effect on Sept. 1.

Board Policy 2900 required

faculty and students who plan on being on campus to submit either proof of full vaccination status or a medical exemption form by Oct. 18.

Pierce College Student Health Center Assistant Loralyn Frederick said that the policy also requires everyone to get a free baseline COVID-19 test with the company Biocept, regardless of vaccination status.

The deadline has been extended to Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. for employees and Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. for students.

To register, faculty and students need to first make an account on Biocept’s system, Cleared4, via an email link from “no-reply@cleared4work.com.”

From there, each person will be given a unique link where they’ll be able to access

Boyer wrote that if anyone is having trouble with their accounts or needs their link resent, they should contact the Cleared4 Help Desk immediately via covidcolleges@biocept.com.

COVID-19 testing hours at Pierce are on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the North Gym 5600.

With late-start classes beginning next week, students are not the only ones who are registered.

Pierce Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs

Donna-Mae Villanueva sent an email warning professors to look for fake bots or bot students in the upcoming sessions.

“Thanks to our [distanced learning] team and Kim Rich in particular, we suspect many of these 'bot students ' are registered in several of our late-start classes that begin Oct. 25,” Villanueva wrote.

Office and Financial Aid, we are working on determining which ones are fake without breaching Title 5 regulations. Students cannot be removed without the burden of proof.”

Villanueva said that while this issue is concerning, they’re not allowed to automatically remove students.

“As soon as we know next steps, we may reach out to you to remove students,” Villanueva wrote.

Earlier this year, the California Student Aid Commision found that 105 of 116 colleges within the California Community College system were targeted by this financial aid scam.

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“Working with the District

Photo by Ginina Pulcinella

Volunteers Kimberly Castillo (L) and Ferhiz Brewer (R) give out food at the Brahma Pantry Drive-Thru Food Distribution event at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021.

Photo illustration by Dominique Duñgo

Photo by Cecilia Parada

Media Arts Department Chair Jill Connelly gets free COVID-19 test in the North Gym at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 28, 2021.

Front page: "Astrology" should've been "astronomy."

Opinions page: End of column was cut off.

"There will also be a Day of the Dead event which will be held on Nov. 1."

News page: End of article was cut off. " " We’re actually cleaning that to ensure that the system is working without failure.” LACCD Chancellor

Francisco Rodriguez said he will continue hosting the town hall webinars for more updates on the pandemic, COVID testing and vaccinations, as well as student and campus life. Rodgriguez also provided an FAQ sheet that addressed the most common questions asked during the town hall webinar as well as LACCD faculty members."

Campus Life: First column, fifth paragraph, "Earnest" is misspelled.

If you would like to have the newspaper delivered to your classroom please email newsroom.roundupnews@ gmail.com

See any corrections we missed?

Email us at cparada. roundupnews@gmail.com

EDITORIAL

From the desk of the Roundup

Free transportation for all

Looking at the intersection of Victory Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue, most weekdays, one can see Pierce students hopping off the bus and Metro’s G Line (Orange).

Pierce students would benefit from Metro’s Fareless System Initiative, or FSI, which would provide free fares for K-12 and community college students. There’s not enough information on whether Pierce or the Los Angeles Community College District will join the pilot program, but, to help students, they should.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is part of the

program, but why is LACCD not part of the program yet?

Public transportation is a great option for students, and the free fares would ease student financial pressure. The program would also save money by providing a free ride, and save money on personal car maintenance and gas.

LACCD opting into the program would give students incentive to come to class and reduce the amount of car rides to campus. If more students are coming, then it will help the campus feel more alive compared to the barren place it is.

Santa Monica College

STREET BEAT WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT

already has a program with Big Blue Bus called “Any Line, Any Time” that allows their students to take rides for free.

Providing more students access to transportation would also help lower the challenging traffic in the parking lot as well around the school. It would allow the school to help lower pollution, creating better air quality, and reducing their carbon footprint.

Computer repairs for students

Whether it’s because their school will introduce them to their class management system, such as Canvas, or because they will be using anti-cheating software, possibly Proctorio, many students find college is the first time their computer will become an integral part of their daily educational routine.

