CSUN On Point

Students and teachers around the world are adapting to virtual instruction in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CSU system has announced classes at its 23 campuses will remain mostly virtual this fall. The Los Angeles Unified School District is still working on its plans.

Some teachers and their students have adapted well to the use of technology, but others have felt the strain, particularly students who cannot participate due to circumstances beyond their control. Some teachers are finding unique ways to keep students engaged – such as one music teacher who used TikTok.

Many questions loom about special education students in particular, and the challenges of giving them what they need. CSUN Associate Professor Vanessa Goodwin is a special education teacher and program specialist. She is Co-Director of the Special Education Literacy Clinic in the Teaching, Learning, and Counseling Consortium. Goodwin said she is learning a lot through this pandemic, particularly about the ramifications for special needs students at all levels.

For starters, student mentors had a hard time adjusting to virtual learning themselves. For many, the pandemic’s virtual school preparation came during spring break, and Goodwin said student mentors and teachers were left to find the ways to connect with their students at home.

Goodwin said there really was not a mechanism for keeping special education students from regressing during a crisis like this.

But Goodwin said some of the current technology was already in use, and luckily for them, students and teachers were already familiar with it. This technology has given them tools to succeed, and no matter what the fall brings, the summer will provide even more time to prepare.

Phyllis Gudoski has taught at both the university and the K-12 levels. She is currently a lecturer in the Special Education Department at CSUN.  She said educators have concerns about students moving to virtual classes, but there is also concern for instructors. Many educators at the K-12 level have never taught online classes before, and Gudoski said there has been a learning curve for both teachers and students.

Not all students have access to reliable computers, and beyond that, getting internet access can also be an issue. Gudoski said the LAUSD has helped students get access to chromebooks, but that may not be enough. And for students with special needs, it’s even tougher. 

California State University-San Bernardino student Jazmin Leanos-Rodriguez said the transition to virtual learning has been extremely challenging for her. She had developed methods for success at school, after struggling academically, by using study groups and study halls, and taking advantage of professors’ office hours and accessibility after class. But now she said she feels her success diminishing, and she’s discouraged. Leanos-Rodriguez said her home life makes it difficult to study, and she said she is considering taking the next semester off, because she doesn’t feel she’s able to absorb the material she’s learning virtually.

Leanos-Rodriguez said the stress of school and the uncertainty of the times have affected her mental health, and she feels genuinely alone since the shutdown. Seeking help virtually doesn’t work for her. She said the frustration causes her to cry sometimes.

Experts agree social distancing and virtual learning can affect many students in many different ways. Gudoski said social and emotional issues play a huge part in educating a well-rounded child or adult. Social skills are what helps people get jobs, and many social skills are learned in the playground and in the classroom.

Perhaps the biggest questions students, teachers, and the community have are: will they ever return to ‘normal’? And, how long will this go on?

Gudoski said this may be the new normal for a while, and students and faculty should be prepared for that. She said until there is a vaccine, which experts admit could take more than a year, schools and campuses will not be able to guarantee the safety of students or teachers.

Producers: Cindy Rodriguez and Brittany Smith

Reporters: Alex Guerrero, Cindy Rodriguez and Brittany Smith

Proposition 64 passed on November 8, 2016 in the state of California. As a result, adults over the age of 21 can possess and privately use marijuana. In 2018, commercial sales and production of the substance also became part of California’s economy. It has become a rapidly growing industry, but the new laws have not erased the confusion and controversy around the substance, and how it can be legally and safely used.

Last year, the Los Angeles Times reported that California has the largest legal marijuana market in the world, with more dispensaries, recreational users and consumer choices than ever before. But the new legalities did not erase the past completely.

“[Many people] thought that prior convictions they had would be cleared,” said attorney Lisa Mattern, who specializes in marijuana cases. Thousands have been overturned in California, but the process is not simple or automatic, and the debate over when and whether to overturn those convictions continues.

Mattern also said law enforcement officers still face challenges when pulling over drivers who are under the influence of marijuana. NBC Los Angeles reported last year “an increase of up to six percent in the number of highways crashes in states where recreational use of marijuana is now legal, compared to states where the same use is illegal.”

Mattern said when an officer smells marijuana in a vehicle,  the DUI investigation begins. But the substance can remain in a person’s body long after the effects have worn off, making the results of field tests problematic. The varying levels of THC in cannabis products also deliver mixed results when consumed. There are no standardized limits or tests yet, but data does show that marijuana impairs driving.

“[Police] don’t have the tools [to test for it],” Mattern said. “They don’t have any field sobriety tests.”

Aside from the legal issues, there are also health issues remaining for many recreational users. Despite a common belief that they can’t, some marijuana users do develop dependency, and, according to Healthline.com, can exhibit “mood swings, a lack of energy, and cognitive impairment.” when they stop using.

“There’s an assumption that because it’s legal, it means that there are no risks that come along with it,” said CSUN University Counseling Services Drug and Alcohol Liaison Dr. Steve Silver. He said a lot of users are misinformed about the effects of the drug.

New methods of consuming marijuana, like edibles and wax, can alter the time it takes for effects to be felt, and the magnitude of those effects. “It can be quite unsettling,” Silver said, when a reaction is stronger than anticipated. Levels of THC can vary greatly. The risk is ever-present to become dependent on the substance, or experience discomfort while consuming it.

California is among 21 states that have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. But the future of legalization remains uncertain due to the lack of support from the federal government, a growing range of properties and strains, and inevitable comparisons to alcohol regulations in the nation.

