The Puyallup Post|Volume 23|Issue 1|October 24, 2017

VOLUME 23

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ISSUE 1

OCTOBER 24, 2017

T HE P UYALLUP P OST SERVING THE STUDENTS OF PIERCE COLLEGE PUYALLUP

Pierce faculty: ‘Not writing white, not writing right’ This is the first part in a three-part series diving into the English rhetoric culture in modern American academia.

English professor Courtney Edwards teaching her English 101 class. Edwards believes that there is not one right answer when grading students’ work.

Nyadeng Mal & Dana Montevideo Reporters

University of Washington Tacoma officials have taken steps to eliminate discrimination and

alienation in academia. In its writing center, a banner titled “Statement on Anti-racist and Social Justice Work in the Writing Center” hangs on the wall and advocates “there is no inherent ‘standard’ of English.” This declaration has one meaning: language, as a

social construct, is constantly evolving.

The banner declares that “these two facts make it very difficult to justify placing people in hierarchies or restricting opportunities and privileges because of the way people communicate in particular

American Honors leaving Pierce

After being accepted into the American Honors program, student Erica Myron was excited to receive the extra benefits and resources the program provides.

However, Myron’s excitement disappeared after hearing she would only get a year’s worth of benefits, as the American Honors program will cease to exist at Pierce College, after the 20172018 school year.

Myron recounts that she had to pay almost $3,000 in fees for two American Honors classes and one regular class. After dropping the two American Honors classes she was only given $1,700 back. After dropping the two American Honors classes, she was only able to switch into one other regular class—dropping her course load from three to two classes.

“I felt that if I couldn’t get the two years of classes that everyone else got it wasn’t worth my time,” Myron said. “I am sure it is a great program but the very limited classes and high cost were too much for me.”

It’s been said that the program ending at Pierce has not deterred students from joining; but

Sydnee Smith

Sydnee Smith Reporter

A poster in the American Honors lounge, Room C246. The poster features signatures from past American Honors students.

Myron’s story contradicts that.

The American Honors program is described as a tight-knit community that provides students with resources, knowledge and support to help them successfully transfer to and thrive at a 4-year university. Honors advisors work one-on-one with students to guide them through courses, transferring and filing for financial aid.

The program was designed to create small class sizes and offer specialized help to students involved in the program.

With the program ending, second-year students will see no changes but the first-year students will. First-year students won’t be

able to continue into a second year and earn the American Honors certificate with their diploma.

First-year students still have to pay $275 in fees with each class they take from the program.

However, students will be unable to take American Honors courses after the 2017-2018 school year.

Second-year student Lora Peterson is a member of the American Honors program.

Peterson has noticed changes ever since the program announced its termination at Pierce.

“I noticed a lot of people are withdrawing socially because

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versions of English.”

In other words, there are various forms of English and not one way is correct, that placing hierarchies on language damages the writer’s self-esteem and confidence.

“Every student, regardless of their background, comes to college with a different collection of experiences,” Dr. Asao Inoue said in an announcement defending the writing center’s actions to ensure equity. Dr. Inoue is the UWT director of university writing.

Various news outlets, such as The News Tribune, KIRO 7, The Libertarian Republic and The Daily Caller, have covered the steps UWT has taken to eliminate racism in writing.

The conservative news outlet, Breitbart, wrote a story titled, “University of Washington Tacoma Declares Proper Grammar Is Racist.”

However, UWT officials say

this is not their intent. The writing center’s response states, “the center works to raise awareness that language is part of a larger system that can unintentionally perpetuate racial and social inequalities.”

Although the Pierce College Puyallup writing center doesn’t have an official banner hanging in their office, the tutors say they work hard to create a comfortable environment for English speakers from myriad cultures. The tutors are taught to approach the students not as their professor but as a support system; they make suggestions on papers, not edits.

The writing center gets an influx of international and English as a second language students seeking additional help.

“They have, like, a whole new side that they can bring to the table,” Samantha Pettie, a professional writing center tutor, said about international and ESL students. “I find myself learning from them. I treat them like every other student that comes in because that’s what they want. They want to have that equality.”

International and ESL students are sometimes held to different standards than native English Continued on page 15

Guided Pathways raises concerns among faculty

Daniel Pollock Editor-in-Chief

During the process of implementing Guided Pathways—a new advising system which places all students on careerfocused tracks—some faculty have raised concerns.

Professor John Lucas worries that—during implementation— Pierce may cut the more unique classes (he uses a ‘history of the Vietnam War’ class as an example), leaving only math, science and humanities in their simplest forms. Lucas, a political science professor, calls losing the niche classes his “nightmare.”

“I would hate to see our curriculum be this sort of generic curriculum that can’t really accommodate this interesting and diverse, widespread group of people here (at Pierce),” Lucas said.

He calls a school with this simplistic type of curriculum the Kraft macaroni and cheese of community colleges—uninteresting and unoriginal.

Guided Pathways is a program intended to make students’ time at Pierce more career and future focused. With Pathways, a stu-

dent is placed on a specific course pathway based on interests and career goals. A student may select from six pathways: quantitative, oral or written communication, social science, natural science or humanities.

Pierce is in the second year of Pathways implementation. The process began last fall, after the college—along with five other local colleges—was awarded with a $500,000 grant from College Spark Washington and the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

With Pathways, one of the first steps for students’ college career at Pierce is a meeting with a student success coach. This meeting—which is more akin to a conversation—is purposed to help students choose which pathway to follow, especially if they are undecided or unsure.

Student Success Coach Ryan Kernan says students who don’t believe they have a clear goal or career plan will find the meeting beneficial.

“I think a lot of times students

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PREVIEW Letter from the Editor

Dear readers,

In this technological era, we are constantly milliseconds away from an unending store of information, knowledge, facts, news and memes. It has never been easier to learn and know; news has never been easier to consume— or so it seems.

Social media has certainly given us quicker access to the news but social media should also be blamed for the “fake news� era we currently live in.

We have complete control over what comes through our social media

feeds: we follow the news agencies that share our biases; we follow the politicians we vote for; we block the ‘clickbait’ friend; we block the ‘fake news’ friend. We have curated our newsfeeds to reflect our own political preferences; we’ve drowned out opposing voices. We’ve turned off our ‘listening ears.’ “Fake news!,� “intolerance!� we cry when we hear opinions outside our own. Our phones transport us into groupthink bubbles; we are weakening our personal positions by ignoring our opposition. We are unequipped citizens.

But, we aren’t hopeless.

The antidote is simple: Read a newspaper. Or three.

When one of our reporters mentioned in her class recently that she worked for The Post, her professor said print journalism is a dying profession. This may be true; if it is, we are in serious danger.

Only in a physical, print newspaper will we find a conglomeration of differing viewpoints, of impactful articles we may not have read if first seen while scrolling through a feed.

Last year, The Post was

more news magazine than newspaper. Returning readers may notice the aesthetic changes we have made this year. We’ve implemented new fonts and layout to give the paper a more newspaperesque look. This was purposeful. Habits start young; you’ll never be younger than you are now.

I hope reading The Post will start you on a newspaper habit. Start here but please seek a subscription to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or— even better—support a local newspaper. Subscribe to The News Tribune or The Seattle Times. The

WSJ and NYT both offer subscription discounts to teachers and students.

We live in a pivotal time for America. We must be prepared, informed citizens and, likewise, we must also be informed students.

I hope you will continue reading The Post while you’re at Pierce; knowing what is happening at Pierce and in the local area will engage you with the campus and the community, further enhancing your student experience.

Have a fantastic quarter and year.

- Daniel Pollock Editor-in-Chief

Band spotlight video: Feather Point Ryan Dill, left and Cam Adams, right, performing in their alt-rock band, Feather Point, at Louie G’s on Oct. 6.

Adams and Dill, along with bandmates Cobi Adams and Aden Parks, attend Pierce as Running Start students. Scan the QR code below to watch a Post-exclusive video, to learn more about the band and hear a sample of their music.

T HE P UYALLUP P OST The Puyallup Post is produced by students attending Pierce College Puyallup. .95=0/(1973:9;4=95=94:<42<2=35=3=0/(197=*;8/-6= /(195.<2 -3:<89315=38<=:.<=5;1<=8<50;459(919:)=;*=:.<=<29:;85 =8<0;8:<85 342=0.;:; 830.<85 =342=38<=4;:=94:<42<2=:;=8<08<5<4:= :.<=7;11< < 5=0;1979<56= =0<85;4=7;--9:5=:.<=;**<45<=;*=0/(1973:9;4=:.<*:=&.<4=.< ;8=5.<=&911*/11)=;8= 4;&94 1)=:3 <5=-;8<=:.34=;4<=7;0)=;*

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Newspaper racks are located throughout the Puyallup campus.

Daniel Pollock

www.puy alluppost.com

James McCraw

Some images and information printed in this newspaper may be from Internet sources and are used under the fair use doctrine, which allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders for such uses as commentary, criticism, news reporting and scholarship.

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P O S T

NEWS

Budget issues lead to increased tuition for public post secondary education

James McCraw Office Manager/Reporter

In the eleventh hour, in late June, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the annual budget for the state of Washington. The budget set aside about $300,000 for public colleges.

Under the budget, hundreds of pages of fine print, tuition at Washington’s public colleges and universities would be forced to go up by about 2.2 percent.

Choi Halladay, Pierce College vice president of administrative services, explained how it works.

“Tuition process is set by the legislature. When they write their budget bill, they make assumptions on how things work,” Halladay said. “They sort of see tuition as a really specific tax paid for by people who go to college.”

