Volume 137 Fall 2022 Roundup Issue 10

Parade of Breeds returns to campus Event showcased different horses with competitions taking place

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief

From Clydesdales to miniature horses– from San Luis Obispo to Compton, the equestrian communities rolled into El Rancho Drive and made Pierce feel like the good old days again.

After several years of hiatus due to COVID-19, The Parade of Breeds returned to Pierce College at the equestrian center on Saturday, Nov. 19. The event was free and for all ages on a sunny and windy afternoon.

“We had people that came from as far as Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara just to show their breed off,” said Nicole Land, Adjunct Equine Science professor and one of the presenters at the show.

“We kind of had to start from scratch to find all the people to come and donate their time to us,” said Ileana Martinez, the show manager and an Equine Science major. ”Luckily we found a lot of great people.”

Martinez said that as a community, they can make things happen.

“We had the Compton Cowboys here today and they are all about community, just like us,” Martinez said.

The Compton Cowboys not only took part in the parade, but they also participated in the show

jumping arena and the color guard presenting the colors to kick off the event.

Paris Scott of Compton Junior Equestrians rode Helio in the jumping arena as Professor of

Equine Sciences Heidi Paul MC’ed.

“Helio is one of the horses that I used to ride a lot,” said Carlton Hook, Compton Cowboy and owner of Helio. “Our horses haven’t been around flags in a while, but they

didn’t react too badly to the flags blowing around. It’s about being really confident and really relaxed.” Land said that they may have had about 45 horses total there and 31 horses in the parade itself.

One of the presentations in the horse carriage arena was by Unhitched Ranch. Audrey and Jackson Popoff of Unhitched Ranch showcased Clydesdales pulling a hitch wagon that one may have seen

delivering freight 100 years ago in the United States.

Young riders also performed barrel races on ponies.

The event concluded with the parade in the closed arena. Equine science students in attendance and other spectators alike were asked to guess the breed of each horse and the color of their fur as they were brought out.

Ileana said that she worked the night before until two in the morning to put the show together. The gusty winds that weekend presented a unique challenge to the execution of the show.

Land said that the winds put the show schedule behind schedule.

“I prayed for no rain, but I forgot about no wind,” Land said.

Land also said that the Parade of Breeds event went fantastic with the amount of horses that showed up at the last minute.

“The whole horse community just came out of nowhere and it was just brilliant,” Land said.

The event was coordinated by students from the equine science department, from welcoming guests to selling snacks.

“It is a way to connect to people and to get to know other people too,” Martinez said. “ You get to learn about different disciplines and different cultures.”

Dinosaur exhibit takes audience back in time

BY CHRISTIAN CASTELLANOS Reporter

Imagine yourself traversing ancient lands with creatures three stories high and several school buses long.

You’re at Pierce College, but 252 million years in the past. It is the Mesozoic Era and it's a Thursday. Dinosaurs populate this space, and 30-foot-long Triceratopses and 40-foot-long Brachiosauruses can be spotted in the distance.

Suddenly, you come face-to-face with a breathing Utahraptor, with its piercing yell, its winking eyes and feathers.

One can get carried away when they encounter all this at Dinosaurs in the Valley, an immersive event that aims to educate its audience about dinosaurs and leave spectators in awe.

With over a 100 animatronic dinosaurs that are built to scale, from baby dinosaurs to a 40-foot-long T. Rex, event producer Matt Flynn said this was the “biggest dinosaur show in the United States.”

“These are true to life size dinosaurs.” Flynn said. “True to color, true to sound as well as all their

movements.”

Each dinosaur, according to Flynn, is made up of steel and metals with mechanical machines at the base, while foam and a rubber like material covers the outside. Placards with descriptions of each dinosaur are also destined to appear next to them, with Flynn saying at the time of this interview, “We‘re still in the process of putting that up.”

After sunset the dinosaur exhibit took on a new look with LED lights illuminating more of their features. As Flynn put it, the night event takes on “a whole new effect.”

