Access Magazine | Fall 2020

issue no. 3

Fall 2020

persevering through change

ccess A magazine

About

Access Magazine is a student-run publication at San Jose State University.

It is conceptualized, edited, designed, published and distributed by students at the end of the semester. Our goal is to write stories for our students and our community on topics that are important, informative, educational, and entertaining. Our team comprises creative thinkers and passionate writers who every semester strive to produce an unforgettable issue.

Access Team & Contributors

C Onnect Twitter Instagram Email

Sierra Williams

Managing Editor

Jessica Ballardo

Executive Design Producer

Katie Hoedt

Copy Editor

Kat Deus Veloso

Social Media Director

Wendy Liang

Social Media Team

Erin Salud Julian Lee Seemren Patel

Photography Director

Noah Aleaf

Photographers

Kuni So Souen Adriana Gonzalez-Sebastian

Headline Writers

Alejandra Vaca-Sotelo

Writers

Kah Mun Chia Candace Farmer Joel Ceja Mendoza Jennifer Hernandez Derrick Ow Nick Romeo Brian So

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@accessmagazinesjsu accessmagazine@gmail.com

Special Thanks

Editor-In-Chief

Advisor

@Accesssjsu

Joe Stiglich, Dona Nichols, Phylis West Johnson, SJSU, Todd and the team at Casey Printing, our families, friends, and readers who have been exceedingly patient and supportive as we navigate through a unique period in time.

Jia Qi Liu

Joe Stiglich

December 4, 2020

On the Cover: Photography by Ernie Gonzalez Student-athlete Sydney Bentley kneels at the black lives matter solidarity walk on sept. 1.

Editors note

Dearest Readers,

Welcome to the Fall issue of Access Magazine 2020. When you hear someone say 2020, what comes to your mind? I’m sure we all have different experiences this year whether it is due to jobs, schooling, family, and the change of everyday life.

This semester, the staff and I of Access Magazine wanted to take you out of that reality and into the stories of other people’s lives, and show you that good can come from change too.

Of course nobody was planning or was ready for change of this magnitude, but we are all made to adapt, and with tough change comes resilience. That is what the writers and staff of this semester’s magazine had to do, adapt. Not being able to see one’s face in person, or have human interaction really changed the progress of this semester’s magazine, but we were all able to push through and create a magazine full of positive outcomes that came from this tough situation.

Becoming an editor in these current times was something I was scared to take on but so happy I did because it taught me alot.

It taught me to be diligent, organized, and more professional. I really felt support from all the staff, and especially Joe Stiglich for believing in me.

I hope as you read these stories you might find motivation to pick up a new hobby,

take time for your mental health, text that friend you haven’t heard from in a while, and in all, stay safe. Even though times are difficult, there is hope for a time where life will return back to normal and we can have basic human interactions again.

As an editor, student, and reader, I am so pleased with the way these stories came together. We are all on different journeys in life, but somehow all on this specific journey together.

Thank you once again for all the hard work that was put into this magazine, and to Joe who helped me with the position that I was in.

Stay safe and hang in there,

Editor-In-Chief

December 4, 2020

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Contents

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change 6 Social amid pandemic

A photo essay by Ernie Gonzalez and Story by Derrick Ow on the 2020 San Jose student-athlete Black Lives Matter March

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A New Model of Education

Students go to great lengths for their further education | pg 12

Beloved Furry Companions

Adopted pets provide company to ease the stress of isolation | pg 16

Facing the Pandemic From Across the World

A personal story from Staff Writer studying in Malaysia | pg 18

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st d e i s n I Students take Solace in the Twitch Community SJSU students connect virtually through the streaming app Twitch | pg 22

Vegan Vibes

SJSU Student Serena Simoes transforms her diet to expand her palate | pg 36

Couple Gives Back to Homeless Amid Pandemic

An eye opening experience provides a positive impact on the homeless community | pg 24

Hockey Season on Thin Ice

Pandemic forces adjustments on a once lively environment | pg 28

Lifting Expectations

College roommates build a home gym in the wake of lockdowns | pg 32

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STUDENT-ATH SEEK CHANGE AMID PANDEMIC Story by Derrick Ow Photography by Ernie Gonzalez 6 access Magazine

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access Magazine Persevering through tudent athletes nationwide have had their athletic careers frozen.

Frozen, because of the ruthless COVID-19 pandemic. They should be playing with their teammates and eventually graduating with their degree. Instead, they are attending Zoom meetings with the majority of them not knowing when they will play their next game.

San Jose State student athletes have been active in their community and they want their voices to be heard in the fight against social injustice.

The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor woke up the world. Spartan student athletes were following in the hallowed footsteps of Dr. John Carlos and Tommie Smith.

Three Spartan athletes have made sure their voices are heard. San Jose State women’s soccer players Natasha Harris, Darrian Reed and men’s basketball player Caleb Simmons have become leaders in the fight against racial injustice.

Each of them individually have used their social media accounts to promote change. However, there was no formal organization for the three to run.

Two UC Santa Barbara women’s soccer players, Evann Smith and Hannah Wendelken, kickstarted the idea.

They wanted to do a fundraising event in the wake of George Floyd. They knew their platforms could inspire their fellow student athletes and decided to ask if Harris would get involved. She loved the idea but realized it needed more promotional work.

“I typed out a big caption for the event and explained what it is,” Harris said. “I posted it on my personal social media and it blew up with tons of people saving the post.”

They created an Instagram account to track who was participating in the fundraiser. Harris wanted Reed to join in this new endeavour.

Reed graduated last semester with a Business and Marketing degree. This opportunity was right up her alley.

“I helped get the word out about the event and got people to participate,” Reed said. “Natasha organized the event and contacted other colleges and teams.”

Reed and Harris used their experiences to help shape this event. Both have encountered racial microaggressions growing up.

Reed remembered this encounter when she played at San Jose State. Her team was playing in Wyoming when they stopped at a shopping mall.

“An eldery white woman at the mall was assuming that I was stealing something,” Reed said. “She told me to be 8 access Magazine

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change careful out there and it was not genuine at all.”

Harris is known for her speed on the soccer field. However, people associated that God-given speed because of her ethnicity.

“I have definitely heard comments that I am fast because I am black,” Harris said. “I have gotten little comments that people do not realize it’s not okay.”

