A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION Woodland Hills, California Volume 136 - Issue 1
Wednesday, March 2, 2022
One copy free, each additional copy $1.00
LACCD launches program with Metro BY CECILIA PARADA Editor-in-Chief
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he Los Angeles C o u n t y Metropolitan Tr a n s p o r t a t io n Authority (Metro) partnered with the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) to launch the GoPass Program. The program, which offers free bus fare to students commuting to any of the nine schools within the District, was announced on Dec. 7, 2021, by LACCD Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez and Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. The program had strong support from students, the Board of Trustees and a Fareless Transit Initiative Task Force aimed to reduce inequity in transportation. The LACCD Student Transit Pass Pilot Program was unanimously approved by the Metro Board of Directors and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in September 2021, culminating in the launch of the GoPass. According to an LACCD Photo by Michael Moreno press release, about oneThe G Line bus comes to a stop at Pierce College Station in Woodland Hills, Calif., on Feb 14, 2022. quarter of students in the
District regularly used public program because we do not transit to attend class prior to want transportation to be the COVID-19 pandemic— one of the barriers students mainly because of cost must face in completing their concerns. The GoPass aims college education.” to remove a barrier to higher Rodriguez said the education for low-income program is a significant step students. in reducing the burden for LACCD Board President students attempting to attend Steve Veres said the program the District’s colleges. is transformational for more “I am committed to than 50% of students who working alongside Metro have said they had difficulty to find the resources for the paying for public transport. GoPass because our students “This effort will need to get back to school undoubtedly bring improved in order for our economy to quality of life and peace of bounce back and recover from mind to many of our students, the devastating impact of this allowing them to focus on global pandemic,” Rodriguez their academic success,” said. Veres said. Former LACCD student A hope of the program is Leonardo Gonzalez said the to increase the use of public program will provide reliable, transportation, alleviate equitable and convenient traffic congestion, reduce air transportation to college pollution and make college campuses. campuses more accessible to “It has been truly inspiring students in Los Angeles. to be part of a student Wiggins said a Hope Center advocacy team that was able study found that students to turn fareless transit from spend one-fifth of their total an idea to reality,” Gonzalez expenses on transportation. said. “It is clear that students Pierce College students with subsidized transportation interested in registering for perform better at school, the program can sign up at the allowing them to focus on Business Office with a picture what really matters—their ID. education,” Wiggins said. “We created the GoPass cparada.roundupnews@gmail.com
Enrollment down for third straight year BY JAYNA KUKLIN Copy Editor and Reporter
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or the third straight year, Pierce College has been faced with a growing decline in enrollment. The school’s council met on Feb. 24 via Zoom to discuss concerns and possible solutions to the alarming decrease in student registration. Interim President Ara Aguiar said Pierce is currently experiencing a drop in students coming to the school. The influx of students is down at least 30% from 2019 and 84% compared to 2021. Pierce also has the secondlowest enrollment class size out of the nine colleges in the district as of this spring, at 19.2. Los Angeles Trade Tech College (Trade) currently has the lowest, at 17.6. “We’re not going to get out of this problem,” Aguiar said. “But we are going to offer more classes with lower sizes. We’re talking about 11% more classes with at least 30% fewer students.” Aguiar said Pierce is down 4,500 students, and is also considering offering more classes that run for eight weeks to help combat the issue. On March 16, Pierce plans to discuss efforts and strategies to help with enrollment at the Board of Trustees meeting.
Enrollment numbers are not the only thorn in Pierce’s side as infrastructure has also begun to prove problematic for the college. Action 18 was passed and approved in a unanimous 10-0 decision and plans to have 25%
of Pierce spaces having electric vehicle chargers by 2030. Pierce psychology and statistics professor Angela Belden expressed her concerns about the EV chargers while also praising the idea. “My concerns are two-fold,”
Belden said. “Number one, I love the idea of charging stations on campus. I’m a little concerned about them all being in one place. I also am concerned about the Center for Sciences building being refreshed when there are facilities on campus that are in
Legacy continues after 15 year hiatus [see FEATURES on pg. 7]
for refreshment, while older buildings are being neglected. “Our athletic facility and many of our academic buildings are really behind the curve,” Belden said. Pierce Vice President of Administrative Services Rolf Schleicher stated that El Rancho Drive will be closed off for the next three days starting tomorrow for “project work.” Co-Chair of the Technology Committee and Representative of the Budget Committee Ron Paquette announced that he plans to move 67 classrooms to high flex rooms, though wifi remains to be an issue. According to Paquette, it costs at least $15k to convert each room to accommodate high flex classes. He also said that some of the high flex rooms may not have the wiring needed for the transfer. In other news, Aguiar said that meetings about student housing are currently underway for all nine Los Angeles Community Colleges in the district, and how such it can be Photo Illustration by Cecilia Parada sustained and paid for. Aguiar also said that Pierce has received COVID-19 antigen massive disrepair.” Joe Kelly Field is one of the tests for students and faculty, sports venues in the college and are currently figuring out that is in desperate need of how to properly distribute them. remodeling and repair work. Belden said that there are buildings on campus that are newer that are eligible jkuklin.roundupnews@gmail.com
Opinions.......................2 News..............................3 Campus Life ................4 Photo Essay...................5 Features.......................6-7 Sports............................8