The RoadRunner Magazine | Butte College | Spring 2021 | Professor Charleen Earley by How I Committed Journalism

IN THIS ISSUE Meal For You by Alina Babajko

Music Artist Lt Kali by Kolin Ibarra

Exhausted by Adriana McConnell

Why I Love Dogs by Zachary Farrer

Children During the Pandemic by Jillian Schmeltzer Children and College by Juel Burke Sports by Zachary Farrer A Different Side of Homelessness by Zachary Farrer Councilwoman Sanchez by Adriana McConnell Imposter Twitch by Madisyn Jackson Students Get Vaccines by Eleanor Shepard Autism in Media by Jillian Schmeltzer Esoteric Side of Chico by Justin Robertson Ghosts in the News by Justin Robertson College During the Pandemic by Gillian Taylor Mental Health by Samantha Aguilar

Journalism professor at Butte College, Earley is a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines. She publishes her own Colorful Living Magazine. She also teaches at Diablo Valley College and is Editor-inChief of The Orinda News.

Adriana McConnell

Madisyn Jackson

McConnell is an Anthropology major, dog lover, music and traveling enthusiasts, and passionate about equality and social justice. A mother to three and wife to one, excited to hug strangers after the pandemic.

A full-time student at Butte College, Jackson finds herself online for large portions of the day and is knowledgeable in many aspects of Internet culture. You can contact her at mjackson025@student.butte.edu .

Kolin Ibarra

Samantha Aguilar

"In the end we only regret the chances we don't take." Ibarra is passionate about living life to the fullest and surrounding himself with the people he loves.

An English major at Butte College, Aguilar is a nature enthusiast, enjoys the little things, making jewelry and has full trust in the divine. "All is well in my eyes."

Zachary Ferrer A third year college student who is currently living in Chico, Ferrer works at K-8 Charter school as a maintenance and groundskeeper in Paradise, Ca. He graduated from Paso Robles and chose to major in media arts. He enjoys watching sports, snowboarding, playing video games with his friends and working on his car.

Juel Burke Burke is a first-time mother to a two-year-old son named Jordan and engaged to his father. She loves journaling, because it helps her relax and free her thoughts. “If it wasn’t for journaling and my little family, some days I don’t know where I would be in this crazy world.”

Eleanor Shepard Butte College student studying journalism and psychology, Shepard is passionate about mental health, education and the impact society has on women. She spends her free time with her cats and writing and hopes to become a successful writer in the future.

Alina Babajko As an economics major, Alina wants to go into the law field of environmental law. She is passionate about helping the unfortunate in her community and saving the environment.

Jillian Schmeltzer Growing up in Orland, CA, Schmeltzer always had a passion for writing and selfpublished her first book in March of 2021. She currently works at a preschool and is studying to become an occupational therapist for children.

Justin Robertson Robertson is studying radio, television and film at Butte College. He plans to become a producer in the future.

FIdel Chavolla

Gillian Taylor

From Tulelake, CA, Chavolla is a journalism major with goals to report on sports, one of his passions in life. Fidel loves meeting new people since he is an outspoken person and he celebrates the differences in others.

Taylor is a California native who loves outdoors, animals and spending time with her friends and family. She is currently attending Butte College, with plans to further her education in the study of journalism at California State University, Chico.

Exhausted. Burned out. A mom in the middle of COVID-19 My children have emotionally deteriorated. They miss their friends. They miss the normalcy of school without Zoom meetings and temperature checks. My eldest daughter graduated from eighth grade last June. It was a pre-recorded televised ceremony. Now two of my three children are in a hybrid model, two days a week. Everyone wears masks and their cohort only has six other kids. It’s not normal, but I think it’s better than nothing. My youngest is still Zooming everyday from home. He’s over it and I don’t blame him. He’s Special Needs and the education model his teacher is using is confusing. He spends a lot of the week in tears and I’m there to help him hug it out. We won’t be returning to this school next year. In the past year I have watched these bread-baking, baseboard scrubbing super moms online wondering what they were taking and where could I get it. I have gained 30 pounds. The sparkle had left my eyes, it just disappeared in the death tolls and smoky haze out the window. Some days it is still really hard to get out of bed. I am watching the world start to open up again and I know life will never really be the same. I don't think it’s supposed to be.

Comforting with hugs is an easy tactic to help fight COVID-19 fatigue for families.

Recently, I found peace in the strangest place. Amazon Flex. I started delivering for Amazon to pay for my tuition to Chico State next semester. Watching kids play in the driveways of apartment complexes, seeing the sunrise as I deliver Whole Foods to someone’s doorstep, listening to podcasts as I navigate the city - its bringing back my sparkle again. I am starting to feel joy rising inside myself.

ried. Exhausted. Burnt out. Traumatized. Depressed. Lethargic. Drained.

It helps that my oldest child is now 15 and can handle the responsibility of taking care of her siblings. I think I fell in love with my husband again. I got vaccinated.

These are all words I have used to describe myself in the past 13 months.

I am a survivor of a global pandemic.

In March of 2020, I would have said I was a proud stay-at-home mother of three, on the verge of a divorce, looking for work.

I’m still exhausted. Most days I’m still really depressed. I didn’t learn a new craft during all this, but I did find out that I’ve still got a lot to give the world. And I have hope again.

