Issuu

VIEWPOINT SPR I NG 2021

VOLUME 6

It’s okay not to be okay… with your major and career -- page 4 Photo by Christian Carlo Ceguerra

Cover design by John P. Harrison IV

Table of Contents

It’s okay not to be okay... with your major and career 4 Dancing with myself 7 Even in the pandemic, nature doesn’t have the time to breathe 10 Happy Trails: Looking at the best hiking spots in Pacifica 12 The next step: the trends we can use from the wildest stretch in American history 14 Appetite for Food Equity Could Be Cropping Up at Skyline College 16 Sustainability, Eco-Friendly, Basic 18 Mastering Duality in Post Pandemic Athletics 20 Losing over 20 pounds: what I did and how you can learn from my mistakes 25 Wizard101: Open Enrollment 28 The Bright Side 30

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Staff Contributors Letter from the editor: Last year, while the world was slowing down, among the few things that kept us all from being overwhelmed by the darkness was the stories that we wrote and that we read, which lit our lives even in the darkest hours. With this edition, we mark something of a new beginning, and acknowledge the challenges we have faced throughout the past 14 months. The creators of this issue’s content hope that their work will provide some light and some hope –– things we could all use right now –– and that it will help guide us all in the right direction: the way forward.

Umaima Ejaz

Steven Rissotto Writer

Steven Rissotto is studying journalism and is in his second semester at Skyline. He enjoys watching sports — especially baseball, which he played in high school. When he’s not tracking an important story, he’s enjoying his time reading, binge watching shows, digging into a bag of popcorn, or hosting his podcast (RizzoCast). If you want to take the risk, you can follow him on Twitter @StevenRissotto.

Christian Carlo Ceguerra Writer

Christian Carlo Ceguerra, or simply Chris Ceguerra, is a creative writer studying journalism at Skyline College. He is a big advocate for enriching the humanities and social sciences. His mission as a future media practitioner is to create fair and accurate media representation for people of color and for the underrepresented members of the LGBT community. Chris is very interested in film and media, popular culture, and arts. He also has a soft spot for pandas.

Jasper Lindsey Writer

Jasper is the definition of an electric journalist. Now in his second semester at The Skyline View, he looks forward to expanding on the work he put out in the fall, covering a wide range of topics from local elections to sports opinions. Sadly, this will be his last semester at Skyline; however, he looks forward to transferring to a Power Five school to cover sports.

Marco Milani Writer

This is Marco’s third semester at Skyline and his second on the Skyline View. He is an aspiring sportswriter and sports broadcaster and plans to use his vast knowledge of sports in every article he writes. He also plays the trumpet, which he has played since seventh grade, and plays every Sunday with his church praise band. He loves sports and music equally and is excited to use his experience on the Skyline View to grow his portfolio to take with him to the Academy of Art University in the Fall of 2021.

John P. Harrison IV Writer

John Harrison is back at The Skyline View after a hiatus spanning over ten years, choosing the current global pandemic as the perfect time to return to reporting campus news. Bringing skills learned from his time as a former editor plus a decade of real-world experience, John hopes to add his unique voice to this year’s staff in helpful and meaningful ways. Before COVID-19, John could usually be found on a sticky stage in San Francisco’s performing arts scene. Nowadays, he can usually be found in a chair.

Daniela Ossa Writer

Daniela Ossa is an international student from Colombia, she is studying journalism and sociology, loves photography, social media and learning new things. During her free time, she tries to stay active and creative.

Spring 2021

Faisal Gresalfi Copy Editor

Faisal has been a copy editor and writer for The Skyline View since 2019’s fall semester. He has been chief copy editor since fall 2020. He enjoys spending his time taking photos, hanging out with his cat, watching travel vlogs, and reading about politics, history, and the world of art and media. You can see some of what’s been on his mind lately by checking out his Twitter, @faisalgresalfi.

Enrique Liganor Photo Editor

This is Enrique’s second semester at The Skyline View, and he aspires to write about current events, as well as the news in the world of video games. He also likes to livestream the video games he plays, as well as enter the discourse of various video game news sources. He hopes to become a game developer for Nintendo or Valve someday, but for now, he wants to continue his passion to deliver the news for both the general public and to his fellow gamers.

Hunter Feiner

Graphics Editor

Hunter Feiner is studying visual arts and hopes to possibly become a political cartoonist. He joined The Skyline View in his third semester at Skyline College during fall 2020, and returned for spring 2021. He wishes to offer a new perspective to the paper through opinion pieces and political cartoons.

Arman Archouniani Writer

Arman Archouniani is in his second year at Skyline College. He lives in Daly City and is studying journalism to become a sports broadcaster. He plays soccer and basketball for a travel team and fell in love with sports. This is where he decided to go into broadcasting, to talk about what he loves for a living. In his free time he loves to work out and go into sports debates with friends.

Monica Grace Dollezon-Yu Writer

Monica Grace Dollezon-Yu happens to be a sophomore from College of San Mateo, majoring in English. Nonetheless, she is delighted to be a rookie reporter for Skyline View, covering trending topics with credibility and accuracy. She enjoys anime and manga, literature, writing, video games, and nature. Monica hopes to enter the publishing industry someday and is torn between becoming either a YouTube content creator or a Twitch streamer.

Zachary Navarra Writer

Zachary Navarra is a first-year college student studying political science. He is in his second semester at Skyline College and his first at The Skyline View. He is working towards a career in the field of politics. In his free time, he enjoys hiking and watching the Golden State Warriors.

Friends Sheane Base (left) and Mark Estrada (right) are few of the many students who decided to change their majors and career goals because of the pandemic. Christian Carlo Ceguerra/ The Skyline View

It’s okay not to be okay… with your major and career By Christian Carlo Ceguerra Staff Contributor

@CC_Iskolar

Freshman Sheane Base dreams of being a licensed pilot after college. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, derailed his vision of transferring to an aviation school. The cost of enrolling in an aviation school is “freakin’ expensive”, according to him. Given the circumstances, he, with careful consideration, pulled out his plan B — changing his major to business. “Just looking at it, I’m just like, ‘I can’t handle this in a situation like this,’” Base said, recalling a time when he reflected on how he has personally been affected by the pandemic. “I’m not going to be able to save up enough money for that specific tuition.” Base graduated from high school last year and subsequently began attending Skyline. On the other hand, Mark Estrada is a Skyline alumnus who earned an associate’s degree in psychology at the college and transferred to San Francisco State University. Initially, he had declared psychology to be his major there, but changed it to Asian American Studies after two months of studying at the university.

“I always thought I could handle psychology, especially because I want to be a counselor someday,” Estrada said. “And I thought that’d be the common route to take, but I realized you don’t need a specific bachelor’s degree to go into the counseling program.” Base and Estrada are among the many individuals who, under the circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, have decided to change their majors and career goals. According to them, the economic backlash and the transition to remote learning were the primary factors that motivated them to consider options they may not have otherwise. The 2020 economic recession According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) civilian unemployment rate, the country at one point experienced a 14.8% unemployment rate, which corresponds to the loss of 18 million jobs during that time, when the recession was at its peak in April 2020. Estrada said that with the schools shutting down, he was laid off from his job as a teacher’s aide, and was told to apply for unemployment benefits for the meantime. He said that he has been accessing resources that are available to him as a student.

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“These are the resources that are required and that should be provided for everybody,” Estrada said, recalling how the remote learning situation has been especially difficult for those who don’t have their own desktop or internet connection. “I was very fortunate — I was able to get a computer set up with my financial aid money last semester.” Base, on the other hand, said that he found another job that is more related to his major. For him, however, finding a better job is not a permanent solution. “That just means more saving, because we don’t know when this pandemic is gonna end,” Base said. “I mean so far, I think we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but at the same time, this is the beginning of it. The tunnel is kind of long, and we need now to have to budget everything.” Base admitted that his family “didn’t like” the idea of him changing his major from aviation to business. Nevertheless, Base believes that a business major is ideal, especially with their experience with the current economic situation. “If I do ever build up a business, in a situation like this — if it ever happens — then at least I know what to do,” Base said. “I’m not gonna struggle like how my parents struggled because of their business.” Transitioning to online classes For Estrada, the remote learning situation was another factor that contributed to his decision to change his major. He said that he had a different experience learning psychology at Skyline College than he did learning it at San Francisco State University. He noted that this might be because of the differences between online and in-person learning. “I was taking classes I thought I could handle, but it was just definitely a lot different being online rather than in person, seeing as how my previous psychology classes were in person,” Estrada said. He also said that this semester of online learning “feels like a job”. While he has found that he has more control over his time and the pacing of what’s required of him, being involved with extracurriculars and having multiple meetings in one day means he has to manage his time diligently for himself, his family, and friends. “It’s kind of sad,” Estrada said. “I had to buy a little whiteboard, put on my door, so I can let my parents know, like what I’ve scheduled for the day.”

master’s degree in marriage and family counseling and therapy the following year, he thought he would aim to become a therapist. However, he found his calling in counseling. He is now a career counselor at Skyline College. With more than 20 years of experience working as counselor across SMCCCD’s colleges, he can say with confidence that it’s “okay to change” the trajectory of your education and professional life. “With age comes wisdom — You discover what your likes and dislikes are, and understanding what’s truly important starts with discovering your interests,” Gonzalez said. “They are the building blocks of your identity. These are the things that engage you and excite you.” Gonzalez pointed out how the results of a 2019 national longitudinal survey by BLS that was conducted from 1979 to 2016 concluded that on average, a given person will be employed in 5.7 jobs from ages 18 to 24, 4.5 jobs from ages 25 to 34, 2.9 jobs from ages 35 to 44, and 1.9 jobs from ages 45 to 52. Gonzalez explained how a passion one could present endless possibilities. For example, he said that someone who had loved playing with Legos when they were a child may become an architect, or perhaps use it as leverage to go into carpentry, engineering, rocket science, or even become a creative artist. Gonzalez imparted some wisdom that he had gained from his experience working in marriage and family therapy into designing four career counseling benchmarks that he uses to help students: self-discovery, career exploration, mindful deciding, and careful planning.