The nationwide lockdowns and quarantines that have occurred throughout the last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the importance of this relationship.

Because of this, Pierce College should begin providing its students with basic computer services, which could include the installation of computer software, computer repair, malware and virus support.

This would provide students with a place they can consistently and confidently go to repair their computers, and it would also give Pierce another stream of income.

At Asher College, free PC Repair Clinics are offered so that they can get their computers looked at by students at the school.

This means that students can get their computers serviced for free, and students working at the school can get experience by having a steady stream of computers to fix.

The diagnosis is free, but if parts need to be ordered for a repair, students are offered a price to have it repaired inhouse. This provides Asher College with a way to make money off of their free service.

Pierce may not have students who work on computer repair, but they can still provide students with the ability to repair it in-house, giving the school a way to make money while providing students with a service.

But repair services are not the only thing that Pierce can provide their students.

The University of San Diego

“MyFavoriterestaurantis

CheesecakeFactory.Myfavorite thingtoorderisavocadotoast withsweeticetea,andwitha

“MyfavoriterestaurantisCrazy Falafel.Igetafalafelsandwich withfriesandpickles.Ilikethe chickenpresstoowithaSprite.”

-HragKouyoumjian

Caesar salad on the side with shrimp,tossedwithextra dressing.”

-VirginiaGarcia

provides its students with free diagnosis and limited repair. This service includes repair, but it also provides them with a convenient place to back up and recover their data and a place to get software installed.

Pierce provides their students with free Microsoft Office and they could help incoming freshmen with this installed on “Go Days” and similar events. It would be yet another way that Pierce gets their incoming students prepared for success.

Finally, Pierce could provide malware and virus removal, the way Cornell College does, to their students. It would give students trust in the new service.

The relationship college students have with their computers is vital. In the process of strengthening this relationship, Pierce could make some money by offering their students basic computer services on campus.

Creating a generation of public transport riders would be beneficial for the school, the community and the environment. Here's

“MyfavoriterestaurantthatIʼvebeen toisPortoʼsinBurbank!Iusedtoget thevegetariansandwich,butitgot discontinued.NowIusuallygeta pastrywithanicedcoffee!”

-Amanda Maldonado

“WellsinceIworkatChipotle,I wouldsaythesmokedbrisketbowl withwhiterice,pintobeans,pico degallo,tomatoes,sourcream, creamcheeseandguacamole.Also, aregularbagofchipsandasideof quesoblancowithalargefountain drink,freeofcharge.”

-MarquisAnthony

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.

Campus Life Editor...............Pablo Orihuela

Sports Editor ..........................Felipe Gamino

Social Media Editor ............Raquel Frohlich

Copy Editor..............................Sophie Ward

Copy Editor .....................Estephanie Lopez

Copy Editor ...............................Ben Hanson

Reporters: AJ Werner Alana King

Anastasiya Orel Angie Alvarez

Giselle Lomeli Pamela Kalidasan

Sophie Ward Shayne Tamkin Walter Orellana

Photographers: Dominique Duñgo Maddie Schade

Pauline Gener Ginina Pulcinella Jasmine Casanova

Brandon Sinclair Bre Jenkins

Advisers: Jill Connelly Jeff Favre

Tracie Savage

*For advertising call (818) 710-2960

what The Roundup staff is

Quotes collected by Alana King

Photos by Bre Jenkins

From all walks of life

Undocumented Student Action week commemorates the AB540 bill

BY ANASTASIYA OREL Reporter

Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the law that allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.

System leaders representing all four of California’s institutions of higher learning hosted a panel Monday, Oct. 18, to kickstart the fifth annual Undocumented Student Action week.

Assembly Bill 540 legislation was landmarked by California Assemblymember Marco A. Firebaugh and signed by Gov. Gray Davis on Oct. 12, 2001.

The bill grants exemption from paying non-resident tuition at California public universities and UC San Diego for nonresident students who attended high school in California for three or more years and earned a high school diploma or its equivalent.

Assistance Vice-Chancellor and Panel Moderator Linda Vasquez said that Gov. Davis amended the legislation bill and added two significant factors.

