Woodland Hills, California Volume 142 - Issue 4
March 19, 2025
Theatre department reimagines classic tragedy Director JP Evans makes Pierce directorial debut with ‘Antigone’
Actors Olivia Espinoza, Josie Breedlove and Natalia Kane rehearsing a scene from “Antigone,” in the Dow Arena Theatre at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 13, 2025.
By Gerardo Escobar Editor-in-Chief
A3000-year-old tragedy is coming to Pierce College, but with a postapocalyptic twist. Opening the 2025 spring Theatre department season, this “Antigone” is set in 2156.
Based on the adaptation by Jean Anouilh that was first performed in 1944 in German-occupied France, LAPC Theatre’s doublecasted “Antigone” opens Friday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m.
According to Director JP Evans, Anouilh’s adaptation was written in response to Nazi Germany’s occupation of France
and was critical of them, but because of the way it was written, the Nazis liked the play and particularly liked the character of Creon.
Both actors for the protagonist Antigone, Olivia Espinoza and Pahola Godinez, expressed relief that their first lead role was double-casted.
“I’m honestly beyond grateful that for my first leading role it is double-cast, because I feel like the goal of the actor is to know your character in and out, and to have a partner in crime to converse about that has been amazing,” Espinoza said.
Godinez said that she has felt supported by the rest of the
cast and added that her biggest support system has been the other Antigone.
“I was actually talking to my friend and telling her, ‘I hope this is double-casted,’” Godinez said. “Every time that we need to lift each other, we’re always there for each other.”
Godinez added that being double-casted provided an opportunity to better portray the character of Antigone.
“I think we both have such an appreciation for this role that every time we each do it we’re always like, ‘You did so great, Oh, I found something you did today that was amazing,”’ Godinez said.
Espinoza described Antigone as a fiery and temperamental character and that Antigone’s emotions are justified because of her circumstances. Espinoza added that being able to play Antigone has been a cathartic experience.
“There’s no room to hold anything in. There’s no room for hiding,” Espinoza said. “Just being able to accept my emotions through playing Miss Casewell in the ‘Mousetrap’ and now playing Antigone, a very strong woman, when my entire life I’ve been told to hold it in, it’s just been really liberating.”
Evans interpreted the play as being about the need for people to stand up against governmental oppression.
“Throughout history there are moments where someone has to stand up against what’s wrong in the world and against the government.” Evans said. “I think today it’s especially potent because we are living in a world where the government is trying to take over and we do have the rise of what could be considered a dictator.”
Evans described that this take on Antigone is almost Mad
Max-esque and comes from the question if history will continue to repeat itself.
“The idea I’m playing with is ‘What if this era we’re leaving in ends the world and what happens when the world tries to be rebuilt again? Will there be another similar situation,” Evans said.
“Antigone” will open at the Dow Arena Theatre on Friday, March 28, and run until Sunday, April 6. Showtimes for Fridays and Saturdays are at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are
$15 for students and seniors and $20 for general admission.
Parking is located at Parking Lot #6, next to the Performing Arts Building.
LAPC Theatre’s venues are accessible to those with mobile disabilities and hearing impairments.
For additional information or to purchase tickets, call (818) 719-6488, or visit lapctheatre.org to purchase tickets online.
JP Evans and prop designer
“Antigone” rehearse in the Dow Arena Theatre at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 13, 2025.
Cordova
Victor Montiel / Roundup News
Brian Khoury / Roundup News
Gelareh Behdad / Roundup News
Director
Hex Nahas watch the cast of
Gelareh Behdad / Roundup News
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Volume 142 - Issue 2
The correct Street Beat question is “What is something you would like to learn about Black Hisroty Month?
On the first Friday of March every year, the United States celebrates Employee Appreciation Day to recognize employees for their hard work, and to let them know how vital they are.
But appreciation days, Employee of the Month placards and Starbucks gift cards don’t make up for the fact that nearly 30% of workers are not satisfied with their current pay.
