Clarion 5/31/22

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ccclarion.com Volume LXXV • Issue 15 Tuesday, May 31, 2022

2017 lawsuit

Seven former student bookstore employees will receive a settlement payout in exchange for dropping all sexual harassment allegations and claims

BY MARK SNOW

EDITOR- IN - CHIEF

MSNOW@CCCLARION.COM

Seven former Owl Bookshop student employees agreed to settle their yearslong sexual harassment lawsuit with Citrus College for $510,000.

Citrus will pay the seven former employees who allege they were sexually harassed by former Owl Bookshop online coordinator Vincent Patino while at work.

Patino has since been convicted in criminal court for charges stemming from conduct at the bookstore.

The settlement document says Citrus College is not admitting any fault for the claims made by the former employees.

The complaint, filed on Oct. 27, 2017, says Human Resources Director Robert Sammis and bookstore manager Eric Magallon knew or should have known of Patino’s harassing conduct.

Sammis and Magallon failed to take quick action and did not properly train or implement procedures to educate their employees, court documents say.

The complaint says the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights found Sammis and Citrus did not have appropriate Title IX policies, procedures and training in place that would prevent

Patino’s conduct.

Female employees did not know of their rights to a sexual harassment-free work environment or how to properly voice their complaints, court documents say.

Sammis and Magallon did not respond to phone messages and email requesting for comment.

In a Jan. 18 meeting, the Board of Trustees reviewed and unanimously approved a settlement agreement.

A hearing at Los Angeles County Superior Court for the settlement is scheduled for Sept. 27.

According to a notice of settlement document filed on Sept.

20, 2021, the plaintiffs agree to dismiss all claims and allegations in exchange for compensation.

A total sum of $510,00 will be split and attorney fees will be paid to the former seven student employees, the settlement documents say.

The complaint for damages alleges that Patino, a full-time bookstore employee supervisor, engaged in non-consensual touching and made sexualized comments toward the former employees and to other young female students shopping in the Owl Bookstore and Café.

“Patino used his cell phone to take photographs and video up the skirts of minor female students who came into the bookstore,” court documents say.

Attorneys Raymond Boucher, Brian Bush, Marilyn Bednarski and David McLane, who represented the seven former student employees, did not respond to phone calls for comment.

On Oct. 27, 2015, in an incident that led up to the termination of Patino, a student employee reported to another student employee that she had seen Patino taking upskirt photos of students in the bookstore,

according to the complaint.

The complaint says this report was taken to human resources after the student employee was told by her supervisor, Magallon, there was

Read LAWSUIT, Page 3

Unprecedented honors Achievement Awards recognize outstanding students after two years of pandemic learning

BY ANTHONY ROSSI

STAFF REPORTER

AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM PHOTO FROM PIXABAY

Cases steady, policy shifts Positive COVID-19 cases and close contacts will have new requirements

BY ANTHONY ROSSI

STAFF REPORTER

AROSSI@CCCLARION.COM

COVID-19 remains a constant in the lives of students, but Citrus College’s COVID-19 policy has undergone changes.

Two changes have been to students who test positive for COVID-19 and students who are close contacts to a COVID-19 case.

Originally, students with COVID-19 or close contacts were required to quarantine for 10 days, according to the Citrus College

special COVID-19 newsletter.

On May 6, the head of the Citrus College COVID-19 Workgroup, Robert Sammis, said in a COVID-19 newsletter to students and faculty, these protocols would begin to align with the county and the state.

Students who test positive for COVID-19 will now be required to quarantine for five days. After the fifth day, students who are fever-free and produce a negative COVID-19 test may return to campus, Sammis said.

Students who are close contacts

to a COVID-19 case will no longer be required to quarantine away from campus, Sammis said.

Instead, indoor masking will be enforced for close contacts for 10 days.

Citrus College remains in compliance with COVID-19 guidelines at the city, state and federal level.

“We’re all learning to live with it,” Sammis said. “But we’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we’re responding as quickly and efficiently as we can to keep things as safe as possible.”

After two years of learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 59th iteration of the Citrus College Achievement Awards on May 26 served as the symbolic culmination of the efforts of students who thrived even as the world came to a halt.

The male and female Athletes of the Year, Key of Knowledge winners, Service Leader of the Year, and Distinguished Student Award were given out at the ceremony. The common theme from each winner was their resilience and ability to persevere during unprecedented times.

Each of the over 100 award winners overcame their own version of conflict.

Female Athlete of the Year Owls basketball point guard Katherine Goostrey faced numerous injuries over the last two years, but persevered through them to score 554 points for the season while maintaining a 4.0 GPA, head

women’s basketball coach Linnae Barber-Matthews said.

Key of Knowledge recipient Annie Williamson succeeded in a hands-on esthetician course even as the class was forced to be offered remotely, her instructor Ann Everett said.

