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THURSDAY JUNE 29, 2017
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Summer 2017 Issue 2
Donald Trump should unfollow Twitter Pioneer updates on America's president What happened?
On Friday, President Donald Trump signed the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 into law, which gives the VA more power to fire federal employees “quickly and effectively” and strengthens protections for VA whistleblowers, according to Trump. The bill specifically targets a scandal that took place at the Phoenix VA hospital in 2014, where veteran patients died because they did not receive timely care. Whistleblowers, who the VA later retaliated against, alleged that senior managers instructed staff to falsify wait time data in order to collect employee performance bonuses, according to the Washington Post. In May, the VA released a report based on the testimony of 190 employees, one million emails and thousands of documents, which found that that the appointment data was incorrect due to a flawed computer system and inadequate training, rather than intentional tampering, according to USA Today. Former Phoenix VA director Sharon Helman was fired as a result of the scandal under the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which allowed executives to be fired without “standard due process protections,” but a federal court overturned her termination and ruled it unconstitutional, according to USA Today. The new law will bolster the accountability of senior executives in the VA through the new Office of Accountability. “We want to reward, cherish and promote the many dedicated employees at the VA,” said President Trump, referencing whistleblowers at a White House speech given at the signing of the bill last Friday. “Since my first day in office, we’ve taken one action after another to ensure our veterans and make sure that they get world-class care; and the kind of care that they’ve been promised by so many different people for so many years.” The new law will also allow the VA secretary to appoint new medical directors at VA hospitals, give veterans the option to see the doctor of their choice, and establish a system to transfer medical records from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veteran Affairs, according to Trump. A website was established to publish average wait times at all VA hospitals and the law also establishes a delivery system of same-day mental health services to the 168 medical centers that make up the VA. “We will not rest until the job is 100 percent complete for our great veterans,” said Trump. The bill was first introduced into the Senate on May 11, 2017, according to Congress.gov, the official website for federal legislation information. It was passed in the Senate on June 6, in the House of Representatives on June 13 and went to the president’s desk on June 22. A May 26 report by the Congressional Budget Office, ordered by the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs on May 24, estimates that the law will cost $3 million between 2018 and 2022, the time period for implementation.
By Kali Persall Managing Editor
ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ARAKCHEYEVA/THE PIONEER
President too chatty on social media By Louis LaVenture EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Social media is a blessing and a curse. Sure, it’s great to stay in touch with family and friends, but it can also be an overload of information. Personally, I don’t need an update of your life every minute of the day, but it does help people be transparent, somewhat. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, takes the use of social media to new levels with his Twitter account, briefing the country
on legislative updates and his own personal stances daily, in 140 characters or less. Trump has nearly 33 million followers and has treated them to more than 35,000 tweets that range from sending out the nonword “covfefe” to his most recent debacle on Friday where he stated, “I've helped pass and signed 38 Legislative Bills, mostly with no Democratic support, and gotten rid of massive amounts of regulations. Nice!” Critics and Twitter users were quick to correct the president, informing him that he actually signed 38 Executive Orders, which are not Legislative Bills. I love that Trump constantly gives us access to the office of the president, but these mistakes make our leader look like an amateur politician, which
he is. This is what happens when someone who has been a citizen all his life with no experience in office takes a chance at politics. Things are going to be rough and messy, but at what cost? I love all of the access we get, but at the same time, I don’t. It is almost embarrassing to have our leader spouting out inaccuracies on a social media platform. I don’t remember Barack Obama, or any other president for that matter, ever making mistakes on social media like Trump does. I’m not some crotchety old man. I know social media is part of the world and here to stay; I don’t hate it. But I hate that the leader of our country is using it to yell at people, scold the media and pat himself on the back for the mess he is creating in our country.
“The President of the United States, Donald Trump, takes the use of social media to new levels with his Twitter account.”
Students lie low in summer quarter
Students use the Cal State East Bay Hayward campus library to study on Monday.
