Clarion 4/4/23

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Good eats? Or just treats?

Price and nutrition determine what food is availible on campus, but students say they only see sugary treats and fatty snacks

classes,

The two main sources of food on campus are the various vending machines sprawled all over campus and the Owl Cafe. Some students’ perception of the vending machines is that they have some pretty good junk food but aren’t a good source of nutrients.

Engineering major Jason Gill said that although he likes most of the food in the vending machines, “it would be nice if we had something that wasn’t just pure sugar.”

Another student, Jiovani Machoul, said he wants the vending machines to stay sugary. Machoul says that he knows the food isn’t healthy but he isn’t the type to complain.

In the Owl Cafe, the perception is similar in that students like the menu but don’t think the food is nutritious.

The need for nutritious food on a college campus doesn’t all come down to just personal preference. Good food is also linked with increased mental function, which is especially important in a setting where students pursue higher education.

Harvard Health says that foods like berries, leafy greens and nuts are linked to better brain power, which is something to consider next time you grab a snack before going into a lecture or exam.

The problem is that these types of food are much less available than the bags of Munchies and Hot Cheetos found in the

“Nutritional information is included when developing recipes for menu consideration, however, the nutritional information is not the No. 1 factor in determining if a new item is added.”

vending machines across campus.

One reason this can happen is fresh healthy food can be more of a financial burden on food providers like Pacific Dining Co, the company behind the Owl Cafe. Representative for Pacific Dining Co. Jonathan McMahon said that Pacific Dining needs to account for the price they charge students when creating a menu.

“Nutritional information is included when developing recipes for menu consideration, however, the nutritional information is not the No. 1 factor in determining if a new item is added,” McMahon said. “We utilize a program, Menu Management Pro, that

Read Eats, Page 6

GradFest soothes a stressed student’s soul

Student services sets up help stations to prepare graduates for big day

What’s a little rain to an event like GradFest? Despite having to move to an indoor location in the Campus Center, GradFest delivered all the resources promised for students, whether they were eligible for graduation or not.

Ahtziri Vazquez, who is studying to be a doctor, said even though she won’t be graduating for a few more years, it’s cool to always be prepared. Vazquez wanted to come to GradFest to make sure she had everything lined up for her future.

“A lot of (the programs) are very cool,” Vazquez said.

Citrus College Dean of Enrollment Gerald Sequeira said he helped organize GradFest to “promote the graduation deadline and to get students the resources

they need for graduation and transfer.”

Some of the programs also promoted their end-of-the-year events such as the Career Transfer Center that is having a transfer conference March 31.

Sequeira also said the purpose of GradFest was to give students an opportunity to ask questions about graduation directly to the Admissions and Records help desk and have their questions answered faster and easier.

Sequeira wanted to remind students to go fill out an order for a cap and gown at the bookstore while they attend GradFrest.

Despite the rain forcing Gradfest from the campus center mall to inside the Campus Center building, Sequeira said there was still “more than a trickle of students coming in.”

One of those students was photography major Josh Alvarado, who made sure to get to GradFest by any means necessary. Alvarado walked from an art gallery through the rain until he found a friend with an umbrella and finally made it to GradFest.

“I ended up in the Student Center and I see this whole big gathering.. And then I see burgers and I was like, ‘Oh great, I made it to the right place!” Alvarado said.

Alvarado said he feels bad for everyone who didn’t attend GradFest because they missed out.

Counselor Eric Sanzon was giving away bookmarks at the Counseling and Advisement table with QR codes that would direct students to a website where they could make appointments with counselors.

Sanzon said he wanted to use

GradFest as a way to prepare students who are graduating and to spread the word about resources that are available to all students at Citrus.

One of those resources was a grad check, where students could check

their graduation requirements with a counselor to see if and when they will be ready to graduate.

The deadline to apply for spring 2023 commencement and graduation is April 14.

citrus college CLARION Online at ccclarion.com Volume LXXVI • Issue 9 Tuesday, April 4, 2023 /ccclarion @ccclarion @ citruscollegeclarion
ROBERT DAVIS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Charlyn Garcia picks up some swag at GradFest in the Campus Center March 29. ROBERT DAVIS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Psychology major Kevin Ayala grabs a bag of Hot Cheetos from a vending machine in the Owl Cafe on March 20.
On a walk between
a student might have gotten hungry but noticed that the only things available on campus seem to be processed, unhealthy foods. The truth is that there are some good eats at Citrus, but they can be hard to find.

Singers’ director plans retirement

After years teaching and conducting Citrus Singers, Douglas Austin Shrope will retire before the upcoming fall semester

One of Douglas Austin Shrope’s memorable experiences from teaching at Citrus came when he flew to New York and sat in a house seat of a packed Broadway show. He saw a former Citrus Singer and student of his, Shawna Hamic, as a lead actress in a new show that was written for her.

