Volume 129 Fall 2018 Roundup Issue 3

Town hall at the Great Hall

Chancellor, staff, faculty and administration discuss the search for a permanent president

take care of students.”

The search for a permanent president is underway, and, in a town hall style meeting, LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez met with members of the Pierce staff, faculty and administration.

The purpose of the forum was to openly discuss the process, makeup of the committee and what people want in a new president.

“I need your assistance,” said Rodriguez to the group. “We’ll keep working until we get the right president. We won’t settle for an average president.”

Rodriguez introduced Eva Conrad from Community College Search Services, the group that will take the lead in finding candidates for the position.

Conrad has experience that could prove vital in finding the right person, as she is the former President of Moorpark College.

Conrad says it is difficult to pick and choose the key attributes that make up a successful president.

“A passion for students is number one in my opinion,”

Conrad said. “A real desire to live that life of service and that means taking care of students directly, but also taking care of the people who

Conrad and Community College Search Services are not here to make a decision on the new president, or even make recommendations to the committee that will ultimately decide. They will conduct the search for candidates, handling the background and reference checks during the process.

The committee that will make the final decision will be made up of members from the various branches on campus, and chaired by LA Mission College President Monte Perez.

Vice President of Student Services Earic Dixon-Peters believes bringing together the different sides of the campus is key.

“What's important is the person being able to articulate a vision and goal,” Dixon-Peters said. “A person who's able to put a team together to carry out that vision and goal, and a connector within the multiple competing purposes.”

Those competing purposes that Dixon-Peters talks about, the different sides of the college, are the administration, faculty and staff. All employees of the school, but all with their own missions on campus.

The different purposes could be seen when they went around the room talking about what they would like from a new president.

Members of the faculty brought

up desires for cooperation from the new president, as well as cementing cooperation and respect among the various branches on campus. Administration, such as Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher, stressed fiscal responsibility, as well as finding balance in the questions the candidates will be asked.

Lyn Clark, the chair of the computer applications and office technologies department, has been employed at Pierce for more than 50 years. With her years of experience, Clark believes the largest obstacle any president will face is the red-tape with the district and board that will have to be navigated.

Back on the right foot

Soccer completed its largest comeback in head coach Adolfo Perez’s 18 years on Friday.

The Brahmas responded to a 3-0 deficit at halftime to defeat the Ventura College Pirates 4-3 at home in the Pit.

Perez was amazed by the team's performance and the outcome.

“It’s been an up and down year but what these girls did today was simply amazing,” Perez said.

Brahmas goalkeeper Valerie Mojica has multiple saves early in the game, but Yamile Mondragon gave Ventura College the lead in the 11th minute.

Audrey Castillo scored the next two, giving Ventura a 3-0 lead.

Halftime adjustments and substitutions proved to be the turn around for the Brahmas.

Forward Keyonna Hill cut Ventura’s lead to two, igniting the Brahmas game early in the second half.

Forward Jordyn Conlon scored the second goal, making the score 3-2.

Hill then tied the game with a sensational strike that gave the Pirates goalkeeper no chance to save.

Conlon finished the comeback scoring the fourth goal of the half.

The Pirates had to play with their warm-up gear since they forgot their jerseys.

Perez said the comeback against the Pirates was the strongest they’ve had in a long time.

“I was speechless when they were

killing us in the first half and I was speechless really after the game because it doesn’t happen very often,”

Perez said.

Hill said she was happy with the way the game turned out.

“As a team, the first half we didn’t play our strongest but then second half we all came out and did our thing,” Hill said.

Perez said he was thankful the team pulled through despite its difficulties along the way.

“We’ve had two major injuries already, two ACLs,” Perez said. “We have to shuffle the lineup and put players where they don’t usually play but it worked for today at least.”

Forward Gisell Cruz said the team

pushed through in the second half.

“I didn’t think it was over, but I know that if we fought it would be a completely different game and that’s exactly what we did,” Cruz said. “Towards the second half we just wanted it more and when the goals kept coming it was our fuel to keep going.”

Hill said it feels good the team got the win.

“What I’ve learned is that never give up and you always have to push yourself too,” Hill said. “Everybody wants to win so it’s all about the team who really wants it.”

Cruz said the team has time to practice and push hard to better their skills for the upcoming game.

“We have a lot of time to do recovery and still work to better ourselves in the first half,” Cruz said. “In the beginning we weren’t getting the results that we wanted but I know that if we keep pushing and keep playing with heart everything will fall in line.”

Cruz said she has a tight bond with her team and it inspires her to do better.

“When I’m with the girls it’s not even a sport it’s more like a family I come to everyday,” Cruz said.

The next game will take place against Victor Valley College Friday at 7 p.m. at John Shepard Stadium.

There is another side that has an interest in the proceedings other than staff, faculty and administration. The students. Associated Student Organization President Isha Pasricha urged for a president that will work with students.

“I would appreciate if the new president would communicate with

the student body more,” Pasricha said. “Hands on getting to know what students really want instead of hearing it from the meetings. There's so many aspects amazing aspects to our campus and I feel like they go unnoticed because there's a lack of communication.”

The next step in the process is to draft a position announcement based on the things talked about in the forum. Then an estimated eight weeks of recruitment before around five finalists will be chosen to interview with Rodriguez before being sent to the board.

“Today's session was very useful. Understanding the sort of aspirations of this institution,” Rodriguez said. “Hearing and learning from the voices that were represented.”

Sexual assault training required

Students must complete online module by Oct. 31

students’ progress on the training.

In November, if not enough students have completed the course, more action will be taken then.

A districtwide email was sent out on Sept. 20 with a link to a mandatory online module about sexual harassment that students must be completed by Oct. 31.

In partnership with EVERFI, an education and technology company, the module released by the Los Angeles Community College District will train people in sexual assault prevention.

The course is 45 minutes long and will cover topics such as relationship violence, sexual assault, stalking and sexual harassment.

According to an email from the district regarding the module, “The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) is committed to supporting you in reaching your goals as a student and providing you with an education that will help you be more successful as a member of the community, here and beyond. This includes a commitment to providing ongoing programming and educational initiatives related to topics that address critical issues impacting both colleges and society at large. This includes enhancing our own community’s awareness and understanding of the topics of sexual misconduct and genderbased violence.”

Everyone participating in the 2018-2019 school year is expected to complete the training in an effort to educate students on subjects that are prevalent in the news today.

Although there is no stated consequence for one’s failure to complete the module before the deadline, the district will track

Beth Benne, the director of the Student Health Center, believes the course is important to begin the conversation on sexual assault.

