The Vigil-ant Vegan

by Monica Vigil

Let’s get something out of the way. No vegan is 100% vegan.

Even the best vegan in the world is imperfect. She could have been raised as a vegan, never worn fur, refuses to sit on leather couches and doesn’t even look at film photos (because film contains gelatin, an animal derivative). Even this vegan is imperfect.

This person cannot avoid stepping on ants when she walks outside, or killing dust mites when she sleeps on her mattress. The lettuce she eats may have been sprayed with pesticides, making that lettuce a product of cruelty.

Perfection doesn’t exist, but good intentions do. Veganism is about limiting the amount of harm we do to others, specifically other species. There’s an intimidation in the online vegan community that in order to “earn” the vegan label, one has to be perfect. This is not only elitist, but impossible.

Veganism shouldn’t be praised for its exclusivity. It is not a hip, new nightclub that only lets in those with the best (faux) leather shoes and coolest hair. The opposite is true. The goal of veganism is to minimize harm and this goal can only be realized if we encourage everyone to get involved and do our part.

If we vegans stop shaming each other for slipping up on our lifestyle (intentionally or otherwise), meat eaters might feel safer and more comfortable trying it our way. Instead of yelling at “fake vegans” who eat a bag of hot cheetos every few months or berating those who aren’t ready to give up their leather goods, we should praising people for the steps they do take in the right direction.

There are people in my life who don’t eat meat, but still consume dairy. I understand the cruelty and suffering that comes from the dairy industry. It’s heartbreaking and disgusting. But so is the meat industry. And isn’t it great that these people stopped eating meat?

For the full story visit: TheRoundupnews.com mvigil.roundupnews@gmail.com

With relentless technological advancement year after year, there comes a time when a standard set of online protections and cyber security become obsolete.

Because Valley College payed a $28,000 Bitcoin ransom to hackers in early January, Pierce has since taken steps to reinforce our sensitive data.

Since the start of the semester, the Wi-Fi has been spotty at best. Administration has tried to remedy this by periodically shutting down and reactivating access points in individual buildings, one at a time.

As of Tuesday, Feb. 28, the old Wi-Fi login system was reimplemented. Students and staff are now required to enter their student information system (SIS) login to gain access to the wireless network. But that does nothing to protect us from a student or a staff member that is the one trying to steal information.

A solution would be to change the wireless network from this WPA2 (Wi-Fi protected access 2) system to a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that connects your

Pro: Guns are tools

MADELINE MARTINEZ Copy Editor @madisaysso

Defending yourself is an American right. It was built into our constitution for a reason. Our forefathers knew the right to bear arms would be significant for our society to prosper years after it was drafted.

People who want to commit crimes and cause violence will always exist. We should have every ability to protect ourselves.

The main reason people oppose guns is because they are misused. Lackluster owners are the main cause. Proper training and use can deter many of the accidents or crimes that happen as a result of gun ownership.

Guns don’t kill people unless they are used by a person to kill people. Those who are properly trained to use a handgun know when resorting to use, even brandishing of their weapon, is the last step in escalation.

Guns are easy to come by, legally or illegally. All it takes is the effort of one person who wants to cause damage to do so and it really doesn’t take much, especially in big metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles. I know I would feel safer if there were protocols in place which allowed for concealed carry on campuses, even if it was just for staff.

With extra guns carried on campuses besides the sheriff’s deputies’ or police officers’, school attackers would think twice before deciding to attack unsusceptible victims who can defend themselves. Pierce is a large campus that has around 22,000 students enrolled plus staff. It sits on over 426 acres, which is bigger than UCLA’s campus. Shooting sprees happen in mere seconds. Do you really think the campus’ sheriff deputies can respond in an ample amount of time to certain parts of campus when things can happen in a matter of seconds? I do not. mmartinez.roundupnews@gmail.com computer to a safe network that will not show your browsing history, nor save cookies or caches. A VPN keeps your data away from any outside interference. This would give peace of mind to any authorized individual trying to access these networks. An article from ABC news states, “There are no estimates of how often this happens. No one has ever been arrested for Wi-Fi hacking.” This shows how institutions fail to take wireless security seriously, which leads to situations similar to Valley’s. The hacking of Valley’s

In the Virginia Tech Massacre, Seung-Hui Cho was able to walk around freely and uncontested as he executed students. Adam Lanza was able to do the same at Sandy Hook. Could both have been prevented if concealed weapons were allowed on those campuses? We will never know, as most campuses do not allow concealed carry permits to be acknowledged and those that do have not experienced any mass shootings.

