THE
BREEZE VOLUME 26 ISSUE 4
THEBREEZEONLINE.COM
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CHAFFEY BREEZE
OCTOBER 12, 2015
Calendar Monday, October 12, 26
Thursday, October 15
Friday, October 16
Sensible Housing Unit (SHU): Inside: The Counter Narrative Society’s “Sensible Housing Unit” installation will be held at the Wignall Museum of Contemporary Art from 12:30 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. The temporary installation will be facilitated by Chelsea Krob and the Counter Narrative Society.
Students Helping Students: Student Activities and ASCC will offer a Food Pantry at the Rancho Campus for registered Chaffey students. Students must bring their fal registration receipt as proof of enrollment. The pantry will begin at 1 p.m. For more information contact Students Activities at 909-652-6591.
Dance Student Showcase: The sixth annual student dance works showcase will feature new student choreography during an informal evening’s performance in CAA206 at 5 p.m.
Wednesday, October 14, 28
Friday, October 16, 25
Words + Art: A hands on workshop that utilizes the exhibition to create on-the-spot written works will be held at the Wignall Museum. The workshop will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The Miracle Worker: The Theatre Department will present “The Miracle Worker” directed by Christina El-Said. Tickets are available at (www.chaffey.edu/theatre_tickets), at the Chaffey Bookstore, or at the box office.
Editor-In-Chief Chris Salazar csalazar23@hotmail.com Managing Editor Sadie Gribbon Copy Editor Kristina Rocha Online Editor Erynn M. Affeldt Photo Editor Gina Duran Features Editor Jullian Aiden Bravo
Sunday, October 25 Trunk or Treat: The Chaffey Car Club will hold their annual Trunk or Treat from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the ATL parking lot located on the Rancho Campus. The public event will have games, candy and a haunted house.
News Editor Roberto Hernandez
Baseline Editor Joshua Arnao
Sports Editor Cody Warner
Staff Writers and Photographers Students of Journalism 30 & 31
Reviews Editor Hanajun Chung
General Manager Janet Trenier
Opinion Editor Erick Valenciano
Lab Tech Roberto Hernandez
A & E Editor Kyle Smith
Faculty Adviser Michelle Dowd Journalism Coordinator Neil Watkins
The Breeze is published up to eight times a semester by the journalism students at Chaffey Community College, 5885 Haven Ave., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91737. Telephone: 652-6934/6936. Opinions expressed in this publication are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff and should not be interpreted as the position of the Chaffey College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof. Letters and guest columns for or against any position are welcome. Letters should be kept as brief as possible (fewer than 300 words) and are subject to non-substantive editing according to guidelines established by the Associated Press. The Chaffey Breeze is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
OCTOBER 12, 2015
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CHAFFEY BREEZE
Letter From the Editor
CHRIS SALAZAR
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t’s unfortunate when individuals fail to grasp the nuances of fallacious reasoning. However, any diatribe against the intellectual shortcomings of an anonymous reader compelled to belittle the character of another is beyond the scope of this letter. Refer to Sadie’s column and Chaffey’s Instagram page in order to bring yourself up to speed. The abysmal news coverage of the Trans Pacific Partnership blows my mind. I have no answer for why major news stations continually fail to properly prioritize coverage. To be clear, it isn’t the case that I disapprove of reporting on natural disasters, but the floods in South Carolina are not worthy of twenty four hour report-
ing, when negotiations concerning a massive free-trade agreement looms on the horizon. It’s unfortunate how speculative the entire situation is. Who benefits from the Trans Pacific Partnership? American workers? Consumers? Taxpayers? I would think that the finely guarded draft, containing a provision, an increasingly common feature of trade agreements, called “Investor-State Dispute Settlement” (ISDS) that tilts the geopolitical game in favor of large, multinational corporations would ignite a tidal wave of civic participation. Again, this begs the question of what warrants coverage. Indeed, there is a real danger in not knowing what you don’t know.
