Clarion 12/5/12

Citrus College

Clarion

December 5, 2012 Volume LXVII Issue 8

Illustrated by Sydney Presley

2

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

QUOTE of the

ISSUE

“Don’t wake me for the end of the world unless it has very good special effects.”

–Roger Zelazny

Announcements Poetry Reading The Writing Café will be hosting a poetry reading on Dec. 7 from 6–8 p.m. in CI 159. The reading, which is part of the Writing Café’s “Poetry in Motion,” is intended for mature audiences.

Former Coach Dies Former Citrus College football coach John Strycula passed away on Nov. 24. Strycula started at Citrus in September 1967 and retired in June 1987.

He was inducted into the California Community College Football Coaches Hall of Fame in March 2012. When Coach Strycula retired in 1987, he was the winningest coach in the program history, a title that still stands today.

Ceramics Sale The Art Department will be hosting their annual holiday ceramics sale. The sale will take place on Dec. 5 from 11 a.m.

– 7 p.m. in Art Center Room 117. The items are crafted by Citrus College faculty and students, with the proceeds from the sale benefitting the Citrus College Ceramics Program.

For more information, contact ceramics instructor Mike Hillman at (626) 914-8661.

Winter Registration Registration has begun for the Winter 2013 session. Students registering Dec. 3 – Dec. 9 must pay all fees by Dec. 9 to avoid being rolled out of their classes. For more information or to register for classes go to wingspan.citruscollege.edu.

Holidance!

The Citrus College Dance Departments annual “Holidance!” will take place on Dec. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. in the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $12 and $10 for students/seniors.

Vocal Christmas Recital The Citrus vocal music students will be joining forces to celebrate the holidays with popular Christmas music at their Christmas recital, “One Bright Star,” on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. in the Haugh Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5.

Veterans Softball Tournament The Veterans Network is hosting a softball tournament Dec. 15 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

All participants must bring an unwrapped toy (minimum $5) for Toys for Tots. For more info contact Fernando at (626) 674-4405.

Managing Editor: Emily Rios erios@ccclarion.com

NEWS

LOCAL

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

STATE

Lifeguards rehired to officially resign

Judge upholds ban on gay conversion therapy

A group of El Monte lifeguards who were fired in September for shooting a video spoof to “Gangman Style” on city property were reinstated so that they could resign. Michael Roa, a lifeguard who created the video said he received a letter from the city of El Monte last week informing him of the temporary reinstatement so he could resign. Roa sent in his official resignation letter on Dec. 3 but was unsure of how many other of the fired lifeguards had accepted this option. The lifeguards were initially fired because city officials said the employees violated their contacts by shooting the YouTube video on city property in their city issued uniforms. The lifeguards denied that they were on the clock when the video was shot.

U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller ruled on Dec. 4 that the state Legislature and the governor have enough grounds to enact SB 1172; a law banning sexual orientation conversion therapy because major mental health groups including the American Psychological Association have discredited the therapy. Mueller’s ruling follows a Dec. 3 ruling by U.S. District Judge William Shubb in which he said that the law inhibits First Amendment rights of therapists who oppose homosexuality.

The ban on sexual-orientation therapy, according to California attorney general spokeswoman Lynda Gledhill, will take effect on Jan. 1 for everyone except two therapists and an aspiring therapist who sued to keep it from taking effect.

Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune

NATIONAL

Source: Los Angeles Times

GLOBAL

Entry exam recommended for teachers

U.S. warns Syria against chemical attack

In their latest report, “Raising the Bar: Aligning and Elevating Teacher Preparation and Teaching Profession,” the American Federation of Teachers are advocating for an entry exam for all teaching candidates similar in style to the bar exam taken by potential lawyers. The report suggests that the test include subject as well as pedagogical knowledge. Currently teacher certification is determined by each state and the types of certifications, exams and college course requirement vary widely with the only shared requirements being at least a bachelor’s degree and some clinical experience.

United State officials including President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton have warned Syrian President Bashar Assad against using chemical weapons against rebel fighters. The warnings come as Syrian rebels have seized large areas including military bases, oil wells and a hydroelectric dam. There has been heavy fighting in Damascus with rebels shutting down the road that leads to the city’s international airport. Due to security concerns in the region the United Nations is withdrawing all nonessential international staff from Syria.

Despite rebel fighting, Assad still has the backing of Moscow, Tehran and his minority Alawite sect.

Source: CNN

Source: Los Angeles Times

CLARIONnews 3 Student government candidates speak up Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

ASCC candidates discuss what they hope to accomplish if elected during a campus forum.

Alyssa Martin

Clarion Staff Writer

C

andidates running for Spring 2013 student government office answered questions from a moderator and students present Nov. 28 during a public forum in the Campus Center.

The first question went to current members of the Associated Students of Citrus College executive board who were once again running. Both Senator Joseph Billeter and Carlos De La Torre, commissioner at large, said that being a senator means speaking for students who do not have the time to speak for themselves.

The new applicants for senator positions then explained why they wanted to be on student government.

Candidate Roland Bachoura promised to fight for music and arts programs, stating, “California is kind of against community college programs, like the music department. If that goes away, Citrus goes away, because the music department is the backbone of Citrus College.”

Candidate Farihah Chowdhury spoke about the influence student government had on her personally, making her feel welcome on her first day of school. She added that her experience with the The Honor Society Phi Theta Kappa, the Volunteer Corps and the Citrus Business Association would help her be an effective senator.

Candidate Luis Lopez Valencia said that he hoped to be a key player in affecting change at Citrus, promising to be more than the per-

Photos by: Tiffany Drew, Amanda Greene, and Ricky Lin

Candidates from Left to Right (Top): Luis Lopez Valencia, Larissa Angulo, Carlos De La Torre, Joe Billeter, Mariana Vega, Bottom: Alejandra Morales, Roland Bachoura, Alex Mohtashem, Nayiri Baghdassarian and Farihah Chowdhury. son who just says “yes, yes, yes.”

When asked what he would do to cut costs for students, Valencia recommended a few programs that could do just that, saying that he was answering as a student; “This is me to you.”

Both candidates for the vice president position have served on the ASCC Executive Board in the Fall 2012 semester. While Alejandra Morales said that she had fully developed her leadership skills in her roles as honor society president and the ASCC commissioner of activities, current vice president Nayiri Baghdassarian referred to her experiences this past semester. ”I joined ASCC specifically because I wanted to bring the college experience back to Citrus. I wanted to bring the community back to

“Students don’t know how much power they have.”

-Mariana Vega

Student Trustee candidate

community college,” Baghdassarian said.

Morales said that her best contribution during the past semester has been her effort to make Citrus a College of Completion, raising awareness about what students can do to complete their education in spite of financial or academic limits.

While student trustee candidate

Larissa Angulo could not name the members of Citrus College’s Board of Trustees, she said that she had passion for the job.

She said she hoped to create a resource center for AB 540 and international students and had spent time in the past few weeks interviewing students about their concerns.

Student trustee candidate and current ASCC senator Mariana Vega said that she had the time and experience required to do the job, citing her previous work with trustee Susan Keith.

She also said that aside from lack of funding, Citrus’ biggest problem was student apathy.

“Students don’t know how much power they have,” Vega stated.

