Volume 138 Spring 2023 Roundup Issue 7

Huge milestone for Pierce College

Congressman Brad Sherman visits campus to announce new Baccalaureate Program

BY SOPHIA CANO Reporter

Community College is a great place to start your degree, and if you’re a Biotechnology major, now it could be a great place to finish as well.

Pierce College and Congressman Brad Sherman announced the approval ofr a brand new Baccalaureate program for biotechnology last Thursday.

The press conference, which took place at the front of the Center for Life Sciences Building, and featured many speakers - including interim Pierce President Ara Aguiar, Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez, and California Congressman Brad Sherman, announced a new milestone for Pierce College.

The new program was funded

by Sherman and his district, with a $2 million check presentation for the program.

When it is set up, the baccalaureate program will allow students to not only obtain their 2 year associate's degree in biotechnology, but they can also continue on to receive their Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology while enrolled at Pierce.

This program is significantly less expensive than a traditional 4-year university, and will only cost students approximately $10,000, before student aid.

“Now, I am very excited about this program. Not just because of the effect on the economy, not just because of the good jobs,” Sherman said.

“But because biotechnology and biomanufacturing save the world.”

Biotechnology can help solve various real world problems,

including climate change and medicine, so having this program available to Pierce students can potentially have a large impact on growing the industry.

Board of Trustees president David Vela vocalized the impact that this program could have not only on students, but on the biotechnology industry.

“These jobs can really mitigate the environmental pollution and environmental concerns of today,” Vela said. “And not only that, we're going to have our students, our very own community college students, afforded this opportunity.”

Biotechnology Faculty Lead Aron Kamajaya is going to run the program. During the conference, he expressed the importance of biotechnology and the role it’s going to play in future research.

“I think, no matter who you are, wherever you are in the political spectrum, everybody

realizes that the biotechnology industry is at the inflection point right now,” Kamajaya said. “And we're ready for that huge explosion in the field.”

Biotechnology and microbiology major Chantal De La Cruz shared her experiences so far in the biotechnology program as well as her hopes for her future in the program and beyond.

“I feel like I've grown confidence joining this program not only in my skills, but also within myself,” De La Cruz said.

“And I hope that these skills will be used in the biotechnology and bio manufacturing industry.”

De la Cruz also expressed her appreciation for the program and the opportunities it will open up for her and many new generations of students coming into Pierce.

“A lot of students come from backgrounds where they don't have financial aid, or they don't

have the support of their parents financially,” De la Cruz said. “And having this degree will open many jobs for them.”

This new baccalaureate program is just one of many new programs that LACCD is hoping to get approval for. The goal is to have more opportunities available to community college students to be able to get different degrees and certificates based on their goals.

“We want to produce a baccalaureate pathway that along the way, these students can pick up stackable degrees, certificates, skills that they will need to meet the needs of the industry,” Vela said.

They currently have about 30 programs that are waiting for approval, and if those programs go into effect a lot more students will have the option to finish their school without stepping into a university.

“This raises the image of Pierce College throughout the area,” Sherman said. “This is not just a place that grants certificates and associate degrees. This is now a college that grants baccalaureate degrees. Everything Cal State Northridge can do can be done here, at least at the baccalaureate level.”

Aside from the funds for the program, Congressman Sherman also gave a special gift to Aguiar - a flag that had been flown over the United States capital, to hang on the flag poles of the Center for Science building. Along with it came a certificate of authenticity.

“What I need to do as a member of Congress is to get a flag that's flown over the Capitol in Washington DC and present it to an organization that is of outstanding service to us here in the San Fernando Valley,” Sherman said.

Photo by Owen Meza

LACCD Board of Trustees President David Vela speaks at a press conference at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 13, 2023.

Photo by Hunter Hammerot Interim President Ara Aguiar speaks at a podium in front of the Center for the

Photo by Owen Meza

California Congressman Brad Sherman hands a U.S. flag that was flown over the Capitol and a certificate of authenticity to Pierce College Interim President Ara Aguiar at a press conference in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 13, 2023.

Photo by Hunter Hammerot

LACCD Chancellor Francisco C. Rodriguez (left) and LAPC Interim President Ara Aguiar (right) look on as LACCD Board of Trustees President David Vela shakes hands with Congressman Brad Sherman in front of the Center for the Sciences building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April

2023. The school received a $2 million check for the creation of a biotechnology education program.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SHOE?

