Local artists’ splash of color
Student defies language barrier
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Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019
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HBCU tour opens doors
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The Voice of San Jose City College students Since 1956
Volume 88 Issue 3
Twist on a classic tale coming soon to SJCC ‘Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans: A Salsa Fairy Tale’ is now in production
BY MORGAN GUIDRY TIMES STAFF
Rehearsals began on Sept. 27 for cast members of the contemporary retelling of the classic fairy tale, “Cinderella.” Assistant Stage Manager Kimberley Sanchez, who is also providing translations for the production said, “the story is about a girl from Puerto Rico who’s coming here to learn. She has a stepsister who is mean to her and telling her not to speak Spanish, speak English. So it’s more of a relevant telling.” Cast member Tuesday King said, “Her stepsister puts Cinderella in this mold of being Americanized but Cinderella wants to stay true to her culture, and I think it’s nice that you have this choice of how you want to identify. Whether it’s how your parents identify or how you want to identify yourself.” There will be two sets of casts for this production, A and B. “There are two Cinderellas, two Rosas, etc.,” said production Director Anita Reyes, “to double cast is more work for the director, but I felt like we had enough talent, they were interested and I want to give more than one person the opportunity to play a lead.” Both casts will get the opportunity to perform during two assemblies for over 500 students of the Franklin McKinley School District. Reyes said, “It is my passion to plant the seeds for higher education at a young age. The college students will basically be the ones to inspire the younger ones. If we bring these college students to perform for these K-5th graders, they will look up to them and be empowered themselves.” On having the opportunity to perform for elementary school students, King said, “They’re going to see people on stage that look like them, and really understand the words and language happening. It’ll be cool to relate to something
Cast members rehearse in the Theater building on Thursday, Oct. 3. and see the stigma that’s put on Hispanic people kind of broken down by people that are older than them, but that are still in that range of being able to relate.” While this production is already in full swing, SJCC’s Theatre department is open to all students.
Free produce offered every fourth Thursday
More programs available through SparkPoint
Reyes advises future students “not to be intimidated by what they see. No experience necessary. If there are seasoned performers involved don’t feel that it’s not for you because all are welcome. All backgrounds, all ages, all interests. That’s what I love about theatre.”
MORGAN GUIDRY/TIMES STAFF
The play will be performed for the public twice on Saturday Nov.16 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Single tickets will be $7, family packages (4 tickets) will be $20, and big family packages (8 tickets) will be $40. For more information contact Anita Reyes at anita.reyes@sjcc.edu.
My 24 hours in a mental ward Made to feel like a sideshow BY ZOE GODDARD TIMES STAFF
BRENDA VALLES/TIMES STAFF
Produce set up for students at the Roar Farmers Market in the Student Center quad on Sept. 26.
See Free Produce on page 3
NEXT NEWSPAPER: Nov. 19
Valley Health Center Hospital’s mission to, “provide high quality, compassionate, and accessible healthcare for all persons in Santa Clara County regardless of their social-economic status and ability to pay,” is not being followed. I went in to Valley Health Emergency Psychiatric Service last summer because I was in a really bad place. I had been recently diagnosed with PTSD and was having an all-around bad year. I realized Saturday, embarrassingly, that I had let my medication go empty and wasn’t able to get a refill until Monday. So, I took a number and waited for a nurse who was going to come out and read me my options. The nurse came out sat me in a tiny room and sat across from me holding a clipboard. She asked,
PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE COLLINS
Zoe looks out at Natural Bridges State beach.
“Are you suicidal?” Not even a The nurse did not speak to me hello. until she had me sit next to a desk, “I don’t know if I am, but it where another nurse took my seems like a good option,” I cried photo and made me turn my phone through tears. in. She held the clipboard up to “Why do I need to turn my my face and said, “Sign this paphone in?” I asked as they shut my per and you can see a doctor.” phone off and put it in a baggy. It sounded simple and easy. I “Overnight patients can’t have wanted to see a doctor to refill phones,” the nurse said. my medication, so I signed it. I plead with the nurses. I told She took me to another part of them there was a mistake and that I the building around 11 a.m. and was told that I’d see a doctor, then that is when I started hearing the go home. manic laughter and yelling. See Mental Ward on page 2
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2 OPINION
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019
College athletes should be paid Scholarship should do more BY JEREMY WALKER
$6 million a season, according to Boydsbets.com. The head coach of Clemson University, Dabo Swinney, makes $9.3 million a season, according to Orlandosentinel.com. This means that Jason Garrett could
potentially stop coaching in the NFL and go coach for a D1 College and make more money. While there are coaches making more money per year in college than in the NFL, the athletes are making nothing.
