VIEWPOINT Taking notes from The Curtis Family C-Notes pg. 14 The Skyline View Magazine Vol. 7 Summer 2022
super student by day, ... mild mannered reporter by night? the Journalism Department wants you! ----cS=----=---Talented tweeters, phenomenal photographers, notorious newsies, and anyone who spends statistics class doodling in the margins of the textbook ... the Skyline Journalism Department and The Skyline View campus newspaper have a spot for you! This fall, sign up for journalism courses, spill some ink with the Skyline View staff, and even have your work published in the paper. ..-���11111 Fall courses are listed below. Sign up faster than a speeding bullet, and leap into your future journalism career in a single bound! JOUR 1 10 Mass Media & Society JOUR 120-Writing & Reporting for Media JOUR 121 -Advanced Writing & Reporting for Media JOUR 320- Beginning Newspaper Staff JOUR 330 Intermediate Newspaper Staff JOUR 340- Intermediate Advanced Newspaper Staff JOUR 350 Advanced Newspaper Staff JOUR 695- Independent Study in Journalism
Contents 4. Letter From The Editor 5. Meet The Staff 6. Girls’ night out at S.F.’s DNA Lounge9. Business on fleek 11. Let there be light on indigenous14.Takingreligionsnotesfrom the Curtis Family C-Notes 17. Tell me something I don’t know 20. Tips to avoid break-ins 22. Can’t control my callouts SUMMER 2022 3 23. Ahead in the count 26. Find your Zodiac sign
The Skyline View welcomes Letters to the Editors; letters must include full name, address, and phone number for verifica tion. The Skyline View reserves the right to edit letters for length, libel, clarity, and taste. Steven
ArtisticCoverEditor-in-ChiefIllustratorDirectorChiefCopyEditorEditorsWriterPhotographerFacultyAdvisor
ChristianAdrianaRissottoHernandezZacharyNavarraCarloCegurraAnoushTorounianDanielaOssa-LopezIzzyHerreraIsaacCamachoAmaBayarNancyKaplan-Biegel
A Letter From The Editor Dear Reader,Welcome to Viewpoint Magazine Volume 7. Our team at The Skyline View has worked endlessly all semester at producing top-notch content and we are more than excited to share another edition of this award-winning publication. This issue is slightly bittersweet; the last in-person magazine production was way back in the spring of 2019, before the madness of the pandemic infiltrated our lives. Inside, you will find a collection of stories that illus trate the achievements of those making a difference in the community around us. Although there is no exact theme to this work of art, I believe the outcome couldn’t be more thrilling.Our goal at TSV is to inform the community on the happenings around Skyline College. During this unique pro cess, we’ve had the ability to expand our horizons and show off our creative side — a thriving area for many of our staff ers. As we continue through an era of unreliable news reporting, TSV remains a constant force to be reckoned with as we lead the way among California community colleges, especial ly in the Bay Area. This is the last semester for many of us — a rather shocking revelation considering it feels like we just graduated high school. The friendships we’ve built along the way are for life and the collaboration strongly enchanced our overall work ethics. The future of The Skyline View is strong and we are confident that the staff in the fall will carry on our legacy.
4 VIEWPOINT Want more theskylineview@gmail.comwww.theskylineview.comnews?Ormaybeyouhavenewsforus?(650)738-4302Wanttoyellatus?Orusesnailmail:TheSkylineViewc/oLanguageArtsRoom8-8110SkylineCollege3300CollegeDriveSanBrunoCA94066
Best regards from your Editor-in-Chief, Steven Rissotto
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 Com munity Colleges. Opinions ex pressed in the paper are those of the writers and should not be in terpreted 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.
SUMMER 2022 5 Meet the staff Editor Cegurra
By Adriana Hernandez Digital Media Editor 6 VIEWPOINT Taking notes from The Curtis C-NotesFamily
SUMMER 2022 7 usic runs deep in the family as it is more than a talent or a trait but rather their iden tity.
Maestro also influenced his former student and now wife, Nola, to wander into the path of musi cianship.“He taught out of a music studio where Master P., Snoop Dog, and E-40 have been through,” Nola said. “Any West Coast rapper or singing group knew each other and Maestro was one of the artists and residentsMaestrothere.”pushed her to pick up an instrument and Nola eventually ended up on stage. The two gained popularity around the town as they captivated people with their ensembles.
Maestro and Nola started their family while they continued to perform. As musicians, their house became a home to other musicians who convened in their abode for rehearsals. Being around talent rubbed off on the kids, as Maestro and Nola saw their kids pick up their instruments and sing Jeffer son Airplane’s “White Rabbit.”
“I literally felt like I was in the nude; I felt very vulnerable,” Nola said. “I could talk all day, but singing was a different thing. So I would spend my time closing my eyes and then finish the song.”
“C-Notes,” as the Curtis children were called, earned a spot in the music industry and were even invited to perform “Lift Every Voice '' and “Star-Spangled Banner” at San Francisco Mayor Lon don Breed’s inauguration ceremony in 2018.
The family accepted the offer and took part in AGT season 16. After the season was over, they received more offers like from Italia's Got Talent. Even though the goal was never to participate in re ality TV, valuable lessons and understatement of the industry were absorbed.
“The experience that my children received was priceless. I had been telling them how this busi ness works,” said Maestro. “Every step of the way just Adriana Hernandez/The Skyline View Nola Curtis with her children Kiki and Isis by the piano.
“It's just natural to me, some things are just what you’re supposed to do as just being human. For me, that’s my humanity. That's my experience, my connection to the source and it's the fulfillment of my purpose,” Maestro Curtis said. With any instrument he gets his hands on, you can be sure that Maestro Curtis will never fail to muse you. He acts as a mentor to his family as he learned from the greats like Maurice White, lead er and founder of Earth, Wind, and Fire and many more.
“It was just us kids, that went on for about a year and we kinda just stopped because of school,” said Zahara, one of the five Curtis children. During that time, Maestro was working with orchestras and bands till he got tired of dealing with people and their own responsibilities. He later quit and wanted to foster their family’s potential with musicianship. Hence, “The Curtis Family C-Notes” was established.“Itwasn't the matter of me having to tell them what to do because they loved doing it,” Mae stro said with great pride.
The Curtis Family home got rid of their furniture to give room for more instruments and equipment. The family bid goodbye to their couches and new foldable chairs were given a warm welcome. With the space now available, they started doing a livestream, collaborating with the Community Music Center in San Francisco during the pandemic to provide hope for “America'speople.GotTalent saw us via our live stream and we turned them down a couple of times,“ Nola said. “That wasn’t the vibration we were on. That was never the goal as artists.”