I sincerely appreciate those of you who have submitted your opinions. However, let me lay down some ground rules: 1. Unless your opinion article has been approved by the editorial board, please opt to submit a Letter to the Editor instead. 2. Be concise and direct. One point either in support or refutation limited between 50 and 150 words. 3. Be sure to provide your name.
Correction In in the previous edition, volume 26 issue 3, we failed to properly credit Gina Duran as artist for her political cartoon accompanying Sabino Villanueva’s “An Open Letter to Trump” article
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
Contents News: 6. What You Need to Know Sports: 7. Will Run for Funds Opinion: 8. TPP: What’s That Trickling Down 10. Fraying the Whip 11. Out of Playoff Contention 12. Of Wrath and Tears Review: 14. Humanity in Science 15.Why is This Book Different?
OCTOBER 12, 2015
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
CHAFFEY BREEZE
NEWS
What You Need to Know ROBERTO HERNANDEZ
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A mass shooting befell Umpqua Community College in Oregon on Thursday Oct. 1. The shooting has left 10 dead including the shooter. Seven more were injured. Detectives Sgt. Joe Kaney and Todd Spingath arrived at the scene six minutes after the first 911 call. The two exchanged gunfire with the shooter, injuring him. He committed suicide immediately after the exchange. “The reporting is routine. My response here at this podium ends up being routine. The conversation in the aftermath of it. We’ve become numb to this,” said President Obama in an impromptu speech following the shooting. Sources: Associated Press, The Oregonian, LA Times, White House Brief
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A Historic trade deal among 12 pacific rim nations is in the process of being approved. The deal would affect roughly 40 percent of the world’s GDP (gross domestic product). If finalized, it would be the biggest trade accord in history. The Trans-Pacific Partnership aims to unite the US, as well as 11 other nations including Japan(see pg. 8). Source: The Economist, NPR
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The U.S. military has taken responsibility for a deadly airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Afghani-
stan. On Saturday, Oct. 3 at approximately 2 a.m., a U.S. AC-130 gunship bombarded the charitable hospital for approximately 30-45 minutes, killing at least 22, including 12 hospital staff members. President Obama personally apologized for the incident to the group’s president Meinie Nicolai on Wednesday. Nicolai said the president’s apology was “received.” “This event is utterly tragic, inexcusable and, possibly, even criminal,” said U.N. Rights Chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. Sources: Washington Post, NY Times, CNN
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6,000 inmates are set for early release by the Justice Department, making it the largest one-time release of federal prisoners ever. Last year the US Sentencing commission approved the reductiong of sentence times for nonviolent drug offenders, which qualifies up to 46,000 prisoners for early release. This comes as part of an ongoing prison reform effort that aims to reduce overcrowding and lessen overly-harsh punishments for nonviolent offenders. The inmates will be released between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2. Approximately two-thirds will go to halfway houses before ––supervised release. The other third are set to be deported.
Sources: BBC, Washington Post.
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President Obama has declared a state of emergency in response to a devastating flood in South Carolina that has left 14 dead so far. The historic rainfall has been described as being “once in a millenium.” On one day alone, rainfall was as high as 24.23 inches. Sources: The Weather Channel, Washington Post
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CHAFFEY BREEZE
SPORTS
Will Run For Funds DECHANNE LANE
T
he O’Bannon v. NCAA case ruling generated hope amongst numerous collegiate basketball and football players. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in August that colleges could begin offering their basketball and football players $5,000 a year in deferred payments, which would be accessible upon graduation. This decision was a victory for student athletes everywhere, some of whom are the key components for their schools in the billion dollar college sports’ industry. Former players agree they are entitled to some sort of payment for their contributions and the use of their likeness. However, those players will have to wait. An appeals court overturned Judge Wilken’s ruling Sept. 30, 2015, using a statute that aims to preserve amateurism in college sports. NCAA agrees with the judgement, stressing that schools should not be mandated to pay athletes beyond the full cost of attendance. According to the NCAA, as collegiate athletes, academics must come first. Bruce Jones, a former cornerback for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, disagrees. “We had practice every day, and in between my football I would fit in my classes,” said Jones. His football schedule consisted of a 5:45 a.m. workout with the team, film at 1 p.m. and running drills at 3 p.m. They have walk-throughs, the equivalent of a dress rehearsal, on Fridays and game days are Saturdays. A couple of years into his college football career, Jones realized his schedule did not lend itself to acquiring a degree in his major of choice.
