Volume 137 Fall 2022 Roundup Issue 5

Putting in steps for a good cause Community gathers at school event to raise awareness

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

At the crack of the golden hour, volunteers and Girls Scout troops helped set up nearly two dozen booths for sponsors and event organizers to register people and distribute symbolic pinwheel flowers—ranging in orange, yellow, blue and purple—to plant within the fenced “promise garden” where it also contains “END ALZ."

And just behind the garden lies a select group of foldable white chairs, where posters containing sponsors' brand names are ready with the DJ playing upbeat music.

“We got involved in this because we have a grad whose mom works for Alzheimer’s and her grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s not too long ago,” Girl Scout troop co-leader Sharon Hager said. “It’s something near and dear to them, so they reached out and here we are.”

The event taking place at Rocky Young Park on Sunday, Oct. 16, drew in 314 registered participants and 52 teams who managed to reach 73 percent or nearly $77,000 of Alzheimer’s Association’s overall campaign goal, where they plan to raise $105,000 by the end of December.

Fern Kaufman, a resident from Sunrise Senior Living, said that she

thinks the event is beautiful. “I was somewhat famous when I was young,” said retired Los Angeles County deputy district attorney Clarita Karlin. “I was

a singer—and we’ll be singing again.” Karlin and Kaufman along with the seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia from Sunrise Senior

Living sang Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” Jack Norworth’s and Albert von Tilzer’s “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled

raised money to fund more global research and about treatment that significantly decreases the progress of the condition.

"Alzheimer's has destroyed our families, our finances and our future, and it’s time to end it,” Carter said. “Currently the (Alzheimer’s) Association is investing $300 million dollars to more than 920 projects in 45 countries on six continents. This week topline results were shared from a phase three trial of a new treatment, lecanemab, the data shows a 27 percent reduction in cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

After Carter, 2022 San Fernando Valley walk event chair Jeff Friedman said that the Walk To End Alzheimer’s started three decades back

“We started walking to end Alzheimers with something called a memory walk,” Friedman said. “And I cannot believe that 30 years later we’re still doing this. I appreciate everybody who took the time to come out here today to show support.”

The walk started around 9:15 a.m. where participants circled around campus, passing by Lot 1 to the Avenue of Champions and through Olympic Drive.

Banner.”

After their performance, speakers such as film director Susie Singer Carter stated that the Alzheimer’s Association has

Former media arts student returns Pulitzer Prize winner Julio Cortez speaks to future pros

BY BENJAMIN HANSON Managing Editor

APierce College journalism student watched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeat the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII 4821 on Jan. 26, 2003, when he turned to his father and said, "Someday I'm going to be on the field taking pictures of the Super Bowl."

Associated Press (AP)

photographer Julio Cortez has since covered four Super Bowls, four Olympic games, the 2014 FIFA World Cup and shared the 2021 Breaking News Pulitzer Prize for his lead photo in AP's coverage of the riots following George Floyd's death.

Cortez returned to Pierce and spoke to photography students about his journey from an undocumented immigrant to AP photographer and his award winning photograph on Oct. 17.

Cortez was photographing a burning liquor store and powerline. He took a moment to take a sip of water when he noticed a protester walking by while holding the American flag upside down.

Cortez recognized the upside down flag as a signal of distress. He followed the man and kept taking

photos until the flag was wholly illuminated by the fire in the window.

"It just felt like wow I can't believe this happened to me," Cortez said.

"Normally you don't see Mexicanos or Latinos exposed like this."

In a video posted to his Instagram, Cortez, alongside his wife Emily and two sons, immediately burst into tears upon seeing his photo announced as the winner of the 2021 Breaking News Photo Pulitzer Prize.

"I relate it to winning the Super Bowl or winning the World Cup," Cortez said. "Like when Juilo Urias threw that last strike to win the World Series in 2020."

Cortez strives for diversity in newsrooms and shared that the 2021 AP staff photo directory page featured only men.

"While I don't get involved in the conversation of it, I'm aware that we need to change that," Cortez said.

"Luckily, we had two Latinos on there, which is great. But I want to get more, I want to get Latinos on there, and black women and more Asian people."

Cortez's father, Julian, had earned his U.S. residency during the Reagan administration and snuck his family into the country.

"When I was 10 years old, I migrated to the US," Cortez said. "I crawled through a hole in the chain

link fence in San Ysidro."

But it would take Cortez 13 years before he became a citizen.

