Woodland Hills, California One copy free, each additional copy 50¢Volume 110 - Issue 07 April 29, 2009

A FIRST AMENDMENT PUBLICATION

Rounduptheroundupnews.com

Tipping the scales: Calorie Counting — Page 4

Jared Iorio / RoundupWRECKING CREW— Construction workers continue construction on the Campus Mall Tuesday. The first stage of construction is scheduled to be completed before the beginning of the fall semester

Louie Heredia / RoundupSHARING THE PAIN— Men and women from Cleveland High School, Pierce College and California State University, Northridge, march down Ventura Boulevard to bring more awareness about rape.

Recent e-mails to students and staff members by Pierce College President Robert Garber and Beth Benne, the director of the Student Health Center have been sent to address the state of the campus and its reaction to the swine flu pandemic that originated from Mexico.

While swine flu is not a new form of influenza, it is one to be worried about if caught.

The most common way to catch it is through direct exposure to pigs.

Although Pierce does have a swine unit on campus it has been years since actual pigs have been in the facilities.

Because of this, and many other factors, Pierce is not taking major actions to safeguard against the threat of this virus according to Garber.

With no reported cases in Los Angeles he does not see a danger to any of the students at the moment.

“I think the swine flue is a serious problem in Mexico where there have been deaths,” said Shirley Truong, a 23-year-old pre-vet medicine major. “I’m not too worried about it here in Los Angeles though.”

Of the 13 reported cases in California with five coming from both San Diego and Imperial counties and three in Sacramento County, there have been no reported deaths from swine flu according to the Center for Infectious Diseases.

The e-mail sent by Garber and Benne, reads that people should not panic and to practice basic every day germ prevention actions such as covering ones mouth while coughing or sneezing, washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or hand sanitizing agents.

The suggestion emphasized within the e-mail is “If you feel sick, stay home.”

“I’m still doing common sense things,” said Truong. “(But) I don’t plan on wearing a mask or anything extreme.”

It’s not every day that the hustle of traffic melds with the alluring smell of fresh fruit and laughter.

Where the country rests only a few feet away from the daily grind of city life.

Yet on the corner of Victory Boulevard and De Soto Avenue, that is exactly what many will find at the Pierce College Farm Market; a place that is impervious to the choking smog and car horns that surround it.

Home to a various amount of food vendors and attractions, the Farm Market seems to hold promise.

“It’s such a unique property, it’s going to be great,” said Lee Ostendorf, the acting Farm Market manager. Ostendorf has seen a lot of farm markets in her day as well, overseeing them for a total of 16 years.

The Pierce College Farmers Market is her seventh event, and already she views this to be vastly unique compared to the rest. This is mostly due to the fact that it’s specifically on a farm, a first for markets of this type.

“A lot of times we bring animals to the market, but they already have them here. They live here,” said Ostendorf as she stared out near the entrance to the market.

Past that entrance lay a collection of booths and produce distributors.

One of whom, being Craig Matthews, a connoisseur of antique farm engines. Flanked by a 1936 International Harvester, Matthews stands ready to answer questions over the loud piping of its pump-jack.

“I’ve always been interested in engines, I worked on them when I was a kid,” said Matthews, “I lived back east and there were a lot of engine shows. I went to a state fair in Richmond, Va. and they had a lot of these engines out. Since then I’ve always been interested.”

His interest has led to a collection of more than 14 engines and they don’t come cheap either. The price for an engine usually cost between $500 to $600, but Matthews doesn’t believe that money is the point.

“The first time I saw one running I was in awe,” said Matthews. He

Antonio Hernandez / RoundupPetrina Roudebush / Roundup

Fruits of an open market

They put their heels on and dressed for the occasion.

Hundreds of men walked a mile in heels Saturday in Sherman Oaks to protest against

rape, sexual assault and gender violence. Approximately 50 Pierce College students participated in the march.

The event takes place every year and it is organized by Valley Trauma Center, an organization that helps victims of sexual crimes cope with the aftermath.

“It’s so vital that we create an environment of awareness,” Pierce Professor Jae Farkas said. “I also think it is important for people … to know that Valley Trauma Center provides free assistance to survivors and to their family members.”

Farkas, who joined the organization on Sept. 11, 2001, encourages her students to support the cause.

Men are encouraged to walk the entire mile in heels but many finish with their shoes in their hands.

“I have a whole new respect for women in high heels because this is just horrible” said Pierce student Ali Ekhtebar, 30.

Last year, there were more than 700 reported sexual

crimes by the Los Angeles Police Department. The rate has consistently declined since 1992 when the total of reported sexual crimes was 1,861.

But not all sexual crimes are reported to the police. In many cases victims feel ashamed and embarrassed

to tell people, therefore, the majority of these crimes stay in the impunity.

