Orange Appeal Magazine Spring 2017

OA orangeappeal.org // saddleback college // may 2017

ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS The Mandela Effect

By Jenna Ross

Boy Wonder Recycles

By Taya Buehler-Reagan

Bridging th

By Austin W

e Gap

eatherman

join the rebellion if there were journalists in ‘Star Wars’ The kessel run would make headlines. become a part of something that can change the galaxy.

Join the OC News Team (attached to JRN 106 Video Journalism), the Lariat newspaper and website (one of four News Media Production courses), or Orange Appeal (JRN 125 Magazine Journalism). Visit OCNewsTeam.com, LariatNews.com, or OrangeAppeal.org.

oa 05.2017 14

THE HIGHLIGHTS

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Q&A With a Psychic

Crystal balls and evil curses are myths of the past - find out what a psychic of today is really like in this detailed Q&A. By Rachel Lee

14 Recycling Boy Wonder

7-year-old entrepreneur turns trash into cash by collecting bottles and cans.

By Taya Buehler-Reagan

22 Bridging the Gap

Saddleback Church worship leader starts the conversation between the church and the LGBTQ community. By Austin Weatherman

22

32 Fight for Your Right to Pony

Hard working mini-horse earns its place in Mission Viejo. By Taya Buehler-Reagan

34 Fat Row Chow Down

One man’s suspenseful, heart disease-inducing fast food pilgramamage. By Garrett Falke

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PULP

4

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Terrible dates//Asian mom quips// Weird tweets//A guide to facial hair// The douche quiz// Drinks galore

ON THE COVER

“Entering the Mandela Effect”

Parallel universes, mass-misremembering of details and events, and conspiracy theories.

Photo shot and staged by Jenna Ross

8 www.orangeappeal.org • 1

OA

letter from the editors

Dear Mom, I’m sorry.

www.orangeappeal.org

Editors-in-Chief Austin Weatherman

aweatherman0@saddleback.edu

Jenna Ross

L

et’s not sugar coat anything here; I was a douche bag from 12 to 18 years old and unfairly, my mom got most of the heat. Hormones are a bitch, and I still hate sharing my feelings with anyone but it doesn’t excuse the way I treated my mother.

She worked 40 hours a week, cooked and cleaned everyday, and somehow still managed to go to most of my sporting events, having to drag around my two little sisters and travel 30 to 40 minutes each way. When she didn’t show up, I felt heart broken.

“She’s not here. She doesn’t even care,” I told myself. What I didn’t know as a bratty-entitled 18 year old is that when

jross37@saddleback.edu

Photo Editor Garrett Falke

garrett.falke@gmail.com

Contributors Jenna Sergeant

jsergeant0@saddleback.edu

you work and take care of a home, you get tired.

It wasn’t until my first year of college that I picked up a part-time job at the grocery that I found out what exhaustion really felt like. Working eight hours a day, plus going to school full-time, and doing chores at home is living hell.

But I only did that three...four times a week? My mom has done every damn day for years and I have barely handled it for the past two years.

It hurts to even think about it now about our shouting matches and the times I threatened to move out because of her “nagging.” If college has taught me anything, it’s that I love my mom way more than I ever thought.

I’m sorry mom.

Austin Jacob Weatherman, Editor-in-Chief

Taya Buehler-Reagan tbuehlerreagan0@saddleback.edu

Jessica Pham

jpham77@saddleback.edu

Rachel Lee

blee124@saddleback.edu

Faculty Advisers Tim Posada

tposada@saddleback.edu

MaryAnne Shults

mshults@saddleback.edu

Lab Technician Ali Dorri

adorri@saddleback.edu

Contact Us 949-582-4688

orangeappeal@gmail.com

Get out, while you still can

W

hen I decided I would be attending community college my senior year of high school, I felt like a failure. I was a smart kid; I took AP classes and most of my selfworth was contained in what grades were on my report card at the end of the year.

I chose community college because I was afraid I wasn’t good enough for a four year school. Little did I know, choosing community college would end up being the best decision I’ve ever made for one materialistic reason: money.

Without the money I saved by attending community college, living at home for the past three years and working 2 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

full time, I never would have been able to travel as much as I have before even turning 21.

I was able to study abroad for half a semester, take trips to cities throughout the U.S. and get the “college experience” I thought I needed as a high school senior.

I fell down a flight of stairs and nearly broke my ankle in a club in Oxford. I spent a whole day lying on the grass with some incredible friends in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I watched snow fall silently in the middle of bustling 5th Ave. in New York. I sang Piano Man, loudly and drunkenly, in a pub full of old Irish men in Dublin. I led a group of my friends through the London under-

gound completely on my own, faking confidence the entire time. I became independent and sure of my abilities for the first time in my life. I stopped being so shy, and I learned how to genuinely get to know people.

As my time at Saddleback comes to a close and I plan my first solo trip to Barcelona, I have one piece of advice to leave behind: if you are lucky enough to be in my position, travel now. I have learned so much more from travelling than I ever could in a college classroom.

Orange Appeal is the award-winning magazine of Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California, produced by students in the journalism department on an annual basis.

Columns, opinions, and other articles do not represent the views of the journalism deparment, Saddleback College, or the South Orange County Community College District.

The magazine is produced by students enrolled in JRN 125 Magazine Journalism, and students have won awards in writing, design, and photography.

A special thank you to our supporters: the Saddleback College Foundation and individual advertisers.

Jenna Ross, Editor-in-Chief /OrangeAppeal

@orangeappealmag

staff picks

Our Playlists We’re all guilty of judging other people based on their tastes in music. But I mean, what a person blasts in their car when they’re alone really does say a lot about them, right? Here the staff presents you with an opportunity to judge them based on these short and strangely specific playlists.

Songs for Lazy Days When You Feel like Doing Absolutely Nothing

If I Were Stuck on a Boat With Chris Pratt For a Week

Rachel Lee

Taya Buehler-Reagan

For When I’m Sailing on the Boat Taya and Chris Pratt Are On Garret Falke

» Sleep All Day

» Wicked Game

» Jesus Mesiah

»

»

» Oceans

» » »

Jason Mraz The Lazy Song Bruno Mars Bed Peace Childish Gambino & Jhene Aiko Because I Got High Afroman Busy Doin’ Nothin’ The Beach Boys

» » »

Chris Isaak Make It Wit Chu Queens of the Stone Age Pour Some Sugar On Me Def Leppard Love to Love You Baby Donna Summer Sex on Fire Kings of Leon

Chris Tomlin

Hillsong United

» Jesus We Love You Bethel Music

» Lord I Need You Matt Mather

» Heart Like Heaven Hillsong United

When You’re an InThe-Closet Emo

For the White Girl Who Pretends to Like Rap

Austin Weatherman

Jenna Ross

in the Shower Jessica Pham

» Waterfall

» LOVE

» You’re The One That I

» Oops, I Did It Again

»

»

»

With Confidence » Cute without the ‘E’ (Cut From the Team) Taking Back Sunday » When You’re Around Motion City Soundtrack » The Promise New Found Glory

» Clairvoyant The Story So Far

» » »

Kendrick Lamar Madiba Riddim Drake Biking Frank Ocean Rough Soul GoldLink Get It Together Drake

Songs to Sing Passionately

» » »

Want Grease Soundtrack F.F.F. Bebe Rexha ft. G-Eazy Let It Go James Bay Rolling In The Deep Adele Hips Don’t Lie Shakira

For When You Procrastinated Again Jenna Sergeant

» » »

Britney Spears Rush, Rush Paula Abdul I Don’t Know What I’m Doing Breathe Carolina This Is Gonna Be a Bad One Jesse Brand I Did What I Could Charlie McNeal

Playlist situations that can either end really well or really terribly: Using one to woo your crush with your obviously spectacular music taste. Making a playlist that only has songs by One Direction and playing it on your first date. Using song titles to throw shade at your ex and then sending them a screenshot. Trying to impress your significant other’s parents by blasting a playlist that only plays disco music from the 70s. www.orangeappeal.org • 3

10 Actress Constance Wu from ABC’s “Fresh Off the Boat.”

Top

things Asian moms say

By Jessica Pham

For everyone struggling under the harsh and hypocritical parenting of Asian moms...but we love them anyway 1. “If you go out with wet hair you’ll get sick…and then die.”

2. “You eat too much.”

3. “Why aren’t you eating? You don’t appreciate my cooking?”

4. “If you eat (insert any vegetable here) you won’t get cancer.”

5. “You feel sick because you went out at night without a jacket two weeks ago.”

6. “You can’t kiss anyone until after you’re married. That’s what your father and I did.”

7. “Your ripped jeans make you look homeless.”

8. “Did you have fun at your friend’s house? Yea? Well then why don’t you live with them, then?”

9. “Why are you always in your room?

Go and get some exercise.”

10. “You’re going out again? You’re always going out. Just stay home.”

4 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

TWISDOM

pulp

Abby Hatake, @abbyhatake if you’re against abortion get a vasectomy Luwanda, @Luwandajenkins Yes u should get vaccines. And so what if that makes your kid artistic.

That don’t always mean he’s gay.

Save the Date First dates are awkward AF, but some ideas push the limit; don’t try these truly terrible ones at home

By Taya Buehler-Reagan

WEDDING A wedding for the first date is a bit presumptuous. Plus, it will scare the living hell out of your date. More than half of the ceremony she will be planning the best exit route.

GYM The one thing you don’t get on a first date to the gym is gains. The one thing your date doesn’t want is to get sweaty and talk about their eating schedule.

FUNERAL A funeral, because nothing is sexier than people mourning and the casket of a dead body. Yeah baby, get it. No, that is just wrong, stop before it’s too late.

X-RATED Screening an X-rated movie is never a good idea for the first date. There is nothing more awkward than watching two people get it on, unless a marriage’s love life is just that sterile. That’s like saying “you know what we’re doing later? wink wink.” We don’t need the warm up porn gentlemen.

FAST FOOD Any fast food restaurant is just a terrible idea. Greasy, fake meat is what you eat after a night out of drinking, not a night out on a date. Don’t be a cheap ass, feed her actual food.

FAMILY TIME A family event is a definite NO. Nothing like a little pressure for the first date.

Maybe after a few months of dating. Mama’s boy.

STRIP CLUB Going to a strip club … seriously? This one does not need explaining. Don’t even bother. Your date does not want to watch you smacking your lips at half naked girls with daddy issues. And trust, you’ll never score with her friends, they will be warned.

REUNION Going to a reunion, any reunion is also a bad idea. It makes your date uncomfortable. They don’t know anyone and it is just awkward. Plus, chances are that there are plenty of embarrassing stories your date should not hear as a first impression.

GROUP HANG Hanging out with the guys. Yes, she totally wants to sit there with a beer she probably doesn’t even like, as you talk about chicks, sports and play videos games… on the first date. She does not want to hang out with your bros, at least not just yet. The entire point of a date is to get to know that person, so go do that and introduce her later on.

CLUBBIN’ Going to the Club is a definite no-no. The two of you will be screaming at the top of your lungs the entire time trying to talk and dirty dancing will be awkward. If you want to dance, then go somewhere else.

Grinding is not sexy, nor is it impressive.

PARTY TIME A work party. These events are always lame, sorry. And she does not want to meet your co-workers. Hopefully you have other friends and don’t just hang out at work all the time anyways.

If you have to ask, you might already know the answer, but go ahead and take the quiz anyway.

pulp

AM I A DOUCHEBAG?

By Jenna Sergeant

Do you vape?

No way

Hell yeah boi

How long do you leave messages unresponded to?

I prefer to see where I’m going Do you wear your sunglasses inside/ at night?

Is a middle finger your go-to photo pose?

Obviously, how else am I gonna let everyone know how hard I am?

When else am I suppsed to wear them?

Trustworthiness The Cool Professor

ALERT, ALERT! MEGA DOUCHE

Yes...but it’s a crazy story!!!!

Duh, can’t have that engine idling bro

FACIAL HAIR Very Trustworthy

Uh-oh, looks like you’re borderline douchey. Luckily for you, all you need is a little self awareness to set you straight. But be careful, you could topple right into the douche category at any second.

Have you ever bragged about how drunk you’ve gotten?

I don’t even know how to do that

NORMAL HUMAN

Congrats! You’re not a douchebag! You have at least the minimum amount of common decency to not behave like actual trash. Keep up the good work.

FIXABLE DOUCHE

That’s not brag-worthy

A Guide to

The Full Beard

I let texts marinate in my inbox for days

Only if I’m really really drunk

Do you rev your engine while sitting under an overpass?