Heads up: It’s okay to change your mind Kenny Gonzalez started as a psychological services intern at the College of San Mateo in 1998. When he finished his

Spring 2021

Self-Discovery

Gonzalez pointed out that some students “don’t fully know who they are” and succumb to external pressures (family, friends, clergy, media, society, etc.) that appear to “know what you would be best at.” Moreover, some people are also troubled by their internal voices that point out flaws, weaknesses, other people’s opinions, and whether or not they can even actually afford to go to school in the first place. “They need to do some self-exploration to discover their skills, their interests, abilities, their values, and their personality traits,” Gonzalez said. 2.

Career Exploration

According to Gonzalez, upon gaining the confidence and figuring out what gives you joy, it’s time to “build your herd.” Gonzalez connects the students with “like-minded people,” specifically professionals in careers that students are interested in pursuing. “I use LinkedIn as one of the vehicles to reach out and use my connections to connect other students,” Gonzalez said. “So, they get a better perspective of the world of work beyond the walls of Skyline College, because it’s totally different outside than it is in the classroom.” Gonzalez also explained that exploration is “critical,” especially as it does not mean that you are committing to anything, but are just gathering information. 3.

Mindful Deciding

Gonzalez said that once a student has done three things: practice rigorous authenticity, let go of the outcome, and do the uncomfortable work, “you’re going to be presented with options.” “It doesn’t matter what you choose,” Gonzalez said. “That’s all fantastic. And it’s okay to change, because that’s the world of work today, where Millennials are changing jobs three to four times within a 10-year time span — They’re changing at a rapid pace.” At this step, students could envision “which colleges and universities best align with career goals” and “how to best enter the workforce.” 4.

Careful Planning

Gonzalez mentioned that data from the State of the Global Workplace report from Gallup, an organization analytics and advice firm, shows that “85% of the world’s employees are not engaged or are actively disengaged at work and therefore are not as motivated or productive”, and that only “15% are currently engaged at work — that is, psychologically invested in their job and motivated to be highly productive”.

Gonzalez said that he is focusing on that 15%, and connects students to that herd, so they can figure out who they are, and pursue that. “You get to do this one time,” Gonzalez said. “And so, what you want to do is you want it to be a very pleasurable, memorable experience for you, because you got a chance to grow and understand so much about yourself during this time period. It shouldn’t be ‘I’m doing this to please my parents,’ or ‘I’m doing this because I think it’s a safe route,’, because all that’s going to do is kind of put you right into the 85%.” Students then would complete a Comprehensive Student Education Plan (CSEP) with a Meta Major counselor. What does the future hold for the future labor force? “More than half of the jobs (that will exist) in the year 2030 don’t exist today, and I think COVID is probably going to turbocharge all of that, because things are going to be created and developed that are not here today,” Gonzales said, and provided how the advent of certain technologies such as Apple Watch and Zoom Video Communications was only released in 2015 and 2011 respectively. When asked how they envision himself in the future with the major and career path they choose, Base said that he sees himself having his own business or helping his dad with his business. “I chose this path, and I think I can make the best out of this situation,” Base said. “And that’s what I always try to do.” Estrada, on the other hand, hopes to work on higher education institutions and with the community. “I’m hoping to become a community college counselor, sort of on the academic counseling side, and just working a little more with the community as well outside of college, working with youth, like sports leagues,” Estrada said, and explained his desire to start his own learning community. Base and Estrada also gave their sentiments with switching majors and careers. Base said that it is not a “loss” to switch careers, and is just a way of learning. Estrada agrees and added that it does not mean you lose all your progress, especially as some courses could be applied to the next major you decide on. “You’re not gonna want to get a major that you don’t enjoy or won’t have much of a future with ... You’re literally investing in yourself, because that’s your education that’s being paid for,” Estrada said. “I think just because (you’ve declared) a major doesn’t specifically mean you’re stuck with that major for the rest of your life,” Base said. “It’s always good to experiment with some other things — You might discover something new out of it. At the same time, in our generation today, you need a lot of experience and everything.”

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John P. Harrison IV/The Skyline View

f l e s y m h t i w g n i c n Da This strange little thing called Zoom By John P. Harrison IV Staff Contributor

@JohnPHarrisonIV

It’s a sunny day at Dolores Park in San Francisco’s Mission District. Spread out in rows on the roller hockey court are a group of people bedecked in a colorful array of spandex and sweatbands. The echoes of their laughter mingle with the familiar sounds of the Saturday park crowd: skateboarders grinding the rails and cursing their inevitable betrayal at the hands of gravity, day drinkers chatting about their day jobs, children playing at the nearby playground. Cutting through the noise, the opening drums to Hot Lunch Jam from the musical Fame bring the dancers to attention. Standing at the front of the class with a chain link fence behind him, Rory Davis shifts from side to side with alternating arms extending upward in a reaching motion. The class follows suit. He calls it Roryography. “This dance class that I started teaching Spring 2021

about four years ago called Roryography was very much in the spirit of a Richard Simmons VHS tape, and was intended for friends of mine that aren’t really professional dancers and/or performers,” Davis said. “It was just an excuse for us to kind of have some fun and party together and dance and feel good. The first time that I threw this party, about a hundred-or-so people showed up. There were grandchildren with their grandparents, people came in full drag costuming, all ages. Everybody you can picture was all there, and it was just this great overwhelming response to the whole thing.” It wasn’t long before his dance party grew into a weekly class at ODC Dance Commons. That is, until COVID-19 came along. “About a year ago all of that stopped dead in its tracks,” Davis said. “So, I continued doing the class online on this strange little thing called Zoom that no one had really heard of, and luckily for me the follow-in-the-moment exercise aerobics schtick worked in the 80s for Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons, and it still very much works now.”

At Skyline College, our own dance program has charted similarly unknown territory with the shift to distance learning over the past year. Amber Steele, who heads the dance department, described her experience over a Zoom call from her in-home studio where she teaches. “The short answer is, it sucked for everybody,” Steele said. “I’m super privileged in many ways. One thing is that I’m married to a video specialist, so that’s how we have this fabulous ring light over here, and a nice brightly lit white room with a ton of lighting. I’m just so grateful that I’m able to have a place. When we first went to shelter-in-place, I was teaching in our living room. ... Everybody else was taking class in their living room or their bedrooms.” When it comes to dancing at home, sometimes the most inconsequential thing can make all the difference in the world. Like carpets. “It’s nice that I don’t have carpets,” Steele said. “So I try to remember that for all of my students turning — It’s kind of out because

Rory Davis directs the class to reach to one side then the other at Roryography at Dolores Park in San Francisco, May 15, 2021. John P. Harrison IV/The Skyline View

most people are on carpet. Turns are terrible on carpet. In my movement classes that I used to teach in person, I’m skipping most turns or turning a single turn. I think my first semester when we went into shelter-in-place, I had a jazz class that was running. So in this jazz class, I spent all this time going across the studio floor — Run, run, leap! Step, leap! Step, leap! Step, leap! Nobody’s doing that in their bedroom. So I had to take all of our dance instructions and make them all inplace, which is... yeah.” Rory Davis also faced some challenges adapting his choreography after moving his classes online. “I had to modify a lot, because a lot of my dances were playing with space and interact-

ing with people,” he said. “When the Dolly Parton hoe-down song comes on, guess what? We’re not doing the interactive hoedown elements anymore. I had to think on my feet choreographically as well to keep that sense of joy that a Roryography class has while keeping people away from one another, which is such a big element of it.” The lens vs. the mirror Steele observed how the introduction of the camera can be problematic for some students. “When we first started, everybody who could just showed up on Zoom and tried to make do and I think folks still don’t know that you can — Well, most of us on Zoom have

our cameras on and are seeing ourselves,” she said. “You don’t have to, by the way. You can tell Zoom to not show you your own video. I feel like fewer and fewer and fewer and fewer and fewer students are willing to turn on their camera during Zoom. And, as a point of equity, our district has decided that it is not okay to require a student to turn on their camera. Because a student might not want to show their classmates where they live. The hardest thing about transitioning to online is that because we’re on video and so many people are experiencing being on camera so much more, there’s this whole additional layer that I wish I could take away for people.” She added that there’s a difference between using the camera to adjust your placement or Volume 6

Rory Davis searches for the next song to play during an intermission from Roryography at Dolores Park in San Francisco, Saturday, May 15, 2021. John P. Harrison IV/The Skyline View

movement and harshly criticizing yourself. “Learning to see and make alignment adjustments while watching yourself is a healthy and constructive practice and very useful, and we all have to learn to identify, snatch, and throw out that angry monkey of negativity in your mind,” she said. Rory Davis believes the camera presents its own challenges but is generally good for people who want to cut a rug. “There’s the subtraction of the mirror, which always makes people self-conscious,” Davis said. “But then there’s the addition of the camera, which could be even worse for people. I say every time when I teach my class that the biggest thing that you have to deal with is yourself. It’s always your own ego — You’re so worried about how you look, you’re so worried about what other people are thinking of you. But then when you think about your personal experience in the class, you’re so focused on what the teacher is doing and what you yourself look like that you Spring 2021

don’t even notice who’s standing next to you. So I think that the experience of people just being by themselves at home with their laptops did sort of loosen people up.” The new normal San Mateo County recently entered the socalled “yellow tier”, which allows for some looser restrictions on safety measures involving COVID-19. The CDC also said that fully vaccinated people can meet in public without masks. With Skyline College cautiously looking toward fully reopening at the beginning of 2022, Steele remains hopeful that some form of normalcy may return sooner rather than later. “The bet is that if we schedule online people will be able to make plans to attend, and in the Summer I think things are just going to go how they go,” she said. “That looks pretty much like what we expected. In the fall, maybe we could come back to life.”