Only 36 percent of completed rapes were reported to the police during the years 1992 to 2000. Thirty-four percent of the attempted rapes, and 26 percent of the completed and attempted sexual assaults were reported, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

“Speaking out is the most important thing and not being embarrassed about it,” said Sheri Cummings, who was the guest speaker. “Men came out here and had to put aside their embarrassment to wear the heels and I think that means that women too, need to put aside their shame talking about when they are raped. Doesn’t matter what the circumstances were. It was wrong and they need to speak out.”

See March on page 3

Annual traditioncontinuesfarmers market

Steps taken to avoid swine fluWorld-wideoutbreak hits home campus takes precautionsGil Riego Jr. / Roundup

griegojr_roundupnews@yahoo.com

Construction takes over Campus Mall

Laura Gonzalez / Roundup

A new path emerged as the reconstruction of the Campus Mall began earlier this week.

Directed by Swinerton Management & Consulting, this is a two-phase construction project that “will finally organize the main walk between Brahma Drive and Parking Lot 7,” said Isabella Golovaty, senior project manager for Swinerton.

The first phase began with bulldozing the path from the Library Media Center to the newly designed Student Services Building, the path will be repaved and then cleaned up before

the start of the fall semester.“Students, including handicapped, will

have complete access to the Student Services Building,” said Golovaty. “Also, it will beautify and completely change the face of the landscape of Pierce College.”

Accepting a low bid under $4 million advertised by Swinerton, SMC Construction will also be working on the project. One main goal is to make the buildings on the Campus Mall more accessible for students with disabilities and handicaps.

“A lot of buildings which go along the main walk have ADA access issues that we have to

fix during the construction,” said Golovaty.Although this renovation will be a major

undertaking for Pierce in terms of revitalizing the college, there are some students who have a problem with trying to maneuver around the construction to get to their classes.

“It’s cool that they made those passages that you could get to classes,” said Carlos Lara, a 22-year-old liberal arts major. “But it’s just a hassle to get from one place to another one.”

The construction is scheduled to be finished at the end of August.

Harold Goldstein / Roundup

hgoldstein_roundupnews@hotmail.com

On the heels of oppressionDenim Day is not the only time to support rape victims

See Market on page 3

CalendarThe Uniendo Las Americas Club will be having a Cinco de Mayo bash at the Great Hall at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

There will be food and live entertainment.

www.theroundupnews.com ROUNDUP: April 27, 2009Opinion2

Letters to the editor6201 Winnetka Ave.

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The Roundup publishes “Letters to the Editor” that are not obscene or libelous and do not contain

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Roundup

Editor in chief ....... Gil Riego Jr.Managing & Blog Editor .... Antonio HernandezAssistant ME & Opinion Editor ... Laura GonzalezCopy Editor .............................. Aaron SheldonNews Editor ............................... Rocio Romero

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PIERCE COLLEGE

It was 100 days ago that a crowd of more than one million people strong swarmed the streets of Washington, D.C. to witness the swear-ing in of President Barack Obama.

They chanted his name joyously on what was such an historic and festive day – and why not? He had defied all odds, being elected the first African American president merely four decades following the Civil Rights movement. The credit was due.

But that was 100 days ago.Now that all the pomp and circumstance has

dissipated and Obama has taken up residence in the White House for over three months, his accomplishments in office are what is to be exam-ined. Credit is not due.

Obama took immediate action as president, ordering the shutdown of the prison at Guan-tanamo Bay, Cuba, within a year, promising to “make sure that the procedures we set up are ones that abide by our Constitution.”

But the fate of the more than 200 detainees – many of whom are suspected of committing atrocities far worse than waterboarding – is unknown.

Talks arose regarding the possibility of trans-ferring the prisoners to United States facilities, but some citizens opposed the concept of suspect-ed terrorists being held miles from their homes.

So Obama tried to ship the inmates to Europe. France agreed to take a grand total of one, and Austria’s Interior Minister Maria Fekter declined the president’s request by concluding that if Guantanamo’s inhabitants aren’t danger-ous, why not just keep them in America?

Shocking that nobody wants our terrorists. The plea to Europe was made at the G-20

conference in London on April 2, the same stage Obama used to kick off his apology tour in which he vowed to restore American foreign policy (read: reverse the wrongdoings of George W. Bush so the United States can be liked again).

Obama apologized for America’s “arro-

gance” and “dismissiveness” toward Europe and its mistreatment of the Muslim world.

The act of the leader of a global superpower groveling for the forgiveness of nations that dislike us anyway signifies one thing – we as a nation are weak.

But with the national economic crisis the nation’s most glaring issue, the most significant action of the Obama administration has been the $787-billion stimulus bill passed Feb. 13.

“We cannot sustain a system that bleeds bil-lions of taxpayer dollars on programs that have outlived their usefulness,” he said Nov. 25, nearly three months prior to passing a bill including the following provisions according to CNN:

$150 million for parking improvements at a Little League facility in Cidra, Puerto Rico, $246 million tax break for Hollywood movie producers to buy motion picture film, $600 million to buy hybrid vehicles for federal em-ployees, $650 million for the digital television converter box coupon program and $850 million for Amtrak.

