The Skyline View | Fall 2019 | Issue #6

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

December 5, 2019

Spotlight SPORTS

Decade of Skyline Sports Page 8

“I think we’ve had some really solid accomplishments, in terms of our student-athletes” said Joe Morello, Athletic Director at Skyline College. “Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball have really strong rates within their programs.”

Different learning journey Page 8

“ Being a leader on the team is not an easy job, Haynesworth not only has to lead his teammates to win the game, but also progress himself to a higher level. Although there were some setbacks during the season, and some of the challenges are pretty massive, Haynesworth is willing to learn from the experience.”

OPINION

Paper Straws Are Not Necessary Page 3

Paper straws are not going to save the Earth. They go into your coffee cup, soft drink or whatever you are drinking and then they dissolve and melt after five minutes. They are not intuitive to solving the larger issue of plastic pollution.

Let the Students Study! Page 3

In the past at Skyline there was an opportunity to study at the Learning Center during finals week until 12 a.m. for those who were inclined to use it. Unfortunately, at that time it did not prove to be a useful tool for students.

FOCAL POINT

Behind the curtainPage 6

Drama. Theater. Musical theater.

You think of “Hamlet,” “Death of a Salesman,” or the musical, “Wicked.” The world of performing arts is a world that is rich in creativity, discipline, and interdisciplinary talent.

NEWS

Stigma ends with ME Page 2

People for the past three decades have observed Annual World AIDS day to raise awareness regardin HIV.

Inspiration Board “Million dollar ideas are a dime a dozen. The determination to see the idea through is what’s priceless” -Roert Dienbach

theskylineview.com

Issue 6

“5oth Anniversary BBQ” Skyline College comes together for Celebration anniversary barbecue event, 99.7 NOW radio DJ St. John announced the winner of the tickets to POPTOPIA 2019, which will be held at the SAP Center in San Jose Dec. 5 at 7 p.m.. St. John announced that Ricky Miranda was the lucky recipient of the free tickets to tonight’s POPTOPIA 2019 event in San Jose.

However, there were expectations that were left unmet at the event due to one of the food trucks suffering a gas leak as it was leaving.

“When one of the food trucks was leaving, they had a little accident at the bottom of the truck,” Fitzpatrick said. “Some of the fryer leaked, so we’ll just have to do some minor cleanup on that. But there was no risk to any of the students or anything like that.”

By Layna Salinas

Social Media Editor

Originally planned for Nov. 4, Skyline College finally holds the 50th anniversary barbecue event after it was pushed back by a month for undisclosed reasons.

It was “party like 1969!” when Skyline College held the 50th anniversary barbecue event on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and there were food trucks and prizes for students to win during the event.

The 50th anniversary barbecue event was originally going to be held on Monday, Nov. 4, but for undisclosed reasons, it was pushed back to Dec. 3.

Even before the event started, there were already students lining up to get tickets for the food — which was reserved for the first 500 people who went to the ticket booth in the Fireside Room in building six. After those 500 people got tickets for the food trucks, the rest who waited in line were turned away, and the Associated Students of Skyline College’s Student Government President Alejandro Guzmán explained that that was the case as the event came to a close.

“We had to kindly reject,” Associated Students of Skyline College’s Student Government President Alejandro Guzmán said. “It was first come, first serve for the first 500 people. That was made clear in the flyer. We had to make sure students understood that.”

The tickets were given to the first 500 people to request them at the entrance of the Fireside Lounge in building six, as students made their way into the building.

Skyline College’s Communications Manager Connor Fitzpatrick said that the food trucks were a way to celebrate the culture and the history of Skyline College over the past five decades.

“We got all the food trucks to celebrate our 50th anniversary barbecue,” Fitzpatrick said.

“It was a really amazing way for us to celebrate this awesome part of our history and allow us to give some free food

Tuesday, Dec. 3 Alejandro Guzman (left) and Marie Kyla Perez (right) are here seen in front of a food truck on the 50th Anniversary BBQ at Skyline College

Tuesday, Dec. 3 Surgical Tech Club Celebrates 50th Anniversary BBQ Gianna Sozzi/The Skyline View

to students around campus.”

Alejandro Guzmán added that the blue tickets were for desserts, and the white tickets were for the food trucks. These tickets were a way allow students to get the free food that was offered.

“I got the Firecracker Pepper Grilled Chicken from the Hongry Kong food truck,” said Skyline student Wataru Oshima.

Students who were lucky enough

to go to the barbecue event got the opportunity to win prizes from Skyline College and 99.7 NOW — a Bay Area radio station that plays current hits.

“We had prize tables inside with wheels and questions,” Skyline College student Serena Ogilvie said. “99.7 NOW, the radio station, came in and had people sign up to win tickets to POPTOPIA 2019.”

At the end of Skyline College’s 50th

Lecturers From UC Berkeley Come to Skyline College Berkeley comes to San Bruno

By Faisal Gresalfi Copy Editor

For students studying a discipline in the field of STEM, one’s academic future and career prospects, and the path to that place can be uncertain and daunting.

Overcoming competition and tracking down opportunities becomes a constant in person’s life.

It gives one hope to hear from people who have found promising, fulfilling positions in which their academic qualifications in the field of STEM, are put to the test, and it assists one in planning a path forward to a similar future.

This is why there is a program

called the Science in Action Lecture Series at Skyline College. It takes place on Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in building 7, room 7-106. Each week, a lecturer or a group lecturers with STEM backgrounds give a talk about their academic and professional experience.

It is free to attend and is open to the public. The event series is presented in partnership with the San Francisco State University Bridges to Baccalaureate Program, the Skyline College Science and Math Division, and the Math, Eng-

Continued on Page 2

“It was a really amazing way for us to celebrate this awesome part of our history and allow us to give some free food to students around campus.”

The barbecue event was part of Skyline College’s 50th anniversary celebration that has been taking place through the fall semester.

