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ccclarion.com Volume LXXV • Issue 10 Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Study Abroad returns The fall 2022 trip will be the first for the program after a two year hiatus BY KARINA CURIEL
STAFF REPORTER
KCURIEL@CCCLARION.COM
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Leonard Turner prepares for the opening tip-off against West Valley’s Adam Afifi in the CCCAA State Tournament quarterfinals matchup on March 11.
Owls’ run ends at State Rough shooting night costs Citrus in the CCCAA State Championship Tournament BY ANTHONY ROSSI
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM
Citrus College spent a season running, pressing and, eventually, dancing all the way to West Hills to compete in the California Community College Athletic Association state championship. Their tenacious run ended with a 79-68 loss to the No. 2 seed from the north California bracket, the West
Valley Vikings, in the CCCAA state championship quarterfinal Friday. After finishing conference play 21-6, Citrus entered the SoCal Regional Tournament as the No. 9 seed. The Owls held on to upset the Ventura College Hornets 77-74 on March 3 and unseated the No. 1 seed Fullerton College Hornets two days later to punch their ticket to the state tournament. Citrus’ calling card was a guard-
heavy, fully-used roster that disrupted opponents with a highoctane style of play. All season, coach Brett Lauer played almost the entirety of his 13-man roster. This allowed the Owls to maintain their intensity throughout the game. The Owls’ quarterfinals matchup against West Valley was no exception to this style. “(We wanted to) play the way
we play, focus on us and how we compete,” Lauer said. “(We wanted to) pressure and play fast and get the tempo going.” Citrus’ up-tempo style kept the Owls in it early even as they struggled to knock down shots. The Owls established pressure and continuously occupied West Valley’s ball handlers’ air space.
Read STATE Page 5
PHOTO BY SARAH ADAMS, ILLUSTRATION BY ANTHONY ROSSI
A shifting mentality
Part one of the Clarion’s look into the effects of the March 2020 shutdown on enrollment, students, faculty and the future BY ANTHONY ROSSI
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM
Two years ago, Citrus College was filled with students mingling in the quad, talking around the Haugh Performing Arts Center, and struggling to find parking for the
day. Today, the effects of the March 2020 shutdown due to COVID-19 remain as students stay home, leaving spots on campus once filled now desolate. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the mindsets of students and exacerbated Citrus College’s
downward trending enrollment issue. Before March 2020, attendance at the college was already decreasing. The amount of full-time equivalent students (the number that in part determines the amount of funding Citrus College receives from the state) fell three straight spring
semesters and two consecutive fall semesters, according to data from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office. Faculty union President David Ryba said when COVID-19 shut the school down, the enrollment issue
Read COVID, Page 3
The Study Abroad Program has returned to Citrus College after being canceled for two years due to COVID-19. The next upcoming trip is for London in fall 2022. Limitations remain for the program, like the summer of 2022 trip to Kyoto, Japan, which was put on hold. Study Abroad program specialist John Morris said a decision will have to be made by the end of the month if the trip will happen. Japan’s borders are currently not open to tourists, and restrictions like these affect the program massively. “We were planning programs, and it was disappointing because they’d get canceled,” Morris said. “We didn’t know how long the pandemic was going to stretch on for, and just when I would start to think ‘Oh, things are starting to go back to normal’, other variants of the virus came up. “It was very disappointing to plan these things, promote them, and get students excited for it – but then we can’t run it.” Morris has been a part of the Study Abroad program since the summer of 2015. His passion for it does not go unnoticed, especially because he took part in the program for his college. He said the experience was beneficial. “It’s so valuable because you’re going to broaden your horizon to what’s possible, open up your perspectives to different cultures, and overall energize your excitement towards your education,” Morris said. The revival of this program has sparked up a lot of enthusiasm, especially from Theresa Villeneuve, professor in the communications department, who has been a part of this program twice. “I wish everyone could go,” Villeneuve said in an email. “The beauty of studying abroad is that you have the opportunity to travel on the weekends like a tourist, but during the week you really live in a foreign country and that’s a very different experience than being a tourist. “It’s a really unique experience and the best way to experience another country because of the safety net when you’re there.” Students can find out more information about Study Abroad at its website.