Maestro says that people have preconceived notions depending on the image you put out. Looking polished is a survival technique in the music industry. The better you look, the better you are approached. With these experiences, he felt like the Black rep resentation was not well illustrated in the musical area.s a result, he created the Black Music Studies Program at the Community Music Center in San Francisco where he and his wife are teachers.
injustice, not allowing people of different races to be in this institution,” Maestro said. “The school is now representing programs for all ethnicities and cultures to be able to come in and fasten me in a way that I hold themMaestroaccountable.”ispassionate about his teaching on how American music comes from descendants of slaves. He strives to spread his knowledge of the im portance of how Black people heavily influenced all music.
“It was not a good thing, it was a great thing,” Maestro said. “It was an experience and they got to see the dark side of the business. It's like they got a 10-year education in three weeks.”
8 SUMMER 2019
“You can be a voice for certain things that people could see themselves through us and what we’re saying is connected to what we’re singing about.” Nola said. They soon would be releasing their new album, Future, which Maestro’s been working on for a while with his family. As a form of family bonding, Maestro sees it not just as another album, but also a bundle of Acrossmemories.allwires and electromagnetic frequen cies, The Curtis Family C-Notes has a message they want to“Webroadcast.wantour music to be cathartic and for people who are in a situation where they can’t get out of it and it's pretty bad for them. I just want our music to reach out to them and tell them to keep on going” said Isis, another one of the Curtis children.
The Curtis can thank their father for the striking flair and flamboyance. Their fashion knowledge stemmed from Maestro and their grandparent’s teachings. As the way you dress represents a multiplicity of dimensions of what it means to be human and one's identity.
Adriana Hernandez/The Skyline View Zahara, Phoenix and Nile Curtis singing by the piano.
8 VIEWPOINT
like I told them how it was going to happen, happened just thatBeingway.” part of the music industry means that you're expected to participate in collaborations. After working with AGT, the family felt more secure with their intuition as during the show’s performances creative con trol was taken away. They only took part in AGT for the journey yet came out with many connections.
The recognition they received after AGT caused occasions where they have been questioned on their appearance and persona. They are known to dress in 60s and 70s funk attire inspired by each family member’s interests.“We want to be seen as who we are. What a lot of people have not understood about us is that people think we are phony but it's like what you see is what you see. We don't put on an act,” Maestro said. “When people come into our circle and they find out who we are they are like ‘oh you guys really dress like that’ or ‘is that a Maestrowig?’”
has instilled in his family that since they are in the business, they have to look the part all the time.
“It's part of who you are, so if you’re an artist that's who you are. Color and vibration are everything,” Nola said. “Maestro is really adamant and Sahara (their daughter) is this fashionista.”
“I grew up in an era where in order to be on a playing field with your white counterpart, you got to be 10 times better,” Maestro said. “The foundation was that when I walk out the house, I need to represent what it is that I want people to understand.”
The 19-year-old lash business owner started up her business on the social media platform Instagram under the username @getlas heddbykay. After growing a liking for eyelash extensions, she got motivated to buy her own lash extension kit and start to open her business.“Icame across an advertisement on social media about a lash course,” said Arriaga. “I was thinking about taking it so I bought myself a lash kit on Amazon and I played around with it at first. I ended up taking the course and started practicing on models. And once I got the full hang of it, I started taking actual clients.” Arriaga’s services include the application of eyelashes, was hing, and drying them.
As COVID-19 transmission gets curbed, Arriaga’s clientele grew and she’s had times where she’s fully booked for the month with multiple clients in a day. Holidays and prom seasons ring in a lot of business. With more business, this let Arriaga expand her services to brow laminations, which is a process of straightening and raising the hair on the eyebrows using chemicals.
Kaylee Arriaga applies lashes to her client.
Being a full-time college student and business owner at times can get overwhelming for Arriaga. Currently, Arriaga is attending school for her cosmetology degree so she can become a licensed esthetician.
Kaylee Arriaga took a semi-different path. She started up her own lash business straight out of her home, while being a full-time college student at City College of San Francisco. Eyelash extensi ons are when artificial eyelashes are glued onto your real eyelashes to create a fuller and thicker look.
After graduating from high school, students find themsel ves questioning, “what now?” Some go straight to college, some take a gap year and others don’t go to college at all.
Feedback to Arriaga is always key. When reading feedback
“What I offer is a beauty service,” Arriaga said. “This includes having to put one single lash on one single lash which depends on the style. It could be six lashes on one single lash which ends up creating that fuller look. Lash strips could last around a month if taken good care of.”
By:IzzyHerrera Fleek
Through word of mouth and her low service fee, her social media marketing caught the eye of customers. An average eyelash extension service could cost around $80 to $140; Arriaga’s starting price is $40. The clientele was not Arriaga’s only issue. Starting up a business during a pandemic is another; the last thing on people’s minds was getting their eyelashes extended. When things started to cool down, Arriaga made sure that not only would her clients get great service, but feel safe as well.
Arriaga followed all protocols by requiring negative COVID tests and proof of vaccination during the surge of the omicron variant. COVID deeply affected Arriaga as she caught the virus herself causing her to cancel multiple appointments.Theclient’s safety is important for Arriaga, but so is protecting her family at home. Her concern made her cautious of the people who reach out to avail of her service. As most correspondence is done with Instagram, Arriaga makes it a rule not to entertain fo llowers with no pictures and little to no followers as she’s suspici ous of them being fake accounts.
“I wanted to start offering brow lamination because I saw how popular it became and many of my clients were asking for a new service,” said Arriaga. “I saw an opportunity to grow my business and took a course. I thought it would be a good idea to add a new service after a year of lashing, I felt like it was time to add somet hing new so my clients and others see that not only am I dedicating myself to one thing but I’m learning and growing.”
Things in life never come easy. For Arriaga, her clientele started off very slow from having around five clients per month mainly consisting of family and friends. Arriaga stayed consistent in advertising on her Instagram to reel in more customers.
“It was really hard starting a business during CO VID because of how limited it was,” said Arriaga. “You can not really control what people do in their own time nor do you know where people have been.”
Business on
“I try to make my schedule to my fitting,” said Arriaga. “I am taking virtual classes currently so it helps me be very flexible. On the days I have class I try to take clients before and after class. It usually is like a go-go-go day for me.”
