The Puyallup Post | Volume 21 | Issue 3

VOLUME 21 ISSUE 3

NOVEMbEr 18, 2015

SErVINg thE StUDENtS Of PIErcE cOLLEgE PUYALLUP

The Office of Student Life holds rally to raise awareness of textbook prices

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embers of student government at Pierce College Puyallup held a textbook rally on campus Oct. 27.

The purpose of the rally, known as #TextbookRevolution, was to spread awareness to students of open educational resources and alternate options for buying textbooks other than relying on the school bookstore, according to Student Life Public Relations Senator Scott Pellegrini.

“There’s all sorts of these people that spend almost thousands of dollars on textbooks, some even in a quarter or over a year,” Pellegrini said. “Usually people end up buying three or four books for a quarter and that’s a lot of money, depending on how much those books are.”

Pellegrini and student government members want students and administration to acknowledge that expensive textbooks could be a problem for students with limited funds. They hope the rally helps students realize that cheaper methods of getting the textbooks they need are available, and that they shouldn’t have to worry about failing a class because they can’t afford their textbooks.

The members of student government were organizing this rally before this school year started. Among the organizers were Pellegrini, Associated Students of Pierce College Puyallup President Rox-

Students march through Arts and Allied Health Building with signs.

Anne Simon, Vice President Maria Colocho Moreno, Legislative Senator Lubov Marchenko, Student Advocacy Senator Perry Doidge, Executive Director of Operations Cole Webb and Clubs Senator Emma Embleton.

At 11 a.m., the student government officials marched through the buildings on campus, carrying signs featuring slogans that promoted the cause. They also distributed T-shirts and pink slips of paper, both of which listed facts and sta-

tistics regarding textbook price inflation and student opinions on the matter.

Pellegrini believes the rally was successful, reporting that the student government managed to give away several Tshirts and had been asked myriad questions by students wanting to know more and help the cause.

“We had a statistic on the back of our shirt and people were looking at the shirts and were reading them and I saw them go ‘Wow, that’s a big deal,’” Pellegrini said.

“We got questions (from) people asking ‘What can we do?’ and I thought everybody was super interested.”

Bookstore manager Dionne Latta said that the campus bookstore has recently been negotiating with publishers more than ever to fairly price books and present more affordable options to students. She also said that the company holds forums for faculty members and students to provide feedback and give suggestions on how service can be improved.

“Personally I think that educating students on all of their options is key,” Latta said. “It’s what we (at the bookstore) want to do too. We just want to be one of their resources. I think nowadays this particular generation are pretty savvy shoppers and they know they have many resources, and really we just want to be one of those options.”

One of the facts printed on the pink papers stated that 86 percent of students who had been surveyed by the student government said they felt their textbooks hadn’t been fairly priced. This is something the student government strives to change, starting with the rally.

“We have nothing set in stone right now, but this is our main focus over the year,” Pellegrini said. “This is our big one that we’ve been going for. We’re going to try to get our voice heard, change everything and make it happen.”

----- Text by Suzanne Buchholz • Photos by Chase Charaba -----

Commentary • News • Campus Life • Entertainment • Sports

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The voice of the students of Pierce College Puyallup

How many more turkey deaths will have to occur before we make a real change?

Reporter

Presidents of the United States have been pardoning turkeys for many decades. The first documented case was John F. Kennedy pardoning a 55-pound turkey with a sign stating, “Good-Eating Mr. President!”

While this had been related to its uncomfortable size, it still shows the compassion that human beings must show to our animal friends.

Ever since President Kennedy, each president has pardoned a turkey on Thanksgiving. But the main question arises: how many turkeys being killed are too many? I’m very clearly the person to decide the moral impact of the United States and its evil turkey-slaying tendencies, so this will delve deep into why turkeys are being killed, how to determine how many turkeys are too many, what to do to solve these problems and if at the end we’re still morally at fault for these turkey deaths.

According to CNN, Americans consumed more than 46 million turkeys during Thanksgiving 2012. The staggering ritual of killings performed each year must have a cause. If one’s looking for a reason as to why defenseless turkeys are the ones to be attacked this holiday, look no further than the one thing America loves more than itself: America. The turkey is unique to the United States, giving it a defining quality that spurred Benjamin Franklin to recommend it for national bird. Colonist William Bradford also wrote of other colonists hunting wild turkey, which helped give rise to America’s turkey addiction. This tradition’s deeply rooted in history, and America isn’t set to change anytime soon.

Another convenient part of the choice of animal is its relative uselessness to the human race. Sure, turkeys may not provide milk or eggs like cows and chickens, but who are we to decide which race of animal hits the cutting board? Just because they may not have direct benefits to us, that doesn’t mean that turkeys aren’t people, too.

Now that we understand why turkeys are the primary target for our annual Thankskilling, we have to look towards

Commentary

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how many turkey deaths are too many. More than 56 billion animals are slaughtered each year for food, and comparing that number with the 46 million turkeys killed each Thanksgiving, those turkeys only accounts for .0008 percent of the world’s yearly animal intake. Even though this number may be small, we have no right to put a value on the life a turkey.

We should be considering every turkey an equal life, and should be passionate about stopping turkey deaths until all are one day spared. Additionally, if there’s a discussion of turkey deaths, it must bring up the lives of other animals as well. Does discussing solely turkeys mean that they are somehow more valuable than the billions of other animals being slaughtered? If too many turkeys are being killed, then the amount of animal killing in general must decline as well.

The situation surrounding our beloved bird has been discussed, but whether the American public are morally culpable for the deaths of these animals must be examined. Tyler Doggett of the University of Denver gives insight into whether it’s morally permissible for humans to kill animals for food in general. The first question he poses is whether it’s morally permissible to kill people for food when it’s not necessary. The obvious answer is no. Now the next question is the difference between animals and humans. He gives many examples of how people may explain the differences between why we should kill one but not the other, but by the end of the lecture, each one ends up not being adequate enough to Lori Broc k

CJ Robinson

excuse the death of these animals. What makes humans so special? If we value the lives of turkeys over our own, we have the ability to do that, but we have to live with the fact our lives have been morally wrong.

Now this leads to possible solutions to our crisis. The first option is cutting turkey out of our diets. If too many turkeys are being killed at one time, we have to account for the rest of the year as well. A turkey’s life is no more valuable on Thanksgiving than on any other day. This will satisfy the main point of this commentary, that too many turkeys are being killed, and would make all of us feel better when we dig into the chicken/duck on our cherished holiday. But in this scenario, we would be valuing the turkey over the chicken or duck, which surely is fowl play. One possibility is for the entirety of the human race to go vegetarian. Now while this may sound absurd at first, it solves all of the problems with our traditional holiday. We wouldn’t be valuing any animal over another, and hopefully would be content with vegetarian side dishes.

The final choice is to change nothing and answer the guiding question with a simple “no.” No, there aren’t too many turkeys being killed; no, we don’t need to reevaluate our entire system of processing animals for food; no, there’s no reason to discuss this topic because if we do it will lead to complicated philosophical and moral debates over whether certain animals have the right to live a happy and healthy life. But that’s crazy, right?

Grace Amsden

Lori Brock

Suzanne Buchholz

Chase Charaba

Lizzie Duke

Katie Fenton

Amber Gilliland

Alex Heldrich

Armani Jackson

Andrea Mendoza

Hannah Pederson

CJ Robinson

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 Senior Reporter: Amber Gilliland.......................................8624 .............agilliland@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: CJ Robinson .....................................................8631 ...........crobinson@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Suzanne Buchholz ............................................8722 ..........sbuchholz@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Lizzie Duke........................................................8620 .................eduke@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Alex Heldrich .....................................................8622.............aheldrich@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter: Hannah Pederson .............................................8628 ..........hpederson@pierce.ctc.edu Online Reporter: Katie Fenton ..........................................8654 ...............kfenton@pierce.ctc.edu Office Manager: Andrea Mendoza.....................................8651 ..........amendoza@pierce.ctc.edu Reporter/Illustrator: Lori Brock ................................................. ..................................................

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fightin’words

Should the drinking age be lowered?

shoutout Lori Brock

Suzanne Buchholz Reporter

The holiday season is fast approaching, and with it comes the usual parties and family gatherings. With so many social events coming up, there’s a good chance that some of them will involve drinking. Whether it’s a casual bottle of Suzanne Buchholz beer during the Thanksgiving football game or cocktails at a Christmas get-together, people enjoy drinking when they’re with others.

Not everyone is allowed to partake in social drinking, however. In Washington state, it’s illegal for anyone younger than 21 to drink alcoholic beverages unless under strict parental guidance. However, it’s still frowned upon, especially in a public venue. Recently, government officials have been discussing the possibility of lowering the drinking age to 18, but this has been a highly controversial issue with myriad pros and cons.

The drinking age should be lowered to 18. Like many other students of Pierce College, I’m at that “transition” age in my life—old enough to be considered an adult, yet too young to drink. Although I’ve been lucky in avoiding social situations with an influence to drink by peers, it’s frustrating when in a group of older friends and I’m the only one who can’t order a beverage. Now in college and with more friends from varying age groups, I find this happening a lot more.

It’s interesting that once a teenager turns 18 years old, they’re officially an adult and are trusted to handle adult tasks. Once 18, I was receiving pamphlets in the mail urging me to register to vote and reminding me to do my taxes. I’ve even been scouted on campus to join the military. If old enough at 18 to vote for the next leader of the country and fight for it, why wait three more years to order a drink when going out to eat?

If teenagers are old enough to handle these responsibilities and have these civil rights once reaching 18, they should also have the right to make their own choices about alcohol. It’s almost degrading to gain so many privileges in society but still be treated like a child in terms of drinking.

It’s about more than just a matter of teenagers being

Lizzie Duke Reporter

Should the drinking age be lowered, if not all the time then at least on holidays?

Should minors be put in physical and mental danger, if not all the time then at least on the certain days they are more likely to be driving and partying?

The national drinking age is 21, for Lizzie Duke good reason. Lately, the United States government has been considering lowering the legal drinking age to 18, a topic that has sparked much controversy.

Though each state has the option of changing their minimum drinking age, none have. One reason is that in 1984, The National Minimum Drinking Age Act was signed into law. According to Mental Floss magazine, this law prevented states from changing their minimum drinking age, telling them if they were to change it, they’d lose up to 10 percent of federal highway funding for their state.

This isn’t a random punishment so states don’t go changing their rules. This is backed up by the fact that younger people are more likely to get in accidents while under the influence, and if there are more youths drinking, there’s going to be more drunk driving accidents.

According to CNN, “Before the minimum drinking age law, 16 to 20-year-olds were the most common drunken drivers. When the drinking age was raised, the number of fatal crashes involving a young driver dropped significantly, from 61 percent in 1982 to 31 percent in 1995.”

Lowering the minimum drinking age, even just for the holidays, would be risking more drunk driving and more deaths, all for what? A little more “fun”? Knowingly giving minors the legal chance to be intoxicated is basically handing them a pass to harm themselves and quite likely others.

I’ve grown up in a religion that doesn’t support drinking, because alcohol is a harmful substance that nega-

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able to make their own decisions. One of the main reasons teenagers engage in under-age drinking is because of the thrill of breaking the law, according to statistics on ProCon.org. They feel excited doing something so naughty behind their parents’ backs. If the drinking age were lowered the thrill would be gone, making it less tempting to drink excessively at parties or smuggling alcohol at home.

It would also provide parents a means of drinking with their children and instructing them on how to make smarter choices once they’re on their own. A lower drinking age would allow parents to drink with their teenage children without the risk of looking like bad parents, which in turn would help the teenagers develop educated drinking habits and provide a controlled environment in which to drink for the first time.

A lower drinking age might also decrease the number of incidents related to drinking, or at least lessen the damage caused by such incidents. When teenagers sustain injuries or illness due to drinking they might not seek medical treatment for fear of being caught breaking the law, which could lead to potentially fatal consequences later on. If teenagers knew they could go to the hospital for help without having to worry about legal repercussions, there’d be fewer long-term problems caused by drinking.

Drunk driving, the leading cause of drinking-related deaths, is one major point to be considered. It’s true that a higher drinking age has saved many young people from being killed in car accidents caused by drinking. But as an article on the Psychology Today website points out, the number of people around the age of 21 who die in such car accidents is a staggering 1,000 people per year.

The age limit doesn’t prevent these accidents completely, it only prolongs them by a few years. If the drinking age were lowered, the accidents and deaths might not be entirely prevented, but the age level at which they occur would at least be evened out.

I sincerely think a lower age limit on drinking could be beneficial and that lawmakers should seriously consider it. As long as parents are actively involved in teaching their children how to make wise choices and drink responsibly, a lot of lives could be saved.

tively affects one’s brain, heart, liver, pancreas and relationships with others. It’s also been proven to cause cancer.

