Volume 126 Spring 2017 Roundup Issue 6

Group final exams? pg.2

ASO budget in question pg.3

Tech talks pg.5

Pierce at night pg.6

Teammates & roomates pg.8

Brahmas claim conference title

Pierce wins Western State North title, moves on to playo s as 5 seed

Across the street from a sandy Santa Barbara beach, the Brahmas (5-1, 13-5) kept their California dreams of a state title alive with a victory over the Santa Barbara Community College Vaqueros (2-4, 5-13).

They now head into the postseason as the No. 5 seed.

The Brahmas needed a victory in the season finale to ensure the Western State Conference - North title and a spot in playoffs. With their home court’s namesake, Ken Stanley, in attendance Pierce responded with a three-set sweep of the Vaqueros (25-23, 25-18, 25-15).

“I’m real proud to see we’re meshing in our system and meshing in what we’re doing as a team,” head coach Lance Walker said. “And it’s always great to have the godfather himself, Ken Stanley, at our game, especially for this win.”

The Brahmas were lead by setter Bernardo Roese’s 40 assists. Roese came into the match as the state’s leader in assists per set, and saw his average increase to 12.54, nearly 2 assists ahead of the next man.

Making an impact with those assists from Roese were Brandon Oswalt with 14 kills and Trenton Sellers with 13. Oswalt and Sellers are one and two in the conference when it comes to kills per set with 3.93 and 3.46 respectively.

“The last couple games have been really good for us regardless of what the opponent has done,” Sellers said. “It’s been all about us and what we’re doing as a team and our energy.”

Libero Blake Omartian feels the end of the regular season was a chance for the Brahmas to prepare mentally.

“It’s obvious we have the

physical aspects we need to do well in the state tournament,” Omartian said. “The games leading up to it are more for us to work on our mental game.”

The Brahmas now have a date with the No.4 Santa Monica College Corsairs (2-4, 13-5) on Friday at Santa Monica in a quarterfinal matchup. A matchup Walker refers to as the “405 dirty matchup.”

According to Walker, the Brahma roots run deep in this game, even on the other sideline. Santa Monica head coach Jackson Meticchechia played at Pierce, and Corsairs setter Hunter Douglas’ father coached Walker. Pierce will have its hands full

with the Corsairs. Not only did the Brahmas lose in straight sets (2927, 25-19, 25-18) on March 1 in the two teams only matchup, but Santa Monica is the only blemish on the record of No. 1 Orange Coast College (6-0,18-1).

“We have to look at what kind of lineup we’re going to want to use,” Walker said. “What worked and didn’t work against them. I think Jackson’s quote at the end of the game was like ‘that was probably the worst game you guys ever played.’ And I’m alright with that.”

The Brahmas have responded when they needed to at the end of the season. Victories in their final two games were critical to

capturing the conference title, and with it an automatic bid in the eightteam playoff.

“We want to be the best at the end of the season and right now we feel we’re flowing and we understand what’s going on,” Walker said. “Everything we need to do on our end is working, psychologically and physically.”

A victory Friday will give the Brahmas home court advantage, with Pierce hosting the semifinals and finals of the state championship April 27 and 29.

“It comes down to we want to win when it matters, and it matters now, Walker said. “It doesn’t matter what our record is. We win we come

Vintage Market

Financial Aid awareness

Financial Aid is partnering with ASO and the Academic Senate to inform students about the Financial Aid process, get assisted with filling out your FAFSA application.

Campus Outreach

Save the Beach will “Go Green!” and give out tips on how you can help the environment on Thursday April, 20 in the Free Speech Area from 1 to 3 p.m.

home and continue to play. We lose we’re out. I think that’s the fun part of the season.”

“The guys are dialed in,” Walker said. “We’re preparing as a coaching staff. The alumni, even other sports on campus are already getting fired up. It’s a pretty exciting time for everybody, and for Pierce right now.”

The matchup against SMC is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday. A victory will set the Brahmas up in the semifinals against the winner of the match between No. 1 Orange Coast College and No. 8 Grossmont College.

jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Cookie for your thoughts?

ASO council collects campus concerns to create complaint paper trail

to review the student comments to resolve concerns as soon as it can.

Tracy Johnson, a first semester ASO senator in student government and a club council representative, said that the best way to represent the student body is to directly hear from them and relay the message to the senate.

“I knew a couple things that I had complaints about, but I had no idea what the student body thought was the problem, so I came to the senate and asked if I could do this thing where I polled the students and actually find out what the issues are to the students,” Johnson said.

“I can’t just decide for myself. As a

representative, I need to represent the people by hearing what you guys have to say,” Johnson said.

Johnson says she plans to look through the written suggestions with another senator and organize them based on the ones that the ASO is able to handle.

The complaints that ASO can’t solve will be passed along to the corresponding departments and senate.

Johnson then intends to inform students about the progress that is being made regarding these issues.

“Things like Wi-Fi and parking, we can’t do anything about that directly. But I will make sure that [administration] hears what the

students are complaining about,” Johnson said.

