Prime - Au Naturale Issue

prime by the daily bruin

the au naturale issue

stripped down to the basics, as nature intended

may 2011

ucla student media publication

prime by the daily bruin

6

spring sprigs

8

mystery meat

11

on the grill

14

freshen your drink

16

natural threads

18

food coloring: natural dyes

24

looking to be seen

26

do-it-yourself designs

28

elemental makeup

31

natural-born musician

32

mental energy

34

the ripe time

36

sexual reign

38

midvale magic

40

post-screen reality

42

beach guide

44

7 natural wonders of l.a.

46

how-to: feng shui your dorm room

cover photo by evan luxenberg

contents

april 2011 Forget your urban troubles – take a walk on the organic side with herb gardens, L.A.’s natural wonders, feng shui, meditation and some sex.

6 14 34 38 prime | may 2011 | 3

letter from the editor As the end of the year approaches, and some of us throw on an expensive cap and gown we will wear only once and move on with our lives, it’s time to go back to the basics.

Strip down the image you’ve created for yourself here: In a little over a month, it will matter little whether you were an editor of a magazine, scored above the mean in your lab or wore a Latin honors cord on your shoulder during commencement. It’ll be about the meaningful connections you’ve created, the memories you keep and, at the risk of sounding cliche, the person you’ve become.

In the spirit of looking at life’s essentials, the “Au Naturale” issue explores the little-mentioned natural side of Los Angeles, spirituality in meditation and raw concerts in Westwood Village. We look at sex as a primal instinct and how some students advocate their virginity while another embraces sex as an adult film actress. For those who spend their Friday night catching up on the latest reality TV shows, we also take a look at how authentic they really are, from the perspective of students who starred in them.

It’s easy to get lost in the urban sprawl of the city, the titles you create for yourself and what your UCLA identity has become. But whether you’re leaving this place for life’s next step or have a few more years before you receive your diploma, we invite you to take a step back and appreciate the purer side of Los Angeles in this year’s final issue of prime magazine.

As always and for the last time, enjoy your read,

Maryia Krivoruchko 4 | may 2011 | prime

prime by the daily bruin

Maryia Krivoruchko [prime editor] Karolin Palmer Picard [prime art director] Alex Goodman, Lauren Roberts, Samantha Suchland [prime assistant editors] Stephanie Lin [prime assistant art director] Connie Phu, Scottie Bookman, Claire Byun, Hanan Kamal, Tess Liu [design staff] Morgan Glier [photo editor] Jen Lally [assistant photo editor] Carol Fan [copy chief] Angela Chen, Robert Goldberg, Lauren Jow, Kristine Kim, Eunice Leong, Ashley Luu, Kendall Lynes [slot editors] Jessica Savio [web producer] Rei Estrada [video producer] Sarah Rogozen [radio director] Farzad Mashhood [daily bruin editor in chief] Samantha Schaefer [daily bruin managing editor]

Jacqueline Brabyn, Tiffany Thompson, Adrienne Nguyen, Samantha Feher, Varun Mehra, Jonathan Sauer, Chris Chang, Daniel Kurzrock, Vinnie Ciardi, Ryan Chapin, Justin Boogaard, Jennifer Kim, Karen Oliveros, Kana Mizuoka, Samantha Moore, Grace Haeri [account executives] Jeremy Wildman [business manager] Liz Magallanes-Layug [ad production manager] Katherine Camagong, Daniel Cusworth, Uyen Hoang, Andrew Hunyh, Charlotte Insull, Janice Kim, Melinda Seu, Joyce Wang [production] Michael O’Connor [general operations manager] Gabriela Cox, Charlotte Purcell, Arie Wong [staff] Amy Emmert [media adviser] Arvli Ward [media director] The Daily Bruin (ISSN 1080-5060) is published and copyrighted by the ASUCLA Communications Board. All rights are reserved. Reprinting of any material in this publication without the written permission of the Communications Board is strictly prohibited. The ASUCLA Communications Board fully supports the University of California’s policy on non-discrimination. The student media reserve the right to reject or modify advertising whose content discriminates on the basis of ancestry, color, national origin, race, religion, disability, age, sex or sexual orientation. The ASUCLA Communications Board has a media grievance procedure for resolving complaints against any of its publications. For a copy of the complete procedure, contact the publications office at 118 Kerckhoff Hall. All inserts that are printed in the Daily Bruin are independently paid publications and do not reflect the views of the Editorial Board or the staff.

To request a reprint of any photo appearing in the Daily Bruin, contact the photo desk at 310-825-2828 or e-mail photo@media.ucla.edu.

Prime magazine has gone hightech. Scan your smartphone over the QR code to the right and check out our online content.

S XX | month year | prime

S

pprr nnggss sspprr gg

andrew bain photos by ken huang

Let’s face it: Food is expensive, and when students are forced to clamp down on finances, one of the first areas to be cut is nutrition. One easy way to save money on food and improve the quality of your meals (not that instant macaroni and cheese gets old after two weeks of eating it every night) is by growing your own herb garden. The garden also enhances the flavor of food by providing fresh seasoning and the comfort of knowing exactly what is going into your food.

Here is a step-by-step guide to growing your own herb garden, courtesy of Norberto Llamas, the senior production manager for renewal at UCLA.

1

Buy high-quality soil (preferably organic) and prepare a bed of soil (in a flower bed, for instance) for your herbs. If you use organic soil, there is no need to buy fertilizer of any kind. Be sure to put the flower bed in a location that will receive plenty of natural light.

Here are some common uses for Llamas’ recommended beginner herbs.

• Basil – used as a garnish on Italian food (pizzas, pastas,etc.), as an ingredient in sauces, and as one of the main ingredients in pesto.

• Oregano – used as a staple ingredient for seasoning on meat, stews and vegetables in regional cuisines spanning Mexican, Italian, Spanish and Greek food.

• Thyme – most commonly associated with French food; it is often used to flavor meats, soups and stews; it works particularly well with lamb, tomatoes and eggs.

2

Buy your herbs. Baby plants are recommended because they are cheaper.

By buying baby plants, you also get to experience the joy of seeing them grow by your hand.

3

Water your herbs lightly every day and keep the flower bed neat.

4

• Mint – used to flavor teas and other beverages; it is also an important ingredient in certain desserts, salads, sauces and jellies; it is often paired with lamb.

Harvest when the herbs have grown branches that can be cut off.

SOURCE: culinaryherbguide.com Compiled by Andrew Bain.

• Rosemary – used frequently to complement many types of food, particularly in Mediterranean cuisine; used to season poultry and fish dishes, vegetables and sauces.

Rosemary (above), oregano (middle) and thyme (bottom) are just some of the herbs that are featured in the herb garden grown near the residential halls at UCLA.

prime | may 2011 | 7

mystery meat andrea wang photos by samia zaidi

It looks like chicken, tastes like chicken ... and isn’t chicken. But don’t call it fake meat.

The Native Foods Café on Gayley Avenue is the only vegan restaurant in Westwood Village. Its menu offers meatball pizzas, bacon cheeseburgers and other common entrees that seem out of place for an animal protein-free kitchen. Native Foods Café substitutes red meats and poultry with seitan, tempeh and “native chicken,” and these “native meats” are a hit, keeping restaurant staff busiest during lunch hours. Vegan or not, customers order the plant-based proteins to fill their hungry bellies.

Chef Tanya Petrovna founded the establishment that fuels this Westwood addiction. She brainstormed the edibles on the menu and fine-tuned the processes for her native meats, which are made from scratch on a daily basis.

“I don’t like to call it fake meat. Meat, in Webster’s dictionary, actually means non-liquid. We say nut-meats, for example, because it pertains to texture. Meat has come to mean animal flesh, but I would hope to one day redefine that,” Petrovna said.

Seitan, tempeh and “native chicken” may seem foreign, but Petrovna insists on these staples because of their health benefits, good texture and flavor.

