Volume 136 Spring 2022 Roundup Issue 4

Making a splash and helping while doing it

Artistic Swimming Team hosts showcase

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

The USA Artistic Swimming National Team swam with enthusiasm and artistry, showcasing their talent and promoting the event for Ukraine relief.

Assistant Coach Anna Voloshyna, who has family living in Ukraine, said it has been hard, but she’s happy that she will be able to give back.

“I think about the war [all the time] and on one side, I’m happy that we can do something from here to help Ukrainian people,” Voloshyna said.

Voloshyna added that she wanted to try something new for the team’s choreography, where it’s wild and original, and when talking about the team’s current progress she said she’s happy to start this season off right.

“I’m happy that we won the World Series,” Voloshyna said. “This is a good first step for us because this is the first competition and we will go to the next competition.”

Coach Lara Teixeira said that Pierce College has helped the team prepare for the French

Open, and later on she said that their main goal for the team is to reach the World Championships in Budapest.

“We had this idea to do this

send off show to the French Open, which is the world series event that we’re heading off on Wednesday,” Teixeira said.

“So our main goal is the World

Championships in Budapest in June.”

And when it comes to how the national team was brought to Pierce College, Pool Manager

Deborah Hefter said that it started out with the Try Guys learning about the sport from Pierce’s pool facility.

“Sometime during the

pandemic, [USA Artistic National Team] wanted to do something right before the Olympics to get some interest in the Olympic games that just happened,” Hefter said. “So they set up this thing with The Try Guys [who] came here and they were with the team, and they learned synchronized swimming.”

From there, Hefter said that the team wanted to continue using this facility to practice and will continue to plan on holding shows for them.

Interim President Ara Aguiar said that their performance was great.

“I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Aguiar said.

The president thinks it would be worth considering adding artistic swimming to Pierce athletics.

“I mean these are amazing athletic women. I was truly very surprised. This is the first time I’ve ever seen it. So it would be tremendous,” Aguiar said.

Filling up stomachs and brains

Brahma Pantry hosts pop-ups for students on campus

MARIAH BRITT Reporter

Being able to afford groceries and necessities, especially for students, might be a struggle with rising costs in the country.

But the Pierce College

Brahma Pantry understands this and is willing to help.

Student Sarin Esagholian said the program gives students a sense of community on campus. “What drew me to the Brahma Pantry was the overwhelming kindness they gave me,” Esagholian said. “It’s difficult during the pandemic to get groceries, especially with gas prices being so crazy.”

A few of the meal items that were offered included tofu noodles and glazed chicken with broccoli and rice. Other items ranged from Ensure protein drinks, protein bars, different types of cereal, an assortment of different types of nuts, Dole fruit cups, canned goods, pastas and even Dorito Chips.

Student Alejandro Prisciano said that he found out about the program last week when he was just passing by and was glad the service provides useful items.

“I’m going to give the

majority of these items to my friend because they don’t have enough food at home,” Prisciano said.

Student Johnny Saoud said the Pantry is a great resource for students who spend a lot of time on campus.

“I noticed that they were giving out free snacks, so I signed up and was able to grab some food.” Saoud said. “Money isn’t the best for everyone, so being able to not worry about food is a major thing.”

He enjoys taking a lot of the items home to his mom, who is very appreciative of it.

“Some people try to convince themselves that others can do everything on their own, but everyone needs a helping hand, at times,” Saoud said.

Lead Coordinator D’arcy Corwin said the state of California has granted community colleges the funding to provide students with food.

“It’s so awesome to connect with students and to see how helpful this is for them,” Corwin said. “It’s amazing and really a pleasure for our program to see the students enjoying the foods and the snacks.”

According to the Pierce website, the mission of the Brahma Pantry and the Basic Needs Program is to connect students to resources for them

to be successful in school and alleviate any financial pressures they might have.

The service accepts shelf

Photo by Jasmine Casanova

(Left to right) Diana Zavala helps Paola Fuentez pick out snack items from the Brahma Pantry on the Mall at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 16, 2022. The Brahma Pantry offers free food to students to help with their basic needs.

Photo by Michael Moreno

The showcase began with a team performance at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 20, 2022.

“Itʼscrazy.Iboughtacarrecently andIthoughtIwasgoingto spendlike30bucksongas,and hereIamspending70.”

-Sam Alshawa

Art work, get your art work

Art auctions can be an entertaining way to provide more life to a campus and give enhanced exposure to working artists.

Pierce College has a long history and a robust art program already equipped with a gallery, but is

The profits can go to the students and half to the Arts department, which would be a

new concept for the campus and a breath of fresh air.

According to the Association of College & Research Libraries, an auction helped spotlight Siena College and brought more people to the school.

EDITORIAL: From the desk of the Roundup STREET BEAT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RECENT RISE IN GAS PRICES?

Library Director Gary B. Thompson at Siena said, “The first item for sale was ‘Portrait of a Man’ by Peter Lely, which was assessed for $500 and sold for $2,400.”

Pierce can provide an environment where independent artists and the campus Art department could benefit the cause while providing entertainment and exposure to students and the campus.

An all-day sale could be held on the Mall at the base of the Art Hill stairs. Professors could judge the pieces and award winners would be auctioned.