“I will never forget that night in New York,” Shrope said.

Shrope gave his best to the Visual and Performing Arts Department of Citrus College. Now, after 38 years, he will take a final bow as he plans to retire on Aug. 1.

“I still really love my job,” Shrope said. “I just do know that I want to do some other things with some of my time, before perhaps I’m too old to do that.”

Shrope’s journey began in the summer of 1985 when Citrus College needed a music instructor to teach the chamber chorale.

Shrope applied for the job after being recommended by Greg Hinrichsen, the former director of the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

For his interview, Shrope was asked to bring a different piece of music each day to teach to the students within an hour for three days straight.

Shrope got the job and began as a part-time instructor at Citrus College.

Shrope’s most significant contribution to the college has been as the director of the Citrus Singers, a well-renowned performance group created by Ben Bollinger in 1968.

During his time at Citrus, Shrope directed the chamber chorale, created and produced the women’s ensemble, was one of the codirectors of the musical theater program and was the creator and codirector of the summer high school musical theater program.

Shrope also added musical technique and theater production classes at Citrus.

He helped create the musical jazz band Night Shift alongside Bob Slack, a retired professor and dean, and Gino Munoz, its current director and former Citrus Singer.

Shrope became a full-time faculty of vocal music at Citrus in 1994 and took over all of Bolinger’s duties, including one as the director of the Citrus Singers in 2006. His career furthered his childhood passion for music.

Born and raised in northern California, Shrope grew up in a family that loved the arts. Both of his parents were in the theater. In addition, his father sang, and his mother played the piano, so he learned to play the piano at a young age.

“I was around theater all the time ’cause I would go and see my parents in shows and go see the things that my father did,” he said.

Shrope said he grew up in a family where he was exposed to the arts a lot and had a lot of opportunities and support.

He said he was fortunate to be in a junior high and high school with a strong music and theater program that nurtured his interest.

“I had the opportunity to excel, to participate a lot, to learn a lot, and to have mentors who really helped guide me,” Shrope said. “I credit a lot of my becoming a college professor in music to my high school music teacher and my high school theater teacher.”

Shrope graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a double major in music and theater.

For almost a decade after graduating, he worked as a performer and musical director for different productions before becoming a professor and following in his father’s footsteps as a community college teacher.

Shrope is committed to his work; he said some weeks he is on campus from 8 in the morning to 10 at night without a break, which he has done for 38 years.

He also said he is on campus most weekends, but that’s OK since it goes with the job.

“I love my job, I really do,” Shrope said. “ … It is a lot of energy, and it is a lot of focus, and it is a lot of time. Fortunately, it is really creative, and I really love it. It is extremely gratifying to watch young people grow, to explore things that they are so passionate about… and to excel in the skills and talents, and passion that they have. That, to me, is what has kept me here.”

Shrope said working at Citrus demands an enormous amount of time because he is involved in programs with so much rehearsal

and performance time and many arranged hours, which means lots of six-day and seven-day work weeks.

“I do not take a day off from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas day,” Shrope said. “Neither do the Citrus Singers.”

Even though Shrope spends loads of time working, he is always positive and says it because he loves what he does.

Shrope said sometimes he might be a little tired, but then he walks into class, and 20 minutes later, he feels great because music is being made and the students are doing fantastic work.

“To me, my days are really very positive,” Shrope said. “I like my classes. I like my students. I love the productions that we do.”

Emilio Pichardo, a music major and current student of Shrope, gushed about him as a “supreme, greatly inspiring, kind, and very caring” person.

Pichardo said there are times when Shrope has offered him energy drinks and snacks from his fridge after he’s had sleepless nights.

“He is always looking out for every single person,” Pichardo said. “No one ever feels not cared for working with Doug.”

Another student, Micheal Keleshiam, described Shrope as friendly and selfless.

“I know some teachers, they feel like they are your teachers and they are just there to teach, but he feels like he is there as a friend,” Keleshiam said.

Munoz, a former Citrus Singer and student of Shorpe now turned colleague, also described Shrope as a tough but fair teacher.

“As a friend, he has helped me through the hardest time in my life,” he said. “As a colleague, I will miss his work ethic and his ability to influence young people to work hard.”

Munoz said he had learned many valuable lessons from Shrope.

“I feel quite lucky and blessed to have such an amazing colleague,” he said. “He will be missed incredibly.”

Shrope said partnering with so many wonderful instructors at Citrus has been great and that he has been in a community that he loves.

He also said he is fortunate to work in a music department and a division of art where everyone is a positive teacher.

“I am filled with a department of “What can we do for the students? How can we improve the students?’ and not just phoning it in,” he said.

