The Puyallup Post | Volume 21 | Issue 12 | June 14, 2016

VOLUME 21 ISSUE 12

JUnE 14, 2016

SErVIng thE StUDEntS Of PIErcE cOLLEgE PUYALLUP

You

dirty

rat!

rats infest College Center, officials try to eradicate them

Chase Charaba, Amber Gilliland and Katie Fenton Online/social media manager and reporters

Rats. They’re in the walls; they’re in the ceilings and there’s no telling where they’ll strike next.

Rats and mice alike have been spotted around Pierce College Puyallup this year, particularly in the College Center. “(In) the past three years that I’ve been here, I’ve never heard as many complaints (about the rats),” Custodial Services Manager Patrick Carter said. “We’ve had complaints in the past, but not like this.”

Mice and rats have reportedly been found in multiple locations on campus. A dead rat in a trap was seen on the floor of the Academic Resource Center on May 18.

“All of a sudden at like 10:30 a.m. someone said, ‘We caught the rat,’” tutor Danielle Tucker said. “I went and looked behind the trash can and there was a dead rat just chilling in the corner. It was right by the microwave, too. Nice sight to see as you warm up your food.”

Recently, multiple rats and mice have been spotted in the Office of Student Life

Finish Cafeteria

in C210. OSL members reported seeing mice and the evidence they left behind in the storage area in the back of the office and inside multiple student leaders’ desks.

“I was running the front desk at night during somebody’s office hour, and I was just sitting there and a couple clubs came in,” Clubs Coordinator Andrew Punchak said. “They were asking me about some of their upcoming events, so I left the front desk momentarily to go grab my binder of 2014/15 events out of my desk. I go up to it and I open it up and then I promptly yell and swear because there were two rats laying on top of my papers.”

Finding the rats was a disgusting surprise, Punchak said.

“They were in my desk just hanging out for fun, which is so gross,” Punchak said. “They peed on my papers. There was rat poop in there, and that’s disgusting.”

Facilities department employees put out traps after this incident, and Punchak said that dead mice and rats have been

found next to the traps in the OSL workroom.

“I didn’t see the sticky trap, but it looked like the rat climbed on it, got stuck, and then just by its will pulled itself off and died a few feet after that,” Punchak said.

OSL student leaders also reported smelling a foul stench around the office. “(It’d been) a couple days,” ASPCP President RoxAnne Simon said. “You gagged as soon as you opened the door.”

Facilities employees inspected for the source of the odor and found a dead rat and two dead mice in the attic laying on the ceiling panels.

“He was about the size of a guinea pig with a really long tail,” Simon said. “He was dead, and he smelled.”

Two more rodents were later found above the ceiling in the OSL’s storage area.

“Later on, they found two mice in the Continued on page 20

start D-Con trap

rat race

the Tutoring Center

Office of Student Life

Commentary • news • Campus Life • Entertainment • sports

Teresa Josten

From Left: Katie Fenton, Lizzie Duke, Amber Gilliland and Alex Heldrich (not pictured) are wrapping up their positions with The Puyallup Post at the end of this quarter.

staff members follow a new sign post after leaving the Puyallup Post Katie Fenton After spending two years at Pierce College, it’s time for me to move on.

This fall I’ll be attending the University of Washington Seattle, and while I’m excited for my future, I’m going to miss Pierce College and all of the incredible Raiders.

I never thought I’d become a reporter.

After taking Intro to Newswriting in spring 2015, the wonderful Teresa Josten convinced me to apply for The Puyallup Post. She’s been an amazing instructor, adviser and friend. If it weren’t for her support and guidance, I wouldn’t be writing this bittersweet goodbye.

My time at The Post has been beyond rewarding. I’ve met the most interesting people, made new friends and learned more about journalism and myself. In

Lizzie Duke I started at The Post because I loved to write. I still love writing, but am ready to move on. Don’t get me wrong. It’s been fun, but writing five or six articles each issue really adds up and when you have as many strong opinions as I do it gets hard to stay unbiased.

They did let me write some weird stories—a feature on cars to a review on a rat to a satire about vending machines and a rather lengthy article about objects at Lowes that can be used for college student’s self-hatred and constant failure.

In all honesty, I really love all these dweebs I shared this crowded office with, and we have an entire wall of quotes to

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alex heldrich

February we attended the Associated Collegiate Press journalism conference in Los Angeles, where I enhanced my love for all things media.

Attending Pierce was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I took a Katie Fenton variety of classes that helped me solidify my interest in communication and journalism while also allowing me to explore other fields such as oceanography and political science.

After becoming so accustomed to Pierce life, it’ll be strange attending a different school. Thank you to the extraordinary people of Pierce College for making me feel at home.

While I may be a Husky now, I’ll always be a Raider first.

About a year ago, I got an email advertising positions at The Puyallup Post. I jumped at the opportunity, thinking it’d be a great way to make friends, further my writing, socializing skills and, of course, make a little money.

This job turned out to be nothing like I originally thought it’d be. Imagine being in the middle of the ocean floating on a surfboard, then a huge wave hits. Also, the surfboard is on fire. And so is the ocean.

That’s what being a reporter is like.

It’s especially hard as someone with major anxiety, as approaching strangers is

amber Gilliland When I first walked into Pierce College three years ago, I had no idea my life was about to change. I was 18 and thought that I had the whole rest of my life figured out. It turns out I had no idea what was in store for my future.

My life turned around for the better when I started professor Teresa Josten’s Intro to Newswriting class. I’d always loved photography and hoped the class would teach me more about the topic of photojournalism.

After the class, I applied to work for The Puyallup Post as the photographer, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Upon being hired, I was told that I needed to write pieces as well. I panicked. I’d always hated writing and never felt like it was my strong point in school.

I’m so thankful that this job pushed me outside of my comfort zone because I’ve found my passion. I never imagined myself as a journalist. Once I got into it though, I realized I don’t want to do anything else.

The past two years at The Post have been filled with so many amazing experiences.

prove it. We also have a wall with photos of our pets and a weird amount of clothes because somehow working at a newspaper correlated to providing free clothing.

Interviewing people was my favorite part. Lizzie Duke Apparently wearing a badge with Pierce College and my name on it made people think they could trust me with their deepest secrets. I’ll miss that.

I’ll be attending California State University, Sacramento in the fall.

Thanks for reading The Puyallup Post and laughing at all our bad puns.

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my No. 1 fear. I have a new permanent level of appreciation for reporters and news staff.

I’m not going to continue on as a reporter because I’ll be pursuing more difficult classes next year as well as music and Alex Heldrich leadership as band president. Also, I’d like to maybe actually have some free time. I’m so thankful for this opportunity. I got everything that I initially hoped for and more. I can’t wait to see the amazing things next year’s senior reporters accomplish.

I’ve gotten to photograph concerts, travel to Los Angeles to attend a journalism convention and have been given multiple opportunities to explore and grow not only as a writer but as a person.

The best part of this job, Amber Gilliland however, has been the people I’ve been lucky enough to meet. I feel so connected to this campus now.

When 12-hour days are spent at school, it can feel more like a home than an actual one. The people that I’ve worked with at The Post have become my best friends and family. It’s always so incredible to go into our office and see everyone talking and laughing. We’ve gone from strangers to family in a matter of months and those connections are something that I’ll be forever grateful for.

I’m sad that my time at Pierce and The Post has come to an end, but I’m leaving here with two degrees, a ton of new friends and more wonderful experiences than I ever expected.

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commentscorner

The voice of the students of Pierce College Puyallup

the big one’s coming and everyone should run in fear

Why you should care about geology for once Hannah Pederson Reporter

Fifth graders in the Pacific Northwest always encounter the day when they learn about the epic destruction of everything they’ve ever known and everyone they’ve ever loved, something Michael Bay would probably win an Academy Award for.

These students who eat their crustless sandwiches and wonder if their dogs can outrun a tsunami get on the school bus and try to figure out how old they’ll be in 50 years. By the time they walk through their front door, all is forgotten.

And that’s how it should be. Living in constant terror and paranoia isn’t something that any human being alone can withstand, let alone the entire population of a third of the United States.

From Cape Mendocino, Calif., to Vancouver Island, Canada, people are under the constant threat of an impending mega quake, anywhere from a magnitude of 8.0 to 9.2 depending on how much the universe wants to wipe out Starbucks and everything it stands for.

That strip is directly above the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a “megathrust” (geologists know how to have fun too) fault sandwiched between the North American

Commentary

Correction The shoutout titled “How is technology impacting children of this generation?” on page 3 in the May 31, 2016 issue swapped the photos of Algela Madrid and Alana Perez.

The Puyallup Post is produced by students attending Pierce College Puyallup.

This publication is intended as a public forum.

Published materials are the sole responsibility of the editors, reporters and photographers, and are not intended to represent the college’s policies.

A person commits the offense of publication theft when he or she willfully or knowingly takes more than one copy of The Puyallup Post.

The newspaper is distributed on the Puyallup campus.

For information on advertising rates, or how to submit letters to the editor or story ideas, call (253) 840-8496, e-mail gamsden@pierce.ctc.edu or use the submission form on the The Puyallup Post website.

“the northwest edge of the continent is predicted to drop six feet, rebounding up to 100 feet to the west, wiping out all the recognizable features of the Pacific northwest and reducing cities to rubble.” tectonic plate and the Juan de Fuca oceanic plate.

Any child who was unfortunate enough to get stuck with the middle seat on a family roadtrip knows what’s going on with the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

Over time, the pressure of the bony shoulder stabbing their side becomes unbearable. No matter how many minor adjustments they make, the screamfest is inevitable.

But when the mega quake hits, there’s no switching seats.

The northwest edge of the continent is predicted to drop six feet, rebounding up to 100 feet to the west, wiping out all the recognizable features of the Pacific Northwest and reducing cities to rubble.

The ocean water displaced by the shift will surge upward and take the form of a colossal watery mountain, but not for long.

The water will fall, one half hurtling toward Japan and the other toward the Northwest coast.

Fifteen minutes after the initial devastation of the

Earthquake drill On June 7 at Camp Murray, Gov. Jay Inslee kicked off the largest earthquake drill in the Pacific Northwest to test responses, according to The Seattle Times. Inslee said this drill was to allow people to figure out how to communicate without technology. The drill concluded June 10. earthquake, the tsunami will hit and when the water recedes, the recovery begins, according to The New Yorker.

It’s not hard to guess what effect this will have on the region. There’s not a lot any government could do to prepare for a seismic event of that magnitude.

It took Japan years and $220 billion to recover from their 2011 quake, and the scars will never fade. And that’s Japan.

Earthquake recovery strategies aren’t really a hot button issue this campaign season, but if the two major candidates can’t decide what their stances are on fun policies like immigration and universal health care, how useful will they be when a third of their country is a death swamp.

Just something to think about.

Not something to obsess over, there’s no need to make an “the end is nigh” sandwich board.

Just keep the impending doom of the West Coast in mind.

Grace Amsden

Armani Jackson

Chase Charaba

Suzanne Buchholz

Lizzie Duke

Katie Fenton

Amber Gilliland

Alex Heldrich

Andrea Mendoza

How to contact us: Editor-in-Chief: Grace Amsden..........................Lync ext: 8881 ............gamsden@pierce.ctc.edu Managing Editor: Armani Jackson ....................................8630............ ajackson@pierce.ctc.edu Online and Social Media Manager: Chase Charaba..........8632 ............ccharaba@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Suzanne Buchholz ............................................8722 ..........sbuchholz@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Lizzie Duke........................................................8620 .................eduke@pierce.ctc.edu Senior Reporter: Amber Gilliland.......................................8624 .............agilliland@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Alex Heldrich .....................................................8622.............aheldrich@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Hannah Pederson .............................................8628 ..........hpederson@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: CJ Robinson .....................................................8631 ...........crobinson@pierce.ctc.edu Online Reporter: Katie Fenton ..........................................8654 ...............kfenton@pierce.ctc.edu Office Manager/Reporter: Andrea Mendoza......................8651 ..........amendoza@pierce.ctc.edu

The student newspaper office is in room 218 in the College Center.

Adviser: Teresa Josten Graphics/Production: Steve Heeb

www.puy alluppost.com

Newspaper racks are located throughout the Puyallup campus.

Hannah Pederson

CJ Robinson

Some images and information printed in this newspaper may be from Internet sources and are used under the fair use doctrine, which allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders for such uses as commentary, criticism, news reporting and scholarship. w w w . P u y a l l u P P o s T . c o m

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fightin’words

shoutout Hannah Pederson

Should the smoking age be raised to 21?

Rhiannon Webber: “I’m not

sure I have an opinion either way on that. People will smoke regardless of the legal age if they want to. I can see it having some benefit, though.”

Chrissandra Sawtelle: “I

don’t think the age should be raised. I feel like 18 is a good age to decide if you want lung cancer or not.”

Elysia Romero: “No, I don’t think it’d make a difference.”

Brianna Loucks: “Really, I think no one should smoke, but raising the age won’t stop anyone.”

Should the legal smoking age be raised to 21?

Andrea Mendoza

try and quit smoking.

If people are worried about younger people taking up the habit of smoking, raising the legal age to 21 Cigarettes have often had a bad repdoesn’t guarantee that they won’t pick up the habit. utation. Whether it’s a cause for Lung This age raise might make black market cigarettes Cancer, bronchitis or emphysema, even more desirable by the younger audience. smoking is filled with criticism. When According to the Centers for Disease Control and age and smoking are discussed, there’s name Prevention, the percentage of adult smokers has always something to talk about. Age decreased to 12 percent while teen smoking has should just be a number, but apparentdecreased to 19 percent. ly, age defines what one can and can’t do.

This is due to prevention efforts focusing on disThe current smoking age is 18. This means that after 18 rotations around the sun, a person can go to a casi- couraging the younger population from picking up a no, get a tattoo, vote, sign contracts and get married. cigarette.

Many smoking policies already They also can join the armed forces, restrict users. If lawmakers really be held criminally responsible for believe new laws are needed to protheir actions, serve custodial sentect young people from tobacco tences in adult jails and take action “Age isn’t the smoke, they should criminalize without a guardian signature.

After 18 years of age, people are problem. Instead of adult smoking in all spaces, including private homes and vehicles, smart enough to make their own decisions. If smoking is one of them, raising the smoking when children are present.

Age isn’t the problem. Instead of then so be it. age, there should be raising the smoking age, there There’s been a push by Washinga focus on banning should be a focus on banning smokton lawmakers to raise the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, but this smoking altogether.” ing altogether. It's obvious that smoking’s bad. shouldn’t happen.

Science has shown the negative Most people are aware of the hazeffects that cigarettes can cause. But ards of smoking. It doesn’t matter whether someone is 18 or 21 to start or give up smok- the questions isn't about cigarettes being bad or good, ing. According to sharecare.com, the average age at it's about whether a person is mature enough to handle which people start smoking is 15, but according to the one.

A person is officially an adult at 18 and should have Illinois Department of Public Health, younger smokers are more likely to try and quit smoking before becom- all the benefits that come with being one.

Raising the legal smoking age to 21 is pointless. ing older, while the older smokers were less likely to

Reporter/Office Manager

Grace Amsden

n’t be considered as the age which marks an adult because there’s so much growth to be made and mistakes to be learned from.

It was in second grade. All the stuPeople may be more inspired by peer pressure versus dents sat at the rug while the teacher, individual choices at 18. Delaying the legal age for the sitting in her rocking chair, took out two consumption of cigarettes to 21 might allow an individjars. ual to wait those extra years to fully decide whether One of them had a healthy pair of they want to smoke. pink lungs. The other had unhealthy, Grace Amsden If someone started smoking at 18 and became addictblack lungs, which she explained were from someone who smoked cigarettes. It was frighten- ed, they might regret it later on. If the smoking age was ing, but made a strong impact to stay away from ciga- switched to 21, this individual could’ve changed their path. rettes.

