Clarion 11/22/2022

@ citruscollegeclarion

Low flu numbers this fall

BY ROBERT DAVIS MANAGING EDITOR RDAVIS @ CCCLARION.COM

Flu season has officially started, but Citrus avoided a bad beginning to flu season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted in midOctober that flu season was going to start early, despite flu activity being relatively low.

“Flu season in Los Angeles County is typically the first week of October through the end of March.” writes the L.A. County Department of Public Health “However, flu circulates throughout the year.”

According to the CDC, a possible reason for a bad flu season this winter may be due to relatively light flu seasons in the past two years. Although being a good thing overall, good flu seasons can lead to decreased population immunity, particularly for children who may have never had the flu before or people who haven’t been vaccinated.

The early start to flu season has not had a great effect on Citrus.

Citrus College Nurse Dr. Shauna Bigby said in mid-October that she has not seen an increase in flu cases at Citrus, but students and staff should still be careful as “a bad flu season would potentially affect class attendance and could affect the number of people that attend inperson events,” she wrote.

One person at Citrus affected by the flu is professor Dr. Jennifer Miller-Thayer of Social and Behavioral Sciences, who had to miss in person classes to recover from her illness.

Miller-Thayer experienced symptoms including fatigue, muscle soreness, sneezing, runny nose and coughing.

Miller-Thayer said her method of treatment was staying hydrated with tea, Emergen-C and lots of water, in addition to reducing her workload so she could get as much rest as possible.

Bigby also provided some tips on how to avoid getting the flu in the first place, which included avoiding close contact, covering one’s mouth and nose, cleaning one’s hands and avoiding touching one’s eyes, nose or mouth.

Another way to avoid gettuing the flu and flattening the curve this flu season is to get vaccinated.

GetMyFluShot.org says that last flu season, vaccinated people were 35% less likely to get the flu, and vaccines are readily available and affordable.

“Most insurance plans cover flu vaccines at no cost to you.” writes GetMyFluShot.org.

“You can get vaccinated at your doctor’s office or find locations to get a flu shot at most pharmacies, county health departments and urgent care centers. If you don’t have insurance, you can still get a free or low-cost flu shot at your local community clinic or public health department.”

Who is afraid of the big, bad coyotes?

STORY BY ASHTON NIEVES STAFF REPORTER ANIEVES @ CCCLARION.COM

ART BY LINA CARDINAS FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR LCARDINAS @ CCCLARION.COM

Sightings of coyotes on campus have been reported, including in the parking lot areas. This information was collected by the Citrus College Campus security and it was reported on Oct. 6.

As winter nears, coyotes begin to make their way down the foothills with the intent of hunting for food.

District forwarded information from wildlife experts, such as the

make loud noises and throw rocks at the coyote if followed, and to always look directly at it and never run away or turn

California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Normally coyotes are elusive animals and avoid any contact with humans. They are more active after dusk and before daylight.”

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said, “people should make themselves as large as possible and stand up straight and wave their arms over their heads.

People need to stay animated and speak forcefully at a coyote directly if it poses a threat. Other measures people should take if needed is to

out with a statement which said, “feeding, harming, harassing, or medicating wild animals on campus is strongly discouraged. Please do not leave food for any animals on campus since this may attract coyotes.”

Stephanie Aldaco, specialist with Glendora Animal Control said, “Coyotes at this time mostly come down the foothills for many reasons,” Stephanie Aldaco, specialist with Glendora Animal Coyotes see

most active in residential areas.”

Elizabeth Cook, a librarian at Hayden Memorial Library, said “I have seen coyotes mostly out in the parking lot in front of the library by LI 120. I haven’t seen packs. There are usually one or two coyotes lurking around the area sometimes.”

“They were here first. They’re something we should learn to coexist with. Yeah, they could follow people and we should be concerned to a degree, but we shouldn’t take drastic action, like killing them or anything,” Cook said.

RHYS TEUBER - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Citrus’ Jayden Johnston fights with Long Beach City College’s Reginald Johnson Jr. for the rebound during the Owl’s 83-80 win over the Vikings on Nov. 8.

