The Script at Foothill College - Fall 2018 Edition

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The Script

Welcome to Foothill College Edition A look inside the campus and student life

Student News at Foothill Community College / Fall Quarter 2018

THE INVISIBLE HOMELESS

By Liza Mamedov and Devaki Dikshit In the affluent Los Altos Hills, a largely invisible crisis haunts Foothill College, where students experiencing homelessness move from one couch to another until they no longer have a home to stay in.

Honors student Kristian Curkovic, who was driven out of his home and forced to live in his car throughout the winter of 2017, was one of them.

“We drove off to [the] Foothill parking lot and slept there. I woke up shaking from the cold. I brushed my teeth sloppily and went to class that same morning,” recalled Curkovic.

For nearly 44 percent of community college students in Santa Clara County, the homelessness crisis is personal. Nearly half of Santa Clara County students surveyed in 2017 reported experiencing homelessness or knowing someone who was homeless

within in the past six months, according to the Bill Wilson Center, a nonprofit and shelter that focuses on community advocacy.

The perception that homelessness is a problem limited to drug addicts and and street corners does not represent the true crisis at hand, said Associated Students of Foothill College Senator Matt Bodo. After a tumultuous relationship with his father escalated into a violent fight, Bodo was told to leave and not come back. At the age of 19, he packed his essentials in his small, two-door car, and left.

“I ended up joining ASFC and stayed in the ASFC office often, sleeping in the meditation or club room,” Bodo said. He was homeless for a year in total.

People who stay in emergency shelters and transitional housing programs, or in unsheltered locations such as their vehicles, also account for the homeless population, according to the federal government’s 2016 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report.

Kristian Curkovic, a Foothill student, poses in front of the car he lived in during the winter of 2017.

Stuff, Starve, Spew by Jharna Sutaria, page 7

Crazy Rich Asians by Carina De Lorenzo, page 12

see Invisible Homeless on pg. 5

KATHY HONCHARUK

Queer Visibility by Rebekah Smith, page 15

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The Script

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Meet The Script Team The Script is Foothill College’s only student news source. We are committed to providing a platform for diverse student voices, shedding light on issues that affect students and the local community, and building conversation and culture on campus. Established after a 20 year lapse in journalism on campus, The Script is proud to publish in print and online. The newspaper is a unique and important platform for discovering, highlighting, and protecting student interests. In order to better understand them, we seek unique perspectives on student life, current events, local culture, and campus conflicts. We seek truth and report it. By increasing access to information, investigating to find truth, thinking critically, and writing locally, The Script serves as a key facet in the Foothill and Bay Area community.

Interested in joining our award winning paper? Add Journalism 22A/B for course credit or see foothillscript.com/join-the-team.

I

STAFF PHOTO

n the midst of a rushed, chaotic push to replace retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy with Brett Kavanaugh, one woman quieted the nation with a haunting testimony.

Liza Mamedov-Turchinsky Editor in Chief liza@foothillscript.com

Carina Thanh-Ngoc DeLorenzo Staff Writer carinadelorenzo@gmail.com

Jharna Sutaria Staff Writer jharnasutaria@gmail.com

Devaki Dikshit Managing Editor devakidikshit27@gmail.com

Alexis Takagi Contributing Writer alexist657@gmail.com

Brian Lewis Script Advisor

“I was pushed onto the bed, and Brett got on top of me. He began running his hands over my body and grinding into me.” Stanford University Researcher and Palo Alto University Professor Christine Blasey Ford delivered, in excruciating detail, her memory of the night Kavanaugh had allegedly assaulted her. Every possible recollection she had of the night was laid bare to the nation -from the music blaring through the room to her basal, frantic fear: “I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me.”

The next morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11-10 to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination.

This pattern is not surprising: men’s actions are often subject to far less scrutiny compared to women. Besides enjoying straightforward career advancement and higher wages, they tend to recover faster and more completely from their mistakes; evidenced by the career “comebacks” of men credibly accused of sexual assault after a short period of negative publicity. We continue to support, defend, and worship men who consistently disregard the values of basic decency. Throughout history, they have been granted periods of permissible misconduct -- short retreats embarked on to quietly “learn” from their mistakes before returning to their lifestyles. These vacations from the public eye are considered adequate reprimand, and even hailed as complete attonments for wrongdoing. Offenders are praised for approaching basic standards and return, in glory, as better people -- even if their mistakes produced grave, sometimes irreparable, consequences.

Women, on the other hand, are often disqualified from any opportunities to grow after a less than perfect performance. Small mistakes -- the wrong tone, a public blunder, or a minor lapse in judgement -- ruin careers for a lifetime. It is possible to recover from these incidents, but not without escape from a lifetime of continued criticism. Women begin their work from a far lower level of respect, and must fight to climb to the amount men are naturally granted: as a result, their professional lives are micromanaged and discouraged. Redemption from any mistake is rare.

The implied forgiveness granted to men often goes hand in hand with their unquestioned access to positions of power. Our presidents, congressmen, and supreme court justices have been almost entirely male. Entire industries have been historically unavailable to women -- and journalism is not an exception. Jill Abramson was the first woman to be executive editor of the New York Times in 2011, a publication with a 160 year history. She was fired for unknown reasons only three years later. Only a fourth of top management positions in American news media organizations were held by women during her employment. The world has been built for men, so it is used to reinforcing their control.

As women in leadership roles at a college newspaper, we bring an often unheard perspective to news media management. Men shape society’s truth by deciding which stories are told, and how they’re written. We reject the notion that this is our only option.

Journalism cannot accurately serve and inform the public if defined by only half its population. The medium that exists to outline our realities can be warped to favor people in positions of power. As women, we are distinctly aware of the double standard men and women are held to. As journalists, we are distinctly aware of how the media tends to uphold it. It’s a cycle we refuse to feed into.

Logan Keifling Contributing Writer logan@keifling.net

Carolyn Seng Creative Director

We will not apologize for challenging injustice, seeking the truth, and confronting uncomfortable realities. We will not stay quiet when it’s convenient for those in power, and we will not let our gender silence our conversation.

The constant, leering shadow of harassment, coupled with the maze of misogyny women navigate, is one we won’t be able to avoid. It is threatening. It is far too easy to get lost. But we are ready to lead a movement that includes all voices, empowers students, and seeks truth.

We know we will be held to a higher standard -- and The Script at Foothill College will meet it with us.

Liza Mamedov is editor in chief for The Script. liza@foothillscript.com. Devaki Dikshit is managing editor for The Script. devakidikshit27@gmail.com.

Kathy Loncharuk Photo Editor rad.bel97@gmail.com

Jonas Strobl Designer jonasstrobldesign@gmail.com

Armon Naddaf Contributor anaddaf@ucsd.edu

Rebekah Smith Contributor rebekah.smith0415@gmail.com

October 15, 2018

3

“I FedExed my voting ballot in college.”

When I became a naturalized U.S. citizen at 18 years old, I knew right away that I would make sure to vote in every election.

My family fled communist Vietnam when I was 3 years old. We were “boat people”, drifting in the Pacific Ocean for approximately 25 days.

The United Nations estimated that half of Vietnamese boat people died at sea. My parents fled in search of freedom – and part of that freedom is the right to vote in a democracy.

It saddens me deeply to see immigrant communities and other disenfranchised communities, that fought so hard historically for the right to vote, have some of the lowest voting records.

This includes the youth vote, which is generally low and especially so during midterm elections. A “National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement” conducted by Tufts University showed that 2014 midterm election data was a “wake-up call” to U.S. colleges and universities. Even though 62 percent of college students registered to vote in the 2014 midterms, turnout was as low as 12 percent for students ages 18-21.

Elections matter, and voting is absolutely critical to our democracy. For instance, the November 2012 election involving state Proposition 30 resulted in Foothill College’s ability, along with all other community colleges in California, to stay financially viable to provide classes and services – a sharp turnaround from the recession.