There’s also the consideration of alcohol, which is According to verywell.com, smoking contributes to 90 percent of deaths by cancer. It instantly adds a risk accessible at 21. Depending on the circumstances and amount of alcohol entering into the factor for many health concerns such body, it can cause health issues or as heart attack and stroke. even be a contributor to drunk drivIt’s questionable as to why law ing incidents, which affects the makers would think that 18 is an “Delaying the legal drunk driver and innocent others on acceptable age to purchase death the road. sticks. age for the Because cigarettes are also danIdeally, it’d be best to ban cigarette consumption of gerous, it should only be a matter smoking. It’d reduce the amount of applicable to those 21 and older. secondhand smoke and the damage cigarettes to 21 Thankfully, smoking laws are done to the individual who puffs the might allow an shifting. Hawaii was the first state to nicotine into their system. Yet that’s raise its smoking age to 21, which probably not going to happen, at least individual to wait went into effect Jan 1, 2016. In Caliat this time.

Something can be done, however - those extra years to fornia, the legal smoking age is now at 21 and went go into action June delaying the legal age of purchasing fully decide whether set 9. and smoking cigarettes to 21.

Washington state isn’t far from Eighteen is simply too young to they want to smoke.” raising the legal smoking age to 21, offer the choice. According to as the House Health Care and Wellhrweb.mit.edu, it isn’t until the mid ness Committee voted 9-3 toward 20s when the brain reaches full maturity. Something as serious as the decision to smoke Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s bill to should be delayed until the individual has a maturity raise the age for purchasing tobacco and vapor products level greater than 18. They shouldn’t be in a rush to buy to 21, according to atg.wa.gov.

By increasing the smoking age to 21, this could make poison.

At 18, the adult is still developing their decision the air cleaner, the nose happier and body much healthmaking, identity and in their maturity. Eighteen should- ier.

Editor-in-Chief

Kirsten Davison: “No, you can smoke legally at 18 in other states.”

Dawn Bartholomew: “As soon as you put a higher age on anything, kids will do it anyway just to be defiant.”

Autumn Foster: “Nah - 18 is the legal age for you to be an adult. You can buy a house and vote, so I think that should be the age for people to make that kind of decision about their health.”

Amy Swim: “I’m kind of mixed on it. Smoking doesn’t damage your brain, but you have to be 21 for other controlled substances, so I think it should be the same across the board.”

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newsflash

What’s going on at Pierce College Puyallup

Up in smoke

Pierce College may soon be a smoke-free environment

Suzanne Buchholz Reporter

The policy for allowing smoking on the Pierce College campuses may change soon.

The potential to change the smoking policy has been discussed for several years, and it was recently decided to take it to a new level, Pierce College Fort Steilacoom President Denise Yochum said.

The college is forming a task force through the District Cabinet Council to initiate a district-wide discussion on the topic, which will include employees and students.

“The district is concerned about the health of our students and employees,” Yochum said. “Additionally, we receive many complaints each year about the behaviors of some smokers outside of the smoking shelters and the lack of cleanliness around the shelters.”

If the new policy is put into effect, it’d prohibit the use of all forms of cigarettes and tobacco, including e-cigarettes and vapes.

The designated smoking shelters on campus would also be removed. Yochum said this would benefit the health of students and visitors to the campus, and help reduce the maintenance required to keep the campus clean.

The task force through the Cabinet has already begun working toward its goal of a smoke-free campus.

One of its first steps was to email a brief survey to students through Survey Monkey, the company that Pierce uses for its surveys. The survey asked students 18 and older for their opinions on whether Pierce should prohibit smoking on campus.

Students had the choice of either agreeing or disagreeing with the new policy, or select the statement saying that it wouldn’t affect them either way.

College officials want to consider the opinions of the students who say they should be able to smoke on campus if they want and might not approve of this pol-

icy change.

Yochum said the survey will allow students to voice their concerns, and their suggestions will be taken into consideration as well.

“I’m sure there will be concerns from students and employees should the district make a decision to change our current policy,” Yochum said. “We would work with students and employees to address concerns if there is a policy change.”

Some questions and concerns that’ll be discussed

will include topics on policies used by other community and technical colleges and whether they should be applied by Pierce.

For example, some colleges allow students to smoke if they’re in their own car while in the college’s parking lot, while others forbid the use of cigarettes and tobacco regardless of location on campus.

The discussion will determine if these policies should be upheld at Pierce as well and to what extent.

Other local community colleges, such as Green River College, created a policy several years ago to ban smoking on campus.

Some students thought the current situation for smoking on campus were acceptable, but would benefit from a few adjustments.

“I think the way it’s set up now is good, with the smoking shelters,” student Nathaniel Guerrero said. “Students who have that need or addiction (to smoke) can do it without having to leave the campus. One problem is people using the e-vapes, they just walk around the campus and smoke them instead of using the shelter.”

Other students said they didn’t think smoking should be allowed on the campus at all.

“Smoking in general isn’t good, and doing it on campus promotes that lifestyle,” student Sofiya Chekh said. “You come here to learn, and smoking drives away from that.”

Yochum said that, should the new policy be implemented, the effects it’ll have on students and faculty will be long-lasting and good for them.

“The long-term impact could include the ability to help students and employees have a positive impact on their long-term health and providing a campus that provides for smoke-free access to grounds and facilities for all,” Yochum said.

The Seattle Times

Green river College strikes after potential program cuts Andrea Mendoza Reporter/Office Manager

Green River College faculty, with the support of many students, started a three-day strike on May 23 against possible budget and program cuts, as well as a long stream of labor practices by the college administrators.

According to those participating in the strike, this protest took place at all four of the college’s campuses and it’s been 42 years since the last strike.

GRC administrators say they need to reduce the budget by $4.5 million and have looked into various options.

They said they must eliminate some programs because of state budget cutbacks and declining enrollment and as a result has proposed to cut 11 programs.

Potential programs to be cut include parent education, fingerprinting certification, design drafting, business technology and administrative careers, German, French, geography, drama, occupational therapy assistant, study skills and Montessori track of early childhood education.

‘We need to reduce expenditures,

Mathematics professor Rochelle Mitchell leads chants during the three day strike. absolutely,” college spokeswoman Catherine Ushka said.

Along with this strike, GRC faculty

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demanded the resignation of college President Eileen Ely and the board of trustees due to unfair labor treatment,

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stating she’s using state cutbacks as a way to gut the college’s United Faculty union, a chapter of the American Federation of Teachers Washington, and therefore have filed unfair labor practice complaints against her.

Faculty members say there’s been mismanagement of money as millions of dollars were poured into new buildings and “unnecessary” remodeling.

The union has voted three times that it has no confidence in the leadership of Ely. “I’ve never witnessed a leader who has absolutely no care or concern for her students,” faculty member Laura Moore-Mueller said in a KIRO 7 News broadcast.

Since the last day of the quarter is June 10 for the college, striking faculty limited their protest to three days as to not disrupt student studies.

“I still came to class because I need the credits to graduate, but I think they’re doing it for a great cause,” GRC student Rebecca Hernandez said. “It shows how much teachers here really do care.”

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Lizzie Duke

shoutout Andrea Mendoza

What are your plans after graduation?

Lauren Asher: “I plan to apply to the University of Washington because it's close by and I want to study kinesiology or political science.”

Tyler Lowery: “I want to go to University of Washington because it offers the program I want. I want to be a physician’s assistant. The one I want to enter is in Tacoma. But if I don’t, then I’ll get my master's in Seattle.”

Cameron Charron: “I'm going to go to Central Washington University to become a music teacher.”

Hannah Graser: “I’m going to the University of Washington Tacoma to get some type of a degree, maybe in the arts category.”

Frank Saxton: “I'm going to

transfer to Central Washington University to pursue a degree in music education.

After that, I want to go to the Manhattan School of Music.”

Cameron Limes: “I want to sit around and do nothing for a long time and then go to college. I plan on going to Central Washington University because they have a really good communications program and I want my bachelor's degree.”

Con‘grad’ulations!

Lizzie Duke Reporter

As spring quarter 2016 comes to a finish, many students have begun to prepare for graduation. This year, Pierce College’s graduation will be at 2:30 p.m. June 17 at the Tacoma Dome.

Graduates will not be organized by degree nor last name. The order will be based mostly on when people arrive.

“If they (the graduates) want to sit with their friends, they should be with them when they come into the dome and line up with them immediately,” District Event Manager Rosie Garcia said.

Once the procession starts, it’s show time, Garcia said. There won’t be an opportunity to change order once students are in line.

This is mostly so there’s a certain number of people on each side of the arena, or in each row of chairs. That way, it looks like a seamless transition to the audience.

The doors will open at 1:30 p.m. and graduates are expected to be there by that time. Guests are to come in upstairs while graduates enter on the lower level.

Staff members at the ceremony can’t watch the graduates’ personal belongings, so graduates should arrange for family and friends to watch them. Also, children can’t sit with the graduates.

Pathway institute visit Faculty members attend event in Washington D.C. to learn about mapping pathways for program specific degrees Alex Heldrich Reporter

Frank Castorena:

“I graduate here in the fall and after this, I think I’m done. I'm getting my general AA and I work for the railroad. I’m just going back to work, but with a degree.”

Susanna Manaloor:

“I want to transfer to four-year university, preferably the University of Washington because I like their computer science program and I’m going for my master’s degree in that.”

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Students should note that what they receive during the ceremony isn’t actually their diploma. “They (the graduates) get a diploma cover with a graduatory message inside,” Garcia said. “Diplomas are mailed about 10 weeks after that quarter.”

The price of a caps and gown was included in the cost of tuition. The bookstore staff has a list of graduating students and can only give caps and gowns to those individuals.

Each cap and gown comes with an informational booklet and name card that graduates must bring to the Tacoma Dome.

Graduation has been at the Tacoma Dome for a long time, Garcia said, mostly because there are few places near Puyallup that can accommodate this many people.

There’s no way to tell how many people will come beforehand, as admission is free for friends and family.

Helium balloons, weapons and noise makers are prohibited. Other prohibited items can be found on the Tacoma Dome website.

As for the tradition of decorating one’s graduation cap, there’s no rule against it.

There are new metal detectors at the Tacoma Dome, which will make getting in take longer. Garcia encourages students to arrive early.

At the Board of Trustees meeting on May 11, several faculty members talked about their trip to the Second Pathway Institute in Washington, D.C. from April 13-16.

Employees who attended this event also included Marty Cavalluzzi, president of Pierce College Puyallup, Debra Gilchrist, vice president for learning and student success and Krissy Kim, director of education. Lee West, assistant professor; Tiffanie Maule, BTECH instructor, Holly Smith, dean of arts and humanities and Sam Lofton also attended.

The main purpose for this trip focused on how to get more people involved in mapping out pathways and the processes for completing degrees.

“We heard from leaders in their work at other colleges, learned about relevant research, met with others in similar roles like faculty, deans, vice presidents and presidents,” Kim said. “We had time to work as a Pierce College team with our coaches to plan as well.”

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At Clover Park Technical College, Kim said that she attended a one-day event about Pathways and first heard about the project this year.

“I read the book, Redesigning America’s Community Colleges by Thomas Bailey, Shanna Smith Jaggars and Davis Jenkins,” Kim said. “There was homework that had to be done before we went (on the trip), so the team met a couple of times to answer the questions asked of us.”

Selection for faculty members who got to go on the trip was decided upon by Cavalluzzi and Gilchrist.

They asked faculty who they deemed fit to attend.

Departments and programs that had less mapping done for their degrees were chosen over those who already had a substantial amount.

“I think being able to give students a clearer pathway to their degrees and to help them select courses that are most relevant to their major is exciting,” Kim said. “I’ve already begun having conversations with my colleagues in other departments to recommend the best choices for education majors.”

Kim’s pathway draft for early childhood education is a quarter by quarter education plan. She said it puts classes on student’s schedule that are known to be offered and in the preferred order.

“I learned a lot,” Kim said. “The time spent working together as a Pierce team with our coaches was so helpful. I’m also appreciative of the connections made with people from other colleges in the country who are participating in the Pathways Project. All the colleges are at different places in the process, and we have a lot to learn from each other.”

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50th anniversary service projects 50 opportunities to serve through the 50th

Grace Amsden Editor-in-Chief

The No. 50 will hold significance for Pierce College as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.

In addition to the 50th anniversary events such as the Scholarship Scramble golf tournament, service projects will be held starting in the fall.

The goal is to have 50 service projects, Community Engagement Coordinator Becky Anderson said.

“Pierce College wants events to create an atmosphere where students not only give and experience the world outside of the classroom, but that they become active citizens,” Anderson said.

The first six of the 50 events will be considered the flagship events. These are sponsored by the Service Learning Department and will be heavily advertised, Anderson said.

Director of Library and Learning Resources Christie Flynn said these will provide the opportunity for staff and students to work together.

“We’re really saying anybody and everybody who’s associated with Pierce College, come one, come all,” Flynn said.

The first flagship event during fall quarter will be a food drive between district faculty and staff. Collected food will be added into the Pierce College Puyallup and Pierce College Fort Steilacoom food pantries.

“People who are hungry don’t really learn as well - you don’t function as well,” Flynn said. “I think that’s an important awareness issue for the community, and it’s easy to get involved and start to make a difference.”

Make a Difference Day will be the second event, also in fall quarter. A project will be held in the Tacoma-Puyallup area.

“You could clean someone's yard,” Anderson said. “You could make food for the homeless, you could collect teddy bears.

It’s not a specific type of event (for Make a Difference Day).”

The third flagship event in winter quarter will be a trip to the Emergency Food Network Inc. in Lakewood to repackage bulk items for food banks.

Also in winter quarter, the fourth event is Jan. 16 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This will be a volunteer service project.

“In the past, we’ve done work with youth, we’ve done work with the city of Lakewood and we’ve done some parks work,” Flynn said.

The fifth flagship event will be Park Appreciation Day in spring quarter. In the past, individuals have cleaned the playground at Fort Steilacoom Park, Anderson said.

“In the past, we’ve laid new wood chips and painted the playground,” Anderson said. “Also, we’ve done a bit of maintenance on the trails so that the park stays nice.”

One cleanup will be at Fort Steilacoom park, though there’s a possibility for a cleanup near the Puyallup campus

such as at Bradley Lake Park, Flynn said.

The sixth flagship event will be The Habitat for Humanity Birthday Build held in Pierce County during spring quarter. Faculty, staff and students will contribute their work to a part of the house build.

Besides the six flagship projects, events will be held with community part-

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1: Two years ago, a project was

at the Tacoma Rescue Mission about two years ago. About 500600 people are served per meal, Anderson said.

conducted at the Salvation Army for Make a Difference Day. This was at the Jarvie Memorial Family Lodge. Students painted the interior of the shelter which houses people in a crisis situation.

5: As part of Parks Appreciation Day, about 30 students went to Fort Steilacoom park to clean it, such as through picking up trash and weeding the flower beds.

2. For this year’s Make a Difference Day, a group of international students cleaned a road in Lakewood, such as by picking up garbage.

6: Students worked at the Fort Steilacoom campus to put a variety of bulk items like soup and granola bars into bags for the Backpack Project through St. Leo’s Food Connection. These were taken to elementary schools and supplied to children experiencing a need for food so they could have a meal during the weekend.

3: One of the groups from Professor and Business Department Coordinator Paul Gerhardt’s Management 283 class, who created a non-profit project.

They raised money to purchase crock-pots and created a recipe book, specifically for beans, for a Puyallup food bank. The crock-pots were eventually donated.

