ROUND OUNDUP therounduponline.net
Woodland Hills, California
A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION
Volume 115 - Issue 2
September 28, 2011
One copy free, each additional copy 50¢
Manager accused of theft
Bookstore manager charged with embezzellment Kat Mabry/ Roundup
Tennis: Tennis team athletes David Engelberg, Nathan James Crosby, and Richard Catabona Pose at the tennis court.
Jose Romero / Roundup
Tennis team unfunded Team hosts fundraisers to pay fund their competition Kevin Reynolds/ Roundup Slashed funding for the athletic department is forcing the Pierce College tennis team to host fundraisers in order to pay for equipment and travel costs to compete in tournaments. Budget cuts in California’s educational system have forced community colleges across the state, including Pierce, to slash funding for intramural sports. The tennis team is no exception. The team hosted a junior league tennis tournament Sept. 24, where the players worked with youth players and sold drinks and snacks in order to raise funds. The athletic department has lost
an approximate 50 percent of its gram including working with Ultrafunding this semester, dropping zone Laser Tag in Sherman Oaks to from an estimated $75 thousand last host another fundraising event Oct. semester to an estimated $45 thou- 27. “The coaches are doing a great sand now. job [at fundraisThe athletic deing],” said Lofrapartment’s funding no. “I tell them if was cut evenly, acthey want that litcording to Athletic tle bit special they Director Bob Lohave to go out and frano. However, the football team had a -Bob Lofrano get it.” Individual bigger budget to beAthletic Director gin with since the it members of the has more players and equipment, so team will be selling $15 tickets for the event, which will pay for equipthe cuts hurt them less. “This isn’t UCLA,” said Lofra- ment and away tournament costs, according to Datt. no. “We’ve got to scrape by.” All of the sports teams are enRajeev Datt, co-head coach of the tennis team, is working hard to couraged to raise money because find new ways to help fund the pro- funding from the college has never
This isn’t UCLA. We’ve got to scrape by.
and will never be enough, according to Lofrano. “When I was the baseball coach here I was the king of fundraising,” said Lofrano. “The biggest one was the car wash, but we used to even go to paid TV show screenings to raise money for the team.” The new budget doesn’t allow for overnight events such as the Ojai tournament, which is one of the most important of the season, according to Datt. “I’m here because I love doing this,” said Datt. “I want to see every one of these players get a scholarship to a play at the four year level.”
kreynolds.roundupnews@gmail.com
The Pierce College Bookstore manager was arrested Aug. 25 for alleged embezzlement, according to Jane Robinson, spokeswomen for the District Attorney’s Office. The Pacific Division of the Los Angeles Police Department arrested the Bookstore Manager Kim Saunders after they received a report from the Pierce College Sheriff’s Department, according to Deputy Ron Knoles. “[Someone from] administration called us up there,” said Knoles. “There was a discrepancy with some of the cashiers’ money bags.” Saunders, 49, pled not guilty to the charges and was released on $20,000 bail, according to Robinson. “I have no comment at this time,” said Saunders. “But this is part of a long standing case and investigation of harassment and abuse since I began and it’s been well documented.” The case was made against her Aug. 2, according to the District Attorney’s Office The campus sheriffs investigated the situation, but Saunders was not arrested the day she was contacted in regard to the incident, according to Knoles. Following the report, a detective took over the case and a warrant was made for her arrest, according to Knoles. “She is currently employed by the college and that’s all we can say,” said Mofe Doyle, Pierce College Human Resources senior administrative analyst. Pierce College faculty and Los Angeles Community College Dis-
trict (LACCD) employees related to the incident were given the opportunity to comment and choose not to. “Can’t really comment since she’s an employee and it would violate her rights,” said Jeff Greenman, counsel for the LACCD. A district attorney has not been assigned to the case, according to Maureen Green, filing district attorney. The campus Sheriffs charged Saunders with a felony, for the alleged embezzlement of approximately $2,000, which if convicted, would generally result in one year in prison, according to Knoles. “To me any amount is too big with a supervisor messing around with the school’s money,” said Knoles. “I haven’t seen [anything like] it before. Vice President of Administrative Services, Ken Takeda, said the matter was a personal one and he was not at liberty to comment at this time, in an email Monday. “We’ve concluded our investigation,” said Knoles. “The whole matter has been passed on to the D.A.’s office.” Saunders was given the opportunity to turn herself in prior to her arrest but did not, according to Knoles. “Nothing surprises me the way the economy’s going,” said Knoles. “The college has no comment at this time,” said college President Kathleen Burke-Kelly. Saunders has been ordered to appear at the Van Nuys Courthouse Oct. 6 at noon for the preliminary hearing.