Both student trustee candidates emphasized the need for student involvement in the effort to cut costs.

Senator candidate De La Torre said that his goal was to create hate-free zones for Gay-Straight Alliance members. Senator candidate Billeter said that he hoped to create more jobs for students as professor aids.

Perhaps the candidates’ forum could be summed up in the words of vice president candidate Baghdassarian: “Don’t worry. Good things to come.”

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

Campus safety has hands full with crime increase Crime offenses around campus are on the rise compared to previous years.

Kolby Rousseve

Clarion A&E Editor

According to the newly released 2011 crime statistics, Citrus College recorded an increase in criminal offenses reported.

All of the criminal offenses cited in the annual crime report occurred within the property limits of Citrus College.

The number of combined drug and alcohol offenses reported in the 2011 school year is nearly twice that of the previous four years combined.

Between 2007 and 2010, 21 drug and liquor law violations were reported to the Department of Campus Safety whereas 26 violations were reported in 2011 alone.

There are a multitude of reasons why people bring drugs and alcohol to campus said Ben Macias, interim supervisor of campus

safety.

“A lot of students are unaware of the board policies and procedures we have regarding drug and alcohol use on campus,” he said.

Another statistic comes from the sexual offense category. Between 2007 and 2010, no sexual offenses were reported.

However, in 2011 three separate offenses were reported to Campus Safety, the highest number in four years.

Macias said that Campus Safety has a plan to help bring the numbers down and keep students safe.

“We are trying to target it from an education perspective,” Macias said.

“We want more students to know about the board policies and the administrative procedures we have pertaining to any illegal acts on campus.”

Each icon signifies one offense

*One incident of Drug Law Violation was an arrest

Kolby Rousseve can be contacted at krousseve@ccclarion.com.

Sasha Winterer

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

CLARIONnews 5 Vietnam veteran, faculty president honored Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Former police officer and Citrus professor Jim Woolum is acknowledged for his service.

Marvin Trigo Staff Writer

Martha Amescua Citrus College Clarion

Faculty Association president Jim Woolum accepts an a commendation for his military service during the Vietnam War at the 7th annual Citrus College Salute to Veterans on Nov. 1.

The faculty president of the Academic Senate has served his country in the military, his community as a Glendora police officer and Citrus College students as an instructor.

Professor James Woolum, who teaches administration of justice, served in the United States Army for two years after he volunteered for military service in 1969. He did his basic training at Fort Ord, Calif.

“The military to me was a service to [my] country,” Woolum said about his decision to join the military.

During the Vietnam War Woolum was deployed to the Dong Nai Province 20 miles east of Saigon at a post in Bien Hoa Air Base. He was assigned to the 199th Infantry Division and served in Vietnam for eight months.

Woolum was recognized for his

service at the “Salute to Veterans” celebration assembly on Nov. 1 honoring those who served in the nation’s military.

The remainder of his tour of duty was with the military police at Fort Knox, Ky. Four months later he was honorably discharged, when he returned home in 1971.

The Glendora Police Department offered him a position in 1971, which he accepted.

In 1974, he was promoted to sergeant (E5) and to lieutenant in 1982. He retired from the Glendora Police Department in 1999.

Woolum said that he did not aspire to be promoted to captain because he preferred to work in the field as opposed to working in an office or cubicle.

He also was hired as a part-time instructor at Citrus College. He began teaching full-time after his retirement from the police force in 1999.

Woolum recalled a time he arrested two girls for stealing beer.

For one of them he said it was a life-changing moment. The girl contacted him later saying that arrest was one of the most positive

things that could have happened.

She graduated from high school and went on to college.

Glendora Police Chief Rob Castro, who enrolled at Citrus College in 1984, said Woolum was his administration of justice professor.

“He was the person I looked up to to get advice,” Castro said. He also described Woolum as a very helpful person.

Distance education coordinator Lari Lee Kirby described Woolum as a very community-oriented person serving the Citrus community as a professor and Glendora as a police officer.

“He’s very serious about mentoring students,” Kirby said.

His wife Carole is a reading aid for the Upland Unified School District. They have two children, James, an architect for HMC Architects, and Amy, a first grade teacher for the Ontario-Montclair Unified School District.

Marvin Trigo can be contacted at mtrigo@ccclarion.com.

Owls freshman QB posting veteran stats A local football prospect is poised to lead his team to new heights.

Cristian Manrique Staff Writer

A boy growing up playing football in high school 27 miles from Citrus College has quickly matured into the leader of the Fighting Owls football team.

Bernard Porter Jr., 18, graduated in 2012 from Summit High School in Fontana where he was named the CIF Championship Game Most Valuable Player, earned CIF Most Valuable Player honors in the post-season, was named a 1st team All-Sunkist League honoree as a junior and senior, and won the CIF Eastern Division Championship.

Today, Porter is a full-time student and full-time athlete juggling school, workouts, practice, studying, homework, games, and family.

Standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing in at 190 pounds, he is the ideal image of a new era of modern quarterbacks who are a deadly combination of both the passing game and rushing.

“When I was little, I used to watch football, and my favorite quarterback was Brett Favre,” Porter said. “My favorite team was the Green Bay Packers, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Being a quarterback, you’re the leader of the team. You have a lot of responsibility, and I kinda like that. It gives me more drive and energy to go on to do what I do.”

Assistant head football coach and offensive coordinator Ben Noonan sees his style of game like Robert Griffin III, also known as RGIII. But in Porter’s case, he is more like BPII. Noonan actually helped recruit RGIII at Baylor, before Noonan left the program.

“He’s the first athletic quarterback we’ve had here in forever,” said coach Ron Pon-

ciano.

When Porter wants to relax, he likes to take pictures. One of his favorite locations is Venice Beach, where he takes pictures of the graffiti, nature, or the sea. “It keeps me calm and helps me relax,” he said.

Porter has his mind set primarily on his education, and then comes football. His coaches are always there encouraging him to hit the books and get good grades.

“It’s hard sometimes, long times at practice, I like to call it work, but school comes first. I always got to make time for school, then its practice and then its football. But school comes first.”

Porter is majoring in kinesiology and plans to transfer to UCLA. He hopes to make a career out of coaching or sports training.

“I’m a big family guy,” says Porter, who also finds it comforting being with his two brothers, sister, mother and father.

Porter says that his mom is his biggest fan and he always cracks a smile when he sees

her in the stands.

“He’s a phenomenal kid. He’s a nice guy, he’s well spoken, and he always looks you in the eye when he talks to you,” said Noonan.

The football team finished the season with an overall record of 7-4 and a conference record of 3-3.

The team also went to the Western State Bowl where Porter was named the game’s Offensive MVP. Porter was also listed on the Southern California Football Alliance National Division Central Conference All-Conference list, where he received 2nd-team honors. In his first year, Porter completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,343 yards and 23 TDs, both of which are single season program records.

Cristian Manrique can be contacted at cmanrique@ccclarion.com.

CLARIONspotlight Dean vrooms off into the sunset

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

7

Mike Hurtado, Ed. D., of social and behavioral sciences, is retiring at the end of the fall 2012 semester after working at Citrus for 47 years.

