the lacks family - reedley college › academics › tutoring...mortal life of henrietta lacks by...
TRANSCRIPT
Spring, March 2018
Inside this issue:
Irish Myths & Legends 1
Lacks Family Visit 2-3
National Women’s Day 4
Blossom Trail 5
Read Across America 6
Book of the Month 7
How to... 8
Grammar Corner 9
Earth & Pi Day 10
March Word Search 11
Managing Mid-Term Stress 12
Irish Soda Bread 13
Clubs/Service Ads. 14-15
Calendar 16
RC Tiger Pageant 16
Race, education, socio-
economic issues, and
unethical medical prac-
tices bring about many
controversial conversa-
tions; regardless of the
color of one’s skin, or
place of origin, every
person has the right to
know when they are be-
ing used or abused by
any system whether that
be in a public setting or
a hospital room. Stu-
dents at Reedley Col-
lege, and in many col-
leges around the United
States, are already fa-
miliar with these issues.
Reedley students have
found a connection
through characters in
the One-Book-One-
College choice: The Im-
mortal Life of Henrietta
Lacks by Rebecca
Skloot. Henrietta Lacks
was an African Ameri-
can woman who un-
knowingly changed the
course of medical histo-
ry when her cells,
known as HeLa, were
found to be immortal.
Unlike normal cells,
Henrietta’s cancer cells
continually regrew and
multiplied, which paved
the way to new discov-
eries in cell culture. Un-
fortunately, she became
a victim of medical re-
search. Doctors and
medical professionals
studied her cells without
her consent. Later, her
family experienced the
same kind of unethical
practices, including re-
fusal of health care be-
cause of their socioeco-
nomic status and race.
The process of writing
the book led author
Skloot and the Lacks
family on an unforgetta-
ble journey. Today,
members of the Lacks
family continue to
spread awareness on
patients rights issues,
such as consent by pa-
tients and access to
health care. Now the
family works through
The Henrietta Lacks
Foundation, established
in 2010 by Rebecca
Skloot. The purpose of
the foundation is to
bring a multitude of
voices to a complex
medical problems, such
as scientific research
and doctor-patient ac-
Reedley College
Reading & Writing
Center
Presents...
Reedley College literary Arts presents...
The Lacks family By: Veronica Vela
tive communication. The
Reedley College Speak-
er Series, sponsored by
Reedley College Liter-
ary Arts Foundation, is
pleased to offer students
and the community the
opportunity to meet and
listen to two members of
the Lacks family on
March 15th at 1pm at
the Madera campus and
at 7pm at Reedley Col-
lege in the cafeteria.
During an interview
with Mr. Borofka, a long
-time member of The
Reedley College Liter-
ary Arts Foundation, of-
fered information about
the Lacks family mem-
bers, who will speak that
night. The two members
of the family who will
be visiting are Victoria
Baptiste and David
Lacks, Jr. Victoria Bap-
tiste is Henrietta’s great-
granddaughter, who is a
nephrology nurse at a
dialysis center, assisting
patients with respect and
making sure they under-
stand their care. Baptiste
travels often to inform
others about the Lacks
family’s story. David
Lacks, Jr. is the
grandson of Henriet-
ta Lacks and the son
of David Lacks, who
readers will know as
“Sonny.” Lacks has a
degree in computer in-
formation systems which
allows him to travel
around the United States
and Canada to set up
computer systems and
labs for companies and
help with the Lacks fam-
ily website. Further-
more, he makes the fam-
ily proud by serving on
the National Institutes of
Health Panel, where he
reviews proposals from
researchers seeking to
use the HeLa genome in
their research. The night
of the event will be a
chance to connect with
members of the Lacks
family. The Literary
Arts Foundation mem-
bers hope to see many
students armed with
questions and eager to
learn something new.
Page 2
The Lacks family cont.
Page 3
were immersed in the moonlight. When Chris-tianity came into Ire-land, the story devel-oped an ending: The swans heard church bells, and when they stepped into the church to investigate, their feathers fell off, and they became human again. Swan Lake, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, was developed into a ballet with the same premise of The Children of Lir mixed with Russian folk tales. Because Ireland is known for many myths and legends, it feels as if Ireland is magical and mysterious by nature. Instead, these mysterious and magical tales were passed down from generation to gen-eration, and hopefully, they will continue to be passed down to keep the magic and mystery alive for all to hear.
