Volume 136 Spring 2022 Roundup Issue 7

LACCD partners with Latino Theater Company

ANASTASIYA OREL Managing Editor

Amelting pot seasoned with tradition, artistry, and education, the Latino Theater Company paves way for underrepresented communities to spark dialogue and illustrate their history.

The Los Angeles Community College District announced its partnership with the Latino Theater Company and their Artistic Director and Board President Jose Luis Valenzuela on January 28, 2022.

In a public news release sent out by the district, LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez highlighted his appreciation for the partnership.

“Los Angeles is at the intersection of arts, entertainment, and cultural diversity,” Rodriguez said. “This creative partnership is exactly the type of synergy needed to enrich our communities through the arts, especially as we learn to live with the pandemic.”

This union grants students districtwide access to a course labeled Theater 285-Directed Study under Los Angeles Mission College, aiming to educate students about theater history as well as encourage participation in the production of performances.

Prior to becoming Artistic Director, Valenzuela was a theater director and professor at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He said he valued his time as a professor and understood the importance of his role.

“We did a play and toured around the country and I found

out that 20% of the population in community colleges are homeless and 37% live below poverty,” Valenzuela said. “That really began questioning the company with ways in which we can get involved with them.”

Valenzuela said with that trip,

the company had decided to offer free tickets to community college students.

“It’s the beginning of an exciting and important partnership for us, in order to create a relationship with the critical mass community that

should participate in theater and the dialogue,” Valenzuela said. “This is a great opportunity for us theater makers to establish a better relationship with these colleges.”

Interim President Ara Aguiar said she is excited about

the introduction of Latino Theater courses.

“I think we need to do it for our students because it’s part of our social justice perspective,” Aguiar said. “It goes back to reflecting who our society is within our colleges. Chicano

Studies, Central American Studies, Black-Latino American Studies- I think all of those are critical to be institutionalized at Pierce.”

Aguiar said the course is also a great form of exposure in education for students.

“It's a way to join the community and certainly a way to enrich our classrooms,” Aguiar said. “I think having that kind of multicultural exposure is a reflection of our society. Conversations really need to start up more from a grassroots effort.”

The Latino Theater Company was founded in 1985 committed to displaying cultural and historical expressions through theater. Award-nominated performances including “A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story” and “The Mother of Henry” have moved conversations about social issues towards center stage.

Valenzuela said the course offered at Mission College directs conversations towards mythology, ancestral history, cultural traditions, immigration, and identity.

“We talk about the idea of Mexican cinema and the influence it has on culture,” Valenzuela said. “There’s a book that talks about the idea of gender disparity in the Mexican-Latino community. In the general population, we have a lot of things to have a conversation about because of religion, economics, political science. The conversation has a different tenor.”

Aguiar said coursework highlighting social issues and ethnic studies is something she is trying to add to Pierce’s program.

Performance showcase displays talent

did his solo.

The Pierce College music performance class presented a student recital on April 19 to showcase their skills.

The performance started with Alezei Lozano, who sang an original song called “Worthy.” It was complete with soft vocal tones and full emotion.

Rhenar Boncato played the song “Aruarian Dance,” by Nubajes on his guitar with a feel-good Hawaiian genre type of vibe.

Rick Levey, Vince Cabanan, Taylor Frankel and Devyn Moreno played “Jailbreak,” by Thin Lizzy. The group had a lead vocalist with a powerful presence and they had a great group chemistry overall.

Devyn Moreno and Stephanie Keledjian sang a duet of “July,” by Noah Cyrus, which featured the two whistling midperformance harmoniously.

Alezei Lozano came back on stage to not only sing but play piano as she’s accompanied by Annie Yolo on the flute in

their rendition of “I Found,” by Amber Run. It was an enjoyable performance with a song that exemplifies how love is found in plain sight.

Matthew Medina and Lance Merrill played a light-hearted and fun rendition of “Log Cabin Blues,” by GH Green on the xylophone and the piano.

Sarah Ruopp, Garrett Sullivan, Connor Sullivan and Malmeth sang “Coney Island Barbershop Quartet.” They all came onto the stage with matching outfits and In-In-Out Burger paper hats.