Chris Floch Staff Writer

T

he “fifth Wild Hog” cruised north on his Indian Harley up the Pacific Coast into the sunset en route to Bishop last summer. He rode with the knowledge of a successful career spent at Citrus, and as a long time valuable member of the community.

Mike Hurtado, Ed.D., of social and behavioral sciences, is retiring at the end of the fall 2012 semester. His journey at Citrus began 47 years ago where he was hired as a student worker.

It’s also at Citrus where he was diagnosed with severe dyslexia.

“I flunked out of high school, fortunately, the professors and counselors helped me graduate,” remembers Hurtado.

In the late ‘60s, there was no FAFSA. Items such as text books and food vouchers required work.

“I remember sweeping the gym for meal tickets,” Hurtado said.

Hurtado went on to earn a bachelors and masters degree in behavioral science from the University of La Verne. Afterward, he received his doctorate in Educational Psychology from Brigham Young University.

Hurtado was hired as a psychology and sociology professor in 1973. Sam Lee, dean of language arts and foreign languages, has a theory about his colleagues’ lengthy tenure.

“He’s got a target for students; anyway to make them succeed,” Lee said.

Hurtado won Teacher of the Year four times at Citrus College, evidence of his incredible ability to zero in on the needs of the thousands of students he’s taught.

He is a recipient of numerous awards including the California Medal of Valor, four Lifesaving medals and Reserve Officer of the year in 1989.

One word that describes Hurtado is modest. During the interview, he repeatedly thanked the staff in his department for

Martha Amescua Citrus College Clarion

Michael Hurtado (left) sits atop his Indian Harley with his son, Zach (right). Hurtado is retiring after a 47-year career. their hard work.

“Working with the faculty has been a blessing,” Hurtado said.

It comes as no surprise when he says,” Citrus is an extension of my family”.

Fellow motorcycle rider Eric Rabitoy, Ed.D., of physical sci-

ences said that his friend has left a legacy.

“In his long career he has done everything he could do to make a positive impact on his students and the community,” Lee said.

Hurtado is the father of three children: Joshua, Isaac and

Emma. His retirement plans include spending more time with his wife Diane, riding his motorcycle and going to church.

“The best memories of my dad are him picking me up from school blaring Tom Petty and Credence Clearwater,” Emma said. The pre-nursing major always loved her friend’s reaction.

“The pipes blasted and everyone at my private catholic school scoffed at him and hated it but that made him laugh even more.”

Hurtado will have more free time being the “wild hog” riding his Indian Harley around the country. Speeding on the highway, Hurtado looks at his rearview mirror and views the life he is has fulfilled at Citrus College.

Chris Floch can be contacted at cfloch@ccclarion.com.

Psychology department linchpin to retire

James Shannon, M.S., of the psychology department, is retiring at end of the fall 2012 semester, after working at Citrus for 38 years.

Javier Galavíz Staff Writer

“I’ve enjoyed and derive

F

a great satisfaction from

ew people on this campus have been here longer than James Shannon. And few people have had the same impact.

Well into his 38th year as a faculty member, “Jim,” as he’s called by his friends and colleagues, is a true resident of the Citrus College community.

Shannon is an extremely personable man. Except for his more-salt-than-pepper hair, he looks younger than what people who retire are supposed to look like.

He graduated from Cal State L.A. first with a bachelors degree in psychology, and a masters in the same subject—with an emphasis in counseling—before enrolling in the doctoral program at UCLA. Shannon joined the Citrus fac-

everything that

I’ve had a

chance to do.”

-James Shannon

Professor of psychology

James shannon

ulty in 1974.

Hired as a counselor, he has since gone on teach psychology, sociology and public address. He also served as the dean of counseling before returning to the classroom. Shannon also ran a private practice for seven years.

“He was great at teaching psychology and sociology, when so many others could only teach

one,” said Michael Hurtado, Ed.D., dean of social and behavioral sciences.

Hurtado said he considers Shannon to be the linchpin of the department.

“Jim is extremely bright, a true academician and great representative of the department. During his tenure he’s helped countless students transfer to 4-year universities and enter the job force. He’s a teacher with very high standards, he only gives essay exams,” Hurtado jokes, im-

plying how difficult essay exams can be. Hurtado said, “He’s been here forever,” “I met Jimmy on his very first day here at Citrus, 39 years ago… We’re more than colleagues, he’s my friend.”

Shannon met his wife Irma at Citrus 23 years ago when she was a college employee.

Shannon smilingly said he is looking forward to “doing anything my wife wants me to” with the free time that comes with retirement.

“He’s done a lot for me,” said Study Abroad specialist Lynn Jamison, who attributes Shannon’s counseling experience to the success he has had with the program.

“He’s an incredible instructor who helps to develop student awareness and appreciation of the behavioral sciences to his students abroad. He always went above and beyond the call of duty

for the program. It’s obvious that he thoroughly enjoys educating,” Jamison said.

Responding to the praise paid him by his colleagues, Shannon said, “It’s because I paid them off.”

“I’ve enjoyed and derive a great satisfaction from everything that I’ve had a chance to do. Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it,’ Shannon added.

Reflecting on his career at Citrus College, his family and his home, Shannon concluded that he’s “really lucked out.”

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

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

CLARIONspotlight

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

9

012: Are you ready?

Dec. 22 will come Alyssa Martin Staff Writer

David Perez

it. Consequently, 12A-B-B-A-A-B. In the ce letters are read left ad, BA ABBA. In Heer is coming.”

at as an effect of reachent 11-year sunspot cyly reverse its own poles intensify the outcomes etic field on earth.

posed a possibility that ding in 2012. Einstein uman race would only

have four years to live after the honeybees become extinct, because of their particular environmental significance to pollination for vegetation. Accordingly, at the preexisting rapid death of honeybees, it was quite possible that 2012 might be the end of the world.

•The Vatican adheres to the prophecy of St. Malachy. In addition, the medieval monk had visions that the world would come to an end after 112 popes. Currently Pope Benedict XVI is the 111th pope.

•Some doomsayers believe that there is a mysterious X planet, called Nibiru, that is go-

ing to collide with Earth on Dec. 21, 2012.

The fear is filled with thoughts that the planet will shatter deadly asteroids.

However, NASA has confirmed that there are no such objects out there because it would have been visible to the naked eye by now.

Source: December212012.com

All right everyone: lock up the pregnant women and smash all your pottery. The world is about to end. That is, if you really believe all the hype.

In the type of media stunt that makes Hollywood millions and gives the conspiracy theorists something to shout about, people have been spreading rumors that this planet is nothing more than a ticking time bomb, set to go off on Dec. 21, 2012.

These “experts” are borrowing their predictions from the Mayans. All this reporter asks is that you take a moment to consider the source.

The Mayan calendars can be compared to a large complicated clock. The calendars are not one straight line from a violent beginning to an ominous end. These three calendars are actually interlocking cycles that periodically overlap and reset, like the gears in a clock.

The first calendar was the Tzolkin, or “sacred calendar.” It was comprised of a thirteen-day month (following the cycle of the moon) and a 20-day week. It would restart every 260 days.

The second was the Mayan agricultural calendar, called the Haab. This calendar was created to keep track of the seasons and solar events. It would be reset every 365 days.

Every 52 years, the two calendars would coincide, and the world would end, or so the Mayans feared.

