The Skyline View | Spring 2020 | Issue #4

The SKYLINE View The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, Calif.

March,12 2020

theskylineview.com

Issue 5

Classes Cancelled until Mon; Course Instructon Shifts Online

By Umaima Ejaz News Editor

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, Michael Claire, Interim C h a n c e l l o r M a r. 11 t h r o u g h an email announced to suspend classes through M a r. 1 6 . T h e e m a i l s a i d “ T h e District will transition to primarily online course delivery from March 17 to A p r. 5 . C o l l e g e c a m p u s e s and the District Office will remain open during this

time.”

It further said, “When c l a s s e s r e s u m e Tu e s d a y, March 17, course instruction will be delivered online via Canvas, Zoom or other distance-learning modalities until April 4.”

The email also confirmed that no community member was exposed to Coronavirus as of yet.

S M C C C D ’s d e c i s i o n t o cancel classes came hours a f t e r t h e Wo r l d H e a l t h

Organization declared COVID 19 as a global pandemic.

The District has refined its Pandemic Plan for COVID-19 and will adjust operating procedures and guidelines as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves.

P r e v i o u s l y, t h e d i s t r i c t has been taking precautions, when in an email M a r. 1 0 d i s t r i c t s u s p e n d e d all nonessential travel

immediately until further notice.

International students’ program in an email reaffirmed the International students that the current situation will not impact their F1-visa status as long as they continue “to make normal progress in a full course of study as required by federal regulations”

College Physician Speaks Adresses Facts and Myths Related the COVID-19 A college physician came over to the Library in Building Five Skyline College to answer questions about the truths and falsehoods about the COVID-19 on Feb. 27.

Ama Bayar/The Skyline View Taken on Feb. 25, The Dream Center is available weekdays to answer questions and provide support for undocumented students.

By Layna Salinas Staff Writer

On Feb. 27 at the Skyline C o l l e g e l i b r a r y, p h y s i c i a n a n d c o l l e g e ’s H e a l t h C e n t e r M e d i c a l D i r e c t o r - D r. Wa l t e r Cheng held a Q&A about the facts and myths regarding the Coronavirus. “[COVID-19] is a group of viruses that can cause disease and there are many types of Coronaviruses out there that have been circulating for hundreds and hundreds of y e a r s , ” D r. C h e n g s a i d . H e also cleared up some of the misconceptions about the

v i r u s a n d i t ’s s p r e a d t o humans.

“They can infect both h u m a n s a n d a n i m a l s . ” D r.

Cheng said. “And typical Coronaviruses cause the Common cold and so the Common cold is caused by a whole host of viruses, which Coronaviruses usually cause about 10% of Common cold. And the vast majority of Coronaviruses cause Mild cold symptoms, so when you get a runny nose, a cough, low

g r a d e f e v e r, C o r o n a v i r u s is oftentimes one of the things that causes it.”

In fact, researchers at UCLA, said “they have found that screening travelers in order to detect the 2019 Novel Coronavirus is not as practical as it seems, it may catch less than 50% of infected travelers.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, U C L A r e searchers also found that people who have tested positive for the COVID-19 will get a “fever and

cough,” just like the symptoms of the Flu. More serious cases can cause pneumonia and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS. It takes two to 14 days for the symptoms of the Coronavirus t o a p p e a r.

In an attempt to ease the fears of the audience about t h e v i r u s , D r. C h e n g s a i d t h a t the students and faculty at Skyline College should not be scared or worried. Later answering some of the common questions that most of the audience had.

“Is COVID-19 a serious v i r u s ? Ye s . ” D r. C h e n g s a i d . “ Wi l l i t k i l l y o u ? P r o b a b l y not, we’ve noticed that over 80% of the people who get the disease get very mild symptoms just like the Common cold that you normally get with other Coronaviruses” D r. C h e n g s a i d , “ T h e r e are certain groups that seem to be at higher risk for serious infection. Those are people who are older, so we can see more serious illnesses from people over the age of 60, people who have compromised immune systems, on medications that could suppress their immune systems, people with uncontrolled HIV disease that

would probably have the more severe disease, and the most important thing are people with underlying lung conditions,” The vast majority of the 31 plus deaths reported in the United States so far have come from people over the age of 60 and/or with deteriorating health conditions that made their immune systems vulnerable to the disease. Most of the deaths are currently occurr i n g i n Wa s h i n g t o n S t a t e .

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention s a i d F e b . 2 5 t h a t i t ’s n o t a matter of if, but no matter when this will spread into o u r c o m m u n i t y, ” s a i d D r .

Cheng.

C o n s e q u e n t l y, t h e s p r e a d of COVID-19 is already making waves here in the United States as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had correctly predicted Feb. 25.

The government is taking drastic action by ramping up the testing kits for Americans who might have the COVID-19 disease and passed an emergency bill for the Coronavirus that was s i g n e d b y P r e s i d e n t Tr u m p at the end of last week.

“Send Silence Packing”: An exhibit highlighting awareness for mental health and suicide prevention

By Umaima Ejaz News Editor

“No, really, are you okay?”

This was one of the many signs that were posted around Skyline during the “Send Silence Packing” event on March 9, 2020. Right in the middle of campus, Active Minds were able to establish not only a discussion, but a safe space where resources were available in the middle of the day. Discussions about suicide are very rarely a part of day-to-day conversations due to content like being regarded as far too sensitive. In any case, the emotions that hit when someone sees these backpacks affects one deeply.+ Active Minds, a mental health clinic, worked with Skyline to host the event as a means to create aware-

ness for mental health and suicide prevention, as well as initiating a discussion about it.