“I don’t believe that the mandatory online education that you guys are now being told that you have to do is going to eliminate sexual harassment and assault on campus, but what it does is it makes people aware that you can help out,” Benne said. “We have to change the culture. Affirmative consent is a new phrase that we have to start talking about.”

By participating in this course, students will understand how to recognize and define certain behaviors as sexual assault.

Pierce Student David Suh said the training will cause some students to reevaluate their past actions and could help prevent future incidents.

The online module opens up a channel of communication between students, faculty and the district on a topic that is hard for some students to talk about.

Dale Fields, Chairman of the Physics department, wants everyone at Pierce to be able to learn without being nervous or afraid.

“It’s something that still pervades our culture and it’s something that needs to be dealt with. I think making everyone aware of the issues and making sure that we try to fix it is a really important step that we can do in our society right now, and really important to do at Pierce College,” Fields said.

Natalie Miranda / Roundup

The Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Fransisco Rodriguez speaks in the Great Hall to discuss hiring a new Pierce College president on Sept. 20, 2018 , in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Natalie Miranda / Roundup

Forward Diana Millan and Forward Keyonna Hill try to protect the ball from the other team during a game against Ventura College in the Pit on Sept. 20, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

CHELSEA WESTMAN Reporter @chelsea_spero

ALEXIS CANELLO Reporter @alexiscanelo_

JOSHUA MANES

Editor-in-Chief @TheManesEvent

“What's important is the person being able to articulate a vision and goal.”

- Earic Dixon-Peters

Vice President Student Services

From the desk of the Roundup: Editorial

Lost in a cloud of smoke

Smoking has been proven to cause serious health issues. Whether one decides to partake in the activity is an individual decision, but public smoking becomes an issue in an area like Pierce College, where many students, faculty and staff are subject to the risks of secondhand smoke.

Pierce College has taken the measure to combat the harmful effects of smoking with the addition of two designated smoking areas on campus. However, like many rules, some are just bound be broken.

Similar to the “no skateboarding” rule on campus, some Pierce College students have taken the liberty to defy the rule and smoke freely at different areas on campus.

Should Pierce College faculty treat the smoking rule like they treat their parking rule, the concern for students’ safety would significantly decrease.

Smoking is seen as a taboo by many, while others enjoy it recreationally. Although this may be the case, those who smoke candidly present a serious threat to those around them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since 1964, 2.5 million people have died from health problems caused by exposure to secondhand smoke.

Without proper enforcement of the “No Smoking” rule on various grounds on campus, innocent Pierce College students, faculty and staff could fall victim to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and become another statistic.

Aside from the health concerns smoking causes, allowing students to smoke freely around campus without proper repercussions simply influences them to continue breaking the rule. At this rate, students could

-Corrections-

Volume 128, Issue 2:

eventually exploit more rules knowing they would likely not suffer any consequences.

Front: Page numbers for refers on the bottom of the page were incorrect. Features was on page 4, Campus Life page 5.

Page 3 News: In "Online appointment problems" the glitch affected the general counseling center, not the Transfer Center.

Page 7 Sports: Photo of Terrence Henderson was by Unique Manns.

See any errors we missed? Email us at newsroom.roundupnews@gmail.com

justification of particular rules we can make compliance more likely,” Burgess said. “Drawing attention to specific safety-related elements can counteract the deficiencies in our cognitive capacity by providing the basis for new, safer habits.”

Over the years, various companies have developed methods for “safer smoking.” Although cigarettes remain a common form of recreational smoking, society has seen a shift to vape pens, e-cigarettes and more.

A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health involved 14,000 students around 119 different college campuses. Their study revealed that about a third of the students smoke.

Pierce College is comprised of over 20,000 students. Considering the amount of people the Pierce College Sheriff Station must account for, the expectancy level for a student to exploit and break the smoking rule is relatively high.

The Pierce College Sheriff Department has the power to issue a citation if a student is caught smoking in a non-designated area. According to Deputy Sheriff Lazaro Sanchez, the severity of the fine is determined by the court.

CHELSEA WESTMAN Reporter @chelsea_spero

There are many cases in which college students are eager to transfer to a four-year university. Most are filled with the notion that an associate degree is just another pointless certificate to hang on a wall.

An associate degree holds many prospects for the undergraduate’s future, such as transfer opportunities and career advances.

Transferring with an associate degree can save valuable time and money, which could not be acquired with a high school diploma.

When students acquire an associates degree, they can move a step forward in their major and still be recognized for their work through their award.

Associate degrees can be earned by following the Associates Degree for Transfer (ADT).

The ADT guarantees transfer admittance into a California State University that partners with the curriculum. This initially places students further in transfer rates and puts them in higher standing for University of California applications as well.

The associate degree can land students an early internship position while they push to obtain their bachelor’s degree.

Higher probabilities of work

Photographers:

rules

their perceptions of potential consequences their actions may impose, but measures can be

taken to motivate individuals to abide by the rules.

“By emphasizing the moral

Allowing students to smoke freely on campus also displays a lack of respect for students’ personal views and serves as an intrusion to students’ personal space. Many do not condone the activity for religious or personal reasons. Ensuring the health and safety of the Pierce College community should be a top priority, and this can be easily attained through the proper enforcement of the designated smoking area rule.

Pro Con Getting your AA before transfering

experience through an associate degree builds good credit and a stable financial future.

The median earnings of associate’s degree holders during their careers is about $259,000 more than for high school graduates, according to the Nexus Research and Policy Center and the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

An associate degree can make it manageable to form a savings account and build resume experience.

According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, of the 2010-11 associate degree earners who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree, two-thirds did so within three years of earning their associate degree. The mean number of years from associate to bachelor’s degree completion was 2.8.

In other words, students pursuing an associate degree are more likely to graduate quicker than their nondegree classmates. Getting the degree puts students at an advantage in academic progress and helps get them through college in a timelier manner.

It goes to show attaining an associate degree will form dubious opportunities for achievement and attainment. The student can confidently say they have not just one, but two degrees hanging on their wall which in fact do hold value.

NICHOLAS MARTINEZ Reporter @roundupnews

Completing the minimum and achieving more. When attending community college, transferring should always be the main goal, and the less time spent doing so is the most advantageous. With that being said, if obtaining an Associates of Arts degree was mandatory to transfer, it would then cost more valuable resources such as time and money.

The Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum, or IGETC, is the series of classes a student can complete to finish up the freshman to sophomore year of general education, to transfer to most UC’s. The IGETC consists of 11 courses and 34 units for completion with a 2.0 grade average or higher.