“Since my business is offered in my home, I do everything I can to make sure I do not put my family and myself in danger,” Arriaga said. “It is very scary, most of the time I do cater to people I know, but there are some clients who I do not know.”
Editor Izzy Herrera/The Skyline View
SUMMER 2022 9
“My main reason for my constant bookings with Kaylee is because of how efficient Kaylee is with her work,” said Salwa Saleh, another customer of Arriaga’s. “Not only is Kaylee caring and form-fitting, but she is also good to her clients. Kaylee seems to make everyone feel not only comfortable but knows what would work best for them while also giving them what they want!”
Arriaga
added.Although it felt just like yesterday to Arriaga that she had her first customer, she is now prepared to take the next step in her journey and tells us what is in store for her business.
Izzy Herrera/The Skyline View Kaylee Arriaga poses with a mirror and twee zers. Arriaga takes in positive feedback which makes her feel proud of herself. Arriaga also comes across negative feedback but, rather than letting it discourage her, she takes it into consideration and applies it to her work.
“In the beginning, I had no goal. Now that I officially started my business, I set goals for myself” Arriaga said. “I eventually want to open up my own studio to work out of with employees of my own. I also want to open my services up from just eyelash extensions and brow laminations to facials and makeovers. I also want to finish school to get my degree to become a licensed esthe tician. I am really excited to see what the future holds for me!”
10 VIEWPOINT
discouraged when you are not perfect because practice makes perfect. Practice! Practice! Practice!”
“I’ve been getting lashes consistently for almost three years now and by far Kaylee has been the easiest lash tech to book with,” said Jianna Ico, one of Arriaga’s customers. “Kaylee res ponds quickly since the first set I got from Kaylee. She exceeded my expectations and make all my sets look beautiful. I live 45 minutes away across the bridge from Daly City, and I still make the drive because Kaylee’s work is worth it!”
Starting a business is hard, especially when you are just a teen fresh out of high school. Arriaga gives some advice of her own for people out there who want to live their dreams and start their own businesses.“Theadvice I would give to people is to not give up on your self,” said Arriaga. “It does take a lot of time and practice to do this. I personally am not perfect but, I still keep going and keep practicing.”“Donotget
Dr. Sophia Pandya from California State University Long Beach (CSULB) first started with the basics and provided the etymolo
indigenous
Contemporary literature has continuously charmed Americans with genres of fantasy and supernatural, both in print and broad cast. In 2001, the first Harry Potter movie was released. People were captivated by the wizarding world and were followed by seven more installments later to witness how Harry Potter tracked the secrets of You-Know-Who, unravel intents of his confidants, and matured from a promising wiz-kid to a stupen dous magus. Fast-forward to 2014, film connoisseurs and comic buffs cele brated the debut of Wanda Maximoff – the Scarlet Witch – in the post-credit scene in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” In the last two years, Wand Maximoff is revered as she stars in her own MCU series “Wanda-Vision” and fought against the Master of Mystic Arts, “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Henceforth, the name “Scarlet Witch” became pervasive and has been an integral part of popular culture, particularly resonating with the LGBTQ+ community not only for her potent chaos magic, but also for her humane trait of grieving over the loss of loved ones, her simpatico amour, and her yearning for a family. These were not the only media that offered alternative viewpoints to the conventional and supernatural. Set in the fictional place there be light onreligions
SUMMER 2022 11 Let
Ama Bayar/The Skyline View Occult Student Alliance (OSA)’s president Em Weissensee (right) and her predecessor Sunny Hibbis (left) strikes a pose during their end-of-semester Bacchanal and last meeting of the semester on May 5. By Chris Ceguerra Chief Copy Editor called Greendale, Sabrina Spellman returned in the “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” a revival of the 1996 TV series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” which was inspired by the Archie Comics of the same name. In the 2019 film “Midsommar,” despite its ficti tious and horrific depiction of the people from Harga, Sweden, the maypole celebration can be traced to its Christian tradition. Today’s generation has been more accepting of the notions of magic and witchcraft; people have also been more open in acknowledging and practicing belief systems and spiritualities that lies outside major world religions. Despite what people con sidered to be progressive to dissent and exercise religion, some parts of the country aren’t fond of entertaining these philoso phies. The Harry Potter book series is banned in some education al institutions in the country for promoting themes of wizardry, magic, curses and the occult. Similarly, Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) places the latest Dr. Strange movie in hot water with “heroes casting spells, using Occultic Methods and eastern religion elements, and interacting with demons.” The same Dr. Strange movie and last year’s Marvel’s “Eternals” was banned in Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries as the films display LGBTQ+ themes.
A brief foundation for spirituality
“If I’m a Pentecostal, that’s a Christian from the evangelical tradition, and I’m placing my hands on you, and I heal you, it’s a sacred healing,” Dr. Pandya said. “But perhaps I would not approve of somebody else from another culture… they made that concoction, ‘What’s in that?’ and then they said these words, maybe that’s a spell… I might just say, ‘Ah! What you’re doing is magic.’”
In a Norse pagan setting, Hibbis said that she performs rituals called “Galdr” to work with particular gods or archetypes for their aid. Aside from sacrifices, incantations and arias, Galdr could also be kinetic and could be carried out with dancing and drumming.
The literature fueled the 17th century European witch hunt. Dr. Pandya explained that a woman who may be marginalized and impoverished, unmarried, or single, have knowledge of herbal healing may be accused of practicing witchcraft.
“Norse Mythology is the main deities I work with,” Hibbis said. “I actually work a lot with a wolf ally, like a wolf spirit that’s like been with me for a long time.”
Mainstream world religions share parallels with indigenous religions. For instance, Hinduism and Wicca are similar in terms of revering a creation god while also worshipping a pantheon of deities: Hinduism has Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva as the creator, preserver, and destroyer of the universe; Wicca on the hand wor ships the Horned God and the Great Goddess. Mythology does not only exist in the literature, nor in fictional movies as set in Stan Lee’s world-building of the Marvel Uni verse. It also manifested in sacred scriptures, and in a religious studies context, Dr. Pandya said that Myth isn’t to say that the “story isn’t real.”
“When you have Jesus walking on water, or Jesus creating many loaves out of two loaves, or those are the mythologies of that different tradition,” Dr. Pandya explained. “You can study the Bible as literature too. The Quran is literature too. But of course, that’s not, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have practitioners of those fates.”
