Volume 137 Fall 2022 Roundup Issue 3

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief

Somebody tell plant facilities to update the stadium lights schedule, because daylight savings time is almost over and the team can’t play night games in the dark.

John Shepard Stadium’s lights abruptly shut off on Friday during the soccer game against Oxnard College, delaying the second half by 20 minutes and leaving the teams and attendees in the darkness.

At 7 p.m., the only things illuminating the stadium were the scoreboard and the crescent moon in the sky.

Head coach Adolfo Perez said that in his 21 years at Pierce College, it was the first time that he had ever seen this happen.

“Instead of resting for 15 minutes, we rested for 45,” Perez said about the prolonged halftime. “It kind of took the tempo out of the game.”

Athletic Director Susan Armenta said that the lights are on a schedule where they turn off automatically.

“One can’t simply flip a switch and turn the lights on,” Armenta said. “It could be easier, but certain departments make it harder.”

Staff present at the game were unhappy with the situation.

Dean of Student Services

Claudia Velasco said that the administration should give control and access to the lights to the athletic director or the

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

Protesters chanted “Zan (Women), Zindagi (Life), Azadi (Freedom)” as they marched from Pershing Square to Los Angeles City Hall, holding vivid and bold signs of Mahsa Amini, a woman who had allegedly been tortured and killed while under the custody of Iran’s morality police, on Saturday, Oct. 1.

Pierce Sociology Professor Mitra Hoshiar said that this protest is about bringing awareness to the atrocities that happen to women across the world.

“It means a lot,” Hoshiar said. “This is not just about Mahsa, this is just not about Iran, this is not just about the women in Iran. This is all the women from all over the world who have been dealing with

Dean. So much time had passed before the problem was fixed that the players from both teams could be seen in the darkness having to warm up a second time around.

Center defender Layla

Richwine said that she talked about the lights shutting off with her team, and they were scared that if the lights didn't come back on, that the game would get delayed.

“Obviously, we didn't want the game to be postponed—we

had a 2-0 lead,” Richwine said. “But we were happy that they came back on so we could finish the game strong.” Not to be outshined by the spectacle of lights shutting off mid-game, the Brahmas beat the Condors 5-0.

The Brahmas ended the first half with a goal from forward Heidi Ricketts and another from midfielder Arianna Vigil.

Ricketts also scored a goal during the second half.

Left winger Livia Pereira scored the third and fifth goals

of the night.

Darkness delays soccer game Light malfunction plays role in Brahmas win Iranian community marches in the streets

“Today was a great game with a great score of 5-0 for us,” Pereira said. “I scored two goals so I'm even happier.”

Originally from São Paulo, Brazil, Pereira also said that they are now in a conference where every team will be good.

“I want to help the team with the abilities that I have,” Pereira said.

Richwine said that she thought that the Brahmas started passing more after the lights went out.

“We just needed to communicate and get that ball going,” Richwine said. “I think that we started to accomplish that and once that came on our minds. We locked in and that's when we connected.”

After the game, Richwine commended the Condors for how they played.

“Oxnard was a good opponent, especially with how their defense played,” Richwine said. “They did so well.”

With the win, the Brahmas came from the first loss of the year last Tuesday.

Perez knew that they were going to come out and play better on Friday.

“Next game is going to be a war against Ventura,” Perez said. “They finished first last year, and we finished second.”

The next game is against the Pirates at Ventura College on Friday, Oct. 7. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m.

oppression. All over the place we see politicians getting involved with women’s rights and their bodies.”

It wasn’t always like this in Iran. According to the Brookings timeline of the Iranian Revolution, before the Iranian/Islamic Revolution, Iran was under a monarchy, where the last Shah and his Regency Council had ruled in an authoritarian system before he exiled.

In the timeline, the regency council along with Shapour Bakhtiar came to stabilize things, but a chain of violent interactions between loyal members of the Shah and rebels, led Iranian people to vote in the national referendum with a majority to overthrow the monarchy and have Iran become an Islamic Republic.

Hoshiar added that Iran used to be a place like western countries, but four decades after Iran’s revolution she said that men have forced women to comply with the

rules.

“The majority of men forced them to wear the hijab,” Hoshiar said. “The moral police that we have in Iran, they’ve always been there, but now they are more active. Since then, many women have lost their lives just to stand up against the moral police and the current oppression going on in the country.”

Thousands of men, women, children and dogs walked through the streets while chanting "Mahsa Amini" and "Zan. Zindagi. Azadi." as event coordinators and Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) safely guided the crowd to Los Angeles City Hall.

Beverly Hills Mayor Lili Bosse said that she stands in solidarity with the crowd and she has her City Hall illuminated.

“I am honored to be here,” Bosse said. “I am proud to say that we have already illuminated our Beverly Hills City Hall and with

Photo by Kayla Kossoff (Special to The Roundup)

soccer team after the lights went out in their game against Oxnard College at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Friday, Sept.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

of people march down 1st St. towards City Hall during a Freedom for Iran rally in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.

Dear Roundup,

BEAT WHAT HAS BEEN THE HARDEST TEST YOU TOOK?