The top reason given by those who want to make more money for the hours that they put in is that their wages have not caught up with the cost of living, according to a Pew Research survey of more than 5,000 employees in the country.
Around 70% of those not
satisfied say that they get paid too little for both the quality and amount of work they do, and the largest group of those who are unsatisfied with their jobs in general is the 18-29 age demographic.
Even following the high inflationary period postpandemic, wages have not outpaced price increases, leading to an overall 1.1% loss in real hourly wages, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If the country wants its residents to be satisfied at work, there are lessons to learn from other countries. France, for example, has an average work week of 35 hours, as compared to our typical 40. Working overtime in France not only increases your hourly pay, but allows you to accrue paid time off faster.
If that isn’t enough, full-time
French workers are entitled to 25 days of paid annual leave every year. That is a far cry from America’s federal policy, which does not require a single hour of paid time off. Most states put in place rules for PTO, but that comes with its problems, including the majority of states not having any state-required paid sick, family or medical leave.
Even though these policies do not directly raise wages, they allow people to take care of other important things in their lives without the fear of going broke. Nearly half of Americans said they are living paycheckto-paycheck in a 2024 Bank of America study.
This burden can keep people from changing things in their lives, such as seeking a new job. On the other hand, a large
Career technical education (CTE) programs, ranging from child development to automotive technology, enroll about 70,000 students across the Los Angeles Community College District. Despite the high demand, CTE students at Pierce College do not have the proper support to pursue their goals, because the college does not have a dedicated CTE counselor.
CTE programs can lead to high-paying jobs, internships and apprenticeships, often before students transfer to a four-year university—or
Scan the QR code below to subscribe to our weekly newsletter Editorial: From the desk of the Roundup Employees need more than words of appreciation
sudden cost can cripple a family or individual if they are in this predicament, such as a big hospital bill. Ultimately, this can leave them more stressed and less happy.
A common critique of those who are unsatisfied with their jobs is that if they want to earn more money they just need to work harder. In a broad view of U.S. workers, this does not reflect reality. Americans were 80.9% more productive in 2024 than in 1979, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics began recording this metric, yet they have only received a 29.4% increase in wages.
To circumvent the crisis of underpaid and overworked laborers, lawmakers need to examine what policies work around the world and how we can implement them here.
Students deserve dedicated CTE Counselor
without them having to transfer at all. But to get these lucrative opportunities, students need the right guidance. That’s why Pierce should designate or hire a specific CTE counselor.
Pierce has 10 full-time counselors, but none of them are specific for CTE, according to the Pierce Counseling department. This lack of support leaves CTE students to navigate their paths to employment largely on their own. Having to juggle writing cover letters, creating resumes and preparing for interviews without guidance can be overwhelming, especially for the many firstgeneration college students at Pierce.
Investing in a CTE counselor would prove worth it for Pierce. Not only are CTE pathways already popular, but they’re growing in demand. According to NPR, the number of community college students pursuing vocational programs has increased by 16% since 2022.
CTE programs are worthwhile for many reasons, including that they can lead to high-paying jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, tradebased careers often pay more than $50,000 annually, and many don’t require four-year degrees.
Several other similar colleges have CTE counselors, and Pierce
should join the list. These nearby colleges include Los Angeles Valley College and Los Angeles City College. If Pierce wants to continue to attract career-focused students, it’s time to get a CTE counselor.
Pierce has a heavily transferfocused counseling system, but not everyone plans to transfer. Even many students who do plan to transfer also want to pursue their career before they finish their four-year degree. Pierce can better serve the diverse needs of its students by having a CTEspecific counselor, in addition to the transfer support the college provides.
On March 19, 1964, the Pierce College Roundup News published Volume 26, Number 18. The paper reported the start of Wiskerino, the annual beard growing competition.
The contest was sponsored by the Assciated Men Students and was held “in conjunction with Rodeo Week preparations and ends just as Rodeo Week begins.”