The organization needed a strong male voice to contribute to this new student-led organization. That is where Caleb Simmons was the last piece to the puzzle. Harris did reach out to Simmons to join the organization and he joined in a heartbeat.

He has been dealing with racial inequality throughout his life growing up in Phoenix. His high school was involved in a national controversy when a group of white girls wore white t-shirts that spelled out the N-word for their senior class photo.

Simmons and his high school teammates were involved in a segment for ESPN’s Outside The Lines show on how his team handled the controversy.

He would still hear racial slurs and microaggressions when walking to class. Simmons felt pain on the inside.

“It was a tough time man,” Simmons said. “I had to check a lot of people and let them know that you cannot just say anything you want to me.”

Simmons would have a horrifying experience that would change his life.

In his freshman year, Simmons was walking to a restaurant across the street from campus when he was pulled over by a University Police Department officer. The officer searched through his belongings and put Simmons in handcuffs.

Simmons was wearing his SJSU athletic apparel when he was confronted by the University Police Department. He knew one of the officers that was with the cop who pulled him over. The experience was traumatic for him but he uses the story to bring awareness to racial injustice.

“I choose to share the story now because being transparent and talking about these sensitive situations allows people to grow,” Simmons said.

Now that all three Spartan student athletes were on board, it was time for their inaugural fundraiser. They knew they were about to change the world.

That is how Athletes4CHNGES was born. The CHNGES stands for Community, Humanity, News, Gender and Equality.

Their first fundraiser was a tribute to George Floyd. Student athletes from across the country either walked, ran or swam 8.46 miles to raise money for the Black Lives Matter

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Movement.

Their initial goal was to raise $1,000. That mark was blown out of the water as they raised $79,000.

“I am shocked because that is so much money,” Harris said. “I loved how easy it seemed for people to care and want to get involved.”

Both Reed and Harris were overwhelmed by the participation of other student athletes in the fundraiser.

“I get goosebumps thinking about this again,” Reed said. “I know there were definitely more than 500 athletes between SJSU and other colleges that participated.”

The group is still in the process of planning their second fundraising event. Simmons knows that this organization will be here for life.

“I am so glad that I have the opportunity to work with some powerful women,” Simmons said. “I am going to be active in this until I am not here anymore.”

Reed and Harris call Simmons their big brother. He often gets told by his fellow student athletes that he could have a career as a pastor or motivational speaker.

Harris has been grateful for their growing friendship.

“He has been a big brother through all of this,” Harris said. “It’s body holding to have someone on our side and fully 100 percent support us.”

The dynamic soccer duo will not be playing together this season. Reed graduated this past semester and Harris

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will be playing in her senior season.

Both have shared memories of a lifetime on and off the field. However, Reed knows that they will continue to make memories after she graduates.

“She is going to be one of my closest friends until we grow old,” Reed said. “She is that little crazy you need in your life.”

Harris will miss playing alongside her buddy. She will miss hearing her jokes and their conversations together.

“Darrian is so hilarious,” Harris said. “She is very creative and says the funniest jokes but I am going to miss having my buddy.”

Reed is still doing graphic design on the side and continues to help with their social media. However, she did offer advice for athletic departments on listening to their student athletes.

“The main thing is seeing student athletes as the person first,” Reed said. “It allows for them to take student athletes seriously and see the impact they have.”

Athletes4CHNGES is here to stay. Tommie Smith and John Carlos paved the way for student athletes to become activists.

This generation of Spartan student athletes is taking the torch and creating their own lane. Changing the world for generations to come.

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A new

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Photo courtesy of Sam Saffold

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education Story by Kat Deus Veloso

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he gallery view during weekly Zoom lectures is an interesting sight to see.

Gone are the standard desks of traditional classrooms and lecture halls, with just enough room for a single notebook or laptop, and no accommodation for left-handed students.

Instead, we’re beholden to plain black boxes with student names across the middle, or courses with professors that require cameras to be turned on during class, the sight of students in their yards, cars or even their beds.

COVID-19 has changed the world.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) isn’t a norm for just healthcare workers anymore, it’s the standard—the law—for anyone leaving the quarantine bubble of their own

home. Large gatherings are no longer acceptable, they’re a health hazard that many find inappropriate and unsafe to have during a pandemic that has taken hundreds of thousands of lives.

Access to technology and internet connection from home isn’t an optional commodity anymore, it’s a necessity to be successful during these times.

Online classes aren’t alternatives for students who can’t make the commutes to campus or need flexible schedules for other time commitments, they’ve become the safest, and in San Jose State University’s case, the only option for students to continue with their education.

This method of learning isn’t working for everyone though. Students are struggling to

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adjust to this new form of schooling, but they’re left with no other choice.

In an interview regarding how students are adapting to “Zoom University,” as it has been coined on social media, Professor Robert Rucker, former School of Journalism and Mass Communications Director at SJSU and CNN correspondent, spoke about how the university is facing a set of unusual circumstances that never could have been anticipated.

“I’m deeply concerned for students who have to go such desperate lengths,” Rucker said.

The mass communications professor cited multiple students who regularly attend his Zoom lectures from overseas. As international students or students facing unusual circumstances that prompt them to be thousands of miles away, they are held to the same expectations and course load responsibilities as their peers, regardless of inconvenient time zones or accessibility.

While Rucker has made accommodations for students in such circumstances, like allowing them to watch recordings of newscasts that he assigns to his classes to give them a chance of a normal sleeping cycle, that isn’t always the case.

Third-year chemical engineering student Choy Kit See is currently living in China and has to be up by 4:30 a.m. to attend “afternoon” Zoom lectures, which often go on until 12 p.m.

“I’ve adjusted to it by basically switching my sleeping schedule,” See said. “I try to get as much sleep during the day and attend classes at night.”

A University of Colorado Boulder research article, published in 2018, is among the studies to discuss the harmful effects of a nocturnal schedule. In fact, it places those who’ve adapted to a day-time sleeping routine at a greater risk for health problems like diabetes, heart disease, reproductive issues and more.

But this schedule to accommodate online schooling is damaging more than just students’ physical health.

“It’s definitely a challenge mentally,” See said.

“Having to wake up every night at such odd hours makes me feel like I’m stuck in my room the entire day because when I’m not sleeping during the day, I work on assignments. I rarely have time to go out.”

