Volume 136 Spring 2022 Roundup Issue 9

Pierce celebrates Asian culture with festival

Volunteers at the Overdue booth talked about bringing communities together by organizing daily trash pickups, beach and river cleanups and hiking events. Pierce student and Overdue volunteer DaphneTenne talked about the initiative and spoke about her experience at the festival.

“We basically get together, pick up some trash around the LA river, sometimes we go to the beach, sometimes we just go to different areas in town and clean up together and then have a beer afterward,” said Tenne. “I love the dancing and the music that’s going on. I had some dumplings and they were amazing.”

Many local businesses participated. Quest Martial Arts is a karate school with locations in Reseda and Canoga Park that offers children, teen and adult programs and promotes fitness and discipline for the mind and body. Former Pierce student and the manager of the Canoga Park location, Marielle Bautista, spoke about the importance of celebrating Asian culture and diversity in the valley.

Rocky Young Park was filled Saturday, May 7, with traditional Kathak

dances and Katori Shinto Ryu Samurai performances as well as artists and a petting zoo. They were celebrating the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

The dancers came from the Leela Institute of Kathak, which

connected audiences to the richness of classic Indian art. Attendees witnessed a display of power, precision and speed from Japanese martial artists.

Los Angeles City Councilmember for the 3rd Council District Bob Blumenfield was there to make

a speech and present several awards to local members of the Asian-American community.

“I love seeing the creativity of the different communities and how they’re representing their cultures. Whether it's the puppet show, or the figurines, or the artwork, or the dancing. It’s just

really nice,” Blumenfield said. “So many times we get together in politics for disagreement, and it’s nice to get together on a positive note like this where it's all about togetherness, love, diversity and learning.”

Local interest and activist groups were also in attendance.

“Diversity, in general, is very important. I think that’s what kind of makes California so beautiful, is that it's so diverse and gets a little bit of everybody and I think it’s always nice to be knowledgeable and learn and just appreciate one another,” Bautista said.

Pierce also had many booths and activities available to attendees. The Pierce College

Adraft opinion piece written by Judge Samuel Alito on May 2, 2022, stated that the Supreme Court of the United States planned to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and strike down federally protected abortion rights.

The draft opinion, which is 98 pages long, consisted of Alito the 1973 decision guaranteeing federal constitutional protection if a woman requested an abortion.

“Roe was egregiously wrong from the start,” Alito wrote.

In response to the draft opinion being leaked, Planned Parenthood, UltraViolet, the Women’s March, and MoveOn launched a “Bans off our Bodies” day of action Saturday, May 14, with protests and marches that took place across the country.

At Saturday’s protest in downtown Los Angeles over at City Hall, about 50,000 people had attended, with notable speakers including Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Representatives Karen Bass and Maxine Waters (D-CA).

Planned Parenthood

Federation of America president and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson and actresses Ann Walter and Christine Lahti also spoke at the protest.

Interim president Ara Aguiar said she was not aware of anyone that spoke or represented Pierce College at the protest.

“I support everyone’s voice being heard in a safe manner,” Aguiar said. “And I think it’s an important and interesting time that we’re going through.”

Aguiar stated that she had grown up during this time and was aware of women's hardships which continue to be faced today.

Patricia Perez, a participant in the protest, donned a red gown that symbolized the dresses that the handmaids wear in “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

“This (dress) represents the dystopian future that is right before our eyes right now,” Perez said.

Perez stated that it was important for her to be at the protest because the protest was not only about choice, but it was also about women’s health.

Perez also gave her thoughts on what would happen if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned.

Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan

Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Photo by Nancy Corona

Susan Miller holds a sign at the “Bans off our Bodies” rally in

on

EDITORIAL: From the desk of the Roundup STREET BEAT

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR FINALS?

Workshops can raise awareness for autism

April is Autism Awareness Month, and Pierce College could benefit by offering classes and workshops on how to deal with an individual who has autism or is on the spectrum.

A CDC report stated that 1 in 54 children have been identified as being on the autism spectrum disorder. This is over 75,000,000 people (which is 1% of the world’s population) that are on the spectrum.

Since 1974, Pierce College has had a program called Special Services that helps provide oncampus services to students with

“Itrytofindoutwhatʼson the final and work with other studentsandseewhatthey're doing.Reachouttotheteacher, sometimestheyʼllhintatspecific questions.”

-Eden Chen

“Draw an outline like three weeksaheadaboutastudy plan,andthentheweekbefore, gooveritandjustreview.Then threedaysbeforereallygoindepth,andthenthatʼsreallyit.”

-KenethHiggins

“Juststudy,goovereverything weʼvebeenlearning,and probablyjustdosometest questionshereorthere."

-Osiris Gonzalez

“Idonotstress.Honestly, stressingisthebiggestwayto messupyourfinals.Studying wonʼtimproveyourperformance ifyouʼrestressed.”

-JosephEstén

“Caffeinate,whichisprobably notashealthyasitshould be,butcaffeinate.Thebest strategyformeisjustgoing backinmynotesandwriting overthemwithPost-its,adding morestufftowhatIalready studied.”

-TianaGregoryona

Corrections:

Volume 136, Issue 8: Front page: Column two, paragraph three.

The piece is called "Ajmal in the Canal," and it is not related to Jamal Khashoggi.

disabilities. Over 900 students with disabilities per semester receive a diverse range of support services that are not provided by other departments on campus and by many services that are.

However, having Special Services on campus is not enough to help students that have autism or are on the spectrum.

Pierce can begin to offer a one-day workshop called JASPER, which stands for Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation.

