Focal Point
Opinions Reviving the creative process
Asian representation rising in media
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The Voice of Skyline College, San Bruno, Calif. Volume XLIII - Issue 2
September 13, 2018
Owners of San Mateo county care homes charged with human trafficking
www.theskylineview.com
New science building eyes September 2019 opening By Maria Isabel Del Castillo Schmidhuber TSV focal point editor
Rainbow Bright preschool and infant daycare in Daly City, Calif. remains closed on Sept. 10, 2018. The other five care facilities remain closed as well.
By Raymond Rapada TSV News Editor
Owners of Rainbow Bright, adult residential and children care facilities in the Bay Area, have been arrested and charged with human trafficking and labor exploitation-related crimes, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra revealed at a news conference in San Francisco on Friday, Sept. 7. The defendants are Joshua, 42; Noel, 40; Gerlen, 38; and Carlina Gamos, 67 — in total, they have been charged with 59 criminal counts, including human trafficking and rape. The alleged abuse occurred from 2008 to 2017, spanning four adult residential and two child care facilities in Daly City, Pacifica and South San Francisco. The Gamos family targeted members of the Filipino community, particularly new immigrants who succumbed to the family’s labor exploitation. According to Beccera, the number of employees could be in the hundreds, citing the fact that it was some of them that
made Rainbow Bright’s misconduct known. “It was the workers who helped bring this case to light,” Becerra said. “It is the workers who are the greatest victims of Rainbow Bright and its operation.” 26 of the 59 criminal counts are of grand theft of labor, or theft of employees’ wage. Becerra’s office
Mark David Magat/ The Skyline View
or time off. The charges were a result of a yearlong investigation by the California Attorney General’s Office Tax Recovery and Criminal Enforcement Task Force, also known as the TRaCE Task Force, and involving the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Labor, as
“This could be happening in your backward, in your neighborhood, with people that you believe are living a regular life or being cared for.” - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra estimates the unpaid wages and overtime have accrued approximately $8.5 million. The other counts of human trafficking are due to the use of physical force, sexual violence, fraud and psychological coercion with the victims. According to the criminal complaint filed against the family on Sept. 5, employees have been required to work 24 hours per day, seven days a week, as well as having been refused of higher pay
well as other state agencies and local police departments. At the press conference, Becerra was surrounded by 14 illegal assault weapons that were seized from the Gamos family while serving their arrest warrants. Of the 14 firearms, three were “ghost guns,” or untraceable weapons manufactured without serial numbers, making them a ghost to the government, according to Special Agent Peter Wold who is the case’s
Sports Lopsided halves result in draw against Los Medanos
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agent. Becerra and his team also had no reason to suggest that any of the firearms discovered were used to help the Gamos’ commit any of their crimes. More charges are anticipated to be filed regarding the weapons. Becerra also highlighted how situations like this one can happen anywhere, even residentially. “This could be happening in your backward, in your neighborhood, with people that you believe are living a regular life or being cared for,” Becerra said. “I hope we will all take this seriously because ... we all deserve to earn a better life if we work very hard and not be cheated out of those opportunities.” Becerra called for anyone who believes there may be similar or related crimes in your neighborhood, whether it’s someone enslaving another person or someone cheating the government out of its taxes to contact the TRaCE Task Force. The defendants remain in jail under $9 billion of combined bail.
The 21,000-square-foot environmental science building, Building 12, is under construction at Skyline College and will benefit many science programs on campus as well as the larger community. However, with construction comes parking hassles. No one can ignore the parking struggles that the construction of Building 12 has created these first few weeks of the semester, but it is all for a good cause. “I wanted the environmental program to have equipment for their classes and support the teachers for their environmental courses,” said Skyline College President Dr. Regina Stanback Stroud. Building 12 intends to provide more resources for the environmental science program so students can have a better learning experience and be successful in their academic careers at Skyline. “This new building is really going to provide resources for more students and provide more opportunities,” said Raymond Hernandez, dean of science, math and technology at Skyline College. The new building will be located behind Building 8, right on the vista point location at Skyline College with a view of the coastline. The SMCCCD Projects page website lists amenities that Building 12 will have: “two 56-seat classroom/ laboratories, two 119-seat tiered lecture halls, academic offices, a catering kitchen, lobby and gallery/event space, and support spaces.” The architect firm responsible for the new building is DES Architects, whose service includes interior design, landscape architecture, and structural engineering. The contractors on this project are XL Construction.