According to an online

article from The News Guard, Oregon Coast Community College Foundation development director Andrea Spirtos said that the OCCC Foundation’s donated auction items from their community partners, which is further evidence of how important it is to have a fully accredited post-secondary educational institution.

expression of support, gratitude and love,” Spirtos said. Department representatives attending the event could use it as a recruitment tool to encourage students to take art classes. Students are striving to find careers in their field and this would be a strong way to get them started.

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Student counselors are still students

s students start to get used to their daily school routines, it’s inevitable that questions arise throughout their academic journey.to student counselors.

Student counselors receive a three-week training to learn the material they need to know to help. They also receive weekly updates on new information to share.

It's an ongoing concern that students may be receiving different answers from counselors for the same questions, and that likely is more true when talking

-Renee Smith

Student counselors should get additional training to provide students with accurate and upto- date information. Pierce

“Iʼm a full-time student and Iworkapart-timejob,so wheneverIneedtofillupon gas,itʼsprettymuchlikeabig chunkofmypaycheck.”

-Jesus Arias

could offer a required course that student counselors take similar to the one USC offers called Advising 101. Pierce provides a one unit course called Counseling 22 that student counselors could take to help other students with the transfer process. The course consists of lectures, use of internet resources, guest speakers and

Pro: Room for more

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

W

While there are multiple ways to commute, private transportation doesn’t solve the full issue when it comes to traveling in general.

According to the New York Times, one-third of greenhouse gas emissions come from gasoline-driven cars in America.

And to minimize climate harm, President Joe Biden’s administration got involved to create a $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework under his ‘Build Back Better’ vision to invest in a more clean transportation system, along with other initiatives.

Although Congress passed the plan, there’s still an ongoing process as to how it’s going to be implemented. Some actions include rebuilding roads and bridges, investing $89 billion in making public transit systems more accessible and distributing $66 billion in Amtrak for maintenance and increasing more options of transportation all throughout the nation.

Even though there’s a lot more to public transportation than increasing the number of buses around the neighborhoods, one thing is clear—people need access to public transportation.

The problem is with the underfunded and unsupportive environment.

Georgia Institute of Technology Transportation Management expert Catherine Ross said that commuting choices have been limited to the public because of the infrastructure set mainly for automobiles.

And when it comes to providing access to people, there’s nothing wrong with demanding a better and more modernized version of it.

about Putin and that whole situation.Thisismessedupin variousways,butIthinkthat puttingthepricessohighwhen mostofus,especiallycollege students who make less than $16anhour,ismessedup.”

Quotes gathered by Joel Robles

There are other options including calling for an Uber or Lyft, carpooling, riding a bike or walking but why only advocate for individualistic design?

ithout transportation, people would have limitations on where they can go and could not choose the destination they want to reach.Not everyone can afford that luxury.

The continuation of individual transportation on the road doesn’t help either as the U.S. Federal government spends $50 billion annually on the foundations set for private vehicles in comparison to $17 billion spent annually on maintaining these transit

student assignments. By having student counselors learn how to create their own academic and career goals, it will help them to better serve students.

The extra training would help increase their knowledge, and allow a space where student counselors can ask questions of their professional counterparts.

These ideas will help students

BY SHAYNE TAMKIN Campus Life Editor

W

On the other side of the Valley, a different student makes the same roll over. Only this

feel more at ease with their academic journey. This will also help counselors minimize the amount of appointments and overall create a better workflow.

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talking about this topic, and they all have valid arguments.

First, privacy.

ith class starting at 10 a.m., an alarm sounds. A groggy student rolls over to see the clock say eight. They take a deep breath and roll out of bed, prepared to start the day on a good note without feeling rushed.It may seem obvious to some, but there is truly no real privacy on a bus, subway or even in an Uber. So if you are a person who likes to enjoy getting things done in private, or without other people listening over your shoulder, driving may be the way to go. A USC survey revealed that 89% of people had used a personal vehicle in the last year, compared to 44% for ride sharing services and only 35% for public transportation.

Secondly, safety. How safe do you feel when you are around 20-100 people you don’t know in a confined space?

For most Angelenos, the answer to this is to grab the keys and start their own engine. Doing this may be more wise than experiencing that paranoia. Another study done by LABarometer found that over 40% of people have concerns over other riders’ actions.

The final point to consider is transit time.

Despite the allure that mass transit will get you somewhere quicker, in LA at least, that is a misnomer. With the traffic on the streets being such that buses run late and so few Metro stops, it is challenging for many to use public transit even if they wanted to.

According to a New York Times article from April 2021, “Over the past 65 years, the United States has spent nearly $10 trillion in public funds on highways and roads, and just a quarter of that on subways, buses and passenger rail.”

systems (The New York Times).

student jumps out of bed and begins to rush to get themselves ready. This is because they are taking the bus to school, and because of that, they need to give themselves extra time to account for a bus being late, or a potential accident on the road, making the bus run even later, or longer.

The challenge of deciding whether or not to risk taking the bus is a big one, affected more so by the COVID-19 pandemic. The upside is that you get to save money and help out the ecosystem, but you will be doing this at the risk of your own privacy and safety.

6201

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Privacy, safety, and transit time. These are the three main points brought up when

This fact is extremely pronounced, since Los Angeles is well known as a “car” city, which inherently means that there are challenges with getting anywhere without your own vehicle.

This fact is still true today with LA Metro being considered one of the most scattered systems in the U.S.

