VOICE
THE BCC
spring 2018 / issue 2
Inspirations for Summer Fun
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on the cover "pablo on fire" by qadir mccray
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Adam Mann Matt Strickland Summer Vodnoy outreach
bullet journaling A game changer for everyday planning by SUMMER VODNOY
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Maya Kashima Adam Mann Nancy M Patton Jesse Rosenthal Liz Zarka Copy Editing
story + image by NANCY MILLAR PATTON
The BCC VOICE is produced by students from English 14/15 at Berkeley City College, with funding from the Associated Students. A special thank you to the ASBCC, the BCC English Department, administrators, faculty and students who make this school great!
the politics of pizza how the arizmendi association of cooperatives is democratizing the workplace by LIZ ZARKA
terror in our high schools Students Speak out about gun violence by MATTHEW STRICKLAND
Alexander Coates Adam Mann Website
stoppered in glass berkeley museum exhibits the allure of aroma by ALEXANDER COATES
freeway flyers the life of a part-time INSTRUCTOR by ADAM MANN
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Qadir McCray was born in Harlem, New York. He studied the fine arts at Pratt Institute in the late 1980s. In 1998, he began studying digital art, multimedia and motion picture production at Berkeley City College. His creative process involves a combination of different digital software as well as traditional techniques. His work is characterized by vivid colors fused with social, political, sexual and religious content. McCray's work takes a distinct and provocative gaze at human behavior, relations and responsibilities. As a multimedia artist, he is able to blend disparate mediums, traditional techniques, photography, digital graphics and video to create fresh and original artwork. In the future, McCray would like to work with socially and emotionally challenged art students. He believes that the field of multimedia is filled with exciting tools that can be used to educate and inspire. McCray would eventually like to open a production company. Learn more about Qadir McCray at: qadirmccray.com
undocumented finding a home for bcc's undocumented students in trump's america by MAYA KASHIMA
IT'S CALLED STYLE FASHION, FADS & FUN TIPS by MINHAL MOTIWALA
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THE BEST CLASSES YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED
berkeley rebuilt what's going on with the downtown berkeley bart station? by JESSE ROSENTHAL
Alexander Coates Maya Kashima Layout
Contents SPRING 2018, Issue 2 / bccvoice.net
If you're taking the summer off from Berkley City College, you can still take a local class for fun and keep the brain engaged. In the East Bay, we have lots of classes that won’t break the bank. The BCC Voice did some investigative work and found a sampling of intriguing options. Have you ever wanted to learn the art of calligraphy, making perfumes or loom weaving? The Handcraft Studio School in El Cerrito is a little-known gem with many different arts and crafts classes and workshops. Started by Marie Muscardini in 2013, it's now run by a community of artists, students and teachers who are committed to the preservation of handcrafts. They partner with local craftspeople to offer a wide variety of classes such as wood carving, ceramics, flower arranging and more. Some classes, like Table Loom Weaving, are offered at $275; however, there are some, like Natural Perfume Making, that start at a more moderate rate of $85. Instructors are attentive and the space is airy, bright and clean. They provide snacks and small bites to keep students' energy levels up and even pop open bottles of wine for the evening classes. Handcraft Studio School is located at 10368 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. You can contact them at (510) 332-6101, and online at handcraftstudioschool.com Berkeley Improv is a great place to practice some real-world skills. Located in Downtown Berkeley, they offer a variety of classes from Improv 101 to Improv for Real-Life, which is promoted as a workshop that will enhance your self-confidence in all kinds of everyday situations, such as dating, interviewing and making presentations. Improv can enhance your capacity for spontaneity and meaningful connection, help you gain poise and presence, and improve your body language awareness. Their group of veteran improv artists will take you on an exploration of your emotional depths and supportively reconnect you to your sense of joy and play. Prices vary from $29 for single evening classes to $139 for a series package. Be sure to check out their student discount offers. Classes are held at the Sacred Stream Center at 2149 Byron St., at Allston Way, Berkeley. You can register online at berkeleyimprov.com. Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to make your own home-brew or discover the health benefits of kombucha. If that's the case, take a trip to Preserved, Elizabeth Vecchiarelli’s kitchen shop located in the Temescal district of Oakland. Preserved strives to teach community members about the lost art of preserving foods and flavors. "Preserving foods in a way that not only extends their shelf life, but also enhances their nutritional value and digestibility was of great interest to me," explains Vecchiarelli. She and three other enthusiasts from her store offer instruction on beer and kombucha brewing, sourdough bread baking, creating jam preserves, and other fermentation-related kitchen skills. Courses are offered Sundays, Thursdays and some Wednesdays, and generally start at $45 per class. Preserved is located at 5032 Telegraph Ave., next to Bakesale Betty. Check them out at (510) 922-8434 and preservedgoods.com. Belly dancers might seem exotic, but they're right in your back yard! Internationally recognized belly dancer Nathalie Tedrick teaches classes in her craft at The Works Cooperative located at 2566-C Telegraph Ave. Oakland. Tedrick has performed and taught belly dancing all over the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. She offers an eight-class beginner series for $100. Drop-in classes are $18. For more information, contact Nathalie at ntedrick@gmail.com. Tired of your same old gym routine? Would you rather fly than log another dull workout on the EFX? Well, there’s a dance studio in Berkeley that can help you out. Upswing Aerial Dance Company, located at 2525 Eighth St., Berkeley, specializes in merging dance with the aerial arts, including rope and harness, low flying trapeze, bungee and tissu (also known as aerial silks). Despite all of the fancy offerings, at $22 a class, their rates are quite reasonable. For questions and more information on package rates, contact the studio's director, Cherie Carson, at (510) 587-0770 or cherie@upswingaerialdance.org. This summer, give yourself a well-deserved break from traditional school and check out some fun, quirky classes. You might even find that your newfound experience makes you the center of attention among your friends; bragging rights are a perk of the curriculum.