“The year I was graduating high school I had a pre-calc final and it was very hard because my teacher was very bad at teaching math and he didn’t like me. But I made it up and passed the class eventually.”

-Victoria Cerna, communications and journalism major

The equine science program at Los Angeles Pierce College has suffered significant changes which today keep leading it towards the end. For the program that is based mostly on hands-on experience, having no horses to work with is a disaster.

Every class I have to imagine a horse to understand any given concept, which is extremely difficult if you have never worked with these animals before. Having to go through a dozen pictures for

each term still doesn’t teach me how to work with it in person. Not only is it useless, but it is also dangerous to let out the “certified experts” from Pierce to work with 1,000 - 1,500 pound animals without knowing what their behavior says. One silly move can be fatal for both the human and the horse.

The college that was born off agriculture is now digging its grave. Great start for the 75th year, great demolitions are in motion. From tricking students to apply for the program with no required resources available to consistently ignoring them when the issue is being brought up.

So far, I heard back from one person out of eight I personally emailed, and the response did not include any solutions to the current issue. I was told this month that the program is being redesigned and that the administration has been aware of it since at least January 2022. They prefer to have horses only for Spring semesters, which will cut the cost for college but will make a two-year program into four-year + program, and that is if the student doesn’t choose to dig deeper on specific classes such as Advanced horseback riding or Advanced training. As of right now, the ANML SC

620 class is not being offered, this particular class is a prerequisite for every class involving horses and if you don’t take it the first semester of the two-year program, you are stuck for at least two to five years.

Now, how fair is that?

If the administration was aware of such changes being made, why haven’t they notified future students? Would having horses on campus jeopardize the filming of movies and TV-shows here? Who knows.

I feel robbed of my time and efforts fighting for justice for the problem that the department seems to not notice or solve.

Me, the instructors, and each

student in Equine Science are still there. We are still trying our best to get this program running and we are ready to be a part of it if the administration expresses the necessary effort to fix this issue sooner rather than later.

And, don't get me wrong, sending emails with apologies won't do it, we demand horses to be present every Fall and Spring semester as promised by the program.

Thank you very much for your time and efforts in making this college a better place!

- Aliaksandra Rudzko Pierce College student

Make free parking permanent

When morning rush hour occurs, students scramble to get in their cars, drive and compete to find the best parking spot.

And once they park, then they have to face paying the daily fee or having to buy the semester’s permit, which also doesn’t come cheap. With all these conditions to consider, Pierce should allow their students free parking.

Although Pierce has made parking free for 2022, this is just reaching the surface level.

Students have known that they

“Lastyear,mysenioryearofhigh schoolanyAPstatisticsexamI hadtotake,myteachersucked soIbasicallyhadtoteachmyself throughoutthecourse.”

-NiloufarShiralian,historymajor

have been paying an unfair amount for parking and how not much has been done to resolve the situation.

According to the California Community Colleges, between the fiscal years of 2021-2022 the maximum allowable fee for student parking is $59 with shorter terms costing $29. And for 2022-2023, the maximum only increased. Still, this adds up for students counting paycheck to paycheck to see if they can afford their basic needs while attending college.

As Pierce is experimenting with free parking, it's only reasonable to ask if this rule will be revised after it takes effect?

In California State Universities (CSU), the Cal State Student Association found that students have to shell out nearly triple compared to faculty for the average parking permit each semester. Not only that, but between 2017-2018, 61 percent of the $124 million made from parking fees came from CSU students alone. San Diego Democratic Assemblymember Shirley Weber who proposed AB 532 CSU Parking Fairness Act to reduce parking permits for CSU students, recognized the unfairness of students who had to pay more for parking to subsidize the costs for

employees. Pierce can continue to collect from student parking, however this would only pose as a barrier to students and repel people from stepping foot into college.

According to The Conversation’s Editor and General Manager Beth Daley, they did a peer-review study with 27,000 former community college students in Florida, and found out 11 reasons as to why they couldn’t attend campus. Five of them were on financial issues such as concerns affording college, running out of financial aid, assuming they had holds on their account and gaining/losing a job.

“WhenIwastakingMath261,the secondtestwasverydifficultfor me.Ihadanearinfectionthatday, soIwasn’tdoingreallygood.Iwas countingonluckbutIgotthroughit though.”

-ChrisSop,pre-engineeringmajor

“The hardest test I ever had to take wasdefinitelytheAPLiterature examthatItooklastyear.Itwas difficult for me because I never reallyconsideredmyselftobea greatwritersoIhadtoadjustmy writinginordertofittheneedsof the exam.

-EstevanVucetic,filmmajor

Quotes gathered by Trish Alaskey

Photos by Rachael Rosenberg

Corrections:

VOLUME 137 ISSUE 2

FRONT: In the Topanga Vintage Market story, Tracy's last name was misspelled. The correct spelling is Liu.

In the same story, the sword was given a different time frame. It is actually from the 1700's.

So Pierce should assess allowing their students to apply for free parking permits. To create a base for funds, this college should focus their time on creating more community-based events that engage their student demographic that will also aid in outreach. Whether or not it's possible to have free parking, it should just be a given considering everything students have to put in for their education— the least that can be done is to have parking that’s free anytime.