EDITORIAL: From the desk of the Roundup

The Pierce College Library is full of surprises.

Within this 89,000-squarefoot space are a number of resources to foster student success, which includes a computer lab, textbook reserves and study rooms.

The library also contains a resource called academic databases.

"MyfriendhasbeengettingConverseso Iguessthose.They’rekindofcuteandI likethem.They’realsocomfortableand rhe website has a lot of customization optionssoIlikethat.”AnnalieseCancilla, PsychologyMajor

Databases are a great resource for students to use because they are materials held to a high academic standard and more trustworthy than using Wikipedia or a random website on Google.

More awareness is needed for our library databases to be used to their fullest potential.

According to the Pierce Library website, databases “are organized digital collections of information,” with unique content from various time periods. Such content includes ebooks, videos and periodicals including scholarly journals, newspapers and magazines.

These databases include JSTOR, Oxford Music Online and ProQuest Central.

“Nike.They’recommon.Theyalso kindofjustgowitheverything.”

Yeissy Ramirez, Nursing Major

“Nike,they’rereallycommon.People wearNikealotsoImightaswell justgowithit.” BryanRamirez, Undecided

Currently, Pierce has a one unit course to teach students “comprehensive Internet research skills and strategies applicable to academic research,” according to the website. Called “Library Science 102 - Internet Research Methods,” this UC and CSU transferable course has students “finding books and ebooks in online catalogs, constructing searches and analyzing results in article databases” to write a research paper on their desired topic.

Pierce can promote the use of databases by adding this course to their list of required classes for Area E of their CSU GE-Breadth Certification Plan. If Area E is an area of “lifelong learning and

self-development,” then LIBSCI 102 would be a beneficial addition. In the future, maybe Pierce will consider adding LIBSCI 102 to their AA degrees and IGETC plans as well.

Some teachers list available resources for students on their syllabi. However, more can be done to promote the use of databases. Mentioning databases on the syllabus would be a good start. Teachers can also create

assignments that require students to use the databases. For areas of studies that don’t require the use of databases, they can create extra credit assignments that utilize the databases.

The library can also facilitate the use of databases by creating workshops that help students navigate them. There are currently online guides with videos on how to access the available database, but a hands-

on approach would encourage more students to use and acknowledge the existence of this resource. Perhaps, teaching students the value of databases can help curb the possibility of cheating with or reliance on artificial intelligence software like ChatGPT.

The library’s mission is to “to facilitate quality library services, focusing on student success, teaching and learning excellence,

COLUMN Abortion medication is healthcare

"“Converse.Ithinkthey’rejustvery simple.Ihavetroublematching clothessoIlikejustgoingwith thesimpleoption.”NatalieToro, Psychology&BiologyMajor

BY SOPHIA CANO Reporter

The right to chooseit’s a popular subject of debate in the United States today. With the Texas ruling of the abortion pill, it’s only going to get more intense.

“TheonesIgotonmyfeet, Converse.They’reaffordable,they’re comfyandtheylastlong.”Matthew Rivera,BiologyMajor

At the end of the day, it all comes down to access to healthcare, because people who want to have abortions will have them - whether it’s legal or not.

Mifepristone, the drug in

question, is an abortion pill that can be taken up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy. The cause behind the ban was a lawsuit against the FDA from a decision in 2000 about the safety of Mifepristone. The lawsuit claimed that the FDA approved Mifepristone without sufficient evidence that it was safe.

Although that is their reasoning, the FDA website says that “The FDA’s periodic reviews of the postmarketing data for Mifeprex and its approved generic have not identified any new safety concerns with the use of mifepristone for medical termination of pregnancy through 70 days gestation. (14)” It has been used safely to terminate pregnancies for 23 years, with periodic inspections to make sure the product is still safe for use.

The main purpose of Mifepristone is to stop the pregnancy from advancing.

According to an article by CaraFem, “The first pill, mifepristone, blocks progesterone, a hormone necessary for a pregnancy to continue to develop. The second pill, misoprostol, is typically taken as a set of four pills. It causes cramping and bleeding in order to empty the uterus. (2)”

With the banning of Mifepristone, people can still access Misoprostol, which means that people will still be able to have abortions even without Mifepristone.

The important thing here isn’t whether or not somebody is against abortion, but more so the safety of the women having the abortions. Whether it’s for safety or for the livelihood of the parent(s), people will terminate their pregnancies even if it puts themselves at risk.

