Clarion 5/6/15 by Citrus College Clarion

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015 | VOL XCI ISSUE 6 tccclarion.com f/ccclarion T@ccclarion

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CITRUS SOFTBALL ADVANCES TO SUPER REGIONALS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY

PG. 14

GETTING PAST THE HURDLES Despite persistence students fall behind in the race toward completion BY JACLYN SPENCER STAFF WRITER

JSPENCER@CCCLARION.COM

he completion rate of Citrus College students has declined over the last year and remained three percentage points below the state average. The scorecard focuses on a specific cohort of students, whose success is measured over a six-year period. The students for this year’s cohort enrolled in 2008-09 and were tracked through 2013-14 academic year. The scorecard subdivides student population by gender, age, and ethnicity. The overall completion rate of the Citrus College cohort declined slightly from 46.8 percent to 44 percent, according to the fifth annual scorecard released April 15 by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. In the academic world, preparation is required to earn any type of success. In the race for completion, California community colleges are making strides to better prepare students for the hurdles they face in their education. The annual scorecard is

posted for each of the states 112 community colleges. The cohorts progress is tracked in areas such as remedial instruction, job training programs, retention, and persistence rates. Citrus students’ success rate in math is 30.2 percent. In English it’s 44.3 percent. The average student enrolling at Citrus College tests into remedial math or English classes. These numbers are almost identical with state averages at 31 percent for math and 43.4 percent for English. Placement in remedial classes is the identifier in labeling students as prepared or unprepared students. “The biggest concern that jumps out at me on the scorecard, is that Citrus has more unprepared students than the state average,” said Geraldine M. Perri, Ph. D., superintendent/president of Citrus College. Scorecard indicates that 82 percent of students enrolled at Citrus College were unprepared for college level work. Statewide average for unprepared students was 75 percent. Creating partnerships with K-12 public school is one way

Vocal group to tour China for the first time BY PAT CORDOVA-GOFF STAFF WRITER

PCORDOVA@CCCLARION.COM

The Citrus Singers are making history with their first trip to China. For 15 days, the Singers are booked to perform 10 times and tour five cities. Four staff members and 37 students depart on May 13 and return June 3. They will join musical groups from around the world at the annual choral festival in Shanghai. The Citrus Singers are the only group from an American college or university scheduled to participate. “Through a series of circumstances,” said Doug Austin, director of the Citrus Singers, “there was a booking

agency [at Citrus College}... who became acquainted with John Vaughn when [Vaughn] was interim director of the Haugh and Bob Slack who is the dean of the music department.” “[The Citrus Singers} would be perfect for this choral festival,’” said the booking agency to Austin. The Chinese festival audition panel reviewed footage of Citrus Singers performances, initiating a three-month audition process that eventually lead to an invitation to perform in the international festival. “A total group of 20 top rated and highly regarded S E E C H IN A • PAGE 5

COLUMN ONE

Great character on and off the set BY JACLYN SPENCER STAFF WRITER

JSPENCER@CCCLARION.COM

SEE SCO RE CA RD • PA GE 5

TEARING UP THE ‘SONGBOOK’

Citrus Singers rock the Haugh Performing Arts Center with American music throughout the ages. PAGE 6

rowing up in “show business” is rough for most child stars acting in Hollywood. Before finishing elementary school, child actors are expected to be mature working professionals who can deliver to the camera. At four years old, John Jaclyn Spencer Clarion Gaynor, began his acting Student golfer John Gaynor has career as J.B. Gaynor. Now been on shows such as, “Boy a 24-year-old sophomore, Meets World” and “Grounded for Life.” he is a leading member of the men’s golf team at Citrus. He tells how the fast pace world of a young performer shaped his easygoing outlook on life. Gaynor remembers at a young age wanting to follow in his sister Jennifer Gaynor’s footsteps in becoming an actor. “My sister was in [the business] first,” Gaynor said. “She was in a bunch of commercials.” Gaynor recalls landing his first acting job for toothpaste commercial that involved him kissing a girl at 5-years-old. After his first gig, Gaynor quickly began auditioning for bigger roles and landed guest appearances on various hit television shows like “Frasier,” “Party of Five” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” In spite of a full schedule every week, “He never called it work, he called it fun,” said Mary Gaynor, John’s mother. At 9-years-old, Gaynor played the recurring role of Tommy on “Boy Meets World.” The role had a special significance to the Gaynor family with John’s sister guest starring in “The Wonder S E E G AY N OR • PAGE 7

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LOCAL Hazardous waste recycling facility faces opposition Irwindale officials were recently asked to re-examine having a hazardous waste recycling facility functioning in the city. The Baldwin Park City Council is considering adding its name to the list of opposition against the facility. A letter from the council says Baldwin Park is already impacted by Irwindale’s numerous industrial projects and could cause additional risks to the environment. The Baldwin Park City Council will vote on whether or not to send the opposition letter at their May 6 meeting. Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Southern California’s gas prices increasing

Tribune News Service

The gas prices in Southern California are increasing and it is outpacing the prices nationwide. The rising gas prices are due to in-state refinery problems and rising crude oil prices. The average for Los Angeles County is $3.84, which is still 47 cents lower than the average a year ago. Although prices are high at the moment, a variety of factors should conspire to push prices down in the coming weeks. Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune

La Verne experiences power outage An approximately two hour power outage occurred in La Verne along the Foothill Boulevard business corridor and left the city council in the dark on May 4 night. Ben Wong, Southern California Edison’s regional manager for local public affairs, said the problem was most likely a circuit interruption at the Edison substation at Fairplex in Pomona. The outage affected about 1,380 customers in the overall area. Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Clarion

CURRENT EVENTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

STATE

NATIONAL

Healthcare could cost California $740 million

Vegas casino closed doors after 60 years

A Senate fiscal study shows, that increasing state funded healthcare coverage to people in the country illegally could cost California as much as $740 million yearly. There are roughly 1.8 million people, who are in the country illegally, that lack healthcare coverage. Approximately 1.5 million of them would qualify for Medi-Cal. The report estimates that between 5060 percent of qualified immigrants would join in the healthcare program. Source: Los Angeles Times

Cal State L.A. awarded $5 million NASA grant Cal State Los Angeles was awarded a $5 million NASA grant to create a new research center focused on the study of hydrology, climate change and other science and technology fields, officials announced May 4. The goal of the five-year grant is to train students in aerospace research and development and increase science, technology, engineering and math degrees, especially for minority and low-income students. The new Cal State center will partner with UC Irvine’s Data Science Initiative and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Center for Data Science and Technology. Source: Los Angeles Times

Tobacco tax initiative proposed for California Pressure is building up on the California Legislature to raise the tobacco tax. An alliance of health groups said it will begin moving petitions to put an initiative on the November 2016 ballot to hike the tax on cigarettes. Two suggested initiative summaries, one involving electronic cigarettes, were filed May 4, which offers a title and summary to be used in the petitions. The groups will decide which alternatives to put on the ballot. The initiatives would raise the tobacco tax by $2 per pack of cigarettes. The legislation raising the tax needs two-thirds vote to win legislative approval. Source: Los Angeles Times

The Riviera Hotel & Casino closed its doors on May 4 after 60-years on the Las Vegas Strip. The Riviera was the first high-rise resort on the Las Vegas Strip when it first opened up in 1955. The Riviera has hosted celebrities such as Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Louis Armstrong and Liberace. It suffered from a decline in foot traffic as flashier resorts such as the Mirage, the Bellagio and the Mandalay Bay opened up. The Riviera now joins the Dunes, the Sands, the Sahara and the Aladdin as other departed resorts from the Vegas’ Rat Pack era.