If the schools raise tuition, the state Legislature can cut money out of the annual budget to offset funds that are cut. Halladay said that if there is no raise in the tuition, it’s seen as a budget cut from the schools.

The way the Legislature specifically words the increase in the tuition gives boards of

trustees at colleges and universities the option to raise the tuition by the certain percentage given. In the budget bill, the colleges are funded less money, assuming that they’ll raise the tuition.

The Legislature had raised the tuition costs for several years in a row but the budget had gotten to the point where a freeze was possible. It’s the first time in four years that lawmakers have made tuition costs rise; in 2013-15, they froze costs, and in 2015-17, they cut them by as much as 20 percent, depending on the school.

It was at a probable rate for affordability and they decreased the tuition by approximately three percent at Pierce but then they had received money in the budget to make up for it, according to Halladay.

The budget also included money to increase the number

of students getting financial aid.

“Everybody has to do a FAFSA and then it’s a combination of grants and loans that award the students,” Halladay said. “When tuition goes up, unless something dramatic happens at a federal level, there is less overhead so people take

out less in loans. It's a shift in the burden. It has specific rules regarding eligibility and in the end, (Pierce) got a bit more money regarding that grant.”

In 2015-16, the latest year for which numbers are available, about 69,000 students received the State Need Grant—which is a state-granted form of financial aid—and an additional 24,000 eligible students were put on a waiting list.

Additional money from the fiscal budget will decrease the waiting list by about 900 students in 2017-18.

Another big pay point in the budget is the $150,000 of the general fund, which is state appropriation for fiscal year 2016-17. These funds are provided solely for the state board to conduct a feasibility study for a potential new community and technical college in and for program delivery through Pierce College in conjunction with the Bethel School District for the Graham area.

In April, the Board of Trustees authorized a restructure to the Comprehensive Fees, Admission Fees and Assessment Fees that students pay.

Students used to pay $1.50 per credit, up to $15 per quarter. This fee went to pay for graduation expenses and transcripts. Students also separately

paid a $25 Admissions Fee and also a $15 fee per session for Accuplacer tests.

Halladay wrote in an e-mail in April that, “over the years, there have been a number of studies to show that the Admissions Fee and the Assessment Fee have been a barrier to college entrance for a small yet significant number of students.

Because these fees are paid prior to admissions, they cannot be covered by financial aid.

In addition, some contract programs have a ban on the charging of these fees, which adds additional difficulties in equity across students.”

Halladay said that, with the goal of streamlining placements, charging a separate placement test fee puts returning students who are not recent high school graduates at a financial disadvantage.

The new Comprehensive Fee was raised $3.50 per credit, to a maximum of $35 per quarter.

It’s offset by the elimination of the admissions and assessment fees. The new fee is charged to students who enroll at Pierce College and is paid at the same time and manner as tuition.

Spanish professor joins Puyallup campus faculty Ryan Rothman

“I think that students are the classand Theology classes. making an investment in room.

Laris was “This their education, and I want an adjunct allowed me faculty to get to students’ efforts in my member at know the professors.” classroom to have a return the Pierce Fort SteilaLaris said. on their investment” coom camHe only pus, helping had two -Arturo Laris with the Spanish spanish professors, one of the most influential to club as an advisor.

He was offered a full-time him being his Spanish literaposition at the Puyallup ture professor, Mariano campus at the start of the Lopez. fall quarter.

“He really got me into litLaris says the Spanish erature. I think that he just took me under his wing, program at Pierce is dedicatkinda ‘here this is what I ed to providing immersion know’,” Laris said. “His experiences. inspiration was something I He is passionate about wanted to be.” teaching.

“I think that students are Mariano worked to help making an investment in their students from 8 in the morneducation, and I want stuing, until 10 at night. Laris spent a ton of time with him, dents’ efforts in my classroom to have a return on their he even did research for investment,” Laris said. him.

“There’s real life value to it, “That sort of example, rather than just ‘I’m fulfilling was really important to me,” a requirement’ which is fine, he said. “It was pivotal.” but I’m aiming to provide stuLaris did doctorate work dents with something that they at UC Davis and enjoyed can use outside of class.” however, he found research, that he felt most meaning in

Arturo Laris in his office in the Brouillet Library Science building.

Ryan Rothman Reporter

To offer enough Spanish classes to meet student demand, Pierce College Puyallup has brought in another professor.

Professor Arturo Laris was born in Fountain Valley, California, but was raised in Mexico.

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and when he was eight and a half, he came back to the United States and learned English.

“I grew up in a bilingual household where I spoke Spanish to my elders, even those who had gone to school,” Laris said. “And I spoke English to those who were younger than me.”

He was number six out of nine children, so those who were younger had friends

and went to school using English and those older used Spanish, even if they spoke English.

“It was just how I grew up,” Laris said. “If I’m not in a formal context, I am a spanglisher. I speak both languages, and will flow from one to the other.”

Laris went to a small seminary college to study to become a priest. He took Spanish, Philosophy, English

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NEWS

College brings in new faculty members James McCraw Senior Reporter/Office Manager

As the seasons change and the new school year begins, several new faculty members on campus are getting used to the hustle and bustle of Pierce College.

These faculty members bring a wealth of experience in their career fields to Pierce and are ready to help students succeed in their college experiences.

Heather Jeng Professor Heather Jeng, an assistant reading and college success professor, is part of the Transitional Education program.

Jeng said the reading program helps students obtain the level of skill necessary for college-level comprehension.

“Pierce impressed me as a place that means what they say,” Jeng said. “They put their actions behind that. They mean what they say and follow through on it.”

Jeng wants to use data and

work the information given to help the students succeed.

Shannon Newman Professor Shannon Newman is another new member of both the Transitional Education team and the science deparment. Her background is in molecular and cellular biology.

Newman was amazed at the work Pierce had done for the success of College Success 110 and student retention and achievement. The adult diploma program inspired her with the idea of adults coming back to get their diplomas.

Her main goal as a teacher is to show students how to make science fun for all.

“Concepts such as science that might be inaccessible to some students because many people think that science is very abstract and hard and (I) just want to show that it's not hard and that it's actually really cool and Pierce seemed like a really great place to do it,”

she particNewman “Pierce impressed me ipated in said.

Her goals as a place that means four years a g o , are to help what they say,” helped her students get -Heather Jeng, College Success choose to through the apply for Transitional Education prowork at Pierce. gram and further their goals.

“Nurses are in the communiShe also would like to collaborate with other community ty taking care of the community organizations to show that sci- when they get sick,” Eckenroth ence has different applications said. “Nurses are involved in all outside the classroom. aspects of the community’s life, so I think having a community Laura Eckenroth college that's invested in trainNursing Professor Laura ing people who do that is Eckenroth brings more than 25 important.”

Eckenroth wants to give years of nursing experience to nursing students the tools necPierce’s nursing program.

Eckenroth earned her mas- essary to deal with the commuter’s degree in nursing educa- nity on a medical and emotiontion from the University of al level.

She wants nursing students to Washington.

Eckenroth believes that a program as spe- be recognized and hireable in a full cific as nursing is important to spectrum level. the community.

Jamie Samuelson Interactions with instructors Full-time professor Jamie were positive when Eckenroth’s daughter attended Pierce. Samuelson, a former adjunct This, as well as clinical work professor, is looking forward

to expanding her role in the business technology program. Samuelson is using the Guided Pathways program track as well as her past experiences with the program to expand the administrative side of the program and assist students get into the workforce.

Sharon Huitsing Professor Sharon Huitsing, computer information systems professor, brings more than 15 years of experience to Pierce.

Huitsing chose to come to Pierce because it was the right job at the right time.

“I happened to be looking for something in my line of work and found the CIS professor job and here I am now,” Huitsing said.

All of the new faculty members believe that Pierce is a supportive school, both for students and faculty members.

Accuplacer leads placement testing to the future Daniel Pollock

Christine McMullin says that the school is always looking for the best ways to find what students need to learn.

James McCraw Senior Reporter

In 2016, Pierce College officials needed to decide what placement test new students would use after ACT announced that it was discontinuing the COMPASS placement test because of in accurate placement scores.

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cials decided to enlist the assistance of the Accuplacer testing method for placement exams.

Pierce now uses the nextgeneration Accuplacer test, which covers reading comprehension and mathematical skills in order to place a potential student.

The Accuplacer testing format is owned by The College Board, which runs the

SAT and other entry testing programs.

The Director of Advising and Entry Services, Christine McMullin, said that the district leadership chose Accuplacer based on the positive track record it had accumulated worldwide.

According to its website, more than 8.5 million Accuplacer tests are administered each year in 2,000 secondary and postsecondary institutions.

With a one-year shelf life, the Accuplacer test makes it possible for potential students to weigh their options, helping them make decisions for their future.

“We use the same basic policies as we had under COMPASS, we didn't change them,” McMullin said. “But I think that by looking at multiple measures we are looking more broadly at how a student can demonstrate readiness.”

Pierce is looking towards using other methods to place potential students into the right classes as well. Testing center employees have the ability to tell students the other options they have, if the opportunity arises that testing isn't the only option for enrollment placement.

“Recent high school—and

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by recent, I mean within the past year or two—typically gives us a better indication than hey, here’s this one time you come in and take this test,” McMullin said. “Math offers, if you have taken a particular high school math class within the past two years, B grade or better, you can get into certain classes.”

If a potential student has previous test scores or multiple weighted measure scores, the school is looking into ways to code those scores in the system in order to give students the ability to register online to the proper classes without added permissions.

One example of that is how most schools in the state require smarter balance assessment scores in order to graduate high school.

If a student’s scores are high enough in either English or math, then a student can enter into a college level class in those two subjects.