This type of workshop was offered by Dr. Connie Kasari from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on March

3, which is a part of the Autism Studies program at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

JASPER targets the foundations of social communication and uses naturalistic strategies to increase the rate and complexity of social communication. The workshop will describe JASPER’s foundations, present research, explain strategies that are employed in JASPER sessions, and show the paramountcy of assessment in informing treatment targets and tracking progress.

Pierce College offers two three-unit courses called Child Development 044 and Child

Pro: Con:

One test to rule them all

BY GISELLE LOMELI News Editor

Afinal exam is a way to test a student's knowledge on the subject. It’s not only beneficial to students, but to professors as well.

Based on the overall grades that students get, it can help professors see if they might need to come up with a different teaching strategy or stick to what seems to be helping students grasp the material. Students can benefit from a final exam because it can either show them that their studying methods are useful.

According to Universityherald. com final exams motivate students to prepare by improving their study skills. It teaches self-discipline and self-organization which is needed to be successful throughout life.

Final exams can be given in many different forms such as true or false multiple choice exams or projects. There is always a main goal that a class is aiming to reach which is to successfully demonstrate or explain the material. This can only be done through a final exam.

If final exams did not exist, there would be a lot of nurses, doctors and even lawyers that would be aiming to help others without being officially qualified for the position.

According to Meemli.org ,although final exams can be stressful, it helps students prepare for higher education. Considering final exams tend to count for a large amount of their grade, students have a chance to raise their current grade if they are not satisfied with it.

Final exams help to build time management skills by making students dedicate a specific time to studying. It also helps build teamwork skills by teaching students to help each other study and possibly learn something new from one another.

According to Conantcrier.com final exams help students build their own coping strategies and grow to be able to handle working under stressful

circumstances. During the pandemic many felt unmotivated which is why final exams will teach students to get back into their school routine which includes studying for exams. It is also a pro for professors because they can reflect on their teaching strategies after receiving the grades from students. Good test scores could boost a professor’s qualifications to further spread knowledge to future students. Those test scores could be proof that students should take their class. Especially if former students share their opinion on Rate My Professor, others could feel motivated to take the class knowing that other students did well on the final exam. Final exams teach useful life long skills that students can use after they graduate and move on to real life tests.

glomeli.roundupnews@gmail.com

Development 045, which are usually offered in the fall and spring semesters and run for eight weeks long.

Child Development 044 is designed for students that are interested in working with young children who have exceptional needs and their families, while Child Development 045 is an overview of programs that provide special education services with children who have exceptionalities.

Neither of these classes is a prerequisite and they are recommended for students majoring in child development and want to work with people

who have special needs. Along with offering workshops and classes, Pierce also can help professors and students along with any other faculty members by giving out names of various organizations around the world that can help educate them on autism and how to deal with it, as well as inviting various alumni who are on the spectrum to give out speeches on their experiences and what life was like being on the spectrum.

Is the end finally here?

BY WHITNEY EVANS Reporter

The end of the semester is approaching. So what does that mean?

Final exams.

Are final exams necessary? Do students actually need them?

Being a college student can be

and well-being.

“A common phenomenon is negative mood, anxiety, sadness and anger, which when prolonged by rumination can lead to exacerbated psychological stress responses,” Engeland said.

The end of the semester should be a peaceful time, not stressing over material that was learned months before and some students believe that having a final exam is a waste of time.

According to The A Blast it’s hard for students to hold on to material learned from the beginning of the year.

Final exams force students to go back and memorize material that they’ve already learned. Then there’s the students that are having trouble in their classes or class now have to learn a semester of work in one week, which causes more stress on the student.

Researchers from The A Blast also say that final exams are a questionable way to see what students have learned, and in the real world students will not be able to take multiple choice tests in the classroom to prove that they know the material.

Students need to be challenged and will need to overcome adversity to succeed in life, and school should take the finals as an opportunity to teach those lessons to their students.

With that being said, are final exams even worth the stress?

stressful enough, and having a final exam will just add unwanted stress.

According to IQ careers, science and education experts say that final exams are a bad idea.

The stress and tension that students deal with regularly can have bad impacts on the mental state. Some of them become sick after months of continuous learning process.

In the Daily Collegian, associate professor of Biobehavioral Health and the Director of the Stress & Health Lab Jennifer Graham Engeland also said stress can manifest and affect health

According to The Daily Wildcat board member of the American institution of stress Dr. Cynthia Ackrill said that, “the stress that college students go through during final exam periods has both immediate and long-term negative effects on the brain. Because Getting less than five hours of sleep five nights in a row Is equivalent to being legally drunk.”

Ackrill also says that finals push some students into a brain-stree equivalent of a drinking binge. Eliminating final exams will ultimately provide students with a more stress free experience when wrapping up their academic semester.

wevans.roundupnews@gmail.com

Column: Abortion is a human right

Women are tired. They’re tired of hearing other people dictate what to do with their bodies.

And while this may seem like an unimportant matter of opinion to some, the reality is that the decision to outlaw abortion puts women’s health and safety in danger.

BY TRISHA ANAS Copy Editor

While the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is still unknown, the general public is exasperated.

According to the World Health Organization, when people with unintended pregnancies do not have access to safe, timely and affordable procedures, they often resort to unsafe abortions.

To put more barriers in front of women and prevent us from proper healthcare in a country

that has the resources for safe procedures is a crime.

Ultimately, abortion is and should be a human right.

WHO reports that unsafe abortions are the leading cause of maternal deaths, even though they are preventable.

WHO also reports that approximately 78,000 deaths occur annually from unsafe procedures.