A year later, I am a full-time student, full-time homeschool teacher, full-time chauffeur, full-time assistant to my aging parents, still a full-time mom, gig worker and dog mom. I am still married, and I no longer love the view inside the four walls of my home. I was confident the lockdown would not last long and I really enjoyed having my kids home with me. We remodeled the backyard, installed a basketball hoop and bought yard games so we would have fun things to do outdoors to pass the time. But when the smoke from the wildfires made it unsafe to be outdoors and ash covered everything, we all felt trapped and hopeless. My husband is firefighter. As an essential worker, he has gone to work throughout the past year. It was scary hearing him tell me about contact with severe COVID-19 patients. He would come home and strip down in the laundry room and disinfect so he could hug us. Every week was terror wondering if this was the time we would finally contract the disease. Most of his colleagues did not take it seriously. He had to sleep in the barracks with firefighters who were socializing like it was 2019. I’m still angry that they risked the health of my husband and my family.

Many communities still require masks, even at the beach.

Local Artist Lt Kali Talks About Music During a Pandemic T

he local music scene - like everyone else in the world - was hit by the pandemic. Local hip-hop artist Lt Kali was one of them. "Covid put everything on a halt, everything got stuck in its tracks," he said. So what exactly was COVID-19's impact on music? Lt Kali is a Chico hip-hop artist with over 1.5 million streams on all platforms. His music is enjoyed by listeners worldwide in 15 countries. He has felt the impact the pandemic has left and knew firsthand how the rap game will be changed forever. "As far as 2020 goes, I had tours booked and albums ready to drop. My shows were cancelled, all my signings got cancelled and my albums were pushed back," he said. "Everything hit the wall," Kali added. "We all had to step back and realize what was truly going on." COVID-19 abruptly rattled up many industries, which highly affected the music industry, since concerts were shut down and fan meet and greets ended, leaving little to no interactions. This also affected revenue and made

artists think of ways to get past this. "Once we figured out what was truly happening, we took it step-by-step. We're stuck here, let's make more music," said Kali. "Covid made us make more music, design more brands and we used our time the best we could, so when this is over, we are still ready to go." Everyone had to change how they lived their daily lives and the same went for music and the artists. Artists evolved, made changes and did their best to keep music going. The pandemic forced everyone to shelter-in-place, but this wasn’t all bad, since artists were able to perfect their crafts while sheltered at home. Kali talked about some of the economic positives that came out of the quarantine. "I have seen a spike in streams from 2019 to 2020," he said. Adding, "We can see that Covid boosted sales on artists' music and brands related to them. The population is at home and they need things to do as well." People were stuck at home and millions listened to music. As concerts and events were cancelled, streaming flourished, giving artists' some hope.

The music scene will change forever due to the pandemic. "More artists can now make music because they don't have to work now or they work from home," said Kali. He added, "We have artists who are already making music and have 50% more time to make music. People who are just getting into music now have time to make music and learn to make music and give it a shot.” Anyone who wondered if they wanted to get into music, could do it now. Would-be artists now have the time, resources and out of simple boredom, something to do. Music will forever be changed because of this era. "The Covid era is going to be a thing to look back on when it comes to music," said Kali. Adding, "That artist who learned to rap during Covid, or this beat producer learned how to make music during Covid. We will be known as the people from the Covid era who prevailed and made the best out of a bad situation. Music prevails through all.”

Life as a Child During the Pandemic By Jillian Schmeltzer

Photo by Michal Jarmoluk Unsplash.com

In March of 2020, all of our lives changed. The COVID-19 virus took over the world and we all had to learn to adjust. For children, the things that matter most and bring the most excitement suddenly vanished. They came home from school for the weekend and didn’t get to go back for over a year. As the world tried to process this new normal, our children were missing out on the things that make childhood joyous and carefree, and many of them picked up on the anxiety of the adults around them. For teenagers, the sports and activities that make high school fun and exciting were canceled. Seniors anticipating their graduation, didn’t get to experience the thrill of hearing their name over the loudspeaker as they received their diplomas with their childhood friends and classmates. Instead, they got out of their cars one by one and took their masks off for a picture. At Little Friends of Capay Preschool in Capay, CA, a few children talked about how they have been impacted by the pandemic. A few 5-year-olds spoke up collectively and said they wished it didn’t exist. Rachel, age 5, said, “I haven’t been able to see my cousin for a long time,” while Etta added, “I wish I could give people hugs.” Even in unsettling times, children still possess the innocence they are known for.

They are so resilient and they seem to show their strength a lot during troubling times. One little girl named Gwen, who is captivated by Princess Elsa, rainbows and unicorns said, “I actually like the virus because I love my mermaid mask. It’s fashion.” Other kids didn't feel the same as Elsa. “I do not like my mask because it is totally boring,” said Bryce. The way the kids interact with each other has also been impacted by this virus. During outdoor play at Little Friends of Capay, the children lined up for pretend vaccine distributions. Some said they will not comply, while others insisted that it was necessary. The scanner on the cash register used in the dramatic play area was used as a thermometer. This is an act they see their teachers do when they arrive at school and it became a normal part of their life and routine. In August last year, the children who attended Little Friends of Capay embarked on their first year of “big kid school” in the midst of all of these changes. Those in kindergarten and first grades have not had the chance to experience school in the normal way. Just over a year ago, nobody had to wear a mask to school and everyone played on the playground with their friends. Now, all these children know is the exact

opposite and this is what the start of their school career has been forced to involve. For those who have entered the world in the last year, social interaction has been minimal and parents have noticed anxiety among their babies. “Cora isn’t too keen on leaving the house currently. At times, she gets anxious and emotional when meeting others, because it is out of her comfort zone of what she has known for her first six months of her life- her home, mommy and daddy,” said her mother, Bridgette Albaugh. Parents worry about what the pandemic has done to their children. Hudson, a 16-year-old, loved school, was very social and got excellent grades before last March, when she completely lost interest in his schoolwork. After hiding his dropping grades from his parents, he was given consequences, and his motivation started to increase after a long talk about not giving up. All of the changes our world has gone through in the last year and a half, has impacted everyone in one way or another. While there have been many hardships associated with this pandemic, Julia, a teenager in Orland, gave insight into some positivity she has experienced. “I loved the quality time I got to have with my parents and my siblings," she said. "We had a lot of good conversations, I grew closer to them and I am grateful for that opportunity.”