Multiple weighted measures like these give potential students the option to place in classes without testing; but Pierce is still considering whether to use this method due to its complexity.

Pierce doesn’t want students to be placed above or below their proper classes they don’t want students to T H E

get bored or discouraged with their English or math entries.

The school is always looking at ways to provide student support based on Pathways, as well as an initiative called Placement 360, which is a group of colleges looking into ways to give appropriate placement options based on strengths and weaknesses of potential students.

McMullin said that the school is always looking at the best ways to find what students need to learn here with skills and competencies in order to be successful in the real world.

Scan this QR code to go to a practice quiz for the Accuplacer test

P U Y A L L U P

P O S T

NEWS

Pierce math professor running for city council Rilie Cerullo Reporter

Pierce College Adjunct Math Professor Cynthia Jacobsen’s race for the Puyallup City Council District 2 councilmember position rears to its head on Nov. 7. Jacobsen, a familiar face on the Pierce College Puyallup campus, has been diligently campaigning, making sure to reach every door in her district at least once.

Jacobsen says getting out there and learning the true concerns of Puyallup citizens gives a new perspective on her city and its inhabitants.

An adjunct math professor for nearly five years, Jacobsen says that teaching at a college level has given her an abundance of experience applicable to a political position.

With a master’s degree in accounting, Jacobsen hope to bring her own “brand of frugality to the city.” She says her past work with accounting will especially help as the city council plans the budget.

The political climate is heated as of late and some may be trying to avoid getting involved; but Jacobsen firmly believes that she can truly help at a local level.

During her campaign, visiting the different sectors of Puyallup has helped Jacobsen rediscover the beauty in her city all over again. She explains her love for the history of Puyallup; the people who live there help fuel her campaign passions.

Although a newcomer to politics, Jacobsen refers to herself as someone who is well informed on many issues. She has gained a wide perspective to the many people and concerns of the city of Puyallup. A great example would be the widening of Clarks Creek. As a main concern in Puyallup, Jacobsen says that the silt needs to be dredged from the creek to prevent the rising of the water levels.

“Puyallup means ‘generous people,’” Jacobsen said, referring to the roots of the word.

She describes Puyallup as an inclusive and quickly expanding city.

As a mother of seven, Jacobsen says she has the compassion and collaborative spirit to help the city.

With grandchildren growing up locally, she has become invested in the area and hopes to bring her five years at Pierce and experience as a mother to her seat in the city council.

Getting the $30 tab initiative signed at the Washington State Fair

Jacobsen at the Clark Creek Hatchery during the Salmon Homecoming Celebration.

All photos were taken with permission from the Cynthia Jacobsen for Puyallup City Council, District 2, Position 2 Facebook page.

Campaign signs placed locally

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Cynthia Jacobsen’s campaign photo O C T .

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CAMPUS LIFE

College dropout helps students not drop out first person to notice faculty adviser at he couldn’t read very Pierce. For him, it all well. The professor, goes back to Pierce.

Keith Foreman, It’s where he gained assigned everyone in his confidence. his class a reading From there he went on and earned a bachefrom the textbook; lor’s and master’s when Burkholder up for class degree from Pacific showed on the third day, he Lutheran University. hadn’t completed the Burkholder refers to assignment. When various mentors in his asked how the reading life that helped get went, he said it was him through college as “interesting” and his “academic Beatmade up an entire les”. answer based off of “They were the something he didn’t closest thing I had to read. heroes growing up,” “And I remember Burkholder said about his big blue eyes, The Beatles. He kinda going, ‘wow, reflected on a time as a well, that’s a really child, where he unique interpretation’, remembered after the I think is how he put tragedy of President it, which was his Kennedy, the world Burkholder sitting at his desk in the student success office. was black and white polite way of saying for a while.

His shelves are filled with The Beatles memorabilia that I was full of it,” “And then when they Burkholder admitted. him showed up on Ed Sullivan holder with his reading by Foreman then invited to come to his office to talk. him. on February 9 1964, and mentoring “No sooner than when my “He broke the oogathey hit those first opening bottom hit the chair he said, booga, the taboo in me, chords of “All My Lovin”, ‘how long have you strugabout reading,” Burkholder and it was just like—boom.

The sun rose again,” Burkgled with reading?’” said. holder said.

Foreman helped BurkHe then came to realize The Beatles holds a speholder discover that he was he was actually a bright cial place in Burkholder’s reading textbooks incorrectstudent; before, he was heart, and his office is ly the whole time. Foreman conditioned to believe that adorned with memorabilia helped him learn to scan and being a slow reader equatand their music plays faintly use the textbook resources. ed to stupidity. in the background.

Burkholder had no idea he The compassion he was “(Students) come to talk could even do that. Foreman shown time and time again to me, and they’ll be sitting then went on to help Burkinspired him to become a Dana Montevideo

Dana Montevideo Reporter Bret Burkholder is a faculty counselor adviser who is a resource for Pierce College Puyallup students looking for career guidance, but Burkholder may have a lot more in common with the students than he lets on. As a student, Burkholder dropped out of college. Twice.

“We’re conditioned to return back to school every fall, that’s what we do since we’re little,” Burkholder said, “Like salmon returning to their stream.”

Burkholder found himself returning to school every fall, going to school each day, and constantly feeling like he didn’t know what he was doing. He was just a salmon, mindlessly swimming and returning to his stream.

“I flunked out the second time from (Pierce College) because I didn’t know how to be a good student,” Burkholder said.

He was a slow reader, which he struggled with since his childhood. There was no talk of reading disabilities back then.

“You were judged to be dumb, or undisciplined, or whatever,” Burkholder said.

“But they would alway put the onus of it on the kid.”

One of Burkholder’s sociology professors was the

there and I’ll notice their eyes drift up my bookcase and they see “Submarine” and they see “Pepper” but their eyes go to “Revolver,”” Burkholder said. “And then they’ll start waxing into this story, and I’m talking about young people, some Running Start students and older students too. And what is always heartening to me is to just check out the wide range of ages that relate to the music.”

Burkholder’s passion for The Beatles inspired him and a group of buddies to form a tribute band, named Shabbyroad, after The Beatles’ album, Abbey Road.

The band is playing Nov. 18 as a fundraiser for student emergency fund.

“Who else did crap like that?” Burkholder asked when listening to the track, “And Your Bird Can Sing” in reference to a complex three-part harmony. To him, The Beatles were revolutionary in their music, style, appearance and stance on civil rights in the ‘60s.

Burkholder is inspired to make a difference. Whether that be by playing The Beatles music or helping students discover their passions, he can relate it all back to the experiences he had at Pierce College.

Patrick Carter: working hard for a clean campus

Ryan Rothman Reporter

Ryan Rothman

Patrick Carter in his office.

Pierce College Custodial Services Manager Patrick Carter’s passion is to help students by encouraging others.

“I really enjoy planting seeds of hope and faith in others, people that are around me,” Carter said.

He went to Clover Park Technical College for Hotel Management and later went to Pierce College and received O C T .

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an associate degree in business and recently received certification in project managem e n t .

Carter started at Pierce College in 2012 and worked as a cashier at the JBLM campus.

In 2013, he took the custodial services manager position.

“My primary task is to oversee the custodial team and we do our best to make sure the com-

mon areas are presentable to our students, staff and faculty, in addition to the c l a s s rooms,” Carter said. “We want our students and staff to have a g o o d , c l e a n , healthy environment.”

The custodial services team on the Puyallup campus.

Carter says his greatest accomplish- Carter said. “If you have fair and nice.” ment is developing himself, issues or concerns, I am a safe Likewise, Carter praises his so he might develop others. space for things of team.

“It’s my team that is in the He is a part of the Social Jus- that nature.” tice Leadership for the Shiree Espinoza, a custodi- classrooms, in the hallways, in Puyallup campus. an at the Puyallup campus, the bathrooms, cleaning up,” “I am an outlet for stu- says Carter “is a kind person Carter said. “(They make) the dents, for staff, for faculty,” and good to work with. He’s campus presentable.”

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CAMPUS LIFE Makeover for Pierce: Lecture hall gets reno and College Center gets refurb Derek Goodier

Dana Montevideo

Professor Lee West’s students engaged in lecture inside the renovated lecture hall across from the library Dana Montevideo

Over the summer, student services reupholstered the chairs in the downstairs hallway of the College Center.

SHOUTOUT

Dana Montevideo

Pierce student Nkole Mwansa chilling in the newly reupholstered chairs.

What were the best and worst parts during your first week on campus?

Nkole Mwansa:

Austin Hollenbeck:

Rachel Campbell:

Christopher Earles:

Alex Russell:

Noelle Ormiston:

Stephanie Warner:

Kamden Norman:

“The worst thing is you can’t find parking. Like, whatsoever. Not here. I get here at 9 a.m. and don’t find a spot until 9:55. The best thing that happened… I think it’s just my professors are actually like the greatest.

All of them are nice, I don’t have one that comes off rude, mean or anything. I would say a way that Pierce can help is to build more parking or have a better system.”

“Well, the worst thing is just getting a lack of sleep. ‘Cause, I work until 4 in the morning, and I have to wake up at 8:30 to go to my 10 a.m. class. Kinda sucks. And parking—don’t even get me started. I circled the parking lot for 30 minutes this morning. The best part? I really like my professors, especially my archeology teacher. She is very outgoing and likes to involve the whole class.”

“The worst is that, oh my gosh, there is too many people. In the CTR I couldn’t find a table. Not downstairs, not upstairs, not in between the nooks and crannies of the building, it was wild. The best thing is I have class with my best friend.”

