Volume 138 Spring 2023 Roundup Issue 1

All in this together

New Multicultural Center gives students space for cultural freedom

BY NATHALIE MIRANDA Reporter

Los Angeles Pierce College strives to uplift students from all kinds of cultural backgrounds, and now there is a space on campus that not only represents those students but celebrates them.

The Multicultural Centers' grand opening was on Tuesday, February 28 where it welcomed all students to come together and meet peers from their own and other cultures. The center will host a variety of events and activities in hopes of teaching students about their differences and similarities and how to appreciate both.

Multicultural Center Coordinator Tatevik Melkumyan finds that there is unity in the diversity of experiences we share. The Multicultural center is a place where Pierce can help facilitate that unity.

“The main goal of the center is to give voices to the marginalized populations and marginalized groups on campus to give them a

space where they belong, but at the same time promote intercultural learning,” Melkumyan said. “We all know about ourselves, but I think it's also really important for us to learn about others because then that allows for more tolerance and acceptability.”

Located in the Library and Learning Crossroads courtyard, the Multicultural Center is in the same area as the Brahma Bodega and Umoja program.

While no dates have been set, the center plans on hosting many celebrations in March for Women’s History Month, Transgender Day of Visibility and the Persian New Year. There will also be a collaboration between the center and Brahma Bodega in April where students will get to learn how to cook meals from other cultures.

“Students can learn different things about the way that foods are prepared to see that even though it's different, we're similar,” Geremy Mason

who runs the Brahma Bodega said.

Students on campus have been asking for a space like this for a long time and in the fall of 2021, many students filled out surveys from the administration about what they would like to see in such a center.

The resolution to create the Multicultural Center was passed last spring.

Since then, Melkumyan has been working closely with students and faculty to make the center a place that everyone can appreciate.

“I've been working with LGBTQ students, some of our other groups of students to get their input on what they want out of the center, how they want to be represented from the center,” Melkumyan said.

“So the student, staff and faculty input have been

a big part of creating the center because it's supposed to represent them, and you can't represent them without their involvement.”

The Multicultural Center is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The center will be bustling with activities for the rest of the semester, and students are encouraged to come and celebrate all cultures. “I hope (the center) creates a space where students feel like they belong at Pierce no matter what,” ASO counselor Lara Conrady said. “I think the ‘we're all in this together’ mentality is where I hope it goes. I just really want every student to feel like they have a place at Pierce because they do.”

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Preview: Three Strikes…and they’re back

Pierce softball team looks forward to its first season since 2019

Pierce College Softball is back in full swing this February after a nearly four-year hiatus.

With the Joe Kelly Field renovated and a new coach, the program is looking for a fresh start to get the bats swinging and the balls spinning again.

Leading the way is newly appointed Head Coach Brett Marschall, whose resume boasts four years of assistant coaching at El Camino College as well as four years of lead assistant coaching at Marymount California University.

Marschall is also in his fourth year of teaching economics at Pierce.

Given his extensive coaching history, availability as a full-time faculty member, and dedication to the excellence of student-athletes, he was deemed a great fit by the administration.

Marschall feels strongly about sports at Pierce and saw the job as a chance to share that conviction with students.

“I wanted to give our female studentathletes at Pierce the opportunity to represent the school and play college softball,” Marschall said.

Having been a collegiate athlete himself, Marschall wanted to give that same support to those wanting to experience playing at the college

level. He sees it as a unique, once-in-alifetime opportunity.

He’s looking forward to coaching a team of talented players, most of whom are playing their first year of college softball.

“Collectively, as a group, I’m looking forward to seeing them all continue to grow and develop in their roles,” Marschall said. “(Fans) will see the players really giving it their all.”

The last time softball was played at Pierce College was nearly four years ago. The year before that, the season was canceled due to not having enough players to field the team.

Player eligibility not only depends on playing ability, but a GPA requirement has to be met by each student as well.

These factors, along with overall participation, can make it hard to fill a roster of dedicated players.

Just as softball was gearing up for its return in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and forced all sports to a halt.

Things are looking better now as the softball team has a roster of 16 eligible players, an increase from previous years that have sometimes seen only eight to ten players sign up.

But Marschall doesn’t want to ponder on the past and the whys of it

all. He’s only looking in one direction–forward. He knows it’ll take some time to get to a comfortable pace but he’s excited to make that trek with the team.

“Anytime you’re starting up a new venture, there’s always going to be challenges and growing pains,” Marshall said.

For one, Marschall sees the prospect of traveling hours to games as far away as San Luis Obispo to be quite daunting, given that most players are also full-time students with regular obligations like classes and homework He credits the resilience of studentathletes as a factor that fuels the players when things get challenging.