Dr. Pandya introduces the centuries-old doctrine “Malleus Ma leficarum.” Translated as “The Hammer of Witches,” the material penned by inquisitors Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger serves as literature introducing the idea of a witch, how to identi fy a witch, and how to deal with a witch.
“There was a lot of there was a lot of language in the malleus Maleficarum, in which women were in very misogynistic texts,” Dr. Pandya said. “Women were painted as, like, you know, having a voracious sexuality, and being seduced because of the
Demystifying indigenous religion
VIEWPOINTgyoftheword “religion.“ “(Religion) is a word that comes from the word ‘religio,’ which means ‘to bind,’” Dr. Pandya said, who teaches and serves as the chair of CSULB’s religious studies department. “So at the basis of this, it’s a something that binds people together, it creates an identity for them, and it creates a set of doctrines, practices, my thologies, social institutions… that shapes their identity and that helps them orient themselves in the world.”
12
San Francisco State University student Sunny Hibbis is this school year’s president for the university’s Occult Student Alliance (OSA). She originally practiced Christianity, but later connected to her roots and discovered Celtic Norse Paganism.
The politics of fear and power
Dr. Pandya explained that calling unconventional traditions or rituals “magic” marginalizes the practitioners. In the eyes of some people, they use the term “magic” in reference to unsanc tioned practices from their religion. This creates an “othering” towards people’s rites and beliefs.
SF State student Em Weissensee is set to become the OSA’s president for the next academic year. As a practitioner of Italian Witchcraft, they aim to dispel misconceptions about magic. “Magic doesn’t look like what it looks like in the movies!” Weis sensee exclaimed. “And I know that can sound a little silly, but a lot of people think that we just can, I don’t know, move sh*t with our “Magicminds.”isreally just about working with the energies and the to improve your life, at least that’s the way I like to go about it,” they further elaborated.
“It’s the fear of the European white man, of people from other countries that they will somehow, you know, seduce the Europe an woman,” Dr. Pandya said. “This is how I interpret the devil, the European concept of the devil.”
spells out that magic isn’t tantamount to curses and maledicts, as the effects of magic vary depending on the caster’s “Iintent.think magic has the same essence as prayer has for Chris tians,” Weissensee said. “Magic is just about focusing on whatever spiritual intent you want to focus on in that moment, so magic is prayer to some people; magic is meditation to some people. It’s a different term for the same thing that all human beings are familiar with, in my opinion.”
“I find it disheartening when someone’s entire objective is to dis prove you because I’m not trying to disprove them,” Weissensee followed.
Religious studies isn’t offered in all schools nor mandated in higher education. California recently passed laws that require an ethnic studies course for college students to graduate starting fall 2021, while also requiring the same discipline in high school starting 2030. While she acknowledged that institutions are getting better, students are still not required to take a course in religious studies, and she thinks that they should.
Dr. Pandya raised the issue of people’s lack of knowledge and understanding of religions.
Dr. Pandya stresses how Hollywood tends to repeat stereotypes of various cultures, especially on the past. Today, however, she is cognizant that more filmmakers are trying to be more careful.
“You would find stereotypes about, say Santeros from the Sante ria tradition, practitioners or Vodou, or Native American reli gious traditions,” Dr. Pandya said. “You would see them in the media, in cartoon fashion, they would just reinforce a stereotype about that community, fetishize stereotypes about that commu Weissenseenity.”
In film and fantasy
word spirituality kind of implies that we are inclusive of people practicing Wicca, we’re inclusive of people practicing pa ganism, we’re inclusive of people practicing magic,” Dr. Pandya said. “Even yoga can be considered a form of spiritual practice. And indeed, it was by Hindus for centuries.”
“This idea that we can discriminate against other people’s cul tures, identities, sexualities, and religions, this is as old as time,” Dr. Pandya said and suggested that there should be a world religion class that covers major world religions and indigenous relations.
Ama Bayar/The Skyline View San Francisco State University’s Occult Student Alli ance (OSA) gesturing Baphomet’s two-finger salute. SUMMER 2022 13
“A lot of modern film and narratives kind of Change who the gods are to make them more comedic,” Hibbis said and ex plained how for instance the Norse god Loki is often portrayed to be a trickster. According to her, Loki, as a chaos god, will do you favors if you are good and noble with yourself.
For Weissensee, she believes that humans have the innate drive to look for purpose and understand our existence, and she’s just “choosing a different route.”
“As human beings, we’re all ultimately striving for the same thing, and that’s purpose,” Weissensee said. “We’re all looking for something that makes sense to us about the way the world works, and so it’s really no different than what Catholics and Hindus and Jewish people are doing.”
As someone who had given talks on the psychological roots of terrorism, Dr. Pandya said that “this type of exclusionary reli gious language fuels a lot of violence,” and explained how the concept of hell creates exclusion among people with a different “Iffaith.you’re not in my chosen group, and God’s not shining on you, then you’re going to hell,” Dr. Pandya said, explaining that people see others only be a potential threat in “polluting” their women and families and how this othering may cause them not to consider their other people as humans. As the chair of CSULB’s, Dr. Pandya said that her department is better named the “Department of Religion and Global Spiritual “Theity.”
sexuality by the devil.” Speaking of the devil, Dr. Pandya describes the European depic tion of the embodiment of evil to be racist; the devil is portrayed to have dark features composite with animalistic trademarks of horns, tails, and hooves.
By Anoush Torounian Editor performers at the club.
An important element of the girls’ night out process is getting ready, and this group of girls fully revealed in that commencement of the night.
“When we first got there, we didn’t really know what to expect,” Muffareh said. “We were also freezing, very cold. So we walked in, and there was just immediate warmth. They immediately started playing one of our favorite songs by Harry Styles. We just melted into the night.” Service is an important aspect of any outing. Haider recounts an interactive and intimate experience with the Courtesy of Zahra Haider Group selfie on one of DNA Lounge’s two dance floors.
Girls’ night out at SF’s 18+ club, DNA Lounge
“They had a competition where they pulled people from the crowd onto stage, and those who knew all the words to the songs by One Direction were also able to perform on stage, give a little dance and pass each level,” said Haider. “The finalist got a little tiara, and then after that, they pulled a few more people on stage.”
14 VIEWPOINT
“I heard about DNA Lounge from an ad on Instagram. I looked into it, and my mom had told me she’s been there before when she was younger — now she’s in her 50s,” said Anguiano.
