The Collegian - Published Nov. 13, 2020

Surviving the holidays Athletes make a return in the COVID-19 era to campus

The Collegian SPORTS, PAGE 7

ENTERTAINMENT, PAGE 6

Issue 5 • Friday, Nov. 13, 2020 •

AMERICA CHOOSES NEW DIRECTION

Biden named president-elect, Harris to be vice president in historic decision

BY HANNAH WORKMAN Editor in Chief

The United States will soon have a new leader.

While the results haven’t been finalized, Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden is the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election over President Donald Trump.

As of Nov. 7, Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States. He secured the necessary 270 Electoral College votes with wins in Nevada and Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Biden was able to flip four states from Trump including Michigan, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina.

In San Joaquin County, Biden holds 56.96 percent of the vote while Trump holds 40.70 percent of the vote as of

Tuesday.

Biden will be inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021.

Many Delta College students are hopeful Biden will provide a fresh start for America after four years of political turbulence under Trump.

“I feel like we are finally going forward after four years of going backwards,” student Bonnie Arbuckle said. “I will appreciate mature, eloquent speaking, preserving female reproductive rights, and more attention on groups who were abandoned by the Trump regime.”

Delta alumna Val Adamsky said she voted for Biden because of the hope of equal opportunity he provides to citizens, regardless of their gender or race.

“I want to know that all Americans have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” Adamsky said. “I want these rights for everyone, not just a select few.”

Adamsky said she has been disappointed in Trump’s decision-making during his

Lincoln leads mayoral race

BY HANNAH WORKMAN Editor in Chief

Challenger Kevin Lincoln is leading the Stockton mayoral race over Mayor Michael Tubbs.

As of Thusday, semifinal election results show Lincoln holds 54.36 percent of the vote with 39,708 votes and Tubbs holds 45.64 percent of the votes with 33,341 votes.

Ballots are still being counted and are expected to continue being counted throughout the week,

according to the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters website.

Tubbs, who has received national recognition for his universal basic income program, faced criticism in October due to a false report by a Stockton blog, The 209 Times claimed Tubbs approved the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds to be transformed into a regional homeless camp.

Tubbs denied the claims on Facebook while local and state officials said no

plans had been made to transform the fairgrounds into a homeless camp.

This is just one false report by the blog that has harmed Tubbs’ image to Stockton voters.

“I think it’s truly disheartening that a social media blog can state biased claims on Mayor Tubbs and be able to impact the cities’ opinions on the mayor despite the page’s lack of credible evidence,” Delta College student Valerie Martinez-Miller said.

time as president.

“I have seen this country that I served while in the army turn towards fascim and authoritarianism,” Adamsky said. “I won’t miss the immaturity and the name calling by someone that is supposed to represent all of

Martinez-Miller said she believes had it not been for this blog, Lincoln wouldn’t have the lead or support he’s seen having in the election now.

“I would encourage people to do their research on the two candidates, and not simply depend on a social media blog that has a personal grudge against Mayor Tubbs,” MartinezMiller said.

The 209 Times was created by Motecuzoma Patrick Sanchez, a

See MAYOR, page 8

Prop 22 passage means work remains ‘gig’

BY HANNAH WORKMAN Editor in Chief

The future of the gig economy in California is looking up.

On Nov. 3, voters in California passed Proposition 22, a ballot proposition ensuring gig workers remain independent contractors rather than employees of app-based companies, with 58.5 percent of the vote.

The proposition exempts appbased companies such as Lyft and Uber from California Assembly Bill

5, which required gig workers to be classified as employees.

Under AB5, Lyft and Uber would have been required to provide drivers with a minimum wage, healthcare, paid sick leave, unemployment, and worker’s compensation coverage.

Lodi resident Kurt Anderson, an Uber driver, said he is happy Proposition 22 passed because he likes the flexibility of being an independent contractor.

“I wouldn’t do it if it were considered a job,” Anderson said.

Anderson, who previously worked as a police dispatcher for 28 years, has been driving for Uber since 2018.

“I wanted to continue working after retiring, but I also wanted the ability to make it to my children’s high school sports games. A real job wouldn’t give me that,” he said.

Stockton resident Bridget Lawson drove for Lyft for a year before becoming a stay-at-home mother in 2019.

“I loved being able to decide how

the American people.”

At the Republican National Convention in August 2020, Trump smeared Biden and Harris, referring to Biden as “Sleepy Creepy” and Harris as “Phony Kamala.”

See PRESIDENT, page 8

DELTA COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AREA 2

Elizabeth Blanchard holds 48.63 percent of the vote as of Thursday.

Blanchard previously served on the Stockton City Planning Commission.

AREA 5

Kathleen A. Garcia holds 40.21 percent of the vote as of Thursday. Garcia is a Stockton Unified Board of Education board member.

AREA 6

Teresa R. Brown holds 51.69 percent of the vote as of Thursday.

Brown is seeking reelection after serving on the board since 2016.

See PROP 22, page 8

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2 OPINION 111320

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Could black out prevent misinformation?

Social media has become a way for users to stay connected and exchange opinion, but participation is risky in the digital age when the messages are taken at face value

BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ Senior Staff Writer

A

s the United States presidential election approached it was predicted to be like no other previous election and it was most likely that the public would not know who would be the projected winner of the 2020 election.

It was anticipated that there would be an abundance of early voting and absentee ballots due to COVID-19.

It was expected that people would take extra precautions and try to avoid in-person voting.

But during the time leading up to the election and during the time it is taking to count the votes in the midst of a global pandemic, people have been searching for new updates around the clock.

People are most likely to look to social media to be an easy source of information.

