The Viewpoint magazine

Viewpoint Staff Editor in chief Michelle Kelly

Cover illustrator Dave Newlands

Managing editors Josh Collier Jeanita Lyman Julianna Leon Steve Perotti

Contributors Miguel Garcia Laurel B. Lujan Sarah Marasigan Max Maller

Terence Scott Katelyn Payne Erin Perry Erica Hernandez Angelica Fregoso

Want more news? www.theskylineview.com Or maybe you have news for us?

(650) 738-4377 Want to yell at us? theskylineview@gmail.com Or use snail mail: The Skyline View c/o Language Arts Room 8-8110 Skyline College 3300 College Drive

Dreamt is the only word that ends in a-m-t.

The Skyline View is a First Amendment Publication. The Skyline View is published biweekly during the spring and fall semesters by the journalism students at Skyline College. The Skyline View is a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges. Opinions expressed in the paper are those of the writers and should not be interpreted as the views of Skyline College, SMCCCD, the faculty, administrators or the newspaper adviser. Additionally, the paper does not endorse any of the products or services advertised.

The Skyline View welcomes Letters to the Editors; letters must include full name, address, and phone number for verification.

With 1,025,108 other words in the English language, what are the odds? One in 1,025,109, actually. Learn even more earning a bachelor’s degree at National University. Online.

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Contents The impact of social media on job prospects Depression in college students

Graduation rates

The future of green constuction at Skyline

9Meet Florentino 20Degree16 but no job

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Living at Artistry unearthed Tales of recruitment home

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Editor’s note Introducing the Viewpoint In your hands you’re holding the Skyline journalism department’s first-ever magazine.

Our school newspaper, The Skyline View, has been in print for almost 20 years and to finish off the 2015 spring semester, The Skyline View staff took on the task of creating the Viewpoint magazine.

At first a feat this large seemed insurmountable, but as we’ve come together on this project I feel that we’ve all learned a great deal. Being a newspaper staff, the magazine was something of a new concept to us, one that we had very little experience with. We assigned longform stories on perpetually interesting topics that we hope readers will find interesting now and a year from now.

This magazine is our opportunity to showcase student life in a way that we haven’t done before. We are able to cover what it’s like to be a community college student in this day and age, what it’s like to post something on Facebook and feel the consequences, as well as the effects of living at home. I feel that incorporating a magazine into our coverage of the Skyline campus will allow us to go more in-depth into stories important to the campus community, and this debut issue is just the beginning of what’s to come.

San FranciSco PeninSula

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eST. 1851

Transfer this fall.

We’ll show you how.

Our smaller, private college may be just what you’re looking for.

Summer open houSe

June 5 or July 10 1-3 pm RSVP nOw ndnu.edu/ugevents (650) 508-3600

Our agreement with Skyline gives you flexibility.

■ Finish your bachelors on time ■ Scholarships/financing options ■ Start fall or spring ■ Minimum units/AA not required

Michelle Kelly Editor in chief

Not for profit. 1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont CA

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From big world to back home Although young people long for autonomy, many find it’s more practical to move back in with their parents in today’s uncertain economic landscape

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By Katelyn Payne

financial stability, a desire to further their education, and being unmarried. any prospective Skyline student Alexa young college students dream Lomongsod, a UC Berkeley of using college as a platform to graduate who moved back in with move out on their own and gain independence from their parents. her parents last August, says her family moved into a different However, some find that moving house and it was a hard transition back home is better for a variety of reasons, although there can be to be in a new place.

“It was like a new place, a stigma associated with it. coming back to a different place, There are many different but coming back under living reasons for students to move under my parents,” Lomongsod back in with their parents. Some said. “That was a hard transition could simply be homesick while because I was used to living on others suffer from financial my own.” instability. Additionally, some Another student, Katie Lee, students might be lucky enough moved out in August of 2008 to have family who live in close proximity to community colleges to attend UC Irvine. She came or universities, which gives them back home in 2013 and is now another reason to live at home or at Skyline to take prerequisite courses for graduate school, and move back to their hometown. her family wanted her back due According to a recent study to issues that were going on at the conducted by cbsnews.com, 36 time. She says it was hard for her percent of young adults who are living with their parents from the to transition being back home as age of 18 to 31 have either moved well.

“It was such an interesting back in or never left home. transition,” Lee said. “I think I The main reasons were lack of

Photo by Angelica Fregoso

Photo by Angelica Fregoso

felt like I didn’t have the same who is in their late 20’s or early support system that I had back in 30’s.

Communication is also a college.” significant factor for people in Her parents gave her room to this age group, because it can her brother when she moved out, be difficult when a student is 30 but let her have it back when years old and still has to follow she came home with most of her their parent’s rules, even though things still in her room. they are not children.