Professor Rucker makes an effort to check in with all his students periodically. Rucker’s courses

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are designed to facilitate discussion, and he noted that one great thing to have come out of the switch to Zoom lectures and online learning is that students seem much more open to participating during class when in the comfort of their own home. This, as well as being able to see his students all at once through Zoom’s gallery view, as opposed to having to walk around his classroom to ensure they are engaged, is a plus.

Professors requiring Zoom cameras to be enabled to ensure student engagement and participation comes with its own set of issues. Financial concerns and moving off-campus and back home to their families have been large factors in students’ ability to meet professors’ expectations.

When students were first introduced to Zoom lectures and put under strict county-enforced lockdown orders back in March, unemployment rates soared, and for some students who work to pay for their tuition, their futures were put to question.

Kyla Prince, a second-year student double majoring in child adolescent development and Spanish, often works 40-plus hour weeks with one earphone in to listen and be “present” for some of her Zoom classes.

“I need the money, so I don’t want to say no to the shifts, but I also need to pass my classes, so I multi-task,” Prince said. “It’s difficult sometimes, but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”

Prince does her best to actively listen to her professors’ lectures and sneak away to participate in discussions when necessary, but she is unable to have her camera on while working her shifts. She fears that this will affect her participation grade in some classes.

Students are one of the most economically burdened groups in modern-day society. Between rising tuition prices and the student debt crisis, they should not be put into the position of deciding whether they should work to pay their rent and groceries or if they should attend their classes—which they also need to pay for—in hopes of a better future.

Having to attend Zoom lectures at work isn’t the only reason students are opting to turn their cameras off on Zoom and perpetually leave themselves on mute. Requiring students to complete their education

persevering through change from home involves the assumption that their home lives are equipped—that they have the necessary technology or space to do so. While some may have no problem fulfilling this assumption, that’s not the case for all.

Third-year psychology major Laura Schelewitz has gone the extra mile of driving herself over to a nearby friend’s house prior to all her Zoom classes because even after constant reminders and sticky notes with

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I need the money so i don’t want to say no to the shifts, but I also need to pass my classes, so i multitask.

kyla prince

second year child adolescent development and spanish double major her class schedule left all over her house, her family often interrupts lecture discussions or distracts her from online applications and assignments.

“I need peace, quiet and a place to concentrate,” Schelewitz said. “I love being able to attend class while laying in bed, but sometimes my household just doesn’t allow me to do so.”

Not all students have the option of having a friend offer up a study space for them, and some are forced to sit in their cars and piggyback off of establishments’ free WiFi connections. Broadband internet connection, especially high-speed with the capability of handling the bandwidth of applications like Zoom and lock-down browsers, is an often expensive accommodation that all students may not have equal access to.

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It’s not a cheap or prioritized utility in many households, which is why so many students utilize the technological services offered to them while they’re on campus. However, with students back home with their families, or paying their own utilities with no access to campus facilities, they’re expected to have their own resources.

Professors that don’t require students to have their cameras on during Zoom lectures face another problem. Students are easily distracted or checked out of their classes, despite being marked “present” for class. When cameras are off and microphones are muted, it’s hard to tell which students are actively listening and taking notes on the subject, and which are laying in bed, scrolling through their social media accounts.

Zoom fatigue is a real problem in today’s society, and considering other current events like the increased use of social media and technology, the upcoming 2020 election and the recent wildfires, students are frustrated with how the year has turned out.

When asked the most “extra” thing she’s ever done to participate in an “in-class” assignment administered over Zoom, junior public relations major Samantha Saffold described a time she sat in her car, parked in a McDonald’s parking lot and presented an entire project to her class live on Zoom.

“My WiFi at home was down during the peak of quarantine procedures last spring, and I had nowhere else to go,” Safford explained. “My brother and I connected to McDonald’s free WiFi and attended all our classes for the day from the inside of my car.

We took turns muting and unmuting ourselves when necessary to avoid disrupting each other, and I just had to do my assignments in a public parking lot.”

“Zoom University” is a new way of learning that students have been struggling with for months now, and it doesn’t seem to be going away soon. This new platform assumes that all students are in situations that can handle this change and equally have the resources to succeed.

If things are to continue the way they are going, there needs to be a discussion of more accommodations, more educational options available, and better understanding of the diversity of student circumstances to ensure that all students have an equal and feasible chance to get the education they are paying for.

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belovedCompanions furry

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Story by Jennifer Hernandez

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OVID-19 has been a time of great stress; people being confined to their homes, fear of risking one’s health just by taking a step outside their front door.

When the quarantine began, animal shelters started to sell out. Petfinder.com, a popular website for finding adoptable pets, showed a 116% jump in adoptions in late March. As people were spending more time alone and at home, pet adoptions sky rocketed -- whether it was to have a new hobby, or to have something to wake up for every morning.

Emotional support animals exist for a reason. It has been scientifically proven that pets can provide you with emotional support through times of stress and anxiety.

While being forced to stay in your home, there’s nothing better than spending time with your pet.

“I can’t imagine living without a pet …” SJSU stu-

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dent Sierra Barnwell said. “I have always had something.

It makes me happier to have another life to care about.”

Her dog is the companionship she needs while she is alone at home. When times get lonely, Barnwell knows she has her best friend by her side.

Ella, a chihuahua with big perky ears who always has her tongue sticking out, knows how to make her laugh.

Barnwell reminisced over fun moments she’s shared with Ella.

“She is just funny, pretty much everyday I spend with her is special,” said Barnwell. “She sleeps all day then gets excited at night time and does her spinys.”

“Spinys,” often referred to as “zoomies,” are when an excited dog sprints in circles or spins around. It is one of those things that can put a smile on anyone’s face.

“I actually enjoy it, I like to be alone,” said Barnwell.

“All I need is my dog.”

A pet is something that is always at home, leaving more opportunity to spend time with them. Especially in times like these, when you’re confined to being inside all day.

“If I had one word to describe the quarantine, it would be stress,” said Daniel Hernandez, a San Jose resident and father of a family of four.

The Hernandez family has two small dogs -- Tito, a shy Yorkie Chihuahua and Lola, a Maltese with an attitude and an underbite.

Daniel and his wife, Heather, work from home. Their two children -- Lorenzo, 4, and Lily, 1 -- get to join them during their busy days. For some people, their pets may not always be helpful for stress, but rather add to it.

“As far as support they’re good…it’s like the dogs know I am stressed and they come and lay with me. They don’t want to leave my side,” said Heather Hernandez.

While pets keep their owners company, they can also be a hassle for the two working parents.