Continued on page 2
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News
September 13, 2018
The Staff Editor-In-Chief Simone Ledbetter Digital Editor Lauren Gozon News Editor Raymond Rapada Opinions Editor Mark David Magat FocalPoint Editor Maria Isabel Del Castillo Schmidhuber Sports Editor Diego Emilio Perez Chief Copy Editor Olivia Bowman Photo editor Mark David Magat Staff writers Autumn Bay Spencer Coello Skyline Mark Elvis Lopez Kylea pearson Gem Vem Pilon Samuel Vaughn Faculty Adviser Nancy Kaplan-Biegel
Want more news? www.theskylineview.com Or maybe you have news for us? (650) 738-4377 Want to yell at us? theskylineview@gmail.com Or use snail mail: The Skyline View c/o Language Arts Room 8-8110 Skyline College 3300 College Drive
San Bruno CA 94066
The Skyline View
Continued from page 1 According to the Skyline College website, “the lecture halls will be able to host private seminars when not scheduled for academic use, classrooms will double as event spaces, and the gallery with its expansive views of the sea and coastline will support community and enterprise functions as well as student art displays.” This building is not just more rooms and space for the campus and program but it will bring new ways of learning and teaching for the staff and students. The students will have the chance to use the environment itself for learning purposes during their classes. They will have the opportunity to go outside and gain hands-on learning experience to help them better understand the context of their classes beyond classrooms and lecture halls.
Mark David Magat/ The Skyline View
‘Danger’ sign hangs on the fences that line the construction site of the new environmental sciences building on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018.
This building is mainly going to support the environmental science and anthropology programs but the biology, chemistry and geology classes and their respective programs will also be benefited
by this new building and its new classrooms and laboratories. Hernandez said that this building comes with “two laboratory classrooms for experiments and outdoor classrooms with space designed
with biological and geological natural resources.” Having outside resources allows the students and teachers to make use of their entire classroom time for their own benefit. “Well, the location of it is great, but I’m worried it’ll take away the view. The building itself I think is fantastic, I support what the environmental program has to offer,” Skyline student Daniel Mora said. Building 12 will not block the view that the location has of the coastline, allowing students and staff to visit the building to look at the view themselves. “I think it’s great and exciting. It will be both resourceful and helpful for all those involved in the environmental program,” said Alexis Guillermo, another Skyline student. The environmental building will be providing these resources and support for the school with a projected opening of September 2019.
Sorting facts from Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings By Skyline Mark
TSV staff writer
Brett Kavanaugh is likely our next Supreme Court Justice and his conservative religious beliefs on women’s reproductive rights could lead to the further marginalization of women. While some would have their beliefs bolstered, if Roe v. Wade is overturned, it will impact women’s health and other issues for decades to come. During part of his C-SPAN-broadcast confirmation hearing on Sept. 6, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz from Texas asked Kavanaugh about his dissent in a case involving Priests for Life, a religious group who did not want to include employees’ birth control as part of its health plan. Kavanaugh referred to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. “Was this a substantial burden on their religious exercise?” Kavanaugh asked. “And it seemed to me, quite clearly, it was. It was a technical matter of filling out a form; in that case, filling out the form would make them complicit in the provision of the abortion-inducing drugs.” A media firestorm arose upon Kavanaugh’s testimony, with the assumption being, on one side, that Kavanaugh used the term “abortion-inducing drugs” in reference to all birth control and that he was using the rhetoric of anti-abortion and anti-contraception advocates. “Kavanaugh chooses his words very carefully, and this is a dog whistle for going after birth control,”Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris from California said via Twitter on Sept. 7. “He was nom-
Screenshot by Raymond Rapada
Judge Brett Kavanaugh explains his dissenting opinion in a case involving the Priests for Life religious group that did not want to include employees’ birth control as part of its health care plan on Sept. 6, 2018.
inated for the purpose of taking away a woman’s constitutionally protected right to make her own health care decisions. Make no mistake - this is about punishing women.” Some said Kavanaugh was caught up in the moment of the hearing. Others said that he was specifically talking about Plan B and other emergency contraceptives and not birth control in general. “Disputing with Judge Kavanaugh on terminology is a distraction from the main point, which is that the law must protect citizen’s rights to live their sincerely held religious beliefs, no matter what terminology they use in expressing those beliefs,” said Father Frank Pavone, founder of Priests for Life, in a Sept. 7 website press release. “Judge Kavanaugh completely understands the distinction between
contraception and ‘abortion-inducing drugs’ and knows that some redefine pregnancy as beginning at implantation rather than fertilization.” A case from the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from May 20, 2015, shows the parameters for the Priests for Life case, as well as the Affordable Care Act requirements. It stated, “By regulation, that insurance must cover all FDA-approved contraceptives, including certain methods of birth control that, some believe, operate as abortifacients and result in the destruction of embryos.” The language here is clear. “Some believe” that some types of birth control induce abortion. But where do the facts lie? Perhaps science has an answer. “There are two main reasons
this belief does not comport with scientific evidence,” said Pam Belluck, Pulitzer Prize winner and health and science writer for The New York Times, in her article “Science Does Not Support Claims That Contraceptives Are ‘Abortion-Inducing’”. “First, the medical definition of pregnancy is that it begins after a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, not before. That is because many, probably most, fertilized eggs naturally fail to implant in the uterus on their own.” With the end of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, some things are clear; the controversy over his rulings and veracity keep growing, especially where women’s health is concerned, and it’s likely that nothing will keep him from the bench.