For example, back on Nov. 15, the “A Legacy of Achievement Gala Fundraiser” was held at the recently-opened Environmental Science Building (building 12), which opened on Sept. 24 as part of the celebratory events. An exhibit was held in building one on Oct. 28, and the Retiree’s Luncheon was held on Oct. 16 in building 12.

2

News

The Staff Editor-In-Chief Daniel Archuleta News Editor Umaima Ejaz Focal Point Editor Milla Tivadar opinions Editor Calixto Reyes Sports Editor Cristian Garcia Copy Editor Ry bevington Misha Berman Faisal Gresalfi Photo Editor Gianna Sozzi MULTI-MEDIA Editor Hanz Mathew Pacheco Staff Photographer Kathryn Trefz editor at large Mark David Magat Social media Editor Layna Salinas Staff writers I-Wei Chang Daniela Ossa 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.

December 5, 2019

Continued from Page 1-Lectures from UC Berkeley neering, Science Achievement Program (MESA) at Skyline College.

On Nov. 12, 2019, there were four lecturers who are either students or staff of UC Berkeley and spent the hour describing how their interests in pursuing STEM disciplines came to be, and what their academic careers have involved so far.

The guest lecturers were: Dan Zevin, a public education specialist at UC Berkeley’s space sciences laboratory, he is also the director of Bay Area Teen Science, and the co-chair of Coalition for Education and Outreach.,Laleh Coté, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate

“What I hope the audience took away from what I shared is that they can combine their various seemingly unrelated passions into STEM, So, you don’t have to strictly be a biology major.” studying science education, and the senior internship coordinator at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Wyckliffe Aluga, a graduate of UC Berkeley who studied chemical engineering and is currently a hydro engineer at Culture Biosciences.

Finally, Nicole-Marie Cotton, a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in African American and African diaspora studies, and New Pathways associate for the Women in Technology Institute at UC Berkeley.

The lecture took place in Building 7, room 7-106, and the lecturers asked audience members to choose seats closer. Zevin asked the other lecturers questions prepared in advance to direct them to one topic or another. The lecturers went into detail about how they each came to the decision to pursue STEM fields, and the obstacles they’ve faced in getting to where they are presently are in their academic careers.

STEM students who attended are all in academic stages of their college careers that each of the lecturers used to be in. Any of the audience members could find themselves in positions similar to those the lecturers are currently in the near future, which could be sooner than they think.

The lecturers expressed that doing outreach like this is important to them because they each appreciate the impact that programs like this can have on students who are pursuing STEM. The author of this article sat down with the lecturers after the event to gain some insight into their reasons for participating and how they hope to influence those who were in the audience that night.

“Since I attended community colleges on my way to my bachelor’s degree, I made it part of my practice to reach out to community college students, and part of the reason I do that is because when I was studying at the college level,” said Coté. “I definitely did not have that much confidence in myself that I would make it much further than a few STEM classes, and people who would come to speak and share information about their career pathways were very inspiring and influential to me. So, to be

able to give back is very important.”

“STEM is hard,” said Aluga. “I’m just going to say it very brutally – I’ve done it for six, seven years, and it’s not easy. It’s demoralizing, it makes you question who you are, it makes you feel like you don’t know what you are doing, and you need all the support that you can get.”

“What I hope the audience took away from what I shared is that they can combine their various seemingly unrelated passions into STEM, So, you don’t have to strictly be a biology major,” Cotton said.

“You don’t have to strictly be x-y-z and stay in biology and stay in a lab,” Cotton said. “You can be a biology major and be passionate about social justice, think about how to combine biology with technology and gaming, and maybe even teach medical professionals how to do their work through games. So, what I hope they take away is that they can combine their passions with their requirement to declare a major, or just major in something that they’re passionate about and work that out into STEM, or the other way around.”

“There’s often this narrative for scientific fields that there’s one clear linear pathway: You know that you want to do it, you always knew that – you still know it – you’re amazing at everything, you don’t fail,” Coté said. “And, you know, you just go on: You do high school, then you go right to college, and then you go into your Ph.D., and then you win a Nobel Prize, and if you’re not a person who makes mistakes, you can have that. I think we all have had these sort of twist-and-turn pathways.”

“Most of the scientists I know didn’t just follow the linear pathway, or they struggled at some point,” Coté

said. “So, I think that normalizing failure and saying ‘Yes, I am a human, I am flawed, I do make mistakes, but I keep getting back up. I do hear “no,” but sometimes I hear “yes,” and I keep coming back for more. I don’t think it is true only for STEM majors, but it is definitely true in scientific fields that failure is not something to be afraid of, It is really a part of the process.”

“I really wanted students to hear different stories,” said Zevin.

“Like [Coté] said, you’re taught from the earliest years that you decide what you want to be in life, you go to school, you get that degree, and then you get your job, and it is over, it is all done – and it’s not really like that. You’re going to have many forks in the road, and there are going to be so many things that are going to happen that you just can’t predict.”

Like (Coté) said, you’re taught from the earliest years that you decide what you want to be in life, you go to school, you get that degree, and then you get your job, and it is over, it is all done – and it’s not really like that. You’re going to have many forks in the road, and there are going to be so many things that are going to happen that you just can’t predict.”

Stigma ends with ME 1 in 7 people nationwide who have HIV don’t know they were infected.

By Umaima Ejaz News Editor People for the past three decades have observed Annual World AIDS day to raise awareness regarding HIV. It was first in 1981, when World Health Organization (WHO) dedicated a day solely to raise awareness for HIV. According to the Joint United Nations Program at the end of 2018, 37.9l million people worldwide were living with HIV. On Tuesday, 3 Dec. The Learning Commons hosted an vent with Chris Hollingshead, a self-proclaimed accidental activist, alongside a panel of 10 people, but no one showed up. They weren’t comfortable with sharing their stories with everyone.