On a special Saturday evening, College of San Mateow students Sydney Mufarreh, 20, Zahra Haider, 19, Michelle Peña Garcia, 23, and Frankie Anguiano, 20, embarked on a girls’ night out to DNA Lounge’s Harry Styles theme night. Mufarreh is not the first in her family to set foot in the lively club.
“There was a really short line, just checking IDs, putting wristbands on those who are 21 and over and giving us tips,” HaiderWalkingsaid.into the club for the first time is a moment Muffareh will never forget.
The DJs kept the energy going strong by including partygoers in fun games and activities.
Nestled between a tiny sports bar and a glass company, DNA Lounge’s unassuming storefront leads to a vivacious assortment of colors, artists, drag performers and more. This vivacity is perhaps the reason the club was voted “Best Dance Club” and “Best Live Music Venue” by SF Weekly.
“The DJs introduced themselves pretty quickly after we got there,’’ said Haider. “They explained the layout of the night and informed us that there was a hip-hop section at the top. They showed us how to request songs on Instagram. I think you could direct message them on Instagram and tell them what song you want to be played.”
With The Golden City right around the corner, venues for a girls’ night out are innumerable and invigorating. One such destination is DNA Lounge, an 18+ club boasting two stages, four dance floors and a whopping seven bars for its partygoers.
“I heard about DNA Lounge about a month ago when we were planning this outing, and I told one of my cousins about it,” said Mufarreh. “She told me that she went there when she was 18, maybe a couple of years ago. Then, I told my aunt about it, and she said she partied there when she was younger — she’s 45. DNA Lounge has been hosting party goers since 1985, which is part of the reason Anguiano also has a family history with the club.
“We got ready about two hours before, just to have a lot of time to pick out our outfits and do a little fashion show,” said Haider. “We decided to coordinate and all wear all black. We spent about an hour and a half on hair and makeup. Then, Frankie’s boyfriend came to pick us up.” Despite arriving 45 minutes late, getting into the club was a smooth and thrilling process.
“When the rest of them had gone to the bathroom, I saw security with this group of girls,” said Anguiano. “I think one of them wasn’t 21 and was drinking, but security was really good about it. They took the drink from them and told them they can’t be drinking anymore. They talked to the people they were with who were 21 and older to make sure they didn’t give them anymore.”
“I was the one recording at the bottom and having fun in the crowd cheering for my friends,” Peña Garcia said.
Some additional rules at DNA Lounge pertain to safety in the wake of COVID-19. At this point of the pandemic, vaccine cards are no longer required for entry. However, masks are required when ordering food and drinks.
“We had a positive
Courtesy of Zahra Haider
The One Direction themed night drew the girls to the club.
At venues like an 18+ club, concerns around underage drinking are sure to arise. While DNA Lounge is not immune to breaches of the law, the girls recount management being careful about illicit affairs.
“There was a little pizza section in the back where we got some food,” said Haider. “You weren’t allowed to order unless you had a mask on. I was in line and hadn’t seen the mask required signs, so one of the cashiers handed me two masks.”
“They were really good about checking IDs before you got in to the club,” Anguiano. “If you were drinking, you had to have a wristband.”
With seven bars to choose from, one might think accessing alcohol would be a matter of batting one’s eyes at the unassuming bartender. Fortunately, this age-old trick falls short at DNA Lounge.
While they walked away from the night without a tiara, they eventually got to get up on the stage and gave a performance of their“Weown.were kind of upset that we didn’t get to go on right away, but then they pulled more people. So we were all happy and dancing together,” Anguiano said. “All the other girls and guys that were up there were very welcoming. Seeing Michelle and Sydney in the crowd and just feeling like we’re at a concert was so much fun.” Not everyone enjoys being at the center of attention.
Ama Bayar/The Skyline View Photos line the walls of DNA Lounge’s adjoint pizza parlor.
“There was a bar at the back, but they were very cautious about taking wristbands,” Haider said. “We just purchased some water, so we didn’t have any and didn’t encounter it as much … Other than that, I didn’t see any open containers or open bottles of any form of alcohol on the dance floor. I hardly even saw people with drinks in their hands.”
While COVID-19 is a formidable threat, the greatest danger at an 18+ club for a group out on girls’ night is sexual
Of course, a few people slipped through the cracks. If one group member is 21 and over, they could potentially serve drinks to their underage group members.
SUMMER 2022 15
Peña-eachother”webecauseperienceex-trustedMichelleGarcia
Conversely, being in the crowd was equally as enjoyable for Peña Garcia.
“Older men were there mostly alone, and it became clear that they were not there to dance with their friends and have a good night,” Haider said. “They were just hovering over groups of girls… If I was a girl experiencing discomfort, there wouldn’t really be a space for me to go if I needed to get away from somebody or just walk away from the crowd.”
16
“The theme nights are a big attraction for DNA Lounge,” Haider said. “I see ads all over Tik Tok and Instagram … I am wondering if it felt so safe because it was very women dominant during One Direction night, so that’s something we’ll have to see if we go back on a different theme.” DNA Lounge prides itself in its variety of performers.
Looking back, the girls regard their night out fondly and hope to return to the club soon. Ultimately, the company takes precedence over the venue.
While Haider did not feel threatened by the atmosphere personally, she could see potential avenues for the danger that could be better mitigated by the club. One such avenue would be a private room for girls feeling uncomfortable.
“I know that DNA Lounge has a bit of a reputation for pedophilia because it is an 18 and up club,” Haider said. “Younger girls that are in high school and under 18 will go because it’s a lot easier for them to sneak in.”
The hallmarks of a girls night out are friends, fun and feeling safe. DNA Lounge ticked all the boxes during this One Direction night escapade, and any future trips will be measured against this exhilarating night.
“We had a positive experience because we trusted each other,” Peña Garcia said. “It might be different if you go out with a group that you barely know or they have a different mood, like trying to hook up rather than having fun and hearing One Direction or whatever the theme of the night is.”
Ama Bayar/The Skyline View DNA Pizza specializes in New York-style, thin crust pizza. The girls recline at the pizza parlor to recharge.
harassment,VIEWPOINTespecially by older men.
While all four girls strongly attested to the great quality of security at DNA Lounge, they also acted as volunteer watch guards and strove to protect fellow girls’ night party goers when“Therenecessary.wasthis one group that was dancing and this one man kept getting really close to them,” Anguiano said. “You could just tell that they were really uncomfortable. We tried to pull them away and have them dance with us so they wouldn’t be near them anymore.”
