Citrus College
Clarion March 20, 2013 Volume LXVIII Issue 3
Illustrated by Cheyne Ellett
Faculty member calls out trustee.....................pg. 3 The Rocket Owls take off...................................pg. 7 Battle of the Big Bands reviews.......................pg. 12 Come visit our website.................................................
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
QUOTE of the
ISSUE “Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.” –Timothy Leary
Announcements Congratulations to the Bronze Star! “The Bronze Star,” recently performed at the Regional Festival in Los Angeles and won the nationally recognized Distinguished Performance and Production Ensemble Award. “The Bronze Star” is one of the only eight colleges or universities to receive this award. Congrats to Dr. Bruce Solheim, Neil Weiss and the cast and crew of “The Bronze Star.”
Transfer Degree Workshop Learn what the Associate Degree for Transfer program can do for you. March 27, 1- 2:30 p.m. SS 281
Veterans Day at the Races Support Citrus College veterans. Admission is $20 and includes two-day admission, racing pamphlet, parking, a hot dog, chips and a soda. Children under 17 are free. Located in the infield at Santa Anita Park, March 30. First Race is at 12 p.m.
College Fair Campus Center Mall Meet with more than 40 representatives from CSUs, UCs, private and out-of-state universities.
Editor: Alyssa Martin amartin@ccclarion.com
NEWS
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LOCAL
Decision to extend the Gold Line to Azusa is approved The Metro Goldline Foothill Extension Construction Authority board approved the extension of the Gold Line light rail route from Azusa to Montclair. Construction for the rail may begin as soon as three years, after initial engineering concepts are made and the necessary funds are raised. The project is set to receive approximately $810 million from a county sales tax measure for transportation projects, called Measure R. That grant, however, is roughly half of what the project will cost. The board made decisions on station and parking locations and other issues. The Gold Line is expected to be extended to Azusa by 2015 and to Claremont by 2019. Doug Tessitor, chairman of the board, said that they are hoping to extend the line further to LA/ Ontario International Airport.
STATE A bill requiring universities to give credit for online courses is introduced A bill was introduced to the California Senate that will require the state’s public colleges and universities to give credit for online courses taken by students unable to register for classes due to overcrowding. The courses would have to be approved by faculty to be accepted. If it is passed, the bill would be the first requiring public universities to grant credit for courses outside of their curriculum. This includes courses offered by private vendors. The bill, pushed by President Pro Tem of the Senate Darrell Steinberg, is likely to pass. This bill is considered a step is creating alternative options for the hundreds of thousands of students who are unable to take couses they need to complete general education requirements and major coursework. Source: The New York Times
Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune
NATIONAL
GLOBAL
Americans reflect on the tenth anniverary of the U.S. War in Iraq
Pope Francis to spread religous awareness
Yesterday marked the tenth anniversary of the war on Iraq. Americans are reflecting on a war that has cost the death of more than 4,480 American troops and 134,000 Iraqi civilians, according to Brown University’s “Cost of War” project. It also states that more than 32,000 U.S. troops were injured in Iraq. According to the report, the U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan has cost an estimated $3.2- 4 trillion. In addition, the government owes $490 billion in benefits to war veterans. In March 2003, a Pew Research poll showed that 72 percent of U.S. adult supported the invasion of Iraq. Five years later, support had dropped to 48 percent. Source: L.A. Daily News
THE 1000 BLOCK: INCIDENT REPORTS
Pope Francis, during his installation mass on Tuesday, said that the church needs to focus its efforts on the environment and the poor. He is the first pope to be elected from the Americas. In his role as cardinal, Pope Francis modernized Argentina’s conservative Catholic church. He is known to be very involved in social outreach and scorned the hypocrisy of some chuch leaders, saying that Jesus teachers his followers to go out and serve others, rather than staying cloistered in their churches. Pope Francis’ supporters speak well of his humility. He refused to accept the luxuries that some other church leaders had, they say. He was outspoken against Argentina’s president’s efforts for gay marriage and free contraception. Source: San Gabriel Valley
Reports are provided courtesy of the Citrus College Campus Safety Department. A report is not a statement of guilt.
ATM TRANSACTION THEFT Around 3:50 p.m. on February 21, a Campus Safety officer responded a petty theft report in the Campus Center. Upon arrival, a student reported taking his reciept from the ATM, but forgot his money in a rush. He returned to the machine to find his money had been taken. Upon review of a surveillance video, an unknown male with tan skin wearing a dark sweater, blue jeans, a black backpack and black shoes with white trim was observed standing behind the student. After the student left his money, the male walked up to the machine, saw the money in the slot, looked both ways, and took the money. He then proceeded with his transaction.
HIT AND RUN At 4:45 p.m. on March 12, a Campus Safety officer responded to a report of a hit AND run to a vehicle in the S8 parking lot. He met with the victim who said that the white Ford Mustang had damage on the right side near the hood. The victim said that he arrived on campus at 7 a.m. and went to the Owl Cafe building to start his shift as a food preparation staff member. He returned to his vehicle at 4:30 p.m. and noticed that his vehicle was damaged. The victim said that he didn’t want to file a report with the Glendora Police Department due to the limited amount of damage. He estimated the damage at $200 and said that he could probably buff it out at home.
Campus Safety Forum Learn more about emergency evacuation procedures. Campus Center March 26, 2013
Anxiety Support Group March 27, 3- 4 p.m. Health Center Education Room, Student Services
Cesar Chavez Blood Drive Challenge March 27 and March 28 8 a.m.- 7 p.m. Campus Center The students of the Clarion would like to offer condolences to the family of Jack Janss, who passed on Feb. 28. He was a part of the Citrus Community for 45 years, as a well-loved English teacher and later the Dean of Language Arts.
BIKE THEFT
STOLEN CAKE At 5:50 a.m. on March 14, a Campus Safety officer responded to a report of a stolen cake in the Owl Cafe. A Owl Cafe employee said that the cake had been delivered at 3:45 a.m. for the St. Patrick’s Day luncheon. The employee said that when she arrived at 5:40 a.m. the cake was missing. The cake is described as a 72” sheet cake with green clovers, a leprechaun, and a picture of an Owl Cafe employee on it. At 5:30 a.m. a suspect was seen riding a mountain bike east with what appeared to be a large, pink box on the handlebars. The suspect continued towards the S8 parking lot. About ten minutes later he was seen between Art Center and the Performing Arts building, without the box. When the suspect was asked what had been in the box, he said that it was donuts. A search of the campus was done and no box was found.
At 5:45 p.m. on February 26, a Campus Safety officer responded to a report of a stolen bicycle. Upon arrival, the victim said that he parked and locked his black and white, 24 speed, mountain bike to the bike rack on the east side of the Student Services Building at 12 p.m. When the victim returned to the building at 5 p.m. his bike was missing. The victim said that the bike was worth approximately $150. The victim was unaware of any brand name and unable to provide a serial or model name. The victim declined assistance from the Glendora Police Department.
Editor’s note: The Campus Safety department will pick up unlocked bikes and place them in storage for 90 days. They can be reached at 914-8611.
Early Alert Workshops Time Management: March 20, 1:30- 2:30 p.m.
Note Taking: March 26, 3:30- 4:30 p.m.
Memory Techniques: March 28, 12- 1 p.m.
Goal Setting: March 25, 1- 2 p.m.
Learning Styles: March 27, 8:30- 9:30. a.m.
Study Skills: April 1, 11:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m.