“They have contributed to the stress. They’re great dogs and we love them but they definitely make it more

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stressful,” said Daniel. “It’s part of our crazy household.”

Tito and Lola may love to bark at inconvenient times, but they are a part of the family. The Hernandez’s love being with their pets.

“If we weren’t working all of the time [at home], things would definitely be different,” said Daniel.

Having just one or multiple pets can light up one’s day.

SJSU student Stephanie Mello has not had the easiest quarantine experience. She has her hands full with classes and three pets. Mello is awoken every morning at 8 a.m. by Louie, Remo, and Minnie.

Louie, a chubby and short yorkie barks at her bed every morning, while Remo the long grey cat meows at the door.

“They got me outside and into a routine I can appreciate. They’re why I can get out of bed and do things,” said Mello.

Minnie is a 15-year-old registered anxiety service dog. She is a small chihuahua greyhound that has been with Stephanie since she was 8 years old.

During quarantine, Mello developed depression and major anxiety. After starting therapy and medication, she is learning how to live with it everyday.

“They gave me structure when I had no motivation to find structure,” said Mello.

Her pets are like her children and she loves to spend time with them everyday. They give her a reason to get up every morning.

While most people have cats and dogs, Justin Mensch, an SJSU alum, spent quarantine with his big bearded dragon.

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“My 11-year-old bearded dragon Reggie is incredibly mellow and easy-going. He serves not only as a faithful pet, but also as a true friend at home,” said Mensch.

During the quarantine he has stayed focused on his now at-home career. He gets very busy with work, but with the remote position he gets more time to be around Reggie.

“Having a pet at home is a good way to take a break and disconnect from the so-called ‘grind,’” said Mensch.

The two of them shared fun new experiences during the quarantine, like taking Reggie’s first trip outside to enjoy the summer heat. There’s more time in the days for baths and feedings.

“I am making the best of things and trying to remain optimistic, because I know these circumstances will not last forever.”

For many, these animals are more than just pets, but family. Being together keeps them sane. They always have someone there who loves them and can’t wait to spend time with them. Pets are noticeably happier and healthier being with their owners. Before the quarantine, some people would spend eight or more hours outside of the house for work or other activities, leaving their pets alone for hours. Now they are forced to be there with them and many pets couldn’t be happier to spend more time with their owners.

This quarantine, although stressful and confusing, brings a sense of support for both the pet and the owner.

Spending more time together is an emotional support for both.

Pets are family.

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FROM ACROSS Story by Kah Mun Chia Photography by Kah Mun Chia

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THE WORLD

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oing through life while in a pandemic feels like a never-ending fever dream, a combination of reality and our imagination.

For a while, it felt like the world stood still.

We were told to only leave our homes for essential services, like getting groceries. Within the walls of our homes, we busied ourselves with work and anything we could do to occupy ourselves.

Facing the same scenery of our homes all day for months, no matter how comfortable and lovely it is, had us feeling like we lived in our own bubbles, separate from the rest of the world.

It might not seem so bad to be in the comforts of our own home for a long time, but not everyone is in the position to enjoy that.

In March, San Jose State University announced that classes would move to online instruction and they remained online throughout fall semester. Even with the university trying to support students as best as it can, there is no control over the environments that may make school from home hard for us.

With spotty WiFi, distractions and stress in abundance, it has undoubtedly been hard for students during this pandemic.

Coping with that stress from across the world has not been easy.

At the end of June, my family and I decided it would be best if I came home to Malaysia. My lease was ending in July, my roommates had all gone back home, and we were worried about the rise of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Back home, strict policies were implemented to contain the increase of cases with much success. Similar to the shelter-in-place orders that California counties put out, Malaysia had implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO), enforced by the police and military. People could only leave their homes for essential services like grocery shopping.

In May, MCO was moved into a recovery phase and people could go out and about so long as they safely adhered to the Standard Operating Procedures that the health ministry put out: Mandatory temperature checks outside any establishment, and mandatory face masks with the 6-feet-away rule.

And so, feeling like I would be safer and missing my family, I packed up my life in the U.S., which now sits in storage in San Jose, and moved back to Malaysia.

I got a taste of dealing with classes online from across

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the world during summer. Usually a class at 10:30 a.m. would not be hard to cope with, but with a 15-hour time difference, the class was at 1:30 a.m. for me.

Being no stranger to staying up late, it seemed easy to cope with at the time, but that was just one class.

Fast forward to fall semester, my class schedule now includes classes late at night or early in the morning, a nightmare for someone who prefers to sleeps late.

Not to worry though, I follow a system of naps to keep up during the weekdays.

I stay up late completing work and class, and go to sleep around 2 a.m., waking up early for my “morning” classes.

Then, I take a nap, for at least two hours, help with chores around the house, and repeat.

When it comes to participating in class, it is hard. Early-morning classes coupled with late night ones results in low energy. It’s hard to ask questions or process information, especially in heavy lecture classes. I’ve definitely found my head going blank sometimes and needing more time than usual to process questions instructors ask me, especially at 6 a.m.

Coordinating time for group projects or activities is already difficult when members are in the same time zone.

Doing it from across the world is even more work.

It’s hard to grasp a time that I could get fruitful replies consistently. Setting a time for a Zoom call to work together can be even more of a challenge, only manageable with cooperative group members, which I have been lucky enough to have.

What I have not been able to adjust to is the feeling of detachment from campus life.

The cause of that is really that the campus experience and environment isn’t available in the current situation, and there’s fewer opportunities to connect with classmates or people on campus.

Before, I would be able to go to events on campus with friends and spend time with them. Events like movie nights in the Student Union let us bond and enjoy each other’s company. It was fun to participate in school events and create memories together.

Now, that experience is limited to seeing each other on screen, and even that is hard to schedule with time differences. Intermittent video calls and “checking in” texts can’t really replace what used to be daily hangouts and the occasional night outs we had with each other.

One of my classes this semester is about working with

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exciting forms of media like augmented reality, virtual reality and 360-degree videos. The final project involves borrowing a 360-degree camera from the department and filming footage with it, editing it and making a 360 video of our own.

This is where the feeling of detachment from campus was most obvious to me, and a little overwhelming too. Since I am not in the U.S., access to equipment like that isn’t readily available so I have to make do with footage from previous students.

I am not alone in this experience, of course, but it’s hard to feel otherwise when my bedroom has become my classroom and I’m the only one present.

