Inside Fullerton - Summer 2018

INSIDE

“Still I rise”

Stories about overcoming lifeʼs obstacles

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise...

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise...

-Maya Angelou

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SUMMER

MEET THE TEAM Advisor/Publisher

Julie Patel

Editor-in-Chief

Naomi Gillespie

Managing Editor

Roxanne Reeves

Digital Director

Brandon Killman

Creative Directors

Esther Kim Jennifer Enciso

Design Intern

Nikola Jovanovic

Consultant

Stephen Klippenstein

Staff Writers & Editors Madalyn Amato

Chloe Serventi

Isaiah Castaneda

Megan Showalter

Alan Crosby

Annette Valderrama

Daniel Guerrero

Amber Baltazar

Adam Kirchoff

Madeline Gray

Jordan Mendoza

Vanessa Pacheco

ABOUT

The award-winning Inside Fullerton magazine – along with its news site, InsideFullerton.com – covers news, public issues and events in Fullerton and surrounding communities. It is a merger between Fullerton College's historic Torch magazine, founded in 1923, and a local news website founded in 2002 that was donated to the college's journalism program. The magazine and news site are produced every semester by students in Fullerton College’s Journalism 132-135 courses under the advisement of Julie Patel-Liss. Editorial and advertising content herein, incuding any opinions expressed, are the sole responsibility of the students in the production class. Information published herein does not represent the position of the North Orange County Community College District, Fullerton College, or any other officer or employee within.

Special thanks to Jay Seidel, Fullerton College’s journalism department coordinator, for his assistance.

CONTACT US For editorial, news, information & just to say hello:

insidefullerton@fullcoll.edu Naomi Gillespie

Roxanne Reeves

Brandon Killman

For advertising, sponsorship or business questions:

jpatel@fullcoll.edu Mailing address:

Inside Fullerton 321 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton, CA 92832 Visit us on:

Web

www.insidefullerton.com

Twitter

@insidefullerton

Editor's Note It ’s finally summer! Thank you for choosing Inside Fullerton’s 2018 summer issue.

We have a variety of stories from informative to entertaining. Our overall theme is “Still I Rise,” inspired by Maya Angelou’s powerful poem. Several stories in this issue relate to people or groups working to overcome life’s obstacles. We hope these stories spark inspiration in your life as Maya Angelou's writing does.

A big thank you to our writers, photographers, designers, editors and advisor! Their talent and hard work made this magazine possible.

Naomi Gillespie Editor-In-Chief

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TABLE OF CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS 8 10 12 14 16

HIGHLAND PARK: GENTRIFICATION AND PROSPERITY THE FIERCEST OPPONENT LOCAL CRIMES PUT RESIDENTS ON ALERT A CHURCH OR MARIJUANA DISPENSARY? A PRIMER ON MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

'STILL I RISE' 18 22 26 30

ASCENT OF AN ARTIST A COMEBACK FOR TRANSGENDER CANDIDATES? DESPITE #NEVERAGAIN, WHAT ABOUT #AREYOUPREPARED? CAMPAIGNING-WHILE-FEMALE

'ADULTING' 101 32 34

INVESTING FOR BEGINNERS PLANNING A BIG TRIP

LIFESTYLES 31 36 38

LOCAL YOUTUBER EARNS LIVING MAKING ‘MINECRAFT’ VIDEOS ORANGE COUNTY HOTSPOTS: CHEAP, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT 5 TIPS FOR THE PERFECT BEACH DAY

A stroll down Highland Park’s growing hotspot of York Boulevard and Avenue 50, dubbed the “ground zero for gentrification,” reveals a mix of modish antique shops, contemporary taverns, and bohemian coffee joints. Coexisting with the many hot spots is a sprawl of taco trucks, conveniently positioned to attract tipsy L.A. hipsters finding any reason to celebrate the start of the new weekend.

For Los Angeles residents, it is practically impossible not to associate one of the city’s rising subdivisions with urban policy’s “dirtiest” word: gentrification. Conveniently located in the Northeastern region of L.A., just east of Downtown and north of Pasadena, Highland Park has witnessed a steady “whitewashing” of the area’s popular districts, forcing established residents and business owners out of the community they call home. At the same time, some local business owners - such as those running taco trucks - have also seen a steady increase in their recognition and monetary success.

The first incarnation of the modern taco truck first developed by appealing to barhopping Angelenos in 1974, according to the OC Weekly. Now, the modern L.A. “hipster” movement has embraced the authentic Mexican-American staple.

A few months ago, a collection of local bar patrons and die-hard baseball fans mobbed the sidewalk of York Boulevard, anxiously waiting for the start of Game 7 of the 2017 World Series between the L.A. Dodgers and Houston Astros. Pacing back and forth between a local gastropub and the adjacent bright blue truck reading “Vegan Tacos,” some eyed the truck curiously while others flocked to the line to order their very own “jackfruit taco.”

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Plant Food for People, a family-owned, vegan taco business founded on the basis of neighborhood hospitality, has discovered a routine structure of success, despite the dramatic socioeconomic changes.

Preparing for a busy night of sales did not stop owner Jeremy Castañeda from having a seemingly non-stop series of conversations with fellow baseball fans.

Sporting a custom-made t-shirt reading “Vegans” in the style of the Dodgers’ logo, Castañeda’s face lit up when discussing how his background brought him to where he and his business stand today.

As one indication of rapid socioeconomic changes, Highland Park has seen a total job increase of 60 percent since 2003, according to a 2013 report by a UCLA Department of Urban & Regional Planning graduate course that used U.S. Census data. Castañeda explains how he has effectively taken advantage of gentrification instead of allowing it to push him out.

“Knowing gentrification was happening, this wasn’t something we looked to do as a business,” Castañeda said. “Ultimately, this is what we needed in our neighborhood.

People with a higher educational level and a more disposable income are going to choose a healthier option. People started moving in, things started changing, and we had something for them.”

“Through patronizing local establishments that were just starting to reinvigorate themselves, we continue to inspire new businesses to cruelty-free their culture.”

When asked about the downsides of gentrification, Castañeda said he sees it as a way to integrate, rather than divide, especially “in the climate of the anti-Trump movement”:

“There is funding for companies and pushes for organizations to further divide...white and [Latino Americans]. When you grow from the ground up, you will have a desire to change the community. We put a lot of love into our food without judgment, and that’s what this community is about.”

Since 2000, Highland Park’s white population increased by 42 percent, alongside a 13 percent decrease of the Latino population, according to the UCLA report. Since a majority of housing in Highland Park is occupied by rent-paying tenants, as reported by the UCLA’s Ziman Center for Real Estate, the resulting buzz of the cutting-edge art scene has appealed to the growing population of newer and younger residents.

Emily Delgado, an employee of the York Boulevard-based Charlie’s Tacos, also supports the idea that gentrification in the area has been positively obscured by the community values. “The people in this area are still respectful, no matter what level of income they’re at,” Delgado said. When asked if she personally prefers the recent changes, Delgado responded: “I haven’t seen any big problems. Things seem to be improving, and the respect of the local community is definitely helping.”

The eclectic feel of Highland Park has allowed the L.A. hipster movement to embrace the neighborhood in a unique way - through a noticeable desire to maintain diversity. The tight-knit character promotes positivity across all identities of the community - and presents a model for other communities to prosper.

To see a video documenting how some socioeconomic changes in the neighborhood are affecting local food trucks, please visit www.insidefullerton.com/2018/04/ highland-park-gentrification/

BY ADAM KIRCHOFF

Johnny's Bar's "Let's Go Dodgers" chalkboard sign defined the atmosphere of the night, as local bar-goers and baseball fans eagerly awaited their taco orders just before the start of the 2017 World Series' deciding game. (Photo by Adam Kirchoff / Inside Fullerton)

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Championship

Fullerton College’s football team won every game during the 2017 season, capturing the state and national championship for the second straight year. But the one force it can’t seem to defeat is the opposition of its neighbors to its planned stadium.