In the morning, volunteers were placing the bags on the ground to make sure that the stories laid on top of each of them. They were placed on the concrete all the way on top of the grassy area towards buildings 1 and 2. These stories, which detailed a person struggling with a mental health issues that ultimately led to their suicide, were zip tied onto the bags. They were written by family, friends, and universities remembering each person and their struggles.

The stories documented people from an age range as young as 8 to 20 years old. Collectively, they were about how mental illnesses are a struggle, and if they do not

receive help as soon as possible, it can gradually get worse. They describe how it feels knowing that they lost that person to suicide, which overall communicates the idea of “being there”.

Some of the writing was letters from families, about their loss, and how incredibly necessary it is to be there for someone, and not to ignore the signs of possible suicide or self-harm. There were also photocopies of university newspapers, where the memorial of a person was on the front page.

The volunteers also posted trigger warning signs for students and staff that may not want to participate in the event around campus.

The signs made it known that the content that was going to be shown in the quad could affect those

Gianna Sozzi/The Skyline View

Active Minds presents ‘Send Silence Packing’ in front of Building 6 to raise awareness of suicide prevention on March 9, 2020

2

News

The Staff Editor-In-Chief Daniel Archuleta News Editor Umaima Ejaz

SMCCCD Faculty, Students Back Employee’s Fight to Fair Contract

March 12, 2020

Focal Point Editor Milla Tivadar opinions Editor Cristian Garcia Sports Editor I-Wei Chang Chief Copy Editor Misha Berman Copy Editor Faisal Gresalfi Photo Editor Gianna Sozzi Digital Editor Calixto Reyes STaff Photographer Kevin Arias Kathryn Trefz Ama Bayar Staff writers Daniela Ossa Matthew South Arjay Pajanillo Eric Bush Chloe Trinidad Marco Milani Kimberly Brown Vitoria Da Silva Christian Carlo Ceguerra Faculty Adviser Nancy Kaplan-Biegel

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

(650)738-4302 Want to yell at us? theskylineview@gmail.com Or use snail mail: The Skyline View c/o Language Arts Room 8-8110 Skyline College 3300 College Drive

San Bruno CA 94066

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.

AFT members and supporters marching to the district board meeting in protest for fair pay. February 26, 2020 Ama Bayar/The Skyline View

Christian Carlo Ceguerra Staff Writer

A protest was initiated to f i g h t t h e f a c u l t y ’s r i g h t f o r equal pay and fair contract Te a c h e r s ’ u n i o n a n d s t u dents marched down to the Board Meeting at the College of San Mateo (CSM), on Feb. 26, protesting about numerous concerns and issues impacting their work conditions. Their goal for the protest was to increase pay, compensation, and benefits.

The San Mateo County Community College District’s American Federation of Teachers Union (AFT 1493) and California School Employees Association (CSEA Chapter 33) rallied alongside students from the district’s colleges toward the District Office Board Room.

Younga Choi, a mathematics professor at Skyline College suggested making the classroom sizes smaller for professors to have more connections to their students. She also talked about how teaching multiple units and having to grade each student by using Canvas as a platform can be challenging for some professors. “ We a r e a l s o t e a c h i n g 3 0 credits per semester. I have full rosters using it in the Canvas,

it is not really fun,” said Professor Choi.

Professor Choi also suggested implementing a mandatory 30-minute break after a minimum of two hours of teaching.

K o l o Wa m b a , a p h y s i c s professor at Skyline College, pointed out the deficit and discrepancy of the part-time faculty compared to full-time faculty with regards to pay and benefits despite doing equal work.

“Part-time faculty still at best earn only about 70 percent of what full-timers get on an hourly basis and we don’t get the same health plan. Ours isn’t even really a plan. It’s partial insurance reimbursement, and many of us don’t even qualify because we use too few units,” professor Wamba said.

Professor Wamba also mentioned how the union’s proposal toward pay equity and workload compensation would secure parity against the gender pay gap.

B e f o r e p r o f e s s o r Wa m b a ended his turn, he left a message to the Board Members.

“You have the means, the motive and the opportunity to

at least take a baby step or the right side of history. And I urge the board to take this matter very seriously,” he said.

EJ Unisa, a sociology major and campus Ambassador at Skyline College, spoke before the Board, representing the student body on his behalf. Unisa sympathizes with the plight faced by the faculty.

“Now what is said, ‘not to bite the hand that feeds you.’

But how can I feel confident in my own success and the success o f m y p e e r s a n d c o m m u n i t y, knowing that my professors and counselors are fighting for fair treatment?” Unisa said.

By having the negotiation settled, Unisa believed that the decision would make a huge impact in the history of education in California.

“I know that if you settle this contract with the faculty fairly, it will send a grand precedent for the future of education itself,” Unisa said.

According to the AFT 1493, the Skyline College is under violation of the “50% Law”, having reserved only 42.4 percent of the total allocation of the funds for the “salaries of classroom instructors.”.

In an email correspondence

w i t h A F T- 1 4 3 9 Vi c e P r e s i d e n t K a t h e r i n e H a r e r, s h e said that the union was not yet able to involve as many students since they focused more on the faculty’s plight for contract fight, yet union organizers have begun to reach out to students directly to let them get more involved.