Those programs have not outlived their use-fulness, but rather were useless from the get-go.

Obama’s mantra of change has proved true, but his slogan of “Change We Need,” is debat-able.

CON

EDITORIAL

PRO/CON COLUMNS

Diving into the shallow end

Obama is proving that his policies are necessary to rescue America

Our president needs to stop campaigning and start working

Obama’s first 100 days in office up for review

Philip

George

pgeorge_roundupnews@yahoo.com

Laura

Gonzalez

lgonzalez_roundupnews@yahoo.com

President Barack Obama celebrates his first 100 days in office today, and while it is still very early to measure the effects of what he has accomplished, he is off to a strong start.

Obama was elected in November, mostly because people were desperate for a change. This nation has been through several tough years, and many people hung on to his promises as their only way out of the mess.

Although he has yet to take action on all of his promises, he has made some good that many Americans applaud.

In the so-called “war on terror,” the Bush Administration detained hundreds of suspects of terrorism and relocated them to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Many of these suspects were never charged or put on trial, yet in 2006, the United Nations discovered that these individuals were being subjected to torture.

Obama, on just his second day in office, signed an executive order stating that Guantanamo Bay would be closed within a year. While no one wants terrorists out on the streets, it is imperative that we give suspects of terrorism a fair trial and treat them as human beings. If we don’t do that, then we would be doing exactly what they do.

Also, in the last few years, we have seen the largest economic crisis since the Great Depression. In California alone, more than 2 million jobs have been lost. Last year more than 130,000 companies filled for bankruptcy and more than 80,000 homes went into foreclosure.

On Feb. 17, a stimulus bill was signed into law after a hard battle in Congress. The $787-billion bill is an ambitious plan to revive the economy by investing money in the biggest issues affecting us today.

Some of the highlights of the bill include

creating more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years, increasing college affordability for 7 million students by funding the shortfall in Pell Grants, investing in renewable energy and providing a tax credit for 129 million working households.

Obama gets to preside over the country in an era in which technology makes it easy for us to know his plans. The ability for citizens to get weekly updates from the president, downloaded right into our iPods or cell phones, is a great tool for our democracy.

He will disappoint us once in a while, but hopefully he will keep his promise to get the U.S. out of the hole where it is sunk.

Little by little, we will see the Obama Administration take important steps toward the goal of reviving America. As he has said, it is important that we, as the people, help him reach his goals. We should all work together to help our president succeed.

It is sad to hear some Republicans say that they hope Obama fails. They are upset their party lost the election, but fixing the country is not about the left or the right. If Obama fails, we all fail because our future and our children’s future depend on his success.

Overall, Obama has his work cut out for him, but I am confident that he will deliver and America will rise stronger and better than ever.

Miscommunication of empty pools leaves classes with empty promises

Even with a two-week buffer for completion of the Steven E. Schofield Aquatic Center, it appears that students won’t be swimming laps anytime soon at Pierce College.

It was reported in the March 4 edition of the Roundup, that the new Aquatic Center — located between the North and South gyms — would open April 1.

Initially, the competition pool and the wellness pool were to be finished by Nov. 30, 2008. It would mean that they would be available for the start of the swimming and diving season, with time to spare. November came and went, and still no pools.

The next missed completion date was in February. There was still enough time for the swimming and diving team to have a few home meets but more importantly, the pool would be open in time for the spring semester. Swimming classes were scheduled so students could get their P.E. credit, which is a graduation requirement.

The swim team had already moved their meets elsewhere and spent the season practicing 11 miles away at L.A. Valley College — our cross-town rivals.

But what about classes? April 14 was the latest possible date for them to begin, according to Bill Norton, physical education department chairman. If that didn’t happen, they would be canceled, leaving all registered students in limbo.

Pierce President Robert Garber said that the delays were due in part to replacing leaky, asbestos-covered pipes, and he promised that students who’d registered and paid for swim classes would be refunded.

He also said that the school would work with graduating students on a case-by-case basis.

Construction projects are rarely completed on time. Just look around campus. In addition to the Aquatic Center, the North Gym and the new Center for the Sciences are running behind schedule. Knowing that construction is unpredictable, why promise classes if they couldn’t be guaranteed?

As students, we meticulously plan our school schedules according to graduation and/or insurance needs. At the end of the semester, the last thing we should be worrying about is the class and credit we were promised.

July 1 is the new date the Aquatic Center is set to open, but don’t hold your breath. If you’re hoping to find relief from the oppressive summer temperatures by swimming at Pierce, have a back-up plan.

PRODear Editor,

I applaud the staff of the Pierce College Roundup for the excellent reporting concerning drugs in our society.