The first was that the bill amended attendance requirements to allow attendance or credits earned at any California high school, adult school, community

college, or a combination of the three to count towards the threeyear requirement. Secondly, a student may satisfy the completion requirement with graduation from a California

high school or its equivalent, attainment of an associate degree from a community college, or fulfill the minimum requirements to transfer to UC and CSUs to qualify under the AB540

legislation.

California State University Chancellor Joseph I. Castro said he has had a long-standing commitment to undocumented students, and said that the Cal State universities have opportunities and programs due to the legislation bill.

“Almost all of our 23 campuses have dream centers,” Castro said. “We have robust support, financial support, housing, food, and we’ve advocated strongly at the federal level for inclusion of DACA students in the Pell Grant.”

The panel was held to discuss the intentional design of institutional and system practices to support and aid undocumented students.

Vasquez said that the panel’s efforts are about leadership and partnership to support students across all segments and to ensure that students are provided with the resources they need to be successful.

University of California president Michael V. Drake said that since the 2001 signing of the AB540 bill, universities and

Oh No, Where’s the H2o?

Pierce students react to some non-funtioning drinking fountains

BY SOPHIE WARD Copy Editor and reporter

California is experiencing drought weather, but that doesn’t mean Pierce College students should be unable to quench their thirsts.

Since the start of the fall semester, almost all drinking fountains on campus have been shut off and are unavailable.

In the Pierce courtyard, there are two working water bottle filling stations and four working drinking fountains. But drinking fountains in the Village and near classrooms are still off.

The Los Angeles Community College District’s Director of College Facilities

Paul Nieman and other employees have yet to publicly address the situation or share with The Roundup their plan of action to resolve it.

Pierce student Sammy Johnson believes having accessible drinking fountains is beneficial because they are free to students.

“An alternative would be

to get water from the vending machine, but the vending machine cost [money],” Johnson said. “A water fountain is much cheaper.”

Pierce student Nicole Burns said purchasing water from the student store is also an option, but can be costly.

“Since so many water fountains are closed or shut down, it’s harder to get a drink, and you have to go to the student store to pay for it,” Burns said. “Water fountains provide free water. It’ll be a lot more convenient if more water fountains were open.”

Pierce student Maia Villalobos believes water should be accessible to everyone and students should not have to walk far on campus to find it.

“The thing with water is that it should be accessible for everyone,” Villalobos said.

“It should be free,” Villalobos said. “You shouldn’t have to walk so far or go out of your way to buy water.”

Since so many drinking fountains are out of service, Villalobos has started bringing an extra water bottle

from home. She finds that having accessible water bottle filling stations can encourage students to bring their reusable bottles from home.

“If you imagine it, it’s like, at first when it was closed, it’s just like ‘OK, I need to make sure to bring water if I have enough.’ Like now, I just fill up my bottle from that one station I found.”

Once more drinking fountains are available for use, Johnson said he may consider bringing his own reusable bottles to campus.

“I have reusable bottles at home that I for one would have definitely been more willing to bring to school if we had water fountains.”

Villalobos said the benefits of having more working drinking fountains on campus extend beyond just benefiting students.

“I feel like it would be beneficial towards the planet to stop wasting plastic and save your money,” Villalobos said. “Overall, it’s very convenient.”

sward.roundupnews@gmail.com

institutions have continued to expand resources and assistance.

“We have 5,000 undocumented undergraduate and graduate students across our campuses and we’ve provided about $100 million in aid across that landscape,” Drake said. “We can see the value in providing higher education to the broadest array of citizens within our communities .”

The second day for Undocumented Student Action week focused on “Equitable Student-Centered Design to Ensure Undocumented Student Success”.

Assistant Professor of Biology and Curriculum Audit Coordinator at Long Beach City College Priscilla Bravo Arias said the curriculum audit is a voluntary program created by faculty to redesign coursework through an equity lens.

Arias said the program has been a campus-wide effort with instructors having a list for completion of the audit. Instructors can share their

list of resources with students through the Canvas shell or by implementation through the course curriculum.

