Clarion 10/10/12

Illustrated by Sydney Presley

Citrus College

Clarion October 10, 2012 Volume LXVII Issue 4

Litigation filed against Board of Trustees.............pg. 3 Meet Alejandra Morales.......................................pg. 9 Can a vegetarian just get some food?..............pg. 5 Come visit our new website..........................................

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

QUOTE of the

ISSUE

“We come to work, we come for a better life, we come to participate in the American dream.”

-Antonio Villaraigosa

Announcements Debate Watch The Associated Students of Citrus College are hosting Debate Watch 2012, encouraging students to come to the Campus Center to watch the presidential debates and then discuss their thoughts. The second Debate Watch event will be held on October 11 at 6 p.m.

CSU Application Workshops Friday, Oct. 12 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 16 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 17 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 22 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

All CSU and UC application workshops wild be held in the Career/Transfer Center Computer Lab, SS281.

Fall College Fair The Career/Transfer Center is hosting a college fair on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Campus Center Mall.

California Earthquake “Shakeout” On Oct. 18, Citrus College is conducting a campuswide “Drop-Cover-and-Hold” earthquake drill, in conjunction with the Great California Shake Out. At exactly 10:18 a.m., all faculty and staff are requested to direct their classes or the people around them to drop, cover and hold for approximately one minute.

Editor: Alyssa Martin amartin@ccclarion.com

NEWS

LOCAL

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

STATE

Students elected to participate in NASA rocketry competition

California governor signs bill establishing free digital college textbooks

Half a dozen Citrus College students will be traveling to Alabama in April of next year to compete against selected students from more than 30 colleges and universities throughout the nation. The students will participate in the NASA Student Launch Program. The team representing Citrus College, the Rocket Owls, are the only community college team selected for the competition. Citrus College will be one of the three higher learning institutions representing California, along with California Polytechnic University, Pomona and University of California, Davis.

The competition requires the Rocket Owls to be able to successfully build, design and launch a rocket one mile into the atmosphere. However, the rocket is also required to carry some form of scientific or engineering payload.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law allowing students access to free digital college textbooks. Signed on Sept. 27 the legislation permits students enrolled in California’s public colleges and universities to be able to access free online textbooks for common undergraduate courses. Senate Bills 1052 and 1053 propose the creation of an online library consisting of free digital textbooks for 50 of the most common general courses that are required throughout state’s community colleges, California State Universities and Universities of California. The Legislature approved the bills intending to reduce the costs for students attending college. The legislation was signed by Brown while meeting with college students at the Capitol.

Source: Citrus College External Relations

Source: The Sacramento Bee

NATIONAL

GLOBAL

President Obama dedicates national monument to Cesar E. Chavez

Young activist shot by Taliban gunman

President Obama presented an official monument dedicated to Cesar Chavez in the site of the Central Valley. The site in Kern County functioned as the headquarters for Chavez and the United Farm Workers movement. The three-acre monument was placed in the Tehachapi Mountains between the Mojave Desert—where Chavez was buried—and Bakersfield. “It’s a story of natural wonders and modern marvels, of fierce battles and quiet progress. But it’s also a story of people, of determined, fearless, hopeful people who have always been willing to devote their lives to making this country a little more just and a little more free,” said Obama. More than 7,000 people attended the event to witness the dedication. It was announced that the crowd at the site was the biggest since the death of Chavez in 1993.

A fourteen-year-old activist was shot by a Taliban gunman on Oct. 9 in Pakistan. Malala Yousufzai began blogging about her life when she was 11. She began speaking out about the need for girls education in 2009 and chaired a children’s assembly sponsored by UNICEF. In 2008 the Taliban said that they would prohibit female education and militants destroyed 200 schools, the majority of which were girls schools. Yousufzai’s father’s school was temporarily closed. According to the local police chief, a Taliban gunman walked up to the school bus and demanded to know which of the students was Yousufzai.

Another girl pointed at her, but she denied it. The gunman shot both girls. Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck, but is expected to survive.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune

College Success/Early Alert Workshops Test Taking

Study Skills

Memory Techniques

Learning Styles

Math Anxiety

Note Taking

Oct. 10 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 11 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Oct. 15 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Reduce test anxiety. Learn test prepara- Develop new techniques to improve Discover memory techniques that will tion techniques and how to take a test your comprehension and reduce the improve your ability to recall course with confidence. need to re-read. material more easily.