inspirations for summer fun THE BEST CLASSES YOU NEVER KNEW EXISTED by nANCY MILLAR PATTON
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story by MATTHEW STRICKLAND
Terror in Our High Schools
The skeletal frame of Downtown Berkeley Station's previous entrance, shortly before its final demolition in early November 2017. Photo Credit: Alexander Coates
Berkeley Rebuilt
story by JESSE ROSENTHAL
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WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DOWNTOWN BERKELEY BART STATION?
Photo Credit: Mark Stewart
School is not as wholesome as it once was. Mass shootings in educational institutions across the United States are leaving students feeling scared. In light of the recent incident in Parkland, Fla., young people are speaking out, and they are doing so with poise. Students claim that not enough has been done to curb gun violence and prevent mass shootings. On the other hand, conservatives take the stance that gun ownership is a constitutional right that must be preserved at all costs. Amidst this debate, we must ask ourselves the following: what do Americans sacrifice for the right to own guns and who pays the price? The BCC Voice conducted a seven-question survey to uncover Berkeley High School students' thoughts and feelings about gun violence. Generation Z is standing up. They are asking to be heard and they are demanding that something finally be done to ensure that they receive an education without fear of being gunned down. The survey responses indicated that Berkeley High students are feeling fearful and uncomfortable. Several students reported that they are angry at the government for its legislative inaction. They expressed irritation and seemed perplexed by the absence of real solutions. At least one student stated that they hated the shootings, and many expressed regret that students like themselves are being killed. Sophomore Sarah Garcia* said that "[School shootings] could be prevented if we had proper gun control." Another student, Anita Jones, stated, "I think school shootings have a negative impact on community." James Stewart, grade 12, shared, "The problem is not as big as people say it is." Despite some instances of dissent, students tended to agree that the increased frequency of school violence in recent years is unsettling. When asked if they were scared to go to school, students' answers were split. Joe Pizzano explained that high schoolers are used to shootings since, "They have been happening as long as we have been going to school." "Hell yes, I'm afraid to go to school," another student responded. Naomi Hill made the comment, "I am not scared to go to school, but I feel paranoid." The feeling that safety was not guaranteed on campus came up more than once. "Sometimes I am afraid to go to school", Jones confessed. Garcia feels that, "Even a door opening can be scary," and Lin Nguyen admits, "Yes, I am scared to go to school. I don't feel safe." Considering these responses, it might come as no surprise that eight out of the ten students surveyed had participated in the March 2018 school walkout to protest gun violence. There is real solidarity among students on this issue, and they are willing to take action to make a statement. The students surveyed were quite vocal about how they will vote when they are able. Garcia pronounced, "I will vote for stricter gun control laws, more rigorous background checks and a ban on assault rifles." While Tammy Belhart said, "We need to make [gun control] laws more restrictive and guns harder to get." Allen Williams, who is 18, said, "I will vote for common sense in gun control and I contact my representatives frequently." If these students are representative of their group of peers as a whole, Generation Z will be a force to contend with when they get the chance to cast their ballots and influence legislation. The final question of the survey was: "Have incidents of gun violence affected the way you live?" In response, Williams said, "It does not affect me, but I see it affect others." Jones stated, "I feel less safe." Nguyen has "lost people to gun violence." Janine Gray shared "[Gun violence] has affected my community, but not me personally." Hill recognized an experiential divide within the issue. She said that she is "not really changed by gun violence in schools, because [she] is African American and is always on alert." Berkeley High students defiantly support the "Never Again" movement, a nationwide campaign launched by the student survivors of the Parkland shooting that aims to push back against the NRA and lobby for gun reform in Washington. It is clear from these survey responses that students are no longer willing to tolerate inaction and denial from legislators. Young adults from across the nation are speaking with a common voice. They are calling for change. They are showing the older generations that they mean business and they believe in the cause. The change is going to happen, and Generation Z will be leading the movement. *The BCC Voice has changed the names of survey participants in order to protect their privacy as minors.