T h e S k y l i n e Vi e w h a s reached the Board President Karen Schwarz and Interim Chancellor Michael Claire and both said that they are currently engaged in an ongoing negotiation therefore it is inappropriate to give comments.

Students and faculty were also given an opportunity to speak to the mic and represent other issues.

“I think we need creation for a f aculty disability res o u r c e c e n t e r. I h e a r t h i s over again over resources.

We have none, nothing, so we can do that,” said Anthropology Professor Lori Slicton.

Cont. pg 1

as though I had no way of helping them,” said Gabbie Marquez, a student at Skyline who volunteered for the Send Silence Packing event.

When I asked some of the volunteers whether the mental health resources here at Skyline are satisfactory, they all mentioned that some of the resources were not noticeable enough to the student body. In addition to this, a volunteer mentioned that the help they received was not

what they had expected.

“People tell you it’s hard,” Chinni said, explaining the typical response mental health clinics give. “They only do it for 15 minutes… You can’t give empathy like it’s a prescription. It’s not a pill you can give to people — It’s either you care, or you don’t.”

Chinni is one of the many students who take the initiative to take advantage of the mental health resources that are available, but the results seem

to be lacking. The conversation can often become robotic and entirely goal-oriented, where the person who came to release their anxiety ends up feeling even more distant.

The appointments are set and the expectation seems to be that this person will get better in that 15-minute session.

“There can be more done,” Chinni said.

sensitive to the topic of suicide, and guided readers to alternative routes around campus.

Throughout the day, they handed out blue slips with their mission statements written on them, and small green ribbons with pins.

“I have had friends who did consider taking their lives, and I felt

3

Opinions

March 11, 2020

Editorial

Enough of the Foreplay SMCCCD took too long to inform students.

SMCCCD has officially cancelled in-person classes and have moved to an online-only format until April 5, but the decision to finally take action seemed too little too late. Faculty members at Skyline College received the news around 12 p.m., but students did not receive the news until a little more than an hour after that. Tuesday afternoon, SMCCCD sent a mass email to all faculty and students that addressed the topic of COVID-19 at the very end of the email. Students did not receive the answer most people were expecting.

The district’s COVID-19 Task Force notified recipients of the following: No more nonessential gatherings, suspension of traveling, and, at the very end of the email, that “all campus and district offices are open” and that there are “currently no plans to close offices.”

The final sentences may have left some stunned. On March 9th, schools all over the Bay Area had already begun to shut down and transition into online classes. Colleges less than 10 miles away from Skyline like San Francisco State and City College of San Francisco have suspended in-person classes until, at the very latest, April 5. At Skyline, several teachers have pushed back their curricu-

Illustration by Gianna Sozzi / The Skyline View

lum to discuss the implications of having class online. Over the past few weeks, students have lived in a state of constant worry.

The necessity of trying to be careful about what they touch, washing hands, and covering mouths when sneezing is always in their minds. Slowly, less and less students come to class, and those who do come wear masks more and more commonly. The majority of students have social media, and see the number of COVID-19 patients worldwide

rising every day. Coming to school with so many questions left unanswered can add a lot of stress to everyone’s lives. Simply adding an information page on Canvas and the front of Skyline’s website does not suffice to ease the stress.

In the aforementioned email, SMCCCD advises the students to stay at least six feet from each other. Although the seating arrangement in classrooms tend to make that impossible, students are trying their best.

A simple update about how Skyline College should be aware of the possibility of having classes going online can really help with the idea running through their heads.

As for us on the Skyline View staff, we have lost our chance to travel to Burbank, CA for the Journalism Association of Community Colleges conference — something something many of our members have been excited about all semester, for the

opportunity to learn with fellow community college students and professionals in the journalism world. The fact that we received this unfortunate news before even knowing whether or not in-person classes were going to be cancelled strikes us as unfair.

Epidemics like COVID-19 need to be treated as the serious matters they are, and the Board of Trustees, college presidents, and other district leaders should have kept the students informed sooner than they did.

The Unnecessary Hard Flexing of Your Car Why are your cars so loud, yet in class you sit in the back in silence?

By Mathew South Staff writer

Every hobby-related community tragically has a toxic stereotype affiliated with it, and all I’m addressing in this unofficial disclaimer (in which I attempt to talk you out of looking me up and proceeding to key my car — which I’m not going to disclose the make/model of) is that I’m 100% okay with your hobby. Working on your car is beneficial in almost every way — Knowing the in and outs, excitedly buying parts online, and showing off your art makes you happy, and I am in no way putting down your passion. I’m just addressing the reckless behavior that’s displayed way too often in our parking lot.

I roll out of bed at roughly 7:40, get dressed, brush my teeth, chug some water, skip a meal because it messes with my caffeine intake, and drive off to work. On my drive, without fail, I get cut off by a lovely BMW 3-series, which must’ve been the model where the turn-signals don’t work, and I pray — Every. Single.

Time. — that they’re not going the same way I am. Then,

I see it — a SAN MATEO COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT STUDENT sticker. Bro, I’m going 45 in a 30 zone, but apparently that’s not enough to get a whopping one-car length ahead of me as we awkwardly get stuck at the same light. Sure, on paper you beat me, and congrats on your victory, but we’re still late to class and you still park by your friends’ cars further than necessary, just to have the proper parking lot aesthetic of keeping all your cute cars together. Just make sure you use a different filter to cover up the reflection of your tears streaming down your face as you remember you pay 20% interest and your insurance is $250 a month.