If a student take 12 units per semester, they can easily finish within 4 semesters. With the cost per unit at 46 dollars, the total cost for all 11 courses would be 1,564 dollars at Pierce College.

For those not eligible for student aid, this will most likely be the least amount of money you would need to spend - effectively saving both money and time..

In order to obtain an associates degree, the student must complete the mandatory 60 unit transfer

minimum, while also completing courses listed specifically towards a chosen major. Completing these courses would double the time and money compared to completing the IGETC. Without having to bother with getting an AA degree, one would save the most resources, which could be used toward earning a bachelor's degree at a university . Thus said they would be on the most optimal path for their education.

Overall earning an AA degree is almost useless when compared to higher level education.

According to an article on AEI, writers Mark Schneider and Matthew SIgelman wrote, “Every year, around 670,000 students earn associate degrees from community colleges yet only about 32,000 job postings in 2016 specifically asked for an associate of arts (A.A.) degree,” Schneider and Sigelman said. “Five years after graduation, A.A. degree holders earn on average less than $40,000 per year.”

Overall, obtaining an Associates of Arts degree should not be mandatory to transfer. An AA’s cost, effort, and effectiveness in the job market makes it another obstacle in a student’s educational career.

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*For advertising call (818) 710-2960

the Editor” that are not obscene or libelous and do not contain racial denigration. Writers are given the

opportunity to revise unacceptable letters. The Pierce College Roundup will not publish, as letters, literary endeavors, publicity releases, poetry or other such materials as the 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.

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 Maxwell King / Roundup

A

report written by Cris Burgess, BSc., University of Exeter School of Psychology, said individuals disregard

based on

LACCD Chancellor awarded with Ohtli

District leader recieves highest civillian award from Mexican government

JOSHUA MANES Editor-in-Chief @TheManesEvent

LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez was honored on Tuesday, Sept. 18, by the Mexican government, receiving the Ohtli Award.

The Ohtli is one of the highest honors that can be given to a civilian by the Mexican government.

“Not something I expected, but I'm incredibly proud of and humbled by this,” Rodriguez said. “I'm very proud of my roots, my parents and my heritage and my language and my culture and my essence my being if you will.”

According the the official Ohtli website, the award is given “to people who have dedicated most of their life and professional activity, to open a gap abroad, so that the younger generations of Mexicans who have followed them find a relatively easier path walking. According to a press release from LACCD, in his acceptance speech Rodriguez “focused on the district’s efforts to support undocumented and DACA students, and reaffirmed LACCD’s commitment as a place where all students can enroll and achieve their educational goals, regardless of their immigration status.”

Rodriguez received the award in a private diplomatic event hosted by the Consul General of Mexico Carlos

Garcia de Alba.

“It first and foremost is a reflection of my family and my ancestors and those who had a dream that at some point the next generations would be better than the ones before,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is the son of immigrant parents, and recognizes the sacrifices made to get him to where he is.

“My own family that adapted to a

new language, a new culture and new society all with the off chance that the next generation will be better than the one before,” Rodriguez said. “I say so proudly that I'm proud son of immigrant factory workers. And I say that to students in particular because I want them to know the power of education and what it can do in a single generation.”

This honor is not just a personal

Getting paws-on experience

Students get involved in animal spay and neuter

ANGELICA LOPEZ Reporter @ angietography

Dogs and cats may not be leaving Pierce College smiling, but their owners will be thanks to the Veterinary Technology program performing three spays/neuters a week every friday.

Students majoring in Veterinary Technology will assist in animal spay and neutering as part of the Clinical Procedures in Animal Laboratory class at Pierce College.

Director of the Veterinary Technology program, Dr. Jennifer Adelini, instructs and performs the surgery while her students care for the animals before and after the procedure.

Adelini said it’s one of the advanced level courses in the program that the senior students take to learn about helping in surgical procedures.

“They learn how to administer medications, help with surgery and help with the recovery after the surgery of the patient,” Adelini said.

“It gives them the chance to learn the skills that they learned earlier and apply them to a real patient.”

After students finish the Veterinary Technology program they are able to take the exam that will allow them to attain their veterinary technician

license. Once the students get their license they can use these skills to work by assisting veterinarians and helping care for animals in need of medical assistance, Adelini said.

Instructional Assistant for the Veterinary Technology program, Angela Killips, has been assisting the class for 10 years now. Killips provides the students with any assistance that they may need.

“I help all the students prepare the catheter and the other nursing care that they do while Dr. Adelini does the surgeries,” Killips said. “If a student can’t place a catheter or draw the blood, they’ll have a certain amount of attempts before I’ll take it for them.”

Ariana Banuelos, who majors in Veterinary Technology, said this is as close as it gets to the real thing.

“We do from step A to step Z,” Banuelos said. “I call the client and make sure they bring their animal. We do the physical exam, we get the IV in, we’re doing every single thing that we would be doing if we were in practice.”

Banuelos said even students who are already in practice don’t get to be as involved in the process as they get to be in the class.

“Some of us are just at a clinic and all we do is watch as the workers, that have been there, do everything,” Banuelos said.

The schedule for the semester gets filled by patients that are found by advertising in the community or by students in the class. However, Adelini said there are certain requirements when scheduling in a patient.

“They need to be relatively young,” Adelini said. “They need to be pretty friendly because we have students handling them and we want them to feel comfortable with the animals. They need to not have any other health problems.”

Banuelos said getting to work with real animals in the class helps those who are fearful.

“If you haven’t done it before, you don’t really want to do it,” Banuelos said. “You’re scared; you don’t want to hurt the animal. Doing it here with Adelini and Angela guiding you, they seem more confident of what you’re doing. It gives you the confidence that you need, so that when you go to practice outside then you’re like ‘okay I got it, I’m more comfortable with it.’”

The class will be performing the three surgeries a week, every Friday, throughout the semester. To schedule your pet in or for questions, contact Angela Killips at killipsa@ piercecollege.edu

asaldate.roundupnews@gmail.com

Pierce increases reach

New college classes are available at area high schools

- which is what we are doing nowit can be during the high school day, and it can be restricted to students at the high schools.”

Rundown Brahma Blotter

These incidents were reported between Sept. 16 - 22

Reported by: Danielle Padilla

09/16

• Vandalism

A vending machine was vandalized on the Art Hill.

09/17

•Suspicious Incident

Pierce College hopes to expand its Outreach Program courses with the help of an assembly bill.

While Pierce has been offering the Outreach program for years, the passage of Assembly Bill 288 now allows for classes at high schools, to be held during school hours.