They all had amazing facial expressions and hand gestures that truly brought an emotional performance into the song as they sang, “Goodbye my Coney Island, baby.” The song was complete with stellar harmonization and solos from each of the members in the group.

Hasti Almasi, Lorenzo Patino, Jonah Matos, and Pablo Sela performed “Don’t Know Why,” by Nora Jones. The lead vocalist took to the front of the stage and by the middle of the song she was seen sitting next to the acoustic guitarist while he

Adrian Clark, Lorenzo Patino and Pablo Sela played “Dern Kala,” by Khruangbin. Like the vocalist from one of the previous groups, this set of musicians also had a strong stage presence that captivated the audience.

The second to last performance of “Los Ageless,” by St. Vincent featured a horn section with a trumpeter, a trombonist and a saxophonist, two electric guitarists, a keyboardist, a drummer and a vocalist. The different instruments blended together created a beautiful sound. It was performed by Isabel Navas, Vince Cabanban, Denise Fuentes, Shelley Quinn, Alexander Reyes, Stephanie Keledjian, Asher Levich, Juan Camarena and Jose Espinosa.

The last song of the recital was “High Hopes,” by Panic! At The Disco, which also featured a horn section among others. The main vocalist invited everyone in the audience during the rendition to sing the lyrics that were provided on the brochure.

It was a perfect ending to the recital, leaving listeners on a hopeful note.

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Photo by Nancy Corona

Jorge "Miami" Berrios sings "Volver, Volver," by Vincente Fernandez during rehearsals for "Melancholia," direccted byJose Luis Valenzuela, with Latino Theater on March 16, 2022.

MARIAH [See THEATER on pg. 7]

“Ithinkitʼsprettybadandweall shoulddoourparttoreduceour carbonemissionsstartingwith driving.Ifpeoplestartedthere, itwouldhelpawholelot.”

-David Sanchez

Let’s learn how to plant our food!

Because we’re in the middle of a pandemic, it’s important to learn how to do the basics of looking out for yourself.

One of the ways to do this is by learning how to make your food through botany.

Botany is the scientific study of plants, which includes their physiology, structure, genetics, ecology, distribution, classification and economic importance. There are four things to consider when you start making your own food. First, you have to know your space. An average garden should have good soil, get six to eight hours of sunlight per day, and should be spacious for all the plants you plan on planting.

Second, you have to think about your goals for the garden, as well as how much money you plan on spending and how much time and effort you put into building the garden. If you’re a first-time gardener, you may want to start small and then build up if things go well. Now that you have some goals in mind and you know enough

“Theclimatecrisisisabig problemandonethatprobably isnʼtgoingtobesolvedanytime soon,becauseit'stiedto industry,economyandevena level of self-sacrifice to make the effort to solve the crisis.”

-Eric Miller

“Itʼssomethingthatabsolutely couldbehandledbyus,since weʼre Earthʼs inhabitants and itʼsnotinournaturetodestroy it so much.”

-MarjinaHaque

Corrections:

Volume 136, Issue 3

about your space, it’s time to start picking out the seeds.

Students would benefit if Pierce College began to offer classes and workshops on botany to learn how to make their food.

EDITORIAL: From the desk of the Roundup STREET BEAT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CLIMATE CRISIS?

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) offers classes on horticulture, and while this subject is in a way similar to botany, it isn’t. Horticulture is the applied science to gardening, while botany, which is a branch of plant science, studies the theory of plants.

While you may not be able to pursue a direct degree in botany, other colleges across California offer it. You can pursue a transferable degree in botany at Cerritos City College (CCC) as well as take classes in botany at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC).

University of California, Berkeley also offers a Jepson Herbarium Workshop, which usually takes place every year, to learn about the different types of flora that exist throughout California. The next workshop took place this month with the theme “50 Plant Families in the Field: Monterey Bay.”

It is crucial to learn about

botany because they involve plants, which are a fundamental tool in the cycle of life. Plants help generate the oxygen, food, fibers, fuel and medicine that allow higher life forms to exist.

Fast and convenient

BY SAMMY JOHNSON Reporter

World War II caused “an increase in standardized production for all clothing” and drove people to adopt a cheaper, more practical sense of style. The new trend continued into the 1960s and beyond, as young people embraced the idea of wearing cheap clothing made by cheap labor and cheap access to resources.