The contest was 25
cents to enter and had five categories: full beard, chin strap, mustache, goatee and a group for those who have already grown beards.
The Roundup reported the reason for the event was “to provide an atmosphere of the ‘Old West’ during Rodeo Week.”
The contest lasted six weeks and the overall winner would be crowned as “King of the Rodeo.”
Copy by Jonathan Wheelock
A photo of archived Volume 26, Number 18 of The Roundup News.
Column: Unplugging for a day
By David Cohen Reporter
Recently, I decided to see if I could get through the entire day without using a screen for anything other than work related purposes. While I was able to do it, it didn’t happen without some form of alternative that’s fun and engaging.
There’s something magical about video games, videos on social media and the internet in general that makes it hard to live without. Video games give immersive challenges that make you have to react quickly, strategize and aim in real time to hit targets and avoid things moving at you, and the world building can make you feel like you live in a completely different reality.
Social media videos are basically one inside joke and they teach me facts that I’m 90%
sure I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else, such as how even though South Korea has the most golfers per capita, most golfers there play on simulators instead of real courses or how Naples, Italy has the same climate as LA despite being at the same latitude and altitude as New Haven, Connecticut. The function of the search bar in general is great because it can answer pretty much any question you have in less than a tenth of a second. If you want to find out a tip to get you to win more games in Prop Hunt, you’re a few hundred wiggling of the fingers away.
To make it through the day, I did both things I needed to do and some things I wanted to do. The thing I wanted to do was read my book about the career and personal life of future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James. As big of a LeBron fan as I am, I can’t read more than 5 pages a day, as there are a ton of words per page and I already know 70% of what’s in the book.
Books don’t update and they don’t require you to do anything other than look at words and turn the pages. There’s no talent that reading a book requires, and I enjoy things that take talent. The thing I had to do was study for an anatomy class. I was so desperate for something to do that I
considered studying exciting. While the subject is interesting, as my goal is to become a strength and conditioning coach, a lot of it doesn’t have to do with my goal and there are still other things I’d rather do than memorize words.
When I was at Catalina Sea Camp over the summer at ages 15, 16 and 17, the no phone rule was tolerable because there were things that challenged my body, gave me things to compete with others in, or gave me breathtaking views, or a combination of the three, such as kayaking, sailing, ping pong, rock climbing, scuba diving, hiking—which isn’t really competitive unless you come up with a game like who can go from rock to rock without touching the dirt in between—nine-square, football and cooking.
There were opportunities to socialize with other people through these activities. However, even with all those exciting things to do, I still felt myself wanting to show people my stats on Brawl Stars or random objects that looked like Among Us characters or words that sounded like a famous person’s name, like a picture of Walter “Walta” White connected by an arrow to the country named Malta.
Are you giving anything up for Lent? If so, what is it?
“I don’t do it all the time, but I gave up shopping. Normally, it’s a little harder for me to give that up because I love it.”
“I gave up social media and sweets and instead I am working on slowing down, prayer and service hours.”
Donna-Mae Villanueva - Major
Mary Anne Gavarra-Oh - Dean of Language and Arts
“Social media takes up a lot of my time, so I decided to give that up. I want to focus on family matters and right now that requires my attention.”
“I’m giving up meat on Fridays. I try to eat cod instead.”
Ara Aguiar - President
Katherine Rivera- Political Science Major
“I gave up any kind of sugar. I’ve been doing it since I was a little girl and I always feel rejuvenated after and like I accomplished something.”
Meia Hereda - Business Administration Major
by Melanie Somoza
President photo by David Pashaee
Interviews
Photos by Domonic Borja
President quote by Delilah Brumer
Photo Illustration by Rashad Muhammad
Essential golf carts reported stolen from Lot 8
Theft
contributes to pre-existing shortage of carts on campus
By Myraneli Fabian Reporter
The Sheriff’s Department is seeking two suspects who stole golf carts from a Pierce College construction site through campus surveillance cameras on March 1, at 9:45 p.m.