Johnson said that taking formal complaints will create a paper trail that forces the administration to be accountable. If the same complaints are being received, but not addressed, there will be documentation.

Spanish major Thaddeus Jenkins thinks that Pierce needs to improve its restrooms and new smart classrooms.

“The bathrooms don’t work where my class is at, so I have to walk all the way to the library or the cafeteria to go to the bathroom,” Jenkins said. “It’s been broken for like three weeks now.”

Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters said that ASO Awareness Day is essential for the

Stomp conference

The 18 Annual STOMP Conference will take place on Friday April 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. bus will Students interested must RSVP

English scholarship deadline

ASO to properly do their job and help improve student outcomes.

“My hope is that we make this a place that’s number one transfer graduation successful,” Dixon-Peters said.

Johnson plans on bringing the suggestions that the ASO can solve to the senate in the third or fourth week of April. During the month of May, the ASO plans on going to various departments on campus to resolve the student suggestions.

Though an exact date has not yet been determined, the next ASO Awareness Day will happen during the fall semester.

Applicants for the English Scholarship must submit their work to Professor M. Kraemer’s faculty mailbox (#630) by Friday, May 26, 2017. Students interested in applying must follow these requirements to be considered. Students should include a cover page with your name, identification number and email address along with an English essay from a class within the past academic year.

JOSHUA MANES

Sports Editor @tweeporting

Victor Rodriguez / Roundup

Men's volleyball beat the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros in three straight sets to place first in the Western State North title, on April 14, in Santa Barbara, Calif.

From the desk of the Roundup: Editorial

Everyone likes to think they’re special, that they’re the exception to the rule. Most believe they’d survive a zombie apocalypse. But what if nobody told you it had started?

Despite what “The Walking Dead” depicts, such an event is unlikely, but nonetheless, outdoor speakers throughout the campus would work as an emergency broadcast system, as well as keeping the campus informed and entertained. OK, forget the zombies, that’s not happening right now. But what about a more realistic and unfortunately common emergency.

School shootings are an increasingly frequent occurrence. According to the Everytown for Gun Safety advocacy group, there have been 186 school shootings since Sandy Hook Elementary on Dec. 14, 2012. We were reminded of this grim reality recently when a man walked into a San Bernardino elementary school’s specialeducation class and shot and killed his estranged wife, an 8-year old student and himself, as well as injuring another student on April 10. What happens if a situation like this occurs at Pierce?

In case of an emergency on campus, Pierce sends out mass email and text message alerts. But what about the students and faculty that are already on campus?

While most classrooms have phones, some that don’t even work, not everyone is inside a building. Nearly everyday there are groups congregating around campus at places such as Rocky Young Park, outside of the gym and on The Mall.

A campus-wide emergency broadcast system (EBS) would be a quick and simple means of informing those on campus

Volume 126, Issue 5:

Page 1: The last day to file taxes for 2016 was on April 18, not April 14.

Page 8: Madeline Martinez's title is Copy Editor, not reporter.

Page 1: In the free speech story on the front page, Kevin Shaw said that the free speech policy was arbitrarily enforced, not that the policies are arbitrary.

See any corrections we missed?

Email us at newsroom.

roundupnews@ gmail.com

of the situation, and keeping as many people out of harm’s way as possible.

An EBS would be useful outside of such drastic times as a shooter on campus.

During the Fall 2016 semester, campus lost power in the early evening. As students and faculty filed out of buildings, confusion arose. No one knew what was going on, and whether or not that was it. Once the decision to cancel classes for the rest of the day was made, that information could not have spread across campus all that quickly.

A simple broadcast announcing

the closing of the campus would make everyone’s life easier, as long as the system has an emergency power supply.

But what about all those times when there’s not an emergency?

News briefs and other campus updates could be broadcast throughout the day. Important updates, sports results, game previews, events and club promotions could fill the air.

Not only would this keep students and faculty updated on events around campus, but also inform them about resources they might not know of.

There are events on campus

Pro: makes dreams work

Teamwork makes

SAMANTHA BRAVO Managing Editor @sammybravo93

Effective group studies can solve procrastination and benefit students’ workload when working with others. It doesn’t have to feel like a daunting task. It all depends on how serious the members in your group are. If they want to get a good grade and pass the class, they’ll get motivated to do the work.

True, working in groups teaches us the value of teamwork, responsibility and communication, but it also prepares us with problem-solving abilities and patience. Almost every job requires behavioral interactions among people, so working in groups can help prepare you for your career.

Group projects give you an opportunity to share thoughts and compare notes with one another. Your classmate might have information that you probably didn’t write down.

I’ve experienced successful group projects where I learned more in a small group rather than a classroom of 50 students They don’t create more stress, they help divide it within each other and can help you figure out who can do what in the project. If someone is familiar with PowerPoint, they can create it and the others can help provide the information.

I’m going to agree with not having time outside class to meet up with your group, I couldn’t meet up sometimes because I was running late or I had class when they all didn’t; however, it all depends how much you care about your grade. You’ll make time to meet

“Iwasridingmyskateboard throughtheparkinglot,whenIhit apieceofwoodandflippedover.”

