the lacks family - reedley college › academics › tutoring...mortal life of henrietta lacks by...

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.

The Lacks family cont.

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

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

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

By: Bruno Cazares

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

March 2018 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

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4 5 6 7 8 9 10

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25 26 27 28 29 30 31

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

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