Cortez decided to attend LA Valley College and Pierce until he became a citizen to avoid paying outof-state tuition at CSUN.

Cortez was working as a sports reporter stringer for the LA Daily News while attending Pierce. His path to becoming a sportswriter diverged into photojournalism on Sept. 11, 2001.

That morning, Cortez left his political science class early and headed to the LA Daily News office in Woodland Hills to help with anything the editors needed.

In order to get to his desk, Cortez had to walk through the photo department. He couldn't ignore the sea of photos from the wire services of what was happening in New York City.

It was there that Cortez was enamored by AP photographer Suzanne Plunkett's photo of people running from the collapsing Twin Towers.

"I saw the images of what happened in New York and I saw how important they were," Cortez said. "I thought 'Man, these images are our future.' They're gonna be talked about forever. I want to do that. I want to be right in the middle of all the important

stuff."

Cortez stressed how important it is to network and meet the people who are currently working in the field.

"Whenever you get those cards from the pros, hold on to them, they're your golden ticket," Cortez said. "Nobody's gonna walk into this business, especially the way this

industry is now."

Photography student Genesis Medrano said Cortez's photos resonated with her and that she was glad he gave hard-to-find advice.

"There's not that much information that's given about how to really get into the industry," Medrano said.

"And he told us."

Cortez said that when he was a student, established professionals coming by to share their experiences didn't happen often.

"You have the same chance as long as you work really hard and put in the effort," Cortez said.

Photo by Dillon Sattler Members of Girl Scout troop 4056 Woodland Hills service unit cheer as participants walk in support at the "Walk to End Alzheimer's" event

2022 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

Claudia Yi (left) and Natalie Yechzkia (right) listen to Julio Cortez explain the technical details of getting certain shots at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2022.

EDITORIAL: From the desk of the Roundup

Giving back, while helping others in need

Empty binders taking up space on the shelf.

Miscellaneous crafting supplies from an art elective.

These items that sit unused by one student could find a new life and purpose in the hands of another.

Many colleges and universities,

including UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCLA and UC Riverside, have “Buy Nothing” groups. Hundreds of these communities exist in California alone, mainly as private Facebook groups that cover one or two neighborhoods each.

Per their website, the Buy Nothing Project describes the

groups as a way for people to give and receive, share, lend and express gratitude through a worldwide gift economy network.

In addition to a private Facebook group, Pierce College can have a small space on campus dedicated to “buy nothing” items for students to exchange.

A small supply room on

campus with school or basic home items in good condition can be a communal space to not only spend less money, but it also can cut down on waste.

The general rules of the project are explained in a Los Angeles Times article, by Ronald D. White—no buying, selling, trading, bartering or dumping

unwanted things.

On campus, there are unused classrooms…

Students at Pierce

The project could be run by a “buy nothing” club in which volunteers organize item intake…

BY OLIVIA ESPINOZA Reporter

T

The lines between church and state have blurred in U.S. politics and are now

bleeding into said education system. The Republican party has been pushing the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill in Florida, striving to stop educators from discussing sexuality in class, and now is attempting to mandate prayer in our schools.

he conservativeleaning Supreme Court has furthered their actions to dismantle laws across the nation that protect teachers from mandating prayer in the classroom; this recent decision could create a ripple effect that will damage our school system and push the conservative agenda to control public students’ education.In the Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a coach who got fired in 2015 for kneeling in prayer after a game. The Court’s decision has caused controversy all over the nation on whether or not prayer should be mandated in the education system.

According to the case’s syllabus on the Supreme Court website, the coach argued that his school district’s decision to suspend him violates his First Amendment right to freedom of religion.

But religious freedom and pressure have distinct

differences. Students have always been allowed to pray to themselves before an exam or over their school lunch. Educators are able to do so as well. However, for the Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District case, a parent spoke out about how their child felt pressured to participate in prayer.

According to a Daily Beast New York article by Danielle Moodie, “At least one parent complained that their child (who identifies as an atheist) was being coerced into participating in the postgame team prayers—lest they be perceived as disrespecting the coach and, resultantly, see less playing time. And while Coach Kennedy eventually stopped leading his team in prayers, he still could be seen praying on field himself after games. Then he was fired.” The power dynamic was prevalent in this situation

and the student athlete felt the need to suppress their own belief system so they wouldn’t lose playing time. The coach’s support from right wing conservatives also had motives to push an agenda in our school system.