“Everyone has this stigma about being vegetarian, like, ‘Ew, something vegetarian has to be sprouts or rabbit food, there’s no flavor.’ And they’re often right. When I would go out, that’s what I would get ... a baked potato and a salad. That was the whole meal,” Petrovna said.

Petrovna’s seitan comes in sliced, ground or sausage form. In the kitchen, seitan batches can be seasoned with

YOUR “MEAT” CHEAT SHEET Here’s a breakdown of the alternative meats that can be found on the menu at Native Foods Café.

• Native chicken is made from free range soy, wheat and pea protein. Believe us, it really does taste like chicken.

8 | may 2011 | prime

• Chef Tanya’s tempeh (TEM-pay) is made of cultured soybean and millet, a recipe that originated in Indonesia.

Rich in protein, iron and antioxidants, the Tempeh is often grilled, giving the patty a crunchy texture.

• Native seitan (SAY-tahn), also known as “wheat meat,” comes in different flavored batches, including original, sausage, peppered, Mexican, Reuben and native chili and taco meats. Seitan is crumblier, allowing more surface area for the mixed-in spices.

speaks out So you know why Chef Tanya promotes alternative meats.

Now hear from her Westwood customers: Why Native Foods?

Brandy Hamill Graduate, public services management

Michael Ngo Nurse

Lauren Provenzano Second-year, English

“A lot of times the meat that you get in restaurants is shady – you’ll get something stringy and chewy, ... you don’t know what it is. I like coming in here knowing that it’s all vegetables.”

“I see a lot of patients come in with heart attacks. That’s why I’m very conscious about what I put in my mouth. I’ve been vegan for six months but vegetarian for longer.”

“The Scorpion Burger has the perfect blend of avocado and chipotle sauce.

I feel the most common misconception is it’s not flavorful. I’m not even vegetarian, and I come here all the time.”

spices to suit menu items: The Greek Gyro Earth Bowl includes peppered seitan, whereas the Classic Deli Reuben features a realistically pink-colored variety.

The process for making seitan originates 2,000 years ago from the Near East, according to Petrovna. She advertises her modern variation as “wheat meat.” Prepared by first beating flour and water to form a dough, the seitan is then kneaded firmly to bind the wheat proteins together.

After rinsing the mixture, Petrovna is left with half of what she started with.

The water washes the wheat starches away, leaving only the nutritious proteins for consumption.

“The time it took, and the effort – seitan was seen as a delicacy,” Petrovna said.

Petrovna’s tempeh is also of Eastern origin.

First created in Indonesia, the soy product provides protein, iron and antioxidants to the body. While the seitan can be used right away, tempeh requires 24 hours before it can be sold. Much like sourdough bread, tempeh requires a starter. The culture is mixed in with cooked soybeans and millet, and is then allowed to ferment until it forms a loaf.

The next day, kitchen staff can slice, grill or even batter and fry the tempeh to accompany the other organic ingredients in the recipe. Daniel Cuellar, general manager of the

Westwood branch, said the finished tempeh takes merely three minutes to cook.

Perhaps most intriguing is the “native chicken.” This menu option closely resembles the flavors of its feathered equivalent, and this occurs on a molecular level. Animal flavors are essentially specific combinations of amino acids.

Petrovna can emulate certain molecular structures to create the same tastes. For Cuellar, ignorance is bliss.

“It’s just one of those mysteries that I don’t want solved. It tastes just as delicious, and it’s mind-boggling.

I have no idea,” Cuellar said.

Petrovna opened her first Native Foods Café in 1994 and now owns seven locations around Southern California.

Introducing these alternative meats has only brought her success.

“My intent was not just to have one,” Petrovna said.

“To really change the world it would have to be like McDonald’s, radio places that are on every Join Chef Tanya as she prepares the native meats street corner that everyone was so comfortable with, at dailybruin.com/radio not just so because of the convenience but because it also tastes good.”

prime | may 2011 | 9

on the GRILL

alex goodman photos by karen chu graphics by brittany ko

lemony mozzarella and parmesan from "great grilled sandwiches" by jo mcauley

ingredients: 4 slices of poppy seed bread

Each time a college student moves from the dorms to the apartments, a new chef is born. Give this chef a frozen dinner, and you feed him for a night; give him a panini maker, and you feed him until he grows tired of grilled sandwiches. It’s the perfect contraption for the budding foodie, stripping cooking down to the essentials: Assemble ingredients, stick them between pieces of bread and grill. These are a few vegetarian panini recipes with our terrestrial-oriented theme in mind, so you can take the food nature gave us and smash them between pieces of metal.

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted zest of 1 lemon, finely grated 4 oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced handful of arugula leaves 2 tablespoons lemon juice salt and pepper

directions: 1. sprinkle two slices of bread with half the Parmesan cheese 2. scatter capers, pine nuts and lemon zest on top 3. arrange mozzarella slices over the top and scatter arugula leaves over them 4. drizzle with lemon juice, season well and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan 5. lace sandwich on the grill serves two

lemony mozzarella and parmesan As panini recipes go, this one does require some basic amount of hand-eye coordination: You’ll need to slice, rinse, toast, zest and juice before you even begin assembling. I used a loaf of sourdough bread instead of poppy seed, which was positively delightful; just make sure you slice the bread thick enough to withstand the heat and pressure of the grill.

prime | may 2011 | 11

inside-out french grilled cheese

from "panini and other great grilled sandwiches" by dwayne ridgaway

ingredients: 2 six-inch french baguettes 2 2/3 oz. fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced thin 2 2/3 oz. provolone cheese, sliced 1 sprig fresh tarragon, leaves removed and kept whole butter

directions: 1. preheat panini grill 2. slice baguette horizontally, but do not cut all the way through 3. fold the baguette inside out 4. top with mozzarella and provolone, then sprinkle with tarragon 5. close baguette, butter both sides and place on the grill serves two

12 | may 2011 | prime

inside-out french grilled cheese If nothing else, try this recipe for the sheer rebellious thrill of making a sandwich with the bread inside out.

You can’t get much simpler than this – you can even skip the butter if you’re feeling healthy, leaving you with only four ingredients. Your friends will still be impressed, though, because tarragon sounds fancy.

k a r o l i n p i ca r d

/

da i ly b r u i n

Chris Hewes, a bartender at the Library Bar, prepares fresh produce for the bar’s specialty drinks.

saba mohtasham

freshen your drink

photos by karolin palmer picard

The Library Bar sits nestled away in a small, dark corner of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. But in this small room, something big is happening.

“We’re trying to change the way people drink,” said Chris Hewes, one of the Library’s four bartenders.

They’re doing so in a few ways. First off, they’ve thrown out the cocktail menu. Literally. The Library’s bartenders prefer to get to know their visitors – where they’ve been, what they like – and make them something fresh.

And it doesn’t get much fresher than the Library. With seasonal produce such as kumquats and strawberries lying across the counter, customers get to see what goes into their drinks. The bartenders gather most of the ingredients from spice and farmers markets and use them to make as much as possible in-house. From lavender and ginger syrups to daily-squeezed blood orange and celery juices, the Library keeps its cocktails as natural as possible. They strive to use only natural sugars and avoid flavored liqueurs.

The Library’s innovative take on drinks was jump-started about two years ago by head bartender Matt Biancaniello, who saw the quality and price of the bar’s drinks and decided he would give visitors their money’s worth.

Biancaniello was also named Los Angeles’ best bartender in 2010 by the restaurant and bar blog “table 20.” Ever since its makeover, the Library has boasted original drinks made with nontraditional ingredients such as mushroominfused bourbon and black lava salt from Hawaii. While many newcomers tend to be hesitant about trying these

14 | may 2011 | prime

unusual concoctions, Hewes said if you don’t like it, they won’t charge you.

“The best way to do it is let me put the cocktail in my hands and just tell me what you like,” Hewes said.

In an effort to make well-balanced cocktails that spark conversations, the Library has thrown out the rule book and isn’t afraid to start from scratch.