This can Many people who move back cause tension, since students in with their parents may often go back to their old childhood rooms want to be respectful yet also and stay there for however long, independent. while they try to get back on their Overall though, it’s not unusual feet. Nostalgia could be a factor for young people to move back into whether or not young people home. It all depends on the move back in with their parents. person and the situation at hand.

There might be some concern Many young people might move for some people who move back back in until they can move in and stay with their parents for out and provide for themselves a while, depending on their age again. As a student, being able group. It’s seen as normal for a to recognize your role and being person in their early 20’s to settle able to communicate with your in with their parents for a while, family will better help you towards becoming an adult. as opposed to maybe someone

Some things change and some things stay the same when students move back home. For many, their childhood bedrooms are like a time capsule.

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uilding an extensive and solid communal foundation is the focus of Skyline College’s Outreach and Admission’s program. One man in particular has become the face of this mission.

According to the program’s overview page on the Skyline College website, there are a handful of resources and opportunities offered to students to make the transition into college richer.

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“Skyline College is here to make your transition from high school to college easy,” the opening statement reads.

There are three primary options the program offers to aid in the transition: the College Connection Concurrent Enrollment Program, the Priority Enrollment Program, and the Jump Start Program. Each of these services aid students in their transfer process and ultimate academic success.

Florentino

Ubungen

Meet the new face of Skyline College Article by Erin Perry Photos by Max Maller

These programs don’t advertise themselves however, and the Outreach Program has designed a way to reach the high school students who could be benefitting from these services.

The tactic: Florentino Ubungen.

Ubungen is the Outreach Coordinator, and in turn, has become the face of Skyline.

“I am the college rep,” Ubungen said. “I speak on behalf of the college if need be.”

This introduction sounds formal and uniform, but Ubungen emphasizes how important he finds building real relationships within communities to be.

“The goal is to be the college in the community,” Ubungen said.

Ubungen’s journey was built in the same manner that he hopes to enrich the school with: through strong, natural relationships with community members. He said that when he was first hired, his initial job was to meet everyone. He went from door-to-door, speaking to everyone he would be working alongside.

“It’s definitely something that has evolved,” Ubungen said about the program itself.

He started at a shared desk, and was told to “greet everyone” and now he creates scholarship programs, and goes to high schools to introduce the Skyline community to its educational neighbors.

Ubungen didn’t picture himself working in education, but the position seemed to find him along his path.

“I accidentally ended up here,” he said. “I never thought I’d end up back at education.”

Despite his alternative paths, education followed Ubungen. He studied at San Francisco State University and got his B.A. there. He also studied multimedia and broadcasting at Academy of Art. He was drafted to play baseball in the Philippines at one point. After obtaining his master’s degree, he continued to work. Ubungen described working at Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and Best Buy as humbling experiences.

At one point, Ubungen was teaching at City College and was doing guest lectures. Despite the various paths that he took, education remained a constant presence in his life.

He was presenting at an event for a non-profit he worked for when John Mosby, who was dean of enrollment services at Skyline at the time, approached him and asked about his career path and what he was planning on doing career-wise.

He took interest in the fact that Ubungen had a master’s degree in counseling and took him to apply for a possible position.

Three months after Ubungen applied he hadn’t heard anything back and was going to continue onto other things, until he ran into Mosby again. This time, Mosby had a position ready to be filled by Ubungen. That position was the Outreach Coordinator.

“Outreach was one of my departments under my area. He [Ubungen] was (and currently serves) as my Outreach Coordinator,” Mosby said in an email.

Originally, Ubungen shared a desk and worked 12 hours a week. Now, he has his own office,

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Florentino intereacting with the many faces that make up Skyline College

and a supportive program underneath him.

Mosby, as a mentor to Ubungen throughout this process, saw the potential in his spirit.

“I have enjoyed his passion and commitment to students and the college…also, in many ways, Florentino has reminded me of our commitment (as educators) to serving all the communities that will benefit from education and equity,” Mosby said.

Ubungen described the growth he has been forging as the ambassador for Skyline and as the Outreach Coordinator and his goals for the future of the school.

He said that when he started the Outreach Program, there was a variety of input and opinions from each department.

His first task was to become the binding force between all of these entities and to create a malleable environment to work in. Eventually, the program became re-established with his hiring. Ubungen said that because of how fresh and new the program was, the sky was limit when it came to what could be achieved.

Bringing kindergartners to check out college was an addition used to get the collegiate mindset introduced to young minds early. The priority program was also re-introduced into the Outreach Program. Wild 94.9 teamed up with the program and Serramonte Shopping Center for an outreach event as well.

Most recently, Ubungen established the very first CRSB Outreach Concert. This event was designed and put together under Ubungen’s guidance and was an innovative way to raise

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money for the Darryl Burns Memorial Scholarship. Talents from on and off Skyline’s campus showcased talents and community at the event that was the first of its kind.