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CLARIONnews
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Board settles lawsuit with local resident, admits violations
The district will pay out $13,936.36 in legal fees, but the validity of the superintendent/president’s contract is upheld. David Tate / Editor-in-Chief clarioneic@ccclarion.com
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he Citrus College Board of Trustees admitted violating a provision of the Ralph M. Brown Act governing discussion of employee salaries March 5, when they voted 3-2 to agreed to settle a four-month-old lawsuit filed by San Dimas resident Gil Aguirre. While the terms of the settlement required the board to admit wrongdoing and pay Aguirre approximately $14,000 in legal fees, a raise to superintendent/president Geraldine Perri salary remains valid. “Unfortunately, the reality of life is that the Board of Trustees has the authority to pay superintendent Perri whatever they want. What they can’t do is do it in secret,” Aguirre said. “Would I like to have the ability to overturn the raise? You betcha. But that will be up to the voters come election time.” The suit stemmed from the controversial July 17, 2011 meeting of the board, where a heated discussion over awarding college superintendent/president Geraldine Perri a four year contract worth more than $300,000 annually led board member
Patricia Rasmussen to direct the following quote towards fellow member Edward Ortell: “Things were discussed, thoroughly discussed, after every board meeting and everyone had an opportunity to give insight. It is bad boardsmanship to come back after the fact and deny what is approved in closed session,” Rasmussen said. The exchange got the attention of Aguirre, who had previously successfully filed suit against the Pomona Unified School District board in 2010 for similar violations. “It was very clear that this decision had been reached prior to the meeting taking place,” said Aguirre about the handling of Perri’s raise. He would go on to send the five-member board a letter Aug. 16, chiefly demanding they rescind Perri’s raise and admit violating the Brown Act. The letter also gave the the board a 30-day deadline to comply. However, the board denied any wrongdoing in a response letter four weeks later, leading Aguirre to file litigation against the district Oct. 1. Since the passage of the raise, the board has been noticeably split along gender lines
Kolby Rousseve Citrus College Clarion
From Left to right: Citrus College Board of Trustees members Edward Ortell, Gary Woods, Joanne Montgomery and Sue Keith discuss college business during a meeting. (Not pictured: Patricia Rasmussen) on important issues. Woods and Ortell were also on the losing side of a 3-2 vote that will strip the two of lifetime health benefits if they do not retire or resign before their next term. Woods especially has been frustrated with the board’s recent actions, as he claims to have been denied the opportunity to review the settlement before the board voted to accept it. He made similar claims in regards to the release of the Sept. 14 response letter to Aguirre. “I’m not real happy with the board,” Woods said. “I’ve been on [it] since 1983, and we’ve never had a split board—until this president came along.” “So to some extent, I’d say that I’m not real happy . . . since she’s come on board I don’t believe the board has benefitted by it. It’s never benefitted a president to have a split board.” Board president Sue Keith doesn’t see it that way. “The majority of our votes are 5-0,” Keith said. “We have some that are 3-2.” Keith chose to spoke little about the settlement aside from maintaining that the
violation was an honest accident, but would say that she hopes to move on from the incident. “I’m glad it’s over, so we can focus on getting the highest quality education for our students,” Keith said. Kelly Aviles, the lawyer representing Aguirre, wasn’t quite ready to write off the violation as accidental just yet. “It’s troubling that when we pointed that out initially that they wouldn’t review their policies at that time and agree to comply,” Aviles said. “I understand that sometimes there’s a little bit of face-saving involved, but really, we believe if you make a mistake you admit to that mistake and move past it. I think that will remain to be seen, with [the board’s] future compliance.” And Aguirre says he’s not done making sure the college isn’t making any more potentially illegal mistakes. “Once I started this litigation, I began really looking into this school,” Aguirre said. “I’m going to be putting in additional public records requests. There are a variety of things that on initial look really concern me.”
Governor pushes for Faculty online education reform member
$16.9 million is earmarked for online education in the first draft of the state budget. Katherine Newman / Staff Writer knewman@ccclarion.com
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alifornia Governor Jerry Brown has proposed state funding to increase offerings on Internet courses and graduate students more quickly. Brown’s proposed 2013-14 budget provides $16.9 million to community colleges to increase the number of courses available through technology and $10 million each for the University of California and California State University. Priority will be given to development of courses that serve more students while receiving equal or better learning experiences. Funding would go to classes that have the highest demand and are prerequisite classes for many different degrees. Brown wants a way to keep students’ costs down and ensure they can get the classes they need to graduate within a timely manner. The proposed budget is broken down into three parts. First will be to create a “virtual campus” to increase statewide student access to
250 new courses through technology. Second is to create a centralized delivery and support infrastructure for all courses through technology for all colleges. Third would be the option of having students take exams and receive credit on subjects based on knowlege they recieved from other sources. The CSU system has begun putting more importance into their online classes by introducing Cal State Online. Through the program, students can earn two bachelors’ degrees and four masters’ degrees from Cal State Fullerton, Dominguez Hills, or Monterey Bay. Cal State Online grants students the same benefits as students taking courses at a campus. San Jose State has partnered with Udacity, a Silicon Valley startup, to offer San Jose State Plus, online classes for academic credit. These are called MOOCs, or massive open online courses. This program is offering three classes: entry-level math, college algebra, and elementary statistics, which often over-enrolled because students need them in order to graduate. The fee for each class is $150. Verification is one of the more challenging aspects of hav-
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ing MOOCs. With an average of 33,000 students per course, it’s hard to know if the work being turned in belongs to the enrolled student. Director of distance education and English professor Beverly Van Citters said, “I have a mandatory orientation and have students do a writing sample.” Getting to know a student’s work is achievable with a couple of hundred students, but when the total equals thousands it is harder to confirm who does the work. In fall of 2012, Citrus College had a success rate of 61 percent in online classes compared to 74 percent in traditional classes. The retention rate for Citrus College in online classes is 87 percent compared to 95 percent in traditional classes. When compared to statewide rates, distance education had a success rate of 61 percent and retention rate of 81 percent, while traditional classes had success rate of 71 percent and retention rate of 87 percent. Many students have a presumption that online classes will be easier, but unless you are very good with time management, it is not. Online courses can and probably will be the future, but for now there are many aspects of technology driven courses that need to be explored.
calls out trustee
Allegations are brought forth that Gary Woods illegally resides in Sierra Madre, not Azusa. David Tate / Editor-in-Chief clarioneic@ccclarion.com
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he college’s biggest newsmakers have no plans on relinquishing that title anytime soon. In what’s becoming a recurring theme, Citrus College Faculty Association president John Fincher dropped a bombshell during the Mar. 19 meeting of the Board of Trustees when he alleged that board member Gary Woods from Azusa isn’t from Azusa at all. “It’s something that the faculty—and frankly, everyone on campus—has known for decades,” Fincher said. “So it’s nothing new here.” Fincher delivered a speech lasting more than seven minutes long, detailing an investigation headed by the California Teachers Association following a letter
it recieved Jan. 29 from a former U.S. Postal Service employee. According to Fincher and the CTA, the address Woods currently lists as his address is a onebedroom, senior living apartment complex in Azusa that Woods rarely visits. Instead, they say that the Azusa trustee is living in a 3200 square foot, $1.1 million home “high above Sierra Madre.” “Virtually evey morning he leaves the Sierra Madre residence at approximately 6:50 a.m.,” Fincher said. “At the end of his day . . . he backs into his driveway and goes inside to retire for the evening.” Fincher also suggested that the board vacate the Azusa board position, pointing to a 1998 California case where Grossmont School District board member Nadia Davies was accused of residing outside of her district. She would go on to resign the same year. “If [Davies] failed at any time during her term of office to qualify as a resident of the Districe, her office became vacant upon such occurrence,” wrote former California Attorney General Dan Lungren in the case opinion. During the speech, Fincher said that surveillance photos and video can be found at www. firegarywoods.com. He also requested the board vote on vacating Woods’ seat at the next board meeting. Woods could not be reached for comment as of press time.
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CLARIONnews
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
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Building renovation placed on hold Construction in the old administration building has stopped. Many are wondering why. Jo Jamison / Staff Writer jjamison@ccclarion.com
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tudents who attended Citrus College during the 2012 spring or fall semesters may notice something rather strange as they approach the Administration Building. The noisy construction activities that persisted most of last year have been quieted. In fact, the renovation of the Administration Building appears to have stopped all together. Started in May 2010, the Administration Building remodel was undertaken to repurpose the space for improved efficiency. The remodel was originally scheduled to be completed in April and is now four to five months behind. According to Fred Diamond, director of facilities and construction at Citrus College, the price of the remodel for soft and hard cost fees is $4.69 million and $7.2 million for the entire project. The renovations are approximately 65 percent complete, the
Jo Jamison Citrus College Clarion
as the campus remains quiet once more, Citrus College is left with the rubble and deconstruction our old administrative building. wiring is almost entirely finished and the only work that remains to be done is equipment installation, ceiling, and mechanical work. Diamond confirmed that the cause of the delay is due to cash flow issues of the general contractor on the job, which caused the
company to exceed the agreedupon completion date. Carol Horton, vice president of finance and administrative services, stated at the Physical Resources Committee meeting on February 7 that it is the goal of the committee to get the structure built according to specifications. How-
ever, because the general contractor has received reoccurring stop notices for a number of jobs, the district has been forced to default him. According to Diamond, it is hard to say when construction will continue, but the college will probably not be able to reoccupy the building until December.