The November 2016 election saw a real turn in American politics with the election of a new president. The climate for many students at Foothill is significantly different today than just two years ago before the presidential election.

In spring 2017, a group of Foothill students mobilized other Foothill students on Facebook in response to the federal travel ban which the students felt was discriminatory and pretext as a Muslim ban. That student group has now become a club at Foothill: the Social Justice Club.

That national study of over 1,000 2-year col-

STAFF Nine Foothill students won the Service Leadership STEM competition to attend the National March for Science 2017. Photo prior to march in front of Washington monument with their Foothill advisors.

leges and 4-year universities from all 50 states also showed the discrepancy among students depending on their majors.

Since the 2016 election, there has been a sharp change in policies related to climate change, net neutrality, cybersecurity, science funding, and so on. In 2017, a group of Foothill STEM students attended the March for Science in Washington, D.C. in light of federal divestment in science research and attacks on the scientific approach. STEM students: if you don’t think elections matter to your future STEM career, think again.

Nine Foothill students won the Service Leadership STEM competition to attend the National March for Science 2017. Photo prior to march in front of Washington monument with their Foothill advisors.

I was a STEM student in college. I was actually pre-med, which is another story itself. (psst: Come to my President’s Office Hour and ask me why I went to law school instead.) As a college student who was a procrastinator, I waited until the last minute to mail in my absentee ballot. I panicked and raced to the store to “FedEx” my ballot, paying the costliest overnight delivery service to make sure my ballot got there on time.

As a First Generation student -- both of my parents did not go to college -- on financial aid, I surely could not afford to do such a thing. But considering that my family risked their lives for such freedoms, the price of FedEx was nothing in comparison.

It is our civic duty to vote and be an engaged person on the issues affecting our families and communities. Nowadays, I take my children with me to the voting booth so they could get into the habit of going to the polls. Even as a busy college president, I still volunteer on my personal time to phone bank. I often volunteer to call Vietnamese speaking households to encourage them to vote in Vietnamese.

The right to vote is one of the most fundamental aspects of being an American: it is both a right and a responsibility. Right now, there are many Foothill students who don’t even have the ability to vote in the U.S. elections and may wish they could.

Whether or not you are eligible to vote on November 6th, it is equally important to be engaged on the issues and about the candidates on the ballot.

It will take the youth vote to change the gun control laws in this country.

It will take the youth vote to make college more affordable.

It will take the youth vote to change the discriminatory rhetoric in this country.

It will take the youth vote to change the divisiveness and political stalemate in this country.

It will take the youth vote to break through the influence of money in our political process.

As a voting block, the youth vote is one of the most cohesive, dynamic, and forward-thinking.

As some of you know, starting last year, I penned this column for The Script. The column is called “President’s Parliament” as the word “parliament” means a group of owls. Parliament is also the legislative body in England that creates the laws. Take charge Foothill Owls, and help make a difference by voting in the laws and the people you want to represent you.

Come to some of the election talks on campus, or start one through the Associated Students of Foothill College or your clubs. Civic engagement is part of Service Leadership. Foothill’s Service Leadership is about not just helping you get A’s in classes, but also to get A’s in life.

REGISTER ENGAGE: join a club, make sure your friends/family are registered, talk to people about the issues, phone bank, knock on doors, etc.

VOTE Vote! Our democracy depends on you! #OwlsVote Of Service,

Your President

Meet Your Student Government “The purpose and mission of the Associated Students of Foothill College organization is to represent and serve the students at Foothill College.

We strive to establish a unified community that advocates for students of all demographics associated with Foothill College.”

Chelsey Nguyen President

Xinyi (Sissi) Hu VP of ICC

Kalina Kuneva VP of Activities

Arkady Leviev VP of Senate

Nathan Lutz VP of Finance

Serena Phanitdasack VP of Administrations

Ananya Khanna Senator

Hodan Farah Senator

Apurwa Baral Student Trustee

Azad Unlu Senator

Matthew Bodo Senator

Avery Rose Robinson Senator

4

The Script

How to register to vote

By Logan Keifling Though politics was a defining theme of 2016, the voter turnout of the election was staggeringly low. While there are a variety of culprits for this discrepancy between political involvement and actual turnout, one of the major reasons was that eligible voters — especially younger ones — simply did not register to vote. While the 2016 election is behind us, the election cycle for this year’s midterm elections is already underway — and this election shows signs of being immensely pivotal in influencing the long-term political direction of this country.

Registering to vote is the first step in the process of helping steer the upcoming tipping point, and doing so is surprisingly easy.

The first step in the voter registration process is to determine whether or not you are eligible.

In order to register to vote, you must be 18 years old or older, a U.S. citizen, and must not currently be in prison or on parole with a felony conviction -- with certain exceptions. If you are 16 or older but are not yet 18, there is the option to “pre-register” to vote, which will automatically register you to vote as soon as you turn 18.

Once you have determined that you are eligible, the fastest way to apply to register to vote is to head to registertovote.ca.gov. You will need either your California driver’s license, state ID number, or the last four digits of your social security number to verify your identity. Fill out the appropriate form -- depending on whether you registering or pre-registering -- and submit. You will receive an email within a few days informing you whether or not your application to register to vote was accepted.

If you would rather fill out a paper form, you can pick one up at your local DMV or post office. The paper application will be identical to the online one, and you will still need one of the same types of identification.

A student fills out registration papers during Political Awareness Day at Foothill College.

On your application, you will have the opportunity to register as a member of the political party of your choice. This can be changed at any time, furthermore it does not obligate you to vote for any candidate in particular. This is required in order to vote in state primary elections, however you will only be able to vote in the primary of the

party that you have selected.

Once you are registered, you will not need to re-register unless your personal information -- address, name, gender, partisan preference, or more -- has changed. Otherwise, you will be able to vote in the next election — provided your application was approved 15 or more days in

KATHY HONCHARUK

advance of it.

Now go register, go vote, and let your political opinions make a difference!

Logan Keifling is a contributing writer for The Script. logan@keifling.net

Meet your ASFC president

By Chelsey Nguyen I did not expect my voice to have any impact when I first joined Foothill College. Now, as president of the Associated Students of Foothill College, I am running on a platform that will ensure every student feels heard.

I am a Vietnamese-American woman from Silicon Valley entering my second year at Foothill College, and I plan to transfer to a four-year university to major in public policy or legal studies. I’ve changed my major a few times, but have decided to prepare for a career in law. I’m always exploring new fields of study, and my interest in helping others has always driven my career goals.

That being said, my path might divert. Joining ASFC has allowed me to explore the unique side of public service that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. I’ve learned that my passion for helping others will always be the foundation of my career.

When I started my classes at Foothill last fall, I had the common “get in and get out” mentality that many community college students maintain. I wasn’t particularly interested in joining student government at Foothill. When my friend Kalina Kuneva, the current vice president of activities, suggested I join ASFC with her, I said no. Working part-time and being enrolled in a heavy load of classes filled my schedule. I didn’t have the means to commit to something as big as student government. “What did they even do?”

I thought. My priority was to take classes and transfer—that was it. However, late in the quarter, I decided to quit my job to focus on my academics and join some extracurricular activities. I took a chance on ASFC with my extra time, and joined the President’s Board as the student rights officer.

When I joined Campus Council, the student

CHELSEY NGUYEN

council within ASFC, accomplished if everyone felt I learned of the impact the same.

“I am running on a student leaders have on platform that will campus. From planning The interests of the events and making budensure every student campus are our priority and get decisions to organizas president, I help guide our feels heard” ing clubs, participating in goals for the year. I ran on activism, and advocating the platform of adaptability, on behalf of students efficiency, and accessibility.

