Contributors Lydia Jungkind Writer | Copy Editor
Lydia was born and raised in Germany. After living in the same village for 19 years, she decided it was time for a radical change of scenery and moved to California where she found a new home. Lydia lives, breathes and studies politics at Foothill. She has worked on several campaigns and wants to become an investigative journalist.
Quinton Pete
Photographer | Graphic Designer
Quinton Pete is a portrait photographer who specializes in street photography. Through his gift of capturing the emotion of his subjects, Quinton reveals the heart and soul of stories untold. Devoted to his craft for eight years now, Quinton is now pursuing a mass communications and journalism degree to help perfect his passion and hone his talents. 2 | Fall 2019
Priya Thomas Chloe Lischinsky Editor-in-Chief | Writer
Growing up in Palo Alto with a mathematically inclined brain, it was easy for Chloe to be swept up in the clamors for more Women in STEM. She studied Computer Science at UC Berkeley and landed a cushy software engineering job before realizing just one year later that just because you’re good at something doesn’t mean you should do it for a living. Chloe now works as a paralegal and studies journalism at Foothill.
Our Mission We have two goals at The Foothill Poppy - to highlight the achievements of Foothill students and faculty, and to encourage you to look up from your books and explore the world outside of academia.
Managing Editor | Writer
Priya is a junior at Scripps College in Claremont, California, where she is majoring in English and minoring in studio art. She is taking a semester off and studying journalism, psychology, and graphic design at Foothill College. In her spare time she enjoys creative writing and long-distance running.
Charleen Earley Adviser
Charleen is a 20-year freelance writer for Bay Area newspapers and magazines, a college journalism teacher at Foothill College in Los Altos and Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, as well as a magazine publisher of Colorful Living Magazine. When she's not grading papers or writing articles, she's reading or working on her next novel.
Hailey Knapp-De Grave Graphic Designer | Writer
Hailey is a Sagittarius from California's central valley who has moved many times. She enjoys reading, writing and arguing. As a future journalist, she loves solving mysteries .
Rebekah Jackson
Copy & News Editor | Writer Rebekah is a business consultancy principle owner of RMLJ Consultancy, LLP, returning to Foothill College for ongoing education, a political activist on voting, education and opinions. She’s also an animal rescue volunteer, and a proud member of the baby boomer generation.
Frank Bautista Distribution Lead | Writer
Frank was born and raised in Silicon Valley. He’s a licensed Realtor and a musician, while majoring in communications.
Larry Larkin
Stephanie Ellis Writer
Stephanie is an avid reader and loves to travel. Reading peaked her interest in creative writing and her experience in Foothill's journalism class sparked her love for travel writing and flash-nonfiction stories. Stephanie enjoys book blogging and taking classes during her free time and hopes to become a freelance writer.
Writer
Larry grew up in San Mateo, CA. He is pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. He will be transferring to a four-year college next fall. He is a big sports fan, and can talk sports all day and never get tired of it.
Want to write a story for the Foothill Poppy? We accept freelance contributions through thefoothillpoppy@gmail.com
Lynn Racelo Contributing Writer
Lynn has been to five countries in the past five years, earned a B.S. in Clinical Nutrition at UC Davis, and has since returned to San Jose to work late nights in the emergency room as a scribe. With plans to take the MCAT in 2020, she appreciates any free time she can get off the grid to hunt for mushrooms. This quarter, she is working with Lisa Schultheis and Gillian Schultz at Foothill College, as co-advisors for her mycologyfocused independent study.
Interested in joining us for the Winter Quarter? Check out the back page for more info on Foothill's Journalism class. Fall 2019 | 3
12
“An unforgettable interview with foothill professor Sherri Harvey” -Stephanie Ellis
A letter from the editor: Dear fellow students, In our very first issue of The Foothill Poppy you will read about our undefeated football team, our home-grown rock band, and the Foothill class that will teach you wisdom skills. We also look at the politics of health care, education and economics. Since 2020 is an election year, I hope that these articles get you excited to cast your vote! In 2018, I spent two months in Arizona trying to convince people to vote in the midterm elections. I heard the same lines over and over. “I don’t care about politics.” “All politicians are the same.” “Nothing ever changes anyway.” As frustrating as politics can be, the people we elect to office and the policies they enact have a massive effect on our lives. In this issue, Lydia Jungkind writes about the drastic differences between our healthcare system and the one in her home country of Germany. I write about universal basic income, a proposal to tackle income inequality. The next president will decide the future of our country. But it’s not just who we choose for president that matters. An article by Larry Larkin describes a new law that will change the lives of college athletes in California. It was written by California state senators you’ve probably never heard of. So if you care about change, don’t forget about the down-ballot candidates.
In This Issue: Foothill Features
5 Owls go Undefeated -Larry Larkin
6 What Positive Psychology can offer you -Priya Thomas
9 Let’s get funky
with the future of fungi -Lynn Racelo
10 Local Band
Bay Area Broadcast Student Standpoint
16 42 Silicon Val-
26 A farewell to
ley offers an alter- healthcare native to traditional -Lydia Jungkind four-year college -Chloe Lischinsky 28 Joker could inspire violence, but 19 California so could any other Earthquakes Shak- film ing on New Tech- -Priya Thomas nology -Rebekah Jackson 31 Fair Pay to Play Act 20 Party for a -Larry Larkin cause -Frank Bautista
Crow Eats Man Amps up for New 23 Marchers Release demand universal -Hailey Knapp-De- basic income Grave -Chloe Lischinsky
15 Blast From the Past
Chloe Lischinsky Editor-in-Chief Would you like to report an error, offer feedback or send us a story idea? Email us at thefoothillpoppy@gmail.com
Funded by: For more Foothill Poppy articles, visit www.foothillscript.com
Owls go undefeated
STORY AND PHOTOS BY LARRY LARKIN The Foothill College football team made history as they completed their first 10-0 season in the history of the program, which dates back to 1959. On Nov. 16, the Owls defeated the Los Medanos Mustangs by a final score of 34-3 for their final game of the regular season. The Owls had a rocky start for their final game. Their defense was on the field for the first 9:58 of the game. But eventually, The Owls took over the game and dominated in all three phases: offense, defense and special teams. Los Medanos didn’t have an answer for the Owls. Foothill quarterback Cam Rottler had a big day with 3 touchdown passes, including 2 long ones. He completed 13 of his 24 passes and threw for 186 yards. Foothill sophomore linebacker Sam Fraley said when describing the team’s season, “I would just say that it’s been a historic season so far, but it definitely hasn’t been by accident. We’ve been lucky to have a great core group of guys who’ve fully bought in and brought the same intensity on a consistent, weekly basis. We are also lucky to have such great coaching staff and athletic training staff that’s helped us play at our full potential.” Next up for the Owls will be the NCFC American Championship Bowl against Reedley next Saturday, Nov. 23 at Reedley College.
