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Hybrid classes allow for flexibility
CLARION citrus college
Online at
ccclarion.com VOL LXXV • Issue 8
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
A semester in review
BY LUCY ARGAEZ
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM
Despite a 2019 pilot program of Hyflex model instruction, over $180,000 allocated for cameras and student interest in the instruction style, the Hyflex model will not be used during winter or spring 2022 semesters. The Hyflex model is a form of instruction that would allow the class to be taught in-person and virtually simultaneously. This teaching style allows for the class to be taught in two ways. The first way is having half the class in-person and the rest of the class online. Each half could alternate days or choose to stay online or in
Read Flex, Page 3
LUCY ARGAEZ - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Brayan Ramirez and Mitchell Attaway work on an engine in the automotive tech garage on Nov. 24. See photos of Citrus’ classes on campus on pages 4 and 5.
Former head football coach reveals challenging past Owls’ former leader alleges Citrus discriminated against him and students BY JUSTIN GEORGE
MANAGING EDITOR
JGEORGE@CCCLARION.COM
A complaint filed in October by former Owls Head Football Coach Ron Ponciano with the Superior Court of the State of California alleges that Citrus discriminated against him because of his age, created a hostile work environment and caused him emotional distress. Ponciano stepped down from his position in July after 15 years coaching the team, a press release from Citrus College Athletics said. Defensive line Coach Brandon Hayashi stepped up to fill his spot. At its Oct. 5 meeting, the Board of Trustees unanimously voted to reject a $20 million claim against the district submitted by Ponciano on Aug. 30. Retaliatory behavior from the college started in 2018 when he raised concerns about his salary, Ponciano said in an interview along with his attorney, Paul Mahoney. “I just wanted to get paid what I was supposed to,” Ponciano said, citing his master’s degree and coaching experience, which he said his salary didn’t reflect. D i re c t o r of Human Resources CLARION FILE Robert Sammis
and former Superintendent/ President Geraldine Perri are the only Citrus employees named in the complaint, along with other unnamed defendants. Ponciano alleges them of trying to damage his reputation. Sammis was contacted for an interview, but declined to comment while the case is being litigated. Among his complaints, Ponciano alleges that eight Black players who were enrolled on the football team were denied payment plans, which Ponciano said he hasn’t seen happen anywhere else in college sports. In addition, Ponciano alleged in the complaint that Perri and Sammis spread rumors that he was going to get fired. He said he heard rumors from others in the athletic community before hearing anything from human resources. “My hand was shaking I was so angry,” Ponciano said. Immediately after raising concerns to Perri and human resources in 2018, retaliation started, Ponciano said. Some of the behaviors Ponciano alleged the college of include the scheduling of his practices in extreme heat, reduction of rental funds for his team and denying him resources. The complaint said a practice field was taken away from him before a conference championship game, which resulted in Ponciano drawing stripes across an entire softball field so his team could practice. The reason the college denied the players payment plans, Ponciano
said, was because their skill would have reflected too well on him as a coach, making him harder to get rid of. Under Ponciano, the Owls claimed an 8-3 victory over Saddleback College in the 2013 Beach Bowl, their first bowl victory in 25 years. More recently, they lost in the Western State Bowl to Chaffey College in 2018. In addition, Ponciano alleged the college of underpaying him in comparison to other coaches, who are PONCIANO “younger and less qualified,” the complaint said, and wrongly reporting his pay on Transparent California, a database of salaries for public employees. Ponciano’s most recent salary on Transparent California from 2018 is $114,730 regular pay. Despite that, he said Hayashi was a good choice. Now that he resigned, Ponciano said, all of his demands were met, including better conditions for players. While he’s glad things are better, he said he is angered that it took his resignation to make changes. Ponciano said he considers Citrus a special place with a great football team and players, but is now doubting the transparency of the college as a whole.