-- ASFC exists to serve Adapting to student needs everyone at Foothill. I realized how much my will ensure all students are represented In everyvoice actually mattered, and how much could be thing ASFC does. I strive to be efficient, so that

time is allocated to the most important issues.

And above all else, my goal is to be accessible to our community so that those needs can be heard!

Each year, the president typically chooses to focus on issues important to them, and ASFCgears their energy towards them. This year, I hope to direct our attention to sustainability, gender equity, housing and food accessibility, and mental health awareness. These four globally relevant issues personally impact students on campus. There are multitudes of topics to focus on and it’s difficult to prioritize issues when they’re all important! Even though those matters will be focused on by ASFC, if you have any issues that don’t fall under that umbrella, I invite you to still ask for help.

Purpose fuels passion—I hope to lead an administration that dedicates its time to genuinely listening to students and catering to their needs.

ASFC is here to serve you and we will do our best to better our community. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out! If you see me on campus, don’t be afraid to come up and say hello! My door is always open to you—have a great quarter, Foothill!

Chelsey Nguyen is president of the Associated Students of Foothill College for the 20182019 academic year.

Chelsey Nguyen is president of the Associated Students of Foothill College for the 2018-19 academic year.

October 15, 2018

5

The invisible homeless Jump “The Invisible Homeless” from page 1

Moreover, student representatives organized an independent project now known as “Bay Area Students for Affordable Housing” last year.

Without a steady place to stay, Curkovic Spearheaded by Eoin O’Farrell, a former Assosaid, he and his girlfriend were helpless. And ciated Students of Foothill College senator, the only two weeks after losing their home, final group aims to advocate for resources, connect exams had begun. students to housing and legal aid, and act as a “I had money for nothing other than to keep going and trying to study for my finals,” Curkov- support system.

The group organized a database of students ic recounted. In his car, they were scared, and who reported being at risk for homelessness and frantic for support. In class, they were simply needing support. “If we even got one student students. who’s homeless into housing, that would be Professors who answered Curkovic’s pleas for help were his biggest and only source of sup- great,” O’Farrell said in a Los Altos Town Crier article. port. He recalled their Bodo, who adopted kindness with gratitude “We tried every place at the project at the start of but said that without the Foothill. We knocked on fall quarter, hopes it can necessary legal and fiprovide the resources nancial aid, his situation the police office doors. he wished he had. “I remained stagnant.

We tried everything.” believe there are more “I tried seeking students at experiencing help [from the adminhomelessness than most istration], but I got no Kristian Curkovic might think. I know plenty help whatsoever. This is sophomore engineering major of students that have, not to bash on Foothill and want to help them College, which I love myself,” he said. so dearly, but I felt like Though the group has found widespread I had no help at all,” lamented Curkovic. “We support on campus, Bodo wishes the administratried every place at Foothill. We knocked on the tion would share their burden of responsibility. police office doors. We tried everything. We He said the project could use administrative got no...legal help, and we got no accomodation assistance on many fronts, including through help. That is just the truth.” funding marketing and outreach, forming relaCurkovic added that having bathrooms open at night would be a boon for students experienc- tionships with local organizations and collecting data on housing insecurity across the district. ing homelessness, as would a college provision The Extended Services and Opportunities that subsidized legal counseling. That said, he Office provides eligible low-income students has noticed the college taking steps to address with financial aid resources in the form of food the larger issue. Foothill College recently stamps, scholarships and counseling services. supported struggling students by partnering But despite their best efforts, Program Coorwith Whole Foods to expand its foot pantry. dinator Sarah Corrao admitted that the office

does not have dedicated resources for students experiencing homelessness. “We teach students to advocate for themselves,” she said. “We don’t necessarily have a direct connection to [resources for homelessness]...but EOPS helps students complete their financial aid so we can act as a support.”

Bodo praised EOPS for creating a supportive community but noted that the current services offered by Foothill were not enough. “I had to really open up to my professors and peers before being able to find help,” he said.

He hopes the student-run advocacy group will support students where it matters most, but feels that his team lacks the time and resources to help the entire student body. “In all honesty,” he explained, “I would like administrators to

assist us, and eventually become the ones who create resources for students.”

In in meantime, students experiencing homelessness have little choice but to continue their struggles outside the classroom as they await a long-term solution.

Liza Mamedov is editor in chief for The Script. Devaki Dikshit is managing editor. Alexis Takagi and David Mamaril Horowitz contributed reporting.

COFFEE SHOP REVIEWS

Where to pick up a pick-me-up

By Alexis Takagi Coffee is a must-have for students and teachers alike. Coffee shops can serve as the perfect study atmosphere, or in a professor’s case, grading environment. I decided to review four coffee shops near the Foothill campus other than the ultra-popular Starbucks, Philz and KJ’s Coffee, to offer fresh options. The coffee shops will be evaluated on price, pros and cons, atmosphere, and overall experience.

ALEXIS TAKAGI

A vanilla latte at Satura Cakes Satura Cakes: $$ (1.8 miles) Open at: 8 a.m (everyday) Best Selling Coffee: Latte Description: Although Satura Cakes is a traditional wedding bakery, they are just as serious about their coffee and tea selection as they are about their pastries. The European - Japanese fusion shop has a range of drinks on their menu, from rich espresso to matcha tea and lattes.

Pros: Diverse variety of coffee and tea, friendly staff, quick service, punch card, latte art, reasonably priced.

Cons: Limited seating and small space, unpre-

dictable atmosphere, self service.

Overall experience: 4/5 Satura Cakes is the go-to spot for quick service and tasty treats. They are well known for their contagious, energetic atmosphere that continually draws people in. Customers come to enjoy the wide variety of coffee topped with foam hearts, perfect for anyone’s next Instagram post.

Red Berry Coffee Bar: $$ (1.8 miles) Open at: 7 a.m (weekdays) 8 a.m (weekends) Best Selling Coffee: Cappuccino Description: Red Berry Coffee Bar has the most relaxed environment out of the five places I visited. Ample seating throughout the cafe allows for a spacious and comfortable atmosphere. The coffee is very strong, but there are sweetener options such as vanilla, caramel, and mocha.

Red Berry also serves meals, from avacado toast to quiche, in large portions.

Pros: Relaxed atmosphere, ample seating, good work environment, public printer available, large portions, reasonably priced, gender neutral restroom.

Cons: Crowded, quickly becomes busy.

Overall experience: 4.5/5 Red Berry Coffee Bar reigns supreme when it comes to workaholics; almost every space is filled with open books, computers, chargers, and multiple cups of coffee. It is the ideal coffee shop for getting something done. Just make sure you get there early, before it gets busy!

Coffee Drive Up: $ (1.8 miles) Open at: 7 a.m (weekdays) 8 a.m (Saturday) Closed: Sunday Best Selling Coffee: Vanilla Latte Description: Under new management, the Coffee Drive Up is now sourced locally. They serve the classics, but mix it up with their own strong,

creamy flavors. Although it has previously been compared to McDonalds and 7-11 coffee, it is the cheapest and closest option in the area.

The syrups do their jobs, and the coffee will definitely wake you up just in time for class!

Pros: Drive through, quick service, convenient location, friendly staff, locally sourced coffee, perfect work environment.

Cons: Weird in-store layout, poor milk-to-coffee ratio.

Overall experience: 2/5 Coffee Drive Up is the spot for quick service, a convenient location, and cheap coffee. It’s the best option for students in a rush. However, quality wise, it wouldn’t be my go-to place -- the milk to coffee ratio is a little high.

Sweet Shop: $ (3.3 miles) Open at: 8:30 a.m

ALEXIS TAKAGI

The storefront of the Sweet Shop (weekdays) 10 a.m (Saturday) 11 a.m (Sunday) Closed: Monday Best Selling Coffee: Latte Description: The Sweet Shop has something for everyone, whether that be coffee, baked goods, or even frozen yogurt. The cafe manages to weave their passion for sweets into their brews,

ALEXIS TAKAGI

The cafe menu for Red Berry serving rich and creamy drinks adorned with whipped cream and sprinkles. Surprisingly, they offer comparatively cheap coffee. The mocha is the most expensive choice, at only four dollars.