Never longer than an hour

I’ve got bad news. You’re a certified, unabashed douchebag. Honestly, if you’re reading this, there’s probably no helping you and you should take some time to re-evaluate your life. Douche.

The way a man chooses to style his facial hair says a lot about how trustworthy he is. Whether you’re on a blind date, interviewing possible roommates, or being offered a ride in a van, judging a person’s character at first glance can be challenging. Fear not, this very legitimate and scientifically proven graph shows exactly who you can and cannot trust. // Jenna Sergeant

Questionable

The Cartoon Villain

The PedoStache

The Guy Fieri

DO NOT TRUST

The Hulk Hogan

The Mutton Chops

The Adolf Hitler

www.orangeappeal.org • 5

pulp

Sip on This Explore some of the trendiest beverages to try this summer

C

hai is a tea that originated in India. In many languages, “chai” or “cha” is actually the word for “tea”. Today, chai tea is a popular drink worldwide, and can be found in most coffee shops or tea houses.

Because the creation of this drink dates back to more than five thousand years ago, there is no structured recipe to follow in order to create the perfect chai.

However, it typically includes Assam or Darjeeling tea, sweetener, milk, and spices such as cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.

How you like your chai might not be how another person enjoys theirs. Some enjoy it sweeter, with notes of vanilla, and others enjoy it spicier, with more black peppercorn. However, according to experts, what really defines a chai latte as “good?”

According to barista Seth Kim, most of the customers that come in prefer the spiced chai over the vanilla chai.

“The spiced chai tastes like how my mom made it at home,” says customer Amar Shah. His mother has been making chai lattes since before he was born, and the recipe has been passed down through his family for generations. “To me, the spicier it is, the more authentic it tastes.”

According to a Yelp review

by Joshua D., Cafecito Organico’s chai tea was the best he’s ever had in Orange County.

He enjoyed the “ginger and molasses” that was added into 6 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

the drink. Because ginger has a very strong and spicy taste, he enjoys the spiced chai over the sweet chai as well.

The chai lattes from Starbucks and The Grove on Forest are known to be sweeter, so those that enjoy sweet notes of vanilla will enjoy the chai lattes from there.

With all of the differing opinions, it is impossible to choose one specific coffee shop and title their chai as The Best.

However, The Hathi Cooks, an Indian couple who specialize in Indian cuisine, claim to know how to make The Best Chai Ever. Chai recipes are different in every family and every coffee shop.

The Hathi cooks say, “Some start by boiling ingredients, and others have strict rules about only stirring the chai 3 times in clockwise circles.”

For their best Chai ever, there are not any technical or specific directions you have to follow. You simply place all the listed ingredients into the pot and slowly boil it. Once it is boiling, strain it into a cup to catch the loose tea leaves, and then enjoy.

Whether you enjoy sweet, vanilla chai lattes or prefer them spiced, every coffee shop makes them differently. After visiting the multiple coffee shops mentioned in this article, it was surprising that the taste of one drink could vary so greatly depending on who made it. If you decide to try and find the chai that best suits your taste, or perhaps branch out from the usual coffee shop you order from, there are dozens of shops in Orange County that you can visit in order to find your perfect chai.

Matcha: The Power Powder

By Rachel Lee Living in the ever health-conscious Southern California, you have probably noticed the newest ‘it’ beverage, matcha. Scrolling through any social media site lately, it’s hard to ignore the tremendous recurrence of the vibrant green drink.

Essentially green tea, but prepared through a completely different and unique method, matcha requires meticulous patience. Instead of a tea bag being steeped in water, which can take away a lot of the potency, its leaves are ground into a finely milled powder.

At Harmony Tea Bar in Mission Viejo, one of their speciality items is their matcha, which comes in a delightful variety, from the pastel matcha lattes to the beautifully authen-

tic hot ceremonial matcha.

Once the serene green liquid is achieved, it is slowly poured into the awaiting cup of iced almond milk. The stark contrast between the pure white of the almond milk and the vivid green of the matcha makes for an aesthetic vision.

A woman expertly orders her matcha with the confidence befitting a seasoned regular.

She comes in almost every day to order her precious beverage.

Jessica Pham, chai photos; Rachel Lee, matcha; Grant Geipel, kombucha.

What Makes a Good Chai?

By Jessica Pham

Jessica Pham, chai photos; Rachel Lee, matcha; Grant Geipel, kombucha.

with peace of mind, knowing it does wonders for you.

“I feel like I can accomplish anything when I drink this, it’s super helpful for getting shit done,” Walden says. “And I don’t feel guilty about drinking more than one cup a day since I know it’s good for me.”

Although it requires time-consuming preparation, it has converted many java-addicts to the world of matcha. It may have started its spiral into mainstream notoriety due to its Insta-worthy aesthetic and the novelty of its preparation, however such popularity and its benefits prove that matcha is no passing fad, but a movement that is here to stay.

TGIF: Thank God It’s Fermented

By Grant Geipel

Cafe Muji serves artisanal chai lattes with photoworthy designs.

At Harmony Tea Bar, matcha preparation requires a bamboo whisk and plenty of attention. A warm cup of a chai tea latte is a fan favorite at Cafe Muji. Ferm Farm’s variety of kombucha flavors include mango and black cherry. Proof that even kids can enjoy a bottle of this fermented tea.

“It’s so addicting,” self-proclaimed matcha superfan Ana Walden says. “It’s literally like a green cocaine…but you know, healthy.”

The seemingly endless benefits of this emerald green tea have been responsible for its skyrocketing popularity.

In fact, a single cup of matcha contains 60 times more antioxidants than spinach.

Research has also shown matcha’s capabilities in anti-aging, decreasing blood pressure, and boosting your metabolism.

Matcha is unique since it creates an entirely different caffeine buzz than coffee. It contains l-theanine, which is responsible for an alert-calm that allows you to be focused yet relaxed. Consumers love

this because it is long-lasting, yet doesn’t give you the nervous jitters coffee sometimes produces.

Just like your favorite cup of coffee, matcha can be customized any number of ways.

Healthy gut equals healthy body, and Fermentation Farm Food Culture in Costa Mesa offers training on how to do just that in your own home. Operated by Yasmine Mason, this local health food market provides instruction Thursday nights at 6 p.m. on producing fermented products like sauerkraut or that rising trend, the ancient fermented tea called kombucha.

“It just became more and more apparent over the last ten years how the digestive systems of Americans are really in a bad situation, a lot of people have bad digestive issues,” said Mason. “So I started fermenting foods, and started telling people to ferment foods like sauerkraut because of the K2 Vitamins and probiotics that are formed when you ferment cabbage.”

These classes develop an understanding of the health benefits from super foods, as well as a brief background on the history of the products you will be learning how to ferment. The step-by-

“It’s so addicting. It’s literally like a green cocaine,” says Ana Walden on matcha.

Matcha nowadays comes in a variety of forms – ice cream, cake, popcorn, pancakes, and even salt.

Consumers praise this natural caffeinated elixir you can sip

step process is broken down within one to two hours in class, while starter kits are available to purchase to get you fermenting as soon as you are out the door.

Classes held at Ferm Farm have sparked a sense of community between the members of the establishment. Members have been involved in holding their own classes, like learning to make soap out of goat milk.

Once a member, you have access to their variety of organic locally-sourced products and home made fermented food and beverages.

“Ever since I heard about this place from other moms I had to come check it out! My son and I have been coming in and drinking kombucha since it has opened,” said Melissa, a member of Ferm Farm.

This super food market has kombucha on draft at a mini bar inside where you can taste the variety of flavors they have concocted, buy bottles of kombucha, and even refill a 64 oz growler bottle if you are a kombucha enthusiast.

“I like our kombucha more because of its sweeter and lighter flavor, I am not trying to be biased, but when I go to a grocery store and try other brands I can’t really see the bacteria that’s supposed to be floating around in it, and they are too strong or bitter,” said Brittany, a Ferm Farm employee. “To get our flavor we add organic fruits after the scoby has fermented in the tea, and then we ferment the fruit another five days.”

Ferm Farm is reinstating the importance of the fermentation process and its health benefits with informational and instructional classes on how to improve your health in the comfort of your own home. They are bringing an ease of access to consumers who want locally grown organic products. Above all, kombucha and its fermented friends are bringing back an ancient lifestyle of healthy living to South Orange County. www.orangeappeal.org • 7

Q&A

Orange County psychic and medium divulges her neardeath experience and how it has shaped who she is today

By Rachel Lee

S

usan Grau has been serving the diverse clientele from the greater Southern California area for more than 20 years. In The Light services is immensely popular with many people, boasting a rare 5-star rating on Yelp. Grau leads a busy but fufilling life as a Reiki master, psychic/intuitive, medium, spirtual mentor, healer, and life coach. Her new book, “The Life of an Empath: Living From the Outside In,” will be released November 2017.

Sessions with Susan Grau can be scheduled through her website at sginthelight.com.

8 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Susan Grau how to describe, I seem to leave my space and my vibrational energy shifts as I begin to hear spirits speaking to me through a “knowing” called a Clair.

Clair means clear and all mediums and psychics have this ability. There are many different Clairs but the one I use most is Claircognizance, which is clear knowing.

I just know who is with us from the afterlife and I’m able to relay their message.

Whether it be angel guides or loved ones who have passed, I know the message they wish to convey.

Can you explain how you discovered your abilities.

When I was a little girl I remember when animals would pass over, I could

see them still existing in spirit and floating around me. When I was 4 years old I was locked in an unplugged freezer in our garage. Some boys told me there were popsicles in there and I could play with them if I got them.

In my day that’s how a lot of children died, by getting stuck in freezers. I was in there for well over 45 minutes and I had a near-death experience. It was quite profound to say the least. Upon returning to the current space and time, I realized I could see and hear people, so I assumed everyone saw them too.

One day I mentioned what I could see, not knowing that others didn’t see them, I soon learned that was abnormal so I quickly

photo courtesy Susan Grau

Can you describe what it is that you specialize in?

I’m an intuitive life path reader. I specialize in helping others heal from grief and to find their true life path, to better understand why we’re all here. I also guide clients to understand spirits’ desires for their own journey and the means to get there. I am also a Master Evidential Medium. I’m able to communicate with loved ones who have passed over. I receive/give evidence and messages to help their loved ones here on earth better understand that the spirit is still with them even after death, to guide and love them.

How would you describe your process for communicating with the spiritual world?

When a client comes to my office, they are coming because they have lost a loved one and/or they need help understanding their journey. I ask their angels and guides to offer me evidence and understanding of my clients’ journey. In the best way I know

stopped discussing it. It was quite scary to tell you the truth, however, I learned who they were and what they were pretty rapidly. I continued seeing and connecting with spirits throughout my life, and as I got a little older I became a healer. Spirits continued to bring people who needed my help into my life. From there my psychic medium abilities were something I couldn’t avoid anymore, so I began utilizing it in my practice.

Here I am today, helping people who’ve lost their loved ones or lost their direction.

amazingly profound and healing. So, if had to choose, that would be my favorite part.

What can people expect from a “typical” reading?

They can expect an understanding of their own spirit, as well as, their souls progression in need. They can expect to receive insight about their journey and with that, the necessity to look where they’ve been blocking themselves, the constant banging themselves against a wall, mantra. Clients can learn and see why things

Dad” and the spirit showed me a drive-by shooting. The Spirit provided me so much information in this beautiful man sitting in front of me, it changed his life in a profound way from that very moment on.

It was a reading that I believe took my ability to connect with Spirit to the next level.

Is there anything you’d like people to know about you or your gift that you haven’t shared?

I’d like everyone to know that this is

“When I was 4 years old I was locked in an unplugged freezer in our garage ... I had a near death experience. Upon returning to the current space and time, I realized I could see and hear people.”

What made you decide you wanted to pursue this path?

This wasn’t a conscious decision, it was my destiny. Therefore, I didn’t decide to pursue it, the spirits decided to pursue it for me. It came to me, I did what I only knew how to do and the doors began opening up. I’ve had to do my own healing, my life up until this point has been very difficult.

Once I was able to get through the majority of my necessary healing was when Spirit opened the door for me to help others. My own life journey and obstacles have helped me realize what people need and through spirits, I’m relayed the information.

What is your favorite part of what you do?

My favorite part is watching my clients recognize that the other side truly exists.

Helping others to see their value and showing them to recognize how they can shift their journey for the greater good. What is not to love about my job? Nothing, I love everything about what I do. I am a life path intuitive, you call that psychic. The life path intuitive is having the ability to help people on their life journey through Spirit.