The new courses will help students gain college credits. With these classes, by the time students arrive at Pierce, they will have gathered enough credits to be close to graduating and be eligible to transfer to a university.

Sheri Berger, vice president of Academic Affairs, said the assembly bill allows those classes to be limited to the students of that school and be offered during school hours.

“A couple of years ago, the state passed Assembly Bill 288, which allowed colleges to enter into the ‘College and Career Access Pathways,’” Berger said. “It allows us to enter into these agreements with high schools to develop a pathway, in which we work collaboratively with them. We can offer high school classes that instead of it being after school

William Marmolejo, dean of Student Services, said that despite the more demanding meeting with neighboring schools, the bill has allowed for better work between Pierce and the participating high schools.

“They changed the law, the funding and those sorts of things,” Marmolejo said. “So this is a new law, but we had to do a whole bunch of things. We have to sit down with the school and the administration, we talk about books and all those kinds of things, but now that it’s a more defined program since Assembly Bill 288 passed, it incentivises us to work better with these high schools.”

The new bill prompts high schools and colleges to work closer together to further high school students’ readiness for college. However, there have been some difficulties getting schools to join the program, especially when it came to textbooks.

“Books were a really big thing because a book had to be in place at the beginning of the program, so every semester that same book is used,” Marmolejo said. “Textbooks are expensive and a lot of times they might change a couple of things in

one for Rodriguez. He sees it as recognition for what LACCD has done as a whole.

“It honors our collective work and honors our district in the fact that I am positioned to speak to issues of higher education, to speak to issues of empowerment, to speak to issues that sometimes are contrary to the national narrative on how certain students and communities are treated,” Rodriguez

said. “And I can do that here obviously with respect but decorum and with professionalism. But I can do so because it's Los Angeles because I have a very supportive board of trustees who supports and understands and expects that their chancellor advance public higher education.”

jmanes.roundupnews@gmail.com

Enrollment drops Faculty and admin debate causes

BLAKE WILLIAMS Reporter @roundupnews

Although the Pierce campus seems bustling, one wouldn’t expect that the campus has hundreds of students less than previous years.

At Monday’s academic senate meeting, Professor of Sociology and Senate President Anna Bruzzese said that student enrollment at Pierce College has declined.

“College enrollment was down about 4.3 percent last fall,” Interim President Larry Buckley said. “Our goal is to not fall any further, maybe get a little higher right now between 99 and 100 percent of a year ago.”

While the exact cause is hard to pinpoint, Buckley and Angela Belden, instructor of psychology and senate treasurer, agreed a stronger economy is a reason for the drop in enrollment.

“Part of it is that there's low unemployment, and very often college enrollments go down when unemployment is down,” Buckley said. “So I think it's a little bit of a misnomer to say that we're really down this semester. We're kind of flat compared to last year.”

Another possible reason for the enrollment drop could be the hurdles students face to get enrolled in the first place according to Belden.

“I think that there are some things that create enrollment barriers for students,” Belden said. “Like our not-friendly website, or our list of 141

majors that are not in alphabetical order. Those kinds of things create unnecessary enrollment barriers for students.”

Buckley does not think this the enrollment drop is a cause for concern at this moment.

“It means that we just have fewer people to learn with,” Buckley said. “Maybe it affects clubs, maybe athletics a little bit, but we're talking about 600 students out of 20,000. It's not a big, big impact.”

Bruzzese said that improving the campus’s facilities as well as a better outreach program could be a solution to the low enrollment numbers.

“Better marketing, maybe improved infrastructure on campus, better technology and Wi-Fi, cleanliness of the campus even,” Bruzzese said. “I mean all these things matter in terms of if this is an inviting campus for students.”

Pierce has already taken steps to try and bring enrollment back up, according to Buckley.

“We have added a lot of late start classes for the fall,” Buckley said. “We have new curriculum that's noncredit including in tutoring and that's improving enrollment as well.”

While an enrollment drop is is not ideal, Buckley said there can be positives that come from it.

“If there's anything that is a positive out of it, it gets us as a college administration and faculty looking at what we can do in the classroom and the curriculum programs to retain students,” Buckley said.

bwilliams.roundupnews@gmail.com

the edition and all of a sudden you have to pay for a new book.”

To avoid continuously buying updated versions of textbooks, Marmolejo said they decided to buy one set of books and use them for the next three years.

Despite concerns relating to class materials, certain staff members of high schools like Tiffanie Fung, the STEM Counselor and Pierce College Coordinator at Granada Hills Charter High School, believe that the courses are valuable to their students.

“It gives a lot of the students a taste of how college classes are ran. The professors travel very far to teach the classes and students are able to get credits outside of Granada for graduation purposes if they wanted or just for themselves if they wanted to,” Fung said. “I have students taking sociology and psychology just because they are interested in the course, so I think it’s good preparation for higher education and for students who want to see how a college class is ran.”

Pierce College has also expanded its Outreach courses during this Fall semester, going as far as Chatsworth Charter High School and is looking to make more agreements in the future.

dmalone.roundupnews@gmail.com

Two elderly men were reported taking photos of cars driving by the marquee.

09/18

•Petty Theft

A student reported their cellphone was stolen.

09/18

•Student Injury

Two students fell down in the North Gym and refused paramedics.

09/18

•Student Injury

A student slipped and fell in Parking Lot 1. They denied paramedics and were taken to the Health Center.

09/18

•Disturbance

Two students were arguing in Parking Lot 1.

09/20

•Grand Theft

A student reported their MacBook Pro laptop as stolen.

Pierce College Sheriff’s Station General Information: Emergency: (818) 710 - 4311

Transfer guarantee expands to UC UC TAG program increases student options

KENDALL SHANNON Reporter @roundupnews

Pierce College is guaranteeing students a spot into the UC system with the help of the UC TAG (Transfer Admission Guarantee) program.

As long as one meets the requirements, they will be offered a spot at one of the six participating UCs—UC Davis, Irvine, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz.

“It's black and white,” said Sunday Salter, director of the Transfer Center. “You meet the criteria, you're in.”

The requirements that students must fulfill to gain a guaranteed transfer admittance vary depending on the UC. Students can always refer to the UC TAG matrix. The matrix includes required GPAs, units needed to transfer and important submission deadlines for the desired UC.

The UC TAG system works as an incentive for students to transfer, with a good GPA and complete a certain amount of credits before they transfer.

“You still definitely have to work hard and do what you need to do to study for your classes and meet those standards,” counselor Tara McCarthy said. “Do what you need to do and the payoff will be a guaranteed admission

to one of these UCs.”