Take your flex somewhere else — Even though we have a third-party Starbucks, this ain’t no 24-hour Starbucks parking lot for your ‘95-’02 Civic meetups, with your ripped out-mufflers, but here you are: As the car screams in pain, you consider it the roar of a lion, while most of us hear a John Deere lawn mower running over a golf ball, uttering its final screeches until its death. I’m sure the professors at the Pacific Heights building are already miserable having

to trek away from the main campus, only to hear the shrill of death causing irreplaceable damage to their ears. Also, do yourself a favor: Take off the sticker of your car’s Instagram handle that covers up half of your rear windshield — Don’t you at least want to look back to see the reaction of the person you cut off? Isn’t it a bit weird when a friend or family member has an Instagram account dedicated to their pet — Yet people make ones for their cars?

Don’t worry, muscle cars, I haven’t forgotten about your antics. A straightaway is your domain, with your pure unbridled horsepower, because the

track was too intimidating to take on with your God-awful weight distribution — You rip it down a community college parking lot doing 40. It’s not that I’m not down to get blasted by a car to help pay for wherever I end up transferring to, but I’m fairly sure that the speed which is being used for the purposes of flexing will transfer me to the afterlife.

Do us a favor: Turn down the dad rock or your Lil Uzi, save yourself the gas, and put others in danger on Highway 35, not on Skyline’s

Illustration by Gianna Sozzi / The Skyline View

campus. The last place I’d ever want to die is a community college parking lot.

Finally, turn down your subs!

I’ve never met anyone who thought, “Wow, how cool, their music is loud, good for them!”

I guess it’s alright because you’re giving otolaryngologists decent job security, so...

Thank you?

4

Opinions

March 11, 2020

The Appeal of Spoilers Why spoilers are so tempting to read.

By Arjay Pajarillo Staff writer

“SPOILER ALERT”, are two mystical words that when flashing upon your screen, can ruin your day. They also have the potential to save you from a wasted trip to the cinema.

For people who don’t have much time on their hands, the ability to know what twists and sequel-bait lie in store is worth more than the price of admission. For example, if you were in the mind of someone who didn’t know if they wanted to see 2019’s “Terminator: Dark Fate”, the internet would be there once more to put and end to all your hopes for a good “Terminator 2” sequel.

Some people just don’t like surprises — Spoiler-ific knowledge is perfect for keeping the blood pressure low. If you want to watch a horror movie with your friends, reading the film’s Wikipedia page telling you which scare happens where is great for minimizing potential anxiety.

The power of leaked information is especially potent in superhero films. Something as minute as an on-set glimpse of Robert Pattinson’s batsuit is enough for many cinephiles to get their speculatory wheels to spin feverishly. An apartment view

of “Venom 2” offers a behindthe-scenes look into how the producers will incorporate the CGI onto a man with a Venom bust strapped over his head. Bystander photographs introduce a new “Suicide Squad” that hint at a more inspired crew rather than digestible drivel. There’s that magical period before a film drops where all the marketing and conversation fuel the hype train, a trip with only two destinations — disappointment or astonishment. In that period, being able to participate with a (typically digital) community

to theorize and to scrutinize the bare scraps of a leak is a collective excitement.

Our culture has vilified spoilers as the cornerstone that makes or breaks a film. Having ruined a sad share of films for myself, the key component for quality isn’t the reveal, but the execution of the narrative.

Knowing the a-ha moment can help a viewer appreciate the foreshadowing or the escalation culminating into that thematic twist of the knife.

I read a leaked script for “Joker” a few weeks before

The Power of the Logo The hype behind the world of Supreme.

By Chloe Trinidad Staff writer

Supreme, the popular streetwear brand, recently dropped their new spring and summer collection. This collection includes new fashionable jackets, sweaters, shirts, hats, and a plethora of accessories. But most importantly, they are dropping Supreme Oreos.

Yes, that’s right — They are collaborating with Oreos. Supreme collaborations are nothing new. They have done it many times in the past, but with this collection, you’ll be seeing the famous red boxed logo on Ziploc bags, Nalgene water bottles, and on a BMX dirtbike. They also collaborated with Nike, Speedo, Spalding, Fujifilm, and more.

The streetwear brand follows a “drop culture”, meaning they release a limited amount of items on a certain day, and once those pieces are gone, they’re gone.

Drops occur every Thursday morning, and items are sold out almost immediately. Consumers often resell Supreme items for an even higher price on websites such as eBay. The reason why it’s sold out so quickly is because of how much hype Supreme has. Hype can be defined as the worth or value towards a clothing piece or an object in general. The limited amount of items they have and the hype surrounding it all is what has made their products so desirable. It must be that feeling of having something that nobody has or is unable to get. Everybody wants Supreme something, right?

Fashion these days is only pro-

Photo Illustration by Christian Carlo Ceguerra/ The Skyline View

gressing, and Supreme has taken streetwear to another level. Even if you’re not knowledgeable about streetwear, Supreme still holds a level of rarity, so it’s no surprise that lots of people would want Supreme just because it’s Supreme.

