Clarion 4/27/11

citrus college

The Citrus baseball team changed their season around with a new workout system

Take an all-access look at the work of the backstage crew of ‘Ragtime’

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See page 10 & 11

clarion

April 27, 2011

www.theclariononline.com

Club marches for justice

Daniel Hernandez Correspondent

Members of the Gay Straight Alliance recently marched through the Citrus College campus in observance of the national “Day of Silence.”

Sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, the protest event was staged to raise public awareness of LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.

The national event was scheduled for April 15 nationwide, but the Citrus club decided to sponsor it on campus on April 14 since few students are on campus on Fridays.

The Day of Silence has been sponsored by the GLSEN since 2001.

It is a student-led national movement that focuses against LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment on campuses.

Students from middle school to college take some form of a vow of silence throughout the day in an effort to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior.

Its purpose is to illustrate the chilling effect of this bullying and harassment on LGBT students and those

Volume 64 Issue 13

Board differs on CEO protocols Natalie Miranda Editor in Chief

NATALIE MIRANDA Citrus College Clarion (L to R) Sara Avecedo, 22, Felix Figueroa, 20, and Jaden Hathaway, 20 of the Gay Straight Alliance Club march around the Citrus College Campus with tape and signs across their mouths on Thursday, April 14, 2011. Members of the GSA walked in silence in honor of The Day of Silence to protest bullying and harassment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

perceived to be LGBT. “I wanted to bring these issues to light on our campus as some of us have actually gotten some of the harassment at Citrus,” said Jaden Hathaway, club president.

Hathaway, along with about 13 other club members, began the march at the Haugh Performing Arts Center making their way to the Professional Center building.

Club members wore duct

tape across their mouths as a visual form of expression.

Other visuals included posters, one of which read: “I survived homophobic bullying.”

During the march, the club was able to capture the attention of a few students.

However, the campus was relatively quiet that afternoon.

“I didn’t understand what was going on and didn’t

know what they were protesting about,” said Emi Ryder, 20, a student who was near the Campus Center and saw the club march by. “The march didn’t give me the opportunity to understand their cause.”

GSA members remained silent before and during the march. They held small signs, which Ryder de-

MARCH pg. 3

A disagreement regarding CEO protocols took place at the Board of Trustees meeting on March 15 resulting in the minutes being tabled at the most recent meeting.

Dr. Gary L. Woods, member of the board representing Azusa, Covina, Glendora and Irwindale, requested on April 5 that the board table the minutes of the March 15 meeting saying he “had questions about the accuracy of the minutes recorded for item 10, CEO protocols,” according to a letter he sent to Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D., superintendent/president of Citrus College, also referred to as CEO. The protocols being discussed include rules for how many times a board member can meet with Perri and during what hours, and the limits of the board when talking to the press.

During discussion regarding the reading of the protocols, Woods said that he objects to the proposed suggestion that

BOT pg. 3

Student REP Fee passes on fourth attempt Natalie Miranda Editor in Chief The Student Representation Fee, a mandatory $1 to be charged to all students during the registration process, was passed by student voters in a special election that was sponsored by the student government on April 12 and April 13 .

This was the fourth attempt by the executive board of the Associated Students of Citrus College to pass the Rep Fee. A total of 368 students voted in the election, with 318 supporting the Rep Fee and 49 opposed.

ASCC needed a minimum of 151 students to vote to meet

the two-thirds mark in order for the election to be valid.

Of those 151, 101 votes needed to be ‘yes’ for the Rep Fee to pass.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Olivia Wagner, 19, ASCC senator commenting on the successful passage of the fee.

“The work we put into it paid off.”

Karlyn Bradley, ASCC treasurer, has been on the executive board every semester the Rep Fee has been up for a vote.

“It did technically pass, it just didn't pass the two-thirds mark,” Bradley said.

He was very excited when it passed on April 13.

The $1 Rep Fee will be collected at time of registration

Rep Fee voting history

JENNIFER YOUNG Citrus College Clarion

when students pay for their classes.

The money will be used for ASCC to lobby elected officials

on topics such as budget cuts, fee increases and rising textbook costs.

It would also allow ASCC

board members to meet with California legislatures in Sacramento.

REP pg. 3

pg.2

campus

April 27, 2011

Campus Editor Jennifer Young jennayou22@gmail.com

Announcements E-waste Collection Presented by H.O.P.E Club April 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

April 28 from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. at the Campus Center Mall Donate your old electronics Items not accepted include: batteries, refrigerators and microwaves.

Some items may be tax deductible.

For more information contact: Liliana Saldana (626) 848-1324

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books April 30 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

May 1 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at University of Southern California General admission is free.

For more info: events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks

News Briefs LOCAL

Burglary alarm leads police to indoor pot-grow in Pasadena A Pasadena man was arrested late Friday after a burglary alarm led them to find an indoor marijuana garden and more than eight pounds of pot, authorities said. The discovery was made after Police responded to a house to check out a burglary alarm that had gone off. While conducting the check of the detached garage for signs of burglary, police said they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from a second floor detached garage. Further investigation led them to find a marijuana growing operation of about 30 plants inside the garage, complete with lights, fans and hydroponic systems, Lt. Chris Russ said. Officials jailed a 39-year-old resident of the home on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sales.

Source: SGV Tribune

On Monday, Major League Baseball sent up a powerful pinch-hitter for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, putting former Texas Rangers president Tom Schieffer in charge of daily operations for the debtriddled L.A. team. The move puts the Dodgers under the watch of a 63-year- old Fort Worth native with an impressive resume in politics, where he served as a Texas legislator and a U.S. ambassador, and in baseball, where he ran the Rangers as an investor in the ownership group headed by George W. Bush. Schieffer's appointment to "monitor" the Dodgers came five days after Commissioner Bud Selig announced the league was seizing control of the franchise and investigating McCourt's financial dealings.

Source: SGV Tribune

STATE Magnitude 5.6 earthquake hits Baja, Calif.

Special Olympics April 30 8a.m. - 3 p.m. at Cal Poly Pomona Special Olympics athletes will compete in track & field, basketball and bocce during the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Spring Regional Games.

Schieffer to run Dodgers franchise

On Tuesday, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck off the coast of Baja California. The temblor occurred at about 2:10 p.m. in the Gulf of California about 43 miles east of Santa Rosalía. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the temblor was felt in and around the town of Guaymas. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

Source: LA Times

More non-Californians are offered freshman slots at UC schools According to data released Monday, the University of California’s recent decision to boost its enrollment of out-of-state students for the extra tuition they pay was evident in the higher number of non-Californians offered freshman admission for the fall. Applicants from other states or countries made up 18.1 percent of the 72,432 students admitted to at least one of the nine undergraduate UC campuses, up from 14 percent last year and 11.6 percent in 2009, the figures show. But fewer out-of-state than in-state students typically accept their UC offers. Out-of-state students pay $23,000 more annually than in-state students, money the cash-strapped system says it needs.

Source: LA Times

NATIONAL Crowd to Join as Giffords Views Shuttle Launching Doctors have given the green light for Representative Gabrielle Giffords to attend her astronaut-husband’s shuttle launching on Friday afternoon. Two aides who were injured along with Giffords, Democrat of Arizona, when a gunman opened fire outside a constituent event in Tucson on Jan. 8 will also attend, officials said. It will be the third time that Giffords has watched Capt. Mark E. Kelly go into space, aides said. Giffords will watch the launching in a restricted area and interact with few people, aides said.

Source: NY Times

Tornado Season Intensifies This month, all the warning sirens echoing across the Great Plains, Midwest and Southeast leave little doubt that the tornado season, which has plowed a trail of destruction through communities from Oklahoma to Wisconsin to Georgia, is off to an unusually busy start. So far this year, tornadoes have killed 41 people and torn apart countless neighborhoods and, this weekend, one major airport. There have been, according to preliminary estimates, about 250 tornadoes so far this month and, in all likelihood, more are still to come, said Greg Carbin, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Source: NY Times

INTERNATIONAL President: Colombia hit by 'worst natural disaster' Colombia’s president Juan Manuel Santos said Monday that the worst natural disaster that he can remember has been caused by months of heavy rains, flooding and mudslides. He said three million Colombians have been badly affected by heavy rains since the middle of last year. More than 400 have been killed by the recent bout of rains, flooding and mudslides, Colombia's W Radio quoted the director of risk for the country's Interior Department Carlos, Ivan Marquez, as saying 88 have died in 2011 alone.