“It was initially intended to be a panel discussion that I had arranged, to have panelists, and unfortunately, all 10 of them had been knocked out due to the fact that they weren’t comfortable sharing their personal stories of living with HIV and that really calls for open, honest dialogue about the disease and living with it,” Said Hollingshead.

What is HIV / AIDS?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) AIDS is the late

“HIV is always fatal.”

FALSE-with treatment, HIV is a manageable condition.

Wednesday, 4 Dec. AIDs quilt at the Skyline’s library, the quilt symbolizes the hope and resilence for those lost Calixto Reyes//The Skyline View

stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus.

How does one figure out that he/she is suffering from HIV?

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.

Testing is relatively simple. You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance abuse programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them too. You can also buy a home testing kit at a pharmacy or online.

How does HIV get transmitted?

You can only get HIV by coming into direct contact with certain body fluids from a person with HIV who has a detectable viral load. These fluids are: Blood Semen and pre-seminal fluid Vaginal fluids Breast milk For transmission to occur, the HIV in these fluids must get into the bloodstream of an HIV-negative person through a mucous membrane (found in the rectum, vagina, mouth, or tip of the penis), open cuts or sores, or by direct injection.

Chris Hollingshead also talked about the myths related to HIV A.) HIV is always fatal.

False - with treatment, HIV is a manageable condition.

B.) HIV is only transmitted via sexual intercourse.

False - HIV is a blood-borne pathogen meaning that intercourse, intravenous drug use, childbirth, etc, can lead to infection.

C.) HIV is the result of personal irresponsibility, a character flaw, or moral fault that deserves to be punished.

False - This line of thinking perpetuates the false belief that those living with HIV are bad people. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Chris Hollingshead brings out the facts from the common misconceptions people have believed in the past.

3

Opinions

December 5, 2019

Paper Straws Will Not Save The World It is Simply Not Enough By: Calixo Reyes Opinions Editor

Paper straws are not going to save the Earth. They go into your coffee cup, soft drink or whatever you are drinking and then they dissolve and melt after five minutes.

They are not intuitive to solving the larger issue of plastic pollution.

An article from Phys.org titled “Science Says: Amount of Straws, Plastic Pollution Is Huge” by Seth Borenstein states the following: “Cities and nations are looking at banning plastic straws and stirrers in hopes of addressing the world’s plastic pollution problem. The problem is so large, though, that scientists say that’s not nearly enough.”

According to the article, there are apparently eight million metric tons of plastic that end up in the world’s oceans and coastlines each year.

The article also went on to say that “for every pound of tuna we’re taking out of the ocean, we’re putting two pounds of plastic in the ocean.”

This is an alarming statistic that raises questions on if there may be other effective ways of reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans every year.

Opponents say that these plastic straws typically end up being ingested by marine life. It causes disruption within the

Creative Commons

ecosystems of marine animals, becoming a threat for wildlife.

Plastic straws contribute to so little of the plastic that ends up in the ocean. The straws do not weigh much. According to Borenstein, they only make up “four percent of plastic trash by piece, but far less by weight.”

A better solution would be for companies and businesses to make moves like the one Starbucks has made by providing lids with an opening, and it doesn’t even require a straw at all.

Some restaurants let their customers use metal straws, which are truly the best option, but these typically end up getting stolen by customers and cost businesses more money.

I’ve found that ever since Starbucks has made this change to eliminating their plastic straw, it has been at least slightly better than being offered a paper straw.

Creative Commons

Sure paper straws are biodegradable, but it is truly a waste of money and effort to enforce these on consumers.

The lids on cups are also plastic and it makes absolutely no sense to eliminate the straw but not the lid. It is a very slow start to tackling a much larger issue.

Indeed, consumerism is also a challenge that businesses have to face when thinking about the types of changes they’ll make to their existing business.

In order to truly end plastic waste, we would have to reduce using all the plastic that we use now. This includes big companies making larger changes on a global level.

It is those changes that will make a significant impact in reducing the plastic levels that end up in the ocean, affecting marine life.

The larger issue of banning plastic

bags and straws is that people will begin to feel like they’ve already done their part in making “greener” options.

Consumers will ultimately feel like they have done their “green” duty of reducing pollution by choosing to bring their own plastic bags or totes to the supermarket as well as avoiding the use of paper straws.

They will not make other changes and are even more inclined to purchase bottled items because their tote bags will not rip.

The paper straws are not always biodegradable or recyclable. They are also requiring to cut down a tree, and then use the tree to create the straw; thus, increasing our carbon footprint.

Paper straws might be a “greener” option, but it isn’t a “green” option. It will not make a significant change to the high amounts of plastics that end up in the ocean.

You will not save the world this way.

Let The Students Study!

The Library Should Stay Open Overnight By: Milla Tivadar

Focal point editor

In the past at Skyline there was an opportunity to study at the Learning Center during finals week until 12 a.m. for those who were inclined to use it. Unfortunately, at that time it did not prove to be a useful tool for students.

Not enough students were taking advantage of the hours, and were using the space as more of a leisure facility. This also cost the school over $100,000 to fund faculty for the hours they spent working overtime.

So in 2018, the extended hours were no longer available, and while this had no effect for some students, others began looking for a new plan for them to be able to study.

Among many other costs, this would mean securing an appropriate space.

For some, this could mean the STEM Center on the 3rd floor of building 7. A learning center, a study room, a media center, and a solid hub for students and staff alike.

Labs and lectures here at Skyline can end from 9-10:00 at night, and for full-time students this means little to no extra time after class to study. For STEM and MESA students this rings especially true, for their practice extends far beyond the hours available at Skyline.

This would be a great resource for these students and beyond to extend their studies during finals. A stressful and time-crunching period for full-time students. The Learning Center is already a great resource to study and find tutors, but it can only be beneficial if it’s used correctly.