2 Tuesday, March 15, 2022
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THIS IS A COMPILATION OF ALL OF THE COVID-19 EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS SPANNING FROM MARCH 2020 TO PRESENT. THIS DATA BASE WILL BE USED TO TRACK THE CASES REPORTED ON CAMPUS AS WELL AS THE LOCATIONS, TYPE OF PERSON, AND DATES. THIS WILL BE UPDATED AT HTTP://WWW.CCCLARION.COM/COVIDTRACKER WHEN NEW EXPOSURE NOTIFICATIONS ARE SENT OUT.
Location
Date of exposure
Date of notification
Mathematics Building 206
March 8, 2022
March 10, 2022
Video Technology Building 208
March 3, 2022
March 8, 2022
Liberal Arts /Business Building 203 Mathematics Building 126
March 3, 2022
March 8, 2022
March 7, 2022
March 10, 2022
Technical Education March 1, 2022 Building 228
March 2, 2022
Professional Center Building 230
February 28, 2022
March 2, 2022
Physical Science Building 106
February 23, 2022
February 25, 2022
and is distributed every other Tuesday during the semester. Ads are not endorsed by the Clarion. Published 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.
OWL BEAT Everything you need to know about current events in the campus community. If there is something you want us to cover, email us: contact@ccclarion.com.
Citrus on LA County active outbreak list Citrus College was placed on the LA County “Active Outbreaks at Educational Settings” list, which denotes the spread of three or more COVID-19 positive cases, on March 6. The college has remained on the list through the week. The outbreak includes three positive cases for members of the staff, while there have been zero confirmed students.
Las Cafeteras performance at Haugh canceled The March 12 Las Cafeteras performance was canceled last Saturday. The Haugh Performing Arts Center announced the cancellation the morning of the performance.
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Change your perspective before changing your mind. Beautiful things come from every direction and all angles.
News
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 3
CLARION
The community behind accreditation Students, professors and administrators lead a 2-year journey to a 7-year reward BY ANTHONY ROSSI
as the accreditation liaison officer, a position that oversees the completion of the Institutional Self Evaluation Report. “It really took a village. I can not genuinely say it was one person, two people, three people,” McGowan said. “It was really about 80 people that got together and put this thing together.” After each group compiled its information for each part of every standard, three members of the committee compiled the report to give it a singular voice. These members were former Vice President of Academic Affairs Arvid Spor, faculty co-chair Catherine Besancon and dean of social behavioral sciences Dana Hester. “We didn’t sugar coat anything. We were very candid and very honest,” McGowan said. “We were making sure that the selfevaluation process was meaningful to us. It mattered more about how we saw ourselves than a committee
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM
Go to the Citrus College website and search for its mission statement. In this statement, the college attests its goals for the students to successfully complete degrees, transfer, certificates and career/technical education. Accreditation is the process of the school proving this statement. The college must show its mission, goals and objectives are not just words, but factual. Without accreditation, a student’s time at Citrus College would be far less meaningful. Last January, the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges deemed Citrus College worthy of the maximum extension of accreditation. Citrus is now an accredited institution for the next seven years. The college will not have to worry about its status until the midterm check up after year three of this extension. The process of accreditation was an almost two-year odyssey. Citrus compiled a self-evaluation booklet known as the Institutional SelfEvaluation Report to turn into the ACCJC. This 228-page document was built by the hard work and passion of over 80 various Citrus College members. Everyone from the former
ILLUSTRATION BY ANTHONY ROSSI, CLARION
and current vice presidents of academic affairs to different Associated Students of Citrus College representatives over the last four semesters played a hand in the success of this project. The accreditation process requires the college to prove it meets four standards and three to
four subsections for each. Citrus devoted a team of students, classified staff, supervisors, managers and faculty to each standard and sub-standard. Each group was specialized with the subject of each standard. Vice President of Academic Affairs Joumana McGowan served
coming in evaluating us.” Superintendent/President Greg Schulz recognized the accreditation team’s diligence and success. Schulz said in a memo to the community on Feb. 7, “(The accreditation process) has been a collective effort, and we are very proud of these impressive results.” McGowan joined the process with her hiring at Citrus in December 2020. At this point, she immediately had high expectations for the decision over a year later. “When I came on board in December, I was adamant we were going to do a phenomenal job,” McGowan said. Besancon was proudest of the effort and sacrifice that everyone put into this process. “(The accreditation team) put in countless hours and just incredible amount of effort and work to show what we do as a college,” Besancon said.