According to writer Rob Boston’s The Humanist article, the coach in question was aided by Christian nationalists who sought to weaken separation between the church and state. Those who funded Kennedy’s case had the intention to send a message that religion should be established in our education system. This has opened the conversation on whether our country’s “lack of faith” must be put into the hands of our educators.

According to a Washington Post article by Hannah Natanson, Miami-Dade school board member, Christi Fraga, “in May successfully

proposed establishing an annual day of prayer in her district” and Fraga said, “Our nation has lost its way in having a belief of a higher power.”

Besides the fact that it isn’t our politicians duty to establish Christian beliefs in our laws and education system, it isn’t our educators responsibility to spread this agenda either.

According to Pew Research Center, there are 8 other major religions in America besides Christianity.

If we were to dismiss the 4,000 recognized religions in the world and only focus on the major religions in the United States, we would still alienate seven other major belief systems our students could affiliate with; Catholics, Jewish, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, and Agnostics. The push for Chrisitanity in

on Facebook Marketplace or Ebay for a few dollars, but you could also pass it on to another student and provide them with a small jump-start instead.

Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 1, 2022.

our public school system holds no benefits for the students in the classroom. If students and their families are interested in religious teachings, that is what private schools are able to provide. The intentions behind the conservative parties fight for the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill in Florida, attempting to stop critical race theory from being taught in schools and now attempting to force religion into the public school system holds a prevalent goal to force an ideology created by straight white christians. If all of these factors successfully impact our nation, we will have students who lack the knowledge of different cultures and the inability to accept their own.

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Column: Prayer shouldn't be imposed on anybody

Chancellor gives State of the District Address Francisco Rodriguez updates Trustees during board meeting

BY CHRISTIAN CASTELLANOS & MADELEINE CHRISTIAN Reporters

Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD)

Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez reflected on the past and potential future of the district in his State of the District address Wednesday.

In his opening remarks, Rodriguez described his report as a snapshot of the work happening in the district, with particular topics being “pillars of a well-functioning educational institution.”

“We are now transitioning, thankfully, out of the global health crisis and adapting relatively smoothly to our new educational environment. Not without its challenges, however, but what remains, members of the board, is our enduring institutional commitment and professional dedication to ensuring access to our nine colleges, identifying and breaking down the historical barriers to our most vulnerable student populations, safeguarding LACCD's ability to continue to offer high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities for all the students that we probably serve,” said Rodriguez. “As we build for the future, there are changes on the horizon, at the state level, national level, clearly local levels that will have significant implications for our institutions. Being able to anticipate what those changes are and lead some of those changes is what we will do.”

Second Vice President Nichelle Henderson congratulated the chancellor for his thoroughness on the report and acknowledged

everyone who helped make it happen.

“I'm very pleased to see the growth in student enrollment and the discussions that we have had regarding outreach, regarding the importance of increasing our numbers to previous standards, and

we've been doing that,” Henderson said.

Rodriguez noted a recovery in LACCD’s student populations and enrollment this fall with the recent data showing an increase of 1% and 3%, respectively.

“While not all student populations

and groups are experiencing the same recovery, it's encouraging–members of the board, colleagues–to see some key student populations that have previously been in decline since the Fall of 2019 now displaying increases for this fall compared to last year,” Rodriguez said. “For

example, first time students up 18%, returning students up 13%, dual enrolled and concurrent high school students up 13%. Students under the age of 20 up 5%, male students plus 3%, full-time students overall, plus 8%. Black students, AfricanAmericans students plus 11%, and Latino, Chicano students plus 5%. That's a reason to be optimistic about some of the work, some of the recovery that is going on.”

Rodriguez said that dual enrollment among high school students is helping the recovery in student enrollment.

“It fosters a sense of belonging within a college community,” Rodriguez said. “It provides access for students, especially those who have limitations in their high school curricula or who are not prepared for college level work, and we have seen that also can help close equity gaps. There's been a steady increase in the number of concurrently enrolled students, high school students at the LACCD and our colleges have increased outreach efforts to local high schools.

Acting President of Teamsters 911 Deborah Harrington shared her appreciation for how LACCD conducts itself in light of the behavior of higher-ranking officials.

“While this week has surfaced a lot of anger, disappointment, and disillusionment with several leaders in this city, our LACCD leadership has demonstrated their commitment to stand for inclusion, representation, respect, and stand against hatred, racism, and homophobia,” Harrington said.

