Orange Appeal 2020

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THE * CORONA

HOME

EFFECT

A wedding during quarantine and new ways to look at a household plant

O R A N G E A P P E A L / / S A D D L E BA C K C O L L E G E / / 2 0 2 0

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MATTER From protests to shirt donations to bake sales, a special look inside the BLM movement in Orange County

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HOW TO STAY FASHIONABLE Keep up with the lasted trends during quarantine

*the nba bubble*asmr*daca *cancel culture crossword *blunt talk*electric sound LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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join the rebellion

if there were journalists in ‘Star Wars’ Princess Leia would leak vader’s emails. become a part of something that can change the galaxy.

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Join the teams of OC News Team (attached to JRN 106 Video Journalism), the Lariat newspaper and website, or Orange Appeal (both attached to each News Media Production course). Visit OCNewsTeam.com and LariatNews.com.

Orange Appeal | 2020

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CAPSULE WARDROBE The always fashionable Melody Bathaee posing in front of a strawberry patch with a pack of freshly picked strawberries. Find tips on how to assemble your own capsule wardrobe to look almost as stylish.

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THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT IN ORANGE COUNTY A special look at BLM in OC, including protests in and across cities, a special bake sale, and a unique business from an Orange County teen.

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A BRIEF REPRIEVE A DACA recipient reflects on what the Supreme Court’s ruling means for Dreamers in an exclusive Q&A, including a special poem.

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BITES Life in the NBA bubble, ASMR, marijuana talk, pet food, COVID-19 topics and more in the section on everything.

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TASTE Reviews on Taylor Swift’s folklore, Colette Lush, The Old Guard, The Kissing Booth 2, and Netlix recommendations.

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JUICE How-to guides, various things related to today’s culture, travel hotspots, recipes, and a cancel culture crossword puzzle.

OC HARDCORE A long-standing favorite music genre in Orange County gets the spotlight.

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TRAVEL HOROSCOPE What future travels are in store for you based on your star sign? cover photos by frank rocha

LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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contributors | the wild bunch

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BRENDAN MONTES “The Entertainer”

MARIAH MILLER “The Campaigner”

Favorite Song: “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” by The Police Guilty Pleasure: Taco Bell potato soft tacos Favorite Childhood Movie: The Lion King What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: Being an essential worker during the 2020 pandemic but, in actuality, only worked in a hotel

Favorite Song: “Chocolate” by Kiana Ledé ft. Ari Lennox Guilty Pleasure: Putting new shows on hold while watching all seasons of Law & Order: SUV over for the 5th time Favorite Childhood Movie: Aquamarine What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: Being the best mother to my present and future kitties

Orange Appeal | 2020

EVANGELINE BRENNAN “The Mediator”

FRANK ROCHA “The Consul”

Favorite Song: “I Spend Too Much Time in My Room” by The Band CAMINO Guilty Pleasure: Reality TV and food-challenge videos Favorite Childhood Movie: Motocrossed What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: That I cared... and that I passed all 20 levels of Webkinz’s Bonzana in grade school and broke the game

Favorite Song: “Happysad Sunday” by Kiefer Guilty Pleasure: Binging old TV sitcoms (I’m 6 seasons deep in Cheers) Favorite Childhood Movie: Toy Story, Blew my mind with design. All I saw was 2D up until that point in time. What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: That I create from truth

PORTER AYDELOTTE “The Logician”

JACOB CASTRO “The Advocate”

Favorite Song: “Anthem Part Two” by Blink-182 Guilty Pleasure: Playing 50+ hours of video games Favorite Childhood Movie: The Goonies What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: Creating movies that make people think beyond themselves, culturally and socially

Favorite Song: “Conversations” by Juice WRLD Guilty Pleasure: Sweets and junk food Favorite Childhood Movie: Cast Away What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: Being a hard worker who came from nothing and still achieved his goals

lariatnews.com/orangeappeal Editors-in-Chief

Evangeline Brennan Frank Rocha Managing Editor

MELODY BATHAEE “The Campaigner”

YOMNA BORG “The Mediator”

Porter Aydelotte

Favorite Song: “J’adore Venise” by Loredana Bertè Guilty Pleasure: Unfortunately, gymnastics fail videos Favorite Childhood Movie: Back to the Future What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: A sustainability contribution in efforts to decrease the popularity of fast fashion

Favorite Song: “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley, but right now, all I listen to and sing are lullabies as I put my baby to sleep Guilty Pleasure: Eating ice cream in bed while my baby takes naps Favorite Childhood Movie: Pocahontas What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: Making people feel better

Front-of-Book Editor

Online Editor

Melody Bathaee Jacob Castro Photo Editor

Milan Murvay Features Editor

Brendan Montes Designers

Yomna Borg Mariah Miller Back-of-Book Editor

Shane Healey Faculty Adviser

Tim Posada Lab Technician

Ali Dorri

Contact Us

949-582-4688 orangeappeal@gmail.com

SHANE HEALEY “The Protagonist”

MILAN MURVAY “The Advocate”

Favorite Song: “That Way” by Lil Uzi Vert Guilty Pleasure: Sleeping with my shoes on Favorite Childhood Movie: Home Alone What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: Being a nice, friendly guy

Favorite Song: “Spirit” by Beyoncé Guilty Pleasure: Spending more time with animals than my family, and reading almost anything Favorite Childhood Movie: Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron What Do You Want to Be Remembered For: My kindness, and how I’m gentle with animals

Orange Appeal is the student-run magazine of Saddleback College produced in the journalism and new media department. Columns and opinions do not represent the views of the department, Saddleback College, or the South Orange County Community College District. All print issues are available at Issuu.com/orangeappeal, and articles appear online at Lariatews.com/orangeappeal. To contribute to Orange Appeal, contact the journalism and new media department or join the course, JRN 125 Magazine Journalism in the summer of 2021.

LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites The Lost Bunker of Crystal Cove

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idden deep inside the trails of the Crystal Cove State Park lies a piece of history that is so out of sight, that thousands hike past on a monthly basis only to find it even more hidden than before. The history that sits inside the hills of Crystal Cove State Park holds the answer to the protection of the Orange County Coastline during the Second World War. Crystal Cove, located between Newport Beach and Corona del Mar, is a State protected park with over 2,400 acres that consists of beaches, hiking trails, and even underwater parks to go exploring in. The park was originally a section of the Irvine Ranch when the United States

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Orange Appeal | 2020

entered the war in 1941. But due to the high threat of the Japanese after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S Military felt it was crucial to protect the California Coastline from another attack from happening. The U.S. Military requisitioned 4,000 acres from the Irvine Ranch to ensure the protection was built. Along with the land of the Irvine Ranch, The Military also took 770 acres of land in Bolsa Chica located in Huntington Beach. Here they built an artillery installment, where they were planning on installing two rotational gun emplacements. In the plans were also two batteries to fire rockets. But, due to lack of materials in such a short amount of time, only one was built.

With the artillery being built at such a fast rate, the Military needed to build a fire station to direct and ensure the munitions would not miss their target. Crystal Cove was the perfect spot not only because they were already using the land for training purposes, but because it had a view from Dana Point all the way to Long Beach. The military began to build the, “United States Army Coastal Artillery Fire Control Station” in the hills of Crystal Cove. The Fire Control Center was built into a bunker to ensure no airplanes or submarines would be able to spot the station from a distance. According to military documents, the Fire Station as well as the Bolsa Chica artillery was only used for practice and was decommissioned at the end of the war. Since 1945, the Fire Control bunker has been sitting in the State Park, untouched in the exact same state it was in at the end of the war. “This area is not on the trail nor accessible to the public,” stated park Historian Winter Bonnin, “Although we do have hopes one day to create an interpretive experience for people to peer into the underground bunker, we don’t have anything planned for the near future.” Plans are in the making to preserve and restore the Fire Control Station to its original state. When asked Winter Bonnin on the restoration process and when it is hoped to be completed by, she stated, “It’s a complex process involving multiple agencies and we aren’t certain when or if this restoration will happen.” BRENDAN MONTES The Crystal area now, shot by Brendan Montes; military in Bolsa Chica, California Circa 1941.

misc | bites

Pet Food for Thought

LEFT: BRENDAN MONTES; HISTORICAL ARCHIVES; COURTESY BREANN SHOOK

Breann Shook’s unique company serves special food for pets HOW DID YOU GET YOUR idea or concept for the business? It was back in 1999, we kinda knew we wanted to do something but we didn’t exactly know what we wanted to do. So Lucy was my dog from growing up so by the time she was 11 years old and she stopped eating dog food. She wouldn’t eat any of it. So I started researching and reading about it, and trying to find recipes, so we started cooking for her and she loved it. So then it started to grow from there. We knew we wanted to do something so we thought it would be a great thing to offer. How many employees? Right now, we have 22. How do you advertise your business? We’ve done some advertising like print ads and magazine ads for like trade publications, but we do a lot of it now on social media. We do ads on like Facebook ad Instagram, and we work for influencers and send products out, like the Lucy Crew. What’s your company’s goals? I would say our goal is still kind of the same, we would just want to get healthy pet food to as many different pets as possible, expand around the world. What is unique about your business? We are one of the only pet food companies left within the pet industry that still is family operated and manufactures everything ourselves. A lot of

pet food companies don’t manufacture, they have someone else do it for them, which is hard because then the quality of ingredients tends to go down. What are your responsibilities as the business owner? Oh, lots of different things. We always joke around at work that everybody wears lots of different hats when you are in a smaller company because you have to do a lot of different things. I have meetings every

week with every different team; our marketing team, our sales team, production, things like that, I plan all that. What products do you manufacture? We do freeze-dried pet food and treats. If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be? I would definitely tell someone to make sure that they write a business plan, and write the business plan not just for what you’re doing now, or your initial ideas for the business, but what you want it to be. You want to know what your end goal is so you can plan for that. How do you advertise your products? We do a lot of word of mouth, like reviews are a big deal now, like from Chewy or Amazon, or things like that.