PHOTO BY KEDAR DUTT/THE PIONEER
2 OPINION New year, new experiences No sophomore slump for me
tried to bring awareness to social issues, especially when it comes to the women’s issues. That was freshman year. By Marissa Marshall Reflecting on my sophomore year at East Bay, I’m amazed at what I am becoming and how two STAFF WRITER years of college have molded me into a better person. Having just finished my sophBeing away from home during my second year omore year of college at Cal State was different than it had been in my first. East Bay, I’ve had a little time to reflect on the perI felt more mature and ready to take on my colson I have become over the past two years as a col- lege endeavors with an approach that was much lege student. deeper than just being away from home and indeLast year I wrote an article about my freshman pendent. year of college titled ‘Home Away from Home’ in I took it upon myself to make it a year of progress which I spoke about my transition from my home- and improve myself in every way possible. town of Los Angeles to school in the Bay Area. I took less trips back to my hometown, dedicated During my freshman year, I tried to adjust to my myself to my academics like never before by sacnew surroundings, but really enjoyed my freedom rificing and putting them first in every situation. and finding myself. I took on multiple jobs and tried to brand myself I started college as a soccer player, but realized by publishing more of my work so people could that it was not for me anymore, so I spent the rest of see what I represented in order to get closer to my that year searching for who I was and who I wanted career goals after college of being a sports broadto be away from the field. caster. I tried my hand at different things like hanging This new approach helped me attain a 3.9 grade out with different groups of people, exploring the point average throughout the school year, which Bay, but what resonated most with me was writ- earned me a spot on the Dean’s List. I also created ing. Writing let me speak on my truest, deepest an entire website on my own, went to sports reportthoughts and established a sense of freedom when I ing conferences in different states, improved my did not know exactly who I was. writing and created a valuable network of people I’ve written for CSUEB’s student newspaper The along the way. Pioneer, created a blog, and wrote in my free time Year two was about business and I stuck to it. about all different types of things. I started the school year off as teenager and endI explored sports, poetry, opinion pieces, and of ed the year as a 20-year-old woman. I felt that it course informing the public about Beyonce and her was time to become the adult I always tell my parimpact on Black culture. Through my writing I’ve ents I am every time they tell me to do something.
THURSDAY JUNE 29, 2017
THE PIONEER EDITORIAL STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Louis LaVenture louis.laventure@csueastbay.edu
“Year one in college was about finding myself and year two was about molding myself into the woman I want to be and who I want others to see.”
MANAGING EDITOR
Kali Persall
kali.persall@csueastbay.edu
ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR
Casey Peuser
casey.peuser@csueastbay.edu
SPANISH EDITOR
Daisy Ortiz daisy.ortiz@csueastbay.edu
STAFF WRITERS
Marissa Marshall marissa.marshall@csueastbay.edu
ILLUSTRATOR There comes a time when you realize that the time has come for you to start chasing your goals and mold yourself into your own person. This was the time for me. Year one of college was about finding myself and year two was about molding myself into the woman I want to be and who I want others to see me as. I am happy at the progress I made being away from home in my second year; the Bay became more of a home for me instead of just a temporary place. It will never replace Los Angeles, but I have enjoyed my new experiences and obligations that are helping me become the person I want to be in the future.
Dina Arakcheyeva dina.arakcheyeva@csueastbay.edu
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Kedar Dutt kedar.dutt@csueastbay.edu
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Marina Swanson marina.swanson@csueastbay.edu
FACULTY ADVISOR
Nolan Higdon nolan.higdon@csueastbay.edu
FACULTY COORDINATOR
Bay Area residents make move to Pacific Northwest By Justin Mutch CONTRIBUTOR
Dr. Katherine Bell kate.bell@csueastbay.edu
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Admit it, you’ve thought about moving out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Chances are if you live here, you have. There’s no shame in that. Many of us even have our minds set on leaving this seemingly forsaken metropolis. In fact, a recent survey by the Bay Area Council revealed that 40 percent of the residents here want to leave as soon as possible. According to the survey, the main reasons are (unsurprisingly) the insane cost of living, the horrendous traffic, and a historic housing crisis that only seems to be getting worse. I, for one, am sick of paying $2,200 a month for my shoebox-sized San Jose apartment. It doesn’t take an economist to figure out that existing here is virtually impossible without a six-figure salary; and even that is considered low-income in some areas. So where are the legions of disillusioned Bay Area residents flocking to? The top two cities are Portland and Seattle. It makes sense why so many Northern Californians are choosing these areas: many of us want to find more affordable housing without sacrificing the West Coast culture we’ve grown accustomed to. Portland and Seattle are perfect in this regard. Greg Kogura, a Business Major at Seattle University who was born and raised in San Jose, thinks this is a no-brainer. “Why wouldn’t people want to live in Seattle?” said Kogura. “It’s infinitely better than any city in the Bay. It’s a smaller, cleaner version of San Francisco for a third of the cost.” Seattle, the “Emerald City” is experiencing immigration unlike anything in its history, and it is taking the necessary steps to alleviate overcrowding. The Seattle Times reports that in 2017 alone, nearly 10,000 apartments are scheduled to open - and a whopping 12,500 will be up for grabs in 2018. Clearly, Seattle is prepared for the coming exodus. So how do locals feel about this? Well, it depends on who you ask. “I think most [Seattle residents] don’t really mind,” Greg says. “Sure, some people are blaming us for their rents increasing, but most of them are pretty chill about it.” I personally had a different experience when I visited Seattle last year. Almost every time I told someone I was from California, I was met with an incredulous eye roll and a smug, “let me guess, you work for Amazon?” That didn’t change my perception of Seattle, however, and I still plan on moving there once I graduate. The same cannot be said of the locals in Portland, claims Stephanie Chavez, a former Union City resident now living in the Portland suburb of Milwaukie. “A lot of Oregonians talk about how we’re ruining their