Her jazz class, which she suspects may be one of the first classes to resume in-class activities in the fall, has some improvements to look forward to upon their return. “While we are out of the dance studio this summer, they are replacing our dance floor with a professional harlequin sprung dance floor,” she said. “This is like what Alvin Ailey Dance Theater uses in New York City. It’s, like, the poshest, most amazing thing.” But for Davis, he’s trying to find a way to have his cake and eat it too. “Funny enough, even now with the vaccines coming out and with people being able to return, my mindset is like, ‘How do I get back into the way it was before, but maybe with the improvement of the people I have met online through Zoom, like, the international connections?’” he said. “‘How do I keep that going?’ So that’s my next phase: what I was doing before a little over a year ago, but I’m hanging on to the survival tactics I learned last year as well.”

Studies have shown that being exposed to nature relieves stress caused by the Stay-At-Home orders issued since the beginning of the pandemic.

Enrique Liganor/The Skyline View

Even in the pandemic, nature doesn’t have the time to breathe By Monica Grace Dollezon-Yu Staff Contributor

@queenofsubtlety

“I had never seen poison oak as overgrown and huge as it was last month!” Rachel Cunningham, geography instructor at Skyline College and co-advisor of the Alpha Gamma Sigma Honor Society at the College of San Mateo (CSM), expressed what she encountered during her hike at the Monarch Trail last month at Santa Cruz. She witnessed a poison oak, which is a California native plant, that had grown massively. “I don’t know the exact reason why, but I wonder if parks are cutting back on staff going out and maintaining trails due to the pandemic,” Cunningham said. An environmental psychology article from Frontiers studies the nature and individual’s responses to the pandemic. The study suggests that respondents frequently agreed that the coronavirus instigated “the reduction of negative environmental impact”, such as less pollution. However, a perspective from the article counters one side of that theme by arguing, “while we urgently need to reduce our CO2 emissions, a pandemic is not a solution to climate change.” Additionally, an article from Los Angeles Magazine tackles the wildlife occupying spaces in national parks and stated their belief

in the policy of “limiting the number of people allowed to enter parks” could be effective enough to allow both animal and plant species to thrive in their habitat. “Certainly, there have been positive impacts on natural ecosystems from the periods of time where humans sheltered inside and did not travel as much,” Anne Gearhart, a biology professor from CSM, explained. “However, many of those changes will be temporary unless we consider how to live in conjunction with nature going forward.” Until time could tell when the COVID-19 is completely lifted, to what extent could people enjoy being with nature without disrupting the balance of forces in the natural environment? In tackling this issue, there are more concerning forces in the works related to the emergence of the virus. Human interaction with nature during the pandemic The now common motivation of more individuals becoming more engaged with outdoor activities in nature is related towards psychological behaviors. The shelter-in-place measures evidently caused individuals at home to experience mental distress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, procrastination, etc. An article from the United Nations University (UNU), UN’s research arm, indicates that people being exposed to urban green areas have positive impacts on health and that interaction with nature helps them better recover from stress. Volume 6

Survey results from a Medical News Today article have indicated that there was increased engagement for outdoor activities such as gardening, hiking, relaxing outdoors socially, relaxing alone outdoors, walking and wildlife watching. The benefits of engaging in those activities were also documented, such as experiencing improved mental health and well-being, getting exercise, appreciating nature’s beauty and feeling a connection to something bigger than themselves. Cunningham made some comments about the article’s findings of the participants’ responses. “I think rather than increasing human interaction with nature, pandemic regulations have increased appreciation of nature for those who have the time, energy, access to be outdoors,” Cunningham said and considered another factor dodged in the reference provided. “I’m glad the article clarified their sample size was very homogenous — very white, middle class, fairly rural, and middle aged. This sample size doesn’t speak for the whole population.” She also pointed out how everyone does not “have quality access to nature”, especially with essential workers and their work, which may not have given them the time or energy to go outdoors. With gyms closed and social engagements cancelled, Cunningham would resort, or mentally scold herself, to go outside for a walk around her neighborhood if that means spending time away from being stuck 10 hours in front of the computer. “I definitely agree with the article that the pandemic regulations have caused humans to go for more walks and use the outdoors for exercise!” Cunningham said. Referring back to the article from Frontiers studies, the concept of “nature connectedness” was mentioned, wherein nature acts as an extension of an individual’s identity and also serves to achieve better understanding of oneself through nature. Furthermore, the individual who strongly grasps this concept is “more likely to engage in nature-protective behaviors”. “There are complicated population dynamics and epidemiological factors at work. At the same time, time in nature is extremely healing for people,” Gearhart said. “Really watching something wild or growing can help you come to love it and be fascinated with it.” Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) wants to create more opportunities for people to gain more exposure and foster more appreciation for nature. “Providing opportunities for people to connect with nature is one way to help build personal connections to the natural environment that can spark care for the natural environment today and into the future,” said Leigh Ann Gessner, public affairs specialist of Midpen. How the natural environment flourished during the pandemic In disagreement with the lockdown protocol, another study by Nature Portfolio suggests that the pandemic is not a permanent solution for the restoration of ecological systems. Gearhart emphasized how changes in plant or animal species would happen over generations. The 14 month lockdown during this pandemic does not allow a direct positive impact on the environment and its inhabitants. “In fact, this time where there has been less oversight on ecological management has resulted in environmental damage, especially in rural places where people may have returned after losing urban jobs during the pandemic,” Gearhart said. “Also, restrictions on travel and lockdown procedures have meant that many researchers have not been able to be in the field, something which would be necessary to find and describe new species.” Additionally, the same article from Nature Portfolio indicates that the pandemic has more consequential effects on nature and wildlife. Urban-dwelling animals are interdependent on food scraps discarded by humans, which is almost impossible due to the shelter-in-place measures. Resident wildlife are forced to relocate Spring 2021

from their usual places, endangered species become more exposed to poaching and persecution and “economic hardship may force increased exploitation of natural resources” in low-income countries. “Transmission of zoonotic disease, including SARS CoV2, is more likely whenever humans and animals are in more direct contact,” Gearhart said. “As our human populations increase, and we encroach on habitat of other species, we are likely to see an increase in zoonotic infections.” Gearhart also shared a 2016 paper by Barbara Han and colleagues, researchers from CellPress, who studied how zoonotic infections were most likely transmitted from animal reservoirs of bats, rodents and carnivores in regions outside of the U.S.A. According to the website Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, zoonotic diseases or zoonoses are harmful germs transmitted between humans and animals interchangeably, causing illnesses which may be mild or fatal. Will the relationship between people and nature change once COVID-19 is history? “But once restrictions are lifted and folks are able to get back to the gym, the movie theatre, to sports bar — in 5 years, will humans still have a stronger appreciation for nature than they did before the pandemic?” Cunningham said. “Or will we forget about that time in 2020 that a walk outdoors was the only thing keeping our mental health even a little bit in balance?” Reconnecting with nature through leisure engagement wouldn’t be enough without raising awareness for industrial and global threats against the environment and triggering diseases spreading among human and animal interaction. “Humans tend to fall back into old habits,” Cunningham said with a sigh. Conservation International, a world-wide environmental organization, said that global awareness and efforts are required to diminish unethical practices, such as deforestation and illegal wildlife trade, for the restoration of ecosystems. The team at Midpen are already part of the efforts to restore the balance between factors that make up a healthy ecosystem. “At Midpen, our mission includes protecting and restoring the natural environment and providing the public with opportunities for ecologically sensitive enjoyment and education,” Gessner said. “When we plan trails, we look very carefully at what sensitive plants, animals, waterways or geologic features might be affected and build the trail accordingly.” Gearhart previously had a discussion with other of her biologist friends and they all suspected there could be pandemics that will occur in the 21st century. She mentioned that biologists and epidemiologists are further researching this current pandemic to better prepare them for the next one in the future. “The issues of human population, biodiversity loss, climate change and health of all beings are tightly linked,” Gearhart said. “We need people who can think of innovative ways for us to solve all of these problems. You don’t have to be a biologist to appreciate nature, or to work with others on policies or projects that help protect it.” The call to action for protecting the environment shouldn’t be optional. People are suffering from the consequences of the damage done on the planet called home because of the lack of awareness and education. If society is going to return to normal, everyone collectively must learn to take the habit of eco-friendly and sustainable practices. “We have a real opportunity post-COVID to reconsider how we value the nature around us,” Gearhart said. “In the US, there has been a strong value towards home ownership. Perhaps in the future we will value owning land to preserve it, for our physical and mental health, and instead live in higher density communities.”

Happy Trails: Looking at the best hiking spots in Pacifica

Even in the midst of a pandemic, hiking a mountain is still a great way to get exercise, breathe the fresh air, and most importantly, have fun!