Like the moment we send out free products we get reviews and then Facebook and Instagram. To what do you attribute your success? Definitely a lot of hard work, I can say some people are just lucky, we always joke that our family doesn’t not have that lucky gene, so a lot of hard work. What made you choose your current location? We started out in Aliso, and then we moved to Irvine, and the building we are in now came available. The company who owned the building before us made human food products, and the way they manufactured was similar to ours and so when they moved, we were not planing on moving but the building was perfect so we decided to move. Do you work locally or nationally? Our products now are sold all over the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and quite a few Asian countries, and Europe as well. What made you choose this type of business? We love pets. What does your company do to help the community? We have a charity arm called Project Petrack, so we donate different pet food to rescues, and groups like that. Where it is located? Rancho Santa Margarita. Have you ever turned down a client? We have. Petco and PetSmart contact us quite frequently, and during all of our trade shows they come up. But the way that our industry is that you could either sell to the smaller chains or you could sell to the bigger chains. MILAN MURVAY

Online Exclusive Why Silent Discos Aren’t All They’re Hyped Up to Be FOR THE UNINITIATED, A silent disco is a dance party or rave that uses headphones to transport sound as opposed to speakers. Each person is given a set of wireless headphones that can switch between numerous stations or deejays—each corresponding to a certain light on the side of their headphones— and away dancers go to pick and choose their experience. Though the idea behind silent discos has been around for several decades, they seem to have gained popularity in recent years and have even been spotted in popular television shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Grown-ish, and Dave. The idea of a silent disco is alluring, a private party that only those in the know can hear? It’s a tempting idea to have all the fun of a party without any of the noise pollution that urges the neighbors to call the cops for the umpteenth time the minute the clock hits 10 p.m. It also allows some music festivals to carry on later into the night than most noise curfews allow. As with anything, there is a trade-off when it comes to silent discos. One of the novelties of the whole experience is that each person can choose their... Find the rest of the story at Lariat News.com/OrangeAppeal

LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites | sports

Inside the NBA Bubble ATHLETES PART OF THE NATIONAL Basketball Association will be isolated in a so called “bubble” in Orlando Florida at the Disney World started on June 23, in attempt complete the 2019-20 NBA season. Upon arrival athletes must be quarantined in their rooms of their hotel for 36-48 hours until they test negative for COVID-19. They must test negative twice before they can leave their rooms and experience the bubble. Twenty-two teams got invited to the bubble in Orlando, Florida. The 13 teams from the Western Conference include the, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. 6

Orange Appeal | 2020

The teams that got invited to the bubble from the Eastern Conference include the, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn nets, Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards. Each team selected to come to the bubble will be allowed to bring seventeen players, with two players being cut around playoff time the teams will have thirteen active players and two inactive players on their rosters. Break down of schedule Teams traveled to Orlando on July 7. Throughout the rest of July, the individual teams invited will hold training camps and scrimmages. What is left of the regular season started on July 30. On Aug. 15, six of the teams that have

been eliminated from the playoffs will leave the bubble in Orlando. On Aug. 17, the Playoffs will begin. On the Aug. 29, eight more teams will leave the bubble after being eliminated from the 1st round of the playoffs. On Aug. 30, families and guests of the teams that are still in the playoffs will be allowed to come visit. And Aug. 31, the conference semifinals will begin. On Sept. 15, the Conference finals will begin. And on Sept. 30 the NBA Finals begin, if necessary, a game 7 on Oct. 13. There are different Hotels for each ranked team in the NBA bubble. While playing games in the bubble, teams will no longer have home court advantage. Each team will also be living in a hotel within Disney World according to their current rankings. The top four teams from the Western and Eastern Division will stay in the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs. The five through eight seeds will be staying at the Grand Floridian. And the teams on the playoff bubble will be staying at the Yacht Club. COVID-19 precautions Players in the NBA bubble are not allowed to leave the grounds of Disney World. If they leave the so called ‘campus’ at all they must come back immediately and quarantine for at least 10 days. Players are allowed to leave for family emergencies but also must quarantine for 10 days. Players, coaches and staff must wear face coverings at all times while on campus, except when they are participating in individual outdoor activities. They also must remain six feet apart besides during games. During a game, players and coaches on the bench won’t be required to wear a

face mask. This includes warmups, locker room time and postgame, before leaving the arena. Referees and announcers will not have to wear mask while games are being played. On the other hand, Medical and training staff will always have to wear mask during games in the arena. Scorer’s table crew and anyone else in the arena will have to keep their mask on at all times. The NBA also announced that players, coaches and staff will be monitored daily. This includes, checking body temperature, being asked about potential COVID-19 symptoms and also the players have a choice to wear a finger ring that has an accurate detection if the player health is to change rapidly. Activities There are many activities in the NBA bubble for athletes to participate in during their free time when they are not practicing, working out, or playing games. One of the first nights that all teams were in the NBA bubble, the NBA attempted to host a poolside DJ party for the players at each of the three resorts. They were not as popular as the league would have hoped. Some teams, such as the San Antonio Spurs have made their own DJ parties on the patios of their own hotel rooms. NBA Players have also started to play cards in the bubble. After each game of cards has been finished, the cards must be thrown away in order to stop the spread of germs. In the NBA bubble, each team has their own common space that comes with personal arcade stations. Players also chose to bring their own video game set ups. Some players of the Los Angeles Lakers appeared as themselves online while