“When it's dark out and we have colorful lights hitting the dinosaurs, you can just hear the noise of the dinosaurs and see one in the distance that's lit up faintly,” Flynn said. “It adds a little intensity to the experience.”

SoCal Influential Mom Bloggers Club Member Cristal Valle, who toured the event at night with her son Christopher, wished there was more light at the time of the interview but as long as he’s having fun she said, “I’m all up for it.”

Flynn addressed the lack of lights illuminating the walkway and said more lights will be added by opening night.

Valle, who came from Carpinteria and is often invited to attend events in LA, agreed to this event because her son loved dinosaurs. When asked about her favorite part of the event, she said, “The Jolly jumpers are pretty fun and all the interesting facts about the dinosaurs too.”

Christopher, who is in the 1st grade, said he liked the different kinds of dinosaurs. The one he liked in particular? “The T. rex,” he said.

For Explorer and Jurassic Park dinosaur advisor "Dino" Don Lessem, scientific accuracy is very important. When asked about why some dinosaurs at the event had feathers and others didn’t, Lessem said it's rare to get well preserved fossils that show the imprints of feathers in the rock and while little meat eating dinosaurs and a relative of the T. Rex had feathers, there is no evidence to suggest other dinosaurs had feathers.

“We do know that the ones with feathers–they weren't any good for flying. So it kinda makes sense that a little animal would need the insulation of feathers to stay warm, whereas a big animal, like the giant dinosaurs, have what’s called ‘mass homeothermy,’” Lessem said, who is also the CEO and founder of the

Photo by Arwen Dominguez (L-R) Kenny Thomas tells Ezekiel Duran to pet the dinosaurs gently as Juan Duran holds him at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 25, 2022.

animatronics company Dino Don, Inc. “They’re so warm inside like an elephant that it doesn’t take much for them to stay warm so they don’t need feathers.”

Photo by Phatarapong Piyarat

Rainmaker Films and Ultimate Fun Productions. It has also partnered with local charitable foundation Motor4toys, whose mission it is to help as many children as possible during the holiday season.

Dinosaurs in

Photo by Fabiola Carrizosa

Audrey and Jackson Popoff drive the Clydesdales from Unhitched Ranch to perform a demonstration at the Parade of Breeds at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.

ccastellanos.roundupnews@gmail.com

Livia Pereira (11) attempting to steal the ball from Sabine Yalung at Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

STREET BEAT

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY TRADITION?

Boost attendance for sporting events

It’s the last 10 seconds of a home basketball game. The players are tired. They gather their remaining strength and channel it into a last-minute dash across the court. The refs get ready to blow the game-ending whistle as the Brahmas shooting guard attempts a last-second threepointer. He scores!

And the bleachers erupt in some subdued clapping and scattered cheers.

Empty bleachers are a common sight at many Pierce home games, whether it's basketball, volleyball or soccer.

Often, more people will come with the visiting team than those that come to support the Brahmas. Outside of the athletes and their families, few ever think of coming to a game.

“Icookwithmygrandma.Wemake traditionalholidaydesserts”

-DariaGutin,Biologymajor

"IcelebrateChristmaseventhough I am Muslim. I have a lot of friends who are Christian. I like the holidaysbecauseitbringspeople together."

-ZamouradIqbal,Marketingmajor

But there are proven methods to get more butts in seats, or in this case, on the bleachers. For example, the University of Delaware has announced a challenge for 2022, where one lucky student that attends all home football games of the season will win $10,000. Pierce could do something similar but with a budget that feels more appropriate for a community

Pro:

The schedule of upcoming games is posted on the Pierce athletics website, with a different page for every sport and an aesthetic from the early 2000s. The Athletics Departments at Stony Brook University in New York made a digital app available to almost 27,000 students, with game attendance instantly impacted for the better. Pierce could follow suit and create a similar high-tech solution.

Pierce has started Spirit Week, which may bring in students who traditionally avoid sports games. For example, Boston College in Massachusetts completely transformed its court and created a themed spirit week in anticipation of homecoming weekend.