Children and College, Is it Worth it? ST OR Y AND PH OT O BY J UE L BUR KE I am a Butte College student, a mom and also engaged, and it looks like I'm not alone. According to AffordableCollegesOnline.org, 22% of the average college students have children or at least one child. Although student-parents on average earn higher GPA's than non-student parents, they have tons of obstacles along the way in chasing their dreams. Keeping up with coursework, housework and taking care of a baby may all seem like a lot of overwhelming tasks for a first time mom, but Butte College provides a daycare program to help watch your child while you're in class. The college also has a program called Butte Baby Steps program. It's a national program for expectant mothers and new parents under the age of 29, to help their children get a healthy start in life. Also, having a great family support system is really nice as well.

In the Institute for Woman's Policy Research, I found that 37% of student-parents complete their degree in six years, compared to 59% of students without children, where they take eight years. As student-parent myself, I can personally say that yes, times do get a little harder and are more stressful than the average college student, because we have a different list of priorities. Yet, my son is my motivation and the biggest blessing God has ever given me. Seen in the photo below, he is the reason I am where I am today. If it were not for him, I would be lost. He is the reason why I am a mother and why I strive for the best in life - not only for myself - but for him too. All I can do is thank him for that and provide him with the best possible life.

"All you can do, is do your best, but no matter what, we've got this!"

HOW ATHLETES AT BUTTE COLLEGE CONQUER THE CHALLENGES OF COVID-19 By Zachary Farrer

Photo Courtesy of Kinesology and Athletic Performance Center

Growing up, sports and school were the only things on my mind. Now that I am an adult, I see just how impactful sports can be for our youth. You may view football as a dangerous sport, but I could not disagree more. Football teaches young adults a lot more than just the game itself. It teaches comradery, brotherhood and toughness. Now the word toughness has a whole new meaning to the student athletes in 2021 who are dealing with the pandemic and the sudden halt of the world. By now you can probably tell that sports are essential to a child's development. Any outside stimulant that you can give your child is necessary. Whether that be dancing, tennis, acting, etc. I find it very valuable. It has only been over a year since COVID-19 made its mark in the United States, causing the entire country and the world to shut down. Allow me to show you how Butte College and its faculty are treating this current situation. Like I mentioned before, I believe sports are essential. In my occupation, my job is to work with kids and teachers every day. One of our teachers has a student enrolled in Butte and is playing football this coming fall. Football may seem only like a fall sport on the surface, but in reality it is a full time commitment. Meet Aiden Finney, one of my co-worker's son.

“I was born and raised in Chico, Ca.,” he said. Aiden was enrolled and playing football at San Diego State, fall of 2020, but instead, decided to come back home and play football at Butte. COVID-19 was a huge factor for him deciding to leave. At age 19, a freshman and living in a new place was already hard enough for him. “I got in contact with the weight lifting coach and signed up for the class. That got me signed up with the team,” said Finney. He talked about the overall moral of the group. “Honestly, everyone is pretty excited, and it's because they did not get to play last year, so we are looking forward to what’s ahead,” he said. Finney talked about the down side to practicing. “The most annoying part or factor about COVID-19 is definitely working out in the masks," he said. "Makes it hard to breathe.” Finney fully expects the team will do well in the fall. He mentioned that about four teams got together and played in the spring. For Finney and the team, sports are moving in the right direction. Even though the rules and regulations may seem silly, to Finney, it is definitely worth it to keep sports open and get kids involved in the community again.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY ALINA BABAJKO

College students giving back to the coummunity Homelessness is an ongoing issue in the community of Chico, and the rate will only continue to rise. While our political powers should shoulder some solutions to decreasing the poverty levels in our country, we can certainly do our part as well. Living near campus, I see a lot of parks, strees and mini malls where homeless people live in the cold. They are my neighbors and they barely survive the cold winters. I started buying a meal for a homeless person when I went out to get food. There are so many of them close to my house and I hated seeing them suffer. I thought if I could afford one nice warm meal for myself, I could afford a second one for someone who needs it way more than me. My roommate and I regularly began taking hot meals to unfortunate souls; and everyone was more than grateful. Of course, for some people, it can be unsettling giving food to strangers. Some homeless people may be mentally ill and can take advantage or be disrespectful to those trying to help them. There is an Instagram page for Chico State called @imshmackedchico that is regularly a “party” page. However, the owner will post stories reaching out to the community to donate food items, blankets, clothes and other items to help people in the cold.

This gave me an idea to start a similar program, where locals can donate items they want to the community without directly approaching them. Since I live near campus, many of my peers are in close proximity. I’ve included my contact information to accept donations for the homeless. As we near a beautiful summer in Chico, we stray from the unbearable weather conditions. This doesn’t mean the homeless are no longer in need. The nights can still reach 50 degrees. The homeless people can use many other items such as mouthwash, hand wipes, socks, gloves, tents, sunscreen, hand sanitizer and deodorant. Some food items great for donations are dry goods, bread, beef jerky, canned fruit and vegetables, water bottles and instant Ramen noodles. An interesting fact is that the homeless are also entitled to stimulus checks from the Federal Government. Those eligible, can go to their local IRS tax service and apply for their funds to be put onto a Visa card. There’s an IRS tax office located at 1395 Ridgewood Dr., Chico, CA, 95973. Our homeless people are left with no options and need our help. We are not obligated to take care of them, but it is the right thing to do.