Promise program assists students BY AARON DEL CASTILLO-GUTIERREZ
STAFF REPORTER
AGUTIERREZ@CCCLARION.COM
Reporter’s note: Aaron was part of the Promise Program for two years, but is no longer a member. Students who are part of the Promise Program at Citrus College have their fall and spring tuition covered for the first two years. Citrus College Outreach Supervisor Nilda Chavez said 1,159 students at Citrus are in the Promise Program. Chavez said the Promise Program has been important to the College and its students. “I think it’s a great program to not only encourage them to complete their educational goals in two years and then transfer, if that’s something they want to do, but we also have a lot of students that you know just get a certificate,” Chavez said. The Promise Program helps students choose the correct path for an educational plan and they also help them transfer to a university, Chavez said. The California Promise Program is a state-funded program that covers tuition at all California community colleges, Chavez said. The state sets requirements for the program. “They have to complete a FAFSA and then they have to be enrolled in at least 12 units,” Chaves said. Students who are taking 12 units in the Promise Program are full time students.
Alexa Filatoff, who is a completion specialist at Citrus College, also works at the Promise Program. Filatoff said in an email it has been a great experience working for the program. “It has been a rewarding journey helping out our first generation college students acclimate to the Citrus College campus and providing the resources/tools to succeed,” Filatoff said. “My favorite part is seeing our students graduate.” Students who are in the Promise Program overall are doing amazing, Filatoff said. Students are completing their English/math sequences as well as their unit requirements. “Our students are communicating with us regularly and checking-in with us despite the challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Filatoff said. “This illustrates our students’ resilience throughout these demanding times and ability to adapt.” The Promise Program helps students by providing them with counseling services and assistance when they are struggling, Filatoff said. She also said the Promise Program counselors always try to maintain students’ program eligibility and provide options in these circumstances. The Promise Program will contact students if they are struggling in
Read Promise, Page 3
2 Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Opinion
CLARION
Subtle homophobia ruins relationships BY ASHLEE TULK AND LUCY ARGAEZ
STAFF REPORTER AND EDITOR- IN - CHIEF ATULK @CCCLARION.COM
LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM
Those who are partners with someone who is homophobic are not allies to the LGBTQ community. People tend to reflect their partner’s views and are influenced heavily by whom they hang out with. Being in a relationship with a homophobic person makes it hard for the other to enter open-minded spaces or help enact real change. Someone’s partner in this situation can control who a person’s friends are and how they support them. Imagine not being able to go to a friend’s wedding because of their sexual orientation. You cannot be in support of people who you do not respect. By having a partner with homophobic views, you are part of a larger problem. If partners are not courageous enough to teach the ways of acceptance in their relationships, they should ask themselves what conversations need to be had. Some may say, then why marry an intolerant person? Sometimes people rush into relationships and avoid sensitive but important topics like intolerance. Homophobia subtly plagues our society, and it needs to stop. Things like this should be discussed between partners. Avoiding these conversations is a recipe for toxic relationship dynamics and perpetuating harmful beliefs. There are some things that people cannot change about themselves, but it should never make them any less
LUCY ARGAEZ- CLARION
deserving of respect. A recent example of this is pop singer Billie Eilish’s relationship with a man who exhibited subtle homophobia and racial slurs online. Members and allies of the LGBTQ community called her out on not being an ally for not speaking up. Eilish’s boyfriend,
Matthew Tyler Vorce, posted discriminatory and homophobic slurs online years ago which was upsetting to fans who thought Eilish was an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. “In the tweets, Matthew seemingly made racist remarks about Asian people, uses the
N-word, uses gay slurs, and makes both sexist and fatphobic comments,” an article by Centennial Beauty said. Vorce has since apologized, but only after coming under fire on social media. It would have been more sincere to address his remarks proactively, rather than
after people found them. Calling out homophobia and having sensitive conversations about tolerance is essential for a healthy relationship. If you don’t stand up for those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community behind closed doors, then how are you an ally?
Transferring resources sought by students are hard to find BY ASHLEE TULK
STAFF REPORTER
ATULK@CCCLARION.COM
Transferring during online learning has made the resources you need hard to find. It was difficult for me when I began the process but became easier as I discovered more resources. My personal experience with submitting college applications has been a little stressful because I didn’t know where to start. However, I reached out to a counselor at my school and it made the process easier. They gave me a detailed plan on what steps to take when applying to colleges. Transferring is no easy task, but the right knowledge and mindset can make it a lot easier. The process includes things like: places where resources can be found, like their school’s counselors, admissions workshop calendars, and people in the admissions department to talk to. Students should familiarize themselves with how to go about transferring to schools in order to have a clear mind. Setting up
ASHLEE TULK - CLARION
Ashlee Tulk searches the Citrus College website for transfering resources on Nov. 17.