In order to prepare for that dark event, the Mayans locked up pregnant women to keep them from turning into animals, extinguished all the fires, broke all of their pottery and pinched the children to keep them awake all night

and prevent them from turning into mice.

Isn’t it so annoying when your pesky kids keep turning into mice?

They would then follow their priests to the top of a volcano and wait for a sign. When a certain constellation passed through the center of the skies, they breathed a sigh of relief. The gods had spared them for another 52 years.

In celebration, they would perform human sacrifice, taking the heart from a victim’s chest and starting a fire in his rib cage. I kid you not.

However, it is the third Mayan calendar, “The Long Count,” that is causing all the commotion.

The Long Count lasts for approximately 4998 years. The current Long Count began 3114 BCE. You do the math.

The last piece of “evidence” is even less believable than the first.

Monument six is a stone tablet on which the Mayans wrote about something that would happen in 2012. It describes the Mayan god of war and creation coming down to earth and…AND…nothing.

There is a giant crack in the stone the makes the following glyphs illegible. For all we know, the Mayan god of war and creation could be coming down to earth to make a sandwich or catch a few episodes of “The Walking Dead.”

In addition, the Mayans made more predictions far beyond the year 2012. One even describes an event that might occur in 4772.

So, if you still believe that the world is about to end, go climb up a volcano somewhere and wait for a sign.

The rest of us will be inside, maybe wrapping a few last minute Christmas presents, and laughing quietly to ourselves.

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

Grant Wong Age: 22 Major: Hotel management

Sebastian Ronga Age: 19 Major: Undecided

Leo Spengler Age: 18 Major: Film

Jonathon Lopez Age: 19 Major: Undecided

Peter Holland Age: 34 Major: Ecology

What I would do is go to an electric company and tell them to turn off the electricity for the whole city for like 10 to 20 minutes just to freak people out.

What I would do before the apocalypse would be to take my girlfriend sky diving and then as soon as we land, go to the nearest car rental place and rent a Ferrari 458 and just drive all day.

What I would do is travel to as many places as I can.

I would say goodbye to my loved ones, and go after bad people in the world.

What I would do is go to Oregon and visit my kids, and look at the stars.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

CLARIONspotlight

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Mayan apocalypse 20

Is This the End? David Tate

Clarion Editor-in-Chief

Is the Mayan apocalypse really that crazy? The idea, I mean.

Nobody knows for sure what is going to happen Dec. 21. Not you, not me. And unfortunately, we’ll never know for sure if the ancient Mayans were actually on to something or too busy smoking peyote to finish their calendar.

So out of all the crazy things we’ve heard happen this year, how surprised would you be if California just so happened to take a cruise out west to kick it with Hawaii? Or a five-star general hunkered down in a bunker somewhere hit a big red button? Or if an incurable virus suddenly had us all dropping our Chipotle bags in favor of some organic brains?

We love the idea of end of the world scenarios. It’s no coincidence that shows like AMC’s “The Walking Dead” have become wildly popular. Not that long ago, Newsweek put together a map of a baker’s dozen of possible zombierelated incidents—and that was just for the month of May alone.

It is a fact that at some point in the future, our world will cease to exist as we know it. And nobody

What would you do the day of the Mayan Apocalypse?

Field Reporter Tiffany Drew Field Photographers Andrae Reid Hwan Park

should know this better than Californians, as the landscape of our coastal state is constantly altered by mudslides, earthquakes and fires that strike without any warning.

If you’d prefer a more abstract explanation, I could argue that the world is constantly ending and beginning again. Find somebody 10 years older than you and listen to them talk about nonsense like cell phones that don’t take pictures or gas that costs a dollar.

So that’s why I don’t care what people say about planets crashing into planets, solar flares, or the ice caps melting and flooding the planet.

I know the end is coming. I don’t know if it will be here today, tomorrow, or Dec. 21. But I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.

So bring it on, zombies. Come at me, tidal waves. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Mayan Apocalypse, the alien apocalypse, or even just Tupacalypse. This writer is going to be ready.

Well, at least until the next one.

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

Facts and Myths about the Mayan Apocalypse •The Mayans developed a long count calendar that signifies that when the calendar ends, a new cycle will begin. The calendar was not meant to scare people into thinking that there will not be another day after Dec. 21, 2012. However, the US and Europe have come to believe that the calendar will not reset itself, and that the world would come to

an end. The believers say that there is scientific evidence to prove that the world was ending, and that is that the Winter Solstice and the Milky Way will align. Nevertheless, the Mayans could not have any idea that a galactic equator even exists. The alignment, like numerous other prophecies are coincidental.

•Interesting fact: There are exactly 2012 days between the Summer Solstice, June 20, 2007 and the Winter Solstice, Dec. 21, 2012.

•Numerology attaches a letter to every num-

ber corresponding to 21-12 has the letters Hebrew language, sinc to right, the date is rea brew this means “fathe

•NASA calculates tha ing the end of the curre cle, the sun will actuall in 2012. This would i of the hindering magne

•Albert Einstein prop the world may be end explained that the hu

Tyler Connally Age: 20 Major: Biology

Sara Acevedo Age: 24 Major: Sociology

Nicholas Lopez Age: 18 Major:History

Alejandra Morales Age: 20 Major:Biology

What I would do before the apocalypse would be adopt a child because I have always wanted to be a father.

What I would do before the apocalypse is take out a loan and fly to Florida with my girlfriend and visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Disney World.

I would get into a high-speed chase in my ‘94 Honda Accord.

What I would do before the Mayan apocalypse is go to Oklahoma and see my parents and siblings for the last time.

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

CLARIONspotlight

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Easygoing employee starts anew

One of the campus’s brightest personalities says farewell after almost a quarter-century of service.

David Tate

Clarion Editor-in-Chief

For 24 years, the doors to Pamela McGuern’s various offices have always been open.

Now, after nearly a quarter-century of service, McGuern will be closing the doors for the first and final time.

It will be a bittersweet moment for McGuern, who says that her daily interactions with students and the Citrus College community are what have kept her going.

“It’s true what they say: [Citrus] is a great place to work,” McGuern said. “I especially think it was because I was working in student services. I always tell people, ‘If you’re going to work at a college, why wouldn’t you work with the students?’ . . . If you never have any contact with students, you could be working at a bank.”

The great experience for McGuern started in August 1988.

Her career on campus started with a part time job in the athletics department, thanks to a tip from

high-school friend and disabled students counselor Vince Mercurio.

From there she moved into a full-time secretarial position in the counseling department in 1990, where she worked alongside associate dean of counseling and fellow 2012 retiree Jim Shannon for eight years.

But it was during the second half of McGuern’s career when she left her stamp on Citrus College. After spending a year as Academic Senate secretary, she was promoted in 1999 to administrative assistant to the vice president of student services under Jeanne Hamilton, Ph.D., who retired in 2011.

For more than a decade, Hamilton and McGuern not only built an outstanding working relationship, but also a lasting friendship.

“It got to the point we were finishing each other’s sentences,” McGuern said, laughing.