With fast fashion, as said before, large groups of people can produce large quantities of clothing with the help of machines, as opposed to the older, more difficult methods involving individuals and groups producing outfits one at a time by hand.

According to Panaprium blog writer Alex Assoune, the low-cost-method of fast fashion can produce clothes in such a quantity and quality that allows consumers to instantly and affordably satisfy themselves and keep up with weekly trends. It also gives businesses the chance to supply the ever growing global clothing demand.

As well as allowing both consumers and businesses to benefit greatly, fast fashion also holds the economies of developing countries together by providing employment opportunities for those countries’ citizens. An article by Bear Market blog writer Emily Parrish makes a point that when we criticize fast fashion brands for underpaying workers in poorer countries, we base what classifies a decent wage based on our standards as citizens of a developed country.

As the article puts it, “from country to country, standards (for classifying a living wage) can greatly differ,” and in a country where many people work for fast fashion companies, like Cambodia, people spend less because they make less. However, articles from Theguardian.com and Thinkprogress. org, as well as Parrish’s article state that fast fashion companies have in fact helped to raise the minimum wage for their workers, stating that the minimum

wage has doubled in five years. Countries like America thrive on consumerism, and fast fashion provides businesses the chance to quickly and affordably sustain this consumerism, while maintaining the global economy

Plants also absorb carbon dioxide, which is a major greenhouse gas, through photosynthesis.

By having similar workshops or offering classes similar to those at CCC, SBCC, and UC

BY MARIAH BRITT Reporter

As a society, it is our right and responsibility to be educated on the different ways that we can potentially be negatively affected by

Berkeley, Pierce and the rest of the district can learn the importance of botany and why botany makes a huge difference in our lives.

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market to keep up with the latest trends. These clothes are purposely made cheaply so that consumers will buy more clothes often.

On the outside looking in, this may not seem like a huge problem. But it negatively affects the Earth as a whole.

More than 60% of garments produced every year end up wasted by going directly into landfills or being burned in incinerators.

According to Tamborasi.com, in 2016, H&M was caught burning 19 tones of unsold merchandise.

We all end up wasting the same amount of clothes when we give into the notion that fast fashion is better, because purchase more clothes. It completely gets rid of the notion of the sustainability movement.

Fast fashion is terrible for young workers and women, because they don’t get paid enough although they work long hours, they are subjected to dangerous working conditions with no benefits or protection,

According to SustainYourStyle.org, the fashion industry is the secondlargest industrial polluter, behind oil.

According to Vogue, the fashion industry is responsible for 20-35% of ocean microplastics and 20% of global water waste. About 93% of surveyed fashion brands do not pay their workers a living wage.

You may think that the $10 dress you’re considering purchasing is worth it, but when you educate yourself on all of the child labor, forced labor, insane work hours with little to no pay, and exposure to toxic chemicals that goes into it, you may re-think your fashion endeavors.

A smart, sustainable, and ethical alternative to fast fashion would be to participate in thrift shopping. It’s a fun and easy way to get clothes at an inexpensive rate. Anyone can be a part of this environmental fashion change by either donating or buying these donated clothes from the thrift stores.

and helping to employ less fortunate people in less fortunate countries.

sjohnson.roundupnews@gmail.com

different aspects in our life.

One big part of it is clothes, specifically the idea of fast fashion.

“Fast fashion” is defined as cheap and low-quality clothing that is rapidly produced and cycled in and out of the

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News

Marilyn Robb was misspelled in Finders Keepers.

Volume

Cancelled was spelled two different ways on the page.

Opinions

Quotes gathered by Michael Smithlin Photos by Michael Moreno

Photo Illustration by Trisha Anas

"Ithinkthatpeopleare movingmoretowardsnot contaminatingtheworldas muchasbefore,whichisgood."

-RenatoAguila

“Alotofgirlshereoncampus buyfromthebrandSheinand arenʼtawarethattheyare supportingtheexploitationof childrenandcausingissueswith pollution.”

-Chantal Delacruz

Photo by Trisha Anas

A community garden in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

Networking days on the horizon Academic Senate meeting discusses upcoming events

who transferred and where students can meet with representatives from every academic department to talk to students.”