With the spring semester coming up soon and the pandemic progressing at an alarming rate, it is uncertain if I will be returning to San Jose in January. However, with SJSU still maintaining the current mode of instruction for next semester, it has me wondering if it is worth the stress and money of staying in the U.S. Bay Area rent coupled with the tuition of a semester that will be mostly online really adds up to quite an amount. Travelling right now is quite risky and I would miss home a lot.

So then, why do I feel the want to go back?

Well, the upcoming spring semester is my last semester and I want to be back in San Jose to graduate. And if I want to find a job in the U.S. after I graduate, I have to apply for a visa extension, which among other things requires that I am in the country during the application process.

At the end of the day, we are all still in a pandemic, where the next day or week could be a very different situation and affect our plans. For now, I can only plan as I go, and so far it’s looking like it won’t be a problem to travel back in the spring. Let’s hope this doesn’t jinx it.

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Story by Brian So

ith limitations on when someone can go outside to hang out with friends, many people have jumped into the Twitch world to find the community of playing games together and enjoying someone’s company.

Living in isolation is a tough pill to swallow.

Since March, when the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, everyone was ordered to shelter-in-place and to quarantine themselves.

With the sudden shift from being able to go places and hang out with friends in restaurants, movie theaters and other social places, people started to feel lonely and anxious.

A lot of people have attempted to combat the feeling of loneliness and anxiousness by doing things like reading, streaming Netflix and learning new skills.

But these activities don’t have the aspect of conversing with people. A person can only handle so much before one starts missing talking, laughing and having fun with other people.

“When the shelter-in-place went down, I was actually quite fine with it,” said Aaron Smith, a senior Computer Science major. “But as I tried to fill time with games, I started to miss the talking.”

With someone who is more about intentional A one-on-one relationships, even for a guy like Aaron, the stay-at-home order had become too much to bear.

Twitch has been a vital part of a lot of people’s lives during this whole situation. With the option to talk, play music, games, or just hang out,

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people have been flocking to Twitch to fill in the void of being at home all day.

Twitch is an online social platform that allows people to stream various things like them playing a game, making art, talking, singing, or doing other things. It also allows people to come and watch them do their own thing, and chat to the person while they’re streaming.

“I’ve actually made a couple good friends on Twitch,” said Smith. “I’ve never met them irl (In real life), but I’ve been hanging out with them online when I get the chance.”

Smith has been playing video games for multiple years, but had not considered it a focal point of meeting new people and hanging out with them until after the pandemic started.

Video games are a pretty central point in his life and being able to meet people on Twitch to do what he loves makes the quarantine forgettable in his eyes.

“I love playing video games with friends usually,” said Smith. “But I would have never imagined myself playing video games while meeting people for the first time too.”

Smith continued by saying that he now finds fulfillment in Twitch because it fills in a void that was stripped from him when people were forced to shelterin-place.

Even though the pandemic and shelter-in-place stripped people of their ability to talk to people in real life, the internet has allowed people to meet online and to enjoy each other’s company while playing games.

And for a specific website like Twitch, it allows for

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one to meet people from other countries, which opens up opportunities to explore the world without having to travel in real life.

“Twitch can be a unique place to be at due to the nature of how it’s set up,” continued Smith. “It’s similar to Facebook, but you also get the live streaming of a game or art that can connect people across the world.”

Through my own experiences, I was able to meet people from the East Coast, the Netherlands, Croatia, New Zealand, Australia and Korea. All because people have been able to stream on Twitch.

“I play a lot of fps (first-person shooter) games and have met people who stream on Twitch who are from different countries,” said Josh Hnatek, a senior Computer Engineering major. “I ended up hanging out with them on Twitch a lot.”

Hnatek, being the casual gamer himself too, has invested into the Twitch community as well. Granted, it hasn’t been long due to the quarantine only being around 8 months, but he still finds solace in the community that allows for gamers to chill and talk.

Hnatek has mentioned that he likes the community within Twitch that allows him to play games with others and to interact with them.

This whole idea behind Twitch being a beacon of hope for people who long for a community during this shelter-in-place and quarantine is especially important for college students.

A huge aspect of college life is meeting people through classes, going to parties, hanging out on campus or outside of campus. But being that we are forced to go home and stay home, a vital part of what it

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means to be a college student was taken away from our lives.

There is something about the Twitch community and what it has to offer that makes it a unique opportunity for people to come together and meet up without having to actually meet up in real life.

“I’m a social person so I can have fun talking to people on the phone or through text,” said Hnatek. “But something about Twitch and playing games with them makes life during this pandemic more fun.”

Both Hnatek and Smith have admitted that they play a lot of Valorant, an fps game, where they can meet people and sometimes play with strangers who they eventually play with more than once.

Other sub-sections of Twitch like ‘Just Chatting’ have given people the opportunity to hang out virtually and to just talk with others in the chat which ultimately allows people to connect on a much deeper level than just watching someone play a game.

“I’m usually a very social person, so I can reach out to people regardless of the medium used like texting or calling,” said Hnatek. “But Twitch gives me the unique opportunity to not only reach out to people, but have people similar to me, an outgoing person, reach out to me while I’m playing games.”

Overall, this period of staying at home has made it very difficult for people to meet up and hang out with friends. But on top of that, we are stripped of the opportunity to meet new people, whether that was in class or through other means.

Twitch has given everyone a platform to meet up doing what they love doing and love talking about.

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couple gives back to homeless amid pandemic Story by Joel Ceja Mendoza

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he pandemic has hit many in different ways. Some people were impacted economically, socially and mentally. Others lacked the basic necessities of life.

The homeless population during these unprecedented times relied heavily on shelters to provide them with aid and a safe place.

Assistance was needed and a San Jose couple was there to help.

Brinda Saini, 22, graduated from California State University Long Beach with a degree in child development and worked at the Camden Community Center in San Jose over the summer of 2020. She has a passion for children and wants to create a positive change in a child’s life. This is what pushed her to take on this role.

Saini provided services to the children who were with their families and living at the shelter during the pandemic. The community center where Saini worked at provided a day camp where she was able to work as a headteacher for the children aged 5-17, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The children played games, did activities and sparked their creativity.

Saini took on the role as headteacher, where she created a curriculum that provided the children with fun outdoor and indoor games, and cooking activities.

Saini enjoyed this work because it was the first time she was able to run a classroom all by herself.