Hamilton was quick to credit McGuern for assisting her in drafting the college’s accreditation

Martha Amescua Citrus College Clarion

Pamela McGuern (center) celebrates with her family during her retirement ceremony Nov. 29. self-study. If done incorrectly, colleges may lose the ability to offer federal financial aid to students, which can often force institutions to close their doors.

“She never, ever says ‘That’s not my job,’” Hamilton said, recalling how she and McGuern worked for a year on the self-study. “She’s just a person who always rolls up her sleeves and cooperates and does a good job.”

Despite the long days, McGuern says Hamilton was always supportive of her out-of-office, oncampus activities.

“She really encouraged me,” McGuern said. “If I ever asked

her if I could go to this meeting or join this committee she never said no.”

Unsurprisingly, McGuern used that freedom to give back to the same students with whom she loved to interact. She helped coordinate the inaugural “The Taste of Autumn,” a wine tasting fundraiser sponsored by the Citrus College Foundation, which provides several student scholarships. McGuern even went so far as to set up the decorations and seating. She actively participated in the annual event for the next seven years.

But what McGuern says she’ll miss the most about her Citrus ca-

reer is planning the spring graduation ceremony.

“I love that part of my job,” McGuern said. “It’s the happiest day for everybody: The parents, the students, the graduates, the faculty... it’s just such a great day.”

Now McGuern plans on spending time with her family and pursuing her hobbies of pottery and painting.

“I wish her all the best in her new endeavors,” said Arvid Spor, current vice president of student services. “She’ll enjoy it. She’ll bring that good-natured spirit that she has to everything that she does. We’ll miss her here.”

Time for travel One administrative assistant will take a hefty chunk of Citrus history with her on her travels abroad when she retires after a career spanning nearly three decades.

David Tate

Clarion Editor-in-Chief

T

he President of the United States has 14 secretaries.

The president of Citrus College has two.

Correction: Make that one.

Pamela Sewell, administrative assistant to Citrus College superintendent/president Geraldine M. Perri, Ph.D., is retiring after 27 years on campus.

“I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Pam,” Perri said. “[She] will be missed greatly. Her contributions to Citrus College are many and will always be remembered.”

A longtime Glendora resident, Sewell began her employment at Citrus College in February 1985.

She would spend 14 out of her next 16 years in the department working for then-vice president of human resources Jean Malone.

“I just loved HR,” Sewell said.

“I actually came to Citrus for a part-time job [but] got a full-time job. I was only going to stay for a little while because my son was 5 at that time, [but] I’m still here. And he’s 32, married, and moved out of state.”

The full-time position she accepted was that of personnel coordinator—responsible for all things job-related on campus, from accepting initial applications to interviewing potential candidates.

“It’s funny, because I’ve had so

many people say ‘You’re the first face I saw when I came to Citrus College’ . . . you just got to know people on campus. You knew everybody who got hired. They shared everything with you: their families, where they came from, [where] they taught. I liked that.”

“[Once] you’ve been here for 27 years, you kind of miss things.”

-Pamela Sewell

Administrative assistant to the superintendent/president

Seeking both a challenge and an opportunity for growth, Sewell accepted a position in 2001 as administrative assistant to then superintendent/president Louis Zellers.

She would maintain her position as administrative assistant for the next 11 years, working for Michael Viera during his five-year tenure from 2003-08 following Zellers’s retirement, then for president/superintendent Perri after her arrival in 2008.

Having to adjust to the various leadership styles of three of the college’s leaders is no small feat.

Citrus has only hired seven superintendent/presidents since the college was founded in 1915.

“It’s [a] very high-stress [job],” said Christine Link, who has worked alongside Sewell since

2002 as the second administrative assistant to the superintendent/ president.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on, from students, to grievances, to union issues, to the community, to parades. There’s a lot of demands, a lot of multitasking and [Pam] just jumps in whenever we need her she can anticipate things I haven’t even thought about sometimes.”

Now, after having served the college for nearly three decades, Sewell says she’s looking forward to spending time with her family, traveling to Europe and working on her snorkeling and parasailing skills.

She says she’ll miss the people at Citrus College the most.

“You walk out of a building and you’ve got people practicing performances, dancing, music, playing guitars or singing,” Sewell said. “Or you’ve got the astronomy [students] looking through their telescopes up at the sky . . . there’s so much to offer here at the college, and people are interested and involved.” “[Once] you’ve been here for 27 years, you kind of miss things.

And the people [here] are the best.”

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

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Editor: David Tate clarionEIC@ccclarion.com

SPORTS

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

11

Fighting Owls find old swag Men’s basketball returns to its winning ways in a hostile road environment.

David Tate

Clarion Editor-in-Chief

A

fter already surpassing last season’s loss total, the Owls men’s basketball team seems to have recaptured some of the magic from the program’s 2011-12 Final Four run.

Despite an early 17-point deficit, an abundance of turnovers and abysmal outside shooting, the Owls (5-4) pulled out a 90-81 comeback road win over the El Camino College Compton Center Tartars (4-2) Nov. 28.

Citrus looked sluggish and lethargic in the beginning of the first half. The Tartars utilized an effective combination of full-court press and zone defense to stymie the Owls, racing out to a 20-8 lead.

Tartar guard Christopher Miller was then the beneficiary of backto-back Darius Middleton turnovers, knocking down a corner 3 and a fastbreak layup to extend his team’s lead to 25-8 at the 12:02 mark, prompting a timeout from Citrus head coach Chris Victor.

“They came out and played great,” Victor said. “We were not ready, obviously.”

Inexplicably, the Tartars decided to abandon the press and settle into a defensive shell for the

last 10 minutes of the half. Though it didn’t have much effect on the Owls’ perimeter shooting—they finished 3-for-20 from 3-point land on the night—the athletic Citrus guards quickly took advantage, effectively using isolation plays to knife through the 2-3 for easy buckets at the rim to whittle the Tartar halftime lead to 42-40.

“We got away from the gameplan a little bit,” said ECC Compton head coach Kevin Higgins. “I thought the pressure we had on them was working, and we made them speed up . . . Sometimes, you get a little success and you forget how you got it. We became passive instead of aggressive, and [Citrus] is really, really good when you’re passive.”

After the break, the Owls emerged from their locker room much more energized they did in the opening stanza. Sophomore center Brent Watkins, who finished with 14 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field, tied the game up with a short lay-in on the Owls’ first possession following the intermission.

That bucket eventually led to Citrus forward Steven Thorton Jr. completing an and-1 opportunity to give the Owls a 53-51 lead just before the 5-minute-mark of

the half. Thorton Jr. finished with a game-high 23 points, with the hoop and harm giving Citrus their first lead of the game. “[Steve’s] got a lot of tools and he’s been playing a lot more comfortably lately,” Victor said. “He’s still getting used to the system and the program, so as he gets more comfortable, he’s going to be great.”

Thorton Jr. would go on to put the game away for Citrus when he pulled down two offensive boards off his own misses, padding his rebound total to a team-high 9 before making good on the third attempt, giving the Owls an 84-76 lead with 3:02 remaining.

“We couldn’t shoot at all,” Thorton Jr. said. “But we figured it out, got by [the ECC defenders], and everybody was finishing well.” “[We’re] going to get back in the gym, shoot a little more, and try to be more composed next time,” Citrus is scheduled to play in the opening game of the four-day Riverside Community College Tournament today.