She continues on to support the board in continuing this trend of positive role modeling, especially during LGBTQ+ History Month.

“I strongly encourage the board

to be at the ready to push against attempts by local or national entities to roll back the progress we've made in securing greater rights for the LGBTQ+ community and other minoritized communities,” says Harrington.

The board passed a resolution to declare Oct. 2 as National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day in the Los Angeles Community College District “in honor of the hardworking custodians of the LACCD.”

Chris Ozan spoke on behalf of custodians in the LACCD system and their lack of mention.

“We don't get the recognition and support we deserve,” Ozan said. “Custodial work is a thankless job, it's hard work, and we are essential workers. We work in environments that are hostile and we don't make the pay we should as inflation rises.”

Pierce representative and Interim President Ara Aguiar shared some big news from the Pierce campus at the meeting. Pierce College received a grant for $3 million last week for their dual enrollment work with high schoolers, continued support of Pierce's multicultural center, and program for Latin X students on campus. Aguiar announced a celebration on Oct. 20 for Pierce celebrating 75 years since its doors first opened in 1957. The celebration will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Advanced Automotive Technology building.

“It will be an exciting event,” Aguiar said. “Many community members will be participating and are looking forward to a wonderful event.”

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District continues riding with Metro The GoPass Fareless program continues for this school year

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN Features Editor

The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) along with Metro and United States Senator Diane Feinstein (DCA) announced the extension of the GoPass Fareless Program for 21 Los Angeles County community colleges, including Pierce and their eight sibling colleges, for 20222023.

Students can use their GoPass card for 12 transits including Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, Gardena transit and others alike.

According to Metro, around a quarter of LACCD attending students used public transit before the pandemic when they used to pay roughly around $160 for a Metro U-Pass card. For those students, the costs for transportation matters, especially when gas prices peaked to new record highs.

Biology major Alondra Gomez stated that the bus is the only way she gets around and that using the

fareless card helped her save money in the long run.

“It helped me a lot because literally the bus is the only way I can get to places,” Gomez said. “I

mean it’s just for transport because I couldn’t unfortunately be able to afford a car, especially nowadays with the inflation and gas prices, the bus pass helps me get to school

and go to doctor appointments.”

Pierce’s Business Office Supervisor, Pardaman Singh Mann, reported that the Business Office gave out approximately 737 GoPass

cards around last spring and for this fall semester it increased slightly—895 students signed up.

“I can say that since we started distributing (the cards) last December, students like it and they really appreciate it,” Pardaman said. “They say ‘it’s like one less stress,’ and they kept asking ‘if this program will be extended for spring.’ They are looking forward to it and they want to have it for future semesters.”’

And from last winter, Pardaman reported that roughly 2,031 Pierce students were enrolled, including those who renewed their card.

Although students have free bus fare, there is more to be done when it comes to providing access to services and resources for their other important needs.

Associate Vice President of Administrative Services Ron Paquette said that Pierce has a commitment to prioritize its students.

“I think that it’s critical to assist students in any way that we can,” Paquette said. “The less students have to worry about their basic needs

like housing, food, transportation and health needs, the more they can focus on their academic program. We want to see students' success and we want to see retention and basically doing everything we can to make sure students stay enrolled and complete their goals.”

Transportation is a vital component for everyone, especially schools and colleges who benefit when students utilize the GoPass card to commute so that they can focus on their education more.

“It lets me get free rides,” Business Management major Joshua Cancino said. “Apart from not spending money on the bus itself, I need to go to other places other than school, so that’s why it’s helpful.”

Students can go to the business office to sign up or renew their GoPass card. For more information search “GoPass Fareless Pass Program” or contact lapc-busofc@ piercecollege.edu.

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Academic Senate address facility malfunction

Members talk about the main pool being unavailable

BY MAXINE CHAYKOVSKIY Reporter

The Academic Senate during its third meeting of the semester on Monday over Zoom discussed the main pool being out of order.

Vice President for Student Services Jason Cifra said Pierce is able to use the smaller pool until the end of the semester. However, with the smaller pool

going to be used more often, it will require more maintenance.

“This is not going to be a two week resolution. This is not going to be even a year and a semester and half solution,” Cifra said. “It’s pretty badly damaged. Our deck has fallen and it's really a bigger discussion about structural integrity.”

Cifra also said a heater is needed to combat the summer weather and the water is good for the activities.

Athletic Director Susan Armenta said that she had received a request from Reseda High School to use their tennis courts for tennis season.