His commitment to the team left him without the time needed to complete the units required to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. In order to graduate within the time allotted by his scholarship, Jones changed his major to general studies, which is a degree that consists of three minors. Jones recalls forcing himself to stay awake in classes while attempting to retain the information: “Through my four years in college, football was my life and I didn’t get a chance to intern anywhere or gain experience in the workforce. I feel like when it was over, I was basically kicked out onto the streets with no money.”
“I feel like when it was over, I was basically kicked out onto the streets with no money.” According to collegedata. com, the cost of attendance at Texas Tech University for an out of state student is estimated at $35,292 per year. In comparison, the current head coach, Kliff Kingsbury, has an annual salary of $3.1 million. Meanwhile, the football program brought in a revenue
upwards of $16 million in the 20132014 school year alone. Leaving Jones with a feasible argument, stating the disparity between the students and the universities. When his college football career ended and he was not drafted into the NFL, Jones spent his last year at Texas Tech making up failed classes in order to graduate. With his schedule no longer dominated by football, Jones was able to find a job as a car salesman. Today, Jones says he makes a modest living selling cars, but has yet to put his degree to use.
In 1985-86, the NCAA discovered the Southern Methodist University football players received money under the table for playing football. 13 players received $47,000 during the season, a violation under NCAA rules. Due to the heavy sanctions, SMU missed the following two seasons.
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
OPINION
TPP: What’s That Trickling Down? CALVIN HUANG
T
he Trans-Pacific Partnership is an expansive trade deal that’s been in negotiation since 2008 between 12 nations which, combined, encompass 36% of the global GDP. On top of that, the TPP is incredibly expansive in scope, with provisions on tariffs, labor rights, environmental regulations, medicine, intellectual property rights and investor protection. It generally tries to bring regulatory coherence between all member nations. Yet, despite the enormous implications of the trade deal, most Americans have never heard of it, much less know anything about its content. Of course, this is by design. In the past, leaked drafts of ongoing trade deals have caused negotiations to collapse — most notably the Free Trade Area of the Americas, an abortive trade agreement which would have reduced trade barriers among all countries in the Americas, excluding Cuba. So what does the TPP mean for you? The TPP has been nicknamed NAFTA on steroids, which is appropriate in some respects. The TPP is, after all, a free trade agreement designed to promote international trade and modeled largely on the principles of neoliberal globalization. In the traditional mercantilist worldview, each nation is in economic competition with one another in a zero-sum game. Trade balance (the ratio of exports to imports) determines how well each
nation is doing economically, and so each nation has an incentive to raise protectionist tariffs and other trade barriers to give their domestic economies an edge while handicapping competing foreign businesses. The more modern view is that trade isn’t a zero-sum game and that all nations can in fact benefit collectively from increased trade. So if China has an absolute advantage in manufacturing and the U.S. has a relative advantage in information services, then it makes economic sense for the U.S. to outsource manufacturing to China and focus on information services, which the U.S. has a great competitive advantage in. Both nations can direct their domestic economic activities to areas that they’re more efficient at and maximize economic output. Additionally, trade agreements also encourage foreign direct investment by protecting foreign investment and simultaneously stimulating domestic economic growth. This all sounds quite good so far, so why would anyone be against free trade? As usual, the devil’s in the details. Analysis on the effects of NAFTA eleven years on could shed light on the apprehension TPP opponents and anti-globalization activists have towards the latest mega trade deal. Trade between NAFTA countries has in fact increased enormously over the past decade and, on the whole, it has been a boon to the U.S. economy. However, there have also been sig-
nificant costs to these economic gains, and the gains and losses have not been distributed evenly across industries or socioeconomic classes.