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

Testing is the way to go for everyone

BY JOAN VINCENT DAVILA Reporter

Students in K-12 and in college should take standardized tests so they can do their best and learn from them.

By taking these tests, students can be motivated to improve and succeed.

BY CHRISTIAN CASTELLANOS Reporter

While proponents tout its effectiveness in assessing students' college readiness, what they fail to see is a growing concern for bias that has only grown worse with the Covid pandemic. Standardized tests should not continue to be the metric we use to evaluate students for college.

Standardized testing greatly puts poor students in a disadvantage while benefiting those who are more wealthy.

In an article written by Meredith Broussard for the Atlantic in July 2014, she said standardized tests in the Philadelphia school district were not based on a student’s general knowledge but instead based on specific knowledge found in very specific textbooks made by the test makers.

And the problems of the eightlargest school district in the United States are indicative of a larger problem among districts of other

Testing can show students how far they can go in their life, especially when they grow up and evaluate their life’s purpose from a test. They can also show others what the test can mean for them.

One of the benefits of standardized testing listed in an article written by Lisa Tunnell for Education Advanced on Feb. 24, 2022, is that it demonstrates

student progress. The objective of the standardized test is to set up a baseline of comparison, and by having students take the same test over time, students’ test scores are compared to see if there are any changes in progress.

Tests such as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress

and the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SATs) hold teachers and students accountable. A teacher's job is to prepare students for the next level, whether it's 5th to 6th grade, or 12th to college. A student's job is to get to the next level.

Tests are the benchmark that everyone needs to prove they are doing their jobs. According to Fordham

Pro: No more standardized testing for students Con:

Institute, parents can use these tests to judge a school's success rate of teaching their children. If a school district's average test scores are favorable, parents would likely be more inclined to enroll their children there.

major cities, including LA: a lack of funds to buy books.

“Unlike college professors, who simply assign books and leave it to the students to buy them, K–12 teachers have to provide students with books. But it’s not a simple matter of ordering one book per student per subject,” the article says. “Based on the schools I visited and the teachers I interviewed, each student needs at least one textbook and one workbook per class, plus a bunch of worksheets and projects the teacher pulls from assorted websites (not to mention binder clips and construction paper and scissors and other project-based materials). Books can be reused year to year, but only if the state standards haven’t changed—which they have every year for at least the past decade.”

Which only makes it that much harder for disadvantaged students to compete with those from districts that can afford the resources.

As for those who create the tests; Harcourt Educational Measurement, CTB McGraw-Hill,

Riverside Publishing (a Houghton Mifflin company), and NCS Pearson. Each one selling their own books about studying for the very same tests they make.

Standardized tests, since their inception, have also been linked to racism. Take for example the SAT.

In an article written by John Rosales and Tim Walker of NEA News for the National Education Association from March 2021, during the early 19th century, millions of European immigrants came to the U.S., and there was a growing concern amongst the leading social scientists of that time about the “infiltration of non-whites into the nation’s public schools.”

The NEA News article mentions how psychologist and eugenicist Carl Brigham in his 1923 book, A Study of American Intelligence, wrote “African-Americans were on the low end of the racial, ethnic, and/or cultural spectrum. Testing, he believed, showed the superiority of ‘the Nordic race group’ and warned of the ‘promiscuous

intermingling’ of new immigrants in the American gene pool.”

That same Carl Brigham would go on to aid in the development of aptitude tests for the U.S. Army during World War I and would later be commissioned by the College Board to develop the Scholastic Aptitude Test, which made its debut in 1926.

This is the very same test that evolved into the SAT we know of today.

However, this continued debate over whether standardized tests are synonymous with racism and classism has reached a turning point.

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, more than 100 colleges and universities in California opted to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements, according to Lauryn Schroeder of the San Diego Union-Tribune in association with the LA Times in 2021.

“The decision helped level the playing field for students who have traditionally been disadvantaged

in the college application process, Gomez said, and for the first time in its history, the school admitted more nonwhite students than white students,” according to Schroeder

In fact, schools reported receiving “more applicants, better academically qualified applicants, and a more diverse pool of applicants” when they exempted SAT/ACT submissions, according to Schroeder.

So what should we prioritize over standardized tests?

Grade Point Averages.

According to Tony Pals of the American Educational Research Association, in a study published by Educational Researcher, a peerreviewed journal of the AERA, students’ high school grade point averages are five times stronger at predicting college graduation than their ACT scores.

Statues set to be removed from the school

Discussions are in final stages; owners have been notified by administration

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief

In an age when Christopher Columbus statues are being removed for his abuse against Native Americans, and George Floyd’s death has sparked the toppling of Confederate monuments, Pierce College remains the home to problematic historical landmarks that are considered by most an offensive product of a different time.

The Old Trapper’s Lodge folk art statues, located near the Farm Center, continue to burden the school after the final stages of the removal were suspended indefinitely earlier in the year.

Interim President Aracely (Ara) Aguiar said that a deal for the removal of the statues became null and void.

According to Aguiar, district general council has sent out formal letters to the family of the original owner of statues, John Ehn, to make a decision about what the next step is going to be.