“If we’re letting them use our facilities, we hope and ask that they let us use theirs,” Armenta said.

Armenta said that the college should be vigilant of the facilities that they oversee, and to take on anything that needs to be addressed.

In other news, OER Liaison Clay

Gediman discussed that Pierce has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the state for the Open Education Resources/Zero Textbook Cost (OER/ZTC) program.

“This is the first of several funds that will be awarded, so this is only the beginning and that this is the initial phase,” Gediman said. “And what they want to do is support faculty as they create a master class in a particular course in a shell, then

share that shell with other faculty in the department so that anyone who wants to teach this class can do so.”

Articulation Officer Cristina Rodriguez shared her report on some classes that were now available for UC transferable units for the IGETC general education pattern.

“Some classes in the Addiction Studies department were approved for UC transfer retroactive to fall 2022,” Rodriguez said.

“Unfortunately, CAOT 32 was denied despite similar courses that were taught at Berkeley City College and Los Angeles City College respectively.”

The next Academic Senate meeting is on Nov. 2 at 2:15 p.m. on Zoom.

File photo by Natalie Miranda

Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Fransisco Rodriguez speaks in the Great Hall to discuss hiring a new Pierce College President on Sept. 20, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Photo by Raquel Frohlich

The Pierce College Metro station in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022.

Celebrating their culture on stage Concert held to commemorate Armenian Heritage Month

BY PAMELA KALIDASAN

Features Editor

The Pierce Armenian Students Association (ASA) along with the Associated Students Organization (ASO) organized a concert in the Performing Arts Building Thursday, that honored Armenian culture with music, dance, a few keynote speakers including Interim President Aracely (Ara) Aguiar and Los Angeles councilmember Bob Blumenfield.

The Holy Martyrs Ferrahian

Armenian School students and administration, Pierce students, faculty and staff, Director Talynn Kuyumdjian and the Armenian string quartet, along with members of the Heritage Dance Studio whose dancers performed at the very end, attended the event which lasted longer than previously scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m.

Opening up the event, Communications Department Chair and ASA advisor Yeprem Davoodian welcomed attendees. He also spoke of the pomegranate tree ASA planted in 2007.

“Welcome everyone, family, friends, peers, colleagues, students, community members,” Davoodian said. “I was thinking about how we should start this off, so I’m gonna tell you a story and this story sort of goes along with the aspects of things that happened recently. So in 2017, professor Avakian and several other faculty members here got together with the ASA, Armenian Students Association, to do something for the Armenian genocide commemoration and we decided to plant a pomegranate tree.”

Davoodian shared how Pierce faculty and staff looked after the tree, and when the pandemic hit he said that he couldn’t find time to look after the tree. But as soon as he got back on

campus he said that he wanted to see the tree and it grew under the care of an unnamed plant facilities staff who had been taking care of that tree during the pandemic, and was there during the commemoration ceremony and helped plant it.

“The point of this is that the person is an Armenian. That person came by and saw what was happening and was asked by plant facilities to plant the tree and

it’s a part of his life,” Davoodian said. “And what I’m getting at is that we’re all here, whether you are Armenian, non-Armenian, wherever you are to celebrate customs, traditions and values and so forth.”

After Davoodian thanked members who contributed to putting this event together, ASA members introduced themselves and after them Kuyumdjian and the string quartet, violinists Angela

Amirian and Anna Yegiazaryan, viola player Artashes Asatryan and Milena Mardanyan, who performed seven works of composer’s Komitas Vartabed, the founder of Armenian classical music.

They performed “Shogher Djan” (“Dear Shoger”), “Yerginkn Ampel A” (“Cloudy Sky”), “Spring” (“Garoun A”), “Noubar Noubar,” “Krounk” (“The Crane”), “The Red Shawl” (“Al

Ayloughs”) and “Echmiadzin Par” (“Echmiadzin Par”) with grace and the audience cheered as their performance was emotional and moving..

Associate professor of vocal and choral music and ASA advisor Garineh Avakian did a presentation to share information about Armenia's geography, history, culture, people, traditional fashion and musical instruments, religion, achitecture,

iconographies and spoke briefly about the Armenian genocide. Garineh also talked about the symbolic meaning of the Armenian flag and its ties to Armenian people and their national pride.

“Red symbolizes the Armenian highland,” Avakian said. “The Armenian people’s continued struggle for survival, maintenance of the Christian faith and Armenian’s independence. The blue represents the will of the people in Armenia to live beneath peaceful skies and the orange symbolizes the creative talents and the hardworking nature of the people of Armenia.”