“The TPP has been nicknamed NAFTA on steriods...” For example, Mexico has experienced a 435-percent increase in foreign direct investment induced by NAFTA, particularly in the creation of maquiladoras, manufacturing plants located along the border which import tariff- and duty-free components from the U.S., assemble them and then re-export them back to the U.S. to be sold. This has reduced manufacturing costs for U.S. companies, therefore reducing prices for consumers and keeping U.S. products more competitive internationally while creating manufacturing jobs in Mexico. The flip side of this is that the U.S. manufacturing sector has lost an equal number of jobs as well as seen real wages driven down and the collective bargaining power of labor unions reduced. Furthermore, the anticipated creation of a new Mexican middle-class has failed to materialize. Instead, ma-
OCTOBER 12, 2015
quiladoras have created overpopulated slums in border towns with high living costs for the Mexican workers who moved to north for these new employment opportunities. In all, the largest beneficiaries of the deal have been large trans-national manufacturers who can exploit cheap outsourced labor and benefit from reduced tariffs while small businesses and manufacturing workers have generally been hurt by the agreement. This is but one facet of the tension between the “free trade” and “fair trade” movements, but it encapsulates the most common arguments for and against such trade deals. The problem is the TPP is much more expansive than NAFTA. It’s more controversial clauses include aggressive expansion of intellectual property (IP) rights and enforcement, requiring members to extend copyright terms, put greater restriction on fair use, force governments to rewrite their copyright laws and adopt an aggressive DMCA-style IP protection model that criminalizes non-commercial infringement and end-user modification of their electronic devices (such as jailbreaking an iPhone to run non-Apple-approved software or modifying the firmware on farm vehicles to allow for self-servicing) and infringe on Internet users’ freedoms and privacy in the name of protecting IP rights. Additionally, leaked sections of previous drafts have included controversial provisions that may create new threats for journalists and whistleblowers by enacting “harsh criminal punishments against anyone who reveals or even accesses information through a ‘computer system’ that is allegedly confidential.” A current example of this type of prosecution is the case of Deric Lostutter, the “hackistivst” who exposed the Steubenville rape coverup by relaying tweets and social media posts
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which revealed details of the rape, but were considered unlawfully obtained by authorities. As a result, Lostutter is now facing a 10-year sentence if convicted, which is a greater penalty than faced by any of the actual rapists. If the TPP’s provisions on IP protection are enacted, then this type of prosecution would be entrenched in the legal system of not just the U.S., but of 11 other nations, many of whom have much more progressive legislative models. Another contentious point in the TPP details that have been revealed thus far pertain to investor state dispute settlements (ISDS), which enable foreign corporations to sue governments for local laws, policies or court decisions that hurt the interests of the foreign corporation. For example, in 2009, Cargill Inc. successfully sued the Mexican government for imposing taxes and strict import requirements for high fructose corn syrup. The lawsuit was enabled by NAFTA’s Investor-State Arbitration clause, and the Mexican government was forced to pay Cargill Inc. $77 million for favoring Mexico’s domestic sugar industry over U.S.-imported high-fructose corn syrup. To be fair, the Obama administration has included a much more diverse collection of civilian advisors to the TPP negotiations. Such advisors often have access to parts of the trade agreement and give input to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), the official U.S. negotiators for the agreement. Representatives from numerous labor unions, the WWF, Oceana and other interest groups traditionally opposed to free trade agreements are listed among the USTR’s advisors. However, critics of the TPP still say that the deal is a legislative giveaway to large corporations like Monsanto, Halliburton, Hershey’s, Lockheed Martin, MasterCard, Roark Capital Group, as well as industry lobbyists
like the Business Software Alliance (a pro-software-IP trade association), the MPAA and RIAA. Some of the civilian advisors, such as the AFLCIO, have also complained that while they’re free to give input and have met with negotiators numerous times, they still aren’t being listened to in formulating the terms of the deal. So, even though the primary interests being pursued in the trade deal are those of large conglomerates and major industries, will the benefits to major economic players eventually trickle down to workers and middle-class Americans? Or is there another large sucking sound slowly ramping up in the background?