Is that really something our country should be approving minors to consume? It’s one thing for mature adults, who know of the negative effects of drinking, to consciously make the choice of whether or not to partake, but it’s another thing entirely for teenagers to be lured into drinking before they’re even capable of making rational decisions.

“The rational part of a teen’s brain isn’t fully developed and won’t be until he or she is 25 years old or so. In fact, recent research has found that adult and teen brains work differently,” according to the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Even having it legal for 21-year-olds to drink is stretching the level of safety people should have. Giving teenagers a drink that clouds their judgment when his or her brains’ still struggling to rationally judge situations is like giving a baby homework and hoping it’ll answer the questions rather than drool all over it.

Adults think with the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls rational thinking and impulse control.

The part of the brain minors don’t even have.

Because of this, the trustworthiness of a minor doesn’t only depend on the maturity of the teenager or the circumstances, or the day they’re intoxicated; teenagers’ brains simply aren’t fully developed.

Next to infancy, the teenage years are one of the most important times for brain development. According to CNN, during this time, neurons are growing and connections are developing in the brain so it can better transmit information.

Teenagers don’t need another reason to make choices they’ll regret, or choices they won’t live to regret. Their brains are developing, they’re learning and are young.

To lower the minimum drinking age would be to raise the number of drunk driving accidents and deaths as well as ruin the growth of a healthy young brain. It’s not safe, productive or smart.

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Do you think that the legal drinking age should be lowered?

Gabrielle Anderson:

“Absolutely not. Kids are already doing stupid things; they’re not responsible.

Even 21-year-olds aren’t responsible.

Lowering the drinking age would give young people more of an opportunity to drink and drive.”

Desiree Blas: “I don’t think the drinking age should be lowered. That thought is unsettling. Underage drinking happens a lot, but if the legal drinking age was lowered, there would be more accidents and not just DUIs.”

Kelli Towry:

“I think that if there wasn’t a law (prohibiting young people from drinking), it wouldn’t be so desirable. Since it’s illegal for young people to drink, they want it more. On the other hand, the brain is still developing until age 21, so maybe we should keep the drinking age as it is.”

Richard Roth: “Why do we need to lower it? We have a hard enough time trusting young people with driving and texting on a cell phone; why add alcohol, a mind-altering drug, to the mix? Also, according to a Harvard health study, the younger people are when they start drinking, the more likely it is that they’ll develop alcohol dependency issues.”

Stephanie Warner:

“I think either the legal adult age should be raised to 21, or the drinking age should be lowered to 18. People try to drink before they’re 21 because they want to be adults. They’re declared adults at 18, but they don’t have all the privileges and bonuses of being an adult. It’s like they’re not complete adults.”

Ryan Reno: “I think it should be

lowered to 18. If you can go to war and die for your country, then you should be allowed to drink alcohol.”

Daniela Bonilla:

“No, it should not be lowered. As young adults, we’re still learning how to navigate our way through life as adults. Young people don’t make sound decisions already - that doesn’t mix well with alcohol.”

Julia Roof:

“I think that the legal drinking age should be lowered because there will be less of a desire to drink; if it’s legal, it loses its appeal. I think that we should educate young kids about alcohol and how to drink responsibly, rather than just saying “don’t drink.”

When you tell someone, especially a teenager, not to do something they’re just going to want to do it that much more.”

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newsflash

What’s going on at Pierce College Puyallup

Encouraging student voting through voter registration Grace Amsden

Grace Amsden Editor-in-chief

Students had the opportunity to take part in the political system at the voter registration event Oct. 20.

Organized by Legislative Senator Lubov Marchenko, the goal of the event was to raise awareness and participation towards voting.

“Every year, we try to get people to register to vote,” Marchenko said. “This was kind of a motivational thing.”

Robert Stevens, part time faculty for business and social science, was first to begin speaking at the voter registration. He decided to speak because of his concerns and lack of people aged 18-24 voting, which he said is because they may feel their voice isn’t being heard.

“Elected officials know that young people don’t vote, so the officials then cater to those who do vote: mainly those 45 years and older,” Stevens said.

Stevens invited his international social studies and American government class to attend. He said that parents and grandparents are the individuals who are voting and supporting campaigns.

“Unless we want to continue living under the laws created by those with dissimilar interests and often antiquated views from our own, we must vote,” Stevens said. “This is our country to inherit and we must begin to understand the great responsibility that comes with the duty to vote.”

Rep. Melanie Stambaugh had planned on coming to the voter registration but wasn’t able to make it. Hans Zeiger, state representative for the 25th district, attended, speaking at the session. Over the summer, Marchenko had met Zeiger during Washington Community & Technical College Student Association training and thought it would be beneficial for him to speak about voting.

Zeiger said there’s a sense in society

State rep. Hans Zeiger speaking to students during the voter registration.

topics considered was K-12 education, college tuition, transportation issues, money in politics and tribal whaling rights.

The main message Zeiger gave to Pierce students is the importance of establishing relationships, such as getting to know one’s neighbors, elected officials or people working on a given issue that the individual cares about. This builds a network, Zeiger said.

“Relationships are at the core of making change in society,” Zeiger said, “so, get to know your neighbors. That’s the beginning of important change.”

Student Stephanie Warner attended the event, and said she’s going to vote when she turns 18. She thinks the younger generation currently isn’t voting because they may think their vote doesn’t matter, but may later regret the decision of choosing not to vote.

“They don’t see how it’s going to affect them later on in life, so I think that’s a big part of it,” Warner said.

placed into people’s minds that an individual vote or participation doesn’t matter. He said this mindset needs to change.

“These are the young people that we need committing to service in our community in the future, and I really enjoying spending time with college students for that reason,” Zeiger said. “You never know when you might say something that will get somebody interested in a career in public service.”

Zeiger encourages young people interested in public office to become involved, as he was 25 years old when he won the election for his current office. Zeiger said he went to about 13,000 doors asking people for their vote.

“This is something that they (the students) can do in the next decade,” Zeiger said. “They don’t have to wait 10, 20, 30 years to run for public office. They can do that as a young person.”

Zeiger encouraged audience members at the event to ask questions. Some of the

Student Mia Guzman attended the voter registration as well. She feels that voting isn’t highly encouraged. Guzman said more people could vote if the importance was directly stated and there were more promotions for voting; she said she hasn’t heard much about it.

“Nobody has gone through (with) me on how to do it (voting) correctly,” Guzman said. “I’ve never seen any promotions or anything for that, so I think that’s one of the reasons kids are just like, ‘eh, voting.’”

Though hesitant and questioning the interest of Pierce students towards the voter registration, Marchenko was pleased with the outcome and estimates that more than 40 people attended.

“It went by so much smoother and so much better than I ever expected it to go, and I’m so thankful for that,” Marchenko said.

A table decorated with American flags in the dining commons offered Washington state voter registration forms during the event. The table also had free pens, pins, stickers and constitutional informational booklets in Spanish and English, which were of interest to Pierce students, according to Marchenko.

“I didn’t expect it to be so popular, but people really wanted it,” Marchenko said.

In order to be submitted, the form requires personal information such as a full name, birthdate, address and Washington state driver license number or the last four digits of one’s social security number.

The forms were available to be turned in to the Office of Student Life until Oct. 23.

OSL members drove to the district office to drop them off.

Marchenko said she doesn’t understand why people would choose not to vote.

“It’s just extra paper that comes to your house that you have to fill out and send back, it doesn’t hurt you in any way except paying 50 cents for the postage stamp that’s about it,” Marchenko said.

Lizzie Duke

Lower gas prices positively affect students Lizzie Duke Reporter

Plummeting gas prices bring smiles to Pierce College Puyallup students and their wallets.

Gas prices have dropped the lowest they’ve been since 2012, according to The Washington Post. One reason for this recent plummet is the high level of natural gas and warm weather this year.

Washington state’s average price is $2.42 and is expected to get lower. Many companies are switching from coal to natural gas as prices decrease.

According to The Washington Post, “natural gas displaced coal as the largest source of electricity generation in the U.S. for two months so far this year — a landmark development that has been long forecast — and if prices like these continue, that could become a more frequent occurrence.”

For many Pierce students and staff, that’s good news.

“I like it a lot since I have to fill (my tank) up so much,” student Jonathan Kurtz said.

Kurtz fills his tank twice a week, as he said he has a really old, gas guzzling truck. He gets his gas at Safeway for $3.29 a gallon, and said he’s happy with this as long as it doesn’t go up.

Students who drive 10 miles to get to school, five days a week, driving back and forth, travel 100 miles. One hundred miles will put quite a dent in a student’s gas tank.

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Filling the gas tank eased by plummeting prices.

campus. The two campuses are about 20 miles apart, about a 30-minute drive from the Puyallup campus. This can add up fast, making gas prices an important factor.

Adjunct faculty member Teresa Marbut spent $70 a week on gas for her commute. Marbut drove four hours to get to and from the Puyallup campus four times a week. She’s not teaching at the Puyallup campus this quarter, but will be winter quarter. She said it won’t cost nearly as much as gas

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is cheaper now.

Currently, the cheapest gas near Pierce College is the Costco on 39th Ave. for $2.23 per gallon according to WashingtonGasPrices.com, a website that shows the cheapest gas nearest a given location.

“I’m a Running Start student, not one of the cool ones with their own transportation,” Sydnie Chouery said.

Chouery carpools to school, an environmentally friendly way to save money, or just get to class without a vehicle of her own. It also helps when parking at Pierce, as there are available carpool parking spots.

With gas prices no longer through the roof, alternatives such as carpooling and public transportation may become less common.

“Higher gas prices are resulting in noticeable increases in some public transportation ridership,” according to Investopedia.com said when gas prices had risen to a national average of $4.

According to the federal Energy Information Administration, the national average is expected to drop to $2.60 per gallon in 2015. This would be a drop of 23 percent. According to Bankrate.com, this will add approximately $100 billion into the American economy in a year.

“I’m glad, as long as nobody is dying for it,” Jenny Cravens, nursing student at Pierce, said. “Things aren’t cheaper for no reason. It’s either a good thing for everyone or someone’s getting screwed.”

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Lizzie Duke

Run, hide, fight:

Guide words for surviving an active shooter situation Illustrator/Reporter

Matthew walked into his classroom and sat in his usual seat. Several students were in the room already; no one looked up. They were all in their own little worlds, staring at their cellphones. The professor entered and appeared in an especially cheerful mood.

He’d just greeted the students and was about to say something else when sudden, loud popping noises rang through the air. Matthew looked up and waited, as did several other students. Just seconds later, the sounds rang out again.

“What’s that noise?” one of the girls asked.

“That sounds like a gun,” the funny guy in the class answered; but he wasn’t being funny now.

The popping sounds rang out again. Nearly everyone stood to their feet. A few students ran to the window to look out. Matthew looked at the professor, as did many of the other students. The question on his mind, on the minds of every person in that room, on the minds of hundreds of students all over the campus; “What do we do?”

The preceding paragraph is fictional but is used here to make a point. Do students, faculty and staff at Pierce College Puyallup know what to do should an armed person arrive on campus and start shooting people? Those who attended one of the active shooter training sessions on campus last month would know how to answer that question.

There are three words that summarize what people should do in such a situation: Run. Hide. Fight.

District Director of Safety and Security Chris MacKersie and District Campus Safety Program Manager Jose Nieves were both on the Puyallup and Fort Steilacoom campuses the last week of October and first week of November giving instructions to anyone interested so they’d know how to act should an armed person come to Pierce. The guidance they gave is recommended by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, in addition to other agencies.

Run. Hide. Fight. Those are the three words everyone should remember when faced with an active shooter situation. At a time like this, seconds count. The first thing one should do is run. If in a situation where people in danger can run to safety, they should do it immediately.

They shouldn’t wait for others to make a decision.

Those who are hesitant should be encouraged to run too, but others shouldn’t wait around for them to make a decision. Also, time shouldn’t be spent gathering belongings. The few seconds spent gathering things could mean the difference between life and death.

It’s also important to not go to any place where one could be seen by the shooter. It’s important to stay as calm as possible and get away from danger. Once out of danger, whoever’s able should call 911 and give the information they know about the situation. People shouldn’t assume that someone else will call; it’s better that 50 people call to alert the police.

Secondly, if it’s impossible to run away from wherever the shooter is, the next option is to hide. If one’s in a lit room, they should turn off the light and quietly close the door, lock it and block it with items in the room, such as chairs, desks and bookcases. If there’s a large object to hide behind, do that. People need to keep in mind that the goal is to not be seen, so silencing cellphones is also important. Normally, in active shooter situations, the killer will shoot anyone visible. If alerted to someone’s presence, they’ll likely take action and shoot. The goal is to make oneself invisible. If two or

Commentary

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more people are in a room, they should spread out. If huddled together and the shooter enters the room, several people can be shot in a short period of time. When faced with a situation like this, one should be aware, be silent, figure out what’s happening, stay calm and trust one’s intuition. According to MacKersie, “intuition can be an invaluable tool during dangerous situations like this.”