Weekly Briefs 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.
Rapper Mac Miller died on Friday, Sept. 7, of a suspected drug overdose; he was 26 years old. TMZ broke the story Friday afternoon, reporting that a friend of Miller called 911 from his home. Police and paramedics found Miller unresponsive and declared him dead Friday before noon, according to the LA county coroner’s spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani. While an autopsy has been completed, a cause of death has not yet been determined as testing is ongoing. Miller, whose real name was Malcolm James McCormick, was a Pittsburgh native who was known for his dedication to his craft.
CBS Chairman and CEO Leslie “Les” Moonves has departed the broadcasting network amid sexual misconduct allegations. CBS will donate $20 million of Moonves’ severance package to one or more organizations supporting the #MeToo movement. Moonves will remain an unpaid CBS adviser as a part of his termination agreement — he will receive $120 million in severance if the investigation finds he cannot be terminated for cause.
On Sunday, Sept. 9, Miss New York, Nia Franklin, was crowned the 92nd Miss America. The pageant was aptly rebranded Miss America 2.0 due to updates including the removal of the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the competition. Franklin said on Good Morning America the day after she was crowned, “I think it’s important that we’re evolving and I’m so excited to be part of a new era... I’m the first Miss America 2.0.” Franklin also won a $50,000 scholarship.
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill on Monday, Sept. 10, mandating the goal of California to rely entirely on zero-emission energy sources for its electricity by 2045. Brown also issued an executive order to push the state to reduce its net output of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere to zero by the 2045 target date. In a statement, Gov. Brown said, “This bill and the executive order put California on a path to meet the goals of Paris and beyond.”
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Opinions
Adulting: The True Art Form
September 13, 2018
By Kylea Pearson
TSV Staff Writer
In today’s society, there is no such thing as becoming an adult considering the consistent growing and molding we all have to go through in our lives. What is an adult? Biologically, it is someone who has reached sexual maturity, around ages 12-14. Psychologically, it is when you “complete adolescence” and reach young adulthood which is said to occur around your 20s, as stated by Sutter Health in Palo Alto. But what if you’ve done all that and still don’t feel like an adult? The world is changing and becoming an adult is different now in comparison to when our parents were in the same transition years ago. Now, the transition is correlated with stress, depression, pressure, and especially media. Watching ‘how to’ videos can’t fix everything and pulling extra shifts at work won’t distract from the fact that we’re transitioning into adulthood, whether we want to or not. As a generation, we’re filled with stress and responsibilities at the moment, most of which we’re still learning about. High school doesn’t teach us about this transition into adulthood: doing taxes, how to balance a checkbook, how to cook something healthy for yourself or how to make a routine or schedule for yourself. These key components to being an “adult” we have to discover for ourselves. “My biggest responsibility was to get great grades,” said Carlos Polanco, a Skyline student who is from El Salvador and came to America in his
Mark David Magat/The Skyline View
senior year of high school. “Balancing my studies and work is still one of the most difficult things to do.” Polanco talked about pressure from this type of multitasking and how it takes a toll on you as a young adult. He explained that there is something pre-established in him that if he is working hard, then he’s the one who should take care of himself. He mentions how he still requires other things from them, just not all things. “What reminds me that I’m not a kid anymore is that I need to manage all of my own expenses,” Polanco said. “I don’t rely on my parents to pay for my things, but not because
Fuel your day with
they’re unable to. At this age, we’re still learning about how the world works outside.” The results of a study by UK Youth, a charity, found that of 1,000 18-25-year-olds polled, money, appearance and career worries as well as fears about the future meant a large chunk of their time was spent feeling anxious or under pressure. The study also found that “one in 10 participants felt they have no-one[sic] to turn to discuss their stress, leaving them to face their fears alone.” “My biggest fear for becoming an adult is giving up on my main goals
and settling for what I know I can do, but not truly love,” said Lauren Wright, a Skyline student. Wright was working as an independent contractor when she left high school and found it new and difficult to maintain her own schedule on a daily basis while juggling school. In an interview with The Independent, a representative for UK Youth said, “Despite living in our ever-connected world, young people need safe spaces more than ever.” Finding a safe space, a place where you can confide in others and provide selfcare for yourself can in fact help you with this transition into adulthood
Reviving the creative process
SparkPoint snacks T HE Y’RE FREE!
Find snack baskets around campus for a free snack at any time!
Mark David Magat/The Skyline View
By Mark David Magat
TSV opinions/photo editor
skylinecollege.edu/sparkpoint (650) 738-7035 | skylinesparkpoint@smccd.edu
and can make it seem less scary than it looks. Regardless of stress, fears, or insecurities, we have to go through these obstacles to get to our goal. But it’s also okay to enjoy your favorite show or ice cream, even if it’s meant for kids. When you really look at yourself or even another adult you know, we’re all just big kids at heart.