Ubungen’s goals all push past the borders of the traditional idea of a school Outreach Program. He goes to high schools and introduces them to the potential world of Skyline. Ubungen said that he and the staff at Skyline want to create an environment on campus that feels like a second home, and he provides information to high school students who may be going into the post-high school world blindly.

Despite being the “Ambassador of Skyline,” and the face of the college while out speaking to other educational facilities, Ubungen also focuses a lot of his energy into the college itself. Being a representation of Skyline College is something that Ubungen is proud to do.

Students notice his presence as well. Skyline student Malena Marsh attended the CRSB Outreach concert.

“He seems very sociable, which is great…very positive,” Marsh said.

She was pleased with the concert, and was informed through the event of the scholarship benefit. Marsh also said that she would attend more events like the concert. Ubungen aims to create this type of community with the students at Skyline and with those transitioning into the college life.

“You guys drive me to be the best,” Ubungen said, about the students that he shares the campus community with.

An array of artistry

By Sarah Marasigan

chance for students to display their work with the possibility of selling their pieces to the public for funding.

“Our Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition offers the opportunity for the Skyline College and local community to view a group exhibition Skyline College hosts it’s yearly student art exhibition at of paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, prints, ceramics, and the Juried Student Art Gallery. This has been a tradition for Skyline digital artworks that have been created by our very talented students,” College students for many years. This year’s exhibit was from April Bridenbaugh said.

20 through May 15. The annual exhibits are intended not only to Potential students have the opportunity to come see the different types highlight the cultural diversity of the campus community, but also the of work that are produced in Skyline’s art classes and current students talents of the student body. The exhibits showcase art in many forms, have the opportunity to gain valuable exhibition experience by particisuch as photography, sculpture, and digital art. This year’s show is pating. called the Monster Juried Art Exhibit. Given the nature and size of Daniel Francois, an art major at Skyline, submitted several pieces of this show, recruiting many students to participate in this years is very art, one of which was selected. Francois’ piece, “Confidante,” is an etchimportant. ing of a wolf and a crow. According to Francois, he drew inspiration for According to Paul Bridenbaugh, digital art professor and gallery the piece through several past relationships, and chose the two animals director, the title of this year’s exhibit is just a play on words, not based on a connection he felt with them. reflective of the pieces.

“The wolf and the crow are both family and pack oriented, both “Monster Juried art exhibit really just means it is a large showing known for intelligence or for being tricksters,” Francois said. “In the not a theme of monsters,” Bridenbaugh said. composition they appear to be consulting each other, which is why I All Skyline students, especially those enrolled in the many branches titled it the ‘Confidante.’” of the art division, were encouraged to turn in three pieces of their Fernanda Parado, a psychology major at Skyline, submitted a piece work for consideration in the show. This year’s exhibit drew 162 sub- for the current exhibit. mitted pieces. Once submitted, the selection process is then narrowed Parado’s piece, “Drugs Corner” was a photograph of downtown down to an independent juror who determines the finalists. This is a Woodlawn at night using a florescent affect. She said that she had been

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Color saturated paintings, each in similar color schemes.

Photo by Max Maller.

“Confidante” by Daniel Francois in drypoint (bottom right). Photo by Max Maller. experimenting recently with the effects of neon lights.

“I have been learning how to take shots where you can make the shading of the night time sky contribute and compliment to the brightness of the neon lights,” Parado said. “It used to be that neon light photography was looked upon as commercial art but now looked upon as classic ‘folk art.’ These type of lit neon lights or scenes can convey a very dramatic statement if captured right. Nothing tempts a photographer’s eye more than a captivating mix of color and light.”

Associate Art Professor Amir Esfahani said he felt that this showcase was different from the previous exhibitions. However, student shows at Skyline tend to be unique in that there is always a different professional artist jurying each show.

“This show was very unique in that there was a lot of printmaking work this year, which is amazing,” Esfahani said. “Professor Fischer has really been pushing ahead with printmaking at our school and it is catching on, you can see it in the students work. There were also several pieces from

design, which was nice to see, one of which won an award.”

He added that there was more student participation this year and a significant turnout at the reception. In addition to more printmaking, he was glad to see digital art play a large role in the exhibition.

“We also had a huge 36-foot piece of artwork that was made by our digital art students as kind of a live performance art,” Esfehani said. “It was awesome. They made that piece in my Art 430, Introduction to Digital aAts class. It was a huge collaboration.”

The exhibit afforded students more than just the possibility of financial gain. It also allowed students to publicly display their art work for the first time. Many had been art students at various levels but never had the valuable opportunity to have their work displayed. Many found that the feedback and response they received made them better artists and helped to focus their works and talents. Students were also pleased that the exhibit covered such a broad spectrum of art so that their individual talents could be seen and appreciated.

