The Paper Jam Fall 2017
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Reedley College Fall October 2017 Reading & Writing Center presents... The Paper Jam Fall 2017 By Gabriella Quijano Inside this issue Halloween and Thanksgiving are October Authors ……..2 the most anticipated holidays in Horoscopes .............. 4 Fall. But before everyone puts History of Jack-o- on their costumes and starts lanterns .................... 5 decorating their houses, let’s Chocolate! ................ 7 take a minute to wander through the change of seasons. Somewhere in mid to late September, cold air starts rifling through our clothes on our Grammar Corner: ..... 8 daily outings. We suddenly feel chilly in our tank tops and shorts, and Word Search ............. 9 the heat from the sun isn’t beating down on us as it used to: instead, it IT: Movie Review ...... 11 radiates warmth. The trees change into their red, orange, yellow, and Anne Rice ................. 12 auburn leaves, and before you know it, the familiar crunch of leaves are Mary Shelly .............. 14 beneath your feet. But, we all know that Fall doesn’t officially start until Starbucks releases their most beloved drink: Pumpkin. Spice. Lattes. October Poem Pick ... 15 They are everywhere you look. Stores begin to bring out their Hallow- een and Fall decorations, food aisles are stocked to the brim with cinna- mon, hot chocolate, and marshmallows, and you can almost feel the shift in demeanor: everyone seems happier, and they welcome a cool change from the unbearably hot and humid weather, and this momen- tum is directed toward Halloween. Continued on page 6 Born in October By: Kimberly Baker & Veronica Vela Anne Tyler “Life is continual shoring up...against one thing and another just eroding and crumbling away.” -Anne Tyler Arthur Miller “Why am I trying to become what I don’t want to be...when all I want is out there, waiting for me the minute I say I know who I am.” -Arthur Miller Dylan Thomas “Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of light.” -Dylan Thomas 2 E. E. Cummings “and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you.” - E.E. Cummings Gore Vidal “Nothing that ever was changes. Yet nothing that is can ever be the same as what went before.” -Gore Vidal Harold Pinter “You’re death. You can’t live, you can’t think, you can’t love, you’re dead. You’re a plague gone bad. There’s no juice in you. You’re nothing but an odor.” -Harold Pinter Famous Authors continued on page 10 3 By Saul Avila ined logically. Critics say that astrologers rely You might ask yourself: Why should I read significantly on confirmation bias (evidence about my horoscope? Why does it matter to that supports an individual’s beliefs while ig- me? What can I get out of it? Why should I noring other evidence that results in a different continue reading? A Horoscope is a forecast of conclusion) and personal experience to explain an individual’s character and personality traits phenomena. Regarding Horoscopes, each based on the position of the sun, moon, stars, statement is seemingly general so an individual and planets. The same general idea is derived from astrology and ancient astronomers who were really astrologers. The zodiac signs for Western astrology include: Aries, Leo Sagittari- us, Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. If you look up your sign, you will find a yearly, month- ly, weekly and even a daily supposed prophecy. Supporters of Horoscopes have conducted re- search to discover the validity of Astrology. Their findings have closely correlated planets and humans on earth. They have also proposed that Astrology by definition, is not an explicit can be sort of cheated into believing a state- science, just like economics, sociology, cooking, ment which essentially becomes a prophecy if and even meteorology. These disciplines do they believe it to be true. You may start to not have a strong scientific basis, but can often wonder: Does the correlation hold validity or is produce valuable results when trials are con- just plain superstition? How can the position of ducted. Supporters claim that astrology does objects in the universe influence my life? not follow the scientific method, yet still holds Whether you believe in Horoscopes or not, you some validity. Opponents of Horoscopes claim still must decide if the prophetic messages will that astrology come true. In my opinion, our goals or dreams is just pseudo- only come true if you believe in them yourself. science. They You cannot expect things to be given you, but refer to astrol- rather you must make an effort to achieve ogy as pseudo goals in your