Enrique Liganor/The Skyline View

By Zack Navarra Staff Contributor

@Mr_CL34N

It’s time to go outside! That doesn’t just mean a few steps past your door, it’s time to really go outside and enjoy the great outdoors. It’s time to go hiking, and no, I am not forcing you to climb Mount Everest. All I am asking is that we start looking towards our local trails, something any ammature can do. Besides the fact that it is simply a fun time, it’s good for you too. “Hiking is one of the best ways to get exercise. No matter what type of trail you find yourself on, hiking is a great whole-body workout—from head to toe and everything in between,” the National Parks service (NPS) states. “Check out all of these physical benefits of hiking: building stronger muscles and bones, improving your sense of balance, improving your heart health and decreasing the risk

of certain respiratory problems.” A simple but effective way to wake your body up after a year of hibernation. The health benefits go beyond the physical and reach into the mental. An article titled “Stanford researchers find mental health prescription: Nature” by Rob Jordan covered a Stanford study which found that being in nature reduces the likelihood of depression. The study found that walking through nature for 90 minutes minimized activity in regions of the brain known for causing depression. There is also a belief that hiking can improve the relations you hold with other people. “Hiking with a partner, or even in a group, can improve the strength and health of your relationships,” NPS stated. “Because hiking ranges in difficulty from an extremely challenging climb to a casual way of spending time outside, it’s a great way to strengthen the friendships or bonds you have with your companions.” From improving your mind to building your muscles, hiking is something we can implement into our lives. It’s time to take to our Volume 6

local trails and enjoy our environments. If you have no clue where to start, below I will give my best recommendations for hiking spots in Pacifica Ca. Even if Pacifica trails are unavailable, don’t be afraid to google and research the trails near you! The Best View In short, Montara Mountain. From the mountain’s middle peak you can see south down the Santa Cruz mountain range, north up until the San Bruno Mountain, west as far as the eye can see and east as far as the eye can see. The eight-mile hike takes around four hours to complete round trip, but most of that will be spent hiking up the mountain. There are multiple ways to reach the top, but the best route is through the Montara Mountain hiking trail that begins in San Pedro Valley Park. The hike can be sectioned off into three main parts: the initial rise through San Pedro Valley Park, the stretch of Montara Mountain trail past San Pedro Valley Park but before the access road and the final stretch following the access road to the peak. The first stretch is part of the Brooks Creek trail loop that takes you up through the park. Due to Covid-19 restrictions the loop is one way, starting with the Montara Mountain trail. This section is full of beautiful flora that covers the valley. There are two designated viewing points in this 45 minute section showcasing Linda Mar and Park Pacifica. The second stretch continues the Montara Mountain trail past the loop and past the park itself. The steepest section of the trail features breathtaking views of San Pedro Park’s valleys and trails. This section is filled with switchbacks that carve your way up the mountain. There is only one viewing point during this hour long section. The wind at this point provides great relief on a hot sunny day. The third and final stretch starts when the Montara Mountain trail reaches the main access road. The road features some steep inclines but is mostly the easiest part of the hike. There isn’t much to see directly around the trail during this 45 minute section, but the views are spectacular. With each step more of the San Francisco Bay reveals itself. The viewing point at the middle peak has no benches or tables but showcases a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. The view is admittedly not as beautiful as the North Peak, but it is now the best the mountain has to offer. The hike down is considerably faster than the hike up. Without stopping to rest, which is surprisingly easy, you will find yourself

The Best Sunrise Simply put, Sweeney Ridge. More specifically the hike to the San Francisco Bay “Discovery” Site. Those willing to wake up early will be blessed with the sight of the sun rising across the bay. Starting from Fassler Ave. in Pacifica Ca, the hike takes around two hours round trip but will vary depending on how long you stay at the “discovery” site. The trail covers about 2 miles round trip. The above information describes the Baquiano Trail which is only one of many access trails to Sweeney Ridge. Skyline College has its own access point that can be found at Parking Lot #2. This hike is best when started around 5am, which means you will need a flashlight to see in the beginning. It would also be smart to wear layers for this hike. Hiking in the early hours of the morning has its own special charm. When you reach the “discovery” point make sure to read the plaques that depict the Portolá expedition and the Native American tribes that have lived on these lands for centuries. If you are coming from Skyline, you will come across an old Nike Missile site. It is now just the concrete bones of an era long gone. Plaques on the site will give more information, but the graffiti that covers the site often provides entertainment. After the sunrise, the hike back to Fassler Ave. provides a new perspective to Pacifica’s varius valleys. The morning sun shining over Linda Mar beach is something everyone should get the chance to see. The Best Sunset Two words: Mori Point. The trail complex west of highway one gives a perfect view of the sun sinking into the Pacific Ocean. With relative ease you can find yourself resting at almost any point on the western half of the site during golden hour. Mori Point has many trails with varying lengths of time, the shortest and also steepest trail takes less than an hour to get to one of the main viewing sites. There are other trails that have a mild incline but can take one-two hours. The trails start near Rockaway Beach and wind up, around and throughout the park. The trails do not have the best views, but do provide a simple and peaceful hike that is accessible to nearly everyone.

back at the main toll-parking lot within an hour.

Steven Rissotto/ The Skyline View

Spring 2021

The next step: the trends we can use from the wildest stretch in American history

The Skyline College Campus has been closed to students since March 12, 2020.

By Steven Rissotto Staff Contributor

@StevenRissotto

It feels almost as if the world has faced the maximum number of hurdles throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapidly-spreading virus was quick to change the everyday routines that millions of people had long since established. To put it simply, there was adjusting that had to be done to survive a situation that not even the most intelligent people had on their bingo card. Adjusting takes time — like a child moving to a different school, an anxious young adult checking into their first job, or even overcoming the enormous grief of losing a loved one. The argument could be made that there hasn’t ever been an excess of speedy and efficient adjustments like the ones that were made in the United States when the invisible enemy first silently struck the country in March 2020. A lot has changed since then. A lot of the initial fear has transformed into motivation to return to the normalcy everyone desperately craves. Some positive news is that many of the abbreviated tools utilized during the pandemic are likely to become mainstays in rebranded routines when Americans cross the finish line of a very strange stretch — one that will surely be a highlighted topic in the next generation of high school history textbooks. Those trends that were introduced range from permanent ideas to temporary precautions, but all of them have the potential to stay long after the pandemic ends. Here are just a few we’ve experienced and will possibly see more of: Movie theaters and online streaming It’s a popular tradition: popcorn, friends, candy, and sitting back to watch the hottest new movie in theaters. The soothing experience of sitting before the big screen has always been a mainstay,

Steven Rissotto/The Skyline View

but it was already declining in popularity even before theaters were shut down due to the pandemic. The price of concessions has become a burden on families, especially now during the economic rebuild. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, and Disney+ have stolen the spotlight, and now thousands of movies and TV shows are streamed — an amount that significantly rose during the pandemic. Movies that would usually have their debut in the theaters debuted online through these streaming sites instead, while theaters across the country sat in the dust, collecting cobwebs. The downside was that AMC Theatres only narrowly escaped bankruptcy. The upside? “As much as I would have loved to watch them in theaters to get the full experience, streaming at home was fun too,” said Caitlin Collantes, a student at Skyline College. “Curling up for family movie night on the couch, or even by myself with a bag of hot Cheetos in bed, was something I really didn’t do before the pandemic, but has now become one of my regular sources of selfcare.”

Distance learning Arguably the largest adjustment for the majority of students across the country during the pandemic has been distance learning. As schools shut down to prevent the spread of the virus, districts and teachers scrambled to find a way to provide their students with fresh new content so that they don’t fall behind. As expected, a wide variety of learning characteristics are found among students. A certain portion of students thrive on friends around them with hands-on learning experience. Another portion could be content working independently through a screen, even if that meant less time around their friends. Every student is different, and each one would give a different answer if asked how Volume 6

get there safely.” It might be a while before we see the straps leave our ears for good, but Risk also pointed out that scientists have been analyzing new data every day, and recommends people to remain patient — patience being a trait that has kept millions inspired during the crisis.

Movies have been debuting on online streaming services since the beginning of the pandemic, leaving theaters to collect dust.

Steven Rissotto/The Skyline View

it’s working for them. “I am the type of person who almost needs to be in an actual classroom in order to learn my best,” Collantes said. “I feel that I just don’t grasp information quite as well in comparison to in-person schooling, so that aspect of distance learning has been a challenge for me.” Collantes is involved in clubs, drama, and student government. She says those three endeavors might not have been available to her if it weren’t for the flexibility of being virtual. Many feel similarly, and it should be expected that many will have a preference for online classes in the future, while others will still be enthusiastic about returning to the classroom when possible. Grocery shopping and Amazon deliveries Technology continues to take over most aspects of our lives, and additional examples of this are coming about with every day that passes. Similarly to how it was for movie theatres, many people tried to avoid going to grocery stores and department stores during the prime of the pandemic out of fear of running into big crowds. Amazon’s power and influence has only grown with people stuck inside during the early lockdowns in some locations. According to a Bloomberg estimate, Amazon’s notorious CEO Jeff Bezos’ pockets have grown $70 millon deeper since January 2020 due to the sharp increase of the number of online consumers flocking to his brand. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to predict the downfall of department stores. Some department store companies have already collapsed, and many more are likely to follow. Masks The biggest and most noticeable addition in the COVID-19 basket of trends has been the influx of facemasks that have become a staple in our daily lives. In some ways, they’ve become the symbol of the entire pandemic. They have not only significantly lessened the spread of the virus, but has also provided a new means by which designers and fashion enthusiasts can showcase their tastes. It was common to see every person in a given place be wearing masks during the peak months of the pandemic, but the sightings are significantly decreasing, as states have begun the reopening process and more Americans are receiving vaccinations. “As long as less than 70% of the population is not immune, it remains even more imperative that we wear masks, social distance and remain vigilant about hand hygiene,” said Emily Risk, Skyline’s registered nurse on campus. “Our choices will largely dictate the outcome, so please encourage those who are able to get the vaccine to get it; help people make an appointment or help them Spring 2021

Public transit has lost long-time users since the pandemic has forced people to stay home

Steven Rissotto/The Skyline View

Working from home, Zoom, and transportation One of the more sustainable trends from the pandemic has been the amount of office space that has been vacated and ditched for a remote setting atmosphere from the friendly confines of home. The development has opened the eyes of executives, resulting in companies saving thousands of dollars in rent, travel, and utilities. Online meetings have made this possible. Zoom Video Conferencing was founded in 2011 and rose to prominence during the pandemic, becoming the go-to platform for any type of virtual activity. The phrases “I can’t hear you,” and “unmute yourself” have turned into traditional mainstays in society’s vocabulary. It’s fair to assume that Zoom will stick around for the foreseeable future, especially if it’s more efficient for work meetings or long-distance communications. The loss of physical presence in downtown areas has significantly improved the ruthless traffic situation in many cities. For public transit, the buses and trains that usually carry passengers all day everyday have lacked the numbers they’ve experienced in the past due to the number of people remaining at home. Although traffic will never disappear completely, there might be less cars on the road to worry about.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have depended on delivery services to bring their groceries to their door. Steven Rissotto/The Skyline View