Top left and bottom right: Foothill Owls celebrate a 34 -3 win against Los Medanos Mustangs.
FALL 2019 | 5
WHAT POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CAN OFFER YOU BY PRIYA THOMAS Positive Psychology - the class that
and what implications those things
right side of the bed, every morning for
have for other parts of life.
the rest of your life. Right? Wrong.
Clinical psychology is yet to catch
"One of the biggest misunderstandings about Positive Psychology in pop culture is that it only focuses on positive emotions,” said Dr. Shani Robins, professor of the Positive Psychology course at Foothill College. “It’s an easy mistake to make. But the actual focus of the field is the building of strengths, and the
up with that.” Dr. Robins is nationally recognized for pioneering Wisdom Therapy, a set of practices designed to enhance love, relationships, and long-term wellbeing. It incorporates skills like mindfulness and gratitude, drawing
byproduct of those strengths is usually
on decades-old research that has
the reduction of anger and stress.”
now become part of our collective
The students in Dr. Robins’ class are
vocabulary. It might come as a
all hoping to build strengths through
surprise that originally, it was just
this class, but not the kind of strengths
one of many submissions to a
you might expect from a typical college
college contest.
course. It’s not professional
"It was a competition at UCLA
development or academic prowess the
undergraduate research in the
students are looking to cultivate.
psych department,” said Dr.
Rather, they’re searching for something
Robins. “My thesis won the
a little more elusive: perspective.
competition, and then it went to the
"I often feel frustrated with the state of the world, and with myself,” said Kiarra H., a student in Dr. Robins’ class. “I hoped this class would help me be more optimistic.” According to Dr. Robins, developing skills like optimism and resilience is a rigorous process, but it’s worth delving
6 | FALL 2019
mindfulness, courage, and wisdom,
will teach you how to wake up on the
state level and then the national level. So that was very reinforcing. It’s like, okay, I'm getting some recognition for this. It's winning these awards. So there's probably something to it.” It turns out there was something
into, and not just in the classroom. He
to it. Since then, terms like
argues that Positive Psychology is
“meditation” and “mindfulness”
unique because it explores the
have exploded into the vernacular,
emotional and cognitive pathways to
especially in liberal hot-spots like
strengths like "empathy, compassion,
the Bay Area. However, according
Photo by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
"So it saves money and saves lives with only eight weeks of meditation that's pretty amazing."
Photo by Jill Wellington from Pixabay to psychologists like Dr. Robins,
Western media, early forms of
doubled every year. Pretty
research confirmed the validity of these
meditation are referenced as far back
amazing growth.”
practices long before they were adopted
as the third century BCE in China and
by pop culture and the industrial
1500 BCE in India. The health
Psychology have to offer
complex.
benefits have long been
students? Developing wisdom
acknowledged in Asian cultures, and,
and mindfulness may not be at
according to Dr. Robins, became a
the top of your typical college
"Now,” he said, “folks are coming together under this umbrella of Positive Psychology, but the stuff was already done in humanistic psychology. For example, Abraham Maslow’s model of self-actualization was already around in the 1960s. "Carl Rogers (studied) the deep need for empathy and unconditional positive regard. And so, empathy, compassion, and mindfulness were around us in the 1950s. Transcendental Meditation came around in 1978; Jon Kabat Zinn and a couple of other people made it famous.” Now, meditation has become so
So what exactly does Positive
focus of American research in the late
student’s bucket list. But that’s
1970s.
what’s different about Dr.
"(Researchers) at University of
Robins’ class: there’s no
Massachusetts Amherst found that
“typical” student with a
people who meditated had fewer heart
“typical” list of goals.
attacks,” said Dr. Robins. “They sent
Everyone is there for
that to medical (specialists) and sure
something different - something
enough, (meditation) made a
that will last longer than report
monetizable difference. So it saves
cards and resumes. There are
money and saves lives with only eight
students of all ages and
weeks of meditation - that’s pretty
backgrounds; some are retired
amazing.
while others are fresh out of
"So then Mindfulness Based Stress
high school. Some are
Reduction became a thing, and the
navigating career changes while
popular that people can download apps
interest in it expanded exponentially.
others are still trying to figure
like Headspace and Insight Timer onto
In the mid-1970s, only three or four
out what their career will be.
their phones. But while some may view
articles were published on
it as a hippy trend trademarked by
mindfulness. Since then it has
According to Dr. Robins, part of what makes Positive
FALL 2019 | 7
Psychology so unique is that it
"It can be frustrating at times,”
belongs to multiple spheres of life
she said, “due to the fact that it’s
and study. It’s academic, it’s
a group of many different
cultural, it’s personal. It belongs to science but also to art; it is both primordial and contemporary. Juggling research with both teaching and counseling has allowed Dr. Robins to fully appreciate the cross-sectionality of his field. “It’s good to go back and forth,” he said. “I bring clinical cases into the classroom. If I were just to talk about hypotheticals, (my classes) wouldn’t be as practical or as interesting. And then in my clinical settings I sometimes cite research to my clients and say, well, the research shows that if you do this, it’s gonna be helpful to you. So it’s cross-fertilization.” Dr. Robins’ class is halfway through their semester, and already the students are having diverse reactions to the material. For Kiarra, discussing issues with
"It is safe to say that positive psychology is a lifestyle I have adopted."
people, all of whom have differing opinions that I don’t always agree with, but I think the class gives more than it takes overall. It’s nice to have access to an entire group’s wisdom on all walks of life.” For Henry Rodriguez, another student in the class, Positive Psychology has done more than feed intellectual curiosity. “It has not only helped mentally but also benefitted me in health,” he said. “Practicing the Wisdom Skills - mindfulness, empathy, compassion, humility, gratitude, ego transcendence, realism, and emotional intelligence - has helped me deal with anxiety and depression.” Practicing these skills has improved his relationships as well. “It has also helped me with my marriage,” he said, “and how we
students whose ideas sometimes
deal with our problems. It is safe
conflict with her own has been
to say that positive psychology
both illuminating and challenging.
is a lifestyle I have adopted.”
8 | FALL 2019
Photo by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Let's get funky. The future is fungi Story and photos by Lynn Racelo Clathrus ruber or "Basket Stinkhorn" found in the bamboo garden of Foothill Campus
Three summers ago, I took Gillian Schultz’s Evolution, Systematics & Ecology class at Foothill College. Our professor started her morning lecture with a deceptively simple piece of trivia. “What is the largest living organism on Earth?” she asked.