It’s very deep and can be very emotional for the clients and myself. Inherently, mediumship is my favorite intuitive ability, as it is amazing to watch someone who doesn’t believe in the afterlife come to an understanding and belief. Mediumship is

happen the way they’ve happened. That learning on this journey can sometimes feel as if they’re being punished, but in reality they’re being taught. Pain is our greatest motivator. My clients can see that their loved ones are always with them, around them, guiding them, and most important, helping them. Ultimately, recognizing that the afterlife is very real and it is filled of beautiful people and things, where we all will exist again.

What has been your favorite or most memorable reading with a client?

I want to preface this answer by saying that I require Spirit to provide me with actual facts: names, dates, DOB, specific memories, etc. because I want my clients to believe in my ability. I mean it’s weird, talking to dead people? I think most have a natural skepticism because it’s so unnatural, so I can appreciate and understand that thought process. In saying that, I can never predict who will come forward to speak to me, or how deep and emotional some sessions may become; it makes every session a new experience for my clients and myself—they’re dynamic.

The reading that resonates with me most, there was a gentleman who came to me and he was gifted a session, unknowingly. When he sat down, immediately his son started saying, “Dad, Dad, Dad,

real, and although there are some who want to believe that this is evil, phony, or calculated, they couldn’t be more false. I want to show people that I come from a place of love, and my only desire is to help others heal. Many are so fearful, unaccepting, and cynical when it comes to having the ability to feel or see the afterlife.

That type of thinking is very foreign to me. I think fear makes them pushback and resistant to the process. I’d want people to know that after being there from a neardeath experience, that doesn’t mean my life has been easy or carefree. My lessons were very tough and yet, I innately chose to become a better person so that I could help others.

I’d like everyone to know and believe that they’re not alone and that they are loved. Most importantly, that this occupation isn’t easy, often many criticize and call us evil or fake. It is a very painful feeling and does require a thick skin. I’m certainly not altruistic in that, I too like to lead a great life and take care of myself. However, I do wish the best for others and want to help guide them on their journey. I want everyone to know that it will never be perfect but it can certainly be amazing. We all have gifts, we need to learn what they are, how to properly use them, and that’s what I’ve done.

www.orangeappeal.org • 9

Political Fight Club ELDERLY EDITION

O

n multiple occasions these past two years, politicians have exchanged “fighting words” in the midst of heated arguments.

Joe Biden declared that he wishes he could beat up Donald Trump behind a high school gymnasium (very specific I know), and Trump said that John McCain wasn’t a war hero because he got captured. This kind of violent verbiage leads to the debate: Can my favorite politician kick your favorite politician’s ass?

I decided to conduct a rhetorical Fight Club for elderly politicians, in order to find the answer for this daunting question. This will be calculated through a bulletproof, tried-and-tested formula that nobody besides myself has seen.

The participants in this Fight Club are all male politicians who are all at least 70-years-old, essentially making this tournament a nursing home for hatred and hostility. They are Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, John McCain, and Joe Biden. This will be scored out of 100 points through the following five categories.

Category 1 – Athleticism: How athletic is the discussed politician? Exhibited through walking ability, velocity of hand waves, explosiveness while getting up out of chairs, etc. Scored on a scale of 0 to 20.

Category 2 – Trash Talking Ability: Do they have the ability to get in their opponent’s head through effective trash talk? Trash talk could be viewed anywhere, especially tweets. Scored on a scale of 0 to 15.

Category 3 – Physical Profile: What is the participant’s listed height, weight, wingspan, hand size, etc.

Scored on a scale of 0 to 15.

Category 4 – Anger/Motivation: Does he possess good reason to be fighting? Does he hate any of his opponents? Is there any serious beef to settle? Scored on a scale of 0 to 20.

Category 5 – Fighting Experience: Is the listed politician trained in physical combat? Were they ever military members? Have they ever participated in a WWE match? How many fights behind the gymnasium did they get into in high school? Scored on a scale of 0 to 30. This ranking system is guaranteed to accurately measure just how tough your favorite politicians are.

Let’s begin.

10 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

CATEGORY 1 – ATHLETICISM Donald Trump: For his age and size, he is surprisingly nimble. Trump is a very capable, competent, and advanced walker. His lateral quickness and agility while walking is so top-notch that there is a song dedicated to the “Donald Trump Walk.” 16/20.

Bernie Sanders: The man speaks with a profound passion and vigor reminiscent of a Harvard law student, but unfortunately looks like the human embodiment of a turtle when walking. 7/20.

John McCain: To say I was impressed by his athletic abilities would be an immense understatement. This lean, mean 80-year-old machine can do it all. He can wave with the best of them, walk like a soccer mom late to her kid’s game, and dance like a college student on ecstasy at Coachella. 19/20 Joe Biden: He exudes a rare athletic persona for his elderly age. Biden played sports his whole life, and even had the opportunity to play football in college. His most impressive quality is his Muay Thai clinch which he displayed when bear hugging Hilary Clinton with all his strength, refusing to let go for sixteen seconds. 18/20.

CATEGORY 2 - PHYSICAL PROFILE Donald Trump: Doesn’t stand a chance in this category. He is the heaviest president since William Taft and has been estimated to weigh around 250 lbs., which would likely serve as a significant endurance disadvantage. He also has ridiculously minuscule hands; a major red flag n the fighting world. 3/15.

Bernie Sanders: He is six feet tall and has long arms for his size, benefiting his reach when knocking Wall Street fools out. Body composition suggests that he has stamina and won’t quit too easily (there are other unrelated indicators of this as well). 10/15.

John McCain: While he seems to be in amazing shape for an 80-year-old, his stature puts him at a disadvantage. He is 5’9 and lacks impressive wingspan for his height. 5/15.

Joe Biden: Has ideal height at six-foot and is in great physical shape, showing in his lean build. He possesses the arm length of a retired NFL defensive back. Tremendous genetics. 12/15.

Wikipedia; Wikipedia Commons; Flickr; Simple Wikipedia.

Who is the most bad-ass, strong, grizzled, dirty, old politician in Washington D.C.?

By Garrett Falke

Wikipedia; Wikipedia Commons; Flickr; Simple Wikipedia.

CATEGORY 3 – ANGER

CATEGORY 4 – TRASH TALK

Donald Trump: While he doesn’t possess a massive amount of motivation to engage in these fights since he won the presidency, his permanent, constant anger will never fade away. However, this anger will have to be transferred into kicking ass, not rage tweeting. 13/20.

Donald Trump: He tweeted and insulted his way to the oval office, nearly making Jeb Bush cry during debates. The man even alluded to the possibility of Ted Cruz’s father being involved in the assassination of President John Kennedy, which while completely bonkers, is undeniably hilarious. 13/15.

Bernie Sanders: Nobody surpasses the 80-year-old socialist in this category. He is agitated 24/7 and always talks in his endearing ‘get off my damn lawn ya dirty hippy!’ tone. After the election for the presidency and senate, nobody is more motivated to fix Washington than Bernie.

And the first step may be a brawl with POTUS himself. 20/20.

John McCain: Possesses an adequate amount of anger and a substantive supply of motivation for these battles. One of his opponents claimed that he is not a war hero since he was taken prisoner. His party has seemingly ignored all the ideals he holds dear. This crazy old dude is ready to spar. 18/20.

Joe Biden: He hates Donald Trump, which provides some anger and motivation, but he is publicly good friends with McCain and Bernie.

And he is not as heavily involved in the Washington scene as of now, detracting from any potential inspiration to fight. 9/20.

Bernie Sanders: Although he may lack in the athletic department, the phrase “Feel the Bern” applies directly to the savage burns he directs towards his opponents. Hilary and Trump can be the first ones to attest to this. 11/15.

John McCain: Not known as a politician prone to insulting his comrades over the years, but with old age comes more honesty. This was clear when he referred to dictator Kim Jongun as a “crazy fat kid.” When The Daily Caller tweeted that North Korea is outraged by his comment, he replied with the most legendary tweet ever. 15/15.

Joe Biden: While he certainly isn’t an Average Joe in regards to his trash talking ability, Biden simply doesn’t exist in the same stratosphere as his opponents. His ability to yell when expressing his frustration is effective, but ambiguously threatening Trump to go back in time to high school to fight is not. 8/15.

CATEGORY 5 – FIGHTING EXPERIENCE Donald Trump: Living a glamorous lifestyle since birth assisted in his avoidance of significant conflict while growing up, but Trump was still scrappy as a youth. This was exemplified when he attempted to push a peer out of a second story window during a fight. He also got into brutal (completely fabricated) fights in the WWE. But unfortunately, this rhetorical situation centers around real, solo fighting, so he wouldn’t be able to bring Ben Carson, who is highly experienced in stabbing people. 21/30.

Bernie Sanders: There is legitimate proof that Bernie Sanders can fight, and not just for equality.

He got into various conflicts with the police while protesting during the 60s. 19/30.

John McCain: He served in the Navy for 23 years, eventually being promoted to Captain.

During the Vietnam war he was captured as a POW for over five years, being forced to endure an ample amount of physical and mental torture. Nobody (who is sane) questions McCain’s toughness. 29/30.

Joe Biden: He doesn’t have any military experience, and finding any fighting history for him is nearly impossible. However, he has had to fight through many tragedies in life, which he gets points for. But there isn’t enough tangible evidence to put him over his opponents. 16/30.

END RESULTS 4th Biden with 63 out of 100 3rd Trump with 66 out of 100 2nd Bernie with 67 out of 100

NO. 1 McCain with 86 out of 100

www.orangeappeal.org • 11

HAPPINESS NICOLE FARBER manifests joy and peace into her life through producing dreamy and surreal artwork

By Jessica Pham

I

n order to calm one’s mind in today’s stressful and demanding society, some people take up meditation.

Typically, when you think of meditation, you picture a person closing their eyes, taking deep breaths, and clearing their mind. However, Nicole Farber, 19, achieves this state of zen through creating art. She is an avid artist, often creating several drawings each week with her trusty Prismacolor markers and pencils.

When she is creates artwork, she enters what she calls her “flow stage,” 12 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

which occurs when her mind and body are working together as one. She feels more confident within her own body, in a certain rhythm with herself.

“When I’m doing math, for example, I feel insecure because I don’t know how to proceed in the problem,” she says.

“But when I’m drawing, I always know exactly what to do next. I’m confident, and my mind and body are in tune when I take an idea from my mind and make it real on paper.”

As an introvert, Farber often feels

graphic by XL Graphic

The Art of

drained and exhausted when she’s around other people for too long. Once she’s home, free to be alone and start drawing, creating art fills her with happiness and peace of mind.

“It makes me feel like the best version of myself, when I’m filled with creative energy,” Farber says.

With all of the problems prevalent in the world today, Farber makes art in order to create the culture that she wants to see in the world. With abundant nature, bright happy colors, and human faces acting as prevalent themes and subjects in most of her work, her art portrays a simpler and happier life. She takes what she thinks are the most beautiful aspects of life that might not be present in everyday life and makes them real in her surrealistic and dreamlike drawings.

There are many small and intricate details woven throughout her artwork, such as a bounty of wavy lines to portray strands of hair and tiny, precise leaves.

Farber emphasizes the fact that there is no specific message she wants people to take away from her artwork.

“My artwork isn’t morally based,”

Farber says. “I’m happiest during the simplest moments in life -- like when I’m out with my friends or traveling with my boyfriend. So I don’t want my art to become complicated - I just want people to simply be happy when looking at my work and leave with that feeling.”

There is no specific mentor that pushed Farber into the artistic world, but she is influenced by creators such as painter Charmaine Olivia, author Haruki Murakami and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. Her artwork shares certain aspects and ideas of each of these creators, their influence noticeable in her work.

Miyazaki often incorporates the importance of nature into his films, and Olivia’s paintings include vivid colors and human subjects. Most of Farber’s drawings also revolve around nature and humans, and she adds bright colors with her trusty Prismacolor markers and pencils. They capture the beauty of human features and of the world around us.

Producing art also shifted Farber’s outlook on everyday life. She began to see things with a more precise eye, taking note of the smaller details, instead of only viewing the world as a general whole.

“As I began to create more artwork, I started to look at life a bit differently,” Farber says. ”Like when I see a flower, I begin to think of what colors I should layer in order to recreate the real thing.

I notice the composition of certain trees.

When I meet new people, I begin to think of how I could capture certain characteristics to accurately portray them in a drawing.”

Farber drawing at her desk.

Farber’s biggest art dream is to one day produce her own zine, a self-published booklet full of original pieces of artwork. Though not the most glamorous and ambitious art dream, Farber is happy with her work staying, for the most part, unknown.

“I wouldn’t want to make a real career out of my art,” Farber says. “Then creating art wouldn’t feel like something that belongs solely to me.”