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Enjoy the Broadway adaptation of the muchloved musical fairy tale that entertained television audiences for decades.
Citrus College Musical Theatre Workshop Presents
APRIL 2 & 3, 2022 I 2PM GRAPH BY ANTHONY ROSSI, CLARION
Overall student numbers and full-time equivalent students (FTES) trended downward before the pandemic and have gotten worse since the March 2020 shutdown. Data from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office.
COVID from Page 1 was slammed home. Citrus shifted to a majority offcampus schedule as stay-at-home orders were issued nationwide. With almost every section transitioned to a remote learning modality, nearly every student and faculty member experienced the online college style. This online inoculation has caused a shift in the mindset of some students and faculty alike. Although some students have expressed excitement returning to the classroom, many decided online classes are for them, such as student Christa Cabrera. “(Online classes are) safer than increasing our chances of getting sick,” Cabrera said in a message
on the Citrus Mobile application. “Personally, it allows me to not stress over child care and getting out of work and rushing to campus.” Vice President of Academic Affairs Joumana McGowan and the district are betting that the return to campus will shift enrollment trends. McGowan said students are more successful with in-person classes against online offerings, citing an 80% completion rate with in-person classes and a “4050%” rate with online and hybrid classes. This lack of success has kept students from coming back, McGowan said. “That’s why we are having the decline in enrollment, because students are saying online is not for me,” McGowan said. The spring 2022 semester
marked a turning point for the operations of Citrus College. The district offered 64% of classes inperson and 36% online, a departure from the online-heavy offerings of the past three semesters. Ryba said this roughly 2:3 ratio of online to in-person classes runs counter to the students’ preferences. Students have split on the type of classes they are willing to take. Ryba said their choice should mold the district’s future decisions. “Students are going to make the choices and we have to adapt to that,” Ryba said. McGowan said she wants the students to express their preference for the future of classes. “For our college as an institution we’re trying to figure out what the students need and how do we fulfill that need,” McGowan said.
Tickets: $30 Senior: $26 Student: $15 12 & under: $15 All tickets $30 at the door, regardless of age
photos: Kimberly Toth
1000 W. Foothill Blvd. Glendora, CA 91741
TICKETS:
(626) 963-9411 www.haughpac.com
Get Social! @haughpac
Box Office Hours: Tues - Sat 11am - 4pm & One Hour Prior To All Shows
pho
4 Tuesday, March 15, 2022
News
CLARION
New year, new bookstore The Owl Bookshop is under new management as Follett takes over operations BY BROOKE SPEARS
STAFF REPORTER
BSPEARS@CCCLARION.COM
The Citrus College district has teamed up with Follett for a fiveyear period to manage the Owl Bookshop. Enterprise Service Manager Eric Magallon said the district’s choice to partner with Follett wasn’t just from the reputation, but from the long history behind their company. Magallon said in an email Follett is a “seventh-generation family-owned business offering improved course material access, affordability, and choices of formats to the students, increased book scholarships for students and a comprehensive digital adoption process for faculty.” Follett’s Manager of Sales and Operations Emily Porter said she believes Follett helps students brace themselves for the future of their education. “We support students from day one all the way through graduation with Citrus swag to show their school pride, course materials to ensure they are successful in their studies all the way to regalia for their commencement,” Porter said in an email. Follett promises to be cost effective for students, Porter said. “Follett’s programs not only help with the affordability of learning
BROOKE SPEARS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
The Owl Bookshop gets a new look into 2022 while under new year management with Follett. Students can come in and purchase materials for a successful semester.