Tribune News Service

Source: CNN News

ISIS claims responsibility for Texas attack

Tribune News Service

ISIS is claiming responsibility for the shooting outside the cartoon drawing event of Islam’s Prophet Mohammed in Texas. Both gunmen were shot and killed. ISIS applauds the gunmen and warned of more attacks. ISIS also referred to the men as ISIS’s ”brothers”. The attacks seem to fit a well-known pattern of recruitment

in which they encourage sympathizers to join the fight in Syria or carry out terror attacks on their own at home. There has been ongoing debate whether the two gunmen were ISIS affiliates. Source: CNN News

GLOBAL Death toll continues to rise after Nepal earthquake

Syrian town tries to rise after ISIS defeats

The death toll continues to rise in Nepal after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit last month. The government revealed that the death toll had reached 7,040 and reported 14,123 people to have been injured. The earthquake also affected the Mt. Everest as climbing firms cancel the rest of this year’s climbing season. An avalanche caused by the earthquake came down the mountain side and hit a base camp. There were roughly 800 climbers on the mountain when the avalanche hit. At least 18 climbers on Everest were killed. Source: CNN News

The city of Kobani in Syria has been taken back from ISIS by Kurdish Syrian fighters. The city is trying to recover after brutal battles which sees the city covered in debris and rubble. While it’s a slow progress to full recovery, 6,000 citizens have been back in a week and the city sees 60,000 citizens within it. A bakery, two schools, and a private hospital is operational as well, signifying a positive sign towards slow recovery. Turkey has been in the middle of the ISIS fight, struggling to cope between the terror of ISIS and the Kurdish Syrian fighters whom they see as part of a terror group as well. The positive sign is that Kobani is no longer in the hand of ISIS. Source: CNN News

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Clarion

O W L B E AT

C L A R I O N

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

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S N A P S H O T S

Wild art and random photos from our staffers taken around campus

CAPE OWLS PRESENT RESULTS OF SHELL ECO-MARATHON

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 • MAY 6 - LAPD HIRING WORKSHOP

The CAPE Owls won 14th place in the recent annual Shell Eco-marathon Competition on April 9-12 in Detroit, Michigan. They competed against 42 other schools in the Gasoline Prototype Division. “We had a couple of problems when we got there in the beginning,” Oumnia Maaouni, mechanical engineer major, said. “But we didn’t give up, we stayed up every night to fix it. The Owls beat East Los Angeles College, Paoli High School, UCLA, and UC Berkley by leading with 532 miles per gas. “Hybrids have nothing against us,” said Adviser Mariano Rubio. CAPE Owls hope to return to the 2016 competition with a more technically advanced automobile to dominate against other schools again.

The Los Angeles Police Department will be hosting a hiring workshop where questions will be addressed by police professionals. The workshop will assist students interested in joining the police department by answering questions before starting the LAPD selection process. Two sessions will be taking place at the Center for Innovation building (CI -159). Session 1 will be from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. Session 2 will take place from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. • MAY 6 - LAPD ENTRANCE EXAM

The Los Angeles Police Department will be conducting two entrance exams. Two sessions will be taking place at the Center for Innovation building (CI -159). Session 1 will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Session 2 will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. • MAY 12 - APA PAPER FORMATTING WORKSHOP

The Hayden Memorial Library will be hosting an APA paper formatting workshop. The workshop will be taking place on Tuesday, May 12 from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at LI 118. For more information, contact the Hayden Memorial Library at (626) 914-8640. • MAY 12-13 - CSU 101 TRANSFER WORKSHOPS

The CSU101 Transfer Workshop will assist students understand the basics of the transfer process. Discussions will include admission requirements, impacted programs and application filing periods. Workshops will take place on May 12 and 13 at the Transfer Center Computer Lab, SS281. For more information contact the Transfer Center at (626) 914-8639.

Marco Polo Clarion

L E T ’ S TA L K T E D TA L K S

FOR THE RECORD: Corrections - Issue 5 Page 5: “Updates to fee waivers and degree programs” In the article “Updates to fee waivers and degree programs,” starting on page 1, continuing on page 5 of Issue 5 of the Citrus College Clarion

it reads “Thomas states these updates are being put in place by the Department of Education.” The article should state that the updates have been adopted into state law with the passage of Senate Bill 1456. It is not a Department of Education policy.

Upcoming TED Talks topics showings/discussion in the Campus Center at 1:15 p.m. & 2:30 p.m.

MAY 21

“WHY ORDINARY PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND POWER”

Far too many Americans are illiterate in power — what it is, how it operates and why some people have it. “We need to make civics sexy again,” says civics educator Eric Liu. “As sexy as it was during the American Revolution or the Civil Rights Movement.”

Courtesy: TED Talks

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REPORTS ARE PROVIDED COURTESY OF THE CITRUS COLLEGE CAMPUS SAFETY DEPARTMENT. A REPORT IS NOT A STATEMENT OF GUILT.

Welfare & Institutions (5150)

Petty Theft (488 PC)

Drug Law Violation (H&S 11357)

LOCATION: TC Building REPORTED: 04/03/2015 CASE #: 2015‐035 Disposition: Closed

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LOCATION: S4 Parking Lot REPORTED: 04/21/2015 CASE #: 2015‐037 Disposition: Closed

LOCATION: S1 Parking Lot REPORTED: 04/27/2015 CASE #: 2015‐038 Disposition: Closed

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QUOTABLE: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” -John F. Kennedy, former president of the United States

HOOT TWEETS: @sammisonora22: March of dimes with my alpha gamma sigmas. #iota #aplhagammasigma #citruscollege @btdrums: Lessons today. #citruscollege #almamater @ Citrus College Music Building @lorigatto: Lots of traffic leaving @apu Be careful in the pkg lots @AzusaPD #APU #citruscollege @MAPS4College: Excited to speak at #citruscollege tonight. “Intersectionality of culture, KA-shi, Kpop, and identity.” #seoulfood

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Evan Solano Margaret O’Neil editor-in-chief Clarion adviser Mickey Romero Stacy K. Long managing editor Clarion adviser Dillon Cooper The Clarion is produced by journalism students and is distributed every other Wednesday during the semester. sports editor Ads are not endorsed by the Clarion. Staff Writers: Editorials are the opinion of at least 75 percent of the Editorial Board. All other opinion is that of the writer. Alicia Siller, Chelsea Barron, Views expressed do not represent those of the adviser, Megan Bender, Fannya Cordova, faculty, administration, Associated Students of Citrus Pat Cordova-Goff, Cerena Cooper, College and/or CCCBOT. Nestor Cruz, Marissa Delahussaye, Libel will not be published. The Clarion welcomes James Molina, Marco Polo, feedback from our readers. If you have any gripes, questions, or comments ... we Christine Vu Le, Jaclyn Spencer want to hear from you! Send your letters in at

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Clarion

NEWS

CHINA F R O M PA G E 1

choirs from other countries including Europe and around China have also agreed to participate,” said Kristopher McDowell, founder and president of KMP Artists, in a formal invitation to the Citrus College Board of Trustees. “The initiative of Choral Week aims to enrich and expand the choral arts, promote and showcase high quality choirs from around the World,” McDowell said, “and future boost the communication and cooperation of international choral groups.”

Although the total cost of this trip is a staggering $177,410, the festival management in China will cover $77,238 of expenses and the Citrus Singers’ individual payments of $300 will pay for $11,100 of the total. Citrus College will pay for the balance, $89,062. In addition to the leadership of Doug Austin, the Citrus Singers group also has two elected student directors who hold much responsibility in the group’s progress. “Being one of the student directors of the Citrus Singers has definitely been an added pressure,” CoStudent Director Brandon Jenkins, 26, said. “However, I don’t regret one second of being a student director.” “I have helped facilitate the con-

score CARD

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

tinued success of this group,” Jenkins added, “which I am more than honored to have been able to do.” The music selection of the Singers’ tour has been encouraged to represent the American culture, allowing Citrus to showcase music international audiences may have never heard prior. “We’ll be singing Rogers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Leonard Weber basically representing American musical theatre literature,” Austin said. The Singers also have learned two songs in Mandarin with the assistance of Lan Hao, Citrus College director of institutional research, who is fluent in the language. Hao, who is an American citizen, will be traveling with the group to China

where she was born. “Singing in Mandarin, [a] dialect of Chinese, is very different than singing in English,” said Co-Student Director Alexandra Almendarez, 24. “Although it is said that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn, Chinese, I would believe is harder.” “There’s a lot of pressure going to a country and trying to sing in their language without disrespecting them,” Jenkins added. The work ethic of the Citrus Singers has been commended many times in the group’s history, often making it easy to fill up a yearly agenda of performances. “I am very proud of all we have accomplished,” Jenkins said, “and are about to accomplish in China.”