Because she uses her art as a form of winding down after a long day, it makes sense that Farber has no wish to have art be her main career in the future. With every job, there is stress attached through things such as deadlines and external expectations. For Farber, having that pressure attached to her art would completely diminish the serenity and contentment she currently feels when producing art. In order to keep art as her main stress reliever, she’ll have it remain a lifelong hobby instead of attempting to build it into a career.

Though Farber is happiest when producing art, she doesn’t love everything about the artistic world. She believes that first and foremost, art is a form of self expression.

“I don’t like how people only respect

“It makes me feel like the best version of myself, when I’m filled with creative energy,” Farber said. art if it fits a certain category of what society considers good. If the work isn’t ‘socially acceptable’ or well known, it’s not considered good art,” Farber says.

But she doesn’t let the judgments of others faze her. As she creates her art, she truly becomes a happier person in general.

“It’s a little space I can go into without anything or anyone bothering me kind of like meditation. I build positive energy that no one can touch, and once I’m out of that space, that positivity stays with me for the rest of the day,” Farber says.

As she creates her dreamy and hypnagogic artwork, Farber simultaneously creates happiness and serenity within herself. Each person has their own way of de-stressing after a long day, and producing art is hers. www.orangeappeal.org • 13

story & photos by

Taya Buehler-Reagan 14 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Boy Wonder Recycles

7-year-old Ryan Hickman develops his own recycling business and garners $20,000 www.orangeappeal.org • 15

Hickman and his dad collects money from a heavy recycling load.

R

yan Hickman makes his way to the mailbox after mail arrives.

He lugs the recycling bin down the driveway, proceeding to sift through the ads and the important letters. He organizes the necessities into a pile by his feet, tossing the junk mail into the bin. He then drags a bin back up the drive way and into his side yard, where he rips through a plastic bag full of glass bottles and cans, separating each into designated bins. He then gets in his miniature garbage truck and drives door to door, administering his services of gathering recyclables. After he collects, Hickman brings the bottles to a recycling center where he’s then paid per bottle and can.

Hickman is a 7 year old from San Juan Capistrano who takes recycling very seriously.

At 3 1/2, he began his own recycling business, Ryan’s Recycling, which has raised $10,000 from collecting roughly 200,000 bottles and cans. Hickman has been recognized in more than 24 different countries and throughout the United States, receiving hundreds of letters from inspired children around the world.

He has raised awareness to the recycling problem that stands and the only intent of his little heart is to “help protect the planet,” says Hickman.

16 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Hickman wants to grow up to be a garbage man and help keep the planet clean, but recycling is not the only way he is accomplishing that. His father Damian Hickman is a graphic design artist and has created T-shirts for Ryan’s Recycling. They sell for $13 and all proceeds for them are

Hickman’s initial recycling efforts did not involve donations, as he was most intrigued by the few extra dollars he had collected for himself. However, his mindset quickly shifted to the understanding of ridding the planet of pollution.

“Recycling is important, because then trash wont end up in the landfill where birds can eat it,” Hickman says.

Hickman has garnered celebrity recognition, landing himself on ABC, and several local news channels. He has also been acknowledged on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, where Shutterfly gave him a $10,000 check (which now lands him at a whopping $20,000). Ellen also gifted him with a personalized truck to collect garbage around the neighborhood.

On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Hickman shared the birth of Ryan’s Recycling.

“My dad and I went to the recycling center, and we got home with maybe like $5,” Hickman says. “And then I went out into the street and said ‘Tah Dah,’ and I said I have my own business.”

While Hickman’s parents foresee his earnings contributing to his future college tuition, he intends to invest otherwise. The aspiration of becoming a garbage man is intrinsic to Hickman, as he intends to allocate the $20,000 to purchasing a used garbage truck, which leads to the goal of raising roughly $75,000.

“Once he gets his mind made up to do something, he is on it,” says Damian Hickman. “We weren’t sure on this whole recycling thing, if this was going to last a couple weeks or what not. And now its four years later and he is still excited about it.”

And then I went out into the street and said

‘Tah Dah,’ I have my own business,” Hickman says.

donated to the Marine Mammal Center in Laguna beach, which aids in the protection and rescue of injured marine mammals.

“I like to recycle because then bottles and cans won’t go into the ocean, and then animals won’t get sick and they won’t die,” says Hickman.

Hickman’s active efforts were recognized by the members of the San Juan Capistrano City Council, who presented him with a conservative award on Tuesday, Feb.7. His ambitious efforts to spending every waking moment recycling has inspired many who surround him.

Hickman recounts the sorted materials before heading off to the recycling center.

Recycling is a lifestyle for Hickman, as he finds trash laying around the house, he will opt to throw it in the recycling bin. He organizes all of the trash and puts each metal can, plastic bottle and glass bottle in its proper bin. He does this simply because he has a desire to, and because he enjoys it.

“It was more of just something fun to do and then the more he found out, wow, this is good for the environment,” Damian Hickman says. “And it just kind of took off from there.”

Hickman has developed a systematic method of recycling, by labeling and separating each recyclable into its own designated color bin. He has purchased an extensive amount of extra trash bins for their side yard, and each bin is a different color for different materials he recycles like bottles, cans and occasional plastic bottles.

“All of the black bins are for glass,” Hickman says. “The blue ones are for cans, and the green bin is for plastic bottles that people sometimes give us. But we don’t really like to recycle those because they are only one cent.”

According to Hickman, the biggest struggle for Hickman’s recycling business is the strategy in collecting. He chooses to only collect glass bottles and cans, as opposed to collecting plastic bottles. He realizes the val-

ue in glass and cans because of their higher profit of 5 cents to 10 cents per bottle/can, while plastic bottles are a mere one cent.

“I want to be a garbage man,” Hickman says. “Then I can pick up bottles and cans with my garbage truck, instead of carrying it all with my hands.”

The aspirations of the company are further developing, as Hickman is currently formulating a future business plan with his friend Wyatt Gillette. As they intend to run the business together, in order to sufficiently collect recyclables and encourage others to recycle.

“Running a business is easy for me because I have a lot of people helping me,” Hickman says. “And we only take a few items.”

He has had support from all over the

city, including his friends, family, schoolmates, neighbors and whoever may email Ryan’s dad to have their recycling picked up. They currently pick up recyclables from five different neighborhoods, a local golf course and several different local businesses. Hickman’s family has been along for the ride every step of the way, and continue to support him.

“Whatever he wants to do we will support him,” says Damian Hickman. “I’m hoping he continues with whatever his passion is.”

Hickman has not only had a large impact on his community, but on many people that he encounters. He made a profound impact on his first grade teacher, Suzanne Devaney, who has also supported him from day one. She helps him recycle around the school, and encourages other parents to bring in bags of bottles and cans, all while she sports a green Ryan’s Recycling T-shirt.

“Over 27 years of teaching and I have never had somebody this driven for a passion of something,” says Devaney with tears in her eyes. “And that is why I think he is really unique.”

Hickman intends to continue running his business and pursue a career as a garbage man. And he hopes other people will “start recycling to help the planet too.” www.orangeappeal.org • 17

[my story]

18 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

story & photo by Jenna Ross

Sophia Fay

colors San Clemente Sophia Branstrom, freelance illustrator, creates anything from tattoo designs to coffee tables for her clients

D

ressed in a white button-up and a blue silk scarf, Sophia Branstrom, San Clemente based illustrator, sits at a table, mesmerized by a water color painting app on her phone.

Excitement lights up her face as she watches the colors swirl across the screen. She fits the role of freelance artist, but Branstrom assures me that this is all an illusion.

“I’ve been up for 24 hours straight,” Branstrom says. “My scanner ran out of ink and I ended up hand painting most of these.”

She’s referencing the basket full of Valentine’s Day greeting cards on the counter in front of her. It’s 6:15 a.m. in Bear Coast Coffee, and we are surrounded by flowers and the aroma of freshly baked muffins. A Valentine’s Day pop-up shop is being assembled around us.

After creating a portrait for Joely Clarke, a freelancing florist, the two teamed up to propose a Valentine’s Day themed pop up shop a Bear Coast. This is only one of Branstrom’s many endeavors as an illustrator. With a commissioned children’s book, a hand painted coffee table, and an art show under her belt, she has more than enough experience.

“I started freelancing about a year be-

fore I finished school,” Branstrom said. She gained traction by posting her illustrations on Instagram, and she has relied completely on the social media platform to generate business ever since. “It’s like a live portfolio. People can look at my work and tell me exactly what style they’re looking for.”

She works with individuals and businesses to create digital and print illustrations, paintings, and designs. She’s currently working on packaging for a fashion line, a project the got by working the pop up at Bear Coast. But she is always doing small commissions, like paintings or tattoo designs for friends.

“You know how some people see commercials of puppies or kids in Africa and want to help? I’m the same way when I see someone’s flyer or business card,” Branstrom says.

When it comes to the process, Branstrom sees art in everything.

She ensures me that she really does care about puppies and children. What she means is she has a passion improving people’s aesthetics and make their businesses better. She is constantly looking at the world around her like one big art piece that she can add to.

She has gained support from people like Chuck Pile, director of illustration at the Academy of Art University. Described

as a tall, ominous, caricature of a professor, Branstrom took illustration classes taught by him at the Academy. He told her she needs to get her work to New York. But Branstrom doesn’t mind staying local.

“I want to have the ability to stay really involved in my projects,” Branstrom says.

“I love San Clemente and the access I’m getting to all of these people through Bear Coast.”

While her long term goal is to write and draw children’s books, Branstrom has hopes to launch a blog in the near future.

She aims to have the blog be a “dorky” perspective on her artistic process and the issues artists face and provide a means of support.

“When other struggling artists see the super put together artists buying supplies in their cute outfits while they’re in sweats with a half finished project, I want them to not freak out like I do,” Branstrom says.

When it comes to the process, Branstrom sees art in everything. Inspired by the shapes and colors she sees in everyday life, she rarely starts off a piece with a sketch.

She prefers the “just go for it” mentality, using touch up paint when it’s called for.

This process leads to her quirky, naturalistic creations, with cartoonish depictions of wildlife, florals and people. She’s all about color theory and a good color scheme.

“I’ll see the color of a bush, and even if I know I’m not going to draw a bush, I’ll be like ‘Oh, I like that.’ and then I go from there,” she says.

You can find Branstrom’s work at @sophiafayart on Instagram. www.orangeappeal.org • 19

Your Guide to

Napping on Campus Highlighting the best places to catch up on your sleep, regardless of the time or place

By Rachel Lee

W

e’ve all been there. You have a two or three hour gap between your classes, you’re stuck on campus, and want nothing more than to curl up and pass out. Of course nothing beats the warm comfort of your own bed, but sometimes you just have to make do.

Napping is essential to one’s health and happiness - science can prove it. According to Dr. Robert Stickgold’s studies, occasional naps can enhance memory as 20 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

well as learning and motor skills. In fact, NASA itself found that taking a 26 minute nap can increase your performance by 34 percent and alertness by 54 percent. Waking up refreshed and ready for class ensures students will pay better attention and thus improve their class performance. In short, more naps equals better grades.

It can be detrimental to some students’ academic lives if they miss their much-needed naps.

“I was so tired one day during class that I fell asleep and I just remember waking up and the whole class was staring at me. It was pretty embarrassing and the teacher was pissed. Never missing a nap again!” says Heather Rice.

Some tips to keep in mind: Keep it short. You don’t want to oversleep through your next class. Experts advise 20 to 30 minutes, which is supposedly

just the perfect amount of time needed to re-energize. Take caution not to let your nap exceed 45 minutes, for it can sometimes cause “sleep inertia” which will make you feel even more drowsy and dazed.

Set an alarm on your phone.

Use your backpack as a pillow. This will ensure no one tries to steal it and it stays safe.

If you have a hard time falling asleep in public, bring an eye mask or earplugs.

Or you can go the extra mile and change into some comfy pajamas, maybe even play some soothing music or white noise and use a humidifier.

Here are some of the best student-approved spots for naps.

A popular location are the red chairs in the quad (“I would say that the red lawn chairs are the comfiest seats for a nap on campus” says Anton Sunico).

Or if you want a spot no one else will crowd, try strategically snuggling up inside a letter of the WONDER sculpture.

Heather Rice approves, calling it “a bit tight but once you fit yourself in, it’s a cozy little corner.”

Trees will never fail to provide a sturdy spot for you. You can either snooze on the grass underneath its shade or simply climb onto a branch and hold tight. Both are comfortable and unique options that no one else will be thinking of doing. You’ll have the whole tree to yourself. Watch out for ants, though!