Appetite for Food Equity Could Be Cropping Up at Skyline College By Phil Ho

Staff Contiributor

In an effort to endorse the consumption of vegetables, it is shown that people who grow their own their own food are more likely to eat healthier. Hunter Feiner/The Skyline View

The children ambled forth, both intrepid and trepidatious, towards the alien form. A yellow-speckled crown and the sinister, sickle-shaped edges of its wardrobe adorned a bulbous green head. Vein-protruding limbs shook amid the salt-kissed breeze and moaning seas. This was the first time many of the kids in Paul Summers’ fourth grade class had seen a broccoli plant in its unprocessed form. This field trip to The HEAL Project farm in Half Moon Bay was an introduction to a concept that has been part of human existence since the days of Babylon — farming. “Perhaps one of the kids descended from a lineage of Mesopotamian rulers who owned acres of farmland,” said Paul Summers, an educator with the South San Francisco Unified School District. “With excursions like these, we hope to make broccoli and beans as familiar as Fortnite and Minecraft. Education about fruits and vegetables is pretty important. I mean, I can’t go to all their homes and make salads.” Grade schoolers have little sovereignty over processed, sodium-rich or high-fat diets — but college students do. Choices concerning human food consumption are choices about equality, justice and sustainability. Urban farms, community gardens and the Agrarian Movement are finding sustainable solutions where industrialized, commercial agriculture has failed. Urban farms and gardens are fixing the inequities regarding lack of healthy foods in lower socioeconomic zones by providing affordable fruits and vegetables as well as promoting community self-sufficiency. Beyond the humanistic approach, urban farms operate without the environmental toll that large-scale agriculture exerts. Take all the one minute showers you want, and flush your toilet once a week. These measures amount to the proverbial drop in a bucket. In California, commercial agriculture uses nearly four times the amount of water that urban consumption does. Nitrous oxide emissions from industrial fertilizers add to greenhouse

gases, and runoff from pesticides are not very polite. It is not always easy to know what fertilizers and pesticides go into food production. That’s why informed consumers, like the family of Skyline journalism major Adriana Hernandez, shop at a Mexican grocery store that sells natural produce. “We try and pick places where they have fresh groceries,” Hernandez said. “I don’t know whether you’ve heard of those types of fruits or vegetables that aren’t naturally grown, and they have chemicals injected into them because this makes them grow bigger. If you’re trying to eat healthier, you have to be informed about that stuff.” Global agriculture can be harmful on a wide scale basis: E. coli outbreaks, overplanting and high-demand water crops like avocados (guacamole — now, the Devil’s dip). Global food distribution packs semi-trucks bound for supermarkets, but does not pack healthy foods into communities that need it the most. The lack of access to healthy foods has created nutritional inequities. Even many Skyline students look for ways to supplement deficient diets. To address student hunger, SparkPoint Center sponsors Baskets Around Campus which distributes free snacks. They also work with the Associated Students of Skyline to offer a reduced price lunch package (sandwich and bottle of water) and provide free lunch cards. The staff at the Skyline Educational Access Center (EAC) took it upon themselves to provide snacks to students. “Usually, the types of snacks were based on what Costco had on sale that week,” E.A.C. Coordinator Melissa Mathews said. “Students were coming in to request specific snacks: ‘Do you have the hot Cheetos today?’” Mathews expressed how the snacks made the EAC a cool place for students and their friends to come. She explained how the snacks not only fed students, but they garnered an appreciation and connectivity with the EAC.

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Journalism Major Adriana Hernandez’s Family always searches for the freshest groceries. Marco Milani/The Skyline View

“I like that the snack program destigmatized getting free food, and students who actually were facing food insecurity didn’t have to feel ashamed for grabbing some food,” Matthews said. Part of the reason for this dietary divide is because large supermarkets, located mostly in suburbs, have put many momand-pop grocers out of business. Additionally, healthy food is expensive, whereas junk food is cheap and readily available. “Getting leafy greens, getting lettuces, getting tomatoes, getting things that are nutrient rich or picked recently is not an easy thing,” said Doria Robinson, executive director of Urban Tilth (an urban farm in Richmond, California). “You have to walk far distances to get to them. You have to pay more than your budget can afford. And most likely, if you have to feed yourself and your kids, you’re not gonna spend your whole budget on healthy food.” Misconceptions and cultural practices also contribute to unhealthy diets. Often, healthy food just isn’t considered cool (Dauntless, Double-barreled Hot-sizzle Bacon Burger vs. a root vegetable bowl?). Even Hernandez admits to consuming junk food once in a while. She revealed that eating it made her feel a bit guilty and selfconscious about ingesting something that was not good for her. “When people think about healthy foods, people think about vegetables, and most people don’t like to consume vegetables willingly,” Hernandez said. “Making something that’s not desirable, desirable — That’s just hard. If you want a healthy lifestyle, nobody else is going to give it to you. You have to give it to yourself. That feeling of wanting a better version of yourself — That’s what’s going to motivate you to eat those types of foods.” Unhealthy diets result in elevated health problems including obesity, heart disease, stroke and lack of sense of purpose. These maladies have reached the crisis point in many inner cities. Now those who “solve by legislation” may scan statistical reports, and, by the power of the spreadsheet, determine that simply adding more supermarkets to deprived areas will fix the problem. However, supermarket companies are not likely to invest where there isn’t a chance for reasonable profit. Besides, the real problem is not the number of jars of spirulina green algae on the shelves — It’s the need to educate people about healthy diets. So, what can be done about this? Can a magic wand or superhero cape spawn a solution? Well, maybe not exactly, but perhaps waving a celery stick and donning some overalls might do the trick. Urban farms like Urban Tilth, in Richmond, Veggielution in San Jose and The HEAL Project are promoting community collaboration for growing and distributing fruits and vegetables

Spring 2021

to farmers markets, fruit stands, restaurants and subscription services. Urban Tilth has set an aggressive goal to provide 5% of Richmond’s food supply. “Here in Richmond, California, we run 6 different schools and community gardens, 1 farm and 2 CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) — serving roughly 500 families a week,” Robinson said. “The most important part of that is that we do that by hiring and training local residents to basically be the change makers — transforming the food system.” She went on to explain how Urban Tilth gives folks the skills they need to grow food and get it to people as well as make them understand the importance of their undertaking and what larger societal causes are at play that need to be resisted or transformed. In an effort to make healthy food socially acceptable, many urban farms sponsor school and community gardens and educational programs. It has been shown that people who are personally involved with growing food are three times more likely to eat healthier. Subsidize school campaigns include salad bars, educational pamphlets and posters as well as cooking classes. The advantage of community gardens is that they can be cultivated nearly anywhere. Commercial developers are catching on and are now incorporating community gardens in their subdivisions. In the future, planning commissions can make community gardens a building permit requirement. College campuses can tie gardens to agricultural and environmental studies as well as horticulture, biology, math, health and nutrition. Why not install community gardens at Skyline College? The idea is not exactly foreign to students who come from backgrounds where community gardens are part of their social fabric. “My wife’s family in Tahiti have a taro patch in which the young men in the village take care of acres and acres of wetland that grow many pounds of taro,” Skyline student Ryan Samn said. “These taros are exported to other islands in Polynesia. They do not use chemicals and everything is natural. I see so much benefit to growing food and sharing with the community. I would love to see that for our campus as well.” “I think it would be great for the community,” Hernandez said, parlaying Samn’s sentiments. “It would be great to create unity between students having to work together. Especially after the pandemic, they would have somewhere to socialize.” It’s true that the Agrarian Movement today has little difference to what was happening in Mesopotamia some 10,000 years ago: growing for the local community. While the kids in Paul Summers’ class may not grow up to be the next Nebuchadnezzar, Gilgamesh or Hammurabi, they can still become potentates of potatoes or executors of eggplant. “The purpose of fruits and vegetables is not to be traded on the commodities market,” Summers said. “They don’t need to be packaged as a $15 radicchio salad at Whole Foods Market or julienned as a yellow squash and truffle sauté at the French Laundry. Basically, an apple is an apple, and there is beauty in that simplicity.”

“...we run 6 different schools and community gardens, 1 farm and 2 CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) — serving roughly 500 families a week,” - Doria Robinson, Exectutive Director, Urban Tilth

Sustainability, Eco-Friendly, Basic By Monica Grace Dollezon-Yu Staff Contributor

@queenofsubtlety

Because she had brought some cultural practices with her from Japan when she came to the US, Sayoko Yoshimura, a worker at Caminar, has already adapted a foundation of living holistically at home. One of the Japanese concepts she practices is ‘mottainai’, which is when the consumer feels and expresses guilt in any tangible product that goes to waste because they failed to value the production and labor gone into creating it before it is gone. Sayoko does not always prepare Japanese meals at home, but when looking up recipes based on her culture, she realized that the Japanese have methods of saving leftover foods from the previous day and use them as an ingredient for the next meal. She noted how different western cultures are, as many people are more inclined to simply throw away leftover food. Another method she practices is separating the recyclables. Whenever she is at home or at work in the office, she properly disposes plastic and glass bottles, cardboard box pieces and papers into their designated recycling bins. In her culture, she also appreciates how her people make use of junk material for arts and crafts. “Appreciating things is part of our (Japanese) culture,” Sayoko said, referring to being grateful of what the environment offers for the livelihood of people. Be they Japanese or not, people like Sayoko are becoming more aware of where their resources are originating from, which is influencing the way they change their purpose for using goods and products. Based on a recent report, the studies have surveyed that “ne22arly 90 percent of the consumers believe companies should make their products or services more sustainable.” The challenges that obscure sustainable options With local communities and organizations raising awareness and educating others the importance of turning to more eco-friendly strategies, there are other larger entities who run the risk of harming the environment in terms of pollution, exploitation and industrial activity. Industries must disrupt the balance of forces occurring within the environment through methods of factories releasing smoke and toxins into the air, cutting down trees, taking resources from forests and other habitats and spreading harmful chemicals into bodies of water. Results include a long period of time for habitats to recover its equilibrium and other organisms facing the brink of extinction or dealing with difficulty to relocate their homes. According to Christopher Cothran, who is currently an enrolled history major at Skyline College, people need to be held more accountable in terms of their actions causing an impact on the environment unfavorably. “We have other foreign countries like, unfortunately, the biggest polluter in terms of air pollution is China,” Cothran said. “They are responsible for a large amount of manufacturing for companies like, Apple and Nike-- which is why it’s so hard to hold them responsible because they are basically home to a lot of companies that have a lot of money.” He also added that manufacturing products in China is cheaper than having the deed done domestically. Food chain restaurants, which might as well be classified as big companies, are also non-sustainable in their methods behind the