Student engagement, communication strategies, and culturally response assignments are other things that Arias and the curriculum audit program focus on.

“Our students are intersectional beings, just like we are,” Arias said. “It’s a very diverse community, so all students can see themselves reflected in the material, and that helps to validate that students belong in the course and college setting. College was not created for a particular group of people but for all individuals.”

Screenshot by Anastasiya Orel Jose Gutierrez, DREAM Services Coordinator at Long Beach Community College attends the AB540 Panel Zoom meeting on. Oct. 18, 2021.

Screenshot by Anastasiya Orel

Assistant Professor of Biology and Curriculum Audit Coordinator at Long Beach City College Priscilla Bravo Arias smiles during the AB540 Panel Zoom meeting on. Oct. 18, 2021.

Photo by Brandon Sinclair Water fountain and bottle filling stations have not been on since the fall semester began at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on October 15, 2021.

Stepped Out for a Picnic

Mi Corasol booth representative Amy Solis displays the prototype of the handmade jewelry she crafts and showcases at the City College Stepping Out Picnic in East Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2021.

Picnic

Los Angeles City College students and LA drag queen Lorayne Love hosted the Stepping Out: Meet the Marketplace Picnic at City College’s Rainbow Track on Oct. 12. The event took place from noon to 3 p.m. and welcomed students, faculty and staff to check out trinkets, artwork and tarot readings. The boutiques’ and artists’ products and services provided inclusion and expression for the LGBTQIA+ History Month event taking place at all nine LACCD campuses.

Laura Narvaez steps away from her booth A Few Burned Hairs for a quick touch-up and trim from Pony Lee Musgrave at the City College Stepping Out Picnic in East Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2021.

crystalized elixirs, aromatherapy potion candles and other trinkets handcrafted and sold at the City College Stepping Out Picnic in East

Lunch On Us Lemonade Stand booth displays flyers advertising the Larayaʼs Bodega plant-based food organization alongside sage and a handcafted rose at the City College Stepping Out Picnic in East Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2021.

Javi Pineda gives a demonstration of how they create their artwork at the City College Stepping Out Picnic in East Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2021. They blow on the Sharpie marker to create a spread out effect of a figure or design.

Copy and Photos by Anastasiya Orel

Majoring in Barkeology

The Pierce College Equestrian Center may lack horses, but the nightlife is thriving thanks to some canine students. There is no shortage of treats and wagging tails on Monday and Wednesday nights.

Dogs and their owners train together under professional dog trainer Laurie Burnam.

Burnam teaches Dog Obedience Training and Beginning Agility Training classes as part of the school’s Extension Community Education program.

Copy by Raquel G. Frohlich.

Noel looks up at her owner during obedience training at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 11, 2021.

Photo by Pauline Gener.

Tony Tucker trains with his dog Zola during Agility Training at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2021.

Photo by Pauline Gener.

Jaclyn Lucas trains with her dog Wallace during Agility Training at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2021. Photo by Pauline Gener.

Wallace being trained to not bark at other dogs at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. Photo by Dominique Duñgo.

Growing his legacy Hall of fame coach reaches milestone after 20 years at Pierce

BY FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor

Only a few coaches can say they have led a program to the top by building it from scratch.

For head soccer coach Adolfo Perez, it was no exception. He was the first coach of the program when it started in 2001.

On Oct. 12, Perez got his 300th win as the team beat Cuesta College 4-1.

Perez said it was a great achievement.

“Absolutely incredible. When you look at how difficult it is to win a game, especially in the conference that we are in. To be able to say that we won 300, I can’t even put it into words,” Perez said.

Perez said that getting the 300th win had a special feeling since wins 100 and 200 came on the road.

For the 100th win, the game was at Citrus. To win number 200, the team played at Bakersfield.

Perez said he was happy that his family could have witnessed win 300 at John Shepard Stadium.

“It was great that they were at the game. They can’t attend many because of their hectic schedules, but to be able to do it at home meant much more,” Perez said.

Perez said that despite the lack of resources, one must love what they do and not make excuses.