Senior Lead Sheriff Deputy Isaac Jorge received a report on March 3, that the gate in Lot 8 had been broken into. The sheriff’s team searched the area but was unable to locate the suspects that night.
“It’s just a dark area, we’re doing our best where we can to put our people there,” Jorge said. “We advise faculty and staff to put some clubs, some safety devices, and hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”
Faculty and staff routinely use the golf carts to get around campus and the farm. The cost to replace a cart is between $5,000 - $10,000. Pierce President Ara Aguiar recalled earlier attempts at theft on campus.
“A few months back, there was an attempt to steal a couple of golf carts from the farm area,” Aguiar said. “Which would have really been bad because our team
their uses them to get around the farm and be able to be available for anything that our animals need.”
The thefts come amidst a shortage of golf carts on campus.
“We wish we had more of them actually for our team,” Aguiar said. “We’re short already on carts because they break down and some of them need to be replaced.”
Executive Assistant to the president Malina Koani does her best to get around campus on foot and relies on the golf cart.
“I try to walk as much as I can now, but they’re so helpful when we’re carrying a lot of things,” Koani said. “Especially when we have to have an event in another room.”
According to Jorgre, the campus has been relatively secure having had few incidents of theft or vandalism.
“We just wish that this campus feels like a safe place to be able to leave something out there like that,” Koani said. “Knowing that somebody would take off with one is kind of a shame because you feel it reminds you that it’s not completely as safe as we think it is.”
crime log was not provided for the dates beetween March 12 and March 18.
crime log is made
Suicide Prevention Workshop
By Zamourad Iqbal Reporter
The Student Healthcare Center organized a workshop on Suicide Prevention Awareness on Thursday, March 13, at the Multicultural Center, on how anyone can overcome their mental stress or suicidal thoughts by seeking help.
Student intern Cassie Austin from California State University Northridge discussed how talking about suicide or mental problems is still a concerning issue and stigma in today’s society.
“I believe that there’s still a stigma around suicide, so people do not want to talk about it,” Austin said. “There’s a stigma with mental health as well. If you talk about mental health, then some people don’t want to acknowledge that they have it.”
Sociology major Jaen Pepe White suggested how students can help each other if they encounter someone going through a rough patch.
“By noticing signs and
compassionately approaching the student just to let them know, first, they are not alone, second, you do not judge, and third, you can help,” White said. “ There’s always something you can do to help prevent suicide.”
An intern from the Student Health Center Ariana Armenta mentioned why it was important for her to attend the seminar.
“I’m a student intern for the Student Health Center and an undergraduate from California State University Northridge,” Armenta said. “I major in public health, which is about prevention, which is also a key factor in keeping people safe, healthy, and alive. I think this presentation was very beneficial to students.”
Student Health Center Director Houry Tanashian emphasized how anyone on the campus can seek help from the health center and utilize those services.
“We have so much support from peers, and that’s why we do these workshops,” Tanashian said. “A lot of
people don’t know the support they have on campus. The faculty, the staff, the sheriff, and the health center are involved. We must bring the word out, so students know that we care and there is help for them.”
According to Austin, the best way is to keep track of daily updates from school to remind yourself of the services available to the students.
“Here at Pierce College, even at CSUN, we provide a lot of resources,” Austin said. “Unfortunately, I think sometimes students do not know what resources are. If you’re a student, if you get a text or an email and take a look at it, follow your college on social media, you will be proactive, and start the connection.”
Tanashian also mentioned that by showing kindness, students can support each other on campus.
“Let’s all be kind to each other because we don’t know what the other person is going through,” Tanashian said. “All we need is kindness towards each other.”
A broken lock at one of the construction sites at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 12, 2025.
Myraneli Fabian / Roundup News
Inoperable golf carts parked by the Child Development Construction site at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 12, 2025.