The Physical Resource Committee is currently working on financing for several other remodel projects that were planned to begin this year. The preliminary plans for the renovation of the Technology Center building for the esthetician program have been completed, and a design plan is in progress. The dark room located on north side of the bottom floor of the Technology Center is being converted into the primary location for the esthetician program. Construction has already begun and the building should be completed and ready for occupancy by the fall semester. The proposed retrocommissioning of the central plant is in the programming phase and will save 250,000 kilowatt hours per year (kWh/yr). The central plant, identified by the big green cooling tower next to the Owl Cafe, reduces electricity usage by cooling water at night and circulating chilled water during the day and has already saved the district more than a million kWh/yr. Renovations of the Campus Center, Hayden Hall and Fine Arts buildings were also planned to begin this year, but are currently on hold pending funding.
Supreme Court prepares for Prop. 8 The ruling on the controversial law could end up establishing a historic precedent. Sasha Winterer / Spotlight Editor swinterer@ccclarion.com Cristian Manrique / Senior Writer cmanrique@ccclarion.com
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he Supreme Court is going to begin a review of California’s Proposition 8 March 26, which currently denies gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Proposition 8 was passed by California voters in November 2008. Since then, many lawsuits have been filed in an attempt to overturn the proposition. Many, like student Fiona Henry, 19, have not kept up with the proposition since 2008. “I don’t even know why it’s even a proposition and why we ever voted on it. Whether you’re gay or not you’re still a person and you should be allowed to get married. What happened to the separation of church and state?” Henry said. The California Supreme Court ruled on March 15 2008 that Proposition 22, which defined marriage “between a man and a woman,” violated The Equal Protection Clause in the California constitution and was therefore invalid. Immediately after the ruling , between June 16 and Nov. 4, 2008, approximately 18,000 same-sex couples were married in California. However, the effect of legalizing same-sex marriage prompted the inclusion of Proposition 8 on the November 2008 ballot.
California voters approved Proposition 8 by a 52.3 percent majority placing Proposition 22’s definition of marriage in the state’s constitution, prohibiting same-sex marriage the day after the Nov. 4, 2008 election. Proposition 8 was upheld in Straus v. Horton at the California Supreme Court on May 26, 2009. However, under the grandfather clause, which allows exemptions based on preexisting conditions, existing same-sex marriages that took place between June 16 and Nov. 4, 2008, were determined to be legal. On Aug. 4, 2010 Judge Vaughn Walker, former district judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, ruled in Perry v. Schwarzenegger that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. He determined that Prop 8 violates The Equal Protection and Due Process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment, that is, no state shall deny any individual from privileges and protections of a citizen in the United States. “Because Proposition 8 is unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses,” Judge Walker stated, “the court orders entry of judgment permanently ... prohibiting the official defendants [state of California] from applying or enforcing Proposition 8...” On Feb. 7, 2012, in a threejudge panel, The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals declared Proposition 8 unconstitutional and in
the violation of the Federal Constitution. After the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied requests by proponents of the proposition to rehear the case, they filed a writ of certiorari (an appeal to review case) to the United States Supreme Court to review the case. If the Supreme Court rules that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional “It would be a huge validation of human rights,” said English professor Anna Villeneuve, “and saying that all couples are looked on equally.” The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on Prop 8 in the coming months. “I talked to my students about this. There’s a story called ‘A Worn Path” and Phoenix Jackson [the protagonist in the story] is fighting for equality in civil rights era,” said Villeneuve. “And she is pushed back time and time again. There are people saying go home and that message is we’re not ready for you, but the message of Phoenix Jackson is she has every right to be on that path.” “Whether or not you accept her on the path she has the right to walk it.” With that analogy, Villeneuve states that however the Supreme Court rules in June, supporters of same-sex marriage will still be on the “path” to deliver social change in the respect of marriage equality.
McClatchy Tribune Media Services
Luis Guerra and Walter Recinos, who were not married, stood in a cutout of a married couple as opponents to Proposition 8 gathered March 4, 2009, for a protest before the Supreme Court was set to hear arguments to overturn Prop. 8.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Editor: Sasha Winterer swinterer@ccclarion.com
3...2...1...The
spotlight
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Rocket Owls Blast Off
Six Citrus students will compete against teams from 35 other colleges and universities in NASA’s University Student Launch Initiative. Sylvia Aparicio / Staff Writer saparicio@ccclarion.com
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magine being one of 35 student teams to compete in—yes!— rocket science. In a nationwide competition sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Citrus is the only California community college selected to participate in the University Student Launch Initiative, taking place Apr. 17. Six Rocket Owls accompanied by physics professor Lucia Riderer are scheduled to travel to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstville, Ala. There they will launch the rockets they have built with the feedback of NASA engineers. Citrus College students are among the finalists going up against launch teams from prestigious programs such as those at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Notre Dame. The NASA competition challenges students to design, build and launch their own reusable rockets. When they are launched their rockets must reach an altitude of approximately one mile.
All teams are required to submit a preliminary design, and second critical design, as well as flight readiness and post-launch assessment review that is done when the competition is over. Andrew Ferguson, Ben Rhodes-Wickett, Carey Gunter, Jo Jamison, Phoebe Sulzen, and YuHan Chiang comprise the Citrus team. Riderer said the formation of the Rocket Owls came about due to Ferguson’s passion for rockets. “When I asked him if he was interested in rocketry, Andrew confirmed his passion for it and expressed his interest to form a team of Citrus students to participate in the NASA USLI competition,” Riderer said. The team is using phenolic tubing for the construction of the rocket. The rocket itself is 6 feet long and measures 4 inches in diameter. The payload is made out of cast acrylic tubing that allows a camera to document the flight. The rocket also contains a sensor system and a single board computer-based GPS and wireless data link. “Going through the same procedure that NASA goes through for
Jo Jamison Citrus College Clarion
The Rocket Owls and team mentor Rick Maschek (left) prepare to travel to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. their projects has taught all of us on the team about the complexity of the steps involved,” said RhodesWickett, 27, payload design officer. “We were advised to increase the nylon webbing that attaches the parachutes to the rocket to help dissipate the forces when the chutes open.” “Getting feedback from NASA engineers on our own designs has been an invaluable experience.” Another NASA requirement is that teams must organize outreach events during which they use their expertise to teach children and young adults about making and
launching their own rockets. The Rocket Owls use interactive presentations and do demonstrations to help raise interest in science. Stevenson Middle School in Los Angeles, John Muir High School in Pasadena, Wilson Middle School in Pasadena, and the Glendora Gate Program are among the schools at which the Citrus team has presented. “We feel it’s important to get kids excited about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classes,” Wickett said. “Building something simple like an air-powered soda bottle rocket is a fun way to teach students about
science.” The Rocket Owls met the minimum outreach requirement of presenting to 200 students in November. Now the Rocket Owls have set their goals to reaching 2,000 students. “I want to share my passion with as many students as possible,” said Sulzen, 23, outreach/technology officer. “Nothing makes me happier than hearing a young student say ‘I love rockets!’ and that is why we continue to press toward our goal of reaching two thousand people before we consider this project a complete success.”