With this spring/summer collection’s accessories, there are some items that won’t really be useful in everyday life. It’s crazy to think that people are willing to pay a ridiculous amount of money for items they don’t need just because a certain logo is on there.

Logos definitely can affect the way a person is going to buy something or not. Logos can definitely persuade us to buy these items because of the hype around the brand itself. However, don’t buy it just because of the brand.

The reality of all this is that people are paying tons of money for

random items just so they can own something that’s Supreme — It’s all for the hype.

Would you buy Supreme Ziploc bags? Are you ever going to use them? Would you buy a pack of Supreme Oreos? Will they even taste different than the regular ones? A lawn chair?

A ceramic bowl? Supreme is dropping random items with their logo slapped on there just for because of the hype and just for the profits. But this trend of buying for hype can be wasteful and careless.

There’s nothing wrong with Supreme and their products, but you have to really think about the actual worth of the item.

You don’t need to give into the hype and buy it — because if everybody had Supreme, then you probably wouldn’t.

Photo Illustration by Christian Carlo Ceguerra/ The Skyline View

it dominated the box office.

Knowing how one version of how the film would play out was like having to go through the “will they or won’t they?” of a sitcom.

The preexisting knowledge put a spotlight on how the story was structured, with its inspirations glaringly paid homage to.

In certain dramas or thrillers, there are scenes that some viewers can find triggering or offensive. Being able to know what heavy material lies in wait is the type of spoiler that has the po-

tential to benefit one’s wellness.

Furthermore, the majority of psychedelic movies and animations don’t feature a seizure warning.

It’s easy to forget that a part doesn’t encompass the whole.

People will watch good movies, and if a spoiler ruins everything else, then it’s probably a bad movie. Equipping yourself with the foresight to know what happens beforehand is the difference between a dozen dollars saved or a dozen dollars wasted.

ARTISTIC LICENSE

5

Focal Point

March 12, 2020

Challenges Expected Due to COVID-19

By Milla Tivadar

Images by Creative Commons

Focal Point Editor

Over the weekend, Stanford took a stand against the coronavirus and sent out the news of cancelling in-person instruction, thus moving classes online. Schools facing this crisis so close in proximity to Stanford had quickly followed by example Monday evening: UC San Diego, San Jose State University, San Francisco State, and Santa Clara University.

SMCCCD sent out an email Wednesday afternoon announcing that they too would be cancelling in-person classes, with proper online instruction beginning Monday, March 17, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak. In just a few short days, this transition has impacted the forecast of the semester for more than 100 California schools.

In a way, the college and higher education system has an advantage over K-12 cases, for which moving classes to an online format out of necessity might be seen as counterproductive for the sensory growth of young students. The degree to which faculty and students are equipped for virtual instruction will be tested for both students and teachers in the coming weeks, as these schools have never experimented with such remote classrooms, especially for classes where students are required to be present.

With the state chancellor having permitted online classes for community colleges this morning, it was also announced that schools can take actions as they see fit.

Many schools have already spread hygiene awareness through posters to prevent the spread of germs around campus, accompanied by mass emails and texts to update the staff and students on new information regarding the virus.

It’s a challenging period for everyone, with the number of cases of COVID-19 rapidly rising in unexpected areas, and the immediate action necessary to mitigate the crisis.

In Skyline college, many resources have been kept available in the coming weeks, as well as during spring break: The library and learning center will be open, as well as the DREAM Center, the meditation room, and the food pantry. Please ask your adviser about any other accommodations they can provide on campus during this period.

Masao Suzuki, an economics professor here at Skyline, will be conducting his class online for the first time in his 20-year career, and

he may very well not be the only one. Although teaching online may be a challenge to adjust to in the next five days, Suzuki is afraid the COVID-19 outbreak may be worse than expected, and should be taken rather seriously.

“I hope colleges expecting transfer students next year that are affected during this close, will be flexible with admissions,” Suzuki said. “We don’t yet know how it will affect the students, but it’s unlike anything we’ve prepared for.”

Students in the study abroad program in Florence, Italy have recently been sent home due to the rising pandemic. In some cases, athletes preparing for competitions, family trips, and further plans have had to cancel during spring break and weekends leading up to the outbreak “Because so few people on my team were willing to go to Pasadena, our competition during Spring

Break was cancelled,” Adele Wu, a badminton player, said. “Even my parents have warned me not to leave, so I’m spending the next few weeks at home.”

The community has shared mixed reactions. Some are still committed to their plans during spring break — flying out to places like Detroit, San Diego, and even Sydney!

“The coronavirus doesn’t scare me. I still want to travel, and I won’t let a scare like this get in the way of that,” said Kash Nair, who has traveled to Australia to see

family and friends during this time every year. “I know some airlines are laying people off. Delta, for example, has taken a huge hit, but flights are really cheap right now.”

If it’s a question of whether you should risk leaving before things get worse, or refrain from doing so because of the risk of a mandatory two-week quarantine as soon as you land. Right now, it depends where you fly, but with the closures of California schools, it is likely that measures will have us further contained, perhaps following Italy’s example.

There is no telling what will happen, and that seems to be the talk lately, but it’s best to be aware of the necessary precautions and keep yourself prepared. Airlines are being flexible with flight cancellations pertaining to Italy, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and Madrid, and in regards to specific ticket purchase dates. The US has not taken any action relating to flights departing or arriving in the states with the most cases of COVID-19, such as New York, Washington, and California.

platform to reach audiences. “’The Irishman’ was not going to get made if it didn’t go to Netflix,” Lee said. “My new film, ‘Da 5 Bloods’, had been turned down by all studios. Netflix did it.”