Myraneli Fabian / Roundup News
A Brahma Bodega golf cart is parked with a steering wheel lock at Pierce College, Woodland Hills, Calif., March 12, 2025.
Victor Montiel / Roundup News
In the hole: Brahmas battle budget deficit
Administrators,
Pierce College is facing financial trouble and is navigating changes to the budget to combat it. Pierce has reported a projected $10 million deficit for the upcoming year with a $5 million deficit for the current year, according to Pierce President Ara Aguiar.
California community college enrollment has struggled to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, a problem that has proved challenging for many Los Angeles Community College District campuses, including Pierce. According to Aguiar, the college is exploring several avenues to minimize the deficit, including applying for grants, streamlining certificates and eliminating some costs.
“There are reductions, but we are working to grow out of this,” Aguiar said. “We need to grow out of this.”
To combat the current deficit, Aguiar said the college will no longer be hiring faculty for vacant positions this year, unless it is for a department that has
faculty and students grapple with multi-million dollar shortfall
funding through other outlets, or it is a crucial position.
Aguiar explained that in previous years, Pierce has prioritized faculty hires because of state requirements for ratios of full-time faculty to adjunct faculty. Last school year, Pierce was able to hire more faculty than needed, because the state provided funding to support the faculty hires.
Aguiar added that another measure Pierce is using is canceling classes that have low enrollments at the start of each term, while following the requirements outlined in union contracts. She said that this has been frustrating for students enrolled in those classes.
“Academic affairs has been very diligent about if a class is low enrolled, per the contract, we have canceled low enrolled classes,” Aguiar said. “I know that some students were very disappointed that we did that, and
I guess for that, I will apologize, but it’s a situation that’s out of our control at this point.”
Academic Senate member and physics professor Dale Fields discussed how the deficit can affect adjunct faculty jobs, because full-time professors get classes first.
“One of the big differences between full-time instructors and adjunct instructors is that full-time instructors have more job security,” Fields said. “By cutting the classes, the adjunct instructors are the ones who suffer. They are the ones who first lose their jobs.”
One of the primary factors contributing to the deficit is enrollment post-pandemic. While there has been a steady increase in enrollment numbers in recent years, Pierce has not been able to recover enrollment fully since COVID-19.
According to Pierce College Office of Institutional
Effectiveness, 2019-2020 enrollment numbers showed 30,859 students were enrolled, whereas 2023-2024 shows 28,150 students enrolled.
“This reduction is costly for the college, and the thing that makes us nervous is that if you reduce the number of classes, then we have fewer students, and if we have fewer students, then we get less money, and then it sort of spirals around that problem,” Fields said.
While Pierce’s budget has seen cuts, Aguiar said that the main goal is to ensure students are successful, and they get the credits needed to transfer to a four-year university. Part of that process involves outreach to students who are close to achieving a degree or certificate, and helping them get there. This also benefits the college by bringing in state funding.
“The team is looking at ways to generate reports that show a
student that’s only missing one or two classes to graduate,” Aguiar said. “They’ve done a lot of their work already. We reach out to students who are missing a few classes.”
According to Associated Student Organization President Jasmine Minchez, ASO is prioritizing making cuts where they see fit to prevent financial trouble, while Pierce works its way through the deficit. Minchez added that despite certain financial changes within ASO, she believes there will continue to be ways for clubs and the school to host events for the students.
“We are prioritizing stretching every avenue of funding that we can, so that we don’t exhaust the reserves that we have now,” Minchez said. “I have seen, regardless of the deficits and the cuts all year, the events that have existed for the past couple of years are still being put on. We’re just changing the way that we would do them.”
Managing editor Delilah Brumer contributed to this story.$10,000,000
Photo Illustration by Delilah Brumer and Abraham Elizalde
Blood Moon takes over the sky Lunar Eclipse viewing hosted on campus
By Nathalie Herrera Campus Life Editor
As the cold night began to set and the Moon was bright, the Physics and Planetary Sciences Department hosted a lunar eclipse viewing.