Lastly, if one can’t run and has nowhere to hide, they must fight. Almost anything can be used as a weapon to attack the shooter. People should yell at the intruder, throw chairs or books at them, be aggressive, stay in motion and be persistent.

“Tell yourself, ‘I will survive! I won’t give up!’ It’s you against the bad guy,” MacKersie said. “And you’re going to win. Your focus must be on survival.”

Also, if there’s more than one person in an area whose only option is to fight, they should work together; act as a team, make a plan and spread out.

Once law enforcement officers arrive on the scene, it’s important to realize that the police don’t know who the shooter is or how many there are. Everyone’s a potential shooter in their eyes. Those who have hidden should stay hidden. If the police enter the room, people should raise their arms and show their hands. They shouldn’t point at officers because it could be perceived as a threat; they won’t know if someone pointing at them is holding a gun. People also need to be quiet and compliant, put down items they might have been holding as weapons and avoid quick movements. They must also realize that the first priority of law enforcement officers is to control the situation and disable the shooter(s). If people are injured, others shouldn’t try talking to the police about helping them. The officers are trying to keep survivors from getting shot or killed. They need to be allowed to do their job.

There are a few other things students and staff should know. An active shooter situation could suddenly change into a hostage situation. If that happens, the person taken hostage should stay as calm as possible, follow directions, be patient and compliant.

Another helpful bit of information given during the training was that of prevention. If people are aware of students exhibiting suspicious behavior, they should let someone in authority know. Some signs that might indicate a potential problem are excessive profanity, clenched fists, slamming doors, open disobedience, expressing feelings of persecution and making threats.

If any of these behaviors is observed, students should say something to a professor, a counselor, campus safety officers or someone else at the school in authority.

“If you see something, say something” is what the security personnel advise.

Lastly, people should realize that the likelihood of ever being in an active shooter situation is about as great as getting hit by lightning, but it does happen, as it did Oct. 1 at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Ore. When attending the first active shooter training session last month, it was noted that about 30 people were in attendance in a room that could’ve held perhaps 200.

That fact is a bit disturbing. Though being involved in an active shooter situation isn’t very likely, statistically speaking, it’s possible.

Taking advantage of training opportunities like those offered at Pierce is important for every student and employee at the college. Spending an hour or two learning how to increase one’s chances of survival in such a frightening situation is well worth the time and effort.

There are sources online that can still be viewed for those who missed the training sessions. Searching “Run, hide, fight; surviving an active shooter event” will bring up some helpful videos on the Internet.

Lori Brock

Lori Brock

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Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor speaking to political science class.

Sheriff speaks on shooter situations Lizzie Duke Reporter

On Oct. 27 at 7:50 p.m., a Pierce County sheriff attended a Pierce College Puyallup’s introduction to political science class.

Keith Leitich, political science professor, tries to bring in a guest speaker each year. He thought that after the Umpqua Community College shooting Oct. 1, the students in the class could benefit from a sheriff speaking this year.

“I don’t think students are fully apprized of all their rights and their civil liberties,” Leitich said. “I want them to think about it before something actually happens.”

After reading an article by Sheriff Paul Pastor in Seattle Weekly about how people have turned to the police to solve problems instead of finding a common ground, Leitich contacted him.

The political science students had just learned about the constitution, and he hoped this visitor could tie in both that document and issues in the current world with gun control.

Pastor started by saying the three-part mission statement of police officers: protect life and property, uphold rights and build stronger more civil communities. There’s also a list of five core values including integrity, responsibility, respect, courage and compassion.

“We make more moral and ethical decisions in a week that matter in people’s lives, than most people make in a year,” Pastor said. “So we better damn well make good ethical decisions.”

Police officers also protect the courthouse and run the biggest hotel in town- the Pierce County Jail. The jail’s current “guest list,” as Pastor calls it, is 1,137 people.

According to Pastor, citizenship is about duty, obligation and sacrifice; things he believes we’ve lost track of in America. This is why Pastor said policing is all about self critical honesty.

“Trust is a two way street, we need to address it in America,” Pastor said. “We owe each other, that’s how the country stays together.”

After the Columbine High School Massacre in 1999, police started going immediately into hostage or shooter situations rather than waiting and trying to make contact with the shooter. According to Pastor, this is the military mindset. It’s accepting collateral damage.

Pastor referred to America as an armored camp.

There are about 335 million armed weapons in America today, according to Pastor.

“We don’t want to give up our guns because we don’t trust the other campers,” Pastor said.

However, he said when citizens have guns it complicates knowing who the bad guy is. According to Pastor, people often think that cops behave like cops on television. But he said physical confrontation isn’t choreographed. Violence is scary and chaotic, he said.

According to Pastor, the word hero is used too much in our culture. As sheriff, he said he gets to work with heroes every day: good people, elite, humble and of strong character.

“They’re not larger than life but they’re willing to be larger than their own life,” Pastor said.

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Alex Heldrich

Card access readers aid security on campus Alex Heldrich Reporter

Students might have wondered what the small, black rectangles on some of the doors at Pierce College are. These black rectangles are card access readers. They’ve been installed on doors at the Puyallup campus in place of traditional locks that require keys.

According to Chris MacKersie, director of safety and security/assistant director of facilities, replacing traditional locks with card access readers has been a standard more than 10 years in educational and commercial facilities because they make for a more secure campus.

There are a total of 75 card access readers on the Puyallup campus. Buildings on campus that have been built within the past 10 years, such as the College Center and the Arts and Allied Health, have more rooms with card access readers while older buildings such as the Gaspard Administration Building and the Brouillet Library and Science Building have minimal card access readers. For instance, the AAH has 38 readers while the LSC has seven.

MacKersie said that spaces in the ADM such as the faculty lounge or office pods have card access readers while the general classrooms have traditional locks.

The card access reader system at the Puyallup campus was acquired from the company Continental Instruments. According to the company’s website,

Card access reader outside a classroom.

they’ve been in the Access Control Industry since 1961.

Card access systems for sale online from various sellers range in price from $65 to $2,268.

The readers unlock the door when a special access card comes within range of the sensor by the door

frame. To unlock the door, employees with access cards only have hold their card up to the reader. To alert the card owner that the door successfully unlocked, a light on the top left corner of the reader will flash. The door will relock once shut.

The card access reader system has a list of the employees allowed to enter into a specific space. This means part-time employees such as the Office of Student Life leaders would have access to their office but not to all other spaces on campus. Unlike traditional locks, where there’s no way of monitoring who’s coming and going, the card access reader system keeps a log of who’s using their card to unlock the door.

The card access readers are also a more cost effective compared to traditional locks, according to MacKersie.

“If you have a whole bunch of keys out and there’s somebody who loses (their keys), you have to rekey all of the doors,” MacKersie said. “The beauty of the high tech devices is it’s easy to replace (a lost access card).

Timothy Estes, equity and diversity coordinator, prefers using a scan card instead of keys.

“I can have it in my wallet and just brush by it and (the door) opens or in my backpack and just tap it on there and it’ll open,” Estes said.

More rooms at the Puyallup campus will have card access readers installed, such as The Puyallup Post newspaper office.

Travel the world while earning college credit Berlin

Study abroad options include trips to Berlin, Australia/New Zealand

This spring, students will have the opportunity to travel to Berlin, Germany.

The program is being held by the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad, a group of community colleges that have joined together to provide study abroad trips for students.

Pierce is one of 15 colleges in the consortium.

Coursework for the program consists of a 15-credit schedule which includes a mandatory German Life and Culture course taught by a local professor. There will also be cultural activities which include a boat cruise, a tour of the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp and a tour of the Reichstag building which was built to house the German parliament.

The trip costs $6,895, based on an enrollment of 15 or more students. This fee includes housing, travel passes, orientation meetings, a welcome dinner in Berlin, a $50 non-refundable application fee, student medical and program fee refund insurance and the tours and activities during the program.

The fee doesn’t include airfare, a $250 damage deposit, passport fees, meals other than the ones provided, personal expenses, textbooks and any WCCCSA tuition.

Financial aid is available for students wanting to attend the program.

All students who apply are eligible for a $1,000 scholarship from WCCCSA. Students will need to write a 250 word essay about the value of studying abroad and what they hope to gain from the experience. More information about the scholarship can be found on the WCCCSA website.

Loans and federal student aid are also payment options.

For federal funding, students will need to have filed their FAFSA at least six weeks in advance of the trip. Then, according to Meulblok, a financial aid representative for the study abroad program increases the cost of Pierce’s tuition

Amber Gilliland Senior Reporter

Students who wish to see the world will have two opportunities this academic year.

Trips to Australia/New Zealand and Berlin will give students the chance to explore other cultures while earning college credits.

Australia/New Zealand During winter quarter, students will travel to Australia and New Zealand.

Pierce College has teamed up with Green River College members who are hosting the trip.

The first five weeks of the program are in Melbourne, Australia at Newman College, which is part of the University of Melbourne. Students will stay in single dorm rooms at the college.

The rest of the program will be spent in New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland. Students will stay in shared apartments and study at Unitec University.

Three courses totaling 15 credits will be taken during the quarter. Students will take Australian and New Zealand Life and Culture, History of Australia and New Zealand and Biology of Australia and New Zealand.

“One piece of advice that I would give students is to always keep your general elective area open if you’re considering study abroad, because no matter what the program teaches, the classes will always fit in that area,” Mary Meulblok, manager of internal student services, said.

Dr. Bruce Haulman from Green River will lead the group with the help of local faculty. He’ll teach the history course and local faculty will teach the rest. Program managers will also be available N o v e m b e r

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during the trip to help students get familiar with the new environment.

Tours will be arranged for students throughout their stay. During the time in Melbourne, some activities may include a tour of the Victoria parliament, Healsville Wildlife Sanctuary and Mount Donna Buang Forest. While in Auckland, activities could include an Auckland scavenger hunt and a tour of Mirawi Beach Gannet Colony Maungakiekie Volcano. A full list of the possible tours can be found in the program flyer located on the rack outside of C290F. The application deadline for the trip was Oct. 23.

The program costs $7,820, which includes airfare, housing, a curriculum lab fee, welcome lunches in both cities, kitchen facilities in Auckland, orientations and basic student medical insurance. Not included in the program is the cost of college tuition, books, personal expenses, local transportation, some curriculum activities admission, certain meals and fees for some telephone and internet facilities.

Students will be departing for the program Jan. 5 and returning March 12.

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on the student’s FAFSA to include the trip, plus their normal tuition rate.

Increasing the cost on the FAFSA allows the student to be eligible for more aid that can be applied to the program.

“We don’t want people to think that there’s no money out there,” Meulblok said.

In order to apply for the program, students must first apply to be a study abroad student. In order to do this, students should speak with an international education advisor.

Students will need to fill out the study abroad student application. This can be found on the WCCCSA website under the getting started tab. Along with the application, students will need two letters of recommendation, one being from a faculty member. A one-page personal essay is also required with the student’s most recent unofficial transcripts.

To participate in WCCCSA study abroad programs, Pierce students must have completed at least one quarter with a GPA of 2.5 or higher and a valid passport.

According to the WCCCSA website, students must be 18 or older to apply. Students younger than 18 should speak with adviser Shannon Scott about options.

Running Start students are also eligible for studying abroad, but Running Start will only pay the tuition part of the program if the classes fit into the student’s degree.

Meulblok says that some of the benefits of studying abroad include making life-long friends, learning more about yourself and other cultures and becoming more open-minded “I firmly believe it’s the single most life-changing experience anyone could ever have,” Meulblok said.

The deadline for application for the Berlin program is Dec. 18. Students will be leaving Puyallup March 24 and returning June 3.

Interested students are encouraged to speak with the international education advisers on campus to discuss their options.

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Grace Amsden Editor-in-chief

On Oct. 16, a new ticket system for Pierce College was launched, allowing online purchases through Piercecollege events.com.

This link can be found through Pierce’s website at the bottom of the Student Life tab. Purchasers must first select the category they want the ticket in, the categories being Pierce College foundation events, athletics and theatre and one for the arts. On Nov. 3, a category for Science Dome shows, at the Fort Steilacoom campus, was added.

“You can buy tickets sitting on your couch in your pajamas on a Sunday afternoon if you want to,” Rosie Garcia, district event manager, said.

A confirmation after each purchase is emailed to the purchaser attached with the ticket on the second page, which can be printed or sent to a mobile device.

The new system was put into place to not solely rely on selling tickets by hand. In the past, tickets were sold in person in the Office of Student Life, though available at the door of events. According to Sean Cooke, director of Student Life, purchasing tickets and keeping track of everything that dealt with the process was complicated, even a nightmare.