Perez said the accolade came at the right time and despite the losses and ties they have, they are pleased to have a tough non-conference schedule.

During the pandemic, there were no sports in the Los Angeles Community District.

Perez said it was challenging because he couldn’t see his players.

“I’m also a club soccer coach. And in the club after three months, we were training outside of LA County and we were able to do it

with restrictions. At Pierce it was more than a year and a half without any contact. We couldn’t even see them at the park for some pizza,” Perez said.

Perez said the online transition was tough because there is a huge difference from being on the field to just practicing online.

“Soccer is a field sport. So when you have to do your practices through Zoom and when you really don’t have anything to look forward to, it is tough,” Perez said.

Perez mentioned how he first heard of the Pierce job.

“I coached at Mission College in ‘95 and ‘96. We were successful because we reached the playoffs. At the end of the ‘96 season, they made the decision to cut athletics,” Perez said. I was only coaching locally until I heard through the grapevine that Pierce was offering women’s soccer.”

Perez said that there were a lot of qualified candidates and the finalists were him and his coach in college.

He said that the support from former athletic director Bob Lyons was huge especially in the ‘01 season.

“He took a chance at me because of my energy. I was very young at that time and he said I think I found the right person that will take us to the promised land,” Perez said.

In the first season, the Brahmas went 15-5-2.

Perez said it was unbelievable, because he was hired in March of ‘01 and immediately began recruiting for that season.

He said that they began putting flyers and one of the girls contacted them after seeing the flyer in the bathroom stall.

The soccer program also made final four appearances in 2003, ‘05, ‘10 and ‘12. In their second appearance in 2005, the team played Long Beach. Perez had fond memories of that game.

“We went to penalty kicks.

It was our best opportunity since we were playing at home. We went a player down and in the shootout we were up 3-1. They changed goalkeepers and we missed the next three and they beat us 4-3,” Perez said.

The soccer program in 2003 had an interesting anecdote. One day it was raining and Perez said they had to canoe because the field was flooded.

“It had rained like never before. I don’t believe in days off. I told the girls we needed to do some exercise. There was a storage facility that had canoes. What’s crazy is that we made news on ESPN. Someone got a hold of what we were doing and we had news stations and helicopters were flying over us,” Perez said.

Perez said he is blessed to be coaching his 20th season.

“I never thought I would be here for 20 years. To see how successful the program has been. I’m a huge believer in journeys. I remember getting offered a Division one job in 2004 and I just didn’t feel the vibe at that time,” Perez said. “So good thing I stayed with the program.”

Perez is hopeful that the program reaches the playoffs and is looking forward to the remaining games. He’s hopeful that the team can have success in the year’s to come.

Perez also mentioned that it will be incredible if the school would add men’s soccer as he would be able to coach both.

Perez said he wants to be remembered as a coach who cared for his players.

“I try to see what other people may not. I want to be remembered as someone who cared about them in all aspects, not just on the field,” Perez said.

Athletic Director Susan Armenta said Perez does a great job in leading the program.

“He does a great job in doing whatever it takes to be successful,” Armenta said. “I hope we keep moving

forward. The ladies are doing well and our coach is a great leader.”

Former athletic director

Bob Lofrano is proud of Perez reaching this milestone.

“That’s what happens when you have continuity. Programs tend to do better. It is a reflection of what Adolfo represents to the program and the school,” Lofrano said.

Defender Julianna Euyoque

said she sees Perez as a father figure to the team.

“Not many coaches can say that they have 300 wins. He is a straightforward person and doesn’t sugar coat things. He is going to be blunt and tell you straight forward. Sometimes you may be like, I didn’t want to hear that, but it's what you needed to hear,” Euyoque said.

Perez dedicated this

achievement to his late mother.

“She passed away in February," Perez said. "I wish she was here to see it, but I know she saw it from up there.”

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Photo by David Pashaee

Head Coach Adolfo Perez prepares to kick the ball at John Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct 18, 2021.

Photo by David Pashaee

Head Coach Adolfo Perez explains tactics for the next match to his players at John Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct 18, 2021.