“Students have to feel that they are valued in class in terms of contribution. Our culture is one that values students and their voice.” -Geraldine M. Perri, Ph. D.

Superintendent/President of Citrus College

FR O M PA GE 1

to address this problem, Perri said. Connecting the local schools’ teaching of math and English to college level expectation will aid younger students in their transition to college. Students who have the foundational remedial skills classes have a much higher chance of completion than unprepared students. “It’s all about our students, and that’s what I keep thinking about,” Perri said. “What do they need? What do they want? How can we facilitate for them so they are successful in reaching their goals?” By contrast, Career Technical Education students did better overall. The CTE completion rate was 63 percent, 12 percent higher than the statewide average. The Citrus College CTE score placed third in the state and first in Los Angeles County.

“CTE is a good model. These students are required to have an educational plan as part of a first course that they take,” said Perri. “Not everybody on campus that year is counted for that cohort. Students from that cohort that meet all these identifiers represent 9.8 percent less than 10 percent of the student population that year,” said Lan Hao, Ph. D., director of institutional research and planning. Qualifications to be counted in a cohort include factors such as: if the student enrolls for first time at that school: start date: student completed 6 units in that year; if a student attempted a math or English class in the first 3 years at that college. The transparency of these Chancellor’s office reports allows the public to track a college’s performance outcomes and if col-

lege programs are accurately addressing the educational needs of students. Access Citrus College and any community college’s scorecard in the state at http://scorecard.cccco. edu/scorecard.aspx. The Steering Committee, led by Perri, has been reviewing research articles on completion and determining the strategies that Citrus may implement. “[This] is not common at other colleges,” Hao said. “We want to do things that are cutting-edge, research-based and basically enhance the dialogue.” The Research and Planning Group for California Community Colleges has defined six factors that Perri believes may contribute to student success. “Students have to feel that they are valued in class in terms of contribution,” Perri said.

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“It is quite amazing actually being in [a] type of environment with everyone wanting the dream just as bad as you do,” said Almendarez. “Put it this way,” she continued, “when you are running a race and you are the fastest in the race with the other players way behind, winning the race is not appeasing. When you compete alongside people who are all the same level, it means more to succeed and it pushes you to become the best that you can be, which is more than what you think possible.” “I am especially proud of this year’s group,” said Austin. “It will be an honor to take them to China and have them represent this college, the community and the United States.”

“Our culture is one that values students and their voice.” To further investigate the pathways to student achievement, Hao organizes study focus groups to hear their perspective. “This is a systemic approach in addressing the issue,” Hao said. “There is a student effort factor that would impact engagement, ultimately impact student success.” Students need to view the scorecard as an internal reflection on own their educational performance and persistence Hao said. “I would boil down success at Citrus to two main components: an absolute belief in yourself and your capabilities, and a great support system,” said Student Trustee Farihah Chowdhury. Students and administration need to continue working together to improve completion rates. “I think Citrus has already taken great strides in becoming and maintaining its status as a college of completion,” Chowdhury said. “Citrus is composed of an incredible team of innovators and intelligent leaders who are so invested in the success of students. They just have to continue doing their jobs.”

Cosmetology prepare Centennial-themed hair show BY CHRISTINA VU LE STAFF WRITER

CLE@CCCLARION.COM

From the roaring 20s to the wicked cool 90s, the cosmetology and esthetician department celebrates the ever-changing hairstyles in their upcoming 50th annual fashion show. The annual event will cover various fashion trends such as clothing, hair, nails and makeup from the year 1915 to modern day. “This show is held by students, for students,” Ann Everette, esthetics instructor said. “They are the living legacy of the school.” This is an end of the year event that happens around mid-May to display the ambitious side of cosmetology and esthetician students. For each event, students challenge each other in thrilling competitions to win prizes.

Evan Solano Clarion

Danielle Garcia, 30, cosmetology major practices her hairstyle for the upcoming Centennial-themed hairshow. Garcia will be working on hairstyles from the 70s and 80s.

First and second place winners for each competition will receive a medal. According to Albert Graciano, cosmetology instructor, the event helps educate others of this uprising industry. “Hair shows gives inspiration to people. Fashion and hairstyles always come back in the same fundamental foundations—we just take it a little bit further,” Graciano said. But for students such as Sammi Chiaratti and Valerie Iriarte, both esthetician majors, this event gives them a chance to showcase themselves and their capabilities. “It gives the department a chance to show others what we are capable of,” Chiaratti said. This will be Iriarte’s first year in the hair show. She states that the show expresses the different personalities shown through each

model and stylist. “You can see the creative work that they have put into each piece,” Iriarte said. Each audience member will also receive a coupon for glamorous treatments upon admission. The coupons will include reduced prices for luxurious skin and hair treatments provided by cosmetology and esthetician students located in the cosmetology building. Cosmetology major Amaris Aparicio encourages students to attend the event. “It is cool to see all the years in hair and how it has came along,” Aparicio said. The hair-raising event will be on May 15 in the Haugh Performing Arts Center at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $2 for children under five years old.

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Clarion

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

SINGERS GIVE A SPIRITED PERFORMANCE in ‘songbook’ BY MARISSA DELAHUSSAYE STAFF WRITER

MDELAHUSSAYE@CCCLARION.COM

The Citrus Singers accompanied by the Blue Note Swing Orchestra gave a lively performance on May 2-3. Together on stage the two groups created an exciting and high-energy atmosphere that was felt throughout the entire performance. “The Great American Songbook,” presented by the Citrus Singers entertained the entire audience with a favorite tune for everyone. The performance took the audience through an upbeat ride of American popular songs and trends. Some classic favorites that opened the show were “September” sung by Brandon Jenkins and “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” sung by Madisen Venter. The singers gave these staple pop songs a fun and timeless twist. The show had many humorous highlights but one specifically had every member in the audience laughing in their seat. Josh Tangermann gave a hip shaking 50s rendition of “By the Light of the Silvery Moon” in which the backup quartet swooned over his Elvis-like solo. The impersonation was spot on. An entire section was dedicated to the music of Irving Berlin, a great American composer. The stage came alive when singers performed “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and even more so during “Puttin’ On The Ritz,” where the singers had an electrifying and impressive tap dance performance. The singers ended the first act with a patriotic performance of “God Bless America.” After the American flag was presented on stage the entire audience stood in salute. The Citrus Singers closed the show with an emotional speech from the student directors Alexandra Almendarez and Brandon Jenkins about the group’s last three years and the upcoming tour in China. The show ended in the Citrus Singers performing “Lean On Me” to represent the bond they have formed through this incredible program. This group of talented Citrus students dazzled audiences once again through their ever-impressive ability to give a truly remarkable performance.

Marissa Delahussaye Clarion

TOP: Madisen Venter, singing “Girls Just Wanna Fun” during a performance in “Songbook” in the Haugh Performing Arts Center. LEFT: Brandon Jenkins leads the Citrus Singers during a performance of “Amazing Grace,” which marked the end of the first act of “Songbook.”