“The state has very particular rules about how money is managed and tracked,” Cooke said, “so selling tickets, that many transactions, was just a lot of cross-checking between ticket stubs, receipts and cash that we’d taken in. There were enough people who were involved in it that it was very difficult to tell if there were mistakes. ” Sales are programmed through Vendini, an online ticket marketing program. Vendini was the best fit for Pierce’s ticket system, according to Garcia, who received feedback from different colleges around the United States recommending Vendini before its use.

“We evaluated features, cost, efficiencies, ease of use and implementation,” Garcia said. “They’ve got great 24-hour support. There’s just a lot of features through Vendini that we like versus other companies that we looked at.”

The majority of public events at Pierce will be available for purchase within the system, Garcia said, except for the OSL events that generally don’t require tickets for admittance. Piercecollegeevents.com is great for marketing purposes because the events are grouped onto one page, Garcia

Grace Amsden

Click it for a ticket

College launches new events ticket system

Vendini boxes filled with tickets to be used for events.

said.

“Let’s say you bought tickets to a Science Dome show and you saw that we have a theatre production coming, and say, ‘Wow, I’ve never been to a theatre production at Pierce, I’m going to buy a ticket as well,” Garcia said.

The Odyssey production at the Fort Steilacoom campus from Nov. 6-7 and 13-14 and Metaphysique D’Emphemera production at the Puyallup campus from Oct. 29-31 were two of the first events in use for the system.

Ticket sales for Metaphysique D’Emphemera went well, according to Garcia, due to the easy process. She estimates that about half of the ticket sales were purchased online.

When students arrived at the door for Metaphysique D’Emphemera, they took out their phones and confirmed their ticket, though tickets were also sold at the door. Cooke worked at the box office for each production of Metaphysique D’Emphemera. He’s impressed with the system and said it worked better than the previous purchasing method.

“It was very easy to use,” Cooke said. “It eliminated all

the recording requirements that we have to follow because it tabulates it all with the computer, all the specific types of tickets.”

Some of the plans for the system are still in the works, such as using reserved seating, one of Vendini’s features.

Reserved seating can be utilized depending on the event, according to Garcia. The seating is available in the Black Box Theatre at the Fort Steilacoom campus and theater at the Puyallup campus (not the Black Box). The Odyssey was the first event with reserved seating available.

“It’s great, because now reserved seating also enables you to - if the venue’s not full - maybe only sell, let’s say, the center selection of seats if you’re not selling out all the seats so you don’t have sporadic people just everywhere,” Garcia said.

One of the features through Vendini that will be implemented is a donation setup, which may offer purchasers the opportunity of providing a donation for a particular event.

The app Walletini, separate from Vendini, is currently being looked into for its features for Pierce. It might be available for purchasing tickets later this year or early next year, according to Garcia. Walletini can be downloaded on an iPhone or Android and tickets can be confirmed by phone when arriving to an event in lieu of printing out a hard-copy ticket.

In the meantime, students can use their cellphone to scan the QR code that appears when receiving the confirmation.

“I think that’s kind of the wave of the future,” Garcia said.

“I didn’t even know that movie theatres were doing that until the other day, I bought a ticket for a movie and I pulled it up on my phone not knowing they’d be able to scan it from my phone.”

Garcia said that students may not know about the new system because it’s a recent advancement, but thinks it’ll popular because of its efficiency and convenience of buying tickets on one’s own time. There hasn’t been a major marketing campaign for the system thus far, but various posters and social media posts advertising events have included links to Piercecollegeevents.com.

There’s currently no service charge in the price of tickets.

“I would love for, as we move forward with this, (that) we really try to get the word out to students that this is the way that they’re going to buy tickets from now,” Garcia said.

“It’s convenient for them.”

Amber Gilliland Senior Reporter

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The month of October was also National Disabilities awareness month, an event for spreading awareness of disabilities and celebrating diversity.

To celebrate these two events, the Access and Disability Services office at Pierce College Puyallup teamed with the Office of Student Life to create events that’d bring awareness to the subject. ADS staff members began planning these events in August to be ready for October.

“We wanted something that wasn’t necessarily just dry material,” Michael Mesa, access and disability services manager, said.

“We really wanted to focus on people being able to see the impact of what it’s like for someone with a disability.”

Mesa also wanted the events to bring awareness to the services offered at Pierce for those who may need assistance.

“Hopefully what happens is it’ll also encourage some students who are suffering silently to come in and say ‘Hey, what is ADS all about?’” Mesa said.

One event created to accomplish this was a showing of the movie The Theory of Everything, the story of physicist Stephen Hawking who suffers from a motor neuron disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The main event of the month-long celebration occurred on Oct. 21 when Pierce College Puyallup President Marty Caval-

Amber Gilliland

Armani Jackson

Pierce celebrates anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act

AboVe: A box was placed on a table in the Connection Café for students to place their disability discussion postcards.

Left: Pierce College Puyallup President Marty Cavalluzzi reading the ADA pledge.

Another way the ADS team got students involved was with an anonymous postcard wall.

A table was set up in the Connection Café and postcards were provided for students to write messages of encouragement, ask questions or tell their stories. These postcards were then placed in a box on the table and the ADS team posted them on a

luzzi read and signed a pledge stating that Pierce will be an ADA compliant and inclusive campus, by assuring that students have the resources they need to succeed.

T-shirts were passed out at the event that commemorated the ADA. After the signing was a showing of the movie Radio, based on the true story of a mentally disabled man who befriends a football coach.

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banner Oct. 27 for passersby to see.

Mesa said he hopes the wall will give students an outlet to talk openly and to better understand each other.

“Disabilities are nothing to be fearful of,” Mesa said. “By taking the time, just five minutes, to learn about your fellow students, it might give you the answer to the question that you might have had for years.”

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Hannah Pederson

New counselor finds the Wright fit Hannah Pederson Reporter

This is Jennifer Wright’s first quarter at Pierce College Puyallup as faculty counselor, a position her master’s degree in science in mental health counseling and several other licenses qualify her to fill.

Wright was first drawn to psychology in a Psych 101 course in community college.

“It was my favorite class,” Wright said. “I was drawn to learning about people and working with people, so I kept following psychology through my undergraduate degree.”

As a military spouse, Wright moved numerous times during the period she was pursuing her degree. She earned her undergraduate degree in Louisiana at Northwestern State University and her graduate degree from the University of Wyoming.

She’s been living in Washington for the past five years, with little complaint.

“There’s just something about the Pacific Northwest, the rain and the mountain and the ocean. It’s a very calming environment for me,” Wright said.

After earning her master’s degree in science in mental health counseling from the University of Wyoming and moving to Washington, Wright initially worked for nonprofit organizations, such as Catholic Community Services and Goodwill. She was interested for the most part in providing assistance to active duty military and their families.

Wright had developed an interest in working with higher education, which led her to Pierce. She arranged an informal interview with Elizabeth Scott, who previously held her position.

“She said the work that she got to do on a daily basis was just so rewarding, seeing that she could make a difference on this campus, and that the environment of Pierce was really open, friendly and driven toward the school’s mission,” Wright said.

From then on, Wright knew that Pierce was the place for her. Her goals for her time at the college are to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and to provide assistance for students who think that they have to go through difficult times alone.

“You’re not less than if you need to seek help,” Wright said.

She also hopes to promote awareness that Pierce has a

Jennifer Wright awaits students in need of her assistance.

counseling service, which is free and confidential for all enrolled students.

“To me, counseling is someone coming in to work on an issue that’s just nagging or bothering them,” Wright said.

“I like to tell people to think of it as coming in to get recharged. It’s not necessarily a long term thing.”

If students aren’t comfortable talking with her, Wright recommended that they look at the Community Resource and Referral Guide on the counseling web page. The guide provides immediate helplines, resources for basic needs, educational and employment services, financial management and more.

If students would like to speak with Wright in person, they can schedule an appointment with the Student Services desk, or email Wright directly.

“I view myself as someone who walks alongside people and supports them in their journey,” Wright said.

“to me, counseling is someone coming in to work on an issue that’s just nagging or bothering them. I like to tell people to think of it as coming in to get recharged, it’s not necessarily a long term thing.”

—Jennifer Wright

Winter registration warning CJ Robinson

Els Deming offers advice for students wishing to register for fall quarter winter registration CJ Robinson Reporter

Registration’s coming up within the next month for many students and the time for planning their schedule for the upcoming quarter is here.

Registration began Nov. 16, and students can access the MyPierce portal at www.pierce.ctc.edu/go/mypierce. This allows them to identify their advisor, register, add or drop classes, find grades, check their financial status and find their registration times.

“Registration priority is given to currently enrolled students,” Els Deming, director of enrollment services, said.

“Registration times are scheduled on the basis of total number of credits earned at Pierce College.”

This gives students wishing to achieve certain degree programs or certificates the chance to fulfill their credit requirements.

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Student success and advising will help students making winter quarter arrangements.

The eSchedule containing the winter class schedule gives students informations such as when tuition is due, refund deadline, schedule changes and withdrawing from classes, Demming said.

Failing to attend or withdraw from

courses does not mean a student will be refunded and can result in a 0.0 on their transcript.

Tuition is due Dec. 7 or else students will be dropped from their classes.

Priority deadline for Running Start

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students was Oct. 30, but students are still able to register for classes. Students in Running Start should make sure that their Enrollment Verification Form has been signed by the appropriate Running Start adviser, high school counselor, parental guardian and themselves. Once they’ve completed this step and have taken the winter registration refresher quiz, an email will be sent out with a personal registration access code.

It’s also preferred that students make an educational plan in order to help construct a way to achieve their goals, whether it’s a degree or certificate. This gives students a clear path and makes the registration process easier, according to the Pierce College website. It’s also important to make sure appointments are made and any required documents are turned in on time.

As for final tips, Deming said preparation is key.

“Be prepared and be informed,” Deming said. “Plan to meet with your adviser and get your RAC before your registration time. Classes fill up quickly and there are many courses in high demand.”

Students can find more information on www.pierce.ctc.edu/dist/admissions/ getstarted/regandpay.

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CJ Robinson

CIS paves way for student success CJ Robinson Reporter

The Computer Information Systems program at Pierce College Puyallup gives students who wish to excel in technology the opportunity to do so.

For those interested in this field, the program offers four certificates and degrees in computer network engineering, database management/design, health information and technology and computer systems administration.

“We are training students in the technology that p owers the world,” Sean Moran, assistant professor of information systems, said.

According to Moran, a goal for the program to retain 40 percent of students has been nearly doubled, with retention rates at 80 percent. He attributes this to many parts of the program that help the students reach their goals.

“The staff is able to mentor and guide the students,” Moran said. “We know where they are going to g o and can help them achieve their goals.”

One resource in particular is CIS/CNE program navigator Brandy Ferber-Christensen. One of FerberChristensen’s goals is advising students in possible degree and certificate programs, identifying possible trouble spots in certain students and helping support CIS students. The job of the

Sean Moran teaches his students about programming in the CIS215 class.

navigator along with other staff includes meeting with students and families to make sure they have the support available at home as well. Moran said if families see the value in what their student is working towards, there’s a better chance of their success.

The cohort system also gives students the opportunity of establishing longterm relationships with students and

educators.

This system gives students the ability to build relationships with their peers and professors while establishing connections and networking outside of the classroom in a professional workplace.

“There’s a real bond there,” CIS student Meloney Dexheimer said. “Everyone jokes and teases each other; you can see it’s a real team.”

Alex Heldrich Reporter

The Office of Student Life has a long standing tradition of regularly purchasing unique and useful promotional items for the students of Pierce College Puyallup. One of the items purchased by the OSL is pens.

A new year brings a new style of pen. This year’s OSL pen has a sleek, modern style opposed to the chunkier past styles of pens. The updated pens come in three metallic colors: dark red, dark blue and black.

The pens in the past have come in various shades of red, white and green. Written on the pen is Pierce’s logo in white letters with “Puyallup Office of Student Life” written underneath. Unlike previous versions of pens, the new ones don’t have the phone number for the OSL. The pens have a greater purpose than just serving as a commodity to students. They’re a way to bring people into the office.

“We always have them at our front desk,” Sean Cooke, director of Student Life, said. “People think that anything that brings students into the OSL is awesome.”

According to Cooke, there’s a saying that on commuter campuses such as Pierce College, students are either going to class or to their car. Research has proven that the more time students spend on campus, the more successful they are. By bringing students into the office for free pens, they’re being exposed to the events that the OSL offers.

“Now if you ask me how successful the pens are compared to some other things, I don’t know how successful they really are,” Cooke said. “I think that we’ve all gone somewhere and been given a promotional item whether it’s a pen or a bottle opener, but I’ve never been motivated to call the company that gave me the pen because they gave it to me.”

Some of the pens in the past have had novelty advertising features to help lure more students into the office.