Source: MSNBC

'No dreams': Japan farmers protest nuke leak Angry farmers shouted and punched the air Tuesday in a protest to demand compensation for products contaminated by radiation spewing from Japan's crippled nuclear plant. The 200 farmers from northeastern Japan wore green bandanas, held aloft cabbages they said they couldn't sell and carried signs saying "Stop nuclear energy" outside the headquarters of Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the plant damaged in the March 11 tsunami. Radiation leaking from Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, about 140 miles north of Tokyo, has been found in milk, water and vegetables such as spinach from around the plant.

Source: MSNBC

April 27, 2011

campus

March: GSA students protest harassment with silent march scribed as “very hard to read.”

“The march bonded the members in the club more,” said Kristy True, club vice president. “If we get negative feedback, it helps us to talk about it and find new ways to handle future events.”

“I decided to march because I feel that it is so important to make it known that LGBT bullying is a problem and it does happen on our campus,” said Sara Acevedo, 22, member of GSA. “I was handing out flyers for the GSA this semester and a male student said ‘I’m not a f-----g f----t.’”

“If there’s anything that this experience has taught me, it’s that our school needs to open their eyes to the ignorance and hatred NATALIE MIRANDA Citrus College Clarion that is perpetuated around them Students from the Gay Straight Alliance Club march around cam­ everyday,” Acevedo said. pus on April 14, 2011 against bullying and harassment towards The Gay Straight Alliance homosexuals and transgenders.

wants to bring the LGBT community together to create a safe environment for everyone, Hathaway said.

GSA will be selling candy and water at Springfest on May 2 and May 3.

Also, the club will be hosting a gay prom at the end of the semester, an event where everyone is welcome as long as there is no discrimination or hatred. The date has not been set yet.

“The support we receive most is from the staff,” Acevedo said.

“The instructors are incredibly good to us by donating, encouraging and asking questions.”

The GSA meets every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Campus Center conference room.

All students are welcome to attend.

REP: Students to pay extra $1 The district will monitor the Rep Fee account, which will be separate from the Student Services fee, a $14 charge per student which is used to support student activities.

Wagner credits the efforts of the ASCC executive board to the passing of the Rep Fee. “We took a completely different approach,” Wagner said. “We were more verbal about it, we spoke to classes and created a Facebook page for it. It had so much exposure.”

The Rep Fee must still go through the Board of Trustees approval process, said Adrienne Thompson, supervisor of student life.

The ASCC executive board must also write out the bylaws for the Rep Fee and decide what the money will be used for and who can sign off on the expenditure, Bradley said.

“Now we can take our level of representation for students to the next level,” Bradley said.

Once the board approves the fee, students can expect to start paying an extra $1 at regNATALIE MIRANDA Citrus College Clarion istration beginning in fall 2011, Students cast their votes in the Student Representation Fee special election on April 12 and 13 in the Campus Center said Chrissy Concannon, Mall. The Rep Fee passed on its fourth attempt with 318 in support of it and 49 opposed.

HAVE ANY:

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Email them to the editor in chief: mirandanatalie@ymail.com We want to hear from YOU!

pg. 3

BOT: Trustees at odds over procedures meetings between board members and Perri must be during the business hours of 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and he “can rarely meet with the CEO during these hours,” saying he has a job.

Woods also said that under proposed item 18, one-on-one meetings with Perri by board members would be restricted to two per year.

“This limits my ability to represent my district,” he said.

Susan Keith, member of the board who represents Claremont, Azusa, La Verne and Pomona said she has never had trouble getting information from Perri without a face-toface meeting.

Dr. Edward C. Ortell, clerk/secretary of the board who represents Duarte, Arcadia, Azusa and Monrovia said, “We represent different districts and that just seems to be outrageous in that you could only have two meetings with the president of the college who is a very important person. The district wasn't constructed that way, it was constructed that we have five trustee areas and so we have five voices that are of equal dignity.

“We have official board meetings of course, but you still need that face to face contact with the CEO to really maximize interchange of one’s ideas and for the good of the institution,” said Ortell.

A motion to approve the minutes from the March 15 meeting failed at the recent meeting when Woods motioned to table the minutes stating he did not have a chance to read all of the minutes and would like more time to do so.

Dr. Patricia Rasmussen, president of the board representing Glendora, Azusa and San Dimas responded she believes it’s “incumbent for board members to review the packet and be prepared for the meetings instead of tabling motions and delaying things.”

The motion to approve the minutes failed.

Additionally, Woods raised an objection to the workshops held to create the proposed protocols saying the cost of the workshop was never discussed or approved and he is still unaware of the cost.

“The whole purpose of this is to do the business of the board in open session,” said Rasmussen at the March 15 meeting. “Unfortunately we all have different perspectives on that but that’s part of the process of good governance, I suppose.”

The next Board of Trustees meeting is scheduled for May 3 at 4:15 p.m. in room 202 of the Admissions Building.

campus Microgravity proposal sends team to NASA

pg. 5

April 27, 2011

Rhiannon Conrado Sports Editor For the first time nine Citrus College students will be traveling to Houston in June to flight test an experiment at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Of 16 proposals that were submitted through the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Program, NASA chose 14 teams from eight minority-serving four-year institutions and six community colleges nationwide.

Sara W. Malloy, lead program coordinator of RGSFP, said the Citrus GraviTeam was awarded a flight spot after the technical and outreach review.

“With this program, NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation’s education programs,” Malloy said. “It is directly tied to the Agency’s major education goal of strengthening NASA and the nation’s future workforce.”

Professor Lucia Riderer, faculty adviser to the Citrus GraviTeam, said that while NASA plans to pay for two hotel rooms in Houston, ASCC is paying for the airfare and accommodations for the other four students.

“The team is fundraising and their goal

RHIANNON CONRADO Citrus College Clarion Craig Stremel and Harrison Ruiz demonstrate the use of capillaries for their experiment that will be tested in flight at NASA in June.

is to give back at least 20 percent of the money by the end of June,” Riderer said.

During the proposal development process, students were instructed to “design, fabricate, and test” an experiment

enhanced in a microgravity environment.

Citrus students submitted their 49-page proposal on Jan. 26, and they were informed on March 2 that their team had been selected.

In short, the proposal examines “the impact of viscosity on the ability of capillary-driven liquids to spin an axil blade under microgravity.”

Sophomore Craig Stremel, 22, captain of the Citrus team, said that once NASA officials selected the proposals the competition phase was over, but going to Houston to test their experiment is the main goal of the scientific discovery process.

“We are doing our own research and building from the ground up,” Stremel said.

The proposal states that, “Using the provided microgravity environment, we will observe the phenomena of capillary action in order to determine if axial blades may be propelled by the rising action of a liquid in capillary tubes.

“This idea is important to test in order to show that other means of obtaining energy in zero-gravity may be possible, such as converting the energy resulting from a fluid in capillary motion into usable work.”

The team is building an apparatus that is 15 inches by 12 inches by 23 inches.

Team members have just finished their second prototype.

Sophomore Harrison Ruiz, 22, ground crew member, said that the idea is to use capillary tubes to produce energy.

“Basically, they are really skinny straws, and we are using them to pull water through a pipe to spin what I call a water wheel,” Ruiz said. “Our main goal is to generate enough power from the capillary tubes to spin that wheel.”

Sophomore Jackie Deeb, 19, said she and four other flyers will have 30 opportunities to test the experiment on a NASA aircraft in 25-second intervals. During those periods they will experience nearzero gravity, and they will float, she said.

Another flyer, sophomore Gabriel Grier, 23, said he is ready for the flight.

“I’m looking forward to the jumpsuits,” Grier said.

According to NASA’s website, “The overall experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations and educational outreach activities.”

The team heads to Houston on June 16 and return on June 25.

If their experiment is successful, they will complete and send in a final report within two months.

VP of student services retires after years of dedicated service Vanessa Castro Staff Writer It will be 25 years this summer that the vice president of student services has helped to lead Citrus College students to success.

Now Jeanne Hamilton, Ph.D., plans to retire.

Hamilton was raised in Mississippi and graduated from Baylor University in Texas. She has her MA in social work from the University of Louisville, Kentucky and her Ph.D. in higher education from Claremont Graduate School, California.

In 1975, Hamilton and her husband Derry Seaton decided to move from Kentucky to California so he could pursue graduate school.

Hamilton started working at Citrus in 1986 and quickly she was able to take on roles that led to career advancement. Once Hamilton was in the community college system, she never even

considered leaving.

Some of Hamilton’s duties include preparing reports to accrediting commission and serving as accreditation liaison officer. Her office is responsible for student grievances procedure and she is responsible for all policy review/ revision related to students.

“It’s not easy to achieve a balance that lets you come as close to all your priorities as possible.”