materials but also facilitate the access and preparedness that all students need to achieve success —
no matter what their background or financial situation,” Porter said. The Follett website offers these ADVERTISEMENT
materials digitally throughout their database and the Owl Bookshop. Magallon said the company
brings a wide array of advantages, including “improved technology through the Follett website, in-store rentals, and increased availability to used and rental titles.” Magallon said there’s an “improved website with online ordering access to course materials expanded to all Follett locations.” Physical changes have been made to the layout of the bookstore itself. “The inside has been cleared out of the old fixtures, redesigned space, and new fixtures installed,” Magallon said in an email. “The remainder of the remodeling (flooring, paint, graphics) will happen over the next year or so.” Student Trevor Martin has taken notice of the renovated design. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the bookstore,” Martin said. “It looks a lot more organized. It looks like a boutique-type store that you’d see in the mall. “It’s the kind of place you can walk in and see what you’re looking for, with more of an emphasis on presentation.” After the five-year period contract is up, extensions will continue as long as Follett’s services meet the students’ and district’s needs. “We are excited to be a part of the Citrus College community and look forward to working more closely with all,” Porter said.
Sports
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 5
CLARION
Owls fight, fall in state tournament PHOTOS BY MARK SNOW
MANAGING EDITOR
MSNOW @ CCCLARION.COM
A season full of maximum effort and a run all the way to the CCCAA State Tournament ends in the Elite Eight
Coaches Brett Lauer, left Jordan Giusti, center and Kyle Grey rise up from the bench in praise as the Owls defend their way through the fourth round of the playoffs. Giusti and Grey are in their first season with Citrus.
The Owls bench sits at the edge of their seats as Cedric Reed goes up for a layup against two defenders. Reed has started in 29 consecutive games.
Endigo Coleman takes a 3-pointer line in front of the Vikings bench. The Vikings anticipate Coleman’s relase of the ball.
Guard Anthony Tello takes on the defending team as he drives in from half court. Tello played 21 minutes and scored nine points.
Aibigho Ujadughele defends Quinn Denker from West Valley at the 3 point line. Ujadughele totaled seven rebounds on March 11 with four offensive rebounds.
STATE from Page 1
The Owls rise from the bench as they focus their attention to the players on the court. The Owls came up short by 11 points against the West Valley Vikings in their March 11 matchup.
West Valley head coach Danny Yoshikawa said in a release after the game Citrus’ ball pressure was among the best he had seen. “We are a team that likes to move the ball in order to create open shots. Unfortunately, against that kind of pressure it is very difficult to do that,” Yoshikawa said. The Owls’ fierce defense and effort helped them withstand multiple West Valley scoring runs
and shoddy outside shooting to stay in the game. Citrus’ struggles from the field (35.5% shooting) and at the free throw line (40% shooting) would be too much to overcome. Lauer said while the goal is to always win the last game of the season, he was proud of how the entire team competed at a high level. The Owls finish the season 23-7 with a trip to the Elite Eight among the team’s main accomplishments. “(I’m) very proud of the group,”
Lauer said. “They worked really hard; they’re great students, they’re great teammates and I really loved how they carried themselves.” After a season away from the hardwood due to COVID-19, the Owls trip to the CCCAA state tournament marked their second appearance in three seasons. “I think this group is a great group that did some great things and were fun to be around and it was a lot more fun than sitting around during quarantine the year before,” Lauer said.
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LONDON, ENGLAND SEPT. 8 – DEC. 2, 2022
Enroll in 12 or more units of CSU/UC transferable credits next fall!
STUDY ABROAD WORK TOWARD YOUR DEGREE OVERSEAS! Visit www.citruscollege.edu/studyabroad for up-to-date program information and meeting dates.
Opinion
Tuesday, March 15, 2022 7
CLARION
Campus Question
In this weeks campus question, we asked Citrus students: Being on campus, what are you looking forward to most?