Transfer Center gears up for spring College Fair
Representatives from 18 California colleges and universities will answer student questions. David Rosales / Staff Writer
drosales@ccclarion.com
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ost Citrus College students are thinking of transferring to a fouryear university after they finish their course work. That can mean a lot of research to find the right school for planned fields of study, prerequisites and cost. For convenience, and to help us succeed as students, Citrus College is holding a College Fair in the quad on Thursday, March 21, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be approximately 40 representatives to address student needs. “It’s really a great opportunity for the stu-
dents to get a wider prespective as to what’s available to them,” said counseling secretary Jody Barrass. The Fair is designed to allow students the opportunity to gather as much information as possible in order to make the best transfer decisions. “They are fantastic. The idea of joining forces with the students, the ASCC executive board and other groups, and just the idea of providing these resources to all the students because the end goal is to graduate and to transfer,” said 20-year-old biology/English major Alejandra Morales. “They are bringing all these colleges to help [students get] to where ever they want to
“It’s really a great opportunity for the students to get a wider prospective.”
-Jody Barrass
Couseling secretary go. It’s a fantastic event that happens every semester.” There will be more than 18 universities from the CSU and UC system, and also private universities attending. Each school will send representatives to answer any transfer questions.
This saves busy college students the time from planning lengthy road trips to faraway colleges, or making cold calls for scholarship information. “It’s so much more different to speak to a live representative who can help you out personally than going online,” said ASCC vice president Nayiri Baghdassarian. “When I see students asking questions, they are [getting answers] that they [normally] wouldn’t know where to find.” If you’re looking for examples on how Citrus helps students reach their goals, or you’re still trying to find that dream school, come by the campus mall March 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
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CLARIONspotlight Student trustee-elect is too humble for her title
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
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Melanie Gudino Citrus College Clarion
Mariana Vega, 19, handing out transfer fliers at the ASCC booth during Club Rush.
A student government activist will look to keep herself grounded as she prepares for her new role. Sasha Winterer / Spotlight Editor swinterer@ccclarion.com
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ariana Vega, the current Student Trustee Elect, doesn’t want her ASCC title to stand in the way of students approaching her–because ultimately she’s still a regular student and wants to be regarded as such. Vega has been involved in student government since she was a freshman at Bloomington high school; although when she first
came to Citrus in fall 2011, she waited a year before returning to it. “Having that year off was refreshing,” she said. “Sometimes you work on so many projects [as a representative to the students], but then you have to slow down and remember you’re a student first.” Izabella Villegas, commissioner-at-large, was a big influence on her re-joining student government. She and Mariana met in English class and joined Latinos Unidos Student Association together, before running for ASCC. “I brought the [ASCC] application to her and we filled it out together,” Villegas said. “She is my best friend in ASCC, but we
know how to keep [it] business.” Vega said she chose student trustee elect position, because it allows her connect to the student body better and be very centralized. Her role as a student trustee elect is to shadow current student trustee, Crescencio Calderon as a representative at the Board of Trustee meetings. Vega will take over for Calderon in May of 2013. Vega believes her quiet nature stems from her knack for observation; she likes to carefully consider her options before making a decision, as there are many things to take into account. “She’s very good at what she does,” said Farihah Chowdhury, ASCC Senator. “Her input is very constructed. She’s always the voice of reason.” Recently, Vega has been working with legislative liaison Tyler Hernandez in an attempt to get students involved in the legislative process, raising public awareness and fighting for community colleges and their missions. “I’ve only been doing it [serving as a legislative liaison] for a little while,” said Hernandez. “Mariana has been very helpful, she has motivated me a few times, when I didn’t know what to do.” Born and raised in Mexico until she was 5 Vega’s family then lived in Chicago for seven years before moving to California when she was 12.
Growing up in different places taught her to observe her environment to better adapt to various situations and people. When she was 14, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. “Seeing her fight made me appreciate what I have and what I’m given,” Vega states. In high school, Vega said she wanted to major in broadcast journalism as it looked interesting and exciting, but she concluded that it wasn’t her passion. “I want to do public relations,” she said. “Because I can be more in control and in comparison to broadcast journalism you’re just kind of waiting for things to happen. I want to make things happen.” Although she attended Bloomington High School near Fontana, she decided to attend Citrus College instead of attending community colleges near her, because she didn’t want to go to school and not get classes. She liked Citrus College, because it’s a small college and easier to build relationships with students and professors. She believes next year would be her final year here, but is still keeping her options open. She doesn’t want to make definite plans as there are so many things that can happen in the course of a year and Citrus College will always be there for her.
Former instructor takes over as dean
Dana Hester will take over as head of the social and behavioral sciences departments, immediately. Sylvia Aparicio / Staff Writer saparicio@ccclarion.com
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professor of biology and faculty leader has been selected to serve Citrus College as dean of social and behavioral sciences. As of today, Dana Hester, 43, will assume her new responsibilities. Michael Hurtado, Ed. D., former dean of social and behavioral sciences retired in December 2012 after 47 years at Citrus College. Hester earned her Ed.D. in education from Cal State Fullerton, her master of science in biology is from the University of HoustonClear Lake and attended the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown where she received a bachelor of science in biology. Hester began working at Citrus College in August of 1998. Now after nearly 15 years as a biology professor, she will move into the next phase of her career at the college which she says feels like home. “I think the faculty in the division are amazing and inspiring,” she said. “I have a great relationship with them as a faculty member and as a colleague.” She is taking on the role of dean with optimism and confidence. “Initially, I think it will be hard making that transition from the classroom to being in an office,” Hester said. “I think I’m going to have a steep learning curve with some of the administrative types of things,
Courtesy of Dana Hester
Dana hester, former biology professor and faculty leader will now serve as dean of the Behavioral Science Department. but I know that I’m capable for the job.” In her role as dean of social and behavioral sciences, Hester will be the instructional leader responsible for the development, coordination, and supervision instructor in administration of justice, anthropology, child development, economics, geography, history, humanities, philosophy, political science, psychology, social science, and sociology. In addition, she will be responsible for the study abroad and distance education programs.
“The Student Learning Outcome area was confusing and challenging for a lot of the faculty,” said Melanie Anson, professor of speech. “But Dana was able to take charge of it.” “She’s been president of many committees here at Citrus” said Anson. “She always volunteers to be a leader amongst her peers.” Although Hester will no longer be teaching, her former students still thank her for the impact she madez on them. “She really did shed light onto my future courses as a nursing ma-
jor,” said Jon Duquette, 22. “With all of the biology courses I have to take, it was the starting lesson towards my passion for microbiology.” “What stood out the most to me was her explanation and lesson on the functions and parts of a cell,” said Christopher Floch, 27. “I also appreciated how courteous she was.” “Since I don’t have an aide, she would always print out the lecture notes in advance.” Floch said. Hester makes it clear that she disagrees with those who claim that psychology and sociology are not “real” sciences. “If you truly understand science, then you know that statement doesn’t hold water,” she said. “I think that’s something people say to make themselves feel more important.” “There is definitely a hierarchy that starts with physics all the way down to psychology,” Hester said. “The main difference with social sciences versus some of the other more traditional sciences is that you have more qualitative data that’s gathered.” Though the realities of moving onto a new job have not hit her yet, she says they probably will when she moves her things out of her current office located in the Lecture Hall building. “I’m really excited to be able to stay here and challenge myself in this new way,” she said. “The logic goes that being at the next level as a dean, I can potentially impact more students than I could one on one in the classroom.” she said. “First and foremost, my commitment is to Citrus,” Hester said. “I really do feel like this is where I belong.”
QUESTION
Field Reporter/ Photographer Alexandria Quinones
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Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
CLARIONspotlight
9
Teachers Talk: Denise Kaisler
Interview
by
Wednesday, March 20,2013
David Tate
Denise Kaisler is a science nerd—and proud of it.