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A view of downtown Seattle, Washington. state,” she said. “They constantly complain about how the traffic is just the Californians, nevermind the fact that they’re the ones crashing into trees every time it snows here, since they refuse to buy chains and just take their chances with the weather.” Chavez claims the state’s antiquated roadways are the cause of its congested traffic. “Oregon doesn’t have the infrastructure to support a big city,” she says. “[Californians] get blamed for the freeway traffic, when there are only two lanes going in each direction on 217.” She also mentions that Oregonians are fed up with recent rent increases. “A lot of outside companies and investors are coming in and buying houses or apartment complexes, then turning a profit on Oregon’s dime,” she tells me. “People are being priced out [of Portland] much like San Francisco, but there is the overwhelming belief that this would not be possible without Californian ‘transplants’ looking for a cheaper place to live.” So what about the other 60 percent of survey respondents who said that said they’d prefer to stay in the Bay Area and wait out the crisis? Local governments can’t just sit idly by while poverty and home-
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPEMNIC VIA WIKIMEDIACOMMONS
lessness threaten to destroy the region. The Bay Area Council claims to be working with city and state officials to draft laws that curve these issues. For example, most of San Jose’s apartments are under rent control, meaning that complexes are not allowed to raise rent prices more than five percent annually. However, with rent prices where they currently are, five percent is still a substantial increase - and there are certain exceptions that allow some apartment complexes to jack up prices, such as evictions or tenants voluntarily breaking their leases. San Francisco claims to have over 1,200 affordable housing units built by local nonprofits, and prices go as low as 20 percent of the area’s median income. The problem is, these units are in such high demand that the city is required to hold a lottery for potential tenants. No matter where you stand on this issue, the fact remains that there is no clear solution to the Bay Area’s current dilemma. It’s hard to blame people for seeking refuge in more affordable communities in Oregon and Washington. Until a solution is found, however, the residents of the Pacific Northwest will just have to accept that Californians will keep migrating in droves.
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As ‘fake news’ flies, UC Berkeley students verify and document By Emily DeRuy EAST BAY TIMES As politicians in Washington and elsewhere throw allegations of ‘fake news’ at reports that don’t fit their preferred narratives, a team of about 100 university students from around the world are wrapping up their first year of a program that helps strike back at those claims. UC Berkeley launched the first university-based open source investigations lab last year to document and verify reports of human rights violations for international advocacy organizations and courts. The goal? To teach students from across the campus -- computer scientists and lawyers, anthropologists and sociologists -- to use social media and other tools to corroborate or disprove reports of abuses at refugee detention centers, dubious arms sales, and brutal murders around the world. What started out as a small-scale project spearheaded by Amnesty International last year with three universities has grown to include students from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom, the University of Pretoria in South Africa, the University of Toronto in Canada and, soon, Cambridge University. This week, they are meeting at UC Berkeley to share what they’ve learned. Working with advocacy groups like Amnesty International, the students use social media and other tools to answer questions many people don’t think about before they hit share on a powerful photo. Was it really taken at a particular protest in a particular place? Is it really depicting what this person says it’s depicting? The students are essentially detectives, using geolocation techniques and reverse image searches to piece together bullet-proof information that will stand up in court or online. In the process, they learn, as Tokollo Makgalemele, a law student from Pretoria, said, “You always need to know what you’re being fed.” At the same time, Amnesty International, international courts and other groups can build stronger cases and attempt to navigate what has turned into a firehose of information -- some of it real, some of it fake. “There’s more and more information coming out,” said Christoph Koettl, an Amnesty International
senior analyst who has helped train the students in how to verify information. “They grew up with a laptop,” he said. “The students are super easy to train.” Berkeley has been working with international courts for decades. But the timing of this particular project is no coincidence. In the last decade or so, there’s been a proliferation of smartphones, said Alexa Koenig, executive director of Berkeley’s Human Rights Center and co-manager of the school’s investigations lab. That lets everyone be a human rights investigator but it also creates space for lots of misinformation and a need for what has come to be known as digital verification. Koenig had been frustrated by what she saw as a disconnect between human rights and technology. At the same time, Amnesty International had been stepping up its use of tools like YouTube and Facebook and mulling over the idea of training students to help with the work. Partnering, Koenig said, was “perfect symbiosis.” In the last school year, the students have helped verify information in Egypt, Syria and other countries where access to hard facts can be a challenge. They’ve helped force officials in places like Papua New Guinea to change their accounts. And they’ve raised new questions in places like Mexico. “It felt very cool being able to use the tools we were given,” said Adebayo Okeowo, a law student from Pretoria. “A lot of it has to do with getting yourself out of your head,” added Haley Willis, a Berkeley student. It’s about learning to shed biases but not ignoring information that could provide vital context, she said. There’s interest in scaling the project -- bringing in more students who speak different languages and come from different backgrounds that could prove useful. The trick will be to do it effectively. “The key to scaling is going to be some sort of train-the-teacher method,” Koenig said. Finding ways to effectively hand off the work, which, as the students have learned, takes long, sometimes tedious, stretches of time, will be crucial since participants will come and go, graduating and moving on to other things. There are also time zone differences and security concerns to contend with. It might be faster to share a Google document, but in some cases, students are opting for burner computers and old
PHOTO COURTESY OF TRISWEB VIA WIKIMEDIACOMMONS
Students, staff and faculty walk near the Sather Gate entrance on the UC Berkeley campus. school flash drives instead. And sometimes there’s the sheer emotional toll of combing through graphic, disturbing footage over and over again looking for clues. But as those in power try to wield
an ever-growing world of social media to their advantage and evade accountability, the work feels more crucial than ever. Nickie Lewis, a Berkeley student, felt compelled to participate, in part,
because she lost a friend in a Paris terror attack, and she’s all too aware how events that might seem distant can hit close to home. “These things aren’t far away from us,” she said.