“We try to give you an experience when you come here,” Hewes said. “We’re making cocktails classy again.” new old-fashioned The Library puts its stamp on this classic cocktail by combining crushed kumquat with chocolate chili bitters, a sugar cube and Rittenhouse 100 Rye Whiskey, topped off with a kumquat slice that accentuates the drink’s vibrant orange tint.

the last tango in modena Arguably the Library’s best known cocktail, The Last Tango in Modena is named after Modena, Italy, where balsamic vinegar originated. Made with 25-year-old balsamic vinegar, strawberries, Hendrick’s Gin and St. Germain’s foam on top, Last Tango’s thick black appearance can be off-putting, but the finished product is a pleasant blend of sweet and savory flavors.

contro lado If you come in and ask for something spicy with tequila, there’s a good chance you’ll get the Contro Lado. This fiery cocktail was Hewes’ first personal contribution to the Library and is made of tequila, ginger, red and yellow peppers, lemon, honey and jalapeno. The level of heat can be raised or lessened to your liking, but know this drink packs a punch.

untitled Hewes’ latest concoction may be short a name, but it’s definitely not short on ingredients – it even features his signature vodka. Infused with cinnamon, cardamom, orange peels, star anise, cloves and yerba mate chai (a South American, highly caffeinated tea), the vodka is mixed with lemon, blood orange juice, honey and mint and is topped with Angostura bitters to create a fragrant pink cocktail with a smoothie-like consistency.

prime | may 2011 | 15

Brown hoodie by Clary Sage Organics, 61 percent organic cotton, 36 percent bamboo rayon, and 4 percent recycled polyester. $238. Shorts

by Rogan for Target, 100 percent organic cotton, manufactured in Bangladesh. $24.99

natural threads devin kelly photos by isaac aronjilla styling by annalise ashdown and hoangthy ngo models annalise ashdown and alexis tashima

Staying au naturale in apparel often translates to the label “certified organic” – that is, produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Recycling or re-purposing materials like bike tires for a more vintage look also falls into the mix. In the past decade, mounting environmental concerns have driven media and consumer attention toward fibers such as organic cotton and bamboo – but with high prices and slow production methods, it remains to be seen whether organic clothing is fit for the mass market.

a yoga state of mind

16 XX || may May 2011 2011 || prime prime

With new-age appeal on their side, yogaware manufacturers have led the charge into sustainable fibers for a small clientele.

That includes San Francisco-based Clary Sage Organics, where recent UCLA alumna Annalise Ashdown has interned over the past two years.

The company produces its clothing in conjunction with local California farmers and “strive to offer the highest possible percentage of organic cotton” in apparel,

according to the website.

Of course, ecological sensitivity comes with a hefty price tag. A pair of yoga pants runs at about $80. Despite that, the store survived the recession and even expanded.

Ashdown produces a pair of black cotton leggings made by the company – 97 percent organic cotton, 3 percent spandex.

Synthetic materials are softer, Ashdown admitted. But for her, being eco-conscious outweighs perfect physical comfort.

do-it-yourself A YouTube blog called Threadbanger inspired fourth-year fine arts student Hoangthy Ngo to make recyclables the focal point of her fashion. The blog instructed users on how to create fashion out of pre-existing materials.

Ngo started hitting up Goodwill stores for inexpensive consignment sweaters and shirts. To create a tube top dress, she selected a pair of bright yellow beach-linen pants with an applique of lace at the bottom.

An elastic band in the pants turned into a temporary belt. The lace bottom of the pants became the top of the tube top.

Recycling is a significantly cheaper means of being eco-friendly than using organic materials, Ngo said. She has also learned how to use every scrap of material when she buys something new.

“A lot of scraps are wasted that can be used to make something else,” Ngo said.

The drawback: Despite the creativity and sustainability of recycling used clothes, the style cannot be mass-produced.

Purple wrap by Clary Sage Organics, 70 percent bamboo, 30 percent organic cotton. $168. Dress by Hoangthy Ngo, recyled materials. $14

not a trend One fashion expert disputed the actual trendiness of organic clothing.

“It’s not a fashion trend,” said Ilse Metchek, executive director of the California Fashion Association, a nonprofit organization that provides information for business expansion and growth of the apparel and textile industry in the state.

The final choice, she said, comes down to the consumer. And consumers are not buying. At least, not on a large scale.

“You’re talking about mud-green, beige and cream – if everybody wants to look like

that, that would be a trend. But they don’t,” said Metchek, who has more than five decades of experience in the industry.

For those reasons, mass manufacturers do not aspire toward organics, and companies touting organic products remain niche businesses.

Metchek added that the buying and selling of eco-friendly garments are not dictated by the fall fashion catalogue.

“Organic cotton is not market driven,” Metchek said. “It’s driven by a social conscience.”

prime | may 2011 | 17

andra lim photos by isaac arjonilla

Dipping a strainer into a pot of boiling water, Anna Reutinger catches chunks of beets – slick, dark purple roots streaked with fuchsia.

For about an hour, they have been steeping, staining the water with their vibrant hues.

In the bath of dye, Reutinger submerges two pieces of white cloth, which she previously soaked so the color could easily slip into their fibers. When she lifts the fabric out of the bath seconds later, it is already light pink. To darken the shade, she puts the cloth back, letting it drink in the reddish juices for a little longer.

As for the beets, which lie steaming in a clear dish, she plans to store them in a jar, preserving their pigments to tint other dye baths or color sheets of paper.

Reutinger, a second-year Design | Media Arts student, is experimenting with natural dye for a food-themed fashion line. Her palette stems from basic grocery store items, including

food coloring: natural dyes

Anna Reutinger, a second-year Design | Media Arts student, dyes her own clothes in her Westwood apartment.

video

18 | may 2011 | prime

To learn how to dye your clothes with beets, check out dailybruin.com/video

cranberry juice, purple cabbage and coffee.

“It’s interesting to turn the kitchen inside out – take ingredients and repurpose them,” Reutinger said.

This spring, she will present her work at the annual fashion show hosted by Fashion and Student Trends, a UCLA student group. Leo Daube, a second-year ethnomusicology student and a model for Reutinger’s line, said Reutinger’s naturally dyed fabric smooths the traditionally hostile relationship between food and fashion.

“Clothes can be both beautiful and kind to the earth,” he said. “You don’t have to sacrifice your conscience to make a beautiful piece of work.”

Though natural dyeing is an environmentally friendly alternative to regular dye, which can contain unsafe chemicals, it has not garnered much popularity, Reutinger said.

Natural fabrics can be expensive and hard to find. And the process only produces muted colors – lavender rather than royal purple, rose pink rather than hot pink.

Reutinger first became immersed in the dyeing process in middle school, when her mother took a fiber arts class for her associate’s degree in the arts.

On the weekends, Reutinger would help her mother dye any white clothing they could find in their closets.

“I ended up with a lot of green underwear,” Reutinger said.

When Reutinger got back into dyeing last fall, she possessed just a few scraps of information about techniques. She turned to her mother for reminders about dyeing methods the two used, such as batik – creating a design by melting wax on the fabric before soaking it in dye.

The Internet also provided Reutinger with a few tips, and a friend showed her a craft and hobby book that included a spread on natural dyeing.

She knew that color fixes well to non-synthetic fabrics, such as cotton and silk. She knew that dye baths

20 | may 2011 | prime

need a spoonful or two of mordant, a substance that helps the pigments stick. And she knew that certain foods were more likely to produce rich colors – onion skins, for example, were traditionally used to create dye for Easter eggs. She also performed her own color tests while grocery shopping, rubbing leaves of vegetables against her skin to see if they left a trace.

Still, natural dyeing is a technique grounded in unpredictability and guesswork, Reutinger said. The color of every swatch she dyes is the result of numerous variables, such as the type of mordant and cloth, or the amount of time the fabric spends soaking.

Some of the greatest surprises have come from the food itself, Reutinger said.

Red onion skins leaked a greenish yellow color into the water. And coffee, when paired with a particular mordant, can produce a green shade.

