He asserts AFT saved my job. It is clear Sparks has heard fictitious tales of heroism spun by his predecessor.

I joined AFT once I came to Pierce because I was told to join by an instructor who wanted me to survive.

AFT did nothing to cover the cost of arbitration I won.

If AFT is my buddy, a friend of academic freedom, and “saved my job,” why did they refuse legal assistance?

Because they wanted me gone.

I’ve opposed compulsory unions since an undergraduate; but if AFT wants to supply $50,000 to show they care, I will accept it any time.

The further insinuation that I am a hypocrite for remaining at Pierce needs response.

Rather than filing a lawsuit for intimidation and a hostile work environment, I will say that Sparks is a big cry baby, a hypocrite himself, and a coward for refusing to lighten up on AFT’s protectionism.

Sparks conveniently forgets that many citizens pay taxes (under threat of seizure of their homes) for Pierce, not just “union” advocates.

They HAVE to use Pierce because they have no disposable income left for private college alternatives after paying the 10th highest property taxes nationally.

This is their only alternative – and “All the voices need a seat at the table” as Leftists like saying – Republicans, Libertarians and Independents.

Sparks himself is a hypocrite.

Unions constantly harass non-union firms like Fresh & Easy.

Why not work for Ralph’s – a “unionized” grocer?

There is no need to work for Fresh & Easy.

Collectivists like Sparks attempt to impose their organizational preferences by force on free-market non-union industries for the same reason I continue at Pierce: to work “from within” for institutional reforms I believe are just.

I’m a “change agent” – just like Don.

Pam Brown

CSUN has much the same geography and it is a bike and skateboard friendly campus. Sadly Pierce is not.

There are many of us faculty, staff and administrators who believe we need to rethink our bike policy and entertain the idea of bike paths both on the campus streets and the mall.

There is a great opportunity for the ASO to exercise their leadership to organize and rally the students to help formulate a workable policy to the benefit of all.

Professor Joseph Perret

Your 29 February 2012 edition is one of the best I have read in my 30+ years here at Pierce College.

Your editorial about the need to drop NO SHOW students, so others who came on the first day to learn could be added and be able to move ahead in their educational goals, was right on.

I am surprised to read in your first page article that it has taken the LACCD so long to realize that we are top heavy with administrators at the cost of cutting needed classes for students. It certainly makes NO SENSE to keep a bloated administration being paid big buck$ to sit around the campus all summer while there are few or no classes serving students (except for the successful PACE program and basic skills).

I challenge the student government to demand that the administration and the faculty create a task force to see how we could teach several dozen MORE class sections this summer by demoting several administrators, including the many department chairs who are not needed (West LA College and Pepperdine University get by with only 6 or 7 Academic divisions, while we have several one person departments”).

After all, most of these administrators and chairs are certificated to teach, and they should serve our students by doing so rather than sitting in their offices cutting classes!

I am not asking for people to be fired, but just to help out in this time of economic emergency. I gave up some of my class assignments voluntarily so that more of our part time faculty member would not be laid off and so more students could be served with more class sections being taught by the less expensive part time instructors.

I hope someone in students government, faculty and administration will respond to this common sense call for more class sections to serve to our students.

Dr. Daniel Stephen McHargue

Pierce College Professor of History, Political Science and Law

We the people are being led by the influences of greed, anger, and selfishness. The sad this is… we have chosen these people in the voting process.

We’ve voted for millionaires, lawyers, voices of special interest groups….etc.

In our present system only millionaires or those who are backed by millionaires can afford to run for office.

Once elected, their main goal is to get re-elected.

The end result is government of the millionaires, by the lawyers, for the special interest groups.

Government of the people, by the people, for the people doesn’t exist anymore. It won’t happen unless our representatives are made up of those from all walks of life.

How about this…. Pattern the choosing of our national representatives after our jury selection system. From a list of registered voters, we could gradually replace our house and senate with a random selection of possibly three people from each state forming one body.

Staggered terms of 2-5 years would give a gradual flow of incoming and outgoing representatives. Our chosen jury reps. could be paid the same as our current members….with no pensions necessary.

Those chosen would have to be guaranteed their present employment upon completion of their term.

We might end up with a mix of carpenters, plumbers, teachers, doctors, unemployed, the rich, the poor, youth, or elders.

If needed a law firm could be put on retention. When not in session our jury reps. could be required to spend time in listening sessions at home to find out the wants and needs of people.