“Ilikespendingtimewithfamily sincecollegeisolatesyouinaway.We can'treallyseethembecauseweare sobusywithschool.”

-KaylaMapar,Nursingmajor

college.

Another idea previously explored in a different editorial is to draw a crowd by providing food options at home games. An independent study by Untold

found that 85% of people who attended live events before the pandemic are nostalgic for stadium food. Offering concessions with the help of the Pierce cafeteria or with local

vendors will give the extended family a reason to cheer for their athletes.

Another approach involves technology and meeting the students where they are.

A little support can go a long way, and the Brahmas need our support. But sometimes, good intentions are not enough, and incentive needs to be created for people to attend sports games.

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

Give us the week off for Thanksgiving

BY SAMMY JOHNSON Opinions Editor

The most important aspect of a student’s academic career is performance, and what matters most for anyone sensible is their mental health and social life.

It is impossible for students to do well in the former without first caring for the latter. So that’s why students and professors alike get days off, such as the two around Thanksgiving. But many groups and sources argue that just two days off in the middle of the week isn’t enough time for college goers to unwind and rewind.

One such source, Oklahoma

“WegoseetheChristmaslightswhile drinkinghotchoclate.Justspending timewiththefamily,eatingdinner andopeningpresents”

-FrankiChew,Horticulturemajor

University’s editorial board, published an article on their website, oudaily.com, writing of the importance of a full week of studies for students by stating that most classes are structured around the course of the whole week, due to said classes not being held every day.

According to Oklahoma University daily, without this full schedule to develop and teach courses around, the remaining days not taken by Thanksgiving break become useless. Because of this, professors will cancel classes scheduled Monday through Wednesday, thus giving students a full break anyway.

An extended thanksgiving break is just as inevitable as it is necessary.

Taylor Harris, a contributor to the Daily Aztec, makes a point that the less time off there is, the more of an impact will be felt by those who go to college out of state.

Thanksgiving is a time to be spent with family. And this means that students who, for example, live in Texas but have family in Washington will need to purchase expensive plane tickets in an inflated economy in order to spend time with relatives during the holidays.

Since Pierce students only get two days off and two weekend days, four days in total to spend with family, those with relatives across the country will have to spend two of those days and lots of money flying out and, almost immediately, returning.

If the break lasted for a whole week, this wouldn’t be an issue. People with distant relatives could plan their trip around the course of 10 days instead of four, and not waste money on a trip that only lasts four days.

As for others, while family may or may not reside outside the state, the limited amount of time off provided to Pierce students fails to accommodate the fact that some people’s families are spread out. An article on theodysseyonline. com states that it may cost them extra time to visit and spend with each individual household.

Think of the long bus/train rides one would need to take to see different groupings of their family. Also consider that a certain amount of time would need to be

allotted with each family member. Taking all this into consideration, it becomes clear that thanksgiving could last for many days, depending on the family. There is more to say in favor of an extended Thanksgiving break than the age old argument about mental health and time off with family; those things are just a given. People who only believe there should be four or five days both fail to consider the circumstances of travel time and cease to understand the importance of a full week of classes. There is much more to a good time spent relaxing than meets the eye.

sjohnson.roundupnews@gmail.com

Don't change the school schedule

BY TRISH ALASKEY Reporter

Thanksgiving break, which is intended to provide a two-day respite for college students and professors alike, ends up being more of a burden than it is a time to relax.

First, two days is not nearly enough time to enter full relaxation mode, and second, this particular break happens to fall during the absolute worst time in the semester.

On week 12 of a 15-week semester, most students are now settled into a daily routine and are familiar with the course requirements set forth by their professors.

With only about four weeks left in the semester, fall 2022 is nearing completion and there is finally a tiny little glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Then comes Thanksgiving break to throw a wrench in the works, taunting students and professors like a little devil on our shoulder that is clearly up to no good. If we give into the temptation of taking a break now, we all run the risk of sending all of our hard work throughout the semester off track completely.

