EagleEye - The Rehydrated Edition (March 2023)

EagleEye

West Hills College Lemoore Student Newspaper

The Rehydrated Edition

2-EagleEye- March 2023 Meet

the SIs

By Lillian Atilano and Aliza Sanchez

SIs, or Supplemental Instructors, are tutors who aid students in various subjects they may struggle in. They are also fellow students, recommended by teachers and hired for their skills. Here’s a glimpse into who some of the SIs are and why they chose to teach in the first place.

In light of this season’s historic rain totals—which are in stark contrast to the smokey summers and endless drought we’ve lived through—the students of EagleEye wanted to celebrate with an original title. We want to encourage West Hills College Lemoore students to appreciate the rehydration of water and student life as we splash into spring.

March Madness

By Jada Zuniga and Desiree Morales

Greetings Golden Eagles! As we enter into our first week of March, the student reporters of the EagleEye would like to remind you of the beauty that March brings. Summer is quickly approaching and the days are getting longer and warmer. The spring semester will soon come to an end and before you know it summer break will begin! (unless you’re taking summer classes of course) but hey! It never hurts to get ahead. Don’t forget to register for Fall 2023 and make sure to finish out this semester strong! For your convenience, here is a list of a few important dates in March that you should know.

Follow

● March 17th: St Patrick’s Day

● March 20th: First day of spring

● March 20th: 9 week courses begin

● March 20th: Drive-thru food distribution

● March 25th: Hearst Castle & Salmon Creek Falls

● Transition month, weather change / March ranges from a high of 70°F (21°C) to a low of 46°F (8°C)

● Every year, March and June finish on the same day of the week

Ari: English & Math

Who are you? Why did you become an SI?

Just like my name? I don’t like giving out my government name.

I graduated from West Hills in 2020. I used to be an art major, but I thought Psychology was more interesting. I would be a professional student if I could, but that’s kind of why I decided to become an SI. Being an SI has you both learning from people and also teaching them. You’re meeting all kinds of people from different walks of life.

Anything you want to add?

I just love my job— I really do.

I like all my other co-workers, and I like when we have things in common because we work on things together and teach each other.

I think every day is a learning experience.

March 22, 2023

A Letter from the President Golden Eagles,

Three years ago this week the world changed as COVID hit our country and in one week we went from a vibrant college campus to virtual operations for 18 months. We worked hard to provide innovative online education, strong virtual support services for students, and help students continue with their education during the challenging times; however, our buildings were empty and our campus was “dehydrated”. We returned to campus in Fall 2021 with safety protocols, masks, and determined to bounce back and reconnect and slowly we started to see more student life and smiles and engagement. This year we are splashing into spring and it has been so refreshing to see campus life back and better than ever with community events, athletic competitions, a new food vendor in our Student Union (Gotti’s Kitchen), students learning and getting support in the Library and at ACE (Academic Center for Excellence), and classrooms once again full of life! I want to thank you for being part of our rehydration story. During the second half of this Spring 2023 semester there will be many ways to connect and continue to bring the community back in community college and I want to encourage you to get involved and get connected. Priority registration for the 2324 academic year starts next week so be on the lookout for your e-mail about when you can register and be sure to lock in your classes early as our college is rehydrated and classes are going to fill up fast. See you on campus and stay Golden!

JAMES L. PRESTON PRESIDENT

Logan S: Math

Who are you? Why did you become an SI?

I’m Logan. I’m a business and math major. Things I’m interested in— well I play the bass. I think that about covers it.

SI to SI, do you want the pumped up version or the real one?

The real one.

I needed a job, saw the listing and thought it was something I could do.

Can I get the pumped up version?

The pumped up version is I saw the listing, and my desire to help students just couldn’t keep me from not applying.

Anything you want to add?

Umm, aside from the obligatory go to SI sessions, nope. Do you really do everything here? I don’t do english classes, and I like to think of myself more of the patchwork for SI essay review, but aside from that yeah I do a fair amount I’ll say.

Jovi: Science (Chemistry)

Who are you? Why did you become an SI?

Like what do you mean?

Like, who are you and what’s your major.

I’m a student at West Hills Lemoore majoring in computer science with my associates in Liberal arts, math and science. Outside of school I enjoy playing soccer and hanging out with friends, and getting interviewed. Just like everyone else I needed money.