Hamilton said. “In my experience, you can’t be perfect in all of them but Citrus helped me be pretty close in all the things that matter the most.”

Hamilton feels the joys of her career has been the opportunity to work with such nice people and getting to interact with students.

One such student is ASCC Treasurer Karlyn Bradley.

“I like Dr. Hamilton’s willingness to work with students,” said Karlyn. “I had a question for her and she totally stopped what

Courtesy of Jeanne Hamilton Jeanne Hamilton, Ph.D., enjoys golf with her daughter Megan (left) and son Grant (right) Hamilton will be retiring from Citrus College after 25 years.

she was doing and spent 10 minutes looking for something extra I needed to help me out and I really appreciated that.”

Hamilton hopes people will remember that she tried to bring decision-making conversations back to how those decisions would affect students. For example: How will this approach help students get what they need? How will this policy help

students be more successful?

“Jeanne Hamilton set the tone and style for professionalism in our approach to accreditation,” said Roberta Eisel, academic senate president.

“When it comes to accreditation, she has had style, poise and determination to make sure that Citrus came across in the most accurate and favorable light possible.”

“I’m very appreciative of Dr. Hamilton,” office assistant Pam McGuern said. “She has allowed me a lot of freedom to grow in this position. I always had the feeling Dr. Hamilton values my opinions.”

Hamilton and her husband, Seaton, have been married since 1974. Their daughter Megan is 31 and their son Grant is 28. Seaton is a faculty member of religious studies at Fullerton College where he will work for the next few years until he retires.

Now that Hamilton is retiring, she is looking forward to a less structured lifestyle and more flexibility. She enjoys golfing with her husband, reading and cooking. They are planning a trip to Greece and Turkey, both places they’ve never been.

“It’s pretty simple and fundamental.” explained Hamilton “I don’t think there’s anything more important for someone’s future than getting a good education.”

pg.6

campus

April 27, 2011

Local Phi Theta Kappa members win scholarships Christina Alvarez Staff Writer Two members of the Citrus College chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society have been awarded $5000 scholarships.

Gabrielle Lamarche, 20, and Yamato Kaneko, 22, have been selected, as scholarship winners, provided they comply with the Guistwhite scholarship guidelines.

The Guistwhite scholarship was established in 1992 by Jack Guistwhite, Ph.D., and his wife Margaret.

They helped to develop the first transfer scholarship made exclusively for Phi Theta Kappa members.

Guistwhite scholars are chosen based on academic achievement, service to their college and communities, and participation in Phi Theta Kappa.

In order for recipients to receive their scholarships, they

must transfer to a regionally accredited baccalaureate degree granting senior institution and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

This year, out of more than 1,340 students from multiple community colleges, 20 members made the cut to receive $5,000 checks, along with certificates and medallions.

The Citrus recipients were honored at a luncheon in Sacramento on March 21.

Phi Theta Kappa is an honor society designed especially for community college students who wish to transfer after two years of attendance.

To join Phi Theta Kappa a student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

The average Phi Theta Kappa member is 28 years old, and maintains this GPA. It costs $80 for a lifetime membership that opens the door for a multitude of scholarships including but not limited to the Guist-

CHRISTINA ALVAREZ Citrus College Clarion

Yamato Kaneko and Gabrielle Lama­ rache show their certificates and medals for the Guistwhite Scholarship.

They were each awarded $5000.

white scholarship, the Coca Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship and GEICO business student scholarship.

Students must be invited to

join by the chapter at the college where they are enrolled and complete at least 12 hours of coursework that may be applied to an associate degree.

The mission of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize and encourage the academic achievement of two-year college students, and to provide opportunities for individual growth and development through participation in honors, leadership, service, and fellowship programming.”

Gabrielle Lamarche, 20, of Chino, Calif. is double majoring in the area of behavioral and social science, and medicine.

She was honored as a Third Team All-American Team Scholar.

She plans to transfer to a UC in fall of 2012. She is currently vice president of leadership in PTK and is a chapter delegate of Psi Beta, an honor society for psychology students.

Yamato Kaneko, 22, is origi-

nally from Tokyo, Japan. He has been a resident of the United States since 2008 and has been attending Citrus for six semesters.

He is double majoring in audio recording and business administration. He plans to transfer to UCLA to study business and economics. His goal is to start a business in the entertainment industry here in Los Angeles.

He was also honored as a First Team All-California Academic Team Scholar.

“Fortunately all of my family members and friends survived from the direct hit of the earthquake and tsunami, but everyone is still suffering devastating damage and living under fear of the nuclear power plant disaster,” Kaneko said.

Phi Theta Kappa is organizing a fundraising event in the near future. For more information on the upcoming fundraiser please contact Phi Theta Kappa at citrusptk@gmail.com.

Newspaper wins at JACC

WALEED RASHIDI Citrus College Clarion Members of the Citrus College Clarion staff gather for a group photo with the awards they won at the Journalism As­ sociation of Community Colleges annual state conference at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, April 9, 2011. The Clarion attends the JACC conference every year.

Cynthia Carrazco Staff Writer The college newspaper staff brought home 10 prizes from the 56 annual Journalism Association of the Community Colleges State Conference in Sacramento on April 7-10.

JACC is a non-profit educational corporation dedicated to community college journalism located in California.

In previous semesters the Clarion staff has traveled to Cal State Fullerton and Los Angeles for both regional and state conventions.

“I fully believe trips like these build the staff and cause everyone to work as a team,” said Editor in Chief of the Clarion Natalie Miranda, 19. “Competitions like these really build people as journalists and allow them to meet other people from the state who have the same interests and passions.”

The state organization is comprised of two regional divisions: NorCal, representing

colleges north of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley and Santa Maria on the coast, and SoCal, representing community colleges south of those locales.

Occasionally colleges from outside the state join JACC and participate in the activities.

At the convention, student journalists engage in many competitions including on-thespot broadcast news writing, critical review, feature writing, and much more.

“It was a great learning experience,” Vanessa Castro, 27, said. “I am grateful I had the chance to go.”

There are also workshops held by professionals.

Communications professor, Waleed Rashidi had his very own rock ‘n’ roll workshop.

“I feel he was current, and lively with the students,” Castro said. “It was fun and entertaining, and he was very informative.”

Managing Editor, Kristin Lacuesta, 21, was awarded fourth place in the on-the-spot news writing competition.

Lacuesta needed no preparation for her event, she simply went in relaxed and with a confident mentality that she could do it.

“I’ve never won at the state competition before only the regional,” Lacuesta said.

“When they called my name I was shocked and thrilled! It was a great way to go out.”

Miranda stressed that the key to success at JACC is to be calm and do your best.

“The advice I would give a newcomer would be to go all out and have no fear,” Miranda said. “It’s important not to psyche yourself out before and during competitions,” she added.

Other Citrus students recieved awards as well.

Erica Irigoyen took second place in the editorial writing bring-in contest, Jennifer Young was awarded an honorable mention in the on-thespot opinion writing competition, and Rhiannon Conrado was awarded an honorable mention in the broadcast news writing competition.

campus

April 27, 2011

pg. 7

'Vagina Monologues' raises money for women Rhiannon Conrado Sports Editor In honor of V-Day, eight female college students performed in the “Vagina Monologues” in the Campus Center on April 13.

Commissioner of Activities, Stephanie Mathews, 18, said the event raised about $150.

The proceeds will go to the women of Haiti and to Project Sister, an organization dedicated to providing services for survivors of sexual assault and abuse.

Playwright Eve Ensler wrote the “Vagina Monologues” in 1996. Every monologue in the play is in someway related to the vagina whether it be sex, love, rape, mutilation or masturbation.

V-Day, which is a non-

profit movement for women’s anti-violence groups, was launched in 1998 to raise money for womens’ organizations with benefits from the play.

Lauren Sanatra, 21, organized the Citrus production of the “Vagina Monologues” in spring 2010, as well as spring 2011, with the help of the Associated Students of Citrus College.

“It was so much fun last year that I knew I had to plan another event for this year,” Sanatra said. “I discovered that it is easy to plan your own event, and with determination, to get the show up and running. You can pretty much do it yourself.”

Sanatra also performed the monologue, “The Woman Who Liked To Make Vagina’s Happy.”

Courtesy of vday.org

She said she liked being the last monologue of the show because she ended the performance on a fun and happy note.

Abuse was a common topic in the various monologues.

Emily Wetzel, 19, performed the monologue “My

Campus remembers quiet hero Cynthia Carrazco Staff Writer A campus memorial for a dedicated instructional administrator in the Disabled Students Program and Services brought together students and staff in his honor.