Marissa Delahussaye Clarion

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FEATURES

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gaynor F R O M PA G E 1

Years” with Fred Savage, then later Gaynor worked with Fred Savage’s younger brother Ben Savage in “Boy Meets World.” For his performance as Tommy, Gaynor received a Young Artist Award in 2000 for Best Guest Star Performance in a TV Comedy Series. In later years, Gaynor continued to star in well-known TV comedies such as “George Lopez Show” and “Grounded For Life.” “Being on set was amazing,” said Gaynor. “I would honestly talk to everyone wanting to know what they are doing.” During down time on the “Grounded For Life” set, Gaynor recalls running into popular celebrities and being star struck. Mila Kunis at that time was receiving lots of attention for her role within the industry. At the time he could not believe Kunis recognized him as a young developing actor. “We were right next to the set of ‘That 70s Show’. The first time I met Mila Kunis, she came up to me and was like, you are the little kid from ‘Boy Meets World,” Gaynor said. Auditions are essential to an actor’s career. A casting agent’s feedback can be brutal, making an undesirable experienced even worse. “I’ve cried in an audition before.

Jaclyn Spencer Clarion

Student golfer John Gaynor practices his swing at the Citrus Range as his coach Julian Horton observes the team.

I have gotten really down on myself,” said Gaynor. “You just have to know they are just giving you advice. You have thousands of auditions where you are told no, then have that one big break where everything changes.” Seeing how other parents would “parent or manage” their kids, Mary Gaynor, knew she needed to be supportive and allow John to be a kid. Some parents and crewmembers either at auditions or on set view everything as a competi-

tion as well as an opportunity. “They are not there for your child. You have to be there for your child,” Mary Gaynor said. Mary Gaynor encouraged John to “go have fun” and be “generous with other kids.” She would plan outings to theme parks or dinners with other supportive parents. Even with a packed schedule, she wanted to create a healthy work and fun balance for John and his fellow acting peers. “She is a work-aholic,” said Gay-

nor. “She was the glue that stuck me together.” In his down time, Gaynor on his days off from set would go out golfing with his father. “I was like 10 years old,” said Gaynor. “I was on an actual golf course, my dad took me out [golfing] right away. I started playing and fell in love with it.” Although he had interests in other sports, Gaynor’s childhood hobby has turned into his new passion. Besides practicing everyday at the

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Citrus Range, John also works at El Prado Golf Course during the summer. Coming back from being red shirted last season for an arm injury, Gaynor’s head coach Julian Horton looks to him as a team leader. “John is one of the returners on a very young team this year,” said Horton. “He has done a good job keeping [them] together.” Horton, five seasons with men’s golf, values Gaynor’s outgoing and accepting presence. “Being in that lifestyle, he matured a lot faster than most people,” said Horton. “He doesn’t judge quickly.” “With all these kids, I try to make friends for life, and John will be my friend for life.” After Citrus, Gaynor is considering transferring to Cal State Northridge. Although Gaynor has taken time away from acting, he still has plans to return to the business. “I have been in front of a camera my whole life. I still have a lot of friends in the business I still keep in touch with,” said Gaynor. “I still have my agent now. I am probably going to get back into it.” From his experiences in show business, Gaynor has developed thick skin to the fear of failing. “You just have to keep pushing. You might get a door closed in your face. But there is another door there wide open,” Gaynor said.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

SPOTLIGHT

Clarion

A GOOD DEAL Sin City comes to campus as the 25th Springfest. Students have been treated to some good-natured gambling and side splitting comedy WORDS & PHOTOS BY MEGAN BENDER If you do not already have your spring 2015 ASCC sticker on your ID card, you may want to grab it for the 25th Annual Springfest. The Associated Students of Citrus College will be hosted the 25th annual Springfest Carnival May 4 through May 7 to give students a break from their daily routine and studies. “Springfest gives students a chance to unwind,” said Sara Acevedo, ASCC commissioner of activities. “We decided to keep the Carnival theme because students enjoyed it so much.” Casino Day kicked off Springfest 2015 on May 4 at the Campus Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. where the grand prize winner [currently unknown] won a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. With an ASCC sticker, students could participate in blackjack, roulette or craps and had chances to win countless other prizes that day. Rick Smith, a business major at Citrus, was testing his luck at the craps table to prepare himself for his next trip to Vegas. “Any student who does not take advantage of this opportunity is missing out,” Smith said. “Especially with finals coming up it is a good way to relax.” Thomas Galapin, a math, physics and bio-studies student, was on his way to the Craps table after winning $400 in chips at the Roulette table. “I am just looking to relax and make some money out of it,” Galapin said. “I am having a great time at Casino Day.” May 5 brought in comedians from “Wise Guys Comedy,” a touring comedy company who provided lot of laughs for all students as they performed their “in-your-face” style of comedy. One of the comedians is a current Citrus student while the other is a Citrus alumnus.

Megan Bender Clarion

Students enjoy a hand of Blackjack as former ASCC vice-president Phoenix McCoy deals cards.

“They approached us with the idea to do a comedy show,” said Acevedo. “They are hilarious and really nice guys.” The second day of Springfest is also dubbed “Costume Day” where club members in costume will played musical chairs, ran a three-legged-race and had a water balloon toss. Springfest 2015 Club Day is set for May 6 at 10 a.m. where there will be more club competitions, food sales and music at the Campus Center Mall. An obstacle course and scavenger hunt will take place May 6 as well and Inter-Club Council will be selling soda and water to help raise money for the clubs. Carnival Day will bring festivities to a spectacular end on May 7 at the CamMegan Bender Clarion pus Center Mall from 10 Comedian Armando Torres entertains the crowd a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Campus Center East Wing as part of Springfest on May 5. Torres who performs with At 1 p.m. students can the comedy troupe Wise Guys Comedy Tours, was the headlining act. participate in a lip sync competition and a boothdecorating contest will take place next to the Owl fountain from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Food vouchers cost $3 and the ASCC have scheduled Longboards Ice Cream Truck, Pennsylvania Dutch Funnel Cakes and other vendors to feed students. The high striker, the gyroscope and inflatable twister are only some of the attractions that students have access to at the Carnival. Food will be provided for as long as supplies last. Students can purchase food with cash only. To enter the carnival, participate in the majority of events or to access the food vouchers, all students must have their ASCC Spring 2015 stickers on their student IDs. Students can receive IDs at the Hayden Memorial Library and Spring 2015 stickers can be picked up at the Student Services building at the cashier’s window with proper identification. “It’s very important for students to feel a sense of belonging to their campus,” said Adrienne Thompson, the student life supervisor. “It’s a purely fun event to engage students to keep them going those last few weeks of school.”

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Clarion

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

HOLLYWOOD WRITER CONNECTS TO CITRUS STUDENTS BY MARCO POLO STAFF WRITER

MPOLO@CCCLARION.COM

Award-winning writer and director in film and theater, Neil Weiss, works a busy Hollywood lifestyle. But as an adjunct professor in the performing arts program, he has found fresh takes through his interactions with Citrus College students. Weiss has earned credits as an independent film director and producer. He has worked in reality television, writing for crime series and freelancing scripts. Weiss has also worked on a feature film titled “The Hanged Man,” various short films such as “Leah” and “Your Own Best Enemy,” and produced documentaries, one of which, titled “A Small Act,” which was nominated in 2011 for an Emmy and was sold to HBO. He manages operations for Discovery Communications, an American global mass media and entertainment company that produces original television programming, in their Los Angeles offices.

“As long as you are passionate about your idea and connected to it, you can succeed, whether you’re an actor or you’re a writer.” -Neil Weiss

Award-winning writer and director Based in Silver Spring, Maryland, networks under Discovery Communications include The Discovery Channel, TLC, and the Oprah Winfrey Network. Weiss is currently writing episodes for a television series titled “Discovery ID,” a show in which various crimes are reenacted. Weiss received his B.A. in Drama from the University of Houston and an MFA in Directing from UCLA School of Film and Television.