Complete eradication of abortion is nearly impossible and attempting to do so will only lead to more harm.

The Health and Human Rights Journal reports that in El Salvador, where abortions were criminalized, nearly

19,000 procedures took place between 2005 and 2008.

HHRJ also said that it was a possibility that number might be higher.

To be pro-choice does not mean that all individuals will be forced to have abortions.

To be pro-choice means to rightfully give women full autonomy of their bodies because they’re the ones who have to deal with what comes after pregnancy.

If one is truly pro-life, they would think about those who did not plan to be mothers.

They would think about the children who would otherwise end up in orphanages.

They would also think about women whose lives would be in danger from pregnancy related health complications.

In the United States of America, we brag about being one of the most developed countries, but affordable healthcare is still out of reach.

In the United States of America, we claim to be a forward thinking country, yet we seem to always be headed backward.

In the United States of America, freedom is preached, but only for a selected few.

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Quotes gathered by Peter Polygalov Photos by Bre Jenkins

Photo Illustration by Cecilia Parada

Updates to safety guidelines District modifies COVID-19 policies

After implementing a vaccine and testing requirement last semester, the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board of Trustees in a meeting on May 4, voted 4-3 that Board Policy 2900 be modified.

Starting May 5, employees, as well as current and future Brahmas, will no longer be required to show proof of vaccination or have a COVID-19 exemption on file.

Mandatory weekly testing for those that were exempt will no longer be required.

LACCD Director of Communications and External

Relations William Boyer wrote in an email the reason for the sudden change.

“The Board of Trustees voted based upon recommendations from the Chancellor and the prevailing health orders and recommendations from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” Boyer wrote. “Now, we will update and revise the administrative procedures for enforcement and governance of the policies.”

In addition to the changes in vaccination and testing, masks will become optional starting June 12.

Pierce College Interim President Aracely Aguiar said the district has evaluated the school facilities.

“We have implemented the safety measures that have been recommended,” Aguiar said.

“Based on the data, we are in a situation where 80% of our community is already vaccinated and the guidelines and I quote from the Department of Public Health is that the current environment is not creating a health risk or death.”

She hopes this decision will positively impact enrollment and said they will continue to take actions to keep everyone safe while the students meet their academic goals.

“Our custodians have done an amazing job. They go in every day after the classes are done and spray our rooms and disinfect them with the technology that we have purchased through HERF funds,” Aguiar said. “So I think all of these factors together are making our students much more open and

accepting of coming back and making the choice of what is the best for them and their family.”

Aguiar said that they will continue to have options available that meets the needs of each student.

She said that the reaction to the decision has varied from the faculty and staff.

“So I’ve heard a few things here and there, but many of them have been open to returning to campus,” Aguiar said. “Having said that, we also have to be sensitive to the fact that faculty and staff do have the opportunity to to go through a process of accommodation as a result of a personal medical situation.”

Aguiar added, “So as leaders for the college, there is a process and we will go through that process, work with each person, the District and do everything to make sure that that those requests are are looked at in a way with fairness and accuracy.”

Athletic Director Susan Armenta said it was necessary to modify the requirements.

"I do see the necessity to do that because we were creating a barrier for student enrollment," Armenta said. "Especially for our athletes. As much as I want to be safe, there is also a downturn in COVID, but I felt it was an opportunity for us to be more welcoming."

Fitness Center Coordinator and head football coach James Sims said he is cautious, but happy about the change.

“I still realize that people are still getting sick and some are still dying, and you have to take that into consideration," Sims said. "Until we can move forward, I still realize the risks that are being taken."

Sims said that participation will go up because the studentathletes that didn’t participate because of the requirements will finally come out.

“There were people that weren’t

Brief: Brahma signs with NFL

Editor

Former Pierce College tight end Travis Koontz signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent.

He was invited to participate in the rookie mini-camp this past weekend.

He played for Pierce in 2017 under head coach James Sims. Koontz now will look to be a part of the final 53-man roster. The Raiders start their season at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m.

fgamino.roundupnews@gmail.com

about wearing masks so they will come out,” Sims said. “I still believe though at the end of the day, we need to be looking out for everyone’s health which is the most important thing."

He said several studentathletes were excited about the announcement because they weren’t up to date with their vaccines or boosters.

However, not everyone is happy with the district’s decision.

Veterinarian Tech major Mayra Borja said LACCD was wrong for lifting these restrictions.

“I think everyone needs to be vaccinated for other people’s safety,” Borja said. “I understand that people are frustrated about wearing masks, but they need to wait a bit longer. And with cases rising, we might have to do it again.”

fgamino.roundupnews@gmail.com

Coming soon: Repairs to the athletic fi elds Academic Senates discusses facility updates

Gopher holes and outdated turf are several examples of poor maintenance the athletic facilities at Pierce have.

So the Academic Senate meeting was held to address the retthe Academic Senate discussed on Monday about repairing the many fields that have been in disarray during the pandemic.

Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher said that athletics never received investments, and that being out for so long, repairs were needed.

“Our fields have gone in disrepair,” Schleicher said. “We’re moving very quickly to try to get some contracts to get some of the work done.”

Several members of the Western State Conference Committee came to campus and checked out the facilities.

Athletic Director Susan Armenta said that the committee saw some things with the facilities and that need to be addressed.

“The committee also felt that there were some issues that are health and safety issues that should be addressed sooner rather than later,” Armenta said.

Dean of Student Services Claudia Velasco said that the contracts should be signed this week.

“I am very happy to let you all know that we are moving forward with the fixing,” Velasco said.