Visit http://www.ccclarion.com for the full slideshow.

BOT candidate has large lead in reelection

BY ASHTON NIEVES STAFF REPORTER ANIEVES @ CCCLARION.COM

As of Nov. 8, the results of the Board of Trustees election have kicked in. Cheryl Alexander has an insurmountable lead in the race for the seat on the Citrus College Board of Trustees.

Alexander, Paul Naccachain and Irene Murray were the candidates running for Area No. 3, with Alexander running for reelection.

Alexander has received 1,995 votes (53.5%), 995 votes Naccachain (25.3%) and Murray 791 votes (21.2%) according to LA Vote. Alexander is projected to retain her seat on the Board of Trustees due to the large margin.

Alexander, the re-elected board member, recalled her time when she initially joined.

“I was actually asked if I wanted to be on the board. I was appointed to take the place of the board member Dr. Edward Ortell,” she said Alexander said she enjoys working with students and wants to continue helping them.

Alexander said her main goal is to “build a bridge” that connects people together to make things better and to solve any issues that come up.

Alexander said supporting the current programs Citrus has makes it possible for students to pursue an education there.

“We should focus on maintaining what we have right now.,” she said.

“We should also be hearing out from the community and listening to what they have to say.”

Alexander said she believes in a post high school option for high school students who are hesitant

ED Building is 91% complete

about attending college.

“We should focus on creating a bridge that provides an opportunity for a student’s future, whether they want to attend a four year college or university,” Alexander said.

Murray, another candidate who ran for the Board of Trustees, said that she learned about Citrus College when her daughter was a student there.

“Sometimes when you come in as an outsider, you won’t know the issues fully until you’re in there and realize what’s going on,” she said.

Murray was initially a part of the Duarte Unified School District Student Board.

Murray said she is an adult education instructor and is familiar with both sides, academic and vocational.

Murray worked as university professor for 17 years at the

University of Phoenix and Pacific Oaks University.

Pall Naccachian, the third candidate running for the Board of Trustees, did not respond to email and phone requests for an interview.

All three candidates went into this election with many big goals in mind.

Alexander went in with the top three priorities of “creating an easily accessible bridge for students to pursue college, certificated and technical careers, increase post high school options for students of all ages, and to expand early college participation to help reduce costs for working families,” which are listed on her website .

Naccachain went in with the goals of “collaborating with faculty, staff, and the board to ensure all

policies are legal, appropriate, and fair, to ensure fiscal responsibility and sound business practices in managing your tax dollars in implementing the Educational and Facilities Master Plan, and to improve student learning environment through communication, and mentorship resources,” which are listed on Votersedge.org.

Murray ran with the top three goals of “ensuring student educational options for a postpandemic education for in person, hybridity, and asynchronous options, providing security and sustainability for ethnically and gender diverse faculty members and students, and exploring and establishing student retention in a community college educational pathway,” according to Votersedge. org.

A construction worker reworks the wiring coming from the ceiling. Photo taken on Nov. 3.

Construction workers clean up after their hard work in the afternoon.

A construction worker needs more height to see that the wires in the ceiling are connected correctly.

Construction workers debate the best way to go about finishing their job for the afternoon.

A construction worker sticks his head in the ceiling in order to see where the wires are connecting.

Construction workers cover a hole in the ground made for plumbing.

Construction workers after their afternoon job walk to their lunch break.

PHOTOS BY LINA CARDINAS FREELANCE CONTRIBUTOR LCARDINAS @ CCCLARION.COM

Construction workers test their labor by walking over the top of their patch-up job.

No votes, big problem

ASCC fills empty board seats through an application process

The Associated Students of Citrus College should not present themselves as elected by the student body when more than half of the serving members were not elected.

Six of nine ASCC Citrus’ student government members were selected through application, not election. This application process can be biased, and students not directly selected by the student body should not be serving on the board.

The student commissioners should be elected by their peers just as the rest of the board is.