Because of these reasons, it is clear to see that here in LA the best value to your schedule, your safety and your sense of privacy is to have your own ride, drop the top and feel the wind in your hair as you cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway.

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Photos by Michael Moreno

“Itʼshorrible.Ourpoliticians donʼtcareaboutthepeople becausetheyturneddown thebilltolowerthegastax.I paymoreandlessgoestomy family.”

Winnetka Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91371 Room: Pierce College Village 8211 Phone: (818) 710-4115 Phone: (818) 710-4117 Website: www.theroundupnews.com E-mail: newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com Editor-in-Chief .......Cecilia Parada Managing Editor .....Anastasiya Orel Photo Editor..........Dominique Duñgo Opinions Editor..............Sophie Ward News Editor ...............Giselle Lomeli Features Editor........Pamela Kalidasan Campus Life Editor..Madison Creekbaum Campus Life Editor....Shayne Tamkin Sports Editor...............Felipe Gamino Social Media Editor.........Bre Jenkins Social Media Editor....Jaelin Williams Copy Editor......................Trisha Anas Copy Editor ..................Jayna Kuklin Reporters: Mariah Britt Whitney Evans Jayna Kuklin Sammy Johnson Peter Polygalov Joel Robles Michael Smithlin Advisers: Jill Connelly Jeff Favre Rob O'Neil Tracie Savage *For advertising call (818) 710-2960 Photographers: Jasmine Casanova Nancy Corona Rozie Tadevosyan Janice Cejoco Michael Moreno Nikki Kober Brandon Sinclair

-Tall Fisherman

“Itʼsreallybad.Idonʼtgoout alotanymore,infactIstayat school the entire time so I donʼt havetospendongas.”

-CaitlinMcCarty

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Keeping the masks on Indoor mandate continues at LACCD

BY SAMMY JOHNSON Reporter

The governors of the West Coast states have agreed to update their local masking guidance policies, effectively lifting indoor mask mandates starting March 11.

However, school districts, including the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) will continue to require students and faculty members to wear masks while indoors until at least the end of the semester, according to LACCD Director of Communications William Boyer.

According to LACCD Board Policy 2800, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an update to its health officer order on July 22, 2021, requiring every individual to wear a mask while indoors regardless of vaccination status.

In compliance with California law, the Board of Trustees adopted a new policy on August 4, 2021, that follows through with the indoor mask mandate.

As of March 11, governors Gavin Newsom, Kate Brown and Jay Inslee of California, Oregon and Washington respectively no longer require face coverings in their respective states while indoors, according to the office of Gavin Newsom.

However, some California and Los Angeles school districts, especially LACCD, will uphold policies such as BP 2800 that require masks to be worn at all times while indoors, unless one is in a private office or briefly drinking/eating in a designated break area.

Some Pierce students agree that it is not safe to go maskless indoors, such as Odelia Shohet, who thinks that the whole idea is “silly.”

“It’s safer to do so (wear masks) and it doesn’t take any extra effort. It’s better (to wear masks) than to throw everything out the window and hope for the best,” Shohet said. “The pros (of wearing masks)

would be that you’re not taking so much time off because your kids are sick or you’re sick. You’re not having to buy medication and spend money on things like Tamiflu, Advil or Tylenol. It doesn’t hurt you physically, and it could help someone else or your family.”

Pierce student Ivan Herrera agrees with Shohet in that wearing

masks indoors is not too big of an issue.

“I feel like it’s just part of common courtesy to do it for people, especially since people don’t want to bring (covid) to their families or people who are more susceptible to that illness. People should be free to wear (a mask) or not wear it outside, but indoors, yeah (people should),”

His Last Touchdown

Funeral and Celebration of Life to honor former Pierce football coach

BY MICHAEL MORENO PHOTOGRAPHER

AFuneral Mass and Celebration of Life was held at the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Northridge late Tuesday morning for former Pierce College football coach and two-time hall of famer Jim Fenwick.

Fenwick had battled leukemia after beating it 18 years ago, only for it to come back years later.

Friends, family, former colleagues from California State University, Northridge and Pierce College.

Former players from Los Angeles Valley College, Brent Nordack and Hector Franco, his sister, Cindy Cooper, and his wife, Gayle Fenwick were among those in attendance.

Nordack spoke highly of his former coach, stating that he was “the most kind-hearted person and an amazing educator.”

“He truly cared about his coaches and his players,” Nordack said. “He had great relationships with athletes that had played with him at Pierce, one in particular, Erik Kramer.”

The relationship between Kramer and Fenwick extended outside of the football field even after the hall of fame coach had left Pierce.

“My favorite memory of Jim Fenwick was just going into battle with him and having him be our leader,” Nordack said.

Nordack said that Fenwick was a great head coach and was made for the job.

Franco, who played

undertFenwick back in 1987, chimed in on what it was like being under his wing.

“All I can say is I didn’t wait for him to pass away to say good things about him [Fenwick], I was always talking good about him,” Franco said. “I don’t think I rarely brought up how intelligent of a coach he was or what a good coach, it was more about the kind of person he was and the way he talked to me and treated me.”

Franco later stated that the connection between the two grew after Fenwick returned from Miami (Ohio) for a second stint in Valley College as the head coach.

“It wasn’t always about the championships or the records. He was a great coach, but it was more of how great a person he was,” Franco said.

Herrera said. “I like what masks do. They help keep people safe and eliminate the spread of disease.”