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“Well, the best thing was

getting cast in the play, and there was no worst thing. I just didn’t really get to do much the first week because I was at work.”

“My best thing? I gotta say, the chicken caesar wraps are not bad, and then the worst thing? I actually showed up two hours early for class. It’s either that or the parking. The parking is pretty rough too.”

“The best thing was having Friday off and worst thing was having three assignments due Thursday afternoon.”

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“The worst thing that happened was that I was almost late to my first class because I couldn’t find a parking spot.

The best thing that happened to me was finding out I actually enjoyed the classes I signed up for so I don’t have to drop them. College Success is actually really interesting, way more than I thought. I don’t think Pierce can do much about the parking, but I just leave early and it works for me.”

“When I started I was homeschooled for a really long time, second grade on, so just starting was difficult for me because I wasn’t really used to interacting with so many people at the same time. I know that sounds stereotypical but my first day I had a breakdown at high school and I was sent to the principal’s office. the best thing, finding my interests. I didn’t know I could be good at science. But I really like it, and I’m glad I found it.”

Samuel Banta:

“Well, I did start up my choir class again. Not really a worst thing.”

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Alex McGee: Why do you like Halloween?:

SHOUTOUT

Brianna Burns: What are your Halloween traditions?:

“I like the spirit that goes into Halloween. The costumes are pretty cool, and free stuff is always great, candy is pretty nice”

“My birthday is in October, so we typically have a huge party that’s kind of for my birthday and also for Halloween.”

What’s your costume this year?:

“When I was like six I had this full-blown dog costume, I just looked like a big puppy. It was white, so I was very majestic”

Guillermo Olson: What are your Halloween traditions?:

“My mom made me a costume for a candy cane witch”

Do you have any spooky stories?:

“The Haunted Forest in maple valley is pretty scary, I had some friends who couldn’t make it through”

“I go to my cousins house every Halloween and we go trick-or-treating for like three hours.”

What’s your costume this year?: “I was the black power-ranger in the third grade. I thought he looked cool, I thought I had the powers of one”

“I was mainly into princesses, so I mainly dressed up as a princess almost every year. I'm planning on just being in costume this year.

I’m being Eleven from Stranger Things”

“I usually hang out with friends and watch movies or play games. My favorite Halloween movie is definitely Hocus Pocus” What’s your costume this year?: “Last year I was a Netflix marathoner. I think that was my favorite because it took five minutes to make. I just got a red shirt and ironed on ‘Netflix’ and I got marathon paper and taped it to my back and just wore running shorts”.

“My mom decorates the whole inside of the house. She gets cotton webs, puts them up all on the ceiling. She usually gets castle-wall looking paper and puts it on the walls” What’s your costume this year?: “Zombie Nerd. A bloody, white button-up shirt, with some pens in the pocket, some khaki shorts and I had glasses...One had a fake eyeball that popped out of it.

Jessica Jensen: Why do you like Halloween?:

“Halloween is the best holiday in the world. Candy, you get to dressup, and I love the history behind it.”

What are your Halloween traditions?: “We do this thing where we put presents inside of pumpkins. And then on Halloween night, we’ll pass out our pumpkins and it’s kind of like Christmas. We have a Halloween tree and everything.”

What’s your costume this year?: “I dressed up as Sally a couple of years ago, and I actually used liquid latex and stitching in my skin. This year I have to be Freddy Kruger for a murder mystery-type party”

Jacob Yanez: What are your Halloween traditions?:

“Sometimes I hang out with friends, sometimes if we can’t make plans I’m the one that stays home and hands out the candy.”

What’s your costume this year?: “Not really anything too special. When I was a kid I just got stuff from the Halloween store” Do you have any spooky stories?: “My friends want to go this Halloween to some abandoned city that is supposedly haunted. They want to go to some place called Clay City.

It’s not too far from here. I have no official evidence, but my friend that wants to go claims that it’s like an abandoned town that there was way back when. There was one person in the town that everyone thought was a witch and they tried to burn down her house and something backfired and her house is the only house left standing. But back then their houses were all made of clay, or clay was an ingredient so clay was the only thing that didn’t burn. It’s right next to Northwest Trek. They wanna take me there on Halloween. I was like ‘that sounds like it’s straight out of a horror movie’.

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What’s your costume this year?:

Kelli Blodgette: What’s your costume this year?:

Jasmine Teofillo: What are your Halloween traditions?:

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Justice Craig: What are your Halloween traditions?:

Hailey Coslow: Why do you like Halloween?:

“I get to scare little children with no shame.”

What’s your costume this year?:

“I got an Attack on Titan, which is an anime costume. I got the jacket, I got the cloak, I got the pants and everything. And so many people recognized the character and I was like ‘Yes!’ Do you have any spooky stories?: “One Halloween there were these four teenage boys skipping down my street and they were just inviting little children to join them and one of them looked at me and was like, ‘you gotta do it.’ So I skipped with these guys down the street singing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and then they just stopped at my house and were like ‘here you go’. And I was like, ‘how do you know where I live?!’

And they just sprinted away.”

What are your Halloween traditions?: “Mostly I get ready with my mom. And sometimes I try to dress up my dog. It never works but I try. I tried to dress my dog up as a ballerina but she did not like wearing a tutu. Another year I tried to make her a cat, just put cat ears on her This year I am probably going to buy a very cliche Halloween costume and then I’m gonna see how many people I match Halloween costumes with. I’m probably gonna be a clown this year”.

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Halloween Hotspots

Pierce College Puyallup Theatre presents

Dana Montevideo Reporter

Maris Farms

-25001 Sumner-Buckley Hwy, Buckley, WA 98321 -Weekdays: 1 to 6 p.m. Weekends: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-Corn maze, pumpkin patch, haunted woods

Spooner Farms

-9710 State Route 162 E Puyallup, WA 98374 -9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-Corn maze, pumpkin patch

Wild Waves Fright Fest

-36201 Enchanted Pkwy S, Federal Way, WA 98003 -Fri: 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sat: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sun: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

-Haunted Houses, haunted trail

Explore

Fright Factory

-2000 Collins Rd, Buckley, WA 98321 -Hours vary -Haunted house

our connection with the

ecology of Western Washington. The flora,

Picha Farms

fauna, wind and waves. From beaches to mountains, shore to sea - how do we find

-6502 52nd st E, Puyallup WA 98371 -Weekdays: 3 to 6 p.m. Weekends: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-Corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayride

our place in the family of things? To what extent do we consider ourselves a part of nature? Come join us as we explore the nature around and within us in...

Wild Washington Nov. 2, 3 and 4 at 7 p.m.

Pierce College Puyallup, AAH 110 1601 39th Avenue SE, Puyallup

Tickets available at

1710 AF

$5 general admission.

FREE for Pierce students with I.D.

PierceCollegeEvents.com

For disability accommodations, contact the college 10 days prior to an event. Fort Steilacoom: 253-964-6468 or FSADS@pierce.ctc.edu. Puyallup: 253-840-8335 or PYADS@pierce.ctc.edu. Relay callers, dial 711 to place your call.

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The Pierce College District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, or age in its programs, activities or employment. Learn more at: www.pierce.ctc.edu/policy

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CAMPUS LIFE

Meet The Puyallup Post staff Daniel Pollock

Editor-In-Chief

As a student leader, what are your goals for the new school year?

I want to leave a legacy of quality journalism at The Post through accurate and well-written content while also increasing readership through curating and publishing a more student-focused product.

Why are you at Pierce College?

Five of my older siblings attended Pierce as Running Start students and they all loved the experience so it felt like the natural thing to do. I have no regrets in doing this, I love Pierce and The Post.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I applied to The Post to experience what it’s like to work as a journalist, to see if it was a career worth following. After a year of experience, I can say I’m ready to make journalism my future.

What’s one thing you want students to know about you?

I’m a film connoisseur (read: snob) and I keep flirting with the idea of becoming a filmmaker. I’m currently making a short film and I’ve written several screenplays.

What’s your favorite aspect of your new position?

There’s honestly so much to love about working at The Post, such as being involved on campus and staying upto-date on everything that’s going on, but my current favorite aspect is all the people I get to work alongside and all the people I get to meet and write about.

Quintessa Waud

Online/Social Media Manager

As a student leader, what are your goals for the new year?

A goal I have for this year is to help make information about our school and community accessible for students in order to help them stay connected to what’s going on at Pierce and make the most of their experience.

Why are you at Pierce College?

Education has always been a high priority of mine and earning an associate degree from Pierce will allow me to earn a bachelor’s degree for a much lower cost. After this year, I hope to transfer to work on earning a communications degree.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I chose to become a student leader to help improve other students’ experiences at Pierce while also furthering my own personal growth. I’m a shy person, but my position forces me out of my comfort zone and helps me learn essential skills for my future.

What’s one thing you want students to know about you?

I am a total caffeine addict. If I seem grumpy, it’s not you, I just haven’t gotten my coffee or tea fix yet.

What’s your favorite aspect of your new position?

My favorite aspect of my position is being able to express my creativity in a way that can also be entertaining and informative to people.

James McCraw

Office Manager/Reporter As a student leader, what are your goals for the school year?

My goals for this school year is to complete the requirements for graduation. With only two terms left at Pierce, staying on course and completing my required classes is goal number one for sure.

Why are you at Pierce College?

I originally chose Pierce because it was the shortest bus ride from my apartment. I never really had a specific motivator for where I wanted to go, I just knew at the O C T .

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time that I wanted to go somewhere that would work with me and help me through my goals the most, and I am happy to say that Pierce has exceeded my expectations.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

Journalism has always been a career interest to me. I knew that working on the student paper would give me the chance to hone my skills, as well as get involved around campus and make a difference to readers.