Fullerton College team seeks home field advantage

Fullerton travels eight miles to Yorba Linda High School for home games — denying the team a home field advantage. What’s more, Fullerton’s home playoff games cannot be played at Yorba Linda, forcing the team to seek out yet another stadium.

By Jordan Mendoza

Adding seating and lighting would make the field compliant and could effectively save the college — and therefore taxpayers — $90,000 a year in transportation, rental, and other costs, according to school officials.

An environmental impact report released in April noted that the funding for the stadium would come from “several years of savings generated from accumulated campus fund carryover” — not from the Measure J bond passed in 2014 for Fullerton College upgrades. The total cost of the project is about $5.5 million, including $2 million in contingencies, escalation, insurance, and other costs, according to preliminary estimates provided by the college.

Opponents of the stadium say that it will increase air, noise and traffic pollution, which the report confirmed as being “potentially significant” impacts.

xx xO Ox xx 10

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Sherbeck Field, named after former Fullerton College head coach Hal Sherbeck, is the field that sits on the east side of the school’s campus. Although the facility does include a football field, track, and locker rooms, there are no stadium seats or lights, which are required for a stadium to be in use, under NCAA guidelines.

Fullerton College began to work on an idea that had been around for over 15 years.

“A 1999 master plan [by Fullerton College] called for a field and a stadium, and the field

was installed, but never any permanent seating or lights,” said Fullerton College President, Greg Schulz.

Schulz says the stadium was not completed because “there were concerns about a stadium, and the college determined to put the idea on hold.” After Schulz was appointed interim president in 2015, he reignited the conversation.

The renovation would include 4,417 permanent seats, six field light posts, a press box on the south side of the stadium and a sound system for athletic events only. Parking on campus would be free for athletic events as well, according to the environmental impact report.

During Schulz’s first year as Fullerton College’s president, Fullerton Union High School moved its academic calendar to be similar to the college’s, causing each school’s year to end at the same time.

Fullerton College was unable to use the high school’s stadium for its commencement ceremony. After exploring options, the college decided to hold it at Sherbeck Field.

“We thought it would be better to do graduation on campus, and it turned out to be awesome.

But it did come at a cost,” added Schulz.

Adding bleacher-style seats for the graduation ceremony has cost the school approximately $67,000 a year to rent, according to a press release from Fullerton College. The release also mentions that the cost to play at Yorba Linda High School is over $35,000 a season, which includes renting the field, transporting the team, and providing security.

“We would be saving money with this stadium, and [not just to benefit] the football team, but [to better] serve all students,” said Schulz.

He added that better lighting would mean the college could offer more night classes.

The surrounding area, considered part of the Raymond Hills neighborhood, is the community of homes across Fullerton College on Berkeley Avenue, which stretches from Lemon Street to State College Blvd.

Inside Fullerton conducted an online poll of Raymond Hills residents who use Nextdoor, a private social network for neighborhoods, asking if they wanted Fullerton College to build a stadium. Of the 132 people who voted, 71 percent said they did not support it, while 20 percent said they did. Eight percent of voters did not have an opinion on the issue.

Those surveyed were also able to add comments to the poll, and many opposed to the stadium said they believed it would lower their home values.

“We are against the increased noise, traffic, light pollution, and inevitable trash that a venue like a stadium would bring,” wrote Desiree St. Amant, a Fullerton resident.

"We support Fullerton College’s mission to offer programs and facilities that serve the needs of ALL students… we did not move into the house with the expectation of a 4,500-seat stadium with lights and a sound system in our backyard,” added St. Amant.

The environmental impact report states that the stadium lights would be on no later than 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:30 p.m. on Fridays, 10:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 6 p.m. on Sundays. The sound system would be on no later than 10 p.m.

Some residents shared solutions to Fullerton College’s stadium problem, including using Titan Stadium at Cal State Fullerton, which is two miles east of Sherbeck Field. Other residents pointed out sharing the stadium at Fullerton Union. The high school recently renovated the stadium for $10.1 million in 2017,

with a brand-new field, along with lighting and sound enhancements.

A committee formed by residents of Raymond Hills, named “Share the Stadium,” gives multiple reasons why Fullerton College’s plan is unnecessary: the committee suggests the college use the high school stadium, according to its website. The committee also distributed lawn signs for residents saying “2=Too Much.” The committee could not be reached for comment.

With the community’s concerns in mind, Fullerton College has explored alternatives to the stadium.

Schulz says one of the reasons it isn’t ideal to use Fullerton Union is because there is belief that the new field would get worn down from the constant usage of it. This happened previously when the college played there.

“As for Cal State Fullerton,” said Schulz, “Since it is an NCAA Division I Field, the turf must be in top condition, and because of that, the cost to rent the stadium is more expensive than Yorba Linda.”

There is also an extra fee for renting it during rainy days and when conditions aren’t good.

Those fees could include the cost of replacing the entire turf.

A “scoping” meeting in May allowed residents to voice concerns over the recent report. Fullerton plans to start the renovation project in Spring 2019 and hopes to have it done by Fall 2019.

Schulz said he knows that there are two sides to the issue, but he believes that a middle ground can be reached, whether it be having less seats, or adding more temporary seating: “Our number one job is to make sure that we are a good neighbor."

WE WOULD BE SAVING MONEY WITH THIS STADIUM… [TO BETTER] SERVE ALL STUDENTS.

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The lights of Bourbon Street Restaurant illuminate a woman walking through downtown Fullerton, as a man sits nearby. (Photo by Amanda Rosas / Inside Fullerton)

LOCAL WOM TAKE BAC THE NIGH

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By Chloe Serventi

OMEN ACK GHT

The crime rate in Fullerton increased 9 percent – from 2,551 per 100,000 residents in 2014 to 2,785 in 2016 – though there was a slight dip in 2015.

That’s according to City-Data.com, which pulls statistics from public records. The site’s crime data, which goes back to 2002, shows overall crime rates decreasing during that time.

Still, local crimes such as the alleged sexual batteries last year of two Fullerton College female students – combined with national reports about gun violence and #MeToo assaults – have put some Fullerton residents on edge while others are doing more to take personal precautions.

The murder rate per 100,000 residents increased from 0 to 3.5 between 2012 to 2016, according to City-Data.com. Over that 5-year period, the number of rapes per 100,000 people also rose from 22 to 39 -- despite a slight dip from 2015 to 2016.

The Police Department could not be reached for comments in time for publishing, despite multiple calls and emails.

Awareness is the first line of defense, said Melissa Skrederstu, a prevention specialist at the Phoenix House of Orange County for the health care agency, which provides positive action services ranging from peer pressure to nutrition and empathy in local schools.

“Don’t be distracted by your phone. If someone is following you too closely call them out on it. Better to seem crazy and safe then shy and unsafe,” stated Skrederstu.

Traveling in groups and carrying protection such as pepper spray can also help, she said.

Classes on how to use more advanced tools such as a taser, knife or mace are available at certain weapon retailers and police stations.

However, some companies restrict carrying protection since it can be considered a concealed weapon. Companies like Disneyland and the Brea Improv Comedy Club have banned protective weapons due to legal reasons.

Those who work in schools seem to feel a sense of urgency about being prepared for danger, Skrederstu said.

“We have to be constantly vigilant about our surroundings and what’s going on in every school in every district we’re in.

Between school shootings and attempted kidnappings, we have to be trained on what to do in various situations,” she said.

Some residents and visitors echo Skrederstu’s advice.

It seems “there is a lot more crime happening [generally, so] I make sure to park in highly populated areas. I always have my car alarm ready for ‘panic,’” said Ashley Aguilar, a self-employed hair stylist who regularly hits up nightspots in downtown Fullerton. She added that she uses the “buddy system” when she can and is considering carrying pepper spray.

Aguilar voiced a specific safety concern within her own community, saying that she believes homelessness may have a hand in the increased crime rates.