“This show was very unique. There was a lot of print making work, which is amazing.”

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Generation jobless: discouraged and unemployed

By Miguel Garcia

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inding a job you are passionate about is no easy task. It starts by finding the motivation to seek employment. However, the ultimate aim is to find a job that is both tailored to your career goals and compensates you for your efforts. Typically, by the time you finish your college education, you will have expectations about yourself and goals that you would like to see met. Adopting a proactive approach is crucial. It is especially challenging to find work with all the entry-levrequirements and the job experience required for most positions.

One-third of the people who have a degree don’t have a job that has to do with their major.

Jerrold Zapata, a student here at Skyline College, was a major in physical therapy and is now trying to become a nurse practitioner.

“I just didn’t like the major,” Zapata said.

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Some students stick with the same major but aren’t satisfied, or are just wanting more out of the career they decided to pursue. Another student here at Skyline College, Brandon Chin, already had a major he wanted, sports medicine, but was 47 percent of workers with that unfulfilled. a degree said that their Skyline professor, Brennan Wenck-Reilly, teaches biology but he wasn’t always a first job after getting out of biology major. He used to be a film major college had nothing to do and really enjoyed the work, but then he wanted to settle down with a family and a with their major. different job.

Prof. Wenck-Reilly’s career in Film was -CareerBuilder really taxing as he had to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. He found out that he loved teaching after joining the Peace Corps and decided to teach instead. He couldn’t teach with the film major, and so here we are today.

Back in 2012, 60 percent of U.S. graduates were not able to find a job under their major, according to the job placement firm Adecco. But in this case, it’s not just because it’s hard to get a job for the major they chose. It’s actually because sought after skills aren’t covered in one major alone. A college degree will give you an edge when applying for a job, but will only get you so far.

According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, even those Correlation between unemployment rates and who earned their degree didn’t land a job they studied for. 47 education level (25-64 years of age) percent of workers with a degree said that their first job after getting out of college had nothing to do with their major. Furthermore, 32 percent of these workers were never able to find a job under their chosen field of study. People are willing to dedicate so much time to pursuing a major, only to never have to use what they learned.

When looking for a job, especially in a sophisticated market, employers can be really harsh about the applicants’ requirements: what school you went to, how “solid” their experience is, and even how specialized they are in the field they’re in. This in theory makes students go back to college so they have a better resume to bring to employers.

Students sometimes also choose a field that is highly impacted or a job pool that is highly saturated, further decreasing their chances of ever finding a job in the field they choose.

Statistic taken from Information Sciences Institute

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3300 College Dr. San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 738-4100 www.skylinecollege.edu

ost-Skyline recruitment

Skyline’s NCAA prospective recruits: • Aldo Severson • Tom Caulfield • Jake Mellenthin • Alex Arnold • John Murphy • Shawn Scott Jr. • Keaton Ichman • Phil Caulfield • Nobu Suzuki • Michael Franco • Nick Bongi • Ismael Orozco

By Terence Scott To whom it may concern,

Most student athletes dream of successfully being recruited and getting the opportunity to play for their favorite Division I school. However, it’s a fact that this isn’t going to happen for everyone. But the Skyline’s baseball team’s hard work has paid off and they currently have several NCAA prospective recruits: These players are being recruited from various school such as Chico State, Sonoma State, San Jose State, Azuza Pacific, and UC Riverside, and the list goes on and on.

The NCAA has four levels: DI, DII, DIII and NAIA schools. Each division has a specific set of requirements in order to qualify for a scholarship called the NCAA Clearing house. The NCAA Clearinghouse is an essential step in becoming eligible to play college sports. Thousands of potential college athletes register with the NCAA every year. It is vital to playing NCAA college sports and receive a scholarship at the Division 1 or Division 2 level. It’s required to register and be cleared by the NCAA. The Eligibility Center is the organization within the NCAA that determines academic eligibility. Junior college transfers must have a 2.5 grade point average in their transferable credits in order to be eligible for a four-year school.

Aside from the work in class and on the field, the college recruiting process can be a great and naturally exciting experience for many students athletes. Going on official recruiting campus visits is a once in a life time experience. But every athlete’s recruiting process is different, and each one will handle it their own way. It can be very draining for certain athletes; it can even be strange at times, or it could possibly be the the time of their lives.

“It is a great feeling to be wanted and see your hard work pay off,” Trojans outfielder Michael Franco said. “Having college coaches call and email me asking me questions is a great feeling. There’s not to much I can do but be patient and wait it out to see what happens.”

Once again the recruiting process is unique and different for everyone. Sometimes it can get a little strange and awkward at times with colleges’ abstract recruiting methods.

“I’ve had a coach direct message me on Twitter asking me questions,” Trojans infielder Phil Caulfield said. “It just felt weird. But I trying to enjoy this time. I just want to try to Sincerely,

Head Coach

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stay as persistent as possible, and make the best choice for myself for the next two years.”

