We honor the loving memory of Professor Eun Kang.
In Memoriam /ccclarion @ccclarion @ citruscollegeclarion
See page 3.
citrus college
CLARION
Online at
ccclarion.com VOL LXXIV • Issue 5
November 25, 2020
New safety towers
Citrus adds 2 emergency phones BY RYAN URIBE
STAFF REPORTER
RURIBE@CCCLARION.COM
While Citrus College follows shut down guidelines, security measures increased for students and faculty with the addition of two new emergency light beacons. The towers and wall mounts serve to increase safety to anyone on campus at any time. Blue light emergency phones provide one-button access to campus safety 24/7 in case of an emergency and will also broadcast emergency notifications during a major incident, such as a natural disaster or anything that would cause grave danger to the Citrus GRAPHIC COURTESY CITRUS COLLEGE
CARES act cuts digital divide
Virtual salute
Annual Veterans Day event held online BY ANDREW PEREZ
STAFF REPORTER
APEREZ@CCCLARION.COM
Leveque. Tolano-Leveque said that there was a much heavier demand in spring and summer but as of October 30th the school has
The event began with a presentation of colors, followed by the national anthem and prayer. The attendees bounced their eyes back and forth across the screen, others choosing to bow their heads while some choose to stand in honor of those who served. Dustin Glover, a Citrus alumni, was the keynote speaker in Citrus College’s virtual Saluting our Veterans event Nov. 9 honoring those who served. David Rodriguez, a Citrus academic counselor and
Read CARES, Page 4
Read VETS, Page 4
BY ALEX MCCARSON
STAFF REPORTER
AMCCARSON@CCCLARION.COM
The 2020 CARES Act was passed by Congress in March as part of the initial COVID-19 relief fund. Funds passed in the CARES Act are assisting many schools in need during this pandemic such as Citrus College. According to the Citrus College website financial aid page, the school did receive $7,429,141 in CARES Act funds and planned to use $3,714,708 emergency financial aid grants to eligible students from
Read SAFETY, Page 4
PHOTO COURTESY UNSPLASH
last March all the way into the end of this fall semester. One of the ways this lump sum of money was allocated throughout Citrus was to provide technology grants for Chromebook laptops to ensure education for students who
don’t have the luxury of a laptop or computer device at home. “The school has purchased 1,000 Chromebooks from the CARES act and planned on distributing 500 in the fall and 500 in the spring,” said dean of students Maryann Tolano-
2 Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Opinion
CLARION
REVIEW
Rags and riches, cities and suburbs BY JUSTIN GEORGE
FEATURES EDITOR
JGEORGE@CCCLARION.COM
The Citrus College Theatre Arts department and Haugh Performing Arts Center hosted a virtual performance of “Sonnets for an Old Century” by Jose Rivera on Oct. 16 online. The performance was directed by acting instructor Jeremy Lewis. A link and password to the performance was provided on the Haugh PAC’s website between 6:45 p.m. and 9 p.m. with free admission. The video was recorded in natural scenery, with effects such as fades and flashes added in post. Each character’s monologue was delivered while sitting on a log in front of a background of forestry. The diverse characters came from rags and riches, cities and suburbs and various age groups and ethnicities. The characters’ words represent the last piece of
themselves they leave behind in the universe. Their monologues recounted trivial experiences from their daily lives: watching a polluted sunset in Los Angeles, having sex in an apartment under a leaky roof, battling a brain tumor and getting struck by a vehicle in the city among other moments. Theater students managed to deliver compelling monologues despite not having an audience to interact with, nor their typical setting to perform in. The costumes and accents were thoughtfully chosen for characters. The setting, however, was constant throughout the play and wasn’t always consistent with the character’s experience. The video format opened up new possibilities such as on-screen text and fading transitions, which the production took advantage of. Jose Rivera’s play bears a special relevance in today’s world, when our own daily lives
PHOTO COURTESY UNSPLASH
have changed course. The pre-show description described America in the 2000s, when the play was published, as “purgatory,” where characters
have “one last chance to leave a piece of themselves behind to build a better world.” As we live through a global pandemic, systemic racism and
divisive politics, “Sonnets for an Old Century” reminds us that we can call upon our own life experiences to make the world a better place.