The issue of artists providing less-than-quality work can hit at any time and the solution is actually quite simple: use and enjoy the learning process. In this day and age of professional freedom, we see more people taking shots at being an artist or a creative for a living. However, with this growth of supply in these new ventures, we also see a lack of actual quality work. We see copy cats and
repetitive styles. In a very technical art like photography, it’s easy to get lost in a specification war with your fellow photographers. But do gear or specs really matter? No, especially for beginners, your gear doesn’t matter. Professional photographers have expensive gear for efficient work, yet they can produce the same results with beginner-level gear. They just have to be more clever on how to work around the gear. Yes, new gear with all the new features can help you learn faster, but gear-hoarding gets in the way of learning. Wanting the newest and latest camera body with the new
L-series lenses can get in the way of learning the ins and outs of the camera you already have. There’s a reason most professional photographers suggest manual film cameras if you really want to take photography seriously. Sticking with fully-manual film cameras restricts you to the bare-bones and forces you to learn quick due to the steep learning curve. Considering all the costs that film has, it will be painful to make mistakes, so you’ll learn to make fewer and fewer mistakes until you’ve mastered the basics of exposure. But once people master the basics, it seems they stick to it exclusively. Some photographers stick to shallow depths of field and long exposures for their self-proclaimed artistic photos. But there’s no emotion or story within the photo. After learning the basics, learn to tell a story. Artist are world-builders and storytellers, even if people don’t see it that way. And the way we, as photographers, tell a story with our photos is with our composition, our lighting and yes, basic exposure. Learning how a photo can drive a person’s eye can help tremendously with how you convey your story. Overall, photographers should stop obsessing over the newest and coolest gear and focus on learning and mastering the gear they have. And if they have already done that, learn how to tell stories with photos using composition and lighting. We make art to share, and to learn and to tell our stories. And most of the time it seems like a never-ending climb up a mountain to learn more. But if you really love what you’re doing, then you won’t mind and the view from up there will be worth it.
September 13, 2018
EDITORIAL
Missing: healthy, affordable, grab-and-go food options By Olivia Bowman
TSV chief copy editor
Sodas. Ramen. Chips. Frappuccinos. Donuts. Sugar-coated waffles. Nachos. Burgers. Fries. These are some of the food options offered at Skyline College’s Dining Hall. But when it comes to healthy foods, options are very limited, especially if you’re just trying to grab something as you’re headed to class. Now, Skyline does offer sandwiches and a salad bar as well as some fruit cups (when they’re in stock). But not everyone wants to pull out a full salad in the middle of class. It can feel very uncomfortable to eat a big meal in class in front of other food-less classmates and the professor who’s teaching. But sometimes, your in-class time is the only time you have to eat during the day. Some people wake up late, skip breakfast to get to class, and then have work as soon as their last class gets out for the day. So they have to find something they can eat on-thego. A sandwich sounds like a great option but the café can take too long when you only have 10 minutes in between classes and World Cup Coffee and Tea doesn’t stock very many sandwiches in their refrigerator. A great alternative would be for Skyline to stock snack packages that could easily be taken to class and
eaten in peace. College of San Mateo already offers a healthy food option for students. For $5, students can buy a bottle of water, a sandwich and a piece of fruit. They even offer a discount on this deal if shown a student ID. Skyline could probably offer a similar option for students who don’t necessarily think their body is a temple, but who still want to make some healthy choices. This would go a long way with students in a time crunch who just want something healthy to eat. A 2014 study by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found that “59 percent of college students had food insecurities, or some concerns over accessing healthy options”. With students old enough to be making their own decisions, the food choices they grew up with can have an affect on the food choices they make as an adult with one caveat: that students have limited income and make many food choices based on what is cheap and available. With that in mind, Skyline College could help students make healthy decisions by offering more healthy options. Considering that physical education and nutrition classes are a part of the curriculum for college students, it seems hypocritical to require that students take these classes but then not offer very many healthy foods for students.
Opinions Artistic License
Another part of the issue is the convenience factor of the food offered at Skyline. There aren’t many healthy options offered at the student store but often times, getting food there is the fastest option. World Cup Coffee and Tea can have a line stretching into the hallway in the mornings and the café seems to always be inundated with long lines due to the fact that there is only one cashier available. Additional cashiers at the café and the creation of a second line specifically for students who have class in 10 minutes would help students to make a healthy food choice and get in-and-out quickly. The absence of portable, healthy foods on campus is leading some students to make unhealthy choices that, once a part of their habits, can have lifelong consequences and be hard to break. As students who pay tuition here, we deserve more healthy food options and it would be great if the college we are paying money to could make it easier for us to make healthy food decisions.