While Shohet and Herrera lean towards opposing the idea of going maskless indoors, Jillian Ford thinks it’s okay to do so as long as social distancing is maintained, but still prefers to wear a mask while indoors.

“I’m going to keep wearing

mine just because my parents both have health problems and I don't want to bring anything home,” she said.

The COVID-19 Ongoing Requirements for Employers requires that employers make appropriate face coverings available to anyone that wants one upon entering a building.

sjohnson.roundupnews@gmail.com

Cooper, Fenwick’s younger sister, said she will deeply cherish the relationship she and her brother had with each other.

“Whenever there was trouble, I’d turn to him [Fenwick],” Cooper said. “But to lose that part of my life will be hard not to live around with.”

Cooper later shared those relationships with siblings are the most important because they are present when family troubles arise, which helps strengthen bonds, like the one she and Fenwick shared.

“Jim was always a phone call away whenever I needed to talk to him or he needed to talk to me,” Cooper said. “He’ll always be remembered as a charismatic and

caring coach, friend, father, and husband.”

Gayle Fenwick, Jim Fenwick’s wife, shared what friends, family, and herself will remember Jim for.

“I think everyone will remember Jim for being first, a teacher, a coach, a mentor for kids, and loving his players like he loved nothing else,” Gayle Fenwick said.

Gayle Fenwick later shared that being married with Fenwick for 48 years was fun, stating that she was able to witness Fenwick’s coaching career blossom into the success that no ordinary coach can achieve.

Jim Fenwick coached the Brahma Bulls from 1981-1986, with an undefeated season in 1984.

That team would be inducted into the Pierce Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012. He would go in individually two years later.

Fenwick would later go on to coach twice at Los Angeles Valley College, CSUN, and Eastern Oregon, before becoming an assistant at Miami (Ohio), New Mexico, Pacific, and Occidental College.

Fenwick was promoted to the athletic director of Valley College in 2012 and remained until December 2020.

Jim Fenwick is survived by his loving wife Gayle and two sons, Tyler and Casey Fenwick.

Photo illustration by Janice Cejoco

Photo by Michael Moreno

Mourners attend Funeral Mass and Celebration of Life for Jim Fenwick at the Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Northridge, Calif., on March 14, 2022.

Photo by Michael Moreno

Two-time hall of famer Jim Fenwick died on Feb 17, 2022 after years of battle with leukemia.

Driving students to their destination From immigrant to mom to the new acting Dean of Student Services

POLYGALOV Reporter

Being appointed on Jan. 10 as the Los Angeles Pierce College Acting Dean of Student Services is not the only uphill battle Claudia Velasco has faced.

As a young adult, Velasco immigrated from El Salvador and saw education as a way to provide a better future for her two kids.

“I truly believe that education eradicates poverty,” Velasco said.

At Santa Monica College, Velasco set on a path of pursuing higher education while helping students in her role at the Student Services Department at West Los Angeles College. While originally having difficulty adjusting to the education system in the US, Velasco worked while attending Santa Monica College.

“I was working and raising my kids at the same time, and I did horribly at Santa Monica College that I ended up dropping out,” Velasco said. This did not seem to stifle her drive for education.

She began attending West Los Angeles College where the smaller campus let her focus on becoming more serious about her studies. While she continued doing workstudy at West Los Angeles College, the original goal was to get a degree in paralegal and work in immigration.

However, this soon changed.

“As I started as a student worker, I began helping students and liked what I was doing,” Velasco said. “I realized I could do a career in education, helping others that were struggling, especially single parents.”

Velasco is serving as the Director of CalWorks, in

addition to her new title. As the Acting Dean of Student Services, Velasco oversees the Health Center, Athletics, Disabled Students Program & Services (DSPS), and deals with grade grievances at Pierce.

Velasco stepped into the role of the Acting Dean to fill in a vacancy created by the departure of the previous Dean, Genice Sarcedo-Magruder.

While Velasco wasn’t

originally interested in pursuing a career in education, her experience in business and management made her an excellent choice for the position.

This pattern of pursuing higher education while helping others continued as Velasco went on to study at Pepperdine University, receiving her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership. Afterward, she went to

California State University in Los Angeles, majoring in Business administration with an option in Management.

Mary Anne Gavarra-Oh spoke on their history together which started at West LA College.

“I’ve worked with Claudia for 15 years,” Gavarra-Oh said, “I’ve been to all her graduations.”

Having both worked as Directors of CalWorks at one point or another, Gavarra-

Oh and Velasco highlighted the importance of providing resources for students.

Speaking to the skills and experience that make Velasco an ideal fit, Gavarra-Oh listed off a number of important qualities.

“She knows how to get things done,” Gavarra-Oh said. “She’s very deadline oriented. She knows what’s important. She will do anything to get her students to succeed.”

Financial Aid Director Anafe Robinson said the importance of working as a team is paramount for student success.

“It is a team effort and it’s also a coordination of resources,” Robinson said. “I still need to coordinate with all the different areas, not just within Student Services, but even the academic side or the administrative side.”

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Hand me down (that transfer info!)

Familiar faces share experiences in virtual panel with CTC

JAYNA

Copy Editor and Reporter

Former Los Angeles Pierce College students gave transfer advice in a panel on March 16 via Zoom hosted by the Transfer Center.

