The Advocate

(Image from JRS USA ) After fleeing Afghanistan, the Qureshi family came here to San Leandro for a better life. Unfortunately, the parents have fallen ill, and the family cannot afford rent, bills, or even basic needs like food. Their teenage daughters are students at the local high school. They're trying to stay in school and take care of their family, but currently they have no income or support. Here's their plea in their own words: "My name is Sapna, and I’m sharing this with deep sadness. My twin sister Hosna and I are students at San Leandro High School. Both of our parents are very sick and unable to work. Because of their health, our home has no income right now. We cannot afford rent, bills, or even basic needs like food. Every day is a struggle. We try to stay strong for our parents, but it’s hard. Watching them suffer while we feel helpless is the most painful part. My sister and I are doing our best we want to stay in school and take care of our family, but we’...

It's not often that in our lil' slice of the sci-fi-fantasy pie you find art echoing life so eloquently, but here we are on the pseudo-eve of a long-awaited Warcraft movie and the plot is feeling... REALLY familiar. Let me breakdown it: the humans of the kingdom of Azeroth are finding their lands being invaded by orcs from a dying world called Draenor. The reason is that a minority of evil orcs have corrupted and ruined the orcs' homeland through the use of dark magics and partnerships with demonic forces. In fact, the portal connecting Draenor to Azeroth is partially the result of these factors. But most of the orcs are just trying to flee the devastation of their homeworld, seeking refuge and succor from a demonic corruption that is actually destroying their very racial identity from a noble, yet brutal community, to a cruel and bloodthirsty horde. Meanwhile, the humans of Azeroth are naturally horrified by these "invaders" to their lands. They are afraid ...