What’s one thing you want students to know about you?

I might seem menacing and grumpy, but with enough coffee in my system, I am actually a really nice guy! I love getting to know new people and finding out more information about them and what motivates people to come to school and what their plans for the future might be.

What’s your favorite aspect of your new position?

Just getting to help and do my part to the inner workings of the newspaper as a whole. I enjoy helping my fellow Post staffers, as well as continuing the camaraderie we have with other departments and staff members around the campus.

Reporter

Sydnee Smith As a student leader, what are your goals for the school year?

My goal for this year is to learn more about Pierce as a whole, my fellow students and how to write a great news article.

Why are you at pierce? ’m at Pierce mainly because it was close and I had friends coming here as well. My mom also knows someone who works at Pierce so I’ve always heard good things.

Why did you want to become a student leader?

I wanted to seek an experience that could further me in my aspirations and be able to gain real life experience I can use outside the college setting. I thought joining The Post could grant me opportunities I never had before.

What’s one thing you want students to know about you?

I think if I had to pick only one thing I wanted people to know about me it would be that I’m a total music junky. I tried to teach myself to play the guitar and ukulele at one point. Even though I failed, I can play half of one song on the ukulele still.

What’s your favorite aspect of your position?

My favorite aspect of my position would have to be simply writing. I’ve always been drawn to writing, more so the creative side so it’s really fun to explore the more professional side.

Nyadeng Mal Reporter

As a student leader, what are your goals for the school year?

My goal as a student leader is to listen to the concerns of students on campus and to use my voice to spread awareness and positivity on campus Why are you at pierce?

I am at Pierce pursuing an associate degree because it is affordable and an easy commute from my home. I love going to Pierce and enjoy the small class sizes. I like being able to communicate with professors easily compared to four-year institutions where it can be difficult to access professor feedback. I have a year left at Pierce and plan on transferring to a four-year university.

My career goal is to become an international human rights lawyer.

Why did you want to become a student leader?

I want to bring awareness to some of the issues students and faculty may face at Pierce College Puyallup and in the community. I want to be part of the solutions and leave a lasting impact on the campus of Pierce College

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Puyallup.

What's your favorite aspect of your position?

My favorite aspect of my position at The Post is being able to meet new people from diverse backgrounds, age ranges and departments. I get to connect with Raiders old and new and I love it. Growing up I was shy but my new position forces me out of my comfort zone and has helped me build better social skills.

Reporter

Dana Montevideo As a student leader, what are your goals for the new school year?

As a student leader this year and a reporter for The Puyallup Post, my goal is to make more connections with other students, faculty and members of the community. I want to enrich my time at Pierce College by getting to know more people on a deeper level than just sitting next to them in class. I also want to grow as an individual and a writer.

Why are you at Pierce?

I am attending Pierce to get my general credits before transferring to a four-year university, while spending the least amount of money possible. I am on the journey of finding my major, and Pierce was a wonderful opportunity for me since I wasn’t interested in spending so much money when I wasn’t sure of my future.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I decided to apply for The Puyallup Post and because I wanted to make my second year at Pierce better than the first by being more involved with the school, my peers and the faculty. I have already been inspired by many people and hope to do the same to others this year.

What’s one thing you want student to know about you?

One thing I want students to know about me is I’m outgoing, I love to make people laugh, and am always up for an adventure. I’m down for taking risks, challenging myself and thinking outside the box, whether it comes to ideas or my personal style.

What’s your favorite aspect of your position?

My favorite aspect of my position is being able to meet new people and create more connections through interviewing and networking.

Ryan Rothman Reporter

As a student leader, what are your goals for the new school year?

I want to help students know things about their community, to feel more connected to their college campus and their peers.

Why are you at Pierce?

I am a Running Start student escaping high school drama.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

Because I was a reporter for a high school newspaper and decided that it would be a good idea to be a reporter at Pierce.

What’s one thing you want student to know about you?

I am just a nerd from Puyallup, Wash who likes to write things.

What’s your favorite aspect of your position?

I get to write and learn new things for myself and those who read my stories.

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CAMPUS LIFE Damien Bamford Videographer

Why are you at Pierce?

Pierce is a very well stocked grocery store of opportunity, and I’m shopping on an empty stomach. It’s a beautiful campus with a faculty made up of really great people.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I didn’t actually anticipate ever becoming involved with student leadership. It was never a role I had sought out in my former schooling or jobs. But I went out on a limb in working on my own personal projects and that ended in this position being offered to me and it is an opportunity I knew I would kick myself for later if I had turned it down.

What’s the one thing you want students to know about you?

I really do believe that anyone can achieve great things. Sometimes we have situations that make it difficult to do those things but there is no reason those situations have to remain in permanence. I’m a nerd with a camera and I’m going ‘all in’ on my dreams.

What’s your favorite aspect of your position?

This hobby that started 11 years ago when I used to cut together World of Warcraft music videos is now a job in which I can connect with people as both a videographer and video editor for The Post.

Derek Goodier Photographer

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I wanted to become a student leader to enrich my college experience and get the most out of my time here.

What are your goals for the new school year?

My goals for the new school year are to capture students’ interests through my photography.

What’s a favorite aspect of your position?

My favorite aspect of my position is being able to practice my photography in a professional setting.

What’s one thing students should know about you?

I really enjoy getting to know new people, even though at times I may have a disinterested look on my face.

Why are you at Pierce?

I’m at Pierce to get me associate degree, before transferring to UW.

The Puyallup Post office is in the College Center, Room 218.

Meet your student ambassadors Lisa Edwards

Why are you at Pierce?

I’m at Pierce because I want to get an associate degree in arts here. I chose Pierce because it welcomes all people and you can connect with many unique people. Making many friends at Pierce makes my college life fun. Also, joining club activities is one of the good things of this school too.

What are thing you want students to know about you?

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I want students to know that I am a kind person. So, whenever someone needs help with a question regarding Pierce College, I am willing to answer them. Another thing that I want students to know about me is that English is my second language, so I am still learning English now. Communicating with students and my friends at Pierce helps me to learn English every day!

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

Because I want to help students. I am a student so I remember when I needed help with class registration and many other things. I see other students’ problems as the student’s point of view. Also, I can share opinions about classes and how the school life goes to new students. One of good classes to share about is College 110 and English 101 because they are required to take for most students.

Most of the new students thank me when I share my experience as a Pierce College student.

As a student leader, what are your goals for the year?

Speak more and share about College 110 class during the new student orientation. And smile more to welcome all people to the Student Success office. To make all students comfortable is one of the goals too, especially new students, because they are usually nervous and don’t know what to do. I want to be able to help students efficiently.

What’s your favorite aspect of your position?

My favorite aspect is the new student orientation, because that is the time I can help students with and share my college experiences. Welcoming new students is always a good feeling. Also, working with the other three ambassadors is great too because we can share our opinions and discuss them. We know how school goes, because we’ve been students since last year. They are very nice people and I feel lucky to work with them!

choose from a bunch of different classes and graduate with a college degree as a high schooler.

What's one thing you want students to know about you?

I think a big thing is that I'm always open to talk to about anything. If anyone needs help I'll be there to lend myself in any way possible, and if I know I can't help I'll always try to find someone else better equipped than I am.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I just really like to try to steer people in the right directions and, well, help. I saw that this job would allow me to help students as they're furthering their education and to me that felt really special. I enjoy being someone that people can lean on.

As a student leader, what are your goals for the year?

I don't really have one big goal, but I do want to make more people feel like they belong at Pierce College.

Whether that be by leading someone to a building or a resource to help them or get them more involved, I want to help others get involved and feel connected to Pierce.

What's your favorite aspect of your position?

I really enjoy making people feel a little more secure and calm in their journey at Pierce. As a student ambassador, I work New Student Orientations and mainly we help sign people into their Portals and student emails, but occasionally someone will ask for advice on classes or just general help with signing up, and when that happens and I can suggest a class to a new student and tell them how wonderful it was for me; I feel like I've lifted at least a little weight off their shoulders. I know that when I was first signing up I was scared out of my mind and being able to help someone through that is a big deal for me.

Jordon Harmon

Cam Adams

Why are you at Pierce?

I'm at Pierce because I'm in Running Start, and I knew taking collegelevel classes would be a better option for me than staying in traditional high school classes. I plan on staying at a university for quite a few years, so I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I could graduate high school with my associate degree and have 2 years of college already under my belt.

What’s one thing you want students to know about you?

One thing that I would want students to know about me is that I truly love helping people and that no one should hesitate to ask me for help. Even if it's not my "department" or something that I traditionally deal with, I would gladly point someone in the right direction and/or find out more information for them.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

I wanted to become a student leader here at Pierce because I had leadership experience during my sophomore year of high school and during that experience I really enjoyed working with a variety of people and helping them with lots of different things. The position of Student Ambassador was a perfect way to continue having opportunities to help people feel more comfortable at college.

What are your goals for the new school year?

As a student leader, my goals this year are to meet lots of new people and to help them feel welcomed and involved at Pierce, whether it is their first year here, or their last.

What’s a favorite aspect of your position?

My favorite aspect of this job is being in a position where I can be helpful to lots of different people in lots of different ways and that I can make them feel welcomed.

Rachel Laher

Why are you at Pierce?

I'm in the Running Start program, so it was really my only option at this time. I did Running Start mostly because I wasn't the biggest fan of high school and how slow moving and overly structured it was, and I was really interested in being able to

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Why are you at Pierce?