“During times of need, like during exams, midterms and finals, if opening the Learning Center close to midnight were permissible, I’m sure students would use it,” Jordan Moreno, a graduate student from Berkeley said.

“Cause of concern for that late at night really depends on location and environment

and the availability of staff comfortable with the hours,” he said.

At Berkeley, the campus is found close to Downtown Berkeley, where the risks of walking to your car are heightened late in the night. Surrounding Skyline, standing at the top of the hill, there is not much surrounding campus. The void of people also poses as a possible threat to security when students leave the building.

The Research Center and cafe at San Francisco State has vouched to be great locations to continue studying with their 24-hour facilities. But you may need to prove you’re a student at SF State with the given ID. There, you will find a community of students and a full-time staff of security to ensure your safety. If Skyline and San Francisco could work together in this and allow students of California community colleges to access their library during this period of time could benefit the students here who need it.

Facilities to extend study hours could be used for research papers, online resources, study groups and more. Working at home can be distracting, especially with family and chores.

Local coffee shops and restaurants that stay open late could also be an option for students during this time. Unfortunately, not many are found near the Skyline campus, which further limits resources.

Opening campus for students on the weekends has also been a possibility between finals week to go along with these proposals.

Trust in the public safety guards and in students is needed for a solid resolution.

Providing a safe space that is cost-effective for all Skyline personnel would be very beneficial for the coming semesters.

Building 5 at Skyline College just after sunset which houses The Learning Commons Calixto Reyes / The Skyline View

Students using the Learning Commons in the evening Calixto Reyes / The Skyline View

4

Opinions

Editorial

December 5, 2019

SMCCCD Does Not Offer Student Housing Campus housing gives college students the freedom of being on their own away from their families as well as the security of living on or near campus to get to and from classes on time. Something considered a luxury and a traditional element for many fouryear college campuses.

It is something that also needs to become present at many twoyear colleges, especially those in major metropolitan areas such as the Bay Area. Many international students and out-of-state students also rely on on-campus housing.

Skyline College, College of San Mateo, and Cañada College, do not offer students any housing at their campuses.

This is somewhat of a problem for our student population, as they face the rising costs of rent and other living expenses in the Bay Area. On the College of San Mateo’s website, it says, “College of San Mateo does not offer on-campus housing or dormitories, but there are plenty of housing options for our students to choose from.

International students usually rent a furnished room in a nearby home, rent an apartment, or choose to do a homestay. It is important to secure your housing before you arrive.” While these

are good options for some students, they are not necessarily realistic or obtainable.

Many international and outof-state college students drop out because they can no longer afford the Bay Area’s soaring cost of living.

Currently, the San Mateo County Community College District does have housing for their faculty and staff to live in for up to seven years with reduced rent costs.

This reduced rent is meant to encourage faculty and staff to save money for the down payment of a home.

This program is otherwise known as the “District Employee Housing Program.” And currently, there are two locations, College Vista which is a 44-unit building near the College of San Mateo and Cañada Vista located at Cañada College, which are two three-story residential buildings with 60 units.

According to the District Employee Housing Program, Skyline Vista is “in the planning and development stages and will be located at Skyline College.

This development will have 30 units and is tentatively scheduled to open in Spring 2020.”

This is an amazing resource

People Come And Go Kindness Will Make You Vunerable By: Hanz Mathew-Pacheco Multimedia editor

People will walk in and out of your life, but the real ones will stay.

Life is full of surprises, experiences, and disappointments. So are our friendships.

We meet people in our daily lives for many different reasons, and they play their roles.

Some will be there for a season, and some will stay for a lifetime.

But no matter how long or how short it is, everyone has a lesson to teach us.

When someone appears in your life and you become friends with that person, it is usually because you share some common interests, and you stay friends so they can help you when you’re in trouble, guide you with support, and help you physically, emotionally, or spiritually, and help you to grow as a person.

However, when one person says or does something stupid, that friendship ends and often leads to that person leaving you.

Studies show that people who have strong friendships survived 7.5 years longer than those with weak or few social ties.

Yet, many friendships end. Each situation is different, but whatever the case maybe, here are some reasons why people come and go in your life.

People will come into your life just for their own interest. Once they get what they want from you, they walk away.

Some people see human kindness as a weakness.

When you are nice to someone, you always want to help, and give

your everything, because that person matters to you.

You care so much that you just can’t say or bear to turn someone down, because you know that person needs help.

People who are kind often don’t really know how or when to say no, leaving themselves vulnerable.

That’s when people start to use you because they feel like they’ve been given permission to do so, or simply because they can.

There is nothing wrong with being genuinely kind,especially when you care so much about people.

Don’t be afraid to speak up and know when enough is enough, because “users” will use you and

Illustration by Gianna Sozzi

for the faculty and staff of the San Mateo Community College District, but it should also be extended for students who wish to attend Skyline College, or any other college in the district. Some two-year colleges in the country have already started developing housing options to provide students with more of a four-year university experience. Jefferson Community College in New York a two-year college that offers a residence hall called “East Hall” for their students.

Providing students with the opportunity to live on campus would make it easier for students to establish a larger community

then come back for more.

Your time is a part of life that you can never get back, but people will come into your life just to hold you back when they do not have goals and dreams in life.

People sometimes don’t want you to be better than them, or some just want to drag someone down with them so they won’t feel left out, because once you reach success, it’s different.

You’ll get praise and support from many people, don’t spend time with people who would not do the same for you.

Responsibilities are things you will have to deal with when you become an adult.

You are more focused on selfgrowth, and it can result, at some point, in you outgrowing some, or all, of your friends.

Your friends may ask you why you’re abandoning them, or not hanging out with them, but there’s

with their college.