Heather Rice describes this as the most peaceful of all the locations - “The wind is softly blowing through the leaves, you can hear the birds chirping, and you’re in the cool shade. Nothing better than the bed Mother Nature makes for you.”

Another scenic and secluded location is this little clearing located by the LRC. It is far enough from foot traffic that you won’t have to worry about being disturbed during your slumber. The gently falling leaves and bed-sized bench makes this the perfect setting.

“I fell asleep in the LRC during finals week and was so exhausted I slept through my stats final,” says Kat Etka.

As Sunico best puts it, “The library is overrated. You have fresh air when you nap outside, and after awakening from a nap outside, the fresh air leaves your soul clean.”

And last but not least, take advantage of that sunny spot on the bridge between the quad and LRC. Sure it might be crowded with people walking to their classes, but it’s nothing but some white noise. It’s not the most secluded of spots with its never-ending foot traffic, but when you’re in the need of a nap, it will do.

“Naps are for sure a necessity for college students’ busy lifestyles. It’s not lazy, we’re actually becoming better, more motivated people by taking naps since they allow us to refocus and work even harder!”

says Kat Etka, who is enrolled in 21 units while working two jobs.

“Just be careful about where you nap and how long...” she says with a laugh.

“One time, I fell asleep in the LRC during finals week and was so exhausted I slept through my stats final! So I would say definitely set an alarm so you don’t miss anything important.”

Naps are undoubtedly essential for the college student, especially since all-nighters finishing papers or studying for exams are a common occurrence. They can recharge you and boost your energy so that you are up and ready to take on the rest of the day.

There’s no need to feel guilty about your nap habits. Even some of history’s most accomplished figures, John F. Kenne-

dy and Thomas Edison took nearly daily naps. It was how they were able to successfully handle their hectic schedules. It has been said of the famous innovator that his “genius for sleep equaled his genius for invention. He could go to sleep anywhere, anytime, on anything.”

Sure, Washington State and University of Miami might have their $10,00 nap pods equipped with music and soothing vibrations, but Saddleback College arguably has the best spots for all the power naps we need.

Now you know. Don’t just pick any old table and slump over. Go for the shady tree branch or sunny spot on the bridge; it will provide a much more interesting napping experience. And don’t forget to be wellequipped with a onesie and eye mask! www.orangeappeal.org • 21

photos & story by

Austin J. Weatherman

bridging th

22 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Saddleback Church worship leader opens up conversation between the church and LGBT community in an effort to mend a hazy relationship

he gap

www.orangeappeal.org • 23

Coco Hyatt (left) and Andrew Schmitt leads fourth through sixth graders in worship at Saddleback Church.

W

ith his birthday only two weeks away, Saddleback Church worship leader Andrew Schmitt sits at his computer typing his first post for his personal blog Dignity + Desire.

He’s not a writer, quite frankly the opposite as he’s been singing in the church choir since eighth grade, but working out his writing muscles not often used is enjoyable to Schmitt. On Oct. 7, 2016, 23 years of his life have passed, a very confusing and complex time.

But post “001-Breaking the Silence” would clear a majority of his life’s questions; this was his coming out.

“It was freeing,” Schmitt says. “It’s nice to be able to organize all the things that I was going through and the things God is teaching me on paper.”

Schmitt grew up playing with Legos and video games, but also enjoyed playing dress up and Barbies. From a young age, bodies intrigued him, often playing with 24 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

friends with no shirts. He envied girls because he thought they had it easy when it came to fitting in socially and their freedom of choice when it came to clothing.

When Schmitt entered high school, an internal epiphany answered his life’s questions and confusions. He was romantically, sexually, and emotionally attracted to other men. Although he had these feelings for the same sex, he still had hopes to meet the perfect girl in college to mask his desires.

He came out to his parents while a freshman at Chapman University, but his parents knew from an early age that Schmitt was going to grow up different.

Not only was his family in on his secret, but he came out to his church life group where he confronted his problems with his sexual orientation. His story encouraged one his church friends to come out, but the problem was that he had feelings for Schmitt.

A friendship turned to countless hours spent with each other until physical boundaries were crossed with a kiss. Schmitt ended his relationship with the friend and never looked back.

Schmitt is out to build bridges, not made of metal but of healing and acceptance. He says his goal for his blog is to start a conversation between the church and the LGBT community.

“I started the blog because I think one,

there is not a lot coming out of Christians who are gay,” Schmitt says. “It’s always the LGBT community against the Christians.

There’s not much coming from us stuck in the middle of the two groups.”

Reactions to his published article went well, including members of Lake Forest’s Saddleback Church supporting his act of boldness. Schmitt’s secular friends from Chapman’s music program congratulated him on his coming out and sharing. He says that for the LGBT community, they appreciate the importance of individual stories.

“If my story can be used to help even one person, then I think it was worth it,” Schmitt says.

But far from a few have been burned by the church experience to the point that the idea of God is dead.

Isaac Cortez, 19, grew up in going to church in Exeter, California, an agricultural-driven country town with a population of 10,588. In an everyone-knows-everyone town, nothing is secret for too long, straining Cortez and his true identity. During his sophomore year of high school, Cortez discovered drag or men dressing in women’s clothing, but he couldn’t tell anyone out of fear. “ I realized that I was embarrassed for liking it because I knew nobody would un-

photo of Andrew Schmitt by Steve Wylie

Andrew Schmitt performs at Tesoro High School’s Grammy Concert April 24.

derstand it,” Cortez says. “ After thinking about it more I realized that what I’d been taught was so much based on fear rather than love that it made me pretty pissed. I was like why would anyone teach me and other kids something like that?”

After coming out to his community, he was forced to attend church, but instead of resuming life as it was, the church’s youth pastor spoke about gays in a very demeaning manor. The new treatment drove Cortez away from the church and god entirely.

“The youth leader at the church I grew up in would literally change his sermons on the days I went to talk about how gays are going to hell,” Cortez says. “My cousin told me, ‘He only talks about this stuff when you’re here, other times he talks about how we need to fear god.’ I was pretty done in that moment. I walked out.”

Forty-two percent of the LGBT community is in an area that being different isn’t welcome reports youth activist site DoSomething.org. Cortez believes that if the church would respect each individual and their choices, more LGBT members would engage in faith.

“I think that they could teach more love based sermons and make it a point to coexist with one another,” Cortez says. “Just things like respecting one’s decisions even if they have a different perspective on it.”

Respect and understanding of other’s views is critical in order to have a conversation on any subject. The progressive Christian Irvine United Congregational Church in Irvine was established in 1986 by the Reverend Fred Plumer. Unlike a pastoral led church where a committee of pastors and elders decide for the church, IUCC is a congregation who lets the masses vote and decide on church business. This or-

“I chose this church because it is open and affirming, just peace, and involved in global missions,” Boyum says. “I fully support our members in the LGBT community here and they serve on many of our boards and ministries.”

The Irvine church is heavily involved in their local community with participation in AIDS walks as well as constantly fighting for social justice. In 1992, Measure “N”, which fights against discrimination in the workplace, was passed, but the problem was that a city council member ensured that the LGBT community was excluded from protection. The senior pastor for IUCC took a bold stand against the law and made it appoint that all were welcomed to his church by adding “everyone is welcome, including lesbian, gay, and transgender” to their mission statement.

The Rev. Dr. Paul Tellstrom has been senior pastor of the church since 2006 and was also married to his partner of 27 years in the church two years ago. He says the church has grown 11 years that he’s been on staff, going from 140 to 240 attendees.

The Orange County Register published an article in 2016 calling IUCC a haven for the LGBT community which Tellstrom believes in heavily.

“When we say everyone is welcome, we really back it up,” Tellstrom says. “Other churches say they are welcoming, but they force people to change. ‘You are welcome here, but you can’t be gay,’ and people have been burned by that.”

To date, there are more than 1,200 open and affirming churches nationwide under the United Church of Christ. Tellstrom says his experience as senior pastor as a learning curve throughout the years, giving advice to other churches looking to reach out to the LGBT community.

“They’ve got to get over their six verses in the Bible,” Tellstrom says.

“That is a literal theology and I believe no one is a true literalist because we aren’t stoning for being disobedient to their parents.”

The Human Rights Campaign reports that LGBT youth are twice as likely to face physical assault among their peers. Not only is physical assault feared, but on June 12, 2016, an attack was carried out against patrons of the gay nightclub Pulse, leaving 49 dead and 53 wounded.

Hostile environments have impacted

“What I’d been taught was so much based on fear rather than love that it made me pretty pissed,” Isaac Cortez says. ganization of individuals voted that the church would be open and affirming 26 years ago this past January.

Congregation moderator Renae Boyum, 69, has been a member of IUCC for 18 years, serving her third term of moderating this Spring. Although she is not apart of the LGBT community, she considers herself a straight ally and fully supports her comrades.

Not only is the church accepting to others, but is environmentally and socially aware.

www.orangeappeal.org • 25

Schmitt sings “Your Word is Everlasting” by Saddleback Worship for SK ministries at Saddleback Church.

26 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Open and affirming Churchs in Orange County

The Rev. Dr. Paul G. Tellstrom greets attendees at Irvine United Congregational Church.

the amount of actual individuals that do not identify as cisgender, but not for IUCC youth member Hunter Mirmak. Formerly known as Catherine, 16-year-old Mirmak grew up in the church since he was 7 years old, knowing that he was not a female at the age of 12.

“It was kind of hard because of all the stuff about transgender people getting killed is scary,” Mirmak says. “It can be

old, making it an interesting event bringing her first girlfriend home.

“My father asked if I was sure that she was a woman,” Cooper says. “And I asked him what question he was actually asking.

Be sure you want to know the answer to the question before you ask. He never brought it up again.”

Cooper believes in loving everyone, no matter who or what they are, because that is what Jesus commands her to do. She used to march for social justice when she was younger, but nowadays, Cooper enjoys being an advocate for environmental issues and singing in the choir every Sunday.

Cooper says in order for people outside of the LGBT community to get connected, they need to do their research.

“There are many groups out there that offer information about our lifestyles and how we feel, like Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays,” Cooper says. “Or go and meet them in person.

Nothing like face to face interaction.”

Tolerance is not a state of agreement but a call to be respectful despite the circumstances. In the Bible, Jesus says in Mark 12:31 the second most important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself and Schmitt is taking that to heart. You can find him enjoying a fresh brew at Hidden House Coffee or driving around town with friends, talking about their ideas to improve the church to attract more people.

“All sin is equal at the foot of the cross,” Schmitt says.

“They try to demonize me and I know better. I am a child of God like you are,” Liviania Cooper says. hard for someone who is trans to come out to someone, not knowing if they are going to hate you and try to harm you.”

Not all parents are accepting to your life choices. For example: meet 11 year IUCC member Liviania Cooper who came out as lesbian when she was 28 years old. She grew up in a Pentecostal church so when she noticed she felt different at a young age, her family and faith kept her from wandering. Cooper has grown to resent preachers speaking bad about the LGBT community because to her, they are no better.

“I personally refuse to go to any churches that preach fire and brimstone about my choices,” Cooper says. “They try to demonize me and I know better. I am a child of God like you are.”

Cooper finally figured out that she was attracted to other females when at 22 years

Mariners Church, Irvine Saturday: 5 p.m.

Sunday: 9 & 11 a.m., 7 p.m.

Rockharbor Church, Costa Mesa Sunday: 9 & 11 a.m., 7 p.m.

First Christian Church of Orange Sunday: 10 a.m.

Irvine United Congregational Church Sunday: 9:30 and 11 a.m.

Neighborhood Congregational Church, Laguna Beach Sunday: 10 a.m. www.orangeappeal.org • 27

28 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

ALl possible worlds The Mandela Effect

By Jenna Ross

art by garrett falke

I

n Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Luke Skywalker has to face the gut wrenching realization of his lineage when Darth Vader utters the infamous words, “Luke, I am your father.” Or that’s just what most people think.

To the shock of fans everywhere, Vader actually says “No, I am your father.” If that was enough to shock you, you should sit down for this:

www.orangeappeal.org • 29

2013

2010

r/MandelaEffect is created

Fiona Broome coins the term “Mandela Effect”

1952

2012

Edwin Schrodinger develops the multiverse theory

if you are one of the many who adamantly remember hearing “Luke, I am your father,” you may be from an alternate dimension. At least, according to thousands of Reddit and message board users online.

In psychology, this phenomenon is referred to as false memory syndrome, which is the recollection of a memory that never actually happened. It was initially studied

by Sigmund Freud in cases of childhood abuse. This misremembering can be a collective memory shared by many people, as is the case with the Mandela Effect.