They suffer every day as we walk past them on our way to socialize and get an education. I found the kindness in my heart and I hope others will too. I hope that the next time you see an unfortunate soul, you do something nice for them. Even just buying someone one meal, can make their day, even their week. A couple main reasons for homelessness in Chico are family issues or financial troubles. These people were just dealt bad cards and were left without help. We can assume that if any one of us were put in their shoes, we would have probably ended up in need of help too. I can’t help but imagine if one of my friends or myself ended up on the streets. I would be eternally grateful if my community reached out to me. As a cook in a restaurant downtown, I witness so much food-waste on a daily basis. I think it would be amazing if I could start boxing up the food that would be thrown away otherwise and feed it to the homeless. If all of the restaurants in downtown Chico alone participated, we could feed all of the homeless in Chico. Together, we can help our community and make someone’s life just a little less miserable.

A Different View of Homelessness Story and photos by Zachary Farrer

Homeless camp at a local park located at Skyway and Park Ave.

Since the Camp Fire of 2018 in Paradise, CA, there has been a shift and new feel to the socalled small town of Chico. Homelessness has always lingered and it's been a problem in Chico. But why? Why is this issue still an issue? Lastly, why has it failed to get better, only worse? Residents of Chico should not have to fear for their life or their families' lives in the middle of the day, walking through the parks. These are questions I ask myself on a regular basis, so I went online and looked for locals talking about this issue. I came across an article with a conversation about this issue. The comments in the article made it seem like the homeless problem should be fixed by the City and instead of taking accountability.

One person wrote, “Why exactly do the taxpayers have to pay for a place for you to live? Get a job. You've been homeless for five years. There is SSI if you are disabled. All kinds of housing programs. food stamps, and public assistance. How about you pay for you to live for once? Take a shower, buy $5 of clothes at Goodwill, buy a 99-cent store toothbrush. And get a job.” This person's comment may come off as offputting, but I believe it holds some value. Instead of making this issue more of an issue, it is best to make matters better by your own-doing. Sofia Vargas, a Chico State University student feels the current systems don't work. “Clearly, whatever has been put in play is not working,” she said. She's afraid to spend time in the parks.

“I should be able to take pictures in a park and enjoy myself without the possibility of something happening," said Vargas. Most people understand that being homeless is not always a choice. Personally the human in me feels bad because most do not want to be put in this situation, but unfortunately, the 1% ruins it for the 99%. Vargas feels the homeless are taking advantage of the Camp Fire aftermath. "Give them an inch and they’ll want a mile,” she said. "Since then, it has only gotten worse. In my own research, I found that crime has gone up, drug usage, needles being thrown around like a baseball. I feel this is because after the fire, Butte County let anyone who needed relief (clothes, food, shelter, etc.) gain access to these essentials, to help with the destruction from the fire. But the County let anyone come up and take advantage of this and now, from what I've read, Chico has, the highest count at 1,096 individuals, a 92% increase since 2015. I also read that Oroville had the second highest count with 713 people, an 83% increase. Paradise's count increased to 120 people, a 145% increase, and almost evenly split between Paradise and Magalia. I hope this issue gets better for the entire community of Butte.

Personally the human in me feels bad because most do not want to be put in this situation, but unfortunately, the 1% ruins it for the 99%

If feels as though the homeless camp situations are only getting worse after the fires.

Butte County saw a historic turnout in the November 2020 election of 103,635 voters according to the board of elections. Across the country, various sources reported a 6% rise in voter turnout. Statistically there is always a surge for presidential elections in the U.S. The benefit is not only the rise in civic engagement, but the additional attention to local elections. According to the 2018 Census, Gridley, a small town of approximately 7,000 in southern Butte county has a 42% hispanic population. Last year's election showed a reflection of that demographic with a historic change in the seats of the city council. For the first time in 28 years, a hispanic female, Catalina Sanchez, was elected. There are now three hispanic representatives on the fiveseated city council. Sanchez talked about why she ran for city council. “I felt the current council was out of tune with what was going on in the community,” said Sanchez. In referencing the council's proposal of raising electrical fees on its citizens in 2020 Sanchez said, “The proposals weren’t reflective of what the town was dealing with in the middle of a global pandemic.”

“I’m bringing a willingness and commitment to the position and an honor to the oath,” Sanchez said about what contributions she’d make to the council. The Gridley City Council makes decisions about everything from infrastructure upgrades and city policing contracts to community outreach.They are an administrative body overseeing all of the departments of the city from animal control and police to recreation and the Feather Flyer, a Dial-aRide service. At a recent city council meeting, Councilwoman Sanchez had a disagreement with Mayor Bruce Johnson over the former city administrators continued contract after his resignation. “I didn't feel that I was informed appropriately. And part of using the government to be transparent is asking questions and putting it on the record for the community to read or listen to the audio,” said Sanchez. She has made a promise to be accessible and willing to listen to all citizens in hopes of more community engagement. “I’ll ask questions that are inclusive," she said. "And by asking how we can make people feel they have a direct line to the decision makers, because they have always had that line, but may not have felt comfortable using it” “I need to do my homework by talking to stakeholders to make an informed decision," said Sanchez. "And remembering empathy without judgement - because I represent everyone."

Twitch.TV

BY MADISYN JACKSON

THERE'S AN IMPOSTOR AMONG US ... OR IS THERE? During the extended quarantine, people often found themselves bored. With days no longer filled with average activities, many flocked to alternate forms of entertainment. Video games, streaming services, random art projects and more, captured people's time and attention.

With hundreds of thousands unsure of what they should do with their time and days, what better way for politicians to get their campaign message out to the masses. Enter Twitch, an online streaming platform owned by Amazon.

On October 19, 2020, OcasioCortez tweeted out, “Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote? (I’ve never played but it looks like a lot of fun),” following after with a Tweet asking her followers who she would play with.