Marschall’s goals for the young team don’t just include winning games, he’s prioritizing the little victories and milestones in watching the team do better in each matchup.

He’s already seen significant improvement since the team’s season opener on February 16 against Allan Hancock College, which resulted in a loss.

“This is going to be a process of improvement every game so that’s what we’re focusing on right now,” Marschall said. “Our goal is to go out and compete in each game and continue to get better.”

Pitcher, first baseman, and outfielder, Andrea Roldan, is excited to be playing but admits she feels the pressure of being part of a budding softball team.

“The team we have is great, but there is a bit of pressure because we want to give Pierce a good name in the softball world,” Roldan said. “My personal goal for the season is to help build a solid team through camaraderie and dedication.”

Meanwhile, her teammate, center fielder Olivia Vasquez looks to work on her approach at the plate.

“Because softball is such a test of mental strength, I’d love to bolster my confidence and execute at the plate when I’m needed,” Vasquez said.

(CONTINUED ON PAGE 6)

BY JENNIFER TANZIL Reporter

Photo by Hunter Hammerot Andrea Roldan pitches at a home softball game vs. Cuesta at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 21 2023.

Los Angeles Community Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez speaks at the opening of the Multicultural Center at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 28, 2023.

Photo by Daniela Raymundo

2 Opinions

EDITORIAL: From the desk of the Roundup STREET

DO YOU PREFER INPERSON OR HYBRID CLASSES?

The Student Store needs a makeover

Maybe it is because the world is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, but Pierce College’s Student Store needs a makeover–from the merchandising to the amenities. Flip the store and get it Instagram worthy.

At the Student Store, many shelves for merchandise are either empty or poorly stocked. There are ice cream coolers with no ice cream and soda fridges with now carbonated refreshments.

Pierce needs to revamp its student store so that it becomes a destination for the various things students might find in a convenience store.

Some students spend much of their day on campus, so having the features of a minimart would benefit them and give them an incentive to attend classes in person. One isle could be stocked with feminine products, cold medicine, tissues and other things one might find at a drugstore. This may generate more money for Pierce. In turn, hiring students to take care of inventory, receiving and stocking shelves is a great way to obtain work skills.

If a student forgets a sweater at home and needs to buy one on the spur-of-the-moment, there are few options as far as Brahma gear. Having a well stocked section of Brahma apparel and accessories displayed in cutting edge, trendy visual ways may help students dress to impress and feel proud to be a Pierce

student.

One way to fill the clothing shelves is to have the students design the clothes. Who better to design them than the same demographic that is going to be wearing it? Prizes, or a cut of the profit could be given to the apparel designers, helping to provide work experience to more students.

To keep the merchandise in the store obtainable for the student on a tight budget, there can be discounts for those

who have an ID card. Free giveaways and coupons can be given periodically. In turn, this can result in repeat customers.

Finally, elements of fun can be brought to the Student Store. There can be music playing in the speakers to put the shoppers in a pleasant shopping mode similar to how they have soft, Top 40 music playing at shopping malls. The televisions on the wall can have the news playing so that the student in a hurry can hear

breaking news from CNN.

With so much space to work with, isles can be condensed so that a small stage can be built in a corner. With a stage, there can be poetry readings, open mics, acoustic sets. These would be the kind of performances that can’t be held in a library and that are not weather permitting. Local authors can do Q&As, book signings and panels at the designated stage area.

Finally, there can be a

Hybrid classes are not ideal

BY ALEC BENNETT Reporter

Hybrid classes are preventing students from achieving their best performance in an academic setting.

“Hybridclasseswouldallowyouto switchuptheworkload.Ithinkit allowsyoutobemoreflexibleand Ithinkitwouldn’tbeasdraining.”

-James Guerin

For those who don’t know, a hybrid classroom setup allows both students in-person and at home to attend the same lecture. The teacher speaks to both in-person students, and a video recording software.

The main reasons that the hybrid classroom setup is ineffective for students are the huge gap in learning pace and lack of social communication between students.

Another reason that hybrid classrooms aren’t the ideal learning environment is that there’s a huge difference in academic advancement when comparing students learning at home versus in-person.

Escarrega

When providing academic content for two completely different groups of people, those two groups will be at

different learning stages. Students at home have so many distractions preventing them from being focused during the lecture. A hybrid classroom setting makes these distractions even worse because the teacher is likely focused on presenting the content and engaging with in-person students versus those watching at home.

The direct engagement with the content that in-person students experience likely allows them to understand more from the lecture compared to those at home.

A quote from Scott Winstead, writer for My eLearning World says that “Some students may choose to linger around for a while and then watch a bunch of video classes in one sitting, while others would rather make the interactive class part of their daily/weekly routine.” Providing an academic environment that’s strictly in-person or online will likely improve a student’s ability to perform compared to other classmates.