“We live in a world where most people want to know what’s happening around them immediately, even if they choose not to use the information, they want to know,” said Delta College Student Media Advisor Tara Cuslidge-Staiano.

Now the question is: what are social media platforms doing to prevent misinformation from spreading? Would a social media blackout during the week of the presidential election help stop the spread of misinformation?

A social media blackout specifically would consist of shutting down or blocking social media apps such as Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. The public would not have access to these kinds of platforms during the week of the election.

Social media is a huge responsibility for both users and those who manage it.

It is a powerful tool and large platform that should not have to be shut down to stop misinformation. There are other methods to both prevent and halt the spread of misinformation.

Completely taking away the access to social media apps during a news filled decisive week would be unfair to users who use social media to stay up to date.

A social media blackout would be extremely hard to achieve and let alone get everyone on board with the idea.

Large social media platforms have a large following, a following of people who access the apps everyday for content and on election week for breaking news.

It would definitely put a stop to social media misinformation during that one week.

Facebook implemented a political ad blackout ahead of the election, a new policy in which the

company announced that new political ads would not be accepted the week of the election. Only previously submitted and reviewed ads would run and continue to run the week of the election.

Past social media struggles prompted an opinion piece from wired.com Martin Skladany, suggesting a complete social media shutdown. Skladany explained the benefits saying, “A few days of silence would prevent many online attempts at election interference and would hinder President Trump’s effort to build a preemptive narrative — for example, portraying a potential blue shift (as mail-in ballots are counted) as fraudulent.”

Skladany went on to highlight the blackout periods other countries have, where media coverage is limited and restricted during elections.

But such examples do not work here, as the media has the right and is protected by law to report to the public. Suggesting a social media blackout seems somewhat extreme when it is something that can be

The Collegian The Collegian is the student newspaper of San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif. The paper is published six times a semester.

As a First Amendment newspaper we pride ourselves on a commitment to the students of Delta College while maintaining independence.

We reinvigorate the credo that the newspaper speaks for the students, checks abuses of power and stands vigilant in the protection of democracy and free speech.

The Collegian is a member of the California Newspaper Publisher’s Association and the Journalism Association of Community Colleges.

EDITORS

worked on and managed if the public works together.

“The onus to stop misinformation falls on all of us,” said Cuslidge-Staiano. “If we see something that is questionable, we should call it out … Now everyday people compete against each other to get information out to the point that they don’t vet the content. We can blame the social media companies, but we have a responsibility here too.”

Skladany also thinks that a blackout could prevent other problems.

“Before the U.S. election, this silence would prevent a litany of ills — false claims about when and where to vote, voter intimidation, poll station violence, and other schemes that have already happened in the past few weeks,” Skladany wrote.

This may be true, but social media platforms are taking actions and setting up new policies to help the public get accurate information on registering, voting, and on any election news.

Tackling social media misinformation is incredibly important, but it can be achieved without reaching the extreme of a week long social media blackout.

Around two months ago Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg announced the platform’s new policies.

“We’re partnering with Reuters and the National Election Pool to provide authoritative information about election results,” Zuckerberg said. “We will attach an informational label to content that seeks to delegitimize the outcome of the election or discuss the legitimacy of voting methods.”

These are just two policies of a long list, but these two are some of the most important as President Trump previously encouraged voters to vote by mail and in person to check if their mail in ballot had been counted.

Facebook put a message under the president’s post with a link that provided more information on voting and the election for Facebook users.

“Voting by mail has a long history of trustworthiness in the U.S.,” read the message.

“Voter fraud is extremely rare across voting methods.”

Facebook released a statement, “New Steps to Protect the US Elections,” on Sept. 3 where the public can also see Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook post announcing the new policies.

Social media platforms have to continue to fact check the information on their sites and protect users from misinformation.

For their part, users must work with social media platforms by making them aware when they see possible misinformation.

STAFF IYANAH CHARLES SERGIO CUBA ITZEL ESPINOZA CHRISTOPHER ESTRADA JESUS HERNANDEZ YESENIA ORTEGA

HANNAH WORKMAN Editor in Chief/News

JAELYN MORALES Feature

DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS

Opinion/Entertainment/Photo

ROBYN JONES

MULTIMEDIA TECH

Opinion/Entertainment

PHOTOJOURNALISM DESIREEE MCKINNEY CHRISTOPHER MEIXNER JAGBIR SIDHU ANDREA TIPTON MICAHELA VINDIOLA

ADVISER TARA CUSLIDGE-STAIANO

MATTHEW WILSON

SENIOR STAFF KIMBERLY BENAVIDES ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ DAVID VICTOR

CONTACT US:

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shima 203/204, (209) 954-5156 or deltacollegian@gmail.com For information about advertising, letters to the editor and editorial standards visit deltacollegian.net

3 OPINION 111320

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TIME FOR A DIVIDED AMERICA TO HEAL

BY HANNAH WORKMAN Editor in Chief

I

t’s America’s time to heal.

While results aren’t yet certified, Democratic nominee Joe Biden is the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election over incumbent president Donald Trump.

As of Nov. 7, Biden has been elected the 46th president of the United States after surpassing 270 Electoral College votes with wins in Nevada and Pennsylvania.

With Biden’s presumed victory comes the hope the country will be able to come together again after four years of turmoil under Trump’s leadership.

During his time as president, Trump has divided the country and enacted policies which have harmed the most vulnerable Americans.

Almost immediately after assuming office in 2017, the Trump administration rescinded Obama-era guidance on transgender bathroom protections in public schools.

Former President Barack Obama instructed public schools to allow transgender students access to bathrooms and locker rooms which match the student’s chosen gender identity.