Additionally, spoke about the impact of the Armenian genocide stating that 1.5 million Armenians were masaccred with Armenia now having 3 million people, but there are more Armenians outside of Armenia is more than 8 million people.

Along with her presentation, Avakian performed Komitas’s “Hayastan” (“Armenia”), on the piano with vocalist Stephanie Keledjian where they were formidable together on stage.

Aguiar addressed how she felt about the event along with Blumenfield who later on awarded certificates to Aguiar, Music Department Chair Wendy Mazon, ASO and ASA students and advisors, Kuyumdjian and the string quartet and Heritage Dance Studio.

“Good afternoon everyone, it's good to be here celebrating Armenian Heritage Month,” Aguiar said. “I’m looking forward to the food. My roommate in college was Armenian and her mom fed us everyday during the whole time we were in college and let me tell you it’s fabulous food. What a wonderful way to get introduced into a culture and it’s great to be here celebrating with you.”

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First ever Hispanic speaker series concludes District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez makes an appearance in event

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief

As Hispanic Heritage Month came to an end, Pierce College students, faculty and staff have come away from it learning about the cultural and historical significance of influential Chicanos, especially from those who stopped by the campus within the last four weeks.

Members of the ensemble Quetzal performed on Thursday at the Faculty & Staff Center to conclude the 1st Annual Chicano/ Latino Heritage Month Speaker Series.

Quetzal is a Chicano rock band from East Los Angeles that formed in the 1990s and plays an amalgam of genres. They perform songs in English and Spanish.

Three members of Quetzal performed at Wednesday’s event. Professor, activist and lead singer Martha Gonzalez sang and played the jarana, a stringed instrument from the state of Veracruz, Mexico, that looks like a guitar. Gonzalez also used the tarima, a wood-shaped box, to create rhythms by tapping her red dance shoes.

With her was the first ThaiAmerican Grammy Award winner, Tylana Enomoto on violin.

On bass and guitar was

composer, and session player Juan Perez.

Together, the three performed songs that told social, cultural and political stories. The songs were influenced by various music styles, including, but not limited to rancheras, Son Jarocho and rock.

Quetzal performed songs with lyrics that speak to the Chicano experience of life in the United States. Those in attendance were taught the lesson that music is meant for activism and not solely to serve capitalism.

Since the complete band was not performing, Gonzales described their three-piece performance as very low-key acoustic. The way the music performance was engineered made the songs' messages pierce throughout the building like a call for revolution.

Cesar Castro, music professor at Occidental College, was the sound engineer for Quetzal’s performance, and he was responsible for the effects of the sounds of Gonzalez’s vocals and Enomoto’s violin. Originally from Veracruz, Mexico, Castro said that he met Gonzales, Perez and Enomoto almost 20 years ago, and he used to play in the band as well.

“Doing the engineering was not only a pleasure, it was an honor,” Castro said.

Chancellor of the Los Angeles

Community College District

Francisco C. Rodriguez was in attendance on the concluding night of the speaker series. Rodriguez said that activities such as Quetzal night are statements of affirmation that heal and support efforts to become antiracist and to become more justice centered.

“Some of the music that we heard tonight challenges our sensibilities and our comfort zones,” said Rodriguez. “It causes discomfort, but I believe that in that discomfort comes change.”

Rodriguez gave a speech where he commended Chicano Studies Professor Angelita Rovero for putting on a speaker series that will lift and elevate the Chicano diaspora.

Quetzal also showed a video on the projection screen that showed footage of one of their music projects from earlier in their career.

The event concluded with a Mexican buffet on the patio. Guests enjoyed rice, enchiladas, chicken, meatballs, beans and rice with a choice of horchata, hibiscus or lime drink.

Preston Reyes, club council representative for M.E.Ch.A (Chican@ Student Movement of Aztlán) and mathematics major, said that she was looking forward to tonight’s event.

“I read Gonzalez’s book when

it came out in 2020, and I probably adored her since 2019,” Reyes said. “I love the way that she created this art activism that understood her and understood other people.”

Some guests of the show could be seen with copies of Gonzalez’ book "Chican@ Artivistas: Music, Community, and Transborder Tactics in East Los Angeles." With the book, Gonzales’ messages

may continue to ripple through the minds of Pierce students and educators long after the event will have concluded.