“We have a huge [homeless issue] that is continuing to grow each day. I have a friend who owns a salon who’s had to move her location due to the homeless. After contacting the authorities on numerous occasions, the problems still continued to worsen… That ultimately made her have to move her business,” Aguilar said.

But homeless advocates say they can’t be blamed. Most cities don’t have shelters or proper locations to set up camp.

Homeless folks tend to find an area that would be the best shelter for themselves.

Aguilar suggests having police officers patrol areas more frequently and creating more mental health facilities.

Skrederstu said societal changes are definitely needed, too -- everything from more lighting and neighborhood watch programs to broader solutions. “It needs to be a deeper, longterm change, for society as a whole,” she said. “Teaching men about consent, having more resources for people with mental illness, gun reform, more funding for schools to provide school psychologists and counseling. Otherwise we’re just putting a Band-Aid on it and hoping for the best.”

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A CHURC MARIJU DISPENS

By Daniel Guerrero A young cannabis plant that will bloom to produce the two main components of THC and CBD. (Photo by Amber Baltazar / Inside Fullerton)

HUNDRED HARMONIES FILES DISCRIMINATION SUIT

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RCH OR A UANA NSARY ?

The association’s members use cannabis for its assumed healing powers and its properties that act as an entheogen – a substance used to produce a non-ordinary state of consciousness for spiritual purposes. Each church operates as most other churches do. They do missionary work such as food drives and clothes drives, Fraser explained.

“It is an open faith,” Fraser said. “You can be anything, there is a place for everybody in this association. We unify religion and religious ideas.”

Since the recreational use of marijuana was legalized throughout California through proposition 64, many California cities have tried to control and limit the number of retail outlets. However, the churches have made it clear they aren’t dispensaries.

A November raid by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department allegedly left Hundred Harmonies with a broken down door and its members arrested and ridiculed by law enforcement, according to a complaint filed in the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County.

To outsiders, Hundred Harmonies Association of Faith in La Puente appears to be in the business of selling marijuana products. It has a room displaying jars of the substance, according to recent news stories. It appears in online directories as a dispensary. It sells edible marijuana products such as chocolate bars. And law enforcement officials shut down its operations for lacking the required permits.

However, its organizers and members say it has a divine purpose and right to exist. It is a place of worship, they contend.

Similar to the Catholic Church’s use of wine for its sacrament – and even more like the bhang sipped during the Hindu festival of Holi – Hundred Harmonies uses cannabis in church rituals, according to organizers. Hundred Harmonies is one of 16 places of worship belonging to the Association of Sacramental Ministries – a group started in 2017 that uses cannabis for their services, according to Brent David Fraser, one of the founders.

“We’re just trying to spread a Christian message… we use it (cannabis) just like wine,” said Hundred Harmonies Rev. James Young Phan.

This church claims that its rights have been violated, citing article 1, section 4 of the California Constitution, the “No Discrimination Clause,” which guarantees “free exercise of religion ‘without discrimination of preference’.”

The only possible persecution a church may face is the “legitimacy of its sincerity of marijuana use,” Fraser stated, but he claims the churches have been able to prove so.

Police also raided Sacred Source Sanctuary in San Diego, and the Vault Church of Open Faith claims city officials in Jurupa Valley harassed them and discriminated against them. Both churches belong to the association.

Each is taking action against the respective cities, but the idea of the cannabis churches gives the perception that they are posing as churches to exploit some type of loophole within marijuana laws.

Despite the churches’ claims of sincere usage of marijuana, public perception has yet to change.

“Cases like [Hundred Harmonies] are difficult because there are still stigmas associated with cannabis use, and there are many people who question the validity of cannabis-based religious organizations,” Michael Cindrich, whose firm, the Law Offices of Michael E. Cindrich, represents Hundred Harmonies.

“This is not a trick,” Fraser said. “It’s what they’re called to do.”

Representatives of both the sheriff’s and San Diego police departments said they are unable to comment on the raids because the incidents are active criminal investigations.

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(Photo by Amber Baltazar / Inside Fullerton)

What you need to know about

By Amber Baltazar

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Marijuana was once known as the “devil’s lettuce” that hippies smoked or the “gateway drug” we were suppose to stay away from.

But it’s now legal in 28 states for medical uses, according to Vox. Dispensaries are selling marijuana-based products throughout California. And magazines like “High Times” are becoming mainstream, or close to it.

The interest in natural alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs is also helping fuel the trend.

“Here I was training to become an emergency medical doctor, and on the one hand I was handing out pills, the very pills that were bringing patients back in with side-effects, overdoses, and addiction,” recalled Rachna Patel, a doctor and medical marijuana expert.

Patel and other experts say marijuana can be rewarding for people whose prescription or over-the-counter drugs haven’t helped. But there’s a lot to understand for these people. Here is Inside Fullerton’s primer on the issue.

Q. What do I need to know about dosage?

A. One should be careful of dosages. Most products that contain CBD

and THC will have a label with dosage in milligrams.

“Dosing varies highly from patient to patient... It has to do with the machinery you have in your liver to break down these chemicals… Everyone breaks it down differently. There are other patients that need a higher dosage in the double or triple digits to help relieve whatever symptoms they're experiencing,” Patel said, adding “some patients start as low as 2.5 milligrams of CBD a couple times a month depending on their ailments.”

Either way, one should be cautious with the dosage of THC due to its psychoactive effects. Starting at the lowest dosage is always best, experts say, when trying to understand what your body can take at a comfortable rate since everyone’s biological and physical body can be different.

Q. Is there any evidence of Q. What is marijuana and what do I medicinal benefits? need to know about it?

A. Major health perks accompany some serious downsides, according to a Vox story about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and A. Marijuana is a plant that produces many chemicals that are Medicines’ comprehensive review last year of previous marijuana research. A

responsible for its effects. The two-main components of the plant are CBD (Cannabidiol) and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). These components are known as cannabinoids, which are found in the human brain along with receptors for these cannabinoids. According to Leafscience, a Canadian marijuana news website, “Marijuana contains over 113 different chemical compounds… These compounds interact with our bodies via the endocannabinoid system.” Both CBD and THC interact with specific cells in the brain and organs, which cause different effects in the body. The two attain a wide range of applications that can be immensely beneficial for the user -- but it is best to be informed about the differences, which are used for vastly different reasons.

Q. What are the differences between the various types of cannabinoids?

A. THC is psychoactive, which binds to the cannabinoid receptors in the

dozen experts for the group looked at over 10,000 studies published since 1999.

The Vox story reports the review found promising evidence of marijuana’s effectiveness in treating chronic pain and some multiple sclerosis symptoms, and said it’s considered “a potent treatment” for cancer patients experiencing chemotherapy with debilitating pain, nausea and vomiting.

“It seems to be promising for chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, and cancer patients. But it also seems to pose a significant risk for respiratory problems if smoked, schizophrenia and psychosis, car crashes, lagging social achievement in life, and perhaps pregnancy-related problems,” according to the story, which adds that there is “moderate evidence” for marijuana aiding those with sleep disorders and Fibromyalgia.

“There is so much more to both CBD and THC than just THC’s psychoactive properties,” according to Healthy Hemp Oils, a website that sells CBD oils. “It is a shame not to explore their applications and learn… about them, especially since they are both being used nowadays to better the lives of countless people on a daily basis.”

brain, leaving one to feel a mind-altering effect that is responsible for the “high” feeling, according to Leafscience. The THC “high” is often identified with smoking or ingesting edibles. If you don’t want that feeling, experts say it is best to look for a product that contains a much higher proportion of CBD. CBD doesn’t really bind onto the cannabinoid receptors, giving it a nonpsychoactive property that gives no feeling of a high, according to Project CBD, a California-based non-profit group. CBD provides a wider range of relief for health conditions ranging from anxiety to epilepsy, “A CBD-rich product with little THC can convey therapeutic benefits without having a euphoric or dysphoric effect,” according to Project CBD. This medical compound can be found in oils, or topical treatments such as cream.