To watch the full video and all other episodes visit:
www.ccclarion.com
www.facebook.com/ccclarion
www.instagram.com/citruscollegeclarion www.tinyurl.com/2p84yvpa
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Lenaya G.,Theatre, Freshman
Jonah B., Undecided, Freshman
“I’m looking forward to getting to interact and socialize and to put things into work.”
“Best thing being back on campus is having a seperate learnng enviornment from my home.”
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jesus V.,Psychology, Freshman
Christian A. ,Engineering, Freshman
“‘I’m just happy to see everyone back in person and just go to play sports like soccer in fall.”
“I love it. I really can’t learn online, for example math, I just can’t. Being here, campus math just makes sense to me.”
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Clarion Reporter Nico Lira asks a student their take on being back on campus in the Citrus quad March 9.
Opinion
Mask mandate needs to go BY MARK SNOW
MANAGING EDITOR
MSNOW@CCCLARION.COM
L.A. County lifted its indoor mask mandate and Citrus should do the same. The mandate has been in place since July 17, 2021, and was lifted on March 4. The county has decided to follow new metrics that prove that mask-wearing is no longer necessary inside most places. The significant change is from how the county measures the spread of COVID-19. The old system measured transmission while the new monitors COVID-19 hospitalizations and overall cases, L.A. County said in a brief on March 3. Masks are still required on public transit, emergency shelters, health care settings, correctional detention facilities and homeless shelters. Childcare sites and K-12 schools will be required to follow the mandate until March 12. The county will then leave these facilities to determine their policies. Citrus is not recognizing the county’s changes by sticking to their policy, and this comes at a
cost to students. If a student has received both vaccinations and a booster shot, they can reduce their chances of getting and transmitting the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. It is redundant to have students prove they are COVID negative every week and wear masks afterward. Given the updated policy by the county, if students are fully vaccinated, and can show proof of this, then wearing masks is unnecessary. The new tracking methods are a better measurement of COVID-19 cases in the county, according to the brief from L.A. County. Proving vaccination status should eliminate the time-consuming COVID-19 tests every week. The same student that takes these weekly tests and wears a mask at school will go around the rest of the county without one. Citrus should update its practices. The school has a stricter COVID-19 mask policy than one of the toughest counties in the state. Citrus should follow the county and revise its policies to reflect the new way of interpreting data. The mask mandate needs to go.
MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Two students, one masked and one not, wait to take their weekly COVID-19 test on March 9.
8 Tuesday, March 15, 2022
News
CLARION
New Board of Trustees member
Cheryl Alexander to serve remainder of trustee term BY MARK SNOW
MANAGING EDITOR
MSNOW@CCCLARION.COM
PHOTO FROM PIXABAY. ILLUSTRATION BY ANTHONY ROSSI.
App provides open forum Citrus Mobile’s student feed blends official statements and information with the randomness of the community BY ANTHONY ROSSI
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM
Nearly two years ago, the Citrus Mobile application was renovated as a “one-stop-shop” for students. Now, due to COVID-19 and the daily pre-screening feature, an application that started as a luxury has become an integral part to the everyday lives of any student who ever has to get on campus. The increased importance of the app has fostered an expanding platform for students taking part in the student feed feature. The student feed once had an audience of whoever happened to have the app. The increased need for the app meant increased visibility to this timeline. The student feed is a unique
“Citrus Moble is an open place for students to communicate with free seech and without moderation.” Robert Hughes
Chief Information Services Officer
blend of official posts and community banter. In the span of a few posts, the user can see messages from tutoring and counseling services, followed by a post about rising chicken prices being a national security concern. Chief Information Services Officer Robert Hughes said measures have been put in to make
sure that the student feed remains a reliable place for students to gather information and interact with one another. Hughes said while an administrator does have the ability to remove any inappropriate posts, users have the ability to mark down posts. Four “down votes” from various users and the post is removed from the student feed. “Citrus Mobile is an open place for students to communicate with free speech and without moderation,” Hughes said. “But it’s up to the community, the students, to police it and make sure things are there that are appropriate.” Any public forum, whether online or in person, is prone to its own idiosyncrasies. Beverly Heasley is six months into the position of enterprise systems
supervisor, with responsibilities including overseeing the operations of the Citrus Mobile app. Heasley said the student feed is more of an extension of student life. “As long as (the students) are not violating a board policy or administrative procedure, it would be the same as if it was happening on campus,” Heasley said. In an online world where anonymity is the main catalyst to the toxicity of the Internet, Hughes said the Citrus Mobile keeps the student feed a reflection of student life by assuring only students have the ability to post. Hughes said all of the content that is seen on the app is produced by authenticated Citrus College users.