Since Gillian’s Schultz class, I keep myself busy with
Someone answered elephant, while others listed different
creative pursuits within
species of whales, but we soon ran out of guesses. Schultz
finsta (fungus insta) @shehyphae as a pseudonym to interact
smiled mischievously; she was about to blow our minds
with other mycophiles worldwide – plus it helps me keep
with something bigger than all of the answers combined.
track of where and when I found certain mushrooms. In my
“It’s a fungus,” Gillian Schultz answered finally.
the myco-community. I use my
pursuit of all mycology-related information, I have
Nicknamed the ‘Humongous Fungus,’ the Armillaria is the
consequently learned multitudes about local ecosystems and
largest and indisputably, the oldest living thing on this
all other living organisms with which all sorts of fungi
planet.
symbiotically exist. I hope that a couple of these fun fungus
Carefully distributed genetic sampling has confirmed it to be a single organism that’s several eons old and hundreds of hectares in size.
facts inspire your curiosity further. Medicinal mushrooms have been utilized for centuries in shamanistic medicine, but many of our modern-day Western
All mushrooms are fungi, but not all fungi are
pharmaceuticals are also fungi-derived. The antibiotic
mushrooms. Fungal cells, or hyphae, are composed of walls
Penicillin originally came from Penicillium chrysogenum
of chitin, which is also found in the exoskeletons of
and cholesterol-lowering statins from Aspergillus terreus.
crustaceans and insects.
Bread, wine, and beer are all thanks to yeast, the single-
Fungi exist in all niches of nature decomposing organic matter which makes them the original recyclers that ensure the cycle of life is a closed loop.
celled fungi also known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which literally translates to ‘sugar-fungus of beer.’ Asian cuisine’s affinity for fungi keeps commercial mushroom cultivators in business. Enoki or Flammulina velutipes is probably one of my all-time simmering hotpot favorites. Soy sauce, sake and soju are all made from rice fermented by Aspergillus oryzae or koji. Amanita muscaria, recognized as the iconic toadstool mushroom, reportedly has hallucinogenic effects, which makes one feel like they’re larger than life or like their surroundings are larger when consumed. Within the past couple years, psilocybin, the active psychedelic compound in Psilocybe (“si-lo-so-bee”) mushrooms, has been gaining recognition for its potential therapeutic use for mental health. If I’ve still got your attention, I hope you think fungi are super cool and are dying to learn more. You can check out your local mycological society where you can meet others with similar interests and go on forays to find fungi. Stay tuned for upcoming Myco Walks led by me. Locations near Foothill College campus to be determined after we get some proper rain in the winter!
Fingertip fungi found at UC Santa Cruz @shehyphae
Fall 2019 | 9
Emily Barnes performing at one of Crow Eats Mans' live shows. (Shusuke Minimami)
LOCAL BAND 'CROW EATS MAN' AMPS UP FOR REALEASE OF NEW MUSIC By Hailey Knapp-De Grave
Crow Eats Man is
again, we wrote something
Mountain View’s very own
different."
home-grown rock band.
Other members of the band
Officially formed on April
include, Emily Barnes,
Fool’s day in 2016, the band
drums, Nick Coleman, bass,
has been anything but a joke
and both Reku Heims and
beyond their moniker.
Elliot Hu play lead and
With one album - also
rhythm guitars respectively.
called Crow Eats Man -
The group originally met
already under their belt, they
in high school, most of the
are just about ready to debut
members having already
their sophomore project - a
shown increasing interest
currently untitled EP - after
in music.
spending nearly the last three The band went through some style changes during their hiatus, "The second album is more hard-rock, punk,” said Sebastian Sanchez, the band's vocalist who also plays rhythm guitar. "We didn’t write the first album over
Each were doing their own
Nick Coleman (Shusuke Minimami)
years working on it.
thing, but soon realized they might just be better together than apart. “We all jammed together, and then we looked at each other and went 'oh lets just make this a band,'" Sanchez said. Band member Heims felt the
Sebastion Sanchez during a performance. (Shusuke Minimami)
Crow Eats Man is from a translated Latin poem, and not everyone was so sold on the idea. “it was literally a temporary name until we came up with something better,” Heims said. No one liked any of Coleman's ideas for a name, “I did not want to have anything to do with birds.” Coleman said. Despite the name disagreements, they remain a close-knit group of friends. Barnes said simply, "I would not be who I am without Crow Eats Man, that’s the only way
Elliot Hu and his Ibanez guitar. (Shusuke Minimami)
to put it.”
same, “It was completely random and it miraculously worked,” he says.
Reku Heims plays his Ibanez guitar. (Shusuke Minimami)
If some sort of fate brought them together, it was the band’s steady dedication to the music they create that has kept them together. New songs have been written on and off over the course of their recent three-year hiatus. Recording took the band up to Portland for a week in October, where they used the King’s Hill Records studio.
The newly recorded EP will hopefully be released, “as soon as possible,” Heims said. “We’re just tweaking it,” Coleman added. “Perfecting it.” While the band mostly agrees on
Listen to the Crow Eats Man EP on Spotify and follow the band on Instagram @croweatsman
what they want from the group, one thing they did not agree on was the name Crow Eats Man.
Heims and Barnes in the King' Hill Record studio. (Nick Coleman)
The band playing a live show in 2018. (Medi Pezzini)
An Unforgettable Interview with Foothill Professor Sherri Harvey By Stephanie Ellis
Photos and quotes provided by Sherri Harvey “In a world fraught with the pressure and responsibility to serve others, and to constantly plug into the world around us, being cut loose from purpose, even if only for a short time, felt sublime.” -Cut Loose from Purpose in Tahoe National Forest
I’m sitting in a restaurant reviewing my notes for the interview with Sherri Harvey - a writer, horseback rider, animal advocate, photographer, educator and current faculty member at Foothill.
I was
as prepared as one can be for the interview and full of excitement. Being an avid reader, I find the opportunity to interview an author mindblowing. I am an educator, a student, a sister … the list goes on and with these different roles comes the pressures and
Sherri Harvey is an English teacher at Foothill.
responsibilities to serve others, something we can all relate to. So, to have this moment to interview a writer feels like being cut loose from my world. It is a chance for me to explore the world of writing, while gaining some insight and guidance not only for myself, but for others who feel the pressures of society.
“I think about how little control any of us really have of our surroundings. Really, of our lives.” -Costa Rican Mojo
In walks Sherri Harvey. She greets me with a warm smile and welcoming words. We take a seat in a corner booth to help get away from all the background noise. She immediately put me at ease with her friendliness and our interview turns into a conversation - one that I will never forget. Harvey loves anything horse-related.
12 | Fall 2019
Sherri Harvey was born in 1969 in
In 2000, with an MA in Fiction, she
"I need to be likeable. In order
Indiana. Her love for travel came from
started teaching writing composition
her mother who worked as a ticket agent
classes at San Jose State University.
for Delta Air Lines. Growing up, she
After 15 years and a million hours spent
humble... allow my insecurities
always had her nose in a book.
grading papers, she felt she had lost her
Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time,
creativity.
to shine through so my readers
was a favorite. At a young age, she began her lifelong
Although she started publishing in 2013, it was slow-going and she needed
love affair with animals. She couldn’t
more inspiration. So, in 2015 she went
stand the sight of animals being locked
back to school to earn an MFA in
up in cages and became a vegetarian at
Creative Nonfiction. During this time,
the age of 15, something very difficult
she wrote her first creative nonfiction
to do in the Midwest when dinners were
memoir, Drink the Moon.
made of some sort of meat and potatoes.