“I got to build a personal rapport with the

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children and the families, as well as with my coworkers who assisted me,” Saini said.

She also said she enjoyed that the children wanted to include her in the activities.

“It gave me a sense of purpose and meaning.”

Saini said she wanted to help those in her community who are less fortunate in an impactful and meaningful way.

Saini was first approached by her boss, who asked her if she would be interested in creating a camp for the children who were at the shelter. She immediately agreed to take on this experience because not only did the children not have a home, they couldn’t have a sense of normalcy with school activities in the upcoming school year due to the virus.

“It was difficult for me to deal with these factors that I have never dealt with before,” Saini said.

The children at the shelter were homeless and often from abusive homes.

She recalled a moment that she had to report an abusive alcoholic parent, and a mother who forgot to provide her kids with food.

This was a difficult task for Saini to tackle during the pandemic. The children would not keep their masks on and not listen when asked to put them back on. This was a major concern to her and a challenge to get the kids serious about the severity of the virus.

Saini would recommend this job to others if they were given the chance to do so. She said the children

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Photo courtesy of Jordan Ng

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Persevering through change

Photo courtesy of Deepak Dale

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persevering through change were amazing to her and were cooperative because she was willing to meet them halfway and be their support system through these hard times.

“This opportunity can help you discover yourself, in addition to helping others,” said Saini.

The experience changed her life in a major way both professionally and emotionally.

Before this, she never had the opportunity to implement a curriculum, nor had she worked with the homeless population interactively. Saini was someone that loved babysitting in high school and understood the patience and attention it took to take care of kids. This, coupled with wanting to create a positive impact, is what pushed her to pursue working with children.

Saini was a bit uncomfortable because this age range of kids was still new to her so she didn’t know what to expect. However, she quickly realized it was just as great and she immediately openly interacted with the kids and was a kind but stern figure for them.

Saini felt like she made a positive impact on the children’s lives while being there. She explained how they were hesitant to work with her in the beginning, but by the end, they were interacting with her and opening up to her about how they were feeling.

Something that stood out on her first day was that the kids at this shelter struggled to tell her what they wanted their future to look like.

“They joked about being homeless still or not having a job,” said Saini.

Toward the end of her journey at the shelter, the kids started to mention that they were looking forward to college. She would talk to them about her experiences while being in college and told them that it would be one of the greatest moments in their life.

Gurdeepak “Deepak” Dale, 23, graduated alongside Saini with a degree in child development as well. Dale worked at the Southside Community Center in San Jose as a helper for the shelter that was solely created for the pandemic over the summer.

Dale’s duties included being in charge of laundry, dining services and medication. He also helped with giving them the essential supplies such as toothpaste, shampoo, underwear, socks, etc. He

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explained how he would stay at certain stations in the center and make sure that people didn’t take too many supplies, so there was enough for everyone.

Dale said, “I enjoyed the fact that we were providing services for people who need it.”

Dale emphasized the importance of having this shelter for the homeless because if they were out in the streets during the hot weather and were exposed to COVID-19 it could possibly cause the rates of the cases to increase.

The Southside Community Center was a place for the homeless to stay safe together.

The reason Dale decided to tackle these tasks and work with the homeless, was to help out his community. He could easily have found an office job that would allow him to work from home, but he saw this as a great opportunity to get out of the house after many months of staying home and give back to a community that was struggling even more so now.

Dale suggests that this job would be recommended to anyone who is looking to be a support system to a community that is still trying to thrive. However, he does mention that getting infected with COVID-19 is still a risk and people who are at risk or are around others who could be, should think of other ways they can help.

“There is still a risk of getting coronavirus even though there are so many precautions,” said Dale.

This job changed Dale’s life because he was able to work with part of the population that he wasn’t accustomed to. He also said this job was rewarding as he got to see many people appreciate the work he was doing and for lending his time to uplift a community.

“I never thought I would be able to do this job, out of fear,” said Dale.

He hopes his work was able to make an impact on the people who were at the shelter and that they know that they matter just as much as anyone else.

He has learned so much more about a community he knew little to no information about, and he hopes that he made an impact in their lives just as much as they did on him.

Together both Deepak and Brinda have made a positive impact here in San Jose by helping the homeless community and they hope that more people will be inspired to create an effective change in this community as well.

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Photo courtesy of Keith T Photography

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hockey season on thin ice Story by Nick Romeo

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olar4America Ice in San Jose is normally a hub of controlled chaos.

Large crowds usually flood Solar 4 America’s four ice sheets starting at 6 a.m. with hockey players and parents, figure skaters and birthday parties.

The crowds change, but the people remain until closing time at around 2 a.m. the next morning.

After parents and children leave, the rink stays busy with other activities. These include adult recreational games, San Jose State games and Sharks fans cramming into the upstairs restaurant, Stanley’s, to watch the San Jose Sharks on one of the 20 or so TVs during hockey season.

Like the rest of the country, the rink came to a screeching halt back in March as businesses everywhere were forced to close as the pandemic invaded the nation. When the rink reopened in June, there of course was concern about everybody’s safety, but people were just happy to get to go to the rink again.

“We’re very fortunate in San Jose to have the facility that we have with it being one of the nicest and cleanest in the country,” said Mike Janda, who coaches San Jose State along with an 18 AAA team, the highest youth tier level competitive travel team. “Obviously, the foot traffic is a little concerning just because you don’t know who’s coming into the building, but the rink has done a good job of limiting the personnel in the building.”

To say the rink atmosphere doesn’t look like it used to would be an understatement. Stanley’s, the upstairs restaurant, has been closed since the rink had to shut down back in March, and only employees and those skating are allowed inside. There is also a screening process to go through before even entering the building.

Many familiar faces and regular customers that used to fill the rink are no longer around. Even parents who want to watch their kids play can’t do that anymore.

Even the few people who are around, their faces can’t be seen. Everyone in the building has a mask on, including the players and coaches while on the ice.

That’s not the only change to the on-ice experience however. Hockey practices used to look unique for each team and coach, but the restrictions have forced coaches to adapt to socially distanced hockey practices.

Shane Galaviz, a 16 AA coach, said: “We used to have 24-30 kids on the ice at once, or even some programs with as much as 100 participants. But with COVID-19, we have to limit those numbers to 24 with

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the groups split in half.”