The six students selected by appointment have the same voting power as the three students elected by student vote. ASCC President Sofia Guzman was the sole interviewer for application board members. One person selecting board members to fill seats that can outvote everyone elected rightfully by students is not democratic and should not continue.

“I had to interview them, asking each student the same questions to ensure fairness and select students based on their responses,” Guzman said in an email.

It sounds good in theory. In practice, it leaves too many opportunities for exploitation and a lack

of accountability. Guzman may be choosing to her best abilities, and they may be good choices for these positions, but she shouldn’t be choosing anyone at all. No board member should be able to pick and choose who sits on the board. The whole point of an election is to vote for representatives, and having unelected seats filled through application defeats the purpose of voting in the first place.

If these positions were only titles and did not carry a vote, they would not be of great concern as their roles in student affairs would be limited. There are nine current ASCC members. Elected positions include:

n President

n Vice president n Student trustee

n Legislative liaison

n Up to seven senators

Positions chosen by an application are:

n Treasurer n Commissioners

As it currently stands, the ASCC plays an integral role in decisions that affect the student body at Citrus, according to the student government page. ASCC is also in charge of funds that total more than $450,000.

The point of voting for student

senator and executive positions in the first place seems pointless if ASCC is going to fill the remainder with applications. It’s understandable to have a special election when circumstances are abnormal such as low voter turnout, as last year. Even so, that special election did not produce enough senators to fill the board properly. Elections should be held until seats are filled, or amendments voted on to reduce the number of seats necessary. The point is students should be voting for these decisions. They should not be made through an application process. ASCC should hold special elections until all seats are filled or until enough students have applied to run. They should at least try to maintain some semblance of democracy.

The last election for ASCC president and senators was held via special election from May 31 to June 2. Only 111 students on a campus of over 18,000 participated, but the required 50 votes per candidate were met. Amendments to the ASCC constitution passed by students during this election allow a majority vote instead of a minimum of 50 votes. Future elections will not require this minimum of 50 as students voted to do away with vote minimums

for candidates.

The current board is not to blame for this issue. They are trying to fill a need to conduct business on the students’ behalf. However, they should also prioritize by ensuring seats are filled first. No future student government board should be put in this position.

The ASCC board should be working on a solution to this problem. The sitting board should have a proposal for the next election so that the same process elects all sitting members with voting power. These commissioners were essentially hired, not elected. This means that ASCC members not elected by students can outvote those elected and determine student affairs. While this may not be

happening currently, the chance is too great to allow this to continue with students who may not be as scrupulous or trustworthy as the current board members.

This precedent sets up opportunities for students who would not normally be elected to wait until after an election to apply. If a group of students has this objective, it could cause problems for the rest of the board, especially when the board has fewer elected members than the ones who applied.

If an application process is necessary, it should be noted on the ballot. Students should be aware that any position not voted for will be filled by an application.

Difficulty accessing transit deters passengers

BY RACHEL MILLS NEWS EDITOR RMILLS @ CCCLARION.COM

Ten minutes.

That’s how long it takes to get to the APU/Citrus College Metro station from the closest part of campus, give or take a minute or two for certain variables.

Should it take that long to get to the train? Especially when one sees that there could be a shorter, more direct path to the station if thought through more.

The current path to get to the Metro station starting at the most northwest point of campus is by crossing the parking lot at the intersection of Citrus Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. The path then leads to a patch of dirt that lies between patches of bushes that divide campus from the sidewalk which is actually a shortcut. Proper directions make the trip longer by leading up to Foothill Boulevard through a steep driveway.

After this, one has to get to the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and wait for a light to cross Foothill Boulevard. This can take a few minutes if there is traffic running along the bend of the street.

To cross Citrus Avenue, another light has to be waited for that can sometimes be quick and sometimes be lengthy.

After crossing Citrus Avenue, one has to go north on Citrus Avenue on the sidewalk that has an under-grade crossing for the future train line that will head east to Pomona for the next phase with hopeful plans to Montclair past that.

The next step is getting to the wheelchair access ramp in the parking structure. A rider must walk through the parking structure and then climb to flights of stairs.