Pros: Indoor and outdoor seating, nice staff, dog friendly, good working environment, good for groups, gender neutral bathroom.

Cons: Busy street, not ideal for parking, farthest from campus.

Overall experience: 3.5/5 The Sweet Shop’s specialty is not coffee -- it’s sweets! Provided they are not a coffee house, they do manage to bring in unique, candied tastes. The drinks are a delicate balance between melted desserts and strong coffee.

Although Sweet Shop is the farthest away from campus, it is also the cheapest and most flavorful. They also take pride in their sustainable practices like reducing waste, recycling, and using eco-friendly supplies.

Alexis Takagi is a contributing writer for The Script. alexist567@gmail.com.

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The Script

TWITTER / DONALD TRUMP

OPINION

The media schism: How Donald Trump sparked new distrust towards media

By Logan Keifling

Dishonest media. Fake news. The enemy of the people.

Ever since Donald Trump’s presidential campaign picked up momentum in 2015, he has made his opinion on the mainstream American media very clear. True to the antagonistic character that Trump developed long before his presidency, he has engaged in an ongoing assault on mainstream American media and news outlets—criticizing their practices, denouncing their ethics, and attacking their validity at large.

Trump’s comments are typically directed at media outlets that lean left politically. He has

“I think that the majority of the media is kind of fake.”

Eliza Brown claimed that The New York Times has an “inability to write a positive story about him,” and that the media uses “made up stories” to make him “look as bad and evil as possible.” Trump has consistently used this believed media bias as rationale for his attacks against it.

The assertion that the left-wing media is “fake,” has nonetheless struck a chord with many. Trump supporters are not the only people who agree with the statement. People across the country, on both sides of the political spectrum, understand the president’s view. Foothill College is home to a diverse campus full of differing opinions. Yet the changing conversation regarding the purpose of news and ethics of media affects everyone.

“I think that the majority of the media is kind of fake,” said Foothill student Eliza Brown in an interview. “In the end, the media publishes what it will think will make a good story—often at the expense of accuracy.”

Elements of Trump’s claims have resonated with a significant portion of Americans. A recent Ipsos poll has found that 29 percent of Americans, and 48 percent of Republicans, believe the media is the “enemy of the people.”

Brown’s agreement, however, does not extend so far. “The media is not the enemy of the American people. The media is the American people,” she asserted.

A large portion of Americans may agree with the president -- but Trump’s behavior has been described as unprecedented and dangerous.

For decades, the infallibility of the media has been a consistent trope of American culture and society. Big names in newscasting and journal-

Join The

ism such as Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, and broadcast media outlets like CNN and NBC news, garner respect from people and politicians alike.

President Trump has turned that paradigm upside-down. In contrast to previous presidents, who have yielded to the arbitrating power of the media, Trump has taken an unexpected approach to negative coverage: discrediting the validity of those news outlets themselves. “It has become a destructive cycle where the media covers Trump’s words,” wrote the Denver Post in a

“The media should be free to discuss whatever they want and say anything they want.”

David Gomez recent editorial, “and instead of self-reflection following scathing media reports, Trump cries fake news.”

Though Americans may agree on the fallibility of media outlets, the concurrence ends where Trump’s sweepingly dismissive comments begin.

Foothill College students, for example, are critical of his confrontational tactics.

“The media should be free to discuss whatever they want and say anything they want,” said Foothill student David Gomez. “They know that people can figure out when they’re lying. Trump should avoid harassing the media and let people make their own decision.”

While students expressed disagreement with the president’s outbursts, many still believe they align with an ongoing cultural shift from the trope of media infallibility. “The media is on our side, they help us understand what is going on, but at the same time they could be making news about Trump less biased,” Gomez conceded.

The media--and its right to free press--has suddenly found itself under intense scrutiny. Yet, as Trump continues his attacks against it, a growing contingency of its defenders have emerged from the ranks of liberals and conservatives alike.

It is now up to the American voters to decide what the future of the media should be, and whether its ability to report freely on American politics should continue to go unrestricted. As Brown points out, even though Trump’s beliefs aren’t to be taken seriously, “[he] is sending a message to the world. Trump is an indication that people’s minds about the media are changing.”

Logan Keifling is a contributing writer for The Script. logan@keifling.net

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October 15, 2018

7

PERSPECTIVE

Stuff, starve, or spew: Which will swim to success?

By Jharna Sutaria You can call her Ana, Mia or Edna. She’s difficult to see. She’ll grow in an environment where the factors are just right. In the territory of stadium lights, sideline roars and a timer, her shadow lurks behind the suits, leotards, and jerseys.

She is an invisible illness that is unforgiving but not undefeatable. She is anorexia, bulimia, or any eating disorder not otherwise specified.

Though anyone can find themselves battling an eating disorder, athletes are far more likely to develop them. A Norwegian study conducted in 2004 found athletes are three times more likely to have an eating disorder than the average person.

Thirteen percent of athletes in judged sports grapple with anorexia or bulimia, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. The physical illness often hit sufferers while they are still teenagers: vulnerable to the excruciating standards a woman’s body is often held to.

Not only does this self-destructive behavior eat away at athlete’s insides, but it also takes bites out of their performance. The counterintuitive effects of disordered eating produce drastic and lasting physical damage. The signs increase incrementally and may be difficult to notice. Experts warn that it is crucial to take action as soon as any symptoms are spotted -- before they cause permanent damage.

But how do we detect the onset of such a debilitating illness?

I sought the opinion of a local professional: an athletic trainer at Palo Alto High School.

Stacy Kofman works with driven, competitive

teenagers, and has worked to assist students with eating disorders. She listed some physical symptoms that may signify an athlete is struggling.

“Fatigue, hair loss, brittle nails, overuse injuries that are not going away...females who are starting to lose their period are the typical ones that you start to see and you start to question,” she said.

Some sports are more likely to spur disordered eating and eating disorders than others. According to a study by American College of Sports Medicine, people taking part in sports such as figure skating, gymnastics, and swimming are more likely to experience it. Players participating in sports like basketball, skiing, and volleyball, are less likely.

Researchers believe this is because when athletes are judged individually, they feel pressured to keep their bodies “perfect” and thin.

When it comes to the condition an athlete’s body is in, there are no secrets in the pool. Swimming demands its athletes to be as streamlined as possible -- to swim against the least amount of resistance. “Practice makes perfect,” is a quote that coaches preach on a daily basis. Does this quote also apply to the swimmers who measure perfection by the pound?

Preoccupation with weight and thinness is taxing on an athlete’s mental health, just as much as their physical health. Many people living with anorexia, bulimia, or other disordered eating, also tend to suffer from depression. Signs of deteriorating mental health are just as important to look out for.

I asked a local professional that guides students through the demanding sport to weigh in. At the end of an early season practice with a competitive team, I pulled aside Aaron Higgins, head coach of Menlo Aquatics swim club. According to him,

PHOTOS BY ALEX SHUSUKE

A Foothill College Water Polo player serves during a home game. signs of deteriorating mental health and eating disorders include “starting to be withdrawn..not coming to practice very often or, if they are, they are constantly late...at one point in time, they’re suddenly not even there.” As Higgins points out, if the victim is left untreated for some time, then the decline of their mental health can lead to serious consequences. Without early intervention, recovery will be far harder -- or far too late.

Eating disorders do a good job of scaring victims and their loved ones, but this inner demon isn’t as invincible as it may seem. For someone struggling, self-care is the sharpest sword they can carry into their daily battles with this mental monster.