Umaima Ejaz/The Skyline View

doors. Michaella Agag, who is currently a student at Skyline College and a student pastor at a church in San Bruno, witnessed poor maintenance of the dining area while she had worked as a part-time cashier at Panera Bread. “At Panera, they do not do that great of a job, especially when it comes to food that is being sent here and there to the restaurant,” Agag said, referring to the waste that is accumulated from the food. “There’s that bin for recyclables and trash, like in reality, they don’t even make an effort to separate any of those things.” Yoshimura had pointed out how natural environments are at the risk of destruction because capitalism and demanding economies had led industries into taking control of those resources to continue to satisfy human consumption. She mentioned there are consequences for abusing what nature has to offer and people should learn how to have a change of heart in order to show more appreciation for every component of it. Another issue that sets a boundary towards effective sustainability and the means to go green are limitations of what is considered to be recyclable and the price paid for turning to sustainable options. “We can’t recycle everything,” Cothran stated, mentioning a few items. “For example, hard plastic is easy to recycle but soft plastic-can’t. Paper towels, you’re not supposed to recycle, which I know seems a little strange, considering how it has paper in the name.” “And recycling is sometimes expensive,” Cothran also brought up. “Not everybody has the resources available to them or the budget to be able to go out of their way to use recycled products instead of non-recycled products because more often than not, unfortunately, recycled products are sometimes going to be more expensive.” Similarly, Agag said she wished that compostable cutlery were more readily available in take-out restaurants, which may be on the behalf of the restaurant, company or business in itself. “I was pretty upset that I had to pay for compost,” Agag continued, “I was surprised that the church that we are in, we’re a Volume 6

Enrique Liganor/The Skyline View

commercial storefront or commercial building-- we are not given compost.” For her, requesting for those compostables could be costly to begin with, in terms of her church attempting to save resources. Solutions to reuse materials while helping the environment replenish According to another report, figuring out methods to overcome drawbacks of effective sustainability is so complex that not every industry is going to benefit from the same proposal, especially in product packaging. The company’s decisions made in selecting resources and applying reuse culture of packaging will depend on the product’s standards and requirements. Cothran shared few of his own experiences and disciplines of living sustainably, from shopping to throwing out paper, plastics and glass. “Being resourceful, for me, means finding out how you can do the most with the least amount,” Cothran said. “For example, if you want to print something from a printer, there are some stores, like Office Depot, that will sell recycled paper instead of just new blank paper. They look essentially the same but they serve the same purpose.” “If I have the option to, I will usually try to go thrift shopping instead of buying from a department store,” he continued, noting that this helps him save money and at the same time, be resourceful. Agag’s own eco-friendly methods include bringing a metal straw in replacement of having to use a plastic straw whenever going out for a drink, washing the dishes instead of throwing out the disposables and lessening the use of electricity during peak hours and more reliance towards solar energy. Pacifica would hold Fog Fest events every year usually in late September, Cothran mentioned. From his observation of attending events in the past, people at their stands had shown a great

example of recycling items to be more useful because of their handicraft efforts using various materials, such as bottle caps, empty soda glass bottles and driftwood, and turning them into wind chimes, purses and other art.

“I honestly believe that everyone should just take it bit by bit. With the life that we live here in America, especially, it’s hard to completely go like one-hundred percent eco-friendly, sustainable, etcetera,” Agag pointed out. “Even right now, I’m having a hard time doing that.” “Maybe for groceries, they’ll decide to completely cut out plastic bags,” she said, painting the scenery of everyone resorting to tote bags, like the ones found at Trader Joe’s.

Mastering Duality in Post Pandemic Athletics

By Arman Archouniani and Jasper Lindsey Staff Contributors

@JasperLindsey

@AArchouniani

Volume 6

Mental health has been an important topic that has begun to get recognized much more in our world. More and more professional athletes have been coming out and talking about their struggles with mental health. The likes of Kevin Love, Michael Phelps, Abby Wambach, Joey Votto, and many other stars have described their experiences. David Avak from Aragon High School is a second-year guard for the Skyline men’s basketball team, who was a very solid player for Head Coach Justin Piergrossi’s Trojans in his first year at Skyline, and was primed for a breakout second year. Being stuck in the house has been very difficult for everybody, and for Avak, it was refreshing to be able to play basketball outside after having not been able to play with his teammates for several months during the early stages of lockdown. Several factors helped Avak to stay on the right track. “I still love the game no matter what the conditions stand, being able to get into the gym for the past couple of months was nice and before that we were playing outside,” Avak said. “The hope of having a season was mostly what kept me going.” Many people, including Avak, believed that the world would be back to normal after a couple weeks, when the lockdown was first announced. At the time, he was not too stressed about the conditions that the situation imposed. The beginning of the summer in 2020 was when he began to ask questions about the future. “At first, it did not really affect me that much, because I did not expect this to be long-term — I thought that after a couple weeks or a couple of months, it would be over,” Avak said. “I started to get more stressed out about it during the summer, and this seemed like it was going to take forever.” Having a supportive team around you is key to building better mental stability. Family, teammates, and coaching staff have been a big help for Avak, and they have been there for him when need be.

Spring 2021

“Mostly my family has helped me through these times, but I have been talking to several of my teammates,” Avak said. “(Piergrossi) has helped me a lot as well.” Falling out of a routine is not ideal, and the focus was not always there for Avak. He explained how staying stuck at home was not always the best option for himself. Avak emphasized how he was not taking care of himself physically or mentally as much as he used to for a period of time. “Somewhere around December, I just started thinking way more deeply than I usually do,” Avak said. “It just started happening, and it might have been because of all the time I had at home and not being able to go out. I started getting bored, and started thinking about certain things, and that was what kind of got to me. I usually meditate, and I was not meditating.” There are many different ways you can try to strengthen your mental health and well-being. It is not easy to find yourself, and for Avak, he found several ways to help increase his mental resilience. “I needed to answer some questions — more of a philosophical thing,” Avak said. “I had to go read some stuff online, and some books, and also try to occupy myself with at least something I used to do. Talking to my family about certain things and meditating helped.” The whole process was very tiring, and Avak felt mentally drained. Sometimes overthinking was a big factor in what was determining his emotions. “I had constant anxiety over really rational things and thoughts, those were not good but it all stemmed through uncer tainty,” Avak said, “I had uncertainty about everything, the health of the country, the world, your family and then you become more uncertain about everything going on.”

A year with many unpredictable consequences taught everyone lessons, and Avak was no exception. “I got a lot out of the past year, and have become more resilient,” he said. Avak, already having a year under his belt before lockdown, was a nice sight to see, but for outfielder Stephen Blecha, his first year as a Trojan proved to be very unfamiliar territory, considering it coincided with the pandemic. The struggles of not being able to play affected Blecha’s way of getting his mind off school for a while by just throwing the ball around. “It was rough not playing, because when the season shut down, baseball was my release of stress from the world, being able to play for three hours and have no worries other than baseball,” he said. Without having sports to rely on, it was tough for Blecha to have a clear mind with all these due dates for assignments con-

stantly on his mind. “Just school and no sports was iffy — that little bit of added stress — and now you do not get the satisfaction of passing your classes so you can keep playing — You were just passing classes, so that eventually, hopefully, it will be back to playing,” Blecha said. Without a clear future to be looking forward to during the lockdown, Blecha felt he had reached a mental breaking point. He was frustrated to the point of asking himself why he was doing any of it at all if there was going to be no real reward. Something that helped get Blecha back on track was the baseball team trying to get back into the swing of things and coming back to workouts in a safe and organized manner. “We got an email saying we would possibly get back into the season, they sent us workouts to do just at home to try and get our bodies back into the grind of working out every day,” Blecha said. He realized that he had to go back to what he loves and go get some fresh air. This was a big turning point for him, as he got to clear his mind. “Having a younger brother so close to my age, eventually we got to a point where we could not do anything for our own schools,” Blecha said. “It was just the two of us, and we would go out to the local park and either play catch or hit for a little bit to let off some steam.” Blecha’s mental health was not always the best, as his family members contracted COVID-19, and at that moment he was not feeling like his normal self. Luckily, all of those family members are now safe, and Blecha was able to get through those dark tough times. “There is that little moment in your head of the situation not ending well, but thankfully they all recovered with no lingering effects,” Blecha said. A piece of advice Blecha said he would give to himself was to keep safe and to follow all the guidelines and stick with what you have and eventually you will end up where you are supposed to be. However, male athletes have not been the only ones coping with the uncertainty of the pandemic, as Skyline’s female athletes too have dealt with their fair share of trials and tribulations amidst the pandemic. Keely Anderberg, midfielder for Skyline’s women’s soccer team, had expected the initial stay-athome order to be temporary. Unfortunately, Anderberg and the count-

Volume 6

less others who had hoped the same quickly found themselves stuck at home for much longer than they originally anticipated. “We went from my freshman year playing all the time and working out to be cut off completely,” said soccer player Keely Anderberg, “When we were told we weren’t able to play for two weeks I figured it would be a nice break, but once they said we aren’t going back that first month was really rough, I had never worried about not being able to play before.” For athletes such as Keely, sports aren’t simply an extracurricular activity but a way of life, as sports often provide athletes with the experiences necessary to build the time management and communication skills that allow them to excel both on and off the field. For Anderberg, soccer played a major role in not only helping her build a strong academic standing but improve her mental health as well — skills she struggled to maintain amidst the pandemic. “I felt frustrated and helpless in a way — For me I do best academically when I’m playing sports because it’s an outlet for me, so it was really difficult to keep up with my academics,” said Anderberg. “If I allowed myself to think about it too much, I would get depressed.” Women’s basketball forward Emilia Dougherty had a similar experience to Anderberg when it came to the pandemic derailing her athletic career, as she too found it hard to cope with the initial uncertainty brought on by COVID-19. “It was detrimental,” Dougherty said. “It was hard, because I play basketball every single day; it’s part of my daily routine. I go to practice, I lift, I work out. It was weird having that dead period, not being able to go to Skyline, not being able to get my game better. It was really hard.” As if not being able to play the sport you love wasn’t disparaging enough, athletes were also stripped of the opportunities to play alongside their friends, build team chemistry, and create the bonds that allow teams to find success on and off the court. “It honestly made me sad,” Dougherty said. “It’s a community thing too — I miss seeing my friends everyday. I honestly just miss school in general, disregarding basketball, it’s good to have community. When you’re just isolated at home, it’s just sad. Even when we have classes on screen, it’s not the same. You have these awkward moments, and you miss out on that personal feeling. It was just difficult the whole fall.”

