SOME ARTS, ATHLETICS STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMPUS

More than a year after the Citrus College campus closed, some visual and performing arts and athletics students have returned for in-person activities.

This exciting development comes several months after the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health allowed for essential workforce sectors, including the college's nursing, dental and automotive technology programs, to resume in-person instruction last year.

The new phased return to campus has been spearheaded by the Citrus College COVID-19 Workgroup, which meets on a regular basis to discuss pandemic-related issues and review the college's reopening plan.

"I am excited that dozens of students have returned to campus for instruction and conditioning," said the college superintendent/president. "This would not have been possible without our faculty and staff, who have devoted much of their time and energy to working on a plan that allows students to return while prioritizing health and safety."

For visual and performing arts, approximately 50 students will now be on campus every week. Most courses will be held outdoors, but recording arts students will be indoors, with only one student allowed in each studio room. Given the difficulty of teaching performance classes remotely, the return to in-person instruction will give students a chance to learn in a hands-on environment with the resources they need.

For athletics, the spring sports of baseball, softball and swimming began their conditioning on April 19. Conditioning for fall sports, such as basketball, cross country, football, soccer, volleyball and water polo, will begin in mid-May. This conditioning will give coaches the ability to properly prepare student-athletes for the upcoming competitive seasons during the 2021-2022 academic year.

The visual and performing arts and athletics divisions praised the return as a way to prepare students and expose them to a support system that inspires them to be successful.

This article originally appeared in the May 2021 edition of the Citrus View.