The repairs will be for the men’s baseball field, basketball court and the softball field.

Once the contract is done, the repairments for the baseball field can immediately begin.

The many athletes at Pierce fought hard against this and were even willing to not play to get these fields repaired, Interim President Ara Aguilar said.

“The teams did not hold back in terms of basically saying either fix it or you will need to cancel the sport,” Aguilar said.

Another topic discussed was whether Pierce should be a nonsmoking campus.

There were mixed opinions, but the Health Department members were leaning toward the nonsmoking campus.

Physical Education professor Sabrina Prieur said that she is in support of a non-smoking campus and that it should be common sense. “As part of the Health Department, I’m sure everyone

in our department would be in support of this but coming off of COVID it’s a common-sense argument,” Prieur said.

Smoking has caused many deaths, and this is why Denise Robb is in support of a nonsmoking campus.

Robb, a professor in the Political Science department, said that this rule can change many students' thinking.

“My mother died of lung cancer, and also I think as we make it more difficult to smoke on campus some students may just feel like it’s not even worth it and give up smoking,” Robb said.

The arguments against this were that if the school mandated a non-smoking campus this might keep students from enrolling at Pierce.

Psychology professor Chad Snow said that he doesn’t like smoking, but that if they did mandate this, this decision wouldn’t line up with the other decisions previously made.

“I would like to have a not only non-smoking campus but a nonsmoking world,” Snow said. “I can’t stand cigarette smoking. It gives me a headache and it drives me crazy, but we are concerned with enrollment, and that this would

seem non-consistent behavior to suddenly restrict this but not need the vaccine anymore.”

Auto Service Technology professor Alex Villalta said that the members making this decision should be mindful of everyone who smokes.

“We have instructors, staff, faculty, deans and obviously our

students. So we need to be mindful of not making our campus an unwelcoming education facility,” Villalta said. “But I think we also need to be mindful of having designated areas.”

The winners of the Faculty of the Year and the Adjunct Faculty of the Year were announced. The Faculty of the Year Winner is

Kalynda Webber McLean and the Adjunct Faculty of the Year is D'arcy Corwin.

The next Academic Senate meeting will be Monday, May 23, at 2:15 p.m.

Photo Illustration by Cecilia Parada

Screenshot by Nikki Kober Interim President Ara Aguiar smiles during an Academic Senate meeting on Zoom on May, 9, 2022.

FELIPE GAMINO Sport Editor

JOEL ROBLES Reporter

FELIPE GAMINO Sport

Asian culture celebrated at Pierce

At the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park on May 7, attendees took a peek into the lives of the local Asian community.

Streaks of red and yellow were worn by many, whose clothes were adorned by traditional jewelry.

The festival also showcased cultural dance performances and demonstrations, as well as a variety of cuisines.

Attendees sipped on boba tea, watched lion dances and admired vibrant paper lanterns to honor Asian American and Pacific Islander month.

Young dancers create hearts with their hands as they sing a Mother’s Day song during the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park, Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan.

Lucy Aon plays with puppets in a traditional attire during the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park, Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan.

Performers prepare to demonstrate a traditional Indian dance at the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park, Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan.

Copy by Trisha Anas

Ai-Nhi Tran and realtor Gwen Uyen Tran wearing traditional Vietnamese clothing during the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park, Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, May 7, 2022.

Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan.

Traditional dolls sit on a table during the 1st Valley Asian Cultural Festival in Rocky Young Park, Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Photo by Nikki Kober.

Pro-Choice rally in LA

After the Supreme Court leak of the possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade, protesters took to the streets of Downtown Los Angeles on May 14 at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally organized by Planned Parenthood and the Women’s March Foundation.

While people marched, pickett signs in favor of reproductive and abortion rights filled the city.

There were also a few anti-abortion signs present.

Thousands of people participated with colorful signs to vocalize their concerns about keeping abortions safe and accessible and giving women the right to choose.

A person holds a sign in favor of equal reproductive rights at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally in Los Angeles, on May 14, 2022. Tousands of posters and pickett signs had messages to spread awareness on how overturning Roe v. Wade could affect women across the country. Photo by Michael Moreno.

Protesters write messages on a large pink banner to voice their dissatisfaction regarding the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade during the “Bans Off Our Bodies” protests held at City Hall in Los Angeles, on May 14, 2022. Photo by Roze Tadevosyan.

Copy by Trisha Anas

A group of protesters hold prochoice signs and march down the streets during the “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally at the Civic Center in Los Angeles, on May 14, 2022.

Photo by Nancy Corona.

Leigh-Ann Smith shows support at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” protest at City Hall in Los Angeles, on May 14, 2022. Photo by Michael Moreno.

Pierce hosts virtual UCLA Day

MICHAEL SMITHLIN Reporter

Soon to be Bruins attended UCLA Day hosted by the Los Angeles Pierce College Transfer Center.

The event focused on guiding newly admitted University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students transferring from Pierce and assisting prospective students.

Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter informed students with information about the application process.

“This is designed to help students with the ins and outs of UCLA,” Salter said. “It's really an admissions overview so you know what next steps you need to take, and so you are a prepared candidate [when applying.] This also is a way to see if the school is for you. We want you to find the school that’s the right fit.” UCLA Day was a four hour long virtual event, filled with sessions ranging from a transfer analysis to meetings with personalized clubs and programs aimed to help students with their classes and social life.

LAPC Program Coordinator at the UCLA Center for Community College Partnerships (CCCP) Alberto Moreno offered guidance on several scholarship programs aimed to help students with more financial needs, including the Academic Advancement Program (AAP).