Blogger Fiona Broome coined the term Mandela Effect in reference to the supposed death of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Some people believe that he died in prison in the ‘80s, and they cite vivid memories of a televised funeral as proof, when he actually died not long ago in 2013.

Since Broome put a name to the theory, it has sent the internet into a frenzy, and more and more false memories have been unearthed. YouTuber Shane Dawson brought more attention to the theory, creating five videos on the subject and each garnered over 3 million views. One of the first and most famous Mandela Effects was the Berenstein Bears, the characters in the children’s books about a cartoon bear family. Turns out they are actually the Berenstain Bears.

Avid believers swear they remember books and VHS tapes that said Berenstein on the cover. Evidence even surfaced on Reddit of an old VHS tape that said Berenstein on one side and Berenstain on the other, only increasing traction of the theory.

30 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

The Berenstain/ Berenstein theory gains popularity online Countless household items are actually spelled entirely different than people remember. Oscar Meyer is Oscar Mayer in reality, and Sex in the City has been Sex and the City all along. Or what about brands like Kit-Kat, Fruit Loops, and Febreeze?

You may want to check those labels again.

They’re actually spelled KitKat, Froot Loops, and Febreze.

Other pop culture Mandela Effects include classic movie lines and song lyrics. If you’ve seen Silence of the Lambs, you may remember Hannibal Lecter’s classic line, “Hello, Clarice,” a line the famous cannibal never actually said. The Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs also never said, “Mirror mirror on the wall,” but really said, “Magic mirror on the wall.”

Forrest Gump didn’t say “Life is like a box of chocolates,” but “Life was like a box of chocolates.”

Some have said even the geography of the world is different from what they remember. The North Pole was never an ice cap, and there is no actual land there, just ocean. Australia has moved too far north, and South America seems to be much further east. Alaska is too close to Russia, Greenland is too close to Canada, and Sri Lanka used to be directly south of India, rather than southeast.

The misinterpretation of memories or the fact that they didn’t occur at all is driving people crazy, prompting them to seek out some sort of explanation.

Some people have turned to theories of alternate realities, dimensions, and time travel, while others rely on psychological conjecture.

According to Broome and many oth-

ers, this memory is evidence of events from an alternate reality slipping into this one.

Some say those who share these false memories are from alternate realities themselves and somehow managed to slip into this reality.

Linda Fitak, author of The Mandela Effect: Confabulation or Fact? experienced her first Mandela Effect about 10 years ago when she noticed a sign at Cal State Northridge that she remembered as “Botanical Garden” actually read “Botanic Garden.”

“We figured it was probably that way all the time, and I remarked that at least, at UCLA, where I studied, they knew it should be ‘Botanical Garden,’” she says.

“But when I went back to UCLA, it said ‘Botanic Garden,’” After she discovered more and more instances of the Mandela Effect in her own life, she began to research the theory, studying books on quantum physics and the multiverse theory, and eventually wrote her book, published in 2016.

“My own theory is that there are multiple universes, and that over the past 10 years or so, something has been happening globally to move the earth’s propulsion into different universes,” Fitak says. “We all move from one universe to another all the time, but most of the time, we are unaware of it, because the universe we move into is almost completely identical to the one we are in now.”

The multiverse theory, or many-worlds interpretation, uses quantum physics to explain the possibility that there is more than one universe out there. Developed by Erwin Schrodinger in the ‘50s, this interpre-

is

2015

Various books are published and new Mandela Effects are unearthed

The Mandela Effect gains traction through media attention

2016

Shane Dawson posts viral Mandela effect video tation asserts that all possible events, histories, and futures are real, and each exists within its own universe.

Based on this theory, the memories were never misinterpreted or remembered incorrectly, but the event itself really did change. For example, those who remember Berenstain Bears as Berenstein are simply from one of the infinite parallel universes out there in which they really were known as the Berenstein Bears.

While the multiverse theory is the most popular explanation of the phenomenon,

rather than a supernatural/pseudo-scientific one?” Clearly he isn’t, considering the post has over 600 upvotes and has held its second place spot for a year.

The popularity of the post led him to create Debunkingmandelaeffects.com, a website dedicated to “dissect[ing] the possible causes and solutions for this perplexing phenomenon with a scientific, rational approach.”

The website lists the misinformation effect, confirmation bias, misattribution of memory, and cryptomnesia as explana-

“WE ALL MOVE FROM

ONE UNIVERSE TO ANOTHER

ALL THE TIME, BUT MOST OF THE TIME, WE ARE UNAWARE OF IT,” LINDA FITAK SAYS.

others see it as an occurence that can be easily explained psychologically.

“I believe in the effect of the Mandela Effect, as it’s clearly a social phenomenon and I experience it myself,” says Reddit user drath. “However, I have not seen any credible evidence to support that parallel universes or alternate dimensions are at play.”

Drath has one of the top five highest rated posts in the r/MandelaEffect subreddit titled “Am I in the minority of people that believe this is a psychological effect

tions for the Mandela Effect, along with the more widely spread explanations of confabulation and false memory.

Confabulation is the disturbance of memory, when an occurence creates a fabricated or distorted memory in someone’s mind. If you have ever told a story multiple times and the plotline seems to become more grand every time you tell it, you may have been subject to confabulation. It’s never intentional but happens to people all the time.

“Through my research on individual

topics, I can usually find several factors that may or in some cases do definitively influence these effects and memories without involving parallel universes or alternate dimensions,” drath says.

In fact, some Mandela Effects have been solved, and not by verifying the existence of a parallel universe. For example, while the Disney version of Snow White does say, “magic mirror on the wall,” the Brothers Grimm fairytale says “mirror, mirror on the wall.” The shift of countries on the map can be accounted for by the use of Mercator map projections on virtual maps compared to the different styles used by printed maps.

Those who are skeptical of the theory cite confabulation and false memory as explanations all the time. They believe this collective mismemory is like a game of telephone, with information being passed from person to person until it is completely different from the original fact.

“It’s valid theory. I think this is probably the reason for the Berenstein confusion.

It got confused in many people’s memory,” says Alexx Bollen, author of The Mandela Effect. “However, the fact that many people remember the same date for Mandela’s death seems to go beyond simple misremembering. That points towards remember something that was once real, but no longer is, at least in this reality.”

With every Mandela Effect that is solved, a new one surfaces from the depths of the internet. Whether these theories are evidence of an alternate dimension or just a false memory, we may never know, but the internet may go up in flames trying to figure it out, at least in this universe. www.orangeappeal.org • 31

32 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Photos by Taya Buehler-Reagan

Lucky reluctantly poses with Bradford and yorky pup friend.

Little Hooves

Big Heart

Lucky the miniature service horse lives up to his name as Mission Viejo City Council epically fails when fighting for custody

By Taya Buehler-Reagan

Lucky the 12-year-old miniature horse spends an ideal afternoon with one of four house dogs.

M

Photos by Taya Buehler-Reagan

iniature horses are not allowed in Mission Viejo. Lucky for mini horse Lucky, his extreme lack in size justifies his residency. Claudia Bradford, Lucky’s caretaker, knew she wanted a trained mini horse for children’s charity work. Her first horse was slightly larger, but too temperamental for her intent. After several months of looking, Bradford found Lucky at two years of age.

Bradford’s brother built Lucky’s stable in her backyard, as well as a trailer made to his specifications.

Lucky is treated with as much love as any other Bradford house pet. He is frequently groomed, spoiled with treats like graham crackers and tortilla chips (aside from his usual diet of rabbit pellets) and exercised daily through the neighborhood park, and Tar Farms stable, where her son is a horse trainer.

“I have a golf cart I use to hook him up to and he will run next to me,” Bradford says.

Despite the fact that Bradford has a pet horse roaming in her backyard, according to Bradford, Lucky is easier to care for than her other four dogs.

“They don’t have the wear and tear of a large horse, because large horses tend to go lame and have leg issues,” says Bradford.

“They are just like pets, like dogs, very low maintenance really.”

Lucky appears to enjoy the days that he does his charity work, getting pampered and groomed beforehand. The outgoing mini horse is calm and collective for the el-

derly and the children that he visits.

The majority of Lucky’s charity work takes place at Esperanza Special Education School in Mission Viejo. The ages of students range from 12-22, and the arrival of Lucky has them jumping for joy. But Lucky is a trained professional so he knows exact-

“I knew from the beginning that I would be caught, but I knew if I fought hard I could keep him,” Bradford says. ly how to respond to the excited gestures of the students.

“When he sees kids he just freezes for them,” Bradford says. “It’s like they know; animals just have a sense. And he is just incredibly reliable in that way.”

The city of Mission Viejo found out about Lucky after two years and was determined to take him away. The letter itself was traumatic, but it was the painful words in bold that struck a chord with Bradford.

“Please contact the city with your timetable for removing the miniature horse from your property,” the letter read.

Bradford had been prepared for this moment since the day she got Lucky. She wrote back with her specified date for a trial in defending her case, and went in fullforce.

She spent four months preparing three binders, each more than 20 pages. She compiled letters and documents, gained neighbors petition signatures, and gathered photos of Lucky’s contributions of the community.

The city had no choice but to allow Lucky to stay, so long as Bradford purchased a special permit for assist animals.

“I named him Lucky because I was so lucky to be able to keep him,” Bradford says. “I knew from the beginning that I would be caught, but I knew if I fought hard I could keep him.”

Lucky remains in his luxury stable in Bradford’s backyard, with the other animals to keep him company. He still works at Esperanza School on Thursdays, joins parades, birthday parties, and other special events upon request. www.orangeappeal.org • 33

FAST FOOD

PILGRIMAGE essay & art by

Garrett Falke

34 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

One night, I embarked upon a

SPIRITUAL-PHYSICAL JOURNEY that any fast-food lover will enjoy.

J

Wikipedia Commons; Pexels.

ust a half mile away from the University of Southern California resides a mystical land that college students call “Frat Row.” This street, found off of Figueroa and W. 28th, inhabits multiple fraternity and sorority dwellings where college students laugh, drink cheap beer, and make mistakes they’ll warn their children about years later. But when the Bud Light runs dry and everyone has compiled a substantive list of regrets to dread the next morning, fraternity and sorority members leave their beloved Frat Row to head towards their weekly 1 a.m. destination: “Fat Row.” Fat Row extends a quarter of a mile along Figueroa Street, consisting of countless fast-food restaurants, the holy grail of diabetes-inducing meals. Drunk college students can’t get enough. This street is so popular that many have done a “Fast Food Pilgrimage,” individually purchasing items from at least four different locations during one car trip.

“I went on this Fast Food Pilgrimage a month ago with my friend, and it was an amazing experience,” says Taylor Jorgensen, a sophomore Accounting major at USC. “In a matter of one 30-minute drive we got food from five different places. We got a mix of Mexican, Chinese, Italian, and American. I would definitely recommend this to any other fast-food lovers out there.”

Thanks to my profound affection for greasy fast-food, I decided to embark upon this spiritual pilgrimage. I began at the intersection of W. 30th St. and S. Figueroa and then took a right into the lot of the exhibition’s starting point: Carl’s Jr. The drive-thru line was short, which made me fear receiving a lukewarm burger microwaved seconds before my arrival. Who the hell enjoys lukewarm food? Nobody,

I couldn’t even interact with the McDonalds employee when he handed me my McFlurry, so I idled away in sorrow. especially not Jesus Christ who once said “because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I will spit you out of my mouth.”

Naturally, I was nervous as well.

This wasn’t the case at all when the sizzling steam from the newly cooked Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger thawed out my frigid hands, resulting in a satisfied smile emerging onto my face. Deloris, the Carl’s Jr. cashier, noticed the thrill flowing through my veins and provided me with a reassuring head nod right before I drove off. This made it clear: I was destined for this adventure. Next stop, Panda Express.

“While the samples of Honey Walnut Shrimp may appear appetizing, an actual

serving of the dish just ends up being soggy and disappointing,” says Sophia Aschieris, part-time student and full-time food guru.

“So I would recommend the plate of Chow Mein and Orange Chicken, because it is always super duper good.”

This Panda Express expert’s advice proved to be 100 percent accurate, as I quickly navigated my way in and out of the Americanized Chinese joint. Some of the fellow customers gave me dirty looks in line, probably due to my kitty cat tank top, but this didn’t deter me from my goal.

While walking out the door to my orange Prius I looked back towards the restaurant’s logo and, for a brief moment, saw the giant panda grin at me before returning to its permanent stoic state.