Students who need help with key information about transferring will be assisted by Salter and the Transfer Center during the next couple of weeks.

“The reason we’re such a big transfer school is not because of the application time period. It is because of the months leading up to it,” Salter said. “We really want the students to be prepared and ready, and right now, I’ll tell you, I’ve been going to some classrooms and talking to students and I’m really nervous.”

In addition to the CSUN Day, Pierce is hosting another school networking event.

“UCLA Day is coming up and two weeks away,” Salter said.

Salter said she was pleased with Pierce students who were interviewed by Yale University, which was a first for her as the Transfer Center director.

BY MICHAEL SMITHLIN Reporter

With the 2022 spring semester coming to an end, the Pierce

College Academic Senate discussed future events and important updates.

Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter updated the Senate about the upcoming CSUN Day, in which students will be assisted with all of the information needed for

admission to the university and help with financial aid.

“CSUN Day is this week, and you’ll see this all over social media and the website soon,” Salter said. “It’s a daylong event. So it’s not just one thing. It’s an admissions presentation and a panel of students

Sustainability talks PCC addresses recent events on campus

“All of the other schools are starting to notify students, so, hopefully, we’ll be hearing positive feedback from students,” Salter said. “Of course, there are students who don’t get into their dream schools and we do have support for them, such as the appeal process.”

Salter reported that COVID-19

have negatively affected Pierce students' knowledge on the admission and transfer process.

“When I ask students questions like how many units they need to transfer and when I hear crickets, I get really nervous,” Salter said.

To help the Pierce students with admissions to universities, Salter and the Transfer Center have created a summer camp focused on helping students with the information and questions about the transfer process.

“We do have our transfer summer camp, which will only have 150 spots and will be dual delivery,” Salter said. “It’s three Fridays, and is a really fabulous event, especially for students who are confused on how many units they need.”

Salter continued to illustrate the summer camp’s major asset of helping elevate the student’s full grasp on not only the transfer process, but their careers and financial aid overall.

“Students will go through two full days of transfer bootcamp in which everything about UCs, private universities, CSUs, and out of state universities will be covered,” Salter said. “They will apply for two scholarships and will walk away with an essay, their personal statement, and we’ll have English faculty coming to help them along with their college lists consisting of where they apply to.”

Treasurer Alex Villalta detailed the upcoming Pierce Automotive Department’s connection with the LAPD in their efforts to help limit the recent catalytic converter theft circulating the San Fernando Valley.

“LAPD is going to tag the catalytic converters and we’re going to help them with that,” Villalta said.

Villalta praised the event as something that can truly change the San Fernando Valley for the better.

“We can help with locks, brackets and so on,” Villalta said. “People are trying anything they can to prevent this, and that’s why I think its so important for Pierce to work with the LAPD because I think it's going to help the local community.”

In addition, Performing Arts Director Shaheen Vaaz announced the department’s new play premiering next week.

“‘American Alien’ is coming up and will be opening next week, May 6, and is a devised play about immigration and created by 25 students and myself,” Vaaz said. “It is a great play and is quick without intermission, has music, and the students are really passionate about this piece.”

BY JAYNA KUKLIN

Editor/ Reporter

Sustainability remained a hot topic during the Pierce College Council (PCC) meeting on April 21 on Zoom.

The Council followed up on Action Items 19 and 20, which were gone over at the last PCC meeting on March 24.

Action Items 19 and 20 were based on a motion to create a sustainability evaluation committee as well as $2,000 for a guest speaker, and were passed by the Council at the last meeting with 14 in favor and one abstention.

But some questions were raised about those Action Items, primarily on income.

“Did the President approve an amount of money without a source?”

Budget Committee Chair Eddie Tchertchian asked for clarification.

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher confirmed that the Action Items have been passed without a source of income.

Schleicher, who filled in for Interim President Ara Aguiar, kicked off the meeting by welcoming new Vice President of

Student Services Jason Cifra to Pierce and the PCC.

“Thank you for being here, Jason. I’m glad to have you on board,” Schleicher said.

Schleicher also thanked ASO Co-Adviser Juan Carlos Astorga for driving a lot of programs to the best of his abilities.