In 2016, after a trip to South Africa,
to be relatable, I need to be
can see themselves in my stories." -The Story of My Life Becomes My Life Harvey’s humility is what makes her articles unique. She communicates
During graduate school, she rescued a
her creativity was rekindled after a
effectively, using her own experiences.
racehorse with a broken leg and her
South African horseback safari, and an
She shares her insecurities, which can
passion for animals was once again
elephant encounter which had a
be dark but also humorous. Harvey also
ignited.
profound impact on her.
shows us different perspectives in her
This experience led her to travel
“An animal advocate is someone who believes in the right of animals to exist without fear of abuse, exploitation or extermination. Some people feel chosen to do this work. Animals
and animals in them and allowing us to
semester of grad school, she took a
really feel them. She makes us really
travel writing class and discovered that
understand her characters, which in turn
life is about the inner and outer journey
leads us into our own self-discovery.
as well as the stories we share with one another. In 2019, Harvey was assigned a job to photograph an Oprah Winfrey’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise for the Triple AAA magazine!
find them. The slow unraveling
So, how does Harvey find time for it
of this calling does not happen
all? Of course, work is her first priority.
overnight; in fact, it’s a slow unfolding over a lifetime of paying compassionate attention to other lives.” -Connectedness
stories, connecting readers to the people
writing. In 2018, during her last
Her second priority is her animals. With the rest of her time, she lives with an attitude of gratitude by writing, reading, and photographing what she feels passionate about: other people’s stories. She feels grateful for it all, and she stays humble.
While conducting my research, I found a part of myself in her stories. I was able to relate to every article she has published, and I am not exaggerating when I say every. Harvey also gives animals a voice and shows us that we can learn a lot from them. After her adventures tracking elephants in South Africa, she wrote a travel essay called The Real King of the Jungle. She found that the elephants accept and respect the presence of others, and she wanted to share their message with the rest of the world.
Harvey was the photographer for Oprah Winfrey’s Girls’ Getaway Cruise.
Fall 2019 | 13
"I am convinced that we have been assigned the task of sharing their message: We come in peace. We come in peace." -The Real King of the Jungle
So, what’s next for Harvey? She
not-for-profit Australian organization. If
continues to teach at San Jose State
you would like to donate, visit the
University and is in the process of
Orangutan Odysseys, Harvey’s
writing her second book: The
orangutan fundraising page:
Accidental Advocate, stories about her
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/
animal encounters in various countries,
Sherri-Harvey
and showing their intelligence in problem-solving, communicating, and exhibiting empathy and curiosity. She continues to write for various magazines and does pro-bono photography for animal rescue
Harvey writes with this level of
organizations, which can all be found on
compassion and empathy in all of her
her website:
work. Her flash nonfiction article, Her
https://www.sherricoyote.com.
Gold Old Gringos, is a beautifully
In February 2020, she will be heading
written glimpse of the emotions felt
to Borneo to help save Bornean and
from the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting
Sumatran orangutans. She is raising
In addition to her excellent writing, Harvey is a public figure who uses her platform to raise awareness and contribute back to the world and to teach us:.
"To be kinder to thyself... To get along better in the world. To be in touch with masculine and feminine sides at the same time. To be humble. To be more sensitive. To give and release. To have control, yet to let go. A conscious awareness of the world around us that becomes an unconscious habit... What you put out to the universe comes back to you." -Matt Brown and East-West Training Concepts
To learn more about Sherri Harvey visit sherricoyote.com 14 | Fall 2019
funds for The Orangutan Project, the
"We all have cracks. That is the very thing that unites us all: our inveterate vulnerability. Most people I know are somehow compromised... It has made me realize that I can overcome anything life tosses at me." -One Small Crack
BLAST FROM THE PAST In order to look toward the future, we must learn from the past.
These photos were provided by the Foothill-De Anza Historic Archives. To learn more about the archives and Foothill’s history, visit https://www.fhda.edu/_about-us/_archives.html Fall 2019 | 15
42 SILICON VALLEY OFFERS AN ALTERNATIVE TO TRADITIONAL FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE Story and photos by Chloe Lischinsky
Instead of classrooms, 42 Silicon Valley has a computer lab that's open 24/7.
In 2017, Igor Lucic was working as a
The high cost of college was another
education system. 42's sister campus, 42
used car salesman in Ohio, but he
deterrent. “I remember my sister really
Silicon Valley, opened in Fremont, CA
wanted to do something more with his
struggled every year to get
in 2016.
life. He found his answer when he saw
scholarships,” Lucic said. “You can’t
an ad for 42 Silicon Valley, a free
even just focus on your studies. You
already exist online, but 42
software engineering school in
have to focus on how to get the money
differentiates itself by providing free
California. 42 Silicon Valley doesn’t
for studying.” So when Lucic saw that
dorms and a computer lab that’s open to
have teachers, classes or books, but
42 Silicon Valley offered free education
students 24/7.
instead provides a self-paced
and free dorms, he thought he’d found
curriculum where students learn by
the school of his dreams.
completing projects. Lucic had attended a vocational high
42 was founded in 2013 in Paris by
Many free resources to learn coding
Providing a space for students to learn together is key, according to 42’s Chief Academic Officer, Gaetan Juvin. He
French billionaire Xavier Niel. It was
said that online courses don’t work
school and worked as a test engineer
named for the “Answer to the Ultimate
because the students don’t have
before taking over his family’s used car
Question of Life” in The Hitchhiker's
motivation. When the students work
dealership. Lucic wanted to be a
Guide to the Galaxy. According to a
together, they motivate each other.
software engineer, but he had known
report by NPR, Niel’s goal was to
since middle school that he didn’t want
reduce the shortage of software
Silicon Valley doesn’t base admissions
to attend a traditional four-year college.
developers in France and to give
on applicants’ grades or SAT scores.
opportunities to students who didn’t
You don’t even have to graduate high
succeed in France’s mainstream
school to apply to 42.
Lucic had heard that a degree was not necessary to be a programmer.
16 | Fall 2019
Unlike a traditional college, 42
people can get into the program eventually if they keep trying. It doesn’t get any easier once you’re a cadet. Students no longer have to complete a project every day, but the projects get harder and require more planning and self-motivation. Hampton said some projects can take up to four months to complete. In addition to getting motivation from their peers, 42 has a built in point system which incentivises students to keep progressing. When students complete projects, they gain experience points. When they gain enough experience points, they gain a level. To stay in the dorms, students have to gain one level per month and spend at least 35 hours per week in the lab. Students say that the environment is highly collaborative, and that the only people who don’t succeed at 42 are those who are afraid to ask for help. In order to enforce collaboration, there’s a peer-to-peer grading system. In order to have your project graded, you have to In the Piscine you either sink or swim.
help other students or grade their projects.