Game developers need an update
Skyline student plays Mario Kart 7 on Aug. 12th, 2018
By Mark David Magat
TSV opinions/photo editor
Imagine this, you grab a game you’re super excited about, you’ve been saving money, all the critics are praising the game and overall you expect good things from this game. And then you get home, put it in your console and the dreaded day one update comes along. Game devs have started adopting that a day one update is necessary for development of a game, and it really isn’t and it’s quite insulting for them to hide behind that excuse. As paying customers, we deserve to get what we paid for and if we aren’t getting a $60 game but paying a $60, sometimes even more, price tag, then there’s an issue. The main reason for bringing this up is there are people who don’t have a fast internet connection or don’t even have internet in the first place. These are paying customers
and they’re ultimately being screwed by the game developers because of a situation they can’t really control. Yes games take a long time to be made and companies need to keep up with the demand of both customers and deadlines. But to reach the most people and to reach these deadlines, developers started shipping unfinished and even broken games. All we ask as people who payed $60 for a game is to have a game that’s worth $60 when we payed. A solution for the developers is to just give themselves time to actually finish the game. I know it’ll be hard to do when competing with other companies, but this is worth the seeming loss. It’s either time spent on the game’s development or the trust of your customers. But they won’t change their minds just like that, we as the customers need to make them change. To everyone who is upset about game
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the view from here
Appreciate the arts
Mark David Magat/The Skyline View
developers not taking the consumers seriously, speak with your wallets. Most companies only talk money and if they stop getting as much money then they’ll have to switch their business strategy somehow. So stop buying their games until they change. If you don’t think this will work, look at Ubisoft and what they did with Assassin’s Creed. Assassin’s Creed wasn’t selling great in 2014 and 2015 so they reframed their business model to suit the consumers. Consumers of video games have strong opinions on a lot of things, and one of the biggest opinions out right now is about the day one update. We can ask all we want for a game to be released without a day one update, but that won’t get as far as speaking with what companies will actually listen to, our wallets.
Creative Commons WITH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Simone Ledbetter
As the tech world becomes increasingly prominent, many students feel the pressure to dedicate their lives to STEM. But as this occurs, we need to remember that there is still worth in creativity as well. I had trouble with this concept as I struggled to decide on a major. There may be many people telling you technology and science are the only way to go and there is not much hope in the arts and humanities. But these things need not lose their worth. There are nine types of intelligence, but the academic world places the majority of its focus on logical mathematical intelligence. This can sometimes lead creative individuals to feel they lack intelli-
gence altogether. But those with a creative mindset often have strengths such as innovation and problem-solving. Their unique skills are not always taken seriously, which can be seen when artists are underpaid for work that may look simple, but took years to be able to do with ease. Today, we see our community college district promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics through various programs, and this can discourage the addition of courses involving the arts and humanities. But these courses create skill sets and well-rounded individuals who offer diverse viewpoints and insights that they would not have otherwise. Even if you are not a tech or math genius, you are intelligent, and you have a lot to offer the world with a creative mind.
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Focal Point
September 13, 2018
By Kylea Pearson
TSV STAFF WRITER
“To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”, “Crazy Rich Asians”, “Bao”. What these films all have in common is Asian representation. Main characters in films have typically been white, up until now. With this newfound explosion of popularity for “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”, a movie based on a book written by Jenny Han, Asian representation is at a high point. “Never in my life have I seen an AsianAmerican girl star in a teen movie before, so that for me is the best part,” Han said in an interview in The Mary Sue. Lana Condor, the actress who plays Lara Jean Covey in the film, was interviewed by Kathleen Hou of The Cut about the auditioning process. “People in Hollywood defer to what they know, which is a white lead... The audition description said that they were specifically looking for an Asian actress, I was like, I actually have a chance at getting this?” Not only has this film become a hit, but it also displays how an Asian actress can be just as qualified and talented as a white actress. Sean Sliger, a film student at Skyline College, talked about how we are an audience who wants to see a non-stereotypefilled film. “There are great Asian films, it’s just film is noticed more by western culture,” Sliger said. “Indian or Chinese films are largely overlooked by the general audience of Americans.” In “Crazy Rich Asians”, another romantic comedy, each supporting character (as well as main character) is of Asian heritage. “What does this say about the experience of being Asian-American, how it shapes you differently than the experience of being Asian-Asian?” Sliger said. “People think it’s the same, but when you grow up without your face being a part of dominant culture, it changes things. I worry that the need to diversify will only be seen as a major source of revenue for large studios. The need to
Lana Condor plays Lara Jean Convey in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Director of short film named “Bao” Domee Shi in interview with Cineplex
appeal to trends and not so much cultural representation.” These films are a big step towards the future of film production and racial influence. “Bao” is a short film by Pixar, a company who also brought us “Toy Story”, “Inside Out”, “Finding Nemo” and more childhood favorites. This short film was played before the “Incredibles 2” film this year. In “Bao” we see a mother and her stages of coping through empty nest syndrome as she watches her son grow from a little dumpling to a man. All but one of the characters in this short film are of Asian descent and display everyday life for the mother, such as going to an Asian market for groceries, socializing with friends, and making traditional food, especially dumplings. When pitching this project to Pixar, Domee Shi, the director, was asked to ‘tone down’ the cultural differences. “The strange thing is I never had feelings of doubt about the cultural details,” Shi said in an interview with This Worthey Life. “I wanted to tell this universal story about food bringing family together and overprotective parents learning to let go of their children, and I still hope that those themes resonate with audiences who might not be Asian.” Shi explains that the point of the film was not to promote his race but rather share a story about a family that people can relate to. “I feel like during this generation of film making, more directors are attempting to step away from stereotypes of certain ethnicities because of how we as the audience speak openly of our disgust for horrible representations of these ethnicities,” Sliger said. Race used to play a huge role in the auditioning process, but due to the evergrowing popularity of these films it seems that the lack of diverse representation in media may be coming to an end in the film industry.