I am currently a Running Start student. When I saw the opportunity to leave the high school and take college classes on my own time, I jumped at it. I'm here to get ahead academically, as well as get more experience being my own person here.

What is one thing you want students to know about you?

I am in a band. Our band’s name is “Feather Point,” and we're kind of like a grungy/hard rock band. I play guitar and sing for them. I absolutely love performing with my bandmates and performing music has been an amazing experience for me.

Why did you seek to become a student leader?

When I first came to Pierce College as a junior in high school, I felt a lot of things—scared, intimidated, confused, all sorts of other things, too. The student leaders were the ones who made me feel a lot better about being at Pierce and I knew from them that this is where I belonged. I want to be the person that sparks the feeling of belonging in another student.

As a student leader, what are your goals for the year?

To make as many students comfortable and happy as possible. I want to be the person that newer students come up to when they have a question, or when they're feeling uneasy about committing to the classes they're taking and such. Just really ease students’ stress about college life.

What's your favorite aspect of your position?

So far my favorite part of my job has to be helping the advisors with New Student Orientation. I love greeting the new students and making them feel welcome when they walk in. I love helping them get all their issues worked out and giving them advice from my experiences at the college. My favorite thing by far is helping students register for classes. When I was at my New Student Orientation, I spent most of my time there just looking at the classes I could take and was thrilled because of them. I love showing the new students where a good place to start would be and guiding them towards what they want in life.

Student ambassadors are located in the Student Success Center in the Gaspard Administration building.

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Sydnee Smith

NEWS Pathways Continued from page 1

Artwork on window of the American Honors lounge, a place honors students can gather to study and socialize.

bring back some of those resources. It could possibly bring back the extra advising and transContinued from page 1 fer help. It all depends on possibilities. they’re worried that this room is International students are often gonna get taken away soon and drawn to Pierce College though there isn't going to be a place for the American Honors program us anymore,” Peterson said. “So I and are a large majority of Amerdon’t think anyone wants to get ican Honors students. Mary too attached.”

Meulblok, who works in internaThe American Honors tional student services has stated resources will end when the prothat, “We get probably between gram does. Students currently 25-50 (international American have a room where they can Honors students) per year,” Meulstudy or chat with blok said. “But one another. we are stepOther conven“Over time the Amer- ping up our iences such as ican Honors program efforts to small class sizes, shifted a bit more to recruit.

We o n e - o n - o n e focusing on internation- have a full advising, transfer al recruiting and that time new marhelp, scholarship was something that keting managhelp and more was of less interest to er who has lots will be stripped us than the domestic of great ideas with the program. recruiting.” and he is out First-year sturecruiting condents already -Holly Smith, dean of Humanities stantly abroad. know those addiWe’re talking tional resources will be taken about growing our marketing away at the end of the school position and maybe adding anothyear, possibly causing them to er person. We’re gonna pick up withdraw from the benefits altothe slack.” gether.

Meulblok also mentioned A steering committee, origiinternational students make up a nally purposed to structure the lot of the American Honors proAmerican Honors program, gram and without it, the populameets every quarter. They plan to tion of international students may meet in October. decline.

“At that time the committee However, Pierce didn’t intend will discuss what we think that the program for exchange student future looks like and what's posrecruiting. sible,” Professor Nikki Poppen“Originally when we partEagan said. She is also the faculnered with American Honors, we ty co-lead for the American Honwere interested in that partnership ors program. to help recruit our domestic stuBringing concepts from the dents to really help us grow that American Honors program to relation,” Smith said. “Over time Pierce is possibly in the works. the American Honors program With the program leaving some shifted a bit more to focusing on are trying to find ways to incorinternational recruiting and that porate parts of the program into was something that was of less the college’s practices. interest to us than the domestic Holly Smith, the dean for recruiting.”

American Honors stated, “We’re After American Honors leaves, still learning about what pieces the steering committee will faciliwe’re going to replicate and tate in-depth discussions on what which pieces we’re not able to.” program could take its place.

Pierce could possibly create their When the 2018-2019 school year own honors program. To bring a starts a path will be more clear on program to Pierce could possibly where Pierce will head regarding

Honors

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know deep down what they want to do or not want to do,” Kernan said. “Sometimes you’ve just got to talk it out a little bit and look at it a little deeper.”

After students choose their pathway, the student success coach turns them over to a faculty mentor adviser, selected from a department directly pertaining to their interest.

“Students will feel like they are with an adviser who is truly (knowledgeable) about the program that they’re trying to pursue,” Kernan said.

Kernan believes Pathways will change advising for the better.

Advisers will specialize in specific pathways and students will be assigned advisers based on pathway. Kernan believes this will ensure the adviser is equipped to better help students create class schedules, prepare for transfer to university and ultimately succeed in their career path. Advisers will also know the credit transfer requirements for certain local colleges, making sure students stay on track to transfer.

While students will still be required to complete all general requirements regardless of pathway, Lucas fears that the pathways focus too much on preparing students for careers while

moving focus away from education.

“We are not a vocational school,” Lucas said. “I think there are other benefits to our education that are not entirely captured by the job somebody gets.”

Lucas uses his political science class as an example. Not all students taking the class will major in political science or use political knowledge in their career but they will directly apply the knowledge gained from the class to life, as voters and as citizens.

But, Chancellor Michele Johnson says students already, without Pathways, choose classes based on future careers.

“Students are already doing this now,” Johnson said. “They’re just not doing it very well.

They’re doing it inefficiently and that’s costing them time and money.”

Some professors worried, once Pathways is fully implemented, Pierce will graduate students only capable of working in the field in which they studied, that their degree would be too specialized to apply to any work outside of their major.

Johnson, a strong supporter of Guided Pathways, says the programs curated to more directly relate to student careers will not create mono-skilled students or employees. Students are still required to complete distribution

requirements, “(Pathways) just means the courses you’ll be taking are more aligned with getting you the skill areas you need in the career area you’re going into,” Johnson said.

But, while this new form of advising is designed to simplify class choices, some professors worry it will take certain freedoms away from students. One professor expressed concern that Pathways will limit students’ chance to “explore” topics and career paths with classes.

Johnson disagrees. According to Johnson, data the college has collected has found the number of Pierce students with a clear college pathway is much lower than the national average—she connects this with class “exploration.” “(Pierce Students) are wandering,” Johnson said. “Where faculty or people may say, ‘well, they’re exploring, they’re finding their world,’ I say we’re wandering. (Students) don’t know where they’re going and they need someone to tell them what they need to take.”

Despite his reservations, Lucas still has hope.

“I recognize that there’s going to be changes,” Lucas said. “But I am hopeful that we’re going to get some of these benefits and simplifications (that Pathways offers) and still maintain a variety of courses that can be valuable to (students).”

College theater helps students find their voice Dana Montevideo Reporter

Seeing posts about upcoming theater auditions can be scary for students thinking about auditioning. Thoughts of not being talented enough could race through students heads, but drama directors Nichole Nicholson and Sam Sloan encourage students who entertain the slightest consideration of auditioning to try out for the college’s play.

“We want people auditioning at all levels,” Sloan said. “People with zero experience, or people who have experience.”

The upcoming play is a devising show directed by Nicholson.

Going into rehearsal, no script exists, and it’s the only a topic in which the cast and crew build into

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a full play.

“Everybody’s voice gets to be part of the show somewhere,” Nicholson said while talking about the fall show, “Wild Washington, “which integrates acting and the environment.

Nicholson and Sloan observe that students finish shows with more confidence in giving voice to their creative impulses.

“There are things that you learn by performing them,” Sloan said when talking about the point of theater and why it’s a growing experience for students.

Adding an afterschool activity can be overwhelming, while attending community college, balancing classes and work, however, theater can be a place for fun and relaxation.

“If you’re doing it right, it will

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help all the other stuff not feel as quite as burdensome,” Nicholson said.

Upcoming shows this year include The Rhinoceros, a surrealist show directed by Sloan.

Dr. Joshua Potter-Dineen will direct R U R, one of the earliest sci-fi plays written featuring one of the earliest mention of robots in literature.

Guest artist Tim Miller will work with students on a weeklong devised play in the winter, which is an opportunity for students of all majors to learn about theater and each other.

Even if auditioning for a play sounds out of their comfort zone, it can push students to become more confident and comfortable.

“It’s called a play for a reason,” Sloan said.

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CAMPUS LIFE We want you: Army recruiting at Pierce Damien Bamford Videographer

Shelly Rego

The U.S. Army is one of the largest armies in the world with more than 500 million people under its employ, spread across active duty, the National Guard and the Army Reserve. In order to maintain that quantity of people, the Army must recruit 60,00080,000 new soldiers per year to make up for the veterans who either retire or just choose not to reenlist.

The Army seeks recruits who are young and ready to dedicate themselves to staying fit, working difficult hours and likely deploying to foreign theaters.

Because they are looking for young, fit people, Army recruiters pay frequent visits colleges and high schools.

They typically set up tables laden with pamphlets, pens and vinyl car decals emblazoned with the logo of each branch respectively.

U.S. Army Sgt. Leaym has been visiting the Pierce College Puyallup campus for four years and serves as a wealth of information for anyone who is willing to take military service into consideration and wants to find out more.

“I tend to focus on telling people about their options in

“Sir, it seems every recruit at this college has a TA!!”

“What does that mean?!”

“A Technology Addiction!”

the Reserves,” Leaym said.

“It can help students pay for college.”

The Reserves offers tuition assistance and a monthly drill pay of $369 for the once-amonth weekend training.

Students on campus appear to have a positive and welcoming opinion of military recruiters, says Leaym.

Several individuals of different backgrounds greet him with a “thank you for your

service.”