UC TAG also works as a way to help students pave their college path. The earlier students start mapping their transfer plans with a counselor, the more clear their goals will become.

qualify for this awesome chance.”

After students decide on which UC they wish to attend, they reference the TAG matrix and work alongside a counselor to complete all the requirements.

Salter said your counselor will “be able to program your classes in your education plan and make sure you meet the TAG requirements.”

While students are offered a guaranteed spot at the UC of their choice through TAG, students are not under any commitment to attend the school.

If students find they are undecided on whether to apply for TAG, they are still encouraged to sign up for the Transfer Admission Planner (TAP). Through TAP, students can apply for TAG or simply be sent information on prospective colleges.

- Tara McCarthy Counselor

Salter said many students have trouble completing their math and English requirements, or they don’t take these classes as soon as they should.

“UCs are rewarding them by giving them this guarantee,” Salter said. “If you jumped in English or math right away and you stuck through it and finished; you now

TAP acts as a way for interested students to learn about resources pertaining to their desired colleges. These resources include university representative visits and university transfer events on Pierce.

“We have a lot of workshops and programs designed to get word out to students,” counselor Danielle Wilson said.

The final day to submit TAG applications is Sept. 30.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LACCD

LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez receives the Ohtli Award from Consul General of Mexico Carlos Garcia de Alba, on Sept. 18, 2018. The Ohtli Award is one of the highest civilian honors presented by the Go vernment of Mexico.

“Do what you need to do and the payoff will be a guaranteed admission to one of these UCs.”

Vintage makes a comeback

Flea market returns to campus, bringing treasures every 4th Sunday

Marek making money moves

He has been described as focused, hardworking, and keen when it comes to financial matters. He is the definition of a businessman, with the utmost intentions of delivering to others.

Marek Jansin, a business finance major, has worked his way to become the current treasurer of ASO, but for Marek, it's just the beginning.

After first joining ASO, Marek was mentored by the previous and current ASO presidents who helped him find his place as treaserier.

“When I first did ASO, Isha and the previous president Efren Lopez were the first people I approached, and they were the ones who mainly mentored me,” Jansin said. “Through them I learned the basics, and because I was a business finance major, becoming treasurer made the most sense.”

KENDALL SHANNON Reporter @The_Valley_Life

They say every generation the old comes back in style. The monthly Vintage Market comes to Pierce, bringing customers and vendors together to form a community.

Now in its sixth year, the Vintage Market is hosted by Patrice Curedale and Lori Rotblatt. They began small and flourished into what they are today.

“Our first market we had about 65 vendors and by the next month we had about 120. Then the next month we had 150," Curedale said.

Randy Johnson, a local seller, says, “It’s a very nice swap meet. It’s close by. It’s why we’re here.” Presently, the team doesn’t do much outsourcing to find vendors, but rather is referred by other vendors.

If we go to a market and we see someone new that we really like, we make sure to let them know because we’re out in the valley and the other markets are all really far,” Curedale said. “We are always still looking for what we call ‘fresh vintage’.”

The Vintage Market wasn’t always at Pierce College. It first started at the Westfield Promenade, but the market outgrew the area not only because of the vendors, but also because of the new incoming customers.

Some sellers come for more significant reasons, some simply to fuel their hobby.

Johnson has set up shop by selling his father’s old memorabilia.

“It’s just a life-long collection of his, that we’ve decided to try to sell,” Johnson said.

Johnson plans on using his proceeds to take care of his mother. Johnson says some of his father’s collectibles have been in boxes for decades.

Claudius Milton comes by his antiques through his moving company.

“I move people daily and they're always downsizing,” Milton said.

Through people giving him collectibles, Milton has furniture

as old as the 1940’s.

However, for people like Clyde Latimer, the market is only to keep him busy.

“It’s something to do. I’m retired,” Latimer said. “I sit at the computer all day long and I look for things.”

But looking for things has brought Clyde to other countries where he’s found crystals to add to his extensive collection.

“One man’s trash can be another man’s treasure,” Mike Guardino said, as he showed off his new bracelet. “I look for stuff that’s unique that you don’t find all the time. I’ve been doing this about 40 years.”

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The Art Hill is alive with the sound of music

Thursday concert series begins this week with the String Family Players

SOFI MATZAGANIAN

Campus Life Editor @sofimatz

The Thursday afternoon concerts are returning to Pierce this semester with a collection of unique performances for the students and faculty to enjoy. The concerts are free and will be held in the Performing Arts Building (PAB) and the music recital hall at 1 p.m.

“Some of the artists are professionals that we have invited to the campus to perform for the students and community,” said Performing Arts Department Chair, Michael Gend.

The genres of the performances will vary from week to week,

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ranging from string quartet to African group music.

Percussionist Bernie Dresel will also be performing on October 18. Dresel can be recognized for his work in movies and television shows such as “Jurassic Park,”

“Spider-Man” and “The Simpsons.”

Students, faculty, and members of the community can expect to enjoy a variety of different and unique sounds at these concerts. For example, the last concert of the semester will be titled DRUtones and Mistical Meditations and will be held on December 6 in room 3400.

“It’s totally different, they will sing and play music based on their glass jars and. It is meditation music,” said Garineh Avakian-

Akkus Instructor of Music. “So, it is kind of going to be like philosophy and psychology music.”

Not all of the performers will be outside artists. There are a select few Thursdays where Pierce College students will be able to perform and show off their skills as well. The students who will be able to perform are a part of the applied music program.

“There are two recitals, Nov. 1 and Nov. 15 where music majors in the Applied Music program are featured,” Avakian-Akkus said. The Applied Music Program is where music majors are paired with a mentor, who is usually a teacher, for a weekly lesson in order to perfect their craft.

“The Applied Music Program is a

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times. There was a firegoingon.”

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program designed for music majors to prepare them for transfer,” said Instructor of Music Wendy Mazon. Mazon is in charge of the program and will be in charge of the concerts on November 1 and November 15.

“The concerts are going to be free which is amazing because the line-up that Gaga is really good, it’s just full of really talented musicians. I highly encourage anyone who is available at 1 o’clock to attend,” Mazon said.

The first concert of the semester will be on Thursday Sept. 27 and String Family players will be playing at 1 p.m. on the PAB mainstage.

Jansin hopes to pursue a career in business finance, and sees ASO as a great stepping stone in his pursuit.

“I think working with ASO really gives me that experiences and helps me understand how organization’s finances work,” Jansin said. “I plan to transfer to USC as they are known for their business program, and I even hope to do something similar to ASO over there and also become treasurer.”

When first stepping into his

-Dane

new role as treasurer, Marek recounts the initial difficulties he faced. Jansin said that the constant influx of emails everyday was something he needed to get used to.