Superintendent/President Greg Schulz said the students stand apart in not only their success, but how they got to it.

“When I think about our student scholars and see them tonight being honored I think about what it took for them to get to this moment,” Schulz said.

“For years these inspirational students have spent countless hours studying, doing homework, attending classes all while facing different forms of adversity.”

The 59th annual Achievement Awards ceremony was conducted at the Haugh Performing Arts Center and was the first of this series of events to be in-person since 2019.

2 Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Announcements

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Andrew Perez

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Anthony Rossi

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Brooke Spears

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Clarion advisers: Patrick Schmiedt Stacy K. Long

The Clarion is produced by journalism students 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.

Clarion Promise The Clarion recognizes the immense responsibility of reporting the stories of the Citrus community. We promise to deliver these stories as accurately as possible, without favor or fear of reproach.

The Clarion is knowledgeable of the power of the written word. It will shape the opinion and reputation of students, faculty and the institution. We exercise the right to publish, but also the right not to publish for the purpose of being complete in our reporting.

EARLY ALERT WORKSHOPS FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WORKSHOPS VISIT HTTPS://WWW.CITRUSCOLLEGE.EDU/STDNTSRV/COUNSEL/EARLYALERT/PAGES/DEFAULT.ASPX

Workshop

Time

Date

Time Management

3-4p.m.

June 1

Note Taking

1-2 p.m.

June 2

Stress Management

10-11 p.m.

June 3

Study Skills

4:30-5:30 p.m.

May 31

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.

Study Abroad heads for Madrid The Southern California Foothills Consortium with the American Institute for Foreign Study to have a Study Abroad program in Madrid for spring 2023.

Students will leave Feb. 16 and return May 13.

Citrus will oversee the application, admission and registration for all students in the Study Abroad program.

Study Abroad will take 45 students.

Citrus will select and oversee three faculty for Study Abroad.

Fill out an interest form at http://www.citruscollege.edu/studyabroad.

Regulations passed by Board of Trustees The Citrus College Board of Trustees passed regulations to ensure the safety of students subjected to immigration order May 17.. If immigration enforcers come on campus, steps are to be taken to keep Citrus College students safe.

Contacting Campus Safety goes into action while an immigration officer is present as well as the vice president, or director of Human Resources.

The district will not allow immigration enforcers to enter campus grounds unless certain circumstances are given for the reason of visit.

Reason for visit will be evaluated by the vice president or director of Human Resources when proposed with a reason for visitation authorization.

Legal immigration representation will be provided for students free of charge upon request. Contact information will be provided, email, number and office address.

Students, faculty and staff can contact the vice president of student services Richard Rams, and director of human resources, Dr. Robert L. Sammis if they’re subject to immigration order. District personnel shall be open to assist these members who are subjected to this inquiry.

Tentative budget forum Citrus College is hosting a tentative budget forum June 8 over Zoom.

For those interested in learning more information about ongoing expenditures, revenues, or the current money balance at Citrus, the Zoom call will start at 2:45 p.m. and end at 3:45 p.m.

The tentative budget will be adopted by the Board of Trustees this month and continuously worked on as it is reviewed and adopted through September.

The Zoom link is https://cccconfer.zoom.us/j/94293214126 Meeting ID: 942 9321 4126

News

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 3

CLARION

Low turnout calls for big changes

Special election gives students a chance to fill unelected student government positions

BY MARK SNOW

EDITOR IN CHIEF

MSNOW@CCCLARION.COM

The Associated Students of Citrus College is having a special election.

Not enough votes were counted to properly elect any of the board members except for the 2022-2023 president, Jamie IIes. The election will be online from May 31 to June 2.

In person, voting will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. from May 31 to June 2 at the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

The first 50 students to vote at this in-person booth will receive a free Citrus College T-shirt.

ASCC Senatorial candidate Sofia Guzman said in an email that this election is more important than the last.

“Students should and need to take this time to vote in this election,” Guzman said, “to not only let their voices be heard but to ensure that they elect qualified candidates to these important leadership positions.”

Guzman said students should have a say in who advocates on their behalf as the board is entrusted with student fees that totaled $314,244 for 2022 and events on campus.

Student life supervisor Rosario Garcia said in an email that students will be voting for officers who represent them in shared governance committees and decisions are made in those committees that affect everyone, including students.

LAWSUIT from Page 1 nothing he could do and they should go to human resources.

The seven female bookstore employees said Citrus College, and specifically those full-time employees who worked closely with Patino was dismissive of what was reported and disregarded their verbal complaint.

Magallon allegedly told the other female employees they were “blowing this out of proportion,” according to the complaint.

A student employee had previously reported Patino’s actions to then bookstore supervisor Todd Wilcox in the spring of 2014. No repercussions or mandatory sexual harassment training occurred, according to the legal complaint.

The students interviewed told the civil rights office they did not receive any sexual harassment training and were not aware of how to file a complaint.