The Obama administration cited Title IX, a 1972 law which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education, as their reasoning behind issuing the guidance.

Trump’s decision to reverse federal protections for transgender students sent a message that his administration would not be an ally to LGBTQ students, and put these students at risk of abuse and harassment.

LGBTQ+ students aren’t the only students Trump has threatened.

Also in 2017, the Trump administration began efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an immigration policy enacted by the Obama administration.

DACA protects young, undocumented immigrants who came to the United States when they were children from deportation.

DACA also allows young, undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses and work permits, as well as financial aid for those seeking higher education.

About 800,000 individuals are a part of DACA, according to Governing, a political magazine.

Trump’s attempt to end the program was denied by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in June 2020, but that didn’t stop Trump’s attack on immigrant youth.

The Trump administration announced in July 2020 it will reject new DACA applications and shorten the renewal period for old applicants.

This decision has left many young, undocumented immigrants who have spent the majority of their lives in the United States unable to work and in fear of deportation.

Women have not been exempt from the Trump administration’s wrath.

Over the course of his presidency, Trump has made multiple attempts to abolish the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the healthcare reform signed into law by Obama.

The goal of ACA is to expand insurance coverage and access to healthcare

to all Americans, including vulnerable populations, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

The ACA improves women’s health by ensuring women can’t be denied health insurance coverage due to pre-existing health conditions such as breast cancer or pregnancy.

The ACA also requires all healthcare plans cover maternity and newborn care.

If Trump’s attempts to repeal the ACA had been fruitful, millions of women in the United States would have been left without access to healthcare for themselves and their children.

In addition, women’s reproductive rights worldwide have been threatened by the Trump administration.

In January 2017, the Trump administration reinstated the Mexico City Policy, also known as the global gag rule.

The global gag rule bans non-governmental organizations that receive U.S. funding from using their own funds to advocate for, share information on, or offer abortion services, according to NC Policy Watch, a North

Carolina public policy think tank.

The global gag rule prevents women from seeking safe abortions, leading some to resort to dangerous methods to terminate pregnancies.

A study published by The Lancet Global Health in 2020 found the global gag rule has increased unsafe abortion rates by 40 percent.

Even more startling are the Trump administration’s environmental rollbacks.

Since Trump’s inauguration in 2017, he and his administration have repealed or started to rollback over 100 environmental regulations.

The Trump administration has disregarded scientific data about the risks of climate change time and time again.

Their actions, such as dismantling the Clean Power Plan, an Obama administration policy aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, have caused harm to the environment.

The Trump administration has also blocked a rule to phase out inefficient light bulbs and eliminated a rule that required oil and gas companies to detect and repair methane leaks in August 2020.

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic was occurring, the Trump administration was searching for new ways to strip Americans of civil and human rights, and cause potentially irreversible damage to the climate.

All the while the Trump administration sidelined government scientists and altered their recommendations, according to a report by the United States Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

The Trump administration failed to control the coronavirus, leading to the deaths of over 200,000 Americans.

It’s time for America to have a president who doesn’t strip citizens of their civil and human rights, puts their health and safety over the economy, and regards science when enacting policies.

Biden may have his faults, but Americans will be better off without Trump.

Mental health days more necessary than ever

BY HANNAH WORKMAN

N

Editor in Chief

ow more than ever, it’s important for us to take care of our mental health.

For the past eight months, we’ve had to comply with shelter-in-place orders and social distancing requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Some of us might be experiencing the negative effects of social isolation and working from home. Others might be experiencing the burnout that comes with working from home and feeling powerless over our current circumstances.

Data released this year by NordVPN Teams, a cloud-based virtual private network service for businesses, found there has been a massive spike in business VPN usage. The U.S. increased their average workday by almost 40 percent, adding an extra three hours.

It could be difficult for us to disconnect from work when working remotely. Our homes become our offices and it may start to feel as though our lives are one never-ending work shift.

Add political tension that has come with the 2020 presidential election to the mix and you have a recipe for mental health disaster.

A newly published study by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) found adults who supported

Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election experienced poor mental health after her loss, leading researchers to believe this is common amongst individuals who support the losing candidates in elections.

The country is suffering from the pandemic and we’re living in a time of constant change. The direction we’re heading in often feels unknown.

We could try to put on a brave face and weather the storm, but the reality is we’re human. We’re not invincible.

We can’t be strong all the time and that’s okay.

With this in mind, mental health days should be made a standard policy for all schools and workplaces.

Mental health is just as important as physical health. It’s time for schools and workplaces to acknowledge this.

While most schools are distance learning, students can still need time to take a step back.

At the college level, professors should be flexible with deadlines and understand not all students are in a good headspace right now. They may not be able to perform to the same standard they did before the pandemic and that’s not their fault.

It’s an educator’s duty to support their students in their learning journey, not make it more difficult.

Professors should acknowledge there are bigger things happening in the world that could potentially take

a toll on students and their mental health. If a student asks for an extension once, it doesn’t necessarily mean the student is lazy.

The same applies to employees.

Although employees already have the option of calling out when they’re sick, they should have the ability to take a personal day for mental health reasons.

A survey of 1,000 employees by Aetna International, a health insurance company, found 32 percent of employees used their sick days due to poor mental health.

If mental health days were a stan-

dard policy, employees wouldn’t have to worry about using their sick days when they’re feeling overwhelmed and in need of a break.

Not only will this benefit employees, but it’ll also benefit employers.

Employees who are in a state of optimum mental health will be more productive than those who aren’t.