One pen has a different line of words pop up every time you click it such as their name, the phone number for the office, the location of the office, their web address and the words, “We’re here for you!” w w w . P u y a l l u P P o s T . c o m

Alex Heldrich

New OSL pens: the write choice?

In the classroom, the professor’s real experiences aid students of the industry that they may enter. This increases the rigor because of the real world elements integrated into the activities in class, according to Moran. Moran also explained the exper ience of the program staff can be beneficial to those wanting connections or other resources.

The program was closed in 2006 because of the college’s inability to sustain the program due to lack of resources and returned in 2012 when college officials felt it’d generated enough interest.

Moran said he wants CIS to return to its previous size and increase the number of certificates and degrees currently off ered in order to increase the student learning potential. The program in 2006 offered 13 degree and certificate programs compared to the four offered currently.

Carmel Angevine, another CIS student, encourages students with an interest in computers and coding to look into the program.

“It’s like a puzzle,” Angevine said.

“I’ve gotten a newfound interest for coding and this class.”

Moran said that any students interested in the program can contact FerberChristensen at (253)-864-3193 for more information.

Getting scared about textbooks Chase Charaba Online and Social Media Manager

The many pens from the office of Student Life.

Another pen has a pullout scroll that has Pierce’s mission statement, vision, core values and themes on one side along with the phone numbers for each campus. The other side details some of Pierce’s statistics such as the number of students, number of employees, sources of funding and degree intents.

According to student and pen connoisseur Sydney Blankenship, the new metallic pens are most pleasing to the eye because they have a very professional look.

Blankenship dislikes the novelty pens because they can’t be taken seriously.

As far as writing goes, Blankenship favors the new pens and a past pen with a girthier grip because they write the smoothest with the best color and don’t “feather” or create “train tracks.” Feathering is when the ink bleeds because the nib of the pen is faulty, creating a small gap in the ink.

Blankenship said that the professional look and smooth writing of the new OSL pens is something that’d bring her into the office to get more.

“We really try to leave no stone unturned,” Cooke said. “We’re painting on windows and writing on sandwich boards, doing butcher paper displays, popcorn promotions and viral marketing, just anything that we can do to promote student interest and I think that these pens are part of leaving no stone unturned.”

The pens will live on in the pencil pouches of Pierce College students, whether the pens keep the OSL on student’s minds or not.

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The Office of Student Life no longer plans to bring horror stories to life this November. Student government’s campaign for more open educational resources at Pierce College Puyallup will continue without Textbook Horror Stories.

Textbook Horror Stories was an event where students would’ve been interviewed by OSL student leaders on video about textbooks they’ve purchased. The video “We figured it’s was to be filmed by Pubone thing to lic Relations Senator Scott Pellegrini to showhave an abstract case the results.

“We’re trying to make number, but a point about how much normal, traditional text- something else books cost,” Cole entirely to have Webb, Associated Students of Pierce College someone else’s Puyallup operations, face saying, ‘I said. “We figured it’s one thing to have an abstract spent $250 on a number, but something textbook that I else entirely to have used three someone else’s face saying, ‘I spent $250 on a chapters out of.” textbook that I used three chapters out of.’”

—Cole Webb The idea for the event arose from a meeting about open educational resources.

With Halloween in mind, the name Textbook Horror Stories was chosen.

Originally scheduled for Oct. 13, the event was postponed until Nov. 3 before ultimately being canceled Nov. 9.

The event was planned in conjunction with the student government-led rally about textbook prices and T-shirt Tuesdays, where every Tuesday student leaders will hand out free T-shirts for open educational resources.

Pellegrini planned to make a video each quarter of the school year with differing questions.

“Textbooks are really expensive,” Pellegrini said. “A lot of students aren’t really able to buy their textbooks, and this (would’ve shown) it.”

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Alex Heldrich Reporter

Alex Heldrich

Student and computer center assistant Laura Richardson had her artwork installed by facilities in the College Center computer center towards the end of October. The piece was commissioned by Richardson’s supervisor, Laura Bagley.

The piece is located on the far right wall of the computer center above the windows that separate the computer center from a small computer classroom. It’s a large work of art that Richardson hoped would catch people’s eye.

According to Richardson, she’s been creating art since she was a child but didn’t take it seriously until high school when she began taking art classes. She’s been pursuing it ever since.

Richardson usually draws on paper using ink but for this piece, she used acrylic paint on canvas. She describes her work as abstract and gave this piece a feel that’s organic.

“There are a lot of different, really weird shapes with lots of colorful designs in them and there’s one geometric shape that contains the colors from the entire palette,” Richardson said. “I tried to make the shapes look like there’s movement and life in them.”

Because the piece is abstract, there’s no correct way of interpreting it. Different people may see different things.

For student Sara Walker, Richards’s piece immediately made her think of biology.

“It kind of makes me think of sea life

and coral; I see a fishtail,” Walker said. “I like the multicolored pieces and I think it’s cool that it’s just so big.”

The shapes in the piece made Student Lab Assistant Alana Perez think of the ocean as well.

“I think of the ocean because of how bulbous everything is,” Perez said. “It looks like everything is moving in a liquid solution and I see things that look like bubbles.”

District Computer Labs Manager Kandee Nelson was also reminded of the ocean upon seeing Richardson’s piece.

“It reminds me of underwater with the fluidity and motion of it,” Nelson said. “I like the parts that she added that aren’t painted.”

Toward the bottom, there’s black cardstock and copper aluminum foil that Richardson cut into shapes and glued onto her painting to give it a three-dimensional texture.

“I cut out the shapes of the aluminum and cardstock while I watched TV and then glued them on one by one,” Richardson said.

It took Richardson three months to finish this piece during summer although she has no count of the exact hours or days it took.

“I pretty much just worked on it whenever I felt like it,” Richardson said.

This is her first piece permanently installed in a public space.

“It feels pretty good to have art of mine displayed,” Richardson said. “I was pretty nervous at first because it’s different, but I’m pretty happy about it now.”

Chanda Castillo standing next to her painting in the art gallery.

Pierce opens new art gallery

Chanda Castillo’s art featured on Puyallup campus Suzanne Buchholz Reporter

A new art exhibit opened Nov. 9 and will run through Dec. 11 in the Arts and Allied Health Building at Pierce College Puyallup.

The exhibit, titled “Rare and Beautiful Treasures,” features the artwork by Chanda Castillo, a self-taught artist who’s instructed Spanish and ESL classes at Pierce. This is Castillo’s first exhibit at the college.

The exhibit’s being organized by art gallery curator Elizabeth Sorensen, who’s been in contact with Castillo about the gallery for several years. Sorensen’s job involves scoping out artists for the gallery.

She does this by attending gallery openings and searching online portfolios, hand-picking every artist who’s featured in each exhibit at the gallery.

Sorensen was initially contacted by Castillo around 2006, when Castillo was a member of the now-defunct artist co-op Gallery Three in Puyallup. Castillo heard of the gallery through a Pierce student who was visiting Gallery Three, and immediately thought of getting in touch with the coordinator in an attempt to display her art at venues for others to see.

“I started contacting different galleries and art walks in Seattle to show my work

back in 2006 and had kind of been off and on,” Castillo said. “That’s sort of how I got here with this particular exhibit.”

Castillo has been interested in art ever since she was young and practiced it through high school. After her daughters were born, she started working part-time and spending more time at home, which lead to her to taking up painting as a hobby again. Her main mediums are acrylics and collage on canvas, which she said were easier to clean up and more child-friendly than other mediums.

Castillo’s older artwork focused on Mexican imagery and nature. The new pieces displayed in the gallery will focus on a different subject matter than her former pieces. Many of Castillo’s pieces feature floral themes with some religious aspects.

“It kind of shows a little bit of my own personal faith walk,” Castillo said. “A lot of my pieces have Biblical scriptures and (it’s) not that you would look at a piece and say, ‘Oh that’s Christian artwork,’ but I put scriptures in many of them.”

The gallery opened with an artist’s reception from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 12, open to Pierce students and the public.

Castillo was present to answer questions and talk about her art and experiences.

There was also refreshments and live instrumental music provided by pianist Phil Yates, who’s performed at several Pierce functions before.

“I’m really hoping people will stop by if they have any questions about my work,” Castillo said.

Lori Brock

photos by Suzanne Buchholz

New student artwork by Laura Richardson in College Center Computer Center.

Armani Jackson

New painting in computer center

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Pierce College goes

The all day whale watching trip was Oct. 24 to Anacortes.

The trip was planned

by Kylie Ada, wellness and outdoor coordinator.

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campuslife

Plenty of cool stuff at Pierce College Puyallup

Thomas Bungert: quadriplegic, veteran, student Lizzie Duke

Student, president of NWPVA, survivor and a soon to be graduate Lizzie Duke Reporter

Thomas Bungert, 48, will graduate from Pierce College this year after attending for eight years.

On Sept. 24, 1991, Bungert broke his neck in a car accident. He was 23 years old. Now, 25 years later, Bungert’s in a wheelchair, unable to move his arms or legs.

After two years of rehabilitation following his accident, all Bungert wanted to do was go to school. Disabled Vocational Rehab told him if he were to go to school, get his degree, get a job at $8 an hour and then pay his caregiver $7 an hour, he’d only be making $1 an hour. So, they said, what’s the point of going to school?

“All I wanted was the opportunity, a chance to go to college (and) get my degree,” Bungert said.

It wasn’t until about eight years ago that he started taking one class at a time.

Being quadriplegic, Bungert moves by pushing a lever-of-sorts with his chin, which mechanically moves his chair. To write and communicate over technology, he uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking, a voice recognition software.

For Bungert, having one class at Pierce College would be like anyone else taking three classes. He hires a note taker in his class and then takes the notes home to upload into his computer.

“Tom’s a very, very nice guy and I really do enjoy taking notes for him, and it’s actually nice talking to him outside of class, too,” Bungert’s note taker and student Kayla Maas said.

Often, especially in harder classes, Bungert takes home multiple people’s notes because people take notes on different sections, and then he mixes them all into one so he better can study the material.

Bungert said the staff members in Access and Disability Services do an outstanding job of helping students.

“They go out of their way to make it more accessible and really open the door for other people with disabilities

Thomas Bungert, 48, was injuried 25 years ago.

to attend college,” Bungert said.

Before his accident, Bungert served in the Navy for three years active duty on the carrier USS Constellation CV-64 and then five years active reserve. Two years into the reserves, right after Bungert finished his service, he broke his neck.

Bungert never intended to join but a deep love for aircraft carriers led him to the Navy in 1986. One day while walking to work, he passed a recruiting office and stopped inside to look at photos of the ships and watch multiple videos.

When a recruiting officer noticed his interest, he encouraged him to join. Bungert agreed to go in exchange for the guarantee that he’d be working on the aircraft carriers and working on flight deck.

“You gotta be careful what you pray for because the good Lord has a sense of humor,” Bungert said.

At one point in the Navy, Bungert was in the Indian Ocean, working 18 hours on the flight deck, eight hours off and back on for 18. It was 100 degrees with no wind. He was right below the flight deck. His body was soaking with sweat as he watched what was happening above from a little TV. “Lord, it would be so nice if I could just sit back, get paid and watch TV,” Bungert said.

A year after breaking his neck, he was laying in bed, he had every TV channel he could think of, all the time in the world and he was paid Social Security.

“Lord, I was thinking more like lott(ery),” Bungert said.

Then he laughed. “Well, you have to play lotto to win lotto.

I never play lotto.”

Besides attending college, Bungert an active member of Northwest Paralyzed Veterans Of America. He worked his way up from being a board member to now being president of NWPVA. As president, Bungert’s in charge of membership, listening to members’ needs and advocation on behalf of veterans. He also gets veterans involved in sports because, he said, if someone gets involved in sports, they’re more likely to be active in life.

“Our main priority is our veterans and how they’re cared for,” Bungert said.

He also has an outreach program that extended it’s services to Kenya, Africa. After a clothing company donated $9,000 of clothing, the main item program organizers needed were pill containers. Bungert helped and now more than 2,000 pill containers are ready to be sent to Kenya.

Bungert does lots of traveling for his job, covering Alaska, Washington, Idaho and Montana. He also spends time in Washington, D.C. So, when choosing his classes, Bungert takes into account how much he’ll travel. Even with this, he’s committed to keeping his grade point average high.

After being in the hospital Nov. 10 - April 10 for three quarters last year, Bungert went to his new case manager to check his GPA. His case manager was hoping it’d be above 2.5 and was surprised when she found his GPA was 3.78.

If Bungert had graduated on time, last year, he would have had a job waiting at National VBA in Washington, D.C. where he travels back and forth.

“It’s actually still waiting for me,” Bungert said. “They have a position waiting to see if I’ll accept. I’m thinking about it.”

Since his wife works at home, she can work anywhere in the world as long as she works Orlando time 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., which makes Bungert’s decision easier.