Weiss has no family ties to the entertainment industry, but he made connections while he was in Film School in L.A., where he got his foot in the door of the entertainment industry. His breakthrough moment came when he was hired as an executive producer to write, direct and produce an indie feature “The Hanged Man”, which gave him some legitimacy in the entertainment industry. Weiss came to teach as an adjunct professor at Citrus College when program director Cherie L. Brown saw a play Weiss had directed and a few of his short films. Brown asked Weiss to direct a show at Citrus, which he accepted. After enjoying their collaboration, Brown asked Weiss to teach a class as an adjunct professor and he accepted, thus marking his beginning at Citrus College. On Monday nights, Weiss teaches a stage and screenwriting course, where students write and edit screenwriting scripts and even act them out to practice their acting skills. On Wednesday nights, Weiss teaches camera acting courses, where students study scripts and act out scenes from plays and scripts in the classroom. His brutally honest remarks are meant to help students learn and this straightforward approach establishes a strong connection between him and his students. “Students these days have such a fear of being judged, of making a mistake, of doing something wrong, of getting a bad grade, and I try and remove all of those fears so that we can just connect honestly and start the work from that spot,” he said. “You have to be very honest with them, and very open to whatever, without judging, to whatever they’re bringing to the table,” he said. Weiss looks for writing and acting that comes from the heart and is raw and real, and he finds it in the students he teaches. Teaching is a huge help to his entertainment career. Interacting with students helps him keep everything in perspective and provides a refreshing take on reality, Weiss said. At Citrus, he can “play in the real world, as

Marco Polo Clarion

Neil Weiss, award-winning writer and director in film and theater, films students as they act out scenes in the classroom. Weiss teaches a stage and screenwriting course, as well as a camera acting course on Monday and Wednesday nights, respectively.

opposed to the constructed world of Hollywood,” he said. Executive producers, actors and other industry professionals have been guest speakers, eager to see what his classes are like. Shawn Wagner, a 21-year old Chino Hills resident majoring in biology and enrolled in his camera acting class, said she enjoys his classes. “I didn’t know I was into screenwriting until I took his class,” Wagner said. “He’s made me become a better person,” she added. “He’s helped me grow up a lot and has helped me through some tough times.” Dave Miranda, a 60-year old Covina resident with a master’s degree in theology that is also enrolled in both his stage and screenwriting and camera acting classes, said Weiss is very direct and clear in his direction. That is exactly why he likes him, Miranda said. Miranda is currently working on a crime drama screenplay that Weiss has helped him develop.

“For me, it’s exactly what I want,” Miranda says. “He doesn’t let anybody get away with anything, not even me, and I like that.” Miranda said that Weiss has figured out where his strengths were and then encouraged him to work on something that makes him work on the weaknesses that he has and challenges them. When he needs to clear his head, Weiss enjoys cycling. One of his rides was from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a 535-mile 7-day benefit to raise money for AIDs. As he toggles back and forth between Hollywood and the classroom, Weiss says he finds Citrus to be full of real and grounded students, who keep his mind full of fresh perspectives and feed his creative life. Weiss hopes his students will remember one special principle: “As long as you are passionate about your idea and connected to it, you can succeed, whether you’re an actor or you’re a writer.”

HONOR SOCIETY TO RAISE FUNDS, AWARENESS OF HOMELESSNESS BY ALICIA SILLER STAFF WRITER

ASILLER@CCCLARION.COM

Imagine being homeless, living on the street or under a freeway overpass. Matthew Garcia, an active Citrus College student and the public relations officer for the Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) Honor Society experienced being homeless. Garcia lived in various motels during his senior year in high school. Garcia advocates using the term “houseless” instead of “homeless” when describing the situation to the campus community to help realize the solution is not just giving away food and money, rather these people living on the streets need to have a more stable environment. “The whole concept behind homelessness is ambiguous,” Garcia said. “It indicates people who are [homeless] are unwanted because they do not have a home.” Garcia and AGS are hosting a lip sync competition to give students, clubs and the community an opportunity to raise money for the homeless. The event will take place May 20, from 1:30 - 4 p.m., in the Campus Center East Wing.

Cerena Cooper Clarion

Matthew Garcia is the public relations officer for the Alpha Gamma Sigma (AGS) Honor Society. Garcia is helping to raise awareness of homelessness by helping AGS host a lip sync competition to raise money for the homeless.

“I have realized during my [ordeal], it is something that can be overcame,” Garcia said. “It is definitely not like cancer where it is incurable; it is something that can be fixed if the right resources are allocated to the right people,”

Students are encouraged to participate in the lip sync battle. The goal is to raise $600 to pay for emergency hygiene backpack kits, which can have items ranging from socks to tampons. “What the [houseless] lack is

not the money but the necessary tools to get help,” said Jack Lui, AGS president. AGS is working with the Anime Club and NASA Club along with Judy M. Nelson, mayor of Glendora, and local businesses to

come out for the event to help raise awareness and money in spirited way. AGS will be also reaching out to other clubs on campus. Naoni Lee, treasurer of the Anime Club feels it is important to help homeless people because of the number of veterans on the streets. The idea hits close to home to her, having had family who served in the military. “[Some] may be victims of circumstances and it is a problem that society faces,” Lee said, “and there should be some level of awareness that they need help and whatever we can do should be done.” “As college students we are at that level where we have more power than we think we have,” Garcia said. “As young college students, we have that energy to change things, and it’s time to wake people up.” “It will be fun, and a good time to learn a little something,” Garcia added. Donations can be made either at the event, on the AGS website or on their account at the cashier’s booth. Students who donate will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win a $510 gift card to Starbucks, In-n-Out and Chipotle.

Clarion

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

PAGE 11

Final honors to honors program founder Distinguished faulty member to retire this summer BY JAMES MOLINA STAFF WRITER

JMOLINA@CCCLARION.COM

Like most students, professor Carolyn Perry, 61, was once unsure of what she wanted to do in life, but in 1997, she discovered her pathway. Returning to school in 1990 with the intent of renewing her teaching credentials for elementary school, Perry was guided by one of her professors to pursue a career in teaching at the college level. Perry took interest in this idea and her curiosity grew exponentially. That curiosity brought her to Citrus College in 1997 as a professor of human development. “I transitioned from teaching kids into teaching adults, and I realized adults are not that scary,” Perry said. “It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here for so long… I thought I’d be here for maybe 10 years.” On June 13, at the end of the 2015 spring semester, Carolyn Perry will retire from Citrus College after 18 years of educating young adult minds. Upon her retirement, Perry plans to go on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and travel the world to such destinations as Tahiti, Europe, China, and Australia. Perry’s new life goal is to learn Spanish, but above all else there is one thing she wants more than anything, she wants to spend time with all 11 of her grandchildren. To the everyday eye, Perry is just another professor of human development. But little do they know that when Perry was first hired at Citrus, she quickly established new frontiers within the Citrus College curriculum. Perry is not only a professor of human development, but also the founder of the honors transfer program at Citrus. “When I first got here, we did not have an honors program, and…I just felt motivated,” she said. “We had a lot of programs to help struggling students and students with disabilities, but we didn’t have anything to recognize outstanding students,” Perry said. “It really took about three years to get [the honors program] up and going, and to get it established and accepted by our instructional program all the way through the board of trustees… and along with that came the Phi Theta Kappa honor society,” Perry said. Professor Brian Waddington, the current honors program coordinator, has worked with the honors program for 11 years and

James Molina Clarion

Human development professor Carolyn Perry in class with her students in LB 107. Perry will be retiring from Citrus College after 18 years of instructing.

“We had a lot of programs to help struggling students and students with disabilities, but we didn’t have anything to recognize outstanding students.”

