Clarion 9/30/20

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ccclarion.com VOL LXXIV • Issue 1

September 30, 2020

ALANA DALY O’BRIEN - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bobcat Fire rages at 5:22 p.m. Sept. 10 in the mountains above the First Presbyterian Church of Monrovia.

Bobcat fire threatens Monrovia & Duarte students Former Citrus student among first to report smoke from Bobcat fire

BY ALANA DALY O’BRIEN

MANAGING EDITOR

ADALYOBRIEN@CCCLARION.COM

AND DAISY MARTINEZ

STAFF REPORTER

DMARTINEZ@CCCLARION.COM

The Bobcat Fire is burning through the San Gabriel Mountains and threatening the safety of Arcadia, Monrovia and Duarte residents while the smoke creates an unhealthy air quality in communities across the San Gabriel Valley and LA County.

The fire officially crossed Monrovia city limits at 1:31 p.m.

Sept. 11. and entered Monrovia Canyon Park Sept 12, burning the waterfall Monrovia Falls. The National Forest Service website reports that as of Sept. 14 the fire

has burned 36,366 acres reached 6% containment.

By Sept.15, the National Forest Service downgraded containment to 3% as the fire expanded to 41,231 acres. The containment area has not changed, but the increase in acreage burned lowers the percentage. On Sept.

13, Arcadia issued evacuation orders for all residents north of Elkins Avenue and east of Santa Anita Avenue as the fire extended overnight into the mountains above Arcadia and Chantry Flats in Sierra Madre.

Former Citrus College student Angie Betancourt, age 28, of Monrovia and her boyfriend Angel Mendoza, age 28, were among the first to report the fire while driving home on the 57 freeway.

They called 911 after seeing “a very very faint cloud of smoke” at 12:19 p.m. Sept. 6. The US Forest Service Incident Information System reported the fire started at

12:21 p.m. on Sept. 6.

At first, Mendoza questioned if it was smoke or a cloud.

“That small cloud is a darker shade than all the other clouds,” he remarked to Betancourt. Later, he said it stood out as a grayish cloud so faint he could hardly see it while the other clouds were white as snow.

“The next thing we knew we saw fire trucks racing,” Betancourt said. “My car is covered in ashes, our roof was covered in ashes and (right now) all we hear are helicopters and sirens.”

Betancourt lives in the phase two evacuation warning zone.

Even inside her home, the air quality is poor as a result of the smoke. Betancourt’s father, who has asthma, is not able to work due to the fire.

CNN reported Sept. 11 that at least 24 people on the West Coast have died in the past month from wildfires spanning three states.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection website shows 17 wildfires currently burning across California.

Due to smoke from the Apple Fire, El Dorado fire and Bobcat Fire, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an advisory in effect through Sept. 13 warning of unhealthy air quality in East and West San Gabriel Valley, South San Gabriel Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains, advising individuals to minimize outdoor activities.

The US Air Quality Index for Sept. 12 shows the San Gabriel Mountains have an unhealthy AQI of 175 and particle pollution measurement of 2.5. “If you can see smoke, soot, or ash, or you can smell smoke, pay attention to your immediate environment

Read Bobcat, Page 4

ALANA DALY O’BRIEN - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

A firetruck stops in front of Monrovia High School at 8:45 p.m. Sept. 10. The more established fire on the right is reminiscent of the Monrovia ‘M’ further west on the mountains while the fire that spread to the left glows like molten lava exploding from a volcano.

Students offer tips to stay motivated during online learning

BY JUSTIN GEORGE

STAFF REPORTER

JGEORGE@CCCLARION.COM

The closure of school campuses during the COVID-19 pandemic has affected students’ outlook on higher education. Those who have not deferred have found it difficult to keep motivated during online learning.

Without classrooms to report to, peers to interact with or a routine to abide by, the incentive of a college education has been reduced for

many students.

