The Skyline View Spring 2023 Issue #1

California’s proposed budget sees increase for community colleges, delays for student housing

By Joshua D. Picazo Editor-In-Chief

Inflation. Job losses. Possible recession. Reduced tax revenue.

All of these are factors in California’s projected revenue shortfall, leading to cuts and delays in specific funding that higher education is not immune to.

Still, California’s community colleges can expect a $750 million increase in funding if Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2023-24 budget passes. However, specific student housing grants would see a delay in funding under this proposal.

SB 169, signed into law in 2021, established the Higher Education Student Housing Grant Program that would provide one-time grants to build and renovate existing spaces for housing. 50% of the funds would go to community colleges and the others to UC and CSU campuses. However, this budget would delay $900 million in money for student housing until 2025-26.

This adjustment in the budget comes during a sharp decline in enrollment that puts future funding at risk. Since the beginning of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, California’s community colleges have seen a 16% decline in enrollment. If not reversed soon, these declines could mean further cuts to community colleges.

However, Governor Newsom’s proposed budget has allocated a one-time $200 million fund to “increase retention and enrollment” efforts.

Funding for community colleges has historically come from enrollment; however, with the pandemic, this has been waived until 2025 to get campuses time to catch up with their enrollment, according to Ed-

Source, a nonprofit organization covering education in California.

“The cuts to deferred maintenance and the delay in funding for student housing are counter to the urgency we must have to invest in our students’,” Evan Hawkins, the executive director of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, told The Skyline View.

“Community colleges receive the lowest per-student funding rate out of any of the public education segments, despite the fact that our system serves the most diverse and underserved communities. We encourage the Governor and Legislature to prioritize our colleges as the budget

cycle continues,” Hawkins added. Community colleges’ future seems tied to the health of the UC and CSU system, as transfer students have historically made many admitted students onto these campuses. For example, 20% of UC undergraduates are transfer students, whereas 37% of CSU-admitted undergraduates are transfers. In addition, recent funding has helped secure more admissions for community college transfer students from within California.

When asked if additional funding might be needed to maintain efforts to get more Californian students into the UC and CSU systems, state Senate Josh Becker (D-San Mateo) told The Skyline

View, “It’s really the budget funding, and you know, priorities from [there] and it’s really about a budget, making sure that we have sufficient dollars for these efforts.”

Erik Saucedo of the California Budget and Policy Center understands the need for the cuts identifying the projected revenue shortfall as the reason but adds, “It’s important to note that the projected shortfalls are estimates and will change by the time we have an actual budget.”

“It’s unfortunate that the governor’s budget proposes to delay funding for projects aimed at supporting the urgent housing needs of students with low

incomes,” Saucedo told The Skyline View.

“We know that renters, people with low incomes, Black and Latinx Californians, and Californians who are undocumented are especially likely to struggle to keep up with housing costs, and any delays to affordable housing options for students only exacerbate these barriers. The legislature will have their own budget priorities and can choose to uplift this program and find a way to secure funding while balancing the budget.

The reaction by policy experts and students seems to be universal, with everyone The Skyline View spoke to vigorously advocating for the proposed housing grants to be kept in place.

“Our primary goals are to keep funding at current levels, keep housing funding on its current timeline, and ensure Cal Grant reform is implemented,” Stephanie Goldman, executive director of the Student Senate for California’s Community Colleges, told The Skyline View.

Assemblymember Phil Ting (CA--19) pointed to Proposition 98 as assurance for college students. “The Proposition 98 guarantee is protected in the California Constitution and estimated to be almost 40% of the state’s revenues this year. Because the entire state budget is lower, funding for schools may also be lower. We will, however, fight for our schools and community colleges during negotiations to ensure our investment in students does not negatively impact their futures,” said Assembly Budget Chair Phil Ting (D-San Francisco).

The California State Legislature has until June 15th to pass the 202324 fiscal year budget.

Former SMCCCD Chancellor’s case has hearing date, amid new co-conspirator claims

By Joshua D. Picazo Editor

Former San Mateo County Community College District Chancellor Ron Galatolo’s corruption case has been delayed as a judge reviews whether or not certain evidence found at his former lawyer’s office will be allowed in the trial, the San Mateo Daily Journal reported.

The new preliminary hearing date is March 22nd, initially scheduled for February 15th.

When asked if the uncertainty over the admittance of new evidence affected the DA’s confidence, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told The Skyline View, “The answer is no, not at all. We had determined there was a case to file against Mr. Galatolo and filed the criminal charges well before we learned of the information at the law office.”

“While we hope we are successful at the Court of Appeal, our case proceeds irrespective of the Court of Appeal decision,”

Wagstaffe added.

Galatolo served as Chancellor of SMCCCD from 2001 until 2019, in a position that saw him receive nearly $39,000 per month.

He was put on leave in 2019 after the DA began an investigation that led to him being charged with the alleged theft of public funds, among 20 other charges. Galatolo was during this time given another position in the District as “chancellor emeritus,” a position that saw him earn $467,700 per year. He was eventually fired on February 2021.

Galatolo has been out of custody since April 2022, when he posted $150,000 in cash for bail. He has pled not guilty to 21 counts, including filing false tax returns, perjury, and conflict of interest.

In related news, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the District will be suing several contractors, alleging

“It is a story about the blatant pay-to-play of bond money that was intended for buildings, equipment, and educational infrastructure to benefit our local community here in San Mateo County”

-District claim against con

pay-to-play under Galatolo’s tenure.

According to the complaint filed on February 8th, Galatolo and former Vice Chancellor Jose Núñez are accused of receiving gifts, with Galatolo being accused of traveling with contractors to several destinations, including Dubai, Nepal, and Pakistan under the guise of “business trips” at the expense of the school district’s financing.

“This case represents one of

the worst instances of payto-play stealing public funds designated for the education of our students, residents and working adults. It is a story about the blatant pay-to-play of bond money that was intended for buildings, equipment, and educational infrastructure to benefit our local community here in San Mateo County,” the complaint claims.

“Galatolo and his coconspirator defendants sought to create a pay-to-play atmosphere using District bond funds (taxpayer money) to enrich themselves and Defendants. The District became Galatolo’s source of influence, power, and more importantly, a conduit for favors and money, due to his pursuit of quid pro quo relationships

with contractors including defendants and perhaps others designated as Does,” the complaint further claims.