More challenges that Jansin would face would of course involve managing the proper use of the budget given to him.

“Balancing our budgets has also been fairly challenging, our working budget is about 200,000 dollars, but realistically our budget isn't infinite,” Jansin said “So the most challenging aspect is figuring out who gets money and who dosent, as we have more requests than we could ever possibly offer.”

Because the funds are limited, Jansin would then go on to find ways to make the most of what they have, and be the one to determine ultimately where the money goes.

“I've also had a tough time getting used to telling people that unfortunately there was something about their proposal that we couldn't honor, and also having to sit through paperwork to judge whether or not we should fund something,” Jansin said. “We can't support everything unfortunately, and I wish we could, but we have to make these sacrifices.”

While also managing the budget, Marek must also has to partake in other ASO duties.

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Alexander Moreno / Roundup

Maria Toro, a Topanga Vintage Market shopper, looks at crystals for her daughter at Pierce College on Sept. 23, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Alexander Moreno / Roundup

Associated Student Organization Treasurer Marek Jansin sits outside of the Pierce College / Library Learning Crossroads on Sept. 25, 2018, in Woodland Hills, Calif.

NICHOLAS MARTINEZ Reporter @NickEsai

"Probablysomefool walkingaroundwithhis boomboxjustjammingout. Nottoomuchcrazystuff happenshere.”

Reed, Business

“OnedayIwasatthe cafeteriaandnon-stopwe hadtoevacuatethebuilding like five

“Ithoughtitwasahorse,so I freaked out about it. Then Iwalkedpastitandseeitʼsa plasticmulewithalltypesof stuff on it.”

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It’s Zhou or never

Former Chinese Olympian brings a world of knowledge to women’s volleyball

CHISTOPHER TORRES Reporter @chris_t_torres

An Olympian is recognized as a proven winner and a world-class athlete. They are associated with hard work, mental toughness and for having a “whatever-it-takes” attitude.

As a former Olympian, new women’s volleyball head coach Edison Zhou has been allotted with the task to instill those same qualities in the minds of each individual on the team.

Zhou is high on establishing relationships with his players and considers all of them to be more than just athletes.

“I told them that on the volleyball

court, I am your coach,” Zhou said. “Outside of the gym, we are friends. If you need any help just tell me and I will try my best to help you.”

Zhou started playing volleyball when he was 13 years old, attending a middle school known for the sport.

Zhou is still learning the English language but he lets his game speak for itself. According to the National Volleyball Association, Zhou is a fivetime national champion and a twotime national grand slam champion.

As a member of the Chinese National Team, he won the gold medal in the Asian Final Four in 2005 which took place in Japan.

He also made an appearance in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games where they finished as the second-ranked team in their group and the fifthranked team in the entire tournament.

“It was the best memory of my life,” said Zhou.

As a former Olympian, Zhou is no stranger to overcoming adversity. He said his most memorable moment competing in the Olympics was the rivalry match against Japan.

The match went to five sets and lasted almost an two hours. This highly competitive contest ended with China victorious.

The win over Japan also punched their ticket into the top eight and a spot in the quarterfinals.

Moriah Van Norman, athletic director, also competed in the Beijing Olympics where she played Water Polo for Team USA.

Although most of her conversations with Zhou is business related, she does acknowledge that having a fellow Olympian in the same

Preview:

Women’s volleyball

Fresh new faces, same old game

facility will help inspire the athletes.

“He has the experience as a player himself and you appreciate that when you’re a young athlete looking up to someone. And Edison is one of the best in the world,” Van Norman said.

Zhou said Van Norman is his leader going into this new season as a first-year head coach.

Catelynn Pulido, outside hitter, said playing under a former Olympian is amazing and that even when he tries to go easy on them while scrimmaging it is still extremely challenging for them to keep up. Pulido thinks this is a good thing and pushes them to be the best they can be.

“It helps improve our competitiveness and put us more into a game-like mentality,” said Pulido. “So we would expect it to not be so easy whenever he’s playing with us. It is such a great opportunity.”

Lindsey Saavedra, libero, said she is honored to be coached by Zhou and that it is something she can strive to be as she furthers her playing career.

“It truly is an honor to get coached by someone that’s been up there and he hopes to see us go up there as well,” Saavedra said.. Pulido gave nothing but praise for her new coach saying how he is extremely dedicated to the girls and how he always focuses on the team as a unified group instead of singling people out.

“He will repeat to you what you need to improve on instead of being one of those coaches who focuses on the main starters and forget about everyone else,” Pulido said. “He wants to make sure every player on this team improves.”

Zhou said he served as a volunteer for the men’s volleyball team last season.

Morgan Wadlow, outside hitter for the men’s team, said that passing his jump serves leaves his arms aching and throbbing.

“[Coach Zhou] jump serves so hard,” said Wadlow. “Passing his serves leaves my arms with bruises, but it was really fun playing against him.”

With Zhou’s world class history as an Olympian and professional athlete, he understands what it takes to be successful at all levels of competition.

BLAKE WILLIAMS Reporter @BlakeMWilliams_

After falling short of the state championship for the past three years, the women’s volleyball program prepares for a rebuilding season.

The Brahmas enter this season with a brand new coaching staff and a revamped team with only three returning players from last year.

Women’s volleyball last year ended with a 23-8 overall record, losing to the San Diego City College Knights in five sets. They went undefeated in conference play finishing 8-0.

New head coach, Edison Zhou, is a former Olympian with sixteen years of professional experience. He is prepared to change the culture and input a winning mindset into this year’s team. Zhou made it clear that the girls have improved drastically from the start of training to now.

“I think we are good,” Zhou said. “We got so much better from the beginning. They work extremely hard.”

A new head coach also brings in a new assistant coach. Meaghan Wheeler is a former outside hitter at Farleigh Dickinson University where she finished as the all-time kills leader in school history and was nationally ranked 8th in kills per set as a junior.

Wheeler is ready to help develop the new team and set the right standard as she begins her coaching career at Pierce.

“I’m hoping that everybody improves their skill and were really preparing for the next few seasons,” Wheeler said. “It’s going to take a few years to really develop the right standard here.”

Women’s volleyball has been given a late start to their season. While other colleges have already started, the Brahmas begin on September 26.

According to Wheeler, this has only been taken in a positive light because it provides them with more time to prepare and train for the grind of the season.

Womenʼs volleyball head coach Edison Zhou, who played for Team China at the 2008 Olympic Games, stands with team captains Catelynn Pulido and Rachel Wiley in the South Gym at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Sept. 2018.