Author of “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” Jenny Han. Cast of Crazy Rich Asians in interview with The Build Table Top: From left to right: Ken Jeong and Awkwafina Bottom: From left to right: , Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Constance Wu
Screenshots by Kylea Pearson
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Focal Point
review
September 13, 2018
Money Heist : The unexpected is certain By Maria Isabel Del Castillo Schmidhuber tsv focal point editor
“Money Heist” is a different yet exciting Spanish Netflix series that will have you rooting for the nine people that break inside The Royal Mint of Spain to print billions of euros. This series shows a heist that is executed by eight strangers, who use city names as their aliases, and their leader, who they call the professor. Their plan to print billions of euros took decades to create and months to prepare for. In just a few months, they studied the people who would be in charge of the investigation, the laws they would be breaking, the hostages, and learned how to shoot a machine gun, as well as so much more. One will be left speechless at the full realization of what the plan consists of, and of what the professor took into account. It will most likely make you wonder how someone could even think of doing such things, like peeing themselves, getting mud everywhere and drinking alcohol just to not get caught. However, even the best-laid plans can unravel due to the emotions of the people involved. The professor,
Screenshot by Maria Isabel Del Castillo Schmidhuber
played by Álvaro Morte, develops feelings for the detective Raquel Murillo, played by Itziar Ituño, who is desperately after him but without knowing also falls for him. This brings lots of confusion for both. No intimacy or sexual interaction was allowed until they had completed the plan, which seems almost impossible when living in the 21st century. Breaking the rule would threaten the execution of the plan and the professor isn’t the only one to break the rule which creates complications inside and outside
The Royal Mint of Spain. The interaction between the professor and the detective is one of several things that complicate the situation. Inside, hostages are being a handful. The hostages are an important piece to this entire plan and some of them decide to put up a fight. It can be a funny fight to watch when there are about eight people with guns watching them and making sure nothing gets out of control. Hope is always a good thing to give to those who think they have lost and the professor knows that
and uses that in his plan. In most cases, one would root for the cops or the hostages to break free or win, but this show gives you a glimpse into the past of the nine who are behind it all. It makes you doubt who is really the bad guy. Everyone is a hero in their own story and seeing the stories and struggles that each robber has gone through makes you hope they make it out and live happily ever after. This series shows how sometimes becoming a criminal isn’t a dream for many. It’s the
oath they had to take to survive in a world that won’t hear your side of the story. They studied the rules they would be breaking to be prepared and know what their options are with the professor and without him. In Latin America and among Spanish speakers, this has become the hit series of right now. The first season can be a tiny bit slow at first but is worth it.
Feature
Get your thrills on with these foreign mystery series By Maria Isabel Del Castillo Scmidhuber TSV focal point editor
Mysteries can be thrilling and devastating to watch at times but the overwhelming shock at the very end of it all is satisfying. Netflix has a variety of mystery thrillers available that are worth your time. Most of the ones I will mention are French, German, Danish or British. “Dark”: This German mystery thriller is all about past, present and future. A young man makes a shocking discovery after his friend’s little brother goes missing one night. He finds that for the past three generations, everything (the past the present and the future), has been influencing each other. Changing the past or future could change the timelines completely and is a risk that characters from the future will try to prevent at all costs. This series is a mind-blower worth watching. The second season of this series is under production. “Le Chalet”: This French mystery thriller is a short one, but one that will make you
Screenshots by Maria Isabel Del Castillo Schmidhuber
keep an eye on almost everything and everyone. A group of friends go back to their hometown for a weekend to celebrate the engagement of two friends but before any celebration can start, they become trapped and soon realize that they are in danger. All of the killing that happens connects to a murder that happened years ago in the same small town. Friends start to get killed off by someone and no one knows who it is. When they find out the truth they have no words to express their shock. “La Mante”: Now this mystery, which is also French, is all about trying to catch a copycat by getting the original serial killer to help solve new murders. The original serial killer is a woman that asks for one special request in return for her help: to have her son, who is now a detective, to be the one that interrogates her and questions her until the killer is caught.