The event also included a dance by Mexicas en Aztlan dancers to the beat of two drums, the sounds of conch, and the jingles of their ankle bells.

The month-long event that featured acclaimed speakers was

made possible with coordination by Rovero of the PEACh Department (Political Science/ Economics/Administrative Justice/Chicano Studies) and M.E.Ch.A.

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Pierce College's 75th Anniversary Celebration

Date: October 20, 2022

Time: 10:30-noon

Location: Auto Building 3700

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg

Dancers at the Armenian Heritage Month Celebration Concert at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2022.

Photo by Jamie Ortiz (L-R) Martha Gonzalez, Juan Perez and Tylana Enomoto perform together at the Chicano/Latino Hispanic Heritage Speaker Series in building 600 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 13, 2022.

Community gathers at school pumpkin patch

Copy by Fabiola Carrizosa

Pierce College has ample space for an outdoor Halloween event. There is room to set up strings of lights, a speaker system to play Kids Bop tunes and wood chips to make the place smell like fall. Throw in rides, animals and Halloween things and the scene is set.

Seasonal Adventures Inc. is hosting a pumpkin patch and a family friendly Halloween experience on the northwest corner of Pierce daily until Oct. 31. There are more than seven

Halloween-themed inflatables, including obstacle courses and slides.

Young children can have a thrill in one of the carnival rides, including the flying chairs.

The pumpkin patch has a variety of sizes and shapes of pumpkins for purchase by the pound. Wheelbarrows are provided to roll them straight to one’s car.

There is plenty of open space to walk or to relax on a picnic table or haystack.

Another attraction is the petting zoo, which includes

goats, ducks, rabbits, pigs and chickens. There are food pellets available for purchase to feed the animals.

There is no overtly scary imagery or attractions at the pumpkin patch, making it suitable for families and people of all ages.

“Here, it's more like a happy Halloween more than a scary Halloween,” said Jeff Curran, one of the lot managers for the event. “It’s colorful, it’s cheerful, it’s cute instead of scary.”

Tara Hardy, originally from Philadelphia, visited the pumpkin

patch on Sunday, Oct. 9. Hardy said that the lights brought her and her family out to the Halloween experience.

“The best part of it so far is the inflatables,” Hardy said.

Another attendee, Magi Alvarez, brought her 6-year-old niece to the Halloween adventure.

“My sister is visiting from Arizona, and we are just trying to show her a good time,” Alvarez said. “It’s her first pumpkin patch event.”

Middle school aged crowds came out to the event, such as Emily Garcia, who enjoyed the

fun quality time with her group.

“It was more fun than I expected,” Garcia said. “I thought it was just going to be pumpkins. It was fun that we got to jump in the jumpers.”

Parking is ample and coordinated by parking attendants.

Another attendee, Sam Tabares, recently moved to the neighborhood and had a good time at the pumpkin patch.

“We usually go on little walks at night, and we saw the set-up,” Tabares said. “I was like we should go check that out, and it

was really fun.”

Curran said that it is his first year hosting the event.

“It’s really rewarding to see it all just come from nothing and then turn it into all this with the lights and the colors and the pumpkins.”

There is no cover for entry. Tickets are available for purchase to ride the attractions. Pets are not allowed. There is limited food and drinks for purchase.

fcarrizosa.roundupnews@gmail.com

Photos by Dillon Sattler, Daniela Raymundo and Fabiola Carrizosa

The goats say "Hello!" at the pumpkin patch petting zoo at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 12, 2022.

Photo by Dillon Sattler

Kathy Halls picks up a pumpkin at the pumpkin patch at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on October 12, 2022. Photo by Daniela Raymundo

The pumpkin patch at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 9, 2022. Photo by Fabiola Carrizosa

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Football gets blown out in conference opener

Brahmas lose to Santa Barbara City College in early kickoff

BY MADELEINE CHRISTIAN Reporter

In a game where the offense was shut down for the first time, the Brahmas lost their conference opener to the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros.

SBCC’s offense was on track as they beat the Brahmas 63-0.

Assistant head coach and offensive lineman coach Blake Word knew they were disadvantaged from the jump.

“They've got 80 to 90, probably 100 kids,” Word said. “They've got people sitting, they can rotate, they can keep kids fresh. It's never been a talent issue for us, we have very talented kids, but we just don't have replacements for them so they're giving everything they got every game. ”

Spirits were high amongst the Brahmas as they hoped to finally turn the tides in their favor for once. Unfortunately, they had no such luck.

