ROUND OUNDUP theroundupnews.com
Woodland Hills, California
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
Volume 115 - Issue 1
One copy free, each additional copy 50¢
September 21, 2011
Domestic violence awareness month Yajayra Gil/ Roundup
Co-enrollment: Joanna Zlatanov Poses with her two Student ID cards outside of Pierce College. Alatanov attends both Pierce and Moorpark colleges.
Jose Romero/ Roundup
Co-enrollment blues
Shepard Stadium remains unfinished despite the start of the fall semester
Lior Haykeen/ Roundup
The statewide co-enrollment issue has become more noticeable as more than 15 percent of Pierce College students have enrolled in other community colleges as well as Pierce for the fall semester in order to complete the required classes and transfer to a four-year university.
As budgets were cut and classes were cancelled, more than 2,500 Pierce College students were left no choice but to co-enroll and begin attending other colleges as well as Pierce, according to Pierce College’s Dean of Research Carol Kozeracki. The $400 million decrease in the California Community Colleges (CCC) budget will keep ap-
proximately 200,000 students from classes during this semester, according to California’s 2011-2012 state budget. The Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) has lost $24 million due to these cuts. Although Moorpark Community College is 20 minutes farther away from her home than Pierce College, Orr Moshe chooses to attend both
schools this semester. “It’s a longer drive,” she said. “But it’s worth it if I’m able to get the classes I need.” Although Moorpark is a common choice amongst Pierce students, more than 12 percent of Pierce students who chose to enroll in other colleges selected a college within the LACCD, according to Kozeracki.
“I have to go to Moorpark if I want to take all the classes I need anytime soon,” said Joanna Zlatanov, another Pierce student who began to attend Moorpark after learning that all of the core classes at Pierce were full. RU Online? For the full story visit theroundupnews.com
lhaykeen.roundupnews@gmail.com
The Pierce College Campus Violence Response Team (CVRT) will be hosting the Clothesline Projects Domestic Violence Awareness event for Domestic Violence Awareness month in October. People will be reading and writing on T-shirts telling their stories about domestic abuse. Those who have suffered from domestic, and sexual abuse can share their stories and get help as well as people that have family members or friends that have suffered. Some teachers will be given credit for attending this event. The reasons for the T-shirt is for people to “empower themselves to write their story on the Tshirt.” According to Holly Hagan the Textbook Buyer and co-team leader. The T-shirt will be hanging from poll to poll on clotheslines from both ends of the mall. There are already 200 T-shirts ready to be hanging. There will also be a discussion about domestic and sexual abuse and more. “The Clothesline Project is a therapeutic experience for those who attend,” said Beth Benne honorary member of CVRT and Campus Nurse Beth Benne. “Since they not only have a chance to tell their story, but can also get help.” Yesenia Hernandez, 19, a student of Pierce College and majoring in Nursing, said that this Project would be of great help since she has a friend that has suffered from domestic abuse. She feels that if she goes that she will be able to get some sort of help for her friend and be able to tell him about it and maybe convince him to go to the event himself.
ygil.roundupnews@gmail.com
Students dream of financial aid Regemralph Corpuz isn’t ashamed anymore. After years of living in constant fear of being discovered and eventually deported, the undocumented immigrant now uses his citizenship – or lack thereof – as a way to fight for the rights of students in the same situation. Corpuz, in addition to holding the title of communications officer for the Student Senate for California Community College Colleges (SSCC), is also a former Associated Students Organization (ASO) senator and a two-time dean’s list student. Though he is now relatively open about his immigration status, the political science major and Pierce College sophomore, who, like most undocumented immigrants, takes offense to the term “illegal alien,” remembers a time when he was
just like most undocumented students: embarrassed and apologetic. One incident in particular still, to this very day, manages to upset him. He was attending a financial aid workshop as a high school student when he asked the lecturer what his chances were of getting any sort of financial assistance. “The teacher yells out to the entire class, ‘No undocumented students can apply for [financial aid],’” said Corpuz, recalling the mortification he felt at the time. He has since learned to accept – embrace even – the label he sports as an undocumented student. “I was in UC Berkeley, and I saw how [other undocumented students] were so confident,” he said. “Even in high school, a lot of them just came out and talked about it like it was nothing. I thought to myself, ‘These guys aren’t scared, so why should I be?’” Corpuz, who came to the United States through legal
Photo Essay
Features
Michaia Hernandez/ Roundup
Jose Romero/ Roundup
Stadium: Shepard Stadium will be ready for use in early October.
Itʼs almost finished Sean Dullaghan/ Roundup
INSIDE SECTIONS
School has started for the fall semester but the construction of Shepard Stadium remains uncompleted forcing the football team to play on the road until the stadium is ready. The new stadium is scheduled for completion in December; however, the team will be able to start playing in October, according to Project Deputy Director, Ed Cadena. The six weeks of delays in the $8.9 million stadium, which will be ready for action Oct. 8, have been
News
caused by the Division of the State Architect (DSA). “It’s a project to make the stadium ADA compliant,” said Cadena. “But we also focused a lot of the field to the visitor side seating.” The stadium was supposed to be ready for the first Pierce football home game on Sept. 10, according to Pierce Athletic Director, Bob Lofrano. Because the stadium is unavailable, the team has had to practice and play at Moorpark College. The team has to share locker rooms and traveling has not been easy. Go to theroundupnews.com for the full story
Opinion page 3
Construction update
pages 2
page 6
means, gained his current undocumented status 12 years ago after his family’s lawyers lost their legalization papers. “The lawyers messed up, lost our papers, and couldn’t retrieve it,” Corpuz said. “It’s a common story.” Corpuz is one of the thousands of undocumented students who would greatly benefit from the passage of the second half of the California Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2011. The California DREAM Act, first proposed by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo in 2006, is a two-part legislative package that would grant qualified undocumented students access to financial aid. See DREAMS page 4
Jose Romero / Roundup
Dreaming: We B.U.I.L.D club members Estefania Pulido and Regemralph Corpuz pose for a photograph.
A and E page 4
Students struggle to
Old Horticulutre
Copy Tech employ-
find classes
Building
ee saves the world
Sports page 5
Fashions on campus
page 7 and 8 Volleyball and soccer teams off to good start