7: Seniors from Cascade Park Vista in Tacoma with a group of international students who spoke with seniors about their lives.

4: Students after they prepared

and served a meal to the homeless

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ners who work with the Pierce College community. The St. Leo’s Food Connection Backpack Project and Tacoma Rescue Mission are among the organizations who have worked with the college in the past. There’ll be a continuation of the community partnership, Anderson said.

“What I really like about my position is the ability to identify the need of the community partner and then have Pierce fill that need,” Anderson said.

Service projects will also be held by faculty in their classrooms. The project will be organized by the instructor for their students. About 40 faculty members across the Pierce College District conduct projects in their classroom already, Flynn said.

There could be more events in addition to the 50, Flynn said.

“I think that there are faculty who probably do community service projects in their classes that may decide after we’ve already put our calendar together that they’d like to do this event,” Flynn said, “or a community partner comes to us with a need.”

For those who volunteer, the plan is for an incentive to be rewarded, most likely water bottles with the 50th anniversary logo, Flynn said. Hours will be tracked and individuals can earn it once they meet the set amount of hours, she said.

“We don’t know what the number (of hours) will be (to earn an incentive),” Flynn said. “I think we have to sit down this summer and say what’s realistic.”

But for anyone who attends a service learning project, they’ll be able to write their name on a paper hand cutout that’ll be taped onto a wall on campus (the specific spot is currently undecided), Flynn said.

They might also write the activity they volunteered for and number of hours spent onto the hand.

This will begin for the first event in fall.

“Over the year, you’ll be able to see that wall grow and see more people’s names as they’re involved,” Flynn said. “You’ll see faculty and staff and students names all along that wall.”

To view the upcoming service events and calendar, visit wp.pierce.ctc.edu/blog/servicelearning/.

Once the events are listed, there’ll be an option for those interested to sign up for the projects, but not for the classroom service learning projects which aren’t open for everyone to participate in outside the class.

The first events will be posted in about late summer quarter, Flynn said.

“There’s a variety of projects,” Flynn said. “I think students will be able to find something that resonates with them.”

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Welcome to the future millionaires club Armani Jackson

what’s there to learn?” Here’s a secret: Twitter, Instagram, Google, Facebook, Snapchat Florida senators approved on March 1 a and even YouTube all had to be written and bill that would allow high school students to developed by someone. To illustrate, say take computer programming as an equiva- when someone comes home from school lent to the foreign language requirement. they always put down their bag and grab a This would be snack from the fridge. The snack didn’t put into effect magically appear, someone had to go to the during the store and buy it. Furthermore, that item had 2018-19 school to be made in a factory before people could year, making Florida the first state to allow eat it.

In a similar sense, the apps people downcoding to be counted as a foreign language, load or websites they visit are programmed according to USA Today.

To say the least, this a huge step in the by someone. Without those people, so many right direction in terms of social develop- things wouldn’t have been created.

Coding is a skill ment. The technolothat people actualgy industry is where this world is head- “Some don’t see the need ly retain, unlike a foreign ed, with the use of to learn these so-called typically language where computers increasing in popularity by ‘abstract’ concepts. their most forget everyafter the last the second. Learnlogic is, ‘my computer will thing day of school. ing how computers With that being work, and the code do that all for me, so said, learning behind them, is a what’s there to learn?’ another language basic skill that everyone should here’s a secret: twitter, isn’t completely useless, it allows acquire, especially Instagram, google, the opportunity to at an early age.

Sen. Jeremy facebook, Snapchat and communicate with other people. ProRing, who introeven Youtube all had to gramming, on the duced the bill, explained the con- be written and developed other hand, allows someone to comcept best. by someone.” municate with “If you don’t machines, which is have an understanding of technology, you’ll be left behind,” he cooler anyway.

Programming languages are just as fluid said.

There are situations in life where an and adaptable as spoken ones, but they can instance has to take priority, commonly mean so much more. Coding makes people referred to as an overriding social need. more dynamic. They’re taught the ability to Learning to program in a technological soci- tap into a different part of their brain and can ety is one of those circumstances. As every- create something wonderful from it. Spoken thing is starting to rely more on laptops, languages just don’t seem to have the same smartphones and tablets, only knowing how powerful effect. Students shouldn’t have to to update a Facebook status isn’t going to be tied to a spoken language, especially if cut it anymore. It’s time to get down to the they have no interest in using it outside of nitty gritty, what code monkeys like to call high school.

By letting students learn programming as creation at its finest.

When most people think about program- a foreign language, it exposes them to a ming, combinations of ones and zeros may demanding, stable and well-paying career. pop up. This is called binary. Binary is the Coding teaches people how to see the world code that computers understand. Developers in a new way. It’s one of the best things a don’t write that directly. Instead, they use person can learn. What’s even better, is that high level (English-like statements) pro- everything follows a pattern. Once someone gramming languages which are then com- learns one language they can easily move to piled into binary and executed by the com- another. Programming is programming is puter. What people are writing isn't the ones programing, just the way it looks varies.

But if coding becomes someone’s forte, and zeros; it’s almost English.

Some don’t see the need to learn these all there’s left to say is this: Welcome to the so-called “abstract” concepts. Their logic is, Future Millionaires Club, we’re glad to have “my computer will do that all for me, so you.

Managing Editor

Starting this fall, Students will log into the Microsoft Outlook portal (left) which replaces the Google portal (right).

Commentary

student emails change to Microsoft Outlook this fall Amber Gilliland Senior Reporter

On May 6, students received an email sent out by Pierce College mentioning that changes will be made to student email accounts in the fall.

The two-sentence email told students that starting fall quarter 2016, the student email will change from Gmail to Outlook Email. As fall approaches, students will be sent instructions on how to convert their accounts.

This vague email left a few students wondering what was going to happen to their account. Some questions whether they would still have access to their accounts and what would happen to the contents of their Google Drives.

Director of IT Integration Andrew Glass is one employee who has been working on the changeover.

“There’s a lot of back end work that has to be done and it's super technical,” Glass said. “For the student it’ll be relatively seamless.”

Students who are concerned that their accounts will be deleted have nothing to fear, Glass said. The current accounts will still be available to access and the email addresses won’t change; they’ll just now be accessed on Outlook.

The IT department is currently working on creating instruction guides for students that’ll be sent out when it gets closer to the changeover. The tutorials will explain more about the switch and how to transfer things from Gmail such as contacts, calendar appointments and the contents of the student’s Google Drive.

Switching to Outlook will allow cohesion among the programs that students are offered, Glass said.

On January 5, students received an email which contained information on how to download Microsoft Office 365 for free. Each student was given a user-

name and password that allowed them to download the suite which included Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and one terabyte of cloud storage among other programs. Switching the email accounts to Outlook will allow for all the programs to be Microsoft based.

“We’re trying to unify all the student’s services,” Glass said.

The OneDrive storage system will be fairly similar to Google Drive which students currently have access to with their Gmail accounts. OneDrive will allow students to store documents and photos like Google Drive. The system doesn’t allow for creating documents and spreadsheets directly into the drive like Google does, but students can create Microsoft documents with their Office 365 programs and upload them to the cloud.

An informal survey conducted by The Puyallup Post found that most students are checking their student email fairly regularly. Ninety-four percent of students said they check their email at least once a week.

Some students said they’re concerned about losing some of the Gmail features they’re familiar with.

“I have no idea what Outlook is and I’m familiar and comfortable with Gmail,” student Jaycee Johanneck said. “I like having my mail in the same place as my Google Drive, which is where I keep all my assignments.”

Other students said they haven’t heard any news about the changeover.

“I didn’t even know we were changing, but I also don’t check my email so that’s probably why,” student Mansa Lloyd said.

Glass said the switch is set to happen before the beginning of fall quarter, but no exact date has been reached yet. Students should continue to check their emails as the quarter approaches to receive further instructions.

Windows 10 free upgrade going away Armani Jackson Managing Editor

On July 29 2015, Microsoft encouraged Windows users to upgrade to Windows 10 after Windows 8 failed to impress developers and consumers, according to engadget.com. One year later the free upgrade will end, costing users $119 if they haven’t done so already.

The initial release was a bold choice for Microsoft, since they tend to only release software that’ll bring in revenue, according to engadget.com. However, it seems to have been successful since Windows 10 is currently running on more than 300 million devices worldwide.

Cortana, a feature exclusive to Windows 10, has helped answer over 6 billion questions since its launch, according to Microsoft.

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On its one year anniversary, Microsoft is going to release a special update tailored specifically for the classroom. One of the biggest improvements is the Set Up School PCs app, which “simplifies the deployment process so a teacher can set up devices in three easy steps, even with no dedicated IT support,” according to Microsoft. Also included is a test taking app. This would allow educators to offer students a variety of online assessments in an easier manner.

An article on Microsoft’s website said this app “creates a browser-based, locked-down environment for more secure, online assessments, for tests that shouldn’t have copy/paste privileges, access to files or other distractions.”

At the base level, this update will allow students to

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learn and instructors to teach more effectively than before.

Pierce College Computer Informations Instructor Sean Moran prefers Windows 10 over the previous version.

“As Windows operating systems go, I like it better than Windows 8x,” Moran said. “I don't like how Microsoft has so much control over the PC now, and gives itself the authorization to make changes. If you are an experienced Windows user, you can override some of that control, but most people are not that experienced. A lot of the Windows 8 problems were fixed in Windows 10. Not upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 8, especially while it's still free, would be, in my mind, a mistake.”

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Chase Charaba

Consultant shares findings from equity and diversity work at Pierce College Grace Amsden Editor in Chief

The results are in. On May 31, Diversity and Equity Consultant Tanya Bowers reported on her work to the Pierce College Puyallup and Fort Steilacoom community via Skype.

Michele Johnson, chancellor for the Pierce College District, began with an introduction. She shared the mission for Pierce College and information regarding the decision to hire a consultant.

“As we worked on Achieving the Dream over the last four years, a core element that we saw as we reviewed data was that our students were not equally succeeding,” Johnson said during the introduction.

These levels weren’t the same from students with different backgrounds such as by age, gender and economic status, she said.

A year ago, a proposal was made during the budget process to hire someone to work with the district relating to these issues, Johnson said.

This consultant would explore the college in terms of equity, diversity and inclusion such as the college’s procedures, climate and culture, Johnson said. Thus, Bowers’ purpose was to work with the college community to assess cultural competency, diversity and inclusion in the college’s district and then create a diversity plan. Bowers said that people opened their hearts and minds during the process.

“I appreciated how forthcoming respondents were, and I hope that they end up being satisfied with the Johnson during the introduction before Tanya Bowers (on Skype) shares the results. recommendations,” Bowers said.

A permanent, executive level leadership position for More inclusive food options, integration of art To gather information, the anonymous online Diversity and Inclusion Climate Survey available Dec. around campus and desire for the meaning of diversity equity, diversity and inclusion will be created. This individual will be in charge of “implementing, editing, 2-18 allowed the Pierce College community to share were major takeaways from these workshops.

“Not only was a desire for clarity around diversity updating and tracking the recently-developed equity their thoughts about the college’s atmosphere regarding equity, diversity and inclusion. From 5,753 stu- expressed, but confusion around who is specifically diversity and inclusion plan,” according to the plan.

“Initially, the position will focus on building an dents, 13 percent of students responded. From 1,026 being targeted through existing equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives became apparent,” Bowers said. infrastructure around equity, diversity and inclusion,” employees, 39 percent participated.

A desire for additional clubs and events regarding “Undoubtedly, generating working definitions around Bowers said. “Once that foundation is established, diversity and inclusion are some of the major take- these terms as well as dimensions of diversity would more people will be on the same page. Then this leader will have more time to focus on other areas in the be helpful.” aways from the survey.

After the multiple steps to gather information, Bow- Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan, namely diverse From Nov. 30-Feb. 4, Bowers led interviews in talent acquisition and develers organized it into the catewhich 14 employees and two opment, campus culture and gories of strengths, weaknessstudents participated. One instructional-educational es, opportunities and threats. question asked to the interview support.”

An example of a strength is participants included how “In the end, Pierce is They’ll also integrate the student body diversity, “We’re committed to they’d rate the environment for in the business of content of diversity in goals into individual work diversity and inclusion at hiring an executive plans, research and integrate employee meetings and stuPierce. Among major takeaways educating. Being a officer for equity, best practices of hiring comdent services offered. One through the interviews, people learning mittees. weakness is the “lack of direcexpressed that there’s a recent diversity and “We’re committed to hirtion around diversity and focus toward poverty and equienvironment, the diversity infrastructure” and inclusion. this hiring ing an executive officer for ty, a great diversity in the stuequity, diversity, and includent body and lack of employ- college has to make decrease of diversity in the process will be a sion,” Pierce College Fort recruitment of employees. ees of color, especially in faculsure that not only A further spread of knowl- national search with Steilacoom President Denise ty and administration. what it teaches but edge about student organizasaid. “This hiring Twenty focus groups were an open, competitive Yochum process will be a national tions and meeting the needs of held Jan. 26-Feb. 3, 2016: nine also how it teaches search with an open, competemployee diversity and incluwith students and 11 with process.” is inclusive. ” itive process. Current dission are examples of opportuemployees. Twenty-two stunities. Threats include the disdents and 56 employees partici—Denise Yochum trict employees who meet the —Tanya Bowers tance between campuses and qualifications will be eligible pated. to apply.” an unwillingness to change.

“Employees responded at a Another recommendation The goal of Bowers’ Equigreat rate, which is typical,” Bowers said. “I always welcome hearing from as many ty, Diversity and Inclusion Plan is “to improve Pierce suggested by Bowers is for the addition of an equity, people as possible, so having more student participa- College’s state, capacity and capability around equity, diversity and inclusion center.

“We haven’t had the ability to determine the feasition would’ve been great. That being said, we heard diversity and inclusion and cultural competency to from a good number of students (729 responded) in the make it an even-more relevant college,” according to bility of this recommendation,” Yochum said. “This is work the district will do in the coming year as we look the plan. survey.”

Objectives from the plan include the acquisition and at all of the recommendations that were made.”

Among the major takeaways from the focus groups Bowers’ presentation was recorded and can be include an expressed need for information, training development of diverse talent and multiculturalism in viewed through the PierceCollegeDist11 YouTube and inclusion among employees and concern regarding classes and curriculum.

“In the end, Pierce is in the business of educating,” channel. The video is titled Equity, Diversity, and Pierce’s education cost for low socioeconomic stuBowers said. “Being a learning environment, the col- Inclusion Presentation by Tanya Bowers. dents as well as expense in general.

Bowers hopes that people received a sense of how Visioning workshops were also held. Three students lege has to make sure that not only what it teaches but significant their voice is. attended the World Café Jan. 29 at the Puyallup cam- also how it teaches is inclusive.”

“I hope that through this process, Pierce stakeholdStrategies from the plan include an aligned district pus, while 11 students attended the Fort Steilacoom campus World Café Feb. 2. At the World Café during planning with equity, diversity and inclusion, an er have seen how critical their contributions have been improvement in the number of Pierce employees of and that they’re encouraged to continue giving of All District Day Feb. 16, 420 employees participated.

“The modes of inquiry produced a huge amount of color and emphasis on the importance of equity, diver- themselves to ongoing equity, diversity and inclusion efforts,” Bowers said. sity and inclusion around campus. data to review and process,” Bowers said. w w w . P u y a l l u P P o s T . c o m

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John Lucas: From West africa to Puyallup Political science professor shares stories about research in Africa, passion to teach

Alex Heldrich Reporter

Professor John Lucas, who instructs business and social sciences at Pierce College Puyallup, has a passion for working with students and West Africa, which is evident in his teaching. As an undergraduate he spent time in Sierra Leone, a country in West Africa, through an exchange program. Since he loved it there so much, he returned as a graduate student to do research in Nigeria. He said that his time in Africa has had a major impact on his teaching.