TPP MEMBERS • Australia • Canada • Japan • Malaysia • Mexico • Peru • U.S. • Vietnam • Chile • Brunei • Singapore • New Zealand
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
CHAFFEY BREEZE
OPINION
Fraying the Whip
SADIE GRIBBON
A
lthough the whip may hit its target, the wielder risks getting hurt by the return of the whip’s stroke. “I Am That Statistic” drew backlash, some of which was extremely harsh and some of which was gratifying. Some people decided to take the entire column out of context by going off on a Margaret Sanger tangent, which was irrelevant to the column as a whole. It’s an ad hominem fallacy to base the beliefs of an organization off of the person who started it almost 100 years ago. For the cowardly person who wouldn’t write their name on the “response” to my column, your piece was not run in our paper because you didn’t acknowledge your identity. If I can put my face on the cover of a paper, the least you could do is write your name on yours. That is all of the space I am willing to give a recreant in this column. To everyone else who responded, had a conversation, or even argued about my column, thank you. I will try to respond to the conflicts and questions that arose out of my latest column: Being “accused” of having an abortion and being criticized for something I have not done made me stand even taller by my column, as I felt a tinge of the discrimination women in that situation feel.
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Sex Columnist chaffeysextalk@gmail.com If you read the column, you would know that I did not have an abortion. Even if I did, who do people think they are to tell me what to do with my body? Should we go back to the pre-nineteenth amendment era and tell women they shouldn’t be able to have a hand in government either? After feeling just a pinch of the discrimination that these women have felt, I couldn’t help but wonder why abortion is whispered between other women and shouted from the naive lips of the Republican who praises an “omni-benevolent” God. Everyone seemed to have an opinion one way or the other. For the people who learned from my column or shifted their ideas on what Planned Parenthood(PP) actually is, that was one of my goals. For those who don’t agree with me, you have that right, the same way a woman has a right to her own body. If you have a problem with me writing about it then do something instead of complaining; write your name on a piece of paper. A Liberal, yet not a feminist was incomprehensible to some. I angered feminists for not calling myself one as well. For that, I cannot apologize. I don’t ask a feminist why they are a feminist, so I don’t expect to be attacked for having a different view. I have liberal ideals, but was raised
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by the opposing side. I have seen both sides and try to step into the middle, but it is impossible to teeter anywhere close to the right side with such a blatantly clear answer; women should have the choice to choose what they do with their own bodies. I’ve become even more dismayed by the women who don’t stand by other women, as if we don’t have enough barriers to break down. The backlash from women was the most painful of all. It is possible to believe in gender equality while not labeling myself as a feminist. My anthropology teacher said to me “I think you’re a feminist” in the nicest way possible, but I just don’t feel the need to label myself. I don’t like to be labeled. I have been given these crinkled name tags all of my life; feminist, liberal, baby-killer, slut, dumb blonde, bimbo, whatever. I refuse to label myself when everyone else is already doing it. It seems to distract from the conversation. I respect women and I respect men. I don’t need to categorize that. If you believe in something, you don’t need to try and contort your amazing mind into these tiny, labeled boxes. There is always going to be backlash. I refuse to view it negatively. I live for the backlash, because it means that I was the person holding the whip.