Alameda County had hoped to hire 1,400 people with criminal records -- they’ve hired 6 By Matthias Gafni EAST BAY TIMES A year ago, Alameda County had hoped to hire 1,400 formerly incarcerated people into its workforce to help the struggling population find jobs. It’s hired six. Prison reentry advocates and county officials disagree on how and why the bold concept has stalled. The county says it wants to help those with criminal histories find work, but as an employer it is coming up against unforeseen roadblocks. Service providers and formerly incarcerated proponents say the county has not made much of an effort. On Wednesday, faith leaders, service providers, employers, criminal justice advocates and formerly incarcerated people and their families will rally at the Alameda County Board of Supervisors budget meeting from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. to voice their frustration with the lack of job production. It was June 28, 2016 when the supervisors unanimously approved the Re-Entry Hiring Initiative to provide 1,400 jobs for people who have been incarcerated with felony convictions, job coaching, court advocacy, and
training for county managers who would supervise program participants. “It’s astounding to us that one year has gone by,” said Danielle Mahones, a coordinator with Alameda Justice Reinvestment Coalition. “We haven’t seen the level of urgency and commitment we were hoping for.” In Alameda County, where almost 1 in 4 residents have a criminal record, according to Mahones, there’s a tremendous need to keep this population employed. “It felt like Alameda County as an employer was the best situated to take a lead on this,” she said of the county’s 9,600-strong workforce. “They are a good employer. Even in entry level positions, they have liveable wages.” But that’s precisely the problem, said Kathy Mount, Alameda County’s interim director of human resources. The county has good jobs, but there is little turnover and openings often do not come in entry level positions. Adding to the complexity is the fact that county employment has rigid civil service requirements and most positions are labor-affiliated, which means unions must be on board, Mount said. Union representatives did not return a call for
“There seems to be a disconnect between county staff. There are plenty of folks in the population ready to work today ... they are assuming they can’t do anything.” -Danielle Mahones, Alameda Justice Reinvestment Coalition this story. “When we were devising this program we came to the realization that it was impossible to fill 1,400 jobs through the county,” Mount said. “We have been working very diligently on this for the entire year. This is a Herculean task. This is a very difficult population to place.” Mahones said she feels the county
undervalues what that population can offer. “There seems to be a disconnect between county staff,” she said. “There are plenty of folks in the population ready to work today ... they are assuming they can’t do anything.” Kalima Hanible, 32, of Oakland, was fired last summer from his construction job when they found out about his crim-
inal background. The company didn’t have liability insurance to cover him, he said. “They said they don’t hire felons,” said Hanible, who accumulated a rap sheet as a younger man. Hanible is now studying accounting at Laney College, carrying a 3.8 GPA which he hopes will eventually overshadow his criminal past. “I think I’ll get a job because of my grade point average,” he said. Many of his friends from North Oakland have drug-related rap sheets and have trouble finding work. “They need jobs to support their families and they are willing to work,” he said. Both sides have reached some agreements. The county no longer asks about criminal history until after a conditional job offer is extended. When their felony is revealed, the county investigates whether the crime would impact the person’s ability to do that particular job, but they are not automatically disqualified. The county is also working to find jobs for the population through its contractors and other public and private employers throughout the region, Mount said.