As a recovered nicotine addict I am fully aware of the consequences of dangerous drugs. Nicotine definitely is one of those drugs although obtained legally. I was able to recover through Nico-tine Anonymous, a 12-step program I faithfully attended for many years. I currently celebrate more than 19 years nicotine-free.

I found Nicotine Anony-mous after five years in Al-Anon. (Al-Anon is for fam-ily and friends of alcoholics.) After working the Al-Anon program to the best of my abil-ity I finally realized I needed to look at my own addiction. In both programs I discovered compassionate recovering alco-holics, drug addicts and people with various problems.

Thank you again for so much valuable information.

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Callan

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Information is crucial in the battle against addiction

Raquel Martinez /Special to the Roundup

ROUNDUP:April27,2009 w w w . t h e r o u n d u p n e w s . c o m News 3

The ASO election brought in a new treasurer, one who wants to change the school and do his best to help students at Pierce College.

His name is Ivan Alvarez and his mission is to make the college experience accessible to everyone.

“It is a pretty big job,” said Alvarez. “But I am going to do my best and hopefully with the leadership of me and other office candidates we can help the school.”

Alvarez, a Reseda High school graduate, is active in many clubs at Pierce. He wants to see changes made that will benefit all students learning experiences.

“My main goal is to have the library buy

five books for every class,” said Alvarez when referencing the course reserves that teachers control at Pierce. “Now they only have three books on reserve. I want students to be able to access them if they don’t have enough money to purchase the books.”

The engineering major is good with numbers and wants to do his best with the money that they will have coming in next year.

The $155,000 budget is a sharp decrease from the $177,000 of a year ago. However, Alvarez believes that the ASO money was well spent.

“The bus pass was made affordable to students who may not have had access to transportation,” said Alvarez. “I’m glad that it benefitted so many students.”

While Alvarez recognizes the responsibilities the office of treasurer will bring, he looks forwards to the new endeavor and believes that he will gain life experience from holding office.

“I hope to gain new experiences with this position,” said Alvarez. “I want to gain more leadership skills and I hope to follow up on my experience by running for office when I transfer to a four-year university.”

Leadership has never been problem for Alvarez and his peers believe that he is fully capable of handling his new position.

“I think Ivan is going to do a really good job, because I know that he likes getting involved and he likes to know what is going on and he really likes to help,” said Victor Garcia.

“I see him taking that next step and becoming a real leader.”

The strong leadership sentiment was echoed by fellow senator Raymond Pajounia, mathematics major.

“I believe Ivan will do good things in the future because he is always

dedicated to his work and he is always willing to help out,” said Pajounia. “He is always ready to help out with things that need to be done. He speaks out, makes his voice heard, and pushes himself 110 percent.

Alvarez is going into next year with high hopes for the future and a willingness to make changes that will help the entire school.

Get to know your Associated Students Organization

More than just change in his pocket

Giving clubs a fresh outlook

With a brilliant smile on her face and with a clear voice, Cindy Gerges expressed how she was excited — as well as was relieved — by the result of the Associated Students Organization executive election on April 13 and 14 at Pierce College.

A single word, “happy,” described all her efforts and preparations she made to run as a candidate of the new club council president.

“All the work was paid off,” she said.

Cindy Gerges, an 18-year-old English student, ASO senator and a home cooking lover, was elected club council president by collecting 559 votes out of the total of 818 votes. Her tenure will begin in the Fall 2009 Semester.

She said her motive for joining the race of the club council presidency was from her belief that an involvement in the school was “very important.”

“It’s a very important position, and you have a lot of opportunities to socialize with other students and other clubs,” she said.

When asked to introduce herself, she described herself as very friendly, determined and energetic.

“I am really determined personally and try to get along with others. I do everything in my power to achieve,” she said.

Also, Gerges’ personality an also be seen from her passion.

“When I need to do something, I do (it),” she added. “I don’t put it off…I stick to my rule.”

Gerges, a pre-law major, hopes to transfer to the University of California, Los Angeles in where she wants to study law.

Katie Rope, current club council president, expects Gerges to go

beyond the foundation with her creative ideas, which Rope does not make.

“I believe Cindy was an excellent candidate who was extremely motivated and wanted to do what’s the best for the clubs,” Rope said.

ASO senator Victor Garcia portrayed her as a very positive person who wants to be involved in helping the ASO and students.

“She brings good points on the table, and she keeps herself open so that thousands of works work better and efficiently,” he said.

The position as club council president is not her first involvement with the ASO. She has also been a senator. She, however, had not participated in a student organization before coming to Pierce.

“I wasn’t interested in being involved in high school,” Gerges explained. “When I got interested

in being involved, I just never really thought that I had an opportunity because it wasn’t really publicized. But, I thought the ASO really did give everyone equal opportunities to be on.”

Her task as club council president throughout the one-year term is to chair the bi-monthly club council meetings and to oversee the council to make sure it runs properly.