As long as the trains don't stop underwater, I can handle the smells. Megan MaGill, BART Rider
STUDENTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE
Downtown Berkeley has been filled with the sounds of hammers banging, metal grinding on metal and the blaring beeps of utility trucks in reverse for so long that it has come to seem normal. Much of the construction has been centered at BART’s Downtown Berkeley station plaza, and some wonder just how worth it the new BART station plaza will be. Construction on the new BART plaza began in July 2016 and is scheduled to be completed by fall 2018. Beginning with a budget of 7.5 million dollars, costs have increased to close to 9.5 million, according to Chris Filippi, spokesperson from the BART Communications Department. The new plaza will have entrances housed in glass, and a landscape design which utilizes a bio-retention system to treat storm water, according to BART's website. The corner of Center Street and Shattuck Avenue will have an open layout, designed to increase "transparency" and riders' "comfort and safety." There will be a display of Armstrong maples, new seating with LED lights and interchangeable metal panels for future art installations. Cyclists can look forward to additional bike racks throughout the plaza. You may have also seen some new trains on your daily commute; these are what Filippi refers to as the "Future Fleet." BART's website promises these new trains will be quieter and equipped with a cooling system for hot summer days and better air flow for the stuffy commutes. The layout of the new fleet is designed to be more spacious to accommodate busy commutes, though there are fewer seats for lazy afternoon rides. "I don’t think it was necessary," says Jim Barnett, 11-year Berkeley resident and daily BART rider, "that money could have been funneled into something better; cameras that actually work on trains, system security, and rider safety." In a follow-up response, Filippi assured The BCC Voice that all the trains, Legacy Fleet, or Future Fleet, have working security cameras. "Safety is the top priority for everything we do at BART," states Filippi. "I think [the new plaza] will be a nice change," says Sam Fletcher, East Bay resident and frequent BART rider, "A change of scenery could be good for the community. I'm optimistic." "I'm actually excited for the space for new art, all we've had is gross advertisements down there," Fletcher went on adamantly. "I think it's a fine idea," chimed in Megan MaGill, overhearing the brief interview with Fletcher. "Maybe they'll do something about the smell too," MaGill added. MaGill, mother of two, rides BART into San Francisco every week and painstakingly combats some "unearthly odors" with snacks and juices for the kids. The BCC Voice asked MaGill if BART could have used the money more effectively. "They're doing fine as far as I'm concerned, as long as the trains don't stop underwater, I can handle the smells." A simple request from a mother of two. After taking these questions to the streets, The BCC Voice found many Berkeley residents held no opinion about the major changes in the downtown area. According to BART’s website, some upgrades will take place at the 19th Street Oakland BART Station as well, though the project will not be as substantial as the Downtown Berkeley changes. With an aim to improve the overall experience of the riders, they will be adding an elevator at the north end of the platform, and public artwork throughout the station. The existing lights will be replaced with LED lights to save energy. A new agent booth will be added, and the paid ticket area will be expanded. BART plans to begin this project in 2019. The BART website has all upcoming plans listed, including changes to El Cerrito Del Norte, Concord, Lake Merritt and some San Francisco stations as well. You can check it out for yourself at: www.bart.gov.
THE LIFE OF A PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR
Finding A HOME FOR BCC's UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS IN TRUMP'S AMERICA story by MAYA KASHIMA
Freeway Flyers
CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
U N D O C U M E N T E D
If you've ever taken a class with Nicole Wilson, anthropology instructor at Berkeley City College, you probably know she's a busy woman. For several semesters, she has spent her time not only teaching, but also commuting between four different campuses. Last February, she bought a Volkswagen Jetta with just 19,000 miles on it; a year later, thanks to her commute, the odometer is now clocked at 54,000. She says she spends upwards of nine hours a week driving to campuses at four different districts: Berkeley City College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Solano Community College, and Monterey Peninsula College. And this is her easy semester. "I had probably the craziest semester last semester," Wilson said in an interview with The BCC Voice. "I was teaching a total of eight classes in four different districts, so that was kind of insane." In academia, part-time adjunct faculty who teach at multiple districts are so common that they’re often referred to as "freeway flyers." Unable to make ends meet teaching the limited number of classes assigned to them at one school, some instructors teach classes at multiple campuses and often spend a substantial amount of time commuting between jobs. In a survey of Peralta Colleges' 738 part-time faculty (to which 166 faculty replied), 38 percent of respondents reported teaching at two or more districts, and a third of respondents said they commute over 100 miles a week for work. The survey was provided by Brad Balukjian, faculty member at Merritt College and representative for the Peralta Community College District's part-time faculty. "Part-time faculty are barely scraping by in the Bay Area," Balukjian said. "A lot of our faculty are working in multiple districts, and a lot of them don’t want to be doing that. They want a full-time job." In a time of soaring student loan debt and a