Allotting mental health days would give employees the opportunity to improve their emotional well-being without sacrificing their sick days, and employers would enjoy increased productivity from employees.

4 FEATURE 111320

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WOW offers a way to Stanislaus State

BY YESENIA ORTEGA Staff Writer

For two years, California State University, Stanislaus has collaborated with Delta College to prepare transferring students for transition from Mustang to Warrior.

The Warriors on the Way (WOW) program, established in 2018, was developed based on a lack of resources and support for transferring students.

Stanislaus State, which is located in Turlock, has a satellite center near downtown Stockton. Since its inception in the 1970s, the 220,000-square foot facility has served local students with a Welcome Center, an enrollment office, faculty and staff offices, classrooms, computer and teaching labs, distance-learning classrooms, student lounges, study areas, Library Access Center, and plenty more services for currently enrolled Stanislaus State students.

The WOW program began because students from Delta College were already transferring there. WOW provides focused guidance for admission getting to Stan State’s Stockton Campus.

WOW program advisor Lidia Sanchez-Flores is available to help prospective students with guidance in the WOW program with one-on-one meetings, while Delta staff aid in collaborating with students to make Associate Degree for Transfer plans.

“The transfer process doesn’t begin when a student says, ‘OK, I’m ready to transfer,’ it really begins the first semester of college,” said Flores.

Though students are able to still go to Turlock, or both campuses, a majority of students at Stockon’s campus live closer within the county. The University has all the resources that are similar to Turlock’s campus.

Flores is able to go over classes that can be taken at Delta, called lower-division classes.

Stockton’s Stanislaus State campus doesn’t have lower-division, but Turlock’s campus does. Flores also helps with ADT (Associate Degree for Transfer) plans,

The Warriors on the Way program helps Delta students transfer to Stanislaus State, which has a Stockton center, pictured. PHOTO BY ANDREA TIPTON

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The first step is to fill out the WOW interest form, this puts a potential student into Stanislaus’ system, and that’s how WOW advisors are able to reach out.

“I send out emails and communicate according to when students are transferring, if a student is transferring next Fall, then I’ll reach out this summer to ask if

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there’s anything he or she needs such as reviewing if students are ready for transfers or need to take other classes before transferring,” said Flores.

Flores is at Delta College four times a week and available virtually.

“I get more one-on-one with my students,” she said. “Being that bridge between the college and the university, working with staff and faculty, keeping them updated about new requirements or

workshops and events happening.”

In Fall 2020, there were 55 students from Delta who have been accepted to Stanislaus State through the WOW who accepted admissions, graduated from Delta, paid enrollment deposit, went to student orientation, and registered.

For transferring Fall 2021 students, the program is closed, but to other students who are transferring after that, sign ups are still available.

Online enrollment transfer during a pandemic

BY KIMBERLY BENAVIDES Staff Writer

Colleges are accepting transfers and November enrollments for spring are available.

If students do not enroll for spring, they would have to wait for fall enrollment for next fall year. San Joaquin Delta College has a Transfer Center program that is designed to facilitate students transferring to a four-year college or university. Services, activities, and resources assist students to navigate through transfer admission and major preparation requirements, application timelines, transfer admission agreements, and college selection.

Delta College also offers admission application workshops that help students to complete the admission application to the university students’ plan to transfer. Students are in charge of setting up the workshops, it all depends on whether they’re interested in a CSU or UC. An admission applications workshop will be held on Nov. 19 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. RSVP is required.

For more information, visit form.deltacollege.edu/ transfercenter/view.php?id=71.

The CSU system has extended their Fall 2021 application deadline to Dec. 4, while the UC system deadline is Nov. 30.

COVID-19 does not affect the requirements for transferring. The requirements will remain the same.

To apply for a CSU, visit www2.calstate.edu/apply. UC applications are located at admission.universityofcalifornia.edu.

Kristina Ortiz, a Stockton resident, had just enrolled in Sacramento State during the fall to obtain her master’s degree. Although virtual learning is still being held, she will continue to further her education.

“They’re going to be online next semester too. It makes me more stressed but does not stop me from going to school,” Ortiz said.

Although virtual learning does not have the same experience as in-person learning with hands-on activities, there still continues to be interacting with teachers where they have one-on-one zoom calls, emails,

and virtual group objects for more in-depth learning with online classes that are being offered at Delta.

Delta College’s spring semester is planned to be online, depending on the spread of COVID-19. On the Delta school website, it said that classes will remain mostly online for Spring Semester, according to Pearl Chu, a student programs specialist at the Career Transfer Center.

Fall classes will continue to be online until COVID-19 is less of a threat.

In September, it was announced by CSU Chancellor Timothy P. White that all 23 California State University campuses will default most of their classes to online instruction for the spring term, beginning January 2021. The university system will also enter another semester with a reduced population of students living on campus.

Chu says that she doesn’t see many changes when it comes to students planning to transfer.

“They are still applying to the UC and CSU [colleges],” Chu said.

Theme parks pushing to reopen across California

BY ESPERANZA HERNANDEZ-MUNOZ Staff Writer

COVID-19 cases are accelerating locally and across the country. At the same time, a movement has launched in California, with mayors of cities such as Anaheim and Los Angeles urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to allow theme parks to reopen earlier than planned.

“Self evidently we should be concerned about opening up a large theme park where by definition people mix from every conceivable walk of life and put themselves and others at increased risk of seeing transmission rates rise related to COVID-19,” said Newsom.

The virus threatens to keep larger theme parks closed for what would be close to a year. This obviously has huge consequences for staff, park revenue and the revenue of the city in which these parks are located.