OPINION
The Affordable Care Act is essential in a pandemic BY ANDREW PEREZ
STAFF REPORTER
APEREZ@CCCLARION.COM
The (2018) case of Texas v. The United States the Supreme Court will decide whether the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is constitutional. With Amy Coney Barrett being confirmed as the newest Supreme Court Justice on Oct. 27, the healthcare plan may be in danger. President Donald Trump nominated Barrett on Sept. 26 and she was approved by the Senate on Oct. 26 by a vote of 52-48. Barrett fills the vacancy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to solidify a strong conservative presence of 6-3 on the court. The New York Times reported Barrett supported an ad for overturning Roe v. Wade; highlighting her bias towards conservative ideals. With the Affordable Care Act being in the spotlight; many Americans could see a change in their healthcare. “My judicial appointments will do the right thing, unlike (President) Bush’s appointee John Roberts on Obamacare,” Trump said. Trump changed his tone at the (Oct. 15) NBC News town hall, saying that he did not want to influence his nominee in any way. Trump also said those opposed to getting rid of the Affordable Care Act will always protect people with preexisting conditions. Urban Institute who researches economics and social policy says with no plan ready to replace the ACA, a full repeal could leave a large portion of the population with less affordable healthcare, including people with preexisting conditions. This is not the time to remove the Affordable Care Act, which has benefited many people and is definitely a step in the right direction. Though it still is not perfect, repealing it would set those who need it most up for a financial and health nightmare. An October Center for American
PHOTO COURTESY UNSPLASH
Progress analysis shows 21 million working-age people of color have a medical condition that puts them at higher risk for severe illness due to COVID-19. People of color are also more likely to be front-line workers in the pandemic, Urban Institute said. COVID-19 is considered a preexisting condition. And with it still not under control; the repeal could hurt Americans severely– especially people of color. CAP analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed 16 percent of Black people, 20 percent of Hispanic people, 19 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native people, and 18 percent of Asian Americans were unable to
see a doctor in 2018 due to cost and only 10 percent of their white counterparts were also unable to see a doctor, Urban Institute said. The Los Angeles Times sourced Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady who said in April only 30% of the city is black however they have more than half of COVID-19 cases along with over 72% of deaths. Senate Republicans were opposed to the idea of filling a vacancy near an election in 2016 after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. In fact, only hours after the announcement of his death, Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell said that any appointment by President Barack Obama would be null and void, a story on npr.org
said. Despite it causing gridlock in the court due to only having eight justices and being split down the middle, Mcconnell said looking Obama in his eyes and telling him he would not fill the Supreme Court vacancy was one of his proudest moments, said npr.org in a story on the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016. Trump was able to dictate who decides law in our highest court. While the Senate rejected nominations from President Obama in 2016. President Trump appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. However, the Senate has decided they no longer wanted to wait to see who the next
president will be and instead allow a now one-term president to make decisions for a country that no longer wants him as their leader. With Joseph Biden becoming president-elect, the confirmation of Barrett into the Supreme Court is disgraceful. Barring any massive discovery of voter fraud as President Trump has claimed, yet has provided no evidence. The potential consequences of an incumbent president who did not win reelection choosing who decides law in our country instead of having a leader who represents the current climate of America is disheartening. Now there may be long-term consequences if the court repeals the Affordable Care Act.
Features
Wednesday, November 25, 2020 3
CLARION
Professor’s art featured at Metro station
BY DAISY MARTINEZ
STAFF REPORTER
DMARTINEZ@CCCLARION.COM
Citrus College Professor Michael Hillman is an accomplished local artist with a solid history of public art. His artwork will be featured in the upcoming Glendora L Line station as part of Metro’s Foothill L Line extension. The Metro L Line was previously called the Gold Line. The extension will run from Glendora to Montclair. The construction authority said “ Major construction began in midJuly 2020 and is expected to be completed to Pomona in 2025, and Montclair in 2028.” Hillman’s love of art was first inspired by his high school ceramics teacher, and he later pursued a career in art. He holds a master’s degree in art and two bachelor’s degrees in art and ceramics. Hillman has been teaching art for 35 years. He has taught at Citrus College for 22 years, inspiring his students in public art. Hillman chooses the concrete and colors for his design. He said he hopes people will admire the artwork he creates. Hillman’s design plan for the Glendora station landmarks is to build large glass oval columns topped with embellished dazzling glass tesserae, like stained glass art. He named his work “A Slice of Sunshine,” reflecting how he feels about Glendora. Glendora’s station fact sheet said that Hillman’s theme for the station “refers to a brand of citrus that was grown and packed in
RENDERING COURTSEY FOOTHILL GOLD LINE CONSTRUCTION AUTHORITY
the Glendora and the company’s slogan.” He also plans to use colored tiles to evoke imagery of citrus, orange groves, the foothills, bougainvillea, the brodiaea filifolia flower and water. Hillman works, teaches and lives in the city of Glendora. He knows the city’s history and landmarks well. Hillman said he’s been working on this project for years, “It can take one year to create the handmade tiles and mold them to the correct shape and size while the columns take about another year to complete,” he said.