GLOSSARY Cannabinoids – Are the chemicals which give the cannabis plant its medical and recreational properties.

Psychoactive – Relating to a substance having a profound or significant effect on mental processes.

Cannabinoid receptors – Located in the brain known as cell membrane receptors.

Non-psychoactive – Having no effects that can be felt physically or mentally.

Psychoactive effects – Responsible for feeling a "high".

Endocannabinoid system – Biochemical communication system in the human body that plays a vital role in regulating our physiology, mood, and everyday experience.

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ASCENT OF AN ARTI 18

She is not here to be a Hallmark Channel story, and she does not need any sympathy.

Nancy Johnson, an oil painter with muscular dystrophy, is an artist who has worked hard to get where she is today. Her paintings are a reflection of her own thoughts and feelings of the world around her.

“The world and society expect you to act and be a certain way if you are in a wheelchair,” she said.

T TIST

What the artist is known for locally goes beyond her physical condition. Her surrealist oil paintings unpack imagery pulled from tidbits that are stored away in her mind to create dream-like paintings that tease the viewer’s current perception of the world.

Her paintings can also elicit emotion from the viewer.

For instance, some paintings depict innocentlooking characters in vulnerable predicaments.

Images in her paintings include a snowman with candles stuck in his head and sparklers for hands, keeping warm by a burning fire, and a little white rabbit with a rear end that is shaved off being tattooed in a dingy gas station sink.

Johnson recalls a viewer saying something like, “This painting doesn’t feel good.”

“I think the most important job of an artist is to make the viewer feel something. Not all paintings need to make you feel good. Just as long as you feel,” she said.

Johnson’s gallery, aptly named Mind Flirt, is in the Magoski Arts Colony on Santa Fe Avenue in downtown Fullerton.

She said her work is autobiographical, but also intends to remind viewers of their own stories: “The stories seem to all come together in my mind. It usually comes from what I am going through in relationships, my own struggles, or what other people are struggling with.”

Learning to paint itself was a struggle for the artist at first. She gained most of her technical skills at Fullerton College under the mentorship of Deborah Davidson, a painting professor.

“It was frustrating to me, because I just wanted to go in and paint something fun. But [a professor] reminded me that you have to get your ground work in before you can flourish,” she said.

After completing an array of art classes, Johnson began to recognize her voice as a painter.

She recalled a class assignment that signaled a turning point in her work. The class was required to take photos and present them to the professor and class. The photos she took were later used as an inspiration for one of her next paintings.

At the time, Johnson said she was having trouble feeling sexually empowered and was struggling with finding her sexuality.

She went home, and in front of the camera set up in front of her she took pictures of her legs.

With pink panties, red and black striped stockings scrunched over her knees, near her calves, she posed – her legs pressed together, toes pointed in a pair of Dr. Martin Mary Jane shoes. The silver bars of her wheelchair framed her legs.

By Brandon Killman

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The moment Davidson saw the photos, Johnson recalled that she was shocked and delighted with her courage to present such a bold statement about a vulnerable subject. Her mentor assured her that, yes, she was ready at that point to explore her creative voice.

That was the last time the artist featured herself in one of her pieces.

However, Johnson created a character that has become her alter ego: a small brown sparrow wearing a whoopee cap with an attached propeller. His name is Whirly Bird, the little bird who can’t fly, but he is determined.

“It was a few years into painting when I started with Whirly Bird,” Johnson said. “He is me, and he started to fly, and he started to do something that he wanted to do, anyway that he was going to do it.”

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COMEBA TRANSG CANDID 22

ACK FOR GENDER DIDATES

By Megan Showalter

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In 2017, women marched across the country, the Black Lives Matter movement was in full swing and Americans couldn’t get way from politics.

Now is the time, she recalled thinking. This was the year Sophia Alexander, a transgender veteran, decided to run for office.

“America was electric,” said Alexander.

Alexander isn’t the only one who decided to run. While statistics on transgender candidates seem elusive, anecdotally, there has been an uptick in California elections, according to Rick Zbur, the executive director of Equality California, a statewide LGBT political advocacy group.

Almost a decade ago, Victoria Kolakowski became the first transgender judge nationally—as well as in California. Then, in California there was a dry spell of transgender candidates, experts say.

That all changed last year when Lisa Middleton won her election as the first non-judicial transgender office holder in California, among eight other winning transgender candidates across the country on election night in 2017.

Soon after, three new transgender candidates came forward in California elections: Sophia Alexander for the 39th Congressional District, Terra Snover for the 10th Congressional District, and Ashlee Marie Preston for the 54th California State Assembly District. However, both Snover and Preston dropped out of their races in February.

“I think we're seeing a level of community engagement and activism that's unlike anything I've ever seen in my lifetime. The question is whether or not that level can be maintained,” said Zbur.

Middleton, a Palm Springs council member, believes that the future is brighter for younger generations. Middleton shared a story about a young girl who identified herself as transgender at a campaign function last year.

“It was incredibly moving. I found myself thinking back to when I was 6 years old. I had nowhere near the bravery to be out, as she was. She has a life in front of her that will be full of opportunities that I could not have dreamed of,” said Middleton.

In February, the University of Minnesota released a study which found that 2.7 percent of Minnesota high school students considered themselves transgender, genderqueer, gender-fluid or unsure of their gender identification. While the study only looks at Minnesota teens, the numbers suggest that more teens do not conform to gender norms than was previously assumed. In a January 2017 study based on adult statistics in the U.S., UCLA estimated that 0.7 percent of teens were transgender.

“Youth are rejecting this binary thinking [on gender] and are asking adults to keep up,” wrote Daniel Shumer, a specialist in transgender medicine at the University of Michigan, in an opinion article which accompanied the study.

The LGBT community has gained more visibility in recent years and part of that visibility means gaining a “seat at the table,” said Zbur.

“People that are from our community speak authentically, with firsthand experiences, about the challenges that our

community faces. Having LGBT people, and transgender people specifically, elected to office serves as a role model in our community… It allows an LGBT person to look another legislator in the face and ask them why they are not supporting something," said Zbur.

Kolakowski, a judge in the San Francisco Bay area, agrees that more representation is needed in order to dispel the stereotypes.

“It’s important that we have transgender people in every walk in life and situation,” she said in an interview with the East Bay Times last year.

Zbur attributes increased political involvement to attacks on the LGBT community from the Trump Administration. He also relates it to a rise in gay and lesbian candidates in the early 90s who felt that little was being done during the HIV crisis by the Reagan and Bush administrations.

“Almost every place you look he is doing something to harm all LGBT people but with a special focus on the transgender community. When you're under attack I think communities rally and that's why we're seeing more transgender people decide to run in this election cycle, at least out here in California,” he said.

While national politics may play a part in propelling these candidates to action, some, such as Middleton, focus on the issues of their communities rather than the gender they identify with.

Middleton once was asked during a campaign what her gender had to do with city council work, and her answer was that she never saw a pothole with a gender.

"I used the ‘never saw a pothole with a gender’ line to go back to some of the things I had focused on through the neighborhood organization, which was the importance of properly funding street repairs,” said Middleton.

With Middleton’s dedicated involvement in her community of Palm Springs prior to her campaign efforts, she did not have a hard time securing endorsements from both sides of the aisle.

She stays focused on topics important to her city: tourism, road safety and a flourishing economy.

Alexander also shies away from identifying solely as transgender. She sees herself as a veteran, someone who is poor, and a student, but she suggests that people should try not to label one another.

“Being trans or being gay, I can [only] speak for myself, [but] it seems like it would be the same for people of different races.

It's just a part of who they are. And instead, we take these oftentimes small snippets of someone's identity, and we use that to summarize them,” said Alexander.

Alexander said she prefers to work with people from opposing viewpoints instead of against them.