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Obamacare: Bay Area weighs in on Senate plan to repeal and replace By Tracy Seipel MERCURY NEWS Jason Becker's diagnosis with "Lou Gehrig's disease" almost 30 years ago has left him virtually unable to speak. But the Richmond resident can still communicate his feelings about a U.S. Senate vote -- now scheduled for after the Fourth of July holiday -- that would dismantle the Affordable Care Act and severely slash the Medi-Cal program he and more than a third of Californians rely on for medical care. "I have survived ALS to continue my work as a musician and composer for 28 years due to the care I receive through Medi-Cal," the 47-year-old Becker wrote Monday in a Facebook post. "Without these supports, my family can flat out not manage my care and my life and career will be in serious jeopardy.'' But in San Jose, Frank Lux, who owns a small machine shop that provides health insurance to 15 employees, can't wait until "Obamacare" is repealed and replaced. It's one of the reasons the Democrat voted for Donald Trump. "You know why? Because my 'choice' of where to get insurance stinks," Lux said. Since the law kicked into gear in 2014, he said, "it's been nonstop increases in insurance costs. Some choice THAT is.'' The opinions of Becker and Lux show how emotions are running high about Obamacare, even in a state that mostly embraced it. The disparate views also provide insight into the challenge the Republican Congress faces as it tries to come up with a substitute law. California's successful state-run health care exchange boasts 1.4 million enrolled in private health care plans and about four million low-income res-
"Health insurance has become my second biggest bill after my mortgage, and we rarely go to the doctor." -Chris Olsen, Bay Area resident idents in an expanded Medi-Cal program, but controversy remains. While many Californians see Obamacare as a lifeline to medical care that is suddenly within their financial reach, some Californians miss the days when the government didn't penalize them for not having health insurance. Or they long for the time when they could buy bare-bones plans that didn't require a comprehensive package that includes expensive mandates like mental health and maternity coverage. The hard truth of Obamacare is this: While the law has sliced the number of California's uninsured by more than half, it has not necessarily made health care more affordable for everyone. The full impact of the Senate health care plan -- called the Better Care Reconciliation Act -- came into focus Monday after the Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would leave 22 million more people without health care coverage by 2026, cut $770 billion from Medicaid over 10 years and reduce the federal deficit by $321 billion. That has left millions of Californians who have benefited from Obamacare extremely nervous about what will happen when the Senate returns after the
July break. "It's just insane," said Rebekah Younger, a 61-year-old self-employed artist and interior decorator. "We are the only country that punishes people for being ill." While the delay of the Senate vote was welcomed by supporters because it gives them hope Republicans won't be able to corral enough votes, Younger -- a Medi-Cal recipient who has battled cancer, heart disease and now Parkinson's -- said for her it just means more anxiety-filled days. The Oakland resident noted that the House had once postponed its vote, too, then later passed a health care bill that also severely cut Medi-Cal. Though Younger's health care is free, health care policy experts say both the GOP bills will end up punishing older, poorer Americans in the exchange market with much more expensive premiums, higher deductibles and plans that offer less coverage. The GOP's ramped-up goal to replace Obamacare arrives just as recent surveys reveal increasing support for the law in California -- and across the country. A poll released last week by the Men-
lo Park-based Kaiser Family Foundation shows that for the first time since it began tracking public opinion on the law in 2010, more than half of Americans -- 51 percent -- now view the Affordable Care Act favorably. A California poll published this month by UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies that shows a record number of Golden State residents -- 65 percent -now support the law. Both the Kaiser and IGS polls show support for Medi-Cal is strong among all political persuasions. Even Lux, the Trump supporter who hates Obamacare, argues that Medicaid funding should not be touched. "I don't want more homeless people -- keep the Medi-Cal!'' said Lux, 52, adding that it's the private insurance market he wants fixed. "I'm paying $20,000 a year,'' he said of the health care plan that covers himself, his wife and three teenage children -- not including money for co-pays and deductibles. "Painful,'' he declared. "And you can thank Obamacare for that mess!'' It's one reason why Lux enthusiastically supports a revived effort in California to establish a single-payer plan similar to Medicare. He was dismayed when it was put on hold indefinitely last week by state Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon until details about how to pay for universal health care are worked out. In Santa Cruz County, Chris Olsen is similarly frustrated by his family's soaring insurance premiums under Obamacare, much of that due to the lack of competition among hospitals and health plans on the central coast. "I'm not opposed to everyone having health care, and I think people should not be denied for pre-existing condi-
tions,'' said the 47-year-old environmental consultant, who lives in Watsonville. "My real opposition is that I'm mandated to purchase the insurance from 'approved' plans and companies through Covered California,'' the state's insurance exchange, he said. Before Obamacare, Olsen said, his family's health insurance costs were $650-$700 per month. Now they are $1,147 per month. A Kaiser plan would be $200 less, but he and his wife don't want to move their family to a new health care system. "Health insurance has become my second biggest bill after my mortgage, and we rarely go to the doctor,'' said a frustrated Olsen. "I look forward to the individual mandate going away and being able to shop for health insurance on the open market to reduce my costs.'' But Lafayette resident Amy Cupples is praying that doesn't happen. The working single mother who pays $505 every month for herself and her two children -- after a $300 subsidy from the federal government -- is "terrified'' about what might happen if the law is repealed. "It's all very upsetting,'' said Cupples, 43, a self-employed landscape architect. "I cannot imagine raising kids and not being able to call up my doctor, especially during the flu season.'' Without the same subsidy, Cupples said, she would not be able to afford her plan. It's one more reason why she, too, supports the movement for a universal health care plan in California. "It's the most obvious way to go, for whatever level of income you have," she said. "It just makes sense. You should not expect people to choose health care they cannot afford."