According to the website tutorateam.com, most teachers agree that the holiday season, starting with Thanksgiving, marks a time when students’ grades tend to experience a decline.

It is true that Thanksgiving traditions carry very special meaning

for a lot of Americans, and of course we’d all like to be with our families and friends feasting on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and all the other fixings. Honestly though, is it really worth it? Sit down, take a deep breath and think about this rationally. We still have a lot more work to do, and the worst of it is yet to come. Why would we want a break now when this is just about the time to start on research papers and studying for final exams? What is meant to be two days of rest from the everyday grind of attending classes, completing assignments and taking tests really sounds more like torture at this point.

In addition to poor timing and distractions, traveling during the holiday is also expected to be a massive

nightmare.

According to Kathleen Wong of USA Today, nearly 70% of Americans plan to travel for the holidays this year and about half of them have reported that this is their first time traveling during the holiday season since the start of the pandemic.

Students who plan to travel might want to consider dragging their books and other school necessities along with them in case of delays or cancellations.

Lastly, Dani Blum of the New York Times reported that another Covid wave may be on the way this holiday season, so if you do plan to gather with friends and family, you should also plan to be diligent and stay safe.

Winter break is awesome, summer break too! Both mark a time when we can all be proud, knowing that we’ve

just completed a long 15-week semester, all exams and papers are behind us and we are one step closer to graduating.

Thanksgiving break, however, brings on feelings that are the complete opposite of that. It’s nothing more than a stressful and awkward pause during a time in the semester when the last thing we need or want is a break.

We are almost through the tunnel, we can see the light, but we know the heaviest load is yet to come before we can close the book on this chapter of our lives. Finals week is coming, who honestly thinks a break right now, even just for two days, is a good idea? It just isn’t.

Quotes gathered by Maxine Chaykovskiy

Photos by Jamie Ortiz

File photo by Joshua Duarte Spectators cheer as the women's volleyball team win a match against Ventura College at the South Gym at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2015.

Pierce alumn speaks to future professionals Netflix Visual Development Coordinator stops by the newsroom

BY RACHAEL ROSENBERG Reporter

Aformer Roundup newspaper reporter returned to campus after leaving about a decade ago to tell students about his journey from college newspaper reporter, to broadcaster—and now to a Netflix employee.

As a visual development coordinator at Netflix, James Hermon talked to reporters, photographers and editors about his work, and how the skills he learned at Pierce College for The Roundup and KPCRadio. com prepared him for several careers.

“I look at my time here as an experience that primed me for my career,” Hermon said.

Hermon said it is important to trust your coworkers, because that is how you strengthen your small but mighty team.

Hermon’s first job in the industry was at The Hollywood Reporter. Shirley Halperin, the Head Music Reporter, spoke at Pierce College

in 2011, which Hermon took as an opportunity to make a connection.

They met up for coffee, he interned for her for nine months, and then was offered a job at The Hollywood Reporter as a freelance worker. He covered the Grammys, the MTV Awards, and the BET Awards.

The Bull Magazine Editor-inChief Fabiola Carrizosa said there is no shame in changing careers throughout your life.

“I was raised thinking that you had to stick to one career your whole life, but James is proof that it’s okay to change your profession and career and just keep an open mind about different career opportunities,” Carrizosa said.

Hermon responded with the retired co-host of Good Day LA, Steve Edwards. James was inspired by Edwards because of the variety of different professions he has been successful in.

“City of Ghosts” was the first show at Netflix that Hemon worked on, which won a Peabody Award. “City of Ghosts” is currently nominated for

four Emmys.

During a Netflix Town Hall meeting in New York, Hermon instantly knew that he had to become involved with the show “Intergalactic.”

Hermon reached out to a past colleague Mike Pinkett who was working on the project and was ultimately offered commission.

He has worked on “Intergalactic” for the past two-and-a-half years, which started during the pandemic.

The team behind “Intergalactic” successfully worked through the pandemic and did the entire show over Zoom.