“We, as a state, are going to be driven by data and science and we are going to be driven by public health first,” said Newsom about reopening theme parks in a press conference on Oct. 27.

As of late most of the counties in southern California are in the purple or red tiers of California’s risk scale — the two most severe tiers. According to California guidelines, the purple tier represents a widespread county risk level of COVID-19 — requiring “many non-essential indoor business operations to be closed” — while red represents a substantial risk level.

Disneyland has addressed some of its reopening plans on its website.

“The Downtown Disney District has begun a phased reopening, including an expansion onto Buena Vista Street starting Nov. 19,” the park announced.

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Stocklandia celebrates grand opening

BY JAELYN MORALES Staff Writer

Stockton has a food truck culture that is known and has been rapidly growing throughout the years. Although the majority of food trucks are taco trucks, other food categories like desert, noodles and seafood are joining the ranks.

Stocklandia is a food truck park that recently celebrated their grand opening, attracting many people from the community including Stockton mayoral candidate Kevin Lincoln. Stocklandia, located at 2107 N. West Lane, is a recently opened lot that provides a space for food trucks on the east side of Stockton.

Stocklandia consists of five to six permanent food trucks on site, as well as food trucks that come and go during the day, making the lot a food truck festival.

Stocklanida founders Veronica Martinez, Kenneth Foster and Robert Arias have been working on their vision and are finally seeing it come to life in the community.

“It gives food trucks a safe place to park. The city only allows them to be parked in a certain area for three to four hours, then they have to move,” said Martinez.

Some of these food trucks include El Frutal, La Baja Tijuana, Tacos La Palmita, Rolling Lumpia and Kosmos — a Stockton staple.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Stocklandia has an advantage over many traditional styled restaurants: no seating. Food trucks already being an outdoor-type restaurant means there is no seating for guests to sit down, in times like these, food trucks have become a very popular eating style for people everywhere.

Other CDC guidelines were followed with its grand opening and the many more events it looked forward to hosting. This includes masks on at all times,

Stocklandia is home to many food trucks. Rolling Lumpia (bottom left) is the only lumpia food truck in Stockton PHOTOS BY JAELYN MORALES

and social distancing.

“Almost everyone does it now. They order their food for either takeout or they sit in their cars. We have on site parking here so that is what a lot of people tend to do,” said Martinez.

Stocklandia is not only bringing the Stockton community another fun and safe social distancing event to attend, but it is also bringing the many cultures of

Stockton together with food and the fun concept of a food truck festival.

“We have so much diversity here.

Traditional Mexican taco trucks, hamburgers and the only lumpia truck in all

of Stockton,” said Martinez.

During the week of Thanksgiving, Stocklandia will be shutting down the park and hosting a food drive for homeless people in Stockton.

Thanksgiving during pandemic might not be thankful for this year

BY KIMBERLY BENAVIDES Staff Writer

We are moving forward with holiday plans and get-togethers, based on what happened over the summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Festivals, parades, carnivals canceled, sport postponed, stores closing, schools closing, and safety regulations enforced: wearing masks, obtaining customers’ temperature, and using hand sanitizers at all times.

These decisions aren’t easy. People are yearning to see loved ones and to keep up traditions.

But the reality is there’s no way to guarantee

protection from the virus if you choose to travel or gather with others, not in your immediate household.

There are so many variables when it comes to travel, mask-wearing, and approaches to social distancing.

For those who do choose to celebrate the holiday with others, it is safest to gather outdoors, though that’s not an option for everyone during colder months. If you have to meet inside, the CDC recommends opening doors and windows to increase air circulation. Other precautions include thoroughly sanitizing your home, having everyone wear masks indoors, social distancing, washing hands regularly, using touchless trash bags, having one person touch and serve all food, and having all guests bring their own utensils/plates.

In the Stockton Sherwood mall, 15 people were given a survey to choose from on what their plans were for this year’s thanksgiving dinners during a pandemic.

• No changes. We will all get together as our regular family’s tradition. 4 people • We will limit it to our immediate family. 6 people • We will not get together with others at all. 3 people • We do not know at this time. 2 people “We will all get together as is our family’s tradition,” said Melanie Castro, who was shopping for clothes for her children.

According to the Lodi News-Sentinel, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recommendation to cancel large gatherings, several events in San Joaquin County are either being canceled or postponed for safety reasons.

There are other states also facing similar problems.

According to the Boston

Herald, Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker didn’t go so far as to cancel Thanksgiving, but he did warn the holidays would “look and feel different this year,” as he urged people to limit celebrations to immediate family as a falling spike in coronavirus cases arrives.

For many families, thanksgiving traditions will continue as usual with no changes. The only safe way to celebrate this year’s Thanksgiving is with family members of your household or virtually, according to guidance released Tuesday by the California Department of Public Health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have labeled indoor gatherings with far-flung relatives as “higher risk” and are advising people to keep these get-togethers as small as possible and to hold them outdoors if they can.

It is seen that most families, for their safety’s sake, won’t be having large family gatherings or even have their own children for this Thanksgiving.

There is no denying that Thanksgiving this year will be different.

We have spent months social distancing, working from home, wearing masks every time we go outside in public, and now, we’ve got some difficult decisions about how we’re going to spend the holidays.

But just because things are different does not mean they have to suck. Being healthy and hygienic can be fun too, and a safe Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to develop new traditions that celebrate the same old values that we all cherish.

If you plan to do traveling for thanksgiving, it’s important that you follow the same safety measures you practiced at home: wear a mask in public, stay 6 feet apart, wash your hands for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol, and avoid touching your face.