Shrope has taught at Citrus for over half of his life, and the interesting thing, he said, is that it has become common for him to have

students who are the children of, or are in some ways related to, former students of his.

Shrope has also taught numerous students who have gone on to star in different Broadway shows and musical productions or have become educators themselves.

Another memorable experience for Shrope was the day that a student called him and told him he had landed his first job teaching music in a community college and that his goal was to pattern himself after him by teaching the same music that Shrope taught in his first semester.

Shrope said knowing that someone else will do what he did and get the experience of motivating the next generation of musicians is wonderful.

“To me, the students are the recognition of my work,” said Shrope, despite sitting in an office adorned with many awards and plaques.

Shrope said his former boss, Bolinger, said, “When it is time to retire, you will just know… both for you and for the student getting the best of everything they can.”

Shrope said he remembered the words of his former boss late last year when he thought about retiring.

“I don’t want anyone to think that I am indispensable,” Shrope said. “I want to think that the Citrus Singers program will go on for decades after me.”

Shrope said he wants someone new to come in just like he did and open new doors while continuing with all the traditions that are done and to infuse new options, ideas, and energy for all the students coming in the next decade.

Shrope said retiring would be hard because of the routine changes. However, he said that despite the days varying, his life suddenly having much more free time will be noticeable.

Shrope said he would spend more time with family, travel, and see shows after retiring.

He said he wants to have some “me time,” which includes exercising more, spending time outdoors, and having more of a social life by seeing friends he doesn’t get to see often because of time consumed by work.

He is also eyeing a hobby pickleball.

He also said he wants to rebalance, give back some time, and be more present in the home part of his relationship.

Shrope said he had done a lot and is grateful for it, but more than anything, he is proud of what he has accomplished with his students.

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Features 2 Tuesday, April 4, 2023 CLARION
Douglas Shrope conducts the Citrus Singers during rehearsals in Room 133 of the PA Building on March 8.

Faculty salaries raised

Citrus College Faculty Association and district reach mutual agreement

Full-time faculty at Citrus received a 10% raise in salary after an agreement between the district and the Citrus College Faculty Association that went into effect Jan. 1. As per the agreement that established this initial pay increase, salary will gradually increase until it reaches an overall increase of 19% by 2025.

The raise in salary was received well by the full-time faculty at Citrus, as was shown by history professor and president of the CCFA, Senya Lubisich. Lubisich wrote in an email that “the salary increase had a significant impact for faculty and that it felt like a recognition for work that faculty did during the pandemic.”

Lubisich also called the salary increase “one of, if not the most, generous salary augmentations, in recent memory/history.”

Lead negotiator for the CCFA and automotive technology professor Dave Brown wrote in an email that as a result of the increased pay the “overall mood/morale that (he) detect(s) has improved markedly” among full-time faculty.

However, the salary increase was not universally well received as some faculty found that it could have come sooner and in a greater amount.

Brown wrote that the district benefited from cost of living adjustments in July 2021 and July 2022 that totaled to more than 11%, which is still less than the 10% salary increase reached in the agreement.

Brown also wrote that there could be problems with cost of living adjustments in the future as a result of this agreement.

“The projected COLA for 20232024, from which the District will benefit, is projected to be 8% or more,” Brown wrote. “Our next scheduled increase as a product of this agreement is 2% in July of 2023. … You can decide if that’s fair.”

English professor Jamie Dingman said she found that the agreement did not accurately address cost of living adjustments.

“I would like to see that salary would increase yearly according to cost of living,” Dingman said.

Dingman also added that the

Save the planet

A clothes exchange is scheduled for Earth Week

Conservation is hollering this April’s Earth Week with a Citrushosted event — a wardrobe exchange outside of Hardy Campus Center for the first time.

salary increase was late.

“It’s long overdue,” she said. “It’s always overdue.”

Speech professor John Fincher also said he felt the salary increase was overdue but added that the salary increase was at least “a beginning.”

Studio arts major Blake Hall said he felt that it was a shameful fact that educators in the richest country in the world feel that they are still underpaid even at the college level.

“Ultimately if you’re working fulltime, you should be paid more than your cost of living,” Hall said.

Head negotiator for the district Robert Sammis said that the salary increase was fair and “the ratification vote by the faculty strongly indicates that the faculty are satisfied with the salary agreements.”

The margin of approval for the agreement was 123-1.

Gone but never forgotten

legacy

Douglas Arnold Rollin, a longtime staff member at Citrus College, died March 14. He retired in 2007, and he was 79 years old. No service has been announced.

Rollin’s career at Citrus began in 1974 as a student employee and climbed to dean of students in 2004. He had jobs throughout campus between, all while earning degrees to a doctorate.