These dreams weren’t accomplished alone.

The coaches for Skyline’s baseball team actively worked to get to their players names out to the NCAA. “I meet and sit down with all the sophomores and discuss with them about potential schools,” Trojans Head Baseball Coach Dino Nomicos said. “Not many school are looking for you to send them game film on a player if a player is being recruited it is all word of mouth. They want to know what kind of kid their getting, with grades and character.”

Having coaches who care and that put players in the right opportunities are key. They allow the players to focus on things that they can control, like their play on the field and their work in the classroom, and their hard work will pay off in the long run.

“I’ve left the recruiting stuff up on coach Dino,” Trojans infielder Nobu Suzuki said. “It all was happening during the season, so I was trying not to get distracted. I was trying to focus on the season.

People kept asking me how many schools or what school had called me everyday. It was a little annoying and I felt little pressure from it. Coach Dino helped me to communicate with coaches.

I thank Coach Dino for all of this. I wasn’t good

enough to be where I am last year. He kept letting me play as a second baseman. I really appreciate the opportunity he gave me.”

“You have to realize what school is the best fit for you socially, academically, and athletically,” Caulfield said. “Coach Dino really helped me realize that. When I went on my official visit to a school in Massachusetts I had decided if this was the best choice for me. Ultimately I decided it wasn’t.”

Being patient is really the only option in the recruiting process, especially for junior college baseball players. Junior college transfers often tend to wait after the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft to decide where to go, since more spaces may be available if certain players leave from an NCAA school. Practicing patience and being available to coaches is important.

“Not too much you can do but wait,” Outfielder Michael Franco said. “If you wait it out you can end up in a better situation with more scholarship money or play time. You just have to be patient and understand the process.”

Although none of Skyline’s baseball team have officially committed to any schools, they have numerous prospects to look forward to on signing day.

Nobu Suzuki (above) training during mid season. Coach Dino Nomicos (below) works in his office.

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Don’t let social media cost you your dream job

By Erica Hernandez

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ocial media profiles allow us all to connect with friends and family, keeping those who are far from us linked through what we post. What often doesn’t occur to those posting photos or statuses to share with friends is the thought that an employer may be looking at them someday.

Many students do not stop to think about future ramifications for posting a picture or thought online. The lack of consideration when it comes to people utilizing social media sites is alarming. With the popularity of such sites on the rise, people need to be aware of the downside and how it affects future opportunities.

When it comes to job interviews, the goal is to make yourself appear responsible, valuable and professional, like someone capable of using good judgment. People forget to think about the little details that go into applying for a job.

Your future employer is getting everything they need to find your online social profile. They have your full name, residence, email address, school history and other various bits of information. Part of the problem lies with people not seeing the importance of the information they share online.

Human Resources Manager at San Francisco Zoo Helen Colgan has been there for nine years and says that in the past two to three years, she has seen an increase in applying social media research to the hiring process. The S.F. Zoo uses an outside company that specializes in checking employee social media profiles for any potential red flags when being considered for a position. The level of scrutiny applied varies with each position.

“When it comes to upper level positions, the manager for the position will also be looking into social media profiles,” Colgan said.

Employers aren’t looking to find dirt on people, but are seeking to avoid hiring someone who could bring

them unwanted controversy and attention. Some things they check for, and consider a red flag, would be signs of drinking while driving, or the excessive uses of profanity in correspondences with others, as well as any hate speech discriminating against others. These are some examples given by Colgan to understand what to be aware of. Using better judgment online is something everyone, regardless of whether they are seeking employment or not, should be aware of.

Student awareness has begun to rise and this is what people in the Career Services Center at Skyline want to see.

Skyline student Roba Bouhassoun is conservative with her Facebook and Instagram accounts. Her account is public and she knows about her privacy settings. When asked if she thought about potential employers looking on her accounts she explained that she is already keeping it in mind.

“Yeah, I have the father of my church on Facebook so I can’t post jokes and some things,” Bouhassoun said.

She further revealed that she’s had an experience already with her profiles being monitored. It was not for a job interview, but for an internship she had applied to. She became aware when the company added her as a friend on Facebook. This shows that even before entering the paid workforce, students need to be diligent and smart about online activity. What students need to remember is that they have resources available and people who want to help them form better habits. The Career Services Center at Skyline helps students looking for job fairs, employment, internships and hiring events just to name a few services.