The ice sheets are divided in half using foam pads to keep the two groups of players separated. This creates a unique set of challenges for the coaches to design their practices.

There was room for creativity in terms of how coaches could organize their practices, but the COVID-19 restrictions imposed by Santa Clara County have forced the rink to adapt. Before those restrictions were put in place, practices often used the full sheet of ice to run drills. Coaches had the freedom to run drills that would require players to skate from one end of the rink to the other through the course of the drill. This allowed players to realistically work on game-time scenarios where players need to know how to transition from playing offense to defense and vice versa. With the rinks split in half where players are not allowed to leave their section of the ice, coaches are forced to creatively integrate those scenarios into their practices.

As Janda put it, there were “unlimited possibilities” in terms of how to teach the kids and organize practices before COVID-19.

The coaches aren’t alone in having to adapt to the new on-ice regulations. The players have had to assimilate to these new practices that don’t seem to be going away any time soon.

Gage Brown, 18, who plays in the Jr. Sharks program, finds himself in a unique position at the rink as a coach and a player. Brown plays for Janda on the 18 AAA team, and he works at the rink as a staff hockey coach.

“As a coach, it’s difficult getting the kids to follow the rules,” Brown said. “Making sure they stay socially distanced and have their masks on. We have to make sure that they follow the rules to keep the rink as safe as possible.”

It’s always been a challenge to get kids to follow the rules, even before COVID-19, but now the stakes are higher. Keeping kids in line with the rules is not only harder than ever, it’s more important than ever.

The rink only gets to be open if everyone is on the same page, following all of the rules all the time.

Brown has that unique perspective of being on both sides of the fence. He has to work with youth players as a coach, while also following the rules himself as a player.

“I find it to be a lot harder as a player than as a coach. As a player, wearing the mask on the ice makes

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Photo by Nick Romeo it really difficult to breathe,” Brown said.

Like the coaches, the players are just happy to be back at the rink, even with its current limitations.

Hockey is better than no hockey.

“I think that we as players all understand that we need to do whatever it takes to keep the rink open because when it closed, we had nothing to do during quarantine,” Brown said. “I don’t think we’ll ever complain about the rink being open no matter what the rules are.”

Off-ice changes have been made as well. Locker rooms are no longer filled shoulder to shoulder with smelly, rambunctious hockey players. Only six players are allowed in each room, and there is tape on the floor marking where players can sit to remain socially distanced.

Bathroom doors are now propped open so people can walk into the bathrooms without having to touch the door. There are also signs located throughout the building reminding people of the COVID-19 protocols.

Hand sanitizing stations can be found in every area of the rink to encourage cleanliness.

Anyone that has ever been inside a locker room of any kind can vouch for the fact that locker rooms

tend to be dirty, sweaty bacteria factories. The rink has gone out of its way to make sure that their locker rooms stand out as being the opposite of that.

Even though the rink atmosphere is a shell of what it once was, everyone is holding out hope that the changes are temporary. Everyone is holding their breath waiting for the day that the temperature checks, social distance requirements, and the half-ice practices will end. People are optimistic that eventually things will go back to normal.

“Hopefully we can get back to full ice practices.

We’re one of the few states in the country that’s doing half-ice practices with masks on,” Janda said. “The next step will be to get the masks off and start competition again. We may have to wait until the new year (2021) when there is a vaccine, but I do think we’ll have competition this hockey season.”

In the meantime, the players and rink staff alike will continue to accept and operate under the county guidelines. Eventually things will go back to normal, but that process will be gradual. As long as everyone plays their part, the rink will go back to being that hub of controlled chaos that the community has sorely missed.

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Photos courtesy of Dustin Nguyen

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lifting

expectations Story by Candace Farmer

N

o one has been off limits in terms of adjusting to the pandemic. And for those who have always been extremely active, this includes adjustments to their workout routines. For SJSU junior justice studies major Dustin Nguyen, it meant finding the resources to build a home gym.

Prior to the pandemic, Nguyen was balancing a full load of college courses while also working as a server at a local restaurant.

While learning remotely and receiving unemployment, he’s been able to use the downtime to his advantage by focusing on his training.

Nguyen currently lives with eight other SJSU students, using their garage space for their home gym. He developed a gym from scratch, splitting the costs with his roommates so they would all have a

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nice space to work out.

“Making a home gym gave me the drive to work out as much as possible and kept me occupied during quarantine,” said Nguyen.

Nguyen purchased all of his home gym equipment from the second-hand website OfferUp, all within the San Jose area. This was important to him because he’s always been very active and wanted to replicate the same healthy routine despite the world’s ever-growing challenges.

“I bought a barbell, a power rack, a bench, plates for the barbell and I have dumbbells of varying weight,” said Nguyen.

Along with the heftier equipment he purchased, his home gym is also equipped with resistance bands and jump ropes to balance out other areas of training like cardio and flexibility.

He centers most of

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his training around powerlifting and compound movements. Nguyen follows different workout programs off of YouTube as guides. Eventually, he hopes to compete in powerlifting after he achieves a certain amount of strength and muscle gain.

“There’s less of a team aspect in powerlifting since it’s so personal, but I like it because it helps me learn about myself,” said Nguyen.

And that he has.

The beauty of powerlifting is the ability to selfmotivate, set goals and challenge yourself in each session. While he says working in a team makes it easier to keep pushing, powerlifting challenges him in a way that no other sport has.

“It’s about competing against yourself,” said Nguyen.

This challenge is something he wanted to continue throughout quarantine. Physical fitness is a positive aspect of his life that he didn’t want to give up because of the pandemic so he found a way to make the most of it.

Santa Clara County was one of the first Bay Area counties to follow a shelter-in-place order that went into effect March 17. This meant that only businesses deemed essential were allowed to be open if they complied with face mask guidelines, social distancing and increased sanitation procedures.

SJSU’s Spartan Recreation and Aquatic Center (SRAC) and other gyms throughout the country closed indefinitely. Like many other students, Ngyuen misses going to the SRAC. Not only is it a state-ofthe-art facility, it was also another space on campus where students could work out, socialize and study all in one.

“Hell yeah, I miss the SRAC,” said Nguyen.

The SRAC was a big part of Nguyen’s social routine. He attended religiously Sunday-Thursday each week, bouncing back between the SRAC and his other gym membership at 24 Hour Fitness.

“I’d often go with a group of friends to work out or play basketball,” said Nguyen.