Campaign funding and irritating phone calls would become a memory.

To make this happen we would need a national referendum. I’m sure there are government “experts” who would say this is a stupid idea.

Our present system laces too much emphasis on competition between groups. It’s the blue ties against the red ties.

Competition is ok at sporting events, but we need cooperation to get things done.

Wouldn’t it be nice to just see on group wearing red, white and blue ties working together… a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Just a small seed planted here, how can we make it grow?

If you are a smoker, Pierce is not an easy place for you. Most of the old “smoking areas” are gone and you are relegated to smoking in the parking lots. Even these sanctuaries are under attach and may be gone in a year or so.

Let me say that I am sympathetic to your addiction. It is difficulty dealing with the added stress of school and using tobacco seems to help. Your cravings can cloud your good judgment and your natural friendliness. They can even make you down right mean. To help, when Pierce put in the Non-Smoking Campus rule it also offered free Stop Smoking help at the student health center.

The subject came up again last week at the Faculty Senate, with one of the faculty pointing up the difficulties of trying to police the smokers. Lots of other faculty joined in with their stories and pointing out that one of their own faculty members was one of the big offenders. It was also noted that a new law AB-795 was passed that allowed Community Colleges to set and enforce penalties for smokers. The result will be to put some teeth into the law.

Here is what I suggest:

Smokers

• ·        Defiance will only lead to stronger sanctions and determination of non-smokers to enforce their rights.
• ·        Difficult as it may be, keep your smoking to the perimeter parking lots and away from the pathway of pedestrian. Remember that behind building, Rocky Young Park, the athletic fields and other inviting nooks are also off limits.
• ·        Pick up after yourself. Your trail of butts is unsightly in our beautiful campus and adds to the resolve of the non-smokers for a total ban.
• ·        Get help for your addiction

Non-Smokers

• ·        Compassionately remind the smokers of the college rules, it is a difficult addiction but we have a right to a clean safe campus
• ·        Don’t be confrontational; if they refuse just call the Sherriff, who will eventually join in the campaign if we keep up the pressure on them.

Sherriff

• ·        Your reticence is part of the problem. You really need to step up and take a leadership role here.
• ·        Just having officers hanging out in known smoking areas at the right times will have a big effect on their behavior.
• ·        Our evening students are now our biggest offenders, where are you?
• Faculty and Staff

• ·        This is particularly hard on you smokers because you are on campus from most of the workday but you have an obligation to set an example for our students. By breaking the rules you embarrass yourself and the college.
• ·        Please also set a good example by disposing of your butts in the proper manner

Pierce College

• ·        Let’s get those signs up – the temporary saw horse signs are effective, but let’s also put up permanent ones- lots of them. They don’t need to be 8 feet in the air either.

I am writing in response to your editorial column published on September 28, 2011 concerning the lack of classes during this fall 2011 term. My response to your editorial is not for, (sic) or against any of your statements made in the column, (sic) but I am rather taking this opportunity to add on a few more observations.

(sic) The first day of school Aug 29 saw a massive rush everywhere in (sic) campus with students trying desperately to add classes, (sic) (at least most of them seemed desperate). I witnessed in each class that I was enrolled in, the professor being in a serious dilemma in (sic) trying to make the best possible decision to accommodating (sic) all of the students.  However, adding 50 or so more students in addition to those 35 or 40 already enrolled, (sic) is a notoriously difficult position to be put in.

(sic) Many of the professors were clever enough to devise methods to get around the situation and in the end, it seemed like those students who sincerely needed those classes did get in, (sic) but they were barely a handful out of the 50 or so trying to add the class.

(sic)  My response today is not about those who were trying to add, (sic) but about those who are in the class and drop the moment they see the syllabus and the professor announces his first exam and his grading policy.

(sic) This is my second year in school and I have a 4.0 GPA with 60 units under my belt, (sic) without missing a single day of school in the past 1(sic) year, (sic) and therefore I feel I have the credibility to comment on students who are incapable of dealing with tough situations, (sic) and worse still, steal precious time from students who are willing to work hard, make sacrifices, and face the professors grueling syllabus. I have witnessed each semester students who are unworthy of the seat, (sic) taking up space the first day of class only to drop within the first 3 weeks. These students think (and probably some do) they have all the time in the world to finish 2 years of college. (sic) (I personally met one recently who has been in Pierce for the last 6 years) and end (sic) up stealing very precious time from students who want to finish lower division and transfer to a 4 (sic) year University. (sic)  The problem in this case, lies with the system that encourages these kinds of choices.