playing NBA 2K20, a basketball video game that connected the players with gamers online. Another activity that players participate in is table tennis. Teams have set up tournaments within their own organization during their free time. Teams also have the option to participate in beach volleyball. All around the Disney World resort, beaches have been transformed to volleyball courts where teams play against each other when they are off the basketball court. Disney World Resort offers many pools at the three different hotels where players are staying. There are pools, lazy rivers, water slides and wave pools for players to enjoy. Players all around the bubble have started creating content on YouTube. Whether it’s a video of the fishing, their daily lives or different activities they are doing, NBA players are keeping fans up to date on how their lives in bubble are going through creating content. Golf is a very popular activity in the bubble. Players would usually be playing golf around this time anyway due to being off season, so it is nice to see that they are still able to play. The players have access to many PGA Tour-level courses in Orlando. One of the biggest activities in the bubble is cornhole. Many players have wagered things such as money or even pushups on games of cornhole. Teams

have also set up many cornhole tournaments within their own organization and even against other teams. By far the most popular activity in the NBA bubble amongst players, coaches and staff is fishing. The players are not allowed to keep what they catch but they can take pictures. Many players fish every day and post what they catch on social media for their fans to see. When asked by a reporter how the NBA bubble life is, Los Angeles Laker, Lebron James summed it up saying, according The New York Times, “Its 2020. Nothing is normal in 2020. Nothing seems as is, and who knows if it will ever go back to the way it was. But you make the adjustments and you figure it out along the way. That’s what life is all about.” SHANE HEALEY LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites | covid-19

DAY 209 210

College professors and the struggle of transitioning to online courses

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t’s been six months since the first report of the coronavirus happen in China according to the World Health Organization official timeline of COVID-19. Back then, people thought it was nothing more than the flu. It wasn’t a big deal, that would end after a month or two. Now, the world has watched as normality has become distant. Our lives have been altered by this one event, and there isn’t much sign of it stopping. Millions across the globe have been infected by COVID-19, with many of these individuals perishing from complications. Masks are required for most outdoor activities, creating a divide between people. Schools across the United States have either closed entirely or shifted toward an online classroom. Recently, President Elliot Stern of Saddleback College announced how courses with labs will be delayed during the fall semester. With Stern’s announcement, many professors and students face an uphill battle for the fall semester. And it’s not just Saddleback, it’s all across the United States. This situation led to this article, to explore what college instructors feel about the current situation. For this, I was able to interview John Reese, an illustration, writing for artists, and critical theory professor at California State University, Long Beach. Cal State Long Beach faces a similar situation that Saddleback does. “We are meeting 100% online in the fall as there is no real way to mitigate the risk of close contact in these studio settings,” Reese says. “I imagine there will be modifications in the future 8

Orange Appeal | 2020

depending on how long this pandemic drags on. There will have to be a reduction in contact hours and a reduction in the number of people in the rooms to maintain social distancing. I don’t know if that’s even possible to be honest.” Reese has been teaching for the last sixteen years, with some time spent at Saddleback College as an instructor. Teaching subjects that heavily deal with in-class labs and professor oversight, it seemed a good choice to ask him about his courses during the pandemic. According to a Forbes’ “Here’s A Look At The Impact Of Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Colleges And Universities In The U.S.,” online courses have mixed results with students. While it does allow the continuation of classes for students, it also results in poor retention of materials and overall harder courses. Many students that fail or struggle in online courses might just leave the course altogether. Reese fosters the same belief as DePietro’s article. “I teach some lecture classes that are easy enough to teach online, although I do not believe it is ideal,” he says. “There is definitely something missing when classes move online in my opinion and studio classes can be cumbersome and awkward as people wait for feedback and I’m trying to see their artwork on bad internet connections and bad digital cameras. But we make it work. A lot of my illustration classes that I teach are assignment based and do not require a lot of face to face time, but I find that I am not able to intervene as well with students’ when they do the majority of work from home. In class I can jump in and ask ques-