In addition to those resources they recently added an informative workshop called Do’s & Dont’s of the Workplace Behaviors. The hour and a half workshop covers your social media image, trending talk and telephone skills plus

I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks

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The longer the title the less important the job

more. It was designed to bring more media awareness to students. Lavinia P. Zanassi, faculty coordinator of the Career Services Center, is excited because next semester the school plans on adding even more workshops and awareness for students, including instruction on how to make your profile appropriate and use it to your advantage. Zanassi stressed the importance of media awareness, saying it could also be very important and helpful in a job search. Students should also know how to use

Her profiles on Facebook and Instagram are private, giving her some more privacy from potential employers prying eyes. Her Twitter and Snapchat profiles show only her first name, not last, making it difficult to find her.

Although she is aware employers check profiles she still feels as if it is unnecessary. The things to steer clear of would be taking pictures at parties, bars, while driving, wearing minimal clothing or exposing yourself. Students should have some kind of gauge for what is appropriate

social media for networking and opportunity searches.

It’s about being aware that someone is always watching and knowing how your persona comes off. In the real world image matters and employers want to know who they are really hiring. They can’t afford to bring someone on who doesn’t make the best judgment calls.

Social media sites designed for sharing with others are now proving too much of a good thing can be harmful.

With employers now using them to assist in hiring decisions, some students are feeling like it’s a slight invasion. Skyline student Arielle Rosales can relate.

“It is overwhelming to know that employers are now looking through your social media sites,” Rosales said.

“I believe that there should be privacy on these sites.”

and what is not to post online. In addition to being smart, today’s students with public profiles may want to clean up older posts as well. Zanassi urges students to be aware.

“Employers will go into the past also for your cyber footprints,” Zanassi said.

Students also should be aware of the image they are giving off online by their use of language and humor.

Zanassi advises students to be savvy, be careful, and be respectful of yourself and others. Whether we like it or not the era of social media is here. It has pros and cons like everything else. Students need to be active in looking at what they post and think before they post. Never forget once you post something online you never know who will see it if you’re not careful and it can’t be taken back.

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Timely graduation out of reach for many

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Mom says quit, prove yourself or get out; state says get a job

By Max Maller 16

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Arnelle Justin

“C

Photo by Max Maller

“Students are taking ommunity college longer to graduate is a waste of time.” than the efficient “Get in and get out: don’t dawdle.” machine of the two“Graduate ‘on time.’”

These are the sentiments year degree granting encountered by countless students as they plan their way through the system requires.” junior college system. All at the same time, many students work to support their families, study hard with the goal of entering a chosen career, and struggle against unfair derision. This last comes from many sources, even the ones closest to home.

“I feel like I’ve wasted enough time, just in school in general as it is,” said Jerrick Salazar, who is 20. “I haven’t tried as much as I should have. I could be in a better position, but I’m not.”

Salazar is from Daly City. His single mother is raising four children, himself included. Both he and his oldest sister work, but money is still an issue. Noting his family’s skepticism at the idea of more school for more money, he relates his personal trials to their input, but also to his own inner feelings of low self-worth. He often feels like a failure.

“I kind of just need to prove to myself, to prove to my family, that I can do these kinds of things,” he said. “That I can finish school,

level, students are losing wages that they could be earning as contributing members of the workforce. In August 2014, Brice Harris, chancellor of the California Community Colleges System, told the Los Angeles Times that if California did not start sending more graduates to work, it would “begin to lose its competitive edge.”

The message is clear: leave school, go to work.

What this presumption fails to account for is the plurality of community college students who are already working. They contribute to the proverbial workforce already by maintaining a demanding work schedule alongside their classes. Many Skyline students are even doing this for the express purpose of paying their college fees, which can be high. Others are doing it because they feel the need to help their families out.

“I pay for a little bit of rent; I pay for the cell phones, electricity,” Jennifer McAdams said. “I’m willing to help out my mom, because she deserves help.”

McAdams is 25. She graduated high school in 2008, but she said this was hard work after failing and withdrawing from a handful of classes. In 2012, she got a job working 35 hours a week at a toy store. She decided to cut her work week to 24 hours when she came to Skyline. After she graduates next spring, she wants to transfer to CSU East Bay, at which point she plans to leave her job entirely to focus on becoming a child psychologist.

go into whatever major. I kind of want to prove it, both to my family and to myself. But no one’s going to believe me if I’m just taking everything really casually. I don’t want to spend more time than I need to.”

The California Community Colleges System doesn’t want him to either. California has the most community colleges in the country, with 112 campuses and over 2 million students. The parade of statistics that state and system officials march out year to year mark what they see as a crisis: students are taking longer to graduate than the efficient machine of the two-year degree granting system requires. Their tuition and fees, along with special tax measures, cover the entire operating budget of the system, with general fund contributions from the state rounding off to zero in most districts.

By overstaying their welcome Jennifer McAdams at the community college

“It’s not about just passing classes for me,” she said. “It’s about gathering information and keeping that with me.”

The peculiar calculus of community college is typified in her story: the longer McAdams stays in community college, the longer she will continue to work.