The challenges of time management and organization have only been emphasized by the absence of a traditional learning environment.

Citrus College students exchange advice via written comments on Citrus Mobile, the Citrus College app. Some students shared small things they can do to keep focused and make their learning space more welcoming.

“Snacks help you stay focused,” said Anna Viola, a Citrus College

student. “Avoid potato chips. Snack instead on whole veggies and fruits to stay focused.”

Anna adds that using headphones is helpful in loud households.

Sonia, a Biology major at Citrus College, shares a fun piece of advice.

“Play ambient sounds while listening to pre-recorded lectures,” she recommends. “Suddenly, (the) lecture is being taught ‘at the beach,’ ‘in the forest’ or ‘near a stream.’

Doing this strangely kept me present, rather than drifting off.”

Other students shared advice

on keeping a positive mindset and moderating their workflow.

“Praise your efforts and not your intelligence,” says Biology major and Citrus College freshman Sara Sherman. “You’re not always going to get 100%, but as long as you’re trying your best that’s all that matters.”

“Take a break. Walk outside, remember you are not a vampire,” Viola adds. “Feel the sun on your skin, search out a butterfly or bumblebee, watch the clouds go by.”

Residents urged to prepare for wildfires

BY ALEX MCCARSON

STAFF REPORTER

AMCCARSON@CCCLARION.COM

California fire season is in full effect this month and as ash rains down on the San Gabriel Valley, it is important to follow Los Angeles County Fire Department guidelines.

As the Citrus College campus and its community are in close proximity to the Bobcat Fire, the school and residents in the foothills nearby are urged to prepare by following the advice of local fire departments.

“The truth is, I’m actually scared that we might need to evacuate soon or even maybe even worse: that our property might burn down,” explained Citrus College student Lucas Brown, 22, of Glendora.

Brown lives in northern Glendora where he says he sees nothing but heavy smoke. He says his neighbors have even begun to meet with each other to prepare for emergency situations this fire season.

In a Sept. 10 email to Citrus students and faculty, Arvid Spor, Vice President of Academic Affairs warned the Citrus Community to reduce their outdoor exposure due to the unhealthy air quality in Glendora.

He asked students to protect themselves as “the biggest health threat from smoke comes from breathing fine particles.”

Spor added a link to a government website tracking air quality, AirNow, showing the Sept. 16 air quality index in Glendora at 166, meaning it is a level red and is deemed very unhealthy for all older adults, children and teens to breathe in while they are outdoors.

“You should reduce your outdoor activities and seek medical assistance if you have difficulty breathing or experience chest discomfort, wheezing or shortness of breath,” Spor advised.

Captain Darren Walker of

Read Prepare, Page 4

2 Wednesday, September 30, 2020

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Celebrations of life changing amid COVID-19 Funeral services haven’t been the same

BY LUCY ARGAEZ

NEWS EDITOR

LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM

COVID-19 has changed many aspects of life, including the way people mourn the loved ones they have lost. Due to Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention guidelines, funerals, wakes, viewings and burials have had to adapt.

Maintaining social distancing while still addressing families’ wants and needs during funeral services has become a new challenge for mourners, family care specialists and mortuary employees.

Oakdale Mortuary Family Care Specialist Lynn Chase said that it is hard for her and many other employees to say no to families due to CDC guidelines. Many services have been modified or removed completely amidst the pandemic.

“It’s changed a lot,” she said.

“Basically, it’s not just instructions from the CDC; what we can do has changed and what people look for has changed,” Chase said during a phone interview.

Changes came rapidly over the summer as many families, including the family of Adrian Jones, struggled to arrange and rearrange his loved one’s funeral this summer. The planning began

LUCY ARGAEZ - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

CDC guidelines limit attendace allowed at burials, including this one at Oakdale Memorial Park. Photo taken Aug. 2020

during the reopening of California, but the funeral was set during the second mandated lockdown.