“We are making every effort to make sure that the family gets the collection,” Aguiar said. “We offered a 60 day timeline so that the individuals can make a decision.”

Aguiar added that one way or another, the statues are going to be removed.

Two of the controversial statues are of an indigenous man fighting a white settler and of an indigenous man kidnapping

a white woman. The college does not want sculptures that are demeaning to Native Americans.

About a year ago, Pierce’s history Professor Brian Walsh found someone to take them— Valley Relics Museum, who was given the opportunity to remove the statues.

Located in Van Nuys Airport about six miles east of Pierce College, Valley Relics Museum is a non-profit that restores, repairs and preserves historical artifacts pertaining to The San Fernando Valley and surrounding areas.

“We are the preservationists of The Valley,” said Gelinas, the curator and founder of Valley Relics Museum. According to Gelinas, John Ehn’s family had the best-case scenario. The statues would have gone to North Hollywood to the museum’s 20,000 square foot facility, where they would have been restored from their weather-worn condition.

By now, in Valley Relics Museum’s timeline, the nonprofit would have removed everything. The statues would have been restored here and they would start putting in pieces that were not hurtful to indigenous people.

“I wanted to make sure that these were represented properly not only for the family but for the community - with the proper history behind it,” Gelinas said.

“I came in and said I would handle it—that I would figure

out if the sculptures were going to go back out.”

Gelina’s goal was to start telling the story that John Ehn loved cowboys and Indian art.

The removal process was challenging. Forty years after their move to Pierce, trees and bushes have all grown in and around many of the sculptures.

Valley Relics completed the first phase of getting all the little pieces out to make room for the large statues to be craned out. They removed the cement headstones, the wood headstones and wooden signs, and they are now housed in their warehouse.

“We probably have about 20 of those items,” Gelinas said.

“We didn’t touch any of the big statues. That was the next phase.” At this point, the non-profit has spent $15 thousand in addition to volunteer time."

Then, according to Gelinas, the sightseeing tour agency Esotouric Tours interjected themselves in the middle of the progress when they assessed pictures of the removal posted by one of the Valley Relics volunteers. After that, Gelinas backed out of the deal.

“Once Esotouric got into the ears of Ehn family, and once the family started talking to council, Wolf and I did not want to go down that path,” Gelinas said. “The last thing I want to do is go to battle with a Los Angeles tour company.”

Gelinas said that at this point,

it is up to the family to decide what to do with the statues, and his hands are washed off the project.

The Old Trapper’s Lodge is a designated California Historical Landmark. Walsh said that the designation makes it a logistical and bureaucratic issue.

“It’s going to cost money to get rid of them,” Walsh said. “We are past the question of the statues staying on campus. Now it's just a question of how do you physically remove them.”

Tombstones and signs may have been removed from Pierce grounds, but the pieces considered offensive depicting indigenous people continue to cast a shadow.

“In a time when people started tearing down confederate statues of slave owners, we still have statues up that are a fictional representation of the indigenous people,” Sociology Professor James McKeever said. “It is insulting, it is wrong, and they should not be on our campus.”

“I don’t want to return from sabbatical and see them there,” Walsh said. “But if they are there, I will have class outside and we will have something related to that in my lesson plan.”

The Old Trapper’s Lodge statues currently remain fenced, hidden from public view.

fcarrizosa.roundupnews@gmail.com

Enrollment going in the right direction

According to the Interim President, school is closing the gap

BY JAYNA KUKLIN News and Copy Editor

Headcount remained a hot topic at the Academic Senate meeting on Monday via Zoom.

Interim President Ara Aguiar said that Pierce is down 17% in actual headcount, but the college is working on it.

“Our enrollment is on an upward trend compared to two years,” Aguiar added. “We’re beginning to slowly but surely close the gap.”

Aguiar also announced that Pierce was awarded a $3 million Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) grant which is to last for five years.

“We have to thank Donna Mae, the VPs, our researcher, everyone worked on it. But especially Mark Crocker. He has been kind enough to come in and work with us,”

Aguiar said.

Aguiar also said that thanks to Crocker’s expertise and guidance, he has brought $5,500,000 to Pierce in the last eight months.

The ASO Concert recital was mentioned by Aguiar last Thursday and she thanked Korean-American pianist Jeewon Lee and Music Department Chair Wendy Mazon for putting the show together.

Aguiar also acknowledged the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Open Forum on Sept. 21 and thanked Center for Academic Success (CAS) Director Crystal Kiekel and Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter who were part of the few Pierce representatives who participated along with everyone who came.

However, certain events taking place on campus also sparked interest in most of the members of the Academic Senate.

ASO President Qais Azizi did not attend today’s meeting but he announced that they celebrated Latinx Heritage Month last Thursday.

“We passed out snacks to students. We played games and had great engagement,” Azizi said in a chat message sent by Academic Senate President and Communication Studies professor Barbara Anderson.

Azizi did not have any further updates at the time.

The meeting soon hit a suspenseful note due to some events that took place within the last week.

Academic Senate Treasurer Alex Villalta said he sent an email asking for members and teachers to start paying for Senator Academic fees.