Oct. 17 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Oct. 18 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Oct. 24 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Discover your learning style & survey Apply valuable note taking, test taking Learn or improve note‐taking techmultiple intelligences. Use this informa- and relaxation tips to become a confi- niques to help you understand lecture tion to apply study methods unique to dent math student. and textbook material. you.

All workshops are in SS 281

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

CLARIONnews

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

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Anticipating the next debate Students are invited to the second of a series of debates leading up to the Nov. 6 presidential election.

Brandi Garcia

Clarion Staff Writer

D

ebate Watch, featuring the second of four national debates leading up to the Nov. 6 presidential election, is scheduled for 6 p.m. tomorrow in the Campus Center.

Debate Watch is sponsored by the Associated Students of Citrus College, and is part of the Rock the Vote campaign. The goal is to register 500 new voters for the Nov. 6 election, before the Oct. 22 deadline.

More than 110 students, faculty and staff tuned in to watch the first debate on Oct. 3 between President Barack Obama and republican candidate Mitt Romney.

The two men discussed the economy, health care, role of government and governing.

Following the debate’s conclusion, ASCC Legislative Liaison Tyler Hernandez invited students to express their opinions on the issues and evaluate the candidates’ performances.

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan will face off against Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate.

Amanda Carrera, 18, who lives in Diamond Bar, said that after watching the debate, she was convinced that the former Massachusetts governor was someone that she could relate to, especially when the topics of education and the state of community colleges were brought up.

She never thought she’d be able to be swayed by another candidate.

“I’ll look into other candidates, but as of right now, I’m for Mitt Romney,” Carrera said.

Legislative Liaison Hernandez said that there was no clear winner in the conclusion of the event.

He didn’t feel as if either candidate gave a strong enough argument on the issues, rather than just try and boost their popularity with the American public.

“I think they needed to further elaborate on the state of the country and how they were going to be proactive to change it,” he said.

ASCC vice president, Nayiri Baghdassarian, said that Obama was the better debater.

“President Obama seemed more confident in what he was saying to the audience, rather

Akeah Romney Citrus College Clarion

than Governor Romney, who seemed to be on the defensive,” she said.

Hernandez and the Rock the Vote committee planned the forum as an integral part of their voter registration efforts to educate students on the candidates and learn why their vote counts.

The next Debate Watch is tomorrow where current Vice Presi-

dent Joseph Biden and Republican VP candidate, Paul Ryan will debate foreign and domestic policy.

Both vice presidential candidates will have facts and position stances displayed for students to read throughout the televised event.

The two remaining presidential debates are scheduled for

Oct. 16 and Oct. 22, also at 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Campus Center.

Brandi Garcia can be contacted at bgarcia@ccclarion.com.

Suit filed against school board A San Dimas resident requests that a controversial raise be repealed by the court.

She should have known in her role as a superintendent that was a violation of the

David Tate

Act.

Clarion Editor-in-Chief

T

he backlash from the controversial July 17 raise awarded to Citrus College superintendent/president Geraldine Perri took a new turn Oct. 1, when open-government advocate Gil Aguirre filed suit against the Board of Trustees.

Aguirre, a San Dimas resident, alleged that the board violated the Ralph M. Brown Act, which establishes policies for meetings of all California-elected officials. He sent a letter to the five-member board demanding the board rescind the raise, provide detailed accounts of all closed sessions involving Perri’s salary and admission of wrongdoing.

In response, the board sent a letter of their own to Aguirre that refutes the claims.

Aguirre’s letter, sent one month after the raise was approved, cites California Government Code Section 54957, the portion of the Brown Act which states “Closed sessions held pursuant to this subdivision shall not include discussion or action on proposed compensation.”

The board’s response letter was delivered to Aguirre Sept. 14 and also cites the Brown Act, but said Aguirre was misinterpreting the law.