Students and faculty were invited to view the eclipse on Thursday, March 13. The first half of the event revealed the eclipse as the shadow overcame the Moon, and the second half was the Moon turning into a hue of red, otherwise known as the Blood Moon.
Physics and Planetary Sciences Department professor Dale Fields explained the exact movements of the moon and the movements of the eclipse, as well as why the Moon turns a red hue, otherwise known as the “Blood Moon”.
Fields said that the Moon would start looking fainter than it normally does as the eclipse begins to set in at roughly 10:09 p.m., and larger parts of the Moon would start to fade out, almost resembling a bite mark, as it goes deeper into the Earth’s shadow and by around 11 p.m., the red hue would set in.
“As we get to see some of the red light that is passed through the Earth’s atmosphere from every single sunrise and sunset simultaneously on Earth, this is passing that red light along to bounce off the moon and come back here to Earth,” Fields said. Fields explained that the
importance of the event is to provide a space for students to question and learn freely. The event provided telescopes for students to witness the moon’s phases and the transitions, encouraging students to witness science in real time.
“As we get to see some of the red light that is passed through the Earth’s atmosphere from every single sunrise and sunset simultaneously on Earth, this is passing that red light along to bounce off the moon and come back here to Earth.”
Dale Fields Planetary Sciences Professor
a chance to have these kinds of events is a great reminder of all the things that are going on and all the things that we can figure out. That’s great for people at the stage of their education to realize this is something that can be done.”
For some students like anthropology major Luna Jones, events like the lunar eclipse was a way to make a community for their spiritual beliefs.
“Something like a full moon has a lot of power associated with it, and something known as planetary magic, which is a system of occult correspondences,” Jones said.
Architecture major Mada Azzuz shared that schools making witnessing scientific events such as the eclipse available is beneficial to students because it is not normally accessible.
“I think it’s cool that a school makes it accessible for some people and provides things like telescopes or hot chocolate and water,” Azzuz said. “I think it just makes it easier for students to see once in a lifetime things. For the school to set it up and make sure people can witness it, it’s cool. I’ve just always been obsessed with the Moon since I was a little kid.”
“It feels like a lot of the time that the ability to ask questions is sort of scolded out of us when we’re kids, and we’re discouraged from trying to find out more,” Fields said. This is to make that happen. Getting
Abraham Elizalde / Roundup News
Abraham Elizalde / Roundup News
A view of the moon during the lunar eclipse from the Center for Sciences Building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 13, 2025.
A view of the moon before the lunar eclipse from the Center for Sciences Building at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 13, 2025.
Nathalie Herrera / Roundup News
Anthropology major Luna Jones explains a ritual she is performing to Pierce student Maya Refua on the Center for Sciences Building in Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on March 13, 2025.
Media Arts Department wins awards at conference
By Elizabeth Tirheimer Reporter
Up-and-coming journalists came together to network, discuss the industry and share their work in Long Beach from Thursday, March 6, to Saturday, March 8.
Pierce College’s Media Arts Department members attended the 2025 Spring National College Media three-day conference in Long Beach to meet advisors and other collegiate journalists across the nation.
The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) held its spring conference and was attended by students from California and all over the nation. The ACP works with two California collegiate-media organizations, the California College Media Association (CCMA) and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC).
The JACC sponsors three Publication Awards, which honor work that a student has published throughout the year, and three On-The-Spot Awards that commemorate the work
completed during the conference. This includes work that was done with deadline circumstances or “bring in” from weeks prior to the conference.
Photography major Abraham Elizalde won first place in the JACC’s sports photo On-TheSpot Award (pictured right). Elizalde talked about how it felt winning the award and his experience at the conference.
“Being able to place first at my first contest, it was a surreal experience,” Elizalde said. “I was able to network with a bunch of different editors, reporters and photographers from schools across California.”
During the conference, attendees explored different ways to increase their audience engagement and reexamine some of their practices.