Photo by Cecilia Parada Head coach Adolfo Perez celebrates the win after a game against Santa Barbara College at John Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 8, 2021. The Brahmas won 1-0.

Photo by David Pashaee Head Coach Adolfo Perez whistles to stop training at John Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct 18, 2021.

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Women's Volleyball Football Soccer

Water Polo Men's Basketball

Sports programs comply as vaccination deadline looms for all students

BYWALTER ORELLANA Reporter

Making the cut in sports at Pierce College will no longer just be about a player's raw talent, speed or how dynamic they are on the field, but a question of whether they’re vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19.

The Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees passed Board Policy 2900 on Sept. 1, which will require Pierce faculty, staff and students who plan to be on campus to show proof of full vaccination status or a weekly negative COVID-19 test starting on Oct. 18. Also, as a condition for employment, the policy will require proof of vaccination or weekly testing for those who have been approved for an exemption.

Pierce’s mandate comes on the heels of Los Angeles County’s vaccine mandate to cooperate with local health officials in taking measures to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 among its student body.

Pierce has partnered with Biocept that will handle the on-site baseline testing for COVID-19, and Cleared4 a monitoring service that the district will use to ensure faculty, staff and students are following the new protocols and provide contact trace reporting.

Director of Student Athletics

Susan Armenta spoke about the importance for athletes to follow

the guidelines.

"I think it’s an important mandate especially with athletics because they play high contact sports like football, basketball and soccer,” Armenta said. “It’s important to be vaccinated. It makes it a lot easier and safer for everyone involved.”

Exemptions to the vaccine mandate are available with the district, and requests can be made online. Athletes opting out of vaccinations can do so through the district’s online vaccine exemption forms.

However, for the unvaccinated, weekly testing will be required.

Athletes who fail to submit baseline tests will not be allowed to play until vaccination status or a negative test has been verified through Cleared4.

Pierce College Health Center

Assistant Loralyn Frederick explained how an athlete would qualify for an exemption.

“There are exemptions for medical and religious reasons but they must be approved by the district human resources,” Frederick said. “Baseline testing applies to both vaccinated and unvaccinated; the only difference is that the unvaccinated will need to do weekly testing.”

However, Armenta said that athletes with an exemption would need to take time out of their personal schedule to take care of their weekly requirements.

“Unvaccinated students or those who miss their weekly baseline testing with our athletic department will need to get it on their own and provide proof of a

negative COVID-19 test before they can play,” Armenta said.

The fight to stop the spread of COVID-19 has ushered in a new era in college sports that will be measured on the vaccinated and frequent baseline testing for coaches, staff and athletes and not just games won.

Volleyball athlete Lana

Blourtchi said that because the players come into contact with a lot of people, it’s important for them to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“The testing is really good in keeping all the athletes safe and helping stop the spread of COVID-19, because we see each other everyday in practice and

we play other school teams twice a week, whether it's them coming here or us traveling to them,” Blourtchi said.

Ana Rangel, an outside hitter on the volleyball team, said head coach Edison Zhou cares for their safety.

“He keeps encouraging all of us to get our vaccinations and to

make sure that we test weekly,” Rangel said. “If it wasn't for the school pushing us to get vaccinated, I probably wouldn't, but I feel safer now after getting my first shot.”

Football drops conference opener

BY FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor

While the football team scored their first points of the season, it wasn't enough as the Brahmas lost to Santa Barbara City College 60-6.

Running back Tony Overstreet scored on a two-yard run, however the extra point was no good.

After Pierce took the lead, things started going downhill. The Vaqueros scored 34 unanswered points.

At the start of the second half, the Vaqueros kept going on the attack and led by 54 points.

At the start of the fourth quarter, both coaches agreed to only play a 10 minute quarter.

With the loss, Pierce drops to 0-5; 0-1 in conference play. Brahmas host Moorpark College on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Photo by Raquel Frohlich

polo player Allison Schamber reaches for the ball during practice in the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland

2021.

File photo by Ben Hanson Brandon Brock (2) runs with the ball during a game against Santa Barbara City Co llege at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif. on Oct. 19, 2019

File photo by Ben Hanson