Ireland is known for a multitude of its myths and legends, such as lepre-chauns, shamrocks, and The Children of Lir. These myths and legends are known and recognized worldwide, and the stories are passed down from gen-eration to generation inter-nationally. The most popular myth among all in Ireland are leprechauns. According to the myth, leprechauns are fairy folk. They are often portrayed wearing green overalls, donning a red beard, and holding a pipe. The leprechauns are mis-chievous by nature, and they are often hiding gold that they will do anything to keep. Also, according to the legend you read, if you catch the leprechaun, you get three wishes or he must reveal where he hid his stash of gold. Another popular myth is the shamrock and four-leaf clover; these are the unofficial symbols of Ireland. The shamrock is a popular sprig with three leaves: however, the four-leaf clover is a rarity and is often said to bring good luck. The shamrock also has some religious connotations to it: The Celtics and Druids believed that it had mystical properties because three is a
sacred number. The Christians also believed the shamrock held special meaning because the three leaves represented the Holy Trinity. With religious connotation aside, the shamrock has a large impact on pop cul-ture in the 21st century. Lucky Charms’ mascot is a leprechaun who hides his treasure from children, and within his treasure lies the shamrock shaped marshmallow. Another pop culture reference is the McDonald’s Sham-rock Shakes. Known for their green hue, Shamrock Shakes are mint flavored and currently available at McDonalds (not an ad). The Children of Lir is a legend that has been passed down from generation to generation, and it is the premise for Swan Lake. According to the legend, the Irish King Lir had four beautiful children. After the chil-dren’s mother died, the king remarried. However, the new stepmother was a woman devoted to witch-craft and believed the children would prevent her from taking the throne as queen. The stepmother cast a spell that turned the children into swans by day and human if they
By: Gabby Quijano
National Wom-en’s Day is not a day where women are spoiled, but a day that the world acknowledges the achievements they have reached. It is also known as the United Nations Day for Wom-an’s Rights and Interna-tional Peace. This day is not only recognized by the UN, but it is cele-brated in the US as well. The worldwide event takes place every year on March 8th. Some events include seminars, conferences, dinners, etc. and they identify themes of innovation, portrayal, and the im-portance of women in both the workforce and household. The date is an opportunity to cele-brate woman, and offer women an opportunity to reflect on the accom-plishments of women over time.
The very first National Women’s Day was held on March 19th in the countries Germa-ny, Austria, Denmark, and Switzerland. The reason for this date was to remind the world that
it was a Prussian king who first allowed wom-en to vote in 1848. The tradition of International Women’s Day has be-come a success never-theless because is has brought to the world’s attention the difficulties women constantly face. The wage-gap between men and women in the workforce continues, as do continuing problems with domestic violence and sexual harassment. This day is meant to draw attention as to how far women have come, and celebrate their per-severance in the midst of constant challeng-es. Inter-national Women’s Day is now acknowl-edged as a world-wide holi-day.
In 1975, the UN de-cided to designate that year
Page 4
as International Wom-en’s Year, and to call global attention to wom-en’s issues. The very first International Wom-en’s conference was held in Mexico City that year. In 1977, the UN announced that National Women’s Day was to be held on the 8th of March every year. The UN General Assembly ex-plained to the world that this day would help fight discrimination against women. Not only would it increase awareness, but it would also focus on providing women full and equal involvement
By: Marshall Hodson and Staff
in the world’s growth. The UN continues to promote women’s en-gagement in the work-force, in politics, and in technological advance-ments.
stands, which are scat-
tered around the valley
all summer long, and The
Blossom Trail Café that
was named in reverence
of the beauty of the trees.
Flowers are ablaze as
bike riders of all ages
ride the designated route,
which is marked by the
well-known Blossom
Trail signs. The Blossom
Trail travels through
many of the surrounding
towns, including: Kings-
burg, Sanger, Clovis,
Reedley, Orange Cove,
Selma, Fowler, and
Kings River. Blossoms
differ in color based on
the type of tree it is. Ap-
ples, almond, and plum
blossoms are white,
whereas peaches, apri-
cots, and nectar-
ines range from a
soft pink to a vi-
brant red. Citrus
blossoms are
white as well and
are easily identified by
their fragrant smell. Ac-
cording to a well-
regarded Trip Advisor
reviewer, she says, “It
was amazing to be out-
side, drive along the
Blossom Trail to admire
the short life but definite-
ly stunning and
exquisite beauty of
the blossom and
enjoy the sweet
fragrance of the
Page 5
The Blossom Trial has
been around for 30 years,
and it is an annual event
for the town of Reedley
and the surrounding cit-
ies. It started as a way to
extol the natural beauty
that the Central Valley
often takes for granted. It
is made up of hundreds
of trees in full bloom dur-
ing February to the be-
ginning of March. This
year is the 29th annual
Kings River Blossom
Bike Ride officially starts
on March 3rd. The Blos-
som Trial spans 60 miles,
and features the crops
which make the Central
Valley famous for being
the “Fruit Basket of The
World.” Along the route,
there are numerous fruit
By: Nicole Huebert
plums and al-
monds” (Trip Advisor).