It's the largest video game streaming platform out there, with 15 million daily active users on the website. It's a website where creators can be essentially unfiltered and genuine.

Her Twitch debut went spectacular. With a peak of 439,000 concurrent viewers, and by playing with the website’s top Among Us creators, Ocasio-Cortez, currently age 31, got her message out.

With the pandemic, users have flocked to this website, making games such as Genshin Impact and Among Us skyrocket in popularity.

In a game meant to catch liars and imposters, Ocasio-Cortez worked to get people to the polls while keeping the stream lighthearted.

For most, the website brings enjoyable content with highly interactive and engaging communities. As the 2020 election was taking place, this was an excellent way to spread campaign messages. Former President Donald Trump has a Twitch account, used mainly for reruns of political speeches. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took another approach to the Twitch community, to fit in.

Anyone want to play Among Us with me on Twitch to get out the vote?

Vaccines Available for Butte College Students By Eleanor Shepard Photos by Canva.com

Students don’t worry, your time is coming for a vaccine and it might be sooner than you think. Butte College students might be eligible to start receiving the vaccine mid April in Butte County. The Student Health Clinic at Butte College will offer vaccines to students at no cost coming this spring. Director of the Butte College Student Health Clinic, Jordan Frazer, who is also a licensed nurse practitioner, talked about his involvement in providing COVID-19 vaccines for Butte College students. “The Student Health Clinic provides healthcare to all enrolled Butte College students,” said Frazer, who received his Masters Degree in science and a nurse practitioner degree from Graceland University in Independence, Missouri. “We offer physical and mental health services" he added. "We also have taken on the role of consulting in the campus COVID-19 response.” If you are wondering if only certain groups of students will be eligible for this vaccine, you don’t need to worry. Every student will eventually qualify for this vaccine and at no cost. The Student Health Clinic will be following the state mandated tier system. “All students will eventually be offered vaccination,” said Frazer. “We will be following the state-mandated tier system for prioritization. There will be no cost. The vaccine is allocated by the State via Public Health. Butte College is absorbing all other costs.” The Student Health Clinic planned to be ready by mid April. “My goal is to begin offering vaccines to the students currently eligible by mid-April. There are significant challenges involved in this goal, including the availability of vaccine allocation from the state, ever-changing state mandates and guidelines and the acquisition of logistical items,” added Frazer. Many students may think they are off the hook when it comes to contracting the COVID-19 virus. Some may have even contracted the virus already and had little-to-no symptoms at all. However, Frazer believes that receiving this vaccine is still incredibly important to help stop the spread of COVID-19, even if students are not in a high risk group. “Studies are beginning to show that not only do these vaccines stop severe infection and death, but they significantly slow viral transmission,” he said. “Each vaccinated person is a roadblock for viral transmission.”

I just ask that everyone be patient, keep an open mind and ask questions.

If you end up getting the vaccine, you might experience some symptoms from it, but this just means the vaccine is working.

This vaccine was created in a short time, which makes many people cautious about the creation of a vaccine in less than a year of the COVID-19 outbreak. They have questions about the validity and safety of this vaccine. “I think it’s great to question this vaccine, however, question with an open mind!” advises Frazer. “People with questions should seek out trusted sources, such as journal articles or ask professionals – not social media.” He said that Operation Warp Speed collaboration between pharmacy researchers and the Federal Government was an enormous success in removing most of the financial hurdles that come with developing a new drug or vaccine. Phase 1 and 2 trials are primarily to do small scale studies with the goal of convincing investors that your idea is safe and effective enough to move forward,” said Frazer. “That process was made unnecessary by Federal funding. This allowed researchers to move directly to large scale Phase 3 trials. Having read the white paper, these researchers did an excellent job in creating their trials and came out victorious.” If you end up getting the vaccine, you might

experience some symptoms from it, but this just means the vaccine is working. Frazer talks about what one might expect from getting the vaccine. “Most people experience some soreness at the injection site and fatigue with the first vaccine. Many have reported feeling ill for three to four days after the second shot. This is normal,” he said. “The body, recognizing the new substance, mounts an immune response against it. This is a good thing! It means the body has responded normally and is creating a memory against the virus.” It is still unknown which vaccine Butte College’s Student Health Clinic will offer. “We won’t have any say in which vaccine we’re given. It will depend on what’s available from the State at the time,” said Frazer. Frazer, along with medical professionals believe this vaccine is important for everyone, and whether one is at a high risk or not, stopping the spread of COVID-19 is a choice people can make. “I can appreciate that some people are very excited about this vaccine and some are skeptical,” said Frazer. “I just ask that everyone be patient, keep an open mind and ask questions.”

Autistic Representation in the Media By Jillian Schmeltzer

Photo by Myriam/Pixabay Many autistic people use fidget toys and visual stims as a way to calm themselves.

utism is something most have heard about at one point or another. Many of us have seen the movie Rain Man or watched the television show The Good Doctor. While we may find these works to be entertaining, those of us who are deeply affected by autism, are impacted in a different way. Upon disclosing my autism to people, I have gotten the same response many times. “But you don’t look like you have autism.” “You’re too smart.” “You’re too pretty.” At one point in my life, these responses were flattering. My 14-year-old self was ashamed of the diagnosis I had received at eight-years-old. However, at 21, I feel a lot differently and I understand where those responses stem from. Autism is a spectrum. That much is true. But having autism is not a matter of being on one end of the spectrum or the other. It is about the level of success in certain areas and the level of struggles in others. In the media, you often see a stereotypical version of an autistic person. A savant who lacks eye contact and has an intense difficulty with social interaction. If it is not that, it is someone who is unable to communicate verbally and depends on another person for all of their needs.