Nothing was posted in the bookstore regarding the employee’s Title IX rights, according to the civil rights office report.

The complaint says Director of Fiscal Services Rosie Buchwald, at a meeting on an unspecified date in late 2015 for full-time bookstore employees, said in reference to the reports “kids will be kids” and the full-time employees “should be respectful of Patino’s wife,” who was also a bookstore employee.

Patino was charged with 19 misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy and disorderly conduct in connection to secret filming. He was found guilty on Feb. 22, 2016, on six of the 19 charges, court documents say.

ILLUSTRATION BY MARK SNOW

“The ASCC represent all students in shared governance,” Rosario said. “They make decisions that affect all students, they coordinate and host activities, they are responsible for developing the ASCC budget and more.”

Voters will decide on changes

to four amendments to the ASCC constitution, as well as recasting for the candidates not elected in the first election.

The four changes to be voted on include: 1) The student trustee, who sits on the Board of Trustees as a non-

Patino was sentenced to serve 200 days in jail and five years of probation while also having to register as a sex offender, court documents say.

Patino’s defense attorneys, Steven Haney and Kenneth Baish, did not respond to phone calls for comment.

The complaint says the civil rights office conducted an investigation into the allegations made at Citrus.

Citrus receives federal funding, which subjects them to Title IX regulation. Title IX prohibits discrimination regarding sex in programs and activities.

The agency determined Patino’s actions were “severe” due to them “consisting of unlawful photographing of female body parts without permission and physical touching,” the complaint says.

Court documents allege that Patino would adjust the female students’ shirts, input pet names that were visible to all staff into their timecards, suggest lewd acts when student employees would blow up balloons and made inappropriate jokes and sexual gestures toward the female student employees.

According to Citrus’ board policy on sexual harassment, Title IX information regarding sexual harassment should be posted in a location where employees can access it.

The report by the civil rights office found none of the students interviewed knew what a Title IX coordinator was.

The students were unaware that the college had grievance procedures to address sexual harassment and assault in the work environment, the civil rights report

said.

Two bookstore employees who worked for the college for over 10 years told the agency they had never received sexual harassment training. They were not sure how to assist other employees and were unaware of a Title IX coordinator on campus, according to the report.

Brenda Fink is the Title IX coordinator at Citrus College. Fink did not respond to emails and phone calls for comment.

The complaint says the first time students were provided any information on Citrus’ sexual harassment policies was on Dec. 1, 2015, when Sammis and Arvid Spor, former vice president of student services, met to tell them Patino was fired.

The report says that Citrus was responsible for Patino’s harassment regardless of actual notice of action due to failure to provide mandatory training and regular training to employees.

An internal investigation at Citrus

by Sammis found Patino engaged in sexual harassment and created a sexually hostile work environment, court documents say.

The complaint filed in 2017 alleges that Sammis and Magallon acted with deliberate indifference and reckless disregard.

“The seven student employees have suffered great mental and physical pain, suffering, anguish, fright, nervousness, anxiety, shock, humiliation, indignity, embarrassment and apprehension,” court documents say.

Staff reporter Nicholas contributed to this report.

Lira

voting member term will begin June 1 and end May 31 instead of May 15 and end May 14 of the following year.

2) An interim student trustee will be immediately appointed if a sitting student trustee is removed from office, can no longer serve, or

is put on academic or disciplinary probation.

3) A simple majority vote will allow a candidate to be elected.

4) All amendments and revisions will be available to students five days before an election instead of 10.

Why we reported this story, how we reported it, and what’s next Why we’re doing this story: The case has been ongoing for over five years and is reaching a settlement before the end of the year. We at the Clarion have a duty to our readers to report on any major news that affects the campus.

Furthermore, the Clarion feels that any sexual assault that happens to students on campus needs to be addressed. When such actions happen on campus, we have a moral responsibility to inform our readers.

How we reported this story: We first attempted to get the case documents from the lawyers involved but were unsuccessful. The freedoms in the first amendment allowed the Clarion, and any other interested person, to purchase these documents through the courts directly for a fee. After looking through the documents we attempted to reach out to every lawyer as well as several people at Citrus who were directly involved in the case for comment. We wanted all contacted to know that a story was being written so that they could have a chance to comment on the case from their perspective. No parties returned our calls or emails. Therefore, all information in the story comes from court documents, Board of Trustee meetings and available information from Citrus College. We decided not to release the names of the victims as it was not prudent to the settlement and to protect and prevent any reliving of trauma.

What happens next: We hope that the parties involved will reach out for comment to discuss what has been done in the last five-ish years to fix the problems that led to a lawsuit and settlement. Although one of the conditions of the settlement is that Citrus does not have to admit fault, we at the Clarion would like to ensure that all full-time, parttime and student employees have a safe work environment. We will report in the future on the current state of sexual harassment training at Citrus.