-Drew Stern, 28, Dance

throughout the semester that go under-promoted. Flyers and posters around campus, as well as the occasional preview story found in this publication are often the only way the community might be informed.

Broadcasting short 15-30 second promos for events would not only promote the events, but also give radio students useful practice producing these short spots that are so common on commercial radio broadcasts.

Oh, yeah, did you know that Pierce has a radio station?

Broadcasting KPCR would give the students’ shows more

ROCIO

up with your group, and studying for even a few minutes helps you absorb the information thoroughly if you have others to motivate you. Get easily distracted? Libraries can provide private study rooms for students who want to work, but also talk freely. Group projects can help you cover more material quicker. By separating chapters and creating a summary of what you collected, it can help minimize the workload.

According to an article on educationcorner.com, the group project size recommendation is between 4 and 5, to minimize the socialization and maximize the contribution. Study sessions should be more than an hour, but shouldn’t last more than 3 hours. Shorter sessions tend to feel rushed and unproductive.

Who said group projects are stressful? Working alongside your classmates can be a fun and good time to make new friends. If you put aside your egos and personalities and focus on the work, it could be an opportunity to work together as a group. You can celebrate by grabbing a bite to eat or going out for drinks afterwards.

Group projects can also turn into quiz sessions in which you quiz each other with definitions, math problems, etc. If you are constantly repeating definitions or math solutions, it helps improve your knowledge retention and it helps you better absorb the information.

Lastly, group projects give you the opportunity to ask your classmates questions about topics you’re struggling with. Someone in your group can help you if your instructor can’t.

Whether it’s because of the work load or the threat of carrying someone’s weight throughout the project, working in groups almost always seems like a daunting task.

Typically, group projects are designed to teach us the valuable lessons of teamwork, responsibility and communication. But more common than not, group work does the polar opposite of what it’s designed to do.

When students hear their professor say “We’re going to have a group project this semester,” a low grumble spreads throughout the room as classmates anxiously wait to hear which group they’re being sentenced to. Then the anxiety of not knowing who your partners are sets in, and the worst of it all - will I be responsible for the bulk of the work load?

From my experience as a student of almost 17 years, working as a team for a group project hardly ever rang true. Usually, one or two people took complete control of the material and sacrificed their work for the others in the group who always made excuses.

For example, once upon a time in middle school, I was put in a group with classmates I hardly knew, and a couple free-riders took credit for all the work the rest of the group did. They made communication a living hell.

A 2013 study by the Higher Education Academy in England, UK states that 49 percent of students

Cartoonist:

exposure, and possibly encourage others to join the program.

Currently, KPCR has the capability to stream their shows and news segments live online. With the added boost from a speaker system, live shows and game broadcasts could be heard on campus.

It seems like a simple thing. Outdoor speakers can keep this campus safe, informed and entertained, while providing exposure to the groups and resources that go unnoticed.

“IwastalkingtoagirlIlikedand accidentallyfarted.”

-Connor Brown, 24, Business

“Iwaswalkingthroughthehall, andlookingatmyphone,when Iwalkedintoapole.Itriedto pretenditdidn'thappen.”

-Mika Borhani, 18, Undecided

opposed group work.

Group projects always seem like a ‘final destination’ for grades because of the many complications caused by the nature of group work. Everything from the obvious ‘free rider’ dilemma, lapse in crucial communication, impossible schedule coordination and the inevitable fate of deadlines, group projects achieve little of what they're promised to do for students.

I believe group projects create more stress in students’ lives because of how time consuming they can be. Group projects promote networking, but it dwindles in its ability to further students’ progress in their class by creating giant obstacles to achieve the grade each individual rightfully deserves.

Teachers must begin to take into consideration how limited students’ time is outside of class. Students’ unrelenting tendency to slack off make it nearly impossible to achieve the goal each individual sets for themselves in their respective classes.

Group projects also present the issue of conflicting egos and stubbornness to agree on an idea. A perfect example of this, which many students can resonate with, is when one of the group members decides to have everything done their way and is intolerant of others’ ideas and suggestions.

Conflict easily arises in group projects when the group cannot coordinate ideas and direction for the project, resulting in clashing personalities and disagreements that consume our energy and time.

“Igotmyperiodduringclass,and didn'trealize.Iendedupwalkingout withahugestainunbeknownstto me.”

-SusanVisokey23,MusicEducation

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.

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.

Illustration by Beck Shields / Roundup

introduces candidates

Students seek changes in office

MADELINE MARTINEZ

Copy Editor

@madisaysso

Senators and students are finishing their campaigns for four spots on the Associated Students Organization's executive board.

Pierce College’s ASO hosted a candidate’s forum on Monday to allow prospective candidates running for office to introduce themselves to the student body and share their reasons for running for the selected position.

ASO Senator Tracy Johnson managed the forum, ensuring that the candidates had their allocated time, and he facilitated the questions after the candidates were done with their speeches.