To those around me, there is nothing wrong with me and I can do all of the things that they do.

Oftentimes, I feel as though characters that are meant to be portraying an autistic person come off as somewhat emotionless. There are definitely autistic people out there who fit those descriptions. However, there are also many people with autism who fall through the cracks because they can make eye contact, they do have a lot of language, and they do not align with the stereotypes. Many people are undiagnosed well into adulthood because of this. As for me personally, I have a job. I am a college student. I can drive a car. I can hold a conversation. I wrote a book. To those around me, there is nothing wrong with me and I can do all of the things that they do. However, what they don’t see are the autistic traits that are underneath the surface. The social effort that it takes to get through a work day often leaves me unable to put any energy into anything else once the day is over. The anxiety I experience takes over my mind and causes me to miss out on a lot of opportunities. My brain requires a huge amount of stimulation and I am left with an intense need to twirl a string, make a humming noise and run back and forth every single day. I can only suppress that need nagging at me for so long before a meltdown ensues.

Photo by Norman Bates Taken at Seaworld 2004, autism is not visible on the outside. You can see it in their characteristics.

I am completely verbal and I always have been. Because of this, many would label me as “highfunctioning.” However, when a meltdown begins, the communication ends. I shut down and I am unable to verbally express to others what is wrong with me. And I feel helpless. I may not “look” autistic, but my autism affects everything I do and every part of who I am. The difference with autism is that a lot of people who are affected by it, have the ability to hide it from you very well. Last year November, a popular singer and songwriter, Sia, released the trailer for the new movie she directed entitled Music. The two-minute trailer sparked outrage amongst the autism community, the very people Sia had the intention of bringing awareness to. Many people felt as though a character being portrayed as autistic should automatically be played by someone with autism. The choice of the actor is not what bothers me as much, but rather it is the exclusion of autistic people in general.

When making a film like this, a lot of people might consult our parents or caregivers, our siblings, our teachers or our doctors. Why don’t they ask us? There are a lot of misconceptions about what autism is. People may think that we will not talk to them, but even those of us who do not have the ability to communicate verbally, can still talk to you. We all have thoughts, feelings and emotions, regardless of how the media makes us seem. My main point is that people will learn the most about autism from people who are autistic. Don’t be afraid to talk to us and hear what we have to say. A lot of times, our insight into how we view the world can be fascinating to people. I cannot speak for every autistic person. I can only share my perspective. However, I will say, without a shadow of a doubt, that all autistic people have a voice. This is just one of them.

We all have thoughts, feelings and emotions, regardless of how the media makes us seem.

WHY DOGS ARE SO IMPORTANT Story and photos by Zachary Farrer

I was assigned to create an article on anything I would like. I thought of a few things but I could not resist the urge to write about dogs. As the reader, you can probably tell that dogs mean a lot to me. Especially my own dogs. When I was younger, I desperately wanted a new Shih Tzu, because one of my family's friends had one and I instantly fell in love. So one summer my mom and sisters spent almost every day at the library because we did not have Internet at home. I scoured the Internet trying to find the perfect dog. I would get excited and show my mom every potential dog I found. I convinced myself that no matter what, I will own one. A few months later and my dad decides to bring me and my sisters to this random location. That is where he brought us a new puppy, a Shih Tzu. She has been with us for almost 10 years now and I love her so much. Her name is Allove, because "all-of-us-love-her." In my eyes, she is perfect, because I can say anything and do anything without her judging me. Her best quality is that she is a very good cuddler. She's also very soft because she is hypoallergenic. All in all, she has been perfect for our family. Her name is Allove, because "all-of-us-love-her."

A few months later and my dad decides to bring me and my sisters to this random location. That is where he brought us a new puppy, a Shih Tzu. Her name is Allove.

My goal here is to show the positives of owning a dog, and based on some research I found on akc.org, here's a short list of the benefits of owning a dog. Dogs make us feel less alone. Dogs are good for your heart. Dogs help you stop stressing out. Dogs help us cope with crisis Dogs encourage you to move. I also learned that a dog's sense of smell is at least 40-times better than ours, some have such good noses that they can sniff out medical problems and dogs can sniff at the same time as breathing how cool is that? So on a personal note, here's why are dogs important to me. For starters, they love their owner more than they love themselves. They are not judgmental. No matter what you look like or say, as long as the dog knows you love him or her, it will always have unconditional love for you. Humans should be the same way - in a relative way. If you have a partner, ideally who should treat them with unconditional love too. I believe relationships fail do to this sometimes. One person can feel like they are not getting enough love and believe that it should be conditional love. Even though they would never put it like that. Dogs are very simple and don't need much, that is why I prefer them over humans, sometimes!

"No matter what you look like or say, as long as the dog knows you love him or her, it will always have unconditional love for you."

Writen by Justin Robertson | Photos by James Caspery Did you know that Chico is a town built from occultism? Not many people know this and yet it literally lies under their nose. Based on my research, almost all the original buildings that remain downtown have some sort of trace, lingering of the occult and it all originally started with the original city plans of Chico. What I discovered was that John Bidwell, Chico’s founder, was a big fan boy of President Thomas Jefferson and the way he set up cities using the mystical architectural method called geomancy. Geomancy, from what I've learned, is believed to be the placement and arrangement of buildings and architecture in a city in order to normally gain something for the town. Sometimes seen as - leading to harmony, power or peace. Not only did John Bidwell base the city style of architecture of geomancy like Jefferson did, but his original lay out plan of Chico was to make it just like the same lay out of Washington D.C, a city Thomas Jefferson had a significant hand in building and designing. Although the current city plan of Chico has not stayed in the Greek architectural style and layout of D.C, it has continued in the roots of geomancy and its construction – trying to follow the style that John Bidwell would have wanted. In 2006, the current Chico City Plaza opened to the public, and unbeknownst to the public, I read that it was considered a strong powerhouse of energy. It’s currently a place where kids play in the fountain while their parents listen to live music on a stage, of course, before the pandemic. This powerhouse of energy is also known as an “Axis Mundi,” which means a place where realm meets with the celestial.