Moreno oversees and offers assistance to Pierce students who require additional help with their transfer goals and overall success at UCLA and other universities.

The AAP allows for lowincome students to take advantage of opportunities and receive assistance with the overall admissions process.

While the program is based on the heavily divided Critical Race Theory, Moreno believes the theory allows for a foundation to help less privileged students to succeed at the admissions and student life at UCLA and

universities overall.

]“The reason we use Critical Race Theory is to help us understand the different disparities and inequities in higher education in ways for us to combat these two to help create better access to under-represented and usurped communities,” Moreno said.

The event was extensive in its approach to help students prepare for the transfer process to UCLA along with learn about the school from former Pierce College students who were admitted there.

Former Pierce College students Fatima Sheyda, Javier Garcia, and Alexander Chesney successfully transferred to UCLA, and shared their experiences in the admissions process.

The three students and Moreno formed a student transfer panel in hopes to assist students who plan on transferring to UCLA along with students who aren’t sure if the university is the one for them.

Sheyda said that choosing

a university can vary for each student depending on their personal priorities.

“For me definitely my major was the number one factor, and as a psychobiology major, only UCLA and UCSB offered this major, but the distance between my home and my family was really important to me since I didn’t want to be too far away from them,” Sheyda said.

Despite UCLA offering what Sheyda required for her major, she still had one more important need for the university to ensure it was the school for her.

“What programs they are offering is important as well,” Sheyda said. “Something that was really important was the campus. I really like the campus, and while it might be the last factor for many people, for me it was really important to feel like home on the campus.”

The student transfer panel also shared struggles they deal with currently such as housing options, parking, and the expensive enrollment fees.

“My transfer experience was

my experience, but the things that truly helped me were the Transfer Center and places like the Black Bruin, because honestly as a transfer, it feels like you stick out a little bit compared to the students who came here straight out of high school,” Chesney said.

Like Chesney, the other members of the student transfer panel shared struggles they dealt with when they first transferred to UCLA, including imposter syndrome, and a lack of social experiences because of COVID-19 and also transferring from Pierce as opposed to enrolling at UCLA at the start of their academic careers.

“Hanging out in the transfer center and meeting other transfers made it much easier at UCLA because I’m not really like the usual students who gets admitted here,” Chesney said. “It sort of makes the adjustment period weird and off, and you get imposter syndrome, which affected me such as my mental mindset and I would always question if I was meant to be here

Culture fest

[Continued from pg. 1]

Bookstore and the Associated Student Organization were giving out T-shirts and wristbands, while the Pre-Vet and Agriculture Club brought a petting zoo and introduced people to farm animals. A student on campus and member of the club, Bridgette Guzman, spoke about some of her favorite highlights from the festival and the importance of being exposed to a variety of diverse cultures.

and my place at UCLA.”

Chesney continued explaining the difficult situation once transferring to UCLA as something that was uncomfortable.

“While I was a student here, I also had something else attached to it,” Chesney said. “It made me feel like I didn’t fit in and deserve to be here.”

While the whole panel had some struggles once they transferred to UCLA, they all shared optimism and hope that incoming transfers and students who plan to transfer to UCLA eventually, can have their experiences improved upon with the relationship between the students and the panel.

Furthermore, the panel also shared that once they were settled, UCLA has been an enjoyable experience, and the transfer summer programs and other social and campus life programs truly aided their overall experience.

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'Bonnie and Clyde:' Panel discusses changing film culture

MICHAEL SMITHLIN Reporter

Cinema often dictates and directly shapes the culture of its time.

While American culture today is accustomed to violence, whether in shows, movies, video games, or other mediums, it wasn’t always like this.

“Bonnie and Clyde” directed by Arthur Penn and released in 1967, is a crime film based on the American couple that traveled through the Central United States robbing banks during the Great Depression.

The Pierce College film club held a panel discussing the effects of “Bonnie and Clyde” with professors Ken Windrum, Robert O’Neil, and Jeff Favre adding historical context to the film.

Like many of the audience at the time of the film’s release, Cinema professor O’Neil was troubled when he first viewed the film.

“When I saw this film for the first time, I thought the shooting scene lasted five minutes,” O’Neil said. “It was probably 29 seconds or so, but I was like ‘When is this going to stop,’ and so I wanted to cover my face.”

Professor O’Neil believes the film’s choice of killing off the main characters in such a gory death directly changed how Americans got used to viewing violence moving forward.

“A lot of people say this movie marked the end of innocence in America,” O’Neil said.

Following “Bonnie and Clyde,” the regulation of American films became standard and audience members could expect a guideline to follow for expecting how violent movies were, prior to watching the film.

“This was also the first movie that was given a rating by the MPAA and got a R rating and was the first film submitted for the rating system, and so it’s kind of a milestone movie in so many ways,” Media Arts Professor Windrum said. “My concern is that I think people today don’t always know what a milestone was.”

Prior to this film, morally troubled and chaotic characters were seen as “bad guys”, however the film’s protagonists Bonnie and Clyde made it difficult for audiences to root against them despite their crimes and wrongdoings.

“I think this movie pushed the notion of blurring the lines further, and in the 1930s and 1940s you had gangsters that you liked but you always knew they

would die and that they were bad guys,” Windrum said. “However with Bonnie and Clyde, they didn’t seem like bad guys, and that’s where things changed, and today we have these more ambiguous characters.”

Professor Windrum believes that despite the film’s age, it not only holds up with time but shines when compared to modern films.