“We’re all super busy. I understand that,” Villalta said. “In fact, I waited until this time [the meeting] to start collecting just because we haven’t gotten our

paychecks yet.”

Villalta said that 27 students receive checks from the Academic Senate, so it is crucial that members start paying for their Senate fees as the prices will go up after Halloween.

Aguiar also announced that the Kinesiology Department reported to the Dean of Student Services on the situation with the pool malfunction Monday on behalf of Athletic Director Susan Armenta. Distance Education Coordinator and Child Development professor Wendy Bass said that there had been issues with SpeedGrader and with discussions in Canvas.

“There have been some glitches with discussions in Canvas,” Bass said. “I will let you know as soon as I hear if it’s fixed but don’t drop students because it looks like they’re not participating.”

Bass said that it is paramount for teachers to drop students from

their classes if they do not plan on continuing them because if they had financial aid and they didn’t drop them, then Pierce owes the money back, which puts a strain on the budget.

In other news, Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter announced a few things that happened at the Transfer Center, such as a Faculty and Staff and Tutor training that was rescheduled from Friday.

“Our representative from UCLA was very sick, so unfortunately, we had to reschedule that,” Salter said.

“But we will be sending something out about that.”

Salter also announced that Transfer Day is set to take place on Nov. 3, where all colleges across the country will come to Pierce from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in person to connect with transfer students and offer one-on-one support with them.

Music professor Gavineh Avakian announced that there will

be a concert sponsored by ASO and Armenian Students Association (ASA) in honor of Armenian Heritage Month on Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. in the Performing Arts Building (PAB).

Physics and Planetary Sciences Department Chair and Astronomy professor Dale Fields also announced that the Astronomy department is making a comeback with telescope nights and planetarium shows for the first time since COVID-19 began.

Anderson said she wants to treat any members who would like to go with their loved ones to see "Clue" for free via a promo code provided by Performing Arts Department Chair Michael Sande.

The next Academic Senate meeting is set to take place on Oct. 10 at 2:15 p.m. via Zoom.

Open forum discusses accreditation for the school

Attendees from around 50 colleges met on Zoom to discuss future plans

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) Open Forum had around 50 attendees representing their colleges hosted on Zoom last Wednesday to review Pierce College’s ICER review.

The meeting consisted of Pierce’s plans for enrollment and accreditation.

Transfer Center Director Sunday

Salter said that for enrollment, students will have a unique enrollment date instead of just one open enrollment.

“Students have a unique enrollment date that they’re supposed to register for classes and that date

was simply not known to our students and this was across our district,” Salter said. “And so we worked with our district office to change this so that when students logged into their student portal, they no longer just saw the enrollment date, but their unique enrollment date.”

Salter explained that the enrollment committee had done “secret shopping” to learn about enrolling in classes and realized that it needs to be more student friendly. And with the Transfer Center, Salter said that they’re peer advising, where recent transferred students help out Pierce students with the process as they try to improve upon the current program.

“This has really helped to create a more transfer centric culture across

our campus,” Salter said. “In the years before us, our students and faculty were really focused on getting students to the Cal States, but we want students to find the right fit university and to expand their horizons as best as possible.”

Pierce’s Anthropology and Geo Sciences Professor Erin Hayes talked about the Honors Program currently having around 1200 active students and how Pierce honor certified students have a 76 percent acceptance rate in UCLA. Overtime Hayes said that she expects the number to jump to 80 percent as there are students who have not completed their requirements yet.

Hayes added that the Honors Program is working on outreach to have students that are not

represented to join the program. “And so we’re working at the moment on developing strategies to outreach to these populations that are not as well represented in our program, particularly students of color, low income students and veterans,” Hayes said.

Director of Pierce’s Center for Academic Success Crystal Kiekel said that she had seen higher retention rates from students who have entered English 101 and for transfer level math.

“The participants of our center have higher fall to spring retention, and that’s even higher yet amongst our students who identify as Hispanic or Latino x or AfricanAmerican,” Kiekel said. Director of Dual Enrollment and English Department Chair Brad

Saenz mentioned that the outreach and collaboration with CAS has been fruitful when it comes to having Pierce students pass English 101 along with having more supportive courses and workshops.

Saenz also spoke on the success of the Summer Bridge Program along with Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Team’s (EDIT) efforts in making sure students feel at ease when learning and working closely with the UMOJA program and Chicano studies to facilitate better student engagement. He also mentioned the expansion to new high schools.

“We’ve hired a brand new outreach office that assists high school students,” Saenz said. “Just in the last couple of months, we’ve expanded from 12 to 16 high

schools and we’re expanding course offerings.”

Dean of Current Technical Education Mon Khat highlighted the construction of the brand new extended automotive facility along with receiving a grant to buy more advanced vehicles. “We’ve dedicated ourselves to new and advanced transportation vehicles, electric, hybrid electric, hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles,” Khat said. “Recently we got a grant for about $500,000 to purchase additional advanced transportation vehicles like Tesla’s and our full Hybrid cell vehicles, and we’re looking at light duty vehicles as well, in terms of training our students for the future.”

Photo by Daniela Raymundo

"Kidnap," by John Ehn, located near the farm at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.