Beyond scholarships, the NCAA prohibits actual payment of the athletes. This makes no sense. California is on the right track in helping the athletes get the money they deserve. The Governor of California
just signed the Fair Pay to Play Act, which allows student athletes to receive income from sponsorship deals. For years it has been against the NCAA’s rules for student athletes to get paid for anything beyond their scholarship. This is a step in the right direction and it will cause a whole lot more great athletes to want to play for California schools. More states should follow the suit to California when it comes to college athletes. In addition, all college athletes in all sports should be paid. However, it should be based on the revenue brought in by the various teams. Volleyball does not make the same amount of money as football, so volleyball players should not make as much as football players. It is time for a change. The days of scholarships have passed. There is too much money being made, and too much exposure in college sports for the main reason for the revenue, the players, not to get paid.
I understood it was for nurse’s safety but it all felt too much like we were entertainment for the nurses, when we were supposed to be getting help for mental issues we could not control. They had two phones that were for patients. I called my mother asking her to try to do something, because no one had told me that I had to wait for 24 hours to see a doctor. I tried to talk to nurses but they all just gave me a fake smile and said, “Your nurse will see you eventually.” I had that said to me at least 35 times. Around 5 P.M. no nurse had talked to me yet, but I was served “dinner.” It was a questionable meal with what I think was fish with gravy, peas, and potatoes. The food made me sick. I almost threw up on the floor because the nurses kept
the bathrooms locked. Another patient stared at me while I threw up in the toilet because the stalls also had no locks. When I told the nurse I got food poisoning, she said, “I doubt that, but let me get you some medication.” I asked for a glass of ice water, to which an annoyed looking male nurse in a sarcastic tone said, “Do you want a lemon slice?” The nurse handed me a giant white pill, which I thought didn’t look anything like a Tylenol, but she insisted that’s what it was. I took the pill and within about five minutes, I started to feel really tired. A nurse took me to a “female room,” which was just another open room with more uncomfortable chair-beds. I question the name of the room because there were no nurses watching the door, and males
could walk in freely. I was assigned a “bed,” one of the uncomfortable reclining chairs, and given one blanket. I remember sitting on the bed, but the next thing I knew, I woke up 12 hours later. My nurse tried to see me while I was sleeping of course and I was assigned to another nurse. I demanded to see a doctor and even tried to slide in a, “I’ll sue this place,” despite knowing I could not. Mental disabilities are serious medical problems but I saw nurses laughing at patients. We were fed horrible food. Our only water, unless you asked the nurses for ice water, was from a nasty looking water fountain. The water fountain I saw multiple people put in their mouths. Police brought in homeless people that they thought “might” have mental issues. It seems that they don’t check whether
the person is on drugs, drunk or actually has a mental disability. Police just check them in and leave. There was no outside area for patients to get fresh air or stretch their legs. It looked like there used to be one, but it was now used as a break area for the nurses. The only things to do inside were watch TV, sleep or talk to other patients, but most patients didn’t want to talk. I was there because I was suicidal, but I was treated as if I was crazy or a threat to others. The treatment of patients in the Valley Health Emergency Psychiatric Service Center needs to be corrected as their patients are picked on, laughed at, or treated as though they were idiots. Valley Health Emergency Psychiatric Service Center needs to care more about their patients.
TIMES STAFF
College athletics have become way more than a platform for amateur athletes to show the big leagues what they have got. College athletics has become its own business. According to Investopedia.com, last year the NCAA generated $900 million in revenue from the March Madness tournament. That is just one basketball tournament alone, which does not include football and other larger revenue yielding sports. So who is generating the money and who is getting the money? Even though there is a paid staff involved in recruitment, coaching, and management of the teams, those employees are nothing without the players. The head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Jason Garrett, makes
Mental ward From page 1
However, I was ignored each time. At one point, I heard a nurse say to another, “Just ignore her. She’s clearly having a meltdown.” I was moved into an open room, where there were uncomfortable reclining pleather seats lined up in rows in front of a TV. Homeless people were asleep on most of the chairs, and the other chairs were taken up by people that actually seemed like they may actually need medical attention. There was a red line across the floor that separated nurses and police officers from patients. If a patient stepped over the line, even on accident, they would be grabbed and dragged by the police back over to the patient side.