kmabry.roundupnews@gmail.com
Governor signs bill for students Students plan rally
Rise in fees postponed till summer and veterans to be suppourted Machaia Hernandez / Roundup
Jerry Brown on Wednesday, Sept. 21, signed into law a pair of bills that will prove beneficial to students of public colleges and universities across California. The first bill passed by Gov. Brown, Assembly Bill (AB)X1 32, authored by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, delays implementation of a $10 mid-year student fee increase from the winter intercession of the 2011-12 academic school year to the summer term of the same 2012 calendar year. The increase, which would take the tuition from $36 to $46 per unit, takes effect if state revenues of the 2011-12 fiscal year, “fall more than $1 billion below projections and trigger cuts are executed,” according to a press release sent out Wednesday by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO). The aforementioned cut is only one of two “trigger” reductions that are expected to hit California community colleges if the state revenue numbers are not up to par with the
Opinion
projections. The reductions are expected to amount to a total of $102 million. The first cut – a $30 million reduction – will be treated as a one-time reduction, said Director of Fiscal Services for CCCCO Chris Yatooma in an e-mail sent out to colleagues. “[The reduction] is a general deficit to the apportionment,” he said. Meanwhile, the second cut, which amounts to $72 million, will be treated as an additional workload reduction, according to Yatooma. “Gov. Brown is to be commended for signing [ABX1 32],” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott in the press release. “Without this legislation, colleges would have been forced to raise fees on very short notice and collect increased fees from students who had already registered for spring classes.” While the bill is beneficial to students in general, not everyone is content with its provisions. “[The bill] definitely helps if you’re almost done with Pierce,” said Stephanie Sanchez, a 26-year-old child development major.
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“Otherwise, it doesn’t really help that much.” The second bill, AB 636, authored by Assemblyman Steve Knight, will allow members of the National Guard to get a full refund of their tuition should they be called to active duty, regardless of their withdrawal date from classes. Before, service members could only get full refunds if they dropped out of school prior to the withdrawal deadline set by their individual public colleges. AB 636 also, at the request of the student, requires schools to assist the student with completing all coursework requirements that he or she may have missed at the time of deployment. In addition, schools will restore the educational status earned by the student prior to deployment without loss of academic units completed and scholarships and grants awarded. The bill will go into effect Jan. 1. PotentialTier1andTier2FundingReductions. pdf mhernandez.roundupnews@gmail.
̶TAKE A LOOK INSIDE̶
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Students canʼt get their
Club Rush and the LACCD
classes
Inspector General
Features A&E page 4
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The first of many Pierce
The Art Gallery opens
heroes
its first show
Calvin Alagot/ Roundup
The Associated Students Organization (ASO)-sponsored rally occurring Oct. 26 will be officially named “Where’s The Funding?” (WTF?), according to Students Organizing for Success (S.O.S.). During the first S.O.S. club meeting hosted Monday, members also discussed methods for gathering student, faculty, and local support for the rally. “I’m aiming for at least a thousand,” said Associated Student Organization (ASO) President Gabriel Mellibosky during the meetStock Photo / Roundup ing in comparison to the spring Mellibosky: Planning the rally. rally turnout of about 600 people. In addition to posters and flyS.O.S. will be present at Club ers on and around campus, mem- Rush to let students know who bers of S.O.S. were advised by they are and to recruit for the rally. philosophy professor, Zack Knorr, The rally is scheduled for Oct. to speak to their teachers about the 26 beginning 12:30 p.m. at the possibility of giving extra credit to bull statue located in the center of students for attending or perhaps the Mall. calagot.roundupnews@gmail.com bringing their classes to the rally.
Photo Sports Essay page 6 Halloween Festival
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Pierce Cheerleaders