tions or try and direct a student on the fly. Online that process is stilted, and I believe students’ work suffers. I do not believe in online education, I never have, and this experience has solidified my opinion that it is a second-rate educational experience at best. However, given the circumstances it is the best we can do and for many classes (GE lectures, etc.) it works fine.” It’s not just the interaction between the professor and students. Colleges provide resources designed to benefit students with their learning. Saddleback has the Cinema/ Television/Radio program that has access to many resources that most students lack. From industry standard cameras to heavy lighting to expensive microphones, resources that they don’t normally have access to. “The recent pandemic has been extremely challenging, especially for classes that have a heavy need for lab usage or specialized equipment (like ceramics or printmaking),” Reese says. “Art classes almost always have a studio component where students need to learn using very specific techniques and equipment and those classes have really suffered.” Lectures aren’t the only source of learning colleges provide. Labs along with other hands on activities in the classroom play a key role in courses such as Fine Arts, Engineering, and Medical fields. The current situation does not allow the normal choices that we have had in the past. However, it is important to understand the consequences and problems that colleges will face in the future. According to Reese, the aftermath from COVID-19 will be long-lasting for students. For both the short-term and long-term. In the short-term, students will struggle with courses while instructors will work their best to solve the problems to the best of their abilities. Reese speculates that it might not be until next fall that classes will return to normality. The long-term is a far different beast. “There is something missing with online education. Students cannot see each other’s work in person and the subtlety in the work is lost,” Reese says. “It is more difficult to foster friendly competition, not to mention the social aspects of the peer group are unfortunately stunted and, in the Arts,, one’s peer group is extremely important after college. In some ways there are some improvements because of the virus. We are learning what can be done online (such as committee and faculty meetings) that has little impact on the quality of education. I think faculty that teach lab heavy classes are really facing serious challenges. I really feel for them and for the graduate students that do not have access to their studios, to traditional teaching experiences, and to the equipment that is usually only available in a university setting as it is just too cost prohibitive for most students.” The next few semesters seem to be rough for students and professors alike. It is going to take a lot of effort in order for to make it through the pandemic. COVID-19 and the problems it has brought will not be short-term. Yet, the whole situation isn’t hopeless. Students and professors are still working through the situation with the next best option, and that’s all anyone can do right now. Reese said he was excited to see he’s students and colleagues after the pandemic has ended. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, just push forward. PORTER AYDELOTTE

A Brief History of the Bubonic Plague

within the first 24 hours of the first noticed symptoms. According to the CDC, with the antibiotics the world has today, the mortality rate is lower than 11 percent in infected people. In past years, the United States is only averaging around 7 cases of the Bubonic plague per year. With the majority of the cases from states located in the Southwest region of the country, which includes, Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. Avoid the plague. Reduce the amount of rodent activities and habitats near your home and place of work. Remove items from your house that rodents might live in such as, brush, rock piles, junk, firewood and any sort of possible rodent food. Wear protective hand and eye gear if you are coming into close contact with animals that could possibly be infected. Use different kinds of repellents if you believe you could possibly be exposed to rodents or fleas when camping or doing anything outdoors.

WATERCOLOR DRAWING BY F. DE HAANEN/ICONOGRAPHIC COLLECTIONS; PHOTO ART BY PORTER AYDELOTTE

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ccording the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the bubonic plague is an infectious disease that affects mostly rodents and humans. The main bacteria that causes the plague goes by the name Yersinia pestis. Humans can acquire the plague by being bite by a flea that is infected with the plague bacteria. Another way humans can acquire the plague is from direct contact with infected tissues and fluids while handling an animal that has been infected from the plague already. Some symptoms people may feel when they are infected with the bubonic plague are, developing a sudden onset fever, headache, chills, weakness, and swollen and tender lymph nodes. The bacteria that causes the bubonic plague multiplies in the lymph nodes closest to where the bacteria infected the body. The infection can easily transfer to other parts of the body if the patient is not treated as soon as possible. The last outbreak of the Bubonic plague in the United States occurred in Los Angeles from 1924-1925 according to the CDC. Unlike the current pandemic known as COVID-19, there are very clear treatments for the Bubonic plague. “Unlike in the 14th century, we now have an understanding of

how this disease is transmitted,” infectious disease specialisr Dr. Shanthi Kappagoda told Healthline last year. Health experts now know how to prevent the disease and are also able to treat infected patients very quickly with effective antibiotics. If the Bubonic plague is not treated as soon as possible, the bacteria that causes the disease can spread to the bloodstream and cause a different kind of plague called the septicemic plague. If the gets into the lungs it can cause the plague known as pneumonic plague. According to the World Health Organization, the Bubonic plague can cause death in 60 percent of people who are infected with the disease. It is very important for infected patients to be given antibiotics

An illustration of a medical officer conducting an examination of a ship’s crew for the bubonic plague in the Thames in 1905.

A plague image from the turn of the century now complimented with a selfie stick.

Here are some frequently asked questions that the CDC gets about the bubonic plague. What is the basic transmission cycle? Fleas become infected by feeding on rodents such as squirrels. The fleas then transfer the bacteria to humans during a subsequent feeding. Who’s at risk? The people most at risk for getting infected with the Bubonic plague are people who live in places with a high wild rodent population. Homes in rural and semi-rural areas are at highest risk as well as homes that provide food and shelter for squirrels and other kinds of rats. Could one person get the plague from another person? Yes, even though human transmission is very rare, plague pneumonia could be transferred through the air by coughing. SHANE HEALEY LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites | covid-19

How COVID-19 has affected the personal and work lives of my family and friends By SHANE HEALEY Lindsey Healey, 17 The outbreak of the coronavirus has affected Lindsey by not allowing her to attend school in person. Since Lindsey Healey struggles in school, she much would rather be able to attend class in person rather than over Zoom meetings. Lindsey is hoping she will be able to attend her senior year of high school in person and have the experiences she has been dreaming of her entire life. During the pandemic, Lindsey has gone on her phone more to connect with friends. To help flatten the curve, Lindsey practices social distancing and wearing a mask in public. “Not being able to see my teachers in person for lectures is very hard and it makes you appreciate it that much more!” said Lindsey.