Texas A&M football field seating capacity surpasses most NFL stadiums.
Editor-in-Chief Joeanna Lopez
Managing Editor Daijunay Turner
Copy Editor
Michael Negrete
Web Editor Zoe Goddard
Social Media
Morgan Guidry
Graphic Designer
Reporter(s)
Photo Editor
Jerrald McMillon Karla Meza Flores
Sports Editor
Adviser
Magnolia Lonero Jason Lin
Jeremy Walker
News Editor Brenda Valles
Farideh Dada
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019
Campus Life 3
How to stay safe in the event of a wildfire Let’s not have a repeat of last year BY ZOE GODDARD TIMES STAFF
West Coast states including Hawaii, Alaska and Nevada are in the danger zone when it comes to wildfires, according to a map created by the National Interagency Fire Center of Boise, Idaho. Wildfires have always been something we are told to be careful of, especially those of us who grew up in California. The Camp Fire in Butte County burned a total of 153,336 acres, burned down the town of Paradise and killed 85 people last year, according to KQED. There are always simple things you can do to prevent wildfires: nChecking to make sure the weather isn’t going to be windy when having a campfire or burning anything around your property. nIf you have a campfire going, never leave it unattended. An adult should be around at all times.
nAlways make sure that if you are smoking you put it out all the way since even the smallest flame can become a huge out of control fire. Wildfires need to be taken extremely seriously. Tiny fires can create such big problems. You can do all this but someone may still start a fire somewhere. According to National Geographic, most wildfires originate from human error. Here are a few tips from that article on wildfire safety: nWhen you are told to evacuate you should do so right away. nPrepare an evacuation route and an evacuation checklist and supply list ahead of time so you are always ready. nAnd when you are evacuating make sure you wear protective clothing and shoes because of sparks that may touch you.
Free produce
welcome and open to anybody of the community. The market sets up in the Student Center Quad, right in front of the Jaguar Sports Complex, on the last Thursday of the month. There is a sign in sheet at the entrance of the market, provide a telephone number, your name and it is a self-serve “walk down the aisle.” Last month the market offered fresh vegetables, fruits, granola and sourdough bread. If you would like to volunteer at the Roar Farmers Market, you may reach out by emailing Sparkpoint@sjeccd.com or by
From Page 1
BY BRENDA VALLES TIMES STAFF
The Roar Farmers Market will take place Thursday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m to 1 p.m., all you need to bring is your favorite reusable bag. It is suggested that students arrive promptly as supplies are limited; “Only lasting either to the first 500 students or until the produce runs out” said SparkPoint Director Vanessa Muniz. The Roar Farmers Market is also
GRAPHIC BY JASON LIN / TIMES STAFF
calling Vanessa Muniz at (408) 918- 4199
As a perk for volunteers, they are first to select their produce on market days. The Roar Farmers Market is not the only free program sponsored by SparkPoint. Students in need of credit and
debit counseling can get guidance through SparkPoint and they also offer assistance with financial coaching and life coaching. Not limited to only those services, SparkPoint screens students for the programs Calfresh and WIC. Calfresh is a free government assisted program for food stamps also known as SNAPS. Financial assistance is provided for groceries to qualifying low income residents of California. WIC is also a free government assisted program but for low income parents and pregnant mothers to provide food and
nutrition for themselves and their children under age 5. If students qualify for either program SparkPoint will help them enroll. Students are encouraged to take part in the Roar Farmers Market, there will be one in November and December as well and to come to check if they qualify for additional services
PHOTO BY BRENDA VALLES TIMES STAFF
Students could benefit from using their student email Discover mental health resources, utilize tools to cope with symptoms, build resilience and meet local youth who are sharing their mental health journeys.
Office 365 helps save money
www.
PHOTO BY JERRALD A. MCMILLON TIMES STAFF
I had periods of depression and high energy. I didn't want to take medication or believe there was something "wrong" with me. Now, I'm really proud to be neurodivergent. - Calyse @tobehonest.today
@TobehonestToday
@Tobehonesttoday
This campaign is supported by Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs.