“However, your letter fails to recognize that Government Code

Brown

-Kelly Aviles Legal counsel for Gil Aguirre

Courtesy of Kelly Aviles

section 54957.6 does authorize legislative bodies to meet in closed session for the purpose of giving instruction to their representatives with respect to the negotiation of compensation,” the letter states.

That wasn’t sufficient for Aguirre, who filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court via his counsel, Kelly Aviles. Aviles is the vice president for open government compliance at the nonprofit government advocacy group, Californians Aware. She previously assisted Aguirre in a successful Brown Act suit against the Pomona Unified School District.

“Yes, there is a section where they could designate a negotiator to directly negotiate with Dr. Perri at some other point in time, but that’s not what they did,” Aviles said. “No matter what points the public brought up, it wouldn’t have mattered because they already made their decision.”

In addition to the suit’s allegations of wrongdoing, Aviles and Aguirre say the board mishandled public disclosure of information regarding Perri’s raise and housing allowance, providing agenda information for the disabled and

ad-hoc committee meetings. “[The board’s] numerous violations of the Brown Act . . . evidence a pattern and practice of ignoring the state’s open meeting laws,” reads the suit. “Because legal counsel for the Board has stated that the Board’s prior actions did not constitute violations of the Brown Act, it is likely the Board will continue to violate the Brown Act in the future.”

In addition to Aguirre’s original demands, the suit now requests the court to compel the board to improve its description of agenda items, release all votes on all actions and to record all meetings of closed sessions for a three-year period.

Aviles and Aguirre have also taken the stance that Perri is not without blame for the Brown Act violations. A media statement listing Perri’s various achievements released during the July 17 meeting was printed on board letterhead.

That became an object of contention during the meeting, as board president Joanne Montgomery admitted that she and Perri were responsible for the drafting of the statement. None of

the other board members saw the statement prior to its release.

“If, as president Montgomery suggested, the Board collectively discussed the matter, either directly or through an intermediary, prior to the meeting such actions would constitute a Brown Act violation,” Aguirre says in the original demand letter.

“She should have known in her role as superintendent that was a violation of the Brown Act,” Aviles said. “She was involved in making the contract, she should have known it was illegal . . . it should be ruled null and void.”

As of press time, the board has not responded to the suit. They have 30 days to file a response in court.

“It’s just really unfortunate that this group of elected officials— these people that are entrusted to wisely spend our money—find it totally accept to cook up these secret deals, in private, and keep them out of the view of the public,” Aguirre said.

“It’s just really a case of nobody paying attention. The few people that have asked questions are basically being dismissed and not being told what’s going on. Nobody’s digging, and it looks like it’s time.”

The board of trustees was served with notice of the suit during their Oct. 2 meeting. Montgomery had no comment on the issue.

David Tate can be contacted at clarionEIC@ccclarion.com or (626) 914-8586.

Tax Initiative Forum When Tuesday, October 23 from 1-3:15pm Where Campus Center East Wing Who ASCC and League of Women Voters

Event open to students and faculty Find out why your vote counts!!

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Editor: Stephanie Rangel srangel@ccclarion.com

Spotlight

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

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AB 540 student fights to be successful Alejandra Morales is a double major in English literature and biology, all while refusing to let financial and cultural differences hold her back.

Melanie Gudino

Clarion Forum Editor

A

Melanie Gudino Citrus College Clarion

Alejandra Morales is an ASCC officer and AB 540 student advocate.

lejandra Morales, double majoring in English literature and biology, has both dedication and integrity as an individual for herself, her friends and family.

Morales is active in ASCC as commissioner of activities, Phi Theta Kappa, H.O.P.E., Alpha Gamma Sigma and the Earth Club.

Morales says she views H.O.P.E. as a second family for it’s relatable situations and great people behind it.

Morales is an AB540 student who struggles to overcome her financial issues as well as complete her education.

During high school she was

troubled by the discouraging words from family members.

“The discouragement that I had from my other family members made me achieve more,” Morales said. “Success is the greatest revenge.”

“Alejandra is awesome, she cares and you can see that,” said Nayiri Baghdassarian, vice president of ASCC. “She is really hard working and she is very well rounded.”

Morales was born in Mexico and was brought the United States when she was a year old. After graduating from Baldwin Park High School, she was accepted to three universities but had to decline due to her parents’ financial issues.