Being able to carry a concealed weapon matters. Being able to protect yourself matters. Nobody has to know that you carry and you never need to let anyone know. If it comes down to a situation where I might have to defend myself, I want to know I have every means, especially so I can make it home to my girlfriend every night.

GARRETT HARTMAN Reporter @ghartmanroundup

Guns on school grounds should never be allowed. There have been countless times when students have brought loaded weapons to school and, even if their intentions aren’t to shoot anyone, caused panic among other students.

If you are carrying a gun, what do you intend to do with it? Most would argue that they want to feel safe, but if we allow guns on school grounds, we’re only causing more problems for ourselves. A gun could easily get into the wrong hands if we’re not careful. Someone who intends to use a gun could easily do so. Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, there have been 186 school shootings. That number alone is why I’m against having guns on school grounds. The violence will only get worse if guns are allowed, so more should be done to prevent more school shootings. If a fight were to break out between students at a school that allows guns, and they both pull a gun out on each other, then what do you do?

Supporting guns on school grounds is the same as supporting violence. The violence we see at schools across America isn’t going to end unless something is done. I don’t see the benefits of having guns on school grounds.

Cartoonist: network brought awareness to vulnerabilities in Pierce’s system. For a somewhat more practical approach, the IT department should be given funds for creating redundancies that back up faculty, staff and student emails. That way, if Pierce’s data is ever compromised, online records of students’ grades will be backed up. Keeping students’ data and records safe should be a priority on campus.

“I Had an instructor in business calc.thatsaidsheʼdcallthecops ifnoneofthepeopletryingto addleft,andshedidnʼtadd anyoneeventhoughtherewere openseats.”

-MitchWood,21,Sophomore

“Theteacherhadacoinandsplit thepeopletryingtoaddintotwo groups.Heflippedthecointo seewhichgroupstayed.Hekept splittingandandflippinguntil thefinalpersonwasselected.”

-DavidCabados,21,Sophomore ghartman.roundupnews@gmail.com

It only promotes more violence. It isn’t right for a student at any level to have the right to walk into school with a gun. When will a student ever have to fire a gun at school? If guns are allowed, then are students going to walk around until something bad happens to possibly use it?

If students don’t have any intentions to use their guns, then what is the point of carrying one on school grounds in the first place? If a shooter, not from the school, were to go on campus and fire a gun, it would be unnecessary for students to get involved and risk their lives.

It’s a police officer’s duty to protect and serve, but that doesn’t mean we have to do the same for ourselves. Preventing violence is the main reason why guns shouldn’t be allowed on school grounds.

Too many people are losing their lives at schools. School is supposed to be a place of learning, not a place of violence. Banning guns from school grounds might not end school violence completely, but it’s a big step forward toward preventing it from happening again.

“Oneofmyinstructorsdida raffle,butdidtheprobability onhiscalculatorofhowmany studentsaretryingtoaddtothe numberofpositionsandchose thatway.”

-JenniferVargas,20,Sophomore “Ihadateacherwhoadded everyonewhotriedtoadd andallowedthemtositonthe ground.”

-SelenaValladares,21,Freshman

Editorial Board deems not to be a letter. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. the Sunday prior to the issue date.

Editorial Policy: The Pierce College Roundup position is presented only in the editorials.

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Cartoons and photos, unless run under the editorial masthead, and columns are the opinions of the creators and not necessarily that of the Roundup. The college newspaper is published as a learning experience under the college journalism instructional program. The editorial and advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.