After climbing the stairs, one has to exit the parking structure and walk across a path that leads to the gates of the stop.

Once there, it is the homestretch, finally, to get to the platform.

This complicated process of getting to the train seems questionable, annoying, and cumbersome as there could be an easier path made by building a direct access path to the station at grade.

A direct path could be constructed by building a path from the northeastern corner of Citrus Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. The path could easily lead to the stop.

The only reason that the station is built this way is that it is meant to attract business people who use a car to commute to the current terminus of Los Angeles Union Station in downtown Los Angeles.

Other stops are difficult to access along the L(Gold) Line for pedestrians.

Irwindale Station is a prime example as it is in the middle of nothing. If

a pedestrian wants to access the stop from Irwindale Avenue right above the station, they have to walk all the way down to the light at Adelante Street, then walk back toward the station for another four minutes or more if the pedestrian is slow. It is unclear why there was no direct staircase or elevator installed at Irwindale Avenue to facilitate easier access.

Sierra Madre Villa Station in Pasadena is also difficult to access for pedestrians from the street. To get to the station that rests in the middle of the 210 Freeway, a pedestrian has to walk from the street through either walking paths off Sierra Madre Villa Avenue or Foothill Boulevard. That takes a few minutes; they then have to either climb a four-story flight of stairs or wait for an elevator to take them to the fourth floor of a parking structure.

That is not even the end of it. They then have to walk from the most northern side of the structure across to the other end that connects with a foot bridge that runs across the westbound lanes of traffic on the 210 and connects to the station platform. Riders then have to descend down a story and half worth of stairs to the platform.

It is worth noting that this is not the case for all the stations along the L(Gold) Line. Other stations are extremely easy to access. Such examples include Downtown Azusa Station, Duarte Station, Arcadia Station, Del Mar Station in Pasadena, Fillmore too, Station in Pasadena, South Pasadena Station and Highland Park Station.

CLARION FILE

Grand opening of Gold Line on March 7, 2016.

PHOTO FROM PIXABAY

Winner, winner, chicken dinner wars

Round 1

Round 2

Fill out this bracket and follow along to see if your choices match the chicken master’s!

Be sure to follow updates to series at www. ccclarion.com/ chickenmasterschoice

Round 3

BY ROBERT DAVIS MANAGING EDITOR RDAVIS @ CCCLARION.COM

Champion

Ground Rules

n Sandwiches will be judged head-to-head by the grand master of chicken n Sandwiches judged in original form

n Sandwich will be judged alone, no combo meals n Bun, Sauce, toppings, breading and chicken will be scored individually n Bonus points for size,

price, presentation and chicken to bun ratio n Categories and bonus will be given flavor score of 1-10 n Overall flavor score will determine winner

Chicken dinner wars: Last chance until semifinals!

Cane’s and The Habit battle for a spot in the championship

With Popeyes advancing to the final round, the stage has been set for the grand finale of the Chicken Dinner Wars. A worthy opponent must be chosen from the two remaining competitors, Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers and The Habit. Let the battle commerce!

If you didn’t catch last week’s match-up, scroll down to the bottom of the page for a refresher on the rules.

With that out of the way, let’s dig in.

Both sandwiches scored dead even in the bun category. Cane’s had a sweeter, more flavorful bun than The Habit, but The Habit’s bun was nicely toasted. Both sandwiches earned solid 8s to get things moving.

The sauce category was not as competitive as the buns were.

In Canes’ first battle the only problem with the sauce was I didn’t have enough of it. This time, the sandwich was bursting and dripping with delicious sweet and savory goodness. The beautiful thing about Canes’ sauce is it’s hard to have too much of it. It pairs well with the chicken so being lost in the sauce is almost impossible.

Cane’s earns an easy 9.5.

Although The Habit’s sauce was good, a good mayo can only score so high, especially when being compared to the deliciousness contained in the Cane’s sauce.

However, The Habit’s mayo was still delicious for a fast food restaurant, earning an 8.