Emotions were high throughout the first half and what once seemed like excited energy turned into disappointment and rage before the end of the first quarter.

The Vaqueros were very vocal about their impressive lead and it was clearly working to damper the enthusiasm of the Brahmas. If that wasn't enough to unsettle the Brahma team spirit, they were also facing a numbers deficit.

A weak start by the Brahmas gave the Vaqueros a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, and

Records

things continued to go downhill. The Brahmas seemed unable to complete a pass or get more than five yards at a time the whole game. The passes that were complete were immediately tackled by the Vaqueros.

The second quarter saw some good defensive work by the Brahams, but not enough to give them the advantage they needed over the Vaqueros. The score at the half was 28-0, but by then, the game was already over.

Baseball begin fall season

Morale isn't a new problem for the Brahmas, but it seems to be the one hardship they can't shake. Quarterback Matthew Abajian knows when the attitude is poor, so is the performance.

“We like to fall apart when

things don't go our way and it throws the whole game off,” Abajian said. “We need to come out with energy and not try to find that energy midgame. We need to strike first and come out hot.”

The Vaqueros played aggressively and the Brahmas were unable to get themselves together enough to interfere. The Vaqueros scored three times in the third quarter and twice more in the fourth.

The final score was 63-0 making this the first game where Pierce hasn't scored a single touchdown.

The tension after the game was palpable but most of the players seem to be used to this kind of disappointment. It's clear that if the Brahmas continue to play like how they did on Saturday, there will be more losses to come.

Defeat is a familiar feeling for the Brahmas now, but coach Jamere Austin doesn't want to give up just yet and if nothing else, he wants this to be an opportunity for his team to grow.

“We just have to not give up,” Austin said. “We don't have too much to lose right now as long as our guys just keep playing, racking in highlights and they can get their offers, that's the best I can ask for.”

The Brahmas play Moorpark on Saturday, Oct. 22. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

The next time Pierce are at home, it will be their homecoming against Antelope Valley on Nov. 5. One week later, they’ll face LA Valley for the Victory Bell.

Volleyball drops game to the Vaqueros

BY CHRISTIAN CASTELLANOS Reporter

The Brahmas were reined in by the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros, as they lost in straight sets (25-13, 25-19 and 25-12).

The defeat continues the Brahmas’ losing streak to seven games. Head coach Edison Zhou was optimistic, saying the Brahmas put 100 percent into playing for themselves while noting that Santa Barbara was a strong team.

“They are like the top one in our conference and we could learn something from the team.” Zhou said.

The Brahmas’ strategy involved leaving the line open, digging in the lines and switching the positions of each front, middle, and back player. They also spent time watching game film videos before the match.

“We did a lot to prepare for the game, but I think we did good,” Zhou said. “Even though we lost, we didn’t lose the energy.”

For assistant coach Farzad Ramin, the most challenging issue with Santa Barbara was their offense and passing strategy. He said the Brahmas did a good job hustling for points.

“They had great serves so it was a bit challenging for us but our passers did a great job,” Ramin said. “Some of the points we didn’t do a great job on so we need to just get better.”

For Zhou, the biggest challenge was Santa Barbara’s passing.

”They got really good serves. But we only have like two or two and a half passers that control the whole court,” Zhou said. “It's kind of a challenge for the passing line, but we did a good job.”

The first set ended with the

Brahmas losing 25-13.The team closed in during the second set but lost 25-19.

Vaqueros continued their domination winning the third set 25-12.

Outside hitter Alejandra Velazquez said the Brahmas did well, considering Santa Barbara is one of the best teams in the league and the players are some of the hardest working people she knows. “We did the best we could,”

Velazquez said. “Obviously there are some things we could work on but as a whole I think we did pretty good keeping up with our side.”

The volleyball team hopes to snap their seven-game losing streak as they square off against the LA Mission College Eagles on Oct. 21. First serve is at 6 p.m.

File photo by Brandon Sinclair Ryan Barry (9) pitches for the Brahmas against Valley College on Feb. 26, 2022 in Van Nuys, Calif.

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg

Dan MacWilliams Becerra runs with the football at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Oct. 15, 2022.

Photo by Ayoub Sanwari

Brooke Romano (6) serves the ball during a game against the SBCC Vaqueros in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2022. The Brahmas lost in straight sets (25-13, 25-19 and 25-12).