The process of self-care has four steps, and the first is realizing that self-destructive behavior is a temporary solution. From there, one needs to recognize their triggers, and find out why they lead to destructive eating patterns. Planning out

a strategy for change and applying the tools is the hardest part, as it requires consistency. Mindfulness, the process of physically and emotionally grounding oneself, is just one way to surface out of those racing thoughts and urges.

Most effective eating disorder treatments require a team of professionals who work with the patient in order to combat the illness. That being said, eating disorders don’t go away. If the physical scar isn’t there, then the mental one will be. It’s something that survivors of the illness must learn to cope with. Yes, these daily struggles are a grind, but healing only happens when the patient surrenders and sticks to the road of recovery.

Jharna Sutaria is a staff writer at The Script. jharnasutaria@gmail.com

A haunted invitation: A glimpse into the surreal world of “Her Body and Other Parties”

By Devaki Dikshit Men make up the majority of the government. Men take up managing positions. Men are paid, on average, more than women for the same jobs. Almost every woman has been sexually harassed at some point in her life. Girls grow up, slowly but surely, as foreigners in a world made for men.

Nothing quite reveals the dystopian nature of a woman’s experience like Carmen Maria Machado’s Her Body and Other Parties. Eating disorders, objectification, rape culture, slut shaming -- the horrific trials Machado’s characters face are all detailed through a surreal lens. Ironically, only magical realism could have asserted the nature of this reality so honestly.

“The Husband Stitch,” the first story of the book, introduces the collection. Though the tale primarily focuses on a woman’s love life with her husband, it is interspersed with small fables -- bedtime stories that grow terrifying as her relationship contorts and sours. During her first dates with her future husband, she recalls a story about spotting human toes in the potatoes aisle, though her father reasoned the sighting was impossible. She regrets how easily she’d accepted his word. “As a grown woman,” the character explains, “I would have said to my father that

DEVAKI DIKSHIT

there are true things in this world observed only by a single set of eyes.”

On the day her husband demands she give herself to him, a green ribbon will unwind, her head will topple off, and she will be proven right.

The Husband Stitch ensures readers embark on the journey through a woman’s mind with

this stage set: women will not be understood, will not be taken seriously, and will not be given the authority to tell their own stories. Beneath all the issues the narratives explore are these fundamental truths. They are the link between the fantastic, terrifying accounts and the reader’s emotions.

“Her Body and Other Parties” does not forget to talk about its’ title: bodies -- a woman’s body, and specifically, how it is treated. “Eight bites” examines the incorporeal haunting presence of eating disorders and body dysmorphia. “Real Women Have Bodies” grapples with objectification: how inextricably society weaves a woman’s identity with how she looks. Inventory is exactly what the title says it is. A list. Body counts, with a “virus blooming on the horizon like a sunrise.” Like the menacing inner voice imploring little girls to throw out that cup of ice cream, or run that extra mile, or stay loyal to the abusive man, or wear something conservative to work -- every story has an invisible monster.

Machado makes sure of that.

The most memorable stories are the final ones, where the invisible monster breaks into the minds of the women they were haunting.

Objectification sneaks in and swipes a woman’s autonomy. Skepticism seeps in and plants self doubt.

The concluding accounts, like the adventure of an author reprimanded for writing about a

mad woman in an attic, seem almost personal.

Through her storytelling, she fights feverishly for her own identity, before finally dragging readers to the forefront of her mind. Is she dramatic or honest? Is she innocent or wise? Is she who she says she is, or who society says she is?

Yet through her doubt, the constant, weighing doubt women are all too familiar with, she poses

“Every story has an invisible monster.” a startlingly powerful question to her readers: “Thus far in your jury deliberations, have you encountered any others who have truly met themselves?”

“Her Body and Other Parties” is an invitation, the key to a doctor’s office where stitched wounds are unraveled and allowed to gush and flow in all their severity. It is an invitation to a world that seems scary at first, but becomes familiar as it is learned. It is overwhelming, it is painful, but it is really nothing more than a welcome to a woman’s experience.

Devaki Dikshit is managing editor at The Script. devakidikshit27@gmail.com

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The Script

Moving for money: A visual story

By Kathy Honcharuk Vlad Tomilov is an international student at Foothill College. He came from Russia and has been living in California for five years. Since he has no connection to the engineering, medical, or programming sphere, Tomilov earns money differently. Currently, he works at a small moving company as an marketing manager and sales agent -- sometimes, though, he has to drop all the office work and pick up physical labor.

Being a mover is exhausting. Transferring heavy objects into trucks is only half of his job.

His other duty is to deal with crazy customers. If something goes wrong, it’s typically blamed on the movers. Nevertheless, he works diligently for them.

It’s not so difficult to get the job -- but the longer you work, the harder the work gets. Perhaps an interesting career would be an easier one. But how can you follow your dreams without enough opportunities?

I myself came from another country, and do not intend to dive into a high paying field. How do those who came to the states survive without that end goal? How do they spend their time? What are their stories?

Kathy Honcharuk is a photo editor at The Script. rad.bel97@gmail.com

PHOTOS BY KATHY HONCHARUK

Top: This is the very last trip Tomilov has to make. He moves the boxes with a hand truck. Top Left: Sometimes owners have animals. Tomilov has to ship their belongings. Top Right: Tomilov helps move all of the owner’s boxes. Middle Left: All of the storage gates have their own locks and eys. Tomilov opens a gate to check how much work has to be done. Bottom Left: Oops! The pillow didn’t help. Now Tomilov has to clean up the mess. Bottom Right: The job is almost done. Now Tomilov has to make sure all the materials are safe. He’s fixing the owner’s instruments and tools.

October 15, 2018

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10

The Script

BY LIZA MAMEDOV

A view overlooking the Caspian Sea in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Why I changed my last name: A journey home

By Liza Mamedov On the first day of summer school before third grade, I proudly announced to a group of distracted 8 year olds that Elizabeth wasn’t my real name. We were instructed to state our names or preferred nicknames aloud, and when it got to be my turn, I provided an exhaustive list -- insisting that exactly 26 aliases could be derived from my formal title. Though I can’t remember even half of the variants today, the flexibility my legal name granted me was a defining feature of my childhood.

As far back as I can remember, the name “Elizabeth” seemed to leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Snapping my head to glance in the direction that it was called – always by a stranger, and often an angry teacher or DMV receptionist, that didn’t care to know me – made me uncomfortable. If I remembered to answer to it, I would feel like an imposter at the check-in counter. The name was

alien and cold, and its ring surprised me. It left an unsettling weight to grapple with every time.

I had gotten used to navigating the world by many titles before I decided to officially discard Elizabeth that day in the elementary school playground. My family called me by a name in our native language, and my religious community referred to me by another appellation granted to me at birth. My friends before third grade pronounced my name in one way, and students at my new school said it in another. When I decided to pick “Liza” -- lie-zah -- as my preferred name, I embarked on creating a new persona.

Now, over a decade later, I have decided to complete my process of self naming. I am leaving my father’s family name behind to finally embrace the honorific of the relatives who have raised me exclusively since middle school. My new name is an ancient, sacred one -- originally written as Muhammad, but transformed by centuries of destructive colonization.

My old name deserves respect and a proper

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funeral. Its order in the alphabet saved me from mumbling unprepared when called first in class and gave rise to creative social media profiles.

More importantly, it fled to me from the trenches of the Holocaust and the Soviet Union.

My old name was tied to an identity -- Jewish -- that followed my father’s family into hiding and ran with them no matter where they tried to flee.

It haunted the memories of lost loved ones and trapped them on their passport cards with a stamp -- Jewish -- that denied them, fined them, and took them from their homes.

But my old last name abused its’ power.