“That's an important thing to remember when we're talking about Democrats and Republicans hating each other. We are talking about people who disagree on issues. They don't hate each other necessarily, but they don't agree with a solution to problems,” said Alexander.

Candidates, organizational partners and voters can agree that the political landscape is changing—how or to what degree is yet to be determined.

“When I woke up on election day last year there were seven elected transgender officials in the United States, and that night we elected eight more,” Middleton recalled. “That's a very small step. There are over half a million elected officials in the United States, and as of today 15 of them identify as transgender.”

Students report feeling ill-prepared

26

School Shootings from 1966-2018 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

2

CAL STATE UNIVERSITY OF FULLERTON +

7

2

MONTIFIORE ELEMENTARY

5

CLEVELAND ELEMENTARY + UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

30

18

29

6 1

6

LINDHURST HIGH SCHOOL +

4

THURSTON HIGH SCHOOL

4

WEST SIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL

10 25 10

5

COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL

24

15 5

RED LAKE INDIAN RESERVATION SHOOTING

10 6 6

WEST NICKEL MINES AMISH SCHOOL

23

VIRGINIA TECH UNIVERSITY NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

2

28

OIKOS UNIVERISTY +

3

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE +

3

MARYVILLE PILCHUK HIGH SCHOOL

1

7 6 5 7

UMPQUA COMMUNITY COLLEGE RANCHO TEHAMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL + MARJORY STONEMAN DOUGLAS HIGH SCHOOL

21

6

SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

33

6

# of injuries

10

# of deaths

10

+ Indicates schools in California

15

17

Graph by Brandon Killman & Esther Kim using data collected from an ongoing analysis of gun violence in the US by The Washington Post

27

On February 14, 2018, the world was rocked yet again by a national tragedy. Seventeen young adults were dead, their existence ended by one person, former classmate, Nikolas Cruz.

Since then, students across the country – and in Fullerton – have pledged “#neveragain.” But how certain is that promise?

the country; Regroup, a mass messaging system to spread information across the campus quickly; assistance in sharing alerts and updates from the North Orange County Community College District’s communications staff; and two drills a year, according to Campus Communication Director Lisa McPheron.

How prepared are students in the area for a school shooting? Do they know what to do? How would they respond?

“Every time [a school shooting] happens, it reverberates around the country,” she said.

Drills, a preparation video and other resources are intended to help students and staff feel more confident about what to do, she added.

training…Administrators are opening up a lot more doors for us -- before they were a little hesitant.

There are still people in the library that work there that were actually at the shooting, and they are the people that are asking for the training.”

RUN HIDE FIGHT

Inside Fullerton sought to find out through a random sampling of students at Fullerton College, Cal State Fullerton, and two Fullerton Joint Union High School District schools.

All but three of the dozen students interviewed said they feel unprepared to face the harsh reality of a shooting – despite drills conducted at their schools and reading materials distributed on campus. Some students said they haven’t attended drills either because they were absent or the drill happened at a time they’re not in class.

About 150,000 students – scattered across at least 170 primary or secondary schools – were faced with a school shooting since the 1999 Columbine High School attack, according to A Washington Post analysis updated in March.

What’s more, according to data from the Post, more deaths and injuries resulted from school shootings in the past few decades, as compared to previous decades.

Still, the likelihood that a student will be involved in a fight at school is 1 in 7, whereas the likelihood that they will be involved in gunrelated violence is 1 in a million, according to a 2004 study released by the Secret Service and the Department of Education.

That’s partly what made copycat incidents and threats after the Parkland shooting so alarming. Just days following Cruz’s slaughter, an unidentified former student of Cypress College threatened a similar attack. He was apprehended in time to prevent the shooting, but the incident served as a chilling reminder of the potential for tragedy closer to home.

Both Cypress College and its sister school, Fullerton College, conduct drills that involve staying in place and discussing safety measures with students. Fullerton College is home to more than 28,000 students per academic year who are spread out across a large campus. At the heart of the campus is the quad, where students gather to lay in the sun, study for their exams and hang out with friends. If the serenity of this scene was ever shattered by gunshots, some students say they feel poorly prepared.

“I personally wouldn’t know what to do,” said Justin Ramirez, 18, a sociology major.

Jason Smith, 21, a child development major said he tries not to think about such a tragedy happening: “I wish we didn’t live in a world where this was [even] a topic.”

To prepare, Fullerton College uses the “Run, Hide, Fight” model adopted by schools across 28

Sara Habeck, 18, an English major, feels that the school’s plans would work if you’re inside a classroom. She questions the effectiveness for folks enjoying sunshine in the quad: “Oh good luck, fight for your life.”

“No one takes [the drills] seriously,” she added.

For instance, during a campus drill in April, few seemed intent on learning about what to do. Some people chatted with each other on the quad, laughing occasionally, while others checked their phones, waiting to go back inside.

Just up the road from Fullerton College, California State University Fullerton sits on 236 acres of land just off the 57 Freeway. Much like students interviewed at its feeder school, students at the university said drills aren’t cutting it.

Janisha Vargas, 21, said she does “not at all” feel prepared: “ I just think that with the drills that they do have, people just walk outside and that’s just it. They should do more hands-on training for students where they are actually doing something.”

Some students recalled emails they had received about what to do.

Beatrice Torres, 21, said, “Sometimes in campus-wide emails, they will distribute some information about what to do, and it’s only if [a threat] happens to another school, honestly.”

Karina Bermudez, 20, said her dad and some of professors have talked to her about what to do: She would “close the door and lock it. Put something as heavy as possible against the door and get as low to the ground as possible. Then, you are going to want to barricade yourself and your classmates to block the attacker.”

Scott Wiley, captain of the CSUF Police Department, said the school collaborates with other police departments to prepare. “Once every two years, we do a full scale active shooter drill.

We include the local fire department, Fullerton PD will send out officers -- Placentia and Brea [do], too, -- because they will most likely help us as first responders,” Wiley said.

Forty-two years ago, CSUF became a part of the statistics when an employee of the school, Edward Charles Allaway, shot nine people and killed seven.

“We have never stopped thinking about the event that happened in 1976,” Wiley said. “Definitely through the last couple of years, there is much more of a need for the public to want to do this

Students at Sonora High School, part of the Fullerton Joint Union district, echoed the need for more training.

“Not sure what I’d do” if confronted with a shooter on campus, said Lucas Hoefer, 18. “I would have a general idea of what to do at that moment but no idea what I could do that would help me in the long run other than hiding and staying quiet.”

Maria Urias, 18, said, “I would probably just cry and block the door.”

“I don’t cry in serious situations. I just get very quiet,” said her friend, Elissa Luna.

Urias added: “If someone were to die I wouldn’t, couldn’t respond.”

Fear would freeze Hoefer, too. “I would be scared for my life. I would be in total shock,” he said, “I would probably be preoccupied with my friends, trying to also get a hold of my family.”

Students’ recollections of preparation by the school were vague. For instance, Hoefer said he recalls “a little bit, nothing I can remember.”

He suggested the school or district provide “proper instruction and...more information…an actual collective” of exact steps that should be taken.

Adam Bailey, the principal of Sonora, said the school conducted two active shooter drills this school year: one in the Fall and one in March, which happened during students’ break time– a time when they’re “vulnerable.”

Still, Bailey said it’s an issue if students don’t remember what to do and he vowed to take action.

“I think, if they can’t remember the March...drill, then that’s a problem to me. It’s important to me that our students and staff feel safe here. [If more information and training] is what they want, then that’s what they will get,” he said. “There are things we can do to show that we do care.

We have to increase safety.”

He said the school does trainings for students and staff to reinforce concepts such as “Run. Hide. Fight.” “We have trained all of our staff

twice. Training happens two days before the new school year starts. At the beginning of the school year, we have school safety day. Our school resource officer...and I, we go to classrooms to talk with students about safety measures.”

The Parkland shooting was a wake up call, reinforcing the need for schools to take precautions, Bailey said.