Andrejs “Andrew” Sprogis died March 6 at 58.

A tribute in his remembrance was held March 24 in the Center for Innovation with Citrus friends and family.

It included a slide show, with childhood and adult pictures of Sprogis, and “Danny Boy” was a perfomed by the Citrus Singers.

Citrus student Robert Davis, 31, described Sprogis as “inspirational.”

“Everything he did lit up a room,” Davis said.

Sprogis was born in Pennsylvania on June 28, 1952, but was raised and spent most of his life in Covina.

As a child, Sprogis was habitually ill.

He suffered with respiratory problems and childhood illnesses.

When he was a teen, the doctors discovered that the harsh pain in his leg and hip was caused by tuberculosis of the bone.

Part of his hip and bone had to be removed and eventually the joint was merged, resulting in months of recovery in a body cast and successive loss of mobility.

Sprogis was not well enough to attend school through most of his school years and learned through home teachers.

“Despite challenges, Andy was there. He always kept a good sense of humor,” said Brandi Davis, a friend of Andy.

Sprogis attended Cal Poly Pomona and received a bachelor’s degree in com-

Courtesy of Sprogis Family Andrejs “Andrew”Sprogis was an instructional aide in DSP&S for 18 years.

Regretfully he passed away at age 58 on March 6.

“

Despite challenges, Andy was there. He always kept a good sense of humor.

Brandi Davis FRIEND OF ANDY

”

puter science.

Through the help of the Workability Program at Citrus College, he was hired as an instructional assistant in the High Tech Center in 1994.

Sprogis spent 18 years in the High Tech Center where he mastered the specialized adaptive hardware and software and used his widespread knowledge to assist students with disabilities on a daily basis.

As a child Sprogis developed an interest in model rockets and anything Science Fiction.

He was talented in art and won an award for a watercolor painting.

“My favorite childhood memory with Andy was playing games like chess,” said Sprogis’ younger sister Lila Krumins. “He had the mind for it and he was good at it,” she added.

He designed logos for DSP&S including the current logo and provided artistic talent for the department newsletters, programs, and flyers.

Lori Pezold, the Information Technician Support Specialist III for DSP&S said she knew just what she would say if she had the chance to see Sprogis again.

“If Andy were here right now, I would tell him that he did a good job at living his life, and I will miss and think of him for the rest of my life,” Pezold said.

Jennifer McLeod coordinator/counselor of DSP&S said that she hopes there will be a “Citrus Story” either with a photo of him or of his Star Trek t-shirt framed in it.

Sprogis did not have the chance to be transferred to the new Student Services building. McLeood said she would like the frame to be hung in there, where students and staff can read it as they walk by.

“If Andy saw this remembrance, he would be happy, appreciative and overwhelmed,” McLeod said.

Vagina Is My Village,” and she said it helped her to be thankful for the life she has.

“It hit the place in my heart where I've had my own personal experiences with sexual abuse,” Wetzel said.

Ana Mateo, 22, said along with personal appreciation for the play, she believes the

monologues unify women and spread awareness of certain issues, like rape.

Mateo performed a monologue about the “comfort women” who were raped by Japanese soldiers in World War II. This monologue reminded Mateo of a story her grandmother told her about a Japanese soldier approaching her house when she was a teenager in the Philippines.

“Many women at the time were being kidnapped and raped by the soldiers, so to avoid being taken, she pretended to have a serious illness and faked a seizure,” Mateo said. “The soldier got scared and left her alone. I realize now, my grandmother could've shared the fate of comfort women and my monologue could've been about her.”

April 27, 2011

campus

pg. 9

Courtesy of Michael Harrington Michael Harrington, former director of facilities at Citrus College, surfs the waters of Scorpion Bay in Mexico. Harrington retired from Citrus on March 1, 2011.

Director of facilities, construction retires Daniel Hernandez Correspondent Michael Harrington, 64, moved with his family from Ohio to California when he was 10 years old. He spent his childhood and early adolescence in Azusa.

Harrington said he considered himself as a marginal student in high school and wasn’t really interested in what high school had to offer.

“I was one of those kids that the counselor was constantly hounding,” Harrington said. “I came from a family that was of very moderate means. It was a large family of five boys and a girl, and so my parents didn’t have the means to dress us in the latest fashions.”

Harrington said he just couldn’t engage in the high school environment and was glad to be done with it.

After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in August 1964 at the age of 17. Eventually he ended up serving with the Army.

Harrington said he joined the service for two reasons: to get out of Azusa, and to put his high school experience behind him.

“In my family… there was no emphasis on a college education. It was like, get a job, get married, get a family,” Harrington said. At 17 he felt as if his options were very limited.

After eight weeks of basic training in San Antonio, Texas, he reported to Biloxi, Miss., where he completed a year of tech school.

Along with gaining experience in electronics, Harrington recalls that during that time Martin Luther King was march-

ing through Alabama. Being from California, he was shocked when he encountered signs that said “colored” or “white” on drinking fountains, restrooms and park benches.

He gained an understanding of segregation from a first-person angle.

This was a whole new experience, an interesting one, he said.

Harrington then spent about three years in South East Asia.

He served in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

“The reason that they give everybody the same hair cut, and the reason that everybody wears the same uniform and goes through the same training, and endures the same hardship is because what that does to people is create a bond,” Harrington said. “It creates this brotherhood.”

After being discharged at the age of 21, Harrington said he didn’t know what to do next.

He still had no plans, no real goals and no particular desire to go to college. At that time, he was just “free floating.”

After a few years of drinking and partying, he returned to California where he began to work for ITT as a technical writer. During those years, he learned to read engineering plans. His technical school experience helped.

While working for ITT, a friend suggested that they should enroll at Citrus College and take some classes.

He signed up for evening classes in philosophy and creative writing. Harrington said that he became amazed with the philosophy class. It was a different experience from high school, and it was the lure that hooked him.

“

I’ve got a connection with Citrus that goes beyond just a job. I believe in what Citrus does.

Michael Harrington FORMER DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES

”

The turning point of his life was when he enrolled in English 101, with Professor Dave Sundstrand, who is now retired. He said he was very much inspired by what a great teacher Sundstrand was, so he decided to major in English.

“We came to know each other through shared experiences, shared curiosity, and a love for literature and philosophy,” Sundstrand said. “He is indeed a friend and that's more than a few beers and a few laughs. Friendship is a matter of shared values and trust.

When he walked into my classroom, he enriched my life.”

“Once I became challenged and once I became interested in what I was doing, and once I had something of a goal, something clicked inside of me, and it was like the waiting was over,” Harrington said.

Newly focused, he quit his job at ITT and enrolled in college full-time on the G.I Bill. It took him three semesters to complete his requirements to transfer. He had a 4.0 grade point average.

Harrington transferred to Cal Poly Pomona and graduated two years later where he received his bachelor’s degree in English. He then received a teaching fellowship to Purdue University, where he taught English for a semester.

After his G.I Bill benefits ran out, Harrington returned to California. He got a job in construction as a mason to support himself and to finish the rest of his master’s degree.

During that time Harrington married his long time girlfriend whom he met while attending Citrus. She was also a student there.

After finishing his masters at Cal Poly, Harrington taught English there but was laid off three years later after passage of Proposition 13 in 1978. The result was that any teacher who did not have a multi-year contract was to be laid off.

With his second child on the way, Harrington decided to go back to doing construction as a mason. When his employer found out that he knew how to read plans, he was promoted to job superintendent.

Meanwhile, Harrington said he applied for several more teaching jobs but was never able to land one.

After breaking his ankle while playing soccer in Claremont. Harrington was no longer able to work in construction. He then applied for a job as assistant director of facilities at the Bonita Unified School District.

His background in teaching, construction, and electronics got him hired. Six months later he became director of facilities.

He worked for BUSD for about 5 years.

In 2001 a job opened at Citrus for director of facilities and construction.

“I said, ‘Hey I’ll apply for that job, see if I can go home again,’” Harrington said.

Carol Horton, vice president of finance and administrative

services, hired Harrington.

“Personally and professionally, I appreciate his interpersonal skills,” Horton said. “He went above and beyond the call of duty. He does it for the love of what he does, and for the college.”

Harrington is a long-range planner, Horton said. He always planned projects at least two years in advance.

Harrington said the greatest satisfaction of working for 10 years at Citrus has been making a real difference at an institution that he believes in and that has done so much for him.

“I’ve got a connection with Citrus that goes beyond just a job,” Harrington said, “I believe in what Citrus does.”

“This is the best job I’ve ever had in my life, for a lot of reasons,” said Harrington. “The faculty and staff at Citrus is just the greatest group of people I’ve ever worked with, and they are doing an exceptional job at doing one of the most important things that there is in the world, educating young people.”