“We originally had a venue in Santa Monica with 500 people in attendance, but as things got progressively worse we had to change our location to the grave site and only have 40 people in attendance,” he said.

Switching from traditional services and burials has been a hard adjustment for mourners.

Families have been forced to come to terms with difficult decisions by transitioning to celebrations of life.

“We had to change our arrangements in two days and it stressed everyone out; it was kind of a nightmare trying to get

everything together,” Jones said in a phone interview.

Although celebrations of life were typically used by people who opted for cremation instead of a burial, many people had to abandon traditional church funerals and explore virtual options, online obituaries, home viewings and outside services.

“We offer outside venues on the property and at the grave site,” Chase said. “Churches have also been open to hosting a limited number of people inside or conducting outside services as well.”

Virtual options are also becoming more popular. “We also offer live streams that are Facebook linked in order to keep people safe

and still have all the people the family chooses in attendance,” Chase said.

The live streams were able to ease the families somewhat, as everyone could attend the funeral service while complying with social distancing protocols.

The Jones family had one of their family members stream the service and post it to their Facebook page.

“The biggest struggle for us was not being able to have the funeral we wanted after the lockdown began again, but I thought it was great we were able to live stream it,” Jones said. “It helped to know that everyone could still attend in some way.”

Celebrations of life provide a positive, meaningful service while

“We originally had a venue in Santa Monica with 500 people in attendance, but as things got progressively worse we had to change our location to the grave site and only have 40 people in attendance.”

Adrian Jones

Funeral attendee

complying with CDC guidelines.

This allows the families to celebrate and mourn their loved ones even when the services they want are unavailable.

“The casket (of a traditional funeral service) symbolizes the loss and the celebration of life focuses on keeping the person in their life,” Chase said. “They (families) are embracing what comes forward instead of what was lost; it helps them move forward.”

COVID-19 affects students, administration and faculty

BY GABRIEL RAPHAEL

STAFF REPORTER

GRAPHAEL@CCCLARION.COM

COVID-19 has had devastating effects around the world. Daily life has been changed dramatically, and Citrus College is no exception.

Dean of Enrollment Services Gerald Sequeira, Ph. D, made a connection between the recent drop in enrollment and the complete transition of all courses to an online format.

“All of the courses have moved online, and not all programs make sense online,” Sequeira said in an Aug. 19 Zoom meeting, referring to the large number of students who come to Citrus College for career technical education programs and performing arts programs.

Sequeira presented reports indicating that as of August 19, enrollment for credit courses was down 11.5% from one year ago.

An even greater disparity exists for enrollment in noncredit courses, which is down 42.7% from Fall 2019.

This downward trend in enrollment is not specific to Citrus. In a survey of California community colleges conducted by the Bakersfield College, schools reported a 10.7% average loss from Fall 2019 to Fall 2020.

The National Bureau of Economic Research reported that the country entered a recession in early June, however Sequeira said that a recession usually correlates to an increase in enrollment.

Despite having more time

available, Sequeira reported a 42% drop in the concurrent enrollment of high school students during the Summer 2020 session, one thousand fewer continuing students than in the Summer 2019 term.

Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Claudette Dain explained that despite the decrease in enrollment, Citrus College has been granted fiscal relief.

“While the majority of the college’s funding is based on enrollment, the California community colleges were granted fiscal relief for the spring term so that colleges would not be impacted financially due to COVID-related emergency withdrawals,” Dain said.

Dain explained that the college will be protected despite low enrollment.

While declining enrollment in summer and fall could impact funding, “enrollment funding is calculated on an annual basis in accordance with the state’s new Student-Centered Funding Formula. As part of the new formula’s implementation, colleges are held harmless for funding purposes (minimum revenue provisions) through the 2023-24 fiscal year.”

Students are uniquely affected by the pandemic.

Performing arts major Marty Avila returned to Citrus for the spring 2020 semester.