Mark Snow, Clarion Editor-In-Chief

4 Tuesday, May 31, 2022

Opinion

CLARION

Opinion

The Career and Transfer Center is the ideal spot for students to answer questions on their educational plan, future studies and potential careers.

ANDREW GARCIA - CLARION STAFF

Universities require fees but provide degrees Many students struggle choosing between college and work or, in some, cases both

BY ANDREW GARCIA

STAFF REPORTER

AGARCIA@CCCLARION.COM

Transferring to a four-year university, although difficult, can have an overall benefit to one’s career and life.

Only around 31% of community college students consider and plan to continue their academic careers according to the National Center of Educational Statistics.

Students like Sierra Noble did not know current credits being obtained at a community college can be transferred to a four-year university.

“I had no idea I could use these credits at my next college until I had my zoom meeting with my counselor,” Noble said.

Community colleges don’t often offer transfer credits due to the courses not being transferable,

so students that go to universities such as Citrus or Mt. Sac should take this opportunity to utilize the credits earned.

Students will change majors, which in turn will change the type of credits required, which would result in some colleges not interchanging between different types.

Another main factor is the financial standpoint. Transferring to a four-year university is cheaper than if you were trying to apply with no prior schooling or taking a gap year.

Students can transfer from high school to universities at cheaper costs, yet attending colleges like Citrus and Mt. Sac can help benefit a student on a budget, especially if they are unsure of their future.

Scholarships and other grants may be given to those transferring

students to make the transition more comfortable.

“I had always wanted to go to a four-year university but I came to Citrus because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do or even study,’’ said Noble. “So I didn’t want to waste my money.”

Clubs and organizations can be beneficial when attempting to save money and have a social life. Members of fraternities and sororities get scholarships to maintain a good amount of people for fundraisers and events.

Attending a four-year university increases job opportunities and leads to career choices.

The overall earning potential of someone that attends a fouryear university is higher when compared to those who don’t attend any type of schooling.

Students like Hailey Norwood,

a current transferring student, suggest enrolling for schools is difficult and can lead to frustration regarding fees and financial requirements.

“I remember trying to sign up for an online tutorial on how to apply to my next school and it was so confusing because there were so many different suggestions as I went through the process,” Norwood said.

Another main issue expressed

by Emmilee Torro, a current student at Citrus College, was the difficulty in actually picking a program based on certain career paths.

“I have no idea what I want to do for my future job, so applying for my university was nerve racking because I was unsure on what classes I should be taking besides the general requirements,” said

Torro.

California Community Colleges provide support for issues like this and have set up Zooms during the pandemic to make sure no one gets left behind.

There are plenty of obstacles that stop current students from attending their next level of education, but common things such as finances and uncertainty of the unknown can be overcome.

The list of pros and cons for attending a four-year university can go on forever, but at the end of the day the benefits of gaining an education can never harm an individual who wants to succeed in a career.

Colleges should reach a certain standard in getting their students to understand the pros and cons of attending and graduating from a four-year university.

Opinion

E-books are convenient for student lives Students describe what type of textbook they prefer to use for educational purposes, whether hard copy text or e-books

BY BROOKE SPEARS

STAFF REPORTER

BSPEARS@CCCLARION.COM

At the start of new semesters, students start off by looking into their syllabus ready to purchase textbooks that are required for class.

Students often have the option of purchasing a hard copy textbook, or alternatively an e-book version of the text.

Searching for the students’ personal needs can be a tricky process when deciding on which form of text is best to one’s liking and flexible with students’ lives.

Student Nayzeth Galindo said he prefers e-books due to the cheap monthly charges for only a certain amount of time.

“I think that the costs are better with e-books because you can pay monthly and not yearly,” said Galindo.

E-books aren’t just cheaper, but they’re convenient. E-books are small and portable. Instead of carrying around a heavy set book, you can carry it on a tiny little phone, computer and iPad. Not only are e-books more convenient in price, but they’re

uncomplicated to have around, unlike a hard copy text.

Galindo said he had challenges with hard copy textbooks from carrying around from class to class and the amount of weight that was carried.

“In my first year of college as a freshman at Citrus, I carried two notebooks, my laptop and my textbook,” Galindo said. “I had to carry those around me making me tired, which made me start purchasing e-books.”

Having to worry about all the textbooks you carry around disappears when students have e-books around. Students can have one device with a wide selection of textbooks, all in one.

Student Cheryl Pallie said in an email she thinks digital renting is a good idea for students looking for textbooks.

“I think for those that are cost conscious, digital rentals should be a good idea. As well as Amazon rentals,” Pallie said.

Students’ personal preferences play a vital role in deciding what to purchase. Choices also depend on the courses they’re taking.

E-books are easy to use in the sense that one can multitask

“I depend on my e-books to be mobile as I am instant, I can turn e-books on and the beauty is I am free from a large textbook.”

