Student crosses out school markers

SCC student Jennie Bannier has had a bad reaction to the dry-erase markers used on white boards.

Chemicals overwhelm her, especially a substance present in most dry-erase markers, called xylene. According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, most people get throat or nose irritation after a 4-5 minutes of direct exposure to this substance, but Bannier is hypersensitive and can feel the effects from afar.

She starts feeling the effects of xylene in a matter of seconds. “I cannot breath at all," said Bannier. "I get physically ill, all over, just like having the flu."

When Bannier was 17 years old she was in a car accident and suffered internal injuries that eventually led to a chronic pancreatitis. With a lack of enzymes due to this condition, her body does not tolerate most chemicals, she explained.

Bannier is not the only SCC student with this condition. According to Special Services director Kimberley Thompson, there are about 20 students who registered last quarter at this office as being chemically sensitive. However, Bannier is the first one to be sensitive to dry-erase markers, Thompson said.

This past spring quarter Bannier signed up for a math class, and after three days of going to class she suffered a pancreatic attack and had to be hospitalized. It took her a couple of days to get well, but she could not go back to the classroom. Her hypersensitivity had become a disability. Bannier decided to look for solutions and spread awareness about chemical sensitivity.

The teacher let her drop the class and take it online instead. Wanting to get back in the classroom, Bannier started looking for markers that would not give her the same reaction. She finally found some that were made in Australia. The markers, called Auspens, were made from vegetable oil and alcohol by a company called Ecosmart World. She immediately ordered a set of markers to test them during summer quarter.

She explained her situation to the teachers and provided them with her new markers before class. Bannier said that her teachers loved them since the markers not only smelled better, but they are also friendlier to the environment since they are refillable.

They were “successful,” said Bannier. “I can even stay in a classroom the entire hour or three.”

This fall quarter Bannier talked to her new teachers again and provided them with the markers. Once again they liked the new markers. “Mimi Harvey loves them,” said Bannier. “And she gets sick from using the original (with xylene) type.“

Realizing that there were more people on campus with chemical sensitivity, Bannier decided to show her discovery and share her story with other students and departments at SCC. She first introduced herself to the Student Parliament’s student advocate Doris Cheng.

Cheng sent her to speak to the Vice President for Student Success, Tonya Drake and Thompson.

With the appropriate medical documentation, Bannier got signed up as a special needs student at the Services for Students with Disabilities office. Being part of this list means that the school will cover reasonable accommodations to ensure that she will get access to services and facilities offered by SCC.

The school is now looking into buying markers for all of her classes. However, this is not the end of the battle for Bannier. She figured that more people suffer from chemical sensitivity and some do not even realize it is a medical condition that can worsen over time, and that Xylene itself can be harmful to anyone exposed to it.

Bannier envisions a campus with chemical free classrooms, but the price of the marker set is too expensive - $59 for 6 markers with 6 refills - to make the switch all at once.

Thompson said that the Special Services Office is in favor of a universal design, “instead of having specific accommodations, everything (will work) for everyone.” However, for a complete change in markers to happen, “we could start slowly replacing 1-2 sets a year per division ,” said Thompson.
Published in the Ebbtide, Oct 23, 2009

What is Lenin doing in Seattle?

Love it or hate it, or maybe ignore it. That is how Seattleites feel about the Fremont statue of Russian leader Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
In front of a Taco del Mar in the middle of the Artistic Republic of Fremont, commonly known as the Seattle neighborhood of Fremont, sits a seven-ton bronze sculpture of the former leader of the communist party and the Russian revolution.
You might wonder why in the world a Russian statue of Lenin is in Fremont? Well, American veteran Lewis Carpenter, who was teaching in Slovakia during the fall of the Soviet Union, saw the statue on the ground in the city of Poprad, and decided it was such a great piece of art that it could not be left there to be destroyed.
The sculpture itself is one of the few left of its style, socialist-realism, which is a politically oriented style that represents themes of social concern, and glorifies the roles of the poor and socialist leaders.
However, not all Seattleites think that this sculpture is there for a political purpose. SCC student Janice Belotti-Pace said “I don’t think it’s a political statement at all, it’s just a piece of art and I don’t care why it’s there.”
However, she said it's also an opportunity for learning.
“I think it’s a great icon to let people learn about the revolution,” said Belotti-Pace.
On the other hand, some people think that this is a political move from the city, but not part of the communist agenda.
“Lots of times you get the chamber of commerce, who just wants traffic, people, to come see something,” said SCC librarian Jonathan Betz-Zall. “So the controversy is good for them because there are more people talking.”
Some people do not like the presence of Lenin in a Fremont street, because of some of the things he did during his time as a Russian leader, such as creating the secret police. However, Betz-Zall said that for some Eastern Europeans, “Lenin is not a devil figure...especially to people who remember Russia before the revolution, people who were oppressed by the Tzar and who think Lenin was a hero.”
Some people like SCC student Chez Wizza do not really care about the character represented in the sculpture, after all, it is just the sculpture in front of Taco del Mar, he said. “I think those people who care, are pretty dumb,” Wizza said. “I’m not going to loose sleep over it.”