highly competitive market for academic jobs, full-time academic positions hold the promise of financial and professional stability with a living wage and steady work. Yet only 33 percent of Peralta teaching faculty are full-time — a number that, according to the American Association of University Professors, is on par with the national trend. After graduating from University of California, Berkeley with a degree in English, Amy Zink, an English instructor at BCC, wanted some time away from academia. She took a job in retail and became a manager at the Discovery Channel Store, where she made a comfortable living before deciding to attend San Francisco State University for her master's degree. "I left because I felt mentally stagnant," Zink said. "I wanted to do something where I was using my brain and getting to engage with people. And I love that aspect of it. You get to be creative." Zink says she loves working with students. She enjoys watching them develop confidence and pursue things they didn't think were possible — like, for example, getting accepted to a college with a personal statement she helped them write. But when it comes to the economic reality of teaching in higher education, she admits she didn't know what she was getting into. "Funny enough, I actually thought this would be a good thing because there’s always a need for teachers and I’d be able to get something full-time. I didn’t think I’d still be part-time after teaching for eight years. And as I’m getting older, it gets tougher." In terms of scholarship, tenure has always been an important academic institution. It guarantees a great deal of security and permanency to teaching faculty, who might otherwise be subject to dismissal for propagating controversial or politically inexpedient ideas. But increasingly, regardless of the school or district, tenured, full-time jobs are becoming a rarity. According to the AAUP, over 70 percent of teaching jobs in the U.S. are non-tenure positions. Adding to this disparity is the fact that part-timers are paid less for doing the same work. For instance, while newer Peralta part-timers make almost the same wage as new full-time faculty, the wage gap increases with seniority, topping out at a salary gap of nearly 20 percent at the top of the pay chart. Part-time instructors who have been in the district for years, who may teach the same classes and the same number of hours as full-timers, are paid substantially less. This has a direct influence on the quality of instruction. Any instructor who spends two hours a day commuting is going to have less time to dedicate to grading and preparing lessons. The lack of stability perpetuates a shifting, itinerant throng of academic mercenaries who go where there’s work, but aren’t allowed to dig in and fully contribute to the hidden aspects of academia that students don’t see or think about — things like curriculum, budget, hiring, campus planning, recruitment and diversity policies. "The amount of time I spend in the car takes away from the time I could spend revamping classes, prepping classes and doing more in-depth grading," said Wilson. "I try my best, but I’ve been in traffic before on the 880, and I'm grading exams, which is just not safe, but I have done that." Education is often seen as a non-profit enterprise for public good, but many who are part of the profession bear the burden of a hidden cost that students will never see. "When I share this with students, they’re shocked," said Balukjian. "I was on a panel for the Laney College teach-in committee, and they were talking about teacher poverty and student poverty. And when I told students that 16 percent of their part-time faculty are on welfare, their jaws dropped. Because it’s really hard to believe there are people with master's degrees and Ph.D.s that are highly educated, that have paid their dues in their training, and now they’re on food stamps and MediCal."
It’s been just a few months since the Undocumented Student Resource Center moved into its new location on the second floor of Berkeley City College’s main campus at 2050 Center St., and the space can hardly keep up with how fast it's growing. In the Fall 2017 semester, the UCRC courted a small group of established campus leaders to work for the center as part of their new plan for expansion, and over the course of the Spring 2018 semester has expanded to include a team of ten student workers and volunteers. This level of growth is a triumph for Coordinator Carolina Martinez and Director Gabriel Martinez (no relation), who co-founded the center three years ago but by the end of last semester remained its only members. An uphill battle Gabriel Martinez, chair of the BCC Counseling Department, first proposed the creation of a resource center during a 2014 meeting with the Dreamers Task Force, a group created to improve outcomes for undocumented students. Carolina Martinez, a Task Force member, joined a group of student leaders in establishing the center with Gabriel Martinez as an advisor. In 2015, the school offered the UCRC an annex space next to the YMCA on Allston Way, which they christened with a grand opening featuring food and entertainment. The UCRC seemed poised for growth — two students secured a $10,000 grant from the Dalai Lama Fellows, and the Berkeley City Council adopted a resolution by then-Councilmember Jesse Arreguin officially supporting the center. But by the following year, the two students had stepped down from their leadership positions and the grant had fallen through. "Once they left, there was nothing," said Carolina Martinez. So, with two other UCRC volunteers, she "picked the project up and started from the bottom." They met with administrators to ask for funding to keep the center alive. "I don’t think they took us seriously, she said, "[because] we never got results." Frustrated, the three decided to go to a Peralta Board of Trustees meeting. They managed to get themselves on the agenda and made a plea to Chancellor Jowel Laguerre. "We were very loud in how we asked," said