Rope pointed out that the difficulty of the presidency is to organize people who come from 33 different clubs.

“My biggest piece of advice for her would be to stay to organized without any biases and to learn how to work with a lot of different types of personalities,” Rope said.

Gerges’ main goal is to put clubs’ schedules, such as their meeting time, in the Schedule of Classes so that club activities become more accessible to students.

“Every time I look for anything I go to the Schedule of Classes. So, inter-agreement is important,” she said.

In reference to the club council budget, Gerges said that her job is to disperse funds equally.

“You can’t really favor a club to give them more money,” she said.

In addition to publicizing more events, she hopes to work with the department chairs to help out the clubs.

“I know some of the professors are really willing to help out the clubs and I think that’ll be awesome to have committee chairs help with the clubs,” Gerges added.

Believing in her possibilities and dreams, Gerges, a people person and an achiever, will be a bridge to connect students to the clubs.

Takahiro Aono / Roundup

takahiroaono.roundupnews@yahoo.com

Greg Donnell / Roundup

gdonnell.roundupnews@yahoo.com

Arash Akhtari / RoundupCLUBBING— Cindy Gerges, an English major, became the new club council president after the recent ASO elections.

A closer look at 2009-2010 treasurer-elect and club council president-elect — 1 and 2 of a 4-part series

Marching on for rape prevention

Cummings was raped on March 29, 2007 at her house in Canyon Country, Calif., by a stranger who entered through an open kitchen window.

She became a member of the organization about a year ago and offers counseling to rape victims.

Although the majority of the victims are women, about 3 percent of men have experienced a rape at some point in their lifetime. 71 percent of male victims were first raped before their 18th birthday, 16.6 percent were 18 to 24 years old and 12.3 percent were 25 or older, according to The National Center for Victims of Crime.

Civil rights professor Vitaly, who is also a rape victim, encourages his students to participate in the

march. “I was inspired [to come] by my instructor, Vitaly,

and I believe in the cause,” Clay Welch, 23, said.Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled as

unconstitutional the death penalty as punishment for the rape of a child.

“One of the major civil rights that is continuously being violated in our society that nobody takes notices of, that the criminal justice system doesn’t take notice of is rape,” Vitaly said.

lgonzalez_roundupnews@yahoo.com

Continued from “March” on Page 1

Arash Akhtari / RoundupTREASURED— An engineering major, Ivan Alvarez, was elected ASO treasurer.

also attended Pierce from 1976 to 1979, where he earned a certificate in mechanical design.

All around Matthews, there were things to partake in, including jewelry vendors, a small train for children, an inflatable slide, caricature drawings and a petting zoo.

“We went on the Carousel, it’s an antique and we are going to go

on the train ride then we are going to buy her a bracelet,” said Anib Nahmias as her daughter, Stella Nahmias, got off the pony rides. “We plan on taking some fruits and vegetables home too.”

Nahmias wasn’t the only visitor to notice the fruits and vegetables for sale. Eva Prado has frequented Pierce’s Markets before and stumbled across the Farmers Market recently since she works across the street. The strawberries are what do it in for her.

“These strawberries, they are just so sweet. When I buy them, I buy them at another area and they are simply just not as sweet,” Prado said.

With fruit in hand she left, back into the city that so many forgot existed when they stepped under the wood sign that read “Pierce College Farm Market”.

proundebush_roundupnews@yahoo.com

ahernandez.roundupnews@gmail.com

Continued from “Market” on Page 1

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Mother Goose: Reinterpreted by the CDCEDITORIAL COMMENTARY

Cesear Maguina /Special to the Roundup

This little piggywent to market...

This little piggystayed home...

This little piggy went “a-choo.”

... He didn’t make it home

Farmers market makes fresh memories

www.theroundupnews.com ROUNDUP: April 29, 2009Features4

21

Atkins, South Beach, low-carbohydrate, no-carbohydrate, pills and supplements are just a few of today’s “remedies” for easy

weight loss but the newest craze to take the diet world by storm, is none other than good old-fashioned calorie counting.

A calorie is a unit of energy. Therefore, a person must put in the energy that person burns.

Knowing the right amount of calories to ingest is based on individual statistics. Age, weight, height and gender are all factors in determining.

The American Dietetic Association recommends a 2,000 calorie based diet for the average American that is not suffering from any major illnesses and is moderately active (one to two days a week). Depending on your level of activity, that number can and should fluctuate.

“I have been counting calories as long as I can remember. My doctor recommended 1,400 so that is what I try and stick to,” said

freshman Alexa Rodriguez.Like any diet, there is a positive and a

negative side.On the positive side, it allows a person to

eat anything they want in moderation and allows a person to stay on track with a routine. The concern with that method is the “empty calorie” factor.