Aerial view of the City Plaza today.

I also found out that originally, the City Plaza was designed small and had a few large elm trees with a gazebo, but when the city coffers had enough money and funding, the plaza was redesigned, however not to the current design. They simply modernized John Bidwell’s original plan for the plaza – the one with the Axis Mundi. In the City Plaza, there is a representation of the tarot card of the High Priestess. The two pillars represent the entrance to the Temple of Solomon, a holy sight. They are also a representation of knowledge and both pillars have fractals running down to symbolize connection and similarity between one another. In addition, between the two pillars sits a chessboard on the opposite side where you would cross for this “knowledge.” Not only is the downtown Chico Plaza riddled with esoteric symbolism, so is downtown Chico's Crush/Jamba Juice building, with its yellow arches that tell a story of Ishtar/Athena and her protection over the lands.

Jamba Juice/Crush building in downtown Chico.

Chico is one hell of a wacky place, chock-full of a weird mystical past. The Senator Theatre building, with the big yellow diamond on top, represents Ishtar’s staff, which is a symbol of knowledge. Best of all, around the outside grates on the Bear Bar and Grill, are pentagrams, but they are there, which I'm assuming, to be protection. Chico is one hell of a wacky place, chock-full of a weird mystical past. From its underground tunnels that connect some of the downtown buildings to the secret Freemason meetings that John Bidwell would sneak to – Chico has it all!

The Senator Theater, side view.

For more information on Chico’s mystical and interesting city planning, check out geomantic information systems blog or watch this video found here: https://youtu.be/i4xzs4_rV-g.

Diet Culture, Fat Phobia and What You Don’t Know By Eleanor Shepard

The outcome of diet culture is that our views are heavily impacted and influenced by it. It impacts our own standards of beauty. Diet culture makes it so people actually believe that a thin body is more attractive and more worthy than a larger body. This leads to internalized fat phobia and oppression against those who do not "fit" these ideal and unattainable standards of beauty. We need to stop to telling people that they don’t fit in with the nonsensical and unrealistic standards our society has created over centuries of development. After reading the book, Fearing The Black Body, The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, by Sabrina Strings, I realized that there is no sufficient evidence to beauty standards that we have developed over different centuries and different cultures. There is no scientific or factual evidence of why certain people are considered to be less than someone else who fits in with society's standard of beauty. Knowledge will always be power. The things I learned about what our society deems as beautiful in this book completely deconstructed my mindset about my own personal standards I set for myself. We all set standards for our own bodies, based on standards that were given to us spanning centuries. What we don’t see is that these are baseless and unrealistic standards that never once considered the health of our bodies, only our outward appearances. It’s not a secret that obese people are not treated equally in America. Obesity has been treated as a crime for centuries and in many different cultures and religions. The stigma of obesity and fat phobia has created numerous disadvantages for overweight and obese people. They are not treated equally, even though we are all created equal. When will we stop shaming people for how they look, instead of caring about people's health? We need to draw a line with our society. We need to ask questions about why our society feels like it can put value on a human being based on outward appearances. When do we make the change for the next generation? Reading about diet culture and fat phobia changed my perspective about my own body image. It could change your thought patterns too. On The National Eating Disorders Association website, it's states that “Diet Culture suggests that people are more or less good/moral/worthy based on their body size. The government-funded 'war on obesity' is based on telling everyone that any fat person they will ever meet, along with fat people themselves, that fat people should be stereotyped, shamed, stigmatized and harassed.” Diet Culture engulfs our lives completely, whether we think it does or not, and no one is immune to the harmful effects it holds on people.

Author Sabrina Strings, Fearing the Black Body book published May 7, 2019, and argues that fat phobia isn't about health issues at all.

We need to ask questions about why our society feels like it can put value on a human being based on outward appearances.

College Life in a Pandemic

What my life is like as a college student during COVID-19 By Gillian Taylor | Photo by Canva.com College is a time to expand your mind, your life and who you are as a person. It is a period in one's life where some of the most important decisions are made and what you do in college lays out your future in front of you.

At first, the change was weird, but also kind of exciting. I had more time for myself and I no longer had restrictions in my schedule because of classes.

College is not easy and adjusting to college after high school is a huge change that takes adjustment.

This immediately changed when I started to fall behind in classes that I really needed to take in person in order to succeed in them. I had to drop courses and actually change my major.

I remember my first college semester was such a hard time in my life. I wasn't prepared for the schedule and workload that was required of me.

I previously was a biology major, but I quickly had to face the fact that I could not complete the required courses on my own.

When my second semester started, I was finally ready and eager to be the best student I could be. Unfortunately, two months into the semester is when everything changed for myself and every other college student.

The realities I had to face as a student during a pandemic were and continue to be difficult. College was no longer a place for me to grow and find myself. College became an obstacle I needed to get through.

On March 13, 2020, all schools officially closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Classes weren't fun or interesting, they became grievances in my life.

Thus began the new way of learning – online and at home.

I went through a transformation of being an inspired, young mind to a tired and devastated student.

At first, the change was weird, but also kind of exciting. I had more time for myself and I no longer had restrictions in my schedule because of classes.

Every assignment, test or project I do – is done in solitude.