Mask Etiquette You need to know forever

An overview of what to do to make those around you safer during quarantine (frankly, things you should have been doing already)

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Reece Healey, 18 Reece was just starting his first semester in college at Saddleback College. As for his personal life, the coronavirus hasn’t had a huge impact on him. He was able to keep his job for the first months of the pandemic but was laid off in late April. He has signed up for unemployment benefits until he can start working again. When he hangs out with friends he wears a mask and washes his hands very often. Reece spends most of his time at home spending quality time with his family.

NOTHING HAS BECOME AS FASHIONABLE as a mask in the wake of corona. Bright. No, not your classic masquerade masks you might see in The Phantom of the Opera. Ones that cover the mouth and nose to stop the spread of COVID-19. Vibrant strips of cloth or simple, black designs adorn many of the faces seen in dayto-day life. But like masquerade masks, these new accessories come with certain rules. It’s important, of course, to know what a mask is for: to slow the spread of germs. It might surprise you to learn that the coveted N95 masks are not conducive to this goal; they filter the air for

you but do less than the average surgical mask in filtering the air for others. Surgical masks when worn correctly. That metal strip goes over the nose. Give it a press around the bridge of your nose and pull the bottom edge down around the chin. It’s recommended that you wear a mask whenever venturing out into places where people congregate: grocery stores, restaurants, and parks. If you’re not sure, take a look around you. Is the person in line wearing one? Is the cashier? Are you less than six feet from that jogger at the park? Get a mask! KATELYN FERGUSON

COURTESY SHANE HEALEY; NHL

Generational Gap

Stacey Healey, 51 Stacey Healey, a special needs teacher the local high school, known as Dana Hills, has had a hard time working since the coronavirus pandemic started. Out of 14 kids in her class, only four are able to join zoom calls every week. “We may not be going back into the classroom in August, and that makes me very sad.”As for Mrs. Healey’s social life, it was very hard to not go out to dinner or see friends. She is doing her part to flatten the curve by making sure she wears a mask when going out of the house and also washing her hands very often.

Claudia Myers, 72 Claudia Myers, the mother of Stacey Healey has been a flight attendant for 43 years. Miss Meyers claims that 97% of passenger load has dropped for her airline, which is Delta. Delta offered older flight attendants a retirement package that she took. The package stated that as of August 1, she is no longer a flight attendant. As for her personal life, she stays home as much as possible, keeping herself busy by redecorating her house. She teaches sailing lessons for a hobby and as of July 1 can finally start teaching again.

John Healey, 55 John Healey has never experienced anything more difficult and frustrating in his 55 years of life than the coronavirus pandemic. In regard to his work life, his company has had to lay off about 20% of its workers. On the bright side of things, he was promoted to VP of operations for the company he works for. His personal life has not been greatly affected because he is married to a wonderful woman who is his best friend. “We have had a lot of time to discuss family, finances and other things that we discuss on the periphery of life. The COVID-19 quarantine has allowed us the time to reconnect on a level we have not had for a few years.”As for his social life, he has not been able to see his friends he is used to seeing every day. When the stay at home order started to be lifted, they were able to have some dinner parties with friends that

Where in the World is Hockey during the Pandemic? As other professional sports figure out how to re-open, what about hockey? Well, the National Hockey League suspended it play on March 12, at which point all teams in the league had around 15 games left. When talks started about the process of making a comeback, the idea of having a 24-team playoff in two cities was approved. This means that, unfortunately, the last seven teams in the standings were eliminated and played no more games. As for when this will happen, the league shot for training camps to start early July and for the 24-team tournament to start around late July-early August. That comes with a unique problem: making the most visually challenging sport make a profit with a crowd. SHANE HEALEY

OPINION

Now’s the time to reopen Businesses WITH ALL OF THE BLACK LIVES Matter protesting that has been going on during the Coronavirus pandemic, it makes me wonder why all businesses haven’t reopened yet. If thousands of people are able to gather around and not abide by social distancing rules, then why shouldn’t all businesses be able to re-open if they agree to abide by social distancing rules and regulations? The re-opening of all businesses in the U.S. would arguably play a larger role and make a bigger impact on our society as a whole by getting the economy back up and running at full speed again. According to MSN, this year’s first-quarter reports show that corporate 401Ks are down 19% while IRAs are down 14%. As a result of the protesting, there has been a lot of looting and destruction of businesses, which is partially due to business owners not being present to protect their storefronts. Many of the small businesses that were vandalized and destroyed during the protests will not be able to recover because they were forced to close due to COVID-19, which resulted in financial hardship for many. Forcing small business owners to spend their savings in order to keep a roof overhead and to keep their businesses alive. The government can’t continue to pay out unemployment for much longer as this will likely collapse our economy as a whole. According to an article from USA Today, by the end of the year, the Fed is projected to have purchased $3.5 trillion in government securities with these newly created dollars. The keyword here is “purchased,” this is money that will eventually have to be paid back through an increase in taxes, decreases in government funding for work programs, and more. Black lives do matter, and so does our economy. If we are able to protest, then why aren’t we all able to go back to work?” JACOB CASTRO LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites | covid-19