Because of streaming services, filmmakers now question where the best place to reach their audiences is. Perhaps internet streaming has created competition for the cinema and film industry. Do people feel motivated enough to go out to the movies when they have access to view them at home?

“As a person who works at the theaters, I’ve noticed a decline of people going, since we have oth-

er outlets to watch movies and shows,” Skyline student Erika Pingul said. “Aside from new movie releases, I’ve also noticed that people around around our age rarely go because of platforms like Netflix or Disney Plus. Movie subscription platforms are very affordable in my opinion.”

Who knows what the future has in store for movie theaters? Movies can be very powerful. Seeing one on your own screen and own time can be great — It’s very personal. But having that shared experience in the theaters is also important in regards to how the film can impact you.

The Fate of Movie Theaters There is a decline in movie theater attendance

By Chloe Trinidad Staff Writer

How often do you go out to see a movie? Unless you’re an active moviegoer or a dedicated film critic, probably not very often. Over the past years, there has been a slow decline of people going to the movie theaters. Why? Going to the movies has changed immensely over the years. Theaters want you to have a great experience: IMAX, for example, is a theater option that wants to give viewers a higher-quality image, clearer/ louder audio, and much more comfortable seating. However, while this is happening, the one important piece of attending the theater, is the ticket prices. Tickets are becoming increasingly expensive, and could play a big part in why less people are choosing to go out to the cinema.

Ticket sales often fluctuate from year to year. Throughout the last decade, 2017 had its lowest year in ticket sales of $1.24 billion, according to Box Office Mojo. “Avengers: Endgame”, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker”, and “Toy Story 4” were a few of the top-grossing films last year. Despite these highly anticipated films, 2019’s gross change per year went down 4.8%.

Although sales vary throughout the year, ticket sales had not reached a low of $1.4 billion since 2009.

Ticket sales have gradually increased over the decade, inflation being one of the main reason. The

Images by Creative Commons

average movie ticket in the U.S. costs was $9.16 in 2019, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. It increased about $1.27 from 2010’s average ticket price of $7.89. Moreover, theater concessions or snacks are relatively expensive as well.

While inflation causes many items’ price to increase, the expensive movie ticket prices are changing the way people find access to movies. This is called the substitution effect. When these ticket prices remain high and continue to grow higher, it leads to another way of watching movies. And it’s not buying or renting DVDs — It’s all about streaming services.

Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video,

and HBO Go have grown popular for entertainment. With these services come endless amounts of TV shows and movies, for a low monthly subscription price. And whether they’re accessed through your phone, laptop, or tablet, they have become more convenient for everyone.

“It disturbs me very deeply when I see people watch my films on their phone,” director Spike Lee said in an interview for BBC. When asked about going to the cinema, Lee mentioned the impact of watching a movie with a group of people, and the importance of having that shared experience. Lee also described the difficult choices directors have to make, now that streaming services have become a

March 12, 2020

6

Sports

Coronavirus Has Changed the Landscape of Sports Locally, Domestically, Globally have been affected by COVID-19

By Daniel Archuleta Editor In Chief

COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected all walks of life around the globe. The most impacted among them all might be the global sports community.

Coronavirus precautions have included banning fans from venues, media members not allowed to enter locker rooms, and events being cancelled completely.

On Tuesday, SMCCD placed a ban on spectators attending games.

Sports practices and games will continue as scheduled. This would affect 10 Skyline home baseball games held at the baseball field as well as many across California.

"Its gonna be kinda different playing with no fans but the games will continue." said Dino Nomicos, Skyline's baseball head coach.

"That could change, it depends what the rest of the state is gonna decide."

In San Francisco, the city announced a ban on gathering of more than 1,000 people for two weeks, which heavily affects both the Golden State Warriors and the San Francisco Giants. This made the Warriors become the first NBA team to ban fans from home games.

Before this ban was made, signs at the Chase Center were placed notifying that entering the arena could increase your risk of attracting COVID-19.

In addition to the city’s ban, the Giants announced that their exhibition game on March 24th against the Oakland A’s will not be played at Oracle Park.

Over in Santa Clara County, a similar ban was announced that

will see San Jose Earthquakes and Sharks games without fans at their respective venues. The Earthquakes game on March 21 against Sporting Kansas City has been postponed with a rescheduled date coming in the near future.

Three Sharks games have been announced that they will play in a closed SAP Center.

In a first of its kind joint statement, The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all nonessential personnel, including media, in response to the coronavirus crisis.

They said they made the decision “after consultation with infectious disease and public health experts.”

Teams throughout the world are canceling or moving sporting events.

Most notably the NCAA will hold its Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with only essential staff and limited family in attendance. The NCAA is looking to move the Final Four out of Mercedes-Benz Stadium into a smaller venue in Atlanta.

The Mariners will move home games out of Seattle through the end of March, following the state of Washington's decision to ban large group events as a response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Other Seattle teams are also affected. The Seattle Sounders of the MLS announced Wednesday that their March 21 match against FC Dallas at CenturyLink Field has been postponed. The XFL's Seat-

Parc de Princes, home of Paris Saint-Germain, held a UEFA Champions League game without fans on Wed. March 11.

tle Dragons will play their game against the LA Wildcats on Sunday at the same field but without fans.