OLD GHOST SITINGS IN BUTTE COUNTY AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS

BY JUSTIN ROBERTSON

In the late 1800s to early 1900s, Butte County was kind of wacky when it came to ghost sightings around the county. Many stories can be found in old newspaper archives online about ghosts and ghost sightings. Like one article (such as those to the right) from the Chico Record on March 16, 1922, talking about how a ghost on a farm is no ghost at all, but just the farmer's daughter who was bored. Another story in the Orvolle Daily Mercury mentions how a Chinese worker, on July, 1917 found $2,500 thanks to his dead ghost friends that lead him to the money - which is around $50,000 today, with inflation. But my favorite story from these newspapers that was written about in different cities (even all the way to San Francisco) was the mystery of the Chico Rock Throwing Ghost. It seems that this “ghost” was active for a couple of months, tormenting a warehouse building located somewhere near Ivy and Orange Street. Now what was this ghost doing exactly you might be asking? It was just throwing rocks onto the roof of the warehouse… yeah that's it. Apparently in the 1920s, this was like the scariest thing at the time.

Wearhouse workers would hear this mainly in the evenings and it was so popular that it even brought low-key celebrities to see it when they were stopping through town to do performances at a playhouse. Not only celebrities would it attract, but it would also have people walking the streets at nights in parties looking for the ghost! It was not until March in 1922 when the Orvolle Daily Register published an article titled “Anonymous Writer Admits Identity as Rock Thrower.” The article talks about where the rocks were really coming from. It said that the “ghost” had built a catapult and was throwing rocks from his yard onto the roof. He was loving the confusion that everyone was having, so he kept doing it! It was not until he ended up having to move away that he finally confessed to it (although still anonymously). A large majority of these stories in the old newspapers seem to come out of boredom from one person or another and it ends up leading to something more. I just wish today that we had people willing to look into mysteries - just like the ancestors of our county did. If you'd like to learn more about ghost stories around Butte County, here is a link to the Butte County newspapers website. Visit: https://dr652c.bmiimaging.com/index? datasetName=Meriam%20Library,%20CSU%2 0Chico.

How School Effects Your Mental Health By Samantha Aguilar Have you ever thought about what effect schooling can have on your mental health or your kids? This is what I have thought about and probably something you’ve thought too. This past year, I think we’ve all had a lot of struggles that we’ve had to overcome and sitting down to do homework at the end of the day has personally added more unwanted stress. For me, writing used to be a good stress reliever and another way for me to get out of my head when I've needed, but now, doing it so much for school, it has become almost like a chore. I’ve asked a few of my friends how they’ve felt about this current school year and how they’ve dealt with the new way of schooling. Shana Harvey, an agriculture major at Butte, said the pandemic definitely added more pressure to her life. “School has always been stressful for me, but this year with COVID-19, I’d say it's definitely added more stress,” she said. “Because we aren't in a classroom setting getting with more of a hands-on experience. It is harder to understand the tones of the teacher and all that’s expected. Online I feel like I have a lot more questions and misunderstandings than I would in the classroom.” Everyone handles stress and things differently. For some people, they mentally sign off for the rest of the day and just take their time processing life. Others can act like it never happened and go on about their day. Each way isn't necessarily healthy, so how can they be able to produce their best possible work for school? One of my good friends who suffers from anxiety, had a hard time finishing high school because of it. “I’ve had trouble in school for as long as I could remember. My anxiety always made me question whether or not I’d make it throughout the day,” said Mia Wing, a freshman at Butte. “Sitting at a desk for hours or behind a computer by myself at home never helped, it was at the time, really embarrassing," she added. "I think a lot of it just came from all the pressure to turn in the best quality of work or I knew I’d get graded badly.” I frequently wonder what school would be like if grades were solidly based on showing up and having open discussions on the topics.” I believe that when we talk about things a lot, it engages you more; it helps you have a better understanding and you're more likely to pick it up faster.

Mitchell Hartley | Unsplash

The same effort is applied and it still can cause you stress, but stress can also give you a kind of motivation, because it continues to remind you that you have to continue to fulfill whatever it is you’re stressed about – almost like an award. Obviously, being stressed isn’t the best feeling and can often times be almost too overwhelming. It can take a toll on someone, so it’s really how you look at it. With that being said, I still fully think that the amount of schoolwork that is given is the main reason for feelings of being overwhelmed.

By Kolin Ibarra If anyone knows anything about challenges in teaching, it would be Connie Hubbard, a vice principal at Vincent Shalvey Academy in Stockton for the last 24 years. With COVID-19, she, like everyone else, learned to pivot. She loves to quote one of her favorite sayings, “Let us remember: One book, one pen, one child and one teacher can change the world.” When the pandemic hit, Hubbard knew that everyone would be affected by it. “When I received word that school will be fully online and not in person, it truly hurt,” she said. “I realized how difficult this would be for the administrators as well as for the students. This was not easy for anyone and came from left field.”

off their routine. Make sure you are eating healthy and getting enough sleep. Focus on your priorities and make a list.” Reaching out to your teachers - is another one of Hubbard’s tips. “I don't think students really utilize their teachers to the max,” said Hubbard. “Students also have questions and comments, but never ask or utilize their teachers. Teachers are here to help whenever and wherever and make sure you email your teacher daily if needed.” Her last tip for students, also for faculty and administrators, is the power of rewarding oneself, even after completing small tasks.

From elementary to college, school has not looked the same. Many people, all ages, struggle with online learning, but Hubbard has some tips.

“Reward yourself. You work on your schoolwork and complete the day by doing something you enjoy,” she said. “We often do not reward ourselves for doing ‘little things,’ but we need to realize how amazing these accomplishments are.”

“Keeping a healthy routine is the first step,” she said. “I have noticed with students that quarantine has thrown

She added, “Positive reinforcement is one of the best techniques I have seen over my years as an administrator.”

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