Out of the eight candidates who are running for office, only one is not currently part of the ASO and is considered a newcomer, Johnson said. “Shayna is not a part of the senate, but the drive to come in here as an outsider, I really admire her and look forward to hearing more about her campaign,” Johnson said.

You can go fund yourself

ASO diverts money from old clubs to priortize newer organizations

KAYLA BERENSON Reporter @kayla_berenson

The ASO is encouraging older clubs to fundraise for themselves because money will be directed toward newer events and organizations.

He also said that the goal of this decision is to help new clubs establish themselves and host different events.

“We have a budget, but some clubs put on the same events every year or every semester,” Mkrtchian said. “We want to make sure that new clubs have enough funding so they can bring new events that Pierce hasn't seen before.”

Mkrtchian said that the board is trying to keep track of their funding.

“Anyone who looks at the budget can notice that there are limits,” Mkrtchian said. “As the student population grows, so does the need for money.”

Mkrtchian said that ASO is encouraging older clubs to fundraise independently.

“Fundraising is part of the club experience,” he said.

ASO President Amir Haghi agrees with Mkrtchian. He said that he thinks a big part of this decision is to help older clubs become more independent.

Haghi said that although the board wants established clubs to find ways to fundraise their events, they will still have access to some of the organization’s funding.

“We aren't exactly taking away funds from older clubs,” Haghi said. “If a club comes to us asking for funds for an event that has been done before, we want them to try fundraise as much as they can. For example, if they can raise 50 percent of what they need, we could give them the other half.”

According to ASO Vice President Saman Tehrani, most of the new clubs aren't aware that the board is available to support them morally and financially.

“This gives new clubs a chance to get a good start,” Tehrani said. “Giving them priority, in a sense, gives them a chance, because they may not be aware of the resources they had available.”

Tehrani also said that she

hopes that the older clubs will be on board with the decision because it will teach them skills they will need outside of school.

“I would like to see them not rely on ASO funding for every activity,” Tehrani said. “This will allow clubs to learn the business side, and everything can be fair.”

Dean of Student Engagement and co-advisor for ASO Juan Carlos Astorga said he also thinks that this decision is businessfriendly and will help the ASO board and students who are in clubs learn how to budget their money.

Astorga also said that not only does ASO provide funds for clubs, but for academic departments as well. He said that funding requests from departments totaled to about $340,000, while the budget itself is $165,000.

“Because the requests for funds don’t match up with the budget, we have to start making decisions,” Astorga said. He also said that he did not have a say in the decision, but he gave suggestions to the board when they discussed their options on how to manage the budget.

“In the past, we gave out money as it was requested,” Astorga said. “What I’m trying to do is get the ASO to really consider is to budget money for specific areas.”

Astorga also said one of his long-term goals as a co-advisor for ASO is for the club to start a programming board to plan events for students to take part in.

“We can start thinking about increasing student engagement and creating a more vibrant student activities center so students can actually see where their ASO fee is going,” Astorga said. “It might mean that we won’t be able to fund everything, but it means that we’re doing a much better job of being good stewards to the student community.”

Haghi said that though this is the decision on the budget for this year’s ASO clubs, it could change in the future.

“The board changes every year,” Haghi said. “The next board may not want to continue this, but it's what the treasurer and the board have decided for now.”

kberenson.roundupnews@gmail.com

Here, try this CAOT on for size

Department focuses on business and technological aspect of student life

JOSE HERRERA News Editor @jose_herrera012

for the full story scan with snapchat or visit: theroundupnews.com

job Eleanor Viz, an instructor of the department, said.

terminology. These courses are specifically geared for the workplace, according to Viz.

Rundown Brahma Blotter

These incidents were reported between April 2 - April 13

by:

04/11 • Ill Student A student felt ill during class near the Horse Barn and Lot 9. No further details were provided.

04/13

•Ill Student A student felt ill at the bookstore. No further details were provided.

learners taking keyboarding, Word and PowerPoint to improve their technical skills to get into the workforce.

Use those finger-swiping, doubletapping hands to develop marketable skills in the Computer Applications and Office Technologies (CAOT) Department.

“It will allow them to have opportunities for jobs while in school that are more related to their major rather than taking odd jobs,” Viz said. “This will allow them to gain more experience because they have the knowledge of these applications.”

“For a lot of students here, English is not their first language. First I was afraid, but thanks to the professors they make you feel confident,” business major Maria del Pilar Taboada said. “My skills are better now, and I’ve learned a lot. mmartinez.roundupnews@gmail.com

CAOT provides students the opportunity to hone their skills in a variety of software that can be used both in their school work or to market themselves when searching for a

The CAOT Department offers computer applications software courses including all of the Microsoft Office applications like Word or Excel. In addition, there are the business classes for communication and

“It's not just learning how to use the superficial knowledge,” Lyn Clark, department chair of CAOT, said. “For example in Excel, that is the most popular and most demanded program in business. It really takes critical thinking to be sure that you could put it all together right away without having to go back and start over.”