“West Africa is just so exciting and the people there just seem to have a lot of energy,” Lucas said.

“Somebody described Nigeria as the best place in the world and the worst place in the world. It’s this really extreme and difficult environment. The way that some people John Lucas react to such an extreme environment brings out their worst and they do terrible things. But the way that other people react to this really extreme environment brings out this generosity and tenacity and a sense of humor about things.”

Lucas believes that all of the difficulties of living in West Africa are worth it because of the reward of interacting with the interesting and exciting people who live there.

His research topic was on business associations in northern Nigeria.

“One of the big questions for Africa, because over the last 50 years a lot of places that were really poor in the world started to develop except for Africa, was why?”

Lucas said. “So I was trying to figure out what was happening so we could find a path forward for people in Africa to start remaking their politics in ways that would

“the students are definitely my favorite part about teaching. It’s like any other job where some parts are good and some parts are a real hassle, but then I’ll go into the classroom and it’ll be almost therapeutic and I think, ‘this is why I put up with everything.’ ” —John Lucas

help them escape this terrible trap that they’d found themselves in.”

People in Africa are a lot like people in America, as they both love to join clubs, make associations and be involved with their community, Lucas said.

“Even the beggars have their own association,” Lucas said. “They actually pool all of their money and send one of their beggars to Mecca every year since (Nigeria) a Muslim (nation).”

Since he was researching business associations, Lucas got to talk with many of the small business owners such as the onion sellers and mechanics that reside in the markets.

Talking to all of the people is what significantly influenced Lucas’ teaching.

“People always have these conceptions about West Africa that are very simplistic,” Lucas said. “When I came in for every conception I had, the reality would be so

much more complex. I started to really realize that people in particular are never going to be as simple as you think.

And so it teaches you how to pay attention to what's really going on instead of this superficial generalization and I think that lesson has been really useful, especially with students.”

From Africa, he took away the need to be humble about what he knows and realized that the real situation will always be more complex.

“You may be like, ‘oh look at that person sitting in the back with a baseball cap pulled over his face, they’re not going to work hard,’ but they might be the best person in the class,” Lucas said. “Or maybe I think, ‘oh this person isn’t doing their assignment, they aren't hard working,’ but they are hard working, they’ve got three jobs which is why they aren't doing the reading for my class.”

Working at Pierce as a professor was never his ‘big plan,’ but he knows now that it’s the exact place that he wants to be. He’s found that a lot of people his age don’t feel the same passion about their career as he does. He admires the uniqueness of each class that he teaches and their different reactions to the material.

“The students are definitely my favorite part about teaching,” Lucas said. “It’s like any other job where some parts are good and some parts are a real hassle, but then I’ll go into the classroom and it’ll be almost therapeutic and I think, ‘this is why I put up with everything.’”

Outside the classroom, Lucas enjoys playing the accordion. Twice a month, he meets with his old instructor to play music with her.

“It’s my favorite (non-college related) activity and my family’s least favorite,” Lucas said. “Accordions are sort of interesting because they have this vibrating sound that’s always tuned a little bit off. I like that little bit of dissonance. It’s like there’s two notes going, but they’re just disagreeing a little bit in the middle, which is a lot like politics, really.”

Michele Johnson: chancellor, criminal justice instructor and world traveler Armani Jackson Managing Editor

Michele Johnson has been the chancellor of Pierce College for 11 years, but started her career teaching criminal justice and sociology part-time at what was then the Fort Steilacoom Community College on the military base.

When people think about a probation officer or criminal justice instructor, they tend to think of a large, intimidating ruffion and even though Johnson doesn’t seem to share that attitude, she’s accomplished a lot in the field.

Michele Johnson After one year of teaching part-time, she was hired as full-time faculty. She then began taking administrative positions and was eventually hired as the Fort Steilacoom campus president in 1999 when the Puyallup campus officially became a formal college. Six years later, with the retirement of former dean and the Puyallup and district president Steve Wall, the Board of Trustees decided to create a chancellor and CEO position with two separate presidents. There was a nationwide search, so Johnson applied and was selected.

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“I coached women’s basketball and fastpitch and had a very successful team. In coaching, as an athlete myself, it taught me to prepare, to win, to lose, to be part of a team, to follow, to lead, to develop discipline and skills and I think that’s what life is.”

—Michele Johnson

“I was really nervous (when I applied),” Johnson said. “I had to think about it for a long time because I was the Fort Steilacoom president. So a couple of things I asked myself were ‘So what if I don’t get it?’ And so if I don’t get it, there’s going to be a person who comes in and now’s going to be a chancellor.”

She was also concerned about how the new person was going to feel about her, so she was prepared to leave her job.

Johnson grew up in Tacoma and graduated from Lincoln High School. She then transferred to Washington State University to study social justice. Johnson was the first member in her family to attend college.

“I’ve always been very interested in social justice,” Johnson said. “As a kid, I was a person who’s always asking questions and trying to figure out what was fair and what wasn’t fair. When I got to WSU, I took

a class in that area and I was interested in systems, how things work and how people come together. There was a natural fit to talk about social justice.”

She completed her bachelor's degree in three years and was encouraged by a faculty member to continue her education.

“I had a professor who really saw potential in me,” Johnson said. “He asked me to teach a course with him on women in the criminal justice system. He thought it wasn’t appropriate that he do that alone so I went in there and together we developed this seminar. And he just said to me, ‘You have a knack for this. Have you thought about college-level teaching?’”

The professor brought Johnson a job listing for a full-time position at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and she got the job.

“I went to Texas, taught at this university

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and then, you know, I was from the northwest so I decided to come back,” Johnson said. “I came back here and did some work in the justice system. I worked in probation and then started teaching part-time for Pierce College. The next year, I was hired full time and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve done some other things, but I’ve (always) been here doing one thing or another.”

Johnson took some time off from teaching at Pierce in 1984 and went to the University of Oregon to complete her doctorate.

“At that time, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with it,” Johnson said. “Most of my doctoral work was again in kind of systems theory. So I did some organizational psychology as well as public policy and then higher ed policy. When I was there, I was teaching for Lane Community College so I taught criminal justice for them while I was working on my doctorate.”

Pierce administration went to Oregon to visit her. They offered her a job running the business and industry training program and developing the continuing education. She came back to Washington to do that work as well as teach again.

“I taught for a long time and I was a faculty member known with very high standards,” Johnson said. “I think it was my job to help students realize those possibilities (because) that’s how they’re going to succeed. I help them by helping them create Continued on page 13

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campuslife

Plenty of cool stuff at Pierce College Puyallup

Armani Jackson

39th avenue project hits roadblock Chase Charaba Online and Social Media Manager

South Hill residents will have to wait until October before 39th Avenue SW’s construction is finished near Costco, six weeks behind schedule, because the City of Puyallup terminated its contract with Conway Construction Co. on March 25.

The road was supposed to be repaved with upgraded center turn lanes and traffic signals, according to a May 12 article by The News Tribune.

However, the road had been reduced from four to two lanes to allow for crews to remove portions of the old road.

This has left the South Hill Mall area gridlocked on weekdays.

The City of Puyallup Engineering Division announced May 25 that it had awarded a new contract to Olson Brothers Excavating, Inc. for $2.47 million.

The city also released updated project details.

“Besides widening 39th between 11th and 17th, the project will provide for a U-turn for west bound cars on 39th just before 11th, will add a second left turn lane northbound on 14th and will overlay 17th north of 39th,” according to the City of Puyallup website.

Work is expected to resume in June.

However, according to The News Tribune, Conway is suing the city, claiming “some of the problems were not its fault but rather the fault of utility companies that had performed work in conjunction with the road project.”

Two lanes of 39th Avenue are closed because of road construction.

According to an official statement on the City of Puyallup website, “the city determined that the contractor was not performing all of the required work according to the project specifications. Specifically, the city noted multiple instances of defective or unauthorized work - some involving improper traffic con-

trol signage and unsafe site conditions - and diligently and repeatedly sought their correction.”

Residents and commuters can contact City Engineer Mark Palmer at 253-435-3606 or email him at mpalmer@ci.puyallup.wa.us with any questions or concerns about the road project.

Paddle boarding away from responsibility Courtesy of Kylie Ada

Student leader Kylie Ada hosts her last event of the quarter Hannah Pederson Reporter

As spring quarter comes to a close, Wellness and Outdoors Coordinator Kylie Ada hosted her last event: paddle boarding at Juanita Beach on Lake Washington.

“I chose this event as my last because I wanted it to be great weather and I personally love paddle boarding and don’t have many opportunities to do it,” Ada said. “I thought it’d be cool to share this activity with students who also wouldn't have much opportunity, either.”

The 16 students and adviser Teresa Josten, met in the College Center at 10 a.m. and boarded the charter bus Ada rented to Juanita Beach.

Ada had anticipated 30 students to attend this event, but the smaller amount of students didn’t impede the trip.

After an air conditioned bus ride, the group arrived at the beach. The students went onto the grass to cover every exposed inch of skin in three coats of SPF 100 and eat Lancer Hospitality lunches.

The rental company, Northwest Paddle Surfers, provided a brief lesson on how to paddle for the 15 students who were new to the sport. Then, the group hit the water.

Boats, jet skis and wind provided challenges for those who tried to stand up and paddle, and most decided sitting was a

Pierce students pose for a picture before heading out to the lake. better idea.

For two hours, students paddled and drifted their way around Lake Washington, falling off their boards, basking in the

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sun and wondering why even though they’d been paddling for five minutes, they didn’t seem to be getting any closer to the buoy.

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Eventually, the paddle boarders headed to the shore, dehydrated and tired, but with no regrets. The group boarded the bus and headed back to campus.

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Students have chance to study abroad in Ireland this fall Suzanne Buchholz

dents need to have finished at least one quarter of college level studies and maintain a GPA of at least 2.5.

They must also have a valid passport for international travel and fill out a preliminary application for the program, which they can find on the WCCCSA website. Included with their application will be a one-page personal essay expressing their interest in the program, two letters of recommendation (one being from a faculty member) and their most recent unofficial transcripts.

The fee for the program is $2,300 and includes housing, breakfasts and evening meals as well as a lunch in Derry City, excursions and other activities.

Students will have to cover the cost of airfare as well as tuition fees for the five credits earned during the trip.

Scott said that students should also take their degree goals into consideration before applying to study abroad.

Students should speak with their advisers to see if the courses offered in the program will fulfil their degree requirements, and that they can manage it both time and financially speak-

Reporter

Students participating in the Study Abroad program will have the opportunity to study in Ireland Sept. 3-17.

Program Specialist/International Education Admissions Shannon Scott said Ireland was selected through Pierce’s membership with the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad after a discussion on new locations for Study Abroad that students might be interested in.

“This is the first time (in Ireland) and we’re excited to offer Ireland as a location at this time,” Scott said.

The program will be situated in Donegal, which is part of the Border Region of Ireland. Students will travel to various parts of Ireland, predominantly in the northern portion of the country.

During the trip, students can earn five credits in general electives by enrolling in a class titled Irish Life and Culture. This class covers various topics on the subjects of Irish culture and history that are explored through classroom material and excursions that apply the information to the culture.

“Topics that are included (in the course) are Celtic times, the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, Gaelic language, invasion of the Vikings and Normans, Ireland under the penal laws – famine, Cultural Revival in Ireland and many more,” Scott said.

Additionally, these topics will be highlighted by daily field trips to historic locations that directly relate to the topic.

Scott said this will help students understand the topic in a way that connects it to the culture and makes the trip more fulfilling. “(It’s most enriching) when students are able to immerse themselves fully into the life and culture of the country where they’re studying,” Scott said. “Try new foods, see local theater and music productions, visit local markets, etc.”

To participate in the Study Abroad program, stu-

“While studying abroad, you have an opportunity to learn about yourself while gaining global awareness and experiencing new cultures.”

—Shannon Scott

ing.

Scott encourages students interested in studying abroad and who have the time to commit to do so, as it’s a beneficial experience in many ways.

“If students plan ahead and have the time to study abroad for even a short-term program like our study tour programs offered for two weeks during the summer quarter or a longer program like London, Florence or Australia/New Zealand, it’s a life changing opportunity,” Scott said. “While studying abroad, you have an opportunity to learn about yourself while gaining global awareness and experiencing new cultures.”

courtesy Shanelle Ruffin

Memories from five years in Germany Jack Belcher Contributing writer

Germany can be a wonderful place.

It’s an old country with older cities, good weather and of course, Oktoberfest.

One of those cities is Bamberg.

Recently, it was the home of the smallest U.S. base in Europe.

It was also the home of student Shanelle Ruffin for five years.

Before Germany, Ruffin lived in Puyallup, Wash.. She moved to Warner Barracks military base with her family when her step-dad was assigned to this post in 2008.

When Ruffin first heard that she and her family were moving, she wasn’t happy about it, as she had friends and family in Washington.

She arrived to Germany in the summer.

“For the first few months I was depressed,” Ruffin said. “I didn’t know anyone and there was nothing for me to do.”

Once school started, she started to meet new friends and see how much fun Germany could be.

“Oh my God, I loved it,” Ruffin said.

“It’s the best place ever.”

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Student Shanelle Ruffin hangs out with her sheep, Olivia.

The 10th century city has medieval architecture, making every building look like a castle.

Warner Barracks was no more than a few square miles. Ruffin said she went to school there and because of this, never learned much German. English is a universal language in the city. It was also spoken at the base.

The schooling is like any other school, except smaller. A graduating class can account for 12 students with no more than 30 students in the school.

The base has been torn down since Ruffin and her family left, but she still wishes she could go back and visit the city.

What made Germany fun was the freedom of the city. The crime rate was low, so Ruffin had no trouble taking a bus from school with some friends and heading into the city.

She misses the 12th century bridges over the rivers and places to explore.

The weather was nice all year, not because it was always sunny, but

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because all the seasons came to Bamberg. It’d snow in the winter while sunshine and thunderstorms arrived in the summer.

Oktoberfest is a big deal in Germany.

More than just different types of alcohol, there’s also games and rides all over town. It’s as if the entire city had turned into one giant carnival.

Because the drinking age in Germany is 16, Ruffin was able to sample some of the different wines around town, although her parents only let her have a small taste.

Now that Ruffin’s back in Washington, she says that while it’s nice, she’d much rather be in Germany.

“It was like a big family over there,” Ruffin said. “Everyone knew each other.”

Ruffin has lived in Washington for the last three years, although she’s been taking online classes during high school.

She hadn’t been in an actual classroom since her freshman year, so it was an adjustment to start at Pierce.

The classes are bigger than the ones at Warner and she’s not used to so many people walking around.

“I want to go back,” Ruffin said.

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Guided Pathways leads the way

WSBCTC looks toward initiative to help students’ college progress Suzanne Buchholz Reporter

The Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is looking into a new initiative that’ll help students find a direct path through their college careers and achieve success.

The initiative, Guided Pathways, aims to assist students by reducing their options for classes from a broad spectrum to a more limited selection based on their expressed field interest. By doing this, the program effectively eliminates a student’s need to take classes that aren’t aligned with their goals and interests. It also lowers their risk of getting distracted or failing by taking classes that won’t benefit them and reduces costs invested in college, as students won’t be spending money on unnecessary classes.

“Guided Pathways does four things,” Pierce College Puyallup President Marty Cavalluzzi said. “One is getting to the college, one is getting to the path as quickly as they can. The third thing is keeping them on that path, so building all the support structures you need like tutoring, supplemental instruction, advising, group study, whatever it takes. It’s all about equity. Some students don’t need anything and others need a lot, but give them all the support they need to keep them on this pathway to the end. And then the fourth thing is reaching all the outcomes, the learning outcomes for each course and then the full program.”