Harrington officially retired on March 1 but is still working at Citrus part-time.

Harrington is planning to do some traveling with his wife, spend more time with his two sons, 31 and 32, and his daughter, 27.

Also, he plans to spend some time at the gym, do yoga, and go hiking as he tries to stay in shape so he can still be able to do things with his kids.

He is looking forward to reading his big list of books.

He is also writing a novel about his experience in Southeast Asia. He is on his second chapter.

April 27, 2011

pg.10

BRE PAYTON Citrus College Clarion Citrus alumna Courtney Reyes, 30, and Gayle Jett, 25, wheel a prop backstage during a dress rehearsal for “Ragtime” in the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 14, 2011.

BRE PAYTON Citrus College Clarion Michelle Croce, 20, performing arts major, gets help with her wig backstage from cosme­ tology students during the “Ragtime” dress rehearsal in the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 14, 2011.

BRE PAYTON Citrus College Clarion Kyle Montgomery, 20, tech theatre major, pulls the rail for a drop backstage in the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 14, 2011 during a dress rehearsal for “Ragtime.”

BRE PAYTON Citrus College Clarion (L to R) Kyle Montgomery, 20, and Erick Lopez, 20, both tech theatre majors, review rail cues before the second act of “Ragtime” backstage at the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 14, 2011 during a dress rehearsal.

pg. 11

April 27, 2011

BRE PAYTON Citrus College Clarion Austin Taylor, 24, former Citrus Singer and alumnus of Citrus College hoists Freddy Gonzalez, 19, while stage manager Andrew “Bilbo” Braggins watches backstage at the dress rehearsal for “Rag­ time” in the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Thursday, April 14, 2011.

B E H I N D

T H E

S C E N E S

A T

‘RAGTIME’ Rhiannon Conrado Sports Editor

As audience members are ushered to their seats and actors get ready with hair and makeup, crew members prepare backstage for the April 14 preview of the spring production “Ragtime” in the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

Minutes before the show begins, the crew remains calm as the cast runs around backstage.

The crew’s only advice to bystanders is if you hear multiple feet come toward you, move to a side and get out of the way because the cast needs to make their way through.

Michelle Rodriguez, 21, said she was an actress for 17 years, but began working backstage in high school.

Now she loves theatre technology.

“Backstage, it’s very chaotic, but it’s really fun,” Rodriguez said. “People are here to see the actors but

what they don’t see is all the excitement behind the scenes.”

Karen Taulbee, the stage manager at Citrus College, gave cues to everyone throughout the show.

“I basically spend two and a half hours calling about 500 cues,” Taulbee said. “I’m a giant memo pad.”

From the control booth behind the audience, Taulbee can oversee the entire production, calling the shots.

“It’s a little like choreography,” Taulbee said. “Things have to be in a certain order.”

Rodriguez said “it’s scary awesome” how Taulbee seems unfazed by any mishap that may occur during a show.

“It’s like, why are you gonna get mad?” Rodriguez said. “Instead of wasting time, find a solution.”

During the preview, assistant stage manager Andrew Braggins receives cues via headset from Taulbee, and a number of those are rail cues.

When this happens, crew members

“

Before the cast even gets here, we’re changing lights, putting up the scenery and getting things ready.

Alicia Robles, 45 BACKSTAGE CREW MEMBER

”

must be ready to hoist a drop or the curtain, and when Braggins gives the “Go!” they all pull at once in synchronization.

Apparently it’s tradition on preview night to dress brightly, Braggins said, because typically the crew is “never seen or heard.”

Together they looked like a Hawaiian blur with their festive shirts and flowered leis.

On a regular production the crew is instructed to dress in black.

While the crew is serious about their job, in between cues everything is fun and games.

They have a secret drawer of treats to offset hunger pains, and when actors are on stage, crew members sing and dance to the different numbers behind the curtain.

During intermission, the crew adjusts, attending to problems that need to be fixed.

Alicia Robles, 45, took a screwdriver to the subfloor to screw in loose wood boards.

They need to do whatever they need to, Robles said.

“Before the cast even gets here, we’re changing lights, putting up the scenery, and getting things ready,” Robles said. “When the show is over, and all the actors are gone, the crew is still here to make everything pretty.”

pg.12

campus

April 27, 2011

Courtesy of Elaine Offstein

Student photographs to be published in book Natalie Miranda Editor in Chief Four students from Citrus College are finalists in an international photo competition. Their winning photos are to be published in a book titled “The Best of Photography 2011.”

Photography major Michael Pao, 27, Elaine Offstein, 66, photography and behavioral and social sciences major Mark Gagliardi, 23, and Kerry McQueen each entered a photo into the “Photographer’s Forum” International Photography Competition last year and recently received letters informing them of their win.

“Photographer’s Forum” magazine is an award-winning quarterly publication whose goal is to reproduce quality photography in the United States and Canada. According to their online statement, “each issue strives to facilitate communication and publication experience among emerging professionals.”

“I was so excited, I started to cry,” Offstein said. She had entered her photo of a close up of a southern elephant seal into a National Geographic photo competition and had heard nothing back, so being a finalist in this competition was very gratifying, she said.

Offstein had never had any photographic experience when her photo was taken in Antarctica while on vacation in early February of last year.

“I do encourage students to enter the competition if they exhibit good photographic skills,” said Darrell Carr, professor of photography.

Pao entered a time exposure photo done with light sabers and a little modification, he said.

He has been doing photography for about a year. Many of his photographic influences come from comic books.

“I’m slightly different from other photographers,” Pao said. “I like taking pictures of events, conventions, concerts and alternative fashion.”

Pao describes alternative fashion as “anything from costumes to punk fetish stuff.”

Offstein likes taking photos of nature

and landscape. Her photo of the southern elephant seal, which she nicknamed Ellie, was about 30 feet away from Offstein when she took the photo.

She said her trip to Antarctica has changed her life, and now calls photography her “third career.”

“Michael and Elaine both have a real passion for this art. The excitement they exhibit rubs off onto other students,” Carr said.

Gagliardi has been a finalist in two other “Photographer’s Forum” competitions, so placing for a third time was very exciting.

He said he has been doing photography for about 10 years. His photo of his friend Manny Medrano was taken in the photography studio on campus.

“My main inspiration was trying to get a really cool black and white photo that still had a bit of mystery to the subject,” Gagliardi said. “I was going for a rich dark background with skin tones that really popped out of the picture.”

To enter the “Photographer’s Forum” competition, contestants must register online at pfmagazine.com. Anyone can enter the competition.

There is an entry fee for all photos submitted and contestants can submit as many as they would like. Early entry fees are $3.95 per photo and late entry fees are $4.95 per photo. Subject matter is open to whatever photographers choose to shoot. Photos can be in either black and white or color and may be digital or traditional photography film, according to the contest guidelines.

According to the contest’s online FAQ’s, there are three judges that change for each competition. All judges are professional photographers and are also college level photography instructors.

To enter into the “Photographer’s Forum” next competition, log onto www.pfmagazine.com.

To see more by Pao, go to www.madcalamity.zenfolio.com.

To see more by Offstein, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/elaine_offstien/.

Courtesy of Matt Gagliardi Top: Elaine Offstein’s photo of a southern elephant seal was taken in Antarctica while she was on vaca­ tion.

Middle: Mark Gagliardi pho­ tographed his friend Manny Medrano in the Citrus College pho­ tography studio to capture this shot.

Left: Michael Pao took a time expo­ sure photo of a light saber during a class assignment and altered it using Photoshop. All three photos will be published in “The Best of Photogra­ phy 2011.”

Courtesy of Michael Pao

April 27, 2011

sports

Sports Editor Rhiannon Conrado rhimariee@yahoo.ccom

pg.14

Baseball team flourishes with new workout Robert Lucero Correspondent The baseball team did not know what it was in for when the players first encountered their new pitching and conditioning coach.

Head coach Steve Gomez brought in longtime friend, Andrew Perry, to switch up the Owls’ conditioning and prolong increase stamina.

Gomez and Perry had known each other since Gomez was Perry’s assistant coach at Cal Poly Pomona.

Gomez had noticed that the team would perform well early on throughout the season, but not so well as they neared the end.

The team’s fatigue would be the real adversary rather than other teams they would play against.

Prior to Perry, the Owls’ conditioning program consisted of basic weight training and running drills.

Perry took the team’s conditioning to a whole new level when he introduced them to the workout plan known as CrossFit. CrossFit was developed in 1995 by a former gymnast named Greg Glassman while working as a trainer for the Santa Cruz Police Department.