Carolina Martinez. "We were just like, ‘We need money!’" Laguerre was sympathetic to their cause, she said, but told them the district couldn’t do anything to help. The UCRC team then looked to the BCC’s Student Equity Fund, money allocated by the state government to help community colleges close achievement gaps for specific disadvantaged groups. A coalition of students, faculty, staff, administrators and other community members worked to draft a comprehensive action plan, including agreements that BCC would "[e]stablish a more permanent and visible Dreamer Center" and "[a]dvocate for more dependable funding" for undocumented student causes. The UCRC was grateful to receive the support it so desperately needed. But bureaucratic issues kept them from implementing the changes they had hoped for. Gabriel Martinez wanted to hire paid student workers, for example. Being part of the center’s small team requires a significant time commitment that might not be viable for those who work to support themselves. "The students [who wanted to work with us] got discouraged because they have to eat, you know?" said Carolina Martinez. At the time, BCC was also going through an administrative upheaval; both the President and Vice President were interim hires, and Carolina Martinez worried the UCRC would be further left "in limbo." Such was the case in spring 2016, when the center was moved from the Allston Way address to 2000 Center St., where they shared a space with the Office of International Education. While the move meant the UCRC was finally closer to the main campus, students began to feel the new location was less of a boon and more of a liability. Because the Office of International Education handles international students’ F1 visas, they must regularly cooperate with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. As UCRC Outreach Specialist Edgar Rosales put it, "If you’re an international student and you get to a point where you somehow don’t meet the requirements for your international student visa, ICE has the right to go to that office and look for you. There’s no reason to have a center for undocumented students right next to where ICE is allowed to be." At the time, though, nothing could be done to alleviate the issue. Students’ fears about the situation grew after the 2016 election. One of the UCRC’s most active leaders started to become less involved in the community. Carolina Martinez said that "because of the [Trump] administration, she [was] really scared of being part of something like this. She said, ‘Right now I just want to study. I don’t want to be at risk.’" A Turning Point The transition to a new BCC administration left some feeling anxious, but the arrival of President Rowena Tomaneng in fall 2016 marked an important milestone for the Center. Tomaneng, born in the Philippines, is a fierce advocate for immigrant rights. "She supported us," Carolina Martinez said, in a way they hadn’t been supported before. She has personal experience with the undocumented community, "so she knows the pain. She understands the community and she’s always willing to help us." Tomaneng’s allyship came in handy when UCRC members raised their concerns about the issues with their office. According to Carolina Martinez, Tomenang listened to the students, asking Vice President of Student Services Jason Cifra to give UCRC its own space on the main campus and increase overall institutional support for the center. The center secured its current space at the end of last semester. "Before, we weren’t very established," said Carolina Martinez. "Trying to figure out everything by ourselves wasn’t easy. Now the administration is really involved, really supportive." BCC also began paying the center’s student workers, including Carolina Martinez. She is now able to devote more time to her role as coordinator, no longer running between three jobs and school like she used to when she arrived in the country at age 19. A PERSONAL CONNECTION Until recently, Carolina Martinez was undocumented herself. Ten years ago, she came to the United States by herself from her hometown of Mazatlan, Mexico. When she first arrived, she could not speak English, but studied at an adult school to earn her GED and eventually landed at Berkeley City College, where she earned an Associate degree in Political Science. Carolina Martinez became a part of the UCRC because she wanted to help others who have experienced the same struggles as her. "When we started [the UCRC], you would never hear that there were any undocumented students on campus," says Carolina Martinez. "You’d feel like there are no resources." She wants BCC’s existing and prospective undocumented students — who number in the hundreds, according to the school’s 2015 Student Equity Report — to know what kind of supports they have available to them, because most are underinformed. Monica, a third-year BCC student and DACA recipient who asked that her last name not be used, said she didn’t even bother applying to four-year colleges and universities because she assumed she wouldn’t qualify for any scholarships or financial aid. In addition to rendering support navigating financial aid, academics, laws and policies, employment, housing, and other issues, the UCRC feels it’s important to address mental health in the community. Carolina Martinez realized the importance of addressing mental health while taking BART from BCC to a class at Merritt College. While waiting at the station, a man threw himself on the tracks as a train was approaching. She and other witnesses managed to get the operator to stop before hitting him. After helping him off the tracks, she talked to him briefly and learned that he was undocumented. "I wondered, ‘What is his living situation? What are his dreams?’ He opened up to me a little bit — ‘I just have issues, I just don’t want to leave.’ I started crying because I know what it’s like to feel that way," she says. "We’re all a part of the same struggle. Right now, the most important thing is coming together as a community."