Though Thanksgiving will probably look a bit different this year, it is still an important time for families to make memories together. Dr. Sharon Nachman, division chief for Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, says making the decision to host and committing to doing it safely is important.

You should give yourself enough time to think about how many people you can host, what you will make, and how you’ll serve it, as well as what people will do after dinner.

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SURVIVING THANKSGIVING 2020

Follow our step-by-step guide to enduring family time, avoiding politics and staying thankful to get you through this pandemic-times holiday

1

Pour a glass of wine at 10 a.m. It’s OK. Normal rules of drinking etiquette can be defied on this holiday since we eat dinner at 2 p.m. For a more discreet buzz, a shot of Jameson in your morning coffee also does the trick.

Just make sure you keep your cup away from Grandma.

And the children. Failure to do so could lead to a very lit Thanksgiving.

2 3 4

Take a long shower.

Therapeutic, and a great way to waste time. The more time you spend getting ready, the less time you’ll have to spend repeating to Aunt Shelley why you’re still single. Unless you want this to be the year you tell Aunt Shelley it’s none of her business what you do with your life because you’re a grown adult.

No? Then take a long shower.

Wear neutral-colored clothing. Too bright, you’ll be easily spotted by Grandma who will make a B-line to pinch those cheeks. Too dark, you’ll have to spend a good chunk of time convincing people you’re not depressed.

If you really want to engage make sure to show up in a turkey-themed sweater. Or a llama Christmas sweater to skip right over the Thanksgiving holiday joy.

5 6

Let the dogs stay inside. Yes, they’ll beg for food and they’ll get into things, but going after them is a great excuse to leave a conversation. Don’t have a dog? You may be out of luck. Cats tend to ignore people. And you don’t want your Guinea Pig roaming free. That’s just dangerous.

If you hear the words “Trump,” “Biden” “conservatives” or “liberals,” propose a toast. People can’t talk when they’re drinking. This, too, can be risky. The conversation may again go back to politics. An alternative would be to start belting Adele’s “Hello” and embark on a family singalong that will make everyone forget how 2020 was truly not our year despite all our late 2019 social media post hopes.

7 8

Meditate.

Repeat a few mantras before heading out that you can resort to later during dinner when the family starts discussing how elections are rigged. But also get comfortable re-centering while in an unfamiliar bathroom with seasonal tea towels just in case the early meditation wears off and you need to take a moment. If that doesn’t work, take a walk around the block.

Perfect your recipes. The better your food is the more people will eat. The more they eat, the more tired they’ll get.

And when people get tired? They want to go home. You don’t even have to put out the “please leave by 9” doormat.

They’ll just go.

Play an anti-politics party game. Give everyone three clothes pins to wear. Any time someone brings up politics, the person who calls them on it gets to take their pin. The person left with the most pins wins. There’s always that annoying family member who won’t stop the political talk despite everyone slowly moving away. Take the pins from that person. And don’t be that person.

What’s your favorite Thanksgiving side?

Stuffing

23%

Mashed Potatoes

58%

Sweet Potatoes Corn

14% 5%

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Health Sciences division adjusts to online learning The center will also provide opportunities for students in the Health SciLike other divisions at Delta College, ences division.

It will be run by CMC the Health Sciences division has had to staff and students will adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to offer its education and oth- also have the chance of gaining clinical exer services remotely.

Despite transitioning to online perience on campus.

“In some cases we learning during a global pandemic, Delta College’s Health Sciences divi- will have some of our sion has managed to keep students on students assisting in track with their education, hold its en- care,” said Lucchesi. rollment numbers and even open a new “We currently have psychiatric students campus health center.

“It’s been a challenge, but faculty at CMC facilities, have done a great job of transitioning hopefully in the futheir courses to an all online platform,” ture they’ll be able said Lisa Lucchesi, director of Health to be on campus.”

Currently the Sciences. student health center is only NEW HEALTH CENTER available virtuDelta College launched its first-ever ally because of health center on Oct. 21 with a flu shot the COVID-19 clinic. pandemic and will “This is the first health center that open on campus once has been on Delta’s campus so we’re ex- the impact of the virus tremely excited about this opportunity,” has diminished. said Lucchesi.

For more information, visit deltacolThe center is operated by Communi- lege.edu/healthcenter. ty Medical Centers (CMC), a network of neighborhood health centers provid- ENROLLMENT AND ONLINE ing care to patients in San Joaquin, Yolo TEACHING and Solano counties.

Programs within the Health SciencWith students having access to es division have kept usual enrollment healthcare on campus, Lucchesi is optinumbers despite the pandemic. An exmistic that Delta College’s partnership with CMC in establishing the center ample of this is the general health sciwill help students in achieving academ- ence classes in which students filled a total of 871 out of 1092 available seats, ic success.

“Students will have access to care this according to the seating numbers and we hope that it’s going to help stu- in the MyDelta portal.

“For a majority of the health scidents be more successful if they can be ence classes, enrollment has remained more healthy,” said Lucchesi. pretty much the same,” said Lucchesi.

The cost of treatment will vary depending on income and insurance cov- “Our general health science classes erage, according to the center’s page on such as human development, medical terminology and pharmacology classDelta College’s website.

Insurance plans accepted by the stu- es have remained unchanged.”

The Registered Nursing and Psydent health center include the following: chiatric Technician (PT) programs • Medi-Cal • Health Plan of San Joaquin have also maintained their enrollment numbers.

(HPSJ) “Our nursing program has pretty • HealthNet • Medicare and Medicare Advan- much remained the same, along with our psychiatric technician program tage have also remained the same,” said • Covered California Lucchesi.