This trail is great fun for
friends and families and
is a great weekend activi-
ty. The Blossom Trail is
a trademark of the Cen-
tral Valley and showcas-
es some of the most
beautiful parts of the lo-
cal agriculture.
Photo credit: Deb Borofka
they drift apart during
their middle school
years. What makes Al-
exander’s work standout
is that the story is told
entirely through verse.
People are encouraged
to start their own local
Read Across America
events, and instructions
on how to do so are giv-
en on the NEA’s web-
site. Every community
celebrates in different
ways, from pep rallies to
having high school sen-
iors volunteer to read to
kindergarteners. If you
want to bring the joy of
reading to your commu-
nity, check out the
NEA’s official website
to find out how to hold
your own Read Across
America event!
The month of March is
home to National Read
Across America Day, a
day in which communi-
ties from across the na-
tion come together to
spread the joy of reading
to children all across the
country. Read Across
America took place on
March 2nd, Dr. Seuss’
birthday! The day is put
on and funded by the
National Education As-
sociation (NEA). In May
1997 the NEA began to
prepare for the first
Read Across American
day after a study showed
that students who spend
more time reading are
more likely to do better
in school. This year, the
NEA’s theme for Read
Across America was di-
versity. The books that
were promoted came
from authors from all
walks of life. They in-
cluded the likes of Gene
Luen Yang, most known
for his New Superman
book which follows the
adventures of a young
Chinese boy named Ke-
nan Kong as he discov-
ers he has the powers of
Superman; and Kwame
Alexander who is most
known for his novel The
Crossover which centers
around two brothers as
Page 6
By: Bruno Cazares
Page 7
By: Elizabeth Kleinkramer
March’s Book of the Month is All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot.
All Creatures Great and SmalI embodies the spirit of spring that goes along
with March. This book is the first in a series of memoirs written by James Her-
riot, a country vet in the early 19th century English countryside. His memoir is
funny and touching. He tells stories of his unpredictable
and rash boss, Siegfried. He also relays narratives of the
interesting and unique farmers living in his rural communi-
ty. The situations Herriot finds himself in are truly remark-
able, and his book will make you laugh and cry with joy.
This is a book for all ages and is a wonderful look at the
hilarity and delight in the life of a country vet.
On Tuesday, March 20, 2018 the day and night will almost be in equal length in most places around the world. But apart from that, it is also a sign that we are close to Spring Break; a time where we can final-ly catch up on our favor-ite shows and do things we like, like sleeping in. For those that like doing the same thing every Spring Break, I have a challenge for you. In-stead of watching your favorite show or doing the same routine, go out
and try something new. Visit a museum, go to a festival, paint, or explore a new town or city; the list of possibilities are endless. The point I am trying to make is to wid-en your perspectives. Call your best friend and convince her/him to share that new experi-ence with you, and if she/he resists, try harder! After all, spring is about things blossoming, so why not be in the spirit of spring and blossom a new experience? Can
you live up to the chal-lenge?
Things to do...
Fresno Chaffee Zoo
Downtown Reedley
Superior Dairy
Fresno Art Museum
Madden Library (FSU)
An Oscar movie you want to see!
Hike in the...ANYWHERE!
Blossom Trail
Bowling
History Walk in the town you live in.
Read that book col-lecting dust on you nightstand.
Take pictures!
Paint!
Open Mic Nights!
Journal...your dreams!
By: Berto Gallegos
Page 7
Page 8
Learning how to analyze an article or book can be extremely helpful in many English classes. Many students have their own methods of analyzing. Here are some tips and tricks to help you improve your analyzing skills and to understand the reading better!
You always want to skim and scan the reading to get a preview of what your topic might be. For ex-ample, you could read the pro-logue or the back of the book.
While reading underline or high-light important information and write it down on a sticky note. This way, when you go back into that chapter or article you have a note about the important details on that page.
After, go back and reread your sticky notes, and combine them to create a one sentence sum-mary of that specific section or chapter.
It is also extremely important to become familiar with the book or article. Learn who the characters, are events that are occurring, and the setting,
Once you finished, go over the notes you’ve taken and focus on the main points of each note. This way, you won’t have to reread the content again.