SUMMER 2022 17 By Adriana Hernandez Cover Illuistrator
“I hope to provide guidance and clarity for the chaos from life. Getting an answer that provides ease with yourself and your life is my goal,” said Dhaliwal.Dhaliwal grew up in California but has always wanted to feel more connected to her South Asian and Punjabi culture. Intuitive tarot reading has linked her to her background and family allowing her to represent her culture.
Taajvi Singh Dhaliwal gives others answers to their questions with the power of being able to read signs given by those spirits beyond.
“It’s a sensitive topic for me, but it definitely geared me to having more independence and growing quite as a person,” Singh said. Singh grew up in a family that practices Sikhism, Hinduism and Dharmic religions like Dhaliwal. Both were introduced spiritually at a young age but were inspired to start in different ways.“The princess and the frog was where I first started seeing readings. What really kickstarted me wanting to learn was in my sophomore year of high school,” said Singh. “I got a tarot reading for one of my close friends and it was really accurate.”After that reading, she started looking up YouTube videos on the topic. Dhaliwal then bought her her first deck and started doing readings. What impacted her the most was mediumship, the practice of communicating between spirits of the dead and living.
“I’ve channeled messages from past loved ones as well,” Singh said. “I just don’t do it often because of something that just happens.”
The difference between Dhaliwal and Singh is that she uses astrology in her divination practice, while Dhaliwal uses more intuition.
Shufflemancy is when readers allow a playlist to play randomly to receive a message. Along with a mixture of her practice in psychology.“Ireadtarot heavily tied into psychology since I am a psych major,” Singh said. “I would take little tidbits that I’ve learned within my psych classes and take a more practical approach with tarot cards using it to guide and giveToadvice.”make reading more personal, Singh would like to ask her clients for their big three based on their moon, rising, and sun signs. The
“Growing up my grandmother would always read my hand and say how if I saw certain marks it would represent how many kids you would have or how hard or easy your life would be,” Dhaliwal said. “I have always been surrounded by spirituality.”
Dhaliwal has always felt a calling to the supernatural from a young age, as she predicted the death of her cousin, Simran Singh’s father.
The feeling of questioning certain decisions was relieved by her grandmother as she introduced her to tarot readings. As she now dedicated herself to giving free readings to those who stand in similar positions. “I sit down with people and ask them what their question is. I then ask the spirits to give me one to five cards depending on the questions,” said Dhaliwal. “Sometimes I will receive a calling to pull more cards; it’s all based on how I interact with the client.”When reading cards she will ask if what she says resonates with them because there are different ways to interpret the cards depending on the“Beingsituation.areader, you pick up on energies and you have to be aware that whatever the topic the person brings up you’re opening up to them and their energy,” Dhaliwal said. “If it’s about death, trauma or toxicity it revolves around heavy energy.”
“Being a reader, you pick up on energies and you have to be aware that whatever the topic this person brings up you’re opening up to them and their energy.”
“If I have a message coming through… clairvoyance and clairaudience, I will incorporate that as well,” said Singh. “I do use music on occasion where song lyrics or shufflemancy is another format I use.“
18 VIEWPOINT
big three also correspond to their birth chart and how the stars were aligned on the day they were born and that is believed to reflect their“Ipersonalities.willtakeallthese techniques mixed with
“I want to be able to provide to people that are really struggling themselves that really don’t know how to be introspective or are struggling with interpreting their emotions or thoughts,” Reinero said. “Providing at least a little bit of healing.”
SUMMER 2022 19
be able to not feel this weight of grief.”
Reading is a tool used for many reasons, Reinero, Singh, and Dhaliwal all use their knowledge to provide peace of mind for any situation. Whether they want to contact a lost one or feel lost themselves.
By Steven Rissotto
House and car break-ins have become regular occurrences in many communi ties and it’s a problem that now has stark warnings attached with various degrees on the scale. According to the Insurance Information Institute, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported that roughly $7.4 billion was lost due to motor vehicle theft in 2020. The Zebra reports that home burglaries occur every 15 seconds in the United States, resulting in 2.5 million of them each year. The motives of a juvenile delinquent could be difficult to understand, but experts are blaming these staggering statistics on a multitude of different things. The current economic slide mixed with historic inflation is running people into money troubles, leading to — you guessed it — the blue purse on the front seat in the window looking even more attractive for thieves to swipe.There are plenty of tips and tricks to avoid these debacles — the ones that could drain one’s bank account faster than the speed of light. While the folks that have never experienced a break-in may shrug off any warnings, the seasoned veterans in the self-protection game know a thing or two when it comes to making sure it never happens again.
Tips to break-insavoid
@StevenRissottoWriter 20 VIEWPOINT
It’s among the most gut-wrenching feelings imaginable. There simply aren’t many comparisons that remotely rival the pain and agony one goes through when they see shattered glass on the ground next to their car, or pictures hanging sideways on the wall in their house with every possible cabinet strategically pushed out and rum maged through. For many, the result might as well be a dozen $100 bills flushed down the toilet. That’s essentially the price people pay now adays as the victims of attempted robberies.
“Don’t leave anything in the car, even if it’s hidden out of sight,” Cheng said. “Don’t use the trunk after you’ve parked. Try to start traveling with everything that’s staying in the trunk. Someone may see you putting a backpack or laptop in the trunk after you’re parked.”
ForTheCarsautomobile is the luxury most likely to be broken into and a trip to San Fran cisco or Oakland could be ruined if simple directions are ignored. The common belief is that nothing should be left inside of the car in the first place. In that case, there wouldn’t be anything valuable or irreplace able that possible robbers could steal.
“As far as home security, there is actu ally a lot that can be done that people don’t realize,” said Serrano. “I think obvious things include locking doors, adding cam eras and security systems. At night, having good lighting around the property is very important. Be courteous to your neighbors and don’t just add flood lights everywhere, but also be able to spot someone clearly in an area they shouldn’t be.”
“When it comes to cars, yes, unfortu nately, you can’t leave anything in them,” said Nick Serrano, a South San Francisco product. “To add to that, anything that looks like it could be hiding something, like a blanket, window screens or luggage covers may be enough of a reason for someone to try and break in because they think you are hiding something.”
Pacifica resident Robin Briggs argued that cars shouldn’t be outside at night in the first place, especially in residential areas that have access to a garage.
ForHousesHousesare much less likely to be broken into than cars, but there’s much more risk for a burglar successfully making their way into the friendly confines of a home because of the excess amount of stuff everywhere.