“Turchinsky” was a last name crafted by my people’s oppressors, and branded on my Jewish relatives. “Turchinsky” is the name carried by my toxic father’s side of the family, a side I do not know, and am no longer part of. It is a name marred with physical and emotional assault, stemming from years of intergenerational trauma. My old last name has overstayed its welcome.

My break with Turchinsky is not a rejection of

my history, but the acceptance of my identity. My new name means releasing pain from my childhood -- decided for me, as was my last name -- and creating my own story.

I was unsure when, or if, I would commit to adopting this change. The warmth of my family’s home city of Baku, Azerbaijan dissipated any residual doubt in my mind. As I shared tea with hoards of relatives I did not know I had, I felt the final pieces of my quest to find myself fall together. Surrounded by new cousins, aunts, and uncles, I stood beneath our relatives’ monuments -- proudly displaying our family name. I found the home my old name kept me from and felt myself breathe with more sureness, faith, and love.

I have had the rare opportunity to choose who I want to be. I have found completeness and a new connection to my culture. This year, I am proud to call myself Liza Mamedov.

Liza Mamedov is editor-in-chief for The Script. lizat@foothillscript.com

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October 15, 2018

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BY KATHY HONCHARUK

President Nguyen shares the story of her first voting experience.

California primaries: How we voted

By Devaki Dikshit On June 5, 2018, voters throughout California participated in the primary election. The votes decided the top two candidates for a variety of offices. Most notably, they confirmed the top two contenders for governor of California.

Democrat Gavin Newsom, current lieutenant governor of California, snagged a spot on the November ballot with 1,613,120 votes. John Cox, a Republican candidate backed by President Trump, trailed close behind, with 1,249,248 votes. The primary results renewed conversation around California’s jungle primary system, which allows voters to choose any candidate -- regardless of their registered party. Because of this structure, no party is guaranteed a slot in general election ballots. The slew of democratic candi-

dates this June proved risky for the Democratic party, splitting the vote between many qualified gubernatorial candidates like John Chiang, Delaine Eastin, and Antonio Villaraigosa.

The winner of the gubernatorial elections in November may determine whether or not California remains a democratic trifecta -- a state where the governor is a democrat, and both the Senate and Assembly hold a democratic majority. The top two elections for the state legislature were held as well: all 80 assembly seats and 20 senate seats were up for grabs. Democrats currently hold a supermajority, or two thirds majority, in both houses.

On the federal level, Californians reelected Dianne Feinstein to face off against President Pro Tempore of the State Senate Kevin De Leon in the race for a seat in the U.S. Senate. If Feinstein wins, it will be her sixth Senate term. In the House, 32 of 53 California representatives

are Democrats. Analysts are looking closely at key congressional districts to determine whether additional seats will be won. Los Altos falls under district 18, currently represented by incumbent Anna Eshoo. She will be facing Republican contender Christine Russell in November.

Though the primary elections are focused on candidates, they have another key purpose: passing propositions. Proposition 68, 69, 71, and 72 passed effortlessly. Sixty-eight permits bonds to fund national resources, parks, and clean air and water, and 69 requires that transportation revenue be used to improve local roads, highways, and other infrastructure. The public voted in support of this spending. 71, a proposition allowing for time to count votes before policies go in effect, was also an easy yes -- as was 72, which ensures properties that conserve water through rain capture systems don’t receive an additional tax.

Proposition 70, however, required that funding acquired from cap-and-trade cannot be used without a supermajority agreeing to its usage.

Because this proposition may lead to gridlock and the consequent waste of funding, California voters turned 70 down.

The 2018 primary elections in California saw a relatively low turnout -- according to the Los Angeles Times, only 37 percent of people cast a ballot. The November elections will decide the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, and countless other state offices.

Midterms are set to determine who will represent California at the national level. But if the voter turnout remains as low as it did in the primaries, they will only represent 37 percent of it.

Devaki Dikshit is an editor at The Script. devakidikshit27@gmail.com

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Crazy Rich Asians: Book or movie? and look of the movie don’t seem to match up.

In this respect, it is obvious that there are advantages to a book. Books allow more room for plot, and for the imagination -- they can’t be criticized for unconvincing displays of grandeur, since the imagery is left in the hands of the reader. If you want to add a major celebrity or an expensive brand name in a scene in a book, all it costs is more ink. If you want to add the same in a movie, you can quickly run out of budget.

By the same logic, there is more room for things to happen in the book, and nuance or subtext that isn’t apparent in the film. But often, books only provide more clarity because everything is stated, not shown.

The screen, on the other hand, can condense paragraphs of writing into a single facial expression. In the climactic wedding scene, complete with heavy, emotional music and a beautiful set, Chu shares a single look with Young. That’s all it takes for her to say their relationship is broken, and fixing it seems impossible.

This isn’t the only strength of visual storytelling. The reveals in the movie come with the same flourish of displaying a winning hand of poker-or in this case, Mahjong. While there is no running commentary on the minutia of the moves, this only serves to enhance suspense as Chu goes up against an inscrutable matriarch with nothing but a winning smile and some chutzpah.

Despite all the positives, many remain loyal to books. To those people, consider this: do you find “Crazy Rich Asians” to be something you can read again and again and again? If not, don’t bother with the sequels. The series reveals that Kwan only knows how to write one ending: a life threatening medical crisis to be remedied with lots and lots of money. The rest of the books are usually filled with repetitive descriptions of wealth, which can tarnish the perceived ingenuity of the first book. Long story short, the sequels are fun if you want more of the same story. But for most readers, the minor differences in plot will not be enough to justify a continuation.

While those looking for more content might consider looking to the books, it’s important to remember that content, like money, should not be overindulged. Look to the theaters for a cast of asians full of charm and glamour. What makes the movie is not the wealth, but the people.

Constance Wu’s Rachel Chu, and all her companions, are the ones you’d want to walk around Singapore with.

By Carina Thanh-Ngoc De Lorenzo People are going for crazy for “Crazy Rich Asians”, whether it be the book that graces the New York Times’ bestseller or the box office hit.

But for all those who aren’t bougie enough to buy a paperback and a ticket, let’s answer: Which is better, book or movie?

“Crazy Rich Asians” follows New York native Chu Chu, played by Constance Wu, as she goes back to Singapore to meet the family of her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, played by Henry Golding. To her shock, she soon finds herself maneuvering through the mad world of the ultra-rich.

Constance Wu is most recognizable for her role as a prototypical tiger mom in “Fresh Off the Boat”, the best and only asian family sitcom on the air. It is criminal that it has taken this long for her to be given a lead role, but now that it’s here, she shines. The world will readily fall in love with Wu’s charismatic portrayal of a down-to-earth woman who has it all together before her life flips upside down.

No part of her performance shines as brightly as her realistic relationships with others. Wu’s portrayal has countless moviegoers cheering Rachel Chu on, right alongside her boyfriend and quirky companion. Peik Lin, played by Awkwafina, is the best friend and polar opposite.

When Chu is speechless with surprise, Lin has dropped about ten “hot damns.” When Chu is overwhelmed by Young’s wealth, Awkwafina’s character is already networking her way in the door. But as loveable as the largeness of Lin’s personality is, what captures the viewer’s heart is how that personality inspires Chu to stand up for herself.

And while Chu may have to fight for boundaries with her future in-laws, her relationship with Young comes to the screen fairytale perfect.

Even in the midst of frustration and anger, Young seems to leech the tension out with his mere presence. On the other hand, all his mother has to do is walk on screen, and the soundtrack might as well cue sirens.

Michelle Yeoh acts as her boyfriend’s domineering and traditional mother, and though her character is contemptible, her performance brims with an austere grace. Her outfits are appropriately old fashioned, but inspired with a modern twist -- they make you want to grow old just to pull them off.

The rest of the cast is similarly eye catching and talented. “Crazy Rich Asians” is a well executed romcom, and while the formula is wellused, the representation brought to the screen is a breath of fresh air. The cast is more than capable of lifting the movie to the next level.