Veterans Success Center prepares for cancellations With the status of classes in question, staff tries to stay ahead of the game. BY ANTHONY ROSSI
EDITOR- IN - CHIEF
AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM
With classes being cut or shifted to online due to low enrollment, veterans can be at risk of losing the necessary amount of units to continue to receive their benefits for attending college. The G.I. Bill, specifically, requires veterans to attend a full-time class load to obtain the maximum benefit possible. Veterans must verify their enrollment status on a monthly basis. If a class is cut unexpectedly, their amount of units could fall under the necessary quota for that month. The Veterans Success Center has taken the steps to make sure that their students are prepared if a class is ever in danger of being
dropped. Although the Admissions office controls the class schedule, the Veterans Success Center has the ability to track when a class might be cut. Maria Buffo, director of the Veterans Success Center, said they contact student veterans as soon as they see a class might be in danger of being dropped due to low enrollment numbers. She said they use the live schedule tool on Wingspan to track potentially at-risk classes. Student veteran and accounting major Anthony Avila said the Veterans Success Center contacted him well ahead of the spring semester. “They called me like a month, maybe three weeks before (spring semester) started,” Avila said. “And
ANTHONY ROSSI - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Veterans Success Center director Maria Buffo works to help student veterans on March 10 in her office.
just told me to reconfirm with my professors that classes weren’t canceled.” After his professors said the classes were good to go, the Veterans Success Center reached out to the professors a week beforehand for finality, Avila said. If a class is dropped, Buffo said they have backup plans ready. She
said the professor from the cut class will offer another course they are teaching and fit them in. “We try to be very proactive on making sure that we jump ahead of our students and prepare for what could be just in case,” Buffo said. Veterans can find more information about enrollment and GI Bill status at VA.gov.
The Citrus College Board of Trustees has a new member for 2022. Cheryl Alexander will serve on the board as the area three trustee. The area includes Duarte and portions of Azusa, Monrovia, Arcadia, Covina, and Irwindale portions. “Trustee Alexander is a long-time resident of the City of Duarte with a history of working at several levels of education.” ALEXANDER B o a r d President Mary Ann Lutz said in an email. “Trustee Alexander has relationships within District 3, such as the City of Duarte, Duarte Unified School District, and the region that will prove to be a great asset to Citrus College.” Alexander is finishing the term of Edward Ortell, who died in October 2021. Board member Pat Rasmussen said Alexander’s experience will be an asset on the board. “Ms. Alexander is an educator who knows the Duarte community,” Rasmussen said in an email. “I’m certain she will fulfill her new role with Citrus in an exemplary manner and I look forward to working with her.” Alexander’s passion for the community and strong background in education is a unanimous sentiment shared by the board, board member Laura Bollinger said. “We are happy to welcome Trustee Alexander. She is very connected to her community and has a heart for public service,” Bollinger said in an email. “I am enjoying getting to know her better and as Trustees before me always have, we will be there to answer her questions. “She should not face obstacles but like all new Trustees, she will have a lot of orientation materials to bring her up to speed.” At the Dec. 14, 2021 meeting, the board had a public hearing to decide the trustee for the board opening. Bracy Fuentes also ran for the vacant position. Both were asked questions regarding the Citrus College district, skills, and abilities, why they were seeking appointment, experience, and what they hope to accomplish. She will carry out the remainder of the four-year term until Nov. 9 when the seat will be up for election.