Catalina De Anda Student

easily when doing homework assignments or even when someone is out and about.

Pallie said she prefers e-books for online courses since she’s able to multitask across all devices and tabs when working on assignments.

“Personally, I’ve found that I prefer hard copy books for in-person and digital for online classes,” Pallie said.

This is just based on convenience. When taking an online class, I can open multiple tabs or even utilize multiple devices for materials needed for the class. Convenience is a big part of what makes e-books so essential, and what benefits students’ personal lives.

E-books have cool features on

it too, being occupied gets in the way of reading your hard copy text thoroughly. With an audio e-book, it’s easy to carry on with life.

Student Catalina De Anda said she leads a busy life, and e-books help her continue on with her day. De Anda said e-books are convenient for her when she’s out and about.

“My time is so precious, and honestly I do too much in life to sit down and read a book or in my case a textbook,” De Anda said. “For example, when I’m at the market grocery shopping, driving or just sitting in traffic, I listen to my e-book.”

Not only does De Anda have a busy life, but she also has responsibilities and a family to take care of.

“I am a full time student that works graveyard shift full time. I squeeze in my day, caring for my 85-year-old-plus parents at their home, and babysit my 2-year-old granddaughter at her home,” De Anda said.

De Anda doesn’t have much time for herself being occupied with life, so she relies on her textbooks to get her through.

ILLUSTRATION BY BROOKE SPEARS

“That being said, I rarely have time for myself,” De Anda said.

“I depend on my e-books to be mobile as I am instant, I can turn e-books on and the beauty is I am free from a large textbook.”

Though reading may seem like it doesn’t affect a big part of our lives, it does. E-books are a gateway for a smoother education and an easier life.

Opinion

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 5

CLARION

Opinion

Right to choose or right to lose Students will have hard choices regarding abortion if the precedent is overturned

BY MARK SNOW

EDITOR- IN - CHIEF

MSNOW@CCCLARION.COM

AND KARINA CURIEL

STAFF REPORTER

KCURIEL@CCCLARION.COM

Editor’s note: Due to the nature of this subject and to protect the safety and well-being of students, the names of sources related to Citrus will remain anonymous.

A Supreme Court draft opinion that leaked May 2 will cause changes in how states handle abortion if it comes to fruition.

A person’s right to choose matters more than just legally.

Having to choose to abort an unwanted pregnancy is tough and impacts all that are involved.

Even students at Citrus deal with unwanted advances, and without the right to choose, the outcome could be dire and life changing.

A student at Citrus, talks about their experiences with sexual assualt and the trauma she endured dealing with an abortion.

“I was so scared,” a Citrus student said. “For the first time in my life I felt completely helpless. It was supposed to be a casual date with a friend who was in the same class. He knew I already had a daughter and wasn’t looking for a relationship. He got me drunk, and when I said no, he just wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop him. He was so strong.”

After the traumatic ordeal, the student said she tried to get a morning after pill from a pharmacy, which is a medication that prevents ovulation and blocks fertilization.

Traumatized and in pain the student said she had trouble

ART BY KARINA CURIEL, CLARION

walking and “cried all the way to the pharmacy.”

“They wouldn’t take cash,” the student said. “I didn’t have a debit card, and I wasn’t able to get one in time. I called everyone. No one helped me.”

The student said she was too scared to go to the police and that he threatened to kill her if she told anyone.

“I thought about hanging myself,” the student said. “If it wasn’t for my baby girl, I might have. I was out of options and I prayed every night that I wasn’t pregnant. I couldn’t afford another kid and I would throw up just thinking about it.”

The student said the worst part was she had to stop going to school because he was still in her class.

“This happened before COVID,” the student said, “but I’ve been taking classes online ever since.

I’m too scared to go back. I don’t know if he’s still there, but I’m too

scared to find out.”

The student found out she was pregnant and had to pay $800 for an abortion.

“It was my rent,” the student said. “By the grace of God, my landlord understood my situation and allowed me to skip that month.”

If Roe v. Wade, the 1973 supreme court case that legalized abortion is overturned, then women who face a similar situation may not have the options that the student had.

The impacts of this decision will lead to unsafe term pregnancies, unwanted children and traumatized young mothers.

Things a 12-year-old child cannot do: nSmoke cigarettes nDrink alcohol nRent a car nBuy a house nGet married nJoin the military

Take a hard look at that list. Now think about this. If Roe v. Wade is overturned, a 12-year-old child that becomes pregnant from rape will be forced to carry a child through a full-term pregnancy.

If that 12-year-old child’s life is in danger, the doctors will be forced to save the life of the unborn fetus. The doctors will not be able to terminate the fetus because that would be considered murder.

Human Rights Watch Associate Director Amanda Klasing said in a story on overturning Roe v. Wade that allowing states to have full control of abortion law will have these effects on human rights: Pregnant people will be significantly impacted.