• Limited private insurance plans

BY DAVID VICTOR Senior Staff Writer

Lucchesi said the switchover wasn’t too difficult for faculty given that they’re already familiar with using the online platform.

“Many of our nursing and psychiatric technician faculty were already using the Canvas platform before the crisis, but they have worked extremely hard to improve all of their courses to ensure students get a great experience,” said Lucchesi.

“It’s a challenge in our field because most of what we do is handson.”

Facilitating the learning experience for students on a virtual platform has proved to be a challenge for faculty members in this field.

Nursing instructor Amanda Lee says students are having to divide their attention between lectures and other responsibilities, and this is prompting her to try to facilitate communication and learning for the students as much as she possibly can.

“The component that seems to stretch my creative neurons most frequently is that I intentionally prompt and facilitate opportunities for students to engage and communicate in the virtual setting,” said Lee. “I’ve experienced that students are multitasking and have a multitude of personal and professional responsibilities or distractions competing for their time.”

Lee had to get creative in introducing learning strategies to make sure students get the best experience out of a virtual setting in this field and improvise how she teaches her material through virtual platforms.

“Remote learning strategies my co-lead and I have introduced or enhanced include simulation, synchronous and asynchronous virtual lectures, do-anywhere assignments and software that allows students to collaborate as a group, upload their projects to a web-based program and

still receive detailed and individualized feedback from faculty just from a distance,” said Lee. STUDENT CLINICAL EXPERIENCE An additional obstacle has been added for students who are obtaining field experience at clinics.

Lucchesi says even though the pandemic is another hurdle to overcome, it has also provided the Health Sciences division with a learning experience for how it could manage itself in the next several years.

“It has been a very unique situation to manage students during a crisis,” said Lucchesi. “It’s required us to be exceptionally flexible to the situation.

It will give us new perspectives on how to run programs in the future. As a result of this situation, I hope that we will have many lessons on how to plan and have alternative plans.”

Not all clinical programs in the Health Sciences division managed to adjust to the pandemic.

While Registered Nursing and PT continue to operate as usual, the same cannot be said for the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program.

“The only area that we are not running is our CNA program,” said Lucchesi. “Currently our skilled nursing facilities in the area have not allowed students back in due to COVID. Until those facilities are comfortable, we can’t send our students to these facilities. Right now this is preventing additional students from enrolling into the CNA program.”

Despite this setback, nursing students are able to continue clinical rotations in other areas of the field with support from local clinics and hospitals to help students continue gaining experience at clinics.

“While the pandemic initially created restrictions that did not allow our students to participate in clinical, our hospitals, community medical centers, mental health facilities, child and adolescent programs and other health care providers were in regular communication with our program in order to create safe and effective strategies that would allow our students to return as soon as possible,” said Lee.

Empty fields no more: Athletes make return to campus

BY DAVID VICTOR Senior Staff Writer

Months after the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the athletics program to transition to remote training for student-athletes, Delta College’s teams have been given the go-ahead to return to campus for practice.

The teams haven’t practiced face-toface on campus since the lockdown began in March.

As of Nov. 5, athletes have been allowed to do so after a proposal from the athletics department was approved by the campus Emergency Response Team, the district administration and county officials.

Director of Athletics Tony Espinoza had been hoping for a return, but health and safety still remains a priority for him and the athletics program.

“The major topic is safety for all of our staff, coaches and athletes,” said Espinoza. “I think a lot of us are eager to return, but the topic always returns to making sure we are moving forward with safety being what guides us.”

This return to campus for the teams is very limited and must follow current guidelines from the state and county.

Each of the teams must be divided in groups which will train separately from each other at different times, and also check in with the sports medicine staff.

“All teams were divided into pods of 10 [students] with different practice times,” said Espinoza.

Prior to each training session, everyone is required to get checked for COVID-19 symptoms.

“Daily symptom and temperature checks will be completed for each student-athlete and all staff,” said Espinoza.

With sporting events canceled this fall, this limited training will allow the teams to prepare for competitions, which are slated to take place in spring.

In the area of academics, the athletics program is also watching for information on how COVID-19 has impacted transfers for sophomores committing to higher education institutions, as well as for scholarships.

Currently the program hasn’t seen any recent information regarding either of these issues.

“No update here,” said Espinoza. “We are following updates from the NCAA and NAIA. The CCCAA COVID committee is also meeting monthly to discuss how we move forward.”

Athletic fields stood empty for months while athletes waited for the OK to return to campus for practice.

PHOTOS BY DAVID VICTOR

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FOOD BANKS RECEIVE DONATIONS

Stockton Emergency Food Bank, Delta Food Pantry provide aid to families ahead of holidays

BY SERGIO CUBA Staff Writer

The importance of giving back during the holidays has never been more critical than now. The COVID-19 pandemic numbers keep increasing, and many families need more aid than ever, making donations to local organizations that help even more critical in 2020.

The Stockton Emergency Food Bank, and other local food pantries provide aid to the families in need.

Stockton resident Marisol Souza will take a different approach this year and collect donations herself from all her friends and family to deliver to the homeless in Stockton.

“Every year it comes down to what you want to give for the donation centers, but I will be asking everyone directly to help for this cause. My main approach will be to collect jackets, blankets and food to help fight the winter this year. Thankfully I have a lot of friends that will help me drive around and deliver these items for the ones in need,” said Souza.

Souza worries that a lot of families in the streets don’t have the right amount of blankets and food to fight this winter during the holidays. It’s difficult for them to find a place to sleep but at least she is willing to help with whatever she can, she said.

“We can always help our neighbors put up their Christmas lights, donate clothes at certain locations, invite friends for dinner during the holidays, but giving a jacket, blanket or a scarf to someone without a home, could possibly mean the world to them,” said Souza.

