t n e c m e ce p S en e m u s m s I Co ia l
ROUNDUP Los Angeles Pierce College
www.theroundupnews.com
Woodland Hills, California
Volume 128 - Issue 14
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
70 years later
Sense of community dwindled during the school's existence
Photo Illustration by Shae Hammond
RANDI LOVE Editor-in-Chief @Randi̲Love29
S
an Fernando residents in the 60s, 70s and 80s were able to unite with Pierce students to grow a sense of community through many engagement activities on campus such as a Harvest Festival and the annual rodeo. At 70 years old, Pierce has lost much of the community that took years to build. The school was originally called the Clarence W. Pierce School of Agriculture, named after the man that founded the college. Much has changed over the years with the student body, technology, enrollment and the overall mindset of the people that step foot onto any of the 426 acres. Chair of Computer Applications & Office Technologies Lyn Clark said that when she began teaching at Pierce in the 1960s, the school was much different in terms of activities and community involvement. “So when I came here we had building 600,
which was the campus center and there were lots of student activities,” Clark said. “There were student clubs, but they also had social clubs. They had student dances on the weekend and the college was very much involved with the community.” Former Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Larry Kraus said that even though times have changed, some things were better then. “In the seventies it was different culture, different mindset of students very much connected to the college in amazing ways,” Kraus said. “It was very much an agricultural school primarily, so the students were well aware of its agricultural roots.” Kraus attended Pierce in 1971, before becoming a cadet with the Sheriff's station and going into the air force reserves. He came back as a full time faculty member in 1975, and said that over the 45 years he worked at the college he saw a change in students, more so than anything else. “Today we see it totally different. But that's the mindset of all of us in the way we look at things and in our homes and everything
else,” Kraus said. “So it was just a much more collaborative environment in the seventies and the sixties and the sense of being, it was a sense of connection.” Clark said that there have been many ups and downs for Pierce, but at one point things seemed to get better. “We've been up to 28,000 students at one time and then we sunk down to 14,000 after the earthquake,” Clark said. “And then we got a great leader who came in, Rocky Young, and he had some really good ideas to build the college.” Former College President Darroch “Rocky” Young led the school from 1999 - 2004 when he moved into a position at the district. During his time, he said one of his major accomplishments was helping grow enrollment. “Probably the biggest thing was that when I came to Pierce the enrollment had dropped from, I guess had its high point, it was around 24,000 students and when I got there it was under 13,000, so the big thing was we turned the enrollment around,” Young said. [see ANNIVERSARY on pg. 9]
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Nearly a decade, prez Kathleen Burke takes an interim position at the LACCD office prior to departure from district VANESSA ARREDONDO Managing Editor @v̲anana & RANDI LOVE Editor-in-Chief @Randi̲Love29 She served eight years as the president of Pierce. Now she will oversee an entire college district. But before she becomes chancellor of South Orange County Community College District on July 1, she will gain some experience in the familiar Los Angeles Community College District. Former college president Kathleen Burke will serve as LACCD Interim Deputy Chancellor through June 30, LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez said in an email. “I asked Dr. Burke to assist me for the remaining six weeks to take advantage of her experience and vast institutional knowledge of the district,” Rodriguez said in an email. Burke said that a chancellor position would be the next logical step after a college presidency. “The decision to leave was not an
easy one given the length of time that I’ve been at Pierce and the relationships that I have made there with so many of the faculty and staff,” Burke said. However, she said that her tenure in LACCD has provided her with the skills and knowledge to lead the SOCCCD. “The LA district is quite large, and it has taught me a great deal about how to best assist students from the position of an administrator,” Burke said. “Of course, I am forever grateful. The LACCD is a great opportunity to learn.” Rodriguez said Burke will fill the deputy chancellor position that has been vacant since January 2017, following the retirement of Deputy Chancellor Adriana Barrera. Burke began her temporary position at the district office on May 21. Vice President of Academic Affairs Sheri Berger is serving as acting president until a permanent hire fills the position. She said that Burke has years of experience that will help her fulfill the duties of her new position. [see PRESIDENT on pg. 3]
Bleu Briggs / Roundup Interim Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Burke and District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez stand in one of the LACCD offices on Tuesday, May 29, 2018, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Pierced the veil with Harmon-y Communit y college was more than just a stepping stone for this Hollywood star
RANDI LOVE Editor-in-Chief @Randi̲Love29 He appeared on your television screen—and popularized the infamous Gibbs-slap—as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on “NCIS.” What some people may not know is Mark Harmon is one of the most notable alumni to attend Pierce College in its 70-year history, and he credits part of his success to the school. His father, Tom Harmon, was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1940 at Michigan State University. Before he enlisted in the armed forces during World War II, he played for the Los Angeles Rams and became a sports broadcaster. His mother, Elyse Knox, was an actress, model and fashion designer. You can say Harmon mixed his parents careers together and created his own, but he never saw it that way himself. Rather, he credits his success to his community college roots. “Wouldn’t it be nice if life really read like a bio?” Harmon said. “I get it that people would look at that and think this is the path you’re going to take, but I don’t remember it like that at all.” Harmon said that he was surprised when he first attended Pierce because of how different it was from high school and what he thought he could achieve by attending the college. “I was from a very small high school, and going to Pierce was huge by comparison. So was the academic side of it, and so certainly was the athletic side of it,” Harmon said.
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Harmon said he struggled in high school up until his junior year. However, he said the trouble he experienced gave him the opportunity to study at Pierce, improve his grades and get his feet under him academically, which his teachers at the college helped him with. “I remember running into a teacher who broke it down individually for class members as opposed to a large number of people,” Harmon said. “I really liked that personal attention.” Harmon said he came from Los Angeles High School, and that its size in comparison to Pierce was miniscule. He said he had a coach that was transitioning from his high school to the college who told him he should give Pierce a shot. “Sometimes, it’s better to attack things when you're naive about them because you don't know what's right and you don't know what's wrong. You just go out there and work,” Harmon said. “That goes for in the classroom and also on the field.” Harmon said he had a lot of energy as a teenager and played whatever sport was in season. He said he had the most success in baseball, and thought he was going to play that when he came to Pierce. However, he said football was in season when he started at Pierce, which he tried out for instead. Harmon said that, although he did receive a sense of accomplishment playing sports, he was most gratified by his success in his classes. “Part of that was certainly from a lot of work and teammates and all that, but academically, in the classroom, that’s where the reward was for me,” Harmon said. Photo courtesy of Pierce College
[see HARMON on pg. 4]
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