THE SKYLINE VIEW The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, Calif.
Feb. 24, 2020
theskylineview.com
Issue 1
SMCCCD cuts ties with Galatolo After nearly two decades as chancellor at the three San Mateo County County colleges, Ron Galatolo is offically out after lengthy legal and internal investigations By Steven Rissotto News Editor
The San Mateo County Community College District has officially cut ties with former Chancellor Ron Galatolo after an ongoing investigation accused him of taking part in unethical actions in his administrative role. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, the district attorney had been investigating Galatolo since 2019 for allegations of harassment and controversial handling of contracts. After almost 20 years of serving in the position, the district’s board of trustees unanimously voted on Jan. 6 in favor of abolishing Galatolo’s
$1.6 million contract. He has been on administrative paid leave since 2019, when he suddenly stepped down as chancellor. He’s been with the district ever since as chancellor emeritus. When the board began an internal investigation — separate from the district attorney’s — they uncovered more unethical actions that Galatolo allegedly committed, like failing to register different contributions he received in publicly-disclosed government records. “Through this internal review, numerous material facts were found that were not provided to the board of trustees by the former chancellor emeritus when he entered into the contract,” said board member John Pimentel. “In light of these facts, and at a time when our hard-working students are struggling to pay SMCCCD tuition and fees to invest in their futures, the board found these expenses to be unacceptable.” Galatolo is also cited as having manipulated public funds for retirement stimulus and performing disclosed business actions with district vendors. When reached out by the board for more information, Galatolo “refused to provide substantive responses to the board’s inquiry,”
Gino de Grandis
according to a statement from the Board. In addition, the board of trustees is expected to pursue over $700,000 of Galatolo’s salary he received since August of 2019 — money they claim he didn’t earn in his abbreviated role. “You have provided no services in return, and you have now refused merely to answer the board’s legitimate questions so that it can
assess various matters that are fundamentally at odds with the underlying agreements and your ongoing employment,” wrote Thomas Nuris, president of the board, in an email to Galatolo obtained by The Skyline View. John Pimentel was elected in the November elections to represent Area 5 as a trustee on the board. He described it as an “important goal” to address Galatolo’s situation prior
to taking office. “I am proud of the courage demonstrated by my fellow Trustees who voted unanimously to exercise the Board’s fiduciary responsibility on this matter,” Pimentel said. “We are confident the courts will agree with our action to rescind the contract, terminate all payments, and seek recovery of all funds previously disbursed to the former chancellor emeritus.”
San Mateo county moves to the red tier, easing restrictions on many businesses As the county moves to the red tier, college community gets into debate on whether the right decison was made By Umaima Ejaz Editor-in-chief
San Mateo County was amongst a few counties to be advanced into the red tier category of California’s reopening blueprint, according to the California Department of Public Health. The red tier category is the second-most restrictive category after the purple tier. Currently, there are 11 counties in the purple tier in the state of California. Counties moving to the red tier highlight “substantial spread,” which means that there are 5-8% positive tests in the county or there are 4-7 daily new cases per 100,000 people, according to the California Department of Public Health. Exiting the purple tier means that malls and retail stores can open with 50% indoor capacity, movie theaters and museums can reopen at 25% capacity, and gyms will be allowed to open indoors at 10% capacity. While easing restrictions due to advancing to the red tier has brought a sense of relief for many people, it has also sparked new questions. “I feel pretty confident in San Mateo County moving to the red tier, cases are going down, and infections are not as bad,” said Aidan Walker, a psy-
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chology major, at Skyline College. “As a student, I’m pretty happy
that things are going down, but I’m not so sure I’m ready to return just
yet,” added Walker. “What I can say, though, (is that) my dad is a
teacher, and his school is planning to return because of this decision, and I’m not so sure if that is a good idea for students and teachers.” Another student, Kiana Leong, a political science major at Skyline College criticized the opening. “I definitely think reopening is more dangerous than it was before due to the new variants,” said Leong. “I’m really worried about the new variants and the lax attitudes towards them.” While to advance any further into other less restrictive tiers, the county must have been in the current tier for a minimum of three weeks, according to California’s reopening blueprint. Currently, frontline workers across California are being vaccinated. Emily Risk, registered nurse at Skyline College who was recently vaccinated, said that advancing to a new tier was an important step. “People are following the recommendations, and numbers are down,” Risk said. “The mental health toll that social isolation brings is real, and we will benefit from seeing people again. But we must do this safely.” The health center at Skyline College is open for Zoom appointments 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays.