NEXT NEWSPAPER: NOV. 19
Mohammed Jackson, 22, political science, is logging into Office 365 with student email and password inside classroom T-302A. BY JERRALD A. MCMILLON TIMES STAFF
It can cost plenty of money to be a college student, but in using your student email you can save plenty of money. Services such as Amazon Prime, Apple Music, Spotify and Tidal to name a few, offer special student pricing by verification of student status which comes by student email for many of these subscriptions. The student email is a free private email address provided to you by your institution. Here’s how to login with your Office 365 student email.
n Begin by navigating to http://outlook.com/stu.sjcc.edu, enter your user name (your MyWeb login) in the following format: username@stu.sjcc.edu nFor first time login the password is “College1.” It is recommended that you change your password, see below. For password assistance contact (408) 270-6411 or send an email to itss. helpdesk@sjeccd.edu nTo change your Office 365 password online, navigate to http://www.sjeccd.edu/district-services/ITSS/itss-help-desk/office-365 or call (408) 270-6411.
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4 A&E
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019
Celebrating death in our holidays Introducing the origins of Halloween and ‘Dia de los Muertos’
BY K. ANDREA MEZA FLORES TIME STAFF
Both autumn holidays, Halloween and the Day of the Dead have many similarities each involving death in a unique way. The pumpkin carvings known as, “Jack o’ Lanterns,” became an iconic tradition based on a tale about a drunkard who was able to escape Satan but not have admittance into Heaven, for he was not a pleasant man. As such, he wandered aimlessly with a lit turnip lantern. The pumpkin took its place as an integral part of this holiday as a recent addition made by the Americans. Originally, the carvings took place on a turnip, beet, or potato. It was in the United States where pumpkins were used because of the abundance of them and they proved to be a great replacement given its gourd-like shape. Making scary carvings to scare away the “Jack O’ Lantern,” has become tradition since then. To continue on the tradition, San Jose City College will be hosting a pumpkin carving contest on Oct. 24 from 1pm-4pm at the Student Cente Quad. “Dia de Los Muertos,” is a two-day event honoring those who have passed on. On the first day, Nov. 1, children and babies that died too soon are honored. On the second day, Nov. 2, the death of the adults are honored. This holiday was once a month long event where the cycle of
life and death is celebrated by the harvest of corn. During this time, Mictecacihhuatl, the queen of the underworld, was honored; a real human skull was used to represent her, but that tradition has not carried on. The major aspects of this holiday are the skulls and the “ofrendas”, or family altars, where those that have departed are welcomed back. Skulls have taken a symbolic meaning throughout the holiday, both in the form of candy and face paint. People paint the skulls on their faces and it goes to show how the Aztec people believed in duality of life and death. This duality is thought in the sense that death is a part of life and humans are the bridge between heaven and earth, thus are responsible for maintaining the balance. Many people played games and told tales while wearing skull face paint. The introduction of sugar skulls are where the marking of modern European influences began to take place. After being introduced to sugar and its production, there was such an abundance of it that even though many were too poor to buy actual religious items, people began making their own skulls out of sugar. The sugar skulls were then used to represent those who had departed. To see and learn more about this tradition, the art gallery will be showing this theme on Nov. 10 from 11am to 2pm.
For the full version on this article go online to www.sjcctimes.comw
“Together in Death”
BY K. ANDREA MEZA FLORES AND MAGNOLIA LONERO/TIMES STAFF
Fall Fest
Free admissions on Oct. 24 from 1pm-4pm at student center quad. Activities include pumpkin patch, pie eating contest, autumn arts & crafts, and haunted house
PHOTO BY K. ANDREA MEZA FLORES
Picture of oferenda made by K. Andrea Meza Flores for Day of the Dead
Self-taught local artist makes SJCC debut. Gallery on display until Nov. 1. See more online.
PHOTOS BY JOEANNA LOPEZ
p Some works of Tulio Flores presented at SJCC during the artist reception on Sept. 26, 2019. t Dean of Social Science and Humanities Ilder Lopez Betancourt looks at, “Rachel,” in the SJCC Art Gallery on Sept. 26, 2019.