Increased number of unsafe and illegal abortions.

Rises in maternal mortality and morbidity.

Klasing said marginalized groups, including those in poverty,

young people, Black and other people of color, will be the most adversely affected.

Klasing goes on to say this is a draft opinion and abortion is still legal in the U.S. Although abortion is still legal, the Supreme Court has made clear its intentions, and the U.S. is headed for change that hasn’t been seen in 49 years.

Time reporter Abigail Abrams said in a story about the Sureme Court leak that Louisiana had already drafted a bill classifying abortion as homicide in preparation for the possible Supreme Court decision.

On the flip side, KTLA reporters Travis Schlepp and Christina Pascucci wrote in a story about California providers that California Planned Parenthood is getting ready for hundreds of new out-ofstate patients.

California being prepared for out-of-state abortions is a good thing, as many will find refuge, but it poses a new problem.

Salon.org reporter Nicole Karlis wrote in a story about the surge the state may not be prepared for the surge in abortions, despite its best efforts.

Karlis said the Guttmacher Institute Report findings show California could go from 46,000 to 1.4 million women who seek an abortion provider, an increase of 2,923% Students at Citrus who need help with any unwanted pregnancy should be prepared if the need arises due to the influx of new patients.

Students have resources available through the Student Health Center that may help with understanding their decisions and seeking further assistance.

Opinion

Bring back on-site child care

A reinvigorated program for parents could bring much-needed change to the community and their families

BY MARK SNOW

EDITOR- IN - CHIEF

MSNOW@CCCLARION.COM

The COVID-19 pandemic hit parent students hard. Providing for families outweighs any desire to receive an education.

Heather French, a former Citrus College student, said she’s been trying to find a way back to school for two years but must stay home to take care of her young daughter.

“My fiancé lost his job and there was just no way I would be able to go back (to school),” French said. “I can’t even think about taking any classes, I just don’t have the time.”

Citrus ran a childcare program from 1978-2012. The program consisted of preschool, before and aftercare and programs for foster youth. In 2007 the foster youth program expanded care to foster children of high school and college-age.

The program was suspended in June 2012, and the development center was outfitted as the new

MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

What used to be the child care center has been replaced by an outdoor recreation area.

veterans’ center.

Tanya Howell, a former student, said she remembers

taking her two children before her classes started in 2009.

“I don’t think I would have

been able to go to school if it wasn’t for that center,” Howell said. “It’s a shame that Citrus just let it go.”

In 2012-2013, the Citrus adopted budget shows revenue for community colleges came in $539 million below what was forecasted. However, in 20132014, the budget showed $227 million, which was over $30 million of the proposed amount, was being allocated to programs. $89.4 million will restore access to programs and assist with enrollment growth statewide.

Students have not flocked back to campus as the school would hope, and many have chosen to work instead of coming back to school.

“If they’d (Citrus) offer child care again, I could work part-time and finish my degree,” French said. “I just want a better life for my family. I’d be so thankful for any help, even if it’s only a few hours. I’d make it work.”

The desperation of parents like French and Howell makes it clear there is a need for on-site care.

The school would benefit from the increase in numbers as many parents like French are stuck choosing to work out of necessity for their family.

The Citrus 2021-2022 budget shows the school’s full-time student enrollment is down 12%. The budget also says Citrus College receives funds for programs that teach child care and development.

Citrus College’s educational and facilities master plan outline for 2020-2030 outlines a need for a childcare laboratory. The plan outlines that travel to school is difficult for parents with children, and that Citrus does not provide adequate transportation. The plan states that parents’ site the expense and need for childcare have hindered parents from attending school full time.

Citrus would benefit from having returning parent students on campus. Since the school receives funding for full-time students, it would be beneficial to have a resource for parents wanting to attend Citrus.

FALL 2022

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.

WINTER 2023

PARIS, FRANCE JAN. 7 – FEB. 4, 2023

Enroll in 3-6 CSU/UC transferable credits next winter!

Sports

Tuesday, May 31 , 2022 7

CLARION ADVERTISEMENT

NICHOLAS LIRA - CLARION STAFF

After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the driving range returns, allowing the Citrus community to practice its game

Driving range reopens

The end of a two-year drought may be the beginning of a new era

BY NICHOLAS LIRA

CLARION STAFF

NLIRA@CCCLARION.COM

After two years of being a ghost town, the campus is slowly opening back up, including many of the amenities Citrus College has to offer.

Citrus College’s driving range finally reopened April 8 at Citrus after being closed due to COVID-19.

“We are starting to get some people in and we are also having a lot of people that are starting to get back.” Enterprise Services Coordinator Michael Bilbrey said. “It’s been a nice opportunity to see people who used to come here all the time. It’s a nice opportunity for the community to come on campus to see the campus and to come of course to the range and spend some time here.”