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News
The Staff Editor-In-Chief Umaima ejaz News Editor Steven Rissotto
Feb. 24, 2021
Biden pushes against canceling student debt
College community questions Biden’s campaign promises concerning student loans By Steven Rissotto News Editor
Focal Point Editor Christian Carlo Ceguerra Arts and Entertainment Editor Ashley Hernandez Opinions Editor Marco Milani Sports Editor Jasper Lindsey Chief Copy Editor Faisal Gresalfi Photo Editor Enrique Liganor Digital Editor John Harrison Graphics Editor Hunter Feiner Social Media Editor Daniela Ossa Lopez Staff Writers Zachary Navarra Pablo Morales Monica Grace Dollezon-Yu Arman Archouniani Holden McCandless
As House and Senate Democrats make the urging call for the cancelation of $50,000 in student debt, President Joe Biden debunked the idea of signing an executive order that addresses the pressing political issue among young adults. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, are just a few from the Democratic leadership pressing the president to move forward with an executive order that will cancel $50,000 of student debt. Last week, Warren and Schumer sat down at a closed-door meeting with the president and his advisors to discuss the possibility. However, Biden’s plan is focused on forgiving just $10,000 of debt — an idea he started campaigning for after he received the nomination for president. “I wasn’t expecting any loan forgiveness from him, to be honest,” said Denise Santos, a 2020 nursing graduate at the University of San Francisco. “But I know a lot of people need it during the pandemic. That can literally be the difference between life and death.” During a Feb. 16 town hall event organized by CNN in Milwaukee, Biden responded to a question from an audience member who
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claimed that his plan of $10,000 of forgiveness isn’t enough to help those in need of financial assistance. “I can’t make that happen,” Biden told Joycelyn Fish, a marketing director for a community theater. Instead, Biden spoke about using those funds to invest in the members of earlier education levels who come from “disadvantaged circumstances”. Biden then reiterated his stance on keeping community colleges free of cost, estimating that the overall cost would be roughly $9 million, which would be cov-
ered through federal taxes. Biden also expressed his support for state universities being tuition-free for members of families who make less than $125,000 a year. “I went to a private university,” Santos said. “That isn’t cheap, but I chose to do that because it was actually the fastest and most cost-efficient way to go through nursing school right out of high school.” Taking part in giving back to the community was another highlighted aspect of Biden’s plan. “The thing I’d do about student debt that is accumulated is to provide for changing the existing system now for debt forgiveness
if you’re engaged in volunteer activity,” Biden said. “For example, if you are teaching school after five years, you would have $50,000 of your debt forgiven.” Emilio Gorog is in his second semester studying bioengineering at Santa Clara University. Gorog’s goal is to graduate college without any student debt but sees the political effect the issue has on the president and other political leaders. “Biden’s appeal to the more fiscally conservative wing of Congress is detracting him from his promise of forgiving more student loan debt,” Gorog said. “Republicans and Democrats alike need to step up and make a deal that forgives way more than just $10,000 because the average student loan debt is around $32,000.” In one of his first acts as president, Biden furthered the extension on student loan payment and interest through Oct. 1, which was a part of the COVID-19 relief bill signed into law during the Trump administration. “People have to realize that education is what will make this world a better place,” Santos said. “Preventing people from attaining higher education because of the cost of money is not going to make anyone better.”
Faculty Adviser Nancy Kaplan-Biegel
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Professor presents at the Annual International Lowrider Studies Conference The lowriding community is among the more exclusive clubs in local towns across the country By Steven Rissotto News Editor
The Skyline View is a First Amendment Publication. The Skyline View is published bi-weekly 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. The Skyline View reserves the right to edit letters for length, libel, clarity, and taste.
Students from around the world gathered on Jan. 29 to attend the first annual International Lowriders Study Conference. The event was held on Zoom and sponsored by Save the Kids organization based in Utah. Participants ranging from all age groups were treated to an all-day event from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and heard 18 different presentations about the history, culture, community, and politics surrounding the hobby of lowriding. Roughly 70 individuals were present to hear the first presentation of the day, given by Skyline history and anthropology professor John Ulloa, an avid member of national lowrider communities. Ulloa focused his message on his career in the hobby, how he developed his love for cultural lowriders, and reaching out to other members of the community throughout the world. The event was held on the tenth anniversary of East Los Angeles lowriding pioneer Jesse Valadez’s death, in which Ulloa dedicated
Salt Lake Community College
the conference to. Valadez was responsible for the design of a pink 1964 Chevy Impala, which
is now often regarded as the greatest lowriders of all-time. It currently resides in the Petersen Automotive
Museum in Los Angeles. Valadez’s son, Jesse Jr., passed away in 2018 and was honored at the conference. “Their contributions in lowriding culture, history, commitment to community service and activism, and improving the overall state of lowriding at the local and global level should not get lost upon us today,” Ulloa said. Noemi Perdomo, a former student at Skyline and now a current attendee at San Francisco State, had nothing but praise for the event on a lifestyle that has shaped her upbringing. “I am part of the lowriding community in San Francisco, and I have been a part of so many events,” Perdomo said. “I was born in the Mission District, and my interest goes back to when I was a little girl. Also, John Ulloa is my community uncle.” Ulloa’s presentation highlighted positive change to the lowriding community. He also addressed the stereotypes of lowriders, which he described as often being depicted in the entertainment world and elsewhere around the media landscape.
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Opinions
Feb. 24, 2021 Editorial
Skyline needs to provide more support for Burmese students
We watch the news at home in the United States. We see all of the bad with the country, with an ongoing pandemic raging through and still causing deaths just under a year later, as well as snowstorms plaguing the East Coast, and countless other issues. However, there are more problems abroad — and those which this article will address are the ones in the country of Myanmar, also referred to as Burma. This is a piece of news that is not discussed as often as the situation warrants, which is having a significant impact abroad, and it has even come to affect Skyline College. Before we discuss the way in which it has come to affect the college, let us first discuss what exactly is happening in Myanmar more broadly. According to an article from the New York Times, on Nov. 8, 2020, a parliamentary election was held in the country. After all the votes were counted, it was concluded that the National League for Democracy (NLD), a party run by Aung San Suu Kyi, had won 83% of the seats. According to an article from the BBC, Burmese military forces opposed the results from this election, claiming fraud. This led to control of the country being handed over to the commander in chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and the arrest of the elected leader and numerous members of her party.