“If this film came out now, I would say that it would be one of the 10 best films of the last 10 years,” Windrum said. “It’s harder to compare it to newer movies, but I think it holds up very well and students really enjoy it.”

Pierce College student Liliana Yang thought the film’s narratives and character development

separated the film from others.

“I really enjoyed the film and I think the storyline and the characters are well built and they put a lot of work developing that and I loved that,” Yang said. “I was sad at the ending and while Bonnie and Clyde were bad people, I don’t think they deserved to die in such a violent way.”

Pierce College student Anjelica Hymel agreed with the panel that the film’s choice of delivering such a violent and gory end to the main characters was truly shocking.

“I watched this movie as a child, and this is the first time I’ve rewatched it in years and it surprised me how disturbing it was with all of the blood, screaming, and just the tragedy

“Seeing all the cultural dances and practices and learning about everything, really,” Guzman said. “I think it’s really interesting to learn about cultures that I’m not part of, because I’m Latina so I’ve never learned about any of this, and seeing the dances and practices has just been really interesting.”

An assortment of food trucks served a variety of Asian foods such as boba, dumplings, teriyaki and noodles. Many artists had their work on display, such as artist Peter H. Zou who was handing out prints of his work, “Aloha.” Many visitors delighted in the traditional dance performances and had a chance to look at art from many different Asian cultures.

Many cultures were indeed represented. An immigrant from Japan and a star of one of the videos promoting the festival, Mayuko Dilch, spoke about the reasons she and her family came to the festival.

“To experience more Asian culture. I’m from Japan and my kids were born and grew up in America, but they don’t know much about Asian culture,” Dilch said. “One of my kids just did origami and they had a really good time and I’m glad they get to experience Asian culture in the United States.”

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Roe v. Wade

[Continued from pg. 1]

“It would not only create inequality towards women, but it’s also going to be an economic disaster because many of these women are lowincome, so that means these taxpayers are going to be responsible,” Perez said.

MUSE Global School senior Rosa Mahoney said that she planned on partaking in the protest.

“I think the leaked draft opinion is ridiculous,” Mahoney said. “Abortion should always be our right.”

of it all, and I don’t remember it being that disturbing but it really hit me this time,” Hymel said. “I personally think this movie holds up well with time, however fans of modern true crime might not think so.”

Hymel exclaimed the film’s acting and cinematography made this film most enjoyable for her.

“I think the most compelling thing in this film was the acting between Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway and they’re so attached to each other,” Hymel said. “I think the cinematography does a lot for me, and the cuts are really powerful, especially right before they die and the slow-mo is great.”

Mahoney also slammed the Supreme Court for trying to put a hold onto women’s bodies and then making it seem as though the women were the crazy ones.

“Yet they would feel they would think we’re crazy for saying, ‘Well why don’t we just get him a vasectomy and reverse it when they’re mature enough?’,” Mahoney said.

“Because that’s essentially what they’re trying to say to us.”

Citlali Jimenez, an artist and retail associate at Michael’s, also participated in the protest called Roe v. Wade a healthcare issue.

“When I see women that want to support them, they know what’s on my chest,” Jimenez said.

jkuklin.roundupnews@gmail.com

Photo by Michael Moreno

Anjelica Hymel, an actress from Austin, Texas, smiles during the panel at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 3, 2022.

Screenshot by Michael Smithlin

(Left to right) Sunday Salter, Trisha DelBarrio and (bottom) Alberto Moreno lead UCLA Day on Zoom on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

From the Army to the stage Filmmaker and actor is driven to tell the stories of veterans

It’s been about two decades since Army veteran Joshua Lang stepped onto the stage. Not since he tried it for the first time while stationed in Germany after the 9/11 attacks did he think he would enjoy acting, let alone make it a career.

But COVID-19 lockdowns the last two years made him feel isolated, and he wanted a chance to rejoin a creative community. That’s when Theater Director Shaheen Vaaz gave him the opportunity to be in the spotlight with her new original work, “American Alien,” which through interviews, improvisations, music and spoken word, showcases the stories and the struggles of immigration in the world.

“One of my favorite pieces in it is about the green card interview,” Lang said. “My wife is from Hong Kong, so I had to go through that process.”

Lang plays a major role in two of the seven scenes that make up the play, taking on the role of a U.S. immigration officer in “Green Card Interviews” and as a member of a U.S. support group on a phone call with a man trying to get from Afghanistan to Canada in “Ajmal in the Canal.”

“In between the different segments of the play, we have cast members doing interviews with their families who are immigrants," Lang said. "A lot of the people in the cast, their parents came here when they were younger.”

Lang’s childhood did not lead him to believe that acting and filmmaking were destined for his future. Positioned to take over his father’s company, Lang started learning to work with his hands early in life.

“Child labor laws don’t really apply if your parents own a company, so I started learning how to do concrete at 14,” Lang said. “In my junior year of high school, we would drive 150 miles north to the Mount Lassen area, Lake Almanor, and we would work on the house all day on Saturday and half-days on Sunday, and during all breaks like spring break and Thanksgiving.”

Lang eventually realized that taking over his father’s construction company wasn’t something that he wanted. Higher education didn’t seem like the right move at the time either.

“I got very used to working with my hands in high school, so sitting in a class and listening to someone talk to me about the world didn’t seem very interesting, so I decided to join the Army,” Lang said. His time in the armed forces saw him living in Germany, and being stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. His unit was deployed in Iraq 18 months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack.

While serving, Lang had a chance to act in musical theater while stationed in Germany.

It was the first time in his acting career that he had lines, and he ended up winning an award for the

“Best Minor Character in Musical or Comedy.”