Avila was enrolled in two

introductory acting courses when the pandemic hit and did not complete either course.

“Everything happened so fast,” Avila said. “One day the professor said, ‘next week we might not even have class physically.’”

Once the switch was made and Avila started receiving emails explaining how the courses would continue, he hesitated to participate.

“That’s not what I wanted to do, or what I signed up for,” he said.

Avila expressed his understanding of this new normal and his willingness to continue pursuing his passions, dreams, and education, even if it means producing (himself ) through a digital source.

Avila also expressed his appreciation for the work instructors did to navigate the changing landscape.

One such professor navigating a new teaching process is Music professor Sean Fitzpatrick, who taught six courses this past semester. Fitzpatrick said he could not foresee ever having to teach during a global pandemic.

Reaching out to his colleagues at Citrus and at other campuses, he found himself in good company in learning how to keep students engaged through trial and error.

“None of us had training for teaching in the event of a quarantine,” he said.

Once the campus closed, Fitzpatrick had a couple of weeks to reformat six different courses.

PHOTO COURTESY PIXABAY

Trips and performances that normally take a considerable amount of planning had to be cancelled and replaced with other instruction.

“It was very jarring,” he said.

Fitzpatrick found that the switch to online learning highlighted the financial and mental health disparities among students in a way that he had not seen before.

“Attendance suffered massively,” he said. Fitzpatrick had to balance being empathetic with holding students responsible for their performance in the course.

Fitzpatrick also found it difficult to communicate with students. Their responses to his correspondence were often untimely and sometimes nonexistent.

“I’m always learning as an instructor,” he said.

He discovered he was more effective meeting with students in small groups, and he plans to incorporate more of that in this term. “Students can be held more accountable when they aren’t just one box in an ocean of boxes on a Zoom call.”

Sara Fisher was one of Fitzpatrick’s Vocal Jazz Ensemble students in the spring.

“When the pandemic forced (class) into separation, the social magic that made up a musically fulfilling education was ruined,” she said.

Fisher recalled the difficulties she and her classmates faced when trying to recreate a shared learning experience virtually.

“I think it was really clever of Fitzpatrick to put effort into group bonding by doing … activities that weren’t exactly ‘making music,’” Fisher said. “Technical difficulties aside, I found that Vocal Jazz set themselves apart … by focusing on what was possible, not impossible.”

Overall, Fitzpatrick came out of the spring 2020 term more knowledgeable and feeling more equipped for online education going forward.

Administrators, instructors and students alike came out of the spring and summer terms better equipped to continue educational processes in this new environment.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2020 3

Student services Zoom to your door

BY ANTHONY ROSSI

STAFF REPORTER

AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM

During the shutdown of Citrus College last March, the school’s student service programs had to make necessary adjustments suddenly.

Dean of Counseling Programs and Services Nicole Smith Ph.D. said the Counseling program was helped by some fortunate timing to assist their handling of the shift to remote advisement.

Pre-shutdown, plans were made to use the video meeting service Zoom to work with the Counseling department’s new online appointment scheduling tool. The near completion of this contract allowed for the service to be fasttracked into use once the counseling department became strictly remote, Smith said.

“It really only took us about two days to turn around all of our services to be able to provide everything we supplied in person, remotely,” Smith said.

Smith also explained that the counseling staff learned the ins and outs of Zoom on the fly as a result of some quick training during the beginnings of the shutdown.

She credited small group training sessions that allowed the counselors to create accounts and learn all of the aspects of the program.

“We worked very hard in our team to get everybody going and to get the counselors trained and feeling comfortable with using Zoom to meet with students,” Smith said.

Dean of Students Maryann Tolano-Leveque Ph.D. sees the shift to remote services as necessary during the school shutdown and, ultimately, another facet to serving Citrus students once campus is opened.