By: Selina Sandoval
Page 9
Dangling Modifiers
Dangling modifiers (sometimes called Dangling Participles) are grammar errors that confuse readers.
Modifiers dangle when the proper target word is missing. Although the following sentences appear correct,
they are unclear!
Modifiers are underlined, wrong target word in bold
Running up the flight of stairs, his books fell.
Explanation: The books cannot run upstairs!
While talking on the phone, her coffee fell.
Explanation: Coffee is not alive and cannot speak!
After they started the football game, the fans
cheered.
Explanation: The fans are cheering; they cannot be playing on the football field!
During a conversation on the phone, the police stopped the woman.
Explanation: Was the police on the phone or was the woman on the phone?!
Modifiers are words, phrases or clauses that function like adjectives in sentences. In other words, modi-
fiers allow writers to describe situations with more description. They are found either in the front of or behind
the target words they logically describe.
Corrected Sentence Examples:
“Running up the flight of stairs, he dropped his books.”
It was a person who ran, not the books. A proper subject pronoun is included.
“While talking on the phone, she dropped her coffee.”
She dropped her coffee while talking. A proper subject pronoun is used.
“During a conversation on the phone, she was stopped by the police.”
She was stopped for talking on the phone. Preposition is added, and pronoun is included.
“After they started the football game, the players were cheered on by the fans.”
The players started the game, not the fans. Preposition is added, and pronoun is included.
By: Saul Avila
Page 10
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970
by Senator Gaylord Nelson. There were roughly 20
million people who attended festivals on that day,
which was astonishing! This amazing demonstra-
tion of activism led to legislations such as the Clean Air Act
(1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972). Go on a hike and witness
the beauty our planet holds! This is a wonderful way to inspire
others to join the fight to protect our planet. Planting a tree is another thing that can be done before
Earth Day that will greatly help our planet. This activity allows us to give back to our planet by re-
storing what we have taken from it. There are things we can do year-round to help keep our planet
beautiful.
By: Janelie Garcia
The 14th of February is Valentine's Day, a time to say "I
love you" to a special someone and eat some chocolate, or in
this year's case, celebrate Ash Wednesday as well.
But what about the 14th of March? What significance does
this day hold? Well, it's all going to add up because it's Pi
Day. No, not the good kind of pie, it's the math kind of pi.
Whether you're a math or STEM major who loves all things
mathematics or an English or humanities major who tries to
avoid it at all costs, Pi day is still a day worth celebrat-
ing. According to the day's website piday.org (it has a website? Yeah, I guess so) "Pi (Greek letter
“π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a
circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159."
This is a day to remember all the joys math has brought you or maybe the pain it's inflicted. Either
way, you survived math or are going to. Keep up the good Pi fight.
By: Stephanie Duarte
Page 11
Waffle Day
Palm Sunday
Doctor Seuss
Pi
Saint Patrick’s Day
Puppy Day
Holi
Employee Appreciation
Match Madness
Shamrock
Green
Passover
Spring
By: Clara Munoz
reminders app on your phone, or you can add events to your calendar. If you create a schedule, you’ll have a specific time set aside just for studying. Creating a schedule and sticking to it is essential to manag-ing your time wisely.
College mid-terms are right around the cor-ner. This point of the semester can be over-whelming and stressful for many students. If you find
yourself overcome with stress, don’t panic. There are several things you can do to relieve some of the stress you’re facing.
Take breaks between study sessions. If you study for hours on end, you eventually will burn yourself out. There are several methods of stud-ying that will prevent you from becoming worn out. One of these methods is referred to as the 50/10 rule. This method consists of a fifty-minute study ses-sion and is followed by a ten-minute break. Studying will feel much less daunting if you break it up into smaller increments.
Don’t procrastinate. Spending a couple of hours studying each night is much more ef-fective than cramming the last few days. If you start studying for your exams early on, you will feel confident and pre-pared. Waiting until the last minute makes it
more challenging to get the information you’re studying to stick.
Ask for help with con-cepts you don’t under-stand. Meeting with your professor during office hours may be helpful in figuring out what the exam will cov-er and receiving help with concepts you’re having trouble with. It is also a good idea to uti-lize the free tutoring re-sources available at Reedley College.
Make sure you’re get-ting enough sleep. Staying up all night to complete an assignment or a study session may sound appealing, but it comes with consequenc-
es. Sleep deprivation can cause trouble concen-trating and can negative-ly impact your memory. If you’re well rested, you will feel more ener-gized and assertive.