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
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OPINION
Out of Playoff Contention
KYLE SMITH Sports Columnist
H
earts have been broken. I know mine is. If you love a baseball team from somewhere other than Texas or Canada, it is likely that your heart has been broken too. After 162 regular season games and a Wild Card game in each league, only eight out of the 30 Major League Baseball teams remain with hopes of becoming 2015 World Champions. Among the 22 that did not make the Divisional Round of the playoffs sit the most disappointing teams in MLB. The Detroit Tigers began the season with David Price and Yoenis Cespedes. They were set and ready to win the American League Central Division for the fourth straight year. Except, they weren’t. Underproduction from hitters and an early injury to Justin Verlander set the tone for the rest of their season. Price and Cespedes were traded away and have since lead their new teams into the postseason. The Seattle Mariners have been the “up and coming” team for a couple years now. After acquiring Robinson Cano before the 2014 season, they finished third in their division and Cano was fifth in MVP voting. 2015 looked promising for the Mariners and preseason predictions put them on top of the West. This year did not go as planned because Cano under performed and brought his team down with him. Nelson Cruz was the only
life to the team that finished 10 games below .500 and 12 games behind the division winning Rangers. Yuck. The Mariners got Cano in hopes of giving the team an offensive boost. A veteran guy in the club house was supposed to help team grow, but this year the second-baseman held them down in the standings.
“Whether the team you have loved . . . is in the running or not, the playoffs will be fun.” The Washington Nationals finished the season with an above .500 record, but they deserve a mention because of the Harper/Papelbon altercation that perfectly represents their frustrating season full of injuries and under-achievement. Although starting pitchers did not pitch as well as expected, the injuries to Jayson Werth and Anthony Rondon that left Washington’s season up to Bryce Harper’s bat is what ended their season and
made Harper so unhappy. The Los Angeles Angels of Ana heim — the team my friends and I were certain was playoff-bound— sadly was not. After finishing the first half of the season brilliantly in the month of June, the Angels sat comfortably in first place of the American League West and watched Mike Trout become the first player in history to win back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards. They played progressively poorer as the season continued, and fell to third place during August; the same month in which Mike Trout put up the worst numbers of his career. They eventually turned around and had more wins and fewer losses in the last 30 games than any other team, but losing their last and most important game of the year to the Rangers ended postseason hopes. The problem with the Angels in 2015 was this: they couldn’t win when Trout didn’t play like the star he is expected to be. If your team is on this list, I know your pain. Whether the team you have loved since before you really understood baseball is in the running or not, the playoffs will be fun. And I mean, how upset can you really be when the Yankees aren’t in the brackets?
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
CHAFFEY BREEZE
OPINION
Of Wrath and Tears ISREAL GUERRA
I
remember staring at my reflection, and not recognizing the savage wounded animal staring back. His name was gone, in its place was a number. The warmth from his veins had frozen over from the deep chill that lingered within those four cement walls. His knuckles were bloody and scarred, but he could not remember if it was from what he had done to another inmate or from mindlessly beating the cement wall. His eyes were hollow and desolate. The same ones, that on the first night flowed like rivers, now were a barren void that seemed to slip farther and farther away with each crash of the freezing solid metal bars locking into place, reminding him that he was no longer human and therefore had no freedom. I hadn’t seen the sun in 4 days. They’re required to take you outside at least once every week, and that’s exactly what they did: one hour of sun. Scorching fire raining down on you. Another cement box, with a wire cage atop. A metal toilet in the corner