“We actually had a Garden Society event on March 26,” Schleicher said of some events that took place on campus. “We had many members come in from the community, such as Keith Peabody, participate in that.”

Peabody is an Instructional Assistant in the Horticulture department.

Schleicher explained that the Garden Society event gave them a showcase that was not only for chemical gardens but also for the arboretum area, which allowed them to speak toward their new programs and facilities.

“Another highlight was our Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) training event that took place on April 7,” Schleicher said praising the event. “It is part of our mercy training we continue to do and that exercise went well, even though many of you were on spring break.”

Deputy Nicholas Saldivar echoed Schleicher’s statement in a letter that the SWAT event had gone well and that the campus was running smoothly.

ASO President Qais Azizi revised and approved the ASO Senate Resolution Part One: Multicultural Center.

“I reached out to Professor Gendron to be put on our faculty meeting to make a presentation with me along with some of our other senators,” Azizi said.

Azizi also announced that there will be elections coming up for two new senators for ASO.

Co-Chair of the Technology Committee and Representative of the Budget Committee Ron Paquette announced that the committee held conversations about changing the name of the school website from piercecollege.edu to LAPierceCollege.edu or LAPC. edu.

COVID-19 Safety Officer Paul Nieman said in a COVID-19 review while case numbers and hospitalization numbers are low, masks are still required unless you were sitting in your private office with the door closed.

Copy

Screenshot by Michael Smithlin Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter talks about UCLA Day during an Academic Senate meeting on April 25, 2022.

Screenshot by Jayna Kuklin Pierce College Council Chair Brian Gendron leads a meeting on Zoom, on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Suspension Brakes and Power Systems class takes place at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Professor Alex Villalta (left) demonstrates different automobile repair procedures during Suspension Brakes and Power Systems class at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Professor Alex Villalta demonstrates different automobile repair procedures during Suspension Brakes and Power Systems class at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Professor Alex Villalta demonstrates different automobile repair procedures during Suspension Brakes and Power Systems class at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Student Marco Mota positioins the hydraulic jack during Suspension Brakes and Power Systems class at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

In the Auto shop

Alex Villalta, a professor of the Automotive Service Technology program, shared his profound knowledge with the students of suspension brakes and power systems class on Thursday, April 21.

Some students noted that they want to persue a career in the automotive industry, and this class can play a major role in that decision. Some say their love for repairing cars stems from their childhood, others state it is the hands-on working process that makes them passionate about it.

Villalta said that even though there are few female students in the class, they excell at their studies.

Professor Alex Villalta demonstrates different automobile repair procedures during Suspension Brakes and Power Systems class at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

Copy and photos by Rozie Tadevosyan

Old MacBrahMa Had a Farm

Pierce College was founded as an agricultural college in 1947, and the school stays true to its roots. The Pierce College Veterinary Science Club makes sure to clean and maintain the Farm.

With a moo-moo here and a moo-moo there, the Farm is open to the public as a “farm within the city.” Students and public are welcome to visit during open hours.

Students feed the baby goats while they help clean up the Farm at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022. Pierce’s Veterinary Science Club cleans the Farm frequently.

The Pierce College Farm on campus in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022. The Veterinary Science Club held a clean up event.

Gucci, the baby goat, waits to be bottled fed by the students cleaning up the Pierce College Farm in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022.

Alicia Perez rakes the goat pen at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022.

Students wash the bottles to feed the baby goats on the Pierce College Farm in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022. Pierce’s Veterinary Science Club cleans the farm frequently.

Copy and Photos by Jasmine Casanova

Students volunteer to help clean up the farm

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

The gates are wide open leading students to walk upwards on the dirt road and follow along this stripped path to where domesticated animals are being looked after, with some roaming wild and free as the pasture while some are inside and being taken care of by Pierce College students.

Full-time agriculture assistant Sarah Glenn said that the plan is to make sure that the goat pen is all cleaned up and to check out newly arrived shipments.

“We’re gonna have our students in the goat unit, they’ll help us clean our pens that way our animals come back to a sanitary area tonight,” Glenn said. “But after they’re finished with that, we’re gonna go down to our hay barn so that way we're ready for our next feed shipment.”