Marco Milani/The Skyline View
“The military on Monday detained the leaders of the governing NLD party and Myanmar’s civilian leadership ... along with cabinet ministers, the chief ministers of several regions, opposition politicians, writers, and activists,” the New York Times article reads. To begin to narrow in on how the situation is affecting us locally, let’s start with how the US is reacting to this coup. Our president, Joe Biden released a statement on The White House Briefing Room website on Feb. 1. “The military’s seizure of power in Burma, the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials, and the declaration of a national state of emergency are
a direct assault on the country’s transition to democracy and the rule of law,” the statement reads. “In a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election.” In response to the events, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on Myanmar. In another article from the New York Times by writer David E Sanger, it was reported that Biden will “prevent the generals who engineered a coup in Myanmar from gaining access to $1 billion in funds their government keeps in the United States, and said he would announce additional actions against the military leaders and their families.” Further localizing our focus, let’s
look at what colleges are doing in response to the coup, which should set an example for what Skyline should be doing. UCLA sets one of those examples, and this was described in an article from The Daily Bruin. According to the article, the college will give financial aid to students who were affected by what has taken place in Myanmar. “Many Burmese students at UCLA are unable to access bank accounts in Myanmar or contact their family members back home because of the military coup,” the article reads. “Myanmar’s military arrested the country’s civilian leaders, shut down telecommunication networks and imposed a curfew for the local population.” It is interesting to note the point
The proper way to open public schools By: Steven Rissotto News Editor
Most California public schools haven’t seen full-time in-person learning since the middle of March 2020, when the world was turned upside down due to the largest pandemic in over 100 years. COVID-19 has altered our routine to the core — Sporting events are generally quiet, with close to zero fans in attendance; eating inside of restaurants has become a distant memory; and meeting up with friends requires factoring in masks and social distancing.For students and teachers all over the country, it’s been a whirlwind of stress, stress, and even more stress.
“The tough reality of shifting gears from inschool learning to sitting in front of a computer screen all day has outstandingly harsh effects on the young psyche.” The tough reality of shifting gears from in-school learning to sitting in front of a computer screen all day has outstandingly harsh effects on the young psyche. Even though it’s been a tough run for the education system,
Marco Milani/The Skyline View
it’s important to note that the consequences of contracting the virus are very much a force to be reckoned with and should be taken seriously, especially since the lingering health effects are still unknown. Students are struggling with every aspect of this — They want to see their friends, they want more accessible instruction to achieve more, and most of all, they want a sense of normalcy. Teachers arguably have more responsibility — They have to be more detailed with their lessons, one-on-one communication has become harder, and it’s all but impossible to evaluate a student while they hide behind a
webcam. The fight for normalcy is valid — downright essential, in fact — but the circumstances have to be fair. The transition has to be something that everyone wants, and that includes parents, teachers, and students. It has to come as a guarantee with a committed plan from government leaders and district officials. They want safety from the pandemic that has killed almost 500,000 people nationwide. If safety isn’t included in the package, then can you really blame parents for not wanting to send their children back to school? Can you really blame the teacher who
would be trapped inside a classroom with 25 children who all split up in different directions at the end of the day? Luckily, some possibilities can put some of these concerns to rest and bring students back to school safely. Sure, it may result in a big financial commitment and some after-hours thinking, but these students are the future leadership of this country, and investing in them shouldn’t be a question, it should be an EXPECTATION. The expansion of the availability of vaccinations helps immensely, acting as an extra shield of protection for faculty. Even though a vaccine for the underage population
about telecommunication networks being down in the county of Myanmar, because the same problem is happening to Burmese students at Skyline as well. In email communication with Skyline professor Rosemary Bell, she said that she hasn’t been able to get in contact with a Burmese student of hers so far. Indiana University is also setting a great example. In their college paper, the Indiana Daily Student, reporter Avraham Forrest reported that the students of the college are increasing their advocacy, citing their junior president of the student organization for people from Myanmar. “...the MSAIU will work with Free Myanmar Campaign USA, a campaign advocating for the nation’s people to generate support,” the article read. “The MSAIU is raising money for Free Myanmar Campaign USA’s GoFundMe for food and personal protective gear, protective equipment at protests and basic funds for those out of work in Myanmar.” This is a great example of advocacy, something Skyline College seems to not be not doing on this front. There needs to be a lot more support for Burmese students, as either they or their families are suffering through this. Whether it be monetary support, similar to what UCLA is doing, or advocacy through an organization, and raising money for necessary resources, like what Indiana is doing. The point is that we need to do better — Doing nothing and being silent is not helping.
continues to be developed, there are more than enough innovations to use for this to work. Masks have been continually proven to be an effective and easy way to protect against the spread. Testing can be utilized as a tool, even if it’s conducted every few weeks. Schools that have been back in session could tell you that pods and mini-groups have been key in terms of limiting exposure, and make contract tracing easier if a case is found. There will still be concerns about reopening plans across the country, and that’s fine. However, there will be fewer things to worry about if education leaders display a commitment to their respective communities. If the worst comes to worst, there’s always next fall. Now that COVID-19 numbers are flattening out compared to past statistics, the fall will certainly be a full-go for schools. However, there’s a way to make it back this spring, and that’s the bottom line. If the plan isn’t full-throttle, then it will never work. If safety isn’t the number one priority in terms of reopening schools, then maybe it’s wise to let the plan go down the drain and fire the webcam back up.