It allows students to cut the costs of transportation to and from school. It would also give students the benefit of paying a flat fee for housing that is guaranteed for a semesters length. In San Mateo County, where the average rent price is $2,500, it can be especially difficult for students to find a place to live, and the average cost of buying a home in San Mateo County is over $1 million, so whereas students may have perhaps been able to rent or purchase a home to share with other students, nowadays both options would be exceedingly difficult for the

average student.

Providing housing for students in the district would help more students out and perhaps even increase enrollment in these colleges, thus benefiting both the students and the colleges themselves.

Not to mention, it would also make school life more interesting, and get international students out of being forced to choose alternative options of housing such as a homestay.

Student housing can be seen as a rite of passage for new college students, and two-year colleges such as Skyline that are part of the district should not let their students miss out.

Mark David Magat / The Skyline View

nothing you can do about it.

People tend to create their own reality, and if they choose to create that feeling of abandonment, it is up to them if they will understand your situation or not.

When it comes to friends, there’s

always that sense of obligation of staying true to them, but you always have to stay true to yourself.

If they don’t understand you, there’s nothing you can do about it.

Just move on.

Artistic License

Illustration by Gianna Sozzi

5

Holiday Stress

Focal Point

December 5, 2019

How to stay Jolly during the Season

By Mark David Magat Editor at large

Happy holidays! — This is the time to celebrate and spend time with our families, but it can and will be stressful, especially for us adults. Between the shopping mall-Hunger Games and seemingly endless hours at work to pay for holiday, we all need some time to REST. Here are a handful of ideas to help you unwind, with some minor tips you can take with you when that Karen at Target is screaming at workers about her expired coupons.

Headphones Full of Holly Next time you’re on your morning commute through heavy traffic, maybe play your favorite album, podcast, or audio-book. Playing music that correlates with your mood can be really therapeutic.

Perhaps you’ve got a feeling that it’s going to be a good day and you’re pumped, so play those sappy reggae songs that bring you joy.

Or maybe Blake from accounting stole your lunch and you’re five seconds from beating him with the office Christmas tree. Throw on something with heavy beats while on your lunch break, and go along with the music until you get all that energy out.

Audio-books and podcasts also help a lot. Nowadays, when it’s raining hard and you need to

clean up to prep for a party, have Stephen Fry narrate your favorite Harry Potter book while hanging last second decorations. Or maybe it’s the week before finals and you’re up to your neck in homework, studying and crying over how you have to settle for a C plus rather than a more favorable B minus. Find an inspiring podcast with someone in your age to feel less alone discussing something you love and it’s sure to lift the mood and help you focus on something a bit lighter.

Cristian Garcia // The Skyline View

City of Lights This time of year has some neighborhoods with pretty impressive decorations. Heading through the right neighborhoods and streets, can really be a special experience. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, going down to Treeside Court in South San Francisco can be really relaxing. Speaking of Treeside, the residents on the street take Christmas decorations and lights very seriously, and it’s worth dropping by there at least once during the holiday season.

And while on the topic of decorations, making your home more festive also helps for those who like decorating and need a low-risk and relatively low-maintenance way to relax. If you have others

join in, it can be a small decorating-party with your sibling, roommate, or dead co-worker Jacob Marley who’s trying to convince you not to be stingy with your money. It can be a pretty fun time that doesn’t invite much negative stress.

Silent Night Imagine you have a night off from Blake stealing your food or Karen screaming at Target workers, and just consider staying home. It’s cold around this time and you need to grab every opportunity to lower your cortisol levels. Find your famous Christmas special like “Home Alone.” Read a good book,

or just take a short nap in a warm, cozy room while the rain pours outside. Just taking a moment to listen to your surroundings and clear your mind can prepare you for the following days of winter.

Conclusion At the end of the day, we all have to deal with stress, and there’s no way of avoiding it entirely. But we can all do our parts to make sure our mental health is still in great shape during this fun, crazy time of year.

So stay warm, stay safe, and stay chill.

Life Outside of Earth

By Hanz Mathew Pacheco Multimedia Editor

Why has nobody found any life outside the earth?

Astronomers have examined the universe for signs of life beyond earth for years, and now recent discoveries strongly suggest that alien life could possibly exist.

It is no easy task to find life outside our planet, in fact it is likely that if such planets exist, they will be outside our solar system. The further the planet, the harder it will be for astronomers to study them.

Before we start, It’s good to remember how big our universe is.

Where’s Earth in our Universe?

We all know that the Earth is inside our solar system, along with other planets like Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, and many other planets orbiting the Sun. But our solar system is one of many inside our Milky Way galaxy, and our Milky Way galaxy is just one of many galaxies in the universe. We have no idea of knowing how big the universe is beyond what we can see.

There may be life on other planets, but it could be in another solar system in different parts of the Milky Way galaxy. Or in galaxies light years away from our Solar System. We don’t have the technology that is capable to study planets far away, but astronomers are trying to collect clues using today’s technology.

New analysis shows that there are plenty of rocky world like our

planet in our Milky Way galaxy.

Many exoplanets with magnetic fields, substantial atmospheres and tectonic plates that bring minerals to the surface could have possible life.

“When we started to find planets around other stars, the odds of life existing on other stars went up,” Edward Young, a geochemist at the University of California said in an interview with NBC News said.

“When we started finding rocky planets, they went up again and now we are finding evidence that the rocky planets could be similar to Earth, so now the odds have gone up yet again.”

What makes a planet habitable?

Many of the search for life is focused on trying to find liquid, because it is one of the most essential for all life forms here on Earth.

When we find water here on Earth whether It’s ice covered lakes or deep sea water, chances are there are going to be microbes that have found a way to live there.

Water is very common, in fact the components that make up water, hydrogen and oxygen are two of the most important elements in the Milky Way galaxy. Water is capable of dissolving properties, It’s a perfect element for transmitting properties such as phosphates or calcium into and out of a cell, making a planet habitable.

In order for a planet to be livable you would need water to exist.