Published in the Ebbtide, Feb 26 2010

Facebook defines our romantic relationships

It’s complicated.

Defining relationships has never been easy, and the simplicity of Facebook relationship statuses just complicates the issue further.

Photo illustration by Sean Sherman
Whether you are in an open relationship, in a relationship, divorced, married, single or “it’s complicated,” the issue is not only figuring out which status fits you best, but whether or not you’re prepared to confirm it on Facebook.

Once you change your status on Facebook, your coworkers, classmates, cousins, parents, aunts, uncles, teachers, friends and neighbors will know, or at least think they know what you are up to.

Some people take Facebook relationship statuses seriously, some take it so seriously that they will hide it, and some just take advantage of people’s curiosity and have fun with their statuses.

SCC student Jonah McIntosh thinks this is all too complicated.

“While I was dating my first girlfriend my status was single” McIntosh said. “I changed my Facebook status to ‘it's complicated after I broke up with her.’ She had sent me a request to be in a relationship before we broke up, I didn’t accept it, because changing your relationship status early in the relationship can have weird effects.”

McIntosh expressed his discomfort with publicizing a relationship while in the process of figuring out wether it’s going to work or not. “All you friends are like ‘oh my god’, and then you change it a few months later and it can be kinda awkward,” McIntosh said.

So after McIntosh and his ex-girlfriend broke up, he decided to remove the relationship status, not even say he was single, because “it’s too complicated to say ‘it’s too complicated,’” he said.

Other’s don’t bother dealing with it. SCC student Ashton Skelton said “I’m not even sure I know how to change it (the relationship status)... I feel like it’s kind of a pointless thing to do anyway.”

Skelton says she wouldn’t care if the guy she was dating didn’t change his status, because her true friends will already know you are in a relationship, because you would have talked to them about it.

And like McIntosh, Skelton believes that posting your status complicates break-ups.

“Putting it up only makes it harder for you if you break up later, because it basically announces your break-up to the world,” Skelton said. “And break-ups are hard enough without everyone feeling sorry for you.”

Other people think that posting relationship statuses is just something that should happen, because Facebook is a way of showing your life to other people.

SCC student Austin Evans says that if his girlfriend didn’t post her status he would be upset “because more people will try to kid on her... and it would be as if she is hiding our relationship.”

SCC student Armando Alvarado says that some people don’t like publicizing their relationship statuses so that they can keep the doors open. “They are still trying to go out with other people,” Alvarado said.

“Or they are just not ready to show their friends what their boyfriend or girlfriend look like,” Alvarado added. “But others do like to show who they are dating to tell others that they are taken and are not trying to find others on Facebook to have one night stands.”


Photo illustration by Sean Sherman
Published in the Ebbtide, Feb 12, 2010

Political correctness with racial sensitivity might do the trick

Some people believe that choosing the right words and avoiding certain others when talking about human differences will solve the problem of racist; some just speak a certain way to avoid sounding racist; and others simply think that language alone will not solve the problem.

The use of certain words in a classroom or a conversation can make a lot of people feel uncomfortable. Generally, if someone decides to use words like hispanic, oriental or black to describe someone - independently from the context or the intention of the speaker - it gets people tense, because it is not politically correct.

Not only words, but even certain topics are simply not welcomed in everyday conversation, most people are too scared to bring certain topics to the table. People don't want to sound racist or offend people from a different race. But why is that?

According to SCC librarian Jonathan Betz-Zall, it's hard for many people specifically from the mainstream American culture to understand a politically correct approach because they don't understand racial sensitivity and the broader historical context of racism.