The only requirements are that you
Not everyone can handle the intense
While 42 doesn’t have name
are 18 or older and that you complete a
schedule and lack of structure.
recognition, and doesn’t award an
month-long training program called the
According to Juvin, around 30% of
official degree, some of its students
Piscine, which anyone can sign up for.
applicants drop out before the end of the
have successfully transitioned to a full
Originally, there was an online test that
Piscine.
time job. Juvin said that companies are
you had to pass first, but the test has been removed. Piscine means swimming pool in
60-80% of applicants who complete
impressed by the abilities of 42’s
the Piscine are then accepted into 42 as
students. For example, Ford came to 42
cadets. Admission is based on how well
to hold a hackathon, intending to pick
French. The idea is that in a swimming
applicants perform on projects and
one student for an internship, but they
pool you either sink or swim. There’s
exams. Preference is given to those who
came away with four.
no teacher to listen to or books to read.
spend more time in the lab, to ensure
All students get is a project assignment.
that admission is given to students who
to compare 42 with other methods for
They have one day to complete the
deserve it, rather than students who
learning programming because the
assignment, with only the internet and
already know how to program.
company doesn’t track the percentage
their peers for guidance. Students have to work hard during the
If a student is not accepted after their first Piscine, they can always try again.
Despite these success stories, it’s hard
of its students who land full-time software engineering jobs.
Piscine. Elijah Hampton, another
Hampton did two Piscines before being
student at 42 Silicon Valley, said he
accepted as a cadet, and Lucic knows
level 21, but many students leave
worked 10 -16 hours per day for the
someone who did four before being
earlier. Levin Weinstein was in 42
entire month.
accepted. According to Hampton, most
Silicon Valley’s first cadet cohort in
Officially, graduation from 42 is at
17 | Fall 2019
2016. After reaching level 7, Levin unlocked the internship project. He got an internship at Samsung Electronics America. Afterwards, he accepted a full time job at a startup instead of returning to 42 full time. He said the graduation certificate is a nice incentive, but the main goal is to get a job as a software engineer. Even if you’re not a full-time student at 42 anymore, you can still come back to work on projects. Levin finds it useful to come back to learn new concepts. “A lot of the higher-level projects teach you things that you couldn’t really learn elsewhere,” Levin said. “A lot of the pedagogy has been written by people who literally took over the internet in France.” Igor Lucic moved from Ohio to California in January 2018 to enroll in 42.
Igor Lucic in the 42 Silicon Valley computer lab.
It was a difficult transition for him because of the 42’s alternative teaching style. “I’ll never forget the first project. We had to replicate the standard C library, and it never explained why you’re doing it, what’s going on or how to start.” Lucic said. “That’s exactly how the school operates, and that was really tough to get over because I’ve never been taught like that.” At first it was intimidating to have so little guidance, but Lucic was surprised to realize how much he could accomplish with just perseverance and help from his classmates. “Eventually I was just able to buckle down and realize that I got this.”
Interested in applying to 42 Silicon Valley? The next Piscine starts on January 6, 2020. Visit 42.us.org to learn more.
Igor Lucic is a student ambassador for 42 Silicon Valley. He gives tours to visitors from around the world and has the currency collection to prove it.
18 | Fall 2019
California earthquakes shaking on new technology By Rebekah Jackson
Last month, the east San Francisco Bay Area shook,
Harnessing the sensors in a cell phone, the app can
rattled and rolled when a magnitude 4.5 earthquake hit
detect quakes at 5.0 on the Richter scale and above.
the Pleasant Hill area in Contra Costa County on Oct.
Data collected by the app is sent back to the
15, 2019.
scientists to be used to build better earthquake
Residents in the East Bay city of Antioch felt the trembler at 10:33 p.m.
detection computers. The algorithm for the app knows to ignore normal shaking.
Antioch resident Connie Langston, 61, was at home at the time.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s ‘ShakeAlert’ ground system sensor prototype has had successful
“In one way we are just used to them, but they do remind you that we live in California,” she said. The local trembler prompted memories for Langston of the Bay Area’s 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. California is earthquake country. The Loma Prieta Richter scale magnitude 6.9
tests, resulting in an eight second warning for the recent Napa 6.0 earthquake –time enough to get to a door frame, or under a table. Shaking things up even more in the advancement of earthquake technology is an invention by structural seismic engineer Victor Zayas at
earthquake hit the Bay Area 30 years ago, back on Oct.
Earthquake Protection Systems based in Vallejo.
17, 1989.
Zayas designed giant blue concave saucers that act
That now infamous quake caused significant damage; collapsing a freeway, a bridge deck; even disrupting a world series game. There was no warning.
as massive shock absorbers at the bases of buildings that can withstand up to a 9.0 earthquake. Hospitals, transportation and power sources could
Earthquakes still happen in
be spared the damage from an earthquake and
California – some more dangerous than others. But we
remain functional while riding on the saucers. San
now have technology that may give the average person
Francisco’s new hospital rests on these giant blue
a few seconds warning of an impending earthquake via
saucers.
a smartphone application.
The ‘MyShake’ is a free
Apple’s new circular headquarters in Cupertino
smartphone app developed by UC Berkeley’s
sits on 700 blue saucers, instead of the ground;
Seismology Laboratory scientists.
lending credence to its moniker “the spaceship.”
What is unclear is if present buildings could be retrofitted with the saucers, potentially benefiting existing structures such as the beautiful buildings at Foothill College. Connie Langston is excited about the new technology, stating “I never thought my cell-phone could tell me to get out of the way of an earthquake!”
Photo by Chloe Lischinsky MyShake is a free smartphone app that can detect earthquakes.