“Empty calories are calories that provide no nutritional value and directly correlate with cardiovascular disease, blood sugar levels and possibly even diabetes,” said Taraneh Tamaddon, Pierce College peer nutrition counselor.

“We have our three macro nutrients which are carbohydrates, protein and fat. And each of those food groups provides different amounts of calories. One gram of fat is equivalent to nine calories,” she continued.

On the negative side, it can take up lots of valuable time throughout the day worrying about what your consuming.

As a college student, time is precious enough and sometimes it is just easier to grab a

quick bite on the go regardless of its calories.“I drop my kids off at school, I race to my

classes and hopefully somewhere in between my three classes I can grab something to eat,” said Marie Hyland, full-time student and addiction studies major. “I usually don’t have the time to keep track of everything I consume.”

The longevity of this diet has yet to be determined but like anything else in life, it is best in moderation.

“There is so much pressure to stay thin in this society that it’s become my obsession to count,” said Rodriguez.

“The only scary thing (about calorie counting) is getting so attached to that number and relating that calorie to a particular weight figure,” said Tamaddon. “We want to stay away from numbers in general. It is more about a healthful lifestyle and fitness. It should be personal.”

Counting to getthe perfect body

Kirsten Sharaf / Roundup

‘Fad’ diets have been replaced by watching calories, but some can become obsessed

Petrina J. Roudebush / Roundup / Photo IllustrationSTRICT REGIME — To eat or not to eat? That is the question. The ever-growing obsession with counting calories can consume more than just your daily life.

Info courtesy of eatright.org

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ROUNDUP:April29,2009 w w w . t h e r o u n d u p n e w s . c o m A&E 5

Dancingaway from stress

Stress is not in the vocabulary for the dancers at Pierce College of the upcoming spring dance show.

Some of the dancers are saying that the show is bringing ease to not only them, but will bring people who are going to attend the show. “Everyone is going through a rough time, whether they like to admit it or not,” said dancer and 21-year-old psychology major Rachael Light. “Either if you’re watching it or are dancing, it’s a way to let it out.” Light is in three dances, the Lindy Hop, a Hip-Hop dance and a Contact Improve which Marian Weiser, professor of dance, describes as a, “big thing for modern dance.” The only time Light jokingly said she wants to say “enough is enough” is after rehearsing for

the Lindy Hop because she says she feels as if she wants to “barf because it’s so fast.” During the Modern Dance class on Monday, Light moaned to Marian Weiser, the dance instructor, “I’m so sore!” because of the Sunday rehearsal. Weiser responded with a very strong, “Good!” Adylenne Solia, 19-year-old Veterinary Technician major and a dancer in the Hip-Hop piece said that time is approaching too quickly with the dance being less than a month away but it “for sure is a stress reliever.” Solis went on to say, “we’re doing good.” When Weiser was asked if the show was running smoothly so far, she responded with a look that almost said, “What do you think?” and about a minute after said, “Certainly.” Although the dancers are at ease about the show, the rehearsals

can get hectic. At one point of the class Weiser asked Light a question about dance techniques. Light was caught off guard and couldn’t stop a yawn. Weiser looked at the entire class and said, “See, this is what the dance does to you. If you do come to school after rehearsals, you’re not really at school.” Light said she expects the dance to be “rad,” and has “really high expectations.” The show is said to sell out every semester and Weiser emphasized that tickets are going fast. Prices for the show range from $6 to $11. The show is May 15-17. Friday and Saturday’s shows start at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday’s show starts at 2:00 p.m.

Rehearsals running smoothly for upcoming dance show

Alina Popov / RoundupA DANCERS SWAY—

Kelly Iannuzz, 22, dances in the dance, “Don Quixote.”

Arnavaz Fatemi/ Roundup

afatemi_roundupnews@yahoo.com

With more than 140 entries submitted, more than 50 images

displayed at the Photo Salon in the Student Community Center, and of those, eight pieces recieved awards during the show’s April 22 opening reception.

The amount of work represented a wide variety of interests and experience of the contestants.

Jared Iorio, 30, who is majoring in photojournalism, won first and second places in the Best of Show category.

He said his main goal is to capture emotion. “There’s a lot of sadness out there,” he said. “I seek and try to show the world in a happy state.”

Ironically, his work titled ‘Come and Play With Us... Forever”, a clear reference to “The Shining,” Stanley Kubrick’s famous film, that earned Iorio first prize, was described by one of the judges Michael Owen Baker, as “eery and abstract, with two girls alone by the pool in what seems to be a run-down place.”

Owen Baker, who is a staff photographer at Los Angeles

Daily News, said there was no right and wrong decision when it came to picking the best work

“We saw a lot of interesting pictures,” he said. “But the main winner today was a definite and unanimous choice.”

Burke Bryant’s third place picture of a female face half covered by a black shawl, welcomes visitors of the Photo Salon. Bryant’s group picture of a rock band Mourningside also won in a Portrait category.