He met his wife in 1998 in Pittsburgh at the National Veteran Wheelchair Games. Bungert was in his chair, with it leaned back so far he was lying down, while smoking a cigarette. She was a nurse from England, and had never seen someone with a wheelchair that could lay flat.

His wife now tells people she met her husband after she “bummed a fag from him.”

courtesy of Julia Woodworth

Students celebrate goals at American Honors Dream Big Dinner Amber Gilliland Senior Reporter

American Honors students had the opportunity to focus on their goals at the annual Dream Big Dinner.

The event was held on Oct. 28. in the Multi-purpose Room in the College Center at Pierce College Puyallup and included students from the Fort Steilacoom campus. A total of 41 students and 10 faculty members attended the event.

The dinner gave students a chance to gather together and discuss their future plans. To get acquainted with one another, the American Honors advisers decided to have students talk amongst their table groups.

Students discussed their goals and got to know each other. Each student then stood up and gave a toast describing their future plans with the group.

Some of the goals included curing cancer, being an engineer and being a nurse. Some students expressed interest in potential transfer schools.

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A group of 41 American Honors members attended this year’s Dream Big Dinner.

College student Robbie Dean was chosen to be the keynote speaker for the event.

“We’ve had other events where we had Pierce students speak, but since he happened to be in the area and had some great stories he wanted to share, we thought we’d invite him back since he’s an alumni (of American Honors),” Julia

Woodworth, admissions counselor for American Honors, said.

Dean discussed his experience with American Honors and college. He mentioned how goals can be scary, but are each achievable and doesn’t seem as intimidating once accomplished.

During the dinner, the You Rock Award was given to Maria DelaPaz, an

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adviser for American Honors. She was recognized for her hard work and dedication to the American Honors Program.

“We are so proud of Maria,” Woodworth said.

Putting the dinner together was relatively easy according to Melisa Ziegler, American Honors program director. The American Honors team had most of the structural pieces already laid out, such as how many students were in the program. The hard part, she said, was getting students to attend. The dinner was scheduled during a week when many students had midterms, so spare time may have been hard to come by, Ziegler said.

Ziegler said she hoped that the dinner would provide American Honors students with a stronger sense of identity to the program and the American Honors Community. She also hoped students would be able to refocus on their goals.

“I hope students leave feeling more inspired than when they walked in,” Ziegler said.

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Statewide drought dries up will to live

shoutout Andrea Mendoza

Washington suffers severe drought due to low precipitation, snowpack Armani Jackson Managing Editor

Washington, the Evergreen State renowned for its rain, is still in extreme to severe drought in 68 percent of the state, primarily east of the Cascades. This declaration will run through the end of 2015. As winter progresses, the level of snowpack and precipitation will give a better indication of how long Washington will be in drought mode, according to Washington’s Department of Ecology.

“The drought largely started due to a lack of snowpack in our mountains across the state,” Chase Gallagher, communications manager at Washington’s Department of Ecology, said. “Last winter, we received about the normal amount of precipitation, but temperatures were much warmer, so that precipitation fell as rain instead of snow. The low snowpack was then met with hot, dry weather throughout May and June across the state, worsening an already bad situation.”

Precipitation levels factor into how an area is ranked on the drought scale. Regions are given a rating between D0 to D4. D0 is abnormally dry, D1 is a moderate drought, D2 is severe, D3 is extreme and D4 is exceptional. The water received from rainfall helps the flow of streams and rivers along with the refill of reservoirs. Winter snow builds the snowpack on mountains which aids in the flow of streams during the spring and summer seasons, according to Gallagher.

Due to the lack of water, climatologists, people who study climates, predict a strong El Niño weather pattern during the winter. El Niño is a cycle which begins when “warm water in the western tropical Pacific Ocean shift eastward along the equator toward the coast of South America,” according to livescience.com. During this pattern, the ocean’s warmest surface water is off the coast of northwestern South America.

This means that Washington’s winter will more than likely be warmer than normal. To avoid a second year of severe drought, water experts say that a normal level of snowpack is needed.

“We saw record low flows in many rivers and streams across Washington this summer, which stranded fish and strained fish populations,” Gallagher said.

“Farmers had far less water than normal for their

“We saw record low flows in many rivers and streams across Washington this summer, which stranded fish and strained fish populations. farmers had far less water than normal for their crops, which led to crop loss and smaller fruit.”

—Chase Gallagher

crops, which led to crop loss and smaller fruit.”

Tom Bush, professor and department coordinator of earth and space sciences at Pierce College Puyallup, believes the effects of the drought are dwindling as the seasons change.

“The two reservoirs that we depend on should be refilling a bit with the rain,” Bush said. “Also, there is a decreased demand, since the rains are watering our lawns. Some of the water supplied by users of Tacoma Water comes from wells that supplement surface water from reservoirs with ground water. The rains should be helping to start the groundwater recharge process.”

Student Pete Fisher said the dry summer eased his lawn care. All of his grass turned brown and he only had to mow it three times. Combining what he saw from the drought and his knowledge from a science class taken last year at Pierce, Fisher noted the importance of precipitation, rainfall and snow.

“I didn’t realize how much snowpack and rain affects the way we survive,” Fisher said.

To assist those impacted, the Department of Ecology headed a drought relief grant program. It provided help across Washington for farms, fish and water. One of the programs administered was reverse auctions for water leasing. Farmers could receive financial support to compensate for crop loss and saving irrigation water.

What does Veterans Day mean to you?

Bella Pat:

“It means a lot to me because my uncle served in the war. He’s passed away now, and I had a really close relationship with him. We take a moment to go visit his grave, so that’s something we do every Veterans Day.”

Celeste Jessop: “It reminds

me of my grandpa’s, uncle and dad because they’ve all served in the Navy, Army and Air Force. We just kind of say thank you.”

Cassie Fruin:

“It means that the veterans get to be free and they just get to have a time to reflect on everything that they did. I just remember all the veterans.”

Jeremiah Crozier: “(It’s) a day that we give thanks to the people who served our country. I hang out with my grandfather and my uncle who are both veterans.”

Mason Heath:

“(Veterans Day is) when you give thanks to the people that serve our country. Both my grandpa’s served. I hang out with them.”

Caylie Edlund:

“It means appreciating the people who gave up things for us. If I notice anyone who is wearing a uniform of any kind I say thank you.”

Kyla Ewing:

“It means recognizing that they’re people that died for us that give up pretty much their whole life to keep everyone safe.”

Lauren Beck: “My dad is in the

Army, but he just takes the day like a day off. So we don’t really do anything.”

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firstlooK

We test the waters so you don’t have to

moviereview

musicreview Hannah Pederson

The Martian Director or Distributor

After Matt Damon’s role in Interstellar, I expected The Martian to be “Matt Damon Gets Ditched in Space: The Sequel.” What I got was an unexpected and refreshing comedy/thriller.

Looking at the cast, I should’ve seen it coming.

This film features some of the biggest names in comedy: Kristen Wiig (SNL), Jeff Daniels (Dumb and Dumber), Donald Glover cast: Matt Damon, ( C o m m u n i t y / Jessica Chastain, Childish Gambi- Kristen Wiig, Jeff no), and the rising Daniels, Michael Peña star featured in Ant-Man: Michael rated: PG-13; Injury Peña.

Images, Brief Nudity The film takes and Some Strong place in our solar Language system in the 2030s, in a universe where NASA actually has the funding to man multiple missions to Mars. The plot centers around the Aries III mission, opening on the crew taking soil samples in a picturesque Mars landscape. Mark Watney (Damon) is introduced as a quick-witted, sarcastic botanist, the “that guy” of the six member team. The team is led by Captain Lewis (Jessica Chastain), the saviour of all humanity and heart wrenching space nerd from Interstellar.

The peaceful scene comes crashing down when a massive storm threatens to wipe out the crew’s only way off the alien planet, and the crew is forced to abandon Watney, who got himself knocked out by debris because he thought he knew better.

Everyone on Earth (and on the way there) thought he was dead, but of course Watney survived with only a piece of antenna in his abdomen to show for it. He makes it back to the “Hub” (the base for the Aries III mission) and earns the movie a mild gore warning when he performs surgery on himself, without anesthetic.

Campus events calendar

With no way to contact NASA and a food supply that won’t last him until the Aries IV mission arrives, Watney is forced to use his botany background to grow food on a sterile planet. So he does, which was hilarious. It was like an episode of Bill Nye, but with better resolution, and everything else.

Eventually, NASA officials figure out he’s not dead, only after announcing to the entire world that he was long gone, of course.

“I’m sorry, but you have not thought this through. I mean, what are we gonna say, ‘Dear America, remember that astronaut we killed and had a really nice funeral for? Turns out he’s alive and we left him on Mars, our bad. Sincerely, NASA,’ said NASA HR head Annie Montrose (Kristin Wiig).

NASA Director Teddy Sanders (Daniels) makes the controversial decision not to tell the crew and decides to make every effort to establish contact to bring him home. What follows is a lot of suspense, a major amount of science, an alliance with China (of all global superpowers), some nerds and a little mutiny.

We all know how it ends because it’s an exemplary piece of American cinema, but my adrenaline was pumping nonetheless.

It differed from other, more recent space exploration movies, but it did embrace some recognizable tropes.

Explaining complex scientific theories with condiments, astrodynamic maneuvers with office supplies and at least 10 minutes of footage panning out over the expanse of space.

The writers knew how to pander to their demographic, naming the Secret Mission after the stately elven Lord Elrond, which elicited tears from this reporter who bemoans the death of that franchise.

Overall, this film was an unexpected hit, maintaining my interest throughout, while detailing political and ethical scenarios that could be in the near future. It explored the concept of true loneliness, totalitarianism and the sickly sweet and oh-so familiar theme of hope, flecked with witty banter and golden oneliners.

I give it:

HHHHH

Alex Heldrich Demo by G.L.O.S.S. G.L.O.S.S

My first experience with G.L.O.S.S. was last April at the small, cramped, addressless venue called Black Lodge in Seattle. I had no idea what to expect, but upon hearing them I was blown away and they quickly became one of my favorite bands.

G.L.O.S.S., which stands for “Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit” is a hardcore punk band from Olympia, Wash. Their songs focus heavily on queer and feminist issues, specifically transmisogyny as lead singer Sadie Smith is a transgender woman. The four other members in the band are Corey Evans, Jake Bison, Tannrr Hainsworth and Julaya Antolin.

The band released its first demo Jan. 16, 2015 on the music website bandcamp.com, which was composed of five songs. Since then, G.L.O.S.S. has caught the attention of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning; feminist and hardcore communities with their rapidly growing fanbase.

The song G.L.O.S.S. (We’re From the Future) opens the album and sets the tone for what’s to come in the next four songs. The song starts with microphone feedback sound effects followed by a passion-filled spoken, or screamed, introduction by Smith about society’s treatment of transgender women.

The bass, guitar and drums enter with deep strokes that makes the listeners want to stand up and dance along to the beat. Smith continues to preach about how “outcasts” like herself are the future of society.

Masculine Artifice is the next song on the album. It begins with a fast head-banging rhythm. In this song, Smith sends a message of encouragement to transgender women and other gender-variant people to be themselves despite society’s pressure to uphold a certain acceptable appearance.

The next song, my personal favorite, is Outcast Stomp. The bass and guitar line will immediately draws listeners in with their aggressive, catchy and unique rhythm.

Unlike the rest that have a heavy focus on

Nov.23 Former student registration begins for winter quarter

Dec. 8- Finals, Pierce College concert band performance 7:30 p.m.

Puyallup campus AAH 100

Nov.24 New student registration begins

Dec. 9 - Finals, National Pastry Day Dec.10 RPD day,

Nov.26-27 Thanksgiving holiday, no classes

Dec.11 Last day to apply for Pierce College June graduation

Dec.1-Jan 31 Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Dec.2 Last day of instruction for WAOL online courses Dec.3 Last day of instruction for fall classes Dec.4 Combined choirs selection from Handel’s Messiah Dec.5 Festival of Trees, Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center Dec.6 Pierce College orchestra concert 7:30 p.m. Puyallup AAH 100

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Dec.12 Santa runs in downtown Tacoma Dec.13 International Children’s Day Dec.14 Grades due by 11 p.m.

Dec.15 Grades on student transcripts

Dec.4 RPD day

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Dec.7 Finals, Pearl Harbor Day

Dec.1 World AIDS Awareness Day

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I give it:

Nov.19 So You Wanna Learn How to Dance 1-3 p.m. in H206.

Nov.25 RPD day - No classes

Compiled by Amber Gilliland

transgender issues, this song is an anthem for all people who have ever felt like an outcast because of sexual orientation, gender or mental illness. It draws in anybody who has ever felt like less of a person because of their identity and reassures them that they’re not alone and not to let this defeat them.