Pew Research Center reported that when they became legal, the number of abortion-related deaths dropped significantly.

In 1972, the year before Roe v. Wade passed, 35 women died from abortion complications, as opposed to less than 10 women in 1974.

It also should be noted that this ban would disproportionately impact people of low income, because they would not be able to travel out of state or use other methods to terminate a pregnancy.

According to an article by The National Partnership for Women and Families, The HYDE Act bans funding of abortions through government assistance programs such as Medicare.

“Since 1976,The Hyde Amendment has withheld federal funds from covering abortion care for women enrolled in Medicaid. In addition, many states restrict abortion coverage even further, for example by prohibiting private insurance coverage of abortion care.

As a consequence, abortion

Photographers:

Ashley Shellmire

and implementation of newly developing technologies.” Through promotion, education and organization the awareness of databases can become a vital tool for students.

newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

care is pushed out of reach for millions of women with the burden falling heaviest on low income women, women of color and young women. (2)”

People under these conditions would be forced to carry their pregnancy to term or try and terminate the pregnancy themselves, which could result in injury. A lot of these women may not have the financial or emotional assistance needed to care for a child successfully, resulting in negative effects on both the livelihood of the child and the mother.

This abortion pill ban is overall ineffective in stopping abortions, and is a threat to the lives of the people in Texas. It affects low-income people of color at a higher rate, and is a step backwards from the rights that women have gained since the start of the country.

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Photo by Benjamin Hanson

The Pierce College Library in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 18, 2023.

Photos by Audrinna Meza.

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At the Intersection of Food and Culture

The first food-making event at the Multicultural Center brought people and cultures together

NICOLE KHAIT Reporter

No matter how different we are as individuals, we can all bond over a good meal.

“Food and Culture: Exploring the Intersection” was the first event of its kind at Pierce College. Held at the Multicultural Center on Monday, the event was a collaboration between the Brahma Bodega and the Multicultural Center that brought students and faculty together. The event provided an opportunity for people to learn about food and culture while making a dish.

Multicultural Center Coordinator Tatevik Melkumyan came up with the idea of the event while sharing food with her colleagues. Different dishes reminded them of foods from their own culture.

“We think we're very different, but really, we're the same and we're connected in a lot more ways than we actually know of,” Melkumyan said. “Being able to learn about food from different cultures and learning through food that we’re actually very much connected and very similar. So that's what sparked the idea for the event.”

A lot of people can relate to the feeling of having their own comfort foods, so this gives students the opportunity to experience comfort foods associated with various cultures.

Brahma Bodega Coordinator Geremy Mason spoke about the significance of students exploring different aspects of themselves through traditions and food.

“I think it's really important that students can explore all aspects of multiculturalism,”

Mason said. “Food preparation, as we were talking about in the presentation, is a big part of cultural identity and tradition. We wanted to have some kind of collaboration where we got to discuss that and have an engaging activity.”

After discussing the importance of food and culture, and the way they are interwoven, the main dish for the event was based on traditional Mexican cuisine. With the use of avocados in many different forms and cultures, students and faculty were able to create their own guacamole.

Ingredients and materials were prepared at the food station for people to assemble their plates. From tomatoes, avocados, and red onions, to cilantro, salsa, and quesadillas. There was a wide variety of choices, as well as chips and refreshments.

Pierce student Isabella Vieyra enjoyed the presentation and the making of guacamole.

“I am Mexican, so it does feel like it hits a little close to home,” Vieyra said. “I think it's fun and interactive and the presentation was a good explanation of its significance in Mexican culture.”

Dean of Student Engagement Juan Carlos Astorga expressed his connection to family traditions, and why it’s important for students to engage in the food of their culture.

“It's an amazing opportunity because as we talk about food and culture and the connection to that, it's also about a connection to our elders and how we pass on traditions,” Astorga said. "It's engaging our connection to culture, but also introducing how food does those intersectional connections to each other.”

Madam Vice President

Incident Report

-Compiled by Fabiola Carrizosa

4/10

BURGLARY in New Automotive Technology building. Unknown person(s) entered building without permission.

Veteran LACCD administrator takes over at Academic Affairs

BY JENNIFER TANZIL Reporter

Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Jo Apigo officially settled into a permanent role after serving seven months as interim vice president, marking the first time in years that the position has a permanent seat.