NEWS
Parking on service roads may cause problems By Kestutis Rushing CONTRIBUTOR Students are leaving their cars out in front of the service road in between Residence Halls Diablo, Calaveras, and Shasta at Cal State East Bay for extended periods of time. This road is located after a right turn when leaving lot C. Whether it be to drop off or pick someone or something up, these actions can create traffic for vehicles that are instead designated to drive on that road, like the Campus Shuttle. In fact, both the University Police and Parking services receive complaints from shuttle drivers regarding this issue. The University Police Department, and Parking services are very aware of this issue.. The director of Parking and Transportation Services, Derrick Lobo explains this is an ongoing issue for the last “three to five years,” Lobo said. Elder said UPD tries to use “discretion” and explained that he wants to educate students before giving them monetary penalties, as it costs $90 to $150 for parking in a fire lane. According to Elder, he talks to between eight and 10 people who leave their cars out per week, and cites one to two of them. There aren’t very many repeat offenders, according to Elder. A sign marks the road for maintenance vehicles only; however, students are allowed to temporarily park there when they move in and out of the dorms, according to Elder and Lobo. UPD and Parking Services works with Hous-
ing to make one side of the street available for moving in and out, and the other for cars to get through. Elder explained that students don’t usually call to complain, however, he does get calls from shuttle drivers that occasionally get stuck due to the traffic. Elder explained that he goes out to find these offenders and try to get them to move. Elder says that UPD works with the Housing Department to allow students to park to get things in and out of the apartments during the September move-in period and June move-out. Outside of designated student moving times, Elder said UPD issues citations based on the situation. One time, there were some Greek members with large signs in their car, and I allowed them to park on the side for a minute,” Elder said. Elder explained that the short-term solution for this issue is reminding violators that the road is not only a service road, but it is also a fire lane. After that, monetary penalties like citations are issued. Long-term goals include installing gates or possibly barriers. Elder says there is currently one space for temporary parking in front of Lassen Hall, and he suggests that more could be created as another long term possibility. Lobo says that the Parking Services plan to install “fire lane” and “no parking” signs before the fall quarter. “When I was a student, I actually lived in Calaveras,” said Elder. “It was a lot worse in the past. [This issue] has gotten a lot better.”
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THE PIONEER Cubriendo noticias para el Este de la Bahía
Universidad Estatal de California, Bahia del Este
Noticias, Arte y Cultura
www.thepioneeronline.com
JUEVES 29 DE JUNIO DE 2017 Verano 2017, Volumen 2
Donald Trump debería dejar de seguir a Twitter Por Louis LaVenture EDITOR EN JEFE
Traducción por Daisy Ortiz Las redes sociales son una bendición y maldición. Claro, es una buena forma de mantenerse al tanto de la familia y las amistades pero también puede ser una sobrecarga de información. Personalmente, no necesito una actualizacion de tu vida a cada segundo del dia, pero si le ayuda a las personas ser algo transparentes. El presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, toma el uso de las redes sociales a un nuevo nivel con su cuenta de Twitter, informando al país sobre actualizaciones legislativas y su propias ideas diariamente en 140 palabras o menos. Trump tiene cerca de 33 millones de seguidores y ha tuiteado más de 35,000 veces desde la palabra que no existe “covfefe” hasta su más reciente debacle del viernes en donde dijo “He ayudado pasar y firmar 38 leyes legislativas, mayormente sin el apoyo de los demócratas y he deshecho grandes cantidades de regulaciones. Bien!” Críticos y usuarios de Twitter fueron rápidos en corregir al presidente informandole que en realidad ha firmado 38 órdenes ejecutivas, lo cual no son leyes legislativas. Me encanta que Trump constantemente nos de acceso a la oficina del presidente pero estas equivocaciones hacen nuestro líder verse como un político sin experiencia, lo cual es. Esto es lo que pasa cuando alguien que ha sido un ciudadano toda su vida sin experiencia al mandato intenta ser un político. ¿Las cosas van a estar complicadas y confusas, pero a qué costo? Me encanta todo el acceso que recibimos pero al igual no me gusta. Es casi vergonzoso tener nuestro líder escupiendo inexactitudes en las redes sociales. No recuerdo Barack Obama cometiendo estos errores en las redes sociales como lo hace Trump o cualquier otro presidente. No soy un viejo chapado a la antigua, se que las redes sociales son parte de nuestro mundo y están aquí para quedarse, no lo odio. Pero odio que el líder de nuestro país lo use para gritarle a la gente, critique a los medios y se felicite a el mismo por el desastre que está creando en nuestro país.