I do anything from assisting our technicians in laboratory classes,” Glenn said. “We have students that come out and [be] hands on with our animals that way they can learn.”

Student worker Kenny Rodriguez said that he’s here to be involved and help out any of the students.

“I’m a new student worker and my job here is to just kind of make sure everything right here runs smoothly,” Rodriguez said. “I’ll help with feeding [animals], giving [out] water, cleaning and assisting students in whatever they need.”

Senior and pre-veterinary registered behavior technician (RBT) major Alicia Perez said that she’s there to learn more for her 596 B class and get closer with the animals.

“I decided to come here because I want to work with the animals and get more into agriculture,” Perez said. “The one thing I liked doing

on the farm was actually interacting with [the animals], especially as a beginner you work with pen one—a smaller group— isn’t used to being around us humans. It was pretty amazing and easy to learn as I went through.”

Another student volunteer taking 596 B Nayah Santacruz said that by being on the farm, she learns new things everyday and one of them is learning how to feed baby goats with a technique called haltering.

“[With] feeding the goats and bottle feeding, we learned how to halter so kind of like walking them around,” Santacruz said. “It was really fun learning.”

Although this all happened in one day, there’s always something new to look forward to on the farm with nature and animals teaching everyone to work for something bigger than themselves.

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Brief: Automotive class paves way for students

BY MICHAEL MORENO Photographer

The founder of Toyota, Sakichi Toyoda, said, “Before you say you can’t do something, try it.”

The Pierce College Automotive Center, which sits atop of the campus near the Equestrian Center, provides students who are eager to enter the automotive industry with a chance to get hands-on experience on cars.

Gustavo Hernandez said professor of Automotive Service Technology Alex Villata uses his passion to teach students how to work with cars.

“I really love working on cars,” Hernandez said. “He actually goes an extra mile to make sure that you learn what you want to learn.”

From tire changes to fixing leaks inside of a car’s interior, the Automotive Center hopes that students can understand the mechanical language and even take a chance on fixing their cars.

Jorge Camacho said the class

Theater collaboration

[Continued from pg. 1]

has helped him further his goal to be a mechanic.

“It’s something that I dreamt of, and for me to get an associate as well was a big goal,” Camacho said.

Student Marco Mota said that fixing cars was something he was passionate about.

“It’s freedom, and it’s where I can get away from everything and not worry about the seriousness of life,” Mota said.

“I know our faculty is very open and supportive of bringing ethnic studies courses into our curriculum,” Aguiar said. “We need to be unbiased, creative, embracing of everyone. Those are all characteristics that we all must in education have and that is how we can all enrich our own courses, regardless of what discipline.”

Valenzuela taught Latino Theater alongside the Chicano Studies Department at UCLA. He said these kinds of conversations have enlightened his students.

“The feedback that I got from my students when I was teaching at UCLA was that I changed their life,” Valenzuela said. “The Dean of UCLA tells me to stop inspiring people.”

The partnership with the Latino Theater Company is dedicated to helping students understand the contributions of culture and history in modern society and theater.

“If you don’t know your history, you don’t know who you are,” Valenzuela said. “The truth is- when you know who you are in history and how many things you can do with who you are, it’s incredible. So many of my students think of success as a place or goal. Success is not a destination but a journey of someone’s life.”

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Photo by Michael Moreno

Jorge Camacho works on a Honda Civic to check for leaks in the car at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 21, 2022.

Photo by Jasmine Casanova Bridget Guezman (front) and Alicia Perez gather supplies to clean the goat pen at the Pierce College Farm in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022.

Photo by Jasmine Casanova

The Pierce College Farm includes a Goat Laboratory in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2022.

Photo by Nancy Corona

Latino Theater Director Jose Luis Valenzuela poses for a portrait at City College in Los Angeles on March 16, 2022.

Men's Volleyball Baseball Swim

Women's basketball Men's Basketball

Football program hosts prospect event

on campus

BY WHITNEY EVANS Reporter

The Pierce College football team is under new leadership and is hoping to win on the field and academically.

On April 24, head football coach James Sims hosted the second prospect event, alongside athletics counselor Joseph Roberson and coaching staff for in and out-ofstate recruits.