I needed a job that was flexible with my school schedule since my major has a lot of time-consuming classes. I felt I would be beneficial to the students taking chemistry.

Anything you want to add?

No. That’s about it. That’s all there is. I stopped being an English SI, how about that one? Just the only Chemistry SI.

Author’s note: Besties with Professor Abela Enroll into the NC-100-L01 course shell to receive aid from these tutors and more! SI assistance will be held in the ACE lab, located in the library.

Fly high, Eagles!

TEAM EagleEye ~ Spring 2023

4-EagleEye-March 2023

Professors Are People Too

By Jada Zuniga and Colin Miyamoto

Dedication, sincerity, and selflessness are all traits that an instructor should possess. One instructor here at West Hills College Lemoore holds all of those traits and more. Professor Capozzi has been teaching at the West Hills Lemoore campus since January of 2021. Capozzi is a highly qualified instructor for the AOJ program due to her abundance of life accomplishments. She graduated from Fresno Pacific University in 2012 as a Criminal Justice major. She began her career journey as a correctional officer, then became a counselor and moved on to work as a parole officer for 19 years. She also taught Criminal Justice at San Joaquin Valley College for several years. One interesting fact about Professor Capozzi is that she actually has a book published in our very own West Hills College Lemoore library. The book contains several pieces from different authors. Capozzi’s piece is titled, “When Did You Become Black.” While Capozzi has greatly succeeded in her career, her life is much more than that.

While attending high school, she worked in the fields picking tomatoes and other vegetables. She was also an exceptional athlete. She ran track, played basketball, softball, and volleyball in which she was given several rewards. Professor Capozzi’s biggest value is her family. She has a 30 year old son, a 22 year old daughter, a 19 year old son, a baby son, two grandchildren, and a dog named Blue (She definitely prefers dogs over cats). When Capozzi isn’t working hard in the classroom; she enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and serving her community. She says that her dream vacation spot would be a food and wine tour in Tuscany. Her favorite food of all time is a sourdough bacon cheeseburger. She enjoys volunteer work and is involved in church ministry. Professor Capozzi loves the culture at West Hills College Lemoore due to the inclusivity. She appreciates how transparent the students are and has developed a real connection with them. She wants to help students make their own ideas and she encourages them to follow their dreams and pursue what they love. She gave us a quote that many of us should live by, “Never let money be your goal, and instead do something you actually love, because if you do something you love, you’ll be rich no matter what.”

8-8:50am (Friday hybrid/online)

and become a student author

Strengthen your writing/editing skills

Looks great on a resume Report campus events

Showcase your interests

Meet other successful students

Develop networking skills The course transfers!

Some Math with Shawn Jackson

Shamrock Magic Squares

With our unusual rain leaving the valley rehydrated, EagleEye held a poetry contest asking students to write poems using these words (Rain, Goldern Eagles and Banana/Banans). Here is the winner . . .

The Rain

By Soledad Cano

The constant rain in California has recovered the drought, soon there will be beautiful flowers no doubt.

But my bones rattle from

Shivers when walking to class and so stiff.

I am a golden eagle student drenched with water is my notebook and pen.

I pray for God to let this rain pass. My boots get wet, and my head goes bananas. My fingers are stone and feel like Alaska. I really hope I don’t have scleroderma…

The wind is so strong I fear my low weight will take me to space. I can’t believe it’s been raining for days.

The shamrocks have fallen onto the magic squares. In each shamrock, write the number that has been covered so that each row, column, and diagonal adds up to the number in the hat.

Find the answer on page 6

Got to have Gotti’s

By Juan Ledezma and Minel Diaz Contributor: Colin Miyamoto

Gotti’s is the new campus restaurant sensation located inside the Student Union. The food is more than just a meal; it is a “love language.” Gotti’s goes beyond simply providing food for the students but gives them tasty home-cooked comfort food. Gotti’s started in his garage selling tamales with his brother.

More recently they began Gotti’s Kitchen as a catering service in 2021. West Hills College Lemoore took interest in Gotti’s to cater for certain events such as the Hope event. Within the next year, West Hills College Lemoore offered Gotti’s a physical restaurant location starting in Spring 2023. This would be their first physical spot. Gotti’s has five employees which include friends and family.

When preparing Mexican food, they employ recipes from their parents. For American food on the other hand he creates his own dishes using local products. Gotti’s is open to student suggestions to improve their menu.