Students that have no experience can visit the range and channel their inner Tiger Woods.

Enterprise Services Manager Eric Magallon said, “I want people to feel that they can come relax, chill out and enjoy themselves.”

The range is not solely for Citrus students, faculty and staff. Anyone is welcomed and encouraged to enjoy the facility.

Citrus Range offers golfing equipment for students and customers to use rather than buying your own which can run anyone upwards of $300.

Both Magallon and Bilbrey encourage students to take the introductory golf class offered at Citrus, KIN 103. Where students that are interested in golf but have no experience can learn the basics of the sport.

“I encourage anyone that wants to sign up for the basic golf class.” Magallon said. “Watching the students from the first day of class and watching lately as the semester has gone on, you see the improvement. You can tell they feel better about themselves. ” The range offers more than hitting the club into a big empty field, there are targets to aim at, trash cans to lob golf balls into, as well as old cars to take the semester’s frustrations out on.

There is a putting green where customers can work on the most

frustrating part of golf, the short game.

The driving range is making improvements to the facility by adding new golf balls, a selfserve golf ball dispenser, brand new mats to hit off, as well as upgrading their snack and drink selections.

Buckets of golf balls come in sizes similar to fast food restaurants drinks small, medium and large.

For the students who are familiar with golfing and want a course experience hitting off of grass rather than mats, the Citrus Range offers a purchasable upgrade to hit off the grass section in front of the mats.

More information on the range and future events/promotions will be advertised on their social media platforms at Facebook @RangeatCitrus or Instagram @rangeatcit.

The range is closed every Monday but, open Tuesday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Spring sports round-up Seasons conclude for the Owls as honors are awarded

BY NICHOLAS LIRA

CLARION STAFF

NLIRA@CCCLARION.COM

Spring semester sports have come to a conclusion at Citrus College here are the athletes that were awarded for their outstanding play as well as the team’s final position in standings. nBaseball: Owl baseball season ends with the team finishing in sixth place with a 9-12 conference record and a 16-24 overall record.

Three players were awarded with all-Conference second team honors.

Ryan Luiz Harney, a freshman pitcher, earned his spot with a 4.69 ERA and a total of 66 strikeouts for the season.

Connor McKinney, freshman first baseman, finished the season with 10 home runs batting at .387 for the year.

The final honor went to freshman outfielder Devon Diaz, who ranked 10th in conference for

his 13 stolen bases, accumulated 59 hits, 33 RBIs, while batting at .351. nSoftball: Citrus softball had a similar season to baseball. The softball team finished in fifth place with a 6-6 record in the Western State-East Conference and an overall record of 16-24.

The Owls had four players that were acknowledged for their outstanding play during the season earning themselves all-team awards and honorable mentions.

Jaidyn Harris was named firstteam all-conference throwing 95 strikeouts this season. Mia Godoy earned second-team allconference with a batting average at .370.

The two honorable mentions went to Tatiana Figeroua who accumulated 25 hits and Patty Rodrgiuez with a .395 batting average and 45 hits. nMen’s golf: The Citrus men’s

golf team had two standout athletes be named all-Western State Conference players, Corrtez Herrera and John Dearth.

The SoCal regional tournament May 9th at Olivas Links golf course in Ventura, Dearth shot a 144 combined for both days of the tournament, earning him the honors of being named to the allSoCal team on top of all-Western State. The team finished ninth at the regional tournament. nSwim/dive: The Citrus swim and dive team took eighth place at the Western Conference championships April 21-23 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.

Teghan Miller led the women’s side to three top-10 finishes, fifth in the 500-yard free, sixth in the 100-yard free, and eighth in the 50-yard free. Julian Nichols earned the men’s side their own three top10 finishes, sixth in the 200-yard free, ninth in the 50-yard and 100yard free.

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News

Ol’ unreliable

Tuesday, May 31, 2022 8

CLARION

Students have issues with the vending machines across campus

BY ANDREW PEREZ

STAFF REPORTER

APEREZ@CCCLARION.COM

The PepsiCo Inc. vending machines on campus have given students issues by taking money without providing product and only accepting cash due to the card reader not working.

Eric Magallon, the Enterprise Services manager, said Pepsi will put stickers on the vending machines with a number students can call if the machine is broken or something is wrong. However if students need a refund, they should go to The Range at Citrus, Magallon said.

“If it’s a cash issue, then for right now they come to the range here,” Magallon said. “… But they have to report what machine it was and then fill out a form and then they get reimbursed.”

Magallon said it is easier for students to just say whether it is a drink machine or food machine and about where it is on campus when making a report.

Magallon said the issues with the vending machines do not affect the relationship with Pepsi as there are

problems all over. The age of the machines contributed to the amount of issues the campus had with them, Magallon said.

“We kind of had the worst of them because our machines are so old,” Magallon said. “ … And if COVID hadn’t happened a lot of these machines would have been replaced.”