Telescope night returns after hiatus

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, community gathers at the Center for the Sciences

BY CHRISTIAN CASTELLANOS Reporter

The star attractions? Jupiter, Saturn and the moon.

”The three easiest and brightest things for us to see tonight,” Physics and Planetary Sciences Department Chair and Astronomy professor Dale Fields said.

“You’ll not only look at the moon and see a thing, you’ll be looking at the moon and see a place. We’re also gonna see Jupiter. You’ll be able to see the stripes and different cloud layers in Jupiter as well as Jupiter's moons, as well as Saturn and its rings and some of its own moons.”

Fields also hopes to see galaxies, globular clusters, or a gas cloud. The event is being held for the first time in two years since the COVID pandemic.

Fields said safety was the reason for the hiatus and “now that things are settling down, we wanted to bring these back to our campus.”

The public got a chance to view the night sky with two of the college’s Meade LX200 8-inch SchmidtCassegrain telescopes pointed at different stars. The viewing area was surrounded by black screens, protecting the eyes from the building’s light pollution.

“The more light that we can stop receiving, the better they’re gonna

see out there in the universe,” Fields said. “It's actually good for humans because these screens mean that your eyes can adjust to the darkness and be ready to see the very faint things that you can see inside the telescope.”

People also brought in their telescopes to share and partake in

the event.

Member of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society Philip Taylor brought his electronic telescope for casual viewing and demonstrated how he can control his telescope and take pictures from his smartphone. He mentioned using this telescope to look at faint

galaxies and distant objects, and how these stars reflect the past.

“Using a telescope is a time machine. When you see an object, you're seeing what it looked like in the past, so when you look at the moon, you don’t see the moon. What you see is light from the sun shining on the moon and then

coming back and then you see that,” Taylor said. “So when you look at an object–anything, even the building. anything you look at–you don’t see it. You see the light. The light has to come from somewhere. It's either emitted or it’s reflected and that's what our eyes pick up.”

Retired teacher and fellow member

of the LAAS Iraneide Deoliveira said the best part of the event was seeing people looking through a telescope for the first time.

“How excited they get when they see the objects we’re looking at.

People really like Saturn because of the rings,” Deoliveira said. “It's so different and so beautiful. They always ask, ‘Where on the moon did Apollo 11 land?’ They ask questions that are really interesting.”

When asked about her favorite part of the event, Deoliveira said looking at Saturn because “of the rings, and when you can see the moons and identifying them. That's my favorite part of it.”

As the hour passed, a large crowd began to emerge. The wind also made an appearance, pushing the screens around, exposing the telescopes and the audience to the unwelcomed light.

Looking at his phone, Taylor said his telescope picked up a vibration. “It's a breezy night and this thing’s sensitive to the wind. It may not work. It looks like it is working.”

Telescope Nights marks the first of four events. The next two shows are Planetarium shows which will be at the Planetarium Tuesday, Oct. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 28 from 5. to 7 p.m.

ccastellanos.roundupnews@gmail.com

Chicano studies hosts second speaker series event

Dancers performed as department continues celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

In the second of the Chicano and Latino/x/a Heritage Month Speaker series, taking place last Wednesday night at the Eugene and Dow Theater, began with Chicano Studies Professor Angelita Rovero welcoming the attendees and introducing the Mexicanen Aztlan performers.

The performers danced to the beat of the drums, and at intervals blew the conch while striking and kicking their legs as their wide anklets rang on stage, imitating the beauty and grace of the four elements and cardinal directions.

“Something that I also go over in my classes is that it's important to connect to Indigenous myths, that we are Indigenous, that we are Chicanos, that we are Mexicans, and that’s why it’s very important to have the representation of where we come from,” Rovero said. “This is our roots.”

After Rovero, Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga spoke of the partnership he had with Rovero and her students, Machistas,

in organizing these events. “It’s really been an amazing partnership that we’ve had to ever dream of,” Astorga said. “For this month-long celebration, what do

we do to acknowledge the heritage, the legacy, the importance of our cultura, our activism, our expressions, but really, the most important thing is just to see her

dedicate her passion and bring it to our campus. I’m really grateful.” Rovero then introduced chicana artist and art teacher Emilia Cruz to the stage to talk about her

experiences being an artist and how it was like to grow up.

Cruz got personal in explaining what it meant to pursue her dream while battling with issues of mental health, bad relationships, colorism and the difficult journey of fully accepting her culture.

“Simi Valley is a very conservative place, especially when I was in elementary school, I didn’t have a lot of friends that were elsewhere or even Latinos,” Cruz said. “Then when I would travel to spend time with my family in Tijuana, there was this kind of otherness I felt and I don’t think it was until I entered high school where I found a group of friends that I could finally talk to them about this and feel pride again.”

During the Q&A, Rovero asked her about her piece “Finding a Connection” that Rovero had in possession with her and kept that in her classroom for students to see.

Cruz said that piece is about her going outside and talking to the moon to comfort herself.

“I would get into bad episodes and the only thing that could ease me was going outside,” Cruz said. “The moon would be out and I could

just talk to her, and it would feel like something or someone was listening.”

Later on Cruz added that she drew little ghostly hands coming from the Earth to find her connection back to her ancestors and her roots.

