CLARION citrus college
/CCCLARION @CCCLARION @CITRUSCOLLEGECLARION
ONLINE AT
CCCLARION.COM VOL LXXIII • ISSUE 3 OCTOBER 2, 2019
DELAYED REST A bill allowing homeless students to sleep on campus delayed.
Felise Alaichamy, Photography Editor
A student sleeps in her car on Sept. 20 in the Citrus parking lot in a photo set up by Clarion staff.
BY NICOLE MARIONA NEWS EDITOR
NMARIONA@CCCLARION.COM
An assembly bill that requires California colleges to allow homeless students to sleep on campus parking lots is taking a pause for two years. “I plan to spend the fall working with the governor’s office to identify ways to more urgently alleviate the struggles that our community college students are facing today, “ according to a press release made by Legislative and Communications assistant for the 24th District representative on Sept.3. 24th District representative of Palo Alto, Assembly member Marc Berman, portrayed the urgent need for action to AB 302; others believe
AB 302 should be reconsidered. President of the Citrus College Board of Trustees, Dr. Patricia A. Rasmussen, commented in an email regarding AB 302. “As a trustee I have major concerns about the safety of our students. It’s likely the surrounding community will also be very concerned,” she said. Rasmussen also stated financial concerns regarding AB 302. “While the homeless issue is problematic, it’s a state issue not a community college issue. This bill will cost the district a lot of money that will not be reimbursed by Sacramento,” she said. Contrary to Rasmussen’s statement, Berman explained the bill’s main purpose. “I’ve said time and again that AB 302 is not a solution to the housing
crisis. The long-term solution to the crisis is to build more housing,” said Kaitlyn Curry, Legislative and Communications assistant for Berman. Berman stated the bill’s main target of alleviation. “AB 302 is a short-term measure, but it’s something we can do to alleviate the existing reality that too many students are sleeping in their cars every night in unsafe places,” he said. Curry mentioned Berman’s frustrations towards a newlyimplemented requisite amended by the Senate Appropriations Committee stating services won’t apply to colleges within 250 feet. “I was disappointed to see that amendment, which I strongly disagree with,” said Curry. Berman believed that the
A REPORT SURVEYED 40,000 STUDENTS AND FOUND THAT 19% OF RESPONDENTS EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR amendment gave allusion to the recipients being “pedophiles” and that they need to be, “kept away from children.” “They are men and women– many of them barely adults themselves–who are trying to improve their lives by obtaining a better education, “ Berman said. According to a press release
Navigating LGBTQ+ friendly colleges Advice for LGBTQ+ students and how to find a college that’s right BY CASSIE SAMPSON STAFF REPORTER
CSAMPSON@CCCLARION.COM
Members of Citrus College’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance said the club along with other resources help LGBTQ students feel welcome on campus. GSA provides a yearly forum for LGBTQ students to ask questions and learn information students may be afraid to ask about. Kinesiology major Justina Du’Brey is the GSA club president at Citrus. After being in the club for a couple years, Du’Brey said she wanted a change from the regular social gatherings so she ran for club president in order to inform fellow members about important issues
concerning the LGBT community in a safe and comfortable way. “We are a much better club now because we’re actually learning things and becoming more active on campus,” Du’Brey said. Du’Brey said she focuses her leadership on members’ concerns. She said she tries to save the last 10 minutes to throw ideas on the table about what members want to know. She spends the next week gathering information together and getting speakers to let members know she cares. “We hear you, we see you, and we want to help,” Du’Brey said. Gia da Vinci, who identifies as queer, navigates campus by wearing a sticker with their pronouns on their clothing. “I was really scared at first because I had never done something like regularly wearing my pronouns outside of queer communities,” da Vinci said. “I’m happy to say that so far everything has gone well in the sense that no
Cassie Sampson, Staff Photographer GSA president Justina Du’Brey examines her notes before class in the quad.
one has acted in any way harmful to me.” Da Vinci started their first semester at Citrus this semester after transferring from PCC where they were the president of Queer Alliance. They met Du’Brey while volunteering at the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ center and joined
GSA to find safe space and find their people at Citrus. Jenna Miles, GSA secretary and treasurer, said she joined GSA as soon as she stepped on campus to find people who are accepting and to find safe and comfortable places SEE NAVIGATING PAGE 9
from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and The Hope for Community College, Community and Justice released a report that surveyed 40,000 students at 57 community colleges. They found that 19% of respondents experienced homelessness in the previous year. “I introduced this bill to provide immediate relief to the thousands of community colleges who are homeless throughout California,” Berman said. Curry also stated the bill allows freedom towards the institution regarding certain requirements. “Under AB 302, each community college district would be provided broad flexibility to develop an implementation plan that SEE HOMELESS PAGE 9
-- BRIEF --
File photo, Staff Photographer
A ferris wheel and booth from the 2018 Azusa Golden Days Carnival.
The Azusa Golden Days Celebration will begin from Oct. 5-13. Throughout the week festivities will include a 2k and 5k run, a pancake breakfast, a carnival and the Golden Days parade. Information can be found on the city of Azusa’s website.