“I love the variation that you can get.

It’s no fun to just buy a dye from the box, and it tells you what color it will turn with this fabric,” Reutinger said.

Her trial and e r ro r a p p roac h has its drawbacks. One such error happens when Reutinger finally re move s the fabric from the beet dye bath.

S h e’s l e f t t h e cloth in too long and the juices have seeped out, returning the fabric to its original cream hue.

For Reutinger, though, this occurrence is simply a part of the challenging, color ful experience of natural dyeing.

Above: Secondyear Design | Media Arts student Anna Reutinger holds a d re s s d ye d w i t h cranberry juice. Left: Reutinger prepares beets to be used in the dyeing process.

g n i n k e loo e se to b

lauren roberts

jung hwa han, first-year pre-psychology student

photos by alexa smahl

Every issue, we search the campus for the best-dressed Bruins.

As L.A. temperatures rise, however, fashion loses formality. Tank tops and flip-flops are UCLA’s dressed-down uniforms of choice come spring. These style-savvy students stood out amid a sea of T-shirts and shared some of their fashion inspirations.

“

My style is in between vintage and modern classic – not too casual.

shirt: urban outfitters sweater: bean pole scarf: from barcelona purse: from mom style icons: mary- kate and ashley olsen

24 | may 2011 | prime

”

“

I like hippie and vintage-inspired clothing on a college budget.

joel guerrero, fourth-year anthropology student

jenny wade, fourth-year art history student

“

”

dress: h&m shoes: top shoes style icon: kate hudson in “almost famous”

juan robles, first-year anthropology student

I like to wear a lot of button up shirts, long sleeves or long sweaters, Members Only jackets and my Chuck (Taylors) – they’re always dirty.

”

hat: thrift store jacket: thrift store jeans: levi’s style icon: paul banks, lead singer of interpol

vest: forever 21 men’s jeans: levi’s style icon: james franco

“

I like wearing anything kind of professional – ties or bow ties, cardigans, pretty style.

”

prime | may 2011 | 25

do-it-yourself designs teresa jue photos by ken huang

Normally, do-it-yourself projects can be associated with Martha Stewart or carpentry, but one may be surprised to find that you can sass up your wardrobe in the confines of your cramped dorm room or shared apartment.

Fashion DIY is a perfect way to use the rejects that Buffalo Exchange threw back at you and reconstruct old fashions into new. From that worn T-shirt to those grimy flip-flops that you’ve been meaning to throw away, anyone can use old materials and make them look like they came from H&M. While DIY can run in the extremes, such as making dresses out of meat, the following projects are a lot less grotesque. These projects are so simple that even the clumsiest of people can do them.

26 | may 2011 | prime

fancy one-shoulder ruffled top if you want to add some fanciness to the plain white t-shirt, one-shoulder is the way to go. And when you add that ruffle along the collar, you could look like Michelle Obama, maybe. materials: white cotton t-shirt scissors straight pins

sewing needle thread in a color to match the t-shirt

1. lay your t-shirt on a flat space and cut 3 or 4 inches from the bottom of the shirt. This piece will be used to make the ruffle.

2. cut a diagonal line from one shoulder down to the opposite armpit.

3. using the piece cut from the bottom of the shirt, gather the strip along the collar to make a ruffle effect and pin the gatherings along the neckline.

4. sew the strip with a needle and thread along the neckline. (idea courtesy of Erica Domesek from the blog psimadethis.com)

fingerless sweatshirt mittens use your old ratty physical education sweatshirts or that ironic ugly Christmas sweater to make warm winter mittens. materials: scissors needle

thread marker old sweatshirt

1. trace your hand onto the sweatshirt without drawing between your fingers and cut out two of each shape of each hand. Use the end of the sweater as the bottom opening of the mitten so that it can act as a cuff.

2. flip sweater inside-out so that you sew along the edge of the inside of the sweater. You will flip it back right side out later. Leave a space at the end of the mitten to leave a cuff to put your hand in.

3. flip sweater right side out. Repeat steps 1-3 for the other hand. (idea courtesy of eHow.com)

tank top purse turn your fancy tank tops into purses in literally a minute. All you need is a tank top and a hair band, and the best part is that you could always turn the purse back into a tank top in even less time. materials: tank top

hair band

1. flip the tank top inside out.

2. tie the end of the tank top with the hair band.

3. flip the tank top back out and use the straps as purse straps for a light bag on the run. (idea courtesy of eHow.com)

prime | may 2011 | 27

At its most basic, makeup is comprised of pigments. But blended properly, makeup is an art of illusion working with dimensions of color.

Erika Billings, third-year Design | Media Arts student and lead makeup artist for Susie Chhuor Professional Hair and Makeup Team, created four makeup looks inspired by the natural elements. From cool turquoise blues to earthy brown greens and fiery orange hues, Billings provided tips to evoke the dramatic spectrum of earth, air, water and fire.

l l a a t t n n e e m eelleem makeup makeup lauren roberts

tiffany moy

photos by isaac arjonilla models from ucla fashion and student trends makeup by erika billings

EARTH lips: Chanel chocolate red lipstick and gloss topcoat cheeks: copper contour 1) apply copper-toned blush along apples of the cheeks.

2) define cheekbone by applying matte brown contour powder or blush following the line formed from top of ear to corner of lips. shadows: neutral tones, bronze, brown, beige eyes: earthy shadows 1) for base shadow, cover the lid with a neutral shadow close to your skin tone.

2) lightly add a second layer of bronze shadow across the lid for tint.

3) blend darker brown shadow at outside corners and crease line to create smokey effect.

4) apply lighter beige shadow to inner eyelid corners and brow bone for highlight 5) use a fine-point brush with smudge pot eyeliner or a fine-point wand eyeliner in order to achieve a precise line.

6) curve line at outside corners to create a winged-eye effect.

XX | month year | prime

molly brown

lips: Makeup For Ever rouge artist 22 nude lipstick and gloss topcoat cheeks: lightly apply peach blush to apples of the cheeks. shadows: white, silver, dark gray, black

FIRE lips: Revlon classic red lipstick and gloss topcoat cheeks: orange contour 1) apply orange blush along apples of the cheeks.

2) define cheekbone by applying matte neutral contour powder or blush following the line formed from top of ear to corner of lips. shadows: yellow, orange, red, white

eyes: creating a glow effect 1) blend white shadow over lid as a base shadow.

2) apply silver shade on top of the base color, blending over entire lid.

3) add definition to outside corners and crease line with black or dark gray shadow.

4) apply white shadow at inner corners and brow bone for more dramatic outer glow.

5) use a fine-point brush with smudge pot eyeliner or a fine-point wand eyeliner in order to achieve a precise line.

AIR

kara leary

eyes: bold flames 1) begin with a neutral base shadow and apply evenly over eyelid.

2) apply a yellow shade vigorously over the lid to create a colorful pop.

3) blend orange from the center of the lid to the outside corner.

4) apply white shadow to inner eyelid corners and brow bone for highlight.

5) use a fine-point brush with smudge pot eyeliner or a fine-point wand eyeliner in order to achieve a precise line.

6) curve line at outside corners to create a winged-eye effect.

7) to achieve a bolder effect, draw a symmetrical triangle at the outside lid corner, filling the shape.

prime | may 2011 | 29

WATER lips: MAC amplified violetta lipstick and gloss topcoat cheeks: apply pink blush to apples of the cheeks shadows: teal, royal blue, white eyes: sea shades 1) begin with a neutral base shadow and apply evenly over eyelid.

2) apply white shadow to inner eyelid corners and blend onto lid.

3) apply teal shadow from outer corners across the lid, blending into white.

4) apply royal blue for added definition at outside corners.

5) use a fine point brush with smudge pot eyeliner or a finepoint wand eyeliner in order to achieve a precise line.

michelle kramer

Emad Borjian may not be a naturalborn U.S. citizen, but playing the setar came naturally to the fourth-year ethnomusicology student. Growing up in Iran, Borjian first turned to the instrument at the age of 14, when the most interesting exhibit he came across in the cultural center Farhangsaraye Daneshjoo, formerly Farhangsaraye Shafagh, was actually a man sitting in the corner playing setar.