Rollin was the trade book manager in 1974. He was the student body bookkeeper in 1980 and interim student/activities coordinator in 1981. Before serving as the associate dean of students in 2001 and dean of students in 2004, he was the interim director of student affairs and auxiliary services. He balanced accounting teaching with music endeavors like songwriting

workshops.

His policy was to teach about the different parts of subjects.

He earned his associate degree in 1975 at Citrus. He completed his bachelor’s of science from Cal Poly Pomona. In 1997 he completed his doctorate in education/education leadership from the University of La Verne.

“Dr. Rollin was a kind, gentle, caring and thoughtful person who truly cared for the success of

our students,” Eric Rabitoy, dean of Natural, Physical, and Health Sciences said in a memo to Citrus College colleagues. “During his time at Citrus College, he focused his efforts on ensuring that our students were successful in their endeavors and received the services they needed in order to reach their academic goals. He was 100% dedicated to this situation, as both a student and an employee. I will always remember his smile, because he displayed it for all to see each and every day.”

Growing up, Rollin formed multiple bands, even attended schools under music scholarships, like Citrus. His band played at Disney. They went cross country. Rollin’s obituary is on echovita.com Rollin is survived by a wife, Sunny, and a daughter, Allison, a son-in-law Eli Hudson and grandsons Isaiah, Phoenix and Griffin.

Student journalists win awards

journalism professionals. The students were Robert Davis, Gwen Ryan and Zac Quintanilla.

The ins and outs of the convention gave the aspiring the feel of a professional newspaper.

The Clarion did well in the competition portion at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges from March 9 to the 12 at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco, with others aspiring. Three of the staff were awarded a total of six recognitions. Logos magazine was also honored.

Separated for the working hours, three representatives from the Clarion student body and the current adviser, Patrick Schmiedt, worked and listened to top notch

All but one winner were previous publications from 2022.

About 25 community colleges from the state were present, and more than 700 students from across the country showed up for more than 100 workshops. These lessons helped Clarion practice to launch its new TikTok account.

Former Clarion editor-in-chief, Mark Snow, also completed his year-long term as the JACC state student president. Schmiedt was an institutional supporter.

You can donate April 4 with usable, washed clothing to rummage through other donated attire for free and keeps for the whole day. Anything can be donated, except for belts and undergarments. Swapping is allowed for staff and students, boys and girls. There is a ten-article limit.

Altogether, recycled clothing saves landfills by tons and tons of pounds. The target and spearhead is to eliminate the wasteful brand of clothing known as “Fast Fashion.” This line of apparel causes damage to the environment and public health. It doesn’t last on the rack and drives more purchases that consume. Swapping sustains positive consumption.

The Campus Center has

information surrounding Earth Week’s celebration for the entire week.

This is a production through Sustainability Fellow. Hootie’s Closet is hosting a career advancement through business cards, resources, interview tips and headshots all while having their own professional attire swap on April 6.

Another program will had donations until March 31 for the needy at SS 279.

To list our publication winners:

n Informational graphic: Mark Snow, third place

n Online photo story essay: Mark Snow, fourth place

n Editorial: Clarion staff (written by Mark Snow), fourth place

n Sports feature photo: Rhys Teuber, honorable mention

n Magazine cover design: Cesar Aguilar, honorable mention

n Sports Photo Competition: Robert Davis, honorable mention

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Full-time history professor Michael Ray gives a lecture to his honors history class March 20. ZAC QUINTANILLA - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Reverse consumption April 4 by exchanging your clothes for other’s. ROLLIN
SUMMER 2023 DUBLIN, IRELAND JUNE 30 – JULY 29, 2023 FALL 2023 ROME, ITALY AUG. 31 – NOV. 25, 2023 Enroll in 3-6 CSU/UC transferable credits in the summer! Enroll in 12 CSU/UC transferable credits; financial aid available! STUDY ABROAD WORK TOWARD YOUR DEGREE OVERSEAS! Visit www.citruscollege.edu/studyabroad for up-to-date program information and meeting dates.

Professor publishes book No. 28

A tour of the world produces a lifeblood book

Citrus College English Professor Dale Salwak published his most recent book “The Life of the Author Nathaniel Hawthorne” in November of 2022.

Salwak has published an astounding 28 books, his most recent is a part of a collaborative “Life of Series,” grouped in with prominent figures John Milton, Maya Angelou and Shakespeare.

“I always knew that I’d write this book,” he wrote in his novel. “My interest in Hawthorne goes back to 1957 when, as a youngster, I made my first journey with my family from Amherst (where I was raised) to Salem, Massachusetts.”

TheC

The Clarion will en end of this spring.

There, he found a copy of Hawthorne’s book “The House of the Seven Gables” to which he read the opening line, describing the place he had just visited.