Creative Commons

That is why the Earth is very unique. It’s in perfect position from our Sun to support water in a liquid state. Astronomers call this ideal location from a star the “habitable” or “Goldilocks” zone.

What about the Exoplanets?

Planets outside our Solar System are called exoplanets. They have their own Solar System and they orbit their own Sun. For example, many exoplanets like Kepler-22b, which is in the habitable zone of another star called Kepler-22 is much bigger than the Earth, and It’s likely to have liquid or a gaseous outer shell. Finding a world within a star’s habitable zone where liquid water can exist would be a great start to finding life. But they have not perfected the technology for it yet. Finding a planet with the right conditions for life isn’t enough; we need to be able to detect signatures of life itself.

50 ANNI VERSARY EXHIBI TION th

December 5, 2019

Behind The Curtain

Focal Point

The Theatre Department Works Together To Put On A Show

By Calixto Reyes Opinion Editor

Drama. Theater. Musical theater. You think of “Hamlet,” “Death of a Salesman,” or the musical, “Wicked.”

The world of performing arts is a world that is rich in creativity, discipline, and interdisciplinary talent.

It is a form of art that brings creative minds together to create a memorable show.

The drama department had been nonexistent at Skyline College for over 30 years.

That was until Kevin Simmers began teaching drama at Skyline College roughly 25 years ago.

“I am with the drama department,” Simmers said.

“You know, it’s just me. And then Joshua Harris, who is the theater manager. We are the only two that really represent the theater, and I am the only one teaching drama.”

Kevin Simmers was in theater throughout all of high school and a dancer well into his 30’s. He went to the Drama Studio in London, England, and earned his master’s degree in drama directing from San Francisco State University.

“We just closed with ‘Spoon River Anthology’ and that was the seventh show that I’ve directed, and all the members of the cast are either in my class or have been in my class before,” Simmers said. “And they do not get any credit for the time, it’s an enormous amount of commitment.”

Simmers said that the drama students typically get nervous before performances, but he always encourages them to use that adrenaline as fuel for performing. His drama

A mural on building 3 where drama and dance classes are taught.

Students in Amber Steele’s Modern Dance Class.

class final typically involves performing a monologue.

“I’m always excited by their progress and how well they pull it off in front of an audience,” Simmers said.

Simmers talked about his student April Crawford who had been in his drama classes before and her recent involvement in “Spoon River”, as well as Jude Navari.

Simmers has a hard time letting go of the shows. It is usually material that he has wanted to direct over the years. He believes that “Spoon River” came out beautifully and respected everyone’s contributions towards making it happen.

“I was hesitant about it at first, the set was beautiful, the lighting was beautiful, the music turned out very nice, and the actors did very well,” he said. “I was impressed by their work.”

While “Spoon River” was a success for the Skyline College drama department, one of the other most proud moments for Simmers was the play “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller.

“Last fall, we did Arthur

Calixto Reyes // The Skyline View

Calixto Reyes // The Skyline View

Miller’s ‘All My Sons’, which is one of my very favorite plays, a play I wanted to direct for years. It was a very strong cast and a very good production,” Simmers said.

Indeed, all the acting and directing that happens to produce these shows on stage need the assistance of having great lighting, sound, and props. These are just some of the many things that theater manager Joshua Harris engages in at Skyline College.

Harris has been a part of Skyline for about five years now. He does the sound, rigging, and scenery for all the internal events. He also helps to contract out of the theater for external events with the community and assists them with all of their technical needs for their shows. He usually works with two student assistants when working on larger shows.

Before working at Skyline College, Harris was working on the “Aladdin” show at Disneyland. There, he got to learn a lot about the technical aspects of theater production.

“Anytime we do the big shows in here, it’s always a lot of fun because it’s so much collaboration between a lot of different parts of our department as well as other departments on campus,” Harris said.

“The musical is one of our biggest things that happens every spring, this coming spring we’re doing ‘Chica-

go’. You know, we’ll have the music department which does the orchestra, and they’ll come in and we’ll pull up the pit and there will be a live orchestra for the show. Me and my student assistants will design and build the set and do all the rigging.”

Harris also talked about collaborations with student artists in the production of the shows.

“For most of our large productions, I tried to reach out to those disciplines that are specific to the shows that we’re doing,” he said.

Harris explained that he tries to get as many students involved as he can.

“You want to kind of spark more interest in not only what they’re currently working on, but also kind of show them that their current skills can translate to something on the stage in a much larger scale than they may have originally thought,” he said.

Harris recalled a time where he asked one of the graphic media professors if any of his students were interested in doing graffiti for a set which was used in the production of “In The Heights.”

He appreciates the creative aspects of theater and being able to continue with his design, painting, and building goals at Skyline.

“You kind of get to see projects from the ground up in live theater, in true live theater,” Harris said.

6 He also explained that all the props that are created are taken down after the show is over.

“All of our productions are one of a kind,” he said.

“You’ll watch one show and it will never be the same and it will be gone, forever.”

A student who introduced herself as Ms. Fountaine has been taking a drama class with Kevin Simmers this semester.

Ms. Fountaine currently studies electrical engineering in hopes of transferring to a four-year university, but she uses drama in other work that she does — work that she describes as “comedic”.

“I feel like drama class has definitely helped me when I go out to STEM conferences and I’m talking to people,” Fountaine said.

Ms. Fountaine has learned a lot about herself through drama class.

“I am confident, but I just didn’t know how confident, how big my confidence was, or how courageous I am.”

Fountaine enjoys being a part of a good story, but to do so, “it incorporates a lot,” she says.

“You have to go there emotionally, that’s not always the easiest thing to do,” she said.

Jhesmond Bautista, another student in the same class, has also been a part of the Skyline College Drama Department for three years. He took drama class in high school, so he decided to continue with it at Skyline College.

His favorite play that he’s seen on campus was the “A-Train Plays.”

“I guess I became more shameless, as compared to before I started taking drama in high school.”