Viz said that the department has a big community of second-language

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station

General Information:

Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Reported

Vanessa Arredondo Randi Love, Jose Herera

Very special specialists

Devoted duo develops events and programs for students

MADELINE MARTINEZ Copy Editor @madisaysso

Ngan Mork and Raffi Kahwajian are a specialist dream team when it comes to helping students find opportunities, grants and internships for their fields of interest both on and off campus.

Both Mork and Raffi share a jovial office with fellow co-worker David Turcotte. Mork is close with her coworkers and if often referred to as the “mom” around the office. Mork is a Specially Funded Program (SFP) specialist who was hired to work with the LA High Tech grant.

“I am very comfortable behind the scenes, planning and coordination,” Mork said. “I hate being the center of attention.”

Mork a Minnesota native, moved to California when she was 11-yearsold. She told herself that she would one day move back to Minnesota once she was done with school, but now she can’t see herself outside of California.

“I can’t imagine living anywhere else now that I am here,” Mork said. “I loved the four seasons over there, but now I don’t know how people live in that cold, it is just nuts. The fact that you can go hit the ocean and the snow in one day if you really wanted to here. The diversity with all the different cultures, just coming together, that is what I love about California.”

Mork was an assistant principal at a nonpublic special needs school for eight years before coming to

Pierce. There she ran a transition age life skills and vocational program that helped bring basic skills to her students.

“All of my students were between the ages of 18 through 22 with different ranges of disabilities, from autism to intellectual disabilities to emotional disabilities and all of them would have their own challenges to succeed to be successful in life,” Mork said.

Mork said that she is proud of what she was able to accomplish at the school.

“There I helped develop a formalized training program and I loved it there,” Mork said. “We had an internship program with various local businesses that were willing to partner with us and show our students the soft skills needed to be able to communicate with their coworkers, use their breaks and work on the social cues they missed.“

Mork relates that working at her previous position has helped her in her new position at Pierce.

“There was a lot of transferable skills because I think that at the end of the day you have to understand that everybody has their challenges,” Mork said. “Everybody comes from a different background, and you want to make them aware of their opportunities. I think that is involved in both situations and that is what I’m doing. I want them to be aware of what is possible, what they’re capable of, and then just kind of spreading the word about these opportunities.”

Mork works closely with the other SFP Specialist Raffi Kahwajian, to help coordinate events for the students.

“I like being able to collaborate

with Raffi since he’s my counterpart,” Mork said. “When we do overall events that we think more students wo0uld be able to benefit from we push them into the works. Like we brought in a Linkedin workshop, in which we brought a person to talk about Linkedin and help our students learn how to use it to market themselves and brand themselves to be more visible.”

Kahwajian is in charge of the LA Regional Career Pathways grant. The grant’s purpose is to connect high schools in pathway subject matters to the college. That way college students can ultimately have opportunities for employment, internships, mentorships, job shadowing or other types of work experience.

From working as an admissions and records assistant and after becoming the senior secretary for the dean of student success, Kahwajian then became a SFP agent.

Kahwajian is enjoying his new found work as he figures out the system and its kinks.

“I like it because it is the whole gamut of connecting high schoolers to

the college and then to the industry all in one project,” Kahwajian said. “It’s a limited time. The grant will come to an end in 2019 as far as using its funding for these goals, but basically we are free to develop partnerships however we need to. So that means we are partnering up with the high schools on the levels we want.”

Kahwajian is happy to be working for Pierce College since one of his main goals has always been to one day make it back to the community college level of higher learning, because it held a certain nostalgia for him, since that is where he got his start.

“I started my education at a community college,” Kahwajian said. “I wanted to return in some way of a future to become part of this world of higher ed. So as soon as there was the opportunity for me in 2015 to enter the community college school district, I took it.”

Kahwajian does what he can to provide Pierce students with new grants and internship opportunities. Some of the challenges that Raffi faces is finding internships for the

students is finding ones in which they can participate in. Kahwajian wants to focus more on being able to provide the schools with deeper resources so they can partner with Pierce on a higher level and with the internship programs.

“I have to figure out how to best wrap up the spending on all the money in this grant and streamline as much as I can toward the students,” Kahwajian said.

Kahwajian hopes that the grant fund will stay around in the long term.

“What we don’t want to happen is to just spend the funds,” Kahwajian said. “We want to get some good opportunities going for a couple of years and then for it to just have to disappear once the program ends just because the funds did.

Richard Mellinger, director in charge of the Los Angeles Healthcare Competencies to Careers Consortium, works together with Kahwajian when it comes to grants. Mellinger appreciates his work ethic and positive attitude.

“Raffi is definitely a team player,” Mellinger said. “He is student centered

and wants to see pathways produced and success for our students. He is a tireless worker and he always is there to help.”

Ngan Mork is glad to have someone like Kahwajian to work along beside.

“Raffi is very driven,” Mork said. “We’ve learned a lot together. He’s taught me a lot about Pierce. It’s strangely been a really good partnership. He’s been a valuable resource and partner in this project.”