Fall 2019 | 19
with Roberto Alvarez
Party for a cause
20 | Fall 2019
By Frank Bautista Photos provided by Roberto Alvarez
Many startup companies begin in a garage, but for Roberto Alvarez, most commonly known as “Tito,” he discovered his gift for organizing events when he would put parties together after work. Alvarez, founder and CEO of Chaselove Homeless Outreach, would message a couple of his friends to come over and party at his house while he was still at work. He'd have a friend pick up the keys to let people into the house, because he would be working. By the time Alvarez got home, the party would be in full swing. “I would show up with my burrito and orange juice,” Alvarez said. Alvarez describes his parties as big with a lot of people he didn’t know. A lot of his friends at one point were strangers that he met at his own parties. Angel Hernandez was one of them, and now he’s one of Alvarez’s closest friends who helped create Chaselove. Alvarez decided to use his people skills and friendly personality for good, and decided to help the homeless in the only way he knew how. With the help of his closest friends and family, he was able to create the organization many in his community know as Chaselove. Walking into a Chaselove event, you might think you are walking into a party, concert and art expo
With the help of Alvarez's closest friends and family, he was able to create the organization many in his community know as Chaselove.
all rolled into one. You will find a wide variety of artists, DJs, poets, painters, rappers, live bands, solo artists, singers, and fashion designers, to name a few. But there’s a method to the variety. At Chaselove, many talented people get together for one purpose – to help the homeless while doing what they love to do ... party. Chaselove has several events throughout the year and can be broken down into two categories, fundraiser and outreach events. The fundraiser events include Cafe con Leche, Pura Vida, and the main event, the Chaselove Experience Summer/Winter Homeless Outreach Fundraiser. Latin American cultural concepts can be seen within the organization. “Chaselove is an organization that uses culture to make a difference in the community,” Alvarez said. Cafe con Leche (coffee with milk) is one of many Chaselove events, and it’s one event that has a more intimate feel. “In Latino culture, it’s always a thing where parents invite their friends to come over to the house and have coffee and talk for hours,” Alvarez said. “People can hold conversations and just be honest. I always thought that was a cool idea to implement into the shows.”
Chaselove has helped many homeless in his community, by providing them with basic necessities like clothes, hygiene supplies and food.
21 | Fall 2019
That same theme can be seen throughout a Cafe con Leche show. “It’s an open place to be vulnerable and creative,” Alvarez said. Pura Vida is the newest addition of shows hosted by Chaselove. It’s a fashion show where fashion designers have an opportunity to showcase their clothing designs. The lastest Pura Vida theme was based on Costa Rica’s traditional clothing, which local models wore down the runway. Pura Vida is a name that comes from Costa Rica, and translates to “simple life.” The same way in Hawaii where people will say ‘Aloha.’ Alvarez is finding new and creative ways to bring the community together to make a difference, with the outreach side of Chaselove, including Tito’s BBQ, Socks of Love, El Recalentado (The leftovers) and Heaven on Wheels Homeless Outreach Event. The idea behind Tito’s BBQ came about when Alvarez wanted to spend his birthday with the least fortunate. He brings food, clothes, brand new socks and undergarments, hygiene supplies and basic necessities.
Chaselove is an organization that uses culture to make a difference in the community
Photo above: Pura Vida is Chaselove's newest show. It's a show that uses local fashion designers to design the model's outfits. This year the theme was based on Costa Rica's culture.
Alvarez invites people via social media to join in. Socks of love is typically done during the winter, since after spending time with the homeless and asking them what they needed the most, he realized they needed socks to help them stay warm. Which is how he came up with the name, Socks of Love. Alvarez is a man of faith in Jesus; however, what he does isn’t Christian. “I am not going to say ‘chase Jesus,’ I am going to say chase love, but I want you to know that for me, God is love,” Alvarez said. With a strong drive to make a difference, Alvarez wants to help others make a difference, too. “Tell me what you are passionate about,” Alvarez said. “And I’ll do something with that.”
Alvarez takes the time to sit down with the least fortunate to connect through conversation and to understand what they are going through.
22 | Fall 2019
For more information about Chaselove, visit them on Instagram @ChaseLoveYall or email Roberto Alvarez at titoalvarez97@gmail.com.
Universal basic income marchers in San Francisco.
Marchers demand universal basic income Story and photos by Chloe Lischinsky
extra money, he would pay off his debt,
On Oct. 27, 2019, Watson and other
and he wouldn’t have to worry about
Yang and UBI supporters marched
the essentials.
through the streets of San Francisco to
At age 18, debates about health care
demand universal basic income. The
aren't relevant to Watson, but Yang’s
march ended with a rally at the Civic
ideas would actually affect him.
Center with speeches by UBI advocates,
“He will change the most in the shortest amount of time,” Watson said. Yang’s proposal to give $1000 a
including Andrew Yang. Yang has made UBI the central idea of his campaign because he believes it’s
month to every U.S. adult is known as
the best solution to unemployment
universal basic income (UBI). UBI may
created by automation. Yang’s
politics until he heard Andrew Yang
be implemented in a variety of ways,
campaign website says, ‘In the next 12
speak about universal basic
but always involves the government
years, 1 out of 3 American workers are
income.Yang is a 2020 Democratic
periodically giving money to its
at risk of losing their jobs to new
presidential candidate who wants to
citizens, as a reinforcement or
technologies.’ He believes that UBI
give every U.S. adult $1000 a month, no
replacement of the current social safety
would provide a safety net for people
strings attached.
net.
while they retrain for a new job.
Daniel Watson wasn’t interested in
For Watson, who works as a delivery
Yang is currently UBI’s most famous
The organizers of the march think
person for Doordash, $1000 a month
advocate, but it’s an idea that has
universal basic income will decrease
would make a real difference. With the
existed for a long time.
economic inequality.
Fall 2019 | 23
“What if people choose not to spend it on health care and education?” McCall said. Attendees of the march are optimistic about the problems UBI would solve, yet they are less sure about how much it would cost or how the country would pay for it. March speaker Agatha Bacelar said UBI would cost trillions of dollars, but it would save money on other government programs. “Taking care of people and making them more self-reliant is good for everyone,” Bacelar said. Gisele Huff, a sponsor of the march, said a UBI of $1000 a month would cost close to $4 trillion a year. Her estimate is in line with many other cost estimates for a UBI. But some say the true cost is actually much lower. For example, American economist Karl Wunderquist gives a rough estimate of $539 billion a year. These estimates differ because they use different calculation methods. The simplest method is to just multiply the Marchers gathered at the Civic Center in San Francisco.
Organizers wrote in a press release,
Agatha Bacelar, one of the speakers at
amount of money received per year by the number of people receiving it.
"Universal Basic Income is endorsed by
the march, thinks that universal basic
experts, economists and Nobel Prize
income would strengthen our
winners across the political spectrum as
democracy by enabling people to quit
a solution to end poverty and inequality
their jobs and run for office. Others see
Income: Back-of-the-Envelope
exacerbated by globalization,
it as a safety net for domestic violence
Calculations, Wunderquist writes, “UBI
automation and other factors."
victims, allowing them to leave abusive
involves a very large amount of taking
situations with a secure income
money from and giving it back to the
Universal basic income is distributed
Wunderquist says that this calculation method is inaccurate. In his paper, The Cost of Basic
as pure cash, so it can be used for any
source.Supporters also say that UBI will same people at the same time in the
purpose, unlike government benefits
give artists and entrepreneurs more
programs like food stamps and
financial flexibility to pursue their
subsidized health care, which are
dreams, and will provide an income for
programs in which taxpayers pay for
limited to a single purpose. For
mothers and unpaid caregivers.
benefits that go exclusively to low
proponents of UBI, this is a major
While supporters like that UBI can be
same form.” Unlike other government benefit
income people, UBI is universal. That
advantage, since recipients themselves
used for any purpose, skeptics worry
means that many taxpayers will be
are best positioned to determine the
that recipients might use the money for
paying for their own UBI.
most effective use of the benefit in their
the wrong purpose. Rebecca McCall, a
specific situation.
passerby who stopped to watch the
Universal basic income costs far less
rally, worried that people might spend
than you think, by Oxford academic
the money on drugs.