Journalism Professor Jeff Favre added, “You put out good energy, you do good work, they remember you,” as a reminder to take that leap of faith.

“Keep in mind that what you’re doing here at The Roundup is literally shaping your future,” Hermon said.

Preview: Tis’ the season to be funny

"Inspecting Carol" premieres this weekend at Pierce College

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief

If you are stressed out over upcoming finals, or if you have spent too much time Christmas shopping on Cyber Monday, perhaps it is time to buy a ticket to “Inspecting Carol” and get your laugh on.

“Inspecting Carol” was written in 1991 by Daniel J. Sullivan. It is a variation on a famous satirical 1836 play called The "Inspector General," by the Russian dramatist Nikoli Gogol. It also has elements of “A Christmas Carol.”

“If you are looking for an evening of fun slapstick comedy, laugh out loud jokes, then this is the perfect play for you,” said Adjunct professor of Theater Arts and Director of the play Esdras Toussaint.

“Inspecting Carol” is a farce about a small theater company in the Midwest that usually puts up a production of “A Christmas Carol.”

The company is not doing very well financially, and they are expecting a fund from the National Endowment of the Arts. They are waiting for an inspector to come and check out the company before they are rewarded the funds.

However, when an actor walks in looking for work, they think that he is the inspector. Mistaken identity hijinks ensues.

“It is about the mistakes that happen in theater,” Toussaint said. “For people who like fun things like slapstick comedy that you would see on Saturday Night Live, this would be a fun play.”

The play fits the theme of the holiday season.

“Oftentimes around this time of the year we like to do something that is holiday related, but you can only do “A Christmas Carol” so many times,” said Managing Director Michael Sande. “This is one of those madcap kind of things where everything is crazy.”

Toussaint said that it is a fun piece to be working on with this talented group of students.

“We are a cast of 12, and I can honestly say that each and every one of our students have improved their acting abilities since we started the process three months ago,” he said. Theater major Whitney Evans will play a character that was originally written as a man. The role was changed to a woman named Wanda. “It is not an all white cast like the play when it was originally written,” Evans said.

She said that “Inspecting Carol” shows the struggle of everyday people in theater.

“It is whacky,” Evans said. “It shows you how imperfect people can be.”

The costumes were designed by Dance professor Eileen R. Gizienski.

“There are at least 24 costume changes– maybe more,” Toussaint said.

“The play is about a theater company that does not have much money– you are going to be looking at costumes that are purposefully bad,” Sande said. “They look that way to be funny.”

“Inspecting Carol” is a techheavy play that has many light and sound cues. Parts of the stage will be falling apart and things coming out of the stage.

“The audience should not know what to expect or when to

expect it,” Toussaint said.

He also said that he has a great crew of technicians and designers.

“I could not ask for a better group of student actors to be working on this play with because they were very patient when we had to make time to figure out how to make something work,” he said, “Our challenge was always to figure out how to make what the playwright wanted in the play to happen on the stage.”

Every year, the theater department gets together and nominates about four plays that they think would be right for the season.

Esdras said that they look for a lot of things such as plays that can be cast from the student actors and plays that will challenge them and increase their acting ability.

“We look for plays that will

be accepted by our community and we are looking for diversity,” Toussaint said.

They picked plays that would give relief and an escape from everyday occurrences, and “Inspecting Carol” is one of these plays.

“During the pandemic, we had the summer of protests around the country, so we picked plays that were about what was happening in society because that was in the front of the minds of everyone,” Toussaint said. “After the pandemic, we felt that our students needed a break from the seriousness of that.”

“Inspecting Carol” is scheduled to run from Dec. 2-11 at the Dow Arena Theatre at Pierce College.

Academic Senate members prepare for the holidays

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief

The holidays are approaching, and Pierce College is giving students the gift of musical performances, entertainment and nourishment. It is also giving students and their families the opportunity to give back to the little ones who may need toys this winter.

The Academic Senate met on Monday, Nov. 28 over Zoom and discussed upcoming Pierce holiday themed events and activities taking place this December throughout campus.