Journalism major Delilah Brumer won multiple awards including first place in the CCMA’s non-breaking, news story category, and got the opportunity to speak at two panels during the conference “One of them was about localizing the state-wide high education policy for your college
paper, the other one was about internships and fellowships,” Brumer said. “I was a little bit nervous because it’s speaking in front of a lot of people but I was really excited to share my experiences covering higher education.”
Journalism major Gerardo Escobar won first place for the Spanish-Language Coverage Award. Escobar talked about the excitement he felt receiving this award.
“It was really cool to win the best coverage for the SpanishLanguage Coverage Award, I think it was the first time we entered and we got first place,” Escobar said. “Seeing that I was the one who got first place felt pretty good.”
Right: Long Beach State middle blocker DiAeris McRaven (#19) goes up to hit over Sacred Heart outside Hitter Aleksa Mandic (#3) when the No. 1 ranked Long Beach State played against Sacred Heart University on March 7.
Agriculture students start semester-long projects
By Emily Garcia Reporter
Agriculture is the science and practice of growing crops, and raising livestock for food, medicine and other products that benefit humans. An agricultural worker may plant seeds and nurture crops to harvest their products for markets.
Pierce College opened in 1947 and was originally named Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture, in its early years it was known as an agricultural school that focused on animal farming and cultivating crops. Today, the Agricultural
Department at Pierce provides students with the opportunity to work on a project for a semester or more based on the curriculum.
Brianna Zimmerman, a student at Pierce college is working toward an Agriculture and Horticulture degree. Since the spring semester of last year, Zimmerman has been reculturing bacteria samples in a liquid broth onto plates in hopes to find novel bacteria.
“We’re seeing what bacteria we can find in the soil and isolate because that bacteria can change the makeup of the soil,” Zimmerman said. “It can filter out nutrients and it can kill
other pathogens, it can [also] be halogens, so it can determine the quality of the soil.”
The college recently upgraded its agriculture space, including a “state-of-the-art” plant science lab, Pierce President Ara Aguiar said.
“The new facility versus the old facility, there’s really no comparison,” Aguiar said. “I think it’s wonderful.”
Pierce student Jordan Schoonover is working toward a horticulture degree. Schoonover explained the process of his project.
“We are extracting DNA from the soil from cover crops and
we’re just seeing what’s in the soil,” Schoonover said. “Right now we’re doing ICS but I think they were also seeing if there was possibly penicillins in the soil too.”
Students are given the option to choose what to do for their project based on their interests as long as they work up to six hours a week for the hands-on experience.
Professor Savanah Senn has worked in the Agriculture Department for Pierce College for nine and a half years. Senn expressed her excitement for the students to present their work.
“Yes, I think that it’s great
It’s raining students and ducks
for them to work on their presentation skills and also to follow something through to the end,” Senn said. “It’s exciting to see how excited they get and it helps to build their confidence.”
Students walking around on a rainy day at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Mar. 5, 2025. Photo by Gelareh Behdad
Two ducks sit on a puddle on a rainy day at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Mar. 5, 2025. Photo by Gelareh Behdad
Abraham Elizalde / Roundup News
Baseball team sweeps Raiders in doubleheader
By Abraham Elizalde
Photo Editor
As the scores went up, the opposing crowd quieted down when the Pierce College baseball team won both games in a doubleheader against the Moorpark Raiders in their field in Moorpark, Calif. on March 16, 2025. The Brahmas won the first game 3-2, and the second 5-1.
The first game against the Raiders started off tame and in favor of Moorpark, as they got a 2-1 lead after the fourth inning.
After two runs by infielder Ethan Granillo in the seventh inning and outfielder JJ Torrente in the eighth, the brahmas took the lead and won the game with a score of 3-2.
As for the second game, the Brahmas showcased relentless defense against the Raiders, only allowing one run in the second inning, and holding them to zero for the rest of the match
The Pierce baseball team is turning things around this season. They finished off the 2023-2024 season with a 7-32 record, as well dropping all four games against Moorpark.