“Keep your car with nothing in it,” warned Chelsea Kapuniai, a lifelong Pacifican. “No purses, backpacks or bags should be in view. No boxes — even if empty — and no clutter. Make it very easy to see nothing is in there and park the car in a driveway as opposed to the street.”
Finally, friendly neighbors can play a major role in making sure the community is looked after. Even if there is a history of bad blood, contact with each other with an em phasis on protection could strongly benefit all parties involved.
The Zebra claims that 83% of would-be burglars check around for an alarm before moving forward with their heist. However, over 45% of Americans still don’t have a system in place.
Although they cost anywhere from $100-$500, tinted windows have been de scribed as a favorable option for those try ing to avoid strangers attempting to sneak a peek inside the car while it is parked.
“If you have a garage — especially a two-car garage — then stop hoarding crap,” Briggs said. “Clean it out and use it for your cars. Your cars will also last longer, the paint job will stay nice and no break-ins.”Also,people should know that auto insurance generally doesn’t cover per sonal effects in one’s car. That falls under homeowners and renters insurance, which usually has a higher deductible.
The common tip that is most effective in preventing home break-ins is installing a security system with a few cameras spread around the perimeter of the building.
Serrano’s security system of choice is Ring, a security company owned by Ama zon that is highly regarded as a useful tool.
In addition, Cheng says parking in welllit areas is the best possible idea, especially if it’s in front of a building that features surveillance cameras.
As San Francisco and Oakland report ed a rise in break-ins in December 2021, drivers went as far as leaving their cars unlocked — or even wide-open with the windows rolled down — just so they can share proof that, indeed, nothing worthy is inside. While it may seem like a com mon-sense initiative, SFPD warns against the practice, citing other things that can go wrong, such as thieves finding addresses through the glovebox. Keeping garage door openers visible could also be a recipe for disaster.
The Ring Doorbell allows the homeowner to mobile check out who is at the front door whenever there is a motion detected. The app also allows users to speak through the doorbell as a communication device. There are a few different levels of Ring Doorbell, with the fully-loaded version costing rough ly $350 Whileonline.security cameras can only do so much, police have also advised people to use their dogs and their non-stop barking tendencies to their advantage to scare any break-in artist away.
Sandy Cheng, a San Bruno resident, echoes Serrano’s tips.
SUMMER 2022 21
An underrated warning happens to head in the direction of people with a lot of action happening in their front yard. Not any phys ical action, but the design of plants outside the“Whatpremises.Itend to see is people grow bushes and add other complete coverings for privacy,” Serrano said. “For your front yard, you actually want less of that because unfortunately, you are more of a target. Keeping any possible intruder or intruders in clear view for as long as possible is best. So cut back some of those bushes or really heavy-leafed trees.”
“Be familiar with your neighborhood and neighbors,” Serrano said. “You don’t need to be best friends with your neighbors but it’s a good idea to have some kind of rapport. You don’t want to be that paranoid ‘Karen’ calling the police over every unfamiliar face walking down the block, however, keeping good communication by asking your neigh bors if something seemed or felt normal is ideal.”
Similarly, players who use low quality microphones encounter identical problems that can negatively affect their gaming experience. With low quality mics, the volume of a player’s voice may either be too high or too low for other players. One’s voice may not even be picked up at all when talking. Low quality mics tend to pick up more background noise as well which can be very distracting for the other end. To some players, it is just as troublesome dea ling with these mic condi tions as it is for those who own these low quality mics. Due to these issues, these players are unfairly muted or ignored though they either unfortunately cannot afford a better microphone or headset or this being the only device in their Thesedisposal.problems can be especially tough for all players when playing team-based games. Currently, Valorant is the most popular game that exemplifies this signifi cance. As a team-based, first-person shooter, players heavily rely on conversing between teammates, making callouts and discussing plans of action. Despite having alternative options to communicate, speaking on a mic is the most effi cient way to interact. When a player cannot engage in the most impor tant aspect of the game, playing these games can feel demeaning and cause a loss of interest to conti nue playing. Individuals with accents or poor mi crophones may also feel self-conscious and choose not to talk before trying or stick to texting in chat. Other than the toxicity of gaming comms, the gaming community often overlooks the struggle of not being able to easily communicate. And although it may not be the biggest problem, there can be an exclusion of players who deal with these everyone.playingofwhichcomplications,goesagainstonethemainreasonsforgames:funfor Ama Bayar/The Skyline View
22 VIEWPOINT
For those with rough pronunciations or a lack of quality equipment, numerous difficulties may arise when communicating with team mates or friends in-game, leading to a lot of frustration within the Communicationteam. has always been an integral part of gaming and evolved through the years. With the introduction of the internet, communication between players has become more accessible than ever. Rather than chatting face-to-face, game features and online mediums such as Discord allow player bases to readily communicate through voice or text channels while playing. Especially in terms of competitive multiplayers, players can organize strategies in real time, keep teammates aware of in-game situations and create fun conversations between each other; making the gaming experience more enjoyable and memorable. The online space made communicating more convenient, however, many still face problems when speaking with other players, specifically those who have accents or bad microphones. For example, if an indivi dual has an accent, it may be challenging for others to comprehend what is being said during games. While they maintain the effort to communicate, their accents are not a factor these players can change. This lack of understanding from team mates can be annoying for individuals as they may have to constantly repeat them selves. Those players may even give up on responding at all as other players fail to interpret their words.
SUMMER 2022 23
“There’s a lot of players coming in and out with injuries and new opportunities,” Sarhatt said. “And Jesse came out about the end of June if I remember correctly, and he’s just the coolest dude and really easy to hang out with.”
24 VIEWPOINT
At 19-years-old in 2021, Sarhatt made the move to Duluth to play for the Huskies in the Northwoods League, one of the top collegiate baseball summer leagues in the country. Born and raised in the Bay Area, it’s the furthest he’s been away from home.
“I’ve always tried to — if I have a guy that fits talent-wise and mindset-wise — bring one of my own guys to every place that I go to each summer and Mike was kind of our guy last year,” Pointer said. “I know what kind of development it has on a kid just phys ically and mentally so I like to provide that opportunity for each one of our guys eachOftensummer.”mistaken as a basketball player for his frame of 6 feet, 6 inches stature and weight of 225 pounds, Sarhatt never started pitching regularly until he came to Skyline. At the same time, he was starting at first base and showing off a strong opposite-field approach with power from gap to gap. Despite the offensive pedigree, Pointer was interested to see how he fared against better-quality collegeOncehitters.hearrived in Duluth, Sah ratt found himself surrounded by men amongst boys and was forced to adjust quickly to a different lifestyle that he would temporarily leave behind nearly 1,700 miles away. Part of the journey would involve meeting a lot of new teammates with different levels of experi ence from all over the United States.