and not a single sliver of shade to save you from the scorch. And once you were out, you had to remain for the full hour. At one point I decided not to fight it anymore and just laid on the ground shirtless and let the fire lick at my flesh. I forgot where I was as the sun and I became better acquainted. I began to loathe the sun. I would much rather remain in my freezing concrete box than suffer the scorch any more. I could not decide which drove me more insane. The food was shit. Shit on rice every day. One time I had maggots in my shit. When I brought it up, the guards simply said it was extra protein. They actually started to look appetizing. One of the privileges that had been stripped away was time. I had a lot of it in here, but I never knew what time it actually was. This drove me insane the most. I slowly began to accept that time is just something humans made up to know when something is appropriate to do or not. One night we all laid in our bunks, and started to talk about what we missed most. Some mentioned fami-
ly, others drinking and drugs, but we all agreed on carne asada fries. My mouth began to drip like a waterfall and my insides sounded like they were waging war against themselves. For once I felt like it wasn’t that bad. It was calm. Then a storm hit. 15 officers came in screaming, some with weapons. The lights blared and everyone rushed to hide contraband. Blinded and confused, I was ripped from my bunk and thrown to the floor. My face was pressed against the concrete wall I called my friend, my hands around my back and sitting on my knees. My ribs were on fire as he pressed against them with his entire body weight. I gasped for air, wheezing that I couldn’t breathe. He laughed. With a painful breath I said “I have broken ribs.” Suddenly he cared. Even apologized. I wanted to say fuck you, but I couldn’t even catch my breath. 47 of the 90 inmates in that dorm were shoved onto buses and vans and transferred to different county jails
OCTOBER 12, 2015
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Photo Illustration by Roberto Hernandez that night. I was on one of those vans. I had no idea where I would be re-located. I had heard rumors of a jail named Adelanto, in the middle of the desert and the politics within gangs was very strict. Riots were common. Another jail was C.D.C. no one ever wanted to talk about C.D.C. I whispered to an inmate from my gang to ask for me, because my ribs were still on fire. All he said was that I’d be seeing the stars tonight. It had been a while since I heard music. And although I was exhausted and in pain, thrown into the back of a van with no air-conditioning and shackled to two other inmates practically breathing down my neck, all I heard was music. I embraced it. I shut everything out around me and focused on every sweet note and every inflection in the singer’s voice. Music brought back sweet memories and hopeful day dreams. Then the music stopped. And reality grasped me by the neck once again and ripped me
from the only thing left that kept me human. Glen Helen County Jail was in the process of becoming a county prison when I was transferred. There were certain toilets you could not use because of staff infection outbreaks or general negligence. I became used to shitting with everyone staring at me and showering in a group of people. I guess I simply accepted that privacy was not a luxury I owned anymore. The higher I rose in the gang hierarchy, the more fights I was a part of, the more I lusted to become the most savage so I would be respected, the farther away I drifted from who I was. I did not recognize this monster, nor did I care. I welcomed him. I fed him though he was always hungry for more. I was a swallower of anger. The bullet in a loaded gun. I ran illegal contraband and was proud of my intricate system I developed to survive. I saw nothing but absolutes. I was at war with God, Faith and myself. Then
one day, I had a visitor. I could feel my insides rotting as they tried to purge themselves through my eyes. My baby sister’s hand on the glass. She was sobbing uncontrollably. We hadn’t spoken a single word, but her eyes spoke novels. As I placed my hand on the glass atop hers, I could feel the warmth through the glass. Physics might argue, but I know what I felt. Within the darkness that I had been dwelling in for so long, suddenly there was an ember of light. And I huddled close around it to warm my soul. Water flowed from my eyes uncontrollably. Anger and hate and fear that I had bottled deep within me was purging itself from my eyes. My heart was shattering and rebuilding itself all at once. Fifteen minutes, and the only words spoken were her soft “I love you.” I couldn’t even speak. And with a sudden crash of frozen metal barred doors, condemning my soul once more, I was alone.