She’s also one of the cool ones. If you couldn’t tell from her spiked hair or celestial themed earrings, one only needs to set foot in the prime real estate of MA 227, where a sprawling classroom rimmed with telescopes and star charts enjoys a beautiful view of the Azusa canyons—as well as the sky above it. Citrus College’s resident German-bred, Canadian born (or is it the other way around?) astrologist, Kaisler holds degrees from both Canada and the US, and has even branched out so far as to have taught English in South Korea for 2 years. Today, she’s agreed to sit down with me for a few minutes to talk about her classes, science from a female perspective, and aliens. Let’s get to it. David Tate: How did you decide on science as your career field? What initially piqued your interest in the subject? Denise Kaisler: Well, I was interested in a lot of different things in high school. I liked music, I liked languages, I liked English, I liked science, math, whatever. I was just a total school nerd. I was interested in science particularly because of this guy Carl Sagan. He was this astronomer that did a lot of important work in the 60s and ‘70s studying the Mars and the surface of planets and helping NASA with their space missions. He was also a big popularizer of science, so he wrote a bunch of books and he had a series on TV called “Cosmos.” I saw that and it just blew me away. I was like, ‘Wow, astronomy is the answer to everything!’ Obviously, that’s not true, but to my little teenage mind I thought, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool,’ so I basically got into astronomy because of him. DT: So you’ve obviously traveled a lot. Do the different influences of the cultures you’ve been around have any affect on your teaching style? DK: Well, Canadian culture is
pretty much like [the US,] there’s not a whole lot of differences. I think the thing that has mainly affected my teaching has been some stuff that I learned when I was in grad school about making the student the center of [the learning experience] and not having the teacher talk all the time. Student feedback, student interaction, stuff like that. DT: It does seem that in your class there is more studentto-student interaction than usual. How does that differentiate you from teaches who run their classes using just lectures or PowerPoints? DK: When you do the same thing every semester, I think it’s important to keep yourself interested and entertained as well as help the students have a little fun while they’re learning. The neat thing about astronomy is that it’s such an interesting subject, so I have an easy time hooking a lot of students and then they just do it themselves. They’ll say “I saw this interesting article,” or “Hey I’m interested in this subject, can I do a double major in that and astronomy?” DT: So is it safe to say you believe in aliens?
David Tate Citrus College Clarion
DENISE Kaisler poses with some of the equipment in her ASTR 115 (Planetary Astronomy) class. Kaisler also teaches ASTR 116 (Stellar Astronomy) and 117 (Life in the Universe).
DT: Talk to me about your grading scale. The first time I saw it, I saw 80 percent next to an “A” and I planned on not saying anything. You know, just in case you made a mistake I could trap you in later. DK: [Laughs] When I went to school in Canada, 80 was an “A.” It’s just the way I grade now. That’s true with a lot of teachers— the way you were taught is the way that you teach. So for some teachers, it’s really hard to learn anything new.
feel that women’s contributions to science have been marginalized as a result. So as a female in your field, do you feel a responsibility to the women following in your footsteps? DK: By all means, yeah. Astronomy is not quite as male-dominated as other sciences, so there have been some female astronomers that have been credited, especially around the beginning of the 20th century. So that’s good, but I think women still face obstacles... or actually, I should say people, because there is a leaky pipeline in astronomy, especially when you go from the graduate student level to the post-doctoratw level, and then again from the post-doc level to the faculty level. Many, many people drop out, men and women. People in astronomy have found out that the issues that pertain to women are actually issues that pertain to everybody.
DT: Science has been such a male-dominated field over the course of time, and I
DT: How do you think science has changed over the years in its attitude towards
DK: I’m going to go with Carl Sagan on this one: it would be super weird if it was just us. The universe is just so big and there’s so much going on. One of the big underlying ideas about modern science is that our little corner of the universe isn’t special, so we think that what’s going on here is going on everywhere else.
women? Where do you think the field is now? DK: Some progress has been made. For one thing, faculty are looking at hiring practices, whether they should use the number of citations a paper gets [as a hiring qualifier]. Some studies that have been done say women scientists tend to want to be more sure of their results before they go and publish, so it may take them a longer time between publishing, because they’re going over their results very carefully. So they may publish fewer papers, but the quality of the papers also has to be assessed. So maybe not the number of papers but the number of citations each paper gets should be looked at [when hiring]. DT: Well, I’m fresh out of questions. Is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers? DK: Yeah, take astronomy! You’ll have a good time, it’s really interesting.
Crystal Asencio 26 Major: Esthetician
Mercedes DeGuchy 20 Major: Communications
Vance Nation 22 Major: History
Gannon Warren 22 Major: Public Relations
Artis McKinely 21 Major: Music
“My grandma was the most important woman in my life . . . I got arrested [once and] I could only call my grandma. She came and picked me up she was like, ‘I love you and I just want you to do good, but no matter what you can call me.’ Growing up that was the first phone number I was taught. After she passed away sometimes I will still dial her number on accident.”
“My mother because she has gone through a lot in the past and she has just been really strong. That’s just what inspires me to be strong. Like she lost her dad (my grandpa) recently which . . . was something she was going through kind of alone in a way. The fact that she was strong through it all inspired me.”
“My little sister because shes six years younger than me and I just feel like an older brother/ parent to her so I feel influential we have a good relationship and if anything is going on I feel its more important to take care of my little sister than to go to anything else.”
“Definitely my mom, just because we have a solid relationship. She plays my mom role but it’s different. I have an older sister and a grandmother but my relationship with my mother is just so strong. I can go out with my mom like I can go out with my best friends and I’m not embarrassed of her.”
“The reason my mother is my best friend is because when I was younger I used to be bullied by my brothers and sister . . . they used to tease me and my sister used to want to fight me. It messed me up in head sometimes and if it weren’t for my momma, I would have been some crazy guy getting in fights all the time. My mother was there to support me when no one else was.”
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Editor: David Tate clarionEIC@ccclarion.com
SPORTS
Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
Back with a splash Silva looks swimmingly toward the future of his new program. Javier Galaviz / Photo Editor jgalaviz@ccclarion.com
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fter having spent the past two years like a fish out of water, the Citrus College swim program can finally breathe again. The program that was cut at the end of the 2010 school year— due to budget cuts—is back in action. With first year aquatics coordinator/head coach Andrew Silva at the helm, the team looks forward to its bright future. After successful seasons at Marist College and later Cuesta College, Silva is excited about the new challenges here at Citrus. “There’s nothing more rewarding than the opportunity to restart a program,” said Silvia.
Upcoming Home Games Apr. 4: Men’s Baseball vs. West LA, at 2:30 p.m. Apr. 5: Women’s Swim & Dive vs. Santa Monica, 2:30 p.m. Apr. 6: Men’s Baseball vs. Bakersfield, 1 p.m. Apr. 9: Women’s Softball vs. LA Valley, 2:30 p.m. Apr. 13: Men’s Baseball vs. Canyons, 1 p.m. Apr. 16: Women’s Softball vs. Canyons, 2:30 p.m. Apr. 18: Women’s Softball vs. Glendale, 1 p.m. Women’s Softball vs. Glendale, 3 p.m. Apr. 23: Men’s Baseball vs. LA Valley, 2:30 p.m.
“Now it’s time for us to make all the hard work pay off.” Like all good coaches, Silva does a great job at motivating his student-athletes. Swim team member Chaylaine Gutierrez, who also plays on the water polo team, said, “Coach Andrew is an amazing and supportive coach. He does a great job at pushing us to the next level and has personally made me a faster, stronger swimmer.” Gutierrez went on to say that she “loves the team,” due to what she describes as “a great family atmosphere.” For 18-year-old redshirt Krystal Haddadin, the swim team has also served as a sort of networking opportunity.
“For my first couple semesters I didn’t really know anyone here, but the swim team has helped me make friends and get to know people,” Haddadin said. “It’s a fun time.” With a total of 28 swimmers, Silva’s been pleased with the turnout. “The support that we’ve received has been great. The practices and competitions have really exceeded my first year expectations,” he said. Come show your support for the relaunched swim team as they host LA Valley, Ventura, and Bakersfield here at Citrus on Mar. 29 at 2:30.
Javier Galaviz Citrus College Clarion
Coach Andrew Silva conducts afternoon practice at the Citrus pool.
Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
CLARIONsports
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
11
Martha Amescua Citrus College Clarion
The Veterans Network will host a 3-on-3 basketball tournament March 22, giving participants a chance to ball out at the Owls’ Nest.
Veterans Network suffering from basketball Madness Citrus College becomes the latest school to catch the fever. Cole Peterson / Staff Writer
colepeterson@ccclarion.com
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ant a shot of winning a basketball tournament? Now is your chance to fulfill the dream. The Veterans Network is sponsoring a basketball tournament Friday in the gymnasium from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Physiology major Fernando Salazar Jr., 31, president of the Veterans Network, is organizing the event. He is the brainchild behind it. “I want this event to get everyone involved, so they can see what the Veterans Network is all about.” Salazar says. Registration starts as early as 10 a.m. and tip off for the tournament will be at 11 a.m. Teams need to have 3-4 players and do not have to be students at Citrus. You can recruit anyone you would like. Entry fee is $20 per team.