Inspired by the man’s heartfelt playing, Borjian immersed himself in the instrument despite his father’s doubts about his commitment after Borjian gave up playing the Tombak drums.

Practicing eight to nine hours per day, Borjian said he made more progress in one year than most of his peers made in four.

Despite his heavy course load as a math and physics student in Tehran, Iran, Borjian kept up his setar playing.

While his brothers pursue more traditional Iranian careers in chemical and civil engineering, Borjian takes sound engineering classes.

“The setar has really shaped my personality and character and changed the path I was taking in life,” Borjian said.

Borjian moved to the United States for classical training at the College of Marin in Northern California. Like the setar, Borjian said English came rather naturally to him. Eventually he looked toward UCLA for the opportunities, diversity and connections it has to offer.

“It was an adventure to transfer to a big school like UCLA,” Borjian said.

“It showed me that if I try hard and kept going, I can accomplish something.”

The dynamic musical environment of Los Angeles itself was a major attraction to Borjian, as well as the large Persian music community; he studies with fellow Iranian-born master Fariborz Azizi. Borjian said playing a Persian instrument reinforces his Persian identity even in the United States and playing it comes naturally to him.

“The learning process has been very natural. If I have an obstacle, I’ll give it some time, I’ll work on it, I won’t fuss over it too much – it will resolve by itself,” Borjian said. “I just think to myself ‘Why shouldn’t I be able to do this?’ and it will happen.”

Borjian said he

prefers the naturalness of acoustic music with limited technological interferences and thinks it will continue to be around for a while.

“Despite all of the technological advancements since the Industrial Revolution, we still listen to preIndustrial Revolution composers,” Borjian said. “It is their music that continues to pack auditoriums.”

n r n o a b i l c i a us r u m t a

e

ov gr

s

n

co

o nn

a

sh

n

os

ot

ph

x

le

a by

in

hl

c ro

Fourth-year ethnomusicology student Emad Borjian has been playing the setar since the age of 14.

He practices eight to nine hours every day.

prime | may 2011 | 31

From left: Fourth-year political science student Vasilia Kouskoulas, fourth-year philosophy student Kevin Moultrie and alumnus Naat Jairam participate in a session of Sahaja Meditation.

mental energy When I was 16, I trekked with a friend into the hills of San Juan Capistrano, looking for a place to meditate. We stopped in the middle of an empty field with a pair of blankets and an instructional text.

After years of punishing gymnastics practices, I couldn’t sit comfortably cross-legged; following the book’s suggestion, I tried to meditate lying down.

I woke up 45 minutes later.

I didn’t try again until early March of this year, when I ventured into a small classroom in the back corner of Royce Hall, where Garima Singh and Nikhita Dunphy teach a weekly class in Sahaja Meditation.

There were a dozen or so of us seated in two rows of plastic chairs.

32 | may 2011 | prime

Dunphy, an alumna, stood before the blackboard and briefly explained the seven power centers, or chakras, which extend up the spinal column to the top of the head. Each corresponds to a different set of qualities, which we can tap into by awakening the Kundalini, a nurturing energy that otherwise lies dormant at the base of the spine.

Then Dunphy led us through the meditation in its basic form. We placed our hands on our knees, palms facing up, closed our eyes and tried to stop thinking.

When we finished, Singh, a public health graduate student, took over at the front of the classroom. She said Sahaja Meditation, if we did it regularly, would help us react less

alex goodman photo by michelle el-khoury graphic by trevor fuller

to the complications in our lives. It sounded almost impossibly peaceful. Speaking in slow, patient sentences, Singh often broke into a smile, as if unable to repress the joy of her present moment.

She led us through a more advanced meditation exercise in which we placed a hand on various body parts and targeted chakras with various chants.

I was supposed to clear my head, but thoughts and ideas bloomed continuously. Several times I caught myself falling asleep.

When Singh ended the meditation, she said we should be calm and relaxed, but instead I felt agitated, unable to sit still any longer.

As she and Dunphy started teaching

another class, I rushed off to a film screening. I had learned nothing.

I planned to begin meditating twice daily, which lasted until I woke up the next morning and ran out of time. That night, I sat in my desk chair in silence for three minutes, but I couldn’t stop thinking. I tried twice more over the next few days, but each time my mind wandered.

Meditation, I told myself, is counterproductive. If I have a problem, I need to think it through, not set it aside.

Remembering all the talk of chakras and the Kundalini, it was easy to write off Sahaja Meditation as a fancy stunt. But Eileen Luders made it somewhat harder.

Luders works at UCLA’s Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, and in 2009 she co-authored a study in which certain areas of the brain that regulate emotion were shown to be larger in participants who meditated regularly.

Luders guessed that the effects of meditation come as a result of regular mental training and offered as an analogy an experiment in which participants who practiced juggling displayed neurological changes over time. But she couldn’t say any more

I reached the point in my life where ... I couldn’t go without meditating. garima singh | public health graduate student

definitively why meditation works, only that studies seem to indicate it does.

Singh and Dunphy weren’t sure why meditation works either, but they helped me realize why it wasn’t working for me. Above all else, they

7

THE SUBTLE BODY

6

1

mooladhara chakra

4

kundalini 3

nabhi chakra

1 2

anahata chakra

vishuddhi chakra element: sky/space/ether qualities: collectivity, diplomacy, self-respect place on hand: first finger

2

7

1

element: air qualities: joy, compassion, sense of security, love place on hand: little finger

5

void

pingala nadi

swadhisthana chakra

element: water qualities: seeking, peace, generosity, satisfaction place on hand: middle finger

4

ida nadi

5

element: fire qualities: creativity, pure attention, desire, knowledge place on hand: thumb

3

3

sushumna nadi

element: earth qualities: innocence, wisdom, fearlessness place on hand: heel of palm

2

both said, meditation requires a deep personal desire. I just didn’t want it badly enough.

When I talked to her recently, Singh explained that I shouldn’t expect anything phenomenal to happen while meditating; the effect is much more subtle and might not emerge until the day after.

The way she talked about it, though, it was as if meditation had given her access to a whole new color spectrum.

“I reached the point in my life where I could go without eating, I could go through my life without sleeping, but I couldn’t go without meditating,” she said.

It was late evening when I finished talking to Singh. I sat in my desk chair and thought about meditating, but the distractions of the digital age called to me. I watched a TV show instead, though I can’t remember which one.

5 4

agnya chakra

6 3

element: light qualities: forgiveness place on hand: ring finger

7

6

3

sahasrara chakra qualities: joy, thoughtless awareness, union with the divine, collective consciousness place on hand: center of palm

SOURCE: freemeditation.com

prime | may 2011 | 33

the

ri e time

sonali kohli photo illustration by alexa smahl

Her plan was to get an undergraduate degree, meet a man in medical school whom she would probably marry, and wait until then to have sex.

But then Jennifer Shieh came to UCLA and noticed that sex was an accepted and common part of college culture – she was a virgin. She was the minority. Now a secondyear physiological sciences student, Shieh is still a virgin,

34 | may 2011 | prime

but the minority she’s a part of seems to be growing.

Twenty-nine percent of women ages 15-24 say they have not had sexual interactions, according to the National Survey of Family Growth. This number, from data recorded between 2006 and 2008, went up from 2002, when 22 percent of both men and women of the same ages identified themselves as virgins.

Although statistics might fluctuate, students have equally strong justifications for either having sex or abstaining in college, said UCLA psychology Professor Benjamin Karney.

Fo r exa mp l e, s tu d e nt s at UCLA might not want to have sex because they are focused on educational and career goals and want to avoid the obstacles that diseases or pregnancy would cause, he said. On the other hand, he said, it may be that because UCLA students are well-educated, they know how to use protection to avoid these risks.