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Joshua D. Picazo/The Skyline View

California’s state budget is expected to see major cuts, however, education may be spared.

Ron Galatolo’s mugshot, courtesy of the District Attorney’s office

in Chief

Editor-In-Chief

Joshua D. Picazo

News Editor

Joshua D. Picazo

Focal Point Editor

Sean siapno

Opinions Editor nishad karulkar

Sports Editor kathia noriega

Chief Copy Editor

Joshua d. picazo

Multimedia

Editor gabriel breitbarth

Social Media Editor

danielle cosino Reporters

Antonio franco

alex gonzalez

Ileana Guillen Jack lynch

zack hernandez

jonathan Mariano-Smith

freelance reporter

gabriel mendez

Faculty Adviser

Nancy Kaplan-Biegel

Skyline College President Melissa Moreno selected to be District’s next interim Chancellor

By Joshua D. Picazo Editor-in-Chief

The Board of Trustees for San Mateo County Community College District announced that Skyline College President Dr. Melissa Moreno has been selected to serve as interim Chancellor at the end of current interim Chancellor Michael Claire’s term.

A vote will take place Wednesday, February 22nd.

Claire announced his intention to retire last year, leaving a vacancy that created a months-long search and yielded three finalists. However, the search committee decided to continue before finally landing on Dr. Moreno.

When asked about her vision

for the District, which serves Skyline College, College of San Mateo, and Canada College, Dr. Moreno said, “I plan to work with the board to continue removing barriers for our disproportionately impacted students to enable their success. I am also accountable for improving transparency and communication about our work as stewards of the public trust and to ensure continuity of operations as we ready ourselves for the future.”

“I am excited to embark on this immense responsibility as Interim

Chancellor of the San Mateo County Community College District and to support the success of all three colleges in our County,” she added.

“In so many ways, it is a dawning of new day for our District. We have emerged from the pandemic with a renewed awareness of the challenges our students face – from food and housing insecurities to technological and transportation barriers.”

This also means Skyline College will seek a new President to fill Dr. Moreno’s position.

“As a college district, we are fortunate to be able to select an administrator of Dr. Moreno’s experience from within our own college district community,” Board of Trustees President Lisa Petrides said in an email to District employees. “It is yet another example as to why the San Mateo County Community College District is considered one of the best in the nation,” she added.

Dr. Moreno will officially begin serving as interim Chancellor on April 1st.

Interview with State Senator Josh Becker (D-San Mateo)

by joshua D. Picazo editor-in-chief

State Senator Josh Becker, an advocate for innovative education funding in California and author of SB 893, took time to answer questions with The Skyline View about housing, transportation, and community colleges.

SB 893, which allows for a tuition-free accessible community college in San Mateo County, is now seeing similar bills across the state, including Santa Clara County.

The Skyline View: You were the author of SB 893, which waves most fees for community college students in San Mateo County. Do you plan to advocate for an extension of this once it expires in about five years?

yeah, so far, it’s working great.

TSV: Another thing you’ve advocated for is prioritizing California’s students being admitted into UC and CSU campuses. Are there any ways you envisioned future legislation, maintaining or increasing that prioritization?

We’ll continue to look at it. Right now, we don’t need any additional legislation. It’s really the budget funding, priorities from that and it’s really about a budget, making sure that we have sufficient dollars for these efforts. But we don’t need additional legislation at the moment.

train is going to connect with the bus and all this sort of stuff. So there’s a lot that even though this issue didn’t pass, it got the conversation started. So we can still work on seamless Bay Area right now.

As you know many of our transits are in crisis. Cal-Train particularly had a very high fair box recovery. It was 80%, which is a lot for [transit], because they have such a high community worker ridership.

But now, this is where people are working from home and commuting less. It’s really taken its toll.

But all the agencies are suffering greatly and they’re all coming us to get efforts to try to help save them and get them additional funding. And we’re working on it.

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Senator Josh Becker: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, we wanted to prove that it could work and so far, the results are excellent. We have thousands of students benefiting, our enrollment is up 15% because of SB 893. So the results are excellent and that’s what we need to do: prove that it works.

TSV: Yeah. That was something that was very well received by the students, particularly in our county and SMCCCD, so we’re all very happy about that.

Sen. Becker: I mean, you know, [the] proofs in the pudding. But

TSV: Another issue is the price of gas, a lot of students have been looking into alternative methods of transportation. As a member of the Senate Transportation Committee. Are there any legislation or efforts to increase funding for public transportation?

Sen. Becker: Yeah. I had a bill last year called the Seamless Bay Area Bill, trying to make sure that we have better coordination. So, without even spending additional money, if we have fair coordination and schedule coordination we would greatly improve public transit as well as better signage and better data.

So people know where the

Strong winds lead to power outages across county, temporarily closes Cañada College

of the storms.

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.

by joshua D. Picazo & Grahaam breithbarth editor-in-chief & multimedia editor

Windstorms have swept across the Bay Area in the last few days, knocking out power, downing trees and causing major incidents for the residents of the bay.

The Bay Area is no stranger to high winds or large scale storm destruction. The latest series of weather events to hit the Bay has left some interesting damage in its wake. The storm knocked out over a hundred thousand residents’ power across the Bay Area.

PG&E says it has been hard at work trying to repair the damages

They’ve managed to restore about half of the residents power.

Cañada College also saw power outages caused by the winds. The community college, located in Redwood City, cancelled evening classes on Teudsay the 21st and finally opened on Wednsday at 5 p.pm. after power had finally been restored.

The winds are expected to calm down with the addition of rain coming in the next few days according to The Weather Channel. San Bruno will likely see rain beginning Thursday and last until next week.

And then on the longer term you want to see new priorities. Things like Dumbarton Rail [bridge]. We need to get east-west transit going. Those are the people that are commuting hours into the Bay Area and this is not a good way for them right now in most cases. So that’s what we’re working on.

TSV: And one last question. Housing is of particular im portance, especially for the students and the faculty in the county. Would you like to see this be addressed by the Senate and the local government?