Elizaveta Fouksman.
March attendees theorize that UBI can solve a diverse set of problems.
24 | Fall 2019
This concept is illustrated simply in
She writes, ‘Imagine a room with 15
taxes. In theory, the rich people in this
but rather because it establishes a
people who want to set up a UBI for the
system are paying for their own UBI,
universal baseline - no one’s income
room of $2 per person. The upfront cost
but in practice the UBI is only a
can drop below that amount.
of the policy would be $30. The ten
deduction from their taxes at the end of
richest people in the room are asked to
the year.
contribute $3 each towards funding it.’ She continues with, ‘After they each
Looked at this way, the burden to taxpayers appears much lower.
With an Andrew Yang win, the U.S. would be the first country to implement UBI on a nationwide basis. Yang is unlikely to win, but that
put in $3, raising the total $30 needed,
However, one also starts to realize that
doesn’t mean the basic income
every person in the room gets their $2
UBI is not quite as alluringly simple as
movement will die.
universal basic income. But because the
it may seem.
ten richest people in the room
It doesn’t just mean that every
contributed $3, and then got $2 back as
American will be $1000 richer each
the UBI, their real, net contribution is in
month.
fact $1 each. So the real cost of the UBI is $10.’ In the system that Fouksman
You can consider universal basic
UBI has other supporters besides Andrew Yang. Gisele Huff said that there are around 20 candidates for Congress who support a UBI. Huff herself will continue to
income as a way to structure taxes so
spread awareness about the benefits of
that no one is left with nothing. Even
universal basic income because she
describes, the UBI for the 10 rich
people without any other income will
believes it’s the best approach to deal
people is simply a tax credit deducted
get $12,000 per year.
with modern issues.
from their total taxes owed. The rich
But that money has to come from
Huff said, “We need to grapple with
individual owes $3 in taxes, but a $2
someone. UBI is not universal because
21st century problems with 21st century
UBI is deducted, so they only pay $1 in
everyone receives a net benefit from it,
solutions.”
Arun Kumar, an organizer for Yang’s campaign, said that he’s talked to truckers who say that when self driving trucks take their jobs they will kill themselves, so their wives can get the insurance money.
Fall 2019 | 25
A farewell to health care By Lydia Jungkind
One of the hardest lessons I've learned in the past
While there might be several ways to break the
21 years was realizing what I had, only after it was
vicious circle of an eating disorder, it is virtually
gone. In retrospect, the value of some treasures can
impossible to fully recover without professional
only be understood in their absence.
help.
This feeling set in after I lost relationships, friends - and access to public health care.
My own experience led me to believe that public health care is a guarantor of freedom, not an
At the age of 15, I was diagnosed with anorexia.
infringement of it. The arguments against it stand on
My teenage years consisted of countless doctors
shaky grounds.
appointments and therapy sessions, but because I grew up in Germany, the biggest challenge was accepting help, not figuring out how to pay for it. In my home country, a doctor’s visit is a matter of health, not balance. Medical care is funded through taxes; children and students are exempt from fees. And that probably saved my life. When my weight dropped to 87 pounds, my psychiatrist admitted me to a clinic specialized in eating disorders and three years of starvation and depression came to an end. Along with the weight, I gained back control over my own life and, most importantly, the ability to live it on my own terms, not on those dictated by anorexia. It is impossible to say how or whether I’d have been able to recover if I grew up in the United States. However, the nine weeks of inpatient
Public health care does not equal poor health care. Internationally, the U.S. only ranks 27th for its levels of health care, according to the World Health Organization. Compared to other wealthy countries, we have the highest rate of mortality amenable to health care. In other words, more Americans die from poor care quality than citizens of other nations involved in the study. Whenever I discuss public health care with an opponent, he or she claims that it would be too expensive. Isn’t that a lame excuse, considering the U.S. is the richest country in the world? Right now, it is too expensive for many Americans to get proper treatment. Thus, our health care system comes at a human cost. Some cynics even allege that the lack of insurance
treatment that finally sent me on the road to
would be an incentive to take better care of
recovery would have been unattainable. Residential
ourselves.
treatment alone costs around $30,000 — per month. What was a matter of course for me in Germany is a luxury in the United States. Despite the fact that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, most insurance companies, including Medicare and Medicaid, do not cover treatment. As a result, anorexia ends fatally for 1 out of 10 people affected.
26 I Fall 2019
In the face of 30,000 people a year dying of curable but life-threatening diseases like strokes, because they hesitate to go to the ER, that argument is simply invalid. The opioid epidemic is sad proof it is false, too. As a result, Americans have the lowest life expectancy out of all industrialized countries. So much for the sober facts.
In real life, the current system is the
I currently pay $1500 per year for an
reason I lost track of how many times I
insurance I haven’t used once. That
heard the words ‘I can’t afford to get sick’
does not mean I never felt the need to.
from one of my friends. Many of them ignore the symptoms
I’m simply scared to find out the definition of a “reasonable expense,” of
whenever they feel ill, hoping they will
which I’d still have to pay 30% out of
fade.
pocket.
In the self-proclaimed land of the free,
Instead, whenever I fly out to
we are not free to see a doctor, but bound
Germany, my visit equals a marathon of
by economic pressure.
doctor’s appointments.
I did not decide to be an anorexic and
Even though I developed a similar
none of us have full control over our
anxiety as many Americans in terms of
health.
getting sick, I appreciate the safety net
While I concede that there are precautions we can take, there’s simply no guarantee. Seeking medical assistance isn’t a consumer choice that would compare to whether to shop at Michael Kors or Target. It can be a choice between life and death, and therefore, the free market system shouldn’t dictate who gets to have health care and who doesn’t. As an international student, I am required to sign up for a health plan.
in the form of limited access to public health care. Some of you might think that if I miss the security I had in Germany so much, I could always return. But I don’t want to give up the home I have found in the United States in exchange for peace of mind.
And I don’t want to give up the hope that Medicare for all might be right around the corner - because it would combine the best of both of my worlds.
"
I did not decide to be an anorexic and none of us have full control over our health.
"
JOKER COULD INSPIRE VIOLENCE, BUT SO COULD ANY OTHER FILM BY PRIYA THOMAS
Photo illustration by Quinton Pete
able to appreciate it, not just
Arthur Fleck, an abused and
because I don’t like violent
lonely performer who dresses
movies,but because Joker is part
up in clown costumes and
interminable action sequences,
of a mammoth comic-book
performs on the street, is at the
the mindless explosions, the
universe that I have never been a
bottom of the heap.
buildings that crumble so
part of.