“Alejandra is a remarkable

young lady, a spectacular mind, extremely humble with what she is doing,” said ASCC commissioner of public relations Brandi Garcia.

“She has so much going on in her personal life that to see her being focused and ready to go is amazing.”

“We all go through things, we all struggle, tears will fall but we just got to keep our heads high.”

Morales said.

Recently Morales was separated from her mother and now lives with her grandparents in Baldwin Park.

Melanie Gudino can be contacted at mgudino@ccclarion.com.

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

CLARIONspotlight

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Owl Bookstore display Hispanic figurines for Hispanic Heritage month.

Celebration of Hispanic Heritage events Citrus College celebrates Hispanic Heritage month by serving food and performing cultural dances.

Stephanie Rangel

Clarion Spotlight Editor

S

ept. 15 through Oct. 15 is a very special month for many, especially for Hispanics.

It is a time known as National Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated in the United States since 1968 under the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

Hispanic Heritage Month honors several countries, including Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.

These countries celebrate their independence day on Sept. 15, thus becoming the starting point for the Hispanic celebration.

Mexico’s Independence Day is Sept. 16, and Chile celebrates theirs on Sept. 18. The reason why the celebration stretches from September to October is because Día de la Raza (also known as Columbus Day) is celebrated on Oct. 12, which is the day Europeans and Native Americans first encountered each other.

Lyndon B. Johnson first introduced a law on Sept. 17, 1968, stating that he “wished to pay special

tribute to Hispanic tradition” and designated a week devoted to just that.

The special weeklong celebration was later expanded into a month-long celebration under Ronald Reagan’s administration after approving a public law that was waiting to be amended on Aug. 17, 1988.

Citrus College will be hosting Hispanic Heritage Day today in the Campus Center Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The purpose of the event is to commemorate the music and food of Hispanics which is the reason why three food trucks will be present as well as Flamenco dancers who will be performing from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Campus Center Mall.

Along with the food and the dancers Citrus College’s clubs will be celebrate by representing different dances and music from different Hispanic countries.

Stephanie Rangel can be contacted at srangel@ccclarion.com.

The Hayden Memorial Library exhibits national Hispanic Heritage month posting books, posters and future events.

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

CLARIONspotlight

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Food trucks serve up Hispanic fare N

Story by Alyssa Martin

o Jodas Cuban Kitchen serves classics such as cubano, pan con pollo and medianoche Cuban sandwiches. Some more favorites are this food truck’s papas rellenas (stuffed potatoes) and platano maduros (sweet plantains caramelized and deep fried). Materva, a tea-like soda that originated in Cuba, is also available. The truck offers two desserts: Cuban flan and timbita, a slice of gouda cheese with a slice of guava paste.

Photo courtesy of Tortas 2 Die 4

T

he Tortas 2 Die 4 food truck advertises “Gourmet fusion tortas, salads and wraps full of sexy flavors like you have ever had!”

The truck offers a completely organic menu. The Barcelona Torta includes grilled chicken breast, ground chorizo, asiago cheese and a tapenade made from olives, pimento and tomato. While some of the food isn’t Hispanic, in the spirit of the festival try out a tasty torta and soak up some culture.

Photo courtesy of No Jodas

T

he Vchos food truck offers Central American foods, such as pupusas, platano and empanadas. Pupusas are Salvadorian appetizers, available with pork, chicken and a few vegetarian options. It also serves pastelito—corn pockets with chicken, potatoes and carrots inside. Vegans can try the platano plate, fried plantains with beans and cream. Their food truck also has a gluten-free platano empanada.

Alyssa Martin can be contacted at amartin@ccclarion.com.

Photo courtesy of Vchos

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Editor: Kolby Rousseve krousseve@ccclarion.com

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

arts & entertainment

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Music and film prepare for their big debut The Citrus Performing Arts Department is preparing for “A Night of Music From Film”concert in the Haugh Performing Arts Center Oct. 19 and 20.

Javier Galaviz

Clarion Staff Writer

F

ilm music and art fans will want to mark these dates on their calenders. On the weekend of Oct. 19-20, various disciplines of the Citrus College Fine and Performing Arts Department will once again, combine to present their annual homage to music from classic films.