Since August 2022, Apigo spent time familiarizing herself with her new setting at Pierce College. After a bustling fall semester, she felt more at ease thanks to the connections she made in just a few months.

“Coming into the leadership team has been a great transition,” Apigo said. “I feel like I’ve been really embraced by the community, which has been really exciting.”

Apigo credited the offline, inperson experience in assisting with the smooth transition in addition to the warm welcome.

“I’m lucky that I got to transition at a time when we’re back on campus, and it would’ve been tough to meet everybody on Zoom while missing that real connection,” Apigo said.

Apigo became the first permanent vice president of academic affairs at Pierce in several years. The role had previously been provisional– seeing interim vice presidents come and go.

Dean of Career Technical Education Mon Khat is glad to see the role being filled for the long run.

“For the majority of my three years at Pierce, there’s been an interim VP for the most part so I’m used to the changes,” Khat said. “A permanent leadership helps gives me a good idea of the kind of direction we’re going in.”

Before coming to Pierce, Apigo had prior history with the college. She previously worked on two grants with the school while she was a dean at West Los Angeles College.

“I had a relationship with the school and some leaders before coming here, which was really helpful,” Apigo said. “I got to learn a little bit about the culture and work with people here without officially working at the campus.”

Apigo might be fairly new on campus, but she added vice president to a long list of positions she’s held during her 23 year tenure in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD).

“I started as a student worker, then I was a classified staff member working in our outreach programs with high schools,” Apigo said. “Then I transitioned to a faculty role, where I directed special programs and worked on grants before transitioning to a dean role.”

Apigo went on to spend 11 years as dean of academic affairs at West Los Angeles College before she sought a position change that eventually led her to find an opening for a vice presidency role at Pierce.

“When I was at West,

I had been looking at vice presidency roles,” Apigo said. “Being a dean for that long, vice president was the next step that I was interested in.”

Having served a great amount of time at various positions within the district, Apigo had a lot of experience coming into her current role. It’s a factor that is prevalent to those she works with.

“She brings a welcomed knowledge and welcomed history,” Khat said. “She brings a different viewpoint being from a different college in the district so I would say she has a fresh view.”

Now as vice president, Apigo is in charge of the instructional programs on campus, working to help students get the classes they need to meet their requirements for transferring or graduating.

She also heads a team of deans, faculty leaders and chairs in assisting with curriculum development and class scheduling.

Apigo’s main goals for the near future are focused on enrollment and a new bachelor’s degree program.

“Statewide, there’s been an enrollment decline but as people are getting back on campus, Pierce has been doing a great job with enrollments,” Apigo said. “The state is shifting its funding model to the studentcentered funding formula, which is basically not just about enrollments, but also making sure we are supporting our students to complete their education. So we want to make sure they’re

well positioned for that.”

Making the switch from a smaller college to Pierce, a bigger college in the district, posed a bit of a culture shock to Apigo, who admitted she hadn’t gotten around to visiting all parts of the sprawling campus.

Though she may have a ways to go before fully familiarizing herself, Vice President of Student Services Jason Cifra expressed confidence in Apigo’s future.

“I have no doubt she will rise to the challenges and recognize and celebrate the successes of our students and teams,” Cifra said. “She will be a great leader and educator on our campus.”

With her experience and optimism, Apigo could possibly keep climbing up to new positions, but she isn’t focused on that at the moment. For now, she’d like to visit the Pierce farm more often and attend student plays and musical concerts–things she didn’t get to do at her previous college because such programs didn’t exist.

Apigo said that she wants to perform as vice president of academic affairs to the best of her ability.

“I want to be able to do this job well first before I think about the next thing,” Apigo said. “I think a presidency would be very interesting, but I’m definitely not looking at that in the near future at all. I really just want to understand all the different facets of this job and find ways to contribute and support.”

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg

Isabella Vieyra, Nailah Babatunde-Bey, and Lliana Pride hold their guacamole bowls in the Multicultural Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 17, 2023.

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg

Coordinator of Brahma Bodega Geremy Mason helps students assemble guacamole bowls in the Multicultural Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 17, 2023.

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg

A student's assembled guacamole bowl in the Multicultural Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on April 17, 2023.

Photo by Rachael Rosenberg A student assembles a guacamole bowl in the Multicultural Center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif. on April 17, 2023.