(sic) Classes get full with students who try their luck each and every semester hoping the instructor has lowered his or her standards, and if not, (sic) they can always drop and try another time.

(sic) My suggestion (sic) is (sic) that the once a student signs up for a class, (sic) and drops it between the second and third week, he or she must not be allowed to sign up for the same class for an additional term.  Professors must discuss their syllabus (sic) the very first day of class, and explain their requirements thoroughly so that students who feel they cannot cope up (sic) can make a quick decision.  This is a fairly easy procedure for the system to monitor, and in addition, (sic) counselors and professors can remind and warn students of the consequences of their decisions.  I am hoping that these (sic) will prompt some students to seriously consider the implications of signing up and dropping classes unceremoniously.

(sic) If there is no penalty for doing something that is harming others, this problem of limited space in class in never going to get resolved.  I am in Math 245, (sic) and in contrast to the first week, (sic) where I had 60 or more students in the class, I now have fewer than 25 remaining. There is a lot of space. Not (sic) sure where the students went. A friend of mine who desperately needed the class to transfer to a Nursing Program has not been delayed by a year simply because she could not add the class.

Written by:  Sylvia Dsouza

Dear Editor of the Roundup

I’m writing in response to your article,”A Relentless Rivalry” in the Novemeber 4 edition of the Roundup.

Victory comes in different forms; passing a class, landing a great job, winning a game and most importantly, in doing the right thing. Head football coach, Efraim Martinez, in an attempt to fire up football players and fans, made disparaging comments about Valley College.

Places of higher education are places of academic, intelleectual and emotional growth. Character development is an important part of that growth. As members of the Pierce College community we are all on a team of sorts. As such, we need to encourage one another and hold each other accountable.

Educators need to both teach and model critical thinking and respectful communication. Coach Martinez is on my eam and that relationship demands that I not only congratulate him on his wins, but that I also encourage him to rise above and do he right thing,. As John Wooden said, “Consider the rights of others before you own feelings, and feelings of others before your own rights.”

Dear Editor,

 I would like to respond to an article written in last week’s Round-Up, entitled, “Tips and Tricks or Conscientious Effort,” by Elliot Golan.   As I read the article last week, I noticed several inaccuracies that I believe should be brought to your attention. 

 Despite the fact that I was unavailable to meet with Elliot on such short notice, I suggested that he stop by the Learning Center to speak to my staff and perhaps review the form we hand-out during classroom presentations as a way to obtain information about the process of tutoring, but my staff informs me that he did not come.    

I didn’t realize that I was being interviewed when he called to set-up an interview (which I was not able to make), and the quote he “obtained” from me is taken out of context.  Had he and I had the opportunity to discuss the purpose of this article, I would have given him information relative to the processes of learning that we try to convey to students.  Such examples would have included ways to contextualize new information by first relating it to something you already know and then by applying it in a way that is meaningful and relevant to your course of study or ultimate goal.  I do believe that students should not rely upon services such as tutoring as a “quick fix,” but should instead incorporate the services into their typical studying routines that they pursue with consistency.  We (TLC) see learning as fundamentally collaborative, and our goal in tutoring is to help clarify concepts from the content areas and help students apply these concepts to their own work.  Ultimately, it is our goal to help students become independent (and hopefully lifelong) learners.  The process of learning is multifaceted and must take into account an individual’s background including experience, learning style, level of motivation and interest, mitigating factors (like hours worked per week in addition to hours required for school), entry-level skills, language proficiency, etc., and must be viewed in context on an individual basis.  There is much more, and as you can see, had he and I met, I could have given him a more comprehensive response that would perhaps have conveyed our view on this topic.  Instead, his sources were all from outside of our center (which in and of itself is not a problem, but the article seems to point to TLC as a focus).

The other issue is that he posted our hours incorrectly;  Tutoring (TLC 1613) is open from 9am – 7:00pm, Monday through Friday.  The Computer Lab (TLC 1604) is open from 8:00am – 7:00pm, Monday through Thursday.  Both are closed on Fridays.

In the future, I hope your writers will plan for more time to properly interview people (whom they have contacted and from whom they have requested an interview) before submitting information for articles that you publish in your paper

Thank you,

Kathleen Boddicker,

Director, The Learning Center

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Editors Note: The letter, originally emailed to the Roundup on Oct. 1, was posted late after having been lost in transition between editors.