Sen. Becker: Well, that’s a big issue everywhere in the Bay Area. The thing is colleges, and our community college in particular often

have land that we could build. San MateoCounty has been a leader in our community colleges of building staff housing, but we could look at doing more as well, and to do that we need funding from the State. And so we actually passed last year about 1 billion dollars for housing on the campuses of our community colleges. The governor, I believe, delayed that his first recent budget. So that is one of the things we’ll be discussing with him. But we have to now really go out and fight for those dollars.

“We have emerged from the pandemic with a renewed awareness of the challenges our students face – from food and housing insecurities to technological and transportation barriers.”

Sen Josh Becker authored SB 893, instrumental in providing tuition free college. Photo from Twitter.

Skyline needs open gym hours

Skyline College should open its exercise facilities for all students to use.

Student-athletes should maintain their priority over these spaces, but why not give other students access when they are not in use?

For example, the basketball gym here on campus finds itself vacant at various points throughout the week. Utilizing it as an open gym during these hours would be extremely beneficial for students to stay active.

An open door approach to the exercise facilities would encourage more of the Skyline community to commit to their own health and the campus.

Throughout the school week, students often have several obligations to fulfill, making some days more difficult to attend to their physical fitness. Implementing these policies can prompt students to meet up with their peers on campus to get in their daily exercise.

Opening all of the exercise facilities would also form a better sense of community on campus. Having a place where students can collectively do something healthy that they

enjoy can serve as a crucial hub for classmates to connect. Not all people are extroverts, so opening exercise facilities up to the student body would provide a safe place for them to naturally network.

Establishing open gym hours can help Skyline students with long commutes. With soaring

gas prices, dragging yourself from place to place can be costly to a vast majority of community college undergraduates. Providing students access to facilities saves them another trip, especially since they spend time on campus for classes anyway.

The most significant motive for allowing students to have

access to these spaces is for their overall health. According to the CDC, it’s been proven that engaging in physical activity can improve cognitive health, strengthen muscles, help control weight, manage stress, and reduce the risk of disease for students in the future. Keeping people active is

critical, and providing them with spaces that will inevitably make them healthier, more productive people should be an obvious choice for Skyline.

Some may argue that the current policies are in place to support student-athletes and their journeys to continue to play sports when they transfer; however, when these facilities are not in use by them, there should be no problem with allowing other people to make use of facilities.

The benefits for the student body evidently outweigh the current restrictive policies. Additionally, an official schedule for Skyline team practices as well as open hours for each facility should be published monthly.

Priority must still remain with the Skyline sports teams who use these spaces regularly, but when they are not in use, others should have the option to lift some weights, shoot some baskets, or take advantage of the healthy activities these facilities have to offer.

The Skyline View editorial has no byline because it is the voice of TSV’s editorial staff.

Falling community college enrollment: what’s to blame?

By Alex Gonzalez Reporter

Community college enrollment in the Bay Area is at an all time low because of poor affordability of public educational institutions and housing as well as a lack of mental health resources.

The pandemic derailed many lives almost instantly. Bay Area community colleges at large are still dealing with the ramifications of it and have seen a declining enrollment since, with 419,000 less students since the 2018-2019 school year to be exact.

One reason for this drop in enrollment is the affordability of our community colleges. For the current 2022-2023 school year, the average tuition for California Community Colleges was $1,246 per year for in-state students. This price does not include the cost of textbooks and other necessities, which can add hundreds of dollars to students’ budgets.

The San Mateo Community College District has tackled tuition fees, with Senate Bill 893 being signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. However, students are still

Editorial Cartoon

By Gabriel Mendez Reporter

responsible for paying for required textbooks and other material out of their own pocket.

Depending on availability, most textbooks can range anywhere from $30 to $100 or more. All together you’ll be spending at least a couple hundred dollars on textbooks alone per semester, which some students simply can’t afford.

Not only does the affordability of our community colleges affect enrollment, but the overall affordability of housing in the Bay Area plays a role. It’s estimated that people who live alone in cities such as San Francisco and San Jose need to make at least $60,000 a year to live comfortably, making it extremely difficult for a college student with a full-time minimum wage job to live on their own.

Students who can’t afford to live on their own typically live with their parents, while both attending school and working to support their families. The pressure to be a contributor while also getting a degree makes it less likely that they will continue to pursue academic goals. A lack of higher education will only complicate their ability to attain economic

mobility in the future.

These factors certainly take a toll on students, eroding their mental health. Furthermore, the lack of mental health services and overall stigma around it heavily discourages students and people generally from seeking help. This can lead to students almost forcibly having to take a semester or two off from school to regroup for the health of their still-developing minds.

All of these obstacles combined together give a glimpse as to why Bay Area community colleges have seen a dip in enrollment. It’s hard to blame those who have decided to take a break or drop out completely as these past three years have caused unimaginable hardships for many across our communities, particularly lower-income and marginalized people.

State and local governments must step in and provide more funding to our schools and mental health resources if they wish to see a rise in enrollment in the future. If change doesn’t occur quickly, the future of both students and Community Colleges alike is destined to seem rather dark.

Staff TV/Movie Picks

Zach Hernandez - Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso is the perfect combination of a feel-good story with a compelling plot. Lasso’s positive attitude and hilarious expressions captured the hearts of fans all around the world. With the third and final season kicking off on March 15, this show is an absolute must-watch.

Illeana Guillen - That ‘90s Show I watched the pilot episode of That ‘90s Show and found myself laughing so hard, despite the fact that I had never seen a single episode of the show’s predecessor, That ‘70s Show Antonio Franco - Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp:

Quantumania is not a terrible movie, but it’s not a good one either. It is a fun watch, despite some frustration with the writing.

Zach Hernandez/The Skyline View Skyline College’s main gymnasium is empty on a Friday afternoon in San Bruno, CA.

Alex Gonzalez/The Skyline View

The empty courtyard at Skyline College’s campus in San Bruno, CA at noon showcases declining enrollment.

Hookup Culture Is Destroying Romance

By Sean Siapno Focal point Editor

The dating scene has taken a turn for the worse with the current Generation. Today, it seems that people have to go through so many different phases in order to simply earn the title of someone’s partner, girlfriend, or boyfriend. The concept of a significant other might be dead. What happened?