Photo by Benjamin Hanson

Vice President of Academic Mary Jo Apigo at Pierce Coolege in Woodland Hiils, Calif., on April 18, 2023.

An actor comes to Pierce to inspire the deaf and hard of hearing community From mime to the movies

From a child with a dream, to an industry placemaker, actor CJ Jones has worked toward his acting career in Hollywood since he was old enough to understand what working was.

Jones starred in the critically acclaimed film, “Baby Driver,” to collaborating closely with one of film’s most iconic creatives, James Cameron, in developing Na’vi sign language for the second installment of the Avatar franchise, Jones has used his influential acting career to garner more representation and awareness for the deaf community.

Jones was recently invited to share his industry expertise and life experience at Pierce College.

With more than 60 audience members and two sign language interpreters, Jones’ seminar bridged the gap between both deaf and hearing attendees.

“Voices overlap, but sign language is so beautiful, because I can look around and understand all of you,” Jones said.

Interpreting program student and ASL Club Treasurer Corey

Timmons recounted the need to have an event to set the tone for the club and school program after a Covid hiatus.

“Our ASL professor worked with him recently for a project they had together, ABC’s ‘The Company You Keep,’” Timmons said. “She had mentioned CJ, and so naturally we all just jumped on that idea. CJ is so prolific in the deaf and hard of hearing community, we had to take the opportunity to talk with him.”

Jones, who grew up in St. Louis, was one of seven hearing children born to deaf parents. He later lost his hearing at the age of 7 after contracting spinal meningitis.

Coming from a household that communicated through sign language, Jones recounted not associating becoming deaf as a major loss.

“I didn't ever wish that I was hearing, I'm successful today and that's because I believe I am who I am,” Jones said. “I think that's the key. You have to accept who you are, allow yourself to grow internally and success will follow.”

Jones, whose family lived through segregation, poverty and a time period where sign language was not

understood by the majority, began coming to terms with harsh realities at a young age.

ASL Club Co-President Emma Sorensen talked about how representation impacts all communities, so to have such a profound member such as Jones inspire a new generation is a reminder of just how supportive the deaf and hard of hearing community is.

“Ever since I've started learning ASL, I feel like I've always known about CJ Jones, so it seemed very outlandish to ever imagine that he could ever come to our college,” Sorensen said. “So it's amazing to have had that opportunity. It's super valuable just to hear from black deaf individuals, their perspectives and being able to share that with the community, having that exposure.”

Jones’ story as a performer dates back to watching his brother tap dance to the jazz music by the Mississippi River steamboats to earn money. The 5-year-old boy decided to take charge and begin his one man show as a mime.

“I think I'll be working until I'm in the ground, 125 years old and still clocking into work,” Jones said.

ASL Club Co-President and

interpreting program student Joshua Ericson talked about how hearing Jones’ story of perseverance has inspired him.

“I grew up going to elementary school with deaf students and I always dreamed of being an interpreter,” Ericson said. “Having a star on our stage is so inspiring. CJ is such

an incredible person in the deaf community. He has come up from nothing, a one man show that didn't always get an audience, and now he is working in major television and film.”

Jones continues to make space for the deaf and hard of hearing in Hollywood. He also contributes to charitable works both in and

outside of film and television. With projects such as an international sign language film festival sponsored by media giants such as HBO underway, Jones still embodies the drive and dreams of the young boy who began as a mime years ago.

From midwest to westcoast Former Pierce Media Arts student prepares to launch a short film

everything from commercials, to music videos, to shows. Some of his notable appearances are a Kia commercial, a music video for Aneese’s song “Sun and Moon,” and a small part in the Netflix show “American Vandal. '' Not only has he gained his footing as an actor, he also began producing content as well.

Cavanaugh is starting on a new project as an executive producer. It is a short film called ID EST, which he and his team have been fundraising for and recently got enough funds to start shooting. It’s a sci-fi film about a group of humans traveling to an unknown planet in search of a place to live, but come to face a dangerous entity. Cavanaugh is one of five executive producers on the project.

“It's sci-fi, “Get Out” meets “Star Wars” type of film,” Cavanaugh said.

While at Pierce, Cavanaugh took classes under Media Arts professor Ken Windrum, and he made his way to President of the Film Club through his vibrant and outgoing personality.

BY SOPHIA CANO Reporter

Actor, producer, performer. These are just a few of the words that represent a midwestern boy who moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams.