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Opinions
Feb. 24, 2021
You’ve got mail... maybe too much? By Marco Milani
Opinions Editor
Picture it: I’m on the couch on a normal Wednesday afternoon. My grandmother is out of town, so naturally, my dad had to go pick up her mail from her mailbox. Now, for some background, this grandmother of mine donates to a few charities. So, you would imagine my surprise when my dad brings home this giant stack of mail, tied with four rubber bands. Everything under the sun, from senators asking for donations, to catalogs, and countless other things asking for money. So, as I was doing my job of sorting through it and shredding the non-important stuff, I was wondering — If she only donates to a few charities, how is her mailbox filled to the brim? It’s because these charities sell or give donors names to other charities, who automatically put those names on their own mailing lists. An article from the Better Business Bureau explains it more in-depth. “Generally, charities deal with list brokers who help them identify and then access lists of names with a good potential for becoming givers,” the article reads. “Not all names come from other charities; your name on a list of subscribers to a special-interest magazine, or among buyers of a certain product or service, for example, may end up on a list used by charities to solicit donors.” So, even if you buy something from one of those aforementioned catalogs or donate to one of those charities, they’ll get your name and bombard you with mail. After a while, it gets annoying
Marco Milani/The Skyline View
to sort through the same doggone thing over and over again — six pages with a pitch on why they need money, then another page giving you the option to donate. I said to myself one day, while I was shredding this mail, “These organizations are single-handedly killing trees.” To give you an idea, all the paper I’ve shredded was enough to fill two standard-size Costco garbage bags. If you’re in the same situation, how do you get out of it? A New York Times article on the topic gives some great advice on how to reduce your info being sold and used. “To reduce the chance of having your information sold, check the organization’s profile on a charity watchdog site; Charity Navigator and BBB Wise Giving Alliance both factor a charity’s donor privacy policies into their reports,” the article reads.
There is also a site by the name of DMAchoice.org that helps you by opting you out of direct mail, or mail advertising. On their “Learn More” page, they talk about the benefits of this, and add one more important statement. “Direct mail is only successful if you’re interested in the types of mail you’re receiving,” the page reads. “That’s why we created DMAchoice — to help you get more of the mail you want, and less of what you don’t.” The opt-out only costs $2 and lasts for 10 years, so the promise of more mail you want, less of what you want not, can be met. So, if you’ve got too much mail, and you don’t want to feel bad for contributing to an organization that kills trees just to ask for donations, these pieces of advice can help in your endeavor to clean up your mailbox, and keep it reserved for only the important stuff.
Canva Element
Artistic License
Cartoon about the 2021 winter storm that affected Texas among other states
Hunter Fiener/The Skyline View
Music has a plethora of moods for every situation Music can have a swing tempo — but can also swing moods By Ashley Hernandez
Arts/Enternainment editor
Music has given us the power to tap into our emotions and allows us to get to know deeper parts of ourselves. Listening to a song linked to a memory can bring on that nostalgic feeling we enjoy. Our brains process music through sound waves that enter our eardrums. The sound waves cause the tiny bones in our ears to vibrate. The vibrations then send signals to our brain, releasing the chemical dopamine, giving us pleasant sensations. Through music, we are able to relate to one another and share the emotion of a song. Music is a form of emotional expression, and it is the art of storytelling through sound. Due to the pandemic, most concerts, shows and festivals have been postponed. Artists such as Omar Apollo and Umi have given live quarantine performances on YouTube. During the 2020 lockdown, some musicians went to the effort to surprise us with new releases. The Weeknd held a high platform with his new debut album “After Hours”. PARTYNEXTDOOR, Dej Loaf, Lil Uzi Vert and Jhene Aiko are a few other musicians who gifted us with their newest releases. Under the lockdown, the new wave of bedroom pop and indie pop have grown a liking to the mass.
Music can affect the senses in different ways
What music are you tuning into these days? It can be a struggle to get up in the morning, but putting on a positive song can help welcome the day. “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, Bobby McFerrin’s song “Don’t Worry Be Happy” and Roy Ayer’s song “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” are a few of my recommendations. In theory, music can be a warm-up for your brain before transmitting
information. Even a month into the semester, motivation can be lacking or you may be overwhelmed. Listening to music may be the solution to your problem. Music therapy can release stress, improve memory, manage pain and improve motivation. A few studies from Harvard Health Publishing prove this point. According to them, a 2006 study of 60 adults with chronic pain “found that music was able to reduce pain,
Daniela Ossa Lopez/The Skyline View
depression, and disability. And a 2009 meta-analysis found that music-assisted relaxation can improve the quality of sleep in patients with sleep disorders.” Listening to contemporary music is a resourceful way to stay focused. During my studies, listening to Lofi Beats have helped keep me on track. Music helps me cope with emotions like anger, confusion, happiness, or hurt. Type in your favorite
genre or whichever emotional state you are in into the search engine and stream old or new songs. Remember to support independent artists rather than taking advantage of bootlegging. Kid Cudi is one artist who revolutionized music from his melancholic raps about depression and isolation. On December 11, 2020, Kid Cudi dropped “Man on the Moon III: Chosen”, which pays homage to his two other “Man on the Moon” albums. Many of his fans have found hope and refuge in his music. Recently I came across Daniel Johnston, known for his outsider music. “Life in Vain” by Johnston is a good song in relation to the times we are currently living in. The song itself brings a blissful purity. Daniel Johnston was one of Kurt Cobain’s favorite artists, and although Johnston suffered from mental illness, he was still able to share his art with the world. Music has different meanings for everyone. “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,” Bob Marley once said. For some people, it eases anxiety, enhances mood, boosts creativity and improves sleep. We can’t forget about all the comfort the music of the past brings us. Music has shaped our society and continues to bring people together. There is a wide spectrum of music, and the best part is discovering which of it calls to you.