Freshman pitcher Brayden Briscoe is proud to be a part of this now winning team, and ready to keep it going with the Brahmas.
“I knew that they kind of struggled. So to be able to come in and really turn it around is a great feeling.” Briscoe said. “You know, the vibes are high, and we’re gonna try and keep running it.”
Head coach Bill Picketts said he is proud of coaching this team and is having fun doing it.
“It feels great winning.”
Picketts said. “But I also have good kids, they play hard, and it makes it fun. It’s a much better feeling.”
It has not been easy for the Brahmas, as they have yet to play a game in their own field. All home games have been played at Los Angeles Valley College, due to the Joe Kelly Field having work done, according to Sports Information Specialists Jose Quevedo in an email.
With not being able to truly have home field advantage, the Brahmas has also played a number of doubleheaders this season, against Glendale Community College on Feb.15, Mt. San Jacinto on March 8 and now Moorpark.
Picketts acknowledged the difficulty of playing a doubleheader, and challenged his team the day before to get the result they hoped for.
“I challenged them yesterday at practice.” Picketts said. “I told them, I need you to show up on
time and I need you to grind out for however long it takes “
Now being on a three game winning streak, the Brahmas are ready to carry this momentum onto their next outing.
As long as Pierce plays as a team, they are confident to continue this winning streak, according to catcher Ethan Mercado.
“I don’t think anything needs to change. “ Mercado said. “I think as long as we keep playing together, play as a team, support each other and everything. We’re gonna keep having success.”
These win ups their win column on a now 13-8 record, 7-2 in conference. They will play Los Angeles Valley College next on March 18.
TOP: Pierce baseball team in a huddle after a win against Moorpark in the baseball field at Moorpark College in Moorpark, Calif., on March 18.
BOTTOM: Pierce first base Orion Hahm-Taklender(#21) hitting during a game against Moorpark in the baseball field at Moorpark College in Moorpark, Calif., on March 18.
Men’s Volleyball wins against Antelope Valley
By Zamourad Iqbal Reporter
Pierce men’s volleyball snapped their five-game losing streak with a bounceback against Antelope Valley on Wednesday, March 12.
Head coach Joseph Arechiga expressed how this victory boosted the team’s confidence after having a few backlogs this year.
“I think it’s good to get back in the win column. It’s been an upand-down year,” Arechiga said.
“Every time you win, it’s always a great feeling to see our hard work pay off.”
The Brahmas found their rhythm back after struggling for a while, according to outside hitter Luis Penate.
“We have been struggling to find our rhythm the past few games. I think in this game, we found that rhythm that we need,” Penate said. “It was good. I think it was a statement game.”
Coach Arechiga discussed how switching up the lineups was a game-changer strategy for their
victory.
“We completely switched up our lineups and switched number 11 [Brandon Ta], who is one of the leading attackers in the state,” Arechiga said. “We switched him to the setter. He did a great job of hustling and was able to facilitate the offense and get everyone else working around him. “
According to setter Karl Manolong, the defense was one of the key factors in helping the team secure the match.
“We played good volleyball, kept our heads up, and were
focused,” Manolong said. “I think one big turning point was our defense today. It’s been a lot better since the past few weeks.”
The Brahmas shared their learning experience from this game that they can apply for their upcoming match against Moorpark.
“The next game is going to be really hard against Moorpark and with the energy that we have here, we just need to implement it into the next game and uplift ourselves,” Penate said.
Libero David Montalvo scored
five digs and said his greatest lesson from the game was trust his teammates.
Setter Brandon Ta believes that consistency and hard work are the key elements he took away from this game.
“The lessons that I learned from this game are that consistency and hard work can lead to a lot of good things,” Ta said.
Pierce will host Santa Barbara City College on Wednesday, March 19, at 6:00 p.m. at the South Gym Building.
Abraham Elizalde / Roundup News
Abraham Elizalde / Roundup News