Deshawn Cavanaugh, a

26-year-old former Pierce student who was majoring in film and tv, grew up in Minnesota before moving to California. He discovered his love for performing at a young age from dancing, and singing in his high school show choir. When he came to Los Angeles and started doing

auditions, however, he quickly realized his passion was acting.

“I always knew I wanted to perform in some way," Cavanaugh said. "Growing up, I loved to dance and sing but acting is what really stuck.”

Since leaving Pierce, Cavanugh has been in

“He is such a good leader, charismatic and such a nice person,” Windrum said. “Part of being a good leader is you also make people feel welcome, and he is so good at that.”

Studying at Pierce and getting support from his teachers and friends helped Cavanaugh

transition into his adult life, and allowed him to figure out what kind of work he wanted to do and the person he was trying to be.

“While I was here at Pierce, I was really getting to know myself a little bit better as an adult and getting to know what I was actually passionate about,” Cavanaugh said.

Windrum said that Cavenaugh is a good example of somebody who got a strong foundation started in the school’s Media Arts department.

From those passions and discoveries, Cavanaugh was able to land some small roles in different productions. Eventually, his schedule became so busy with roles that he had to leave Pierce College, even though he still wanted to pursue his degree. Although that was the case, Cavanaugh realized that he had the opportunity to be successful and jumped at the opportunity.

“You have to make sacrifices in this industry. With almost anything in your life, you're always sacrificing one thing for another,” Cavanaugh said. “Most often I choose my career because it's been there. It's been consistent.”

Being your own boss comes with the territory of acting and producing. Cavanaugh expressed his challenges overcoming that change of

pace to succeed in the industry.

“Some of the biggest challenges that I've had are being my own boss in that way, and motivating myself to get the work done when the work needs to get done,” Cavanaugh said. “Which I always do.”

Pierce Student and colleague of Cavanaugh’s Cesar Ceja,has worked with Cavanaugh on multiple projects and helped him with producing. While doing that, he has also been able to see Cavanaugh’s transformation since his time at Pierce.

“He doesn’t jump at everything anymore, he sees the value in each thing and puts his energy towards what’s going to be successful,” Ceja said. “He is more confident in picking projects that he can add value to.”

Before making it to where he is now, Cavanugh was working for his dad’s limousine company, as well as doing background acting and production assisting in order to get connections and work his way into the industry. He worked to make his dreams come true, knowing that it would happen for him eventually.

“You’ve got to have a little bit of craziness to say, ‘I’m going to try it and not be afraid to look dumb’,” Cavanaugh said. His new film “ID EST” is potentially being released in June or July 2023.

Photo by Hunter Hammerot

Cavanaugh, actor. performer. producer

former student of Kenneth Windrum, sits on top of the Library stairs at

Photo by Wyatt Sanchez

From left: ASL Club President Emma Sorenson, ASL Studies major Malakay Jones, ASL Club Treasurer Corey Timmons and ASL Co-President Joshua Ericson thank actor CJ Jones for presenting in the Performing Arts Center in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 14, 2023.

Photos by Ashley Shellmire

Shoes. They tie an outfit together. They get you from point A to point B comfortably. The Roundup found students across campus to capture the shoes that students and staff wear to traverse the sprawling campus.

High school athletes explore Brahma territory

Football coach gives a tour for prospective football players as part of Recruitment Day

Softball

BRIEF: First victory after four- year hiatus

BY JOEL ROBLES Sports Editor

Pierce started off blazing, scoring three runs in the 1st inning, while Moorpark scored only one run through four innings.

The Brahmas continued to pile on, scoring two more runs in the 5th.

But that didn’t faze the Raiders from a big rally. Moorpark went on to score seven runs in the 5th inning.

Pierce regrouped and came back with four runs in the 7th. Moorpark once again came back and tied the game.

Heading into extra innings, the score was tied 9-9. The Brahmas came up clutch and scored three runs in the 10th to give them their first win of the season.

Four Brahmas had 2 RBIs including Brahmas Shortstop Cristina Herman, who had three hits and three RBIs.

Brahmas Pitcher Andrea Roldan pitched a complete game while only allowing 3 earned runs. Roldan also threw 168 pitches with 90 being strikes.

Brahmas softball looks to achieve its second win as they host Santa Barbara on Wednesday, April 19. First pitch is at 2:30 p.m.