“If you don’t know your partner well enough, you’re opening yourself up to a lot of risks,” Shieh said. “Not only emotional risks, but physical risks.”

Losing her virginity for Shieh is more than just having sex; it’s a mark of adulthood, a label for which she is not yet ready.

The importance of maintaining the title of “virgin” comes mostly from her upbringing, Shieh said.

Shieh’s parents told her she should wait until marriage. She didn’t agree, but she did think the person she had sex with would be the one she was likely to marry.

She associates virginity with innocence, purity and childhood.

Right now, she’s a college student, still in limbo between adolescence and adulthood.

“To me ... sex is strictly reserved for adults,” she said. “When I tell myself, ‘You’re able to take care of yourself,’ sex is an open possibility. But right now, sex is off-limits.”

While it’s no longer as important that the person she loses her

virginity to is “the one,” Shieh said the most important criterion for her is that, looking back after the relationship is over, she will be able to think about the experience without regrets. Given the right partner, the right setup, the right time, she would be open to having sex.

“There’s a romance in it,” Shieh said. “For me, sex has to be romantic.”

Third-year world arts and cultures student Harry Weston said as long as teenagers are learning about sexual health, there

I felt like I was a sinner ... like I couldn’t wear white on my wedding day. yvette windom | third-year world arts and cultures student

shouldn’t be anything to prohibit them from having sex.

In the liberal Santa Cruz household where Weston grew up, sex was an open topic. His mother and her female partner never shied away from the subject, which Weston said has partially shaped his own openness about sex and virginity.

“I’ve never been emotionally attached to virginity as a special object,” Weston said.

He lost his virginity in a room at the Las Vegas hotel Circus Circus when he was 16.

He was on a high school band trip, and a girl from choir texted

him to come to her room. When he did, his only sexual knowledge came from watching porn. He didn’t have a relationship with her before or after, but remembers the experience as a fun memory with a beautiful girl.

Although Weston was never attached to his virginity, he said he enters into a sexual relationship to reach a deeper emotional connection with another person.

He doesn’t always achieve that connection, but it doesn’t stop him from trying.

“Sex is good. I like sex, and I’m careful about it,” Weston said. “As long as you’re careful about it, sex is fun.”

Yvette Windom’s upbringing had the opposite effect on her reaction to losing virginity. Windom, a third-year world arts and cultures student, was raised by a religious Catholic mother who taught her that sex was for after marriage, and Windom assumed she would wait until then.

So when she lost her virginity at 18 to her boyfriend of more than three years, she struggled with the decision and how to reconcile her sexual choice and her family’s expectations.

“I felt like I was a sinner,” Windom said. “I felt like I couldn’t wear white on my wedding day.”

But she realized she didn’t regret her actions; she was just worried about what others would think.

“It was my body, and I knew what I wanted to do with it,” Windom said. “It just felt like the right time, and I was comfortable and ready.”

prime | may 2011 | 35

maryia krivoruchko photos by evan luxenberg

sexual reign Rachel Swimmer sat outside of Ackerman Union, dressed in skintight jeans, platform heels, white wifebeater, sea green velour jacket and a key-shaped charm necklace.

Her long platinum blonde hair and heavy makeup stood out slightly among girls walking by, but nothing was fully out of the campus norm.

Then a male student stopped, stared with a dropped jaw and exclaimed, “I’m a fan!”

He was referring to the work Swimmer, a fourth-year women’s studies student, does outside of class – as a porn star. Performing under the name Tasha Reign, Swimmer began her career in the adult film industry seven months ago. She is often recognized by her campus peers, especially the males, but she said she doesn’t mind it most of the time. Though Swimmer had just come from the

36 | may 2011 | prime

set and normally wears sweatpants to class, she wears the key charm that falls onto her surgically augmented cleavage proudly. It was given to her when she became a Penthouse Pet, an honor in the renowned adult magazine, manifested as a centerfold feature in April and a May cover.

Swimmer began stripping professionally at Santa Monica’s “Silver Reign” at 19 and started nude modeling for Playboy and other magazines shortly after. She said that she knew she wanted to be a nude model since as far back as elementary school, when she would run around naked and take photos, and that her mom was always aware and accepting of it, even if it wasn’t her first choice for her daughter.

It was not her career that inspired her to become a women’s Fourth-year women’s studies student Rachel Swimmer attends classes two days a week studies student but the other way and performs as an adult film actress under the name Tasha Reign. Swimmer credits her major for helping her make the decision to transition from nude modeling to pornography. around. Although Swimmer was a fan of pornography since adoys, Braisers, BangBros and Reality “I didn’t know I would be at lescence, the ideals of her field of Kings.

In a typical workday she UCLA (while) being a performer. study helped her cross over into earns between $1,000 and $4,000, It’s definitely a handful,” Swimmer adult film. Before transferring to depending on sex act and nature of said.

“Because I work so much UCLA, a women’s studies profesthe shoot, which typically consists and the adult industry is so based sor at Santa Monica College perof the opening dialogue, a photo on ... the way that you look, and suaded her to have a new outlook shoot, sex on camera and further school is something that’s here on sex – that women should enjoy photos.

She works anywhere from forever ...

I’m on a time constraint.

I and embrace it rather than obeying one to five days a week, depending go to work and (then) go to school the popular societal view that it’s all on what her agent is able to book. around that.” about the guy getting off.

According to Swimmer, sex on Swimmer doesn’t recommend This new perspective helped her camera is actually safer than sex in just any girl become an adult transition into pornography, which the real world because all performactress because it is a personal according to Swimmer was a way ers must show proof of negative choice that may not work for to advocate females embracing STD and STI tests every two weeks everyone.

She is, however, a firm sex in the most dramatic, impactas well as provide two forms of believer in being proud of one’s ful medium possible. Swimmer did identification showing that they are sexuality, regardless of gender and not make the decision until she over 18 and shoot a video stating societal norms. was fully comfortable with doing their consent.

“You should be proud. ... If you so – starring in a few scenes and “Porn is actually very clinical, want to be a transvestite or be leaving the industry was not an opsuper professional.

I didn’t know it gangbanged, whatever you want, tion as the videos would be around would be so business-like,” Swimit’s all up to you.

It shouldn’t be ... forever. mer said. what society wants you to believe,” “For me it was a planned thing – Swimmer’s agent schedules her Swimmer said.

“I want girls to I knew I wanted to (become a porn work around school, which she watch me and realize that I have star). My parents knew I wanted to currently attends two days a week. such confidence in my work and do it. It was never something that She plans to stay at least a fifth that sex is an empowering thing. just happened,” Swimmer said.

Swimmer has now filmed for pro- year because of the pressure of her It’s not something that’s done to career. me, it’s something that I do.” duction companies such as Twist-

prime | may 2011 | 37

midvale magic niran somasundaram photos by leah rom

38 | may 2011 | prime

Above: Second-year ethnomusicology student Julian Cubillos.

Opposite: A typical audience at Midvale Sessions, which routinely draws crowds of more than 100 people.

Six days out of the week, Taylor Fugit’s apartment at 447 1/2 Midvale looks like any other. But come Friday night, black lights will reveal the words “Midvale Sessions” painted on the wall, while more than 100 people, most of them UCLA students, pack into the apartment to experience one of the area’s newest concert series.

Midvale Sessions, which takes place on Friday night of every other week beginning Week 2 of the quarter, is the brainchild of four Bruins: Fugit, a third-year ethnomusicology student, Matthew Flesock, a thirdyear history and geography/environmental studies student, Aaron Rabkin, a third-year history student, and David Chong, an alumnus.

Midvale Sessions originated from an idea for a campus talent showcase for Fugit and Rabkin’s show on UCLAradio.com.

But the idea remained a distant fantasy until the fall of 2010, when Flesock, Rabkin and Fugit moved into an apartment together, which they thought would provide the perfect venue for their proposed shows.

“I was just sitting at home over winter break thinking, ‘We really have to do this,’” Fugit said. “We had been talking about the idea of doing a concert series, but it wasn’t really going anywhere.”