After returning from service, Lang enrolled in film school at the Orange Coast Community College, where he took classes from 2007 to 2012.

At the same time, he was also managing live shows and film screenings at the Yost Theater in Downtown Santa Ana Historic District.

He knew that he wanted to be part of the industry and knew how to find his way in.

“The moment that really changed it for me was when I showed up as an extra on a music video set in San Diego,” Lang said. “And by the end of that day, the producer and the director of that music video knew me by name.”

This was the start of his collaboration with Akorn Entertainment, a production company based in Santa Ana.

Lang showed up once a week to take out the trash and watch the post-production magic being done on music videos. One day, he was asked to help pick up lunch for the crew shooting a commercial for Norman Reeves Honda.

“It was an eye-opening experience for me because we shot for eight to 10 hours, and we got eight seconds. It was crazy,” Lang said. “I would show up as a PA, and they would say, ‘Hey, we’ve got an editing project.’”

He eventually started bringing in other students from film school to help. His first time on a film set was for a movie about a serial killing Easter bunny titled “Bunnyman.”

“I learned more in two weeks than I did in two years of film school just by being on set and watching the DP work, watching the Director work with the actors,” Lang explained. “Ninety percent of filmmaking is problem-solving. This is what we want to do. This is what we have. How can we make it work?”

Lang met his future spouse, Natalia Wong, on a field trip to Mole-Richardson, a motion picture lighting manufacturing company.

They both had complementing skillsets and started working together on a number of projects. After they graduated from University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), Wong and Lang moved to Los Angeles and started working and living together.

“We’re kind of like Yin and Yang,” Lang said, as he described their relationship. “I can produce and shoot it as well as getting a rough edit, and she would go through and polish it and do the visual effects and the graphics and the color.”

After moving to Los Angeles, Lang continued freelancing in the movie industry, working on a bunch of films.

He and Wong started a documentary and feature film production company, Mechanical Dragons.

It was Lang’s time in the Army that inspired him to become a documentary filmmaker.

“My unit flew into a huge ambush in the beginning hours of the 2003 Iraqi mission, and I never

really knew what happened,” Lang said. “All I knew was that my helicopters got shot up, and they came back, and we spent a month in the desert fixing them.”

This led to the idea behind “Apache Warrior,” a feature film made with real footage, actual attack pilot gun tapes and interviews.

The foundation for the film was a cross-country road trip that Lang took in 2016, which included four weeks, 7,500 miles and interviews with 14 people who were all pilots and mechanics.

“At that time, I'd been doing film for 10 years. I had cameras, I had a car, and so I was like, ‘Let’s do a road trip,’” Lang said.

After the film came out, Lang wanted people to see it. He started reaching out to aviation museums, not only to spread the word but to

look for opportunities to talk to some of the veterans whose stories were being lost with time.

A museum in Burbank never got back to Lang, so he decided to visit it in person.

It was a shrine to early aviation, called the “Portal of the Folded Wings,” and there were three early aviation pioneers buried there.

In 2019, once all of the filming had been completed and the project was in post-production, Lang decided to sign up for classes at Pierce College.

He was four classes away from graduating with three AA degrees, and one of the classes he needed was theater.

That’s when Lang met Vaaz and invited him to participate in “American Alien.”

Lang was casted as Kirk

Johnson, founder of The List Project, an organization that helps Iraqis affected by the war resettle because of their affiliation with America.

Vaaz said that they wanted someone with presence to fill the role.

“But also kind of laid back, affable and friendly in nature as well,” Vaaz said. “[Lang] has been out there in the world. He had so much perspective and a range and breadth of wisdom to offer.”

Kayvan Shai, Lang’s co-star in “Ajmal in the Canal,” played the role of Ajmal who is a Canadian citizen stuck at the Kabul airport and is desperately trying to get his family out of Afghanistan.

“He’s such an energetic guy,” Shai said. “He loves to give his own input and contribute to things.

He's always going out there, trying to make friends and trying to get everyone gathered together.”

Vaaz said that Lang has experiences unlike other actors on stage, which has helped him become an authentic performer.

“He’s lived a little,” Vaaz said. “And that’s just invaluable when actors bring that to the table.”

Vaaz said that she hopes Lang will continue to pursue his acting and filmmaking in the future.

“He’s got a lot of enthusiasm, a lot to say and a lot to offer,” Vaaz said. “I think he’s edging toward finding his voice and what he wants to say.”

Photo by Rozie Tadevosyan

PETER

POLYGALOV Reporter ppolygalov.roundupnews@gmail.com

Filmmaker Joshua Lang sits on his favorite spot, the United States, on the world map floor print on the Performing Arts Building Mainstage at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 5, 2022.

Review: Baseball returns to the mound

Brahmas finish a season filled with obstacles and no home games

BY JOEL ROBLES Reporter

An obstacle course has many ups and downs. But for the Pierce College baseball team the season had more downs than ups.

The team didn’t play a single game at home due to the poor field conditions.

The Brahmas finished with an overall record of 10-30 and 7-17 in the conference.

The last game ended with the final score of 15-6 with a loss to College of the Canyons..

Sophomore pitcher Jackson Briscoe said it was difficult to not play at home.

“Not having a single home game at Pierce was a joke. As pathetic as it is, some of us returners were more used to it than we probably should have been because we haven’t had a home game since 2019,” Briscoe said. “I really think it is ridiculous that a public institution bringing in millions of dollars a year from the general public, with administrators that talk about how much they care about their students’ success could not care less if we had a safe place to practice or play for the last three years.”