CrossFit is considered by many to be the fastest-growing workout program in the world.

Rob Lucero Citrus College Clarion #10 Owls’ Infielder, Shane Fraijo swings and hits a pitch from Head Coach Steve Gomez to warm up his batting arm.

Many college, high school, and professional sports teams, most notably the NFL’s Florida Marlins, are using it.

The program deals with an individual’s form and technique and makes their movement more explosive.

CrossFit works out an individual’s whole body through different multiple exercises executed at a high-octane

level, as opposed to just focusing on one area of muscle.

CrossFit workouts include jump roping, box jumps, Olympic lifts, and so much more.

“It’s more applicable to an athletic environment,” Gomez said.

When they first began working out with the Crossfit methods, most of the players were reluctant and endured a difficult time.

The harsh demands of the workouts pushed the players to their limits.

Some began to vomit while others found it a challenge just to walk.

“On the first day of conditioning we did ‘death by 10 meters’, which is sprints by 10 meters, and you keep going and going until time runs out,” fire science/tech major and starting pitcher, Richard Perry said. “We were dead after that.”

Many of the players questioned the coaches about the necessity of their new workout claiming that, “this is baseball. It’s not football or anything like that,” Perry said.

Despite complaints of the players, Perry continued on with CrossFit. He knew that it would pay off in the long run.

After about a month, the Owls’ got used to CrossFit and even began to enjoy it.

“It creates better athletes,” Perry said.

It also helped the players develop the ability to handle their own body weight.

“If you can’t handle your own body weight, weight training won’t benefit you much,” Perry said.

His statements proved true as the players became a lot more athletic while their bodies drastically changed for the better, slowly but surely.

Players were hitting the ball further, throwing the ball harder, running faster, and most importantly, they were able to play games longer.

Gomez estimated about a 50 percent improvement as far as strength was concerned.

Perry’s enthusiasm has been contagious around the squad Gomez said.

The team credited Perry as the biggest factor to their new and improved stamina and athleticism, which have played a significant role in their current 11-9 Western South Conference record as well as their over all 17-18 record.

Assistant coach Bill Viverto was excited to see the team’s stamina improve under Perry’s guidance and a new, thorough conditioning program.

With Perry on staff, “the program will benefit for years to come,” Viverto predicted.

For more information on CrossFit, visit www.crossfit.com.

food

Food Editor Austin Paul Adamson austin.paul.adamson@gmail.com

April 27, 2011

pg. 15

Thai restaurant’s flavors fall flat Sydney Presley Staff Writer The Northeast corner of Arrow Highway and Barranca Boulevard is the home to a newcomer in the Thai food restaurant family.

The Dok Luck Thai Food Restaurant is a one-month old establishment, with its bright yellow “Grand Opening” sign still waving above the entrance.

This restaurant is a true “mom and pop” food stop, as I discovered upon entering.

The man and woman who run the restaurant were sitting down watching television, waiting for customers in an otherwise, empty house.

There was not much of décor present, as was an ambience.

Choosing the take-out option, I ordered beef Pad Thai, a basic in Thai food.

SYDNEY PRESLEY Citrus College Clarion Dok Luck Thai Food Resturant’s Beef Pad Thai is appealing to the eye, yet disappointing to the tastebuds.

Pad Thai, the national dish of Thailand, is traditionally prepared with chili pepper, eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts,

scallions, lime, fish oil, noodles, and a choice of meat or tofu.

The dish was made to order, and the

Savory sopes, a Mexican treat Rubi Carrazco Cynthia Carrazco Staff Writers Feel like having an inexpensive Mexican meal for dinner?

Try sopes.

They have been a popular recipe at our family dinner table, and it almost makes you feel as if you were in Mexico.

A meal like this is not often served due to time and cleanliness, but one perk of this time consuming process, is the bond you share with the women who are helping in the development of this meal.

We love helping our mom.

It’s fun, a little messy, but best of all once you savor the sopes; it’s like a fiesta in your mouth.

Ingredients: -Instant corn masa flour “Maseca” -Water (6 cups) -Salt (1 ts) Mixing instructions: -Preheat ungreased comal or griddle to high temperature -combine flour with salt and water -use your hands to mix the flour; dough should be left thick

CYNTHIA CARRAZCO Citrus College Clarion Enjoy a sope topped with refried beans, lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, Mex­ ican cheese, accompanied by a glass of Jamaica.

-press flour balls between hands to make 2 ½ to 3” circled flat tortilla (Hint: tortilla should be left about 2” thick) -cook sopes thoroughly on griddle (When at a cool temperature, pinch the outer part of the sopes in a circular motion so that toppings stay in securely) -deep fry sopes into vegetable oil -let sopes cool down on paper towels for five minutes

Video: Five Pound Burrito At El Merendero in La Verne, Austin Paul Adamson attempts to devour a burrito weighing over five pounds.

TOPPINGS: -refried pinto beans -meat of your choice -sour cream -shredded lettuce/cabbage -diced tomatoes -avocado -Mexican cheese -salsa (optional) Keep the tradition going, and refresh your taste buds with a nice cold Coke or your favorite “agua fresca” i.e. Horchata, Jamaica, tamarindo.

Video: Cooking Cheese Enchilada Casserole Step by step video on a quick and easy recipe

Scan the QR code with your favorite barcode scanner app on your smartphone to be taken to our most recent videos.

wait was only about five minutes.

Most items offered on the menu range from $6 to $8.

The Pad Thai meal cost $7.63, which is fairly pricey for an entree, however, if appropriately portioned, the order could work for two.

I returned to campus and shared the dish with some of my Clarion colleagues.

The feedback was unanimous: the plate of Pad Thai was appealing to the eye, but had little to no taste, and the beef had a strange, chewy texture.

The small 3-ounce container of red salsa improved the meal, but it could have used more.

Of course, Dok Luck Thai Restaurant is only a month into its run, so perhaps this is just a slow start to what could someday be a quality food stop.

Dok Luck Thai Restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and can be contacted at (626) 938-1078.

Opinions Keep guns off campuses

April 27, 2011

Jennifer Young Campus Editor Institutions of higher education in California have long been gunfree zones, there is no need to ratify that now.

In the wake of the Jan. 8 Tucson shootings, some lawmakers feel compelled to create laws and regulations they feel will help keep citizens safe.

Adding more firearms to the mix is not the answer. Allowing students and staff to carry guns to school not only puts weapons in the hands of people for possible protection; it also puts them in the hands of those who have the potential to do harm to others.

According to concealedcampus.org, a grassroots organization that believes, “holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually

Perspectives Editor Jennifer Young jennayou22@gmail.com

everywhere else,” there are many warning signs before a person “snaps.”

While this argument is valid, people often ignore the warning signs even if they notice them before tragedy strikes. This has been the case in several campus shootings.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer recently vetoed a bill that would allow guns to be carried on public rights of way on public university and college campuses.

“The bill didn't define public right of way and also could have been interpreted to apply to K-12 schools in addition to universities and community colleges,” said Brewer in her veto letter. “Bills impacting our Second Amendment rights have to be crystal clear so that gun owners don't become lawbreakers by accident.”

Utah is currently the only state that requires public universities to allow guns to be carried on college campuses.

Six states are considering legislation that would allow concealed guns to be carried on college campuses. This is simply an accident waiting to happen.

Nebraska, Nevada, New

Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are all debating whether or not professors, staff and students can carry guns to school.

care about a background check, only the cash he was making by selling the gun.

The idea of guns on campus makes me nervous.

I don’t want to spend my class time wonder-

How I s ee it Let’s say a deranged shooter decides to wreak havoc on our very own Citrus College campus. He bursts into a classroom on the second floor of the LB building and opens fire. Then what?

Imagine this, a student with a gun in his backpack takes out the shooter and accidentally kills three innocent students who are attempting to escape to safety.

This is not a story I would want to see on the evening news.

Who knows when, or even if, that student was properly trained on how to handle that firearm?

They could have taken it from their parents’ closet or bought it from a private seller who didn’t

ing if the backpack belonging to the student sitting next to me has a loaded weapon inside.

The thought that students and staff could bring guns to school alone will have a chilling effect on enrollment. We might all sign up for distance education.

Professors could be inclined to give fewer low grades in fear of retaliation from an angry student. Putting more people in danger rather than safety.

Campus shootings are more often than not premeditated. Allowing guns in the classroom just makes the planning stage easier for those seeking to kill others.

pg. 17

The Hoot: Do you expect your parents to give you money?

Emma Hurtado, 19, Undecided La Verne “For school I do.