According to Leaym, recruiters tend to only engage with people who show interest and leave people who aren’t interested alone.

Military recruiting has been a commonality on campus for an established amount of time and likely will not go away anytime soon as it remains a viable option for anyone who considers service to be a part of their future.

Destroy the option of suicide Rilie Cerullo Reporter

“They never reached out for help.”

At the end of the day, excuses are just that: excuses. Don’t be the kind of person that justifies the loss of a loved one with

brief phone call with a friend last week might be Suicide has made a their last. prevalent name for itself In 2012, YouCanNotin mass media recently, BeReplaced.com was even slithering its way founded in hopes to stop into the entertainment what seemed like an industry with popular onslaught of suicides. shows like 13 ReaAfter nearly seven sons Why. Still, “On average, one person deaths at her school, while warning signs local student Emily commits suicide every 16.2 Dayton put together a and suicide prevention hotline numbers project to help raise minutes.” decorate the halls of money and send schools and paper speakers all over the -Dosomething.org macheing the inside of nation to spread suione's computer, why is cide awareness and such an ultimate end so petty reasons. let people know that they inescapable?

The days after somecan’t be replaced once According to DoSomeone’s suicide are often they’re gone. thing.org, “on average, filled with false sympathy, By bringing speakers to one person commits suia facade of friendship and schools, this foundation cide every 16.2 minutes.” compassion. helps spread information, With a sobering statistic Suddenly, false memoawareness and help. boldly printed on one of ries come in waves from Sometimes, all someone the most popular campeople who didn’t even needs is to know that they paigning websites, why know the victim. are needed because if they aren’t more people trying Don’t let loved ones have no one, not even to do something about this become a statistic; they’re those suicide prevention epidemic? Excuses pour much more than that. posters backed with good from friends and family Value, cherish and care intent will help save them. members lips like vomit for them. Don’t take any“I didn’t know they thing for granted, one were hurting,” might never know if that W W W . P U Y A L L U P P O S T . C O M

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New jams for the new school year

Sydnee Smith Reporter

Music is a force that brings people together at any time in life. Whether on the way to school, working out in the gym, studying in the library or hanging out in the Connections Cafe, someone is listening to music.

Finding amazing new music is like finding a hidden gem you didn’t know you needed until you have it.

Hopefully you’ll be able to find some of those hidden gems here.

“Good Nature” by Turnover. This album, released in August, mixes indie rock with pop tones to create a peaceful listen that's perfect for studying. Turnover is described as a indie rock, dream pop, and earlier pop punk trio from Virginia Beach. Personally, “Good Nature” is by far my favorite on the list. The entire discography is amazing. If you listen to anything, listen to Turnover.

“Apricot Princess” by Rex Orange County. This was a recent find for me.

With a sweet voice and even sweeter lyrics, Rex Orange County’s sophomore album is a great early morning listen if you want something calming.

He is an up and coming indie/alternative singer and songwriter from London.

“Lust for Life” by Lana Del Rey. After personally being recommended this album a hundred times I knew it had to be worthy.

Receiving fairly positive

reviews for her last album, Lana Del Rey steps out with “Lust for Life,” which has topped the U.S. number 1 charts. Del Rey can be described as dream pop or indie pop. Her work is great for any jam session—alone or with friends.

“Gemini” by Macklemore.

Macklemore obviously had to make it on here as a Seattle born native. Macklemore welcomed his second studio album “Gemini” late September. After topping national charts in 2013 he came back with the single “Glorious,” as a nod to his grandmother.

Macklemore mixes pop with some rap to create an album made for any upbeat occasion.

“Everybody” by Logic.

Logic started in Maryland as a biracial child struggling with his racial identity growing up. He now releases this album to stand up for the equality of all. His release in May gained him national attention and landed him a performance of his song “1800-273-8255” on the MTV Video Music Awards. With his upbeat and real rapping, this album makes for a great workout session. I would recommend this album to anyone, even to someone who isn’t a huge fan of rap. I personally don’t normally go out of my way to listen to rap but “Everybody” is a phenomenal listen.

Click the QR code below to check out our playlist! The albums included are a mix of genres that come from recommendations from friends.

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FEATURE

‘There were no skyscrapers’ An international student’s U.S. experience

Louise Lee is an international student from Vietnam in her second year at Pierce College Puyallup.

Lee was a normal teenager going to school in Vietnam and was shocked when her parents pulled her from her high school and told her she would be going to America to study.

She wasn’t excited to leave her friends behind for an American education and the thought of starting over in a new country was overwhelming.

“Coming to the U.S was not my idea, my parents just said, ‘You’re going,’” Lee said. “At first it was annoying because I was going to pursue the dream that’s not mine.”

Most students can relate that school without friends would be hard to get through, but starting in a new country with a different culture and customs is not something many students have to deal with.

Lee was expecting America to look like the exaggerations displayed in foreign television and was in for a shock when she came to Washington where it was green with mountains, and not many skyscrapers.

“The most shocking thing is there were no skyscrapers

and a lot of urban areas, you just realize that America is so big,” Lee said.

Although she was in unknown territory, Lee has made the most of her American education. Lee, who was lonely, shy and unhappy, took the necessary steps to make her American experience a good one.

She started by changing her major from the one her parents chose to one that made her happy.

“My parents wanted me to be like a doctor, I just thought to myself, ‘umm, I can’t do that,’ so I just decided to change my major, they were angry but I don’t really care,” Lee said, laughing.

Lee is now leaning toward agricultural biology. She says she’s happy with her choice to change her major and believes if she’s going to be stuck doing something for the rest of her life, it will be something she enjoys.

Even though Lee comes from a different culture, she can relate to other students in the sense that most college students don’t really know where they belong once starting college. However, coming from another country as a teenager can be even more difficult.

“I was a little depressed at first,” Lee admitted. “I felt there was no one with the same voice as me.”

Nyadeng Mal

Nyadeng Mal Reporter

Student Louise Lee is involved with several clubs on campus. She believes experiences and relationships are an important part of the college experience.

She felt like she couldn’t relate to her peers because she didn’t have an American upbringing and couldn’t relate to many American students.

“I had a friend who was super outgoing and I just wondered ‘how can he do that?” Lee said of her friend Nhan Ta, who was also an international student from Vietnam and Diversity and Equity coordinator for the Office of Student Life last year.

Ta graduated from Pierce College Puyallup last year but left an impact on students like Lee. She admired his outgoingness and felt a connection to him being from the same country. She felt the confidence to be as outgoing as him and wanted to be just like

him, so she decided to start going to clubs. Lee represented International Club at the club fair last year.

“I had to dress in my traditional clothing,” Lee said. “It felt weird but people really like my traditional Vietnamese outfit; it was a small act but it really made me happy and triggered me to want to do the same for others.”

Lee said she was once shy and wanted to blend in, but was inspired to create her own community.

Lee is the creator and president of Choreography Club, which meets every Friday from 1-2 p.m. She feels it’s changed her college experience for the better.

“In my club, there are so

many people from different backgrounds and I think that physical activity brings people together more than talking, I feel more open now.” Lee is also running for the international chair position for American Honors.

“We spend a lot of money coming here for an education but it’s not everything for me,” said Lee, who believes education is important but relationships and experience are more important to her.

After her last year at Pierce, Lee hopes to travel to Europe where her sister is studying as an international student. She hopes to close out her last year at Pierce doing the things she loves like Choreography Club and hanging out with her friends.

Clubs provide opportunities to get involved at Pierce

James McCraw Senior Reporter/Office Manager

The Office of Student Life has allocated $35,000 for oncampus clubs and the activities that these clubs host for this school year.

On-campus and off-campus events organized by club members can be a different way to meet fellow students that have similar interests.

Currently, Pierce has 12 active clubs, but the opportunity to add to that number is always a possibility.

Sean Carda, Engineering Club president, found out about the club last fall at the Clubs Fest and was excited about joining because engineering is something he is pursuing as a career. Carda is working to get the club started for the quarter and is looking for new members.

“We build cool stuff,” Carda said. “We’re nerds who build cool stuff. It’s a great way to get started learning about engineering,” San Tran is president of O C T .

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the ASL Club, which is one of the new clubs on campus this fall.

Tran found beauty in American Sign Language and wanted to use her experiences learning the language and share it with others.

“I took ASL 1 and ASL 2 and I just loved it so much so I was thinking of joining an ASL club on campus but then they didn’t have it so why shouldn't I make one,” Tran said.

She found an adviser through the recommendation of an ASL professor on campus and hopes that ASL can connect people and that the club will continue on after she graduates.

Tran said this culture had been missing from representation from the clubs and that she wants positive representation of the deaf community.

Irene Vu wants people to learn about cultures around the world. As the president of the International Club, she wants to bring people togeth-

er through food and fun; as an international student, she feels like it is important to do.

“We meet international students and they come and talk about their cultures,” Vu said.

She is worried that the amount of international students from different cultures is declining, so she is trying to find new ways to showcase the club’s strengths.

Brenna Smark, Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society president, says that clubs are an important part of college because coming to a new school can be overwhelming and clubs are a relief from that.

“It gives students an opportunity to find something in their interest and interact with people interested in the same things,” Smark said. ”They make friends which, in turn, will hopefully develop into another support line for the student.”

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A different club experience on campus is the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society.

Students have to be invited to join Phi Theta Kappa, invitation is based on their GPA and academic achievement.

“I really became interested in joining the honors society because it looked like a great way to get involved with the college,” Smark said. “I feel that PTK is not only a big representation of the academic achievements students accomplish here at Pierce, but also it's a great representation of the student body overall because we go out and represent the college to the community through volunteering activities.”