Spring 2021

Despite the challenges brought about by cancelled seasons and athome learning, most athletes figure out what to do when it comes to overcoming obstacles, and a global pandemic is no exception. Anderberg says she has developed a greater appreciation for the opportunities that soccer provided her, especially when it comes to the community and bonds she was able to create on the field. As for Dougherty, she didn’t let pandemic hold her back from continuing to hone her craft. “I think the pandemic made me more competitive,” said Dougherty, “I’ve gained a lot of confidence. I started working out a lot, lifting, getting stronger, and playing basketball outside whenever I could. In a way, the pandemic has given me the drive to play at the next level.” While the pandemic initially put Skyline’s athletes in an unfamiliar position, they as a whole have shown the resilience and personal growth that encompass the true power that juco sports have to offer. With a reinforced passion for their sport, Trojans across campus look forward to a return to normalcy. “I’m just trying to live each day to the fullest, now that I see how fast everything I took for granted can be taken away, and especially now that everything’s opening up, I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can,” Anderberg said. “I’m a lot more thankful for the small things.”

It’s a show... About sports.

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Volume 6

Losing over 20 pounds: What I did and how you can learn from my mistakes

By Marco Milani

An obligatory mirror selfie showing my progress.

Staff Contributor

Marco Milani/The Skyline View

@_marcomilani_

With summer now arriving, we all want to get that body we can to be proud of. We see those people on TV with six-packs, flat stomachs, and just completely toned bodies that make us feel embarrassed when we look at ourselves in the mirror. That last part described me, back in January. However, my situation was just a bit different. During Christmas, a month before, one of the things I most wanted was (weirdly), some new slacks. I only had a few pairs, and they were all one color. I got them, but I struggled to fit into them. Then, my mother graciously bought me a couple more pairs. Those didn’t fit either. Why? Because my belly was prohibiting me from fitting into them. I decided, right then and there, that I was going to start losing weight. I’ll admit, there were times when I was scared, but during the first week of January, I jumped into it headfirst. I am proud to say, after months of hard work and sweat, I lost over 20 lbs. I started at 227 lbs, and I dropped to around 200 lbs in just about four months. I feel incredible — arguably the best I have ever felt in my entire 21 years of life. So, how did I do it? It involved a lot of things, including what I ate, how much water I drank, and, of course, working out. In this piece, I will break everything down, and tell you the specifics of what I did, and even what I did incorrectly, in order to help people learn.

Spring 2021

Food intake Let’s start with food. Coming from an Italian family, I was raised to love to eat. So you could imagine the figurative cliff I jumped off of to cut back on what I eat. To start with, I decreased my portions drastically. Instead of a big breakfast, I only ate something medium and a cup of coffee. For lunch, I only ate a bag of chips. Then, for dinner, I ate the most. As I got further into weight loss, I decided to cut back even more on dinner, limiting myself to one portion of everything. In total, I was trying to eat around 800-900 calories a day, 40% less than the recommended 2,000 calorie a day diet. Then, when the season of Lent came along, I made the drastic decision to completely cut out lunch from my meals for 40 weekdays (or around that — I started late), only eating it during the weekend. I also cut out dessert for five days out of the week, only indulging on Fridays and Saturdays. Now, let’s discuss cutting out meals. Should I even have been doing this, to begin with? Emily Risk, a registered nurse at Skyline College was asked this in an interview.“That does work for some people,” she said. “It isn’t appropriate for everybody ... and what the term is right now is ‘intermittent fasting’.” Intermittent fasting is a term that is heard a lot these days. But according to an article from Harvard Health Publishing, the term had

Intermittent fasting is a hot health strategy that works for a number of people. Marco Milani/The Skyline View

gained popularity even earlier. “(Intermittent fasting) as a weight loss approach has been around in various forms for ages, but was highly popularized in 2012 by BBC broadcast journalist Dr. Michael Mosley’s TV documentary ‘Eat Fast, Live Longer’ and book ‘The Fast Diet’, followed by journalist Kate Harrison’s book ‘The 5:2 Diet’ based on her own experience, and subsequently by Dr. Jason Fung’s 2016 bestseller ‘The Obesity Code’,” it reads. Risk did say as well that intermittent fasting is “a hot health strategy that is working quite well for some people”, but what IS it? To put it simply, it’s going without a meal for a number of hours, then eating again. Healthline describes a common way, which includes “daily 16-hour fasts or fasting for 24 hours, twice per week.” “That is an experiment that can be done person-to-person — Try it out, see how you feel,” Risk said. “If you feel like you have low energy, you can’t think properly, and you feel really hungry, it’s not for you.” “But what about breakfast?”, you might be thinking. Indeed, there’s a stereotype of people rushing out the door without eating breakfast, despite it having been instilled in us at early ages that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. According to Risk, skipping breakfast is safe to try. So, sure, try skipping a meal, and see how it works. However, something that I have learned is to skip a meal, but be active. It’s easy not to be active, especially now, because almost everyone is working from home, and they may be on Zoom for consecutive hours in meetings every day.

So what do you do to compensate? I replaced my meal with working out (something we will get to later), but others can replace their meal with going for a walk around the block, or walking around the house for an hour or two. Going back to the topic skipping breakfast, Risk said that if people are doing this particular fasting method, they will still be continuously hydrating, like drinking water or coffee while they are awake, so there is another method. Drinking Water The next method I tried was controlling my water intake. You hear it everywhere that water is incredibly important for lots of things. People are taught that they should drink eight glasses of water a day. Other studies all over the web go higher than this, with some saying 13-15 cups of water a day for men and 9-11.5 cups for women. I stuck to the eight glasses but drank in a bigger quantity of glass — eight 16 oz. glasses a day. What I used to do in my early stages was drink about four 16 oz. glasses of water right after my workout, but eventually I changed my routine to one glass of water every half hour or so. But I’ll admit, recently I’ve developed a habit of forgetting to drink my eight glasses or wait longer than the half-hour interval I set for myself, or forget to reset the timer for it altogether. Luckily, forgetting to drink isn’t the end of the world according to Risk. But how much should you really be drinking a day? “There’s a lot of controversy over how much water people need to drink,” Risk said. “There isn’t a whole lot of scientific evidence for a blanket statement of ‘people need to drink eight glasses of water a

Volume 6

day’.” With that said, how do you know if you are drinking enough water in a day? Risk said that one thing to see if you have drunk enough is the color of your urine, which a lot of doctors place emphasis on when it comes to drinking water. “You want your urine to be clear to light yellow,” she said. She also mentioned that you should be getting up about every hour to go pee. However, one thing I still need to learn but am learning the hard way is to stop an hour and a half before you go to bed. I have found that drinking water during that time causes me to get up during the night to go to the bathroom, which interrupts sleep, and is overall just uncomfortable trying to sleep with a full bladder. So, please, learn from the mistake that I am making. Exercising The final thing that I did during this journey is working out. During this pandemic, lots of people are using workout classes on YouTube, or apps made by gyms people belonged to while they were still open. I have been using an app called “Lose Weight for Men”, from an app developer called Leap Fitness Group. When I first started using it in January, I started at the beginner level for 30 days, then advanced through the levels, but have been repeating the advanced workout level, but increasing the reps. What it does is take me through a circuit filled with various different exercises, and always ends with a plank and something called a “cobra stretch”, where you place your hands in front of you and lift your torso up like a cobra with your legs behind you. I have increased the plank time to one minute and 40 seconds. In the

Drinking eight glasses of water a day is recommended, but according to Emily Risk, there isn’t a whole lot of scientific evidence to prove that. Marco Milani/The Skyline View Spring 2021

Using weights is a great way to enhance your exersise; it adds some resistance, and challenges you more. Marco Milani/The Skyline View

beginning, you do it once a workout, at the intermediate level, you do it twice, and at the advanced level, you do it three times, so in total, at the advanced level, I do just over four minutes of a plank. In a workout like this, I usually burn around 200 to 600 calories a workout. They last around 20-40 minutes each. So, should you stick to the same pattern I adhere to? I asked Risk, and she said yes, but with a caveat. “Anything that you can do to make it a habit will help your cause tremendously,” she said. Making it a habit is very important when it comes to things like this, because if you don’t make it a habit, you will more than likely not stick to your plans and not see the results that you want. The way I got to where I wanted to be was doing my workout routine six days a week, but making it a habit does not necessarily mean that you need to do it that often. If you do it every other day and let your body rest for one day, great. Just as long as you make it a habit to be doing things on some sort of regular basis. “How about the point of using an app for exercise?”, you might be asking yourself. It is still a valid point, even though vaccines will start being distributed more frequently, which means gyms and fitness centers will be opening back up. However, some people, including me, are bound to find it hard to return to that public setting, as they have become so accustomed to doing on apps or over YouTube. So, will those still be viable options once gyms and fitness centers do start opening up? “I think we miss being around other people,” Risk said. “Introverts, I think, will probably really appreciate (remote options), but I think for extraverts and people who enjoy being in the gym and missed the gym, or are exercising with actual humans next to them, will go back to that in a hurry, as soon as they can.” So, if you do want to go back to the gym, you can, but if you feel more comfortable at home, not surrounded by other people, that’s great too, because as long as that habit is there, it’s good. So, all this has summarized what I did to start losing weight. Another other notable thing that Risk said that’s also worth mentioning is to manage your sleep, and make sure that you are getting your eight hours. Other than that, drink some water, eat right, exercise, and make those things into habits. You’ll soon see great results too.