A sentiment that Kahwajian shares.

“I’m finding out what matters is the relationships between people. If you can get people to connect, and have good collaborative working relationships with each other, then even if the program is gone or if there is no more funding, at least they will now have repore that they didn’t have before. Whether it is professors on campus who know the high school faculty or local businesses, they can continue to reach out to each other via email or call each other and set things up for their classes.”

Debbie Donovan / Roundup

Raffi Kahwajian and Ngan Mork, Pierce College SFP Specialists , they work on organizing job fairs, internships and outreach to four local highschools. Their office is in Villiage room 8, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Cashing in on business ideas

Students pitch their plans to industry panelists

TANYA CASTANEDA Bull Magazine Editor-in-Chief @tanya_castaneda

While many students are preparing for their upcoming finals in hopes of earning an A, several students have an exam that may bring them $2,000 and entrepreneurial stardom.

The Student Business, Entrepreneurs and Investors Group (SBEIG) of Pierce College will host the Innovative Brahma Challenge on April 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. in The Great Hall.

The event will mimic the show “Shark Tank.”

“We call it a ‘Shark Tank’ event because it makes it easy for people to kind of connect it to something they're familiar with, but basically it's a business pitch competition,” specially funded program specialist Raffi Kahwajian said.

The winning team will receive $2,000 in prize money, provided by the ASO.

"That money is to be used to further the business, to form the business, to buy supplies - whatever you need. That money is a little kickstarter to get it going,” club president Parker Selby said.

Pierce College students submitted their original ideas for a chance to participate in the event.

Kahwajian and Selby narrowed 12 initial submissions down to seven teams who will be presenting their ideas to the public the day of the event.

Although most SBEIG club members are interested in entrepreneurship, none of them are participating in the event, which is open to all majors.

“We have students from all ranges. All of the ideas are in different industries. They all seem innovative so it was open to anyone that had an idea,” Selby said.

The presenters will have up to five minutes to pitch their business idea and will then answer followup questions from a panel of five professionals working in the industry. Each panelist will be allowed one question. In total, each group is expected to take the stage for approximately ten minutes.

The panel will consist of experts from various backgrounds including accounting, advertising and banking.

The experts will judge the teams in five categories: innovation, presentation, need and proper use of money, potential for success and feasibility of earning a profit.

ASO Senator for the Business

Department Lauren Robin thinks that it is important to host this kind of event for students who want to go into business.

“It's so expensive to start your own business, especially as a college student,” Robin said. “So, at a community college, I think it's really cool that we're giving them a space to do that.”

To prepare for the event, the participants have been receiving mentoring from experts in the field once a week for the past month. The main purpose of these handson workshops was for the aspiring entrepreneurs to formulate their business plans and learn how to market their ideas.

According to Kahwajian, one of the most beneficial outcomes of the challenge is the experience that Pierce students will get out of it.

“It's going to be rewarding,” Kahwajian said. “Even if students don't win, what they're having to go through to prepare and just being being able to speak in front of actual professionals with a variety of backgrounds in business is valuable in itself. A lot of the times, you hear successful business people say it wasn't the schooling that they ended up using, it was more about experiences like this.”

tcastaneda.thebull@gmail.com

Tues.

Techs give industry specs Pierce students gain insider information

KARISSA PRECIADO Reporter @karissapreciado

Students, scholars and job seekers alike got advice from seven representatives of renowned companies, including Google, who spoke at the Tech Talks panel on April 13 in The Great Hall.

The speakers provided students with career-related advice, answering questions about finding success in today's workforce.

Agent of Innovation for Google’s Cloud Platform Josh Gwyther told students not to put an emphasis on titles and positions once they enter the workforce. He said this is an easy way to lose focus on why a person entered the field in the first place.

“I made that mistake a few times when you are chasing that title or money,” Gwyther said. “You start focusing on career growth more than focusing on developing your career. Just focus on what you like doing and what you love doing. You will excel.”

Gwyther said that when one pursues a career out of passion, others will take notice. He said knowledge comes from taking risks and potentially experiencing failures, and it will sometimes lead to better things.

CEO of Mission Critical Electronic Systems Sean Randle said that employers often consider a person’s diverse background when

hiring. Having passions outside of a particular field can work to a person’s advantage.

“Don’t just be computer-based. Maybe be an artist or a musician,” Randle said. “If you have a hobby or hobbies, keep doing them because you are going to come across somebody that you want to get to, and that hobby is going to be what clicks you together.”

Senior Analyst at MDA-Space Systems Loral Helen Aslanian said that experience is the most important thing when trying to work in technology-based careers.

She said internships, extracurricular activities and school clubs all count as experience, and she encourages students to be as involved as they can be while in school.

“Getting your hands dirty in any of the technological fields is the most important thing,” Aslanian said. “I know you might not have full options coming out of school. You're not working [jobs] to get that experience, but whatever experience you can get, put your hands on that. It is really the experience that gets you the job.”

Yaron Zanki, a software developer at Google, said that being personable is just as important as being knowledgeable.