Every city with an L Line station stop selects artists through the city-appointed station design and art review committees, known as SDARs. In 2015, the SDAR committee of Glendora reviewed the resumes of the five applying artists and selected Hillman for the Glendora station. The SDAR committee consists of one city member, one planning commissioner and three residents who work with the selected station artist. The funding assigned for station art is in the Foothill L Line project budget, providing funds for materials and compensation to
the artist. He is still working on the project but is almost finished with his work. He is waiting for the station’s structure to officially finish so he can start putting his artwork in place. He enjoys taking the L Line to theaters and to view public art. “I always liked the idea of public art,” he said. The station art inspired him to gather a school trip for his students to study public art by taking on walking tours. “Each stop has its own unique art of representing the city,” Hillman said.
Since Citrus is closed due to COVID-19, Hillman has had to work from home. “I had to create an art studio in my backyard,” he said. He initially wanted to involve his students with this historic project. Hillman said his plan was to “be the artist who creates the artwork and have the students be the advocates.” He said he hopes the students can still be a part of the project somehow. Hillman is excited and “incredibly honored” to interpret themes in his station art and show people the beauty of Glendora.
From the archives
After a two-year-long collaborative effort, the Citrus College Clarion archive is available on the web containing over 50 years and 1,000 issues BY JUSTIN GEORGE
FEATURES EDITOR
JGEORGE@CCCLARION.COM
After two years in the making, over 1,000 issues of the Citrus College Clarion are now available in a digital archive online. The collection spans from 1964 to 2018 and is easily searchable on the web. “It actually started on Twitter,” Librarian Sarah Bosler of the Hayden Memorial Library said. Patrick Schmiedt, adviser for the Clarion, tweeted about a similar project at a university in June 2018. They began researching options for digitizing the Clarion’s archive shortly after, which then lived in VA 236, the newsroom. Bosler said archiving the collection is much more complicated than putting paper on a scanner. “Taking inventory and finding out how many copies we had took about a year, it was a much longer process than we thought,” Bosler said. It required the help of multiple librarians. Part-time librarian Sandy Krause, who has a Master’s degree in Library Science, oversaw the details of the project. Bosler and Krause sorted through the archive, where some pages were missing or damaged. “We had to go paper by paper and look at them for completeness and find the best copies,” Krause said.
She said that Patrick had around 15 “moving-sized boxes” of student newspapers. Before February 1965, the Clarion was called the Collegian Owl. Bosler said it’s interesting to see how the paper’s masthead has evolved over time. “There are student newspapers going back to the beginning of the college that I couldn’t track down,” Krause said, which is why the collection goes back to 1964. When all 9,461 pages were accounted for, they were ready to be digitized. “The first step is getting the funding and choosing the vendors we want to work with,” Bosler said. Funding for the project came from a College of Completion Innovation Grant from the Citrus College Foundation. Schmiedt and Bosler applied for the grant and were awarded $2,500 in June 2018. “We spoke with some different companies and some different people and decided to work with a company called Backstage Library Works,” Bosler said. Backstage Library Works provided the professional scanning for the Clarion issues. The pages went through the process of optical character recognition, which makes the text searchable, Krause said. The scanned copies are hosted by
U.C. Riverside’s California Digital Newspaper Collection. In its database, over 1.5 million pages of newspapers from across California are searchable and free to read online. Bosler said that every now and then, “people in the community will ask us for information on something,” and when they do, “we’re always having to open up the newspapers sometimes and just flip page to page.” Now, with a digital archive, over 50 years of Clarion issues are conveniently searchable on the web and available 24/7, Bosler said. Krause said she hopes the collection continues to grow. “Some of the new born-digital issues will be going up there probably at the end of each semester; we’re still working out the details on that,” Krause said. On the CDNC’s website users can search for issues by calendar date as well as within issues using words or short phrases. Users can download PDF versions of issues after creating a free account on CDNC’s website. “We’re having our library staff look through the collection for interesting articles to share on our social media page,” Bosler said. “Hopefully we’ll have some good throwback Thursday posts coming up pretty soon.”
EUN KANG - PHOTO COURTESY CITRUS COLLEGE
Kang remembered BY LUCY ARGAEZ
NEWS EDITOR
LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM
English Professor Eun Kang will be remembered for her kindness and patience by those who knew her. She died on Nov. 12 and is survived by her two sisters and her parents. Kang was hired as a full-time faculty member in 2015 and taught Basic English Skills, Fundamentals of Composition, Composition/Critical Thinking and Children’s Literature classes. She received tenure in 2019. “Inside the classroom, she enjoyed sharing with her students her love and appreciation o.f literature and writing, and she delighted in helping them with their intellectual journeys,” Superintendent/President Geraldine Perri said in an email to the Language Arts and Library faculty and staff. Kang was a part of English Society and collaborated in the planning and development of the annual poetry
festival and other English Society events. She was also a composition instructor at the University of Akron, an SAT, ACT and MCAT instructor for Kaplan Educational Center and a private tutor in a variety of subjects including English composition, Korean and French. Perri said she will remember her “little acts of kindness that touched the hearts of many,” like leaving small tokens in the mailboxes of faculty members, remembering important dates and events and visiting other colleagues for a cup of tea. “Eun shared her entire spirit with others no matter the occasion, and her joy and genuine care were contagious and enhanced the experiences of others,” Perri said. “She loved to bring people together, generously gave of her time, and was very thoughtful in making her colleagues feel appreciated and valued.”