Wizard101: Open Enrollment By Mark David Magat @marki_bear

Imagine with me for a second. You’re back in 2008. It’s after school, you’re done with all of your homework. You prop a kitchen chair up to the family computer, and remember a little game you’ve been hearing about on TV. Some of your friends have tried it and it has become the talk of the playground, between all the running, screaming and little Johnny throwing tanbark at the teachers. So you ask your parents to make you an account for Wizard101. You don’t think much of it. It’s cute, It’s weird but nothing compared to your Xbox. But then you find you’ve been on it till 10pm and your mom is yelling at you to go to bed. “It’s a weeknight honey!” She screams. But you just need to go one more level. One more spell to learn. One more turn! It’s weird talking to friends about Wizard101 now as an adult, but it seems everyone around my age has at least tried the game. And even though it’s not in the mainstream eye as much as other online MMOs such as League of Legends or World of Warcraft, it doesn’t mean this little guy is dead. Far from it actually! It seems there’s a strong and dedicated community of young wizards who still log on. So will you join me through the world door and enter the spiral?

Wizarding basics:

When you begin the game, you’re asked to create a wizard and pick a school of magic to study, and the school you choose is actually very important. Some schools lend themselves to certain advantages that other schools don’t. Do you want to be a tank and be able to take a huge amount of damage? Go Ice or Balance. You want to hit hard in exchange for some durability? Go Storm. If you want to support with heals and keep the team alive; some of these fights will have even the best wizards bend to their knees, go life. At its heart, Wizard101 is a turn based, combat oriented game. It’s about either rushing an enemy before they can build up a hit or building up a hit to hopefully oneshot the enemy. With how the game is structured, there are a lot of tools at your disposal to build strategies for certain fights you’ll get into. From blade stacking to traps to useful buffs and debuffs to conserving pips for a strong hit, it all feeds into the strategies you’ll play. For those of you who think a kids’ game wouldn’t require a lot of strategy, this game gets hard. There are some battles where you need a full team of varied magic schools and extensive knowledge of the battle to get by smoothly. The game is divided among arcs and the first arc is pretty easy, but arc two and three get up there in difficulty and the fourth arc from what little we’ve seen isn’t lightening up. In the second arc they introduce bosses who cheat and that is a total game changer for strategies going into the battles.

Group Work is a Majority of Your Grade:

If you choose the right school, you can solo most of the game and only need to team up for critical boss fights. But even then you’re going to need help with bosses giving you a hard time and having a few friends will most definitely help. Thankfully the game has a lot of mechanics to help you find friendly players. Making friends in this game is actually really easy. A ton of wizards are very helpful and want to actively help you. I remember creating my fire wizard and starting the game. A few seasoned wizards were waiting at Unicorn Way, the starting area of the game, to give me free cards to use or sell. And there are a lot of these things throughout the game. Wizards wanting to hatch pets, share cards, help with dungeons or even just have a funny conversation. And for those struggling to make friends or regular friends, the longest running mechanic for teaming up has to be the Team Up Kiosk. If you stand in front of a battle entrance, or dungeon, you have the option to either press the X button and join whoever is going in at that time, or press the Team Up option to wait for another player to join the battle. You can control the number of players you’d want to join and to label if you’re doing a quest or farming a dungeon for gear or other wanted items. For major dungeons such as Darkmoor or last world dungeons, most of the time you don’t have to press the team up button and just join whoever is waiting there since there are usually a few wizards waiting for a full team. Now the newest addition to the game is friendly players tags. Let’s say you want to join an open fight due to a quest but don’t want to ask if you can join, with the friendly tag you can instantly see if they’re open to help or open for you joining. A fun feature of this is that you can look at a list of wizards in the current world you’re in, of all the friendly players and see what quests they’re currently on. So maybe you can join a random player who’s on the same quest as you and you just now made a new friend. But even with a team knowing what they’re doing, some dungeons are commitments. “A crazy dungeon run was my first time questing Darkmoor,” said Milena Skrobanovic, a New Jersey Wizard101 player. “The whole thing took hours, especially the final Malistaire battle which took 2-3 hours of struggling. My gear and experience was lacking at the time.” Granted, Darkmoor is one of the harder dungeons for the level you’re going into, but with the right team and right strategies, the gear is going to be very worth it. Volume 6

to get better mostly due to seeing the cool higher level spells. Like I have a fire wizard but he’s also a healer, and seeing a healing spell as funny as Pigsey was something I wanted to get to. And that kind of fun spell cinematics are all over the game from the modest fire cat to the crazy Karamelle marshfellow, all the spells have this life to them that it’s nearly impossible to brush them off.

The Spiral Campus:

Spells and Charms

So I love the game, but I have to admit that the gameplay does get a little repetitive, especially when you learn certain spells and get certain gear. But I think the main draw to this game has to be the charm of the story and the magic surrounding it all. The lore with grandmother Raven, Grandfather Spider and the Great Tree is actually very deep for a kids’ game. In arc three you really get to see the relationship between all of them and get invested in the battle between them and hope for a non-violent conclusion. But before then, arc one has such a compelling story with It’s main villain, and the poster boy of the game, Malistaire. You can empathize with his motives while not justifying his actions. And arc two lacks a bit with the overall story but still has a compelling villain, amazing characters and introducing game changing mechanics. But in between fighting these larger-than-life villains, you meet so many colorful characters from such imaginative worlds. From the interesting Sherlock Bones in Marleybone to the charming Dyvim Whiteheart in Khrysalis to the ever so funny Captain James Pork in Empyrea, you’ll meet so many funny and colorful characters that you can’t help but fall in love with this cast. But the characters are only a product of the worlds they live in and the worlds are so imaginative. Some have obvious inspirations from classic stories from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table to even 101 Arabian Nights, but some are just so out there that It’s just cool to be a part of it all. Of course some aren’t all hits, but that’s mostly due to the gameplay showing It’s weaknesses. A lot of the least liked worlds’ complaints come from lackluster gameplay but most of their time has nothing to do with their charm and inspiration. “My favorite world was Krokotopia when I first played at 14,” said Skrobanovic. “ I love anything ancient Egypt. But now after playing all the worlds I would say Wizard City is the best….I think It’s just diverse and the original and It’s very nostalgic for me.” A lot of these areas are very nostalgic for people. Like Marelybone with its Charles Dickens-esq vision of London to Avalon and the fairy tales our parents used to tell us as kids, it all feeds into the vibe of the game. But even though I have said the gameplay gets repetitive, it doesn’t mean the gameplay has no character. Most if not all of the spells have a lot of character. Most of the main spells are very cinematic. Playing a mid level wizard and playing with a seasoned one will motivate you Spring 2021

But a shockingly massive part of the game is It’s community. Outside the game there are communities on social media discussing new updates, asking for help with dungeons and gear and just sharing their experience over the game. On Youtube there’s plenty of updated channels such as Formal Phantom and BlazeLifeHammer discussing updates or random pieces of trivia about the game. Overall the social aspect of the game is very strong outside of the game itself. But in the game It’s even better. Yes you can find friendly players willing to help with quests and other game activities but you can find a lot of players in the common areas just discussing random things about their lives and more than open to people joining. And yes It’s more adult that the game developers would like and some are on the trolley side, but all are in the name of good fun and most of the time there’s no malicious intent. Like nothing beats joining the Ambrose server at 2am and having a discussion on drugs and other adult things, or even joining a Gobbler cult and recruiting more to the side of the great Gobbler King. If you want a laugh, I’d say joining in on random conversations with strangers in the game is the best way to get it. Making lifelong friends and memories is a massive part of this game. “Back when I originally played a lot,” said Ryan Moore, a California resident and Wizard101 player, “My friend had also played and we would both be on our laptops beside each other, playing Wizard101.” Many people such as myself, have made tons of friends just roaming and asking for help or vice versa. Like Moore, I used to have LAN parties with my cousin playing this game and having intense dungeon runs going up until 2am during sleep overs. And even if you don’t take part in it, seeing other players just conversing with each other about random things, mostly non-game related topics, adds to the atmosphere of the game. “I haven’t really got into conversations with people in groups,” said Skrobanovic. “I always like seeing people conversing with each other and communicating. A lot of interesting conversations obviously happen there. Good and bad.”

Enrollment and Beyond:

So yeah, you can join the Spiral for free now and get a small introduction to the game. But if you want the full story, you’ll have to pay around $70 for a year of membership. But to me It’s pretty worth it. I didn’t play religiously for my year membership, far from it, but I was able to complete all three current, complete arcs and managed to finish the first world of the fourth arc with a lot of time to spare to do whatever in the paid areas. If a year is too much, you can opt out to six or even one month. And with the second world for the fourth arc coming out this fall, you can bet I’m signing up for a membership for that. And for a lot of people, myself included, the game has such a charm that keeps players hooked. Yes, it overly feeds off our nostalgia, yes it’s pretty expensive, and yes It’s a game targeted at kids, but the game has a right to be played at least once due to its charm and community. The worlds of the Spiral are placed in beautiful lands among colorful characters, NPCs and real people alike. I’ve made a ton of great friends along my journey through the Spiral and hope to meet some new ones. So will you extend me a hand and join me through the world door into a magical world of wonder?