"It's easy to think you're not offending anyone because of the way the education system is set," Betz-Zall said. Generally an American history class will not recognize and analyze the problem of racism from the perspective of groups that have been discriminated against, and "you'll never be able to understand other groups because they're all mad with each other," he said.

Multicultural studies instructor Betsey Barnett, on the other hand, sees political correctness as "feeling compelled to represent a point of view that you don't understand."

According to Betz-Zall political correctness is a way of reducing racial offense, however it does not eliminate racism. "It just helps (interaction) by showing people a more positive way," he said.

Cecilia Martinez, program coordinator of the SCC multicultural center agrees with Betz-Zall in that political correctness by itself won't solve the problem. For example, someone may think "I can't call you a nigger, but I still have a negative feeling about you", or "I have a stereotype that impedes my perception of who you really are."

"It's empty as opposed to empathetic" Martinez said.

SCC student Mina Emperador thinks that political correctness has its pros and cons.

"I think it is good that there are values and morals so that there is no chaos," said Emperador. "But I think it's too censored. Things are being kept in silence"

Emperador says that racism still exists and that nothing is being done about it, because political correctness keeps it quiet. She mentioned gang fights and racial profiling by the police as examples of racism that are still present nowadays.

Political correctness can help interactions among people from different races, but "people are oversensitive," Emperador said.

For example "Dave Chapelle can make remarks of white people and everyone laughs, but if a white comedian was to make fun of a black person he would be shunned," Emperador said.

SCC student Shaun McGrath said that "the problem with political correctness is that as much as it does to lessen discrimination, it hampers free speech."

"Take religion for example," McGrath said. "When they banned the pledge of allegiance being said at my school in Oregon, it took away our freedom of speech to say the pledge of allegiance, it also took the other person's freedom of choice to participate in it or not."

"Being politically correct means keeping away from mentioning religious origins, ethnicity, etc... I think it's just a big mess and it should be thrown out," McGrath said.

SCC bookstore employee Ruth Young believes that people should follow their common sense and question their values and culture.

"I think that common values for one group are not necessarily the same for the other," Young said.

"If what is said is politically correct and it divides people, then that's not correct. So you have to question, not just accept something. It has to be as thoughtful process" Young said. "Sometimes I think it's carried a little too far, i think that basic decency, respect and common sense go a lot further than supposed political correctness."
Published in The Ebbtide January 18, 2010

Red cap mushrooms invade SCC

Underground mushroom networks have invaded SCC campus grounds and have started to show on the surface.
The presence of mushrooms is more obvious around the 2600 and 2800 buildings where a species of red cap mushrooms with white stems called Amanita muscaria is showing up in big groups, lab assistant Amy Easton reported to The Ebbtide on Nov. 23.
The presence of this mushroom is special, said Jim Reddin, VCT professor and member of the Puget Sound Mycological Society. "I've never seen so many of these in one area," he said.
A large group of about 15 to 20 Amanitas stands behind the big rock between the 2600 and 2800 building underneath a hemlock, one of the trees under which they like to hang around. "They love to grow under Evergreens," Reddin said.
Amanitas and hemlocks have a long story of symbiotic interactions. They exchange nutrients, helping to keep each other alive.
Amanitas are "the archetypical mushroom," explained Reddin. The bright red caps with white flakes on top make people look down at them, but their looks can't be trusted. They are poisonous and can kill people. Amanitas "can destroy the liver," Reddin said. "And by the time you get the symptoms, it's already happened."
However, if people don't eat them, Amanitas won't harm anyone. Killing people is not part of their agenda. These Amanitas have made SCC's campus their home because of the evergreens and humidity that allow them to expand their underground networks, best known as mycelium in the science world. They're all about growing as a group, expanding their resources for their kind.
These mushrooms are not the only ones that have set their stems on SCC grounds, about eight other species have been classified by Reddin and many others remain unclassified. Reddin calls these unclassified species Little Brown Mushrooms (LBMs).
The second largest mushroom community on SCC campus is the Boletas. This kinda likes to spread around birch trees, but has been found under other types of trees near the VCT building, the 800 building, and in the parking areas. They don't stand out like Amanitas, but they're almost everywhere.
Boletus are fomey, slimey, flat mud colored mushrooms that look like giant slugs on the ground. However, this species is usually edible. Students love to kick Boletus around, a specimen that had been used as a soccer ball was found lying stem-up in front of the VCT building main entrance on Nov. 24.
"Everybody likes to kick mushrooms," Reddin said.
Another species find throughout SCC is the Suilus which according to Reddin is edible, but not necessarily tasty. This species has a brown top and white stem, and has no gills, but a spongy bottom which keeps lots of moisture inside.
One of the weirdest species present at SCC is the Helevela which looks like some lost piece of Art noveau. They are harder to spot, however if you are looking at them from ground level you'll see them as the black and white stems stand out. This particular species is edible, but the fumes when you cook it can make humans really sick.
The presence of mushrooms on campus can be harmless and even profitable, as some of these species invading our green areas could make good meals when fried with some olive oil and garlic. Still, people must remember "the rule of thumbs is, if you don't know it, you don't eat it," Reddin said.
"If you're not 100 percent sure what it is, don't even think about it."