“This passage stuck a deep chord within me. … After many decades, the novel continues to resonate in my memories of musty smells and haunting sounds,” he wrote in his introduction.

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From that day forward, Salawk then began reading and teaching about Hawthorne, then using these years of experience to create his book. However, even with all this experience, Salwak needed more to accurately tell the life of Hawthorne.

His hope for the book was to “enable others to gain insights into his innermost thoughts and ideas,” he wrote in his introduction.

“Most crucially, I want to convince my audience that Hawthorne still matters.”

to Salem, Concord, Brunswick, Maine, Berkshires, Lennox, West Newton, West Roxbury, Liverpool, London, Paris, Florence and Rome.

He explained the reasoning behind his travels in his book.

time and money…’ My response, as acerbic as it may have sounded, was as follows: ‘I’m going there because life is not found in the bloodless Internet. Life is found in real places.’”

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Doing so was a long process for Salwak, consisting of traveling

He acknowledges this, explaining that his book is “free from what Henry James referred to as the shackle theory, aimed at the general reader with little knowledge of Hawthorne.”

nearly five decades of teaching and reading about Hawthorne.

“One student remarked, ‘Why bother? That’s why we have the Internet. You can do your research that way and save yourself a lot of

Yet, Salwak knew that these real places had been visited by many, some of which had also written books about Hawthorne.

Moreover, Salwak’s book is the first major biography about Hawthorne to be published in over 20 years and was written with his

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“The sheer joy of reading Hawthorne and now writing about him has impelled me to ponder deeply as to why I still am the way I am, albeit in different ways and from a different perspective- as shall be revealed in the chapters that follow,” he wrote in his novel.

The Clarion is Going Digital

The Clarion will end a 76-year run of printed newspapers at the end of this spring. The Clarion, though, isn't going anywhere. Stories, photos and videos will continue to be shared to ccclarion.com. By using the QR code at the right to sign up for our email newsletter, you'll keep up with all of the latest news from Citrus College and our surrounding communities

As the Clarion ventures into uncharted territory this spring, we want you to be the first to receive the Clarion's inaugural email newsletter. The weekly email will include stories from student journalists as well as news from around the area pertinent to Citrus College.

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Citrus College English Professor Dale Salwak’s 28th book, “The Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne.”

Round 3 Nugget King

Best ever?

If there was a Chicken Wars hall of fame, this battle between Chick-fil-A and the Habit would be inducted today.

All the nuggets in the competition before this seem gross by comparison. It almost seems like every battle after this will be a formality, because the winner of this battle will need to royally screw up to not make the finals. This might as well have been a championship battle because,holy smokes, did both competitors bring the heat, literally and figuratively.

With that being said, let’s see how it went down.

Right off the bat, the Habit’s breading was the epitome of crispness. Someone like the late Biggie Smalls might have remarked that he likes his chicken nugget breading like he likes his money: thick. And I couldn’t agree more with the fake version of him that I made up in my head. 10 points for the Habit.

The Chick-fil-A breading was much thinner but was still unexpectedly crispy for how thin the breading was. I can’t think of a rapper that would like thin money, but I still liked the crunch so that was 8 points for Chick-fil-A.

The aforementioned thick breading from the Habit seemed to seal in maximum chicken juiciness in the Habit’s nuggets. That breading was like a jailhouse and the juice might as well be R. Kelly because that juice was locked up! The Habit earned a 9 for juiciness.

Although the breading on the Chick-fil-A nuggets wasn’t

Eats from Page 1

calculates the cost of goods sold and a menu price.”

McMahon also included that there is a misconception that less expensive food needs to be less nutritional. McMahon said when designing a menu, both price and nutrition are taken into account.

But the main factor in deciding a menu is the preferences of

Chick-fil-A and The Habit dish out some of the best nuggets tatsed by the nugget master

maximum security, the Chick-fil-A nuggets were still about as juicy as nuggets could be. The thinness of breading made the nuggets taste even more juicy because the ratio of crunch to juice was much more sewed on the juice side. So more like Bobby Shmurda, the juice served its time. Chick-fil-A earned a 9.

The Habit also excelled in the tenderness category. These nuggets were like my confidence — they fell apart at the slightest amount of resistance — and the Habit earned a 9 in the tenderness category.

The Chick-fil-A nuggets were even more fragile than my ego. I’m talking melt-in-your-mouth tender. The thin breading helped these nuggets out again because the nuggets fell apart even easier without any hard shell. I would recommend these to anyone with bad teeth and anyone with good teeth too. Chick-fil-A earned a 10 for tenderness.