Features
Feb. 24, 2021
Naked and exposed
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Skyline College students share experiences with the sex work industry By Christian Carlo Ceguerra FEATURES EDITOR
“We are living in a material world / And I am a material girl” One can revel and jive to Madonna’s “Material Girl” for its tonguein-cheek poetics and whimsical 80s melody all day long, but the song, as interpreted through a Marxist lens, speaks the truth about reality of living in a world dominated by capitalism. Afterall, physiological needs and safety needs are two of the most basic human needs. In contemporary times, due to, among other things, the continuous economic inflation and disparity of workers’ salary in relation to profession and gender, young adults, particularly college students, often get “creative” trying to make ends meet with the goal of finishing their education without resorting to student loans or overworking themselves. Friends Stella Mariposa and Mar (those being their screennames) are Skyline College students who disclosed details about their clandestine lives as an adult content creator and as a sex worker, respectively. Stella wants to pursue a career in dental hygiene, while Mar is majoring in environmental science. Stella started to create content when she was still in high school. She explained that she likes her body, and she likes to take pictures of it. “My friend from high school, he actually asked me if he could buy some (of my nude pictures),” Stella said. “And then later on, I kind of thought “‘Hey, this could get me some good money.’”
Mar began doing this type of work when she turned 18, with the help of a co-worker who introduced her to the industry. “I’ve always kind of been interested in this line of work, but I never knew how to get into it,” Mar said. “But I was lucky enough to have a coworker (who does sex work) ... She was my mentor for a bit.” Apart from their regular 9 to 5 jobs, Stella described earning an average of $500 per month selling her content, and Mar secures around $900 from three to four clients per week. The ladies observe thorough preparations and maintenance with their bodies before and after they produce content or meet their clients. For Stella, she takes pictures right after she freshens up, sometimes even applying oil to her body for a more seductive effect. Aside from fully showering and conditioning her hair, Mar also takes extra steps with personal grooming, such as priming her eyelashes, getting her eyebrows and nails done, waxing, shaving, and planning outfits as per her clientele’s requests, as well as getting regular STI and STD tests. Mar also described the strict consideration she gives what she eats to avoid unnecessary bathroom breaks during sessions. Stella is currently in a relationship, and said that her boyfriend is “proud, and roots for” her. “He always says, ‘They can look, but they can’t touch,’” Stella said. She emphasized trust, honesty, and openness as their foundations in their relationship. Mar and Stella advocate for their occupations to be considered “real work”, and expressed how im-
John Harrison/The Skyline View
mensely appalled they are by how other people disrespect them and their livelihoods, and by clients who try to avoid meeting the terms of the agreement that had been made. “Some people even don’t think that they should pay.” Stella said, expressing her concerns in the industry. “Some of them just ask, ‘Hey, you want to trade nudes?’ and I’m like, ‘No.’” Mar described one of the most unpleasant kinds of experiences she’s had doing this job — clients leaving her unpaid after providing her services. “I go see (my clients) and I fulfill my end of the bargain, and then I’ll end up going home empty-handed with a sore body,” Mar said. “So, that really sucks.” Having gotten accustomed to this dire kind of situation taking place from time to time, she said she prefers meeting with regular clients who are mature and tend to be “the kindest and most generous”.
From the perspective of a consumer, Carlos, a history major at Skyline College (whose name has been changed here to protect his identity), said that he has subscribed to adult content creators since he was still in high school. “Besides curiosity, it’s just pure interest,” Carlos said. “I’ve always been curious about the stigma, the taboo topic around adult content and mature content, and why it’s been looked down upon.” Carlos is currently in a relationship, and according to him, subscribing to adult content creators has had some positive impact on his relationship. “You learn a lot with the content that you get, so when it comes some kinds of ‘occasions’ or ‘activities’ she would wonder, ‘Where did you learn that?’” Carlos said. “And then I would say ‘I’ve been exposed,’ or, ‘I’ve been watching these kinds of content, and that’s where I got them from,’ and she says ‘Oh, that’s pretty cool.’”
Carlos expressed belief that sex workers are deserving of respect. He described the difference between two types of sex work. “I hope that (in progressive thinking), we’ll understand that there’s a fine line between dignified sex work and forced and coerced sex work, because there are people who were willing to go that path and be empowered by it,” he said. “There are those that have been victimized, have been dehumanized by those practices. Hopefully, justice prevails, and we set up a dialogue or discussion about how we address that human rights crisis.” Open Society Foundations condemns abuse and human rights violations, and calls for reformation of the laws to protect the potential victims of such things. The international organization Human Rights Watch also advocates for the decriminalization of sex workers, and backs sex workers’ right to access to justice and healthcare.