In its 13th year, “A Night Of Music From Film” will be conducted by professor Hoehne, in his 12th year as director of the showcase. The show is the result of collaborative efforts of student actors, singers and visual artists with musical accompaniment performed by the Citrus Sierra Wind Symphony and Symphonic Sound.

As a teaser of sorts, director Hoehne described what to expect from this year’s installment.

Most of the highlights will consist of custom arrangements.

Some of those arrangements in-

Photos by: Javier Galaviz

Right: Wendy Turk plays the piano during rehearsal for the Night of Music From Film Concert.

Below: Professor Martin Green rehearses for the upcoming concert on Oct. 19 and 20.

clude a piece inspired by the 1984 film “Starman” which stars Jeff Bridges, alongside Karen Allen.

Another portion of the show, which is sure to please all of the Twi-hards out there, is a featured flute solo set to music from the popular “Twilight” saga.

A significant segment of the presentation will be a tribute to scores composed by Alan Menken. Menken, a favorite of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, has scored such animated favorites as “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” and their latest release, “Tangled.”

Again, the nights of the show are Oct. 19 and 20, at the Haugh Performing Arts Center here at Citrus College. Show time is 8 p.m. both nights.

At $12 a ticket, the show is cheaper than a night at the movies, and by supporting your fellow students in their artistic endeavors, also more gratifying.

Professor Martin Green conducts his Music 118 class in preparation for the Night of Music From Film Concert in the Haugh Performing Arts Center Oct. 19 and 20.

Javier Galaviz can be contacted at jgalaviz@ccclarion.com.

CLARIONforum 10 Proposition 34 debate: The death penalty Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Proposition 34 encourages the death penalty to be repealed and replaced with life imprisonment without possibility of parole when someone is convicted of murder because it costs too much.

But in reality, the proposition weakens public safety laws and lets serial kills, cop killers, child killers and those who kill the elderly escape justice. Criminals will be let out to only rape and kill again, such as Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez, who kidnapped, raped, tortured and mutilated 14 people and terrorized 11 more.

If the proposition is passed, the harshest criminal penalty would become life in prison without the possibility of parole, meaning more than 700 inmates on death row will have their sentences replaced.

Supporters argue that California will save hundreds of millions of dollars but it’s actually going to take $100 million from the General Fund over the next four years and will result in many million more in the future in long-term costs for housing and health care of convicted killers.

Also, supporters say revenue produced by the savings to go onto the state General Fund, and would be offset during the first four years by the $100 million transferred out of the General Fund and into the Savings, Accountability and Full Enforcement for California Act fund.

The SAFE Initiative claims it will save $40 million per year by eliminating the need to investigate and conduct death penalty trials, but

these facts are also misleading. Police and prosecutors will still investigate and manage murder trials unless murder is legalized. Murderers facing life in prison will not suddenly plead guilty if the death penalty is dropped.

“I think the SAFE California Act is a slap in the face to the victims and their family members,” said San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos. “Not only is the title of this initiative misleading, but its proponents are simply using California’s tough economic times to further their cause.”

Opponents believe the solution to fix the appeals process and reducing costs is simply passing a Constitutional amendment to control the appeals process. However, these efforts have failed, because anti-death penalty legislators kill the bills. Passing the proposition will not stop murderers from appealing or the defense attorneys who will still be paid to file the appeals.

The average cost per inmate at San Quentin is $57,339 and again, the death penalty will not eliminate the costs of housing these murderers, but eliminating the penalty will cost taxpayers more in healthcare costs. All inmates are given full medical and dental care at taxpayer expense.

The American Civil Liberties Union claims the death penalty is broken and expensive, but it is the ACLU and its supporters who have increased costs with endless delays.

To protect California and stop the ACLU, vote NO on 34.

Ariana Rivera can be contacted at arivera@ccclarion.com.

Con

Clarion Staff Writer

........................................................................

Ariana Rivera

Pro .......................................................................

The death penalty helps keep California citizens safe.

California’s death penalty is expensive and outdated.

Joseph Thorne

Clarion Staff Writer

The process of getting a convicted felon from prison cell to execution chamber costs unnecessary millions of tax dollars in legal fees, endless appeals, and increased security. In other words, the death penalty is anything but quick and painless to taxpayers.