The food vending machines come from First Choice Vending. The First Choice machines were new before COVID-19 and have had few problems, Magallon said. The only issue for the food machines was the card reader needing to be replaced due to the change to 5G. This affected Pepsi machines as well with some machines still having card readers replaced, Magallon said.

Magallon said machines can last five to 10 years but vandalization and design may make the lifespan shorter. Usually the vendor would take the machines that are having problems out and replace them, however supply issues have stopped that, Magallon said.

“The supply and chain problem has just hit everything,” Magallon

said. “I was talking to the rep and they were saying aluminum, plastic, glass a lot of the Starbucks drinks are having problems with keeping in stock.”

Magallon said they just opened the range less than a month ago and when they placed a Pepsi order, there were a lot of drinks they did not get because they are out of stock.

Ron Robinson, a first-year student, said he had issues with getting his change back from the Pepsi vending machines. “(I) try to stay away from using vending machines because you never know when it’s going to give your change back,” Robinson said.

Robinson said the machine has sometimes given him the wrong item or the item gets stuck. Robinson said even though it happens all the time, he has not gone to get a refund.

“With everything there’s a chance that something may go wrong,” Robinson said. “You got to look at that when you’re going to use certain services.”

Robinson said issues he had with the vending machines are not a big deal and that changing the design

ANDREW PEREZ - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Campus Center vending machine displays a cash-only prompt on May 11.

may help solve the issues.

Another student who had issues with the vending machines was Daniel Jimenez, a second-year student.

Back in the winter session Jimenez said he had an issue with the vending machines by the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

“I had put in cash, right?” Jimenez said. “And it accepted the cash and once I put in the number it wouldn’t dispense the drink that I wanted.

And I was like ‘OK?’ So then I tried one of the snack vending machines to maybe munch on something, I also put in the cash and even then it didn’t want to dispense my thing.”

Jimenez said there were no

warning signs on the machine.

Jimenez said he was not aware of where to get a refund and did not consider it a big deal.

Magallon said if students see an issue with a machine do not use it.

“If anything looks wrong with the machine or if it looks like the credit card reader isn’t working or they can’t read the LED screen, don’t use the machine because we’re working on replacing those,” Magallon said.

Students can go to the range, bookstore or Owl Cafe to get drinks because they are indoors and usually work better since they are not exposed to the elements, Magallon said.

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE HAUGH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

COVID-delayed ‘Cinderella’ finally arrives Program brought to the Haugh stage two years later

BY MIRANDA PALMAS

STAFF REPORTER

MPALMAS@CCCLARION.COM

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” performance was close to opening at the Haugh in February 2020 but had to be delayed due to COVID-19 and the closure of campus.

After two years, “Cinderella” finally made its debut on the Haugh stage with 33 cast members and 16 crew members.

A setback that occurred because of COVID-19, said stage manager Alexandra De La Cerda was they “didn’t have all of (their) original cast return to the production after COVID, so (they) did have to recast a couple of principal roles and cast new members of the ensemble.”

“Working with some individuals who’d already learned a lot of the material and some who were doing it for the first time,” De La Cerda said, “was an interesting experience.”

Luckily, the actress who was set to play Cinderella, Mikaelah O’Connor, still was the star of

the show and said it felt amazing becoming a princess and said “it was a dream come true.”

O’Connor, a former Citrus student before the pandemic, said, “I enjoyed forcing myself into the perspective of someone who always leads from kindness and warmth.”

It took O’Connor about three years to prepare to become Cinderella, since the whole process was started pre-pandemic in 2019.

With the whole world unsure of when everything would return to normal, the entire Cinderella team was also in the dark about whether they would be able to put on their show.

De La Cerda said she “constantly got emails from the cast wondering when (they would) get to pick up the production and it was disheartening to not have an answer.”

Then earlier this year when Dean of Visual and Performing Arts John Vaughan gave De La Cerda the OK to come back, it took the cast and crew members

five to six weeks of rehearsal and production process until they were ready to hit the stage.

“The biggest challenge (was) rehearsing a show without an audience,” Director Sarah Hinrichsen said. “The energy an audience brings is impossible to emulate in a rehearsal room.

There’s nothing quite like having the feedback from a crowd.”

For COVID-19 safety protocols the cast and crew members were tested every other day and required to wear their masks. Also, upon seeing the show guests had to show proof of vaccination status or a negative test result.

For the entire cast and crew, the show was a beacon of light and proof that anything is possible.

“Cinderella is… all about spreading kindness and joy,” Hinrichsen said. “That’s exactly what I think this production achieved for the audience.”

Pat Hazell’s The Wonder Bread Years Sunday I June 5, 2022 I 2PM This hilarious gem will leave you savoring the past!

Tickets: Citrus Faculty, Staff & Students: $19 $30.40 with promo code RETRO20 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