Getting Married in Isolation What it’s like to take vows alone during a pandemic

large banquet hall, dangling chandeliers, huge centerpieces, and dancing away the night with all the people she had ever met (and maybe some more she didn’t even know) was how she has always imagined her wedding would be. Instead, Jasmin Said found herself, in a country she had just moved to, planning a socially distanced marriage ceremony which even her parents wouldn’t be able to attend and only 6 masked guests most of whom she had met mere months ago. A few weeks ago when she and her husband to be had finally decided that weddings can wait but marriage can’t (they were going to get married no matter the circumstances) they had the groom’s father speak to hers over the phone despite being in the same city, to officially approve the engagement of the couple as was still the tradition in Egypt. They had then gathered their families and a few close friends for an intimate zoom engagement as it seems is the way to do everything right now. In an attempt to not be so very alone on such an important day the couple decided to travel from New Jersey where they lived to Cleveland, Ohio where the groom had previously briefly worked so that they could be joined by the few friends he had there. They had gotten their marriage license after an online meeting and were planning on a traditional Islamic marriage ceremony followed by an intimate hopefully safe gathering in a garden. Choosing her wedding dress alone with only virtual inputs was hard, let alone the fact that most of the 12

Orange Appeal | 2020

SUSAN ABDELDAYEM

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By YOMNA BORG

shops and boutiques were closed and all delivery dates had been pushed back due to the pandemic, it left her very few choices but she managed to choose a simple dress she loved and altered it herself for the perfect fit. As she prepares for the day she has booked hair and nail appointments, she had debated doing these things herself but in an attempt to find some normalcy for the day had decided to get them professionally done and only do her make-up herself. On the night of the big day, “I’m in a mess” is the very first thing out of her mouth as she explains how she is feeling today. She is trying to get flower arrangements delivered for tomorrow, get tables organized, and finalize a program so that the day will still feel like a celebration while keeping the few people attending feeling safe. Said had traveled to the United States from Egypt to complete her medical residency in late January just as the coronavirus was breaking out. With no cases in Egypt and only a handful in the USA, she wasn’t giving it a second thought. Having met her husband to be just a couple of months ago when studying together for their residency she was filled with excitement to be joining him in the USA, they planned to travel back to Egypt in April to get engaged. It had never crossed their minds that it would become a global pandemic with travel bans being put into effect all over the world, forcing the whole world to go into quarantine and stay put. Come April, they were still hopeful that all this would be over in a few months. “We were like OK, never mind getting engaged, lets just go back in June when all this is over and get married,” she says. June came with more hope; shops started to open, restaurants were offering dine in and news of travel bans being lifted soon, thrilled that their plans were finally starting to seem likely to

happen they started planning. She would travel first in Early July, as soon as Egypt opened its borders, and organize the big wedding she had always dreamed of. She would meet his parents and invite all their friends. He would follow arriving just before the big day so he wouldn’t have to take too much time off and they would travel to the Maldives for the honeymoon of a lifetime. By mid-June the tickets were booked, he even surprised her with an early birthday celebration as they wouldn’t be together for her 30th birthday on July 11. The virus didn’t agree, -even before the whole world realized it wasn’t going away and started putting protective measures back

in place- they received a call to tell them that the groom’s mother had gotten infected with the virus. Worried and devastated they had to put all their plans on hold. “We are still planning to go back for a big wedding in February,” she says, explaining their plan to go ahead and get married instead of putting their life on hold waiting with no end in sight. She still holds the hope of her dream wedding actually happening even if it may be more than 9 months after actually getting married, she still dreams of the huge wedding dress, the five-tier wedding cake, throwing the bouquet (and girls lining up to catch it without being scared of getting sick), the family photos and the room full of peo-

ple celebrating her and the new life she is starting. She still hopes to go on her dream honeymoon to the Maldives, to tan on the pool without caring how many people are around her, eat at any restaurant she likes, enjoy her luxurious suite without a thought to sensitization, walking around the island without the need for a mask and ultimately feeling safe again. “The Maldives has always been my honeymoon destination,” she says. “I never thought to think of an alternative” even before I knew who I was going to marry and why would I think of an alternative it was always there.” But now she finds herself having to think of an alternative in the USA, one which they will enjoy as the last remaining nod to normalcy in marriage celebrations as know them. After a lot of search for a fun, romantic, luxurious and also safe place they decide on a resort in Miami Beach, they call tentatively before booking to make sure amenities like the beach and restaurants are open as this is confirmed to be the case at the time of their call they are told that of course there are no guarantees as the situation is changing every day, but as this is their best bet they decide to go ahead hoping that they are not going to be stuck in the room for the duration of their honeymoon. They hope to enjoy their stay while staying safe. For now, she tries to forget that her lifetime dearly held dreams for her big day, the day every girl dreams of has been put on hold for who knows how long, and focus on the fact that despite all the sadness in the world she has found her own bubble of happiness. Nonetheless, as I end my conversation with her hours before the ceremony I ask her how she feels. “I’m Petrified,” she says. “Being alone on a day like this is insane and unbelievably hard.” LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