The state of Washington has been hit the most with more than 250 coronavirus cases.

Arsenal's Premier League match against Manchester City has been postponed after a number of the squad made "close contact" with Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis two weeks ago. Marinakis was tested positive with COVID-19.

In Italy the government has been suspended indefinitely all sporting events across the country, that includes Serie A, the top flight soccer league that feature big name stars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Paulo Dybala.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics torch-lighting ceremony in ancient

Olympia will be held without spectators, for the first time since the 1984 Olympics. Greece's Olympic Committee said spectators would be excluded from both the dress rehearsal on Wednesday and the ceremony on Thursday.

Back states side, the NBA has mulled moving games from a city with a large coronavirus cluster to the away opponent's arena if that city hasn't suffered an outbreak or possibly neutral cities and sites.

Empty stadiums have also been the norm with many soccer games in Europe over the past few weeks La Liga, Spain’s top soccer division announced that the next two weekends will be played without fans.

Ligue 1 in France will also be played behind closed doors or limited to 1,000 fans being able to at-

Creative Commons

tend, as their country continues to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

A pair of UEFA Champions League games were held in empty stadiums, one in Paris and the other in Valencia, Spain. More Champions League games are scheduled to be played next week in empty stadiums coming in three different countries, Italy, Germany, and Spain.

It is unknown how long or what more changes could be made throughout the world. Opening Day for MLB is less than two weeks away and The Masters golf tournament is next month is Georgia, yet it only seems to be expanding here in the United States and with more and more cases being confirmed in different states, the uncertainty looms.

The Monopoly in Sports that We Don't See

The 2-Minute Read With Daniel archuleta In today’s world we all want to show our allegiance to our favorite sports teams and collegiate alma maters. And whether it be dressed in jerseys for game day see or a more casual look for a daily outing, ones fandom isn’t hard to be shown.

It also isn’t hard to find what you are looking for. From tops, headwear, even rompers for young and old, one click to Fanatics.com is the one stop shop for your favorite team.

Founded in 1995, the original Football Fanatics name served many in the Florida area as a simple mall store. Success over the years led to a massive sale of the company to American entrepreneur Michael Rubin for over $170 million.

Now they call themselves “the global leader in licensed sports merchandise,” Fanatics Inc. controls more than 300 online and offline stores, including the e-commerce business for all major professional sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA,

NHL MLS, NASCAR, and PGA) as well as more than 200 collegiate and professional teams.

If you were to walk into a Giants Dugout Store, Warriors Shop, or 49ers Team Store you are dealing directly with Fanatics as they have contracts with these three teams just like many others previously stated.

And while they serve all fans with a plethora of items from young to old, it isn’t tough to see that a monopoly is growing within the sports world. The main website serves all but if you were to simply go on the official webstore for MLB, NBA, or NFL you are simply being routed to the same overlord Fanatics website. Looking for an item on Kohl’s or Walmart’s website, it’s still coming from Fanatics.

The production of these shirts and jerseys that one is buying is made with the same fast fashion set up that many department stores use. It works very well to get a jersey for a new player or making sure that the biggest stars never sell out. This means even though Nike is supply-

ing the three biggest leagues in the country (MLB, NBA, NFL), Fanatics are the ones who are producing and making the jerseys with Trout, Curry, and McCaffrey on the back.

But in regards for shirts and overall outerwear very little designs are created with creativity or even passion that represents what the fan is looking to represent: their team, their city. Look no forward to when teams are clinching postseason births and winning championships. Those Fanatics produced shirts are not appealing not only to me but to the fanatics of that team.

Its understandable when you factor in the supply and demand that is needed at the time when thousands are looking to buy. Yet spending a good $30 or so for a basic looking shirt that doesn’t have much flare in it feels like a rip off.

Fanatics is a great company, do not get me wrong yet in such a creative world where sports needs to be represented correctly, they don’t do such a great job

The Fanatics Expansion

Fanatics has became the offical webstore of these professional leagues

2015: Major League Baseball National Basketball Association NASCAR 2016: National Football League 2017: Major League Soccer

National Hockey League

7

The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, Calif.

The Skyline View

March 12, 2020

TROJAN ATHLETICS

Skyline Wins Comfortably against West Valley

By I-Wei Chang

Sports Editor

Skyline Baseball got their fourteenth victory of the season, defeating West Valley College 7-2 on Saturday, March, 7. Sophomore catcher Matt Leong had a clutch doubles along with 3 RBIs and reversed the game for the win.

In the top of third, starting shortstop Jack Mettam made a ground ball error with two runners on base, plus, starting pitcher Cole Sowyrda threw a wild-pitch to give West Valley a two run lead, but fortunately, Sowyrdra didn’t allowed them to keep scoring and get further.

“Errors happen, nothing you can do about them after the fact except for keep pounding the strike zone and make another out.” Sowyrdra explained how he got the situation under control In the top of the fifth, Trey Zanhursky, starting second baseman, hit a RBI double, helping the Trojans put a run on the scoreboard.

Then, sophomore catcher Matt Leong has a bases clearing double with two outs giving Skyline a 4-2 lead defeating West Valley’s starting pitcher Mason Mooney, who went five innings and gave up four runs.

Regarding the clutch doubles, Leong explained how the situation went and his mentality during that moment.