Hookup culture.

Securing a stable relationship has become an afterthought to exploring and keeping your options open. The fear of commitment has led people to reside in gray areas like: situationships, friends with benefits, or mutual exclusivity. No matter how strong the connection or time spent with one another, people simply do not want to label their relationship.

However, the prominence of physical intimacy has remained a clear objective of modern dating. In fact, it’s heavily desired, shifting the narrative of romance. Everything is more surface level and we seem to be okay with it. A possible love interest is now determined by

Dating apps are the leading cause of promoting the dominant social norm that hookup culture has become.

someone’s physical appearance rather than their personality.

After all, this is the era of Tinder and Bumble.

Dating apps are the centerfold of hookup culture. Even if their purpose is to help people connect, it primarily revolves around the superficial aspects. Apps such as Tinder or Bumble fuel the current trend, inserting

the idea into young people that casual hookups are the social norm while simultaneously making them overly accessible. The media exacerbates the issue as these kinds of engagements seem to be encouraged. By watching our favorite characters perform steamy scenes, the drive for a similar experience is continuously sought for.

California needs to standardize IGETC for all California Public Universities

Dating should not only be defined by physical intimacy. People tend to overlook and miss out on the “butterflies” that come from a slow and well developed relationship. It’s an amazing feeling seeing the person you like take you on a picnic or going on walks at the beach together. Sadly, people won’t experience any of this

if hookup culture continues to dominate the dating scene.

While love never really has a clear path for anyone, the issues that we claim to deal with today are outrageous.

Is it really that hard to call someone your girlfriend, boyfriend, or partner if you truly like them?

Is it too much of a hassle to get to know someone before taking it to the next level?

If you’re not ready to be committed, the answer is simple. Come back when you are. Labeling a relationship does not equal an immediate hand in marriage. So, in the proclaimed “month of love,” where is the love? Romance is fleeting and it’s disappointing to see our society reduce the richness of love to the mediocrity of hookup culture.

AI is stealing from artists

By Graham Breitbarth Digital Editor

Content creators are being destroyed by new AI generation tools.

Recently, AI-generated content has been running rampant through the digital creator space. The question is, why? Artificial Intelligence is rapidly making more tools accessible in various fields.

There are plenty of people who would agree that AI is revolutionary technology that can help more than hurt people.

Artificial intelligence is only as smart as we can program it and only as talented as the examples it’s given. In order to improve further it must work with more than what the programmers are able to give it. AI is then fed stolen work, including art, music and even scripts that it collects from the internet.

How exactly is it stealing?

from those who input ideas into it.

AI art functions similarly. It searches the internet for keywords relating to what the user requested. Those keywords lead the program to compile other artists’ work, which the software then uses to compose a new piece made from thousands of original works.

Apps like Lensa and MidJourney are two of the top AI art apps out there. They’re able to generate images based on the work of other artists for just a few dollars and sometimes even for free. It pulls from the work from hundreds to generate something new.

Artist Lauryn Ipsum reported seeing the signature of another artist in an AI-generated portrait. She referred to it as “...the mangled remain’s of an artist’s signature…”

By Nishad Karulkar Opinions Editor

California needs Cal-GETC.

California needs this single standardized series of courses for community college students to directly transfer to both the University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) systems.

While California higher education has historically made efforts toward bridging the economic gaps within its institutions via effective and transparent community college transfer pathways to four-year universities, the system is still gravely flawed.

More prestigious institutions like the UCs remain costly for a majority of community college students. And the CSUs continue to be underfunded with major budget deficits.

Furthermore, economics aside, the concrete pathways for community college students interested in higher education is even worse off.

First, although both are designated California public schools in name, the CSU and UC applications are separate. One of the initial steps to combating inequality in California’s lower income and marginalized students is to simplify its students’ processes by creating a single application for all California public universities.

This can be implemented very similarly to how each of the distinct applications are already set up for their respective systems. If you want to apply to UC Irvine and UC Davis, you can do so through one UC application. Similarly, if you want to go to San Francisco State or Sonoma State, it is under one CSU application.

My question is, why were these applications ever separate to begin with? The separation between the more internationally recognizable UC brand and publicly accessible CSU one demonstrates an inherent

level of entrenched classism between the two University systems.

The UCs have historically been, and still are more expensive institutions to attend than the CSUs.

Despite increased access to the UCs through its IGETC course pattern, most students from community colleges like Skyline are more likely to attend the CSUs than the UCs, not because they aren’t smart enough for the UCs, but because the schools are simply out of their budget.

While community college students are intelligent, they shouldn’t be forced to shoulder the burden of academic bureaucracy to attend the best available public avenues toward higher education.

Califormia is home to over 2 million community college students who seek to economically elevate themselves and their circumstances via education.

Artificial Intelligence has to learn from somewhere; take ChatGPT for example, an AI chatbot writing software that learns

In the ever evolving digital world there will always be new programs coming around. It’s up to those who use them to be responsible with them.

Sean Siapno/The Skyline View

“The concept of a significant other might be dead. What happened? Hookup culture.”

Graham Breitbarth/The Skyline View

Gotta collect em’ all: Korean idol edition

By Sean Siapno focal point editor

when the photocard arrived. It didn’t really bother me as I just really wanted this one card she was selling,” says Chen. “She also packaged the card more carefully so it wouldn’t have more damages.”

Fabian packages her trades and sales with utmost care. She places the card in a plastic sleeve and tapes it shut. For added protection, she places the already-sealed card in a toploader, which is essentially a tougher card holder. Lastly, she would tape the photocard onto a greeting card where she thanks the customer and gives them additional gifts related to their favorite groups. In the end, she ships out the product and notifies the customer that the mail has been dropped in the postal office.

Even if Fabian seems to be very experienced in the photocard world, she unfortunately ran into scammers early on.

Trading cards are seen everywhere. From cards of your favorite baseball players, to all sorts of Pokemon, there’s nothing like the feeling of opening card packs filled with the little wonders that are index-sized pieces of laminated cardstock. It’s no surprise the K-pop industry has adapted this kind of merchandise and that it’s a huge success among the fans.

Angelee Fabian is an avid collector of K-pop trading cards. More commonly known as photocards, she collects her favorite idols from her favorite groups: BTS, and Twice.