-Carolyn Perry

File Photo

Portrait of professor Carolyn Perry that hangs in the Hayden Memorial Library in honor of Perry receiving the ‘Distinguished Faculty member’ award in 2009.

he expressed appreciation for the work Perry did to create such an exceptional program. “I am truly in awe of Carolyn and what she has done for our college and our students,” Waddington expressed. “I’ve been

very lucky to see how many lives the honors transfer program has touched in positive ways and that all came from Carolyn Perry.” In addition to being the founder of the honors transfer program, Perry was also the head coordina-

tor of the teacher prep program; a program designed for students who are interested in teaching K-12. Perry recalls that when she first tackled this new challenge she met with the deans of Citrus and discussed the need for classes that would prepare students to enter teacher prep programs when they transferred to universities. That involved writing the curriculum for classes, recruiting faculty to teach the classes, and bringing together various campus support services for the good of the students. What Citrus – and Perry – ultimately achieved was an outstanding teacher prep program geared toward the UC and Cal State system. Shelley Hahn, a professor of human development at Citrus, describes Perry as, “someone who takes initiative to get things done… she’s a big catalyst for change. She has always been involved in helping to create change and movement on our campus.” In 2009, after being nominated by her friend and colleague Gailynn White the full-time faculty members of Citrus College recognized Perry’s contributions and voted her as the Distinguished Faculty member of 2009. White is a professor of sociology, and she was the first to nominate Perry because she believes that Perry has worked her fingers to the bone doing extraordinary things for the college, and because of all of her contributions she needed to be recognized. “She started the honors program here for Citrus and has been instrumental in curriculum design,” White said. “She has the ability to see the

big picture of the college. She’s one of the best if not the best teacher here, and I’m really going to miss her when she leaves,” she conveyed. “Citrus has had a lot of students transfer to prestigious universities and win significant scholarships and other awards. Much of that success can be traced back to Carolyn Perry and her work,” Waddington said. Back in 2011, Yamato Kaneko, an alumnus of Citrus College, was awarded with the Citrus College Key of Knowledge; the highest academic honor granted by Citrus for achieving the highest overall academic performance at the college. Now with a dream job at GREE, a global mobile social company with businesses that include gaming, advertising, and social media, Kaneko still attributes much of his success to the guidance of a wonderful individual. “Professor Perry was my mentor when I was president of PTK at Citrus. She always gave me great advice on how to lead the team and aim high in my life. Without professor Perry, I would never have transferred to UCLA, interned at Google, or become product manager of social games at GREE.” For Perry, that’s what being a teacher was all about. It was not about facts or figures, it was not about the awards or recognition; it was about doing the absolute best for the students and watching them succeed. “I wanted [students] to have that self-discovery, just that awareness of who they are to make them more informed about themselves to make them better decision makers,” Perry said.

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Clarion

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

glendora to graceland

Quartet pays tribute to Elvis with glorious new arrangements of the King’s iconic rock ‘n’ roll classics. they would focus on paying tribute to Elvis instead of demeaning what made him so unique by impersonating the King. “We like to say it takes four of us to do what he did as one person,” said Scott Coulter, LML Music artist. “He has different facets and together, we cover all of them.” This will be the group’s first performance with a band ensemble, which will feature Robert Maloney, current adjunct faculty, and Robert Slack, dean of fine and performing arts. A few Citrus alumni will also be playing a part in the performance. “There are 12 musicians in the orchestra. They’re bringing a conductor, piano player and a drummer,” Slack said. “We’re providing all the other musicians and the majority of the musicians are alumni.” The tribute show will feature

BY MICKEY ROMERO MANAGING EDITOR

MROMERO@CCCLARION.COM

& MEGAN BENDER STAFF WRITER

MBENDER@CCCLARION.COM

The music of Elvis Presley will be coming to the Haugh Performing Art Center as the show, ‘The King: A Tribute to the Music of Elvis’ will be making its first big band performance on May 9. Brian Wilson, Lee Lessack, Johnny Rodgers and Scott Coulter make up the traveling Elvis tribute group, who have appeared in cities all over the world to honor The King. “I like the fact that we’re not impersonating [Elvis],” said Lessack, founder of LML Music and baritone singer. “So many people have imitated him and dressed up like him before.” The group decided early on that

Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires’ early gospel music and pre-record deal work, for the first half of the show. The second half will focus on his arrival to the Vegas scene as well as other periods of his music career. “I am thrilled to sing this early style of Elvis’ music that I was not as familiar with when this started,” said Lessack, who discovered Elvis Presley’s gospel style when the tribute group began. The tribute group has performed nationaaly with shows in San Diego and Spokane, Washington. They have also performed on the international level with shows in the Canadian cities of Calgary and Winnipeg. “We hope to have everyone dancing and singing in the aisles,” Lessack said. “It is going to be a fun show.”

File Photo

‘The King: A Tribute to the Music of Elvis will be making its first big band performance at the Haugh Performing Art Center on May 9. The band ensemble will feature current Citrus faculty as well as Citrus alumni.

ATTENTION CITrus sTudENTs! Your ASCC card (with valid sticker) entitles you to

2 hAlf prICE TICkETs

the day of show at the Haugh Performing Arts Center

Unexpected charm 11 & 12 makesApr ‘Dogfight’ soar Saturday & Sunday • 2PM

The Little Theatre production reveals more than a macho exterior BY CHELSEA BARRON STAFF WRITER

CBARRON@CCCLARION.COM

Sat • May 9 • 8PM

The King:

A Tribute to the Music of elvis with

Brian Wilson • Lee Lessack Johnny Rodgers • Scott Coulter Tickets: $36 Student/Senior: $34 ASCC: $18 Citrus Dance Department presents

MOTiOn! Directed by John Vaughan

Friday, May 22, 2015 at 8PM Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 2PM Presale Tickets: $5 All tickets $10 at the door Haugh PAC

photo: Spencer Croce

1000 W. Foothill Blvd. Glendora, CA 91741

PerforMing ArTS CenTer

TiCkeTS: (626) 963-9411 www.haughpac.com

Box Office Open Tues - Sat 11am - 4pm & One Hour Prior To All Shows

In “Dogfight,” showcased in Citrus College’s Little Theatre for one weekend, director John Vaughan found a way to melt toxic machismo into soft, clumsy young love. Based on the screenplay by Bob Comfort, “Dogfight” takes place Clarionin Ad #6 and in San Francisco the 1960s, touches May upon 6 the social change brought by the Vietnam War; clearSpring 2015 ly, a difficult feat to illustrate in the limited space of the Little Theatre. The musical did all it could–– shuttling such large props as tables, chairs and beds through the tiny backstage exits is a risky business. The real charm of this production, which might have otherwise seemed a bit force-fed and claustrophobic, was in the staging, the actors’ portrayal of the characters’ deeply rooted innocence, and the music. The first act, adorned with the boyish harmonies of rowdy, freshly-trained servicemen, slugs through itself as the audience watches these boys begin planning a wild party with a bet: The Marine with the ugliest date wins a bunch of cash, dubbed a “dogfight.” Disgusting. And yet, “Dogfight” evolves into much more than a testosteronecrazed humiliation fest. Eddie Birdlace, played by the appropriately charming Robbie Johnson, meets Rose Fenny, a sensitive, intelligent waitress, and convinces her to come to the party where the bet will take place.

Christina Vu Le Clarion

Eddie Birdlace (Robert Johnson) and Rose Fenny (Brittany Tangermann) share a scene in a performance of “Dogfight” in the Little Theatre.

Rose finds out about the terrible deal between the boys, and actress Brittany Tangermann delivers an emotionally impactive performance with the song, “Pretty Funny.” For a couple seconds, the music slowed to a stop and her cries echoed bare in the silence, creating a bitingly intimate moment that demanded empathy. Eddie is––deservedly–– plagued by her sorrow, and catches some teasing from his two close companions, Bernstein (Anthony Napier) and Boland (the absolutely hilarious and energetic Josh Tangermann.) Towards the end, the production grows its clumsy, lovable wings as Eddie and Rose give each other a second chance–– the night before Eddie is leaving to Vietnam.