ILLUSTRACION POR GERALT POR PIXABAY
“El presidente de los Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, toma el uso de las redes sociales a un nuevo nivel con su cuenta de Twitter, informando al país sobre actualizaciones legislativas y su propias ideas diariamente en 140 palabras o menos. ”
Rastreador del Presidente Donald Trump Las actualizaciones del Pioneer sobre el Presidente Por Kali Persall JEFA DE REDACCIÓN
Traducción por Daisy Ortiz ¿Que paso? El viernes, el Presidente Donald Trump firmo para que se autorizara la ley del “Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017” la cual le da más poder al departamento de asuntos veteranos (VA) en despedir trabajadores federales “rápidamente y efectivamente” y aumenta la protección a “whistleblowers” según Trump. La ley específicamente señala un escándalo que ocurrió en el hospital VA en Phoenix en el 2014, en donde pacientes veteranos murieron por no haber recibi-
do cuidados médicos a tiempo. “Whistleblowers”, contra quien luego la VA tomó represalias, presuntamente altos directivos ordenaron que los trabajadores falsificaran el tiempo de espera para colectar bonificaciones de rendimiento según el diario Washington Post. En mayo, el VA sacó un reporte basado en el testimonio de 190 empleados, 1 millón de correos electrónicos y miles de documentos los cuales comprobaron que los datos de las citas estaban incorrectos a causa de un sistema informático defectuoso y entrenamiento inadecuado en vez de manipulación intencional según el diario USA Today. La anterior directora del hospital VA en Phoenix Sharon Helman fue despedida como resultado del escándalo bajo el “Veterans Access y Choice and Accountability Act” lo cual permite que ejecutivos sean despedidos sin “protecciones de proceso estándar” pero una corte federal anuló su terminación y la declaró inconstitucional según USA Today. La nueva ley reforzará la responsabilidad de altos ejecutivos en el VA a través
de la nueva oficina de “Accountability”. “Queremos recompensar, apreciar y promover a los tantos empleados dedicados del VA,” dijo Presidente Trump, refiriéndose al discurso dado por “whistleblowers” en la Casa Blanca durante la firma de la ley el pasado viernes. “Desde mi primer dia ha mandato, hemos tomado una accion despues de la otra para asegurar a nuestros veteranos y asegurarnos que reciban cuidados de primera clase y el tipo de cuidado que han sido prometidos por tantas personas por tantos años.” La nueva ley también permitirá que el secretario del VA nombre a nuevos directores médicos en los hospitales VA, le dara a los veteranos la opcion de tener citas con doctores de su preferencia y establecerá un sistema que transfiera archivos médicos del Department of Defense al Department of Veteran Affairs según Trump. Un sitio web fue creado para publicar el promedio tiempo de espera en todos los hospitales VA y la nueva ley también establece un sistema de distribución para servicios sobre la salud mental a
"En mayo, el VA sacó un reporte basado en el testimonio de 190 empleados, 1 millón de correos electrónicos y miles de documentos los cuales comprobaron que los datos de las citas estaban incorrectos a causa de un sistema informático defectuoso y entrenamiento inadecuado en vez de manipulación intencional." los 168 centros médicos del VA el mismo dia. “No descansaremos hasta que el trabajo esté 100 por ciento completo para nuestros grandes veteranos,” dijo Trump. La ley primero fue introducida al senado el 11 de mayo, 201 según Congress.gov, el sitio web oficial para información sobre legislaciones federales.
Fue aprobada por el senado el 6 de junio, la cámara de los representantes el 13 de junio y fue a dar al escritorio del presidente el 22 de junio. Un reporte del 26 de mayo hecho por la Oficina de Presupuesto del Congreso, ordenado el 24 de mayo por el comité de senadores sobre el VA, estimo que la ley costará $3 millones entre el 2018 y el 2022, el periodo de implementación.
8 SPORTS
THURSDAY JUNE 29, 2017
THE PIONEER
My summer internship with the Los Angeles Sparks
ILLUSTRATION BY DINA ARAKCHEYEVA/THE PIONEER
WNBA provides opportunity for real-world experience By Marissa Marshall STAFF WRITER A few weeks ago I received the opportunity to intern with the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks in the game operations and entertainment field. On my first day, I felt grateful and proud to be introduced deeper into the sports world, a field I hope to find a ca-
reer in someday. Walking into the iconic Staples Center was refreshing and instilled happiness within me. It was a little overwhelming to realize where I was, the home of legends. The energy was everything I hoped for and more; there is a buzz and electricity you can feel. There is a lot of work to do, but it is all centered around one thing: the game. It was surreal to be a part of the game execution instead of just observing from the stands like I normally do as a fan. I was actually a part of the team and the league. My goals of the internship were to learn, create relationships, network
and enjoy the opportunity. I’ve seen people let chances like this go unappreciated — they didn’t value the opportunities in front of them — and I did not want that to happen with my internship. I wanted to walk in every day with a sense of appreciation because I know many people wanted the opportunity I was given, and I never want to have a sense of entitlement in anything I do. Humbleness goes a long way, and I am trying to cherish this chance to intern with a WNBA team. On the first day I met all of the players, coaches, broadcasters, the president of the Sparks and even the Los Angeles
Clippers star point guard Chris Paul, who attended the game with his daughter and mother. Everyone in the building was welcoming and happy to be working, which is not always the case in work environments. My main duty is to help execute the entertainment segment of the game. This includes preparing performers, including national anthem singers and dancers. It is my job to help make sure everything is executed on time, including the jump ball at the beginning of the game. I also shadow broadcasters, which is a priceless experience because my ultimate career goal is to be one.