The Complete College America handbook on Guided Pathways compares the program to a GPS system. Much like a GPS, the program is intended to keep students on a specific, straight path through college with little room for adjustments. This ensures that students complete the program in time for graduation and that every class they take counts for credit. They also receive intensive advising, which, much like a GPS, keeps the student on track and encourages them to keep going forward.

First-year students starting the program are required to select a “meta-major,” defined as a broad area of study by the CCA handbook. These areas range in general studies including science, healthcare and business. As the student continues through college, these fields become smaller and more specific to the student's interest so that they’re taking classes for one particular

major.

Students in this program won’t have an unclassified major and are only able to change their major with permission from their academic adviser. However, they’re still able to enroll in classes outside of their major if they so choose. These classes are considered “intentional investigation,” meaning they aren’t part of the student’s planned path but won’t be detrimental to their success or their timing in graduation.

The program also utilizes courses called milestone courses that students are required to complete each semester. These are intended to track student progress in a way that can assess whether they’re on track with their selected path or if they need to make adjustments to guarantee their success.

Cavalluzzi compares the process of following a Guided Pathway to taking a plane

Michele Johnson Continued from page 10

plans and identify resources.”

Johnson attributes the skills she’s applied in her various positions to coaching women’s basketball and fastpitch.

“I coached women’s basketball and fastpitch and had a very successful team,” Johnson said. “In coaching, as an athlete myself, it taught me to prepare, to win, to lose, to be part of a team, to follow, to lead, to develop discipline and skills and I think that’s what life is.”

Outside Pierce, Johnson enjoys yard and garden work and home remodeling.

“I like to do things that I can work really hard on and then see it,” Johnson said. “A lot of what I do in this job, I don’t get to see. I can be here long hours and go ‘What did I accomplish today?’ But when I’m outside and I’m with nature, and I come back in and I’ve been sweaty and I look out and see what’s happened, I go ‘I like that.’”

Johnson has also done a lot of traveling throughout her lifetime. Some of the places she’s been to include England, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey and Belize. She’s yet to venture to Australia and New Zealand, but hopes to do so one day. w w w . P u y a l l u P P o s T . c o m

trip to New York, in which someone goes directly to New York without any stops in between. “(On an) unguided pathway, I would’ve asked ‘Oh, did you stop in Colorado to go to the arts festival there?’ You’d say no. And I’d ask ‘Did you go to Chicago for all the great food and the jazz festival they’re having?’ And you’d say no. I could name all of these cities across the country, which ideally you should’ve stopped at on your way to New York just to enjoy it all. But you’d probably tell me one, you don’t have the time, and two, you don’t have the money because it’s going to cost each time.”

Thus far, Guided Pathways has been implemented at colleges including Florida State University, the City University of New York, Arizona State University, Georgia State University and Tennessee Technology

“there’s been challenges along the way, (but) we have such a compelling mission. how many people get to get up every day and go work at a job where you change people’s lives?”

—Michele Johnson

One of her starkest memories is from her time in Italy.

“I was on a train in Italy and there was a nun on the train,” Johnson said. “She needed some assistance in lifting something up and so I had this eye contact with her. She reminded me so much of my aunt, my mother’s sister. So I had this sense that this was where I was from. So there was this real familiar piece like yeah, you know I know that this is where, at least part of, my mother’s family was from. It just gave me this sense of roots of kind of grounded going that this is kind of part of me. I just think about a memory that stuck with me

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Centers. Many of these schools reported higher levels of freshmen retention, lower levels of excess credits for students and more graduations since using the program, according to the CCA handbook.

Pierce was selected as one of 30 colleges in the country to receive funding through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to launch Guided Pathways, after applying for the initiative and going through interviewing processes last year.

It’ll take about two years for the program to be fully implemented at Pierce, although the process has already begun. In addition to attending workshops to learn more about Guided Pathways, the college has also been evaluating where it currently stands in terms of graduation and success rates.

“The first thing we had to do was map out where we are now, what does Pierce College look like,” Cavalluzzi said. “And the more we looked, the more holes we see where we should be helping students. We do a lot of things right, but there are also things we could do better, so we’re identifying those.”

One big change the school is making will be on its website in a couple years, Cavalluzzi said. Currently, when someone looks at the list of programs and degrees offered at Pierce, they aren’t divided into sections.

The Guided Pathways project will reduce the amount of programs offered and organize them into meta-majors categorized by field. This way, students will be able to see more easily what path they might want to take and adjust it to fit their needs without straying from their path.

Cavalluzzi wants to encourage students to take the Guided Pathways approach rather than trying to make it through college alone, as it’ll save time and money while still allowing them to branch out. He said it’ll help them understand more how college works and what they can do there.

“It’s a social justice issue to me,” Cavalluzzi said. “When you have people who come to a college and they don’t understand what it is, they get an idea of what they’re supposed to get out of it. But if they don’t really know how to navigate it and take advantage of all the resources we have, then we’re doing them a disservice. So, I’m 100 percent on board with Guided Pathways. I see that it makes perfect sense.”

that gave me this sense of my own stock. I could feel it, I could sense that this was part of me.”

Another favorite memory was of her time in Dominica, a small Caribbean island, where she visited a poor community that was rich in color and culture. She was on the river in a small raft, with a few drops of rain coming down. As Johnson headed down into the water, she saw the greenery and thought about how she wanted to come back to the place.

“I’m a kind of person that’s really very, very active and both of those (memories) gave me a grounding, sort of a sense of being,” Johnson said. “You know, kind of one with who I am and with the earth. I know that sounds kind of funny, but it was just sort of these cool things.”

Even though she almost always has to be reached 24/7, remembering the college’s mission keeps Johnson motivated.

“We have our struggles,” Johnson said. “It’s hard (and) it hasn’t always been easy. There’s been challenges along the way, (but) we have such a compelling mission. How many people get to get up every day and go work at a job where you change people’s lives? Not a lot, and that has been such a gift for me. So when it’s hard and I kind of go, ‘This is like crazy making’ then I have to continue to focus on commitment to student success.”

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t s o p s g hikin n o t g n i h in W as

By Chase Charaba & Alex Heldrich

third Burroughs Mountain, Mount rainier: The hike to Mount Rainier’s Third Burroughs Mountain is Washington’s premier outdoor experience.

At 7,800 feet, this trail takes hikers along ridges and three summits: First, Second and Third Burroughs. The trail begins at the Sunrise Visitor Center parking lot.

The hike is without much vegetation, except for mountain wildflowers for part of the summer. This means that on a clear day, hikers are fully exposed to the sun with no opportunity for shade. But that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of wildlife. Mountain goats roam across much of the trail, and marmots dash between rocks and down the hillsides.

The hike has extraordinary views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and the surrounding Cascade Mountains. At one point on the hike, people can also see the Puget Sound lowlands and cities such as Tacoma. Just for the view, the 9 mile hike is well worth it.

With an elevation increase of 2,600 feet, this hike isn’t easy. Many hikers stop at Second Burroughs because the path to Third Burroughs looks daunting, or because they want to loop back along the Sunrise Rim Trail. But for those really wanting to get the full experience, hikers should continue to Third Burroughs and then take the Sunrise Rim Trail back to the Visitor Center, which adds Pacific additional miles to the hike. Plus, hikers taking Crest Trail this detour will have plenty of lakes and ponds ahead to stop at, and maybe even see a few frogs.

Third Burroughs Mountain

ke Ledge To Rattlesna

rattlesnake Ledge: This is going to be more of a roast than recommendation. The infamous Rattlesnake Ledge is a hike that’s probably been done by anyone with a nature Instagram and feet in Washington. This hike has pretty views of some trees, a lake, a parking lot, some power lines, a town and some roads, but it’s not worth the hour and a half drive to North Bend. If someone truly must hike Rattlesnake, going in winter is definitely a better option because there’s fewer people and a thick layer of fog that covers up some of the roads. Treat yourself and go on one of the 20 plus other hikes in North Bend or go up towards Mount Rainier. These will have fewer people, fewer power lines and a better view.

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Pacific Crest trail: Dewey Lakes: A part of the Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,650 mile hike that was featured in the book and movie both titled Wild, is a good option for beginning backpackers and experienced day hikers. This hike is 7 miles round trip and it takes hikers out to a cute meadow with a lake. There’s another narrower trail that continues around the circumference of the lake. This is a fun area to explore because there’s many other small trails that jet off from the main one, but eventually reconnect so that getting miserably lost isn’t likely to happen. For beginning backpackers, there’s a campground about half a mile away from the lake. This is a good opportunity to try out new backpacking gear because it’s a beautiful, mellow area without a lot of traffic and is only a short day hike away so that nobody realizes 10 miles into their backpacking trip that it’s “too hard” for them.

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summit Lake: This is a moderate level hike at only five miles round-trip and 4,200 ft elevation gain. It’s also out in the boonies past Carbonado, Wash. so there shouldn’t be too much trail traffic. Before arriving at the trailhead, a long drive down a twisty, potholed gravel road must be made, but it’s worth every jerk and bump. The peak of this hike is absolutely stunning in mid to late summer, or else all that’ll be found is a bunch of snow and a disappointing “lake.” This hike starts as a steep trek through a heavily forested area, but levels out eventually. The trail takes people to Summit Lake where they can eat lunch and also be eaten for lunch by mosquitos. There’s the option of turning back or continuing up a steep, sketchy looking ridge that breaks out into a forest. Continuing up the ridge is strongly recommended. It takes hikers up so high they can feel as if they can see on forever, as well as the beloved Mount Rainier in the near distance. The peak is surrounded by a beautiful ocean of forests and lakes. Summit Lake looks even larger than on ground level and a color so deeply blue that it changes a man. The Summit Lake hike will not disappoint.

Just remember to go in mid to late summer - this is very important. Also fill up on gas beforehand, please.

Summit Lake

Do not feed the wildlife

Mount Fremont Lookout, Mount rainier: Fremont Lookout is a popular destination for hikers at Mount Rainier, and offers some of the most dramatic views of river canyons and steep mountains.

The hike to Fremont Lookout starts off on the same trail as Third Burroughs, beginning at the Sunrise Visitor Center near the restrooms. Once hikers reach a junction near Frozen Lake, they need only follow the signs to Fremont, not the Burroughs Mountain Trail.

The 5-mile Fremont Lookout trail follows tight ridges of compacted rock and interesting rock formations, until hikers eventually reach the wooden station formerly used by fire-watchers in the mid-20th Century. This is a great spot for hikers to rest before the return trip, and maybe have lunch while letting their legs dangle off the edge of the balcony at the station.

Comet Falls, Mount rainier:

continue to Mount Fremont ookout

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Comet Falls

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The trail to Comet Falls is wonderful for hikers of all experience levels. Just past Longmire, the trailhead starts at a parking lot just before Christine Falls, one of the popular destinations on the road to Paradise. The trail is nearly four miles long and takes hikers along forested switchbacks with marmots and chipmunks, all while providing excellent views of Christine Falls and the Van Trump Creek.

At the end of the hike, the 320-foot Comet Falls provides a resting place before the return trip, where the mist from the waterfall helps to cool the body. It’s also an excellent place for group photos. For those wishing for a longer hike, the trail does continue on to Van Trump Park and the Rampart Ridge Trail.

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andy ramirez Chase Charaba Online and Social Media Manager

taylor Pennington Suzanne Buchholz

“I go to hard core punk shows.

I’m really into hard core and vintage clothing, namely sports wear and shoes like that. I hang out with friends, the average stuff, but going to shows is definitely my hobby.

I just came back from a three-day hard core punk festival called The Rain Fest. It was the last one. I listened to bands like Rotting Out, Fury, Freedom - there’s just so many bands.

I try not to just focus on listening to one because bands come every week from out of state. My local bands would probably be Power, Red Scare, Gag (and) Safe and Sound, something like that.

I listen to hip-hop sometimes. Alternative pop.

Pretty much anything. I listen to a lot of throwback jams, that throwback station 103.7; I’m always listening to that when I’m working. Deftones (are) probably my favorite band, so I listen to them a lot, too. I listen to everything, but namely it’s hard core.”

Reporter

“Sign language is one of my biggest passions. I want to become an interpreter, but I’ve noticed that I like teaching and helping other students as well, so I might after interpreting get a teaching degree and teach at a high school level, college level might be too challenging. Plus I like working with, not younger kids but not adults, like young adults. They have more patience. I took American Sign Language 1, 2 and 3 in high school and I’m not really good at English, so having this extra language that made more sense than English was really nice and I felt more expressive than I would have writing an essay, I can just sign a song (I like). Just expressing myself more than following all these grammar rules. In sign language, you can do what you want. It’s OK. I used to be really shy but as I did more sign language I felt more confident and I was able to get in front of my class and talk or sign.”

Calvin Gilkey Katie Fenton Online reporter

“I got to meet the Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. I was in the service for seven years with the U.S. Army. I received the Bronze Star Medal of valor. It was in Kandahar province, Afghanistan 2010 to 2011. We were in a four-day firefight with the Taliban, there was around 64 of us all together. My squad leader was killed, so I ended up taking over the squad. I had to take over his duties and help kill those guys, basically push them out of our little area - our area of operations. We lost a lot of guys during those four days. We got mortared, sniper fire, guys were stepping on bombs. That’s how I was able to get the Bronze Star Medal of valor, which I didn’t really want because I felt like anyone could’ve received it, but I just wanted to go home after those four days. That was in the first month being in Afghanistan, that intense of a firefight.

CJ Robinson You can Google my name and my name will pop up Reporter next to the Secretary of Defense because he came to Afghanistan around March 8, 2011 and presented me and a few others with awards, which I “This is my first year at Pierce Colreceived the highest award that day. Secretary lege and everything is garbage, but it’s of Defense is the fifth most powerful man in OK because I’m going to Germany (and the world. Robert M. Gates served in the Europe) this summer. I’m visiting my dad Bush era and partially for the Obama era and my stepmom. My stepmom is stationed in too, so it was an honor to meet him. I’ve Ramstein and I’m bringing one of my best been married for going on nine years in friends, so that’s pretty cool. I’ve taken three years September (and) I have a 6-year-old of French so I’m most excited to go there because son, Levant. I’m retired now. We did I like practicing. I practiced last year when I something that the Russians couldwas in France also, and it was really cool. I n’t do, which was defeat the Talhad one person ask me for directions like I iban in Kandahar province. It’s a wasn’t a tourist, so I was happy that I didn’t look like one. Ordireally challenging part of my nary things, like buildings in the area, are just so old and have so much life and I’m glad I overcame it history. You just don’t see that in America because we’re not as old with my guys.” as places in Europe. Even in the villages, there’s just so much culture packed into this one tiny village. Just walking in the street, there’s just something beautiful about everything you look at.”

shaylyn smith

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Part-time students, full-time fathers

Pierce College Puyallup is home to students of various backgrounds, including fathers Courtesy of Nick Young

augustine Canales Katie Fenton Online reporter

For student and father Augustine Canales, balancing school with his personal life turned out to be easier than he anticipated.

“I thought it was going to be more stressful than it is, but come to find out it actually fits very well, especially with having kids,” Canales said. “People think if you have kids that it's difficult to go to school. I find it to be the complete opposite. It's easier going to school at the same time as your kids because the interests are so similar. You're both working toward a higher “Your kids get old enough education.”

Canales lives with his wife, Mindy Canales, to try stuff on their own and their three children: 16-year-old Zant, 11and not learn from your year-old Mariana and 9-year-old Santiago.