a calendar on your wall can help with deadlines and staying on track. These steps helped me with the process for transferring schools: The first step in my application process was to sign up for workshops. The best advice that I received from the workshops was to contact a counselor from each school that you want to attend and ask them to take a look at
your transcripts. The second step is to look into the schools that would best fit you as an individual. My best fit was Cal State schools. I also had to take into consideration if my GPA and major were fit for each school I applied to. The third step is to fill in applications for the schools you apply to. My application on the Cal State website was easy and
took no more than 30 minutes to complete. The fourth step that I took was creating a portal for each school that I applied for. A portal is an account. It’s important to check your portal regularly because the schools may send you additional information. Lastly, be on the lookout for letters of acceptance near spring time. There is no greater joy than seeing your hard work pay off. The joy from all the years of community college blood sweat and tears are going to be worth it once we get those acceptance letters. The counselors at Citrus helped me by providing me with useful information. They viewed the classes that I took and told me what other classes I needed for my major and to transfer. They also send information on things you need to transfer. My counselor sent me the Cal State applications website and some counselors emails from other schools. Another way to begin transferring is to get a hold of the career and transfer
CITRUS COLLEGE
CLARION
Staff Reporters: Aaron Del Castillo-Gutierrez Ashlee Tulk Miranda Palmas
Lucy Argaez Editor-In-Chief Justin George Managing Editor Skylr Scott News Editor Emily Beltran Circulation Manager
Advisers: Patrick Schmiedt Stacy K. Long
services department. To get a hold of the career and transfer services, you can find their contact information on Citrus College website. To speak to someone, call the number that pops up, and you’ll be connected to a person in the department. Schedule an appointment with a counselor for more one on one contact. Counseling appointments can be made through Citrus/your school’s website. Most students benefit from counselor appointments because of it being personal. An important thing to keep in mind is deadlines are key for when applying to a school. Most deadlines for Cal States are at the end of November. It is critical to regularly check the progress of your application to know what further steps you need to take. Your college may require you to create an account to proceed with your application. Although transferring may be hard, these are the steps that can help ease the transition and prepare you for success.
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News Flex from Page 1 person. The second way the class could be taught is by giving the students the choice to attend class virtually or in person. Hyflex could be used to support students who are unable to attend in person classes due to special circumstances. “There may be a situation where a faculty member will have their camera on and have the Zoom session going during their class so that students who may be under quarantine orders or for other reasons that are unable to come to campus can attend the class,” Chief Information Services Officer Robert Hughes said. Instructors have not implemented the Hyflex model of teaching for the winter or spring 2022 semesters, but the classes can be changed at the professor’s request. Class availability could change with Hyflex, allowing for more students to enroll in a class. “It opens up our facilities to really eliminate any limitations regarding classroom capacity,” Hughes said. Honors history professor Senya Lubisich piloted the program in October 2019 and said she believes that Hyflex could bring more students to Citrus. “If you are out of the area but Citrus has a class that you want to take, you have the option to log into Hyflex and participate and then you can definitely attract students from other areas,” Lubisich said. “The ability for us to bring students in would really be wonderful for those programs and students.” If a class is changed to Hyflex teaching, the label for how the class is taught will also be changed on
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 3
CLARION Wingspan. It will appear the same way the label for synchronous or asynchronous classes appears. Hughes said that every class on campus was given cameras and had the ability to broadcast their classes via Zoom or Microsoft Teams. The funding for the cameras and their installation came from the federal government emergency relief fund from the CARES Act. On May 4, the Board of Trustees reviewed a purchase order from March that allocated $185,971.41 for Meeting Owl cameras. Citrus wanted to incorporate this to allow more flexible schedules for students who found it difficult to attend class in-person. Lubisich’s History 103C class was part of the study. Nine students in the class volunteered to attend virtually in room IS 109 while the rest of the class attended in person in room TC 123. The class was broadcasted using the Meeting Owl device. “Audio is the hard part just because the microphones pick up everything,” Lubisich said. “Students who were online said it was really distracting because if someone opened a package or if somebody was going through their notebook, or their backpack you would hear all of that.” A November 2019 staff memo said seven out of nine students that participated online said they would attend a class remotely if they had the opportunity. The second pilot of a virtual classroom was scheduled for spring 2020, but was not conducted due to COVID-19. “It was a very, very timely project because it was just a few months later, in March (2020), when the pandemic hit, and we had to teach all of our classes remotely,” Hughes said.