So far this pilgrimage appeared to fulfill my wildest fantasies, and I was making my way towards McDonalds for an Oreo McFlurry. This was a pit stop of sorts, providing me a brief period of time to gather my thoughts and plan out the rest of my quest.

However, when I was awaiting the completion of my tasty little snack, I witnessed a sight that viciously sucked the happiness out of my soul like a dementor.

There he was: my high school nemesis Cole Roberson, sporting flip flops, super sick short shorts, a polo shirt that gracefully rested upon his chiseled abs, and $200 Ray Bans. He approached the window with a kale salad in hand, greeting me while peering at the copious amount of fast-food in my passenger’s seat.

“Fast-food is the equivalent to filling your body with poison,” Roberson tells me, hatefully staring right into my innocent baby blues. “You might as well label a large McDonalds’ fry with a skull and crossbones instead of golden arches.”

Then he left me to drown in my despair and guilt, while my cheap stereo system began playing “Hurt” by Johnny Cash, who always seemed to know when to pop up on my iPod Shuffle. I couldn’t even interact www.orangeappeal.org • 35

with the McDonalds employee when he handed me my McFlurry, so I idled away in sorrow. Something made me think this was not a seldom sight for him.

Instead of rushing over to another fastfood restaurant, I parked in a compact spot, sitting with my head down, immersed in deep, contemplative thought. Was Cole right? Am I disgusting for eating this much fast-food? Part of me felt that these nasty habits were the reasons why he was the Tesoro Varsity Lacrosse team captain and I was the wimpy fool in the stands.

But then I started thinking of all my supporters, the ones who motivated me to go on this journey. Whether it was one of the fast-food enthusiasts who gave me advice or simply an intoxicated college student I encountered on the streets, the message was clear: this was my destiny for that arbitrary Saturday. So I continued

So I continued ignoring my haters (mostly just Cole) and finished what I started. ignoring my haters (mostly just Cole) and finished what I started.

I revved the engine of my Prius to its fullest capacity, which essentially sounds similar to a heavy individual breathing after a run, and began the 500-foot journey from McDonalds’ to Taco Bell. With a vast array of menu options it’s important to know exactly what you’re going to purchase prior to arriving at T-Bell.

“I would definitely recommend getting the chicken soft tacos and quesadillas,” says Emily Klawon, a die-hard Taco Bell consumer and fan. “Also the Crunch Wrap Supreme is amaze-balls, so I would get that too.”

Once I gathered all my Taco Bell-longings (#DadJoke), I headed towards my final destination: Five Guys. All day long I discussed how I was craving Five Guys, which many perverted individuals misinterpreted, so I decided to end my journey there.

I excitedly got in line and ordered the renowned Cajun Style fries. When I stood in front of the cashier, with my flaws and eight paper bags of fast-food on full display, 36 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

he didn’t judge me one bit. Instead he presented to me a modest smile, one that said, “Wow, somebody is going to have a good night.” So I returned a confident expression that communicated, “You bet your ass I am.”

I settled myself at a table right outside Five Guys, ready to feast. Not once did I take more than two consecutive bites from the same food, as I switched from Taco Bell to Panda Express to Carls Jr., resulting in a taste buds extravaganza erupting in my mouth. This Fast Food Pilgrimage proved to be the most spiritually enlightening experience I could’ve dreamt of.

Once I reached the conclusion of my

meal(s) and had consumed 3,673 calories, I glanced at my phone to see a new text message from Taylor Jorgensen, the individual who informed me of this whole ordeal.

“Hope you had fun with all your fastfood! But be aware of the hours you’ll spend on the toilet tonight and tomorrow lol,” she said.

Similar to the manner in which she was right about how wonderful the Fast Food Pilgrimage is, she wasn’t far off about its agonizing side effects as well. But I would gladly endure these excruciating side effects over and over again in order to relive the most amazing, unhealthy night of my life.

So yes, I’d say it was worth it.

join the rebellion if there were journalists in ‘Star Wars’ BB-8 videos would break the internet.

become a part of something that can change the galaxy.

Join the OC News Team (attached to JRN 106 Video Journalism), the Lariat newspaper and website (one of four News Media Production courses), or Orange Appeal (JRN 125 Magazine Journalism). Visit OCNewsTeam.com, LariatNews.com, or OrangeAppeal.org. www.orangeappeal.org • 37

Years of voices

neglect has

m e down

illustrations and story

by Austin Jacob Weatherman

Who knew holding in emotions for 20 years could harm you?

E

very year, our college attends the Journalism Association of Community College’s state convention.

Our three-man videojournalism team took home an honorable mention for our story on Old Town Sacramento’s homeless population. Our group was dressed in our best, posing for pictures left and right at the convention’s banquet. I paused from the action and looked through some of the pictures I had taken throughout the event, stopping on a group photo of our team showing off our awards.

At first glance, I see the gold-flaked letters of each award dancing in the light.

The girls that I had worked with were both sporting smiles from ear to ear. And me, I was standing upright in my pinkish blue dress shirt with rolled-up tan Dickie slacks and burgundy low cut vans with a slight tear from skateboarding.

All these small details, but I didn’t notice how big my smile was or how happy I looked being acknowledged. I looked at my face and was reminded of why I felt alien amongst my peers the entirety of the weekend.I hadn’t truly been this happy since my friends and I went snowboarding and 38 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

drinking in Big Bear, California. It was a weekend to remember because I couldn’t remember most of it, and it felt amazing to let go.

My eyes locked onto the LCD screen of the camera, staring deeply into the eyes of my pixelated self and I broke. I went from hero to “what am I doing with my life” in an instant, my own thoughts holding myself hostage. And this isn’t Stockholm syndrome where I love my internal dialogue, but it hates me. It hates every second of happiness that I experience, there is always a thought hiding away, awaiting its chance

eotape things and write about people in the community. In my own head, I am a failure.

As I continued my descent into mental darkness, a group of five of us drove into downtown Sacramento to walk around and see the capitol building. The anxiety was eating me alive, but I am really good at pretending at being OK. We stopped at the police memorial, honoring all those who died in the line of duty while in the force. I just couldn’t handle it; the build up of all my emotions came crashing down.

I kept telling myself to keep it together, don’t cry or they’ll see, don’t give them a reason to ask, but when you’ve been eating two Double Doubles at In-N-Out and hadn’t said a word in 15 min., someone is bound to ask. They laughed, taking pictures of me while I quietly killed myself inside.

“Austin, you good?” they asked, laughing off everything.

Yeah, everything is fine. Just great.

My anxiety has grown worse and worse every year of my life since middle school. My emotions run wild at times, keeping me up at night, fighting sleep and facing the skeletons in my closet.

In my own head, I am a failure. to destroy what I enjoy.

All I could think about was how much of a failure I appear to those around me who thought I was going somewhere in life.

I remember those high school days where you gloated about what you were going to be after college. “I’m going to be a pastor or maybe even a successful businessman.”

Nope, I am just a kid who likes to vid-

“I’m patiently waiting for my time to breakout.”

C’mon... do something.

“I’d like to find love, if only it would let me find it.”

“Bullets don’t hurt as much as words. At least a bullet ends you while words rip you in half over the years.”

But you know what? As a person some people describe as happy and always going, I feel so drained and hopeless at times.

People ask me, “Is everything OK?” Yeah! No, everything isn’t alright. I wish I could run away from all this bullcrap and never return again, but that’s not what people want to hear, so I lie.

Lying to acquaintances that aren’t emotionally invested in me isn’t my problem, it’s my family.

It’s like I’m the lead in my own improv skit. I have to keep making shit up to keep my joke of a life going. What hurts the most is lying to my sisters.

They ask, “Are you okay Austy? Is college okay?”

“I’m fine girls, school is great! I love going and all the people there are awesome,” I reply in my most generic ‘I’m happy’ tone. I love my sisters more than my own life; ff it weren’t for them, I don’t know that I’d be where I am, so lying to them sinks me to the bottom of the scumbags list.

“I can’t wait to grow up to be like you,” my sisters say.

You don’t want to be me, torturing

yourself every night as you fall asleep. All your shortcomings visit in your dreams and lost loves taunt you in every girl’s eyes. Regret fills your veins at a moments notice, tossing you into a wild frenzy of tears and anger, but not knowing exactly why. Why am I so messed up? t took many years for me to stop blaming my parents for my shortcomings in my life. It seems far too easy to dump off all your problems on others and say, “Well, my mom and dad weren’t together so I can whine about my problems all the time.” It is all on me.

“This is why you are alone, Austin. You are not attractive, stable, or mature,” my mind says on repeat when the silence hits.

It is like karma came back with my entire history of bad doings and decided to viciously kick me in the balls, over and over until I died.

Looking back, if I had addressed these problems when they began, years of disappointment and sadness wouldn’t be making reappearances in my college career, and I regret that.

I wish I had never neglected my mental

I

health, wiping it off while saying, “Don’t be a pussy.”

Why is it like this? I’m too proud to go to the doctor and admit that I’ve got problems, I can’t talk to my family, what can I do? I’m stuck in this never ending sitcom episode where the protagnoist just keeps screwing up for the humor of others.

Don’t get me wrong, I love life. I try to take advantage of every moment I get on this Earth, but my lack of fear doesn’t help my mental state.

I almost got killed in 2016 in a motorcycle accident. Sometimes I think back to that night, wondering how different life would be if I had been run over as I slid across the street.

Would I have lived? What about my sisters, how would they go on? Best not to think like that, only kills me more.

Thank God for good friends and family that even though I feel like shit, they still support me. Oh, and thank God for my relationship with Jesus, because I wouldn’t be where I am.

I’d probably be dead. www.orangeappeal.org • 39

FASCISM

PUTIN PERSPECTIVE America needs to start taking Russia’s meme generating president far more seriously. Story & art by Garrett Falke 40 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

E

very morning, when the sun begins to make its ascent into the sky, behind Russia’s gray, ominous abyss of clouds, a youthful deer prances into the president’s bedroom. He graciously rubs his little red nose on Putin’s cheek, allowing him to wake without being startled. Russia’s supreme leader smiles back his fury little comrade, gets out of bed while releasing a mesmerizing yawn, and strips off a snazzy slumber shirt, beginning his day shirtless.

He then takes a 25-minute bubble bath while his pet dolphins generously wash his backside. Downstairs awaits freshly made blueberry waffles, drizzled with maple syrup and honey taken right out of the hive. Putin reminisces about his wonderful choice of becoming a vegetarian, as he observes an orderly line of baby chicks follow-

various minority groups, a reason that many white supremacists now believe Russia is the racial ideal. He also has oppressed artists and musicians, even resulting in arresting music groups with anti-Putin messages. However, the minority group that has suffered the most under the Putin regime has been Russia’s LGBT community.

This topic has even resulted in Putin memes recently, due to Russia banning the spread of a picture depicting their leader as a Gay clown, but the issue is no laughing matter. It is well-known that being gay in Russia can put an individual in an immense amount of physical and legal danger, due to a bill being passed that prohibits any non-heterosexual behavior in public.

On April 18 in Chechnya, the Northern Caucuses region of southern Russia, 100 men believed to be gay were captured and tortured by authorities. At least three of the men were killed. A representative of Putin said the Russian government does

dictators over the years. Hitler was infatuated with the idea of making Germany the world’s reigning power, which he attempted to do by gradually expanding through military force.

Putin’s Russia embraces the same philosophy, and most of its population supports his imperialism.

He strives to make Russia a European Empire, which has even led to many Russian’s considering Moscow to be the “Third Rome.” Putin has even said that, “the [ethnic] Russian people are, without a doubt, the backbone, the fundament, the cement of the multinational Russian people.”

Russia invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula, exemplifying Putin’s obsession with regaining territories of the former Soviet Union. It also invaded Georgia in 2008, and many believe a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine is in the making.

According to Russia’s latest military

HE THEN TAKES A 25-MINUTE BUBBLE BATH

WHILE HIS PET DOLPHINS

Wikipedia Common.

GENEROUSLY WASH HIS BACKSIDE.

ing their mother out the kitchen door. The charismatic Russian hunk then pops out of his chair, kisses his gymnast girlfriend (also topless) goodbye, and then rides off on his trusted horse to Moscow.

Just a normal morning for Russia’s fascist.

This is certainly how American media often portrays Russia’s ruthless dictator.

According to memes on Twitter and SNL skits, Putin is a joke. It wouldn't be completely bizarre for someone to perceive him solely as an animal-lover who adores Trump and shirtless horseback riding.

They'd be wrong.