Both nuggets performed amazingly in the flavor category. They were two halves of the same coin. The Habit’s nuggets relied more on seasoning and were delicious and the Chick-fil-A nuggets relied more on the flavor and juiciness of the chicken, but both were equally flavorful. Both also tasted fresh and authentic. There were no hits of anything artificial in these nuggets, and they both earned a 9 for flavor and keeping it real like the Lost Boyz.

In the sauce category, the Habit absolutely killed it again. The nuggets came with ketchup, ranch and barbecue sauce, and all three were way above the standard in fast

customers.

FIlm studies major Christian Andreani said that although he likes the menu, he’d like to see more variation in the menu, as “usually it’s burgers and chicken tenders.”

Nursing major Neremiah Karjala actually found something that looked much healthier than the typical meal of burgers and fries commonly seen in the Owl Cafe

food dipping sauces. The ranch was particularly fresh and delicious, which earned the Habit a 9 in the sauce category.

The interesting thing about Chick-fil-A was that they didn’t have to go this hard in the sauce category. They could have given me one packet of Chick-fil-A sauce and earned a 9 or 10 but no. They gave me 1, of every single sauce they had! Unprovoked! The absolute mad men in the kitchen gave me 9, different sauces. They even gave me a packet of salad dressing. And on top of that all the sauces were good, especially of course the signature Chick-Fil-A sauce. If that doesn’t earn a 10, nothing should.

Both the nuggets were similarly priced and in similar quantities, but I still can’t believe the angelic workers at Chick-fil-A gave me every sauce without me even requesting one so they get an extra point. The only explanation I can think of is that the person who took my order forgot to ask so they just decided to give me every single sauce. Nevertheless, Chickfil-A gets an extra point. Actually, 2 points because I make the rules and that was the best customer service I’ve ever received.

This brings the totals to an astonishingly close and high scoring 46 points for the Habit and 48 points for Chick-fil-A. A nearperfect score for the tournament favorite!

To find who will have to face Chick-fil-A in the next round of the Chick Dinner wars, catch the next chicken nugget battle between the Carl’s Jr. star nuggets and the microwave maniac, Dino Nuggets!

with his Cajun Pita Sandwich.

“There’s some good stuff like this thing here, it’s on pita and it’s got vegetables,” Karjala said.

So if a person wants to see anything added to the owl cafe Menu, they can give Pacific Dining feedback on its website whether a person wants brain-boosting food or more sugary snacks.

Arts & Entertainment 6 Tuesday, April 4, 2023 CLARION
GWEN RYAN - CLARION Round 1 Round 2
ROBERT DAVIS - CLARION

Abortion: an unproductive shouting match

A divided array of opinions creates an unwinnable environment for debate

Are we all participating in an all around rat race when being confronted to make our personal opinions into a reality that shapes the lives of half the population when they seek to find a solution to a problem we don’t care to improve upon knowing? I’m talking about abortion legislation and civil rights. This country has only shed speeches out to the general public that include a minute amount of facts and stories, perpetually. We are not uncovering the art of holistics. Since when has the news had dialogue that pregnant women can identify with? It has been a 50 year public dispute since Roe v. Wade that derives its arguments from a philosophical well. Society has focused on philosophy to understand everything imaginable for many millennia. It is time to focus on gaining solid knowledge to solve our modern lives.

We as a society have been waging a hate crime, a public one, that offsets all to some. All has been in a conundrum of political proof. People strive to enhance social-status control atop a selfish regime when fingers point in the direction of fear and stern unity. No one has said anything nice to the other side.

Yet the issue of abortion in any case is so far out of hand that the public is divided into many factions of opinions.That plainly is not acceptance. The states to be on the forefront of the free world and make a strong acceptable presence need abortion solutions to do as the Constitution allows, so no one is left out and everyone is satisfied. Somehow, the Amendments should be sufficient, as they are agreed to be eternally of the people.

If those incharge agree on the value and magnitude of a life, which is difficult to establish, we should be able to come to an agreement. Someone must first crack the code: When does life begin?

There are many theories out there. Some strictly say the issue of life and death of a fetus must remain as an antiquated bond with the carrying mother: Till death or birth of the mother and child, no unnatural separation.

Some say the issue will remain stagnant since the outcome of either side is a toll on the quality of life. There are contending answers to the issue that suggest there are downsides to any negatively pressured mother who wishes to terminate the pregnancy, either way she chooses has a downfall.

Namely, if the expecting chooses to abort, living with the truth and

lies involved in the abortion in a negative climate of scrutiny can happen.

The science and regulation is currently blind and behind on the abortion subject. Some pro-lifers circumvent the transportation of appropriate abortion medicines.

Where there are exceptions to administer abortion in some states, there are some doctors who do not require the expecting to divulge her reasons for the abortion.