The scores swing back in the opposite direction in the toppings category, as The Habit again dominates in its strongest area of expertise. The Habit’s toppings consist of pickles, lettuce and tomato. All the components taste fresh and do wonders for the overall flavor of the sandwich. The Habit has the best toppings tasted in the tournament, earning a 9.5.

The same cannot be said about Cane’s, which despite being an extremely delicious sandwich overall, has abysmal strength in the toppings category.

The only topping on the Cane’s sandwich is a single piece of lettuce, which is completely drowned out by the intense flavors of the sauce and the chicken. The lettuce is barely noticeable, but slightly more flavorful than it was in its previous bout, earning a 6.

And now for the main course, the chicken category.

The Cane’s sandwich had what might be the best chicken tasted in this tournament so far. The chicken was extremely juicy, tender and flavorful. The use of fried chicken fingers instead of a chicken breast results in chicken that is much higher quality than the majority of its competitors. Without question, Cane’s earns a perfect 10.

The Habit put up a good fight but did not deliver to the same extent it had in its first-round upset against Chick-fil-A. The chicken was exceptionally flavorful, but lacked the juiciness it showed in

its first matchup. The Habit earns an 8.

Cane’s again shined in the breading category. The Cane’s breading was flakier than any of its competitors, which preserved the crunch of the sandwich, even when being drowned in sauce. In addition to being crispy, the Cane’s breading was seasoned and perfectly coated the chicken, Earning yet another perfect 10.

The Habit’s breading was just as crispy and flavorful as I remembered from previous battles. The black pepper and herb mix brings the overall quality of the sandwich to something I could definitely see in the finals. But is it as good as Cane’s? Not quite. The Habit earns a solid 9.

With both competitors having very similar prices at $5.39 for Canes and $5.99 for The Habit. No price points will be awarded in this battle.

Cane’s earns a customer service point for exceptionally fast service.

This brings the overall totals to 42.5 for The Habit and a whopping 44.5 for Raising Cane’s!

If you’re a close follower of the Chicken Dinner Wars you’ll have noticed that Popeyes scored the same 44.5 in its semifinal bout, meaning this finals will likely be an absolute barnburner of a matchup.

Lookout for our final championship bout to see who will be crowned Winner Winner… Chicken Sandwich Dinner…

Chicken Dinner Wars: Semifinals

Popeyes and Jack in the Box face off for a spot in the finals

The Chicken Dinner Wars Semifinals begin with our latest battle between Popeyes and Jack in the Box!

Eight sandwiches have entered and only four remain. This battle will determine whether the Classic Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes or the Cluck sandwich from Jack in the Box will go on to the final Chicken Dinner Grand Championship Battle.

If you didn’t catch last week’s match-up, scroll down to the bottom of the page for a refresher on the rules!

With that out of the way, let’s dig in.

The Popeyes and Jack in the Box buns were both nearly identical. Both were spongy sweet rolls but were notably toasted less evenly than they appeared in past matches, both starting off with 7s across the board.

The sauce category went to Jack in the Box as the Good-Good sauce again exceeded expectations. The biggest problem I had with this sauce was that I didn’t have enough of it. The Good-Good sauce takes home a 9.

The Popeyes sauce delivered once again as it was easily one of the top mayos in the tournament. However, it was significantly less flavorful compared to the GoodGood sauce, earning a 7.5.

In the toppings category, both sandwiches were evenly matched in the fact that they both solely included pickles. The difference between the two sandwiches’ toppings came in the form of the pickles’ quality.

The Popeyes pickles were much more fresh than they were in previous matches, earning an 8. The Jack in the Box pickles were

much closer to average fast food pickles, earning a 7.

Popeyes Louisiana style chicken represented some Southern pride in the chicken category, being exceptionally juicy, tender and flavorful, earning a 9.5. The Cluck did not fare as well as it had in previous battles, as the chicken was tender and flavorful but was dry, earning an 8.

The Popeyes breading again shined as the sandwiche’s signature feature. Was it crispy? Exceptionally so. Was it flavorful? It brought me straight to the bayou! Did it perfectly coat the chicken? I think you know the answer. The Popeye breading earns a perfect 10.