The fourth song, Lined Lips and Spiked Bats refocuses the theme back to transgender issues. The beginning of the song has a funky and fast-changing instrumental intro that’s almost confusing. This song is almost a narrative about Smith and how she rejected other’s desires for her “to be a man” and “to be one of them.” She moves on to talk about the need for solidarity between women and taking femininity back.

The song Targets of Men concludes the album. While Smith mentions her experiences as a transgender woman and reclaims transphobic slurs that have hatefully been spat at her. This song is relatable for any woman who has endured sexual harassment.

This song is aggressive and a slap in the face to a man guilty of objectifying and harassing women. Smith preaches how she dresses for herself and defends herself from any man ignoring her rejection of his advances.

While G.L.O.S.S. focuses heavily on the issues that transgender women face, this band is for all types of people. There’s emotion and passion in every song that can inspire anyone.

At every show before playing, Smith makes an announcement to the crowd that the intimidating cishet white men that typically occupy the front are to go to the back so that the people who never get to “pit” such as women, transgender, queer folk and people of color can safely have that experience. Issues like this are so important to small women like myself who are always afraid to get near the pit at punk shows.

This band carries with them a rare sense of community among their fans. Someone can be standing next to a complete stranger at a G.L.O.S.S. show yet feel safe and connected with them because the individual knows they also carry with them an identity that makes them feel like an “outcast.”

G.L.O.S.S. is inclusive, inspiring and progressive. I encourage everyone to give this band a try.

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Dec.16 National Chocolate Covered Anything Day Dec.18 Bake Cookies Day Dec.25 Christmas Dec.28-29 Compass testing available T h e

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Hannah Pederson

Why is recording studio Pierce College Puyallup’s best kept secret?

Hannah Pederson Reporter

Walking up the staircase to the second floor of the Arts and Allied Health Building, everything seems eerily still.

There’s no hustle, there’s no bustle. It feels like the eye of a hurricane.

If a student is adventurous enough to keep going, heading down the pristine music hallway, they might notice an unimposing gray door bearing the label “Recording Studio.”

Besides the door, two security cameras and several limited access key cards protect a collection of sound engineering equipment to rival any dragon’s hoard. The studio’s divided into two main rooms, the control room and the actual recording studio, separated by a gargantuan glass window.

Going into the recording studio proper, a stately grand piano that just barely fit through the door takes center stage, surrounded by microphones, stands and all the other basic necessities. Just after finishing taking in the intimidatingly laid back atmosphere, an attentive listener would start to notice the off-putting lack of sound. This is due to the huge cloth panels attached to the walls, the diffusion tiles covering the ceiling and the cloth carpet underfoot. This produces an effective “dead sound” studio, where someone can hear themselves breathe.

As if that weren’t enough, there are two “isolation rooms” which are reminiscent of the solitary confinement cells in every low-budget asylum horror film. The isolation rooms have no parallel lines, so it looks and feels like living in Picasso’s cubism period. Even the windows looking into the main room are tilted. These mini rooms are mostly for overzealous percussionists and other instruments that could overpower the main sound.

The control room is a refreshing change. The temperature is kept chilly to optimize the performance of the equipment, like a server room. The modestly sized and low-lit space sports sparse decoration, and it doesn’t need any. The eye of any visitor is instantly drawn to the ginormous panel boasting many pretty lights and tempting buttons, dials, and faders. The room could easily picture Lieutenant Uhura notifying Captain Kirk of some incredibly import incoming transmission.

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The sound board in the recording studio.

Facing opposite of the seemingly complex sound board is a row of comparatively simple pieces of boxy equipment.

Jim Butler’s the de facto overlord of this realm of complex and finicky machinery. He’s been in the sound engineering industry for 40 years now, and boasts a 15-year career touring with The Strypes (not the Irish band) as their sound engineer. He’s been with Pierce College for 14 years now as “media engineer” but his background in the industry influences how the studio turned out.

“I can tell you everything that’s in this studio, because I put it all in here,” Butler said.

Butler can explain how any piece of equipment in the control room works and why it’s essential, but when asked what piece of equipment he was most proud of, it wasn’t the flashy control board.

“The control board is basically a glorified mouse,” Butler said.

Instead, he chose the confusingly simple black box stamped with the Tektronix logo, the LA Two. This piece of analog equipment has been around since the sixties and is still relevant today, something Butler said was monumental.

It reduces the dynamic range of the audio signal, creating an iconic and signature sound.

Besides being in charge of the recording studio, Butler teaches Audio Production I (MUSC 107), a course that covers the basics of live and recorded sound. Butler’s students have access to the recording studio, something few other stu-

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dents at Pierce are able to boast.

There are two ways to gain entry to the recording studio, currently: enroll in Butler’s course or volunteer as a test subject for MUSC 107 students. Such restricted access may seem extreme, but Butler’s explanation makes the precarious situation clear.

Butler prefers that his students have first priority primarily because they receive extra credit for coming in and engineering, but also because they have exposure to the equipment and he said that the chances are lower of them breaking it. Someone who has a small home studio and comes in to the control room thinking they know how to properly operate the equipment can wreak some serious havoc.

The two recording studio facilitators, Cody Kissner and Brett Connelly, supervise when a student’s at the controls, making sure the equipment is being used properly and put back where it belongs. However, facilitators are only funded on a year to year basis, so when they’re not there, no one’s there.

Butler abhors the idea of renting out the studio, as not only does it put the equipment at risk but presents a complicated ethical situation.

The studio’s owned and operated by a state college, and using state property for profit is illegal.

“I think I could probably have a fairly decent argument as to why we wouldn’t open (the recording studio) to the market as a rental,” Butler said.

Even if the state agreed to let the college rent it, the process of finding a fair hourly rental fee, ensuring the safety of the equipment and making sure third parties don’t monopolize the available studio time would be more painful than it’s worth, according to Butler.

Instead, Butler’s trying to orchestrate a booking system for Pierce students to reserve time slots for the studio, free of charge. Not just his students, but any student who wants to record or edit a track or two.

The system would be based in Canvas, providing a calendar with the dates that facilitators are available. Students hoping to land a slot would have to sign a release form, and there would have to be some sort of policy in place to avoid overbooking, but Butler hopes to provide the sound engineering experience to any student who wants to try it.

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Meet Pierce’s new student ambassadors Katie Fenton Online reporter

They sit quietly and attentively behind the large desk in the Department of Student Success, assisting the long line of students who wait to ask questions about registration and schedule appointments with their advisers.

According to the student ambassador application for 2013-2014, “student ambassadors help students adapt

to college life, use Student Online Services and utilize support services.”

Student ambassadors work together in shifts so that there’s always a team member manning the front desk to answer questions about the college, advising, registration and information about Wi-Fi passwords.

Pierce College Puyallup’s new student ambassador team consists of five students: Athena Frey, Micah Pettersen, Ronda Apfel, Vekissa Drake and Bailey Shippy.

Ronda Apfel:

Micah Pettersen:

Athena Frey:

Beginning her second year as a student ambassador and the team’s leader, Ronda Apfel is passionate about getting people excited.

“I’m an educational cheerleader,” Apfel said. “I love helping people and wanted to help make things better for incoming students.”

While Apfel hasn’t had any troubles with her college experience, she said her goals are to help as many people as she can and make their days better.

She hopes that more people utilize the free resources provided by the college and student success department. The tutoring center, writing center, computer labs and the Office of Student Life are all available to students free of charge.

Apfel also said student ambassadors are trying to get more involved on campus.

“We’ve helped out with Welcome Days (and) with student body,” Apfel said. “Last quarter we gave out info sessions about student ambassadors, letting them know what we do, what we stand for and encouraging other students to sign up.”

Micah Pettersen became a student ambassador to promote overall student success and expand his social horizons.

“Before I applied, I was very uncomfortable with talking to people,” Pettersen said. “Getting to know everyone just kind of got me more open (and) that helped me talk to students.”

Pettersen was also inspired to join the student ambassador team because his mom, Running Start Adviser Jayna Pettersen, encouraged him to apply for a position at the college.

As a student ambassador, Pettersen said students come in with questions that should be answered in the emails they receive from the college.

Pettersen encourages students to check their student email accounts and if they have any questions, student ambassadors can help.

Athena Frey is a Running Start student who wanted to take on the challenge of becoming a student ambassador.

Frey defined her role as a way to help students get the most out of their learning experience, whether they’re coming straight out of high school or after taking a few years off.

“I want to feel good knowing that I’ve helped people to the best of my ability,” Frey said. “I want to make sure I’m not just helping people while I’m in the office, but when I’m out there (on campus).”

Frey said many students don’t know about Pierce’s student ambassadors because it’s a newer program, the third year in existence. Some students don’t understand the extent of resources offered by the Department of Student Success.

“I don’t think a lot of people know about the student ambassadors and what they do,” Frey said. “We give tours, call people to remind them about their appointments and take care of anything (students) don’t need an appointment for. It’s our job to help you.”

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Vekissa Drake:

Bailey Shippy:

When she first came to Pierce College Puyallup, Vekissa Drake felt like her needs weren’t being met. After failing a quarter, she didn’t know where to begin.

“I’m of an older generation,” Drake said. “I was intimidated of walking into the student success (department) and asking questions. I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could go to.”

Drake, a first-year student ambassador who also works in the computer center at the Puyallup campus, didn’t want others to share her experience.

“I told myself if I ever got a chance to work in this office, I’m going to be welcoming,” Drake said. “I wanted to enhance the students’ experiences as best as possible. I asked myself, ‘What can I do so that the next person doesn’t feel defeated?’ That’s been my focus ever since.”

Drake said she wants to improve the sense of community at Pierce and hopes to promote obtaining a higher education.

“I want to be a permanent part of the community,” Drake said. “I want to work within the Puyallup School District to boost African American involvement in college. I think it’s vital that we go beyond high school.”

Drake also works with the Boys & Girls Club of America and is the vice president of the Black Student Union at the Puyallup campus.

Bailey Shippy, who’s enrolled in her second year at Pierce College, wanted to become a student ambassador after having an experience similar to Drake’s.

“I never had anyone to help me until one day I actually had an emotional breakdown sitting outside,” Shippy said. “A student ambassador came up to me (and helped me). I wanted to be that person.”

Shippy said she tries to be as friendly as possible and simply enjoys helping other people.

“I like seeing the joy on students’ faces when they have their a-ha moment,” Shippy said.

Shippy also explained that a lot of misconceptions about college seem to stem from high school. She said students come to college expecting to have five hours of homework each night and possibly failing their courses. “(High schools) say college is going to be so hard and you’re not going to be able to do it all, but we offer resources,” Shippy said. “We offer tutoring and we’re still students too. If you ever need help, please come to us.”

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‘Slavery Is NOT Over’ brings awareness to Pierce CJ Robinson

Documentary, discussion gives students chance to voice their opinions on modern day slavery

CJ Robinson Reporter

The Office of Student Life hosted a viewing and open discussion for a short film about modern day slavery Oct. 20 in Multi-Purpose Room A at the Puyallup Campus.

More than 50 people attended the viewing of Nike Sweatshops: Behind the Swoosh where topics such as fair wages, factory conditions, outsourced companies and consumer responsibility were discussed.

Daniel Suh, assistant professor of sociology, moderated the discussion by giving insight and leading questions to guide those in attendance.

“There was definitely some awareness brought about,” Suh said. “The idea that consumers today are complicit in what’s happening was very interesting.”

The video covers a multitude of issues relating to modern day slavery and conditions of low-wage workers in foreign countries. A discussion afterward gave students the ability to voice their opinions regarding the ideas shown in the 20minute documentary.

“It got everybody thinking about how we can actually make a change in the bigger picture,” student Kaytii Helland, who attended the event, said.

One topic debated at length was that of whether or not the American public was complicit in these issues or could actu-

Students participate in discussion surrounding sweatshops in foreign countries.

ally achieve change in the working conditions of these laborers.

Many students were vocal about the changes that could possibly occur. More specifically, the discussion focused on the impact students of Pierce College could enact with their own choices. Such topics included buying products from Nike or Apple, comparing American standards to those of other countries and if the consumers themselves were the ones at fault.

According to Emmalee Chamberlain, social issues and awareness coordinator of the OSL, the purpose of this event

was to make people conscious of issues in other countries and how others may be able to make a difference.

Suh said that students were very passionate about the subjects they talked about, but he added that more preparation and research would’ve helped students bring more evidence-based learning and discussion.

For more information about upcoming student life events, students can see the Pierce College student events calendar at www.pierce.ctc.edu/calendar/main.php or through Chamberlain at (253)-912-2399 ext 8727 or EChamberlain @pierce.ctc.edu

Young Americans for Freedom: Bridging the gap between Who are they and what do they want? education and sustenance Hannah Pederson

willing to fight for what’s right, according to Low. Currently the club is comThe name “Young Americans for prised of the chair, co-chair, two full Freedom” leaves lots of room for inter- time members and 12 prospective mempretation. The Facebook page for the bers.