Like many other frequent gym-goers, he found the gym to be a stress reliever where he could get his mind off school and work, and focus strictly on his next rep.

This is no surprise given the incredible amount of benefits of physical activity.

According to the Centers for Disease Control

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and Prevention (CDC), regular exercise can reduce the risk for depression and anxiety, aid better sleep, help weight maintenance, reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, strengthen muscles and bones, improve the ability to complete daily activities and increase life longevity.

This was part of Ngyuen’s motivation to make a home gym, as staying active has been essential to his life for many years.

Around his senior year of high school, he was introduced to weight lifting. He was already on his school’s basketball, and track and field teams, but weight lifting is what really hooked him into the gym and helped him maintain an active lifestyle in college.

However, even with his consistency throughout the past few years, the real change came from the downtime in quarantine.

“I’ve seen a lot of progress in my muscle growth development and I’ve gotten stronger,” said Ngyuen.

In fact, it’s the most he’s ever seen before in a sixmonth period of training.

He credits these gains to having a gym just a few steps away and online classes that give him flexibility in his schedule that he’s never had before. The progress has been motivating and a good distraction from the world’s events.

All of his roommates use the home gym and sometimes work out together but he prefers to weight train alone. If he’s lucky, he can work out by himself at least one to two times per week.

“My workouts are longer because I need adequate time between reps,” said Nguyen.

His workouts typically last anywhere between an hour-and-a-half to two hours. This allows him to focus on doing the movement correctly to get the most out of each rep while avoiding injury.

He focuses mostly on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, overhead presses and bench presses, strategically adding more weight as he reaches milestones.

“It’s so convenient. I literally just walk outside and I’m at the gym. One of the downsides of the SRAC is how busy it would get during certain hours of the day,” said Ngyuen. “One of the benefits is, I don’t have to wait in line for someone else to finish using the equipment or machines.”

Instead of sharing a gym with the entire SJSU campus and surrounding community, Nguyen can

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now take a peek outside or send a simple text in his roommate group chat to see when anyone else is using the gym.

On Oct. 13, SJSU President Mary Papazian announced in a campus-wide email that the SRAC would open back up all areas of the gym at a reduced 10% capacity. This change followed after the Santa Clara County public health department stated that the county moved from the red to orange tier of California’s coronavirus tier system.

Members now have access to the full gym including the weight room, three basketball courts, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool with strict time slots allowing workers to sanitize equipment in between groups.

But there’s a catch.

Thousands of anxious members now have to make a reservation to use the facility. The problem is the

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gym is in high demand, so members essentially have to beat out one another to use the facility several days ahead of time.

While it’s great that the SRAC is now functioning at some level, it’s clear it’s going to take a while for things to reach any level of normalcy in the fitness community.

Luckily for Ngyuen and his housemates, they don’t have to watch out for constant updates from Spartan recreation to get in their next workout.

“I love the home gym because we can workout whenever and not worry about COVID-19 like a normal commercial gym,” said Nguyen’s roommate Noah Panlilio.

Although the pandemic has proven to be one of the most challenging times for everyone across the world, college students such as Dustin have proven to be resilient and adjust to the times.

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Story by Candace Farmer

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ven though it’s 2020, there are still many misconceptions about being vegan. While to some it may seem like an impossible commitment, to others it doesn’t have to be so complicated. This is the philosophy of Serena Simoes, a senior communications major at SJSU. Simoes transitioned to a fully plant-based diet in July and has loved it ever since.

Her motivation came from the uneasiness of quarantine. Like many other college students, she was unable to have her regular routine of attending in-person classes and socializing with friends in her free time.

“I think it’s normal to feel a little down in quarantine,” said Simoes. “Not doing your makeup or leaving the house can get to you.”

Changing her diet was a great way for her to shake up the monotony of quarantine. She wanted to be more conscious of the food groups she incorporated into her diet and reduce her carbon footprint by eliminating meat and dairy.

“I’ve always wanted to be vegan,” said Simoes. “I’ve had vegan food in the past, been to vegan restaurants and I never hated it, I just never committed to it.”

Simoes took advantage of the increased free time during quarantine and started experimenting with different recipes after work. She got a lot of food inspiration and meal ideas from TikTok. Quarantine has affected everyone in many different ways. Simoes decided to fight the quarantine slump of staying indoors and social distancing by taking her creativity to the kitchen.

“I wanted to feel better about myself,” said Simoes.

With previous knowledge from research, Netflix documentaries on plant-based lifestyles and new TikTok inspiration, she decided to slowly transition into a vegan diet. She first did this by reducing her meat intake by swapping out chicken with plant-based proteins such as tofu or tempeh in her regular dishes.

One of her go-to recipes after a long day at work is stir fried tofu with veggies and rice because it’s ready in just a few minutes.

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But her specialty is vegan comfort food. Simoes has learned how to make her favorite dishes veganized. Mac n cheese, brownies and fried cauliflower help substitute for fried chicken, they’re some of her favorite dishes.

“People think veganism is all raw, like eating a leaf every day,” she said. “While of course it’s healthy I don’t think we should have to put limits on it.”

Like with anything else, veganism is a learning curve.

Simoes is in the grocery store more than ever before.

Eating plant-based means eating more foods with quicker expiration dates. She quickly switched to buying more frozen fruits and vegetables after some spoiled on her.

One of her biggest challenges with veganism is her cultural background. With a Portuguese father and Mexican mother, food has played a big role in her upbringing and has been the center of holidays and family bonding.

“Seafood is so essential in Portuguese cooking and my family gatherings, so realistically I don’t think I’ll be able to avoid it forever,” said Simoes.

However, she’s doing her best to plan ahead for the holidays by purchasing vegan cookbooks to create recipes to share with her family. While her parents were at first hesitant about the idea, once they started sampling her vegan meals they realized how good it could be.

“It really all comes down to seasoning. If you know how to properly season your food you’ll be good,” said Simoes.

For now, she’s committed to the vegan lifestyle and is reaping the benefits of being plant-based. The biggest improvement she’s seen is in her overall energy levels throughout the day.

For example, she wakes up naturally every day at 7 a.m. without the need or craving for coffee.

“I don’t crash throughout the day or deal with bloating from eating as I did in the past,” said Simoes.

For Simoes, she’s found a lot of positive amongst the negative in the pandemic. Experimenting with a new diet has been a challenging yet exciting journey in which she continues to learn more about herself and her body. .

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