“It’s affecting the team in a positive way,” Wheeler said. “We are able to do a little more

preparation and have more practice time here and also do a little more physical training leading up to our first match. The only thing that is negative would be that we are not getting the game time exposure before conference matches start.”

Wheeler and Zhou are relying on their team captains, Catelynn Pulido and Rachel Wiley, for a veteran presence and leadership throughout the season.

Pulido and Wiley are two of the three returning players on the team.

“We are going to rely on their offense and overall energy because that’s what they bring to the team,”Wheeler said.

“It’s helping our new players who are new to this kind of environment know where to be and know what to expect.”

As one of the team captains, Pulido is focused on helping this team to be competitive in every match. Despite having plenty of new faces around her, she still wants the team to be unified and have high energy.

“If we can get each game to be competitive and head-tohead, I would be proud of this team,” Pulido said. “Just to have our skills improve and have our energy as a team as one.”

In the offseason, Pulido was focused on fine-tuning certain aspects of her game along with her vertical jump.

“My strength was there but not being able to jump over the net limits the opportunity to be able to hit line and the angles I would want,” Pulido said.

Lindsey Saavedra, libero, is one of the new faces on the team this year. She is determined to leave her mark this season through her effort, her dedication and her consistent attendance at practice.

“If you miss practice, you miss a lot,” Saavedra said.

The Brahmas begin their 2018 season on Wednesday with a conference matchup against Moorpark College who is currently on a seven-game win streak. Game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.

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Football falls in Valley

JOSHUA MANES Editor-in-Chief @TheManesEvent

Never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for Valley. For the fourth year in a row, the crosstown rivalry for the Victory Bell ended with LA Valley College on top.

Saturday’s game was an emotional rollercoaster, with the Brahmas coming back from 16 points down in the fourth quarter to take the lead, only to see the Monarchs retain the crown in the final seconds of a 46-43 game.

“They played their heart out. It’s just, things happen,” assistant coach John Austin said. “They’re a relentless group of guys. One of the toughest I’ve been around in my five years here.”

Pierce struggled to move the ball in the first quarter, totalling only 38 yards on three drives, and quickly found themselves down 13.

At the start of the second quarter, the Pierce defense once again had their backs to the wall with Valley on the Brahmas 25-yard line. However, cornerback Dimetri King gave the Brahmas life with his conferenceleading third interception of the season down at the two-yard line.

After a one-yard loss, the Brahmas offense finally showed life when quarterback Jonathan Saavedra hooked up with receiver Christian Graves on a 99-yard touchdown pass, a school record.

“It happened all in the blink of an eye,” Graves said. “As soon as I caught it I just took it. I thought I was going to get hawked, but I just kept pushing.”

Valley answered back, driving 63

yards on eight plays in under three minutes, extending their lead to 20-7.

Energized by the long touchdown on their previous drive, the Brahmas came out and responded. The 75yard drive was capped off by running back Doma Morris driving two Monarch defenders into the endzone on a 12-yard touchdown run.

The offense didn’t have to wait long to try again. The Brahmas defense picked off Valley quarterback Patrick Gonzales on the first play of the drive, giving the offense the ball back at the Monarch 11.

Three plays later quarterback Cam Perry took it in from four yards out, and the extra point tied the game at 20.

Valley answered back with a field goal at the end of the quarter, and the teams headed into halftime with the Monarchs up 23-20.

The third quarter went much like the first for the Brahmas. Valley scored twice, upping their lead to 3620 heading into the fourth quarter.

With 9:19 left in the game, the Brahmas had the ball still facing a 16-point deficit. It looked as though Pierce was set to turn the ball over on downs, but an unsportsmanlike penalty against Valley on fourth down kept the drive alive.

Running back David Kates responded with a 50-yard run on the next play, taking the ball down to the Monarch two-yard line. Saavedra finished off the drive with a oneyard touchdown, and connected with Graves on the two-point conversion, cutting the Monarch’s lead to eight.

Running back Doma Morris drives through one Monarch defender and drags a second into the endzone on a touchdown run in the second quarter at Monarch Stadium in Valley Glen, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2018.

“We were just trying to make plays,” Saavedra said. “That’s really what it was I told the guys we don’t

have to look at the scoreboard. We just keep on making plays and we’ll get something going.”

The defense came out and shut down the Valley offense, forcing a three-and-out. A bad snap and fumble on the punt attempt gave the Brahmas the ball down at the three-yard line.

One play later Kates plunged into the end zone, and Marcus Johnson took in the two-point conversion to tie the game with 4:29 to play.

Head coach Carlos Woods attributedthefourthquartercomeback to the attitude on the sideline.

“We had that whole mentality that we’re going to play for 60 minutes,” Woods said. “I told them there’s no such thing as an on/off switch, you’ve got to give 100 percent every single snap.”

With the momentum in their favor, the Brahmas defense came out looking to make a play, and on third down Jayme Vicente-Colon did. Vicente-Colon intercepted Gonzales and took it back 44 yards to give Pierce its first lead of the game at 43-36 with 2:25 left in the game.

On the next drive, the defense came up with their fourth interception, this time by Jermaine Williams.

The offense moved backwards, losing 21-yards on the drive, and forced to punt from their own 11.

With under one minute to play and a seven-point lead, and already having two kicks blocked in the game, Woods chose to eat the safety and put the game in the hands of his defense.

“No second thoughts whatsoever,” Woods said. “I’m always playing a play ahead. Eric was doing a really good job kicking

off. And there were a couple times when we didn’t have the best protection in certain situations when they brought pressure. So I felt like in that type of situation I don’t want to give up a quick score.”

A good kick return put Valley near midfield, and two plays later the Monarchs were on the Brahmas 12yard line with 10 seconds left to play.

Gonzales made up for his three interceptions, finding Kareem Miles in the endzone for his third passing touchdown of the game, giving Valley a one-point lead with four seconds to play.

The two-point conversion made it 46-43, and a last ditch kick return by the Brahmas came up short.

“Take a picture of that,” said receiver Cherrod Joe as he left the

field, pointing to the scoreboard. “It won’t look like that next year.”

This is the second year in a row that the game has come down to the final seconds. Last year’s contest ended 7-6 after a failed two-point conversion and a blocked field goal at the end of the game.

“Same feeling with the same result,” Saavedra said. “It’s just different because this game was a shootout.”

While the Brahmas will have to wait another year to try and ring the Victory Bell, they won’t wait long to get back on the field. They travel to College of the Desert this coming Saturday to take on the Roadrunners at 7 p.m.