Before attending Pierce, both Augustine and examples even though you Mindy Canales worked full time. But then know what’s right and Augustine Canales was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and had to stop working. wrong, they have to figure “I didn't realize how much time I was spendit out themselves. that’s ing away from my kids until I got MS,” Canales said. “Everybody looked at it as this huge negafrustrating at times.” tive that I wasn’t able to work because I’m 100 percent disabled now, but to me I see it as an —Augustine Canales opportunity to spend more time with my kids Nick Young with his son Asa and daughter that a lot of parents miss out on.”

Josephine.

When Canales worked, he’d come home exhausted, he said. With his school schedule, he’s able to enjoy time with his kids.

“I’m there in the morning and afternoon,” Canales said. “I put them on the Katie Fenton bus, I get them off the bus and I’m with them all weekend. I get to see my Online reporter kids and interact with them because I’m sick. Overall that’s the best part, all the memories that I make. There’s a lot more of them than before.”

Student Nick Young lives with his wife, Becca Young, and their When he’s not doing homework, Canales enjoys spending time outside at children Josephine, 3, and 18-month-old Asa. His step-daughter MayClarks Creek, a park in downtown Puyallup, with his family. bellene, 19, attends Central Washington University in Ellensburg.

“We do a lot outside of our house,” Canales said. “We do a lot of swimYoung is finishing his first quarter at ming and kayaking in the creek, (and) fishing on the creek. We do a lot of Pierce after a 12-year gap from school. He campfires. This weekend, I know (my kids) will be out every day with a fire “the hardest thing overall is plans to earn his associate degree in social in the backyard. That’s our regular schedule, being outside.” sciences and is considering transferring to being away, but if going to CWU. Canales said his favorite part about being a father is seeing how his actions influence others and their perspective on life.

“If I time it just right, I might be able to school is going to provide a But as a dad of a teenager, Canales knows that kids don’t always listen and graduate with my daughter, which we both better life for my kids and think would be pretty awesome,” Young said this is one of the most difficult aspects about being a father.

“I'm just learning this part because I have a 16-year-old,” Canales said. teach them by example the said.

“Your kids get old enough to try stuff on their own and not learn from your To balance school and his personal life, importance of an education Young tries to complete his schoolwork on examples even though you know what’s right and wrong, they have to figure it out themselves. That’s frustrating at times.” time. and to not fear the learning his“Iown Despite his minor frustration, Canales loves his kids and their unique qualreally try to utilize any time I have to process, then it’s my ities. For his son Zant, it’s his shyness. Eleven-year-old Mariana is the commyself for studying,” Young said. “I do a plete opposite and can talk to anyone, while Santiago is willing to try anylot of homework in my car on my breaks at responsibility to do so.” thing at least once. Canales hopes his children go on to graduate from college work. I get up early before my kids in the and do something they love. morning on my weekends, when my kids —Nick Young “That’s the biggest thing for me, getting an education,” Canales said. “And take naps, while my wife is at work and if they don’t, finding something that they love. As you get older, no matter if when my kids go to bed. I try to keep my you choose not to get an education, go into a career as long as you love it and studying as my problem. I try to make sure that it affects my time with enjoy it.” my family as little as possible, and so far it’s worked pretty well.”

While the balance works, Young said his and his wife’s conflicting schedules can be a problem.

“It gets kind of crazy sometimes, but my wife and I work well together,” Young said. “When I proposed to her, I actually asked her to be my partner in crime and she definitely fits that role. The hardest thing overall is being away, but if going to school is going to provide a better life for my kids and teach them by example the importance of an education and to not fear the learning process, then it’s my responsibility to do so.”

Young’s favorite part about being a father is watching his kids be happy and grow.

“My kids are really goofy and it’s refreshing to watch the wonder in their eyes about different things and watch them learn and not be so cynical and ungrateful like the rest of the world,” Young said. “We were recently at Northwest Trek and my daughter asked to snuggle with a grizzly bear. Only innocent minds think that way.”

Watching his kids grow is also the hardest part about being a dad for Young.

“You ask yourself ‘Why the hell did they just do that?’” Young said. “But when you later see them change and approach things differently you know that they are learning from the experiences and building on that recognition generally helps you with the next set of growing pains. We often use the same reminder with different contexts for our kids of ‘hey, you aren’t the only person in the world!’ and ‘hey, it’s going to be fine - you aren’t the only person in the world that feels that way.’”

From left to right: Mindy, Santiago, Zant, Mariana and Augustine.

Courtesy of Augustine Canales

nick Young

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reeling in big fish and good grades Jared Leingang Contributing writer

When not studying intensely to maintain her high GPA, student Alliey Bukikosa is pursuing her dream to become a marine biologist.

Bukikosa is taking classes to earn her associate degree before she transfers to Western Washington University to pursue a degree in environmental science and marine biology.

When she first thought of her dream career, she longed to be an American Sign Language interpreter. In her senior year of high school, she changed this to marine biology. She said she was inspired by her aunt.

“My aunt inspires me because she works with the Environmental Protection Agency in Guam,” Bukikosa said. “Plus, I really want to swim with dolphins and sharks; it’s on my bucket list. I like water and doing things in it. It’s a job I hopefully will enjoy.”

Once Bukikosa earns her bachelor’s degree, she plans to move to Guam and get an internship to work with her aunt at Alliey Bukikosa the EPA, which protects human health and the environment.

She’s currently taking classes such as oceanography to help set herself up for the future. In class, she learns about marine environments and the diversity of life in the ocean - all skills imperative for a marine biologist to know.

When Bukikosa isn’t in the classroom, she can be found either at the zoo looking at marine life or fishing.

“I’m at the zoo anytime I can go,” Bukikosa said. “I try to go either once a weekend or whenever it’s nice out.”

Her favorite aquatic animal is either the phytoplankton or shrimp. She’s especially interested in the phytoplankton because of its ability to be a food source for all the other organisms yet maintain a steady population. Shrimp is her favorite for another reason.

“Have you seen the movie Finding Nemo? The first time I watched the movie, I loved the shrimp in the fish aquarium in the dentist’s office - the one with the French accent,” Bukikosa said. “I know shrimp aren’t actually like that, but back when I was a kid, that was one of the first things that got me interested in aquatic life.”

Bukikosa also loves to fish. Her favorite spot is in Fox Island because when the weather is nice and it creates a calming environment. She especially likes the salmon and the challenge that comes with catching them. She fishes unconventionally, though.

When she lands one, she reels it in, then records the breed and throws it back. She records the fish to keep track of how many she catches, but rarely does she keep it. One time at Fox Island, she caught nine salmon in two and a half hours of work and kept a total of zero.

Her love of fishing influenced her appreciation for marine biology. When she was deciding her major, the connection to her aunt was apparent but she didn’t know if she’d enjoy the career. She thought of how she loves to fish and how the job as a marine biologist would be exciting but also that the job wouldn’t be as easy as it’d seem.

For Bukikosa’s daily routine, she wakes up at the crack of dawn and heads to campus for her first class at 8 a.m.

She also has class at 11 a.m. and on Wednesdays at 1 p.m.

She finds time to study to maintain a 3.95 GPA. After class, Bukikosa works at the Parametric Testing Center where she proctors tests. This is a job for the moment as she works toward becoming a marine biologist.

“There’s a lot to do,” Bukikosa said. “You have to work for it, actually excel in your classes and have a good work ethic. You can’t just fly by. You have to be excellent in your studies.”

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Billboard advertising Pierce on 39th Ave SW is one of more than 20 boards installed.

i saw the sign: Pierce Billboards

See how new billboards, advertisements around Pierce are created and what the future holds

cific programs that’ll get you a certificate or the financing programs that are available,” Vander Poel said. “We’re really starting to work on getting closer to the community and focusing on our outreach there.”

MARCOM can track the effectiveness of these advertisements through a general scale on the college’s website. Vander Poel said that working with the technology department, they can track whether a user has CJ Robinson been referred to Pierce from another website or if they Reporter went to it directly.

Pierce has been creating advertisements like these Students may have noticed billboards advertising for a few years, but changed the locations of many of Pierce College during their commutes to the school.

Starting in February, Marketing and Communica- the boards, Vander Poel said. MARCOM chose these tions advertised the college with more than 20 boards newer locations using a map from the billboard comaround Puyallup. Marketing Specialist Madelyn Van- pany and taking into account the route many students take to the college. der Poel said that these are part of A new line of advertisea larger campaign that extends ments for local buses with 16 into this year. “the buses and billboards ads will emphasize Pierce’s “It’s a continuous effort of will stay around, but we’re workforce campaign. This spreading the word of Pierce Colincludes the college’s technilege,” Vander Poel said. “A lot of trying to transition to cal programs and different our students take the buses or something you read on payment plans for the colcommute in, so they’ll see the billboards.” your phone. these are the lege.

Vander Poel, who started Funding for these boards comes from the marketing budget things that are going to be working for MARCOM in January, hopes to get more within MARCOM, and the camvery prevalent in feedback from students about paign pertaining to the workforce someone’s life.” the advertisements. She also program comes from its own wants to better develop budget.

—Madelyn Vander Poel Pierce’s digital presence.

The graphics are created by Before she was hired, the use Graphics Designer Amy Foster. A team at MARCOM, including Vander Poel, works of websites like Facebook or Google was minimal, but together to designate the content and type of image Vander Poel said those are the means by which many they want the college to portray. Then, there’s a series people see advertisements.

“That’s what people care about now,” Vander Poel of proofs by the team and, if they wish, clients or said. “The buses and billboards will stay around, but departments can have a say.

Vander Poel said the most important thing she looks we’re trying to transition to something you read on your phone. These are the things that are going to be for is relatability to students.

“It’s what they’re interested in, focusing on the spe- very prevalent in someone’s life.”

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september

October

Pierce College also announced new degrees and programs for students to explore including the Corrections/Protections Officer program, Kinesiology program and Virtual Construction for Construction Management certificate.

Pierce College hosted nursing students from Japan for three days to study American nursing techniques. The OSL’s Textbook Revolution begins with the aim of raising awareness of cheaper books and online alternatives.

november

november

Pierce College held emergency preparedness workshops to help students gain a sense of safety and defense on Nov. 34. Pierce is ranked No. 1 community college for veterans in Washington state.

The OSL created a food pantry full of donated food for students who can’t afford it or would have to go without it otherwise.

December The documentary An Ordinary Hero was presented at Pierce College Puyallup regarding the Civil Rights activist Joan Trumpauer-Mulholland, who then answered questions from the audience.

January Pierce College was named one of the nation’s 150 best community colleges by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program.

2015-2016

A look back on Pierce’s past school year Compiled by

Suzanne Buchholz & Lizzie Duke

March

March

Textbook Revolution: The OSL began their hope for cheaper textbooks and free online resources through #TextbookRevolution shirts and student involvement. On March 15, the OSL’s digital book board was launched.

The Office of Student Life had a destressing petting zoo outside the College Center at the end of winter quarter.

March

april

Students pitched in to feed the homeless at the New Hope Resource Center on March 5. The Pierce College Chamber choir gave a Bon Voyage performance on March 11 before embarking on their tour in New York City. Students got the chance to throw pies in tutors’ faces on Pi Day March 14.

Pierce College Puyallup live streamed author Sherman Alexie’s talk from Clover Park Technical College on March 29, as part of Pierce County Reads.

May

May

Wellness and Outdoors Coordinator Kylie Ada and Recreation and Entertainment Coordinator Jesse Hamelin took 44 students to Seaside, Ore. through this OSL trip.

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Pierce College’s annual literary magazine, SLAM, celebrated its 18th issue with awards, readings and refreshments May 3.

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Looking for meaning in the Last Frontier

The Writing Center’s new online booking system will have a soft launch in the summer.

James Hesketh Contributing writer

new booking system for Writing Center CJ Robinson Reporter

A new online booking system for the Pierce College Puyallup Writing Center will replace the current system, which is located on a single computer in the center itself.

This new system comes with many added features including the ability for students to create appointments from any device. It offers online tutoring and case notes for individual students. It’ll be implemented this summer as a soft launch after many years of the current system, Writing Center Program District Manager Keith Kirkwood said.

“I think it’s just going to provide better access for students,” Kirkwood said. “They’ll be better able to think ahead because they can do it online or on their phones, even. Right now, we’ve just been limited by the fact that people have to come in or call and we have to make the booking ourselves, so it’ll just be much easier for people.”

The cloud-based software, WCONLINE, is specifically tailored to writing centers. A yearly subscription, including technical support, costs $715 and comes from the institutional budget.

Kirkwood chose this system because he had experience with it at the University of Puget Sound and is familiar with it.

“I know what it is and I know what it does,” Kirkwood said. “It has a lot of things behind it as well, like the capability for tutors to write case notes after consultations so

that we can keep track of what a tutor does with a particular student. We already have a sense of what a student is working (on) in their writing.”

If another tutor has that student, they can see what’s previously worked on, Kirkwood said. This also grants the ability for tutors to reflect on a time spent with a student and what they can work on when guiding a student in a similar session.

Another feature is online tutoring, Kirkwood said.

This includes video “face-to-face” interactions and submitting papers to be reviewed. The writing center will be testing these additional services in the fall.

Data analysis is another benefit of the system, he said.

“It has nice little graphs and pie charts and thing so you can see, on the fly, with live data process, how you're doing any given day or week or month,” Kirkwood said.

“It’ll help us deliver a better service to students if we know who is or isn't coming through here.”

Currently, students are preregistered in the system, so signing in for the first time is fairly simple, Kirkwood said. For WCCENTER, students will need to go through a brief registration process to be entered in.

Students can access this new system through links on the writing center website, which can be found on the resources tab under tutoring on the Pierce College website.

“I'm really excited for the online booking system,” tutor Bailey McGuire said. “It'll just be more helpful for us as tutors and them for students.”

Chase Charaba

rat infestation Continued from page 1

front office,” Simon said. “They hadn’t been dead as long.

They were still soft.”

Carter said it actually helps that student leaders could smell the dead rats.

“Fortunately, someone could pick up the smell,” Carter said. “Because if not, (the rats) could’ve been up there longer and decayed, and now you’ve got ants and maggots and so forth.”

This discovery has had other students and staff wondering where else rats could be hiding. Rats had also been spotted in the Arts & Allied Health Building, but they were caught.

“Our maintenance can’t get up there each day and look (in the ceiling),” Carter said. “Especially if they’re short staffed (or) focusing on other things on the campus.”

For custodians, their main priority in battling the rats is to collect the trash every night and notify staff that have left food out overnight. Some custodians have expressed concerns with people leaving paper out as the rats use it for nesting purposes.

“My team has notified me several times throughout the year where departments have left food out,” Carter said. “In addition, I have personally witnessed food left on individuals’ desks. I believe a start (to solving this problem) would be for individuals to help us custodians by limiting the food that’s in their desk, and prior to leaving for the day, put away all food items either in a refrigerator or in the trash.”

Director of Safety and Security Chris Mackersie sent an email to college employees, telling them to clear their work areas of unnecessary food items and to use chew-proof containers for their food.

“Currently, we are working with a commercial vendor to

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Evidence of rodents on campus. address a rodent problem in the College Center building,” Mackersie said in the email. “Over the years we have had similar challenges in the Brouillet and Gaspard buildings. In each case, Facilities required the assistance of the building occupants to completely eliminate the rodents from the buildings.”

Food left out in the dining commons area also could attract more rats and mice.

Punchak said that while the rats are attracted to food, he wants to assure students who use the food pantry that it’s safe.

“There’s nothing to worry about,” Punchak said. “We check it every single day, twice a day. Not just for rats but for stocking purposes. We make sure that there’s nothing gross and the door is closed shut on that.”

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Between camping, flannels and a beat-up Subaru, Roman Brittain, 18, is a stereotype of what it’s like to live in the Pacific Northwest.