Thankfully, Proposition 34 on the November ballot will give voters the opportunity to abolish the death penalty in California. A “yes” vote would eliminate the death penalty and alter all death row inmates’ sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole. It would also create a $100 million fund to help law enforcement investigate more rape and murder cases, and would require previous death row inmates to work in prison in order to pay restitution to victims.

Between the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1978 and September 17 of this year, 824 inmates have entered California’s death row. Of these, only 13 have actually been executed by the state. That puts the overall rate of execution since 1978 at about 1.6 percent.

A death row inmate costs taxpayers $90,000 more to house than a traditional inmate. Extra costs come from additional security, the greater expense of capital trials, and legal representation. That puts the average cost per execution

since 1978 at $308 million.

The matter is also complicated by a moratorium put on capital punishment in 2006, the year that the question was raised as to whether or not the execution process there in place was humane. Since then, not a single inmate has been put to death by the state.

The death penalty in California only exists in theory. This leaves California spending billions on a virtual impossibility, and for whose benefit? A nonexistent punishment cannot work as “eye-for-an-eye” retribution, nor as a deterrent.

The only beneficiaries of maintaining the death penalty charade are attorneys who charge exorbitant fees to represent defendants in capital cases, and surprisingly, death row inmates.

According to the San Francisco Gate, criminals on California’s death row tend to oppose Prop. 34. This is because the state gives them more tools to appeal their conviction than a typical inmate receives, in order to prevent a wrongful execution.

Hanging the improbable prospect of execution over a prisoner’s head is nearly meaningless to them, but it is grim for California taxpayers.

The only sensible option is repeal. On Nov. 6, vote “yes” on Proposition 34.

Joseph Thorne can be contacted at jthorne@ccclarion.com.

Veggie Sales: Vegetarians like to eat here too Vegetarians are everywhere these days, but they spend their money away from school. So why are their needs being ignored on campus?

Melanie Gudino

Clarion Forum Editor

The Owl Café serves delicious meat lasagna, roasted turkey, macaroni, chicken pot pie, beef casserole and chicken enchiladas on most days.

The campus vending machines serve beef soup, pastrami onion rolls and chicken salad on wheat.

But where are the choices for vegetarians?

The cafe should offer something—anything!—to help satisfy a veggie lover’s appetite and more profit. The only item listed on the menu for non-meat and dairy eaters is a salad with tomato. Vegetarians and vegans may not need tofurky on the menu, but surely more of a variety; vegetarians and vegans get hungry too. The cafeteria could come up with more selections that could also satisfy their hearty appetite.

At the vending machines, nonmeat eaters have two choices of a 12-ounce fruit cup and an egg sandwich. Citrus vending snacks are neither filling nor nutritious;

Melanie Gudino

more choices for healthy vegan and vegetarian snacks can help with students who are veggie friendly get focused and be in a better mood.

Also, according to the American Diabetes Association, a vegetarian lifestyle can help prevent heart disease, diabetes; colorectal, ovarian and breast cancers; obesity and hypertension.

Recent studies suggest plant-

based diets are better for the environment than those based on meat. An organic vegan diet has the smallest environmental impact where the single most damaging foodstuff is beef. All non-vegetarian diets utilize significantly greater amounts of environmental resources, such as land and water.

Livestrong.com says, “Along with their emotional associations, the foods that we choose also

cause biochemical changes that can impact our mood and sense of well-being. Healthy eating can change your mood for the better.”

And according to an article in the Vegetarian Times, 42 percent of vegetarians fall in the 18-34 age demographic. An additional 40.7 percent fall in the 35-54 age range, which are relatable to the age groups here at Citrus.

If there were a larger selec-

tion of vegetarian foods available on campus I would be willing to spend a little extra money. Walking or driving to places that cater to vegetarians is inconvenient.

The variety of veggie foods should be expanded around campus for the students who don’t eat meat, and for the environment.

Nearly 47 percent of California residents will be obese by 2030 and by having more of a veggie variety can help drastically improve a student’s health lifestyle along with eating habits, helping to stem the tide.