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OCTOBER 12, 2015
CHAFFEY BREEZE
REVIEW
Humanity in Science HANAJUN CHUNG
I
n 1979, Sir Ridley Scott delivered isolation, horror and claustrophobia with “Alien,” capitalizing on the promise that in space no one can hear you scream. With “The Martian,” he delivers the same three elements from his 1979 classic, down to the problem-solving nature of the plot and characters. Yet, this time there is no nightmarishly phallic monster threatening our hero. Time is this stranded astronaut’s greatest adversary — something he can’t conveniently eject out of an airlock. It’s nothing like being stranded on a deserted island with a volleyball. Mars takes the idea to a another level. It’s a dire situation, but not a hopeless one — hope being the key to this film’s success. “The Martian” is an outstanding piece of cinema that’s inspiring, thought-provoking and incredibly hopeful. It’s one of those rare films that has the power to really affect audiences in significant ways. Astronaut and botanist Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is separated from his crew by a sandstorm during a mission to Mars. Presumed dead and left by his crew, he wakes up the following day severely injured. With communications disabled and resources limited, Watney must somehow regain contact with NASA and his crew, while also trying to figure out how to sustain himself until rescue arrives. Scott, Damon and writer Drew Goddard make Watney’s tenacious time on Mars one that’s both serious
Courtesy of Scott Free / 20th Century Fox and fun. Goddard’s script strikes a fine balance between humor and seriousness. Scott and Damon cleverly shoot the character’s trials and experiments in a way that makes Watney fully dimensional and directly engages the audience. It’s wonderfully directed, echoing the fantastic special effects and set-design from great space films such as “Gravity,” or “2001: A Space Odyssey.” It’s all gorgeously shot, even the scenes on Earth. The moments involving NASA aren’t as imaginative as the Mars sequences, but the ensemble cast of today’s finest actors — Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiafor, Sean Bean and Kristen Wiig — retain the tonal balance, making their predicament as important and consequential to Wat-
ney’s situation. “The Martian” is affecting on a profound level. Every triumph and setback makes us root for everyone. The film leaves the audience with an important message regarding knowledge, collaboration and hope. It inspires viewers to not only engage in the sciences, but understand the humanity within the study. It might not inspire everyone to become astronauts, but it might be enough towards making a monumental difference. It’s a film for and about the future — one in which we work beyond ourselves to save each other.
Overall: A
OCTOBER 12, 2015
15
CHAFFEY BREEZE
REVIEW
Why is this Book Different? CARI MAK
L
emony Snicket’s “All the Wrong Questions” series draws to a close in the fourth installment entitled “Why Is This Night Different from All Other Nights?”. It all begins with a train, and picks up steam quickly when a ghastly murder is committed. It is up to young Lemony Snicket to find the murderer, stop the nefarious Hangfire, and save the town of Stain’d-by-theSea from becoming a mere smudge on the corner of some map. With the help of his ad hoc group of volunteers, they just might stand a chance on seeing the night through to the next day. The plot twists and turns like a slithering serpent, and is masterfully written in the way that only Lemony Snicket can. I found this book to be charming. Like all of Snicket’s work, the book is marketed towards children, but has a maturity that can appeal to all ages. Snicket never patronizes his audience, which is what is so great about him. Many writers of young adult and children’s literature take for granted that their young readers are capable of understanding deeper themes and darker material, but Snicket always pulls through. In the midst of the caustic humour and absurd allusions he presents a locked-room mystery. A good man is murdered for no good reason in the prison carriage of the train, with no way in and no way out. It is gruesome, and as the scene was described I got a little chill down my spine. He presents
death as it is: dark, tragic, and sometimes bloody — without getting carried away. As the plot goes on, the audience will be reunited with the mysterious Ellington Feint, the young femme fatale. She is a prime example of how well Snicket is able to engineer characters that are multi-faceted. On one hand Feint is kind, enigmatic and intelligent, but she is also deceitful and often disappoints young Snicket and the audience time and time again. She is given the opportunity to redeem herself and fight for all that is good and literate in this world, but more often than not her own selfish need to save her father clouds her judgment. I think it is especially important to have characters like these in children’s novels; young minds need to be presented with the idea that people are not wholly good or evil. Human beings have layers and they make choices that can benefit others or themselves or no one. This doesn’t make them a bad person, merely flawed and a flawed character is much more interesting than a flat, static, wholly good or bad one. With many mysteries solved and a few surprises, there are also many new unanswered questions that are posed by the end of the novel. Fans of his other series, “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” will know that for as many questions answered, Snicket gives several others that are not. This kind of brain teasing is the only short-coming, and even then I almost respect it. It is
Courtesy of Brown Book just the way he created this world: a mysterious place that cannot be completely transparent. Some questions in life will remain unanswered, leaving you only to speculate and spend many sleepless nights pondering these thought-provoking quandaries. If you are a member of the cult of Lemony Snicket this is a book that you cannot miss as it adds new pieces of information to the Snicket canon and it is just an enjoyable read all around.
Overall: A-
16
OCTOBER 12, 2015
CHAFFEY BREEZE
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