“It is not enough if people know the stuff, but if you cannot stand being around them, they're not going

to succeed,” Zanki said. “We are looking for people who are fun to be with.”

Randle also said that working well with others is an imperative part of having a successful career.

“What we look for in an employee is somebody who wants to work with other people, someone who wants to be part of a team,” Randle said.

Program Specialist for L.A.

Regional Career Pathways Ngan Mork said that a recurring theme throughout the event was finding something you are passionate about.

“I hope that what students learned is that anything is possible if you follow your dreams,” Mork said.

Program Specialist for L.A. Regional Career Pathways Raffi Kahwajian said that he thought the panel offered a wide range of perspectives.

“Some people are involved in the programming side of a huge company like Google. Another person is an entrepreneur and doing his own thing,” Kahwajian said. “That shows students that there isn’t just one way of approaching a career in technology. As long as you love what you are doing and putting in the time and effort to learning and being the best that you can be at it, there will be a place for you somewhere.”

Media Arts Speaker Series with Luis Sinco in The Great Hall at 7 p.m.

At Night

Conflicting schedules with work, studies and family responsibilities require some students to take night classes. On breaks between the sessions of three hours or more, Brahmas escape into the dusky twilight to cool off while the lights turn on to brighten the dimmed campus. Others might grab a bite from Falafelicious in the cafeteria that is open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The day is ending, but night class students are just getting started.

Photos and copy by Samantha Bravo and Marc Dionne

Above: Art major Jannely Gomez takes a break from her Life Drawing class to admire the art work displayed by the Art Garden on Monday, April 17, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Above: Taylor Laufe and other Falafelicious employees are getting ready to close the Food Court at 9 p.m.

Left: Guadalupe Villegas, Jessie Anthony, Ruckman Vazquez and Omar Hernandez are taking a break after their geography test.

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Men’s Volleyball Baseball Softball Tennis Swim

April 21 @ Santa Monica Regional Playoffs 7 p.m.

April 20 vs. Valley 2:30 p.m.

April 25 @ West LA 2:30 p.m.

Compton in control Down the home stretch

Inexperienced Brahmas still nding swing

TAYLOR ARTHUR Reporter @taya_arthur

Despite entering Saturday winning two of the last three games, the Brahmas lost 6-5 to the El Camino Compton Center College Tartars in the first game of a double header.

The Brahmas have faced the challenge of getting enough players on the roster this semester, which has resulted in many inexperienced athletes joining the team.

“When you are taking on a new sport and you don’t know the ins and outs of it, there is a learning curve that goes on,” said assistant coach Mark Cooley.

“The good news is towards the end, some of the newer kids who have just come on are starting to adjust now. It’s gratifying to see as a coach.”

The team’s lack of energy and attitude appeared to affect the Brahma’s ability to hit consistently.

“I think that our weakness right now is definitely not being aggressive in the box, letting too many strikes pass us and not being aggressive early,” said Brahma Brittany Maxwell.

Sporadic energy levels and aggressiveness can lend itself

Brahma of the Week

Volleyball

to sporadic, unsuccessful plays, according to Cooley.

“Two things we need to always control are our effort and our attitude,” Cooley said. “The difference is the indifference in this case.”

By the seventh inning the Brahmas seemed to gain momentum. However, frequent missed scoring opportunities haunted Pierce.

“We picked up a lot of our energy in the seventh inning mostly because there were runners on base, we were scoring more, we knew the game was closer than it was before and we

JOSHUA MANES Sports Editor @tweeporting

Currently in first place of the Western State Conference - South, the Brahmas (11-4, 15-20) enter the final two weeks of the regular season needing a strong finish to guarantee themselves a spot in the postseason.

Pierce comes off a nonconference week in which they went 1-2. The focus of the nonconference games weren’t victories.

Bernardo Roese

Setter

were losing by one,” Maxwell said.

If Pierce stayed consistent for long enough during the last inning, they would have won, according to Lopez.

for the full story scan with snapchat or visit: theroundupnews.com

tarthur.roundupnews@gmail.com

(2 Games) 83 assists, 30 digs

Age: 23 Hometown: Brazil

Favorite players : Giba and Bruno Rezende

Favorite teams: Gremio, Brazilian soccer team

If you weren’t playing volleyball what sport would you play? Soccer.

Who inspired you? My father.

What are your goals/plans after Pierce?

To get my scholarship in another university.

Do you have any pregame rituals/superstitions? I listen to music before.

Head coach Bill Picketts used the week to rest some of the banged up players, and get his pitching rotation set for the final weeks.

With the conference still a three-team race between the Brahmas, Bakersfield College (9-6, 14-21) and Mission College (11-5, 22-13), every one of these final five game are critical for Pierce’s postseason hopes.

The final stretch starts with Bakersfield coming to Joe Kelly Field on Tuesday, April 18, followed

by Valley College on April 20. The Brahmas hit the road the following week, visiting West Los Angeles College on Tuesday, April 25, before a huge matchup at Mission on Thursday, April 27. The regular season will end with Bakersfield coming back to Pierce one last time in what could be a conference deciding game. All games are scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

The Manes Event

Yes ladies and gentleman, we’re back, and just in time. We all know what tomorrow is, so let’s get to it.