“Some students struggle with the organizational skills required for online study. For example, online courses often require greater time management skills and the ability to prioritize assignments”. Genevieve Carlton, writer for the website The Best Schools says that students attending from home may experience a lack of enthusiasm for participating in class. Without a good academic setting, some students may feel inclined to do the bare minimum versus producing their best quality work.

Hybrid classes also aren’t as effective for students due to the lack of possible communication. The best way that students can learn about course material is not only from the professor, but from each other too.

A student’s ability to explain their understanding of course content to another classmate is important because it allows them to put the material into their own words. Communication between stu-

dents is crucial for success because those struggling to understand the material can always ask a classmate for help.

The hybrid class environment prevents students at-home from communicating with their peers. While of course it’s not impossible for them to communicate for help, not having a good social academic environment makes this much more difficult.

“Some will miss the intellectual and social stimulation of on-campus classes that enables them to build friendships and to network. Depending on your learning style, you may miss the instructor's body language and verbal or voice cues that can enhance communication”

A quote from Susie Zappia, writer for the online academic website SeattlePI, shows that social stimulation between both students and professors is critical to providing a quality learning environment. One common aspect between al-

section for non-school books. Mangas, comic books and graphic novels are popular among young adults. A section for Light reading can also feature self published comic books and zines by our school’s creative writers and artists.

In other words, let’s bring the Student Store into the Tik Tok era.

most all majors in college is networking.

The ability to make friendships and help build paths for eachother is so important. A hybrid learning environment doesn’t allow networking nearly as much compared to in-person learning.

The hybrid classroom model isn’t as effective compared to exclusively in-person or at-home learning. While the argument given shows preference to in-person learning, even at-home learning is still better than a hybrid classroom because at least the professor can give direct attention to just online attendants.

The best way that students can get the most out of the college experience is to show up in-person, and practice networking with others so that they know how to communicate in their career.

Quotes gathered by

Photo Illustration by Daniela Raymundo

FRONT PAGE: Itzhak Matos at Pierce College Main Theater, in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2023.

Photo: Daniela Raymundo

Focus on Policing in America

Professors examine the relationship between law enforcement and people of color

BY NICOLE KHAIT Reporter

For Black History

Month, Pierce College professors discussed sociological and historical issues on Thursday in a presentation called Policing in America in the Faculty and Staff Center.

Sociology professor and Los Angeles College Faculty

Guild AFT 1521 President James McKeever and the history and humanities department chair Christopher Strickland examined how institutional racism presents itself through the policing system across the country.

Strickland said that the murder of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man beaten by five Black police officers prompted the topic of the event Policing in America and pushed them in that direction.

McKeever believes that it’s important to get a better understanding of the event in a larger social context because the issue of racism permeates all facets of society.

“A lot of the times, we focus on the police shootings,” McKeever said. “But one of the things we don’t focus on is that there have

been plenty of juries who’ve had opportunities to send policemen to jail for the things they’ve done and they let them go free.”

Strickland also examined the historical context of policing in America during the Civil Rights Movement.

“Diverse strategies implemented during the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement included militant direct action, self-defense, community programs, and political power,” Strickland said.

McKeever said it’s easy to look at the police without thinking about the institutions that support them. Still, he said that race continues to be a crucial part of our lives.

“This was a country that was founded on slavery and genocide if I’m going to be honest,” McKeever said. “Genocide of the indigenous people. In fact, we don’t talk about it as genocide, but it's exactly what it was. And when you think about it, it’s one of the most successful genocides in the history of the planet.”

McKeever spoke about the institution that instills certain types of values into those who join the police force. He also brought up the concept of defunding the police in America.

“People talk about defunding the police which is really not getting rid of police,” McKeever said. “It’s just moving resources into communities that need those resources, to prevent crime before it happens. But I do believe you probably need to dismantle policing the way it is today.”

McKeever said that police officers should have far more education than they are required to have now.

“I think police officers should be required to have a master's degree in social work,” McKeever said.

Along with his concerns for police officers' educational requirements, McKeever shared his worries for their potential lack of experience with a weapon while on duty.

“Some of these officers who killed somebody, they never fired their gun be-

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY

fore,” McKeever said. “They could’ve gone 20 years without firing their gun. So then how experienced were they in that situation?”

Strickland and Dr. McKeever talked about how passionate they are about this subject and refer to it as their “life’s work.”

“James has been a great mentor and inspiration,” Strickland said. “This is what we do in our classrooms all the time, so we wanted to bring it to this forefront here.”

Sociology and Business major Nelson Solares attended the presentation and mentioned how enlightening these events are to the public.