Smark decided to run in the election for PTK president because she felt that doing the volunteer activities just wasn't enough for her.

“I was a part of the team and getting involved for sure, but I didn't feel like I was doing all that I could be,” Smark said. “I wanted to be a T H E

part of an even bigger team of not just the honors society, but of the bigger student population.”

All the clubs’ presidents agree that Clubs Fest is important for recruiting new members to their clubs and is an exciting way to talk to other students about their passions. ”Honestly, I would tell students to try and make it a goal to join at least one club per quarter,” Smark said. “It's a great way to get involved and meet new people, and depending on what the club is, it could potentially look good on resumes. It shows evidence of a well-rounded student.”

Fall Clubs Fest is Oct. 24, in the dining commons from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will have booths from all the active clubs as well as food and games for attendees.

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NEWS English Continued from page 1

speakers in the classroom because in their writing, their accent may be apparent.

Keith Kirkwood, writing center program manager for Puyallup and Fort Steilacoom campuses, refers to this as intercultural rhetoric, a theory that people coming from different countries come from different rhetorical traditions. He believes professors need a broader understanding while grading the writing of students from different cultural backgrounds.

“It’s not wrong, it’s just different,” Kirkwood said.

Pierce College isn’t only adopting this method of “there is no inherent ‘standard of English’” in the writing center but Pierce College leaders have been making changes to placement testing on campus. Alison Walker-Stromdahl, an English professor at Pierce College Puyallup, helped implement student placement methods Directed Self Placement and Multiple Measures, after the Compass test dissolved itself, proving it wasn’t an accurate placement method for students.

“We’re moving away from using one test to determine how a student places into a course,” Walker-Stromdahl said about the Multiple Measures test, which places students in a class based on past tests, like the Accuplacer.

Multiple Measures and the DSP work together to suggest to the student what English class they should register for.

The DSP offers guidance rather than placement and eliminates the threat of inequality in testing and doesn’t expect students to answer direct questions.

Instead, students will have access to types of questions they may be asked in different English classes, such as English 101. The students are not required to answer

the questions but it helps them As an English professor, it is determine what they feel comMcClinton’s job to make sure fortable with. DSP was implestudents understands what is mented to increase equity in testexpected of them. He says that ing. all students, no matter their The Engupbringing lish language, or culture, “The way the world have to in its most basic form, is works is properly align- work to about com- ing what you want to assimilate m u n i c a t i o n , say to the appropriate to what is e f f e c t i v e l y audience,” expected getting a mesof them in -Duncan McClinton, english professor s t a n d a r d sage across to the specified English. audience. Various professors and For Blake Fuerbach, a secstudents at Pierce College can ond-year English major attendagree on that statement. It is the ing Pierce College Puyallup, it’s writer’s job to understand their seemingly simple to adapt to audience and to adapt to the what is expected from his audiexpectations of the reader. ence. He admits he feels lucky to “Rhetoric isn’t about ‘I should be a native English speaker have the right to say whatever I because he is able to express want, to say it any way I want, himself with ease. and it should be acceptable.’

Fuerbach decided to pursue Because that isn’t the way the English as his major because he world works. The way the world said writing is freeing. It gives works is properly aligning what him his own voice. However, not you want to say to the appropriate all students are that fortunate. audience,” Duncan McClinton, What McClinton teaches his an English professor at Pierce students can be described as College Puyallup, said. “code switching”. Code switchMcClinton labels himself as a ing is something people do often pragmatic English professor, in their everyday lives to assimidealing with things sensibly and late to different groups. practically, rather than in theoret“If I want to hangout with ical considerations. lawyers, I probably am going to McClinton says he is passiontalk like a lawyer, right? If I ate about the English language want to hangout with cultural and his students. He views his anthropologists, I talk like a culrole at Pierce as helping teach tural anthropologist,” McClinton students proper rhetoric so they said. are equipped to adjust to different Code-switching seem harmsituations in their day-to-day less but some groups of individlives and can understand what uals are expected to shift their writing style is appropriate for language more than others. To each situation. some, code-switching in an aca“We have multiple ways to demic setting is seen as unfair present ourselves,” McClinton and unnecessary. said. “We are so much more Students come from various sophisticated than ‘hey, this is my backgrounds, socioeconomic background, my ethnicity, my communities and upbringings culture and I’m just gonna speak that they bring to college, resultthe way that I was brought up and ing in different dialects. comfortable with.’ Nobody gets “If you’re not writing white to do that. Whether you’re an you’re not writing academicalAmerican or an international stuly,” Laila Tova, a tutor from the dent, we are all adjusting our Pierce College writing center, messages constantly to our audisaid. Pierce College English proence so that they understand.” fessors Courtney Edwards and

REVIEW

Rick and Morty

American adult animated science-fiction sitcom

Rick and Morty is a series that could be a run of the mill sci-fi show that is in the vein of Adult Swim’s other shows, like Squidbillies and Robot Chicken. The show, at first glance, may seem immature: the main character, Rick, turns himself into a teenager and a pickle; one character is named Mr. Poopybutthole.

However, as the slogan for the third season says “only a show this smart, can be this stupid.”

The first episode starts awhile after the second season finale with Rick imprisoned; the Federation has taken over earth. The brilliance of Rick Sanchez is shown off in this episode when he escapes intergalactic prison and kicks Jerry out of the Smith Family.

The rest of the season explores the characters in a more cynical tone than even the last seasons, with Morty resentful against Rick in many situations, Summer more jaded towards the madness of Rick and Morty’s adventures, the family getting used to divorced family life and Beth thinks upon her relationship with her O C T .

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Walker-Stromdahl agreed, grammar should be something adding “if you aren’t writing that is not emphasized,” Keown said. white, you aren’t writing right.”

A misconception among stuAccording to the professors, dents at Pierce is English lanif the standard of proper English is associated with white Ameri- guage and composition can be can culture, certain groups may simplified to right and wrong, suffer from what some would that there is one right way to write. But according to some call a racial bias.

The assimilation of English is Pierce professors, English is relnot limited to international stu- ative. A definition of relativity is dents but can apply to anyone the absence of standards of who does not have a standard absolute and universal applicaEnglish education. Historically, tion. In other words, if something there has been ethnic and racial is relative, it depends on other disparities in education and factors.

“There’s not one right when institutions set standards answer,” Edwards said. on subjects such as English it When grading English papers, can be seen as unfair to minority Edwards considers that students groups. come from different back“We want an even playing field, we definitely do,” McClin- grounds and different rhetorical ton said. “But if someone has traditions. Edwards herself has a English as a second language is hint of a Southern accent and has isn’t an even playing field, is it.” experienced backlash in her For second-year international speaking and writing.

To her, however, including student Irene Vu, expressing her accent in writing isn’t wrong. spontaneity in her writing is a constant struggle because she When contacting her students, feels structure is enforced above Edwards makes it a point to use the contraction “y’all.” Edwards content. has found When Vu it’s drilled was asked if “If you aren’t writing into stushe feels she has a white, you aren’t writ- dents’ brains that they d i s a d v a n - ing right.” can’t use tage of -Laila Tova, writing center tutor c o n t r a c articulating tions. language comEdwards makes sure her stupared to a native speaker, she dents know writing contractions said yes.

“In Vietnam I can just write and writing with an accent isn’t and make something up because incorrect.

“It does have a lot to do with that’s my language,” Vu said.

“But when I write in English I’m what we value, not just with like ‘wow, maybe I need more English language,” Edwards knowledge and more vocabulary said. “Do we value offering literand more grammar to make my ally everyone a place at the table? Or do we just want to prework more coherent.’”

Kelvin Keown is an English tend like we want everybody to Language Consultant at Univer- come to the table? And are we happy with having them come to sity of Washington Tacoma and the table as they are, or do we has observed that students focus want them to automatically drop on grammar not because they everything at the door and just feel it is important but because they feel the pressure of the pro- repackage themselves and assimilate and assimilate and assimifessor.

“As long as faculty can read late and drop everything else and and understand what students then become what we think they are writing, then grading on should be?”

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father.But just like the other seasons, there are many standalone episodes such as “Morty’s Mindblowers,” “Jerry’s Adventure,” “Adventures in Froopyland” and “Vindicators Three.”

“Morty’s Mindblowers” is the Interdimensional Cable for the third season and out of that trilogy of episodes, however “Interdimensional Cable 2” stands above the three. However, even the standalone episodes this season have a goal of fleshing out the characters.

This season has been the most polarizing for many fans.

While I think it’s a great Season, the blunders are quite the blunders in terms of the series as a whole. I myself think that Vindicators three is the worst episode of the series. It’s not bad, just

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Cast: Justin Roiland, Sarah Chalke, Chris Parnell and Spencer Grammer.

Rated: Rated TV-14 for intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense sexual situations, and intense violence.

mediocre. The ending of the series is the worst offender of polarization. The entire season ends on seemingly a retcon that many people are unhappy about.

Where Jerry is introduced back to the family, Rick is just the “wacky scientist.” The president doesn't care about Rick and Morty anymore, many of the plotlines they’ve began are unfinished, or even concluded. It goes against the hero's journey, that co-creator Dan Harmon, loves to abide by. In fact, “Vindicators” follows it even less.

Regardless, Rick and Morty’s third Season is still good. Just with the track record of the series, this season has more “bad” episodes than the other seasons.

But even the bad episodes are just mediocre, not advancing the characters in any meaningful way and sometimes not continuing plot lines that carried over from season 2 that fans are desperately wanting to see continue.

I give it H H H H I

By Ryan Rothman T H E

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