He feels like he hesitates less about doing things.

Comparing the drama class at Skyline College versus the drama class that Bautista took in high school, he feels that the material is more mature because they might contain curse words and blatant sexual themes.

“I like sharing what I know and moving people’s work forward, that matters a lot to me,” said Kevin Simmers.

December 5, 2019

7

Sports

49ers Loss is a Reality Check for Fans.

By Cristian Garcia Sports Editor

All over social media Bay Area natives see it everywhere, “Quest For Six” but after their recent loss It’s time for a reality check. This past Sunday the San Francisco 49ers received their second loss against the Baltimore Ravens, waking up the 49er faithful that the quest for six might be harder than fans think.

Before week 13 the 49ers were at the top of the NFC West and the conference. After this loss it brought them down to the wild-

card at number 5 in the division.

The 2019-2020 season might have been the best season a 49er fan has seen in years where last season they experience a 4-12 record, creating jokes from the unfaithful like the “4-12ers.”

During the 2017 season a saving grace was brought to the team, backup quarterback of the New England Patriots Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to San Francisco and brought the team’s record up from 0-8 to 6-10. Fans left that season in amazement believing that the 2018-2019 season will make the sixth Super Bowl ring a reality. Unfortunately Garoppolo’s season was cut short when he tore his ACL during Week 3.

The beginning of this season took a completely different turn when the 49ers began to pick up when, for the first time since 1990, the 49ers started the season 8-0. Fast forward today they are currently sitting at 10-2.

Fans may look at that record with amazement but there are some harsh realities within the team.

49er fans should not hold their breath and expect another Super Bowl trophy. By taking a close look at the team there might be some holes most people might not see. The offense at some point can look inconsistent, Garoppolo has thrown behind his receivers as well as dropped bad throws from their quarterback. As for the defense they have struggled with mobile quarterbacks like with Russel Wilson, Kyler Murray and this past Sunday with Lamar Jackson. These quarterbacks have been able to go through the defense before and it is one of the tiny holes the team has had. This past game with the Ravens has shown that now, this late in the season, coaches have realized these flaws, and can use it to their advantage later in the season.

Chess Boxing brings Brains and Brawn into the Squared Circle.

By Cristian Garcia Sports Editor

Taking both brain and brawn, Chess Boxing is another oddball sport taking over the world.

Most popular in Germany, the United Kingdom, Indian and Russia this unique sport has managed to find its niche in the United States. Created by artist Iepe Rubingh in Germany took inspiration from a 1992 french graphic novel, “Froid Équateur” where the protagonist fights a full boxing match before playing a full game of chess.

“I wasn’t thinking of creating a sport it was a moment that happened.” said Rubingh in a 2015 interview from Tech Open Air, an annual technology festival that occurs in Berlin, Germany.

While having a drink with a friend Rubingh talked about how he and his friend started boxing and back when they were students they would play chess, with the inspiration of the graphic novel Rubingh had an idea.

“Let’s measure ourselves on every level and do a chess boxing fight.” Rubingh says, “In this craziness it actually does make sense because you’re combining the number one thinking sport with the number one fighting sport into a hybrid that...creates its own universe.”

The game consists of 11

alternating three minute rounds of six rounds of chess and five of boxing. Chess is played for 18 minutes giving each player nine minutes on the clock to play chess. Fighters win via knockout, or checkmate which ever comes first. But going over the chess time limit can lead to loss. Draws in chess can lead to an extra boxing round.

There are four professional boxing organizations but in chess there are federations all over the world under the World Chess Federation. The love for the graphic novel has even lead Rubingh to create the World Chess Boxing Organization.

In 2005 the first European Chess Boxing Championship occurred and the popularity skyrocketed. Where fighters from Germany, India, Iran, Mexico and even the United States have joined the WCBO. One sport requires a lot of training and athletic ability and the other game requires a lot of mental stamina, both require studying your opponents next move. It would be very interesting if a sport like this could end up in Skyline it would have very unique players involved but with the concussion protocols in an all time high it might not be likely. All a person can do is watch the professional do the work and see how more popular the game can get.

The Niner Faithful can go into Monday feeling that the loss meant nothing. Being fifth in the NFC at the end of week 13 still gives them a big chance to make it to playoffs. 49er fans have gone 24 years without a Super Bowl win and it was these past three seasons that lifted the spirits from the 2013 Super Bowl loss. The die hard 49er can say that this current line up has gelled together these past

three seasons with coach Kyle Shanahan.

This Sunday the 49ers have another chance to make it back on top of the NFC against New Orleans, the now respected 49ers have a brand new challenge ahead of them. Fans just need to let the players do their work before they believe that sixth ring is on the way.

Illustrations by Hanz Mathew Pacheco/ The Skyline View

“Combining the number one thinking sport with the number one fighting sport into a hybrid” - Iepe Rubingh, Founder

Scan to learn more about the history of Chess Boxing

Creative Commons

Illustrations by Hanz Mathew Pacheco/ The Skyline View

8

The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, Calif.

December 5, 2019

The Skyline View

TROJAN ATHLETICS

A Decade of Skyline Sports Looking back on the past ten years here at Skyline College

The 2-Minute Read With Daniel archuleta

The 2010s has brought a lot of success here in the Bay Area.

From the San Francisco Giants winning World Series titles, the Jim Harbaugh-led 49ers going to three straight NFC Championships games, and the Golden State Warriors winning three NBA Finals.

It’s been a fun time, that is if you are fan of these teams.

Here at Skyline, the championship glory hasn’t been as fortunate in the past ten years, but the entire athletics program has a lot to be proud of.

“I think we’ve had some really solid accomplishments, in terms of our student-athletes” Joe Morello, Athletic Director at Skyline College said. “Baseball, Men’s and Women’s Basketball have really strong rates within their

Courtesy of Skyline College PR

programs.”