“I’ve been a student of Dr. McKeever in the past so I’ve heard a lot of these narratives,” Solares said. “But there is always something to be learned. I love that Dr. McKeever went beyond just the police officers. He brought up juries and community.

This event was one of several Black History events held at Pierce College during the month.

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Multiple areas around campus are being assessed for damage

BY LINDSEY WHITTAKER & NICOLE KHAIT Reporters

Recent rains created damage to multiple facilities and several areas of the campus grounds.

Interim President Ara Aguiar told the Academic Senate Monday on Zoom that a few classrooms have also flooded, and alternate arrangements have been made for the classes that take place there.

"The Academic Affairs building was completely flooded, "Aguiar said. "No one can work in there. I don't know what the outcome is going to be or if everything needs to be recarpeted, but we're trying to get things all dried.”

Aguiar also said that there is considerable damage to the fence

BY TRISH ALASKEY Managing Editor

Dean of Student Services William Marmolejo walked the group through an informational presentation regarding changes to the commencement ceremony at Pierce College. The event is scheduled for Thursday, June

around the tennis courts caused by a large tree falling during the storm.

"I don't know how much damage it did to the tennis court, if any," Aguiar said. "So we will be assessing that."

Aguiar also said that the campus had a successful audit with the Office of Civil Rights and Perkins programs whose last visit to the campus was in 1986.

"They would go up to people to talk to them and everyone was very friendly," Aguiar said. "They were really in awe of how wonderful the culture of peers and how friendly everyone was. So those are wonderful things to hear."

Another item that was part of the resolution was to have faculty

leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion and Anderson said they are actively looking for a candidate to fill this role. Anderson also mentioned how many of the items included in the resolution are now coming to fruition via the new

Multicultural Center. "I feel that it has been based on a lot of efforts from the Diversity Committee, CPAC, the senate resolution against systemic racism, all those things led toward that and our accreditation efforts," Anderson

said.

Other meeting highlights included Transfer Center Director Sunday Salter’s announcement that transfer requirements have relaxed for some schools due to low transfer enrollment rates.

“Everyone is in pain for enrollments, but what that means is good news for our transfer applicants because the floodgates are open,” Salter said. “They are accepting students left and right.”

According to Salter, the requirements for students transferring from Pierce to a California State University used to be strict, not admitting a

BRIEF: Commencement Ceremony Changes

8, at 9 a.m., at John Shepard Stadium.

The graduation ceremony will be held in the stadium as opposed to Rocky Young Park.

Also, past ceremonies have been held on Tuesday evenings. It has been changed to the morning to try to avoid the heat of the day.

“It is our 75th graduation ceremony,” Marmolejo said.

“We have been working on the stadium for some time now, for a couple of years. Last year, Taft

High School used the stadium for their graduation ceremony and it worked out pretty well, so we feel capable and excited to use it for our commencement ceremony as well.”

A task force was formed last fall to ensure that everything, from aesthetics to the ticket distribution process and the allocated budget, as well as parking and shuttles are handled properly.

Marmolego said the task force

includes representation from student services, Associated Student Organization (ASO), the facilities department, the bookstore and faculty.

“We’re going to be sending out information to the campus,” Marmolejo said. “So be on the lookout for an email that will include a save-the-date and what our students should expect.”

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student if even one mistake was made on their transfer application.

“As long as the student meets the minimum criteria for transfer, we'll take them,” Salter said. “That means the golden four: english 101, critical thinking, speech communications, transfer level math, 60 units, 2.0 GPA. That's it.”

There are a couple of exceptions for certain majors, including nursing and music. The deadline to apply for transfer from Pierce to both CSULA or CSUN has passed but Salter said that even if a student missed the deadline, they can still email to be considered for transfer admission for fall 2023.

James McKeever and history professor Christopher Strickland talk before Policing in America, a Black History Event, in Building 600 in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb 16, 2023. Photo by: Wyatt Sanchez.,

A Taste of New Orleans

Food, song and dance brings cheer to campus before Lent

NICOLE KHAIT Reporter

February has many holidays and festivities that can give students new perspectives with food, music and traditions. One of those holidays is Mardi Gras.

The Mardi Gras celebration welcomed all students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday afternoon to bring the campus community together. It was sponsored by Los Angeles Pierce College Student Services.

“Today is the celebration of Mardi Gras, but it's also to unite the campus and bring everybody together,” Melkumyan said. “I think since we've gone to remote learning like almost three years ago, not a lot of people are on campus. So now we're working on putting together a lot of events and activities for students, faculty, and for everyone to be excited to be back on campus."

Director of International Student Services

Abby Watson and Student Engagement

Coordinator Lara Conrady Wong assisted student services in the arrangements of the Mardi Gras celebration.

Multicultural Center

Coordinator Tatevik Melkumyan talked about the importance of on-campus events in order to reengage the community and bring the campus back together.

