Seeing Pierce through Varozian-colored glasses
It’s been said that some of the hardest workers one will ever find in a production are the ones working behind the scenes. The saying couldn’t be truer of Shant Varozian, who works as an administrative aide in Pierce College’s office of Academic Affairs.
Varozian first came to Pierce in 2004 as a student. He was taking general education courses...
Home is where the art is
The afternoon sun is high, the breeze strong, creating a scenic and relaxing atmosphere in the Fine Arts Plaza at Pierce College. Art history professor, Ramela Abbamontian, sits at a bench in the middle of native Californian plants and metal sculptures, a mauve puffer jacket protecting her from the wind.
Her eyes are bright, glancing around the plaza that...
Bob Lofrano
Story By: Lynn Levitt
Classes are in session at Pierce College and inside the structure of the South Gym, the sound of footsteps echo in the hallway. A tall, rail thin, but physically fit man heads out of his office to a shaded area near the soccer field. You wonder why he is headed for shade, as his skin is...
Knowledge lights the way
Perhaps you missed his office because it was obscured behind a brick wall with a sign reading Platform 9 3/4. Maybe you weren’t looking for a train station leading to a magical institution, but the entrance to English instructor Mickey Harrison’s office bears an uncanny resemblance to the place.
Harrison has only been a full-time instructor at Pierce College for...
The upkeep of the Pierce College aquatic center
Many students on campus may not know this but there are classes that start before 7 a.m.
If you think that’s way too early to be on a school campus consider this. The swimming pool on campus opens at 5:30 a.m. Deborah Hefter, 28, has been the swimming pool supervisor at Pierce College for past five years and those early...
Bringing culture to the classroom
Many Americans, including Angelita Rovero, have had their identities centered around a generic stereotypical label—one often including a hyphen.
African-American. Asian-American.
The names have become too general to describe someone’s culture.
Rovero, who is both Mexican and Jewish, felt like...
From Carnegie Hall to Pierce’s Great Hall
A velvety, deep crimson carpet covers the seating area lined with rows of chairs. The eager audience faces a glamorous spectacle. A cream-colored stage is accentuated with glimmering gold touches lining the nooks and crannies of the walls.
A solo vocal fills the room.
Performing arts professor...
An Out of this Galaxy Professor
Dale Fields holds a 3D globe at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif., Photo by Natalie Miranda
A science professor comes gliding into campus on his bicycle every day, unless it is a rainy day. On this day, he is wearing a white T-shirt with the words, Earth first, before the other planets....
Pierce’s resident “surfer dude”
Most weekend mornings, second generation surfer Sean McDonald arrives at Malibu State Beach at 6 a.m. in his wetsuit to carve waves on one of his 38 surfboards.
The quiet time on the mostly empty beaches soothe him and give balance to his life.
“The feeling...
Finding culture through Anthropology
Erin Hayes holds a Russian nesting doll, surrounded by other cultural items in her office on Mar. 16, 2019 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Calif.
The saying is to always take the road less traveled. This mantra is often found on coffee cups and bumper stickers with good intentions that are rarely...