I don’t watch superhero movies. I’m turned off by the
frequently they might as well be
In her review of the film in the
He is severely battered as a child and develops an
sandcastles. Twenty minutes into
Washington Post, Ann Hornaday
involuntary, strangled laugh
Christopher Nolan’s Batman
wrote that Joker will 'please the
that bursts out of him whenever
Begins, I felt like I was
specific subculture of fans it aims to service, while those who
he is stressed or emotional. His
watching a dramatized mash-up of tutorials for about ten
have survived this long without
different forms of martial arts.
caring about comic-book movies
I’m not interested in the ultramale Bildungsroman, the glamour of anonymous bodysuit-
can go on not caring.' I couldn’t disagree more. I arrived at the theater braced
illness is brutal to watch: it has the dual function of making him a victim and pariah in the story while also evoking sympathy in viewers. Joaquin Phoenix’s acting is not subtle
heroism, the cliche of the
for a bloodbath, and what I got
sidelined girlfriend forever
was a sensitive, nuanced
perplexed by her playboy-by-
character drama that left me
day, vigilante-by-night. Which is
wishing I hadn't written off
why everyone told me I
superhero movies so often in the
of laryngitic despair that bares
shouldn’t see Todd Phillips’
past. Joker is a gritty film, set in
his brokenness for all to see
Joker. I was told I wouldn’t be
the anarchic city of Gotham.
28 | FALL 2019
and yet somehow intensely human - he inflects his maniacal laughter with a kind
and hear.
"Joker, like all origin stories, is a creative exploration of a character who would otherwise be fairly one-dimensional and easy to pathologize." He
defies all categorization:
Don't these kind of 'society-
like rubbing salt in a wound
he is neither a pity case nor a
broke-him' narratives bear a
we already know is never
triumphant anti-hero; he is
disturbing resemblance to the
going to heal.
tortured but not predisposed to
excuses we hear on behalf of
torture others - at least not at
men like Brock Turner and
or not the violence was
first.
Daniel Pantaleo? Whether the
excessive - there were
crime is sexual assault on a
moments I think could have
college campus or killing a man
been cut back - Phillips and
The movie is well-paced, not rushing Arthur’s descent into insanity, taking care to knock down each domino one by one until the chain is irreversible: the verbal abuse, the street chases, the beatings, the mockery, the cutting of government funds that supply Arthur his meds and therapy, and - perhaps most chilling in its relevance - his effortless acquisition of a gun. This sense of inevitability that
with an illegal chokehold, statements like 'but he was a hard worker' or 'he was talented' or 'he was threatened' do nothing but insult victims and minimize the damage done to them. These were the thoughts running through my head when I sat down to watch Joker. But as the film progressed, my feelings changed. Phillip’s meticulous,
But regardless of whether
Phoenix led me to feel for Arthur Fleck without romanticizing his rampages. If anything, they did the opposite: Phoenix’s unflinching embodiment of isolation and illness, coupled with Phillip’s prioritizing of character and story over grisly action sequences, made Arthur’s descent into violence all the more harrowing.
pervades the film has garnered heavy
character-driven storytelling,
criticism; the Economist's review
combined with Phoenix’s
writing stories about the
describes the movie as 'a two-hour
phenomenal acting, led me to
villains in fairy tales. There
wait for (Arthur) to put on his
see Arthur Fleck not as some
were already so many
colorful suit, smear on his white
political symbol or stand-in for
versions of how Cinderella
makeup and start shooting people.'
a real-life villain, but as simply
got to the ball, how Sleeping
Which brings us to the loudest and
a character in a story.
Beauty pricked her finger,
perhaps most urgent controversy surrounding this film: does it encourage mass violence? Before watching Joker, my answer was a wholehearted “yes.” I didn’t understand why we, a country perpetually in mourning for massshooting victims and still freshly grieving the deaths in Dayton, El Paso and Santa Clarita, needed another movie about why we should feel sorry for psychopathic murderers. In general, I don’t believe artists should be held responsible for viewers’ reactions to their art, but my
We all know the Joker as the
how Rapunzel escaped her
blood-crazed lunatic from the
tower. I was more interested
Batman saga, a miscreant who
in why Maleficent was so
derives his own twisted comedy
lonely, why Mother Gotham
from other people’s tragedy.
was so desperate to have a
Joker, like all origin stories, is a
daughter and never let her
creative exploration of a character who would otherwise be fairly one-dimensional and easy to pathologize. If I lived in a social vacuum, and all I had to worry about while watching this film was whether or not it made me feel something, then Joker was an overwhelming success. I left the theater shivering, not just because I was spooked, but because
central question surrounding Joker
Phoenix's portrayal of mental illness
was why? Why spend more time
struck a chord, and struck it hard.
pondering the psychology of mass-
When I was little, I loved
At times, I agreed with the
out of her sight. This is what writers do: find interesting characters and live inside their heads for awhile. This is what Phoenix did with Arthur Fleck, and he did it masterfully. Of course, readers and viewers can always respond by pointing out that we don't live in a social vacuum. What artists make does influence the way people think, feel, and behave. So if
killers? Why give these kind of
Economist in that Arthur's cyclical,
the question is, "Does Joker
sadists a platform, a space to shine?
preventable suffering felt a little bit
have the potential to inspire
FALL 2019 | 29
violence?” my answer is still yes. Any film has the potential to inspire any kind of reaction, but artists can’t thrive under the pressure of that knowledge. An artist’s job is to create, and however people choose to interpret or act in response to a piece of art is their own responsibility. Should directors consider the impact of the messages they communicate through their films? Yes. Should writers be mindful of the power they wield with their words? Of course. But often, painful truths that films and stories unearth are powerful precisely because we don’t live in a vacuum. Arthur’s killing sprees are particularly disturbing because they were, in part, provoked by things people of all ages, personalities and backgrounds face in the US everyday: lack of access to health care and easy access to guns. The film is not subtle about the havoc these factors can wreak. So, I don’t watch superhero movies. Whenever I watch a movie containing graphic violence, my question will always be “why?”
30 | FALL 2019
"Any film has the potential to inspire any kind of reaction, but artists can't thrive under the pressure of that knowledge."
and it is the job of the director and actors to convince me that it is not gratuitous - that it is indeed serving the story. But I watched Joker, and as a first-time traveler into the comic-book universe, I was enthralled. I got to explore the psychology of a fascinating character living in a world whose brokenness mirrors our own in so many ways. So my new question is: why not?
Photo by Quinton Pete
Fall 2019 | 31
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it - does it make a sound? If you have a brilliant idea and don't publish with The Foothill Poppy magazine, will your peers ever realize your brilliance? Visit www.foothillscript.com to read more articles. Questions, comments, concerns? Shoot us an email! thefoothillpoppy@gmail.com
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