“Today we're here just as a community building event to learn more about other cultures,” Conrady Wong said. “Mardi Gras is a really fun event for students to learn about. We're already teaching some students some of the traditions about it.”

The celebration brought students, staff and faculty

together, and taught students a culture they might not have known about otherwise. There were many activities, live music and catered creole food.

“It's really just so that students and staff and faculty can get together, have some food and just sort of a welcome for spring 2023,” Watson said. “Our music department trained to march around with percussion drums. They will be here sort of doing a little march around Pierce.”

Along with live music from the percussion instruments played

by Pierce College students, there was a mask-making station run by the senior office assistant Meagan Truxal.

“We have feathers, we have rhinestones, we have puff paint and some metallic pipe cleaners,” Truxal said. “I had to add another mask-making station – it’s very popular. We're here just as a way to get together, to bond, to learn about another culture and just to kind of celebrate.”

Students participated in the activities while bonding over the inclusivity and celebration of

Mardi Gras. The line to get free food was almost out the door for the duration of the event.

“The food is going to be creole food,” Conrady Wong said. “So we have jambalaya, shrimp creole, shrimp and grits, beignets, and collard greens and black-eyed peas so there are vegan and vegetarian options.”

Also in attendance were ASO students, who supported and helped Student Services during the event.

ASO Co-chairperson Kaden Lewis attended the celebration

to support and interact with other students.

“Every big event is to help bring the community together and strengthen us,” Lewis said. “You meet people you’ve never talked to before, so it’s always a great experience. I’m always trying to be a voice for the students and answering any questions or helping out in any way that I can.”

Multicultural Center Coordinator Tatevik Melkumyan talked about the importance of on-campus events in order to

re-engage the community and bring the campus back together.

“Today is the celebration of Mardi Gras, but it's also to unite the campus and bring everybody together,” Melkumyan said. “I think since we've gone to remote learning like almost three years ago, not a lot of people are on campus. So now we're working on putting together a lot of events and activities for students, faculty and for everyone to be excited to be back on campus."

Cocoa, Cookies and Culture

Students put to the test with sweets and swag

JENNIFER TANZIL Reporter

The Umoja Community held its annual Cocoa, Cookies, and Culture event celebrating Black History Month on Wednesday, Feb. 15.

In addition to being provided cookies and hot cocoa, students were tested on their knowledge of Black history and culture through a friendly game of Kahoot.

Upbeat music amplified the room as students raced to answer trivia questions that featured pop culture icons, such as Prince and Whitney Houston, as well as historical figures such as Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks.

Fourth-year Pierce College student Kava Mooney finished on the Kahoot podium as she put her knowledge to its best. The most surprising thing she learned was how the 2023 Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles was the first in history to see two Black quarterbacks facing off.

“It really tripped me up,” Mooney said. “For a Black dominated sport, it’s kind of shocking that it’s only the first time there’s been two Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl.”

Mooney believes it’s important for Black history to be taught in a positive light.

“It’s nice to hear our accomplishments rather than our defeats because that’s all I’ve heard all my life,” Mooney said.

A new member of the Umoja Club, Alany Soils-Coleman, echoed similar sentiments. Though she found herself in first place for most of the Kahoot

game, even she had room to learn more about her culture.

“There’s still a lot of Black history that I didn’t know about,”

Soils-Coleman said.

The top three finishers of the Kahoot game received an embroidered backpack provided by Umoja.

Umoja Club liaison, Emerald Coley, said that the purpose for the event was to announce the

reopening of the Umoja Village and to welcome newcomers to join.

“It’s also for students to meet like-minded people at the beginning of the semester and to have a good time for Black History Month,” Coley said.

Providing a space for students to network while celebrating and learning Black history is one of the goals of Umoja.

Umoja, a Kiswahili word meaning unity, is the academic learning community at Pierce College that provides a community and resources to African American students as well as those from other ethnic backgrounds. Students enrolled in the program are taught by Umoja trained professors through

specially curated courses that include History 41, which teaches African American History in the U.S., and Sociology 11, which covers Race and Ethnic Relations.

Additional services include counseling, cultural events, student success workshops, and field trips to local universities as well as to Historically Black Colleges and Universities

(HBCUs).

Umoja Club president Luna von Dahlern, who grew up in predominantly white neighborhoods in Germany, said she’d often find herself to be one of only a few Black students in the schools she attended.

“I never really learned what it meant to be black,” Von Dahlern said.

Being part of Umoja helped her find a sense of identity and become a part of a community that not only promotes Black excellence, but embraces it. Dahlern wants to offer the same experience for others.

“The Umoja program and club are a place where you can be you,” Von Dahlern said. “It’s a safe haven where we can talk and empower ourselves, where we can create black excellence and just people excellence.”