avoid any water whose source is unknown. This series starts off with the end of civilization as rain is pouring down and a father and his family rush into hiding. The father, who is one of the scientists that caused the rain to have a virus and be a danger to the world, leaves his family behind to solve his mistake. He promised to come back but after six years, his wife dies and with no food and no other options, his kids are forced to go outside for the first time in years. The boy is to be protected by his sister at all costs and she will die before anything happens to him because he seems to be part of the answer to an end to the deadly rain.
Simone and Rasmus Andersen on their first days at the bunker in show The Rain.
These are only a few of the mystery thrillers that Netflix provides to everyone. Some are only a few episodes long making them series that can be finished successfully.
“The Rain”: This series is Danish and is more of an apocalyptic mystery thriller where the rain has become a danger to everyone. A drop of rain will kill anyone in a matter of seconds, so in order to survive one must hide and
Fabio Romani and Manu Vaverne walk out of vehicle after bridge collapse behind them in show Le Chalet
September 13, 2018
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Sports
Is the new helmet rule a league foul?
In the Post
Nike goes all in on Kaepernick With Diego Emilio Perez
By Rachelle Lamb
TSV Guest Writer
The NFL has created a lot of controversy this off season, prompting fear and uncertainty about the league's future. The biggest concern from fans was over the helmet rule amendment that was approved by the league’s owners this May. The amendment was an effort to change the culture of tackling in the NFL, but the rule may cause more harm than good. The NFL rule book states, “It is a foul if a player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent.” The consequence is 15 yards for the personal foul. This is the latest effort from the NFL to make the sport of football safer for the players. This has been an ongoing theme in the past few years when it comes to the concerns of concussions and the links to mental and physical problems of current and retired players. However, a big fear is how it will impact the game's pace and if a vague rule like this could cost a team a game. For example, it's the end of a close game and any one play can determine the outcome of the game. A big 15-yard penalty called against a team at this crucial point could give the other team an advantage to win. The offensive team is close to scoring, but if the foul is called against the offense it could set them back in yardage, or vice versa if it goes against the defense, it puts the offensive team into the position of scoring the possible winning touchdown.
When this rule came out, people were outraged because they thought it felt like the end of football as we know it. They thought it was going to take away the element of violence in football, which some believe makes the game more enjoyable. Fans' anxiety over this new helmet rule would be even more inflamed after the penalties-filled preseason. The NFL’s competition committee later clarified this new helmet rule on Aug. 22 to help referees officiate the game more accurately. Inadvertent or accidental contact the helmet and/or face mask is no longer considered a foul. Even with this clarification, it is still difficult to regulate the new rule due to the difficult nature of making judgement calls. It is hard, in full-speed play, to make judgment calls and try to determine what is purposeful and accidental. What may happen is that there will not be sufficient information to make calls in games, so consequently, this penalty may not be called or enforced with the players' safety in mind. This leads to the question of if the NFL should stand by this new rule. Could it be one of those things that sounds good on paper but in real life is too difficult to execute? After 16 games were played in week 1, the amended helmet rule was called once. This doesn’t necessarily mean that players are adjusting to the rule; it just shows that it is becoming too close to call. At this point in time, it proves to be to difficult to manage and the purpose of the rule is moot.