If there are meat eaters around campus, there are plant eaters as well. If the variety of veggiefriendly meals or snacks increases at Citrus, it will be greatly appreciated by all students who are vegetarians and vegans, as well as students looking to improve their health.

Melanie Gudino can be contacted at mgudino@ccclarion.com.

CLARIONforum editorials

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

citruscollege

Prop. 38 opposes student interests

T

he passage of Proposition 38 would be hugely detrimental to community colleges, but we just can’t compete with commercials showing children laughing, playing and enjoying their well-funded schools, so we’ll just have to deal with it.

If voters pass Prop. 38, the future looks dim for postsecondary education in California.

Prop. 38 is competing with Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative, Proposition 30. If passed, Prop.

30 would use a marginal increase in state sales tax and income tax to give funding to K-12 schools, community colleges and CSU. Only one of the two initiatives can pass.

The commercials in support of Prop. 38 portray it as the knight in shining armor that will make up for all the cuts that have been made and give K-12 schools and Early Child Care programs the funding they need. But the state is writing checks that Prop. 38 can’t cash.

In keeping with California tradition, Prop. 38 would raise income tax for the wealthy to fund its provisions. Unfortunately, most Californians earn more than $7,316 annually (high rollers that they are), so their taxes will increase.

It should also be mentioned that for anyone with an annual income greater than $30,000 per year taxes would be increased by 1.1 percent or more based on income.

However, you have no reason to fear that your tax dollars are going into politicians’ pockets. They’re actually going to pay politicians’ debt. 30 percent of the proceeds from Prop. 38, or

Melanie gudino

roughly $3 billion annually, will be allocated to pay debt that the state owes K-12 schools.

What’s more, the ballot initiative will do nothing to alleviate the $961 million that the state owes the California Community College system.

That 30 percent, however, also includes General Fund revenue.

For those who don’t understand politician-speak, General Fund revenue just means that some of that money will go to the state not schools. So you see, you have nothing to worry about.

In fact, the only people who should be worried about Prop.

38 are people who like it when schools have things like buildings, classes, teachers and those friendly people who serve lunch.

Prop. 38’s 27 pages don’t mention the $6 billion in “trigger cuts” that are already scheduled for the middle of this school year. These cuts will affect schools from kindergarten to the universities, including a $209 million dollar cut

to the California Community College system.

Prop. 38 will, however, provide $1.5 billion to K-12 schools next year. Doesn’t that just remind you of kindergarten logic? What the government is essentially saying is “You give me your dime and you can have my penny, and a penny is bigger than a dime, so you win.”

While money can’t buy happiness, the quality of our education is proportional to the amount of funding schools receive. Because of recent cuts, the number of classes offered has been reduced while student to teacher ratios continually increase. In addition, more than 40,000 educators have been laid off in the past three years.

Text taken directly from Prop.

38 states, “California is shortchanging the future of our children and our state. Today, our state ranks 46th nationally in what we invest to educate each student. California also ranks dead last, 50th out of 50 states, with the largest class sizes in the nation.”

In recent years, schools have had to cut student services, programs and part-time faculty to make up for losses in funding.

This means that departments that employ part-time faculty, such as the financial aid office, are understaffed and overworked.

While Prop. 38 does set regulations on how the grants would be used, it doesn’t demand that schools show improvement in performance rates for upcoming years. It also states that the funds will be designated at public meetings. Some voters fear that $4.2 billion grants in the hands of the PTA might not be put to their best use.

So, if Prop. 38 is enacted taxpayers will pay the government, so that it can pay schools money that it should have paid years ago, with a little extra for the government to keep.

It also means that the government will take $6 billion dollars from schools, including a $209 million cut from California Community Colleges, in the middle of the school year. In fact, Proposition 30 is the only ballot initiative capable of preventing the cuts.

So if you are planning on voting “yes” on Prop. 38 you must enjoy the thrill of not knowing how many classes will be available next term, or which teachers will still be around.

If you were so inclined, you and a few of your friends could make a “No on Prop. 38” commercial, but unfortunately a group of college students being turned away from an overcrowded class just isn’t as cute as little kids in a playground talking about funding. But when Nov. 6, that fateful day, arrives you know what to do.