“I was just looking for anything that I really could put a good

Cole Sowyrda went six innings giving up two runs & seven baserunners

swing on. And he (Mooney) came with me with a quick pitch fastball and I just drove it.”

However, in the top of sixth, West Valley had the bases loaded by middle order batters with two outs. Fortunately, facing West Valley second baseman Jacob Dressler, Sowydra did succeed and let him hit a ground ball and resolve the crisis without allowing a run.

“I was calm, no pressure on me.

I was focused and confident enough to throw strikes and make my pitches by attacking the zone and pitching for soft contact,” said Sowyrda.

Overall in the game, Sowydra pitched six innings, giving up five hits and only two runs, he logged his second victory of this season.

When asked about the situation on top of sixth, Dino Nomicos, head coach of Trojans Baseball gives a reason.

I-Wei Chang// The Skyline View

“Sometimes we try and go out and talk to him. It's better not to talk to him in that situation because we don't want him to think too much,” Nomicos said. “So he was okay. We let him go. He worked his way out of his problem and he did a good job.”

Meanwhile, the game came to a pivotal turn in the top of seventh where freshman setup man Gene Aberouette gave West Valley life with the bases loaded with no-

body out. At the same time, Nomicos made a pitching change and substituted Aberouette for sophomore closer Michael Altman. Altman came in and dominated, he retired the next three batters with two strikeouts and one ground ball, helping the team to save the victory.

When asked about the situation facing base loaded, Altman explained his mindset during that moment.

“For that situation, I think of strikeouts, I can't let them hit the ball, at least for the first two strikeouts. So I was looking more for strikeouts. the first two, I got those, and then I could kind of focus more on that last guy that was getting those two strikeouts. I was able to do that. And I've been able to locate everything, like all my pitches, being able to throw my off speed and breaking stuff for strikes. really helped me out in that situation. You got the strikeouts, and then from then on it was kind of cruising.”

Regarding Altman’s performance, Sowydra gives an affirmation to his teammates.

“Altman's performance today is key to winning that game. He came in and did more than his job.

He's consistently been a guy out of the pen that I have faith in to do a job for us.” he said.

Sports Profile

The Growth of The Young Sophomore Pitcher How Dylan McDonald has grown on and off the mound.

By I-Wei Chang

Sports Editor

Since the beginning of the season, the Skyline baseball team has received 15 wins and 4 losses from sophomore starting pitcher Dylan McDonald. This season he has gone 6-0 with a 1.47 ERA. In the 43 innings pitched, McDonald has only allowed eight runs to his opponent with 28 Strikeouts in the last seven starts. He currently became the No.1 seed on the California Community College Athletic Association pitching wins leaderboard.

Back in high school, McDonald was a catcher, however turning to his senior year, he started to pitch.

While in baseball changing defense position is not an easy job.

When asked about the position changing, McDonald explained how the challenge is for him.

“I'd say the biggest challenge is just transitioning to learn to use your body correctly because it's like more different movements as a counter. So you have to use different movements as a pitcher to like be more dialed in and do what you want to do. So just understanding the movements that I needed to do was probably the hardest thing for me.

In the 2018-2019 season, McDonald went 6-3 with a 3.24 ERA, however, going into sophomore year, McDonald has performed better than the rookie season.

Marcus Pointer, the Trojans pitching coach who has been coaching Mcdonald since freshman year, explained about his growth “He's developed another pitch.

He's got another little cutter slider that he's been throwing that's really helped him out. And then on top of that, he just continually works,” Pointer said. “He's never really satisfied. So he's a competitive guy at heart. He's constantly trying to find new ways to get better.“ As the team's ace pitcher, the catcher's role is also important during the game. Jeremy Keller, the freshman catcher who went to the same high school as McDonald. In his opinion, he thought Mcdonald has improved a lot on his pitching skills.

“What he's improved the most is finding the different pitch types because he used to just be a straight fastball pitcher, but now he's understanding how to actually pitch instead of just going up there and throwing the ball like really hard.”

Said Keller.

In the past 7 starts, the Trojans have provided him 6.9 runs per game.

Talking about the performance so far in this season, McDonald believes that his teammate gave him a big support in his starting game. “it's huge for sure. Last year, we didn't have nearly the offense we

have this year. So to be able to come out and have those guys score that many runs every day, takes a little bit of pressure off my shoulders and like a pitcher more confident out there.”

Compared to last season where Skyline didn’t make the playoffs.

The Trojans have created great team chemistry this season. McDonald, who is one of the sophomore players in the roster really takes a leadership role by bringing his teammate together.

“Definitely, I've taken over a leadership role. I've just been more vocal in the dugout. And even when I'm not playing, trying to keep the players locked in,” McDonald said.

“Last year, we didn't really have a sense of leadership. So we're trying to have more guys step up this year, and I'm trying to be one of them.

So trying to be a leader on the team for sure.”

As for the Trojans head coach, Dino Nomicos expects McDonald to be one of the best pitchers in the state and believe that he is going to finish strong for the successful season and wish him to have the opportunity to go to a major university on a scholarship.

I-Wei Chang// The Skyline View

Dylan McDonald has gone 6-0 with 1.47 ERA became the No.1 seed on the CCCAA pitching wins leaderboard.

"Definitely, I've taken over a leadership role. I've just been more vocal in the dugout. And even when I'm not playing, trying to keep the players locked in,” -Dylan McDonald