Michael Sarhatt was taking control in the kitchen, frying greasy bacon via a gas stovetop on most mornings before leaving his dorm to gear up for the ballpark.
A graduate of Serra High School in San Mateo, Sarhatt ended up playing baseball at Skyline College due to the lack of oppor tunities at four-year schools. To say he wasn’t thrilled to attend a junior college was an understatement.
The Huskies play at Wade Stadium, an arena directly off the shores of Lake Superior with historical roots dating back to the Michael Sarhatt
Digesting the bacon was a small, yet memorable highlight during a summer that Sarhatt would later refer to as the best expe rience of his life.
Enter, Jesse Pierce. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Pierce grew up hearing constantly about the baseball royalty in his area. Future all-stars Joey Gallo, Kris Bry ant and Bryce Harper are just a few names who started their youth career around Sin City. Hoping to be the next prodigy out of the group, Pierce’s career began in T-Ball, a league his mother helped coach in.
The weather in Duluth, Minnesota is mercurial; working in different cycles that resembled a pure coin flip. One day it was freezing with light showers, the next it was filled with 85-degree heat with horrid humidity. It’s typical for the Northwest portion of the state — especially up near the Canadian border — but still an unexpected blast for anyone not used to it.
“Growing up, I had a pretty anti-JUCO mindset,” Sarhatt said. “I was like ‘Why would I go there if I could go to a four-year (institution)?’ I didn’t want to go to community college. That was my opinion on it all. I’m kind of glad COVID hit because I was just like, ‘Screw it. I’m not gonna wait around, I’m just gonna go to JUCO and get as good as I can get and see what I can get in two years.’”After opting out of the 2021 season at Skyline to avoid losing a year of eligibility, Sarhatt — a dual-threat on the mound and as a first baseman — worked on the side and gained the attention of his pitching coach, Marcus Pointer. The connection between the two ended up becoming crucial, as Pointer was also about to begin his third year as head coach of the Duluth Huskies. Pointer, a baseball lifer in his own right, is another fellow Serra High School alumni and was a former All-American right-handed pitcher at Skyline. He first started coaching summer baseball in 2015 and bounced around before being named the Huskies’ head coach in 2019 to accompany his spring position on Skyline’s staff. As a result of his double-dipping, Pointer is always on the lookout for the chance to bring his guys to Duluth once the junior college concludes. Sarhatt found that out once Pointer invited him over for the 2021 season.
“You had to be five years old to play and my mom lied about my age,” Pierce said, laughing. “So I started playing baseball because I just had such an immense passion for it at a young age. She said I was two years older so I got to play T-Ball ever since I was three or four years old and then from then on, it just kind of snowballed.”
The snowball effect landed him all over the country to play baseball. After short stops at the University of Arkansas and Grayson College in Texas, Duluth happened to be next on his nomadic list of locations to play baseball.
Sarhatt has a year remaining of eligibility and is looking to receive an offer from a four-year college. He will return to Duluth for the second-straight season to play for the Huskies, unwrap the bacon and switch on the fryer.
All photos by Adriana Hernandez/ The Skyline View Marcus Pointer
Pointer estimates that roughly 50 to 75 players are drafted or signed out of the league by Major League Baseball teams. In many ways, the workload draws similarities to minor league baseball because of the constant games that are played without breaks — approximately 72 games in 76 days with 36 road games. To combat the long and grueling bus rides, there was a heavy emphasis on the importance of staying in shape.
he nor his teammates didn’t have a car to make the 20-minute trip to the field every day so they ended up moving to the dorms at nearby College of St. Scholastica.
SUMMER 2022 25
“This opportunity in Duluth to play with those caliber players and feel like I belong was huge for me as a baseball player,” Sar hatt said. “Because I feel like I’m comfortable in any baseball field with any opponent now.”
Pierce’s host family, folks he ended up growing rather close to, would attend the games and loudly chant encour agements to their “host son.” Halfway through the summer, Pierce realized
The summer concluded and the Duluth Huskies finished in second place in the Great Plains Eastern Division with a record of 30-38. Pierce cranked two homers and knocked in 16 runs, while Sarhatt was excellent in 23 innings out of the bullpen, recording a 3.13 earned run average.
Pointer was ecstatic and brought Pierce out for a visit to Sky line’s campus, a tour that Sarhatt helped orchestrate. Months later, the Las Vegas native finished the regular season leading the club in almost every offensive category while Sarhatt was a consistent force at the plate and Pointer thrived working with his pitchers.
1940s. Similar to a professional baseball organization, the expec tation to succeed makes up a portion of the atmosphere. There are pressures like maintaining attendance, generating enough revenue with ticket sales and the aspect of winning in general.
“I enjoy the player development side so that’s always going to be involved in whatever kind of team I’m coaching,” Pointer said. “I’m always there to kind of develop guys that are willing to try things in games that might necessarily not be 100% to win it. But as the guys get more productive, it can help them in the long run.”
Pierce has a few offers on the table from four-year schools. Re turning to Skyline is an option and he’s also talked to professional scouts about possibly getting drafted to a big-league club or signed as an undrafted free agent. “Duluth is such a great town,” Pierce said. “It’s a really small town, but they love their baseball. Every night the stands will be filled with people and supporters. So it was really fun. It was a really good experience.”
“I definitely learned the value of keep ing your body in shape and not eating crap and all that, but like there’s a lot of daily maintenance that needs to go on when you really don’t want to do it,” Sarhatt said. “If you’re on like an eight-day road trip and you’re in the middle of Iowa, then you’d much rather just take that nap before the game.”Even the housing situation had a minor league flair to it. The pitchers lived in the dorms while the position players stayed with host families.
The summer concluded and the calendar eventually flipped to January: Pierce, established enough to be considered very well-traveled, dialed Pointer’s number and wanted to discuss business.“Iwas kind of looking for a new school and I didn’t really know where to go,” Pierce said. “I really didn’t have too many options and I had a really good relationship with Marcus (Pointer). And so I just gave him a call and I was like, ‘Hey, would you guys potentially need an outfield or infield guy to come in?’”
26 VIEWPOINT
SUMMER 2022 27