story + photo by ADAM MANN
story by MINHAL MOTIWALA
FASHION, FADS & FUN TIPS
A GAME CHANGER FOR EVERYDAY PLANNING
Berkeley is full of wild styles and tame clothing, mom/dad jeans, checkered Vans, distressed tees and oversized jackets. Sound familiar? Are they walking past you as you read this? Not that I’m any different or any more original, but it might be worth it to try creating a more unique, personalized look. Keeping up with all the latest fashion fads and picking out "trendy" outfits every morning can seem like kind of a chore, so here are a few quick tips on how to look fresh every day, while also putting in a minimal amount of effort. Tip #1: Make A Statement "Statement pieces are good, especially if they’re unique," says Berkeley City College student and savvy dresser Isabel Reyes. "For me, it’s usually my earrings." A statement piece is often the first thing noticed about an outfit, so when going out in something simple, it could be a good addition to enhance your look. When going with a comfortable, low-maintenance look, a colorful scarf-turned-headband or a pair of chunky earrings can be the perfect addition to pull together that lazy afternoon outfit. Gossip Girl's Blair Waldorf might have epitomized headbands in the early 2000s, but they are back. Colorful sneakers are another popular option. A plain black shirt with black jeans and red sneakers is a fun look. In spring 2018, outfits just look better with a pop of color. Tip #2: It’s Okay to Be Lazy Not every day is a good outfit day, and that’s okay. "I like to wear overalls on lazy days," says Reyes. "It’s like wearing a dress without the commitment, and you still look cute." Overalls can save the day. Don’t feel like wearing pants? Overalls. Too cold for a dress? Overalls. Need something comfortable? Overalls. Overalls are overall the best thing that’s happened to the fashion world lately, and we should take advantage of that (and they're great for painting in). Tip #3: Multi-Colored is the New Black Colors are never a "no-go." Walking by someone dressed in a bunch of different colors feels like walking by a beautiful spring day. So be brave and go colorful. Experiment! Try working within a specific color palette. A great way to figure out what colors might go together is to pick a piece of art that has a nice color scheme and follow that scheme. For example, Keith Haring, a contemporary artist known for his colorful, graffiti-style pop art, used primary and secondary colors in most of his work. One of his most famous paintings, "Ignorance = Fear", used the colors red, yellow and blue. WHy not take inspiration from his work and incorporate those same colors into your outfit? Aim to look colorful, but not too busy. Tip #4: Dress Like You Reyes believes that one should dress for themselves, and if they don’t like trends, they don’t need to follow them. "Dress for yourself; you don’t always have to buy what’s trendy," she says. Some trends just aren’t that great and they die out eventually anyway. The nice thing about dressing for yourself and not following fads is that it adds a certain uniqueness to your look that lets your sense of style remain timeless. If we don't follow trends to begin with, then we don't need to worry about being out of style. Tip #5: The Most Important One Never let time or laziness come between you and your style because when you look good, you feel good, and it’s always nice to feel good! Utilize these quick tips as a style guide to create a unique, good-looking outfit any day and any time. Interested in fashion? College of Alameda offers a two-year Apparel Design and Merchandising Program (ADAM) where students can earn an Associate of Arts degree or Certificate of Completion in Fashion Design. In this program, students can acquire the skills they need to enter and work in the fashion industry, while also earning credits eligible for transfer to the University of California and California State University. For more information on enrollment and offerings, check out the Apparel Design and Merchandising page on the College of Alameda's website.
Bullet Journaling
It's Called Style
Photo Credit: Nehal Motiwala
Bullet Journaling is the popular new way to plan out your life in a creative fashion. It combines a planner, sketchbook and diary all in one, to make it easy to track your life. The journals are completely customizable too, so it can be as messy or as organized as you want. There are guidelines that all Bullet Journals have, but beyond that, yours can be however you want it to look, which is why people all over are in love with them. "Regular planners are hard to fill out and stay inspired by. A Bullet Journal is a big-time investment, which makes you more likely to use it," says Becky Brown, a University of California, Davis student in an interview with The BCC Voice. Brown has been Bullet Journaling since January 2018, and enjoys the creative outlet it affords her. "It’s super relaxing for me. I like being able to plan out my day and make it look nice at the same time," shares Brown. She researched how to set up her Bullet Journal on multiple platforms and shared her process with The BCC Voice, along with some tips. What you’ll need: Blank journal with grid pattern or dots; it doesn’t need to be too expensive and there are plenty of good ones on Amazon. Felt tip pens. Again, no need for expensive $50 pens; there are packs of 100 Crayola Supertips on Amazon for $10. Optional: Patterned washi tape and stickers. How to set up your journal: First, you need to make your index. This is where you will record all your pages and their numbers so it is easy to find them later. It’s important to number each page so you can put it in the index. Make a key or legend. This can be whatever system works best for you, but the Bullet Journal standard has a dot for a task, an open dot for an event, a triangle for an appointment, a dash for notes, a greater-than symbol for migrated, a less-than symbol for scheduled events and a crossed-out line for canceled events. This will help you keep track of all your events and notes inside the journal. If you want to make it simpler, you can make a box for each task and then check it off later. Next, you’ll make your future-log. This can range from three months out to an entire year, whatever makes more sense to you. Here you will divide the page into sections for each month and put birthdays or other important events. The future-log helps you see things from a larger perspective. The next step is to make your monthly. This can be in whatever format you want, but it should include an overview of the month you’re in. It can be in a calendar format or have highlights from each day of the month. Then, you will make your habit-tracker and mood-tracker for the current month you’re in. It doesn’t have to be super fancy, just efficient for tracking your habits and moods. You can set it up however makes the most sense to you. Finally, you’ll make a weekly log. This is where you will have your everyday events, tasks and appointments for the week written down. You can use your notation from the key to keep track of each important note. These steps are the basics used in most Bullet Journals but you can add whatever pages you want! Some ideas for pages include: an expense chart, a favorite-places page, a goals page, a wish list and a books-to-read list. The important part is customizing the journal to your needs. "Washi tape and white out are game changers and really help when you make mistakes," shares Brown, emphasizing how the Bullet Journaling process isn’t perfect at times and takes some time to get used to. "A big reason I like Bullet Journaling more than conventional planning is because of the flexibility. I change my formatting every month and even from week to week to try new looks." It’s a learning process that will change as much as you do. If you want to learn more about setting up your Bullet Journal, there are plenty of websites that can give you further explanations. BuzzFeed has several videos on Bullet Journaling, and bulletjournal.com can also help you set up your journal successfully. Brown advises to get started using basic guidelines and then stray away from using the templates in Bullet Journaling how-to videos, saying, "Make it completely your own and do whatever makes sense for you and makes you feel happy."