Producer: Alex Guerrero

Anchor: Brittany Smith

Social Media Editor: Brittany Smith

Reporters: Alex Guerrero, Cindy Rodriguez and Brittany Smith

When it comes to the way women’s sports are embraced and viewed around the world, there is much room for change and progression.

Recently, women’s leagues like the WNBA and the NSWL, as well as the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team saw their players take legal action to get better treatment and pay. The WNBA created a contractual binding agreement (CBA) with the players for better wages, more sponsorship and marketing, and better travel conditions for players. The USWNT sued the U.S. Soccer Federation on claims of purposeful gender discrimination.

Empowerment in women’s sports aligns with the empowerment of women in society. Stars like Megan Rapinoe, Serena Williams, Elena Delle Donne, and Symone Biles are popular figures, and more recognized for their athletic abilities than past female athletes. With the rise of social media, women’s sports has proven to be of interest to many, but even when women’s sports draw large crowds and generated more revenue, women athletes are still paid less, and advertised and marketed less than their male counterparts. Less than four percent of all sports marketing is around women’s sports. When female athletes are marketed, the message is often more about their looks than their athletic ability.

“There were a lot of times when I was told that I appeared masculine,” All-American Tri-Athlete Erikca Wilson said, “not just by males, but by women who did not compete.”

“The body is not a particularly masculine thing,” CSUN Communication Studies Professor Ronda Picarelli said. “The body is a human entity.” But, she said, female athletes are often scrutinized for their muscular and defined physiques. The stigma around women’s bodies that are conditioned for sport is related to the misogyny of mainstream media.

Men don’t get this kind of comment about their bodies, Wilson said. “You hear this a lot with female athletes, and that’s very disparaging, for young female athletes that are coming up and looking at the way that the ‘standard, mainstream female body’ is supposed to look, as opposed to the female athlete.”

“You can’t tell that underneath [women athletes’] jerseys, they’re muscular,” Youth soccer coach Jocelyn Castillo said. “But when they go out to the ESPYS or some type of award, and you see them in a dress, then you get those comments like ‘oh she looks like a man, she looks like a man’. But she can’t perform well when she doesn’t have that muscle to body them out.”

The stigma and negative perception around female athletes’ bodies also play a role in the way young girls and women see themselves as athletes. This, along with the low wages, and the lack of marketing to make women’s leagues successful, may steer young girls away from pursuing sports seriously. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, at age 14, girls quit playing sports at twice the rate of boys, and by 17, over 50 percent of girls have given up their sport. The study says “67 percent of the girls said they felt society doesn’t encourage girls to play sports.

Women’s sports aren’t as popular as men’s for many reasons pertaining to advertising and marketing of women’s leagues. But there are still some who think the women’s sports may need some adjustments to make them more entertaining to watch. In softball, the fields are smaller to allow for more home runs; in women’s boxing, there are only ten rounds; in golf, women tee-off from a closer tee. Many have argued that basketball should follow suit—and that women should play on a lowered rim. Those who would like to practice their swings may consider setting up a virtual golf course.

WNBA and two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne said if she could change one rule in the WNBA, it would be to “lower the rim”. She said lowering the rim isn’t just about the dunk; it’s also about the future of the game. Many feel that lowering the rim would cheapen or degrade the women’s game, because some women have been playing successfully on 10 foot rims. But Delle Donne said when they shortened the 3-point line for women, it didn’t cheapen the game.

Loyola Marymount University Women’s Basketball Coach Taja Edwards agreed, and said there is not much to lose by trying the rim at 9.5 feet.

Youth coach Castillo said she noticed that lowering the rim makes a difference in youth sports. She said she coaches in a league with a girls basketball team and a co-ed basketball team; the co-ed team plays on 9-foot rims, and the girls teams play on 8-foot rims. She said most of the young girls couldn’t shoot on 9-foot rims, so they lowered them, but in the co-ed league, they kept the rims at nine feet.

“Would people want to pay money to come watch something that they can dunk on themselves?” former college athlete Arielle Green asked. But LMU Coach Edwards says lowering the rim in the WNBA and women’s basketball, from 10 feet to 9.5 feet, would hardly be noticed by spectators, but would make it easier for more athletic women to get above the rim.

Still, rule changes don’t address the underlying issue of gender discrimination, and the refusal to properly market and advertise women’s sports to make them profitable, and easier for consumers to find and watch.

“There’s strength in numbers,” Wilson said. She said women’s sports needs advocates—male athletes and owners who will show their support during women’s games, and use their platform to open up the space for women in their respective sports.

Green pointed out that the media make sure to feature the many celebrities who show up at NBA games, like Snoop Dogg, Spike Lee and Jack Nicholson. She said that would benefit women’s sports if it had the same coverage. Late NBA star Kobe Bryant was one male athlete who showed a lot of support for women’s sports and women’s professional teams.

Lastly, women’s sports are often scheduled at times that make it difficult for an audience to tune in. Castillo said the Women’s World Cup Final was scheduled the same day as the Copa América final; she wanted to watch both games, and she knew other fans had the same dilemma.

She said it comes down to owners, leagues and federations communicating better, to give women’s sports an equal opportunity to be supported by fans.

Moderator: Brittany Smith

Producer: Cindy Rodriguez

Anchor: Amari Martin

Social Media Editor: Sayaka Yoshii

Reporters: Alex Guerrero, Amari Martin, Cindy Rodriguez, Brittany Smith and Sayaka Yoshii