Mark David Magat/ The Skyline View
Nike’s decision to name Colin Kaepernick as the face of the ‘Just Do It’ campaign is a righteous decision, but it has caused backlash among certain Americans who cannot accept a point a view that is different from their own. The boycott of the globally-known sports brand started because of Nike’s endorsement of Kaepernick. The hashtag #boycottnike quickly began trending on Twitter and was soon followed by dozens of videos of people burning their Nike clothes and shoes. This irresponsible act draws a striking resemblance to the all-too-American tradition of team loyalists burning the jerseys of players who are traded or signed to another team, except this is definitely worse. People who are boycotting and burning Nike products to oppose the company’s support of a player who has suffered a grave amount of injustice caused by a peaceful protest, clearly do not understand what this protest represents. Kaepernick began his protest during the national anthem in August of 2016 in response to police brutality and the oppression of people of color. He was joined by several other players in the NFL in this peaceful protest. In 2016, 963 people were shot and killed by police, and in 2017 that number was 987, according to The Washington Post. The Nike boycott is only the latest installment of the heavy criticism that this movement has received. The President has weighed in on the protest in a number of tweets, and more recently has commented on Nike’s decision to support Kaepernick. “If the players stood proudly for our Flag and Anthem, and it is all shown on broadcast, maybe ratings could come back? Otherwise worse!” Trump tweeted on Sunday, Sep. 9. Miami Dolphins receivers Kenny Stills and Albert Wilson were the only two players to take a knee during week one of the 2018 NFL season. Nike maintained endorsements for Kaepernick even after he was released from his job as a 49er after the 2016 season, and was not signed by any other team in the NFL. “What was Nike thinking?” Trump tweeted on Sept. 7 in response to Nike announcing Kaepernick is the face of their newest ‘Just Do It’ campaign. The inability to appreciate the bravery and resistance displayed by the players choosing to publicly protest thoroughly represents the bigotry and intolerance of the Trump administration. Nike has made a considerable amount of questionable ethical business decisions in their past and most recently, they’re being sued by two women, former employees, over equal pay and sexual harassment (this is a good reason to boycott a brand). The brand clearly has work to do, but siding with Kaepernick in his fight against police brutality, bigots, oppression and a $613 billion league (as of 2015, according to Business Insider) is a significant step in the right direction. Kaepernick, once a successful postseason quarterback, has not been signed to a pro football team since March of 2017. Kaepernick’s lawyer, Mark Geragos, announced via Twitter in March of 2018 that the complaint would not be dismissed, and the case will proceed to a full hearing. Athletes have rightfully expressed their positions on important political issues throughout history; the national anthem kneeling protest started by Kaepernick has garnered a permanent place in a rich history of peaceful protest led by athletes. His role in the the latest Nike campaign will be an impactful milestone in his legacy of equal rights and perseverance off the field.
Upcoming Games Men's Soccer
Sep. 14, vs. Foothill College Sep. 21, vs. Lassen College
Women' Soccer
Sep. 14, vs.College of Marin Sep. 18 vs. Ohlone College
Volleyball Sep. 14, Tournament @ San Jose City College Sep. 19, vs. Las Positas Sep. 21, vs. College of the Redwoods @ San Francisco
Game Summary
Lopsided halves result in draw against Los Medanos By Diego Emilio Perez TSV Sports Editor
The Skyline women’s soccer team played their second home game of the season against the Los Medanos Mustangs on Tuesday evening. After a hard fought game, it ended in a draw with both teams scoring two goals. The Trojans had a rocky start to the season. Starting the season with no wins and three losses, they lost by a large margin to Cuesta College and Modesto Junior College, before earning a big win on Friday against Merritt College. The women’s team had some momentum going into Tuesday’s windy evening game after coming off a win. But two early goals by the Los Medanos Mustangs gave the visiting a team a lead at the end of the first half. Skyline’s midfielder, Azea Alcaraz, scored the home team's first goal of the game. Shortly before halftime, Alcaraz was awarded a free kick that she netted into the back right corner of the goal, away from the Mustang’s goalie. Los Medanos came out aggressively in the opening half of the game. The Mustangs controlled the ball for a majority of the time.
However, Skyline made a push late in the first half that gave them a goal and some much needed life going into halftime. Down only one goal, Skyline came out of halftime determined to tie the game. The Trojans looked focused and the team’s communication and off-ball movement seemed more effective. “The girls were able to move the ball around a little bit better in the second half,” said Skyline’s Assistant Coach Crystal Zeledon. “They actually were trying and attacking the goal which wasn’t there in the first half.” The Trojans buckled down on the defense in the second half, and as a result, they were the aggressors for most of the time. Managing possessions and controlling the pace was an emphasis in preparation for Los Medanos. “We definitely kept possession more,” said Lucia Moock, Skyline's right defender, when weighing in on the positives of the second half. “We definitely need to take more shots, we don’t take enough.” Moock believes the Trojans could have earned a win if they took more shots throughout the game. The game-tying goal was scoreby Skyline forward Sierra Olson with a little over 10 minutes left
Briana Vu pulls the ball away from a Los Medanos player on Sept. 11, 2018.
in the game. With victory in sight, the Trojans' ball movement kept a steady pressure on the Mustangs' defense for the remainder of the game. Late in the game, Alcaraz made a strong drive to the goal with a chance to give the Trojans the lead, but the solid shot attempt from five feet outside of the goal was blocked by Los Medanos’ goalie with six minutes left on the clock. Los Medanos was struggling to keep possession against Skyline’s smothering defense. The Mustangs had a few good attacks that all resulted in missed shots. Lackluster defense and a poor offensive execution denied the Mustangs an away win. After 90 minutes, the game ended with score of two all. The Skyline women’s soccer team looks to get back in the win column on Friday as they continue their home-stand against College of Marin. “With the trainings we’ve had in the past couple weeks, we are starting to understand how we want them to play,” said Head Coach Kevin Corsiglia. “The way we want them to play is going to be make them successful at the college level and it takes time.”
Azea Alcaraz pushes the ball forward on Sept. 11, 2018.
Karla Romero-Lopez drives the ball forward in the first half of the game on Sept.11, 2018.
Mark David Magat/ The Skyline View