“I felt like people that are there, holding on to my roots and helping me and letting me know that I’m here to guide you and help you with your growth,” Cruz said.

After Cruz, Rovero introduced writer, actor and producer Richard Montaya to talk about his new project pitch, “Cholo Zombies,” and about his works that open up conversations about gentrification and excluding the poor and the other from the equation in our society. “It’s brutal,” said Montaya during the Q&A session. “Los Angeles is just getting so expensive it’s driving entire families out onto the streets. So I’m gonna try putting my two cents out there and look at it through some amount of humor, lyricism and also ceremony and ritual.”

pkalidasan.roundupnews@gmail.com

Associated Student Organization hosts first Thursday concert

Performances kickoff the series of future events taking place on the same day

BY JOSHUA MESA

Reporter

The first Associated Student Organization concert returned with a musical masterpiece performed by Jeewon Lee and Wendy Mazon on Thursday.

After not being able to have many normal in-person concerts due to COVID-19, this performance by Lee and Mazon encapsulates the audience, reminding everyone what the power of a live concert brings.

Mazon said that they are glad to be back and performing in front of students live and free of charge to the student body.

“It’s definitely exciting to be able to come out and play for such a large audience and the fact that ASO supports this kind of programming, with the

help of Dr. Gaga who scheduled everything,” Mazon said. “It's just such a great opportunity and to be free to students. It's a pleasure to be a part of it.”

The show started with Lee walking out to an applause, but the crowd was not quite prepared for what she was about to play.

As soon as Lee started playing a piece by Chopin, the crowd was immediately entranced within her music, there was so much subtebly, yet so much power.

Lee later said that she wanted this Chopin piece to be more celebratory, not only because this was the first ASO concert, but also because Dr. Mazon had just become the new chair in the music department.

“I wanted it to be a little bit more celebratory because it's the first ASO concert of the semester,” Lee said. “And also I

didn't say this on stage, but Dr. Mazon became the new chair in our department. The nickname for this piece is “The Heroic Polonaise.”’

After that amazing showing, Jeewon walked back off stage, and then returned onto stage with Mazon, where they continued to play a variety of musical pieces.

Mazon expressed all the different emotions and colors that the pieces they chose could bring out, representing the journey that the crowd went through during the performance.

“The different colors and characters that you can bring out in this piece is beautiful,” Mazon said. “It's everything from the beginning, which is Allegro, a pasionado, very passionate to just very innocent in the second movement and then a lot of

fun, light humor in the third movement, and then just realistic cancellation for candidates. So it just really covers a lot.”

The audience was simply blown away by the showing that they had just watched, and gave a very large round of applause expressing so.

Music students Annie Yolo and Garret Sullivan expressed how incredible the performance was and what it was like seeing your teachers perform in front of you.

“It was really amazing, I mean I have seen Lee perform before, but this was a whole new level, and she has such a strong stage presence, it's really amazing,” Yolo said.

“I was very impressed, it was really cool getting to see the people who teach us how well they do in a performance,” Sullivan said. “ It's just seeing

what we can get to.”

This will not be the last ASO concert as they plan on doing many more, the next show is still TBA but will take place on Thursday, Oct. 13.

For any further announcements on any upcoming concerts, you can follow them on Instagram/ Facebook at lapcmusic.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

Sage Elliott, 9, looks at Jupiter through a Meade LX200-ACF telescope at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.

Photo by Jamie Ortiz

Aztec dancers perform a traditional dance at the Hispanic Heritage Speaker Series at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022.

Photo by Daniela Raymundo Wendy Mazon, Jeewon Lee and Garineh Avakian answered questions at the ASO concert at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept 29, 2022.

IRANIANS RISE FOR DEATH OF MAHSA AMINI

Thousands of people filled the streets of Downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 1 in solidarity for freedom in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini.

The sights; Pershing Square, LA City Hall and the streets in between flooded with protestors dressed in white, Iranian flags, Mahsa Amini signs, a burnt Islamic Republic flag and women cutting off their hair.

The sounds; Iranian drum beats from LA Daf Ensemble, protest anthem "Baraye," by Shervin Hajipour, blared through amplifiers and the deafening roar of 20,000 people chanting "zan, zendegi, azadi."

Zan, zendegi, azadi has become the rallying cry of Iranian protests all over the world.

“It means ‘Women, Life, Freedom,'" Sociology Professor Mitra Hoshiar said. "We cannot exclude women from everything. We see social inequality and the violation of women's rights from every single institution, from family, education, politics, media."

Mahsa Amini fell into a coma under suspicious circumstances while in the Guidance Patrol's custody and later died on Sep. 16. Amini was arrested for allegedly not wearing her hijab properly.

Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad (left) hugs a fan before her speech in solidarity with people of Iran and the recent death of Mahsa Amini at Pershing Square in Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2022.

Photo by David Pashaee

Left, Thousands of Iranian Americans turn out at Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2022.

Photo by David Pashaee

Below, (L to R) Artists Yadviga Krasovskaya and Samantha Rose Moshiri covered in fake blood during a performance in solidarity with Mahsa Amini and Freedom for Iran in front of City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2022.