That is what my dad promised me…and also for my birthday.”

State Senator disappoints at education summit Christina Alvarez Staff Writer The recent education summit hosted by Citrus College feat u r e d several noteworthy newsmakers introduced by State Senator Bob Huff.

Though the speeches were riveting, I could not help but have a sinking feeling in my stomach.

I walked away from the event having realized two disappointing truths.

First, our state officials have no idea how they are going to solve California’s budget crisis or save our education system. And secondly, my children, nieces, and nephews are doomed in regards to their chances of getting a decent public school education.

Shown at the summit was a film titled, “Dance of the Lemons.” The film depicted grossly incompetent teachers as “lemons.”

At the end of each school year, the school in which the lemon teacher was employed transfers him to a different school as union contracts and tenure protects their being fired.

This yearly ritual becomes an annual “dance.”

I was once a victim of one of these teachers. When I was in fourth grade, my grades began

to slip and I began to act out in school. Once an honors student whose teachers requested to have back in their class, I became defiant and angry. My teacher was overly strict he put children in corners because he felt that they just didn’t want to learn. Once he put one of my classmates in a trash can because, he said, he “was trash.”

This incident happened after he falsely accused all of us of stealing from him with no evidence at all. Please keep in mind that we were eight and nine year old children, not troubled high school students.

One day my mom decided to visit our class to witness his behavior. She immediately reported him to the principal, who simply transferred me to a different class. My new teacher would fall asleep at her desk. She would also call students outside of their names because she didn’t remember how to pronounce them, one student who’s name was Makara would be called “macaroni.”

Not once that I am aware of were these teachers reprimanded for their inappropriate behavior and disrespect of their students. These teachers remained at the school long after I left. I quickly became a “D” student and never truly recovered from that experience. The damage was done.

Laying off 20,000 more teachers to improve the state budget might eliminate some of the “lemons,” but what happens to the amazing teachers who never

get a chance to shine? And, Senator Huff, how are our future citizens going to make intelligent decisions in their own lives as well as in the voting booth when they are uneducated in the first place?

Our state has recently dropped from the 48th ranked state in K-12 education to number 49. Only Mississippi is lower.

These rankings are based on data from the Nation’s Report Card provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The standards focus on math and reading scores in two parts, elementary schools and middle schools.

Let me explain my situation. I have two children. One is in kindergarten in a school that is on a “watch list,” basically that means it is considered a severely underscoring school. I would move him to a different school, but almost all of the schools in Pomona are on this watch list. I was hoping to enroll my other child in the early Head Start program. She is now 2 years old, and it is time for her to start some type of formal education.

California considers households of four, with an annual income of $23,800 to be at poverty level. In order to qualify for Head Start in Pomona, you have to make less than $1,900 a month, $83 below poverty level.

The programs which were put into place for families, such as mine, that make slightly more money, have all been discontinued. Now I have to sacrifice my

daughter’s education because a private school costs $200 or more a week. This on top of enrollment and diapering fees adds up to more than $1000 a month just to get her started.

With preschool programs being cut and businesses reducing work hours for their employees, how can I ensure my daughter won’t be shorted on her education? I can only do so much in-home teaching on my own. Socialization in school is also imperative for the successful growth of a functional adult.

Senator Huff, while I do appreciate you taking time to speak with my classmates and me, you still failed to address my questions. Please find constructive ways to respond.

To the readers of the Clarion, if you are concerned about these issues or if you have input to share, please contact your state officials. Their addresses are easily accessed through the internet or may be found in the front of every phone book.

We need to fix these matters, the integrity of our great nation is counting on you.

Politicians, step up and swallow your pride to provide a productive, healthy, safe environment for the people who elected you in the first place.

Saying “no” to opposing views may feel good however the outcome will be nothing more than a stalemate. We need compromise.

Perhaps a state wide bake sale is in order for the near future.

Gaby Mendoza, 23, Nursing Los Angeles “No, after I got a job that was when I was cut-off financially.”

Luis Casunuran, 20 Respiratory Therapy West Covina “Only if it’s school related or if I need money for food because I stay at school late. I’m embarrassed to ask otherwise.”

Opinions

pg.18

That’s my mom, not grandma Bre Payton Staff Writer

Parenthood is like exquisite cheese: it can be smelly and gets perfected with age.

The women in America seem to have caught on to this; the age at which they are having children is on the rise according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center that was published in May 2010.

The study compared women who gave birth in 2008 to those who gave birth in 1990 and found that a higher percentage of babies were born to mothers 35 years and older in 2008; while the number of teen mothers has been reduced by three percent between the same years.

For my 46-year-old mom, my 5-year-old little brother is an entirely different animal she has tamed with an outlook new and revised from when it was my turn being raised.

Life experience has taught her that there are fewer things in life that matter enough to stress over.

Technology is no longer the allusive brain-killing activity that my mom restricted me from.

As a child, I was banned from Pokémon, a crushing blow for someone who grew up in the 90’s, and rarely used electronics. My brother is allowed to use the Internet and play video games.

A few months ago, my brother remarked that he wished he could “grenade those cows” while passing a farm. Although humorous, these words were shocking and prompted my mom to impose restrictions on the video games he is allowed to play.

Social media, increasingly violent video games and Internet accessibility are issues that she finds difficult to manage, and she has realized that improvisation is the method she prefers when dealing with ever changing media outlets.

Loosening up on the rules and having a more relaxed outlook are two things my mom finds to be a great benefit to parenting.

My mom’s favorite adage hangs on a plaque which reads: “The cooking and the cleaning won’t get done today, for the children and I have gone to play, we’re making memories to last through time, these moments together are theirs and mine.”

April 27, 2011

My Friday night date with the royals Kristin Lacuesta Managing Editor E v e r s i n c e P r i n c e William of Wales officially announced his engagement to Catherine Middleton in November, the media have been royal wedding crazy. Coverage leading up to the Friday, April 29 ceremony has been running 24/7 all over the television, radio, Facebook, Twitter and every other form of mass media.

And I’ve loved every second of it.

I will be one of millions in America whose eyes will be glued to the television at 3 a.m. Pacific Standard Time to watch the royal event.

Some of my friends and family think this is crazy.

“Why stay up late to watch something that’s not even in America?” and “They’re not OUR royal family, who cares

about their wedding?” are just some of the verbal barbs I’ve had thrown out at me.

But you know what I say to all the “anti-royalists” out there, if you don’t like it or care then simply change the channel. Or better yet, press that big red button on the remote labeled “POWER” and your precious little eyes will not have to be subjected to the horrendous event.

So stop whining about all the coverage. Just don’t watch it. It’s really that simple.

England, however, will have my undivided attention.

Yes, I do not live there, and I do not know the royal family personally, but this wedding is a huge event. Every news station around the world will be covering it, and for good reason.

This wedding is not only special because of who the groom is, but who the bride is.

Kate Middleton does not come from any royal background. She was just an average girl attending college

TALES OF THE RUDE, THE ANNOYING, THE SARCASTIC

when she met her prince, quite literally.

This story of an ordinary girl marrying a prince and will one day become the Queen of England is just too amazing not to watch.

Can you say modern fairytale?

I’m sure every little girl in England dreams at least once of becoming queen one day, this girl however just

happened to have her dream come true.

So, to all the haters out there, your negativity and bashing of the royal wedding is not going to affect my decision to watch it at all, neither will it affect the millions of others who plan to watch or the happy couple themselves. But I will say, you will surely be missing out on a piece of history.

Hands off the law of the land Samantha Lopez Staff Writer With economic uncertainty in America some are quick to point the finger in every direction in an effort to find someone or something to blame.

The finger has fallen once again on the backs of illegal immigrants, as conservatives are proposing we change the 14th Amendment in an effort to alter qualifications of citizenship in America.

Currently under the 14th Amendment, any individual born in the United States and or U.S. territories is granted citizenship. Therefore, all children born in the United States, including those of illegal immigrant parents are citizens.

A recently released study estimates that 300,000 children born in the United States are from illegal immigrants.

This report conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center reveals that 8 percent of the births in the U.S. are those to illegal immigrants.

These studies serve as the platform for which many conservatives are using as a means of demonstrating the need to change the 14th Amendment.

Originally, the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution following the Civil War in reference to reversing the previous Dred Scott v. Sanford case ruling, which denied African’s American citizenship despite being born on U.S. soil.

The intent of the Amendment was to qualify “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.”

The issue surrounding citizenship is not a new one rather it is an issue con-

McClatchy Tribune Services

servatives repeatedly target.

Various proposals including the Citizenship Reform Act of 2005, the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007 and 2009 have all failed to alter the current amendment qualifying birthright citizenship in the United States.