“When something like this happens, it’s a tragedy and we have to honor them. I look at that tragedy and can’t but help think of what I can do…here [for] my students and staff,” he said. “While I’m talking…I am also looking at our security cameras on campus. I can see what is happening around this campus, which makes me feel good, but I know it’s not enough.”

About four miles south, administrators at Fullerton Union High School also seem to be taking measures such as encouraging students to report suspicious activity, providing training on response tactics such as assembling in large groups and shooter diversion, and requiring doors be locked during class periods, according to Hamid Rodriguez, 18.

One student – whose parents could not be reached for comment – expressed feeling “very prepared” but could not elaborate on specifics.

“The staff is very involved” in preparing students, said Zubi Dass, 17.

Meanwhile, students at Fullerton Union have been involved in the #neveragain movement: more than

100 participated in a national walkout in March to protest gun violence. The challenge is to raise as much awareness about active shooter preparation.

Rodriguez said: “I don’t know that I feel prepared, but I feel like my school is slowly doing things to make us feel safer.”

That feeling was echoed by students and staff on several campuses. The fact that Cypress College shut down its campus and thwarted a potential attack within three hours of receiving information about it is a hopeful sign: “That’s exactly how the system is supposed to work,” said McPheron.

Whether students will take it upon themselves to prepare remains to be seen.

U.S school shootings: deaths and injuries each year

60 40 20 0

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

29

CAMPAIGNINGWHILE-FEMALE

#METOO SPARKS STORIES FROM WOMEN IN POLITICS

Later, while walking down a hallway a woman approached her and said, “I’m really sorry you had to go through that.”

Beyond the #MeToo public commentary of recent days, women can be attacked in much more subtle and self-esteemeroding ways. This is no more apparent than in the political world.

Quirk-Silva says women in politics are targeted with a “distinct pattern” of criticism from both women and men in the political sphere. Everything “from how you wear your hair, how you dress, if you’ve gained weight” is on the table for discussion, she said.

Pet names, speaking to female colleagues on a first name basis during meetings while referring to male colleagues as “councilmember last name,” and interrupting a female speaker while they are on the dais seem to be methods male politicians use to degrade their female colleagues, says Quirk-Silva.

The political colleague that Quirk-Silva referred to at St. Jude was contacted and denies the interaction happened.

He declined to provide details.

Quirk-Silva shares her expertise in education while filming a documentary. (Courtesy of the assemblywoman’s staff)

Last year, Sen. Janet Nguyen, who represents the 34th District in the California State Senate, was escorted off the Senate floor for speaking out while the Senate was honoring a former legislator who supported Communism; Nguyen, whose family fled communist Vietnam, personally objected to the honor.

Fellow State Senator Patricia Bates responded in the aftermath saying, “This sad episode is a textbook case of men trying to silence a woman whose views they did not like.”

She was going to meet a colleague in the political arena, who was also a doctor, at St.Jude Hospital. When she arrived, her colleague was playing around in a wheelchair while he waited. Only a handful of hospital administrators witnessed what happened next.

He smiled as she entered and said loudly, “Hey, doll. Why don’t you come sit on my lap?”

Everyone in the room looked at each other, shocked. Some laughed it off or giggled nervously. Assembly woman Sharon Quirk-Silva, then a Fullerton city council member, remembers being embarrassed but not wanting to make a scene.

30

Quirk-Silva also remembers when she and Pam Keller were on the Fullerton City Council together, their male colleagues seemed to demean their intelligence by calling them “little kindergarten teachers,” referring to their backgrounds in education.

One anonymous critic called Jane Rands—a Fullerton resident who ran for city council in previous election cycles—a “bra burning tree-hugger” in the comments section of the Friends for Fullerton’s Future website, a political blog and watchdog group.

“It cheesed me off, not because I thought that to be much of an insult, but that I would prefer relevant issues in my platform to be the subject of criticism,” said Rands in an interview.

Critiques of women running for or holding office often boil down to personal criticisms of a woman’s appearance or home life, according to

experts. This phenomenon has been labeled “ campaigning-while-female.”

The most glaring example of this was the 2008 presidential election, which saw criticisms of both Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. Such criticisms ranged from their intelligence to their looks.

Most recently, LA Times columnist and cartoonist David Horsey called Presidential Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders a “chunky soccer mom,” a comment which drew a firestorm of criticism.

“When I read over how I wrote it, it can be taken as a much nastier shot, and believe it or not, I didn’t mean it that way. The paragraphs looking back were incredibly foolish and obtuse.

I just failed to see how those words were going to be received,” wrote Horsey in a later apology .

California is often seen as a progressive state, however, it remains a battleground for women in politics.

The representation of women in national and state politics has increased over the decades. However, in California it is two steps forward and one step back: women in the state legislature have actually decreased over the last decade. From 2009 to 2017, the number of women in the state Senate has decreased by 31 percent and by 15 percent in the Assembly, according to data provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Right now, women only make up 21.7 percent of the California legislature, compared to 27.5 percent in 2009. In Orange County, women make up 25 percent of the representatives to the state legislature.

One cause of decreased representation could be the negative media coverage that women in politics receive.

A research organization called Political Parity found that “women are as likely as men to win when they run, but they must be more qualified than the male candidate to be successful.”

However, “media coverage dissuades more women from running for office than men,” according to Political Parity.

Quirk-Silva agrees that the negative coverage of women convinces other women not to run for office. If she had realized this when she initially chose to run for office, it may have made her think twice as well, she said.

Critics might say “you put yourself in those situations” or “you have to have a tough skin” for this business, she said. “But we don’t have to take it.”

LOCAL YOUTUBER TURNS

'MINECRAFT' VIDEOS INTO A CAREER

Rubalcava is part of a growing community of YouTubers who are making their living posting “Minecraft” videos on the streaming site. According to the Associated Press News, Minecraft is the most streamed game in YouTube’s 13-year history, with over 42 million videos and counting.

Rubalcava does a mix of writing, recording, and editing with a few friends in order to make his YouTube videos and has amassed over 28,000 subscribers.

“

Similarly, Minecraft YouTuber by the name of “stampylonghead” has over 8 million subscribers, according to an article in “Entertainment Weekly.”

The man behind the screen, Joseph Garrett, was able to quit his bartending job and move to Los Angeles with the success of his Minecraft videos.

Rubalcava seems to be headed on a similar path and attributes a lot of his success so far to networking. For instance, he happily took on side

A lot of it is really about being involved in the community. For the most part, everyone just knows everyone in the space.

If they don’t know you they at least know of you.

projects while working on his own YouTube channel.

So even when he is not producing content for his own channel, Rubalcava is constantly either writing, editing, filming, or recording Minecraft videos.

It all started four years ago when Rubalcava began playing “Minecraft,” a game that allows players to craft and build in an open world. It is often referred to as a ‘sandbox’ game as it allows players to create their own experiences.

His most popular series is The Crafting Dead, which is his own Minecraft remake of the popular show The Walking Dead. The series came out weekly for about two months for the first season with each week being a new episode. Recently, Rubalcava posted a single video with all seven episodes put together due to many requests by his subscribers. This video gained a lot of popularity and currently has over 250,000 views.

“Honestly, that was the only game my computer could run at the time. I had just recently been introduced to it and I would play on my laptop in class. Eventually, I looked up how to record my screen and started making videos,” he said.

“Not only is it my most viewed video, it has the highest audience retention time of any of my videos,” he said. This basically means that a higher percentage of people are watching this video for a much longer time. Since releasing this video, his audience retention has gone up on other videos as well.

Rubalcava’s videos are a mix of stories he and his friends have written and played out using “Minecraft” gameplay as well as some remakes of popular movies and television series.

In addition, since posting the video in January, the “BowieWolf” channel has gained over 10,000 new subscribers – bringing him to more than 28,000 subscribers.

Initially Rubalcava didn’t do much with his channel, mainly focusing his efforts on forming relationships within the community.