Another preliminary judge and photography professor, Rita Nessian, said that this year is the definitely one of the better collections of photographs in the last three years, since the rebirth of the Photo Salon.

Albert Lee, who is teaching Photoshop at Pierce, said that the secret for a successful work is “to master the right exposure first and then practice as much as you can.”

The show, which was intended to stay up until the end of the month, was inadvertently taken down this past weekend.

Irina Pearson / Roundup

ipearson.roundupnews@gmail.com

Campus photographers point, shoot and win

‘Come play with us...Forever’— The first place Best In Show picece by Jared Iorio.

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www.theroundupnews.com ROUNDUP: April 29, 2009PhotoEssay6

The sweet aroma of strawberries and the cacophony of farm animals draw in customers to the Pierce College Farm Market on Thursday.

Crowds of people were excited to partake in the activities including an antique carousel, pony rides, live music, petting zoo and were also able to purchase fresh produce at reasonable prices.

“The turnout was more then expected,” said Dennis Washburn, Foundation for Pierce College director, “especially for opening day.”

Since last week many improvements have been made to the overall setup and appearance of the farm center.

“What you see here is 100 percent self efficient. So we have to make it or quit,” stated Rob McBroom III, director of the Farm Center.

The Foundation for Pierce College’s employee’s have dedicated numerous hours to making the farm market desirable from all stand points and to many different people.

“My daughter is having her birthday here (at the farm center) on Sunday and today is their first night open. So I thought I would bring her here to enjoy the animals and rides,” said Anib Nahmias, Pierce equine graduate, while holding her daughter Stella, 2, in her arms.

The market includes several vendors from across Southern Calif. including Fructos Farm from Orange County and certified organic produce.

The rides and attractions are $2 per ticket, but everyone is welcome to enjoy the facilities.

Every Thursday the Farm Market will be open from 5 to 9 p.m., at no cost, on the corner of Victory Boulevard and De Soto Avenue, with free and easy accessible parking.

FARM fresh

Farm Market(Top left) The Pierce College Farm Market, Woodland Hills, Calif. had much to offer such as Wixarika Huichol tribal art April 23.

(Top right) Green beans, zucchini, cauliflower, avocados, lemons, and asparagus are among the produce offered by Frutos Farms.

(Bottom right) Stella Nahmias, who’s having her second birthday at Pierce College Farm Center on Sunday, rides one of 3 ponies.

(Bottom center) Eagle Rabbit of the Wixarika Huichol tribe waits for potential customers to approach his tribal arts stand.

(Bottom left) Frutos Farms offers fresh strawberries, orange and red bell peppers, cherries, apples, and more to any and all consumers.

Story by:Petrina Roudebush

Photos by:Gerard Walsh

ONLINE EXCLUSIVEWeb-only photos, stories and an Audio Slideshow of the Farmers’ Market can be seen on:

www.theroundupnews.com

ROUNDUP:April29,2009 w w w . t h e r o u n d u p n e w s . c o m Feature 7

Brahma in the Windy CityIn addition to his duties at Pierce, Athletic Director Bob Lofrano also does scouting work for the Chicago Cubs

Benson Chin / Roundup

CUBS FAN— Pierce College Athletic Director Bob Lofrano, holding a radar gun for measuring pitch speed, has been a special assignment scout for the Chicago Cubs since 1981.

A Chicago Cubs calendar, Cubs license plate, pictures of current and former players and Wrigley Field surround Athletic Director Bob Lofrano, who is even wearing a Cubs visor as he sits in his office at Pierce College.

“I’m not shy about publicizing my love for the team,” he said.

A native of the Windy City, Lofrano has been a Cubs fan ever since he can remember.

In 1981, he took his relationship with the Cubs to the next level when he became a special assignment scout for the team. He has worked with them ever since.

Explaining what his job entails, Lofrano said, “I go all over the country to look at (prospective) players. Then I write a report painting a picture of the players I see.”

The reports are essentially an evaluation of the player’s talents. How hard they pitch, how fast they run and what is good and bad about each individual.

The bottom line, Lofrano said, is to determine whether or not they are a match for the Cubs.

“I essentially become the eyes of the Cubs’ general manager,” he said. “They take my word and we make our trades.”

As current Athletic Director and a golf instructor at Pierce, Lofrano realizes that he is very fortunate for the time he gets to spend working with the Cubs.

“My job is a full-time instructor, but I dabble in something I have a great passion for,” he added. “I’m not sure other teachers get to have that experience.”

While it may all be work, this busy man admits balancing two jobs is great fun.

Last year he scouted the Dodgers for two weeks before the playoffs. When the season was over, the Dodgers were going to play the Cubs in Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Oct. 1.

This meant Lofrano had to be in Chicago the Tuesday before at noon, but he had a golf class to teach Monday and Wednesday mornings.