KLC lauded for successful string of events; statewide Fil-Grad to be commenced By Monica Grace Dollezon-Yu STAFF WRITER
“From an article, Filipino-American students have a lower rate of transferring and graduating from community colleges and universities than their immigrant grandparents,” said Dr. Liza Erpelo, an English professor and the coordinator of Kababayan Learning Community (KLC) at Skyline College. KLC together with the Filipino Student Union (FSU), hosted the “Tara Na! Let’s Link Ha!” event on Feb. 4, which was attended by Filipino American educators and student organizations to come up game-changing plans targeted to address this concern. Nikkie Morales, who is a professor at Napa Valley College (NPC), talked about how students from her college who have attended KLC’s Tara Na! Pasko Na! event “really appreciated the space.” Last year’s virtual event encouraged more students to be more involved in the community and reach out to more Filipino American students. If plans of the upcoming activities are successful enough, NPC might have a Filipino learning community of their own by the fall 2021 semester. Janet Mendoza Stickmon, the humanities and philosophy coordina-
tor at NPC, described how having an established Filipino American learning community would enormously benefit their students at NPC. According to her, the presence of such organizations at their college had been “on and off” the scene in previous years. She had been aware of discussions going around about a Filipino American learning community being in progress of formation and she is on board with the plan for that. Henry Aronson, who is an English professor from Southwestern College, showed immense support for the students, organizations and goals, noting that he has observed how the Tara Na!-themed events allowed the student leaders to practice “manifesting their leadership” and building a presence in other communities, be they Filipino or non-Filipino. “Filipinos really just enjoy belonging and being seen,” Aronson said. Erpelo came up with the idea of throwing a “statewide Fil-Grad” towards the end of spring 2021 semester in order to recognize Filipino American graduates’ academic achievements and involvement in student-organized events and activities. Over at City College of San Francisco (CCSF), the Philippine
Studies Department and the TULAY - Filipino American Student Success Program combined forces to be able to commence a “Fil-Grad for about two years,” according to Darzelle Oliveros, a CCSF student who belongs to those organizations. Erpelo proceeded to explain the process about how KLC’s virtual graduation was carried out last year in 2020. They collaborated with CIPHER, a hip hop and social justice community at Skyline College, to have a co-graduation because of “how the two (organizations) were connected.” Aside from the Fil-Grad event, Erpelo brought up graduation stoles that will be sent statewide to the future Filipino American graduates this semester. Nikkie Morales, mentioned previously, had volunteered for creating the Fil-Grad stoles. The organizations were still given the choice to decide on having their own graduation separately from the collaboration. Regardless, Erpelo had given out a task to each organization to start making progress. “We’re about to put ourselves on the map with this,” Erpelo said. Erpelo had studied what makes individuals return to KLC since the past 17 years of her career. In her dissertation, she found out that Fil-Am students are given the op-
KLC’s flier for the “Tara Na! Let’s Link Ha!” event.
Image via Kababayan Learning Community
portunity to be empowered inside and outside the classroom setting. Equipped with a strong sense of identity and ethnic knowledge, the students are more likely to be grounded, focused, and motivated to strive for success. “...and this is what I’ve seen — when you see yourself in the curriculum, you’re more likely to
do better,” Erpelo said. The representatives who had participated in the event were Bayan Scholars from Southwestern College, TULAY and Philippine Studies from City College of San Francisco, Napa Valley College, Katipunan from College of San Mateo and Anakbayan from Daly City.
6
Focal Point
Feb. 24, 2021
The screening of “The City” at the SF Urban Film Fest By Ashley Hernandez
Arts and Entertainment Editor
The San Francisco Urban Film Festival held a screening for the documentary of “The City” on Feb. 15. Due to COVID-19, the festival was held virtually online, and audiences were allowed access to the screening via a livestream on YouTube. The documentary was directed by Ralph Steiner and Willard Van Dyke. The festival began Feb. 12 and ended Feb. 21. The documentary “The City” was created in 1939 and was showcased at the World’s Fair. The World’s Fair was first created in 1851, and showcased all works of industry and achievements from all nations. The screening of the documentary “The City” at 1939’s World Fair was significant because it shared the vision of the world tomorrow for towns and cities alike. The World Fair was affected by World War 2 and it led to its closure in 1940. The screening of “The City” was seen as propaganda with an optimistic view of the future. The documentary started off slow, in a rural town, leading to the big, fastpaced New York CIty. In the film, you can see the transition from horses and carriages as means of transportation to jammed streets with automobiles. “The City” was a revival in 1939, because the people of that time were leaving the Great Depression. The film brought on new ideas and new life. It is relevant today because since the lockdown people have begun questioning how our society can be more proactive for the future ahead of us. People felt desperate — almost like how the people
Courtesy SF Urban Film Fest must have felt in the late 30s. At this point businesses are opened and are recovering. As a society and a community, we search for relevance, and film can be a good medium to bring on a new vision. Access to the Feb. 12 screening of “The City” was free, but the San Francisco Urban Film Festival takes donations in order to accommodate the community as a whole. Donate here https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/ NTQ2ODc= . Before the event, the festival matches films to urban issues. A small discussion and live commentary by John Moody and David Vega-Barachowitz also took place at this particular screening. “‘The City’ related to audiences at the time by presenting a vision of a new way of living besides in squalor and industrial communities — having more of a solid sense of community and solid sense of indi-
vidual development to reconstruct what existed before industrialization,” Moody said concerning the film. A challenge we are facing today is public space and access to transportation for cities that are developing. Some towns are struggling to maintain a sense of identity and struggling to help people connect with what was there before. Moody suggests long-term regional growth strategies, such as gathering information to see how many people a city can hold and policies for housing and health care for everyone. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many cities have wondered how to bring life back to their communities. “What cities are for and what they mean is something we need to be constantly reevaluating,” Vega said. “‘The City’ is an interesting artifact of another era’s debates
and concerns ... It called for a level of ambition and level of governmental intervention in housing and infrastructure. ‘The City’ communicates the need to think regionally and balance power and resources between poor, rural areas and large wealthy urban areas.” Examples of this Vega gave were providing consistent internet access, and providing funding cultural institutions in areas where they are lacking. The theme for the San Francisco Urban Film Festival this year was “Wisdom Lives in Places”. Curators and community members came together to organize different activities, such as watch parties, movie rentals, and workshops. Although the Urban Film Festival had the challenge of putting together a program and event online, they were successful. The San Francisco Urban Film Festival brought communities together,
and continues to make a positive impact. “We can adapt, we can be resilient, we can change and we can be equitable,” said Fay Darmawi, the festival’s founder and executive director. The future of our cities depend on enriching our history, building a culture and giving equal opportunities for everyone around. Some schools have yet to be opened, and this is a challenge for families who are less fortunate. We need to build our community and work together to create a new plan. The San Francisco Urban Film Festival is a great way to learn about the involvement and issues in our cities. The festival opens your worldview and takes you along a journey. “The City” motivates you to think in a new way. As a community, what are the steps we need to take in order to better our towns and ourselves?