Under these various plans, citizenship would be granted only to persons born in the United States with at least one parent being a legal citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Proponents of changing the 14th Amendment argue that taxpayers are “footing the bill” for illegal immigrants and their legal children.

This argument paints a very onesided picture, illustrating only what conservatives want to see.

They fail to acknowledge that just because these individuals are illegal, does not mean they are exempt from paying taxes and social security.

Furthermore, jobs taken on by illegal

immigrants in many cases do not attract legal workers because the jobs are generally low paying with no health benefits.

This motive to alter the 14th Amendment does nothing but misinterpret the foundation of our nation.

Our Declaration of Independence states; “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

We are a nation that is founded upon three key principles. We are a nation of justice, a nation of equality, and a nation of freedom.

Whether a child is born on American soil of either legal or illegal parents, their right as citizens should not be stripped.

Altering the 14th Amendment is not only unconstitutional, unfair and unAmerican, it will weaken the very foundation of the United States of America.

Editorials Do your job: get along, fix this mess

pg. 19

April 27, 2011

clarion

Compromise is the only solution to fix the state budget fiasco.

The California Legislature is spending too much valuable time arguing about whom is responsible for the states’ $26 billion deficit and too little time working together to solve the problem.

The job of an elected government official is to do what is best for his or her constituents, not what is dictated by his or her political party.

Our lawmakers have lost sight of their core mission: serving the people.

Community colleges are looking to face an $800 million cut in funding, while we have yet to see them slash their own pay and the perks that come with their jobs.

State lawmakers earn approximately $30,000 in taxfree per diem per year for living expenses while in Sacramento. This is on top of their $95,000 yearly salary. A person that cannot live comfortably on a $95,000 a year salary alone should not be in charge of balancing the state budget.

Receiving a per diem is a ridiculous expense, especially since they seem to be incapable of carrying out their responsibilities, on time and within budget.

Students are the future of our state and country. We want elected officials to work for us, not themselves.

We want the budget rec-

Citrus college

EDITOR IN CHIEF Natalie Miranda MANAGING EDITOR Kristin Lacuesta ONLINE EDITOR Emily Rios CAMPUS EDITOR Jennifer Young SPORTS EDITOR Rhiannon Conrado ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Kristin Lacuesta FOOD EDITOR Austin Paul Adamson VANESSA CASTRO Citrus College Clarion

onciled with no more reductions in funding education, and we want it to be done now.

Students are required to meet deadline if we are to be academically successful.

Our elected representatives need to begin behaving like grownups and stop bickering about whose political party is better than the other and meet deadline.

As the weeks go by and schools lose more and more funding it seems as though education is the first public service that is slashed with cuts.

Our legislators have their priorities backward: education should be the last item on the cut list.

How do they expect the future of America to remain competitive without its chil-

dren being guaranteed an education?

It’s time to look beyond party lines and recognize what is most important.

While our elected representatives talk the good talk about “investing in the future,” they fail to back up words with deeds. We are the most obvious investment the government can make. Students are the future of this nation.

Something has to give, and taxpayers appear to be the only ones doing the giving.

Lawmakers are asking us to pay more, but we are receiving less.

Accept the fact that no party can gain all that it demands.

Here is a novel idea: this time, lawmakers need to

make the sacrifice. Refrain from putting the solution to the fiscal mismanagement of the state budget on the backs of California’s future.

It costs roughly $47,000 to incarcerate an inmate for one year in California, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office and approximately $9000 to educate one community college student for one semester, according to californiacolleges.edu.

It seems that the prisoners’ budget could use a major once over with a sledgehammer.

For the sake of your children and grandchildren, come up with a compromise that benefits the future of the Golden State, not yourselves or your political affiliation.

Use your Citrus email account If you want to be informed, go to Outlook Express and check out your Citrus email.

Citrus created email accounts through Outlook Express for every student currently enrolled (which amounts to about 30,000 emails), and we should be accessing those accounts on a daily basis because it is the one direct way we can be informed about Citrus related events.

After the accounts were activated in August 2010, not many students seemed to catch on, but it’s imperative they do.

With personal emails, Facebook, and Twitter accounts, it can be tedious checking the numerous updates and notifications through each outlet, but this email is pertinent to our school.

Through Outlook Express we receive important information from admissions and records, financial aid, campus safety and counseling, and all of this information is necessary to your education.

And if you’re running into the “spam” problem, just redirect your emails to your inbox.

For those of us who have no desire

RHIANNON CONRADO Citrus College Clarion

to check yet another account, all the emails in your inbox for your Citrus email can be easily forwarded to an account of your choice.

We all want to be informed, and this is the best way.

So the next time you are on your computer, which will probably be in the near future, take five minutes to check your Citrus email.

Just go to the Citrus College website and on the main page there is a

link to where to access the student email accounts.

You never know, you just might discover a few new things.

You might discover you were accepted into the honor roll.

You may discover that you’ve been rolled out of classes.

You may discover there was a robbery near the campus.

These are things we should know, so go online because you’ve got mail.

OP/ED EDITOR Jennifer Young PHOTO EDITOR Natalie Miranda ADVISER Margaret O’Neil STAFF WRITERS Cynthia Carrazco, Rubi Carrazco, Vanessa Castro, Erica Irigoyen, Israel Mejia, Bre Payton, Sydney Presley, Mindy Youell, Christina Alvarez, Anthony Gentile CORRESPONDENTS Robert Lucero, Daniel Hernandez, Samantha Lopez PHOTOGRAPHERS/ ARTISTS Natalie Miranda, Vanessa Castro, Bre Payton, Rhiannon Conrado, Rubi Carrazco, Sydney Presley PAGE DESIGNERS Rhiannon Conrado Meggen Olson, Anthony Galvan, Natalie Miranda, Emily Rios, Jennifer Young, Kelsey McDonald PHOTO TECHNICIAN Frank Ram INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANT Emily Rios 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! All correspondence must include your student ID#, major and signature. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

CLARION MAILBOX 1000 W. Foothill Blvd.

Glendora, CA 91741-1899 Phone: (626) 914-8586 Fax: (626) 914-8797 Email: ccclarion@hotmail.com

pg.20

entertainment

April 27, 2011

‘Ragtime’ rages with top musicality Brandi Mendez Staff Writer In the early 20th Century, New York society was bursting with turbulent issues of inequality and newcomers wanting a better life.

The struggle of a talented father’s efforts to achieve success and secure a new life for his daughter, and the heartbreak and loss of an educated piano player were brought to the Haugh Performing Arts Center on April 16 director Greg Hinrichen’s production of "Ragtime."

As life-less mannequins, set around a set constructed of a tiered, skeletal set, the performers come alive singing the title song "Ragtime."

It serves as an anthem as newcomers to the United States exclaimed; "Think of Harry Houdini, that fabulous immigrant, and break those chains with all you possess."

The show gains momentum with "The Gettin' Ready Rag," featuring Coalhouse Walker Jr. and the people of Harlem.

Played by James Oronoz, Walker is a talented piano player on a mission to find his

Courtesy of Diane Berendes Haugh Performing Arts Center

girlfriend Sarah, portrayed by Jessica Mason.

He pleads for her forgiveness, and win back her love.

The song features urban rhythm and blues beats, spruced up with melodic piano runs.

Unknown to his father, Sarah has since given birth to Walker’s son and is taken

in by a prominent New Rochelle family.

One day, she's cradling the child and performs an incredible song to her son.

"Your Daddy's Son" is a tale of love and heartbreak.

The pain in Sarah's heart is haunting as Mason's performance tells the story of who she sees when she

looks at her son's hands.

"You have Daddy's hands, you are Daddy's son," she says.

It is apparent that Walker is not only her son's characteristics, but in Sarah's broken heart.

The chemistry between Oronoz and Mason shines through when they perform

the sweet and infectious "Wheels of a Dream.” And the poison that follows Sarah's unjust death, the dream of equal rights is a far distant and inconceivable thought.

The first act ends with the bone-chilling "Till We Reach That Day," the company belting out a haunting message about racial equality.

The second act commenced with a great entrance piece.

Walker goes crazy and seeks retribution.

At the core of the drama taking place with Walker, the mother of the New Rochelle family, played by Lisa Dyson is pressured by her husband to stop caring for Sarah's son.

"They are limits to even the most limitless compassion," said the father, played by Cameron Lanier, to his wife.

A family once united now stands divided by the same racial tension that is separating the world around them.

The orchestra's top-notch musicianship and cast of "Ragtime" put on a debut performance of this Broadway show that will not soon be forgotten.