All proceeds from the event go to support the Veterans Club on future events. Athletes from both the women’s and men’s basketball team will be there for support and play. Veterans from the club will also be there to play. 22-year old physical therapy major Jeffery Roth, member of the Veterans club, will be there to, “Support the Veterans Club,” Roth said. “I also love playing [basketball].” According to Salazar, there will be tacos and shaved ice for sale. A portion of the proceeds from the food will also benefit the Veterans Club. The Red Bull girls will also be there to distribute free energy drinks to make the event even crazier. There will be a halftime show to have a break from the tournament; there will be two individual shooting competitions. One will be a half-court shot, and the other will be a game of
around the world. Only players in the tournament can participate, and will have a chance at winning additional individual prizes. Frankie DeGuzman, assistant coach on the women’s basketball team, and is a former Veteran. DeGuzman is in charge of the prizes, and said “I love basketball, and I am a veteran so helping out is a no brainer.” The prizes for teams in the main competition are: firstplace will receive a cash prize as well as trophies. The cash prize amount depends on the turnout of people at the event. The second-place team will receive free 30-minute massage sessions to take away all those aches and pains. Third place gets free lunch and gift certificates. Sign ups are at HH 756 at the Veterans Center, located north of the gym, until March 22.
Jessica Soto Citrus College Clarion
The Veterans network tournment is intended to raise awareness for the club.
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Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
arts & entertainment
Battle of the Big Bands Blowout Citrus College faces off against Azusa Pacific Universtiy during a musical showdown. Katherine Newman / Staff Writer knewman@ccclarion.com
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ecked out in white suits and red bow ties, Citrus College’s Blue Note Orchestra and Azusa Pacific University’s Jazz ensemble came together for the tenth year for the annual Battle of the Big Bands musical competition. Originally founded by David Beatty of APU and Robert Slack of Citrus College, the performance showcases the best of both schools and creates a lively competition in which performers and audience members partake in a musical rivalry. “This is for all the dermatologists in the room,” said Sergio Vellatti prior to singing “I’ve Got You Under my Skin.” With this line Vellatti’s charm put an immediate smile on my face. Vocalist Sophie Gonzales gave a beautiful performance of “My Ship” composed by Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin, in which she seduced audience members with her captivating voice. One of the highlights of the evening was the performance of
“Minnie the Moocher” with the vocal talents of Citrus student, Sophie Gonzales, and David Manuel of APU. It was sassy versus swag when both schools attempted to outdo each other. As the audience we all won just by being part of the show. As “Come Fly With Me” began to play, Vellatti came out once again and filled in the huge shoes of Frank Sinatra. Going against such a legend is a big task to take on but Vellatti took on the challenge and delivered a charming and captivating performance. The most entertaining performance was when the Blue Note Orchestra performed to the backdrop of Jerry Lewis in the 1961 movie “The Errand Boy.” The original music track in that film was performed by the Count Basie Orchestra. This had everyone laughing throughout the entire number. The big finale was “Wind Machine,” which was performed by Citrus and APU students. Both schools had special alumni guests playing the drums and this brought the house down. The intensity of students from both schools giving their soul to the performance was the ending that all concerts should have. The audience, composed of
Javier Galaviz Citrus College Clarion
Sergio Vellatti graces the stage with his charm and vocal presence at the 2013 Battle of the Big Bands everyone from college students to senior citizens, connected with the performers. If a performer gave it their all, the audience was sure to let them know it was greatly appreciated. The energy in the room was high and even though it was a diverse crowd, everyone shared the same appreciation for the musical talents of all contributing performers that evening.
Melanie Gudino Citrus College Clarion
Sophie Gonzales adds some pizazz to her performance during Thursday night’s rehearsal at the Haugh Performing Arts Center.
APU sounds off with jazz debut This year’s Battle of the Big Bands commenced with an unconventional introduction to events.
Alyssa Martin / News Editor amartin@ccclarion.com
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riday night’s Battle of the Big Bands hosted in the Haugh Performing Arts Center was not what one might expect from a jazz performance. The evening began with announcer arriving on the massive roll-down projector screen, wearing a t-shirt, sitting in an arm chair and complaining about the lame gig he’d gotten. He’d been the an-
Javier Galaviz Citrus College Clarion
Eric Price shows off his musical expertise with the clarinet at this year’s Battle of the Big Bands.
nouncer for the Battle of the Big Bands for ten years, he said, and now the school wouldn’t even pay for him to show up in person. The bands opened together with “Anything Goes” composed by Cole Porter. The solos switched from one band to the other sending the audience’s heads swinging like they were at a tennis match. At the end of that number there was no one sleeping in the front row. Azusa Pacific University first performed “Caravan” composed by Duke Ellington and Juan Tizol. The song included phenomenal solos from Joe Di Fiore (Tenor Sax), Nick Gomez (Alto Sax) and Eric Price (Bari Sax). The song and had me picturing some deep city bar where the music is glamorous and lonely and the sax is always hot. Citrus slowed it down with “Fly Me to the Moon,” accompanied by vocalist Sergio Vellatti. And I’m being completely honest when I say this guy was just oozing charisma. The next time APU took the mic, they performed a medley of Curtis Lewis’ “Little Unhappy Boy” and “Happy Talk,” a piece by the demigods Rogers and Hammerstein. APU’s vocalist during that performance was handpicked for the song. Teryn Carter has one of those mellow, understated voices that definitely add to any jazz performance. And when she started scatting I nearly fell out of my chair.
One stand out performance during the first act was APU’s “Hunting Wabbits.” An announcer warned, “This portion of the show contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing, even repulsive. Viewer discretion is advised.” The screen then showed WB’s Merry Melodies. APU’s jazz ensemble played along to scenes of Elmer Fudd hunting Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck getting into his usual shenanigans. Both bands joined once again to bring us back from the intermission. APU’s vocalist, David Manuel, was wearing a white tuxedo, coattails and all. He spun onto to stage and slid around to the whoops and catcalls from the audience, as he told the tale of “Minnie the Moocher.” Sophie Gonzales, Citrus’ vocalist came back kicking her feet and flipping her hair. Both singers sang out and the bands sang right back, growling, yelling and scatting. Tenor soloists Joe Di Fiore, from APU, and Raul Arguiniga, from Citrus, each gave solos. They played notes so quickly that they were practically on top of each other and reached high notes that had the jazz aficionados sitting in front of me smirking smugly at each other. The swinging jazz number only ended with David Manuel held a baritone note so low and for so long that Sophie Gonzales announced offhandedly, “OK. You win.”
Melanie Gudino Citrus College Clarion
David Manuel prepares his vocals for Friday night’s Battle of the Big Bands along with Azusa Pacific’s accomplished jazz ensemble. Afterwards, APU’s jazz ensemble performed a piece called “I Have a Feeling I’ve Been Here Before.” Mike Briones played fiery trombone solo, with quick trills and long holds that had me awed at his lung capacity. The words “how is that even possible?” came to mind. The bands combined their tal-
ents once more for the final song. APU’s soloists were Joe Di Fiore (tenor sax), Lance Beckford and Jens Kuross on drums and percussion. The lights turned back on and the energy was still high. We lingered in our seats—until the announcer appeared on the screen once more and shooed us away.
Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
CLARIONa&e
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
13
“Half the Sky” holds up its half of the bargain
The book tells stories of women who are oppressed that speak for themselves. Alyssa Martin / News Editor amartin@ccclarion.com
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ccording to a Chinese proverb, women hold up half the sky. “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide”, written by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, argues that women are the greatest untapped resource in the developing world. It also makes the bold argument the maternal health, domestic violence, sex trafficking, contraception and abortion, education for girls and jobs for women can no longer be dismissed as “women’s issues” to be faced once the real issues are out of the way. According to Kristoff and WuDunn, this has become a human right’s cause that deserves the same global attention that slavery received in the 1800’s. And I say, it’s about time. The conditions of many women in the world today are comparable to the slaves of the 19th century. In some countries, the laws that tie a woman to her husband are laws of ownership, in which a woman must be punished for disobedience. While laws can be changed, the attitudes behind them are
deeply ingrained in culture. According to the United Nation’s 2010 World Women’s Report, female participation in the labor force has remained fairly steadily around 52 percent. This includes women in developed and underdeveloped countries. Perhaps more alarming, is that for the past two decades women have counted for twothirds of the world’s illiterate adults. Yet, “Half the Sky” is more than a monotonous recitation of facts. It tells the stories of women who defied norms and rose above their circumstances. It contains the last thing one might expect to find in a book about oppression: hope. There are powerful aid groups that are affecting change by leaps and bounds. These groups are often backed by the wealthy and generous from developed countries. But it is more encouraging to read about the overlooked and often underfunded grassroots aid groups, sometimes lead by local women who are just tired and angry. The “wrath of a woman scorned” is more powerful than you might think. Many of these stories focus on social entrepreneurs, or peo-
ple who take risks because they see a need in their community. In a refreshing change, “Half the Sky” does not use the stories of women to create martyrs. There is no “she was raped by awful men and then she died.” Instead, the stories are more along the lines of “she was raped and she fought back.” Reading statistics about education and unemployment rates for women can change the way you see oppression. But if that is all I wanted to know I could read the UN’s 2010 World’s Women Report, and I did. However, reading the stories about women who experience sexual trafficking, genital cutting (a practice still considered a rite of passage in Africa) and honor killings and rise above it can change the way you see everything. “Half the Sky” has been hailed as a wake-up call and a call to arms. It has also been compared to Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring.” However, the national attention “Half the Sky” has gained is not nearly as important as the affect it has on each of its readers. Reading “Half the Sky” may make social entrepreneurs of us all.
Half the Sky by New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, chronicles the stories of women who challenged the status quo.
COMIC CORNER by Cheyne Ellett
Wow! A
free ticket
to study abroad in the
Bahamas!
Hmm... The Bahamas seem a little cold for spring...
Aww... Hoot... That
ticket wasn’t
to the bahamas...
14 Editor’s corner: So... that stuff to the right
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
CLARIONforum
s r e t t e L
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The Clarion newspaper staff recognizes its role as a conduit for the expression of opinion. The Clarion will accept all letters addressed to the editor, but reserves the right to determine and edit the content of the publication for space and grammar. The decision to publish a letter shall not be based on the letter’s agreement with the editorial positions of the Clarion staff. Letters should be limited to 350 words or less. Letters that are obscene, libelous, incomprehensible, or racially/ sexually/religiously offensive will not be published under any circumstance.
David Tate / Editor-in-Chief clarioneic@ccclarion.com an anybody spare a few dull moments? It looks like I’m fresh out. The past two weeks have been eventful to say the least, so if you’re feeling a little lost take a break and read both letters on this page. I’m not going anywhere. Now that we’re all caught up, there are some things I want to address. In regards to Martha McDonald’s letter, the main thing I would like to tackle is the account of the interview with the Clarion reporter, seeing as I’m the reporter in question. In my talks with Lt. Caldwell, he made no mention of a request for the campus to refrain from notifiying students of an emergency. The day before, I had interviewed McDonald herself and asked her if GPD had made such a request. I did not recieve a definitive response. Were I to have recieved a confirmation from Caldwell, that information would have been reflected in both the news story, “Shedding light on the Feb. 20 gun scare,” and “Leaving in a not-so-orderlyfashion.” I have no idea how that conversation with Caldwell went. I don’t even know who it was with. I do however, recall my brief conversation with the lieutenant, and a review of my notes and correspondence with him did not reveal any new information. Moving on down, Adrienne Thompson also makes several relevant points. However, I would again like to make an observation. Private individuals do have a greater right to control information about themselves. But any individual would be hard pressed to claim a violation of their privacy rights when they walk into one of the most public areas on campus to start a one-woman production of Bad Girls Club. I would like to apologize if any harm came to the individual that was on the wrong end of the verbal abuse. My reasoning for running the story came from a belief that students could benefit from seeing how to handle such an adverse situation. I would hope that any student in a similar predicament would follow the example of how to conduct themselves and include the assistance of Campus Safety. But I’d like to thank both McDonald and Thompson for their letters. The staff of the Clarion takes both crime and the safety of the Citrus College students extremely seriously.
Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
Re: Feb. 20 gun scare articles
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ear Editor, The Crises Action Team of the Citrus College Emergency Operations Center (EOC) would like to respond to inaccuracies found in the March 6, 2013, issue of the Clarion. In instances like these, we believe it is imperative that the facts be shared to ensure that all students and staff are aware of what actually happened and understand the college’s response to this matter. On Feb 20, 2013, our campus was faced with a situation we all fear – reports of a suspicious person heading towards campus. Our Crises Action Team, under the direction of the Glendora Police Department (GPD), immediately sprung into action by following our established campus emergency protocols. During this entire situation, the safety of Citrus students, faculty and staff was the top priority. There are four main issues that arose in the paper that we would like to clarify and address in this response. PERSON OF INTEREST The article characterized the suspect as a gunman, when this was never true. Azusa Police Department (APD) received a 911 call regarding a suspicious individual heading toward Citrus College. At no point did either caller mention that they actually saw a gun.
Law enforcement agencies determined that this individual was a person of interest. They did not consider this individual to be a gunman as no gun was ever witnessed. STUDENT SERVICES BUILDING LOCK-DOWN The article asked why the lock down only occurred in and around the Student Services Building and not the entire campus. GPD has jurisdiction in all potential criminal matters occurring at Citrus College. For that reason GPD was in charge of the incident. Based upon information received from APD, Azusa Pacific University Campus Safety, and Citrus College Campus Safety, GPD directed emergency responders to create a perimeter around the Student Services Building. GPD determined that it was safe to allow students and employees near the building to leave who did not resemble the person of interest. Students and personnel within the building were told to seek shelter in their designated safe spaces as the person of interest was allegedly last seen walking into the Student Services Building. The lock down was not extended to the entire college as the threat was not universal to the full campus according to law
enforcement as they believed that the person of interest was contained within the Student Services Building. TIMING OF THE WARNING The article raised concerns that the warning to students and staff was not timely. In accordance with Administrative Procedure 3503 (Emergency Preparedness), if a look down situation occurs, “Law enforcement will take charge of the operation and maintain control throughout the duration of the incident,” therefore, college personnel follow the directions of the law enforcement agency that is handling the situation. GPD instructed college personnel not to send out an alert immediately as the person of interest might receive it, thus alerting him to law enforcement’s plans. Sending out a Citrus Alert to the campus community could have created chaos and panic amongst students and staff, leading to potential injuries and compromising the efforts of law enforcement. College officials waited for the all clear sign from GPD before sending out a notification to the campus. When interviewed by a Clarion reporter, Lieutenant Caldwell of GPD stated that Citrus College was directed by GPD not to notify students and per-
sonnel in the interest of safety. CLEARING CAMPUS The article asked why the entire campus was not cleared immediately. Upon notification of the all clear sign from GPD, a Citrus Alert was sent notifying students and employees that all classes for the evening had been cancelled. The cancellation was due to rumors floating around campus and not to any actual threat. Campus Safety began the systematic clearing of the campus beginning from the northeast corner working toward the southwest corner of the campus. The Crisis Action Team followed the EOC procedures for this type of situation, and was commended by GPD for our preparation, planning, and implementation during this event. As always, we are reviewing the situation to see if we can improve our emergency response protocols to ensure that our campus remains safe and secure. We welcome input from Citrus students, faculty and staff and any comments can be sent to Dr. Martha McDonald, Dean of Students. Martha McDonald, Ed. D. Dean of Students Citrus College (626) 914-8602
Becoming the wrong kind of tabloid
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ear Editor, “Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curi-
osity.” “Recognize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than do public officials and others who seek power, influence or attention. Only an overriding public need can justify intrusion into anyone’s privacy.” The above statements are from the Society for Professional Journalists’ code of ethics…a document I am sure your staff has been made keenly aware of. Keeping this in mind, I question
why the Clarion has found a need to publish in its crime blotter a story titled “Breaking up is hard to do.” This was NOT a crime affecting the campus community at large. It was an incident between two private individuals. You chose to publish information that was identifying of their persons. For what, I ask? As a member of the campus community I see no purpose in publishing this information. Knowing these facts does not affect my safety on campus. It does not make my job serving students any easier, in fact it makes it more difficult. It does not affect
my life outside the campus. As the supervisor of the employee mentioned, I am angered that his rights of privacy were ignored and the situation was sensationalized at his expense. Quite simply, this was irresponsible journalism. The full impact of publishing this “story” will never be felt or known by any staff member of the Clarion. If your intentions are to become the campus TMZ, you’re on a good path. More and more frequently, I see stories leaning toward the salacious and away from actual news. I urge you to go back and evaluate the
content and intentions of your stories. Finally, I want to leave you with one more statement, also from SPJ’s Code of Ethics: “Recognize that gathering and reporting information may cause harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance.” Ms. Adrienne Thompson Supervisor, Student Life & Leadership Development
CLARIONforum editorials
Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
citruscollege
Raise wages; improve our economy Consumers are buying less because they have less discretionary income.