Published in The Ebbtide, 2009

Jack-of-all-trades artist creates gallery and music combo

Photo by: Kimmy Coyne
Serial killers are feared by most Americans, but are nevertheless studied and loved by a few like SCC student Clayton Ballard and his grandmother.
They call each other at night when serial killer stories appear, they enjoy talking about serial killers, and Ballard likes to draw portraits of them.
Ballard is now showing a collection of 15 charcoal serial killer portraits at a local café. He inaugurated the show with a concert about failed relationships and some serial killer related songs on the eve of Valentine’s day.
Ballard is not glorifying the acts of serial killers, he is simply intrigued by what they do and people’s reactions to them.
“It’s an intriguing thing because most of us can’t do what they do: kill someone,” Ballard said.
The serial killer collection started out as a school project Ballard had this past fall quarter. He since drew 15 serial killers, and 15 family members with different expressions and elements around them. “I tried to manipulate what people think with the way I draw them” Ballard said.
In the first show of these works Ballard printed ballots, and had the viewers go around and vote on which portrait was that of a killer, or his family. He wasn't just showing art, he was creating controversy.
According to Ballard "good art always challenges people's emotions. They can get upset...it makes them react."
“The whole point was to get people to talk about it," Ballard said. “If I would have chosen a normal topic then people would have forgotten.”
Ballard, a "creator" as he calls himself, is a multi-talented artist. He does more than just draw serial killer portraits, he writes poems, writes dark folk songs, plays accordeon, harmonica, guitar and piano, plus he sings and dreams about writing "that novel" someday.
Ballard started exploring the arts when he was a little kid, drawing and playing piano, which he learned from his grandmother. Later, when he was 16 years old, he abandoned the visual arts for 15 years while he learned music theory and experimented with different instruments.
Ballard always found pop music forgettable, and decided to write puppy love lyrics to metal rock tunes, and apocalyptic lyrics to mellow folk music.
Throughout his 15 years of musical exploration Ballard recorded two solo albums, and is currently working on his third solo album. On the upcoming album, he sings, and plays most of the instruments to a folk style of music, with stories about shotguns, among other topics.
He also started a band with his brother and some friends called "the wRIGHT BROTHERS". And no, this is not a typo, the band name is actually spelled with a small caps "W", because according to Ballard they are the right Wright brothers, and for him capitalization is just a way of showing importance and respect.
"the wRIGHT BROTHERS" makes allusion to the Wright brothers who invented the first successful airplane, and perform shows with flight suits, goggles and white contact lenses; they are supposed to be dead fighter pilots from WWI.
But music is not just music, and art is not just art. For Ballard these are all creations, and after 15 years of being a full time musician Ballard decided to come to SCC to study visual arts and create. Working on his solo album, and taking painting and drawing classes Ballard started to realize that he could put those worlds together.
Ballard has dedicated each of his two album covers to two of his favorite visual artists, Salvador Dalí, and Francisco Goya. Recently he even picked covers and wrote music to match his serial killer subject. He's starting to mix art forms, in a way that they all compliment each other to enrich the audience's experience.

If you're interested in Ballard's serial killer show, go to the Laughing Ladies café on 17551 15th Avenue Northeast, and to check out his music tracks and follow his artistic track try his solo and band myspace sites. http://www.myspace.com/claytonballard
http://www.myspace.com/rightbrothers