There are studies that point out that the issue is all around similar to “Don’t ask, Don’t Tell.” Where there is silence of the terminating mothers, in a time of need for solutions, there could be a permanent shutdown of transparency that never surfaces due to an array of negative emotions and persecution. I call it, “Close Call, Close All.” In other words, the woman in question withholds her own interest and outreach by remaining quiet on the subject after daring to have the abortion under negative circumstances.

I think we can all take note of the old question to help: Do men and women need each other? In short, yes. Whatever the circumstance, nature intends for communication and cooperation to secure the future using the mind with nature to transcend.

Make it stop: Citrus mobile app student feed ruffles feathers

The students call it Ctwitter, but for the past few months, the student feed of the Citrus College mobile app has been nothing short of a playground of raunchy memes and trash posting.

The feed on the Citrus College mobile app is an online social platform meant for students to interact outside of class, giving students access to help each other and receive information.

Sadly, some students have taken over the student feed to express their comedic minds in an unsavory manner, and I think this needs to be toned down because it makes the app less constructive.

Early before the start of the spring semester, I was scrolling on the Citrus mobile app to check for some used books and was surprised to find that my searches were tainted with sexually themed posts and intrusive memes.

The student feed has also seen a few political posts touching on sensitive topics like abortion and feminism.

A few posts from a new pro-life group recently stirred up some raucous and war of words on the student feed.

I am not against self-expression as that is a protected fundamental human right. However, I don’t think making fun of or attacking someone’s political views is OK, especially on the student feed, as there are other social media apps that fulfill this purpose.

Ignore it, take it somewhere else, or debate each other through private messages, not on the student feed.

It would also be nice if students would consider the feed a professional setting and refrain from posting things that would be frowned upon if done on campus.

The student feed has generated much concern that it was brought up at the Associated Students of Citrus College board meeting earlier this semester.

I spoke to student trustee Serena Mummert, and she said that an officer on the board brought up concerns about the misuse

of the student feed because of complaints he received from students and faculty members.

She said the student life department is working on ways to moderate the student feed.

However, the student body government on March 28 approved a motion to recommend the removal of the student feed to Richard Rams, vice president of Student Services.

Although the app contains a feature allowing inappropriate

posts to be reported, I doubt its effectiveness.

A post needs four reports to be taken down, but I think more need to be done to discourage students from making inappropriate posts.

Adding a dislike button to the student feed will be better at preventing students from making inappropriate posts and at least show that a specific population of Citrus mobile app users dislike the raunchy content being posted.

It would be nice if the app could

be patterned after the popular social media site Reddit, which allows for posts to be downvoted or disliked and hidden.

Reddit also hides the full display of posts that have received enough downvotes but allows users interested in the hidden post to intentionally see it by clicking on it.

Many Citrus mobile app users use the student feed to ask questions about class registration, financial aid and other things that pertain to their Citrus College schooling experience.

For shy students, this is a way to stay updated with what is happening on campus because different departments, such as the library, the golf driving range, counseling, admissions and records, and the financial aid office, regularly post information.

Posting drab memes can be a turn-off to students who want to use the app productively, as these posts get in the way of other important information.

And based on the student body government’s recommendation to do away with feed, it will be wise if students will do good in regulating their activities so as not to lose this mode of expression which will be a sad loss to all, even to those who are frustrated by it.

Opinion Tuesday, April 4, 2023 7 CLARION
Opinion Opinion ROBERT DAVIS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER A Planned Parenthood on Garey Avenue in Pomona, March 6. The debate on the merit and morals of these clinics is fiery and ongoing.
PHOTO COUTRESY PIXABAY, ILLUSTRATION BY ROBERT DAVIS The student feed received lots of complaints lately from students and staff as a result of content that is not safe for class.
Posting drab memes can be a turn-off to students who want to use the app productively, as these posts get in the way of other important information.

Professors return from enlightening journeys

Instructors use time off to develop resources for better teaching skills and student learning ability

Four Citrus College faculty members who completed their sabbatical leaves last year presented their project outcomes to their colleagues on Wednesday afternoon.

Patty Glover of cosmetology and Gailynn White of sociology took their sabbatical in the spring of 2022, while Elisabeth Ritacca of history and Ana Afzali of Spanish took their sabbatical in the fall of 2022.

Glover’s sabbatical focused on developing free, opensource materials and step-bystep instructional video content for registered Citrus College students.

These resources are distributed through the Canvas learning management system and YouTube platforms as additional resources for the cosmetology course – COS 191, Hair Design.

Glover said her original thought was to produce a book, but after talking to students, she found out they preferred videos because they are more interactive and flexible.

She said students have adapted to remote learning since taking a break from in-person classes due to COVID-19.

Part of Glover’s sabbatical findings involves clarifying the misconceptions about cosmetology.