While she is currently a second-year psychology student at Skyline, she hosts a trading/selling business through instagram under the username @suitesana. She started this account after being inspired by her cousin.

“I started getting into more of Twice’s music and after seeing my cousin’s photocard collection, it made me want to start my own.”

Shortly afterwards, she discovered Instagram sellers and found herself amazed over how many photocards existed for every group. With multiple purchases through her main account, she thought it would be more organized and safe to use an alternative account when interacting with various sellers. Suitesana was then born and became more than just an outlet to buy photocards. It became a business.

There’s actually a specific kind of etiquette when it comes to starting a photocard-based selling/trading account on Instagram.

“Having information and rules is a must.” Fabian says. “In my instagram bio, I have a link to my Carrd which is kind of a personal website that allows me to put my information on there.”

This landing page is common among most traders and sellers. It lists out which groups they are primarily collecting, where they are based, proper instruction in

contacting the seller, as well as their main forms of payment.

It is always important to check someone’s bio as it provides customers the proper way of messaging the trader/ seller. For suitesana, she requires someone to send a heart emoji if they want to do a trade, and food emojis if someone wants to buy photocards she has up for sale.

“When I look through my dm’s, I check who messaged me first and who sent me the emojis I requested. Then I can finally show them video proof of the card they want. I usually flash a light over the card to show its condition.”

Being transparent with the card’s condition is something Fabian takes seriously. If the photocard has damages, she always notes it in the posts she makes.

Ada Chen, a customer of Fabian, bought a photocard that had a slight scratch on the card.

“Manufacturing errors happen all the time. Since she noted it in the post, I knew what to expect

“I was scammed for $18 dollars. I’m happy it wasn’t more, but now I’m more aware of red flags in trading accounts. This also helped me make my account look more official.”

Since this experience, she’s been able to have a total of over 76 proofs, which account for both trades and sales. This is a notable amount as people typically have more faith in accounts who have over 50 proofs.

“I’ve bought and traded from

suitesana multiple times. Her account seemed trustworthy as it had a good amount of proof at the time.” says Reignelle Ramos, another customer of Fabian. “We both like Twice and we trade for each other’s favorite members.”

Ramos is just one of the few customers who’ve had a great experience with suitesana. She only does US transactions, but has already been able to interact with others from across the country. Everyone just wants to end up with the photo of their favorite idol.

As groups continue coming back with new music and photocards, Fabian will continue to grow her collection as well as expand her account. Despite originating from a simple alt account, she’s proud of how far she’s come.

“From my very first sale up to now, I still love seeing the notification that someone has received my mail.”

With Twice recently announcing their upcoming tour, Fabian hopes to take some of her profit with the possibility of attending this concert. Even if it’s a small sale, there’s always something to gain as her proofs continue to grow, bringing more light into her account. These small pieces of laminated cardstock have easily become a huge part of her life as well as many others.

Shake Shack shakes up Stonestown

By Illeana Guillen Reporter

A New York City based fastfood chain has arrived in San Francisco’s Stonestown Galleria. They serve burgers, crinkle cut fries, shakes, as well as lemonade and iced teas. As a native San Franciscan, I was pleasantly surprised upon hearing that a third Shake Shack was going to open where San Francisco’s only Olive Garden franchise once stood.

I was craving a burger and decided to stop by for lunch to see how the restaurant looks and how the food would taste. I ordered the Golden State Double

with a vanilla shake.

My first impression was that it was a clean, ample space with lots of tables and chairs. The cashier even asked how I spell my name which I thought was a very personal touch, unlike other fast food restaurants or coffee shops that do not take the time to ask how you spell your name. I quickly found a table near a window and waited a mere thirteen minutes before a friendly waiter set down my food in a metal tray.

The bun was a little thin, and I wish there was more cheese. While in small quantities, the cheddar itself was a bit dull in taste. However,both patties were cooked nicely and had an abundance of flavor. The garlic aioli was a very nice touch to the burger and was able to add a butter and garlic flavor that combined so well with the cheese and meat.

The main components of a great burger were all there, but to my taste, it contained too much oil. One bite was all it took for oil to immediately spill on

my hands. Adding insult to injury, I did not have any napkins on hand, and was not provided any to clean my hands or mouth after consuming food.

The vanilla shake was very good. The flavors of vanilla and custard mixed beautifully and made my taste buds tingle with joy.

What I like best about Shake

Shack is that their burgers, fries, nuggets, shakes and drinks are made on the spot when a customer orders one. I highly suggest visiting Stonestown’s Shake Shack for great service and an even greater meal. Overall, this establishment deserves a 4/5 star rating.

@suitesana/Instagram

Example of the packaging Fabian does for her sales and trades.

Illeana Gullen/ The Skyline View Shakeshack’s vanilla milkshake and Golden State Double.

Sean Siapno/The Skyline View

Angelee Fabian carefully packs a photocard a customer purchased from her.

Illeana Gullen/The Skyline View Stonestown’s Shake Shack showcases a modern-style of exterior design.

Nothing, but also everything, matters in the film ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’

By Danielle Cosino Social Media editor

The 2022 science-fiction film

Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO) has become the talk of this year’s award season. As the 95th Academy Awards are approaching, Everything Everywhere All At Once has become the most nominated film with a total of 11 nominations. While the movie was released in spring of last year, it was recently re-released in theaters due to its growing popularity.

Everything Everywhere All At Once follows the story of a Chinese-American immigrant family, the Wang’s, who own a laundromat and are currently being audited by the IRS. As she is preparing for a very important meeting, Eveyln Wang discovers that everything is in danger and it is she who can save life itself from the evil and mysterious force of Jobu Tupaki. With the help of her husband, Waymond, Evelyn delves into the multiverse in order to save humanity.

If you plan on watching the movie and don’t mind any spoilers, then feel free to continue reading. Otherwise, this is your official spoiler warning.

This comedic sci-fi film uses the multiverse in order to explore deep and meaningful themes such as the concept of absurdism, the nuances of life, depression and mental health, growing up with immigrant parents, generational trauma and generational differences.