Although Rubalcava has not had quite the success as some other YouTubers, he was able to quit his job at Pei Wei and fully support himself with his YouTube channel and a few other side projects, all Minecraft related.

“I didn’t really make videos at first, I just made friends in the community,” he said.

The first friend he began creating with was a YouTuber by the name of “snickz.”

The two started out with a group of other up-and-coming YouTubers, and quickly formed a solid friendship.

The first video the two made together was called Survival Games, which was a remake of the movie The Hunger Games.

The video, which has since been deleted, was the first step in the creation of Rubalcava’s own channel, “BowieWolf.”

“There are infinite possibilities with Minecraft videos. You can make commentaries, how-to videos, or you can mess with mods and stuff.

There’s just so much you can do,” said Rubalcava. “I view [Minecraft] more as a tool to create content than as a game. It’s a limitless creative outlet.”

Disclaimer: Gabriel Rubalcava had been the author’s roommate for seven months when this article was written. The author has personally known Rubalcava for two years.

Cornered at his workstation from home, Rubalcava records videos for his YouTube channel. (Photo by Amber Baltazar / Inside Fullerton)

On a Saturday morning, Gabriel Rubalcava crawls out of bed and heads straight to his computer. He launches “Minecraft” and joins a few friends already playing the game and they find a place to start their day. But Rubalcava is not just here to play a game, he is here to work.

31

INVESTING

FOR BEGINNERS If you think investing is only for rich people, think again.

Years from now, most people will not have a pension or social security, according to Courtney Jane, a professor of business management at Fullerton College.

By Annette Valderrama

"You have to save for retirement starting now, or else you will never have money to retire," she said in an email.

A pension is income one gets after retiring from a company and social security is retirement money provided by the government after you turn 62.

However, social security “may be reduced or eliminated, which means you will receive no money from the government when you are too old to work,� Jane said.

32

INVESTMENT SCAMS Earle also warns consumers to watch out for investment scams in which companies try to make a quick profit from people new to investing.

“The basic version of the con is the scammer convinces the consumer to make a financial investment in a project, company, loan, stock or other initiative,” said Earle.

INVESTMENT TYPES When thinking about investing, consider different options including real estate, stocks and bonds, mutual funds and 401k plans, a retirement investment offered by employers usually including a matching contribution option.

When it comes to a 401k, “always invest the max you can with the employer match,” said Jane.

Doing your homework is key to finding the right investment for you, according to Gwendolyn Earle, a professor of business management at Fullerton College.

INVESTMENT GOALS

Earle added that “regular reports may be sent indicating the investment is producing great returns. When the consumer attempts to withdraw their money, they discover the investments never existed.”

Earle advises new investors to establish short- and long-term goals.

For example, it can be “saving for college expenses, saving to purchase a home, or planning long-term for retirement.”

“Research and seek advice from an expert, licensed stock broker, financial planner, reputable banking institution or credit union,” she said.

RESOURCES For local resources and additional information, please visit: www.insidefullerton.com/2018/ 03/adulting-101-investing.

INVESTMENT CLASS If you want to learn more about investing or are just refreshing your memory, think about taking a business or finance class.

“Every single person should take a class, and take responsibility for investing and saving for the future by re-assessing their savings plan at least quarterly,” Jane said.

The good news, according to Earle, is that with education and some practical knowledge, everyone has a chance to become a great investor.

“

You have to save for retirement starting now, or else you will never have money to retire.

”

33

By Vanessa Pacheco

With music festival season approaching, it may be the time for traveling to catch your favorite performers.

Whether you’re attending concerts hours away or music festivals such as Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), Hard Summer or Outside Lands -- our tips will help you make the most of your trips.

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DECIDING

MANAGING

Before you venture out and take the trip, you may want to ask yourself these questions:

Music festival tickets vary in cost. For example, 3-day GA tickets to EDC are about $439, including service fees, while Coachella are about $429 plus service fees, according to their website. These festivals can be pricey, however, if you purchase early, tickets are usually cheaper.

TO GO

● Can you afford to pay for the tickets and the hotel? ● How much time do you have to save up if there is an issue? ● Are you able to get those days off ahead of time?

Even if you answered “no” to any of those questions, there is still a chance you can take the trip if you start planning now.

EXPENSES

Some ways travelers recommend reducing the cost is to book early, save money ahead of time, and split hotel and gas expenses by carpooling and rooming with more people.

Alexxa Cervantes, a music festival attendee and avid traveler said, “We pack it to the bone because we are all broke college kids; I’ve shared an apartment with six people and a suite with six people.” Cervantes said location and cost were the biggest factors when picking a place to stay.

ARRANGING ACCOMMODATIONS

When choosing a place to stay, consider factors such as cost, the number of people in your party, proximity, amenities, and the length of the stay.

Of the attendees interviewed, about half said they preferred a hotel and the rest preferred Airbnb. With an Airbnb, you can book a private room, a shared room, or an entire place to yourself. A hotel will have similar options but they can be more expensive. That’s because you are paying for room service, a guaranteed private restroom and some amenities that Airbnb may not have. If you’re the adventurous type -- and don’t mind running into your host in the home -- Airbnb may be the way to go.

SAVING UP Most people say they plan their trips between one to six months before the event. According to an informal Inside Fullerton survey of eight people, half of music festival attendees said they planned at least three months ahead of time while the other half were split with answers ranging from a few months to even a week before. With a three-month period consisting of about 13 weeks, you can save $650 if you save $50 a week or you can save $2,600 in a about a year, experts say.

packing checklist Shoes Hair products Makeup Lip Balm Soap Lotion Sunscreen Towels Shampoo & Conditioner Toothbrush & Toothpaste Phone chargers Small blankets Food, drink, and snacks Clothes

35

Classic Rock Coffee Co.

Ziings Bistro and Bar

99 Bottles and Cocktails

Only open for about a year now, Classic Rock Coffee Co. in Fullerton has made a name for itself due to the various ways you can stay entertained while enjoying a cup of coffee and some pastries.

Ziings Bistro is known for their “Asian fare” with a “Western flair”; for instance Asian nachos, spicy tuna tostadas, and on Tuesdays, Asian tacos. What you may not know is that they host an open mic night every Thursday, as well as free live entertainment Friday and Saturday nights, according to the owner, Robert Marenco.

Less than 15 minutes away from Disneyland, 99 Bottles and Cocktails entertains customers with dart competitions, NFL games, UFC fights, karaoke, and live music performances.

1015 N. Harbor Blvd Fullerton, CA 92832 (714) 519-3071 www.classicrockcoffee.com

With open mic nights held every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., residents are always welcomed to come in and show off their talents.

If the owner or staff members of the Classic Rock Coffee Co. enjoy your open mic performance, they could ask you if you would like to perform on Fridays or Saturdays for their paid gigs.

Not only can you enjoy live music performances, but this coffee shop also offers yoga nights, painting nights and you can always go towards the back of the cafe to pick up a board game for you and your friends to play. An event calendar with all the listed entertainment hosted by the Classic Rock Coffee Co. is posted every month on its Facebook page.

“We encourage high school students, college students, and locals to come to open mic and show off their talent,” said barista Emily Fahrmeier.

The World Famous Doll Hut

209 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92832 (714) 526-5777 www.ziings.com

The talent performed on open mic nights ranges from live music, to comedy, and even poetry.

To get permission to perform, you must sign up as soon as you walk in the door and the order is on a “first come, first serve basis.” If the staff at Ziings Bistro thinks you are really good at what you do, they could ask you to perform Friday or Saturday night paid gigs at the restaurant, according to Marenco.

“Fullerton has a history of lending arms to artists and we are glad to be a part of that,” Marenco said.

8901 Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92804 (714) 826-2040 www.99bottlesncocktails.com

Mondays through Wednesdays, this establishment hosts dart competitions, beer pong tournaments, pool leagues, and karaoke nights.