A little fun fact: Gotti’s personal favorite food is cheeseburgers.

The Impact of Professors’ Political Bias: Survey

By Jose Barraza & Lillian Atilano

As politics become more polarized, there have been more conversations about professors pushing political agendas in their classrooms. Acknowledging your political bias is one thing, but dominating the room to discourage opposing opinions is another: It can disrupt classroom activity and, in some cases, take from student’s education. So, we decided to ask students about their experiences regarding their professors’ political biases.

Our survey asked 100 students these questions:

What political affiliation have you noticed any of your professors leaning towards?

43.2% of students noted professors with centrist or no-bias positions. This was followed by liberal professors with 32.6% of the total, and then conservatives with 24.2%. When broken down into specific leanings, 30.7% of respondents specified moderate conservative professors and 12% very conservative professors. Moderately liberal professors were observed by 29.3% of respondents and very liberal professors by 28%. This matches up with the results of multiple other surveys done at colleges around the country: A centrist majority followed by liberals and lastly conservatives.

Have you ever experienced unsolicited or improper conduct from any of your professors regarding their political stances?

29% of students reported that they experienced inappropriate political conduct from their professors. 50% of the professors were noted to be conservative and the other half liberal.

Have a professor’s political biases impacted you or your performance in class?

80% of respondents said they were not impacted in any way by a professor’s political biases, while 7% said they were impacted positively. Of the 13 reports of negative impact, 36.8% of these students reported liberal biases in the classroom and 42.1% conservative biases.

Key Findings:

The majority of professors recorded had no bias and there is a fair mix of liberals and conservatives on campus. Only about a quarter of students had experienced improper conduct from their professors, and the majority of students are not at all impacted by their professor’s political biases.

6-EagleEye-March 2023

By Luis Moreno

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania did not live up to its full potential. The movie was supposed to set up Kang the Conqueror as the main villain of Phase 5, and it did not do him justice. He did have some great scenes overall, but he could have used more characterization. Kang was only being used as a steppingstone. M.O.D.O.K was a pointless villain and was only used as the butt of jokes. Bill Muray’s character looked like he would have a bigger role from the trailer but did not. Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne also needed more characterization because they did not do enough if anything at all. It is counterproductive because the movie was too long, and they could have done more with their characters. The CGI in some shots were terrible, and it was most apparent when characters were standing still in the Quantum Realm. The Quantum Realm itself was also heavily underused, and it felt like it was just a background. There were some upsides such as the bond between Scott Lang and his daughter, as well as the creatures and the designs we saw in the Quantum Realm. There were a couple of funny jokes, and Paul Rudd was charming enough to carry the movie. The end credit scenes seem like they are setting up a lot for the future of the MCU. Again, this is just my opinion. Go see the movie for yourself.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 2 Reviews

By Colin Miyamoto

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” took a shot at expanding the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) by exploring more of the Quantum Realm and introducing us to our main villain of Phase 5, Kang the Conqueror. Most of the characters were well written and played by great actors. The story and setting were also decent, but the movie was a bit long and had little action. The villains had missed potential, which makes me wish that they would do a lot more with them. The CGI also looks bad in some scenes, especially with M.O.D.O. K’s face sometimes. They could have explored the setting and characters a lot more than they did. This movie is a clear sign that Marvel has been rushing and releasing too many projects over the past couple of years, and with producers and executives stating that they will be taking things more slowly, we can only hope that things get better. While I do not mind the comedy in a Marvel film, and I even enjoyed some of the comedy in this one, it was more jokey than other Marvel films to the point where M.O.D.O.K was a comic relief when he should’ve been a lot more serious villain. But I think it is an overall good movie that had a lot of missed potential. It’s not amazing but it’s not the worst MCU film ever. This film has mixed reviews that are polarizing, but I would recommend that you watch this movie whether you are a Marvel fan or not so that you can form an opinion.

By Aliza Sanchez

Want a change from your usual playlist? Curious to hear what other Eagles are listening to? If you happen to enjoy Spotify, here is a list of songs submitted by the student body here at West Hills College Lemoore into one collaborative playlist brought to you by the school’s newspaper, EagleEye. Scan the code in your Spotify app. Enjoy and happy listening. Side Note: a few staff members also contributed; can you guess which ones?