Gentle Rose and angry Eddie rise through the script thanks to Vaughan’s direction, allowing Brittany Tangermann and Robbie Johnson to depict truly relatable characters. One last feature worthy of mentioning, is the music. Wendy Turk, music director and pianist, was an unstoppable force of energy. Waving composition with one hand and pounding away at the keys with the other hand, she delivered the sort of spirit than any musical production team craves. Kudos to the cast and crew. A show with so much masked violence was lightened considerably through the tones of change, hope and love. Even still, “Dogfight” was able to bare its teeth.

Clarion

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015 PAGE 13

Table tennis champion bounces back BY MEGAN BENDER STAFF WRITER

MBENDER@CCCLARION.COM

When Citrus College student Soumar Haddad and her family migrated to America in September 2012, she left behind the Syrian civil war and her No. 1 ranking in table tennis. Haddad, 18, began playing table tennis when she was 8 years old. By the time she was 16, she was winning cadet and junior table tennis competitions. “I started winning medals,” Haddad said. “Step by step I joined the national team in 2010 when I was 16,” Haddad said. All of the Syrian national teams live in Tishreen Athletics City in the capital city of Damascus, the capital of Syria. Haddad calls it the Village. Haddad lived in the Village with her teammates and coaches practicing anywhere from six to eight hours per day. “You have to sacrifice when you are on the national team,” Haddad said. “You cannot go out with your friends and stay up late.” Haddad dealt with challenges that her friends never had to go through as a teenager. “I could not even go to school everyday because Evan Solano Clarion I was traveling. I had to study on my Syrian-born table tennis player Soumar Haddad. own and take tests whenever I was “It is a new society and a differparents were worried about me, so back in Syria,” she said. we moved.” ent language,” Sandra said. “For my Haddad is ranked No. 2 in the The young champion was forced sister and me, it is easier to learn a Middle East, and No. 19 in Asia. Her to leave fame and moved in ex- new language, but for my parents, it national team is ranked No. 80 in is really hard.” change for a new home in America. the world. Both girls received lessons in “I did not choose to come here,” As the youngest captain on the Haddad said. “That is the hardest English in Syria but were thrown Syrian national team, Haddad parinto the difficulty of speaking it fluthing.” ticipated in 21-and-over competiHaddad’s family chose to settle ently when they moved. tions when she was 16. in Glendora where they have a large Joselyn Cueras, a STEM major As her table tennis career took number of relatives to support them at Citrus, first met Soumar Hadoff, the four-year-old Syrian civil as they build a safer, if not tempo- dad when she enrolled at Glendora war continued, leading to the terHigh. rary life. rorist group ISIS threatening Syrian “My first impression of Soumar is Sandra Haddad, 23, Soumar’s sports teams. older sister, has watched Soumar that she is extremely smart,” Cueras “[ISIS] sent the national teams and their parents’ struggle with the said. “She is very formal in characdeath threats,” Haddad said. “My transition from Syria to America. ter and manner.”

Cueras could see right away that despite her challenges Soumar has never stopped working hard. Cueras and Haddad attended some of the same classes and hung out on occasion during high school where Cueras saw firsthand how Haddad’s character and determination affected those around her, especially her family.

“I want to take care of myself, coach, practice and save money. I want to improve and get stronger till the day I can go back and represent my country again.”

-Soumar Haddad

The Haddad sisters currently work two jobs while attending school. Somehow they make time to for Soumar to practice at California Table Tennis, a practice and training facility in Rosemead owned by nine time U.S. Women’s Champion, Gao Jun. “Soumar is my soul mate,” said Sandra Haddad who loves taking Soumar to practice and never misses a chance to see her sister smile. She practices twice a week for an hour in between classes and both jobs. “Life is expensive here,” Soumar said. “In Syria they paid for my equipment and a scholarship to the most expensive private university in the country, but out here, I have to take care of myself.” The sisters agree that this is the best facility for Soumar to practice and improve her skills.

Sandra expressed constant admiration of her sister’s drive to excel. “She is committed to what she wants and works hard to do it, no matter what,” Sandra said. “She will stay up late to study and go to practice the next day, and she does not mind it.” Soumar Haddad believes her attentiveness to her coaches and her willingness to learn set her apart. “I do not show off,” she said. “When you show off you forget yourself and where you started.” Sandra Haddad believes that her sister’s biggest challenge is accepting the fact that the Haddad family is here now and that they have to adjust to a different lifestyle. “Back home she was the champion, and she used to live with and travel with the national team around the world,” Sandra said. “Here she can’t do that.” As she can no longer be part of the national team, her rankings are starting to drop. However, she is still No. 1 in Syria. She credits her determination to keep going first to her family and second to her long-time coach, Caroline Baroumeh, who she says taught her patience and persistence. “This is what she loves, and I want her to be happy,” Sandra said. “Soumar is missing her old life, and we do our best to help her keep it.” Soumar plans on competing in the LA Open Butterfly Table Tennis Tournament as soon as she feels she is ready to compete again. She is conflicted about competing again, as she will not be representing Syria if she plays. “I want to take care of myself, coach, practice and save money,” Soumar said. “I want to improve and get stronger till the day I can go back and represent my country again.”

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Clarion

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

Owls advance to Super Regionals BY DILLON COOPER SPORTS EDITOR

DCOOPER@CCCLARION.COM

Citrus College hosted San Bernardino Valley College in the first round of Regionals with a place at Super Regionals on the line. The No. 4 ranked Owls (32-9) swept the No. 13 Wolverines in a pretty convincing fashion, scoring 18 runs over the two games while only allowing six, advancing to their second Super Regionals in program history. On the back of four RBIs from third baseman Erinn Jaramillo and catcher Jessica Brown, the Owls were able to ride their bats and two complete games from freshman pitcher Anissa Gallegos to advance to the Super Regionals to take on No. 5 El Camino College. In game one, Gallegos worked herself out of numerous jams. She lost control of her off-speed pitches and seemed to struggle when trying to hit her spots. Specifically in the second inning, Gallegos struggled hitting the plate when throwing the ball outside, leaving her in unfavorable counts. SBVC was unable to capitalize, however, only bringing one run home. “I was really nervous at first, but once I was dialed in I knew I could rely on myself and my defense to back up me,” said Gallegos. While the Wolverines had plenty of opportunities to score more, their inability to move the runners and hit the ball out of the infield was apparent. While Gallegos didn’t look like her normal over-powering self in game one, the Owls still were able to hold the Wolverines to one run. All-state shortstop Lauren Melchor of the Wolverines went 0-3 in game one and left two runners on base. Melchor hit .576 during the regular season but couldn’t come up big when her team needed her to do so. Owls’ right fielder, Kalei Guillermo, had a big game at the plate, going 3-3 with two runs scored. While the Owls did put the ball in

play, the lackluster defense of the Wolverines shown through. SBVC committed three errors in game one (seven errors in the series), with a few of them leading to runs. One error led to an insidethe-park home run by Guillermo, which got the Owls rolling as they would take game one with a score of 5-1. Game two saw the Wolverines bring out their ace in Alicia Morris. Morris (17-8) sat down 95 batters during the regular season and head coach Jerry Tivey hoped she could stop the rampant Owls offense. That would not be the case. SBVC started the game with much more intensity than they did in game one. They put up four runs in the first two innings, visibly shaking the freshman Gallegos. “I thought she was starting to get a little rattled,” said Tivey. “She was able to regain command of her changeup and that made a huge difference.” After the second, Gallegos seemed to lock herself back into her dominating ways by putting the Wolverines out in order for the next three innings. “We just told her to dig in and pitch,” said head coach Jackie Boxley. “She hasn’t been here before, so she dug deep and now her good performance will roll over to the next series.” Morris labored, throwing 110 pitches in just under six innings, only striking out four Owls as the Owls blew up offensively in the second half of the game. “These girls can blow up at any time,” said Boxley. “We really believe every game we are going to blow up like that.” The Owls were able to hit the ball wherever they wanted, showing the offensive prowess a top-10 offense in the state would have. The Owls were able to close out game two by a score of 13-5. “Although we were the lower seed, I thought we gave a pretty good fight,” said Tivey. “I think it’s good for Citrus that they didn’t completely run over us, that’ll pre-