Fugit came back from winter break determined to realize the group’s ambition of creating a concert series, and by the middle of winter quarter, the four Bruins’

“It’s all in a living room. Our stage is a rug, and our lighting is Christmas lights.” matthew flesock | third-year history and geography/environmental studies student

dream became a reality.

According to the four founders, Midvale Sessions provides an opportunity for campus talent to reach a wider audience, even if the talent doesn’t play music that traditionally appeals to a college audience.

“This is not music that 20-year-old sorority girls are going to be playing on iTunes, but they come to Midvale Sessions, and the atmosphere is so perfect that everyone is vibing together,” Fugit said. “It’s pretty incredible to see the wide range of people in our community.”

The founders agreed that the defining characteristic of their shows is the intimate apartment setting. “(These shows) are in an apartment. We don’t have a venue, this isn’t at Brew Co. or The Glendon,” Flesock said. “It’s all in a living room. Our stage is a rug, and our lighting is Christmas lights strung on our wall.”

As if to drive this point home, the founders recently had to cancel a planned show because the combined weight of the large number of attendees at previous concerts had caused a crack in the ceiling of the apartment below.

The small venue also allows for a stronger interaction between the bands and the audience.

“The musicians are right in front you,” Chong said.

“You can see everything that’s going on and figure out

radio Daily Bruin Radio jams at Midvale Sessions at dailybruin.com/prime

what sounds are coming from where, and you can see who’s controlling what – there are no hidden places. It feels like a very real thing.”

The absence of a professional venue gives the shows an added dimension of spontaneity that an audience member would be far less likely to encounter at a streamlined club or concert hall.

“We had one night where our equipment and our monitors actually broke during a band’s piano solo, so I stood up and told everyone that we had to shut the show down,” Chong said. “Then one person yelled, ‘Can we just listen to them jam?’ and everyone agreed. They didn’t even want the singing, they just wanted the band to play and for everyone to hang out and have a great time.”

Though Midvale Sessions is currently a primarily musical venture, the founders said they hope to expand the scope of their entertainment in the future.

“It’s easy to start with bands, because everyone can come and listen to music, but someone might not want to listen to stand-up comedy,” Flesock said. “If you can create a show where a stand-up comedian opens for a band that plays before a spoken word piece and then another band to close, that would be a cool night – a cool, multifaceted night. That’s what we are going for in the end.”

prime | may 2011 | 39

y t li

n e

e r c

s t

s o

p

a re

steve greene photos by eric chang photos courtesy of NBC Universal, BET Networks, CBS

As veterans of reality television will tell you, editing is a tricky thing. In an industry where manipulation is a rule rather than an exception, the process of providing an audience with only a portion of the story is a practice that many reality detractors use to decry the genre.

But beyond the quick cuts and the “CENSORED” bars, the out-of-context confessionals and the misleading B-roll footage is a truth that often goes unno-

40 | may 2011 | prime

ticed: The reality begins once the broadcasts end.

Johnathan Franklin, a third-year political science student, has played his way into living rooms all over the country as the starting running back on the UCLA football team. But he remembers a time in the not-so-distant past when he got noticed for playing a slightly different role as a cast member on the BET reality show “Baldwin Hills,” a program that

followed young adults in the titular L.A. community.

“I had people follow me around at the mall. They would jump around, almost cry when they saw me,” Franklin said.

But there was a greater, more practical benefit to being on the show. A year after the BET broadcasts were done, Franklin was busy playing his way into the starting lineup on the UCLA football team. The cameras and interviews that seemed so

Before Brendon Villegas, graduate student (above left), began his stint at the School of Medicine, he gained notoriety at different building, the Big Brother House (above center). While Johnathan Franklin (far left), a third-year political science student, relished his tenure as reality TV cast member, David Applebaum (above right) found little to like about his, especially when the show was different than what it was purported to be.

artificial for a college freshman on a reality show slowly became more frequent for someone trying to solidify the starting running back spot on a nationally recognized football program.

The many people who still know Franklin as “Johnathan from ‘Baldwin Hills’” have helped him find his own reality.

“The show opened my eyes to Los Angeles,” he said. “A lot of people care about status. It showed me what type of friends to pick.”

When Brendon Villegas, a doctoral student in biomedical physics, was on Season 12 of CBS’ “Big Brother,” he didn’t have the opportunity to be selective with friends. Villegas spent nearly two months in a house with just a dozen other house guests and a camera crew, an experience that has helped him in his post-show studies and interactions.

“I’m not a confrontational person, but when you’re put in extreme situations, you’re forced to deal with things before they come back to bite you,” Villegas said.

After a last-minute format change cost him the chance to be a recurring role of ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home

Edition,” David Applebaum, a UCLA architecture alumnus, was urged to pitch some ideas for a show of his own.

He found that, despite the fact that the genre has only existed for a decade, reality television’s success has developed its own narrow reality among television executives.

“They either want the exact same thing that they know works or something very different. They don’t realize it until they see it,” Applebaum said.

During this process, Applebaum was offered a part in the only season of Bravo’s “Launch My Line,” a show pitting professionals outside the fashion industry against each other in a competition to create their own clothing line.

Applebaum is vehement about the experience bearing zero resemblance to any official dealings in the fashion industry, citing one particular fabric selection challenge as an apt microcosm of the entire series.

“They didn’t feed us for six-and-a-half hours, we didn’t have any of the supplies that we needed and the bathrooms were locked. That was about putting us in a situation where we’d get frantic and drop

pretense,” Applebaum said.

But often times, these shows are less about a snapshot of professionalism and more about getting the audience to take an extreme approach to the “drop pretense” directive. Even if what’s being portrayed on screen isn’t actually reality, there are legions of Internet folk who reserve their worst venom for contestants who achieve celebrity.

“I think the same people who were carving mean nasty things finally found a platform to start typing on. Going online, that’s the one thing they tell us not to do when you get off the show,” Villegas said.

The true nature of the shows themselves is a source for endless debate, but the responses that they garner are unsolicited, raw, uncensored feedback.

When you’re online, there’s no incentive to fake being mean.

Sometimes the mark of a great television program is its character arcs, where certain individuals display a true-to-life transition from one kind of person to another. Whether this is visible in reality television because of a construct of overeager postproduction or in spite of it, that’s where the humanity lies.

prime | may 2011 | 41

beach guide leah christianson UCLA

Topanga Beach

405

Will Rogers Beach

1

Santa Monica Beach 10

PACIFIC OCEAN

1

Venice Beach graphic by Amy Sherrard

santa monica Santa Monica is a good first-date location, with enough activities to stay entertained, but enough to be distracting if it’s not going well.

The pier is fun to explore – there is an amusement park ($21.95 for an unlimited pass, or $3-5 for single rides), complete with a Ferris wheel and a beautiful view. Cartoonists and vendors sit along the pier, and there is easy water access.

The flat surf is not exactly pristine, but it is cleaner than Venice.

If you’re more of a shopper than a swimmer, Third Street Promenade has a wide array of shops and restaurants. santa monica Big Blue Bus lines 1, 2 and 8 run to Santa Monica. beach There is also parking on Colorado Avenue and 2nd Avenue, which is free for the first two hours. For cleanliness: fair outdoor exploration, there are bikes for rent below the pier for $6 per hour, or $15 all day. The bike trail surf: poor extends 22 miles from Will Rogers State Park to Torrance. shopping: excellent

42 | may 2011 | prime

facilities: excellent

photos by lexy atmore graphics by amy sherrard

Los Angeles County has 75 miles of coastline. With all these locations, it can be difficult to find a beach that has everything you’re looking for. And for students who are challenged in the vehicle department, it can seem even more daunting to find a beach, but there are ways to reach the coast. Here are a few suggestions to help find your perfect beach.

topanga While this is not a beach for tanning in the Southern California sunshine, Topanga Beach is ideal for the people who want to be active in the water. Branches and rocks are scatcleanliness: good tered across the sand, and the ruggedness is exacerbated by the windy conditions, but surf: good there are good waves.