After she graduates, she will leave the workforce in pursuit of a more lucrative and, therefore, competitive position, which she may or may not ever attain.

Arnelle Justin, a 19-year-old from San Francisco, also works.

She wants to be a parole officer.

This year, she cut her hours from 60 per week at two jobs to 20 per week at one job in order to concentrate on her classes, which she says has made a world of difference.

“I’m taking it one semester at a time,” she said.

Her pressure to graduate comes, in part, from her mother.

“She makes me feel like if I take just a couple classes a semester, I’ll be here all my life,” Justin said.

Working less has relieved some of the struggle, but there are other factors. Without getting into them too deeply, Justin made it clear that patience and perseverance were the keys to success, in her experience. If someone were in her position – starting on the way toward a community college degree, working, balancing life – her advice would be simple.

“I would say to come in prepared, ready, and focused,” Justin said. “Because I wasn’t when I first started.”

Photo by Will Nacouzi

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My mind is an anchor, the outside is my enemy Depression is an illness that many college students face, and those afflicted need to know that they are not alone

By Laurel B. Lujan

I

t’s Monday, the start of a fresh new week to begin school and/or work. However, you do not want to get out of bed. School is usually something that you enjoy, especially since your friends are there and a few of your favorite professors. It’s Friday. Anybody would be excited for this particular day. Still, there is no motivation to get out of bed.

Monday rolls around again. It has been weeks since the first time you struggled to get out of bed. Not only that, but you have stopped talking to your friends and now your family.

There have been times when you feel angry and often tired, although it seems like you have rested enough.

Time doesn’t matter anymore. The grades are slipping…

Depression is not only a common condition, but even more prominent in young adults who are in college.

According to a recent study done

by CDC, Center for Disease Con-

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trol) one in four people are going to struggle with some sort of treatable mental illness, mainly related to depression or anxiety. The American Health College Association shows that 86 percent of college students have felt overwhelmed, 81 percent said they felt exhausted, 30 percent said they felt too depressed to function and nationwide 6.6 percent college students seriously considered suicide, says Beverly muse, a counselor at Skyline.

Skyline student Christine Morton is diagnosed with depression. So far she is taking medication and using the counseling services. Morton is one of many who are dealing with the illness.

In her experience, she said that America has not done enough to educate the public on the illness and that educating students about mental illness makes them more likely to get help.

Being sad and being depressed are two separate things. Feeling sad is often associated with having a

bad day or being down on one’s luck.

Depression is more than that. It is an illness in which a person is exhibiting symptoms.

It is suggested by health professionals that if these feelings persist for over two weeks, it is best to get help.

Some of the most common triggers are stress and anxiety, which can lead

If a someone is experiencing depression, there is also chance of the following symptoms: • Sleep problems • Headaches, pain or an upset stomach • Indecisiveness • Changes in appetite or weight • Thoughts of death or suicide

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According to National institute of mental health, and an article on Healthline.com

to depression. College is a notorious source of triggers, due to pressure to achieve and be successful, according to Skyline counselor Beverly Muse.

She explained that when things do not go as planned and feel like a setback to a college student, it can enhance their stress levels when dealing with other things such as jobs.

Skyline, like many colleges across America, offers free health services and a part of that is free counseling.

There is an effort to confront this illness by educating students through certain programs.

In efforts to educate the American public about depression, September is Suicide Awareness Month and there are yellow ribbons dedicated to those who have passed from suicide.

May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, according to Mental Health America, and there have been a few activities at Skyline spotlighting depression and suicide. This is portrayed through a small exhibit of facts about depression displayed for students to see as they pass by to educate them.

Other events are being held, such as a live show performed by Brian Copeland, who speaks on his personal experience with depression through a

n”

personal angle of his close encounter when planning to take his own life by purchasing a new gun. Copeland hopes to de-stigmatize depression through his performance and to help the audience, college students, to identify their risk of depression and the way he identified getting help with his illness.

“What makes this different, in terms of the audience itself, is because the issue is one that strikes college kids,” Copeland said. “Especially with young men between the ages 18-20 who have real issues and many of them don’t understand that they are dealing with depression.”

Skyline professor Lavinia Zanassi and Muse are in charge of this event, which seeks to aid in the understanding of mental illness. They also felt the show would aid students to know that they are not alone in mental illness.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health government website, each year 6.7 percent of adults in America will experience a major depressive disorder. Women are 70 percent more likely than men to experience depression during their lifetime.

3.3 percent of 13 to 18 year olds have experienced a ‘seriously debilitating depressive disorder.’

1 out of every 4 college students suffer from some form of mental illness, including depression According to an article on Healthine.com

Zanassi says that throughout her years of teaching, she has seen promising students have their lives consumed by mental illness.

“And if they do understand it, there’s also the stigma that they do not want to talk about it or acknowledge it to the counselors or teachers, their peers, their parents, or anybody else,” she said.