Dillon Cooper Clarion

Catcher Jessica Brown, #28, and pitcher Anissa Gallegos celebrate after a 1-2-3 inning against San Bernardino.

pare them for the next round.” Jaramillo and Brown both went 3-5 with three RBIs each and shortstop Stephanie Noriega went 4-5 with four runs. El Camino awaits Citrus College in the first round of Super Regionals. El Camino played Fullerton College and swept them in two games. El Camino won game one 2-0, while winning game two 8-3. The Warriors have won seven out of their last 10 games and come into the series against Citrus on a threegame winning streak. The stat that pops out when you look at El Camino College is that they rank No. 1 in the state in stolen bases with 142. The last time these two met was in 2013, when the Owls beat El Camino 11-1. The Owls have won nine of their last 10 games and currently boast a five-game winning streak. The Super Regionals will take place at Palomar College May 7-10 and is a double elimination format. The winner of Citrus vs. El Camino will play the winner of No. 1 Palomar College (35-3-1) and No. 11 Cerritos College (25-7).

2015 CCCAA SOFTBALL SOUTHERN SUPER REGIONAL Site A: Palomar College

Dillon Cooper Clarion

Anissa Gallegos tossed 13 innings over the series totalling 158 pitches and seven earned runs.

1 Palomar College (35‐3‐1) Friday, May 8 [Game #1]

11 Cerritos College (25‐17)

Saturday, May 9 [Game #3]

4 Citrus College (32‐9)

CITRUS OFFENSE BY THE NUMBERS:

Friday, May 8 [Game #2] Sunday, May 10 [Game #6] 12:00 p.m. if necessary Sunday, May 10 Time: 2:00 p.m.

5 El Camino College (32‐10)

300 46 .362 RUNS HOME RUNS BATTING AVG. Advance to State Finals!

Loser Game #3 Loser Game #1

EL CAMINO PITCHING BY THE NUMBERS:

Saturday, May 9 [Game #5]

Saturday, May 9 [Game #4]

Loser Game #2 cccaasports.org

2.47 .277 ERA BAA

12 HR

Clarion

FORUM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2015

PAGE 15

EDITORIAL

Sexual assaults: Taking on responsibility

t’s on us –the students to involve ourselves in the awareness and prevention of sexual assault on college campuses. President Obama noted that an estimated one in five women have been sexually assaulted during their college years, and of those assaults, only 12 percent are reported. Just a few weeks ago, the third annual Sex 101 Week returned to Citrus College, educating students about the newly passed Senate Bill 967, “Yes Means Yes.” SB 967 revises what is considered consent, sexual assault on college campuses, and Title IX – an act that focuses on discrimination based on sexes in education programs. The “It’s On Us” campaign and “Not Alone” report were unfortunately not mentioned during Sex 101 Week, and that is a shame because they both need to be dis-

cussed further in depth to educate students on not only sexual assault, but also how to prevent it and combat it on our campuses.

“In order to bring justice to alleged assailants, reporting them is key.” “It’s On Us,” asks everyone -men and women across America -- to make a personal commitment to step off the sidelines and be part

of the solution to campus sexual assault. “Not Alone” is information for students, schools, and anyone interested in finding resources on how to respond to and prevent sexual assault. Though these campaigns and reports are aimed towards women, men are just as important in these situations. Society has been led to believe that rape is a women’s issue, and because of this, victims may feel uncomfortable reporting such incidences. In order to bring justice to alleged assailants, reporting them is key. Following the tips and steps from both the “It’s On Us” campaign and the “Not Alone” report, college students can prevent sexual assaults. We can lower the statistics, make campuses safer, and allow individuals to interact with each other without anxiety, but in order for this to happen, it’s on us.

Title IX investigations

The Department of Education is investigating 112 cases at 105 higher education institutions for possible civil rights violations in the handling of sexual violence and harassment cases. Institution under investigation

Graphic: Tribune News Service Source: U.S. Department of Education

Tribune News Service

OPINION

Generation in need of digital empathy BY JACLYN SPENCER STAFF WRITER

JSPENCER@CCCLARION.COM

hen I entered high school, I felt like I was presenting several different personas: honors student, cheerleader, and Facebooker. All three required me to put on my best face. Sadly, Facebook, become my main priority. A site intended for connection and fun played to my insecurities. I remember the awkward pressure of being everything - except my actual self - online. For this generation, the expres-

sion, presenting one’s best self, has undergone a digital transformation. All over the world, young adults update their best selfie to be noticed. Although teens and young adults are the largest digital user population, they are not fully prepared intellectually or emotionally to navigate through the social pressures of the digital world. It is time for parental, authority, and mentor figures to educate and engage with young digital users. With constant public criticism about social media’s negative influence on the digital generation, the wisdom of these adult figures

Tribune News Service

can help young adults engage with social media in a safe and balanced way. How can parents and teachers be brought into the conversation to help guide young adults? Above the Fray, a nonprofit organization, tries to help bridge the gap by advocating for adults to have digital empathy when initiating the conversation about digital media usage.

“Teens still experience the same dreaded insecure feelings, but they are now expressing them online.” Digital empathy is a term created by the co-founder of Above the Fray, Thomas Dodson. The phrase promotes understanding of the significance online media technology has on young lives and how their daily life events are amplified through this medium. For fear of getting grounded or lectures by my parents about my online activity, I did not tell them

about all my online interactions, while I was growing up. When I needed help, I addressed my questions, fears, and insecurities with my older brother. I trusted him and knew he would listen and support through any situation. Too often, a young adults’ fear of negative backlash prevents them form talking to an authority figure about their issues. This fear forces them to go through life’s big issues alone. Uninformed and unprepared, youths are driving in an accident filled digital world. However, safely navigating along the good and the bad of the digital highway calls for critical thinking skills. Authority figures need to recall their awkward adolescent years as a means to understanding today’s youth. Remembering how difficult high school was frames the need for digital empathy. Youths now go through that awkward stage with the added stress of their whole lives stage being broadcast to the entire world. As a 24-year-old young adult, I can now look back my teenage years and laugh at my younger self. With maturity and life experiences, I have grown in my understanding of digital communication’s value as well as the trivial nature of most social media messages. Teens still experience the same dreaded insecure feelings, but they are now expressing them online. It is vital for authority figures to recognize the developmental stage younger people are at and empathize with their experience in the digital media world, while

also providing guidance. This empathy and guidance is necessary because the pervasiveness of the digital world is unavoidable. Young adults have numerous on-demand media platforms making that access instant and continuous. For young users the digital world is no longer separate from reality. The digital divide over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter place authority figures and young adults at odds. For instance, this generation faces issues online such as sexting or cyberbullying. However, at the core of these issues are the same struggles all adults face: sex and bullies. Broadening the category of authority figures to more than just mothers, fathers, or grandparents, but to any mature or responsible figure will help mid-generational users such as older siblings; cousins, educators, or family friends realize their influence on the issue. Social media researchers urge authority figures to stay educated and genuinely engage with social media. Being tech savvy will give them the credibility to better understand and facilitate insightful discussions with younger users. Digital empathy can help build trust in these relationships. For this generation, the virtual and real world are indistinguishable. The impacts of words or images from either world emotionally influence them. The goal of engaging and connecting the generational users will help in reshaping social media culture.

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