Collectively, the individual student progression based on GPA and units completed have increased over the decade. So, It’s safe to say all teams look to be doing well in the classroom. In 2016, the Women’s Soccer team and Wrestling were awarded with a state scholar award.

Also, in a first for Skyline, they have hired Jose D. Bonilla and Kayla Crittendon, two athletic trainers that help with injuries as well as rehab and recovery for all

A Different Learning Journey

By I-Wei Chang Staff writer

With a team full of freshmen, winning any game is not an easy thing. For the 2019-2020 season, Skyline men’s basketball team has only one returning player on the roster. Skyline achieved 5-2 In the first 7 games since the beginning of the season. Noah Haynesworth, the only sophomore player, also a captain in the team. Haynesworth started playing basketball since the age of 7, where his brother would bring him to the park and practice shooting hoops together. Since that time, Haynesworth began to love basketball. Every summer, Skyline hosts high school basketball tournaments here at the campus, during that time, Haynesworth discovered that Skyline is competitive in the league and the coaching system is very strong and trust worthy.

“Once I was figuring out where I wanted to go during senior year, Skyline was definitely a school that stood out to me in terms of my field of education and playing basketball as well,” Haynesworth said.

“There’s a lot of great things that come with playing here at Skyline.

I’d say as the coaching staff like I felt really comfortable with coach Piergrossi, coach Harris like I’ve been able to have a real strong, real sense of trust.”

Being an athlete, family support is an important key to a player’s sustainability. Since his high school years, Noah’s mom has always come to his games to support him,

even if his mom couldn’t be in the game, she would cheer for him in various ways through the live broadcast stream.

Haynesworth believes that mental growth is one of the necessary conditions for being a team leader.

In the past, he always thought of himself as a perfectionist, someone who needs to get things right consistently in order to stand out and contribute. However, going to this year, Haynesworth has always told himself he isn’t perfect, but still strives to get closer and will always do his best.

Additionally, in order to maintain his conditioning, Haynesworth talked about his routine is the most challenging thing to keep moving forward.

“I feel like stuff like staying in shape, staying healthy, getting stronger. All those that those three aspects all together is really challenging and really tough to master in season when you’re playing for six days a week for over two hours. I think one challenge that has really stuck out to me is just staying healthy and eating right, getting enough sleep” At the same time, Justin Piergrossi, the head coach of Skyline Men’s basketball team give him affirmation.

“He leads by example. He works hard every day. He’s ready to practice every day. So he does it

students-athletes.

Another significant move for Skyline has been the appointment of Chris Watters as the head coach of the Women’s Basketball team.

Watters has been with Skyline since 2007 as an assistant coach and became the coach before the 2012-13 season.

Under Watters, the program has seen fifteen All Conference players that have all transferred to great programs. The women’s team has also made four playoff appearances in the past five seasons, a remark-

Noah Haynesworth puts up a shot against Los Medanos on November 8.

able effort by Watters, being able to sustain success.

One point of improvement is the ratio of men’s and women’s players on each team. The past season the men’s soccer team had 23 players compared to the women’s team having only 14. Recruitment is done through the coaches compared to programs around the Bay Area, who have actual recruiter whose job is to bring as much student-athletes as they can.

The team championships have been at a halt this decade, but it is

not a knock on any of our student-athletes, the individual player success has been great to Skyline.

Despite being ranked in the bottom half of the California wrestling team rankings, Skyline currently boasts Stephen Martin who has become the best wrestler in his 184-pound weight class. Back in August 2019, Paola Candolada and Katie Tan both led Skyline to win the State Doubles Championship in badminton. And at one point during the 2014-2015 men’s basketball season, Skyline had the best record in the entire state.

Another achievement has been the two Hall of Fame ceremonies that Skyline has held. In the past decade 25 former Skyline athletes have been inducted. After an eightyear hiatus, it returned in 2011 with a collective group of male basketball players along with their former head coach Pete Pontacq being inducted. Then in 2018, twelve female Skyline athletes were inducted, none more important than Jan Fosberg, the current Badminton Coach.

The next Hall of Fame induction is in the works, but no timetable is set now.

“In this one we’ll be able to balance more what people have done over the past 20-30 years and have a mix of male and female” said Morello.

Looking ahead the next upgrade for the athletic program will be the replacement of the portables in front of Building 3. A new training room, a spinning room and rooms for both soccer team will be put into place as well.

Upcoming Games

Men’s Basketball Dec. 7 vs Merritt (3 p.m.)

Dec. 14 vs Siskiyous (5 p.m.)

Dec. 15 vs Alameda (3 p.m.)

Mark David Magat // The Skyline View

mostly by leading by example. He shows the younger players how it’s done and then he just has a good mentality. He tries to stay positive as much as he can.

Regarding this, Haynesworth believes he has the aptitude to be the leader on this team.

“I always felt like I’ve been a natural leader in terms of like, pushing people forward to making themselves better and being extremely vocal and do setting or leading by example. And that challenges kind of come to life for me, I am the only person with collegian experience from my previous year.”

Perhaps, being a leader on the team is not an easy job, Haynesworth not only has to lead his teammates to win the game, but also progress himself to a higher level. Although there were some setbacks during the season, and some of the challenges are pretty massive, Haynesworth is willing to learn from the experience.

Dec. 20 vs De Anza (7 p.m)

Women’s Basketball

Dec. 5 at San Bernardino Valley (5 p.m.)

Dec. 6 vs Mt. San Jacinto (5 p.m.)

Game played in Rancho Cucamonga Dec. 7 vs Mission (7 p.m.)

Wrestling

Dec. 7 CCCAA Northern California Championship at San Joaquin Delta College (9 a.m.)

Dec. 14 CCCAA State Wrestling Championships at Fresno City College (10 a.m.)

Dec. 15 CCCAA State Wrestling Championships at Fresno City College (10 a.m.)