Thursdays are home to live DJ performances consisting of Latin music, top 40s, old school hip hop and R&B. Friday and Saturday nights, starting at 9 p.m., the bar turns into a nightclub with a live DJ performance. Ladies get in for free while fellas are charged a $5 entrance fee.

During football season, 99 Bottles and Cocktails is a popular spot to watch games.

To book yourself as a performer simply call (714) 826-2040 and ask to speak to the manager, Daisy, or ask for Amanda.

This restaurant only serves customers who are 21 and over. With reasonable prices for food and drinks, 99 Bottles and Cocktails is a great place to enjoy all types of entertainment, every day of the week.

“We pride ourselves on establishing a family-like atmosphere for our locals,” said bartender Chris Hopsin.

107 S. Adams St. Anaheim, CA 92802 (562) 277-0075 www.facebook.com/worldfamousdh

The World Famous Doll Hut has been known to host live performances inside its tiny bar on the lot just outside. Local Anaheim residents have continued to show their love for this establishment since it first opened in 1957, according to staff member Mac McGarvui.

This live music venue has bookings available every day of the week and is open to all genres of music. Typically, the best nights to book yourself are on weekends, Wednesdays or Thursdays, according to Mac McGarvui.

Booking yourself is as easy as calling or going on their website and contacting this establishment through their email.

Street view of The World Famous Doll Hut (Photo by Madalyn Amato / Inside Fullerton)

Whether it’s watching your favorite band play at a small bar, experiencing folks express themselves on poetry nights, or seeking a new place to show off your own talents, the Orange County area has plenty of bars, restaurants, and cafes to keep you entertained.

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CH ENT IN T

Programme Skate & Sound

The Gypsy Den

Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir

Located a block away from Cal State Fullerton, Programme Skate and Sound is home to skateboarding gear; but this skate shop is unique from others as it hosts live music performances from inside the shop.

The Gypsy Den’s location in Santa Ana features live entertainment, open mic nights on Mondays and Thursdays with sign ups starting at 7:30 p.m. and performances at 8 p.m. They ask the talent to purchase something from their vegan friendly menu when wanting to perform.

Whether you are looking to enjoy a cup of coffee, vintage art, or live entertainment, Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir has it all. Open every day of the week, there is always some type of entertainment available.

2495 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton, CA 92831 (714) 798-7565 www.programmehq.com

Although this is not the size of your typical concert hall, the shop manages to squeeze in a little over 100 people to watch their favorite bands perform, according to staff member David Bishop. Bishop also added that crowds who do not manage to make it into the shop will stand outside to peep through the windows while watching performances Different bands from all around the world have stopped in to perform while on tour, including acts from Japan and Europe. Local bands play frequently on weekends, Bishop said.

Friday through Sunday, the skate shop closes around 8 p.m. to accommodate the live entertainment being hosted that night. Tickets are available for purchase at the door on a “first come, first serve” basis. If bigger bands happen to perform, presale tickets are available on their website.

Bands looking to book themselves can contact Programme Skate and Sound through their email, info@programmehq.com

125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 835-8840 www.gypsyden.com

Poetry nights happen every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Some Friday nights songwriters, with original songs and lyrics, are booked to perform live inside the establishment while customers enjoy dinner or drinks. Every Sunday, a live local jazz band plays during brunch.

The Gypsy Den also hosts private events, birthday parties, and rehearsal dinners through the email provided on its website.

“We are all about the arts, community, and people showing off their talents since we opened back in 1999,” said regional manager and co-owner Nicole Walcott.

220 N. Malden Ave., Fullerton, CA 92832 (714) 871-2600 www.maxblooms.com

This cafe hosts movie nights every Monday and Tuesday starting at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays are open mic nights starting at 8 p.m. Acts wanting to perform need to sign up at 7:30 p.m. If the owner or staff members like your performance, they can ask to book you for Thursday or Saturday nights when the cafe showcases live music from local bands of all genres.

Every first Friday of the month, Max Bloom’s partakes in the Downtown Fullerton Artwalk.

Stand-up comedy is hosted every second, third, and fourth Friday starting at 7 p.m. Open mic poetry is available every first Saturday of the month starting at 8 p.m. Every third Sunday of the month is home to a “free discussion society” starting at 8 p.m.

Max Bloom’s Cafe Noir hopes to help patrons and performers. “We want to make people comfortable and make sure they know they have a home here, we try to accommodate everyone when it comes to their talents and interests,” said owner Kevin Carter.

CHEAP, LIVE NTERTAINMENT N THE OC

By Isaiah Castaneda

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Whether you’re a local or not, the perfect beach day is within reach -- with a little planning.

Bring the essentials: water, sunscreen and a safety kit. Drink the amount of water needed for your body type -- 15 cups a day for men and 11 for women, according to the Mayo Clinic, a non-profit health organization.

Experts recommend looking for shady spots, wearing sunprotective clothing and applying sunblock. People exposed to the sun could consider wearing it every day -- regardless of whether it’s summer or they’re going to the beach. “Everyone [can] protect their skin from the sun’s harmful UV rays by seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and using a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of 30 or higher,” according to the American Association of Dermatology.

A good packing list starts with a cooler containing plenty of water and healthy snacks to fuel you for beach activities, according to Tom Gill, a spokesman from the United States Life Saving Association. He also suggests beach-goers “bring shade for time out of the sun, pack the sunscreen and sunprotective clothing to minimize sunburn; and bring an extra towel or sweatshirt in case the weather takes a turn.”

Finally, a safety kit is often overlooked, but is crucial for injuries ranging from broken glass or bottle caps in the sand to scrapes from rocks or shells in the water. A safety kit costs as little as $4.84 at Walmart. Or you can create your own by putting BandAids, cleaning wipes, gloves, tissues, a flashlight, antibiotic cream, gauze and tweezers in a clean, waterproof container.

Check the weather and wave reports before heading to the beach. Bad weather can

ruin a perfect beach day. You can check www.surfline.com for all the Southern California surf reports.

Go to beaches with lifeguards and stay in a group. Lifeguards are there to protect you at the beach.

“Lifeguards not only respond to swimmers in distress, but actively promote safe practices including moving swimmers away from dangerous areas before they get in trouble,” Gill said. Staying around your friends and family will not only make you feel safer, but it is more fun. Also, remain aware of your surroundings so you’re ready to react if needed.

Party responsibly. If you plan on drinking at the beach, do so responsibly. Swimming and drinking don’t mix. Alcohol -- combined with soaring temperatures -- can also lead to dehydration.

Take precautions if you’re considering building a bonfire on the beach. A bonfire and

the beach go hand in hand, however, make sure a bonfire is allowed at the beach you’re visiting. Only build a bonfire in the designated areas and if the wind speed isn’t too strong.

Some well-known beaches with fire pits are Huntington Beach, Corona del Mar, Bolsa Chica and Newport Beach.

To be best prepared, “Compare a day at the beach [to] a sports tournament,” Gill said. “Do not overestimate your abilities.”

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5 TIPS FOR THE PERFECT BEACH DAY

A lifeguard stands ready to help. (Photo by Amber Baltazar / Inside Fullerton)

CT

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THE SUMMER "STILL I RISE" 2018 ISSUE Fox Fullerton

Playing Fair: New District-based Elections

Is Marijuana Legal?

The Fullerton Historic Theater Foundation is expected to secure $2.5 million in the 2018-2019 California state budget.

What is Fullerton doing to make sure elections are fair and all voices are heard?

Know before you buy in Fullerton. What city laws have been passed to limit or stop marijuana use in the area?

Read the story by Brandon Killman and check out his 360-degree video footage of the theater’s interior at insidefullerton. com/2018/05/fox-fullerton-second-act.

Read the story by Megan Showalter at insidefullerton.com/2018/05/ district-based-elections/.

Read the story, by Tiffany MaloneyRames, at insidefullerton.com/2018/05/ is-marijuaa-really-legal.