A popular spot for kite surfers and both long shopping: poor and short boarders, Topanga breaks consistently. The small beach is not crowded, and facilities: fair the water is cleaner than in Venice or Santa Monica.

The rocky bottom, thick seaweed and strong riptide make this beach less than ideal for novice surfers.

Metro Line 534 also stops at Topanga, as it is only a few miles up Pacific Coast Highway from Will Rogers State Beach. Parking is limited but close to the beach and available for $6.

topanga beach

venice

“Peace, love and freedom to all of you!” echoes across the Venice Beach Boardwalk as vendors peruse the crowded path, trying to sell anything from homemade jewelry to medical marijuana.

Muscle Beach sits alongside the boardwalk, showcasing bodybuilders from ages 18 to 80. There are street performers ranging from classical pianists to men who can jump over five people at once.

Venice is accessible via Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus from the Hilgard Terminal and the corner of Westwood Boulevard and Weyburn Avenue, as well as Ackerman Terminal on weekends. Line 2 runs directly to Venice, and Line 1 also stops there. Bus fare is 35 cents with a BruinCard.

There is parking on North Venice Boulevard and Pacific Avenue, but this can be crowded and expensive. venice beach Venice attracts more than just your average sunbather – it invites characters, and with its dirty water and poor cleanliness: poor surf conditions, Venice is more suited for a day of peoplewatching than swimming anyway. surf: poor shopping: good facilities: good

will rogers To escape the bustle of Los Angeles, look no farther than Will Rogers State Beach.

With more seagulls than people, Will Rogers is secluded, less crowded and more relaxing than cleanliness: good either Santa Monica or Venice.

Right off Pacific Coast Highway, the beach surf: fair extends about 1 3/4 miles along the coast and has bike access. There are also volleyball courts open shopping: none to the public.

The surf is fair but only allows for short rides. facilities: fair Of all the places visited, Will Rogers seemed the most appropriate for a quintessential day at the beach. Line 534 of the Metro L.A. bus stops at Will Rogers State Beach, although the trip will be more than an hour from UCLA. Parking is available for $6 next to the beach.

will rogers beach

7

natural wonders of los angeles lenika cruz photos by jim summers

In the midst of tangled freeways, high-rises and industrial districts, it can be easy for Angelenos to lose touch with the city’s more natural dimensions. It can also be easy to mythicize nature as an elusive phenomenon rather than something that we can never fully escape. These natural wonders, while not world wonders like the Great Pyramid of Giza or the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, offer a new way to see and experience the urban sprawl that is Los Angeles.

farmers market

The ubiquitous farmers market testifies to California’s ability to provide residents with fresh, local food yearround. When farmers sell directly to consumers, they contribute to a community’s economic and environmental sustainability. Farmers markets are great places to browse, shop and enjoy free samples of fruits, nuts, gourmet snacks, ethnic ingredients and other locally produced fare.

Find the Westwood Village farmers market on Wednesdays from 2-7 p.m. on Broxton Avenue.

la brea tarpits One of the world’s largest urban excavations of fossils, the La Brea Tar Pits of downtown Los Angeles juxtapose the prehistoric with the modern. Since the early 1900s, millions of plant and animal fossils from 10,000 to 40,000 years ago have been excavated from the pits of asphalt.

Visitors to the George C. Page Museum can see fossils of saber-toothed cats, dire wolves and other extinct species. Visitors to the active excavation sites can also see asphalt seeping up through the ground.

Take the Metro 20 from Wilshire and Westwood boulevards to Curson Avenue.

mount wilson

Mount Wilson’s fame in the astronomy world is partly because it has the steadiest air in North America, allowing for valuable interferometer readings. Some of the early 20th century’s most revolutionary discoveries in astrophysics were made through the lenses of the Hooker and Hale telescopes, including Edwin Hubble’s observation that the universe is expanding. Though increasing light pollution from the city has prevented nighttime study, solar observation continues.

Take the I-210 E to Sunland Boulevard.

Fresh produce at the Santa Monica farmers market on Arizona Avenue.

44 | may 2011 | prime

ballona wetlands As with many of the natural wonders of Los Angeles, the Ballona Wetlands still exist because of environmentalist and state efforts to protect them from the effects of urbanization. Until the early 19th century, the Ballona Wetlands spanned 2,000 acres of California coastal areas. Since then, they have been reduced to about 600 acres. Once home to the Tongva, an indigenous California people, Ballona functions as a flood buffer for local communities, a life source for flora and fauna at risk of endangerment, a rest stop for millions of migratory birds and a filter for urban runoff traveling through storm-water channels to the Santa Monica Bay. To get to the Freshwater Marsh, take the Big Blue Bus line 3 from Ackerman/Hilgard Terminal to the intersection at Jefferson and Lincoln boulevards. It is open to the public from dawn to dusk.

The Freshwater Marsh is part of the Ballona Wetlands, which now occupy roughly 600 acres on the California coast.

placerita canyon state park Even before the Golden State officially became part of the United States, it showed promise of living up to its nickname.

Less than a decade before a fateful discovery at Sutter’s Mill sparked the California Gold Rush in 1848, a man named Francisco Lopez fell asleep under an oak tree and dreamed that he was floating on a pool of gold. When he awoke, he dug beneath him and found traces of the prized mineral. While the dream is merely legend, the discovery was real and the first to be documented in California. The “Oak of the Golden Dream” is now part of Placerita Canyon State Park, which is also home to more than 200 native plant species. Take I-405 N, I-5 N, exit 162, CA-14, to Placerita Canyon Road.

california poppies At the western end of the Antelope Valley, spring means wildflower season, and the state flower is no exception. From March through May, the reserve becomes blanketed in the brilliant orange of California poppies which, like the other flowers, grow without human inter vention. The mosaic of fragrances and colors offers a respite to those seeking fresh air and a break from city sights. Visitors can hike trails, picnic and spot desert critters from coyotes to kangaroo rats.

Bring lunch, sunscreen and a camera.

The poppies close up on cold days, so check the weather before coming.

Take I-405 N, then I-5 N, merge with CA-138A, make right on 170th Street, left on Lancaster Road. End at reserve.

Fields of California poppies, the state flower, bloom in spring at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. The valley is most scenic from March through May on warm days.

griffith park

Though well-known and an urban emblem, Griffith Park offers outdoor experiences for those unable to take trips out of the city.

One of the largest urban parks in California, Griffith Park is home to the L.A. Zoo, the Griffith Observatory, and a merry-go-round. Visitors can hike, hunt for locations from famous movies and catch a view of the Hollywood sign.

Take I-405 N, US-101 S, slight left CA-134 E, exit 4, left on Zoo Drive, right on Griffith Park Drive.

photo For a photo gallery of these seven wonders, go to dailybruin.com/prime

prime | may 2011 | 45

how to: madeleine clare flynn graphics by belinda sumali

feng shui your dorm

Students don’t have to be into New Age spiritualism to reap the benefits of feng shui. Turn the tiny boxes you live in known as dorm rooms into havens of positive energy with a few cheap and easy tips.

photos

trash photos of exes.

Reminders of failed relationships will prevent you from moving on with your life. Instead, surround yourself with pictures of loved ones – these will provide you with the positive energy you need to succeed.

desk

don’t position your desk so that there’s a window behind it. This can be uncomfortable & allow energy to leak from the room.

color

shades of blue, lavender & green have a calming effect, while reds & oranges energize & stimulate your mind. Changing your bed sheets is an easy way to add color.

bed

z

do not place your bed under a window but in a place where you can easily see the door.

z

z Z z

cleaning

open, clean spaces allow qi to circulate, promoting happiness, efficiency & peace of mind.

walls

posters & artwork can change the energy of your room, creating a space that will help you feel happier and more productive.

lighting

keep curtains open when awake & closed while sleeping. Sunlight during the day energizes qi while closed curtains at night create a sense of security.