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Volume 114 - Issue 10
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
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May 18, 2011
Reliving events of 150 years ago ‘Heritage Days’ celebrated with a Civil War reenactment Melody Soto/ Roundup
C
anons were fired and the silence was broken. Cavalry charged as rifle after rifle was shot. Smoke filled the air, and men from both sides fell to the ground. The Pierce College Farm Center’s cornfield transformed into a battlefield Saturday and Sunday for “Heritage Days,” historical reenactments that observed the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Approximately 150 actors and community members relived the Battle of Gettysburg and the Battle of New Market for the second year in a row. Robert McBroom, director of the Pierce College Farm Center, contacted actors who came from the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura. “We’ve been planning this for months and months,” McBroom said. At noon, Confederate soldiers marched into Gettysburg to meet the Union Army. Both parties hid behind trenches for protection. Rotary International was present at the reenactment. Elizabeth Tilkian, a member, sold wristbands that gave attendees the option of viewing the battles while sitting on bleachers. All proceeds from the sales benefited End Polio Now, she said. See ‘Reliving events,’ News 3
READY, AIM, FIRE: The Farm Center’s cornfield was transformed May 14 and 15 when ‘Heritage Days’ was commenced with a reenactment celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
Joe Kukuczka / Roundup
Nothing to GAIN, everything to lose Alexis Antoniadis/Roundup
UD/ Roundup
FORMER: Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh
INTERIM: Anna Davies
UD/Roundup
FUTURE: To be determined
New V.P. to be announced Lorrie Reyes/Roundup The hiring process to select a permanent vice president of Academic Affairs has begun and is currently in the final stages, according to Diane Levine, professor of anthropology, chair of the anthropological and geographical sciences department, and V.P. of the Academic Senate. Applications were taken in March and have to be advertised on the Los Angeles Community College District’s (LACCD) website for six weeks, according to Levine. “They have had the interviews, and have narrowed it down to two or three [applicants],” said Levine. “The president interviews those two or three.” Pierce President Kathleen Burke-Kelly has the final decision on who is hired. But prior to receiving the finalists, the applicants were
interviewed by a committee of faculty members, including Academic Senate President Tom Rosdahl and Los Angeles College Faculty Guild (AFT) representative Donald Sparks, along with representatives from the deans and other administrators. The hiring committee was led by Joy McCaslin, Ph.d, vice president of Student Services. “[McCaslin] chaired the committee that recommended the final candidates to me,” said Burke-Kelly in an e-mail. The names and number of applicants are considered confidential. According to Levine, when the permanent vice president of Academic Affairs is chosen, he or she will assume the job at the end of June. The Vice President of Academic Affairs, one of three vice presidential positions on campus, is in charge of the teaching faculty and curricu-
lum issues. Committee members Rosdahl and Sparks approached faculty members at various times throughout the process for their input. “The most important job of the campus is to teach students,” said Levine. “And the academic affairs vice president is the head of that job. That is the most important job on the campus.” Pierce College will be going through an accreditation evaluation in the next couple of years. One of the main stipulations from the faculty on campus is that the new vice president of academic affairs be familiar with that process. Faculty members also want someone who will work with them. “We know we have to cancel classes, but [we want] someone who will take the faculty’s input on what classes to cancel,” said Levine. “We want to see someone who is
humane.” Pierce College has not had a permanent vice president of Academic Affairs since Nabil Abu-Ghazaleh left to become Vice Chancellor of Educational Services and Technology in the Coast Community College District at the end of September 2010. Since then, Pierce has been under the guidance of interim vice president of Academic Affairs, Anna Davies. Davies was appointed in November 2010 by BurkeKelly. A final decision had not been reached at the time this article went to print. More information will be released once the hiring process has been finalized. RU online? Follow us on Twitter for the official announcement of V.P.
lreyes.roundupnews@gmail. com
The GAIN/CalWORKs Program at Pierce College is suffering a major cut in finances, and by extension, the aid that they can offer to students involved in the welfare program is declining as well. This program is implemented by the state of California, and it was created to assist students in different areas of need such as food stamps and Medi-Cal benefits, and it also provides an option of work-study employment. On Thursday, May 12, Vanessa Lee of Neighborhood Services hosted a lecture to inform students who are currently registered or interested in the program that there will be drastic changes due to the budget cuts that are happening this fall. “I am not going to pretend this is a happy discussion,” said Lee. “I am here to help you find ways to combat these changes.” Lee started off the discussion with statistics of what is going to be cut. She informs that there will be an eight percent cut in cash aid, child care for children will be discontinued, and there will be a limit of seven doctor visits per year. Cheryl Davis, who has been a student at Pierce since 2008, attended the discussion and has recently lost her job, looking to the GAIN/ CalWORKs program for assistance.
“This cut is crap,” said Davis. “This is why you need to stay in school and read the newspaper; go to the ASO meetings to see where your money is going.” Davis shares her struggles of the past and informs that being in school has saved her life. Because of these cuts that are to be implemented July 1 of this year, she will no longer be able to attend school. “School makes a difference,” said Davis. “I don’t want to leave and work a survival type job.” At the end of the discussion, the 13 students in attendance felt informed and more prepared for the changes that are about to come. Lee provided strategies for these students and assured them that the fight was not over. “Stay in school” was the most prominent advice that underlined the discussion. Abbey Kalein, GAIN/CalWORKs program director at Pierce, was there throughout the lecture and offered the students more information afterwards. Kalein opens her office to anyone who has questions about the program or has concerns about the future changes of the GAIN/CalWORKs Program at Pierce. The GAIN/CalWORKs office is located on the second floor of the Student Services Building and is open Monday through Friday.
aantoniadis.roundupnews@gmail.com