I was able to get a taste of everything within the first few days while watching the game, working and having fun at the same time. Sports have always held a special place in my heart and have been a vital asset to my life. I played soccer for nearly 12 years and grew up watching basketball. Since then, I’ve been attached to everything sports-related. What better place to be in than the legendary Staples Center, especially when sports are your passion? I could definitely get used to this work environment; I feel like I was meant for this.
Golden State Warriors future depends on free agency By Victoria Groenewold CONTRIBUTOR Last Thursday’s NBA Draft proved once again that Joe Lacob wasn’t far off when he declared that the Warriors front office were light years ahead of everyone else in the NBA. As arrogant as that may have sounded, the Warriors continue to make very smart, strategic moves. Last year, they bought the 38th pick in the draft from the Milwaukee Bucks, allowable under the rules of the NBA, to select guard Patrick McCaw from University of Nevada, Las Vegas for $3.5 million. McCaw turned out to be a versatile player who performed above expectations on the biggest stage in the NBA Finals. This year the Warriors did the exact same thing by obtaining the same 38th pick. However, it was from the Chicago Bulls and Golden State selected Jordan Bell from the University of
Oregon for the same amount of money. Bell was a three-time Pac 12 first team defensive player and was the Pac 12 defensive player of the 2017 year. Bell averaged 10.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals, 2.2 blocks and has a free throw percentage of 70.1 percent. Aside from the newest addition to the team, there are a lot of veteran Warrior players that are free agents this offseason. Backup point guard Shaun Livingston, shooting guard Ian Clark, centers Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee, small forward Matt Barnes, 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and point guard Stephen Curry are all unrestricted free agents this summer. For guys like Barnes and Pachulia, they may go wherever they can get the highest payday since it may be their last contracts as their careers are nearing the end. Barnes stepped in nicely as a fill-in for Kevin Durant when he hyperextended his left knee in a game against
the Washington Wizards. He helped the team as a solid defender and someone who could pass the ball and score when the opportunity presented itself. However, Barnes is in his late thirties and that could be his downside; his age has restricted some of his athleticism and quickness. Pachulia has been a solid center replacement for former Warrior and now Dallas Maverick Andrew Bogut, with an average of 5.7 points per game, 2.3 assists and a free throw percentage of 87 percent. Pachulia’s strength is that he’s a big, strong guy, but lacks the ability to finish strong at the rim. Livingston is another free agent and said publicly he would love to stay, but if another contending team throws a high paying contract his way, he may bolt for the money and what might be the last contract of his career. McGee had his most productive season in years and became a fan favorite. He may want to stick around to develop
his role, but who knows what kind of offers he may receive in free agency. Clark is going to receive some serious attention from teams; he’s been a solid performer in clutch moments of the game. Whether he stays with the Warriors or moves on, it will be something to keep an eye on since he plays a lot of minutes off the bench. Iguodala might be the most important piece of the puzzle this year since he’s available to leave to the highest bidder if that’s what he chooses to do. More than likely one of the playoff contenders that has available cap space will throw a large salary at Iguodala that might be too hard to resist for a player who’s probably looking at his last contract before he retires.Curry, a two-time NBA champion and MVP, will obviously be resigned at a max deal, which he earned through his play that resulted in two championships in three years and a league MVP last season. He’s been with the Warriors since
they drafted him in 2009 and has established himself as a superstar not only in the Bay Area but around the world. According to ESPN, Curry could sign a monster five-year, $207 million contract which would be $41.4 million a year. A significant upgrade from his fouryear, $44 million contract that he signed with Golden State in 2012 and never complained about. The Warriors have several questionable issues to deal with, especially when it comes to bench and role players. The good news is that Durant, MVP of the NBA Finals and future Hall-of-Famer, has opted out of his contract to sign for less money in order to free up some salary cap space and help sign other key players, according to ESPN. The fact that that he would even consider to do this tells you how unselfish he is and that they are all looking at the bigger picture, which is of course to win more championships and create a dynasty.