Create a schedule for yourself. There are multiple ways you can keep track of your planned events. You can set reminders using the
By: Ronnie Coates
Managing Midterm Stress
Page 12
Define:
Effusively and almost
Uninhibitedly enthusiastic;
lavishly abundant
Example:
An exuberant game of
football takes place, then
the sound of bell is heard,
and both sides retreat
back to their enemy
Positions.
Literary “Nourishment”
James Joyce, the famous Irish author of The Dub-
liners, Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulys-
ses and Finnegans Wake was more than fond of
his food, and is known for his careful descriptions
of his character’s meals. Joyce created the memo-
rable central character, Bloom, in Ulysses, and
Bloom very much believed people “are what they
eat.” Author Wyndham Lewis wrote an account of
his first meeting with Joyce. He said, "I took a
great fancy to him for his wit ... for his unaffected
love of alcohol, and all good things to eat and
drink." He observed how Joyce celebrated food,
and in one passage described "the very palatable
odour indeed of our daily bread, of all commodi-
ties of the public the primary and most indispensa-
ble. Bread, the staff of life, earn your bread."
In celebration of all things Irish this month, try out
this Irish comfort food…soda bread. Joyce would
approve!
Soda bread recipes can be made with numerous varia-
tions to the basic recipe. In this version, raisins and
caraway are added to give the Irish soda bread a dis-
tinctive taste. Serve this bread on St. Patrick's Day as a
special treat…. best when eaten the day it is made.
PREP 15 m ins COOK 45 m ins READY IN 1 hr
Ingredients
2 cups flour 1/2 tea-
spoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3 tablespoons butter, softened 2/3 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons sugar 1 egg 3/4 cup raisins 2 teaspoons caraway seeds Will also need a bowl, large baking sheet, parchment
paper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and coat
with cooking vegetable spray.
In a bowl, stir together flour, salt, soda, sugar, bak-
ing powder, raisins, and caraway seeds.
In a separate bowl beat together buttermilk, eggs
and butter.
Stir together dry and moist ingredients. Shape into
a 6-inch mound on the baking sheet. If the
mixture is too moist to maintain shape, add a
little flour. Cut a large X into the top of the
dough with a sharp knife.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes.
Cool slightly. Serve sliced with butter.
Irish Soda Bread with Raisins and Caraway
Page 14
Let us know if would like your club/service to be featured
in the RWC Paper Jam!
Please contact
Kimberly Baker or Stephanie Duarte
@
(559) 638-0300 ext. 3619
for more information.
Page 15
March 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 2 3
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Page 16
1st - Peanut Butter Day
3rd - National Anthem Day
6th - Dentist’s Day
8th - International Women’s Day
11th - Johnny Appleseed Day
12th - Girl Scouts Day
14th - National Pi Day
17th - St. Patrick’s Day
20th - International Earth Day
25th - Waffle Day
31st - Clam on the Half Shell Day
The 2018 Inaugural Reedley College Tiger Pageant will be held for the first time on March 16th at 6:00pm and will conclude at 8:30pm. The Tiger Pageant was inspired by wanting to bring together as many different students as possible into one evening event, during which various student talents could be displayed and celebrated. The event is a non-gendered Pageant, and there will be 16 contestants participat-ing. The pageant coheres to four traditional elements: Panel interview,
Talent, Formal Wear, and Final Question. The Panel interview was held on Saturday, February 24th. The contestants include: Mark Gomez, Tiffany Banuelos, Isaiah Tigler, Jose Alvizar, Joseph Pacheco, Pahoua Vang, Luis Bravo, Kennie Garcia, Gabby Quijano, Rebecca Murrieta, Mary Filarca, Yesica Ib-arra Campos, Jose Hernandez, Maria Valdez Rodriguez, Iyeda Villanueva, and Rumaldo Medina.
This event was put together by the members of the Safe Space Club. This event was created to showcase the diversity of our student body. This important event follows many other activities put to-gether by Safe Space including: participating in RC Homecoming, Reedley Fall Festival float decora-tion, T-shirt Tie-Dye day, Reedley College Holiday Parade, RC Holiday Adopt-a-Family, Movie Nights (Harvey Milk & The Breakfast Club), Community Service Support Activities at the Clovis Veteran Center, HIV Screening, decorating for the Club Mixer, selling carnations on Valentine's Day, and many more activities to come. The Safe Space club hopes to see you at 6:00 pm in the Reedley College Cafe-teria on March 16th.
By: Janelie Garcia