Von Dahlern hopes the Cocoa, Cookies and Culture event will encourage others to join Umoja so they, too, can be part of the community.

“We are not just Umoja, the Black student union,” von Dahlern. “We incorporate everyone and we accept everyone regardless of if you’re Black, white, or any other person of color. You are welcome in Umoja.”

Pierce College Staff provides free food to all students and guests as they fill their plates with many food options, including pasteries

Photo by Audrinna Meza

Umoja counselor Lateaira Boyd and intern Sierra Bledsoe enjoy laughs during the Cocoa, Cookies and Culture questionnaire at Umoja Village in Woodland Hills Calif., on Feb. 15th 2023

Photo by Ashley Shellmire

Jazz His-Storie Trio bring melodic 60's jazz and music history to Pierce

BY FABIOLA CARRIZOSA Editor-in-Chief

There are many ways to dive into the world of music these days–through YouTube, Shazam and even movie soundtracks.

John Storie reminded Pierce College students the tried-and-true way to discover musical idols–by going to a record store where the person behind the counter served as the living search engine for music-related questions.

The John Storie Trio played a jazz set at the Performing Arts Building Mainstage on Thursday. Comprised of Storie, organist Carey Frank and drummer Mark Ferber, the three musicians performed jazz standards from various composers such as Henry Mancini and other mid-century jazz legends.

Storie thought about playing his new tunes at Pierce, but he opted to stick with what he knew he could perform spontaneously with the two other musicians.

“I don’t want to read anything because I don't get to play with these guys very much in a nice room,” Storie said. “ I just want to play tunes for you guys.”

Storie is a Los Angeles based guitarist, vocalist, bandleader, arranger and composer. According to his biography on his website, has been on faculty at Pierce since 2018. Storie is a long-time fan of jazz, going as far back as the early days before the internet. When he was younger, Storie would listen to CD’s, go to record stores and get his hands on compilations (which he equates to Spotify playlists these days). Storie gathered sources of inspiration from the interviews he would read in Guitar Player Magazine.

As the trio performed, Frank's arms and shoulders contorted as his fingers hit the keys. Storie's face twitched in unison with the strings he plucked on his custom made Marchione 16” Archtop

guitar. Ferber played the minimal drum set while absorbing the organ's vibrations

“Because we are in the working guild of jazz musicians, there is a standard repertoire of 300 tunes that all of us know,” Storie said.

Between songs, Storie taught the audience facts of jazz history from the 1950s and 1960s. Storie talked about the configurations of the jazz era that they were performing. The blended sounds of Afro-Cuban beats, bossa-nova and swing were very popular in the fifties and sixties.

The Trio played "Road Song"

(or"ODG") by American jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery, an influential figure in Storie’s musical path.

Storie’s, Ferber's and Frank's passion for jazz was not only conveyed from the tunes they played, but through anecdotes. Between pieces, Storie talked about his search for Wes Montgomerry records in rural Oregon, a difficult thing to do before the internet age and Spotify.

At the end of the show, the musicians took questions from the audience.

Attendees were interested in Frank’s organ. Frank, who played the organ pedals with no shoes on, explained the many ways that he has customized and fixed his old instrument throughout the years.

“It’s like an old car, you have to maintain it,” Frank said.

Frank described the logistics of carrying a heavy, bulky organ around town to performances, as it means having to drive his minivan to venues early to set it up.

“We are very lucky as a music community that someone is willing to do that,” said Storie.

Mark played on a minimal

drum set, and his solos were filled with melodies.

“Melody is often overlooked amongst drummers as a very useful tool to hit the marking forms and for improvising,” Mark said.

The set wrapped up with a piece that tied to Mardi Gras called See See Rider.

The John Storie Trio gave students a tour through the mid century jazz era, giving them more names of jazz tunes and musicians to research for themselves. After Thursday, attendees of the concert may want to add "Stablemates" by

The sounds of success Theater student overcomes many hurdles in pursuit of acting

BY NATHALIE MIRANDA Reporter

A14-year-old boy left home for Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an actor. A 16-year-old boy wore hearing aids for the first time and became so overwhelmed by all the noise he’d never heard. A 23-year-old man was invited to a national acting competition.

Such is the life of Itzhak Matos.

At the Kennedy Center American Theater College Festival (KCATCF), which took place in Las Vegas in February, a group of theater students from Pierce went to compete for the Irene Ryan Scholarship. Matos made it to the semifinals.

Matos grew up in New Jersey with a family of musicians. Being hard of hearing his whole life, he was never able to fully connect with music in the way his family was. But being born into a family of artists, Matos found movies and acting to be the outlet he wanted to use for his artistic vision.