The Cluck’s breading was exceptional in its debut against McDonald’s but was no match for Popeyes. It was flavorful and coated the chicken well but it was not as crispy earning an 8.5.

In terms of price, the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich earns an extra price point as its $3.99 price tag beats out the Cluck’s $4.79. This is especially notable as the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich was also much larger than The Cluck.

Popeyes earns a negative customer service point for being exceptionally slow in the drive though. A whole 45 minutes for just three cars? Whatever happened to Louisiana fast? Time is money, so Popeyes throws its price point straight into the deep fryer.

This battle was close, but only one sandwich can move into the final round. With Jack in the Box earning 39.5 flavor points and Popeyes earning 42 flavor points, Popeyes remains undefeated and will advance into the final Chicken Dinner Grand Championship Battle!

Meet Little Lamb mobile coffee shop

BY HEILY GARCIA STAFF REPORTER HGARCIA @ CCCLARION.COM

A mobile shop selling coffee and ceramic pieces has been parked at the Campus Center Mall for students and community members.

The mobile shop is called Little Lamb, and it was created by Ryan Lagasse. The truck is available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at the Campus Center Mall.

The shop was opened in 2020 as a way to join two hobbies she enjoyed and share it with others.

“During COVID-19 was when the idea for the bus evolved and I wanted to combine my love for coffee with the ceramics that I love to make,” Lagasse said.

A wide variety of iced and hot coffee and tea are available on the menu. A few items are ginger spiced chai and blood orange espresso tonic. Classic coffees are also available such as latte, macchiato and Americano. Iced drinks are an added 50 cents.

Different milks are available for these drinks including whole and 2% milk, as well as two milk alternatives, oat and almond. Milk alternatives do not have an extra charge.

“The No. 1 most common milk is oat milk,” Lagasse said.

Lagasse also said when she started the mobile shop she did not

carry whole milk and was surprised by such a heavy demand for it.

Aside from drinks, the shop also has baked goods such as ham and cheese croissants, coffee cake, sprinkle donuts, etc. The pastries are not made by Lagasse. She partners with Gemini Bakehouse.

“Every morning I wake up at 4 and then I pick up the pastries at

5, so it’s fresh every day,” Lagasses said.

The Gemini Bakehouse is also a small business that opened during COVID-19, which Lagasse said she enjoys.

The coffee and clay truck wouldn’t be complete without the ceramic pieces. Many items are available, including mugs, bowls and even candle holders. These items are made by Lagasse, and take a couple weeks to complete.

While items are available on campus, the selection is available on the website. The coffee truck’s menu is also available there as well Little Lamb.

New head of TeC services office welcomed to campus

BY ROBERT DAVIS MANAGING EDITOR RDAVIS @ CCCLARION.COM

The Citrus College TeCS office has officially welcomed a new chief information services officer. He wants to bring students the tech they need to succeed, and he’s got the experience to do it. Eric Calderon officially took over as chief information services officer Nov. 3, two days after former head of TeCS services Robert Hughes retired.

Over 17 years, Calderon has worked in technology and education, working for five K-12 school districts as a technology specialist and chief technology officer.

Calderon said he remembers his time working in the K-12 environment as a fulfilling experience.

“There has been a lot of joy being in that space, seeing students go from kindergarten all the way to graduation,” he said.

Calderon said he decided it was time for him to move to higher education to further help students reach their life goals.

“I really enjoyed the vibe of higher education, just being with folks who are in a place in life where they are trying to figure out where they wanna be, where they wanna grow,” he said.

Calderon said he chose to come to Citrus because he thought Citrus would be a good place to

help students gain opportunity through technology.

The question he asks himself in this challenge is “How can technology provide that equity, that access and opportunity? ... That’s the pieces that excite me,” Calderon said.

Calderon said his goal at Citrus is to see the academic outcomes students are working towards and help them be achieved. For him, Citrus is a fitting campus because he sees community colleges like Citrus as places that promote social equity.

“It’s the idea of how can technology be that equalizer for the students that go there,” he said.