Brittain says his primary interest in life is painting, but that is followed by his undying love of the outdoors. While he spends his weekdays working, completing high school and making art, he spends his weekends almost entirely in the outdoors.

“It’s rare for me to have a weekend that I’m not out hiking or camping,” he said.

For Brittain, his art is complimented by the nature of Washington.

“I’m never more inspired to paint than when I’m in the woods or up on a mountain,” he said.

He brings a small sketchbook with him on every excursion to jot down ideas on the spot.

Brittain’s life is snapshot of life in Washington. For example, Hammocking by a Snow Lake while blasting music from “Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes”, sneaking onto Vance Creek Bridge or getting food Roman Brittain from the Antique Sandwich Company in Tacoma.

“I’m not a hipster,” Roman said. “But I do like flannels and artisan sandwiches.”

Brittain’s room reflects his love of art. It’s reminiscent of those lived in by the masters of the Renaissance. He’s co-opted two-thirds of the space into his own personal art studio. Finished and “I know this is unfinished paintings cliche, but I line the walls and floors, old paint trays don’t want to and brushes are strewn about on every surface wake up in five and a massive homeyears without made easel sits in the middle of it all. The having done current painting he’s working on is an ultra anything in life. realistic eyeball on an Without having elongated canvas. He taken any says its title is “the future of painting,” an chances. I want homage to the work of to something surrealist artist Rene Magritte. more in life.”

Despite his love of Washington, he’s leav—Roman Brittain ing it for a solo summer in Alaska. He’s got a job lined up and he’s moving as soon as summer vacation begins. While in Alaska, he’ll be working as a coffee barista at the vacation resort Denali Park Village. Brittain cites three reasons for his move: “I want to meet new people, explore new places, and be on my own for several months.”

“I need a break from my life here,” Brittain said.

“This is my chance to be independent.”

For Brittain, this solo journey is defined by something more. He says “I know this is cliche, but I don’t want to wake up in five years without having done anything in life. Without having taken any chances. I want to something more in life.”

He says he was inspired by the quote “I go to seek a great perhaps,” which, ironically, he found in the John Green book Looking for Alaska.

Brittain plans on spending all his free time in Alaska exploring the plethora of national parks the state has to offer and work on his art.

“I’m only working 40-50 hours a week, I have the rest of the time off, so I’m really excited to explore the Alaskan wilderness.”

Brittain is uncertain of his plans after he moves back to Washington.

“Who knows?” He said.

He plans on starting up a business at some point, getting a dog, and traveling the world. No matter what he does, Brittain says he’ll always be in search of something more. A great perhaps.

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tip o’ the grad cap tina Goelz

Meet three Pierce students about to turn the tassel and pick up their diploma

Amber Gilliland Senior Reporter

Student Tina Goelz, 29, balanced a lot of things during her time at Pierce.

In addition to attending college, Goelz is a wife, watches her friend’s children and raises a 10-year-old daughter of her own. In her spare time she loves to be outdoors, play with her pitbull and spend time with her family.

“When you’re a fulltime student, work and have a family, you have to try and remain motivated at all times,” Goelz said.

Goelz was born and raised in Germany and moved to Washington five and a half years ago.

“My dad is American and when I found out about him in 2010, I decided to move to the states,” Goelz said.

Helping others has always been a passion of Goelz’s. Before moving to America, she attended college in Germany to become a social worker. She decided to continue pursuing her degree in America and chose to earn her associate degree in social science from Pierce College.

“I’ve always wanted to become a social worker,” Goelz said. “I’ve experienced some rough times and now want to help others.”

Goelz has been accepted to the University of Washington Tacoma and will transfer to earn her bachelor’s in social work. She plans on working for a rehabilitation facility once she’s finished with her education.

“I really enjoyed going to Pierce College,” Goelz said. “Even though I’m excited to attend the University of Washington, it’s going to be bittersweet to leave Pierce.”

Doug Mayovsky Katie Fenton Online reporter

A Raider since fall 2014, student and Historical European Martial Arts Club President Doug Mayovsky graduates this spring with his associate of arts degree.

He'll be attending Western Washington University in the fall, where he plans on majoring in history.

“I’m going to try and get into their postgraduate program called the Woodring College, which is a program that produces teachers for high school and beyond,” Mayovsky said. “I’m getting a secondary education degree and also a master’s, probably in medieval Europe.”

Mayovsky attended Pierce College to get a better understanding of what he wanted to do without the costs associated with a four-year university. During his time at Pierce, Mayovsky was inspired by psychology and sociology instructor Leon Khalsa and political science instructor John Lucas to follow education and history.

“Khalsa taught the psych classes I took and convinced me to pursue education,” Mayovsky said. “Lucas is my U.S. history and (political science) teacher and he's been a good friend to me. He’s the adviser for my fencing class and he's one of the people I talked to about switching my career path (from journalism).

I decided to switch into education because it'd be more suited to me. I like having a regular schedule and not waking up at 3 a.m. to go pursue something.”

Mayovsky’s summer plans include working and attending a renaissance fair.

Hannah Pederson “I’m going to work so I can save up as much Reporter money as I can to transfer,” Mayovsky said. “It’s going to be the first time I'm living on my own.

Pierce College has been home to thouOther than that, I turn 21 in August and I'm sands of students in its almost 50 years as an planning on going to the renaissance institution. It’s impacted every student in different fair in a full getup and party it up ways, and for Mikaela Payne it was subtle. with my fencing buddies.”

“I’m a lot less nervous, and I have a lot less money in my pocket,” Payne said, “so I’d say I’ve changed. It’s had its ups and downs, just like life.”

Payne graduates June 17 after spending two years of her life at Pierce as a Running Start student working toward her associate degree in social studies.

At 18-years-old, Payne balances classes at Pierce and working at Home Depot, helping the elderly figure out self-checkout stations.

Most of Payne’s friends are at Pierce, and she spends her time between classes talking with them in the College Center Connection Café.

Student Tony Lane has only known Payne since winter quarter, but that’s no indication as to how much they respect her.

“She’s a really good person,” Lane said. “She cares for a lot of people. She genuinely cares for me even though we haven’t known each other for that long.”

Reflecting on her time at Pierce, Payne said there wasn’t much of an impact.

“Not a lot of things can change your life in two years, especially at my age,” Payne said. “My human sexuality class had an effect on me, but it didn’t give me an epiphany about how I view the world or anything.”

After graduation, Payne plans on taking a gap year, and might move to Arizona to be with her mom.

Mikaela Payne

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Go outside... nature is free!

Grace Amsden

Putting the “fun” back in fiscal responsibility Hannah Pederson Reporter

For those who aren’t attending classes during summer quarter and don’t have to work constantly, the coming months are full of opportunity. Expensive, regrettable opportunity. Week long, stressful vacations that leave students broke and exhausted aren’t the only option. Mini vacations can be no more than three days, no more than $100 and no more than eight tears.

For students who’ve found themselves interested in rocks, Kalaloch Beach 4 is the flat rock Mecca. Instagram eats that stuff up. It’s on the Olympic Coast, 2.7 miles north of the Kalaloch campground, according to nwgeology.wordpress.com. There’s a short trail from the parking lot to the beach, which includes a driftwood bridge that goes over a stream. For students with families, the beach could probably keep the average toddler interested for about an hour.

If students want to be able to say they’ve traveled abroad, Victoria, B.C. is a ferry ride away. It takes two and a half hours by car from Pierce to get to the ferry in Port Townsend. Downtown Victoria is full of expensive coffee shops and gelato places, but students can find those things anywhere.

Outside the downtown area are the Butchart Gardens. For $32.10 (Canadian) and from June 15-Sept 30, any student can explore many varieties of flowers in the gardens.

There’s also the Royal British Columbia Museum. It costs $21.75 for students 19 and older with valid student ID to get into the museum and the IMAX theater.

The museum houses natural history, first people and modern history galleries all year, with temporary exhibits on rotation. And those are just the educational activities.

If Victoria, B.C. isn’t exactly the international experience students were looking for, Leavenworth sells itself as a real Bavarian experience. From Pierce, it’s a two and a half hour drive to downtown Leavenworth through rolling farmland, carved out mountainsides and about five fresh fruit stands.

Visitors immediately go shopping or to find the best bratwurst, but being on a mountain in the middle of nowhere means there are lots of nature activities to participate in, too. The Leavenworth Outdoor Center offers tubing down the lazier portions of the Icicle river, with enough mini beaches and small rapids to keep it interesting. For those older than 13, the price is $20, and $10 for a dog tube.

A view of the Empress Hotel from Victoria BC’s Docks.

Leavenworth’s main street is full of Bavarian architecture

Beach 4 is known for its many geological odities.

Victoria’s Secret

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Vintagedancer.com

It’s time to store those sweaters, gloves and boots: summer has come. The fashion industry is a constantly changing cycle and summer is no exception.

The end of WWI brought a sense of freedom to the U.S. It was during the “flapper” decade that American women chose clothing to fit this new sense of freedom. Women began to wear two-piece bathing suits consisting of jersey shirts and flannel trousers with some jersey knickers and bathing socks as an option.

Both men and women’s bathing suits were quite similar.

Mens swimwear also revealed more skin. Men usually wore a ribbed wool tank top with tight fitting shorts to the beach. This style was worn to show more muscle, according to vintagedancer.org.

In the 1940s, women's swimwear was a tight fit. The bikini was officially invented in 1946. These two-piece suits were more revealing and often banned in public beaches until the ‘50s. Since the bikinis were banned, women wore a two-piece that resembled a one-piece but cut in half. The top was mostly a full-coverage bra top with tight high waisted skirts or shorts.

As the decades progressed, shorts became shorter for mens swim briefs. They converted into a high waisted brief and no more tank top. By the 1940s, the latex fabric introduced itself to the market in men’s briefs. This fabric, which utilized spandex and dried more quickly, eventually replaced wool and cotton in the swimwear industry.

About 20 to 30 years later, men and women's swimwear had prominent changes due to the hippie culture. Women's swimwear consisted of brightly colored two-piece bikinis with barely any coverage. The ‘70s were all about revealing all the curves of a womans’ figure. Therefore, there was less bikini and more skin.

This was true about men's swimwear, as well. Men shed more fabric and a sea-full of men sporting Speedos was the trend in the ‘70s.

Although the Speedo was created in to 1910s, thanks to the sexual revolution of the swinging ‘60s, men were free to embrace the Speedo decades later. The Speedo was made of nylon and produced less drag while swimming, according to speedousa.com.

“I’d totally rock a Speedo,” student John Marks said.

Forwarding 40 years, the swimwear fashion among women is more diverse. There’s no set type of swimsuit because they range from one-pieces to two-pieces with different colors, patterns, designs and fabric.

Although women's swimwear is more diverse, mens swimwear usually consists of swim shorts or board trunks.

These pieces are brief shorts that are usually loose fitting and extend to the knee, usually made of polyester or nylon.

The evolution of swimwear throughout the years has changed in many ways and it's not stopping anytime soon.

“I feel like these trends are slowly coming back,” student Jaiden Gorge said. “You see a lot of the older styles that look modern at the mall and people are buying them.

Meaning, they’re coming back.”

1930s niwdenapolis.com

Reporter

1970s Hurley.com

Vintagedancer.com tumblr.com

1930s

Andrea Mendoza

Men’s swimwear through the decades

Women’s swimwear through the decades

Bikinis and speedos

The evolution of swimwear

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stEM Expo rockets past expectations Event brings colleges, clubs, opportunities to Pierce College Puyallup Alex Heldrich Reporter

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Stomp rockets created by students (above) and prepared to be fired off

by Marcus Kaiser (left).

Math Club member demonstrates trick with a deck of cards.

Photos by Alex Heldrich

On May 20, tables from colleges and clubs, complex gadgets and displays filled the College Center for the STEM expo. Nearby colleges that specialize in STEM programs came to advertise their college and gave students information on how to apply.

Pierce College Puyallup clubs also had tables at the event. Some were there to provide information to students and recruit them to their club while others, such as Math Club, demonstrated activities from their clubs.

A member of Math Club performed a trick for students using a deck of cards. Afterwards, he revealed the mathematical equation behind his actions.

The Tacoma Astronomical Society was also at the STEM Expo. This club has existed since 1931. It’s the second oldest astronomical club in the nation and oldest in the state.

Inside the CTR a was table setup for students to get information about the society and make their own rocket. A member instructed students how to make ‘stomp rockets’ out of paper, cardboard, tape and paperclips. Once the rockets were finished, students got to go outside and launch their rockets across the courtyard field.

“We do our public nights over at Pierce College Fort Steilacoom,” TAS president Matt Flood said. “Coming up, we’re going to a preschool. The stomp rockets that we do are a real hit for the kids. We go to a lot of libraries and elementary schools. We’ve done damn near everything, every conceivable location we’ve probably done. We do three outreach programs a month like the STEM expo and then we have our general meetings.”

The TAS also had two telescopes set up for students to view the sun. This type of telescope requires highly specialized and expensive equipment to make a safe, clear image.

“There’s several hundred dollars in each toy that we’ve got,” Flood said. “Several hundreds (invested) in each part, actually. One toy has one sole purpose of just looking at the sun, you can’t even see the moon with it.”

Club member Day Jackson said that joining the TAS was one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

“My daughters made me get a telescope and when I went to go get lenses for it, the camera shop pointed me towards the club,” Jackson said. “I wish that I would’ve done that before I bought a telescope, but luckily I had bought a good telescope from the camera shop. I started going in 2008. For the money, it’s a darn good show.”

The TAS hosts public night for club members and community members to learn about astronomy and look at “space stuff”, Jackson said.

“I mainly just do public nights and some of the others go to star parties, but I haven’t talked my wife into going to any star parties yet,” Jackson said. “There’s a star party in Goldendale, where one of our members has property. We’re setting up to go there for the eclipse next year.”

Many members in the club are passionate about what they do. They invest thousands of dollars into their telescopes and other equipment.

“It’s kind of like somebody who owns a racecar like, ‘do you want to have a 327 Chevy or 426 Hemi?” Flood said. “If you’ve really got to have that Hemi and you’ve got enough money to spend on it, then you’ve really got to have those fancy tires. Telescopes are like the same thing.”

As well as general meetings, the TAS also has a student club. The members of this club range in age from five to 18.

Some of them move onto the adult club while others go off to college, Flood said. Two of the TAS’s student club members have gone on to pursue advanced degrees in astronomy.

Running Start student Marcus Kaiser is a member of the TAS student club as well as Pierce’s Astronomy Club. He plans to major in aerospace engineering with a minor in astronomy after he graduates from Pierce.

“I’d recommend that those interested in STEM use the Internet to try and find some opportunities near them,” Kaiser said. “I love science, but I’ve had some science classes that I’ve legitimately hated because they teach the scientific method completely wrong with science projects.”

According to studyinthestates.dhs.gov, in recent years many schools have been pushing students more towards

Day Jackson explains how to use a telescope STEM programs because too few college students are choosing it as their major.

“Because STEM has exploded within the last three or four years, there’s a lot more emphasis on it,” Flood said.

“By and large, the state of the art teaching of science is horrifyingly bad so we’ve got a lot of catching up to do. The STEM programs should help that and at the lowest level possible to start them off.”

Flood strongly believes that STEM programs are vital for students to learn and for the fate of the country.

“Science education in this country has become like an afterthought, but it needs to come back to the forefront,” Flood said. “You need some basic science to help you in every single thing in life. How are you going to figure out how your self driving car works if you don’t even know any basic science? Hopefully we won’t have to rely on a bunch of smart people at Google and Microsoft to run the world for

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us.”

To fix this problem, Flood proposes that schools need to stop teaching science classes out of the textbook because that method of teaching takes the enthusiasm out of young students.