The students were given a tour of the campus, accompanied by the Brahma cheerleaders, touring the Library, Student Services, the Financial Aid office, football facilities and John Shepherd Stadium. Roberson said he expects the best of the student athletes and for them to accept the leadership they need to succeed.

“I will show up with the same level of passion, energy and desire to help them succeed, that I would want if the situation was reversed,” Roberson said. “I expect them to do their best and allow us to give them the support that will help them persist through their academic and athletic endeavors successfully.”

Sims said that Pierce will be a stepping stone for the students to work on their academics and playing time.

“Students come here to work on their academics or they need a little bit more work on getting film time for their talent,” Sims said. “You come here to do two years, three years at the most and get out of here and go to the

next level of what you're trying to accomplish in life.”

Sims explained that he’s not too concerned about the wins, it's more

so about the competitiveness.

“We have quality guys and it’s going to grow from here on out, I want people to respect Pierce,”

Sims said. “I want the other teams to know when they see Pierce on the schedule they have a game ahead of them.”

Assistant football coach Will Chandler is also new to the team and is preparing to set an example, bringing the experience he’s

BY FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor

The Pierce College swim team competed in the Western State Conference Championships at Cuesta to secure their spot at the state competition in May.

After competing for three days, the program finished with a combined score of 352 points. The men’s team placed seventh with a score of 202 points.

The women on the other hand finished in ninth place with 150 points.

For the men, Aaron Lee earned the most points with 37, followed by Jordan Villar who received 25.

Lee placed sixth in the men’s 400-yard individual medley finished the relay in 4:37.54. Also in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke he placed seventh.

Maria Sandoghdar scored 37 points and earned the most points for the women’s team.

BY FELIPE GAMINO Sports Editor

The top prospects in the nation will learn what team they'll be playing for in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Three former Brahmas are among those that will tune in for

gained along the way and the keys to help the team.

“I'm bringing the knowledge the players need to perform in a D1 atmosphere,” Chandler said. “The keys to a successful team is playing for each other, discipline and accountability. As a leader I expect to be a man, you have to be a man of your word and set examples by action, not always by words.”

Quarterback Matt Abajian, a civil engineering major, shared how he decided to join the team and his keys to being a team player.

“I had players from high school that were hitting me up, that are on the team, saying ‘Hey come back we’re trying to build something great.’ I got in contact with Mr. Roberson,” Abajian said. “Being a team player means you have to accept every player and that may not always be the easiest thing, but being able to tie a team together and call it one is really what makes a team great.”

Kicker Jared Picado, a cinematography major, joined the team out of an urge to keep busy.

“I was bored at home so I thought that this would be a good opportunity to help me become more productive,” Picado said. “My weaknesses are fear but faith is my strength and hoping, not letting any negativity surround. Respect, honesty, being responsible and being supportive to everyone around you are some of the keys to a successful team.”

In the 500-yard freestyle, Sandoghdar placed seventh with a time of 5:58.21. She would go on to have a great race in the 200-yard freestyle finishing in 5th place.

In the 1,650-yard freestyle, Sandoghdar ranked at seventh place with a time of 20:57.98.

Next week, the swim team will decide how many representatives they could have at state.

The state championships will take from Thursday, May 5, to Saturday, May 7, at East LA College.

the three-day event. They are linebacker Blaze Alldredge, tight end Travis Koontz and offensive lineman Anthony Scott.

Alldredge, Koontz and Scott played for head coach James Sims in 2017.

Football finished that season

5-5, beating Antelope Valley College in the final game.

Alldredge played the 2021 season for the University of Missouri, while Koontz played for Texas Tech. Scott is on track to graduate from Davenport University. The draft takes place April 2830 in Las Vegas.

Photo by Brandon Sinclair

Ryan Barry (#9) pitches for the Pierce College Brahmas against Valley College in Valley Glen, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2022.

File Photo by Navodya Dharmasiriwardena Pierce College swim team member Cassidy Hoffman warms up with the breaststroke at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at P ierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 16, 2018.

Photo by Nancy Corona

Head coach James Sims (center back) with prospect students (left to right) Diego Rivera, Jesse Santoyo, Max Gudino, Jared Picado and Taylor Hemphill (center front) at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, C alif., on Saturday, April 23,2022.