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

Third year guard is vocal leader On the men’s basketball team, #3 is anything but a charm for opponents.

Javier Galavíz Staff Writer

“Go Kerry, Go, Go, Go…” screamed an Owl team mom from the stands of a men’s basketball game. “See. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about,” she said as she nudged me to check out Kerry Carter’s excellent defensive hustle for a loose ball during a recent game.

Seems normal enough, but what’s interesting about this scenario is the fact that this isn’t Carter’s mom.

The mom, who chose to stay anonymous for the fact that her son was “not playing very well [that night],” credits the team’s success and first half comeback during that particular game, to the leadership and aggressive nature of #3’s game.

“I really like his play,” she said.

“Boy, can he jump.”

A West Covina High School graduate, Citrus College sophomore Carter plays guard for the

Javier Galavíz Citrus College Clarion

Sophomore Guard Kerry Carter (#3) awaits an inbounds pass.

Owls men’s basketball team. Carter, who’s a third year team member, is Citrus’ third leading scorer and leads the team in steals. This is perhaps the basis for the praise paid to him by head coach Chris Victor.

“Kerry means a lot to this team.

He’s a great defender and very talented on offense, but above all else, the intangibles are what set him apart,” said Victor. Those skills being his toughness and leadership.

Carter’s success should be attributed to his winning spirit.

“Winning is a state of mind that never rests… There are no breaks and no time off,” Carter has said.

Carter has been team captain for both of the seasons that he’s played.

What does Kerry like most about the Citrus basketball program? “The attention to detail,” he said. He is well aware of the importance of his team and says that “no one man is unbeatable but together we can become unbeatable.”

Carter’s qualities have an effect

on most of his team. Similar to Carter’s start on the team, current red-shirt freshmen, Jordan Jefferson and Darrick Arnold now relish the opportunity to learn from him.

“He knows how to keep everyone together,” Jefferson said. “He’s a great vocal leader.”

In his final year playing for Citrus, Carter will undoubtedly strive to make the most of his time here.

For his final two years of eligibility, Carter has verbally committed to play for the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

The next chance to check out Carter’s inspiring play, as well as the rest of the men’s basketball squad, will be at the Riverside Holiday Basketball Tournament, from Dec. 4 through Dec. 8 at Riverside City College’s Wheelock Gym.

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

Javier Galavíz Citrus College Clarion

Sophomore Guard Jordan Mackie (#10) inbounds the ball during the Owls’ 90-81 win over El Camino Compton Center Nov. 28.

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Editor: Kolby Rousseve krousseve@ccclarion.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

arts & entertainment

13

Photographers capture moments in time This year’s annual photography exhibit is sure to engage its viewers.

Javier Galaviz Staff Writer

P

Courtesy of Citrus College Photography Department

hotography is described by Merriam-Webster, as “the art or process of producing images by the action of radiant energy… A technical procedure.

The recording of images using light to expose sensitive surfaces.“ Sound scientific? That’s because it is.

But there is another side to photography: the art aspect that is more apparent when an observer stops to study a striking photo.

It’s the intangible emotional element of a picture that raises the hair on the back of your neck, takes you to a happy place or forces you to empathize with the subject.

Hence, the significance of the title “A Moment In Time,” for this year’s photo installment at the Hayden Memorial Library.

“Photography is just that, to preserve a ‘moment in time’ that

Matthew Flaherty Citrus College Clarion

“the Christmas Box” performers rehearse for opening night.

‘Christmas Box’ ready to give the gift of laughter Though its target audience is children, this Christmas tale promises to be fun for all ages.

Stephanie Rangel

Clarion Spotlight Editor

Cristian Manrique Staff Writer

T

he Grinch stole Christmas. Oh, wait. Evil Fred stole the Christmas spirit.

“The Christmas Box,” a Little Theatre production performed

by Citrus College students, runs through Saturday.

The play is aimed at an audience of children, but the comedy with interestingly funny characters is there for adults as well.

Student director Chris Aranda, 24, described the cast as a talented, diverse group with raw energy.

“I’m proud of them,” Aranda said. “ I love my group. I adore this cast. I think they are all raw, young, and talented.”

There are five women and

seven men in the production, all student actors.

Children are “the best audience in the world,” Aranda said, because they will let you know immediately if they like the show or not. “It’s all about sensation.

To me, this play has been about sensation. You need to get their attention.”

Actor Taylor Stone, who plays the snowman Sigmond, said that “It’s fun entertaining children and rewarding to try and create that magic for them.”

The play is about the Christmas spirit being stolen by Evil Fred, played by Chris McKinley, who locks it up in a huge box. People who try to open it get trapped inside. The world has no more Christmas spirit. It’s up to the mischievous Baker triplets to go on a journey to the North Pole to save

Christmas.

Along the way, they meet elves, snowmen, and, of course, Santa Claus.

“I knew the second I saw them that we had a really strong cast,” said the assistant student director Ana Mateo. “I knew when paired together, it would be like magic, and we paired certain people together like Evil Fred and Pickles (Kevin Figueroa). We knew they would have chemistry.

Tickets for “The Christmas Box” are available at the Haugh Performing Arts Center box office and at www.haughpac.com.

Tickets are $5, so bring your brother, sister, cousin—heck, invite your old elementary school buddies—and come enjoy a humorous Christmas play. Dec. 8 would be a perfect opportunity, with two shows at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Stephanie Rangel and Cristian Manrique can be contacted at srangel@ccclarion.com & cmanrique@ccclarion.com.

people can hopefully enjoy forever,” said curator and Citrus College photography professor Darrell Carr.

The show includes works by Citrus College photography students.

“Only the best photos of all the classes have been chosen,” Carr said.

“I was thrilled when I found out that I [was chosen] to participate in this year’s gallery,” said business and marketing major, Jana Bishop, now in her second year studying photography. “It’s such an honor.”

Photography Club treasurer Jeremy Lopez, who has been pursuing photography for more than 10 years, is also excited to have his photos on display.

“It means people get to see my

pictures. Hopefully after they see them, they’ll be inspired,” Lopez said.

No awards or medals will be bestowed, the student artists will be satisfied for having been recognized as shooting one (or more) of the year’s best photos.

The accolades will be for viewers to determine themselves.

“A Moment In Time” will be on display in the art gallery of the Hayden Memorial Library from Monday, Dec. 10 through Feb. 28. The gallery exhibits are free for students and the public.

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

14

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Editor: Melanie Gudino mgudino@ccclarion.com

FORUM

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Erase discrimination for college applicants Amanda Greene Staff Writer

R

ace should no longer be a factor in determining admissions to public universi-

ties Imagine you’re a high school senior putting in countless hours writing college applications.

Later you discover your dream school rejected you not because your grades and SAT scores were too low, but because other equally qualified students who are underrepresented minorities got the seat instead.

Most universities want a “diverse” student body and because of that they may consider race as one of the factors in their admission

process. Thus skin color could be a deciding factor as to whether or not you are accepted into that school.

Applicants should not be judged on race, or ethnicity, but rather what you bring to the table as an individual. Students should be accepted based on their work and whether they have the discipline to obtain their degrees.

A case was recently brought upon the US Supreme Court.