“Kids are naturally inquisitive and want to learn stuff and do stuff,” Flood said. “Unfortunately, I think our educational system suppresses that so well that by the time that they’re getting ready to begin college classes, the enthusiasm is all gone. It turns into, ‘I need this piece of paper for my appointment’ and ‘I’ll do the minimum,’ rather than ‘this is exciting and I really want to do this.’”

Events like the STEM Expo help cultivate an interest in students before they decide on a major. By showing them the interesting equipment and hands-on activities that come with these fields of work and education, it helps to form an enthusiasm about the field.

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raiders raid the field Pierce College’s baseball team places third in the NWAC Championship

Photo courtesy of Jeff Beha

Athletics and activities of Pierce College Puyallup

Suzanne Buchholz Reporter

Baseball season is in full swing in Washington, and the Pierce College Raiders are proving to be “pitch” perfect this season.

The team made it into the Northwest Athletic Conference Championship, held on Story Field at Lower Columbia College in Longview May 26-31. The team lost 34-16 against the Everett Trojans, placing third in the NWAC Championship.

The Raiders qualified for the NWAC Championship after winning the Super Regionals at Mt. Tahoma High School May 20-22. The Raiders won against the Edmonds Tritons with a score of 4-3 on May 20. The Raiders lost to the Columbia Basin Hawks with a score of 4-5 on May 21, but triumphed with a score of 13-4 on May 22.

Student Success Manager/Head Baseball Coach Kevin Davis said the team was happy to make it to the championship but wasn’t particularly surprised by their success.

He said their goal from the first day of the season was to win the championship and that’s what the team worked toward during training. “(The) guys were excited, but Pierce Baseball expects to be in the playoffs every year and usually is,” Davis said.

Student Matt Thompson, who’s been on the Raiders team for two years and plays infield catcher, said that he’s glad to have reached the championship and credited the team’s win to their close relationship.

“I'm very excited but not shocked, because I knew on the first day that the group of guys we have are special

The team the at NWAC Championship game. and we truly believe that we’re a family,” Thompson said.

The Raiders have succeeded in winning the NWAC West Division four times in the past six years. They managed to reach the NWAC Championship in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Raiders won the 2012 Championship against the Mt. Hood Saints.

The Raiders prepared for the season the same way the always do, Davis said. The team started with conditioning during the summer, which involved lifting weights and working to increase their speed. Once the school year started, they had workouts at 6 a.m. four days a week and practice five days a week. This is in addition to balancing training with classes and homework. “(It’s) business as usual,” Davis said. “We don’t change anything.”

Student Johnathan Bjerk, who plays right hand pitcher, said the training was beneficial for the players, but that the frequency of the training wasn’t the most significant part.

“The most important part of training wasn't how often it was, but how focused we were,” Bjerk said. “We did everything with a purpose to improve and polish our game, bodies and mind to the level needed to win a championship.”

Thompson said one of the best parts of being on the team is the atmosphere, which he thinks contributed to their success as well as his enjoyment of the sport.

“I enjoy the guys and coaches the most,” Thompson said. “We share something that people won't understand unless you were with us from day one till now.”

Bjerk also said that atmosphere made a big impact on all of the players by bringing them together and encouraging them to embrace a competitive spirit.

“Every day, we break our practices out with ‘family’ on three,” Bjerk said. “In the beginning of the year, it seemed cheesy and cliche. Now, it couldn't be more true.

We're all brothers out there and I've made some true friends by being a part of this team.”

Kaelyn Anderson

Catch a rainiers game Lizzie Duke

to the Rainier’s website, Rhubarb was born in the Mt. Rainier National forest but was drawn to The smell of popcorn, hot dogs, “My favorite part of the stadium’s fireworks and evenpretzels, peanuts and Cracker Jacks fills the air in a full stadium going to the rainiers is tually fell in love with baseball.

“Rhubarb found that he’s very as the batter walks up to the plate.

The Tacoma Rainiers minor that the environment is good at baseball because of his league baseball team are often very friendly. they make broad reindeer hooves, which help him run extremely fast,” associated with the Mariners, their you feel like you’re at according to Milb.com. “Be sure major league affiliation. The team look out for him at fairs, expos, currently has 30 wins and 21 losshome there and part of to school functions, charity walks es for this season. and all sorts of fun summer activ“They’re doing really good this the rainier family.” ities.” year,” Student Advocacy Senator During the summer, there are and season ticket holder Perry —Perry Doidge many Rainiers oriented activities Doidge said. “It’s a really good for people to participate in or time to be a baseball fan in Washwatch. ington state.”

“They always have some type of entertainment In addition to home games each week, every Thursday is $2 beer night at Cheney Stadium, known as going on,” Doidge said.

One upcoming event is a “house hangout” on the Thirsty Thursdays.

“My favorite part of going to the Rainiers is that the grass at Cheney Stadium, involving music, food trucks environment is very friendly,” Doidge said. “They and beer July 8, Aug. 12 and Aug. 26. Also, a little make you feel like you’re at home there and part of the league night will be on June 10, and will include a pregame parade and fireworks.

Rainier family.”

“They serve good hot dogs,” student Ben Weedon One of the most loved parts of Rainiers games is Rhubarb the Reindeer, the Rainiers mascot. According said. “They have cool hats.”

Reporter

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Campus events calendar Compiled by Andrea Mendoza

June 14 Last day of instruction 14 Pierce College band performance at 7:30 a.m. in the AAH Theater 15-17 Final exams 16 Fresh Veggies Day 17 Pierce College graduation at the Tacoma Dome Arena 17 Finding Dory movie release 17 Central Intelligence movie release 18 International Picnic Day 20 RPD Day 20 Grades due by 11 p.m.

21 Grades on student transcripts 24 Independence Day: Resurgence movie release 24 The Shallows movie release 29 Camera Day

July 1 The Purge: Election Day movie release 4 Independence Day 5 First day of instruction for summer quarter

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firstlooK

We test the waters so you don’t have to

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Those who checked into the Bates Motel season four finale, which aired May 16, probably didn’t want to check out.

This episode was the darkest episode on the show out of all seasons, as Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore) reacts after the death of his closest companion, his mother: Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga).

For those who haven’t seen Bates Motel, it’s about a mother and son who manage a motel in White Pine Bay, Oreg. They live in an old-fashioned home on the hill above the hotel. But it’s not all sunshine for this pair. Norma has a dark history and something’s very wrong with Norman. As revealed in Bates Motel, Norman has episodes of blackouts. During these, he can become violent and start to act like his mother.

Even when conscious, Norman deeply cherishes his mother and has an unusually close relationship with her to the point of sharing a bed with her on various nights.

The episode prior to this finale was chilling. After developing such anger about his mother’s recent marriage with the town’s sheriff Alex Romero (Nestor Carbonell), his mother saw how upset her jealous son was and decided to end the marriage.

It’s pretty clear that Norma was actually in love with Romero, which is ironic. She’d casually asked Romero to marry her for insurance purposes so that Norman could go to Pineview Institute for mental help.

Leaving Romero triggered emotion in Norma, which made Norman go to bed with her to comfort her on this evening, suggesting that it’d be a good idea to move to another place. They’d been through all too much in White Pine Bay. Once his mother was asleep, Norman caused carbon monoxide gases to overtake them. If it hadn’t been for Romero, who came by to check on Norma (as he knew that Norman shouldn’t have left Pineview), Norman would be dead. But Norma didn’t survive, as revealed in the finale.

The death of Norma came with sadness, yet her death had to happen at some point. In Psycho, Norman keeps his dead mother’s body in the basement.

Farmiga plays the role beautifully. She’s glamorous, mysterious but perhaps most of all, defensive when it comes to her son—even if it means hiding the evidence from her son's murder victims.

And even though Norman killed his mother, it’d be difficult not to feel sorry for him as he realizes that she’s

gone.

The extent of Highmore’s emotion toward his character is phenomenal. Anthony Perkins, who played Norman in Psycho, would be proud. Highmore portrays Norman the charming, innocent, polite young man with a genuine smile - as a loving person who, well, couldn’t even hurt a fly. Yet, this side of Norman was shown more toward the beginning of Bates Motel.

The contrast between Norman’s softer, sweet side to his angry, jealous side, is drastic. It’s interesting to compare Highmore in this role to when he was much younger and played Charlie in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The most distinct scene in the finale is after Norman goes to the graveyard to bring his dead mother home. He lies her on the couch, tells her to open her eyes and look at him.

She doesn’t, so he takes glue and paints it onto the creases of her eye to open them, which shows just how desperate Norman is. She still doesn’t ‘look’ at him, and he’s on the verge of committing suicide.

But then, he hears the piano playing. It’s his mother, who assures him that she’ll never leave him. Norman is relieved and happily joins her on the piano bench, returning to his sweet, innocent side. The house is somehow magically decorated with Christmas decorations. This whole episode ends on a happy—yet dissonant—note.

Even though the season four finale is strong, it’s questionable as to how easily Norman was let out of the hospital. The nurse informed him that his mother was dead and asked if he had a ride home. In a situation like this, one would think that it’d be treated with more care and compassion.

It’s not that Norman wasn’t questioned about the situation, as a detective came to his home. But the detective wasn’t trying hard enough to see that this was an unusual situation.

Now that Norman will be managing the hotel himself, he’ll have an interesting time meeting new customers and other community members and seeing if his ‘mother’ approves of them. Season five of Bates Motel is set to premiere in 2017, thankfully. The show can’t just stop here.

Viewers will be able to make another reservation and see what happens as Norman treks through the new chapter of his life without his mother - or perhaps quite the contrary.

I give it:

HHHHH

the Puyallup Post election box results A box was set out for the May 24 Office of Student Life “Election 2016: How Will you Decide?” event. Students were able to submit on a piece of paper who they’d vote for in the upcoming election. Here are the results.

16 people said they’d vote for Bernie Sanders.

6 people said they’d vote for Donald Trump.

7 people said they’d vote for Hillary Clinton.

3 people said they’d vote for another person.

12 people said they’d illegally vote for Barack Obama.

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As an X-Men movie (not comic) fanatic, it hurts to say that X-Men: Apocalypse failed to meet expectations and is by far one of the least memorable X-Men movies.

The film takes place in 1983, 10 years after the Paris Peace Accords from X-Men: Days of Future Past. The group is divided; Raven Darkholme/Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) is saving mutants from the streets of East Berlin, Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto (Michael Fassbender) lives in Poland with his wife and daughter and Charles Xavier/Professor X (James McAvoy) is running his School for Gifted Youngsters.

After the all-powerful mutant god En Sabah Nur/Apocalypse cast: James McAvoy, (Oscar Isaac) awakens from thou- Michael Fassbender, sands of years of preservation, he Jennifer Lawrence, decides the world must be cleansed Oscar Isaac, Nicholas and enlists the help of four Hoult. mutants: Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (Ben Hardy), Psylocke rated: PG-13; Brief (Olivia Munn) and Magneto.

Strong Language, X-Men: Apocalypse sees the Action and Destruction, introduction of younger versions Sequences of Violence of Jean Grey/Phoenix (Sophie and Some Suggestive Turner), Scott Summers/Cyclops Images.

(Tye Sheridan) and Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler (Kodi SmitMcPhee). The trio teams up with Mystique, Professor X and Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult) to defeat Apocalypse. Along the way, Peter Maximoff/Quicksilver (Peter Evans) joins the group in order to find his father, Magneto.

Apocalypse is portrayed as the unstoppable mastermind, yet he never feels like a real threat to the X-Men or even humanity. The film’s big battle takes place in Cairo, Egypt, where Apocalypse and his four “horsemen” build a giant pyramid and plan to destroy the world. Magneto’s powers are amplified and he’s able to move metal found deep in the earth. There’s a few scenes that showcase his new ability and how he completely destroys parts of the world, yet the film doesn’t focus on casualties or how mutants are endangering mankind once again.

The dialogue in Apocalypse was horrible. The writing was cheesy and many characters seemed out of place. Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal of Mystique was a hit and miss.

She seemed bored in most scenes and Mystique’s character went from blue-skin-embracing “mutant and proud” to “just kidding, I still need to hide my identity.” Likewise, Magneto’s indecisiveness with being good or bad is getting old. One minute he’s learned from his old ways and is a new man, and the next he’s full of hate and anger and wants to kill everyone.

There are other minor problems with Apocalypse, such as the fact that it’s been 20 years since the 1963 Cuban Missile Crisis, yet all of the characters haven’t aged a day and look exactly the same. Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till) was a troubled kid in First Class, and 20 years later after serving in the Vietnam War, he just has longer hair and a worsened sense of style.

Criticisms aside, the movie was still enjoyable. Some memorable scenes include Quicksilver using his supersonic speed to save students at Xavier’s school after a huge explosion and Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) making a surprise appearance at William Stryker’s (Josh Helman) compound as Weapon X. X-Men: Apocalypse was a decent film, but at $11.70 for a ticket, it might be better waiting for a Redbox release.

Editor-in-Chief

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Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Grace Amsden

Clinton

X-Men:apocalypse review

Bates Motel season four

Trump

Katie Fenton

Sanders

moviereview

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Lizzie Duke

Fancy mice play in a wheel at Petco, a pet supply store on South Hill.

Joining the rat, mouse race Reporter

With the recent news that Pierce College Puyallup is infested with mice and rats, an inside look at the animals attending the college was definitely necessary.

There are many technical differences between rats and mice. Rats are much bigger than mice (about three times the size). Mice are more social than rats and have hairy tails while rats don’t. Mice also scent mark, which is for their social hierarchy. Since rats have no social hierarchy, they don’t feel the need to pee on things as much.

The Fancy Mouse was the only kind of mouse PetSmart had for observing purposes. It’s a tiny creature with massive ears, strongly resembling Jerry from Tom and Jerry, only smaller and less cartoony.

The mice spent a lot of time twitch cleaning themselves, running their hands down their little noses. This action is unbearably cute, especially when coupled with their little squeaks. According to one PetSmart worker, mice are very clean, but their environment isn’t.

They are also vary active and spent the entire observation time climbing, digging and scurrying around.

These mice, however, aren’t the kind that’d be found in someone’s house or school. They’re similar, but have been bred to be “cuter,” with more solid colors. They’ve also received shots to protect against diseases.

“I’d get rid of them,” PetSmart employee Azure Williams said about the mice at Pierce. “Because if (there’s) a wild rat (or mouse), they can carry diseases.

And in cafeterias, they can spread things, like the Bubonic plague.”

From experience observing a mouse inside of a pet store for 30 minutes, it seems clear that neither vermin are wanted. Even if they’re innocently enjoying our food and higher education, they’re still gross. Pierce is a place for human students, and Raiders- whatever those are. It’s not a place for rats or mice.

“As pets, they’re great,” Williams said, “but as wild, they carry a lot of diseases.”

I give it:

A fancy mouse from PetSmart looks out its cage.

Best dressed:

Daniel suh Most Professional:

Katy Olsen-tiglao Most understanding:

Daniel suh Most likely to pass you:

rob stevens Most likely to fail you:

stephen Jones; ann salak Most likely to create a challenging test:

Kathryn Keith Most entertaining:

tom McCollow

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The professor that’s the...

Most memorable:

Beth stevens; Craig Morrison Funniest:

tom McCollow Most likely to swear in class:

rob stevens Quirkiest:

Beth stevens Never on time:

Barbara Parsons Most inspirational:

Beth stevens Most generous:

scott sweet; Bryan Mangum

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Raider Appreciation Day 2016 Raider Appreciation Day brought carnival rides, free food and games to Pierce College Puyallup on June 9. Employees were invited to sit in the dunk tank, there was an inflatable obstacle course and swings for students to enjoy. The event was coordinated by the Office of Student Life.

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