“ … I think being at the community college level on site really will allow me to see those outcomes,” he said.

In addition to choosing Citrus to help students, Calderon has roots in the community. Calderon said he grew up in the area and graduated from Glendora High School. Calderon even took some classes at Citrus.

Calderon said that what motivates him help students with technology and come back to Citrus is “to be able to see students in that space (higher education) go and do what their heart, their passion is and just being part of that, technology is a tool that allows folks to really succeed I believe.”

After two weeks as the new head of TeCS, Calderon had nothing but good things to say about working

on campus.

“I love the energy that the campus brings. I love the energy that students are on campus, that they’re eager to go to class, that learning’s happening. The vibe from the professors, faculty, administration has been amazing,” he said.

Calderon has also enjoyed seeing all the changes the campus has been through since he was a student at Citrus.

Technology Operations and Support Services Supervisor Tom Cheng, who has been working with Calderon as he settles into his new position, said although it’s early to say, so far Calderon has “been a great boss, very personable, very easygoing. … He’s got his priorities and we’re looking forward to his leadership and moving forward.”

LINA CARDINAS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Ryan Lagasse cleans up after a day of work in The Coffee and Clay truck on Nov 1. Lagasse is also the owner of the truck.

LINA CARDINAS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Ryan Lagase makes coffee for a customer in the Coffee and Clay truck on Nov. 4. at Citrus College. Lagasse cleans the machine everyday after she closes at 3 p.m.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC CALDERON

Truck sells clay, pastries and coffee in unique blend

“Every morning I wake up at 4 and then I pick up the pastries at 5, so it’s fresh every day.”

Ryan Lagase

Founder of Little Lamb

OWLSTAGRAM:

OWL BEAT

Robert Davis

rdavis@ccclarion.com News Editor

Rachel Mills rmills@ccclarion.com

Social Media Editor

Ashton Nieves anieves@ccclarion.com

Staff Reporters:

Daniela Marin dmarin@ccclarion.com

Grace Gaines ggaines@ccclarion.com

Heily Garcia hgarcia@ccclarion.com

Lina Cardinas lcardinas@ccclarion.com

Michelle Medel mmedel@ccclarion.com

Rhys Teuber rteuber@ccclarion.com

Yuhui Cao ycao@ccclarion.com

Clarion advisers:

Patrick Schmiedt

Stacy K. Long

Nov. 21.

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.

Owls prepare for championship game

After a strange ending to the Citrus Owls’ improbable football season, they head to Mt. San Jacinto to play in the SCFA American Division Championship.

Citrus comes into this game after clinching its first division title since 2006 and now look to come out this season undefeated for the first time in school history. However, the Owls have to face their toughest opponent yet.

Mt. San Jacinto comes into this game 9-1 but hasn’t lost a game since week 1 when it played the No. 1-ranked Riverside City College. The Eagles look to defend their championship after a 17-6 win against Antelope Valley last season. Kickoff is at noon Nov. 26 at Mt. San Jacinto College.

Clarion Promise

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

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

ROBERT DAVIS - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Theatre major Lorenzo Desiderio-Giambicolo studies at the Owl Cafe on

MARK SNOW - STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Owls defense comes together to make the tackle in their 29-26 victory against Chaffey on Sept. 3.

Haugh gets new heart

Haugh operations supervisor shares heart transplant story

BY HEILY GARCIA STAFF REPORTER HGARCIA @ CCCLARION.COM

Last summer, Supervisor of Operations and Promotions Gene Barrera went to the emergency room not expecting it to be the first day of a four-month hospital stay.

In an email, Barrera said the hospital visit was initially to treat an edema, and was expecting to receive some pills. He sent out many group texts to keep family and friends updated, and eventually decided to start a blog in August 2021.

While the blog was public, Barrera said he didn’t think anyone outside his friends and family would care.

“As people were hearing about my situation, my friends and family started asking if it was OK to share the blog with others so that they could keep tabs on what was going on,” Barrera said via email. “That extended to friends of friends and onward.”