4 Wednesday, November 25, 2020
News
CLARION
Immigration divides voters
Anthony Ball, an Azusa Pacific graduate, were featured honorees. Rodriguez served in the U.S. Air Force and when he returned home pursued higher education at California State Polytechnic University and earned his master’s at the University of La Verne. He found his desire to become an academic counselor due to the impact counselors had on him and the value of having that guide. Rodriguez works as an academic counselor for Citrus College.
Ball, Azusa Pacific’s honoree, served in the U.S. Army. He served a tour in Iraq as well as a tour in Afghanistan. Glover joined the Marines in 2012 and said when he returned home there was a two-year period where he had no direction. He ended up at Citrus College due to friends telling him the pleasant experience they had. Glover graduated from Citrus. He said being a part of the Veterans Success Center made him become the person he is today. He found real joy in helping those like him find their
CITRUS COLLEGE
CLARION Ethan Landa - Editor-In-Chief Alana Daly O’Brien - Managing Editor Lucy Argaez - News Editor Justin George - Features Editor
The Clarion is produced by journalism students and is distributed every other Wednesday during the semester. Ads are not endorsed by the Clarion.
SAFETY from Page 1
Director of Finance and Administration Services Claudette Dain said, “these towers and mounts are strategically placed in high traffic areas so that regardless of what building one may be in they can still get to them in a relatively short amount of time. Dain also said, “if the campus ever decides to expand, there is a possibility of adding more beacons to the project.” Though there was no record available of how often these emergency beacons are being used, Dain said there has never been a life-threatening student or faculty emergency usage of the emergency beacons, thankfully. The project funds were allocated from the capital outlay fund for all emergency type projects. There is no tuition or tax hike of any kind. Dain said the average cost for each system is anywhere from $15,000 to 20,000. The second phase of implementation will continue with the addition of two additional blue light emergency phones by June 2021.
community’s safety. Similar to the previously installed beacons, these phone connections are wired with a hardline so that in case of an emergency where phone signals are affected the devices will still be functional. At the top of the pole, there is a beacon of blue light that goes off as an alert to help illuminate the area during an emergency. This portion of the college’s comprehensive emergency response plan is the second phase of development. Ben Macias, director of Citrus College Department of Campus Safety, said one tower will be adjacent to student services while the other is next to the mathematics building. Locations of the first four blue light emergency phones, originally implemented in the existing 2018 emergency plan, are located at the south exterior wall of the Field house, the north exterior of the gatehouse, the campus center and the east exterior wall of adaptive physical education.
way and even offered his help to those contemplating suicide. Glover said service taught him to appreciate the small victories in life and that things could always be worse— he could be in 120-degree heat or in the freezing cold with nothing. Superintendent/President Dr. Geraldine M. Perri acknowledged the differences in this year’s event being at home, however said the school was still able to offer a majority of the Citrus College veteran services. While addressing our veterans Perri said, “You are America’s backbone.”
Early alert workshops 2020 Check Citrus College’s front web page for workshop Zoom codes NOVEMBER WORKSHOPS
Staff Reporters: Alex McCarson, Andrew Perez, Daisy Martinez, Diocelyn Carlon Gabriel Raphael, Justin George, Ryan Uribe Patrick Schmiedt Clarion adviser Stacy K. Long Clarion adviser
“Even if we only reach a handful of students with the Chromebooks, I still believe this is beneficial to our campus,” said Riggs. Riggs said this was only a portion of the money Citrus was granted and knows the board will decide on other improvements for the campus when students will be allowed in-person. “I know this won’t fix all the problems here at school but there is much more we are trying to do,” said Riggs. As of Oct. 7 2020, the school has now used $3,610,125 from the CARES Act for emergency financial aid grants to the students who were eligible, according to the Citrus financial aid page, only $1,274,583 remains from the original sum of over seven million for the campus.
distribute over 250 laptops with a second distribution date for students starting on November 13th. “In order to be eligible for the laptop you need to have financial aid needs and have to apply to FAFSA,” said Tolano-Leveque.“As well as the student must be in good academic standing with the school without money owed from previous semesters.” Student leader and Board of Trustees member, Austin Riggs, says that most students at Citrus come from different backgrounds so the school needed to adapt and make sure these students without a way to learn at home were also reached.
INFORGRAPHIC BY DIOCELYN CARLON
VETS from Page 1
CARES from Page 1
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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 to ccclarion.com/letters.
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