Stockton’s electronic music producer Ismael Olague

(96 Vibe Music) will also take an initiative on collecting donations for the families in need for these upcoming holidays.

“Me and some colleagues who are also musicians, will be pushing hard on our social media platforms to obtain donations for our communities. We will start to get in touch with local food banks, or donation centers from the Stockton-Manteca region to get our donations in good hands. Our social media has been increasing these past few months with the releases that we had so far. We feel like we can make a difference using our platforms and obtain more attention for our goal to help the ones in need,” said Olague.

Helping the families in need should not be difficult, nor expensive. There should be encouragement from everyone not just during the holidays but always, to support our local community.

Delta College Senator of Community Relations Dustin Brakebill, and the Associated Students of Delta College (ASDC) will be putting together a Holiday Food Drive for the students of Delta College.

“On Nov. 10 we are seeking donations for our Holiday Food Drive, we will be in Shima Parking Lot 1. The Holiday food drive will be on Nov. 20. We are looking to distribute 80 meals to students,” said Brakebill.

The items that the ASDC are looking to obtain are turkey, canned greens, mashed potatoes, canned yams, boxed mac and cheese and dinner rolls.

Even though this COVID-19 has affected many families in our communities, our local residents will continue to encourage everyone to help residents in need and hopefully provide some warm clothes, or a hot meal during this holiday season.

Cans donated as part of the ASDC Food Pantry drive on Nov. 10. ASDC collected food in hopes of providing 80 meals for students. PHOTO COURTESY OF ADRIANA BROGGER

PROP 22: Drivers say rideshare services offer flexibility away from full-time insurance provider.

While Lawson and other drivers have long I wanted to drive for, if it was picking been offered health benefits by Lyft, up someone along the way to where I was opponents of Proposition 22 argue the going or if I wanted to drive for the entire proposition prevents drivers from receiving day,” Lawson said. “I loved that I wasn’t benefits California employees are entitled tied down to certain time frames or certain to. locations.”

United States Sen. Bernie Sanders Lawson said she would often drive to has spoken out against Proposition 22, San Francisco or San Jose, where rideshare tweeting: “I’m opposed to Prop. 22 because drivers are in high demand. She even drove people working full time deserve decent riders around Los Angeles, Palm Springs, wages and good benefits.” and Hollywood when she traveled to Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris Southern California. has also spoken out too tweeting: “We “Rideshare companies give you flexibility,” cannot allow giant gig companies to Lawson said. “I loved not knowing where exempt themselves from providing essential I’d go, what I’d see, the conversations I’d protections and benefits for their workers.” have, or who I’d meet throughout my day.”

Not receiving employer benefits doesn’t According to Lyft, drivers are offered bother Anderson. medical, dental, and vision insurance “Drivers know what they’re getting into options, as well as free access to licensed when they sign on,” he said. “If it doesn’t therapists through their Modern Health suit them or if they need other benefits, partnership. they could get a job that offers those things.

Lawson said she had the opportunity I wouldn’t go to work for Target and try to to receive health benefits from Lyft, but change the way they do things — I’d find declined as she already had her own another job.”

continued from PAGE 1

A sign prompting people to vote in Woodbridge PHOTO BY JAGBIR SADHU

PRESIDENT: Students express satisfaction, concern with Biden election continued from PAGE 1 Despite these actions, student Noelia Larkey said she feels America made the wrong choice in electing Biden.

“I feel like it’s a step backwards and less progressive for the American people,” Larkey said. “I don’t see Biden moving us forward as a country because of his need to pander to the new generation.”

Larkey said healthcare for the middle class has skyrocketed and Biden’s refusal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will continue to harm

Americans.

“Yes, more Americans have coverage, but the coverage they have has ridiculously high premium rates,” Larkey said.

Larkey said she believes free healthcare eliminates free market trade.

“Capitalism is what makes this country great,” she said. “The ability to choose what works for you, which health insurance coverage and which premium.”

Larkey also said Biden’s tuition-free college plans “aren’t as progressive as they seem.”

“The value of education will go down,” she said.

MAYOR: Lincoln likely winner against Mayor Tubbs continued from PAGE 1 candidate who lost in the primary election for Mayor of Stockton on March 3, 2020.

A new report from Yochai Benkler, a Harvard Law School professor, shows the spreading of false information in order

to deceive is mostly led by politicians and the mass media.

Student Charles Lyles said he believes Lincoln will win simply because “he isn’t Tubbs.”

“Tubbs is praised everywhere except in Stockton,” Lyles said.

Lyles said the blog has

skewed the public’s perception of Tubbs. However, he acknowledges Tubbs is not without his faults.

“He lacks transparency and sometimes it feels like he’s praised nationally more than his achievements and progress

“There’s no challenging incentive for the individual.”

While student Ray Baguio said Biden’s eight years of experience as vice president will help him understand how to work with the Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, Baguio is still on the fence about Biden’s win.

“I’m impartial and indifferent. I’m just more of a wait and see type person,” Baguio said. “I think the whole political game is a lot of feel good rhetoric that invigorates individuals into a sense of excitement.

We’ll have to wait and see what he does in the first 100 days.”

in town show for,” Lyles said.

Delta alumni Joe Flores said he voted for Lincoln, but is pleased with the work Tubbs has done for Stockton youth throughout his time in office.

“I like what Tubbs has done with scholarships for

the Stockton Unified School District (SUSD) so much that I have considered moving my son into that school district,” Flores said. “Other than that, I want to see what Lincoln will do with homelessness, local economy, safety, and overall quality of life.”