Photo by David Pashaee

Right, Pierce College Sociology Professor Mitra Hoshiar protests in solidarity with Mahsa Amini and Freedom for Iran at Pershing Square in Downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2022.

Photo by David Pashaee

Below, Protestors watch the Islamic Republic flag and a hijab burn during a Freedom for Iran protest near City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 1, 2022.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

Photos by David Pashaee & Benjamin Hanson

Copy by Benjamin Hanson

Soccer Football Women's volleyball

Women's basketball Men's Basketball

Football drops last non-conference game

Brahmas have a bye week, look to rebound for start of league play

BY MADELEINE CHRISTIAN Reporter

Agame with multiple penalties and lack of discipline, the football team lost 37-7 to Compton College on Saturday in their last nonconference game.

The Tartars were 2-2 going into the game against Pierce, while the Brahmas were 0-4.

There were seven players who were out in previous weeks due to injury.

They have returned to the field and were ready to play. This is the third home game at Pierce, but that didn't bring the home-field advantage they needed to win their first game of the season.

Compton scored first with 6:21 left in the first quarter, but hopes were still high among players.

By the end of the first quarter, the Brahmas were down 13-0 after a fumble occurred with the Tartars recovering for 70-yard return. Their extra point attempt failed.

The Brahamas called two time-outs in the second quarter after a series of fumbles and interceptions.

By the half, the score was 190, and spirit among players and coaches was dwindling.

Receivers Coach Jamere Austin knows the problem isn't capability, it's morale.

“We're playing soft, and we’re letting them get into our heads,”

Records

Austin said. “We need to find a way to get these kids to come together rather than pointing fingers and getting out of their character.”

The Brahmas came back from halftime with a solid offensive lead, slowly but surely making their way to the end zone. However, an interception by

Compton at the 50-yard line resulted in a touchdown. By the end of the third quarter, the score was 25-0, and the mood for the rest of the game was set.

Defensive end Kevin Herring was watching from the sidelines as his team lost faith.

“They're not giving 100% effort,” Herring said. “Once they

saw the scoreboard was 7-0, they just gave up.”

The Brahmas eventually got on the scoreboard. Quarterback Peyton Pelletier connected to running back Charles Yates for six yards.

It wasn't enough to stop Compton as they responded to make the score 31-7.

The Brahmas received five flags and were scored on by more than 30 yards twice.

Head Coach James Sims said he is starting to see a pattern in their losses.

“We keep facing the same things,” Sims said. “Red zones, interactions and fumbles, and people not focused on their assignments.”

Pelletier believes in his team despite their track record.

“This one definitely hurts, but the good thing now is we have a bye-week, and we still have that conference championship in our minds,” Pelletier said. “We have all the potential in the world, but we can't keep letting the little stuff get to us.”

Football are on the road for the rest of the month and their next home game is not until Saturday, Nov. 5 against Antelope Valley College.

After their bye week, the Brahmas are back on the gridiron as they travel to Santa Barbara City College.

Game is on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 1 p.m.

Malfunction at swimming pool

Earthquake near Los Angeles one of many factors for the crack

BY FELIPE GAMINO Editor-in-Chief

Students were treated to a surprise as yellow tape surrounded certain areas at the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center on Monday morning. Chunks of concrete had fallen into the big pool from the side near the small pool.

Pool Manager Deborah Hefter said she was notified at dusk.

“I was notified around 5 a.m. This was a problem that we have been monitoring for the past five years. It happened on the pool deck. Probably the earthquake that occurred didn’t help since that area of the pool wasn’t really stable,” Hefter said. Hefter said this also has to do with the need to improve on infrastructure.

She mentioned this is the first time she had to deal with anything related like this and hopes administration addresses the situation.

“It shouldn’t only be a patch job. We should take care of the structure of the dock because if this is happening over there, it is probably happening all over,” said Hefter, adding that the interim president and the district have been notified Assistant coach Micrea Pitariu said this situation has a negative effect on the program.

“This definitely sets us back so we will adjust. Good thing we have the two-pool system and we can use the other one in case of emergency,” Pitariu said.

Pitariu mentioned that they might have to change locations if these issues persist.

Former athletic director Bob Lofrano said the Athletic Department must stay on top of things and improve the pool conditions.

“They are fixing the tennis courts and the last time we did that was 30 years ago,” Lofrano said. “Baseball didn’t have a home game in two years and now it is the pool’s turn to go through the disarray.”

Lofrano said the Western State Conference led by Commissioner Jerry White visited the campus two or three months ago. They toured the facilities and they were not pleased. “They are saying, ‘What is going on?’ First the baseball field and now chunks of concrete are falling into the pool,” Lofrano said.

Photo by David Pashaee

Compton College football player Anthony Rodriguez and Pierce's Tony Overstreet during a game at Shepard Stadium in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.

File photo by Cecilia Parada

Yesica Cruz and Julia Nederlk attempt to stop the ball during a game against Moorpark at Ken Stanley Court at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.

Photo by Felipe Gamino Concrete in the far lane of the swimming pool came off at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.

vs. Ventura 6 p.m.

@ Chaffey 6 p.m.

@ Cuesta 6 p.m.