However, for a movie titled “Crazy Rich

IMDB

Crazy Rich Asians Cover Photo Asians”, the displays of wealth can feel oddly restrained. This is not a fault of the movie. The modern blockbuster has the budget to throw extravaganzas that desensitize most moviegoers to

insane displays of wealth, and on a medium sized budget, “Crazy Rich Asians” simply can’t break through the haze. As realistic and compelling as the actors render the characters, the environment

Carina Thanh-Ngoc De Lorenzo is a staff writer at The Script. carinadelorenzo@gmail.com

Transferring: Expectations vs. Reality

By Armon Naddaf

studios, study spaces, and one of the largest libraries in the entire University of California system. I would live on campus, with events, concerts, and restaurants available every night.

After an exhausting 12-hour drive, I I would be able to see the beach from my room; collapsed onto the hotel bed, overwhelmed I would probably spend more time on the sand with optimism and relief. My four long years than in the library. As I rifted to sleep, I felt in community college were over -- I had finally sure that it was going to be a good year. Things arrived in San Diego for my transfer student were going to be orientation. As I lay easier. The moresting, I thought “Looking back on my expement I had been about all the new oplooking forward portunities I would rience as a junior transfer to for years was finally have. I would student at UC San Diego, finally here. be moving out of That was one my parents’ house, I admit that things weren’t year ago -- in the finally getting my what I expected.” summer of 2017. own place! I would Looking back on be joining serious my experience clubs with serious as a junior transfer student at UC San Diego, I funding and taking on whatever engineering admit that things weren’t what I expected. I was projects I wanted! I would be working in labs indeed surrounded by opportunity, but, surwith some of the most respected researchers prisingly, found much of it very hard to utilize. in the world! I would have access to maker

I had an apartment near the beach, but only things, so I never learned how to take advanwent twice over the whole year. My professors tage of opportunities. I am now surrounded were experts in their fields, but that did not by them, but have a hard time pursuing any. make it easier for me to pay attention in class.

The engagement I was waiting for was my own I usually did not even responsibility. It would attend lectures. Every never be handed to me, no day, I was getting emails matter where I went.

“The value of an opabout opportunities If I were to go back to portunity is only as from labs, professors, my first year of community private companies, or college, I would spend strong as a student’s the government, but I more time trying to underability to pursue it.” never pursued even one stand how to get involved. of them.

The value of an opportuAlthough I chernity is only as strong as a ished my time in community college, I always student’s ability to pursue it. I advise anybody felt there were not enough opportunities for still at Foothill College to try to maximize their extracurricular resume-building. But that involvement on campus. This way, they will be wasn’t the problem. Community college promore prepared to thrive in a university setting, vided me with plenty of chances to learn and in employment, and in life. grow outside of the classroom. We had amazing science and engineering clubs, as well as an extremely approachable student government Armon Naddaf is a transfer student at UC San and newspaper. I never got involved in these Diego.

October 15, 2018

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Ten surprising reasons to study journalism in college

By Scott Lankford

2) Transfer Success

Journalism is dead. Long live Journalism.

For the first time in over 25 years, Foothill College is offering an “Intro to Journalism” course.

Based on this quarter’s strong enrollment numbers -- and continued support from the Foothill administration -- you’ll have a chance to sign up for this crucial course every quarter for years to come.

Full disclosure: this brand new hybrid course is being team-taught by Communications Professor Che Meneses, English Professor Brian Lewis, Script editors, and me.

But why even bother taking journalism when newspapers nationwide are shutting down? Who needs writing anyhow? Aren’t we living in the era of fake news? Hasn’t our president labeled journalists public enemy No. 1?

Good questions. Here are ten surprising answers:

1) Job Security

It’s true that no working journalist can tell you exactly what their job will look like in five years, or maybe even in five months. If they say they can, they’re lying to themselves. Yet every working journalist’s basic skill set isn’t going out of style: the ability to write clearly, research thoroughly, and think critically. News flash: human beings still crave stories. Always have. Always will. That means Information Age employers need skilled writers now more than ever. And so do Information Age citizens.

In employer surveys -- from engineering to accounting to business management to law enforcement -- the ability to “write and communicate clearly” rises straight to the top of every corporate wish list. So why not add journalism to your course list? You can bank on it.

No matter what you major in, no matter where you hope to transfer, nothing says “serious student” to your dream school like a published portfolio of well-written news stories in print. Period. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not all about your GPA after all. Because in addition to all those strong writing and critical thinking skills, 4-year schools are desperately searching for transfer candidates who can infuse fresh new energy and diverse perspectives into their student body. Nothing proves vibrant, active, engaged membership in your college community like covering important campus issues and events.

3) Teamwork

Unlike writing novels or poetry, where everyone flies solo, journalism is a team sport.

Writers, editors, designers, and even money managers are all in on the action. No story stands alone. So journalism teaches teamwork.

It has to, or nothing would ever get published.

Interviewing. Editing. Collaboration. Cooperation. Conflict resolution. Every step of the process demands the ability to work with others.

Why does that matter? Employers crave team players. So do creatives. In fact, along with the “ability to communicate clearly,” human resources hiring managers and corporate executives consistently list “ability to work in teams” as their most desired skill.

4) True-Grit Tenacity

Great reporters dig deep. They sink their teeth into a story. They don’t take “no comment” for an answer. They don’t give up without a fight. Turns out that same true-grit tenacity serves them well in almost every other aspect of life -- from working towards a degree to building skill sets for their careers.

5) Time-Management

Too many students earn Ph.D’s in procrasti-

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nation. Terrible time-management habits hijack your life. Real reporters write on deadlines. Professors give extensions. Editors don’t. Why? It’s not called breaking news for nothing. Accurate, timely, vivid on-the-spot reporting is essential -- and with instant uploads, the competitive news cycle can now be measured in minutes.

Good journalists get things done, and healthy time-management habits stick with you for life.

6) Networking

Accurate reporting requires you to work with a whole network of sources and resources. You don’t build background without learning how to cold call complete strangers, how to build trust, and how to get guarded sources to open up.

As every hiring consultant and career coach on earth agrees, networking is also a core career skill in any profession. Networking brings you jobs and contracts and influence—no matter what career you end up in.

7) A Nose for Nonsense

Ernest Hemingway once said, “The essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, bullshit detector.” That’s because Hemingway started out as a news reporter long before he became a novelist.

In an age of fake news nonsense, building your own fake news detector helps. None of us are infallible. We can all be fooled. But after learning to cover news stories yourself, you won’t ever be conned, duped, deceived, lied to, frightened, back-stabbed, or seduced quite so easily again. And you can help your fellow citizens smell the difference.

But the true roots of democracy aren’t always at the capitol. Instead, they’re embedded in every single school board meeting, city council hearing, public interest press conference, and local protest rally. If no one is covering those in power -- and holding them accountable -corruption and a culture of impunity take root instead. That’s why it’s every citizen journalist’s mission to help get the word out.

9) Empathy

In business or in friendships, emotional intelligence matters. Journalism builds both.

Covering the news means talking to people from every walk of life, figuring out what makes them tick. Listening deeply means learning deeply.

What I’m calling “empathy” isn’t just some kind of new-age nonsense. Active, compassionate listening earns the trust of hidden sources who can break a story wide-open, and even prompts hardened celebrities to abandon canned responses for fresh revelations.

10) Empowerment

By pushing valid information out into the world, student reporters learn how to make their own voice heard. How to be effective. How to be clear. How to be creative. How to be thoughtful. How to stand up for others. How to stand up for themselves.

Bundle these ten reasons together, and you have a pretty strong argument for enrolling in Journalism 22A. But there’s one more reason I left out: learning to be a student journalist, and helping produce an award-winning campus newspaper, also happens to be fun. What could be more surprising, or more valuable, than that?