Promise from Page 1 the program. The Promise Program has received thank you emails and shout-outs from students over the years and many of the students have graduated and transferred to universities. Students who are in the Promise Program receive two years of payment for enrollment and their mandatory fees for fall and spring semesters covered. Students also receive a $100 textbook voucher. Justin Susi is also a completion specialist at the Promise Program, and he said he enjoys working with students in the program. “Leading multiple cohorts of first-time college students has been a great experience,” Susi said in an email. “I positively interact with diverse populations and initiate steadfast principles of inclusivity, equity and equality at Citrus College.” The Promise Program’s 2020 progress report showed overall persistence and completion of unit and GPA requirements, transferlevel english and math as well as student success and retention, Susi said. The Promise Program is important to students because they can attain an early awareness and readiness for college literacy and expectations. “Students who struggle in the Promise Program will get academic intervention, counseling, utilization of faculty early alert systems, oneon-one with completion specialists and student success workshops,” Susi said. Susi also said that the Promise Program is able to stay at Citrus College because of Assembly Bill ADVERTISEMENT
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19, the California College Promise Grant, which was passed in 2017. The bill waives student enrollment fees and includes a discount on their parking permits for the fall and spring semesters. The bill also discounts the student health fee for
all terms for which they qualify. Students who are enrolled at the Promise Program get registration, health service, student representation and class pass fees waived and are part of a textbook voucher program.
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Inside the return 4 Tuesday, November 30, 2021
A few students and instructors had the chance to be on campus during the fall semester
Ne
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Darwin Perez adds parts to a cars engine on Nov. 24 in the automotive engine room.
Ceramics professor Michael Hillman teaches Jo
PHOTOS BY LUCY ARGAEZ
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM
Josiel Martinez scrapes off the remaining clay on the pottery wheel after removing her project on Nov. 22 in the ceramics room.
Justin Cheng is instructed on how to put a new spark plug into the cars engine in the automotive garage on Nov. 24.
ews
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Tuesday, November 30, 2021 5
osiel Martinez how to mould her clay on the pottery wheel for her final project on Nov. 22. in the ceramics room.
Hashem Savaedi and Marisa Cabral-Muñoz perform a scene about a married couple having financial and marital problems on the sidewalk in front of the Haugh Performing Arts Center ticket booth on Nov. 22.
Sofia Plüss and Haley Hopkins perform a scene about two friends about to go on a date while on a trip on the sidewalk in front of the Haugh Performing Arts Center ticket booth on Nov. 22.
Tyler Kanemoto and Deanna vazquez perform a scene about a man with a problem in a future setting on the sidewalk in front of the Haugh Performing Arts Center ticket booth on Nov. 22.
SUMMER 2022
KYOTO, JAPAN JUNE 24 – JULY 23, 2022
Enroll in 3-6 CSU/UC transferable credits next summer!
STUDY ABROAD WORK TOWARD YOUR DEGREE OVERSEAS! Visit www.citruscollege.edu/studyabroad for up-to-date program information and meeting dates.
FALL 2022
LONDON, ENGLAND SEPT. 8 – DEC. 2, 2022
Enroll in 12 or more units of CSU/UC transferable credits next fall!
News
Board to appoint new member by January
CLARION
Tuesday, November 30, 2021 7
Board of Trustees seeks applicants to fill the area 3 vacancy left open by the death of Edward Ortell STAFF REPORT
CONTACT@CCCLARION.COM
After the death of board member Edward Ortell, Citrus College approved a process to fill his seat at the Board of Trustees Nov. 16 meeting. Administrative Procedure 2110 says the vacancy will be posted by the superintendent/president in three public places across District 3, which includes Duarte and portions of Azusa, Monrovia, Arcadia, Covina and Irwindale, and in at least one general circulation newspaper. The applicants must meet the qualification requirements to become a Board of Trustees
member. An application will be sent to the candidates with needed information and must be returned by 5 p.m. Dec. 8. During the Board of Trustees meeting on Dec. 14, the board will interview the candidates in a public hearing with final selection made by a majority vote of the members of the Board of Trustees. Then a decision on who will fill the vacancy will be published Dec. 19. The new appointee will assume office during the regular board meeting on Jan. 18, 2022. An appointee that fills a vacancy shall hold office until the
ILLUSTRATION BY SKYLR SCOTT/CLARION
next regularly scheduled Board member election on Nov. 8, 2022. Ortell’s death leaves a vacancy in the board’s Area 3, which the board must fill by appointment within 60 days. Trustee Anthony Contreras was appointed to represent Area 1 by the same process in 2020 after the early resignation of Barbara Dickerson.