Putin displays characteristics identifiable in every fascist dictator of the past: oppressing minority groups, utilizing ruthless political tactics, and obsessing with expanding a country’s imperialism. These are essentially the three pillars of facism, and just because Putin loves feeling the fresh Russian breeze on his bare, hairless chest, doesn’t mean he is an exception from this strict criteria.

Putin has taken extreme action against

“not have any reliable information about any problems in this area.”

Other fascists have been renowned for their violent behavior towards political opponents, such as Stalin who had his enemies assassinated, sent to labor camps, or put in jail. Putin has conducted himself in a similar manner, causing U.S. Senator John McCain to call him a “thug and a murderer.”

Various politicians and journalists have been killed over the past couple of years, including Boris Nemtsov, a political star in Russia who publicly criticized Putin. Another opponent that was killed is Stanislav Markelov, a human rights lawyer who represented a myriad of journalists opposing Putin. Both of these political opponents were assassinated.

A large portion of most dictators’ rise to power revolves around getting rid of political opponents, and it is not merely a coincidence that many of Putin’s have been killed over the years.

This trait is perhaps the most recognizable one when discussing various fascist

plans, it will add over 900 tanks and 170 aircraft during 2017. Judging by recent history, this suggests Putin has his eyes on territory west of his beloved Russia.

There is no debate that some of Putin’s renowned memes reek of absurdity and hilarious undertones, but creating a lighthearted perception of himself is exactly what the Russian president wants. Part of many fascists’ downfalls result from never being able to hide their malicious motives.

Outside of Germany, countries everywhere were aware of the evil behind Hitler’s imperialism and nationalism; U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged congress to approve of entering the war in order to combat the Axis Powers.

However, today the U.S. remains neutral on the evil existing in Russia, laughing hysterically at pictures of their president shirtless while executing the Butterfly stroke in a river. Yet as we remain naive to Putin’s heinous intentions, he will continue going about his devious business, laughing at us.

www.orangeappeal.org • 41

2 cents

Assembling

art and story by Jenna Sergeant

C

ome to school, wear the same thing as your peers, recite the national anthem, sit down, absorb useless information, recite useless information back, go home, absorb more useless information, rinse, repeat.

The modern American education system is not breeding independent thinkers or individuals that are prepared to be self-sufficient. It breeds robots, people who can only memorize facts, not process information and come up with their own original ideas. The majority of the curriculum taught in secondary schools is completely useless once that diploma is handed out. All of those equations, historical dates and names, elements on the periodic table and state capitals don’t matter any more. Unless you plan on becoming a professional trivia player, these facts are completely useless outside of high school.

With this being said, secondary education is necessary for teaching students to be literate and grammatically correct, as well as being able to do basic everyday math. But these skills can be taught within the first two years of high school, and any upper levels of these classes should be optional, not mandatory. Basic skills should be the main focus in the curriculum, as those are the most frequently used after high school.

Modern education does not live up to it’s name, as it hasn’t had a face lift in decades. Times are changing, and there are so many advances in technology that have altered the way “the real world” works, yet schools haven’t seemed to grasp that 42 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

EDUCATION

concept. Besides the use of the occasional iPad in class used to answer polls and questions, students are still being taught nearly the same curriculum now as they were in the past. Advancements in technology have changed the way people live, think and function. America no longer needs an education system that teaches memorization skills. America needs schools that focus on teaching more life skills like how to manage finances, how to do taxes, computer literacy and resume building. These skills are far more important for young adults to learn if they want to start out their independent lives as successfully as possible.

There is debate as to whether or not it is the parents’ job to teach these life skills to their children. However, there are many children whose parents are not well versed in survival skills such as money management and interview skills, so they would be doing their children a disservice by trying to teach them these things themselves. It is arguable that these skills are equally as, if not more important, than quadratic equations and every war in the last 500 years.

So why not place the task of teaching these things to your children in the hands of someone who is qualified and trained to do so?

The amount of time that is wasted on teaching a curriculum that is obsolete could be utilized in a much more proactive and practical way. However, the system is so rigid and has not changed in so long, that making any adjustments would mean admitting that the logic is flawed.

A common goal that is preached in schools throughout America is that the schools want to make sure that every student is ready for college. The way that this goal is “achieved” (or attempted to be achieved) is

through presenting the same curriculum to the students. There is not enough diversity in the way subjects are taught, or even the types of subjects taught. Each student is different, and while it would take more money, time and effort (yes, effort) to specify the individual needs of the students, the outcome would far succeed the sacrifices. Specifically, America should look into expanding a vocational track once students reach high school. Not every student wants to or is able to attend higher education schools, so they should have the same opportunity to get a job straight out of school as well. Students are far more likely to feel like failures or disappointments if they do not do well in comparison to their fellow classmates, but this is something that could be easily avoided.

On top of being taught mostly useless information, high school students are being trained to behave like factory workers. This method of education would make sense if it was still the industrial era, but again, times are changing. Schools run on a bell system, very similar to that of a factory or assembly line. There are no time management skills, the students and teachers are told exactly when they need to move from one class/task to the next. Students are also on a strict “do not speak unless spoken to” regimine, much like assembly workers.

This method of education is just plainly outdated and does not meet the modern student’s needs. Today’s schools train their students to be able to take tests, memorize and recite facts, and perform tasks on a set schedule. It is not producing students that are independent, critical thinkers, which is what America really needs.

This is a time of innovators, not yes-men and yes-women who question nothing.

N

From Behind The Bar A look inside the mind of your friendly neighborhood barista.

by Jenna Ross illustration by Sophia Branstrom

You never get used to your alarm going off at 4 a.m. You can pick the most tranquil tone out of the hundreds in your phone and you still wake with a jolt, your heart pounding because your body can’t comprehend that it can be awake at this ungodly hour for any reason other than a burglar, a fire, or the apocalypse.

This has been my reality four mornings a week for the past few months, waking in a panic, staring into the dark of my bedroom, and grudgingly hoisting myself out of bed and into the clothes I have piled on my desk to save myself that extra five minutes of sleep.

If you’ve gotten this far and can relate, I have two guesses: you’re about to go on a hike or to some sort of sunrise exercise class, and for that I commend you, but also think you’re insane. Or you’re like me, and you make coffee for a living.

It isn’t until I start driving that my body is released from its state of shock and the exhaustion sets in. I drive the same 24 minute route to Bear Coast Coffee every day.

The only thing keeping my eyes open and my foot on the gas pedal is the promise of sweet, sweet espresso.

My introduction to this world was nothing special. There was no magical realization that this was my calling, that I was meant to be serving the nectar of the gods to mortal men. I was simply a teenager who needed a job four years ago. It wasn’t until this past year that I discovered coffee was a true passion of mine.

The first hour on the job is weary work.

The crew autopilots through their tasks quietly, baking pastries, setting up the shop, and preparing for the morning rush.

My job is normally dialing in the coffee. I pull shot after shot of espresso, changing

grind settings, water volume and grams of espresso until it tastes just right.

Let’s be real: coffee is kind of gross. It’s a brown, bitter liquid that sometimes tastes like someone set some dirt on fire and stirred it into a cup. Making coffee taste right takes a lot of work. Just like wine or brandy, it takes a lot of tasting, testing, and tweaking to bring the ideal sweetness out of a cup of straight black coffee.

The rest of the morning is peaceful conversation, the occasional customer wandering in. This is my favorite part of the day; the sun rises, turning the clouds a soft pink, and a cool breeze blows from the ocean. I get to laugh and make jokes with some of my closest friends. When you spend seven hours a day in a 185-square-foot box with the same people five days a week, you tend to get pretty close, both physically and emotionally.

As we discuss coffee theory, current events, and our personal woes, time unassumingly slips by. No matter how many shifts I work, I don’t think I will ever understand this magic. Time for me exists in a vacuum at Bear Coast Coffee, and how 30 minutes can turn into four hours I will never know, but will be endlessly thankful for.

By 9 a.m., I look up to find that I am suddenly a tiny goldfish in an even tinier

bowl, surrounded by dozens of very irritable, uncaffeinated sharks. The space I work in, behind the espresso machine, is no bigger than a pingpong table, and customers can stare right through a glass panel to where I am frantically assembling their drink.

I feel like a mime in a box some days, having to act my way through polite small talk while pumping syrup, pulling shots, pouring latte art. I pour a heart here, a tulip there, all while my brain has already moved on to what needs to be done for the next drink.

But this is the rush that I live for. The constant line of tickets in front of me is a game that I get to beat every day. Every time I get a compliment from a customer or recognition from one of my managers it only stokes my prideful fire. Even the occasionally rude customers that leer at me from behind the counter motivate me. If I can please them, I can please anyone. I come to the bar every day wanting to be better, faster, stronger, Kanye reference intended.

While I occasionally look out into the crowd of customers and see them as a ravenous pack of wolves or a video game level I need to complete, I genuinely do love our customers.

“Sometimes you’re the first person a customer is talking to in the morning,” my coworker Josh always says. “You have to make that interaction count.”

I have made friends with incredible people who started out as customers. Having the ability to really engage with customers and discover who they are as people is hard to come by in any industry other than coffee.

Before I know it, my work day is done by noon. I leave the bar buzzing with energy and warmth, feeling more fulfilled than I thought possible. Or, I leave the bar completely exhausted, feeling like the life has been sucked out of me. Either way, I don’t know how I got so lucky. When you boil it all down, I’ve somehow grown to love working in the service industry. I try not to question how that happened. I’m just gonna roll with it. www.orangeappeal.org • 43

The Anaheim Packing House bustles with hungry patrons on a Saturday evening.

Ballin ’ on a Budget

By Jenna Sergeant

Being broke doesn’t have to mean being bored. SoCal is an easy place to blow all your cash, but there are plenty of money-savvy activities that will keep you entertained and your wallet full.

Free Concerts

AMOEBA RECORDS, HOLLYWOOD Amoeba Record Store is constantly hosting free shows. The performers include local bands and artists, but the stage has also been graced by a few names you might recognize: AFI, Grouplove, The Used, Young the Giant, Anderson.Paak, Ellie Goulding and Jhene Aiko. Attendance is based on a first-come, first-served system. You can check it’s website to see a current list of upcoming shows.

44 • Orange Appeal • May 2017

Art Gallery Hopping

Chili Cook-Off

Laguna has some hidden gems if you’re into checking out unique local artists. Most, if not all of the galleries you’ll come across are free to enjoy, and they’re all within walking distance of each other. A few popular galleries include Kush Fine Art, Pacific Gallery, Laguna ART, Whitney Gallery and Main Beach Fine Art.

Stick with me here: flat rate ticket price (usually under $15), and all you can eat chili. Need I say more? You can find cook offs all over Southern California from North Orange County to San Diego to name a few.

LAGUNA BEACH

Small Bites

ANAHEIM PACKING DISTRICT The packing district is the perfect place to go when you can’t decide what you want to eat. The building is full of restaurants, bars, bakeries, and niche food spots. Many of the menus have an appetizer or small bite option giving you the chance to taste a few different dishes.

Farmers Market IRVINE GREAT PARK

Get some fresh air and start off your week by checking out all the vendors at the farmer’s market. Not interested in buying produce? No worries, there are ready-to-eat options too! The market is open Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parking and admission is free.

TUSTIN,IRVINE,HUNTINGTONBEACH, SAN DIEGO

Dollar Theater IRVINE

This is the perfect place to go if you want the experience of going out to a movie theater without having to pay the ridiculous fees they’re charging nowadays. The dollar theater plays movies that are no longer out in regular theaters, and tickets are usually between $2 and $3.

All You Can Eat Pasta TRABUCO CANYON

Sticking with the all-you-can-eat theme, Cooks Corner, famous Orange County biker bar and home of , offers all you can eat spaghetti and garlic bread for $5 on Wednesdays from 5-8 p.m. While you’re there, you can enjoy the live music they have every humpday as well.

join the rebellion if there were journalists in ‘Star Wars’ the empire wouldn’t have risen to power. become a part of something that can change the galaxy.

Join the OC News Team (attached to JRN 106 Video Journalism), the Lariat newspaper and website (one of four News Media Production courses), or Orange Appeal (JRN 125 Magazine Journalism). Visit OCNewsTeam.com, LariatNews.com, or OrangeAppeal.org. www.orangeappeal.org • 45

join the rebellion if there were journalists in ‘Star Wars’ Jedi council scandals would be publicized.

become a part of something that can change the galaxy.

Join the OC News Team (attached to JRN 106 Video Journalism), the Lariat newspaper and website (one of four News Media Production courses), or Orange Appeal (JRN 125 Magazine Journalism). Visit OCNewsTeam.com, LariatNews.com, or OrangeAppeal.org.

46 • Orange Appeal • May 2017