“I don’t see our use of paper forms returning even when we are able

PHOTO COURTESY PIXABAY

to return to campus. I believe this is what is meant when the media talks about ‘new normal,’” TolanoLeveque said in an email. “The technology that we have leveraged to support students is here to stay and we will continue to learn and grow so that we can support

students using multiple platforms.”

The advent of online resources such as Formstacks and Smartsheets has allowed the various student services, such as Counseling and Advisement and Admissions and Records, to continue to support students, Tolano-Leveque said.

These programs allow students to turn in documents online rather than in person.

The necessary adjustments by the student service programs are expected to be a mainstay in the future.

“We will continue providing

online counseling because I still feel even before the pandemic, a lot of students would feel more comfortable meeting via Zoom or maybe it would work better with their work or school schedule so we will continue offering that service,” Smith said.

Auto tech shifts to home learning All auto tech grades withheld due to COVID-19 shutdown until lab hours are made available to students

BY LUCY ARGAEZ

NEWS EDITOR

LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM

Automotive Technology classes at Citrus College are being offered online for the first time without the automotive garage. Online learning has put a hold on hands-on exercises and class credit.

Grades for all Auto Tech classes will be marked as IP, in progress, until the lab hours are made available to students. Professor Greg Lipp says this is the first time this class has been online as the handson work cannot be converted to online work.

“The plan is to return to campus and have the students complete the required hands-on work,” Lipp said in an email interview.

Auto Tech students like Jesus Gomez-Bahena have begun to worry about being able to remember what they learned online when applying it to in-person lab hours, which will not happen until a plan is developed or until the campus reopens.

“I am anxious because I have a feeling that me and my classmates might forget a thing or two from

what we learned in our class,” Gomez-Bahena said.

“We might forget to apply the skills we learned, and that could possibly cost us a class,” he said during a text message interview.

No plan has been proposed for resuming lab time, however professors are working with Dean Michael Wangler to develop the next steps. Finding a safe way for students to complete their inperson lab hours has become a new struggle for both Auto Tech students and professors.

“We are working with the dean to develop a plan that keeps our students and faculty safe while ensuring the student has the best learning environment possible,” Lipp said.

Sixty hours in the lab are necessary to pass the class, as they make up 40% of the total course work.

“The course requires the students to learn and demonstrate proficiency in several hands-on exercises,” Lipp said. “These range from being able to correctly operate precision measuring instruments

PHOTO COURTESY PIXABAY

to (demonstrating the ability to) properly and safely raise and lower a vehicle on a hoist.”

Additionally, no alternative has been proposed for the students who have been told to wait for the reopening of campus to complete their lab hours. Even though the proficiencies, or lab components, have been postponed, students are still excited about the class.

“Working on cars is something I find exciting, so I am excited to go back to working and learning!”

Gomez-Bahena said.

Now that professors have gotten comfortable teaching these classes online over the summer, they are looking forward to getting through this semester and returning to campus.

Lipp said he was worried about

the online conversion as well, but he has familiarized himself with distance learning programs.

“Initially I was very apprehensive, as I am sure many of the faculty were,” Lipp said. “Now that we have completed the Spring and Summer sessions, I feel more comfortable with it, but I am definitely looking forward to returning to traditional lecture and lab.”

4 Wednesday, September 30, 2020

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Bobcat from Page 1

PHOTO COURTESY PIXABAY

Ceramics program molds from home

BY LUCY ARGAEZ

NEWS EDITOR

LARGAEZ@CCCLARION.COM

The ceramics program is now online, offering a way for students to work with clay from home.

The beginning ceramics course is made up of 36 lecture hours and 72 lab hours, with pass/no pass grading.

Professor Michael Hillman said students will learn how to manipulate and work with clay as well as learn about the process and history of ceramics from the comfort of their homes.

“I introduced a lot more art

history of ceramics into the curriculum, and with permission from Dean John Vaughan I went on campus to pick up a ton of clay and bring it to my house and have students individually come to my house to pick up their materials,” Hillman said.