Get ready to gaze at cars

again–Pierce is hosting a charity car show presented by Porsche Woodland Hills on Sunday, Dec.

4. Industrial Tech Instructor and Academic Senate Treasurer Alex Villalta announced that there will be a 19th annual Motor 4 Toys Toy Drive.

“Those of you who attended the grand opening of the Advanced Autotech Building– 75th Anniversary–that is considered very minute compared to this event,” Villalta said. “It is a good day to spend with the family.”

Villalta said that there will be food, Santa Clauses and lots of cars.

“If you are in the area, please

consider coming in and have a good time this Sunday from 7 a.m. until noon,” Villalta said.

Admission for the event is one or more new, unwrapped toys valued at $20 or more. It will be held on Lot 7 off of Victory Blvd. Student Success Committee and Counselor Kalynda McLean said that the Bodega is alive and well.

“If you are saying ‘what is The Bodega?’ – it is formerly known as the Pierce Brahma Pantry. The Brahma Pantry is going to be rebranded as the Bodega.” McLean said that they are holding a farmer’s market every other Tuesday and handing out meals every other Wednesday.

“There are lots of opportunities for our students to get lots of additional nourishment for free and some support,” McLean said. She also said that it was discussed that the Bodega needs a designated physical space.

“We thought it was important that the Senate might lend some support to the establishment of a physical location for this essential service,” McLean said.

“We know how significantly impactful it is for our students to be supported and nourished– it affects how well they do in their classes.”

Vocal coach Garineh AvakianAkkus, or Dr. Gaga, broke down all the winter performances by the music department.

“On Dec. 10, we have the symphonic band at 2 p.m. at the Performing Arts Building (PAB),” Gaga said. “On Dec. 13, we have the studio jazz band performance at 7 p.m. in the PAB. The choir concert is Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. in the PAB.”

“If you are looking to go to any holiday concerts, those are the ones coming up,” she said.

Gaga also announced that Applied music program recitals are happening next Tuesday at 1pm

One of the newer holiday traditions–ugly holiday sweaters– will be celebrated and featured at Pierce this December.

Dance Professor and Academic Senate Events and

Recognition Committee Brian

Moe said that the ERC will be having a Christmas themed endof-the-year event on Saturday, Dec. 17. He will be sending out a flier to the entire campus.

Moe said that it will be a bring your own finger food and snacks day at Pierce.

“We are also going to have an ugly sweater decorating contest,” Moe said. “If you want to bring your own sweater, we are going to have a station where you can glue pom poms and things like that to make your sweaters uglier.”

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg

Pamela Kalidasan is reflected in a screen as James Hermon (right), Visual Development Coordinator at Netflix, talks about his career to students at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2022.

Dancing the night away

As the room’s light evaporates, and the seats fill with excitement, Pierce College and Taft Charter High School dancers enter the stage. The Fall Dance Concert was organized by faculty, student, and alumni choreographers, in addition to the Taft High School Dance Team. The performances took place at the Performing Arts Mainstage from Nov. 18-20 with large audiences.

Photos and copy by Rachael Rosenberg

(L-R) Justin Zano, Paloma Ferrer, Garret Sullivan, and Jasmine Rodriguez, spend the evening preforming in the Fall Dance Concert at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

Pierce College students dance in the Fall Dance Concert at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

Marek Amirkhizi dances towards a ghost in the Fall Dance Concert at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

Marek Amirkhizi performs in the Fall Dance Concert at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

Spending a day with the horses

Clydesdales, Appaloosas and Miniature horses were some of many equine breeds presented during the Parade of Breeds at the Pierce College Equestrian Center.

While demonstrations and exhibitions were carrying on throughout the event, there was also a silent auction to peruse and snacks and drinks to purchase.