Briscoe also said that Pierce isn’t getting a fair shot.

“I know there are some people like our head coach Bill Picketts and our athletic director Susan Armenta who are doing everything in their power to give us the best opportunity to have success, but the people at the very top need to get their act together to allow us to have the same opportunities

as people at every other school,”

Briscoe said.

Armenta said it affected the team to not use their facilities.

“They did travel a lot and even our home games, to not be able to just come to campus takes a toll takes a toll on their bodies,” Armenta said. “There were some late nights and some long games or they had to have back-to-back travel, you know one day after another that was tough.”

Interim President Ara Aguiar announced during an Academic Senate meeting that repairing

athletic facilities is a priority.

[See Coming Soon on pg. 3]

Picketts said they’re a little bummed, but even with problems they’ve faced he’s pleased with his team.

“We're a little disappointed with our record, as it wasn’t as good as we had hoped,” Picketts said. “But considering all the adversity that we had to deal with not having a field and all our home games on the road, I'm proud of the kids and the way they played.”

Picketts also said it’s hard to recruit when he doesn’t have a

Making waves and reaching goals

Swimmer transitions to a new country

BY WHITNEY EVANS Reporter

Breaking records and bringing justice.

Maria Sandoghdar is combining her dreams by majoring in criminal justice and starring on the Pierce College swim team.

At 11 years old, she moved to the United States from Madrid.

During her transition, she put swimming on hold to get adjusted. Her freshman year of high school, she decided to revisit the sport as a way to meet new friends. But to Sandoghdar's surprise her love for swimming was rekindled.

“I started taking the sport seriously during my freshman year of high school. I met the best people, and seeing improvement is what really kept me going,” Sandoghdar said.

Sandoghdar is now a sophomore at Pierce, and she also attends California State University, Northridge (CSUN) as a criminal justice major.

Sandoghdar recently earned 37 points at the Western State Conference Championships in Cuesta, the most points ever earned an individual on the Pierce women’s swim team. She made the finals and earned medals in the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle events.

Sandoghdar said that earning 37 points at the Western Conference was a challenge in itself, but her determination to beat her times from every year is what led her to a successful season.

“I like challenges, and swimming was a challenge for me. Beating my time each year is what kept me going. I get huge satisfaction from seeing myself succeed,” Sandoghdar said. “This season I worked so hard and it paid off.”

Head swim coach Judi Terhar explained that there were hurdles throughout the season, including not being able to practice because of COVID. But through it all Sandoghdar stayed resilient and was

a team player.

“Maria was very nervous, but she channeled it into confidence and used it to her advantage. She was excellent in helping everybody be included,” Terhar said. “She basically put the whole team on her shoulders. She even helped the men drop their mile time by challenging them, and practicing with them every day.”

This season, Sandoghdar naturally stepped into the role as a leader by using her experience to help guide and encourage her teammates along the way.

“I feel like I have a lot of years behind me, and I can use that to help people,” Sandoghdar said. “I’d like to think I’m very encouraging, I try to be the comical person, make practice fun, and be supportive no matter who’s racing. I’m going to be there cheering.”

Elliot Geyzer echoed Terhar’s sentiment on Sandoghdar being a team player.

“Maria is an amazing teammate. She is one of the funniest and sweetest people I’ve ever met, and she is always willing to help everyone out,” Geyser said. “You can always

rely on her and have her support.”

Geyzer also mentioned that Sandoghdar has never missed a practice, and she always tries her hardest while staying on top of all their sets.

“She worked hard for those 37 points, and, undoubtedly, I knew she would get them,” Geyzer said.

Allison Schamber said Sandoghdar is really supportive of her teammates and is a great motivator.

“We have all been out of shape in the beginning of the season, but everyone, especially Maria, has improved by a lot,” Schamber said.

Sandoghdar expressed how grateful she is to have her coaches and teammates.

Although Sandoghdar is studying toward her criminal justice degree to become a criminal psychologist, she also plays water polo and hopes to see where swimming will take her.

“Getting into coaching will be so much fun," she said. "I would just live off of teaching the kids and teenagers."

and picking up the slack again against Cypress.

Later on, Pierce went on a fourgame losing streak, then took one back before going on an eight game losing streak.

It got better from there when they went 3-1 in their next four games.

But then the tumbling began again when they went on a sevengame losing streak. These losses could be attributed to not being able to play at home or practice.

Even with many hurdles, there were some bright spots and highlights of the season.

“I just feel like the highlight

was that our guys had so much heart in every single game,” Armenta said.

Despite the difficulties they faced, Briscoe said he loved being with this group of guys.

“I enjoyed each and every one of the guys on the team,” Briscoe said. “From the head coach all the way down to guys that really didn’t get to play too much, this was an incredible group of people that I know will have tons of success on the baseball field—but even more success in life.”

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practice facility.

“I've already lost a few of my recruits that went someplace else because of that situation,” Picketts said. “So until that gets fixed, it's going to be very difficult for me to get the players that I need to succeed.”

The Brahmas started their season with two straight losses to Glendale and Pasadena City College.

After those two games, Pierce beat Long Beach, before eventually losing to Los Angeles Harbor College (LA Harbor)

File photo by Brandon Sinclair Esteban Perez (#8) slides into home for the Pierce College Brahmas against Valley College in Valley Glen, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2022.

File Photo by Brandon Sinclair

Ivan Castillo (#7) leaps for a catch against Valley College in Valley Glen, Calif., on Feb. 26, 2022.

Photo by Nancy Corona

Maria Sandoghdar swims at Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on May 3, 2022.