THE SKYLINE VIEW The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, Calif.
March 23, 2022
theskylineview.com
Issue 2
California drops indoor student mask mandate The San Mateo County Community College District is still requiring masks for students and faculty
By Steven Rissotto Editor-In-Chief
Students and staff in California are no longer required to wear masks indoors at school regardless of vaccination status as of March 12. Although the mandate is now abolished, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other health experts around the state are still heavily recommending masks in child care facilities and K-12 schools. Individual school districts and county health departments are allowed to defy the development and continue with their protocols. The San Mateo County Community College District schools are among the few around the state that still have masking requirements for indoor operations. As a result, employees, students, and visitors will still be required to wear a mask in all indoor settings on district property, regardless of vaccination status. The district said in February that they would continue to stay the course and allow for the appropriate time to consult with stakeholder groups and discuss policy with the board of trustees. San Mateo County lifted most indoor mask restrictions on Feb. 16. “From what I know, most students prefer masks,” said Ashley Garcia, the district’s student trustee. “However, many students don’t. I think given the statistics
vaccination rate among residents ages 18-49, according to the county’s COVID-19 data The county’s rate is 87.1%, strong enough for fourth among other counties in the state. Diana Renteria is a psychology major at Skyline College and welcomes any path the district decides to take on face-coverings. “I mean, I personally don’t really mind because I’ve gotten used to wearing a mask,” Renteria said. “So whatever they choose I really don’t mind. They’ve stopped the spread during the return to campus.” Skyline College, College of San Mateo, and Cañada College will continue to have surgical and N95 masks available at the entrance of each building.
Ama Bayar/The Skyline View
Three Skyline students sport masks as the mandate continues to be in-place.
and policies set by the county, that it would make sense to move towards an optional mask mandate, it seems like a reasonable compromise.” Garcia says she will be contacting the student governments of Skyline College, the College of San Mateo, and Cañada College before the upcoming board meeting on March 23. “Another idea I will be sharing with the board is that students should be given a heads-up on the decision and that it doesn’t take place the
day after the board meeting but a week or two after,” Garcia said. She also notes the possible pushback from students regarding the issue. “This will cause some frustration, however, I believe there is a big majority of students who are ready for this,” Garcia said. “But I believe this should only be put in place if the polls show this.” San Francisco State University (SFSU) and San Jose State University (SJSU) are both still requiring students to wear masks. SJSU’s continuation of the mandate comes after a March 1 letter
from Interim President Steve Perez. “Today, I’m asking for your patience,” Perez wrote to the school’s community. “Although Santa Clara County is discontinuing its indoor mask requirement, we will keep ours in effect until further notice. Like you, I will welcome the opportunity to pull off the mask and once again see smiles across our campus. That day will come if we are careful now.” As of March 14, San Mateo County now has a 95.5%
Ama Bayar/The Skyline View
One student decided to have fun with the mask mandate.
Experts predict huge earthquake to hit Bay Area at any moment The Hayward fault line is a main target for the next big jolt By Steven Rissotto Editor-in-chief
Experts around the country are warning that a large earthquake could strike the Bay Area at any given moment. According to a recent report in USA Today, scientists have created a hypothetical scenario to prepare residents for a jolt along the Hayward fault line, a location they describe as an “inevitable” victim of the next big California earthquake. The last one to occur at this fault line was in 1868 when an estimated magnitude of 6.8 rocked the region. Since the notion remains that California is “due” for its next big earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is now predicting a 51% chance that a major blast can rock the state within the next three decades. USGS also says there is a 75% chance that Los Angeles is affected by a separate quake around the same time as the expected one in the Bay Area. Since the Bay Area is home to a high population, such an event would most likely result in hundreds of deaths and possibly north of $100 million worth in damages, the USGS reports. As a result, the importance of remaining ready can’t be any more important for residents living in
Skyline’s campus is located along the San Andreas Fault line.
the area. “We can’t really predict earthquakes yet but we can look at the history of an area,” said Christine Hansell, a geography instructor at Skyline College. “When we say a big earthquake is ‘expected,’ we mean that there is likely to be a larger earthquake according to the historic patterns we have seen.” Nidhi Patel, an assistant professor at Skyline’s earth sciences department, says earthquakes can cause a lot of damage to infrastructure and that can lead to landslides, rock avalanches and tsunamis.
“Earthquakes are prominent in the western United States because the western United States is an active margin and lies along the boundaries of major tectonic plates,” Patel said. “The faults on the East Coast are less active and lie within one plate.” Skyline’s campus is located along the San Andreas Fault line, an 800 mile stretch off the coast from the Northern cities in California down to San Diego. According to the campus security guide, students located inside are urged to stay put, drop, cover and hold on. Desks and tables are recommended objects to station under while the district’s public
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safety department warns against standing near doors. “We know that the area around Skyline is on several active faults, so we can assume that there will continue to be earthquakes here,” Hansell said. “That being said, we are learning more about earthquakes all the time, and may soon have some ways to have more specific predictions.” Hansell notes that earthquakes are among the few natural disasters that can’t hurt someone unless something falls on them. She says it’s important to be on the look-
out for items — like bookcases — that have a high possibility of falling down. She also notes the importance of turning off gas after a major earthquake and being prepared with a kit if major damage occurs. “Emergency kits should have a three-day supply of food and water for each of the members of your household, and any pets,” Hansell said. “It’s also a good idea to have three days of any medication you take. Other important items include: a first aid kit, a flashlight, a radio, and batteries for both, sturdy shoes, a non-electric can opener, and some cash and credit cards.”