Abigail Fisher, now 22, is suing the University of Texas. Fisher was denied admission to the university in 2008. She alleges that she was discriminated against because she is white.

After losing in a lower court she

appealed. The Supreme Court is expected to rule her case in spring 2013.

The Fisher v. University of Texas decision may overrule Grutter v. University of Michigan (2003); which stated race could play a role in admissions in public universities. If the court does overrule Grutter v. University of Michigan, affirmative action will most likely end for public universities across the United States.

Fisher claims she worked very hard so she could earn the grades to attend the University of Texas.

Her father, sister, and other family members graduated from University of Texas, motivating her to go there as well.

Being a resident of Texas could have given her an advantage because the school takes the top 10 percent of each high school. Although she did not qualify in that regard, she still could have been admitted due to her other academic achievements.

Fisher’s attorney says she had a better academic record than students from minority groups who were admitted.

Creating a diverse university student body should not be influenced by race. It should be about your uniqueness as a person.

Although some may say race is a defining factor in whom you are, it should not determine whether you are admitted to a university or not.

Everyone should have the same opportunity to get into the university of their choice, but with admission committees considering race there is no equality.

We call upon the United States Supreme Court to overrule the Fisher v. University of Texas case to eliminate race as a factor in college admissions.

And if it should fail to do so, we urge public universities to take this step as their own initative. Justice demands no less.

“Men are more bothered by the sexual aspect [of the idea],” Walz said. “If he’s going to stay with one woman, or provide for her, or protect her and her young, she better be his.”

While Walz and White both mentioned that “a hall pass is more likely to end a relationship than continue it,” they did say that it could sometimes liven things up.

“It can make a relationship better if you approach it the right way, but most of the time we approach it from jealousy. That doesn’t work,” White said.

White also added “Both people have to be willing to look at their behavior in the relationship, and openly look at the other person’s feelings and thoughts and say

‘What is working . . . and what can we do to find those things] in each other?”

White say, breaking up isn’t the end of the world.

“I don’t think there’s just one person [for anybody],” Walz said. “Breaking up is something that doesn’t happen as often as it should.”

“There’s so much pressure in our society to find ‘The One,’ White said. “And I don’t think there’s ‘The One.’ I think there’s many . . . it’s a matter of finding them.”

Amanda Greene can be contacted at agreene@ccclarion.com.

Writers With Benefits: Taking the golden ticket David Tate

Clarion Editor-in-Chief

Melanie Gudino

Clarion Forum Editor

“I

think we should see other people.”

Usually, this standalone seven-word phrase signals the end of the road, whether you’re in a friends-with-benefits type situation or a five-year committed relationship.

“But let’s see where we are in our relationship later.”

Now, the situation has changed.

You’ve suddenly been granted freedoms that might have been unacceptable before. Your partner has in effect given you a hall pass that you can use to walk freely through the corridors of the swanky single life.

As defined by the Writers With Benefits, a hall pass means giving your partner permission to date other people without the responsibility of being in a relationship.

The question is: Should you stick that pass in your back pocket and forget about it? Or should you take it and run through the halls as fast as you can before it expires?

The Writers With Benefits have it covered, with help from Marriage, Family and Intimate Relations (SOC 114) professors Gailynn White and Sheryl Walz.

MG: I think hall passes are necessary. I mean, come on. Couples don’t like to share the challenges they have had in the relationship.

Couples who have been faithful

for 50 years shock me, especially in California since the divorce rate is 75 percent. According to a joint study done by MSNBC.com and iVillage Lust, Love & Loyalty, nearly 50 percent of people admit to being unfaithful at some point in their lives. Couples all have different definitions on being faithful; I believe someone is unfaithful when it’s behind the partners back.

Having the talk about different alternatives and giving permission may define their partner as being faithful.

DT: I agree that keeping things interesting and new is necessary.

But do you really have to go so far as to give somebody free reign to sleep with anybody they want? If you’re in the position where you’re doing that, I think that relationship is in its dying stages anyway.

But maybe the reason we couldn’t reach an agreement about whether a hall pass would make or break a relationship just comes down to how the WWB are wired.

“Sociologically speaking, men have a harder time dealing with that then women,” White said.

Walz offered a more sociological explanation.

WWB: So if you find yourself losing interest in whatever type of sexlationship you may have, taking a break is definitely not the answer.

Except sometimes. Hey, if marriage professionals don’t have the solution, how can we?

It depends on how comfortable you are with the person you’re with. Try changing things up instead of going to your standard dinner and a movie or making the weekend 2 a.m. phone call.

If that doesn’t work, maybe it is time for you to take a break from what you’re doing or it wasn’t meant to be. And as Walz and

Follow @WWBenefits on Twitter, or contact us at clarionEIC@ccclarion.com & mgudino@ccclarion.com.

CLARIONforum editorials

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

citruscollege

clarion

Tiffany Drew

Are you ready for a disaster?

A

s we know there are many natural disasters that strike all over the world when people are least prepared.

There is no doubt that we need to be more prepared for these disasters here at Citrus College. Students that just keep an area under their desk clear in class may save lives during an earthquake.

Though there have been several large-scale natural disasters nationwide, as Californian students we should be more than aware of steps to take to help lessen the impact of a disaster. In July 2006, the Central Valley and Los Angeles regions suffered a severe heat wave that went on for nearly two weeks.

Temperatures reached above

110 degrees. After six days of scorching heat, 140 elderly Fresno residents died from complications related to these extreme temperatures.

These deaths could have been avoided if the proper precautions were taken.

More cooling appliances in our homes could help us survive extreme temperatures spikes. The same concept can easily be applied to heating fixtures in case of a winter storm. The key is to be aware of your environment and all possible environmental threats.

We don’t mean to cause undue fear or panic in our readers, but to encourage you to realize that you should always be mindful of the threat of a natural disaster.

The problem is many people understand that they can be in danger at any moment but are never prepared for it.

Here at Citrus, we can do our part with something as simple as placing signs in classrooms that alert students of what to do in case of a natural disaster. We see warning signs in planes, buses, and even around pool areas but never in classrooms. These signs help guide us in case of emergencies and are greatly essential for our well being.

The sign itself will not protect you from falling rocks or fires, but it may make viewers consider the question “What if?” That question is one that students often decide to set aside, and is also the question

that brings us one step closer to being prepared.

Being too precautious is never a bad thing. Students can prepare themselves by storing canned foods and bottled water in classes.

In the case of a disaster, or even a hostage situation where students are enclosed inside a classroom they can have food and water to survive for the time it takes to be rescued.

It is important that we understand the damage natural disasters can cause and how we can be ready for them. When the day comes that we need to be ready for a disaster we will be grateful that we have already started the procedures we must take to make it out alive.

Lines blurred: free speech & respect

S

ticks and stones may break your bones, but words are no less hurtful. A protestor in the Campus Center Mall who held a sign on Sept. 12 criticizing people’s religious beliefs and lifestyles—labeling them as “sinners, thieves, and liars”—may have the right to express hateful opinions, but just because he can, does not mean that he should.

It is unethical to disrespect a person’s religion let alone their way of life. With the winter holidays approaching it is better to express peace, love, and harmony.

“Only God Can Judge Me,” said Tupac Shakur in one of his songs of the same title.