First and foremost, the film is a great representation of Asian and Asian-Americans. Additionally, it does a great job of depicting the challenges of being born into an Asian immigrant family, and how Asian beliefs and tradition produces genera-

tional trauma through various generational differences.

As a Filipino immigrant myself, there were multiple points in the film where I strongly resonated with the mixed internal and external feelings and emotions that Evelyn and her daughter Joy have of each other. This complex and strained relationship, and the journey of trying to restore it, is the driving force of the plot that helps explore the film’s themes.

EEAAO takes the viewers on a wild ride through the multiverse. It may seem confusing at first to understand how the multiverse and the action of verse-jumping works, so here’s a quick rundown:

• The multiverse is the concept that there are other universes existing simultaneously, and everyone has an alternate version of themselves in every universe.

• The film emphasizes that every decision and action you make, from the smallest to the largest, could have led you to another life, to another universe. This concept is shown through the action of verse-jumping which is when a character performs small (and typically strange actions) in order to temporarily access the memories, emotions and skills of an alternative version of them-

The Life of Pablo Review

Top songs: Ultralight Beam, Father Stretch My Hands, Waves, 30 Hours, No More Parties in LA, Fade, & Saint Pablo

By Nishad Karulkar Opinions Editor

I have never cared for Valentine’s Day. A day for love? Gross. A day for couples? Even worse.

And although back in 2016, I definitely did not have a Valentine, Kanye’s February 14th release, The Life of Pablo, gave me a digital LP I would hold close to my heart for years to come.

Seven years ago, Kanye gave a 14-year-old me a Valentine’s Day gift. However, looking back, the album is more likely a Valentine’s present, if not an ode, to himself. I mean, the notorious megalomaniac literally and hilariously titles track nine, “I Love Kanye.”

I assume the mentally struggling, and most socially aware yet unaware artist saw the brilliance in the piece during the final stages of mixing the record. Hence the name of the slam poetry-infused track nine.

It was his last true classic and cohesive record. Ye was too

short to be a full studio album and Donda was too long and scattered.

With the help of legendary collaborations, producers, and A-list artists, Kanye adds one more feather to his cap, arguably being the greatest hip-hop artist of all time.

Rihanna. The Weeknd. Frank Ocean. Kendrick Lamar. Chris Brown. Post Malone. Chance the Rapper. Just to name a few. Yet not a single one is credited with a feature on the visually tangible tracks themselves, though all do receive written credits. The man’s ego was clearly at work once again.

The first track “Ultralight Beam” showcases his Christian roots. With production infused with the soul of a church choir and bars by Chance the Rapper, it just might have the compelling power to convert your most ardent atheist friend.

“You can feel the lyrics and spirit coming in braille / Tubman of the underground, come and follow the trail / I made Sunday

selves. While every character has multiple alternate versions of themselves in the multiverse, Joy only has one, and that alternate version of herself is none other than Jobu Tupaki. This was revealed early on in the film and explains that the reason Jobu is a dark and powerful force is because she’s the only individual in the multiverse who is able to effortlessly jump from various universes with the snap of her finger. As a consequence, Joy is able to feel every emotion all at once.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is known for its humor, chaos and absurdity via special effects, editing, and hilarious and ridiculous dialogue. The visuals of this movie is out of this world and truly illustrates the absurd multiverse that Everything Everywhere All At Once takes place in. While it may seem like nothing makes sense in this crazy film, these creative choices all tie in with the film’s main theme of the concept of absurdism: life and the world around it lacks actual meaning.

There are countless miniscule details that symbolize and represent the philosophy of different characters and contribute to the overall message of the film.

Circles play a huge role and can be seen scattered throughout the film.

Jobu condenses all her findings from every universe into an (everything) bagel, which collapsed on itself like a black hole. After experiencing and witnessing every emotion in every universe, Jobu/Joy concludes that nothing in life matters. Other than the bagel itself, aggressively drawn circles that look similar to the bagel represent Jobu/Joy’s philosophy that nothing matters.

Another significant detail are googly eyes. They represent the philosophy of Waymond Wang which is also that nothing matters; however, because nothing matters, it means that everything matters. The bagel and googly eyes are seen as the yin and yang.

Waymond acts as the middle ground between Evelyn and Joy. He is the grounding force and the source of kindness, patience and understanding in his loved-ones lives. Amidst the chaos and the loud noises of life, he reminds everyone that it is the small and meaningless things that hold the most significance.

Everything Everywhere All At Once tells us that nothing in life matters. However, it is how we interpret that message which can affect and change our outlook on life drastically. Reject the bagel, embrace the googly eyes.

Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu’s acting are absolutely phenomenal and moving. Their performances take you on this crazy and absurd journey through the multiverse and allows you to feel various emotions. Never has a film made me laugh so much, cry so much and question existence the way Everything Everywhere All At Once has.

Since EEAAO covers various topics, anyone can take something meaningful out of this unique and peculiar film.

As someone who has seen the movie on both a small computer screen and recently in theaters, I highly recommend that you take advantage of this re-release and watch Everything Everywhere All At Once on the big screen in order to fully immerse yourself in a universe filled with laundry, taxes and googly-eyes.

Candy, I’m never going to hell / I met Kanye West, I’m never going to fail,” Chance raps, crying in gratitude as he carries the tracks with his youthful wit.

The continued megalomania and deification of Ye continues in his subtlety, but the sonic sensuality of the track distracts the listener like the effect a lullaby has on a baby.

Ye’s soulful melody, a staple of his work, continues to string through the project in ways that elevate the listener from the realities of Earth, transporting you willingly to another planet that revolves around the sun that Ye thinks he is.

It is that elation that fools the listener and his predominantly young audience to forget his many and repeated shortcomings. It’s almost as if Kanye knows exactly what he is doing. Because he does… At least when it comes to sound, sin, and music.

He’s trying to mix musical ecstasy with lyrical provocation. And if you weren’t yet con -

vinced of the artist’s brilliance while simultaneously being irked by the narcissism that infects the first half of the album, Kanye thrusts you into track ten, “Waves.”

The euphoric production of “Waves,” combined with its honest lyrical vulgarity is the culmination of The Life of Pablo’s, really the life of Ye’s, beauty, madness, and more madness.

Chris Brown sings the chorus as Kid Cudi balances the bliss of the song, deeply humming his way through the transitions.