Copy by Raquel Frohlich

Photos by Fabiola Carrizosa and Phatarapong Piyarat

Clydesdales from Unhitched Ranch perform a demonstration during the Parade of Breeds at the Equestrian Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022. Photo by Phatarapong Piyarat

Ashlynn Lawrence exhibits her Appaloosa horse Diezel at the Parade of Breeds at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Photo by Fabiola Carrizosa

Madeleine Schade exhibits her horse dressed as a "unicorn Frappuccino" at the Parade of Breeds at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022.

Photo by Fabiola Carrizosa

Maria Timola rides her horse April, an American Bashkir Curly, during the Parade of Breeds at the Equestrian Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

Photo by Phatarapong Piyarat

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Soccer Football Women's volleyball

Women's basketball Men's Basketball

Review: Football ushered in new era

Program finished 0-10; multiple players stand out

Women's basketball drops game

Brahmas lose match before Thanksgiving break

BY PETER POLYGALOV Copy Editor

It was a rough year for the Brahmas. The young football team ended the season 0-10 overall, losing their final game to LA Valley College.

What was once hoped would be a redemption year turned into another no-win season for Pierce.

The Brahmas only had about 30 players available at each game, but that number tended to run much lower due to various injuries or absences.

Head Coach James Sims took on the position this year in hopes of rebuilding the football program to its former glory. Though it seems there was little headway made in way of that goal, Sims sees real progress from last year.

“I am very proud of our team and their accomplishments,” Sims said. “We finished all 10 games compared to only six last year, our offense finished #2 in the state in yards per catch, and as of now six of our regular 26 players who dressed have been offered scholarships.”

Despite a season of defeats, morale remains high among coaches and players alike.

Sophomore Carter Noble played the 2021 and 2022 seasons at Pierce, and while he's seen some obvious improvements from last year, this season still has some devastating losses.

“I feel like the lowest point was when we played Glendale,” Noble said. “For those who saw the game the score was only 17-7 at half, but in the second half, they scored 26 unanswered points for the final

Records

(as

0

score to be 43-7. After that game, some people were saying that it looks like nothing has changed from last year to this year.”

This year's team is much smaller than last year's, and with such a small number of dressed players, the Brahams were always at a disadvantage.

Players were getting injured or burning out by the second quarter with no subs to take their place.

No player can perform at their best when they are on the field the entire game, but some players stood out as they took this challenge head-on. Sims named a

few honorable mentions from this season.

“Charles Yates Jr, Alex Vales, Armando Solis, Jason Labra,” Sims said. “Daniel McWilliams Becerra, Max Gudino, Nate Jackson, Oliq Kirksey, Dre Marin, Michael Stewart, and Dante Holly were all players that impressed me this past season.”

BY MADELEINE CHRISTIAN Reporter mchristian.roundupnews@gmail.com

Charles Yates received recognition for first and second team Athletic Director Susan Armenta said the season was a success. "I know the scoreboard and the

Football Soccer

Women's volleyball

Last in conference

Last in conference

Scoreboard

overall record would say that we didn't do well, but this year was better than the last because we didn't had to forfeit any games due to injuries or short numbers," Armenta said.

Armenta mentioned that several players have offers to move on to four-year schools.

She said that other players are reaching out to the school.

"I know for sure next year will be better," Armenta said.

Illnesses seemed to find a way to the Brahmas as they dropped their fourth game of the season to the Los Angeles Harbor College Seahawks with a final score of 77-24.

Head coach Thara Innocent explained that many of the players were sick and down for the count for this game, contributing to the disappointing result.

“Mindset was to be competitive and be the best we can be. Do what we can,” Innocent said. “Unfortunately, a lot of our girls were sick and not able to perform to their potential.”

In the first quarter, while the ball spent a lot of time on the Seahawks’ side of the court, the Brahmas simply weren’t making the shots.

The Brahmas tried to mix things up with two substitutions, but three fouls were called on Pierce, resulting in a lackluster score of 28-6 with the Seahawks in the lead by the end of the first quarter.

Innocent emphasized that the program is relatively fresh after a two-year pause.

“We’re gonna get it going. It’s just the first year in, so it’s going to take some time,” Innocent said. “It’s a process.”