story + photo by SUMMER VODNOY
The "S" word is gaining momentum in the United States. No, not any of the usual-suspect pejoratives, but "socialism." Since the presidential election of Donald Trump in 2016, the Democratic Socialists of America, the nation’s largest socialist organization, has tripled in membership according to the Los Angeles Times. The much-maligned ideology is alive and well in some of the Bay Area’s most beloved pizza kitchens. For some, socialism might conjure up images of single-party governments, centralized economic planning, and the concentration of political power, which were the byproducts of socialist experiments in the Soviet Union, China, Cuba and beyond in the 20th century. But socialism, like all economic models, is subject to experimentation and improvement, and is taking a much different form in 21st century United States. Modern socialist movements in the West are focused less on macro-level economics and more on creating micro versions of democratized workplaces that meet the needs of the individuals who contribute to them and the communities in which they are based. The Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives is perhaps the best example of collectivized workplaces existing alongside traditional capitalist-owned enterprises in the Bay Area. The Arizmendi Association, whose name is derived from Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, a young priest who founded the successful and internationally influential Mondragon Cooperatives in the Basque Country of Spain, is a network of six democratically owned and operated bakeries throughout the Bay Area and one landscape design company based in the East Bay. The BCC Voice spoke with Cathy Goldsmith and James Higgins, two affiliates of the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives, to learn more about the potential connection between surviving Bay Area collectives and this burgeoning socialist revival. Although it hardly requires an introduction for locals, the most famous of the association’s members is the venerable Cheese Board Collective, where Goldsmith and Higgins work. Located snugly in North Berkeley’s "Gourmet Ghetto," the Cheese Board Collective has successfully operated on a collective model since 1971. "I worked for small businesses before working at Cheese Board," said Higgins, "and I came away from those jobs thinking, ‘Alright, when I have my own business, I’m not going to be like that one in this way.’ I am part owner of my business now, but I don’t have to take on all of it. I can do my little piece and learn from all of these other people." At the Cheese Board, everyone is a worker and everyone is a boss. All members earn the same wage regardless of experience level or time at the company, and profits are split evenly at the end of the year. The term for employees within this fringe model of employment is "worker-owner." Members of the Cheese Board vote democratically, directly or through the use of committee structure (think United States congressional committees) on decisions affecting the pizzeria and bakery, from day-to-day matters like baking fewer pies in anticipation of bad weather to the long term vision and direction of the company. "We work on the basis of modified consensus," explained Cathy Goldsmith, a longtime member who has been at Cheese Board for 23 years. "What we try to do is talk about an issue until the majority of us agree. Usually, the group is uncomfortable with a ‘no’ and we try to work around it and make that ‘no’ a ‘yes.’" To some, reaching an agreement might sound daunting, but it’s a task that Cheese Board members are willing to undertake to preserve the empowerment that comes along with co-owning their workplace. "Being part of the collective has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me," said Goldsmith. "Instead of feeling like people are going to hold their ideas to themselves, here, you can always throw out some of these amazing thoughts. You get all kinds of support in doing what you want to do, like writing a cookbook, or organizing a pop-up or expanding the storefront. If you have a good idea and the group has the energy for it, it happens. I think it’s amazing." The unique humanism of The Cheese Board Collective’s worker-owner structure inspires a special combination of loyalty and motivation in its members, a quality that has kept Goldsmith from feeling seriously torn between spending time with her family and working. It is perhaps no wonder then that the Cheese Board receives a huge number of applications. In fact, community interest in the cooperative model is the reason why the Cheese Board is happy to help other groups in the Bay Area form their own collectives. "We don’t want to get any bigger, but are very committed to the fact that it’s a great way to work," said Goldsmith, "and why not make that opportunity available to others?" The Cheese Board Collective does not proselytize the collective model, but its members are enthusiastic about lending recipes and know-how to groups looking to adapt the model. And many do. Goldsmith said that members of the Arizmendi Network regularly collaborate with Project Equity, an Oakland-based non-profit that helps small business owners sell their companies to their employees upon retirement instead of closing or radically changing them by handing the keys over to third parties. According to a U.S. Small Business Administration Study, six out of ten business owners plan to sell their companies within the next decade, and only 20 percent of all listings will ever sell. To preserve their workers’ jobs and the spirit of their businesses, an attractive secession plan might be to sell to employees and shift to democratic ownership. While collectivization might be a viable solution to several important economic issues facing the Bay Area, the Arizmendi collectives are not impervious to challenges. Goldsmith emphasizes that the toughest obstacle for the Cheese Board today is responding to the insurmountable rent boom of the past two decades. "We have a whole group of young people that is moving farther and farther from Berkeley," she lamented. And to co-owners, added Higgins, proximity to the shop is invaluable. Younger members are paying more than older members to be within commuting distance of the storefront, a divide, Goldsmith said, that has introduced the "experience of the haves and have-nots even though we’re trying to be equal." Members of the Cheese Board are in touch with the economic and political issues facing the Berkeley community, but Goldsmith and Higgins were emphatic that the Arizmendi network has never endorsed a political candidate. In the face of unbridled income inequality and the resulting housing crisis in the Bay Area, just existing as a collective is both a political statement and a political solution in itself. Capitalism is out of control and politics are shady. For workers, it might be the best solution we’ve got.
story by LIZ ZARKA
HOW THE ARIZMENDI ASSOCIATION OF COOPERATIVES IS DEMOCRATIZING THE WORKPLACE
"UNDOCUMENTED" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
Being part of the collective has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Cathy Goldsmith, Cheese Board Collective co-owner
The Politics of Pizza
Image by Angelo DeSantis
Taxidermy Musk Deer.