DREAMs for a better future

T

he Development, Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, or the DREAM Act, was introduced to Congress in 2001. It was later reintroduced in 2009 by Utah Senators Orrin Hatch and Richard Durbin. The proposal is meant to help youths—who through no fault of their own are illegal— create a pathway to citizenship and be allowed to continue their education and find legal employment. This is a chance for many undocumented students to fulfill dreams of a better future; we should be pushing Congress to get this bill passed.

There are specific requirements that you must meet in order to be eligible under the DREAM Act. Applicants would have to have entered the United States prior to their 16th birthday; been in the United States for at least five consecutive years prior to the bill passing; have graduated high school, obtained a GED or be enrolled in college, a trade school or another type of institution of higher learning; no older than 30 at the time they are applying; and

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This is a chance for many undocumented students to

clarion Editor in Chief David Tate Managing Editor Emily Rios Design Editor Sasha Winterer Art Director Sydney Presley Photo Technician Martha Amescua News Editor Alyssa Martin Forum Editor Melanie Gudino Sports Editor David Tate A&E Editor Kolby Rousseve Staff Writers Ariana Rivera Brandi Garcia Javier Galaviz Joseph Thorne Magali Cardenas Page Designers Leina Najjar Luis Escarcega Michael Guerra Artists Akeah Romney Andrae Reid Melanie Gudino Instructional Assistants Emily Rios Stacy K. Long Adviser Margaret O’Neil

fulfill dreams of a better future.

have good moral standing with no criminal convictions. They can also apply if they have two years of military service under their name.

As of today, the DREAM Act has yet to be passed. President Obama and his administration are making their way to this point and have already issued an executive order allowing deferred action.

This offers safety from deportation for two years and youths can also apply for a work permit, which then allows them to apply for a Social Security number.

Anyone interested in applying for this deferred action must sign up online. Forms are expected to be posted on the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services website. Be aware though, that this is NOT the DREAM Act and does not grant

Andrae Reid

citizenship, it simply offers safety from deportation.

America is the land of the free. These young people, who have lived in the United States since they were very young, who have followed the rules and done well in school and in our country should be granted the opportunity

to someday become American citizens. Congress should again take up debate on the federal DREAM Act. We call upon our representatives in Washington D.C. to do the right thing and to pass this bipartisan piece of legislation.

The Clarion is produced by journalism students and is distributed every other Wednesday during the semester. Ads are not endorsed by the Clarion. Editorials are the opinion of at least 75 percent of the Editorial Board.

All other opinion is that of the writer. Views expressed do not represent those of the adviser, faculty, administration, Associated Students of Citrus College and/or CCCBOT. Libel will not be published. The Clarion welcomes feedback from our readers. If you have any gripes, questions, or comments ... we want to hear from you! Send your letters in at ccclarion.com/lettersAll correspondence must include your student ID#, major and signature. Letters may be edited for content.

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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Photo Tech: Martha Amescua mamescua@ccclarion.com

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Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

wltober Fest O

wltober Fest took place Oct 3-4 in the Campus Mall in order to increase club popularity and to promote the cosmetology progam as they held a runway show.

The festival had a wide variety of clubs and attractions, from soda pong, haunted houses, rock climbing and the chance to toss a pie at language arts professor Theresa Villeneuve.

The Anime Club, Film Club, Gay-Straight Alliance, Latinos Unidos Student Association were all in attendance. The Cheer Club also put on a pep rally for the 4-1 Owl football team in preparation

A Citrus College owl oversees Owltober Fest as students celebrate in the campus quad.

for their game against Chaffey College, which they won 54-21.

Owltober Fest helped the clubs earn profit and points, as booths were decorated Halloween style, while Citrus owls covered the quad.

The runway show had a variety of styles, from nurses to Lady Gaga-like attiture and classy dresses hosted by professor of cosmetology, Patty Glover.

Owltober Fest was a great attraction for the students to interact with one another and for students to acknowledge and appreciate clubs and the cosmetology program.

Rock climbing was a challenge for all attendees in the campus center for Owltober Fest.

Film Club president George Brandlin and ICC representative Stephanie Mendez pose for a photo.

Photos and captions by A cosmetology runway show was held in the campus center mall during Owltober Fest.

Melanie Gudino