Glover said cosmetology is more than what people think it is. It is not a “second grade” course.

Glover said math plays a role in cosmetology.

She said mathematical concepts like geometry, which deals with shapes and sizes, are instrumental in hairdressing.

“Every haircut starts with a point and then moves into a line and then moves into different shapes,” Glover said. “… Math concepts help students do cohesive designs.”

Glover’s sabbatical findings will also help students improve the knowledge of their cosmetology toolbox.

Glover said knowing the names of cosmetological tools and how to use them is important for students.

Glover’s findings will also help cosmetology students adapt to a new law that reduces cosmetology program hours from 1,600 to 1,000 and increases the number of health and safety hours from 65 to 100.

White’s sabbatical focused on integrating educational technology to improve her skills in teaching sociology.

During her sabbatical, white improved her “proficiency in Canvas, SoftChalk and voiceThread.” These are educational tools that improve students’ online learning experiences.

White said the pandemic had taught her that student needs are changing.

She said students prefer online classes because they are more flexible. She said that while COVID-19 was horrible, it has taught her a lot of solutions.

White said the required textbooks and tuition costs prevent students from taking classes they want.

She said she didn’t believe in free textbooks because most are written for graduate students. She said understanding such books was difficult for English-learning students.

However, she found

“LibreTexts,” an open educational resource project funded by a grant, from which she chose a sociology book that she upgraded and imported into SoftChalk and Canvas.

SoftChalk is a digital learning tool that helps instructors create engaging lessons for online learning.

VoiceThread allows students to create projects and presentations by using different media. It also allows instructors and peers to comment on each student’s work for feedback.

White integrated SoftChalk into Canvas with videos and questions, which makes it more interactive.

She said everything, including the videos and other forms of media, is embedded into Canvas, so students don’t have to leave the Canvas site to access the materials elsewhere. This holds their attention and keeps them engaged.

Ritacca focused her sabbatical on creating a new environmental history course, History 172, that studies “environmental changes in North America and the resulting impacts on cultural, political, and social issues.”

Ritacca focused for the first part of her sabbatical on reading.

She learned that environmental history courses like the one she created are rarely offered in UC and CSU schools.

Ritacca focused for the other half of her sabbatical on the development of the course.

She said she hopes this course will attract more students to the college and that college students will take this course since it is an issue that pertains to this generation of college students.

This fall, the class will be

offered from 11:30 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays.

She said the class is not only for history majors but also for majors such as anthropology, political science and communications, among others.

She said many students would find interest in the course and that she feels a great desire to teach it because she is concerned with the climate crisis.

“Giving students a way to have that conversation will be great for the students and the college as a whole,” she said.

Ritacca said she has wanted to teach this for a long time but couldn’t find the time to do all the readings required. She is excited that her desires have come to fruition.

Afzali focused on creating lecture videos for Spanish 210 and 211 classes – intermediate Spanish speakers. These classes help Spanish speakers improve their writing, reading and grammar skills.

Afzali mastered using green screen technology, which she incorporated into her tutorial videos.

Even though the videos were created in her living room, through green screen technology, Afzali could take students on a journey to Spain to learn about the cultural history of the Spanish language, such as learning the history of the dollar, which

originated in Spain.

Afzali said all the videos comply with the Americans for Disability Act and are easily available to students via an electronic link or QR codes.

Afzali said her project consists of grammar, cultural, and writing tutorial videos “edited to professional standards.”

Her project also includes creating a manual for students and other faculty with links to all the videos.

She said these video lessons will be given to students each semester to “supplement course materials.”

She said the videos proved valuable in COVID-19 for remote learning and would reduce the need for tutoring.

She said students want flexibility and ease, and the ability to scan the code with phones to access the videos achieves that.

Afzali sampled some of the videos with her students. In her presentation, she shared video testimonies of how her students have benefited from the Spanish video tutorials she created.

Students who used Afzali’s tutorial videos said it helped them practice pronunciation and remember words better.

The students also shared how easily accessible the videos are.

“It’s like having a tutor with me all the time,“ one student said.

Afzali said that she is certain that the “creation of the tutorial videos will increase the success rates in Spanish heritage speaker courses” and “augment the number of students that will complete their degree in Spanish.”

Afzali said it was an extremely creative process and fun to think outside the box and create fun and engaging content.

News 8 Tuesday, April 4, 2023 CLARION
ABIODUN COLLINS- STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Faculty members Patty Glover, Gailynn White, Ana Afzali and Elisabeth Ritacca pose for a picture after their sabbatical project presentation in Room 159 of the CI Building on March 29.
“Every haircut starts with a point and then moves into a line and then moves into different shapes.”
Patty Glover Cosmetology instructor

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