The Citrus Singers rehearse a scene for “Christmas Is...” on in 2016 at the Haugh Performing Arts Center.
CLARION FILE
Haugh revives annual performance of ‘Christmas Is...’ STAFF REPORT
CONTACT@CCCLARION.COM
The Haugh Performing Arts Center’s annual celebration of “Christmas Is…” is back after being Cancelled last year due to COVID-19.
The Visual and Performing Arts division will put together a performance of new and classic songs at 2 p.m. Dec. 5, 11, 12 and 18 in the Haugh Performing Arts Center. The broadway-style production features a cast led by the iconic
Citrus Singers and accompanied by a live orchestra. Tickets are on sale on the Haugh website. They are $15 for Citrus College students, faculty and staff. Masks will be required regardless of vaccination status.
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8 Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Plan more, stress less: BY SKYLR SCOTT
NEWS EDITOR
SSCOT T@CCCLARION.COM
The winter holidays are a joyous time full of spirit and happiness but are clouded by the stress of finals week. While making vacation plans and looking forward to gathering with family, the stress of finals is always looming, not allowing you to enjoy the anticipation until the week is over. For some people, knowing that the holidays are around the corner motivates them through finals week. For people like me, it only makes it worse. My laziness rolls in as the semester comes to an end. I see the finish line and want to go every way but through finals week to get to it. I let my blankets encompass
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me in the cold weather rather than studying or writing essays. Teachers tell us to push through, but I’d rather kick my responsibilities to the curb. Although that is the dream, as a college student with responsibilities, I have to persevere and find a way to get my stuff done. I have found the only way to get through finals week, is to get through the 15 weeks before it. It starts at the beginning of the semester. When classes first start, I download each class schedule from the syllabus and jot down how the semester is planned out. This allows me to prepare, or at least get mad at myself later on when I pretend I didn’t see assignments, essays and tests coming. From there, I try to adhere to deadlines and plan accordingly
Tips for finals week success: Start early: Ask for lesson plans and class schedules ahead of time.
Plan accordingly: Balance your time wisely to create a reasonable deadline for all your assignments. Listen: When the teacher says to start an assignment, jump on it so it won’t catch up to you later. so I am not pushing my research paper that I started in week five and never touched again all the way until finals week. As the dreaded week approaches, I make sure I don’t go into break mode too soon and adhere to my normal routine.
ILLUSTRATION BY SKYLR SCOTT/CLARION
Proper planning, studying and mental health care turn finals week from a nightmare into a breeze What makes finals week harder than the rest is the weird schedules and the irregularly scheduled meetings. Many teachers will cancel their online class the last week of the semester as long as their students finish their final by a certain time. Personally, if given the option to not attend class and take an exam on my own time rather than take it during a regularly scheduled class, I will not pick the latter, but I will also suffer from it. Instead of taking the time that I have allotted on a specific day and time for 15 weeks to do an hour assignment, I will instead wait until 10 p.m. the Friday it’s due to complete it. In theory, the steps I take to prepare seem fool-proof but there are many things that prevent me from completing them. As a college student, what I’ve learned is more important than
“Don’t cram your work. Get a good night’s sleep. Eat a good breakfast. You’ve made it through 15 weeks; one more is nothing.” preparation is mental health. If I’m not doing self check-ins during those 16 weeks and instead I’m pushing myself to my limit, I run out of energy before the semester is over. Being realistic, sometimes I have to push a little harder even when I am not feeling it, but I must remember afterwards to take time for myself. During finals week, it is critical to stay calm and care for yourself. Don’t cram your work. Get a good night’s sleep. Eat a good breakfast. You’ve made it through 15 weeks; one more is nothing.
INFOGRAPHIC BY JUSTIN GEORGE/CLARION