The Weeknd brings electricity to Super Bowl Halftime Show By Steven Rissotto News Editor
For more than five decades, football fans across the country have gathered with family and friends to enjoy the first big sporting event of the new year: the Super Bowl. Of course, the main event is the play and athleticism showcased on the field, but if there’s anything that brings Americans together more than football, it’s the art of music and performance. And that’s when the annual Super Bowl Halftime Show enters the picture. As the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked off the field to end the first half, the musical entertainment section of the event took over the national spotlight in front of roughly 25,000 sports fans at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Abel Tesfaye, or The Weeknd, emerged from an old-fashioned car and hopped directly into the city-themed set, which depicted a setting from a high profile destination, like Las Vegas or Atlantic City. It was the Grammy Award-winning artist’s time performing at the Super Bowl, and
Creative Commons he brought the electricity that fans crave in order to be considered an unforgettable moment. Wearing a red and sparkly jacket, The Weeknd performed some of his greatest hits in the presence of a high-power fog machine and flashing lights. While singing “Can’t Feel My Face”, he was seen wandering aimlessly in a mirror maze with golden decorations taking up the hallway, which caused a
viral stir on social media. With the moon digitally filtered into the backdrop, the impressive performance of “Blinding Lights” filled the capacity of the playing field with masked backup dancers wearing the same red jackets. This was the highlight, with the camera panning from different stretches of the stadium to capture the awesome technology. When the dancers broke their single-file line
to jam in circles, it went creatively with the music to produce a wild moment. As one of the world’s best-selling musical artists, The Weeknd produced a memorable Super Bowl halftime show that had an audience sitting in the comforts of their own homes. Amazingly enough, Tesfaye reportedly invested $7 million of his own money to create a special experience.
“As one of the world’s best-selling musical artists, The Weeknd produced a memorable Super Bowl halftime show that had an audience sitting in the comforts of their own homes.” Although not everyone enjoys football, the Super Bowl remains one of the most appealing events in the country. It’s fair to say that the halftime show pulls in many outsiders every year. The working week might have been just around the corner, but the Weeknd made a statement that the best of the best are still headlines during the sacred event.
7
Sports
Feb. 24, 2021
Tokyo 2020 or Florida 2020?: Will COVID-19 affect the host city? With the state of the 2020 Olympic Games once again facing the challenges of a pandemic, Florida offers up their state as a back-up host for this summer’s games the coronavirus has not been lenient to anyone as of late, not even in the world of sports. Business as usual, at this point. The Olympiad has been postponed for nearly a year now, and the world of the Olympics is sitting on the edge of its seat. Rumors have been going around that Japan is thinking of backing out of hosting the Games due to the pandemic. However, the International Olympic Committee, along with Japan, have pushed back on such reports, calling the news “categorically untrue”. The IOC has strongly condemned these false reports, announcing that the international sporting Miraitowa, the Olympic mascot, ponders the chances of the canevent will take place in the cellation of the Tokyo Olympics. Enrique Liganor summer of 2021 without any further delays. flame was lit in Athens, However, in the wake of In 2020, sports fans all Greece, and made its way this news, a city hailing over the world anticito the host city of Tokyo, from our country decided pated one of the year’s Japan. The National Stadito step up to the plate: The long-awaited spectacles: um where the Tokyo 1964 state of Florida has volunthe Games of the 32nd Olympics was once held teered to become a backup Olympiad, the Tokyo 2020 was demolished, rebuilt and host city in the event Japan Games. Everything was renamed the Japan National backs out. On Jan. 22, Florready for the Opening Stadium. ida’s chief financial officer, Ceremony. The Olympic Fast forward to 2021, and Jimmy Patronis sent a letter By Enrique Liganor Photo Editor
to the IOC, presenting the state as being open and available for the Olympic events to be held within its borders. Patronis described how Florida has hosted numerous sporting events during the pandemic, which includes NFL, MLB and NHL, boasting its capabilities to safely carry out the recent Super Bowl. He also described Disney World as having been operating in compliance with coronavirus-related restrictions and regulations, setting a model
of how to run mass events during the pandemic. Nevertheless, the IOC remains set to hold both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the host city of Tokyo. In the event of Florida going on to be chosen, it would be the 4th state in the US to have hosted the Olympic Games, and the games would be the first to be held in the state, and the 10th to be held in the country.
Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic mascots, Miraitowa and Someity discuss the possibility of a Florida Olympic Games. Enrique Liganor
NBA transitions to MLB-style series amid pandemic To combat the spread of COVID-19, the NBA has implemented an MLB-style series for the 2020-2021 regular series By Zack Navarra Staff Writer
After a year of compromises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA has stumbled onto structural changes that may be here to stay. Similar to the play-in playoff game introduced last spring during the NBA bubble, this season’s MLB-style series has quickly gained popularity. To combat the spread of COVID-19, the NBA set out to limit travel by having mini-series where teams play each other in back-toback games in one team’s home arena. This is a drastic change from previous seasons, in which backto-back games against the same team, let alone in the same arena, were extremely rare. While the change may be
drastic, it is one for the better. Team travel will be reduced by 25%, which allows players more time to rest. The less time spent traveling, the more time players can spend recuperating after physically demanding games. The change is also beneficial from a competitive perspective. Players will be seeing each other in backto-back games, giving some the chance to rebound if they had a poor performance in the first matchup. This extends to teams overall, giving them another crack at their opponent if they lost the previous night. This creates exhilarating storylines for the media and fans watching at home. Take the Golden State Warriors and the Dallas Mavericks back-to-back matchup, for example. In
their first meeting, the Mavericks suffered their worst blowout loss of the season, losing by 31 points. This was largely due to a strong performance by the Warriors supporting cast, capped off by Kelly Oubre Jr.’s career-high 40 point game. In the second game of the back-to-back series, the Mavericks pulled off a nail-biting victory, winning by only two points. This bounce-back win featured dueling stars Stephen Curry of the Warriors and Luka Doncic of the Mavericks scoring 57 and 42 points respectively. This gave Dallas fans the chance to watch their team immediately right the wrongs of the previous outing. Watching your team win a nail-biter after suffering the worst loss of the season to the same team is
The San Antonio Spurs play the Chicago Bulls at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. Creative Commons
great entertainment. Fans can look forward to an exciting second matchup immediately after watching a close game a few days prior. The storylines that will be produced will captivate NBA fans while they wait for the next game to begin.
The NBA’s MLB-style series’ future in the league is uncertain, yet it may be the next step in the NBA’s evolution.
8
Sports
Feb. 24, 2021
The uncertain reality of a pandemic season
With many sports being halted due to the pandemic, the Skyline basketball team looks for ways to play despite the challenging circumstances By Arman Archouniani STAFF WRITER
March 13 2020 was when the whole world came to a stop. COVID-19 more or less put life on pause for everyone, especially when it came to the world of sports. We saw many leagues postponing games without knowing when they would start back up again. College basketball playoffs were around the corner when the lockdown began. The NCAA were not expecting to have any more games for the rest of the season. All college playoffs were ultimately not played due to the coronavirus. This led to many meetings in the summer for Skyline Athletic Director, Joe Morello, to try and figure out what they can do this season. “This year, there is not going to be anything close to a normal season — A handful of scrimmages can happen over the next six weeks,” said Skyline Athletic Director Joe Morello. “I have been encouraged by the students — They understand what we are up against.” California has provided two different schedules for competition. Spring 1 is one of the given schedules, and it is from Jan.19 to April 17. This would have been the start of the basketball season. Most of the schools in the district have elected to opt into a season, if there would be one. Players have to be tested and get results in a 48-hour window to be able to play. Social distancing will be practiced while traveling to games, such as having only four people per van. Morello praised the head coach of Skyline’s men’s basketball, Justin Piergrossi, saying that he has done his best to get these guys time with each other that they have not had in over a year. “He has tried to get the group to be together, but it is not the same as being face to face,” Morello said. “It was really important to get these guys in the optional sessions on the tennis courts. Justin has worked really hard to keep these guys together and we recently bought outdoor hoops to put on the tennis courts.” Justin Piergrossi talked about the meetings with other coaches and how the confidence level is looking to try and get games in during this semester. “It has definitely been a roller coaster ride throughout the fall semester and through spring,” Piergrossi said. “There are numerous meetings going on — They have started to heat up to try and get to the estimated start date.” Skyline indoor sports have not been cleared to practice inside yet by the district. If they are cleared to start going inside and having practices, it will be done with great caution, just like the small outdoor drills these sports’ players have been doing have been. “We feel confident that we can have important and efficient practices while being very safe and socially distant,” Piergrossi said. “One thing we have always
Skyline Men’s Basketball team pregame huddle. Skyline Athletic Department
told our guys is that everything is optional, if they are not 100% safe with anything going on, they should not come.” The players have been told to always stay positive and to keep working through this time. Piergrossi also remarked that this year has been the greatest academic year for the basketball team in a long time.
and being absent is tough.” Getting basketball hoops for outdoor training was seen as a significant step forward. “Coach Piergrossi has adjusted great,” Avak said. “He and Coach Harris have had to become really creative with how they were going to get us better without a gym, and I think they are doing well.” Avak also mentioned that Piergrossi has helped the team by telling them to look at the brighter side of things, and to be grateful
for what they have. “He reminds us to enjoy the extra time with our family — Most guys do not seem upset and always come in with a lot of enthusiasm and energy,” Avak said. There will be several meetings being held within the next couple of weeks to determine if the season will start.
“He reminds us to enjoy the extra time with our family — Most guys do not seem upset and always come in with a lot of enthusiasm and energy.” - David Avak
The 2019-2020 Skyline Men’s Basketball team went 12-15 last season.. Skyline Athletic Department “Super proud of our guys — Obviously this is a really challenging time, and we had one of the top academic performances in the history of California JC History, with an average of a 3.76 GPA,” Piergrossi said. “These guys kept pushing me to push forward, and this is all for them. We are trying to get a schedule for these guys to play.” The postponement of the season has taken its toll on everyone, and Piergrossi noted that it has been hard on him as well, because he wants to be out there coaching these guys. “I can feel the air come out of the balloon when I have to break bad news to them,” he said. “I allow them to see that I am getting deflated as well, with the situation.” Players have been affected by the pattern of postponements, and they are eager to get back to a regular schedule. “It is something you look forward to, and the constant postponements just get frustrating after a while,” said Skyline Basketball Player David Avak. “There is more to worry about than a basketball season, but it is something we look forward to,
The Skyline Gym barren after months of cancellations Skyline. Athletic Department