I
ndividual consumers are buying less, class inequality is rising, and 12 million people are still unemployed. The problem is too few jobs and lousy wages. In his State of the Union address, on Feb. 12, 2013, President Barack Obama called on Congress to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour. “This single step would raise the incomes of millions of working families,” said the president during of his speech. “For businesses across the country, it would mean customers with more money in their pockets.” Economists analyzing the potential impact of raising the minimum wage have concluded that the proposed increase would have positive effects for low-income families without causing harm to businesses or raising the unemployment rate. The White House pointed to
Chriistian Rodriguez
companies that supported the increase as a way to reduce employee turnovers and improve productivity. This list included the retail discount giant Costco and Stride Rite, a shoe company nearly 100 years old. The minimum wage increase has many opponents, among them big businesses and conservatives who believe that the raise will not accomplish its goals. However, many state and local governments have already set their own minimum wages above the current federal rate. Research conducted by John Schmitt and David Rosnick at the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that San Francis-
co’s minimum wage jumped from $6.75 to $8.50 in 2004. Resulting increased income did not cut jobs or negatively affect businesses. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, a similar increase from $5.15 to $8.50 the same year had only positive results on the local economy. The current level of the minimum wage in the United States is very low by any reasonable standards. According to government statistics, there are 4.4 million workers earning the minimum wage. This is still substantially lower than it was in the 1960s, accounting for inflation. However, worker productivity has doubled since then. Christine Owens, the executive
director of the National Employment Law Project, said in a statement “…one of the best ways to get the economy going again is to put money in the pockets of people who work.” Consumers are buying less because they have less discretionary income. Taxes have gone up, and high unemployment takes the bargaining power out of most people looking for a job, allowing businesses to keep wages low. Decreasing the purchasing power of most Americans would negatively affect the growth of the economy. The proposed minimum wage increase would put money back into the hands of families that desperately need it, allowing them to buy a bit more and, as a result, help keep others working. As Americans, our most important focus should be on getting jobs back, improving wages, and restoring the growth of our economy. Our strength is not measured by the profits of our corporations or the value of our stock market. It depends, rather, on how many of our people have jobs and whether those jobs pay decent wages.
Cheyne Elloit
Cheyne Ellett
Keep the minimum wage the same
Obama needs to consider economics first rather than just sympathy. Melanie Gudino / Managing Editor mgudino@ccclarion.com
R
ecently, President Barack Obama proposed in his Feb. 12 State of the Union Address raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9. This 24 percent pay increase will grab the attention of both working and non working citizens, but economists feel uneasy about this proposal— simply because it’s not a good idea. One essential law of economics—the law of demand—states that when the price of anything including labor increases, the quantity of demand will decrease. In other words, if the federal minimum wage goes up (the price of labor) more employees will be laid off to cut cost (decrease in demand). Consider Washington state, where the minimum wage has been $9.15 an hour since 2012.
According to the Washington Restaurant Association, the law makes the state less competitive for both big and small businesses. As a result, Census Bureau data shows that food outlets statewide employ three fewer workers than the national average. Washington and California both have the similar stats on cost of living expenditures: housing, 30 percent; food and groceries 15 percent; transportation, 10 percent; utilities, 6 percent, health care, 7 percent; and miscellaneous expenses at 32 percent. The problem with the economy is not the minimum wage, it’s people spending too much on luxuries rather than spending responsibly. In Obama’s speech, he said, “no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty,” and believes “this single step would raise the incomes of millions of working
“This modest impact on employment is essentially negligible, most likely to affect teenage workers.” -Christopher Thornberg
Senior Economist, Center for Continuing Study of CA
families.” Currently, the unemployment rate in the U.S. stands at 7.7 percent. California is at 9.8 percent for the second month in a row, in a tie with Rhode Island for having the worst unemployment rate in the U.S. If the president truly wants to raise the income, he should keep minimum wage the same and encourage citizens to stop binge
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spending to save money. To bring this issue closer to home, think of the section of minimum wage workers: college students. Finding a job as a college student is difficult enough, since juggling a full load of classes and work is no walk in the park. Let’s not make things harder on ourselves by giving employers another reason to lay off workers. Christopher Thornberg, a founding partner at Beacon Economist said “this modest impact on employment is essentially negligible, most likely to affect teenage workers.” If this 24 percent pay raise goes into affect, the American job market will fall. People want to work because money translates into shelter, food, gas, and other expenses. Obama needs to consider the economics first rather than just voter sympathy.
clarion Editor-in-Chief David Tate Managing Editor Melanie Gudino Design Editor Sasha Winterer Art Director Cheyne Ellett Photo Editor Javier Galaviz News Editor Alyssa Martin Forum Editor Anthony Soliz Spotlight Editor Sasha Winterer A&E Editor Melanie Gudino Sports Editor David Tate Staff Writers Cole Petersen Cristian Manrique David Rosales Jo Jamison Katherine Newman Sylvia Aparico Page Designers Adrianna Noyes Christian Rodriguez Corey Sims Javier Galaviz Priscilla Dela Cruz Sarah Bujanda Steven Solis Instructional Assistants Emily Rios Stacy K. Long Adviser Margaret O’Neil The Clarion is produced by journalism students and is distributed every other Wednesday during the semester. Ads are not endorsed by the Clarion. Editorials are the opinion of at least 75 percent of the Editorial Board. All other 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. Libel will not be published. The Clarion welcomes feedback from our readers. If you have any gripes, questions, or comments ... we want to hear from you! Send your letters in at ccclarion.com/lettersAll correspondence must include your student ID#, major and signature. Letters may be edited for content.
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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Photo Tech: Javier Galaviz jgalaviz@ccclarion.com
CLARION
FEELING A BIT Irish Born Philomena O’Shea, Citrus’ food services manager, seen here posing here with her delicious corned beef, takes great pride in putting on the yearly event. Understandibly so.
Citrus College Clarion ccclarion.com
Psychology Student, Katie Shaughnessy, 19, gets airbourne while impressing the lunch crowd with her version of an Irish treble jig.
IRISH
Citrus serves up sliced culture
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Photos and story by Javier Galaviz
ays before the worldwide celebration of by the Irish trio cleverly named the McWannabees. Irish culture, members of the kitchen Between sets, members of P.L.A.I.D. stormed the staff along with the ASCC brought the
stage to demonstate versions of old-style irish step
celebration of Ireland’s patron saint here to Citrus. dance and jig routines. When the afternoon couldn’t Along with culinary favorites like corned beef and be any sweeter, after a good laugh watching the Incabbage, soda bread, and our EIC’s personal favor- ter-Club Council’s Lucky Charms cereal-eating con-
One third of the McWannabees, former staff member Jim Cope (above) performed for the crowd outside the cafeteria with renditions of old Irish favorites.
Aubrey and Brigham Vargha (right), members of the Painter-Larson Academy of Irish Dance, or P.L.A.I.D. for short, kick their routine into high gear during the Mar. 14 celebration.
ite, the no-nonsense meat pies, the seasonal treats
test, The ASCC provided sliced cake for passers-by.
came accompanied with traditional music provided
Lucky you.