However, even with two

A-List features, it’s the ensemble of producers in Anthony Kilhoffer, Hudson Mohawke, Metro Boomin, MIKE DEAN, Charlie Heat, and of course Kanye West that led the song with elegant synths that foment its rapture, making the track a classic hit. The melody of the song places his production center stage, reminding the audience of Ye’s roots as a producer, once again patting himself on the back. That’s why there are no tangibly visible features.

Because he is the star.

Courtesy of A24

The official movie poster of Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

Creative Commons

With assistant creative direction led by the late Virgil Abloh, the album artwork was designed by Belgian artist Peter De Potter.

Women’s basketball:road to playoffs

By Zach Hernandez Reporter

The Skyline women’s basketball team didn’t allow any hurdles to slow them down this season, despite encountering plenty of them.

Perseverance is one of the most accurate words that I have gathered to describe this squad and their mentality towards the game of basketball. Regardless of the circumstances, this roster was determined to circumvent the obstacles and work hard to win games.

One of the captains of the team, Tatiana Newsome, emphasized the persistence that this group displayed throughout the season.

“We don’t give up even if we may be down by a lot,” Newsome said. “We still won’t give up.”

Coach Chris Watters also spoke about this team’s endurance when, from what it felt like, they were fighting a continuous uphill battle.

“I feel like this group, more than past years, has faced a lot of adversity in terms of injury, illness, and things like that,” Watters said. “It seems like we could never get our full group together with everything that’s gone on, but being able to tackle that adversity head-on has made us a better team.”

Chemistry is a vital aspect of being part of a successful team. However, connecting on the court becomes difficult to fulfill when spending time with your teammates turns limited. That is a challenge that this group was

presented with, but they fought to not let that prevent them from playing the game as one cohesive unit.

Camila Solari-Chaman, a sophomore on the team, discussed how this group plays a very selfless brand of basketball, which led them to more success this season.

“We’re unselfish on the court,” Solari-Chaman said. “A lot of us like to pass the ball. We like to find the better shot.”

Basketball is a game where teamwork is extremely neces -

sports Feature

sary. Having good connections with teammates on the court can stem from having good relationships off the court, and that has been evidently portrayed from players on this roster.

Another captain from this team, Lala Lautaimi, describes the fun relationships she has with her teammates and how it helps the chemistry of the club.

“We’re a funny team,” Lautaimi said. “We all have our jokes and mess around with each other, but we also know when it’s time to be serious.”

Lala’s recipe to success

By Zach Hernandez Reporter

Being a captain of a college basketball team comes with big responsibility. Your job is to be a great player, a great teammate, and most importantly, a great leader.

Lala Lautaimi, one of the captains of Skyline’s women’s basketball team, has proven to be a fantastic leader for her team, and she has garnered tons of love from her coach and her teammates.

Lautaimi started playing basketball in middle school, and that’s when she fell in love with the game. As a competitive player, striving to win games has always been her goal, and it’s her favorite part of playing basketball.

“My favorite part of the game is just winning,” Lautaimi said. “I kind of hate losing.”

Tatiana Newsome, another captain on this team, knows how well-rounded a player Lautaimi is. Sharing the court with her for two years gave her a first-hand experience of watching her play the game at an elite level.

“Lala did great this season,” Newsome said. “She’s always done great. She’s a hustler, a great rebounder, and she can block shots. People are scared to drive in on her.”

The skills that Lautaimi possesses make her a target for other teams to try and stop. After having a fantastic fresh -

man season, teams attempted to formulate a game plan that would prevent her from being as effective. Being the great player she is, she still found a way to influence the game and lead her team to success.

Chris Watters, the coach of this squad, spoke on this and how Lautaimi was able to overcome these obstacles in her way.

“She had an outstanding year as a freshman, and in some ways, that makes it more difficult to come back and have another great year as a sophomore,” Watters said. “Every opponent was able to game plan to stop her

and focus on her, but she’s done a great job of finding new ways to score and finding new ways to impact the game.”

Adjusting is a major aspect of the game of basketball. Lautaimi perfected that craft when opponents would throw unexpected game plans her way. She has done a phenomenal job of disallowing that from affecting her overall influence on the game.

Being able to dominate a basketball game in many different ways is what makes Lautaimi stand out from other players.

“As a basketball player, I would describe her as dynamic,”

When good relationships are formed amongst teammates, playing the game together feels more fluid. Over the course of the year, this team has grown together and boosted different aspects of their game.

“I think one thing that we do really well as a team is our adaptability,” Watters said. “We’re able to adapt and adjust to different opponents and change the way we play. That allows us to have some contributions from everybody. Every player, as an individual, has

helped us win a game this year.”

Highs and lows are prevalent in any sports team’s journey. How you carry yourself through the highs and how you react and push through the lows can determine how your season will end up. This team had a roller coaster of a year, but they kept fighting all the way until the end.

This is not a team that I would want to play against come playoff time.

her play style so well.”

As a leader of this basketball club, Lautaimi is a prime example of how to fulfill that role perfectly. Her teammates recognize that, her coaches recognize that, and anybody who watches her play recognizes that.

She will be continuing her basketball journey after Skyline, although she is uncertain of where that will be at the moment. However, no matter where she ends up, she will continue to shine as a player, a teammate, a leader, and a person.

Watters said. “She can do things that other players at our level are not capable of doing.”

Her teammates fully recognize this, and they know how crucial her all-around skill is to the team’s success.

“She’s such a versatile player,” Angela Olivé, a teammate of Lautaimi, said. “She can drive, and she can post. She’s lengthy, and she’s fast and quick.”

Lautaimi doesn’t just shine on the court, however. Off the court, she is a great leader, a great friend, and a great person.

“Her spirit, in general, is just so good,” Olivé said. “It matches

Kathia Noriega/The Skyline View

Tatiana Newsome dribbles the ball at a home game against Ohlone College on Feb 8.

Kathia Noriega/The Skyline View

Lala Lautaimi dribbles the ball at a home game against Ohlone College on Feb 8.

When she’s in her mode, she’s dangerous to play against.

-Tatiana Newsome

Challenging year ahead for Trojans baseball

By Antonio Franco Reporter

Baseball season is rapidly approaching, and with that, the yells of excited players and cracks of baseball bats echo over Skyline’s athletic fields.