“I used to love watching movies from such a young age,” Matos said. “I would sit in front of the TV and watch old Bruce Lee movies or reruns of old sitcoms. I don’t know what it was, I just knew that that’s what I wanted to do.”

Matos has known his whole life that he wanted to be an actor but living in New Jersey, he found that there weren’t many opportunities to do so. It wasn’t until he and his family moved to LA that he got the chance to

start acting. He moved just in time to start high school where he attended Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences. It was in his first theater classes there that officially started his career in acting.

"I fell in love with it," Matos said. "I jumped right in and I met so many amazing people and friends and great teachers.”

But it wasn’t so easy for him to acclimate to the new environment despite the fun he was having in his acting classes. While he had hearing problems his whole life, it wasn’t until high school that he realized he needed to do something about it. It was something that was not very noticeable to him in his childhood but high school made him see that his hearing loss was making many things difficult for him. He was having trouble in school and connecting with people around him. He was 15 when he heard from a doctor that his hearing was not going to get better and 16 when he first got his hearing aids. As much as he knew he needed the help, all the noise from the outside world that he was hearing for the first time quickly overwhelmed him. Along with all the looks he would get and feeling self-conscious, those factors made him decide to stop wearing them.

“I think it got to a certain point, after a month or two of wearing them, I became self conscious about them,” Matos said. “Especially at that age of being socially awkward. I didn't like the attention it was bringing to me and people would always ask me questions about it or stare

at them. So I stopped wearing them.”

It wasn’t until he graduated high school and started at Pierce

that he started wearing his aids again.

“When I got to Pierce, I was in my first theater class and I

was like, ‘I need them,’” Matos said. “I don't think I would be able to do shows or memorize lines or continue my career if I didn't accept this part of myself. Because I wouldn't be authentic. I wouldn't be my whole truthful self.”

Matos started at Pierce in the fall of 2018 and joined the theater department in spring of 2019. He has studied under theater professors Shaheen Vaaz and Esdras Toussaint, who have nothing but great things to say about Matos’ acting abilities.

“He's super, super kind and quick," Vaaz said. "He has this amazing ability to access his true emotions. He can access things that are true to him. He's authentic.”

Matos’ first on stage role was in "Hookman" and since then he has acted in many different productions, the latest being "Clue", last fall, in which he played a lead role. It was his biggest role so far in his acting career. He performed so well that his performance led to a nomination in KCATCF.

“He did the lead role in Clue as Wadsworth and he really came into his own at that part,” Vaaz said. “It had just the right combination of swagger and coolness, but also crispness and drive and he just really found that part and he made that role his.”

“I was fortunate enough to make it to semi-finals and perform which was so much fun, but also scary to perform in front of judges that you've never met before,” Matos said.

Throughout his years at Pierce, he has grown as an

actor and shown talent that is applauded by anyone who has seen him perform. He has made his love for acting clear and has shown continuous dedication to his craft. The professors that have helped him grow sing his praises frequently.

“He's naturally gifted,” Toussaint said. “But his talent alone would not take him to where he is. I truly believe it is his work ethic that gets him to where he is today.”

After Pierce, Matos will be continuing his education but he is not sure exactly where. He was accepted into CSUN but he is currently awaiting to find out if he is accepted into an acting conservatory called Stella Adler Acting Studio. Were he to get accepted, that is where he will go.

Matos has overcome many challenges in order to do what he loves. Being hard of hearing, overcoming the self consciousness that comes with being in the minority and countless other things have contributed to who he is and how he performs.

It's clear to anyone who has spoken to him that his love for acting runs deep.

“Theater and acting has saved my life,” Matos said. “I don’t know where I’d be if I wasn’t doing this.”

Benny Golson to their Spotify playlists.

(L to R) Carey Frank, Mark Ferber, and Professor John Storie perform in the PAB Mainstage Theater for Free Concert Thursdays on Feb. 23, 2023. Photo: Lauren Bulchand.

Photo by Daniela Raymundo

Itzak Matos at the Main Theater in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb 27, 2023. Matos is hearing impaired and has acted in multiple Pierce productions.

Unprecedented storms destroy tennis court fences

Baseball blownout by Allan Hancock

By Joel Robles

Editor Brahmas baseball got hammered on Sunday with the final score of 0-9 as the rough season continues.

The Brahmas allowed 11 total hits and made an error of their own.

The Spikes took an early 3-run lead in the 1st inning and never looked back. They continued to pile it up in the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th innings.

Women's softball returns

Brahmas catcher Esteban Perez recorded two of Pierce’s three total hits.

A total of three Brahmas pitchers were used. Righthanded pitcher Dante Zamudio played 4.1 innings, Righthanded pitcher Justin Gottlieb played 3.1 innings, and Righthanded pitcher Joe Metcalf played 0.1 innings.