Baseball

BRIEF: Brahmas walk-off W

BY LINDSEY WHITTAKER Reporter

For Head Football Coach James Sims, winning has been a contentious issue with his team on the field, but it’s accomplishment in the classroom that has become a priority for his players and new recruits.

“Football is for a short period of time,” Sims said. “NFL stands for not for long. Even if they make it to the league, they're not there long. It's the rest of their life, those lessons that they need. And that's what's important to me.”

A small group of high school seniors, current Brahmas and faculty gathered in the South Gym on Saturday for the third Football Recruitment Day of the year. Sims emphasized the importance of education, good grades, and highlighted the resources available to

potential student athletes eager to get their college football career started.

The coaching team provides a lot of support to the players from tutoring to meals. They even provide help with finding scholarships, which can be critical for some students.

“We only had 28 players and we sent five kids D1,” Sims shared with the group. “Out of 32 players 14 kids were offered scholarships. So to me that was our success. Our success was that we showed up every game. We have more D1 scholarship offers than any team that beat us.”

Scholarships are important to players like Sylmar High School defensive end Austin Solis. He was impressed with the size of the campus as well as the dedication the leadership has to ensuring academic success.

“It would be great to go to college for free and to try and get a scholarship and get my

education through football,” said Solis.

Solis has been playing football since he was ten years old, and since he lives in Los Angeles County, he will get the first two years of his education for free. It’s beyond the first two years he and his father Joshua Solis are concerned with.

“I'm paying for my oldest son’s four year college – it’s expensive,” Joshua Solis said. “So yeah, any kind of scholarship for the next level I would gladly accept.”

The Brahmas are coming off a rough season with no wins and they have a long road ahead to start augmenting their reputation.

In the 2021 season, they didn’t have enough players to compete and had to forfeit four out of six games. They became known as an unreliable team.

When the 2022 season began they had a larger roster and were able to attend every single game and even though

they didn’t win, Sims said it was competitive.

Another area of focus for Sims is not only to grow the team roster but to have more California recruits. Most of their players are from out of state.

Sims said that between the high school recruits and the incoming transfer students that the roster could be close to 65-80 players for the upcoming season. Coming off a season where they only had 28-32 players on the team, this surge could mean a lot to their scoreboard.

To draw a rough comparison, most other schools have about 100-110 on their roster, according to Sims.

“If you can triple your roster, that is a win,” Sims said. “And then each year we'll start building on it and then we can start having consistently 100 athletes on the football program and that'll result in victories and wins.”

Sims still thinks winning games is important, it’s just not the only important thing at this level. However, he’s feeling optimistic about the season ahead.

“There's no reason that Pierce should not compete and win games this year,” Sims said. “My expectation is that we should at least win five games.”

Wide Receiver Coach Colin Kaltenecker said now is the best time to be a Brahma and the community is ready for it.

“We're bringing the juice, bringing the passion,” Kaltenecker said of the season ahead. “Every parent is coming to me and saying if you do this, we will come. We believe in you. We believe in Pierce.”

The fourth and final Football Recruitment Day will be on Saturday, April 29, at 9 a.m. in the South Gym.

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BY JOEL ROBLES Sports Editor

On Tuesday, Pierce's baseball was rolled over by 10, while Ventura scored in 7 out of 9 innings.

On Saturday though, the Brahmas came back and turned it all around, winning on a walk-off hit with a final score of 8-7.

Pierce managed to have 11 hits and scored in the final 3 innings to squeeze through and grab the dub.

The Brahmas started the game on fire by scoring 3 runs in the first 2 innings. The Pirates returned and scored 5 runs in the next 3 innings, while the Brahmas only got one.

Brahmas came back and made it interesting once again, bringing the score to a tie, heading into the 8th inning.

Ventura left 11 LOB and the Brahmas capitalized on this by outscoring the Pirates 3-2 in the final two innings.

Brahmas Esteban Perez brought in the winning run and Right Fielder Colin Mitchell was the one that rounded the bases.

Brahmas Outfielder Sean Power also had a great game having four hits and three RBIs.

Pierce only used two pitchers and starter Justin Gottlieb went on for 8 innings. The other pitcher used was reliever Dante Zamudio.

The Brahmas will travel on Tuesday, April 18. First pitch is at 3 p.m.

Photo by Lindsey Whittaker

Head football coach James Sims leads a campus tour for high school seniors as part of a Recruitment Day at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on April 15, 2023