Vaughan explained that eventually, all courses that require lab hours will return to campus, but an official plan has not been made or approved by the Citrus College Coronavirus Task Force.

“We are working on plans for when that day comes (returning to campus), but there is not a current plan for students to return to campus other than essential worker training,” Vaughan said.

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The move to online learning proved to be difficult for both the students and the professors.

Hillman found himself learning online programs to teach his courses.

“I had to place my iPhone on a ladder in my garage and I had to create demonstrations. I had to learn, I’ve never done it before, how to upload to YouTube videos all within two days’ time,” he said.

“It was a real challenge from the faculty perspective, let alone for the students.”

Students like Jeanpaul Boghos have found both working with clay and understanding the material harder from home.

“I think working in the lab and

with the people is completely different than at home,” Boghos said.

“For me, being in the lab is fully concentrating and forgetting my daily problems and responsibilities and just making art, but now that I have a lot on my plate … it feels like I’m not learning anything,” Boghos said via text.

Although many things have changed with the course moving online, Hillman’s love for the art of ceramics has not, and he will continue to translate this into his lectures.

“My favorite thing about teaching ceramics is working with the malleability and gooeyness of the clay and basically taking Earth

and take precautions to safeguard your health,” Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis explained in the health alert in a Sept. 12 press release.

Vice President of Academic Affairs Arvid Spor emailed students Sept. 10 saying personnel are closely monitoring the fire due to its proximity to the school, advising everyone to stay inside due to the smoke hazard.

“I ask that you remember to take steps to protect yourself from possible air quality issues as the biggest health threat from smoke comes from breathing fine particles,” Spor said.

Electrical engineering major Isaiah Daniel Jacob Gallardo, 18, of Monrovia says he has been able to get his school work done but the stress has him “nearly seeing (his) breakfast again.” He lives just outside the evacuation zone but worries he might be in it soon.

While the fire rages in the mountains above, Monrovia Police Department has been responding to residents’ calls complaining of traffic because of visitors gawking and taking photos of the remarkable sight but impeding potential evacuation routes.

One residential community erected a makeshift sign out of a soccer goal and blue tape saying “NOT A SHOW” to deter gawkers and photographers.

On Sept. 12, the city of Monrovia statement asked residents to begin conserving water as the blaze extends closer to homes in the foothills, as firefighters may need to dip into the city’s supply to protect the lines. ”The fire is being closely watched and fire crews are continuing to work on opening dozer lines and utilizing road systems to slow progression of the fire,” a Sept. 11 city of Monrovia statement said. “The Bobcat Fire will likely burn for some time until it is fully contained by crews.”

The U.S. Forest Service previously estimated that the fire will not be fully contained until Oct. 15, but as of Sept. 15 they updated the estimate to Oct. 30.

Prepare from Page 1

the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in an email interview that the Santa Ana winds will help move the smoke sitting in the air and combined with the hot and dry conditions, spread the fire.

Walker said residents should leave early and only take essentials when evacuating because it needs to happen very fast. He said leaving early helps you avoid crowded streets and leaves them for emergency vehicles and families doing lastminute evacuations.

“Places that have been declared a high hazard will receive a notice from the local fire department,” Walker said.

If you live in a residence that has been deemed a high hazard area, LA county requires you to remove hazardous weeds and brush from around your property to help stop the fire spread and to give firefighters a larger space to work.

For more information from the LAFD on local fire safety visit lafd. org/safety/education/ready-setgo.

ALANA DALY O’BRIEN - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

By 8:32 p.m. Sept. 10, a resident on the corner of East Hillcrest Boulevard and North Canyon Boulevard had erected a sign to deter visitors who cause traffic to gawk or take photos of the fires.

ALANA DALY O’BRIEN - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Bobcat Fire burns through the San Gabriel Mountains, endangering homes in Monrovia. Photo taken from Hillcrest Boulevard on Sept. 10