Low joined Young Americans for Pierce College chapter of the club defines their objective as ‘promoting Freedom after Hensler spoke with her and strengthening conservative values about how she could make a at Pierce College,’ which so far they’ve difference.

“At first I didn’t really want to get demonstrated by erecting a temporary 9/11 memorial at Pioneer Park in down- involved (with politics) because I thought that they were super corrupt, town Puyallup. and what could one perIt was part of the son do on such a small umbrella organizabut Emily tion’s, Young Ameri- “The core values of scale, Hensler showed me that ca’s Foundation, the club are free a lot of people fighting attempt to formally pay respects to those enterprise, a strong for one thing can make a change,” Low said. lives lost during the national defense The core values of attacks. the club are free enter“(The 9/11 event) and individual prise, a strong national was to honor the lives freedoms, but the defense and individual that were lost and freedoms, but the main promote awareness main focus has focus has always been amongst community students members,” Meghan always been getting getting involved and active in Low, the club’s costudents involved politics. chair, said.

“One of our greatest and active in The organization goals is to promote critwas founded in 1969 politics.” ical thinking about at Vanderbilt Univermodern policy amongst sity in Tennessee to “provide students with conservative students,” Low said.

The club tried to coordinate a visit to ideas that were missing in their educations” and has grown to a national scale. the Washington Soldiers Home in OrtThe Pierce College chapter was ing on Veterans Day to speak with the established last year by alum Emily veterans and show appreciation.

Looking into the future, Low hopes Hensler to promote student involvement and activism in the political arena, to bring in one or two speakers to proaccording to Low. Hensler has since mote student activism, and plans to have gone on to study at Liberty University bi-weekly meetings in one of the conin Virginia, leaving management of the ference rooms in the Brouillet Library/Science Building. club to current chair Madison Lucas.

Students can contact chair Madison So far this year, the club has been focusing on growing its membership, Lucas at (253)-973-5072, and co-chair looking for students who don’t always Meghan Low at (253)-389-5891. accept everything at face value and are Reporter

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Armani Jackson Managing Editor

This November, Associated Students of Pierce College Puyallup Student Government is creating a food pantry allowing homeless and low-income students to have access to free food. It’ll be set up in the Connection Café, next to the microwave, in the College Center.

The idea arose after student leaders heard about it at the Washington Community and Technical College Student Association training. It’s inspired by the College and University Food Bank Alliance. CUFBA is an organization whose purpose is supporting the execution of school food banks and pantries that will help the student body, according to their website.

Student government hasn’t partnered with this organization, so the concept will be self-sustaining.

“We realize there’s a large homeless population at this school,” Emma Embleton, clubs senator, said. “We don’t want any of our students to have to choose between an education and a meal, though we know it happens on a regular basis. The purpose of the food pantry is to be the first step in eliminating that choice.”

ASPCP President RoxAnne Simon and Embleton hope the start of this pantry will alleviate students’ choices. It’s intended to eliminate the decision between education and food.

The pantry’s stock will be supplied through donations. To encourage the process, student government will host food drives throughout the year. The details aren’t finalized, but the concept’s in the works.

Pierce students are invited to donate food even when there isn’t a collection happening. Student government is looking into having local Puyallup businesses donate to the pantry as well.

“The food pantry isn’t going to be monitored or restricted,” Embleton said. “Stu-

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“Students are able to take supplies as needed. We hope that this will encourage students to confidently be able to take what they need, without the embarrassing hassle of having to explain to someone why they need to use the food pantry.”

—Emma Embleton

dents are able to take supplies as needed. We hope that this will encourage students to confidently be able to take what they need, without the embarrassing hassle of having to explain to someone why they need to use the food pantry.”

Students can donate any non-perishable items to the cabinet. This includes cans, boxed meals, crackers, ramen noodles and anything that has a long shelf-life. This is so those students who are in need of a meal can have access to one. Simon said it’s important for Pierce students to know that student government feels this is an issue of real concern.

“We want students to know that we feel it’s important to help with a basic need that will take away a little bit of worry so that they can concentrate on school,” Simon said. “Sometimes one meal, or knowing where you can get one meal, can make all the difference in how you feel about yourself or what you can accomplish.”

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The reality of student loans Nicole Baker Contributing Writer

As the cost of college increases, many graduates are discovering how much their loans really cost.

These students often rely on loans along with other forms of aid, but those who chose loans to pay their tuition and other expenses are often faced with the requirement of paying them back.

“I have friends, I am in my 50s, who are still paying back student loans,” said Linda Westpfahl, who decided that she didn’t want the burden of loans later in life, so never took one.

For other students though, loans are a popular way to pay for college. Yet, the fear of being in debt becomes more real as 71 percent of college graduates are thousands in debt before they even find employment, according to a study by The Institute for College Access and Success. High interest rates on those loans only make things difficult as many realize they could spend the rest of their lives paying back their loans.

The majority of students and graduates agree that college is worth it, and they appreciate a loan letting them obtain higher education.

“I wouldn’t have the job I have today without the loan,” Kevin Mensonides, principal of Aylen Junior High said. “It is a necessary evil,” Graduates and financial aid advisers all stress how important it is for students to never borrow too much and know exactly how much they need before they take the loan.

“I knew what I needed and I knew I would get a job,” Carlee Oliver, a speech therapist, said. “I took the loan to pay for living expenses.”

According to a study measuring the correlation between different types of financial aid and academic

“I knew what I needed and I knew I would get a job. I took the loan to pay for living expenses.”

—Carlee Oliver

performance, students with more loans actually worked harder in school. The perceived reason is that the students have more of an incentive to get better grades because, on average, better grades equal higher future pay.

“You are more motivated when you pay for school yourself,” Mensonisdes said.

The majority of loan takers are fully aware of the consequences. Not being able to default on them and knowing the longer it takes students to pay them back, the more money they will owe.

“I owe hundreds of dollars more than I did originally,” said English teacher Kate Billings about her first year of debt repayment.

The high interest rates and initially large sums sneak up on students. Many make a payment plan, but even then the average graduate doesn’t make enough money to payback what they owe.

“They give you 10 (years) to pay back. The average is seven, but many stretch it out 30 years,” said Teresa Buchmann in the college’s financial aid office about government loans.

The reason students take loans, or choose not to

take loans, differ from person to person. Some students don’t want to work through school, so they take out a loan to pay for living expenses and school. Others have no interest in debt so they work full time and go to school to avoid loans.

Linda Westpfahl chose not to take any loans through her school years and worked jobs as a secretary, florist and other odd jobs all while attending school full time.

Taking breaks between some semesters in order to pay for school.

The Pacific Lutheran University graduate says that hard work was well worth it.

“I can afford to take a year off because I don’t have the responsibility of paying back debt,” Westpfahl said.

While many would like to be in this boat, many chose the route of a loan and are faced with paying back in their post-graduate years. Though having debt is not necessarily an uncommon thing in today’s society, being in debt for something that many assume will boost their financial situation doesn’t sit right with many American who have debt.

Student loans are not the same as other loans (like those you may take for a house or car) but they do have some similarities. Like interest.

“That’s the problem,” Billings said, “Banks should consider that you are a student and lower the interest rates.”

Regardless, college is a great opportunity that opens the door to employment and even with its consequences graduates are happy to have their job an experience.

“I suggest you pay them back before you get to comfortable with the idea of having money,” Billings said.

Bring completed word search to room C218 by Dec. 4 for a small prize.

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raidersports

Athletics and activities of Pierce College Puyallup Andrea Mendoza

Having a ball at Pierce Suzanne Buchholz Reporter

Soccer teams close to regionals Andrea Mendoza Reporter

courtesy Pierce College Athletics

courtesy Pierce College Athletics

With their team having three wins, six losses and three ties, the men’s soccer team isn’t able to go to the regional playoffs since they lost to Highline Community college 6-0 on Oct. 24.

Luke Helling-Christy, head coach for both women’s and men’s soccer, said the men’s team performs better on turf, giving Highline the advantage on grass that day. The team has improved drastically and is prepared for the next match, according to Helling-Christy.

So far this season, the women’s soccer team has had six wins, eight losses and two ties. The women’s soccer started the season with the team’s first win against Chemeketa Community College in Eugene, Ore. 4-2. But the team’s loss against Highline Community College 0-3 on Oct. 7 made the opportunity to go to regionals more difficult.

According to Helling-Christy, the men have been helping the women’s soccer team since its birth three years

ago. Helling-Christy’s goal for both soccer teams is to be “a constant playoff team.”

Being the most valued defender by the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Helling-Christy has high expectations for the teams, especially the defense.

“If we have aggressive defense but no product from the striker, then all we get is ties, and ties don’t get us enough points,” Helling-Christy said.

According to Helling-Christy, Highline is the biggest competitor for the men’s and women’s teams. The reining Northwest Athletic Conference champions have beaten both teams twice so far this season.

“The losses to Highline were acceptable,” HellingChristy said. “We just didn’t know what happened.”

Looking at statistics and plays from the other community college competitors is how both teams prepare for a game; but the coaches can’t control how the other team is going to play, Helling-Christy said.

Next season, the women’s team members are hopeful in recruiting more players. The teams have players from all over Washington and some from out of state. Competitors such as Highline and Tacoma community colleges have more women try out for their team, making them have many replacements for their team.

At Pierce College, the women Raiders don’t have enough athletes to replace the players, as some get injured.

As for the men’s team, they have about 50 players trying out for next season compared to the women’s 20 players. Helling-Christy said they want to secure a play-off spot by this time next season.

“This is sort of like the blueprint for what we know to improve on next year,” Helling-Christy said.

The women’s and men’s soccer teams practice every Tuesday and Friday at Heritage Recreational Center in Puyallup. An upcoming schedule for games is posted on the Pierce College Raider Athletics website.

Pierce College’s men and women’s soccer teams for this season.

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Suzanne Buchholz

Mariah Bartlett waits for the ball to be passed to her.

At Pierce College Puyallup, one of the more popular spots to hang out on a nice day is the courtyard near the College Center.

People gather on the stone benches to work on homework, chat with friends and enjoy the fresh air. It’s also common to see a group of students outside the building kicking around a soccer ball between classes.

At any given time, about five people in the courtyard are playing a quick game, according to student Nicholas Smith, who spends his free time on campus in a pickup game whenever possible. His usual group consists of students Hassaballa Salim, Stefan Sacha, Karanvir Dhillon, Anthony Villanueva, Rubin Sviridovich and Caleb Roman. On some days when students have extra time between classes, the group has up to 10 people.

“It just passes the time because we have an hour until our next class,” Smith said, “We enjoy it; it’s like a hobby.”

Salim often brings a soccer ball to school with him so the group can play during breaks. It also works as extra practice for the students who play for teams but might not be able to attend regular practice due to schoolwork or other conflicts, according to Smith and Salim.

Of the group, Smith plays for Washington Premier while Salim is on the RSA Elite team.

“I started playing soccer when I was a kid, but it was just a sport for me until I went to Egypt,” Salim said. “I wasn’t able to do much and one of my friends had me join in on a soccer game and that started my love for the game.”

With winter approaching and the weather cooling, the group tries to play soccer outside as often as possible.

“We play in all weather except for maybe snow,” Smith said. “We actually do play in snow, we just don’t go out of our way to play in snow.”

This dedication to soccer is becoming more common, given the sport’s recent spike in popularity in the United States. Currently more than 24 million people in the United States play soccer to some degree, according to an NBCNews report. The U.S. Youth Soccer Organization said that more than 3 million children registered to play soccer in 2014.

A 2014 ESPN poll revealed that professional soccer now ranks as the second most popular sport among 12 - 17-yearolds just behind professional football, and Major League Soccer is as popular as Major League Baseball in the same age group.

The surge in popularity seems to have occurred after the 2015 World Cup, in which the U.S. women’s soccer team triumphed over the Japanese team. The game got more than 25 million viewers, making it the most viewed soccer game in U.S. television history, according to an article on Umbel.com.

The number of television channels broadcasting soccer games has increased as well, from about five in 2010 to more than 13 in 2015.

“People say it’s just kicking the ball, but it really isn’t,” Salim said. “It’s based off of control, speed, stamina and you have to do some thinking at the same time.”

Students gather in the courtyard for a quick game.

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Professor Wendy Hinand (far right) and members of her principles of leadership class showing their Seahawks pride during a game on oct. 22.

Campus scene Photos by Amber Gilliland

Lancer employee Michelle Irvine (left) and student Kevin Boatz dressed up for Halloween.

Students of Wendy Hinand’s principles of leadership class creating team ags during an oct. 22 Seahawks game. Hinand said she wanted students to observe how the Seahawks worked together as a team and apply that to their own leadership skills.

Life is now growing as mushrooms are replacing the plants that were removed from the boxes in the courtyard.

Banners featuring distinguished Pierce College alumni being hung by facilities workers in the College Center.

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