Skyline’s Trojans won the conference title last year, but they are now trying to repeat this feat with a new set of players. If trying to win back-to-back conference titles is already a challenge, then doing it with a team full of new faces must add another layer of pressure for the entire club.

The head coach of the team, Tony Brunicardi, anticipates a lot of challenges this season as most of the incoming players are inexperienced with playing at the college level. A majority of last year’s players have left this season, leaving behind a gap of experience that new players will have to fill.

“We had some ups and downs already,” Coach Brunicardi said. “But we are already growing as a group.”

However, even with this obstacle, the chemistry between the players seems to go hand in hand with their growth as a team. The relationship between the guys on the team is so potent that it is hard not to recognize the bond that is formed between them.

“They love each other,” Brunicardi said. “They get along with each other. They hang out outside of the field. You can see all the talk on the field which is huge.”

Sophomore Max Coupe is undeclared with an interest in psychology, and he has been on this team for two years as a center fielder. Playing baseball since he was five, it is not surprising to see that Coupe’s love for the game extends to his ambitions to delve into

sports opinion

the world of sports psychology.

That sense of empathy extends to his teammates and his willingness to take the lead for the freshman.

“I think being able to show the freshman coming in what we’re all about here is really important,” Coupe said. “I think we created a really good, solid foundation here with everyone.”

Despite the pressure of measuring up to last season’s accomplishments, Camron Grant, who has played third and first base for four years at Skyline, has faith in his team to succeed this season.

Grant is working towards getting his communications major, and he has been playing base-

ball since he was four years old. Grant’s love for the game, as well as creating new bonds with his teammates, has motivated him to keep playing for all these years.

“We have a lot of special guys on this team,” Grant said. “Building a new journey with this team is going to be really special.”

Being around this group for even a short amount of time is enough to fully grasp that sense of brotherhood and excitement. The banter and encouragement is heartfelt, and it definitely rings true to one of Brunicardi’s main philosophies.

“Enjoy the moment,” Brunicardi said. “Enjoy the teammates you get to compete with. These are

life memories that you will always remember.”

As the Trojans embark on a new season, the pressures will surely mount. However, Coupe and Grant have shared some helpful tips on what they do when faced with these difficulties.

“Focal points,” Grant said. “I will look at my bat, take a couple deep breaths… and that will get me redialed in. Back in the situation I need to be in.”

Coupe has a different approach when confronted with a stressful situation.

“I look at it as there is no such thing as pressure,” Coupe said. “I always like to think that I am here for a reason.”

Golden State Warriors’ mid season report

By Zach Hernandez Reporter

Calling all Bay Area natives. It is time to panic about your 2023 Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors have brought their fans an abundance of joy over the last eight years, bringing home four NBA championships and generating one of the greatest dynasties in sports history, but fans have not experienced stress like this in years.

To everybody’s surprise, the Warriors got off to a rocky start to begin the season. Rough patches were nothing new to this team, or any team for that matter, so fans expected it to fizzle out.

Fast forward to now. The Warriors are 58 games into the season, and they are still amidst this rough patch. The panic button is looking extremely enticing. It might be time to hit it.

29 wins. 29 losses. The 9th seed in the Western Conference. This is not the team the NBA world saw hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy just eight months ago.

Turning the ball over has been a major issue for this team. Over the course of the season, the Warriors have given the ball away more than any other team in the NBA, outside of the Houston Rockets.

Defense has also been a primary problem for the Dubs, considering

they allow the 4th-most points per game in the NBA.

Last offseason, they lost defensive juggernaut Gary Payton II in free agency to the Portland Trail Blazers. He was an anchor on the defensive side of the ball for this group, and his void has yet to be filled.

However, the Warriors received Payton II back in a four-team trade on February 9. This was a win-now move for the Dubs, as they shipped 21-year-old James Wiseman to Detroit in the deal.

To make matters worse, during trade negotiations with the Warriors, the Trail Blazers did not acknowledge a lingering injury that Payton II was battling. Now his impact on the team will be delayed, as he will be sidelined for at least one month.

Stephen Curry, the 2 time regular season MVP and star of this franchise, has also been dealing with an injury of his own, and he has not been on the court since February 4. His return date is still unknown, but Warriors fans are

This season will surely be worth the watch, as this squad is fresh and ready to face whatever obstacles may come their way.

Last Games’ Scores:

Men’s Baseball vs. Lassen 02/17 5-1 W vs. Lassen 02/18 2-1 L

Women’s Basketball @ Las Positas 02/10 72-41 W vs. Chabot 02/17 57-46 L

trusting that he’ll be back sooner rather than later.

A few key players need to step up, especially with Curry out for an undetermined amount of time.

Jordan Poole, who earned a max contract extension in the offseason, has been severely underperforming thus far into the year. His sloppiness and inefficiency are evident through his 3.3 turnovers per game, which is the tenth worst in the NBA, and his 33.5% shooting from three.

Andrew Wiggins, an incredibly

valuable piece during their 2022 title run, suffered an injury in December, forcing him to miss a month of action. He is still working on finding his rhythm, but Dubs fans are hoping he can get it clicking soon.

Klay Thompson, a beloved fan-favorite in Golden State, has not reached the level of play that he has shown prior to suffering two major leg injuries. Improvements and strides have been noticeable, but he is still striving to recover thehis groove that he once had.

Players like Draymond Green, Kevon Looney, Jonathan Kuminga, and Donte DiVincenzo have been filling their roles excellently. Carrying these contributions into the final stretch of the regular season will be vital towards the Warriors’ title chances.

As stressful as this may be for Dubs fans, one thing that this club has that the others don’t is playoff experience. This main core has won four NBA titles together. When the playoffs roll around, assuming the Warriors squeak their way in, this will be a difficult team to face in a seven-game series, regardless of their seed.

The Warriors still have a chance to bring home another title, but it will not be a smooth road there.

Antonio Franco/The Skyline View

A baseball player attempts to take out another player at third base during practice at Skyline College on Feb. 15.

Cyrus Saatsaz/Creative Commons

Stephen Curry shoots a three during a pregame shootaround in Denver.