What did he do? “I taught my Monday classes at Pierce,” he said,

“took a six o’clock flight to Chicago (that same day), arrived at midnight, slept, got to Wrigley Field at noon, gave my two-hour report to the general manager, took a three o’clock flight out of Chicago and was back to teach my 9:30 a.m. golf class on Wednesday.”

Steve Fuller, a full-time Cubs scout, realizes that Lofrano’s position at Pierce and with professional

baseball has enabled him to get involved with many different baseball organizations, such as the Single-A, Double-A and Triple-A levels of the minor league.

He said Lofrano has become “instrumental” and “a go-to man” with these groups.

“He knows a lot about different team’s strengths and weaknesses…and can make good decisions when it comes to drafts and trades,” Fuller said.

As far as the Cubs are concerned, Fuller claimed Lofrano has “lived and died with every good and bad thing the team has done over the years.”

Lofrano’s dedication to the Cubs, he said, really symbolizes what the team is all about.

Experiences like that at Wrigley Field right before playoffs last year, Lofrano says, make him realize how lucky he is to be involved with his passion after all this time.

“You almost pinch yourself, like this is unbelievable that I am able to do this,” he said.

“Then you have to slap yourself, like whoa, this is my job, they entrusted me to do this.”

This summer, Lofrano will scout 12 different teams, five games per team.

A total of 60 games will take him all over what he calls “Americana” to places like Raleigh, N.C., Mason, Ariz., Portland, Maine, Port

Charlotte, Fla., Bowling Green, Ky., Chattanooga, Tenn. and Montgomery, Ala.

At some of these places, he will only stay a night until he is out on the road again.

Every time Lofrano comes home, he says it is because he has responsibilities at Pierce.

“I have to make sure things are covered here,” he said. “I’m not going to miss my classes.”

While he admits “the traveling can be a lot” and the places he goes “are not exactly the garden spots of the world,” he said, “That is where minor league baseball is, and I love (scouting) it.”

“I love baseball,” he said. “I am a baseball man, and fortunate enough to be a part of professional baseball.”

My job is a full-time instructor, but I dabble in something I have a great

passion for.-Bob Lofrano

Pierce College Athletic Director

“ ”

Christina Colucci / Roundup

ccolucci_roundupnews@yahoo.com

Check out the full version of the story on the sports page online atwww.theroundupnews.com

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www.theroundupnews.com ROUNDUP: April 29, 2009Sports8

The South Gym locker rooms will be closed for remodeling starting May 6.Any items left in the lockers after Tuesday night will be discarded.

South Gym locker room to be remodeled

Lessons learned in a losing season

With the hot sun pounding on Pierce College Tuesday afternoon, smiles could be seen from left to right as the softball team finished their 7-28 season with a 5-2 loss at home.

“It was about having fun today,” said sophomore pitcher Lauren Davis. “Not about winning.”

Although many shared the same emotion, some wanted more than just a day of fun.

“We just wanted to go out with a win,” said pitcher Alyse Scarmozzino. “It’s a lot of our last times playing here.”

Many of the softball players are leaving with the close of the season.

“We’re losing most of our team,” said Assistant Coach Gregg Wertz. “At the junior college level you get a new team every year.”

Some players commented about what improvement could have been made.

“We could have done better,” said outfielder Liz Amaya. “We just needed to work on our batting…but overall I think that (the) defense did really well.”

Wertz agreed.“The hitting that we faced this year [was great],”

said Wertz. “I wish our girls were hitting the ball that well.”

Wertz feels like he has learned a lot from this season.

“This year I found myself developing relationships with (the team) and it was much more enjoyable,” Wertz said. “It made it easier to coach and also

(helped) push them a little bit.”Wertz hopes that skill was not lost as a result of his

new style of coaching.“I hope (my friendliness) didn’t take away from

their development as players,” said Wertz.But even as a friend, Wertz does not lower his

standards.“What I need from them on the field doesn’t

change,” he said.Wertz commented that it takes practice and

exercise to play a good game.“Playing is fun, playing is easy, playing isn’t hard,”

he said. “But you have to do hard work to prepare to play.”

Players on the team shared their opinions.“More union between the girls and working

together would have helped us a lot,” said Liz Amaya.Another player shared her view.“If we focused more on the game and not so much

all the drama that went on, I think we would have done a lot better,” said Scarmozzino.

More than anything, most of the softball team shared the same opinion about their last game of the season.

“I just wanted to get out of the heat,” said Davis.Wertz added that he look forward to next season.“Any returnees we get we want to take and make

the most of,” said Wertz. “They will benefit from all the experiences they got this year and (it will) make them that much better next year,” said Wertz.

Anibal Ortiz / Roundup

anibalortiz.roundupnews@gmail.com

Despite a 7-28 record, softball players insist their experience was a positive one

Gerard Walsh / RoundupMAYBE NEXT YEAR— The softball team walks off the field after losing both games of their March 12 double-header against Moorpark College.

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