Skyline College’s Health Center is located in Building 2, room 2-209 Phone: 650-738-4270 Hours of operation: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-6:00pm Friday 9:00 am-12:00pm Spring 2015

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Green is good The future of green architecture at Skyline College

By Max Maller

I

f you think some of the buildings on campus need a tune-up, don’t be surprised. District and campus officials have the same thing on their minds. In fact, we will soon be seeing some top of the line new structures go up at Skyline, all outfitted in the newest and most energy-efficient technology.

As the college gets ready to break ground on a slew of new buildings, district officials are eagerly anticipating ways to make the structures as energy-efficient as possible.

“Energy-efficiency is going to be a high priority,” said Josh Fullerton, district energy management coordinator.

“As well as providing a really comfortable and high-performing environment for our students, faculty and staff.”

Let’s face it: Global warming is here to stay. With California’s drought turning parts of the state into arid wastelands, it has never been more important for builders and developers to take care of the environment, even if it means spending more money.

That is why Fullerton and the district are prepared to go the extra mile. Construction is still in its early planning phase, but there is a vision for the campus that is unlikely to change. Instead of

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the dark and cloistered rooms of some of Skyline’s older buildings, classrooms in the new campus structures will be flooded with natural light year-round. There will be lecture halls that control temperature automatically, which is a lot more efficient than the older system, which allows one setting to accommodate all audiences, large or small.

The dividends from these changes may seem small at first.

However, as time goes on, the greater gains will become clear. Skyline’s electricity use will decrease. There will be less pollution entering local waterways from the campus building network. In addition to environmental rewards, the buildings themselves should prove more durable with the added measures being taken to ensure sustainability.

“In theory, these buildings should last a lot longer than the ones they are replacing,” said Bruce Greenstein, a Skyline environmental science professor.

Greenstein has been heavily involved in the planning stages of the buildings’ construction. He has big ambitions for what he hopes will be a vibrant, sustainable network of hi-tech buildings.

The buildings themselves will not only be clean and green, he says, but the construction work that goes into building them will help bolster the local economy by hiring only local laborers and contractors. The district is seeking a more integrated labor model than other projects in the Bay Area have previously pursued. There will be collaboration, dialogue, and codependence among the workers, if Greenstein has any say in the matter.

“The contractor needs to speak to the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) guy, and the HVAC person needs to speak to the controls person,” Greenstein said. “So we have all this integrated management, where the contractors and subcontractors are working together as a whole

team, rather than as individual components.”

Skyline and the district are determined to rely on vibrant teamwork — sustainable, cooperative, and efficient — to get the project done the way it is currently being envisioned.

The challenge will come when Skyline tries to meet, and excel, the high national standards for excellence. The goal is to achieve the Gold Standard set by the U.S. Green Building Council, the most important test of a building’s overall efficiency.

This is a high priority for both the district and the college. According to Greenstein, achieving that goal depends on more than just regulating consumption and monitoring what materials go into the makeup of a building.

“There’s things beyond just energy that we’re also doing,” Greenstein said. “Humans naturally thrive when there is good natural light and ventilation, so that’s a big part of these buildings.”

Greenstein is visibly enthusiastic as he describes the new buildings’ “systems approach.” As they learn to rely on a complex network of sensors and data points, the new buildings will have, quite literally, minds of their own. As you walk into a lecture hall, the hall itself will sense how many people are in the room, what the outside temperature is like on that day, and what sort of activity is happening in the room. It will then calibrate the heating and cooling to the needs it identifies.

“This is really what has changed a lot, which is how we get monitoring and feedback loops from the systems,” Greenstein said.

“The rooms will be ‘smart’ systems.”

“It’s great for our carbon footprint,” said Joan Connolly, who graduated from Greenstein’s environmental science program and is now involved in marketing outreach for the new projects.

Although the construction work has strong support at this early stage from many of those who are directly involved, there are critics elsewhere who point to flaws in the design.

For example, with so much wind blowing through campus, why isn’t the college plan-

ning to make greater use of wind power?

“The area they’re paving over to be a parking lot could be used as a wind-farm,” Skyline student Nick Stephenson said. His father used to work on the grounds crew for the college.

“You could sell power back to the city,” he said.

The construction process has not gotten underway yet, so there is still time to incorporate new ideas into the design. The district, which secured partial funding for the work last year, has yet to even hire an architect.

Nevertheless, students and residents in the district will ultimately see their tax and tuition dollars go toward building sustainable, green structures at Skyline. These exciting projects, with their hi-tech energy-efficient devices, will soon enable everyone from students and taxpayers, to laborers, politicians, and district personnel, to feel good about their contributions. In a difficult time with much uncertainty about the environment, Skyline is contributing toward a more sustainable

All facts and percentages can be found on www.usbcg.org

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