life. Maybe, the universe does not meaning have to influence you, but you and your abili- “false”, be- ties can influence the universe. cause many inconsistencies that arise when exam- 4 Horoscopes continued on page 11 By Alberto Gallegos as a family, decorating it with a spooky Every October, during the time of frighten- face, illuminating it with a candle and dis- ing costumes and sugar rushes, we often playing it in their homes to get ready for see our neighbors’ porches decorated with Halloween night. Carving pumpkins and creative carved jack-o-lanterns. A lot of us creating the perfect Jack-o-lantern has visit our nearest pumpkin patch, a tradition been part of my family tradition since I was that has been around for centuries, in very young. I can remember going to Reed- search of the perfect pumpkin. Where did ley’s Hillcrest Pumpkin Patch every year the idea of carving Jack-o-lanterns come and picking out the perfect pumpkin to from? Originally, the tradition of carving take home. That experience is what shaped Jack-o’-lanterns was brought over to Amer- my excitement for Halloween, especially ica by Irish immigrants. What is interesting being able to become the artist of my own is that pumpkins did not exist in Ireland. In jack-o-lantern. It’s an experience that many fact, the original Jack-o-lantern that the have grown to love, as I have, and has be- Irish carved were turnips with embers in- come a bonding time for families, couples, side of them, which they believed scared friends, etc. My family and I get together away evil spirits. There is a Jack-o-lantern the weekend before Halloween with our fable that has been told for hundreds of pumpkins, and form fun competitions years in the Irish culture. The fable focuses amongst each other to see who can make on Stingy Jack, who was an old drunk that the best-looking Jack-o-lantern. Using carv- enjoyed playing tricks on everyone. He ing knives and getting the pumpkins flesh ended up roaming earth with his lit-up Jack and seeds out can be a very messy experi- -o-lantern without a resting place after he ence, but is very satisfying once you create had passed away. The Irish believed that by your image on the pumpkin and put it on hollowing out turnips and placing a light in display. The challenge of carving an image them Stingy Jack and his evil spirits would perfectly on a pumpkin can even be a way stay away. In America, these Jack-o- to cope with stress, especially as mid-terms approach, where college work piles up on lanterns are used solely for a symbol that represents the holiday called Halloween. you. Therefore, if carving up a Jack-o- Jack-o-lanterns have become very popular lantern has never been something you’ve in American society, and are used as deco- done before, maybe trying it out this year rative figures among different environ- can be a fun distraction or the start of a ments to show their October festive spirits. new tradition you can share with your Every year, people go out of their way to loved ones. find the perfect pumpkin to carve together 5 Continued from front page. October is nothing more than a giant countdown: everyone is waiting for that one day at the end of the month. Halloween City opens their doors to the eager patrons who are looking for the perfect costume; Daenerys Targaryen, Wonder Woman, Pennywise the Clown. YouTube explodes with “How-to” makeup videos, and Youtubers push out their latest creations. At your local Walmart, the costume aisle is filled with the occasional scream from someone jump-scaring another person: parents scare child, sibling scares younger sibling, friend scares friend. And finally, on that fateful day, kids Qui- jano 2 put on their sacred costume, teenagers slap something together, and parents lovingly dress up as best they can or not at all. Mountains of candy are ogled by the hungry kids, and dentists are lying in wait and laughing maniacal- ly. At 6:59, kids are at the starting line. Their minds racing with, “who has the full-sized candy bars?” and “how much trouble will I get into if I push these kids away from the good candy?” And at the sound of a gunshot (an announce- ment), the race beings! Parents follow their kids through the sea of people and go from house to house, until their child, and themselves, are exhausted. After the rush of Halloween is over, Thanksgiving makes its way through your home, much like that uninvited and unnamed “guest” at your Thanksgiving dinner. College students from across the country fly home to their families for Thanks- giving, but in reality, they’re just looking forward to the leftovers they can take back with them.