The world’s great religions preach acceptance. It is the individual who falsely interprets the world’s holy books who needs education about tolerance.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression. In addition, we are all guaranteed freedom of religion, assembly, and petition, as is the protestor in question. The Clarion staff especially appreciates the right to free speech and freedom of the press, but it is not about what you say, it’s how you say it. Whether anyone agreed with him or not, the protester’s approach was obnoxious.

Not everyone has the same ideas, views or creed. Americans should respect diversity.

Furthermore, Citrus College has pledged to be a hate-free zone where everyone can feel safe and respected.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church are known for their protest at Veteran’s funerals around the nation with signs that read “Thank God for IEDs (improvised explosive devices),” “God Hates Gays,” “God Hates Israel,” and “God Hates Jews.”

The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled in their favor. It is WBC’s lawful right to protest and express their religious and political views. But again, just because they can, does not mean they should.

Just as we are allowed to protest, those who mourn the loss of a loved one should be respected.

If the members of the WBC hope to influence others for good, their approach should be with love and compassion, not with hatred and rage.

Love a person from the inside out. Accept who they are. Negate bitterness.

Freedom of speech and to peacefully assemble the gifts to be cherished and nurtured carefully.

As we gather during this holiday season in peace, we review our efforts to open our hearts and minds and thus strive to make the world a better place.

15

Editor-in-Chief David Tate Managing Editor Emily Rios Design Editor Sasha Winterer Art Director Sydney Presley Photo Technician Martha Amescua Forum Editor Melanie Gudino Sports Editor David Tate A&E Editor Kolby Rousseve Features Editor Stephanie Rangel Staff Writers Alyssa Martin Amanda Greene Carli Luevano David Perez Cristian Manrique Javier Galavíz Marvin Trigo Page Designers Rosalind Buchwald Luis Escarcega Michael Guerra Leina Najjar Hwanchull Park Stephanie Perez Moises Sanchez Artists Amanda Greene Andrae Reid Neil Kitzler Tiffany Drew Instructional Assistants Stacy K. Long Emily Rios Adviser Margaret O’Neil 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.

Andrae Reid

16

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Photo Tech: Martha Amescua mamescua@ccclarion.com

CLARION

Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com

Megan Paige Smith Haugh Performing Arts Center

The ensemble of “Christmas Is...” gather around the Clauses. The musical is running in the Haugh Performing Arts Center, with performances Dec. 8, 9, 14, 15 and 16.

“Christmas Is...”joys audiences this season Kolby Rousseve

Clarion A&E Editor

“C

hristmas Is…”—and was—an energetic, family-friendly perfor-

mance.

The annual holiday extravaganza, with more than 150 performers, is presented in two acts: a concert of traditional carols and a musical.

Act One featured the Citrus Singers, Women’s Ensemble, Concert Choir and orchestra.

Conductor Douglas Austin opened the show with the Citrus Singers, who did a phenomenal job showcasing the traditional sounds of the season with songs like “Silent Night” and “Deck the Halls.” The singers entertained the audience with a hand bells performance to the tune of “Parade of Soldiers.” It was one of the most comical pieces of the show thanks to the overly enthusiastic dance moves and exaggerated facial ex-

pressions.

By contrast, the Women’s Ensemble, conducted by Vonetta Mixson and accompanied by pianist Jeremy Logeot, seemed to lack passion and, more importantly, volume. They sang a sweet, romantic set, ending with the classic “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

The Concert Choir then took stage with vocal director Martin Green conducting. In sync with the orchestra, the choir injected a lively spirited feeling with each note. However, soloists Jessica Manson, Mara Richard, Garrison Holder, Patricia Eredia, Samantha Visco and Kristina Brown were difficult to hear, and the lighting technicians struggled to focus the spotlight on the soloists while they sang.

The second act featured a play written just for this holiday production. The plot focuses on Betty (Essence Graves) who wants to join the most popular sorority on campus. However, new members must

make their final pledge on Christmas Eve and Betty has to decide whether she will stay and complete pledge week or go home to spend Christmas with her family.

Her journey leads her to the land of Freezonia where she meets Perry the polar bear (David Lentz), Wally the walrus (Lewis Padilla) and many other friendly faces like the Ice Queen (Beda Spindola) and of course good ol’ Mr. and Mrs. Claus (Garrison Holder and Amanda Lee).

In the final scene of the play, Betty decides to trust her heart and go home for the holidays. Her decision lands her a spot as the sorority’s newest house member and they celebrate the occasion by inviting all the children from the audience on stage to sing and dance with the cast.

The script was cheerful and incorporated a modern sense of humor. It kept the audience laughing and it included lively, playful dance numbers choreographed by

dance professor John Vaughan.

“Christmas Is…” was a jovial production, capturing the true spirit of the season. From carols to snowflakes, the North Pole at the Haugh Performing Arts Center was filled with all kinds of Christmas magic.

The show will be performed Dec. 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 2 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. General

admission is $22, for students and seniors, $20 and children 16 & under are $15.

Kolby Rousseve can be contacted at krousseve@ccclarion.com.

Megan Paige Smith Haugh Performing Arts Center

“Christmas Is...” performers Beda Spindola and Kevin Gasio pose.

Diversity in ‘Holidance!’ production brings joy Martha Amescua

Clarion Photo Technician

Director and performers bring cultural life to holiday classics.

“H

Martha Amescua Citrus College Clarion

Holidance! dancers perform Ocho Kandelikas.

olidance!” celebrates its 5th year at the Haugh Performing Arts Center with all the spirit and joy artists can communicate through their dancing.

Multi-cultural traditions inspired each dancer to put on a performance sure to please, thanks to the expertise of professor John Vaughan.

“It is a concert that celebrates the entire holiday season,” said Vaughan, who choreographs regularly for the Fine and Performing Arts Department productions and directs Holidance! again this year.

“I wanted to bring something to the stage that was more multicultural.”

Diversity is key to California community colleges and he wanted to make sure that Citrus cel-

ebrates not just Christmas, but all the different holidays and cultures as well.

Professional choreographer, Lee Martina also lent her expertise to the event, working with students to bring out their best performances interpretations. “Working with her exposes students to working with professionals on a different level.” Vaughan said.

Lighting effects and colorful costumes help to create a feeling of holiday joy as students performed with precision and attention to the very last green scarf trailing behind.

Four numbers were written and choreographed by students, including Anthony Clinton, a dance major.

“When I heard that there wasn’t a hip-hop number in the performances, I right away wanted to do one,” Clinton said. “I came to Citrus to learn more about hip-hop because it’s my first love.

Putting a holiday twist on a performance was challenging, but exciting.” “Holidance! promises to be

an evening filled with fun and as Anthony Clinton said, he hopes you will enjoy it just as much as the performers have enjoyed putting it together.

Other dance numbers include a Hindu version of “Jingle Bells,” “Solstice Angel,” which celebrates the season of the solstice, a Halloween number, a “Happy New Years Kwanza,” along with a 25 minute piece on the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker.”

Adjunct faculty member Jennifer Fagaier, choreographed “The Nutcracker.”

Holidance! will be held in the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. Both performances will begin at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $12 and $10 for students/seniors.

Martha Amescua can be contacted at mamescua@ccclarion.com.