Child and Adolescent

Development major at California State University Northridge (CSUN) Lindsey Anne Macaraig said that she wished she would have known that time flies by quickly and that she should have gotten involved as much as she could have.

“Take every opportunity that you have the mental and emotional energy for,” Macaraig said. “Make sure you have time to get involved and connected with your peers and professors.”

Macaraig also said that building relationships with peers and professors help, as they will be the ones who write letters of recommendations for transfer students in the event that they will be getting a job.

Macaraig graduated from Pierce in 2019 with an Associate Degree in child development while also having worked at the

Center for Academic Success. She also stated that her career goal is to work with transfer students.

Chicano Studies major at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Sebastian Araujo said it was difficult going to classes online and getting involved because of COVID-19. “Because we’re transfer

students, I feel like sometimes our two years at the university are very rushed. Or at least that’s how it felt for me, especially going to school in a pandemic,” Araujo said. “It’s like a majority of my time and costs have been online.”

Araujo graduated from Pierce in 2020 with an Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) in history, and

participated in the LA College Promise and Peer to Peer Mentor Programs.

Araujo said that using tools such as Assist.org can help transfer students when entering in data, including transfer credits in their college applications.

Assist.org is a website used by the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) that

offers assistance on which classes are transferable for specific majors, and provides articulation agreements between Pierce and other colleges outside of the district.

Business Administration major at University of Southern California (USC) Kamilah Jones said that while grades were important, essays were crucial

when it comes to explaining why someone chose a major.

“I encourage other people, when they write their essays, to write about their passion and how they got into it, how they got there and what they’re doing to work at it,” Jones said.

PETER

“Take every opportunity that you have the mental and emotional energy for,”

-Lindsay Macaraig

Former Pierce transfer

Screenshot by Jayna Kuklin

Transfer alumni speak during the Pierce College Transfer Center panel via Zoom on March 16, 2022.

Photo by Felipe Gamino

Claudia Velasco works at her desk in her office at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 16, 2022.

KULKIN

Turning hurdles to triumph

Umoja Counselor lights the way for future students

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

When students tell Kalynda McLean about facing hardships, she recalls the day at San Diego State University biology professor discriminated against her.

“I had gone to the professor on the first day of class to let him know that I was probably going to be late because I was coming from across the campus from another class,” McLean said. “So I told him that I will come in, sit in the back and be quiet. He was looking down at a piece of paper and he said, ‘Well, I think you should drop the class. In my experience, you people don’t do well in this class anyway.’”

McLean reported him and ended up changing her double major and leaving the course, but that interaction helped change her career trajectory.

Today, Umoja Coordinator and Counselor McLean strives to make sure no one else goes through what she did.

“I always tell them what the process is to report anything that is inappropriate or illegal,” McLean said. “And when I was in an administrative role, I was sometimes part of that process. Unfortunately, it happens and Pierce College is not exempt from that.”

McLean began working at Pierce in 2009 as the interim associate dean of Student Services. When she left in 2010 to take a full-time faculty job at LA City College, McLean said she realized that Pierce was the right place for her.

And in 2014, she got her opportunity to go back as the dean of Student Success, where she served under that position for seven years. It wasn’t until 2017 that she brought the Umoja program to campus.

While working on campus, McLean said that it is an honor for her to work with Pierce College students.

“I really believe that I’m here to work side by side with students as a partner and also an inspiration,” McLean said.

“I think that it’s important that I lead by example and also that I lead to inspire and leave a legacy.”

Before coming to the San Fernando Valley, McLean was in Queens, New York, where she lived with her mother and her two sisters. Early on, her family instilled in her the value of education and to take it seriously.

“My mother didn’t go to college until I was an adult and I finished college,” McLean said. “And my grandfather had to drop out of school in sixth grade. So my mother always stressed the importance of going to college, and my

grandfather always explained to us how education shouldn’t be taken for granted as not everybody has an opportunity to go to school.”

Eventually, McLean graduated from a public high school in the U.S. Virgin Islands and even attended the University of the Virgin Islands before transferring to San Diego State University, where she majored in psychology and minored in biology and received her masters in multicultural counseling.

After graduating from San Diego State University, she went to Pepperdine University and received her doctorate in educational and organizational leadership.

McLean’s leadership and strong advocacy for students

doesn’t go unnoticed. One Umoja student, Yanise Daaku, said she liked how the program treated her and how McLean is supportive.

“I made a counseling appointment with her,” Daaku said. “She was really amazing and very supportive. She broke down assist.org, the transfer process and the different UC requirements. I really enjoyed the Umoja teacher’s classes because you get to learn a lot and they care about you.”

ASO Co-Adviser Geremy Mason said that he has known McLean for a while and knows how competent she is with her job.

“She's very effective at what she does,” Mason said. “She’s very knowledgeable and when it comes to getting things done,

she does a very good job.”

Career Center Counselor Wendi Meckler said she worked with McLean for five years when McLean was the Dean of Student Success. She said that McLean is attentive and always looks out for the best for other people.

“She’s always thinking of equity and fairness,” Meckler said. “She’s always looking for how things are going to fit in the big picture. She always looked out for my messages and wanted to help others.”

McLean now makes it her priority to make sure that the Umoja program keeps itself running for the students that really need it.

“One of the concerns I see, in particular from students, is the support of the Umoja

Jumping above the net

program and the continuity of it,” McLean said. “It served as a really good community for them and a really great resource. And so students are concerned about how the program is being supported.”