The Brahmas look to regroup as they host West LA College on Saturday, Mar. 4. First pitch is at 12 p.m.

continued from page 1

More than anything, Vasquez is proud to be on the team.

“Knowing that I’m part of a group of girls that is rebuilding this program is something that fills me with a sense of accomplishment and pride,” Vasquez said.

Athletic Director Susan Armenta has a positive attitude about the revamped softball program and the new team. She says fans can expect an improvement in skill in each game.

“I think we have a great cohesive team– all the players are very positive and supportive of one another,” Armenta said. “They also have a

great coach (in Marschall), who was very instrumental in getting this team together so I’m really excited for the players.” Marschall shares that optimism and hopes for this team to blaze a trail for future softball players at Pierce.

“This team is laying the foundation for future years of softball at Pierce,” he said. “The vision for this is to absolutely have teams in future years and continue to grow, develop and improve each and every year.” Come support the Brahmas at their next home game on March 7th at 2:30 pm against Santa Barbara.

CORRECTION: Softball team plays on softball field, not Joe Kelly Field jtanzil.roundupnews@gmail.com

Season recap: 2022-23 Women’s Basketball

Basketball season ends, but the team keeps working hard.

BY TRISH ALASKEY Managing Editor

Pierce College women's basketball ended the season with an overall record of 3-25. They may not have won as many games as they hoped to, but head coach Thara Innocent is still proud of her team. The Brahmas are determined to come back strong next season despite their record.

Innocent and her coaching staff are proud of the goals they were able to accomplish together this year. Seasons like this are hard on teams' spirits, but Innocent knows they will use it to their advantage in the future.

“Now that we’re over our growing pains, next season is going to be revenge for all the games that we lost a lot to a little,” Innocent said. “The girls and coaching staff are all excited, and I’m excited too. Getting some new talent in here next season makes me even more excited.”

This was Innocent’s first season as head coach of the Brahmas, so it was expected that the team spend the majority of the season learning and growing into their new program.

Athletic Director Susan Armenta is pleased with the team’s progress so far.

“Thara did a good job,” Armenta said. “We’ve had some challenges this season with some injuries and things like that, but we’re looking ahead and are excited for next season.”

Assistant Coach Hilda F. MartinezHernandez used to watch the games in her Sheriff’s Department uniform before signing on as a volunteer. She

is very proud of the team’s progress this season and knows the scoreboard isn't the only measure of success.

“A lot of these players started out the season not knowing much about basketball,” Martinez-Hernandez said.

“Just to see them grow and learn to trust themselves and their teammates has been amazing to see.”

Guard May Htet Lu and forward Tijera Henry are both looking forward to coming back to play for Innocent next season.

“We started out the season with a couple of disappointments,” Htet Lu said. “But it's a new program and I’m proud of our team. I hope we can get some new skilled and experienced players next season.”

“It was a season to remember,” Henry said. “This was a great experience overall. We didn’t think we were going to make it this far, but we pulled it out.”

In addition to building a brand new ball program, Innocent made a promise to her team that she’d work to secure scholarships for any players trying to transfer for basketball to a four-year university, and she followed through on that promise.

The team said farewell to two sophomores this season, forward Methara Rathnasiri and guard Nyia Freeman. With the help of Innocent, both players received scholarships to play basketball for Southern California Leadership University in the fall.

“I want to make sure everyone leaves Pierce with a success story,” Innocent said. “At the end of the day, these players are going to be successful. Their success story is our success story. They’ll always be a part of our program and we’re very proud of them.”

Already looking toward next season, Innocent said the coaching staff has been actively recruiting throughout the season to prepare for the future.

“We have some great prospects coming in next year,” Innocent said. “It is a recruiting war, so there is no guarantee that we will get certain people, but we’re definitely going to get some new blood in here and be even better next season. I’m excited about it.”

As the team continues to work hard and prepare for next season, they encourage all Brahmas to come support their program and watch them play. Anyone interested in joining the women’s basketball team next season should contact the coaching staff for details on how to try out.

Olivia Vasquez plays center field at a home softball game vs. Cuesta at Pierce College, in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 21 2023. Photo by Hunter Hammerot

File photo by Benjamin Hanson Colin Mitchell throws a pitch during an intrasquad game at Joe Kelly Field in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Nov. 19, 2022.

3/7 Santa Barbara v LA Pierce 2:30 p.m.

3/8 Antelope Valley v LA Pierce 6 p.m.

RIGHT: Guard #23 May Lu shows her ball handling skills against an Oxnard defender. Photo by Audrinna Meza

Damage caused by flooding behind the tennis court in Pierce College, Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb. 28, 2023. Photo by: Rachael Rosenberg.