Stoppered in Glass
"I want to share this other world I’ve found, of magic, history, scent and sexuality," says perfumer Mandy Aftel. Bottled-up in her backyard, her other world beckons — The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents. Open since July 2017, The Aftel Archive of Curious Scents is located behind Chez Panisse, in the cottage beyond the brick path at 1518-1/2 Walnut St, Berkeley, Calif. and admits the public Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.; admission is $20. Curiously, the Aftel Archive doesn’t smell. The door to the cottaged museum swings inward onto olfactory silence. "I don’t want this to be like the beauty counter at Macy’s," explains Aftel, "with overeager salesgirls spritzing you as you walk in." Instead, Aftel and her husband, Foster Curry, conjure the pregnant calm of an empty music hall, with whiffs and wafts of strange, alluring scents stoppered in glass — caught and placed on display. But the spell of olfactory silence is soon broken. Curry, taking hats and coats at the door on the day of The BCC Voice’s visit, hands each visitor a small welcome-package and invites guests not only to peruse, but to partake. Visitors are encouraged to use their eyes, hands, noses and even mouths as they open the apothecary chest drawers and handle the fragrant raw materials, unstopper bottles and inhale the distilled and extracted essences, and page through the antique perfumery manuals on display. The archive juxtaposes modern and antique ingredients while deconstructing the perfumer's process. Century-old distillates and essential oils sit side-by-side with their modern and synthetic counterparts, loomed over in a few instances by the stuffed skins of the animals from which they are sourced. One of Aftel’s own signature scent creations, the Aftelier-branded "Curious," is dissected for display, appearing first whole-cloth as a finished perfume, then as a trinity of three-note "scent chords," and finally as nine separately-bottled ingredients. The archive itself is a similarly teased-apart component of the lauded Aftel brand — providing the top-notes of passion and genuine interest and an overwhelming desire to share. "I taught myself," Aftel says, motioning toward a small collection of antique books atop the table beside her, "from books just like these." The books, and all of the archive’s contents, began as part of Aftel’s personal collection over twenty years ago. For many years, the collection was indistinguishable from the perfumery business that Aftel still runs from her home. "I don’t want to be big," claims Aftel, "I’ve never wanted to be big." And true to desire, the Aftel brand remains an intimate undertaking. Aftel composes scents in a bright room on the ground floor of her home, plying her craft at the helm of a large perfumer’s organ which climbs from her desk toward the top of the bay windows behind it. "I don’t consider myself a businesswoman," chimes Aftel, "I create new things as they strike me." The entirety of Aftel’s operation lies beneath her roof. "Mandy says this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten her," confides Curry, his eyes and a hand pressing upon a dark wooden chest in the couple’s upstairs study, "It’s an old letterpress cabinet. And here," Curry slides open one of the many wide, shallow drawers littered with precious glass vessels like so many rainbow river stones, "are all the different perfumes. We fill each order right here." The stationary, inserts and packaging materials that accompany each order rework and incorporate images and designs from the antique books and bottles on display within the archive. Aftel’s inspiration is the archive’s true exhibit. "This is the best thing I’ve done," promises Aftel, the archive "has been this wonderful word-of-mouth thing." Aftel’s enthusiasm is plain. Greeting each visitor personally and making herself available to answer questions about the exhibits, she seems enamored of the responses her archive elicits — a wrinkled nose, a sigh of pleasure, or an eager "Oh! Smell this." Even the artifacts that cannot be handled or inhaled swell with breath. Aftel’s collection of postcards from Grasse, France and the Cote D’Azur at the turn of the 20th century pictorialize a forgotten industry built on the sweat of labor in a field of flowers, that drew delicate, elegant designs from the hard harvest of agricultural workers to perfume the gloves of an aristocratic upper-class. The postcards’ tinge of exploitation, like the musks and glandular secretions on hand, provide a depth and complexity to the curiosity the archive seeks to stimulate and satisfy within its patrons. While scent is often branded the evocateur of memory, Aftel’s archive reminds us that the scents harnessed by human hands carry a history and memory of their own, a legacy that lingers in the modern smells of laundry soaps and dish detergents, of toiletries, air-fresheners and even the finest of perfumes.
The Aftel Archive's scent organ.
Antique distillates and copper still.
BERKELEY MUSEUM EXHIBITS THE ALLURE OF AROMA
story + photos by ALEXANDER COATES