8) Defending Democracy

Freedom of the press is enshrined in the first amendment of the Constitution. As The Washington Post reminds us, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.”

Scott Lankford is an English Professor and co-instructor of journalism at Foothill College

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October 15, 2018

15

Queer visibility: The matter of unambiguous presentation

By Rebekah Smith Appearance and presentation are odd things, personal things but not wholly private. Multifaceted things; highly different when alone than when in public, visible to others, and further wrinkled when one is part of the LGBT community.

When it is visible to people, friends, classmates, any given person on the street, appearance ceases to be an inevitability that comes with owning a body, and becomes a crafted performance. The clothes one wears, the way one styles their hair, all affect the way they are perceived by others. In a benign sense, band shirts might clue in other fans that they’ve found a new friend. But just as easily as presentation can reveal a comrade, it can reveal a someone to avoid associating with.

Somehow, appearances do not seem to belong solely to the people they occupy and coat.

There are unspoken implications behind the aforementioned clothes and hair, what they are perceived to say about who one is. Along with these implications are suggestions, rather forceful ones, that float around in the sky and on the interwebs delineating what to wear and how to

wear it. For women these unspoken commandments are especially harsh and especially rigid, and non-conformity is often met with gossip – if not outright hostility. We must wear mascara.

We must tend our eyebrows. We should not walk around bare-faced. (Though, ‘bare-faced beauty’ does seem to be the latest trend.) If a woman’s appearance does not fit a certain mold she has ‘let herself go,’ and is a lightning rod for suspicion and boredom now that she is conspicuous.

But what determines these ever changing, and highly arguable, rules that govern women’s public appearance? And, assuming something does, why?

Though the rules themselves and the severity of their effects are absolutely debatable, the main source of them is not. Most would agree that it is simply: what men find most attractive.

Whether or not a given trend or expectation for women’s grooming habits is attractive to all men isn’t particularly relevant, as women feel pressured to present an image that is appealing to men regardless; and take cues from sources such as magazines, or news articles. Well sure, seems logical that women should desire to attract men for eventual romantic or sexual relationships. But what about women who want to attract women, and only women? Where do those implicit rules on presentation leave us? Torn, for

Join The

starters.

I’m a lesbian, but I still felt obligated until recently to present an image deemed attractive to men by the zeitgeist. Though I’m sure it was due in part to the compulsory heterosexuality all young lesbians, and all queer people, experience, presenting as conventionally pretty and feminine also came with very tangible perks that did their job at persuading me to leave my appearance unchanged. Kindness, attention, and the assumption of heterosexuality.

But as any queer person knows well, being perceived as straight can be as detrimental as it can be beneficial. Beneficial in that it allows one to pass under the radar, to avoid harassment both physical and mental. But detrimental in that it is stifling; stifling to have to deal with unwanted attraction of those one is not attracted to in kind. Detrimental also in that: it prevents easy identification at the hands, or eyes, I guess, of other queer people. In the sea of heteronormativity that is most queer adolescent’s lives, a like-minded community can be essential to our sanity. So then, keeping in mind straight passing still has its advantages, there is a choice to be made by queer people. To be seen, or not to be seen.

Well, there are many factors that sit like so many metaphorical weights on a set of equally

metaphorical scales that decide how visibly queer one chooses to be. One’s region, family, friends, even school to name just a few. And the key thing that ties together these factors, (sorry, my earlier metaphor has been abandoned; but picture some fishing weights tied together if you wish) is a queer person’s safety. Even more simply than that, our comfort. When choosing whether or not to lose a large part of my identity in the assumptions others make based on my appearance I had to decide, was it worth it?

Worth it, to hear comments like: “So, what happened to your hair?” and “Why won’t you let your hair grow? It’s so beautiful.” and “You’ve made your point with the skinhead look alright?

Enough.”

Worth it, to experience daily the sentiments that were always hovering just out of sight, out of reach, when I had presented less homosexually.

That my appearance, and my hair, does not belong to me. Are not for me. That the way I look is for the pleasure of men and not something that I own, something that I can use to express myself, something for women.

After nineteen years I’ve decided, yes. Yes, it is worth it.

Rebekah Smith is a contributor for The Script

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The Script

List of services on campus Foothill College student resources

A collected variety of resources available to Foothill students.

Financial Aid Office Room: 8101 Phone: 650.949.7245 https://foothill.edu/financialaid/

Health Services Room: 2126 Phone: 650.949.7243 https://foothill.edu/healthservices/

STEM Center Room: 4213 Phone: 650.949.7042 https://foothill.edu/stemcenter/

Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) Room: 8202 Phone: 650.949.7207 https://foothill.edu/eops/

Food Bank Room: 2016 Phone: 650.949.7551 foothill.edu/pantry/

Teaching & Learning Center Room: 3600 Phone: 659.949.7444 https://foothill.edu/tlc/

Psychological Services Room 2120 Phone: 650.949.7910 https://foothill.edu/psychservices/

Smart Shop Room: 2016 Phone: 650.949.7551 https://foothill.edu/smartshop/

Public Safety Room 2103 Phone: 650.949.7317 https://foothill.edu/emergency/

Bookstore Room: 2301 Phone: 650.949.7305 http://books.foothill.edu/

Admissions and Records Room: 8101 Phone: 650.949.7325 https://foothill.edu/reg/

Family Engagement Institute undocuALLY Room 5420 Phone: 650.949.7463 https://www.foothill.edu/fei/

Counseling Office Room: 2120 Phone: 650.949.7910 https://foothill.edu/counseling/

Veteran’s Resource Center Room 5403 Phone: 650.949.7912 https://foothill.edu/veterans/

Stanford Institute for Research in the Social Sciences Internship Program Phone: 650.724.5221 https://iriss.stanford.edu/centers-programs/rep/research-assistant-intern-program-community-college

Title IX Coordinator Room 8104 Phone: 650.949.7823 https://foothill.edu/titleix/

Campus Programs:

Disability Resource Center Room: 5400 Phone: 650.949.7017 https://foothill.edu/drc/ International Student Office Room: 1933 Phone: 650.949.7293 https://foothill.edu/international/

Transfer Center Room: 8329 Phone: 650.949.7821 https://foothill.edu/transfer/

Library Building 3500 Phone: 650.949.7611 / 650.949.7608 https://www.foothill.edu/library/ Honors Institute Room: Teaching and Learning Center https://foothill.edu/honors/

Associated Students of Foothill College Room: 2011 Phone: 650.949.7281 https://foothill.edu/asfc/ Inter Club Council Room: 2020 Phone: 650.949.7060 https://foothill.edu/campuslife/ club.php Community Ambassadors Program Room: 2150 Phone: 650.949.7807 https://foothill.edu/campuslife/ cap-workshops.php Pass the Torch Room: 3609 Phone: 650.949.7687 https://foothill.edu/torch/

Learning Communities:

Krause Center for Innovation Room: KCI, near Lot 4 Phone: (650) 949-7680 http://krauseinnovationcenter.org/

The Puente Project at Foothill College Room: 8302 Phone: 650.949.7428 https://foothill.edu/puente/

Student Run Organizations:

Umoja Room: 8302 https://foothill.edu/umoja/

The Script Room 3611 Phone: 650.949.7026 https://foothillscript.com/ contact@foothillscript.com

Sunnyvale Campus Resources Admissions & Records Main Entrance Area https://foothill.edu/sunnyvale/ student-services.html Counseling Room 109c https://foothill.edu/sunnyvale/ student-services.html Financial Aid Room 224 https://foothill.edu/sunnyvale/ student-services.html Media Center Room 211c https://foothill.edu/sunnyvale/ student-services.html Tutoring Room 211R Contact:SunnyvaleSRC@foothill. edu. https://foothill.edu/sunnyvale/ student-services.html