Athletics need to embrace marijuana.

The days of this antiquated ideal that marijuana is a gateway are fargone, and refer to madness that is behind us.

Most of us.

OK, I might not be able to write this in a couple years, but back to the point.

Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, underwent back surgery prior to the 2015-2016 season. Kerr missed the first 43 games of the season recovering. Earlier this season, Kerr opened up about his embracing marijuana to cope with the pain. He has even said that the NBA should have a provision in the next collective bargaining agreement to permit player use for medical reasons.

Replacing marijuana for opiate and narcotic painkillers is a common occurence, with 80 percent of medical marijuana users reportedly replacing prescribed medication in a 2016 study.

Alright, that’s pain. So what’s the largest problem and concern surrounding sports right now? Concussions. Well wouldn’t you know, a 2013 study showed increased healing in mice that had suffered recent brain trauma.

The health benefits of marijuana speak directly to many of the issues athletes face when it comes to physical recovery.

Not to mention the starpower leagues lose in a flash due to substance abuse suspensions. jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Interview by: Felipe Gamino

Photo by : Marc Dione

Reza Razi / Roundup

Starting pitcher Maddison Tupper delivers the pitch on Saturday, April 15, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Baseball Softball Tennis Brahmas Scoreboard

Moving together in tow Teammates and roommates recruited to same university across the country

Roommates know everything about each other. What they eat, when they sleep and if they clean. But what Pierce volleyball players Peyton Moyles and Whitley Doss didn’t know was that their futures might be moving in the same direction.

During a casual conversation in their apartment, Moyles and Doss discovered they were both recruited to play at Towson University in Maryland.

“Going to Towson wasn’t a preconceived plan,” Moyles said. “At first, we didn’t know that Towson had contacted both of us. We were talking in the kitchen one day when we found out. We decided to go on a visit together and learned Towson wanted us both on a full-ride scholarship.”

Doss considered different schools, but didn’t click with them. After the visit to Maryland, she knew Towson was the school meant for her.

”I checked out Fresno Pacific, but it didn’t resonate with me,” Doss said. “Coming back from Towson, we got on the plane and felt this was a really good decision.”

Moyles is excited about what the team and school have to offer.

“I fell in love with the coaches and the team,” Moyles said. ”Towson is one of the top division-one programs

for volleyball in the nation and has both of our majors. I’ve always wanted to go to school on the East Coast.”

Moyles is pursuing a degree in communications and is interested in a career in sports broadcasting.

She said her dream job would be at ESPN.

Doss is pursuing a business degree and is focused on marketing. She is thankful that her athletic accomplishments are funding her education.

“To do what you love, and see your hard work pay off, is indescribable,” Doss said. “I think we owe a lot of gratitude to Pierce and the volleyball program. To be able to do something fun that gets you an education and provides the opportunity for travel, meeting new people and seeing new things is a blessing. There’s nothing more I could ask for.”

Pierce Fitness Center Director James Sims, who has trained with the women, thinks the decision to stick together will be a good situation for them.

“I think it’s a great thing, as an athlete, to go off with someone you know and feel familiar with,” Sims said. “It makes the transition so much easier.”

Moyles and Doss show passion for their sport and acknowledged that it’s an important part of their lives.

“When I found volleyball, I fell in love with it,” Moyles said. “Being a part of a sport is an incredible thing. Even after college, I want to keep

going. ”

Doss agreed with Moyles, focusing on the intricacies of making a team work.

“There’s something about putting six girls on a court and making the best out of every situation that is amazing,” Doss said.

Sims said that Moyles and Doss are bound for continued success.

“These young ladies are leaders and do a great job on the volleyball court and out in the community,” Sims said. “They will be successful in whatever they decide to do. Towson is going to be very lucky.”

Women’s volleyball head coach Nabil Mardini agreed with Sims and thinks Moyles and Doss both “have a great future ahead of them.”

The ladies move to Maryland in July to begin training and will continue living with each other. Though excited for the new experience, they both understand that it comes with responsibilities.

Travel during the week for conference games will be a larger task than they are used to now, which may present a conflict with classes.

“It’s a huge balancing act,” Moyles said. “I don’t underestimate

Rankings

it. You’re juggling a lot at one time, between games and school. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to stay on top of each other.”

Moyles expressed gratitude for her experience at Pierce.

“We wouldn’t be going if it wasn’t for the Pierce volleyball program,” Moyles said. “Our exposure is handsdown because of our coach, our team and everyone we played with. We wouldn’t have been able to show our talent if it wasn’t for our teammates and this program.”

DANI NOVAZSKI Reporter @dnovazski

Vilma Figueroa / Roundup

Peyton Moyles (left) and Whitely Doss (right) pose in the South Gym on Thursday, April 13, at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

L v Compton 6-5

L v Compton 10-1