“Because

that I had with everyone was through text and email. It all was so important to me.”

Supervisor Team President Kristen Campbell said she followed his blog daily and kept in touch throughout the experience.

Gene Barrera Haugh supervisor of operations and

felt it was also important to let his friends and family in on his emotional state.

“Of course, this made the blog a bit messier, but I thought that was worth it,” he wrote.

Barrera also said he hopes his blog can help someone else who is going through the same experience.

“I kept the Citrus College community up to date with his recovery, with his permission,” Campbell said in an email.

The last blog entry was in February. Barrera said that since the weekly procedures turned into monthly procedures, he had less to update on.

“Recovery has been so overwhelmingly positive,” Barrera wrote.

PHOTO COURTESTY OF GENE BARRERA’S BLOG

At first the blog entries remained as updates, then slowly evolved into a journal to share his feelings on the experience. While this aided as a way for Barrera to vent through his emotions, he

Throughout the experience, Barrera said a lot of fear was present. Many of the conversations he had to have with the hospital staff were things he never expected to hear. When looking back, however, he mostly thinks about the support.

“I really remember the support I had from everyone I know,” Barrera wrote “Because of COVID, a vast majority of contact

The heart transplant took place Nov. 22, 2021 and Barrera was discharged early December. The one-year procedure will be this December, and Barerra said he might make one final update.

“It has been wonderful having him back working, though still from home. It is fantastic to see his face even on a zoom box. We can’t wait to have him back here in person very soon,” Campbell wrote.

To hear more about Gene Barrera’s story, read his blog https://msha.ke/jjbarrera.

Owls football plays with Japanese player

Japanese athlete plays with Citrus Owls as kicker, and he’s doing great, according to his fellow athletes

BY ASHTON NIEVES STAFF REPORTER ANIEVES @ CCCLARION.COM

The Owl football team has an international player on its roster this season.

He is from Japan and his name is Kosuke Kayahara.

Kayahara has played a crucial role in playing with the Owls as a kicker.

He said it’s always been “my dream. My goal is to play football in Division I.”

Kayahara said he has enjoyed his time on the field, saying that he “has fun doing it,” Kayahara said.

Citrus College head football Coach Brandon Hayashi said “it’s been a fun experience playing with Kosuke. It brings back memories from 2014 when another international player from Japan played with the team.”

“There aren’t really any key differences in how he plays, versus how an American football player does.”

Hayashi said “many American sports such as football are getting popular in Japan. Kosuke started off playing soccer, which soon led him to playing football”

He said it would “be awesome if more international players came here to play football at Citrus.”

Hayashi and Kayahara use the app iTranslate, which they both use to communicate with each other. Hayashi said he and a friend of his “go on a three way call to further communicate with Kosuke if needed for something important.”

Rayaan Shaw, an offensive lineman with the Owl football team, said playing with Kayahara is a “really fun experience. Everyone on the team would hype him up and cheer him on. After Kosuke joined the team, we were able to show him some of the things we knew, ensuring he’d have a good time and we’d get the work on the field done.”

Shaw said Kayahara has become an “important part of the team and he keeps our morale up.”

Shaw said “They definitely should consider playing. It would be a cool experience for them and everyone around them. It’s another environment for them to excel in and to test the waters.”

Nathan Kneubhler, a defensive tackle player with the Owl

football team, said playing with Kayahara was “very interesting. He has adapted very easily and he does all the breaks and calls out. Whenever we play, he’s always hyped up and playing with him is a lot of fun.”

Kneubhler said Kayahara is a “team player and gets everything

that the team is doing. He has adapted fast to the environment of how the team plays.”

Kneubhler said he thinks it would be amazing if other international players played American sports.

“Yes, of course, I feel like if anybody wants to play a sport as

OWL SPORTS CALENDAR

FOOTBALL

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Americanized as football, which is played in very few countries aside from the U.S., they should come and play whatever theyw want.”

For Kayahara’s stats, his total points made for the games he’s played this season is 13 out of 13, reaching him at 100%. These stats

MEN’S BASKETBALL