Joshua Manes / Roundup

Andrew Susanto / Roundup

Joshua Manes / Roundup

Quarterback Jonathan Saavedra gets the pass away just before an LA Valley College defender can get to him on the pass rush on Sept. 22, 2018, at Monarch Stadium in Valley Glen, Calif.

Womens Volleyball Soccer Football

Having a new home

Shining in the spotlight

Wide reciever makes his presence known

ARIELLE ZOLEZZI News Editor @ArielleZolezzi

He’s going, going gone!

Go long? That’s an understatement for Christian Graves, Pierce’s starting wide receiver who had a 99-yard touchdown at Saturday’s game against LA Valley College.

Speed and endurance however, is no foreign concept to Graves. He learned to channel his speed running track in middle school and high school, improving his skills for the game he has devoted his life to since he was four years old. Graves built fundamentals that would help him in his football career.

@EzzatWanas

Brahmas soccer have reinforcements in all positions, including on the bench. Cynthia Rosa is the newest addition to the coaching staff where she looks to instruct the goalkeepers on the team.

Adolfo Perez, head coach, said that the Brahmas have a very hard schedule this season, so having assistance is helpful and important.

“I have been here for 18 years and as a coach I have to find a way for us to be more consistent,” Perez said.

Rosa started coaching in high school when she was 18. Before she came to Pierce College, Rosa was an assistant coach at Cal State University Northridge.

Rosa became a mother for a second time and she preferred to be close to her family. She wasn’t able to do that if she stayed at CSUN because it required a lot of traveling. So she decided to come to Pierce.

Coming to the school wasn’t an easy transition for Rosa.

“It is a different culture, different dynamic, different atmosphere, it is harder.” Rosa said. “I am enjoying it.

I’m trying to get better as a female especially in the world that is male dominate.”

Rosa said that many female sports teams are coached by male coaches so she loves and enjoy working with the girls. She showed a lot of empathy and appreciation towards them.

Perez said he is grateful to have Rosa on the team.

“We are blessed to have her, she

is very important to us. She is a rock star,” Perez said. Rosa said that goalkeepers have to be able to read the game and know how to communicate with the team.

Iliana Yanez, goalkeeper, said that working with Rosa has been a great experience.

“She has been helping us on a lot of basic things that I didn’t get trained on,” Yanez said. “She has helped me out on the fundamentals. She is very encouraging. That is what I like about her.”

Yanez said that Rosa has helped our out especially when it comes to diving for the ball.

“She has a lot of patience with us, even though sometimes we test it. She never gets frustrated and is willing to help us get better and improve us on all aspects,” Yanez said.

Valerie Mojica, also one of the other goalies on the team, said that she has improved under Rosa.

“I came from high school and a club team where the training was oh let’s shoot at Valerie for 15 minutes and she is really helping me experience the real goalie training and what real soccer is,” Mojica said. “It is really a good experience to do that with her after I have known her for so many years.”

Mojica said that she has known Rosa since she was in 7th grade. Rosa has seen her grow and develop into the player she is today.

“She has known my weaknesses and turned them into strengths in the few weeks I have been here,” Mojica said.

Brahma of the Week

Jordyn Conlon

Sport: Soccer

Position: Forward

Class: Freshman

High School:

El Camino Real

Scored two goals including the game winner against Ventura College.

Two goals including the winner against Ventura College, overall how do you feel?

“It feels amazing. We have been struggling with our first halves and it was the same situation in this game. To be apart of the comeback felt amazing because we worked hard to achieve it.”

Do you have any pregame rituals or superstitions?

“I just like to focus on games and making sure every touch counts.”

If you weren’t playing soccer, what sport would you be playing?

“I would be playing volleyball.”

What is something you can improve on?

“I can improve on my fitness. Also on my first touch making sure my touches improve.”

Who do you look up to?

“I look up to Lionel Messi. Also to Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan and Mia Hamm. I did all my childhood reports on Mia Hamm.”

“The 99-yard touchdown took a lot of guts from both Christian and the quarterback Johnny,” said John Austin, receivers coach for the Brahmas. “It was a 50-50 ball that Christian came up with and displayed a speed that surprised me.”

Austin expressed that Graves is a special kid because of his dedication to the game as well as the team.

Austin says Graves has all the tools to become a wide receiver that will move on and get “paid on sundays”.

However, Graves hasn’t always been accepted with open arms and accolades.

Graves said he has been in a lifelong battle of trying to prove people wrong, this he feels has been a massive motivation for him throughout the years. People who tell him he won’t, is what keeps him motivated.

“I feel like I inspire myself to play because I've always been doubted so I just want to prove others wrong,” Graves said.

Graves also feels an obligation to the team, mainly because of the focus and drive that he has witnessed from them this season. He takes being on the field very seriously. It is all business from the moment his cleats hit the turf.

“This team is more focused and want it more than other teams I've been on. Everyone on this team has dog in them,” Graves said.

Graves plans on harvesting that inner energy out of himself and his teammates by

submitting full dedication to each practice and game. That way the team can excel and turn the heads of not only their doubters but the recruiters that will be zeroing in on what players they will be picking up.

Graves enjoys being a receiver because he attributes it as being a big part of the play making in football. Running the ball back like he did during the rivalry game against Valley, is one of his favorite things about the sport.

“Best part about my position is that I can change the game, especially the momentum,” Graves said.

Head Coach Carlos Woods has even taken notice to the leadership Graves displays on the field, but Woods doesn’t feel he does this the normal way by talking to the other players and telling them what to do.

Woods expressed that Graves leads with his actions, and he wants him to be more of an authoritative figure on the field.

“He is one of those nonvocal guys and he leads by example,” Woods said. “I tell him all the time that these guys out here respect and look up to you whether you believe it or not now it is about sharing the

Brahmas Scoreboard Soccer

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knowledge.”

Woods is looking forward to working with Graves throughout the season and getting him to seal the deal in each and every play, cementing skills into his repertoire and preparing him for the next level.

Woods believes that Graves will be receiving a D1 offer by the end of the season.

Graves looks forward to proving anyone that doubts him along the way wrong as he sprints towards his goals of stepping into the professional world of football.

Abram Yousef/ Roundup

Women's goalkeeper coach Cynthia Rosa during practice at the Pit at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.

New coach begins life at Pierce after becoming a mom for the second time

Arielle Zolezzi/ Roundup

Christian Graves poses for a photo on Sept. 26, 2018 at Pierce College in Woodl and Hills, Calif.

EZZAT WANAS Reporter

"Best part of my position is that I can change the game, especially the momentum,"

-Christian Graves Wide Reciever