When it comes to Pierce students, McLean said that she learned the value of being selfsufficient.

“Students at Pierce are very resourceful, and they find a way to get things done on their own, which is fantastic,” McLean said. “That’s taught me a lot in that it’s okay to go ahead and find the answer yourself and to bring it back to confirm it with someone, but it is good to be a little independent and go out and do things on your own.”

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Dual sport athlete is force to be reckoned with

BY JAYNA KUKLIN Copy Editor and Reporter

Volleyball and basketball seasons may be over at Pierce College, but that doesn’t mean athletes should be slacking off on their training. It is never too late or too early to learn the basics and fundamentals of both sports.

Kay Fisher, the forward/ center for Pierce’s women’s basketball team, is no exception.

Before joining Pierce’s basketball team, Fisher stated she did not have a particular interest in the sport.

“Playing basketball was a way for me to not have a distraction,” Fisher said. “It was an outlet to whatever was going on in my life at the time.”

Fisher is also on the women’s volleyball team, playing as a middle.

“Playing volleyball was something that was new to me,” Fisher said. “I wasn’t very consistent at it, so I started trying out and I eventually got better.”

Fisher said she makes sure her priorities are in check before she competes in either sport. With every game she learns a new lesson, and she strives to get better throughout the offseason.

As of today, Fisher made 20 appearances, being a starter for 15 of them. She also played in 11 conference games. In one of those appearances, Kay Fisher had scored 27 points with 20

percentage with 59.7% is the third-highest in the Brahmas’ women’s basketball team

following guard Beatrice Pena and point guard/shooting guard Jamie Crespin. Her field goal percentage was the highest with 47.1%.

Fisher achieved recognition by the Western State Conference by receiving First Team All-Conference honors for her hard work this season.

Pierce’s associate head coach Les Thompson said that he enjoyed working with Kay Fisher, despite her hesitance on being a leader for next season.

“I see her as being a leader next season,” Thompson said. “She’s kind of hesitant to be a leader because of [her] position, but like it or not, the girls already look up to you. So I’m going to talk her into being one of the captains.”

Thompson said that Fisher has come a long way from when she had first started playing basketball.

“When we first saw her coming in, she had no clue about college ball,” Thompson commented. “She was just going on playing on emotions and found out ‘Hey, I can do this. I can do this.’”

Thompson said that he expects Fisher to be playing as either a small forward or to play in another position, as well as improving on her shooting.

Thompson was excited to hear that Fisher had placed in the First All-Team Conference.

“She deserved it,” Thompson said. “She has just so much raw talent and she’s quick. She’s probably one of the quickest girls on the squad.

Fisher’s teammates were

also happy to have worked with her, with point guard/shooting guard Adriana Garcia echoing Thompson’s sentiments with how much she had stepped up.

“She had an amazing season,” Garcia said. “We didn’t always get along at first, but she really stepped up.”

Garcia expects her to keep improving and keep playing her game.

“I was surprised when I found out, considering our record this season,” Garcia said. “But I’m really happy for her.”

Though for point and shooting guard Izzy Ferguson, that was another story.

“Working with Kay was honestly a surprise,” Ferguson said. “I’ve gone to school with her and played with her for one year even though I never really got to really interact with her beforehand.”

Like Garcia and Thompson, Ferguson said that Fisher has come a long way when it came to playing basketball, calling her development crazy.

Ferguson said that she is helping Fisher with her dribbling even though she is good at rebounding.

Fisher said the studentathletes should try to do more than one sport.

“Take a leap of faith. I think anybody can do anything if they put their minds to it,” Fisher said. I thought it was going to be a struggle, but the more you are consistent, the easier it gets.”

rebounds versus Oxnard on Feb. 7 and Feb. 9. Fisher’s free throw

Photo by by Brandon Sinclair

Kalynda McLean is the Umoja Coordinator and has also been the Dean of Student Success at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. McLean stands outside of the Umoja Village on March 3, 2022.

Photo by Felipe Gamino

Two-sport athlete Kay Fisher at Ken Stanley Court at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 18, 2022.

Howell-ing on the air Program Director and film major shares love of animation

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

Hannah Howell grew up feeling like she couldn’t quite fit in. Her mother is from the Philippines and her father is white, and she felt like an outsider who didn’t belong to either side.

“It’s like you don’t really fit in with either race so you’re kind of in your own sphere,” Howell said. “But also being in Los Angeles, I’m glad that I grew up in a diverse community surrounded by so many perspectives.”

But movies, and in particular animation, was an avenue into a feeling of new worlds and acceptance. She took her favorite love and put them on the air with the KPCRadio.com show “Destination Animation,” and this semester was named the station’s program director. She also served as Pierce College’s Film Club president.

“Movies and animation helped me become more empathetic and understanding,” Howell said. “I feel like I grew up in a very sheltered environment, so TV and movies were a way for me to be exposed to this outside world.”

Howell said her dad sparked the love of film and storytelling in her life.

“He is a huge movie fan himself,” Howell said. “He tried to be an actor, so that’s why he moved to Los Angeles. He had a huge collection of DVDs that I’d see all the time.

‘Jaws’ was the first movie I saw from his collection that made me fall in love with movies.”