The bleachers, while not at full capacity, were primarily occupied by Harbor fans that drove out from LA Harbor College to support their team.

The second quarter opened up with more than two minutes of the score being unchanged. Harbor opened up the action with two fouls in a row, followed by a series of pass interceptions and successful layups. Harbor was pulling ahead in the number of rebounds secured, as well.

Most of the highlight moments seemed to be coming from Harbor’s Jada Turner, who got in the rhythm of stealing the ball from the Brahmas and then sprinting across the court, culminating in clean layups without much resistance.

Assistant coach Efrain Lopez echoed Innocent’s remarks about the team being new and needing to work more on their fundamentals.

“75% of them [the players] are fairly new. So mainly, just learning how to move the ball around,” Lopez said. “We just need to get the bodies in the right place, make the right passes at the right time.”

The third quarter opened up with two fouls called on the Brahmas. With multiple opportunities to even the score due to post-foul free throws, the Brahmas successfully slowed down Harbor’s momentum.

Another evident thing was the almost militaristic approach to coaching from the Seahawks coach. With screaming, shouting, and cursing, the coach did not seem content with the current score and the decisions of certain Harbor players.

The fourth quarter opened up with interceptions from Harbor and a series of missed three-point shots from Pierce. However, a difference in approach was visible while the Brahmas were able to slow down the Seahawks’ momentum even further.

When the Brahmas got the ball, they were slow and methodical as they took their time to get across the court.

Wirh the loss, Pierce dropped to 0-4 on the season. They host Ohlone on Dec. 3 at 3 p.m.

Playoff heartbreak for the Brahmas

Soccer loses to the Cougars; finish 13-3-5 overall

BY FELIPE GAMINO Editor-in-Chief

It wasn’t meant to be for the soccer team as they saw their season come to an end at the hands of College of the Canyons.

Natalia Puccio’s equalizer wasn’t enough as the Cougars beat the Brahmas 2-1.

Head coach Adolfo Perez said the second goal proved costly for the team.

“You can’t get beat at your near post,” Perez said. I don’t blame her [Samantha Perryman] because she had to fill in as goalie, but she should have done better.”

Perryman had to play in goal for the majority of the season due to their projected starter being ineligible.

The game was close until the 40th minute when Giselle Gomez struck the ball from a distance giving Perryman no chance.

The Cougars took a 1-0 lead at the half.

In the 58th minute, Natalia Puccio tied the game for the Brahmas off a free kick. The ball went in untouched although Alexandra Meza was close to tapping it in.

Puccio was happy with her goal, but not of the result.

“I was happy that I contributed for the team, but we couldn’t capitalize on it,” Puccio said.

Less than a minute later, the Cougars regained the lead through Rebekah Brooks.

Pierce created multiple chances after, but they were unable to get the equalizer.

Heidi Ricketts came the closest to scoring, but Kylie Yuzon came up

with a big save.

The Brahmas had one final chance off a corner kick, but couldn’t capitalize on it.

Perez said injuries played a role in the game.

“When you have multiple players hurt, it becomes difficult," Perez said. "Even if we were to lose, I would have wanted to go out with my best team possible."

Meza said the players should be proud of overcoming a lot this season.

“We had a great season. We put in so much effort and I know the players that stay next year will do a good job,” Meza said.

Pierce finishes the season 13-3-5 and preparations are underway for next year.

File photo by Michael Moreno Guard E.J. Bushner secures one of his seven rebounds in the win over Santa Barbara at Ken Stanley Court in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 15, 2022.

File photo by Benjamin Hanson Nathaniel Jackson (R) drags Davian Duncan down during a game against the Victor Valley College Rams at Shepard Stadium in Woodland HIlls, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2022.

Photo by Phatarapong Piyarat

Head Coach Adolfo Perez talking to his players during halftime at Shepard Stadium at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

12/2 @ Antelope Valley 5 p.m. Gregg Anderson Memorial Tourney

12/7 @ El Camino 5 p.m.