EDITORIAL From the desk of the Roundup Free transportation for all

from Volume 135 Fall 2021 Roundup Issue 5

Brief: Mandatory COVID-19 testing extended a few weeks

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

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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