In her radio show, she has interviewed well-known animation figures, including screenwriter Jeff Loveness, who wrote for “Rick and Morty” and several other big projects.

“I love how [‘Rick and Morty’] stories are about outsiders and their stories about found-family and dysfunctional families,” Howell said. “And they’re also optimistic shows like, they have dark aspects and they show the dark aspects of reality. And that’s what I strive for in my writing to make my stories have some bit of optimism to it.”

Howell graduated from Granada Hills Charter High School, and she came to Pierce to save money on college before transferring.

She joined the Film Club as their secretary and she discussed how she learned more about leadership and felt happier getting out of her comfort zone.

“One year or two semesters later, the [Film Club] president transferred, so then I was elected president,” Howell said.

“I really learned a lot from the former president on how to lead because I was pretty scared that I wouldn’t be able to because as a secretary I was pretty quiet and didn’t talk as much.”

Cinema professor Kenneth Windrum praised Howell for being an excellent student to work with and especially for her leadership.

“Everything that you could say about a good student you could say about her,” Windrum said. “But the neat thing is that she’s taken such a leadership role in Film Club. She’s a really nice person, inclusive, organized and she’s just done a superb job.”

Media Arts and Journalism professor Tracie Savage said that Howell is a model student.

“She is responsible, reliable, super smart, wonderful to work with and very kind,” Savage

said. “She was in radio class last semester and produced more radio shows than anyone in the class, she produced three times what’s required. She’s such a go-getter.”

Savage also said she trusts Howell to manage the radio station and keep in touch with students.

“Hannah is my program director at the radio station and she’s in charge of the radio station,” Savage said.

“She’s in charge of the shows, and making sure those shows get recorded from my other students this spring, and she just is on top of it.”

Howell said she hopes to become a TV writer.

“If I were to create my own show or my own movie, I would collaborate with other animators I know,” Howell said. “But at the moment, I would like to just focus on writing.”

Photo by Michael Moreno

KPCRadio.com Program Director Hannah Howell works in the control room at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 17, 2022.

Photo by Michael Moreno

Radio equipment includes a control panel, which allows the producers to faded audio in/out at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 17, 2022.

Photo by Michael Moreno

Program director Hannah Howell works on the computer at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 17, 2022.

the Pool

Water droplets went flying while waves crashed into each other in a pool, drawing cheers from the crowd and confidence for the United States of America's Artistic National Swim Team in the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College.

The group made big splashes outside of the water, offering opportunities for spectators to donate toward support for Ukraine, a cause close to coach Anna Voloshyna, who is from the country. There was no shortage of wide smiles, passionate hearts and motivation for the USA team that day.

Copy by Michael Moreno

Swimmers perform to "Smooth Criminal," by Michael Jackson for the United States of America's Artistic National Swim Team Showcase in the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 20, 2022.

Photo by Nancy Corona.

(Left to right) Megumi Field and Natalia Vega perform the free female duet for the United States of America's Artistic National Swim Team Showcase at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 20, 2022. Photo by Michael Moreno.

United States of America's Artistic National Swim Team swim team smiles for photos after the showcase at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 20, 2022.

Photo by Nancy Corona.

United States of America's Artistic National Swim Team prepares to dive into the water to start performing for a showcase at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 20, 2022. Photo by Nancy Corona.

A few members of the team share a warm moment before the United States of America's Artistic National Swim Team Showcase at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 20, 2022. Photo by Michael Moreno.

Men's Volleyball Baseball Swim Women's basketball Men's Basketball

With decades of

BY MICHAEL SMITHLIN Reporter

Pierce College has the luxury of having athletic trainers Leonard “Lenny” Ramirez and Robert “Rob” Horowitz keeping their staff and players safe from injuries and helping rehabilitate the injured players for more than seven years together.

Because of the nature of collegiate sports, having reliable and knowledgeable athletic trainers is vital in maintaining the success and safety of the teams and its players.

Ramirez and Horowtiz have been trusted to take leadership over the safety of players in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) for more than two decades.

Despite his longtime career in his field and celebrated reputation as an athletic trainer, Ramirez didn’t think of athletic training as his career while in college.

“I was running in track and cross country at Antelope Valley College back in the day, got hurt and had shin splints and had to see the athletic trainer at the college,” Ramirez said. “The work that he did got me interested and was the first time I was interested in athletic training.”

After his exchange with the athletic trainer at Antelope Valley College, Ramirez went to California State University, Long Beach and pursued a career in the field.

“I got hired in LACCD in 1991, so I am in my 31st year now,"

in the District, trainers continue establishing their legacy

makes the job easier.

“At City College I was all by myself and didn’t have a co-athletic trainer, whereas here at Pierce,” Horowitz said. “It’s really nice to have a co-athletic trainer especially since we all have our specialty such as Lenny being really good at the administrative stuff and education codes and I’d say I’m pretty good at my rehabilitation stuff.”

The coaches and players across all sports Pierce trust and enjoy the atmosphere brought from the duo.

Pierce head baseball coach Bill Picketts said it’s nice to have consistency regardless of the programs that are offered.

-Bill Picketts Head Coach

Ramirez said. “A football coach that used to work in Antelope Valley at Palmdale High School had known me and told me that Pierce College was looking for a trainer in the fall so I went and interviewed in the fall and got hired three days before the football season started.”

Despite not having a comprehensive view of the situation he was going into, Ramirez was eager for the opportunity to work in his desired career.

“I interviewed at Pierce and couldn’t really look at the facilities, but I took the job site unseen,'' Ramirez said. “I wanted to get into

the college realm, having worked in high school for five years before that in Antelope Valley, and just took the opportunity.”

Like Ramirez, Horowitz pursued a career in athletic training after a senior staff member at his college changed his perspective on the career.

“I was a political science and kinesiology major with a specialty sports medicine at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and kind of fell into this career,” Horowitz said. “There was an instructor in the kinesiology department at CSUN that asked if I would apply to the program, and so

I applied for it and was fortunate to be selected for it.”

Horowitz joined the district 28 years ago, and hasn’t looked back since.

“I started at LA City College and was there until 2012 when they decided to drop athletics,” Horowitz said. “I transferred to Valley College for a football season and then was transferred to Pierce.”

Despite having different backgrounds, Ramirez and Horowitz have worked together for more than seven years and have maintained a safe and trustworthy atmosphere on campus.

“Working together is okay and is like any job you work where you work with someone else,” Ramirez said. “We didn’t go to the same college therefore our philosophies might be a little bit different and we may not always 100% agree, but the bottom line is we are here for the athletes and whatever helps the athlete is what we are going to do since first and foremost we have a responsibility to the health, safety, and well-being for the athletes.”

Horowitz overall said it has been a great experience working at the school.

“At City College we only had around 4 sports as opposed to roughly 10 to 12 sports teams here, so it was a very different feeling and atmosphere,” Horowitz said.

Horowitz mentions the reality that not all LACCD colleges have two co-athletic trainers, and that having a knowledgeable duo truly

“It is nice I can contact them whenever I have issues and questions,” Picketts said. “Knowing that they are going to be there and have been here for as long as they have, and have the answers that I need.”

Following the success and longevity of their careers, both Ramirez and Horowitz look forward to the future.

“The only things we can advance into is if we were offered to teach a class and stay on,” Ramirez said. “However I personally plan on retiring within the next two years, which would conclude a 33 year career in the district.” Horowitz looks onward and prioritizes his time away from his career in the future.

“My goal for the future is to spend some more time with my family and granddaughter and spend more time in the clinic and not as much time as a full-time athletic trainer,” Horowitz said.

msmithlin.roundupnews@gmail.com

Familiar face returns to his roots 2018 state champion returns to the men's volleyball program

BY PETER POLYGALOV Reporter

Afamiliar face returns to Pierce College athletics as assistant coach Farzad Ramin will be coaching the men’s volleyball team.

Ramin served as a volunteer coach for the women’s volleyball program and took part of the 2018 state championship-winning team with former head coach Lance Walker.

He first joined the team in 2017 and continued to play on the team for the next three years.

Ramin had his 2020 season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before attending Pierce, Ramin played the sport starting from a young age. He spoke about his environment and some of the factors that influenced his start into the sport.

“My dad was a pro player and a pro coach in Iran, so that was the reason I started volleyball when I was six,” Ramin said.

Being raised in a volleyball family, Ramin started with minivolleyball, a variant with a lower barrier to entry to help younger athletes develop a passion for the game. However, it wasn’t long before Ramin’s affinity for helping other players began to show.

“Even when I was in Iran, all the time I was helping my coaches, so they were telling me that I have the potential,” Ramin said.

This affinity to help others developed into a passion for coaching, as Ramin went from being a player to being a volunteer coach guiding the women’s team.

Ramin talked about some of his history with the Brahmas and how he became a coach.

“Since last summer, Coach Edison [Zhou] gave me the opportunity to help him, and I was a volunteer coach for the women’s team during the Fall semester. It was a great experience, especially with Coach Edison’s personality,” Ramin said.

Zhou was in charge of making the decision to bring Ramin on as an assistant coach. He spoke about some of their history together and the qualities that make Ramin a great coach.

“I met this guy four years ago when they [the team] got the state championship,” Zhou said. “He’s really humble, really nice, and I think we have a closer culture between our two countries, Iran and China. Last year, when I needed an assistant coach, this guy (Farzad) was at the top of my mind.”

According to Zhou, the two volleyball enthusiasts hit it off pretty quickly. Having immigrated

to the United States from China and Iran, Zhou and Ramin developed a bond that guided the players on their team.

“He helps me a lot. He knows everything. Like how to apply for financial aid,” Zhou said, “Since 2018, we became closer as brothers. As friends, we spend a lot of time together outside the volleyball court. He is my brother in this country.”

Libero Ian Marquez shared some benefits that an experienced player such as Ramin brings to the team.

“He actually played the same position as I played in 2018. He is a pretty good libero and he is personally training me, and that makes me a better player, so he’s a really good addition to the team,” Marques said.

Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan

Farzad Ramin , an asssistant coach of the men's volleyball team, carries out a practice session at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Cal if., on March 17, 2022.

File Photo by Nancy Corona

El Camino College’s Andrew White goes for the kill against the Brahmas at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., March 9, 2 022.

Photo by Brandon Sinclair Leonard Ramirez (left) and Robert Horowitz (right) are the athletic trainers at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Mar. 16, 2022. They have worked in the district for more than 20 years.

Women: 69 pts (8th)

“It is nice I can contact them whenever I have issues and questions. Knowing they are going to be there and have been here for as long as they have and have the answers that I need.”