13

The Tabletop Roundtable D&D players dish on their favorite game in a remote group Q&A SO EVERYONE, INTRODUCE yourselves. Joey: Hello, my name is Joey Perez. I am currently eating pizza. Also say what you’re doing. Like, say like you’re a DM or your player’s name. Joey: Oh. I am the DM of our current Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition campaign. Tyler: I am Tyler Rosecrans. I am one of the players playing a cleric in our Dungeons and Dragons campaign. What’s your character’s name? Tyler: Quelkax Burntscale. OK. Tyler: One more time, Quelkax Burntscale. OK. Mark: Alright. I’m Mark. I am a player and my character’s name is Nazkuga. Alright. Tommy: And I’m Tommy. My character’s name is Oliver and a warlock. Quinn: I am Quinn. I am a human warlock by the name of Lucian. Matt: I’m Matt. I am a half-orc wizard by the name of Sikkard. Alright. And Mateo? (As a note, I called them over Discord and saw Mateo name from there, since he was on the same call.) Mateo: I am a player. (Mateo’s audio was rough from the 14

Orange Appeal | 2020

call, so the DM, Joey, told the information about his character.) Joey: Mateo is a player. He is playing an Aarakocra monk. Mateo: Whose name is KrroOoo? Mark: Mateo, you’re so quiet. Tyler: I can hear him. OK. Now that we have everyone introduced, let’s do that. How long have you guys been playing Dungeons and Dragons, this tabletop game? More accurately, how long have you guys been playing together. Mark: Oh, in general? Yeah. Tyler: Well, some of us, like three years. Joey: I’ve been with the group for like two years I think? Quinn: Yeah, it start back in...Senior year? Tommy: At the end of senior year or so. End of 2017. Mark: About 2018 for me. Tyler: But I’ve been playing Dungeons and Dragons since I was eleven. But, um, yeah like two to three years together. But Matt. Matt: Yeah, this is my first session with this group. Awesome. Normally, when do you guys meet up? Joey: Once a week on Saturdays. Quinn: Yep. And how long are these

Dungeons and Dragons first appeared in 1974, designed by creators Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Games magazine inducted D&D into its Hall of Fame in 1984. The game has grossed more than $1 billion in revenue worldwide, though three films based on the game have earned far less success.

sessions usually? Tyler: We usually start around 6, I’d say. And we play till. Tyler: About four to five hours. Mark: Yeah about it. Alright. So how is the pandemic affect your guy’s meet-ups? Tyler: Well, while we were still in quarantine, we were actually running a different campaign than right now. I was running Dungeon of the Mad Mage, and we actually switched to playing online on Roll20. Um, and some players agree a lot that it’s harder to, kinda like, get in the mood. Like really capture the environment and everything. It’s harder to be focused online. Tommy: It wasn’t really down. Mark: You never really see the person. Joey: The technology itself did help in some ways. It was just a lot harder to convey certain messages. Especially like technological issues and, um, stuff like that. It was harder to get into the spirit of the game. Tyler: Yeah. That first session, there was probably like two hours where I was trying to troubleshoot like getting things to work. Quinn: Yeah, I fell asleep multiple times. Tyler: Yeah. The only real benefit that it had was that it was a little easier to know where your characters were at a time on the battlefield. Other than that it was a big issue. Joey: The cons outweighed the pros. Tyler: Oh yeah. What is it about meeting together that makes it better? Like what do you guys enjoy about the physical aspect? Tyler: So for me personally, it’s easier to play off people. As a player or DM, for roleplay it’s easier when you are sitting down, across the table to play off their energy and roleplaying. You really get a feel for what they’re doing, saying. It’s not just the words we use, but the body language. It’s a different feel, like atmosphere that goes along with it. Tommy: And to add to that, I’d also say while playing, everybody, you’re hearing everybody with both your ears at generally same volume. While when you’re at a table, you can whisper to people and make like plans, like that. Or talk over other people. In like a Skype call or whatever,you have to take turns talking because everyone is generally the same volume. So it’s harder to, um, you get in the way of each other trying to make strategies because you are talking after each other. Joey: It is counterintuitive. You’d think with all the technology we have we would be

CHRISTINA WERT

bites | gaming

able to streamline everything. I’d thought it be quicker, but actually ended up taking longer to do anything because we have to be like do that or. Tommy: We also don’t have equipment. Joey: Well that, but also, like a lot of the stuff we tried doing, if we wanted to do something and didn’t know how to do it, holy crap. We had to take time to figure it out. Where as if we had written how to bring up this specific map, we’d just draw it out or change out a token we’d just pull out a different thing rather than going through eight different menus. Tyler: What everyone else did experience, what I had to do before every session, it doubled maybe even tripled the prep time we had to do for every session. Because I had to individually place every single enemy on the map and plan out all encounters. So I have to take out the time to do it during the session and it moved a lot slower. There were some many technical difficulties doing it online. And to build on what Tommy said, with all the side conversations. Because a lot of the time, characters will talk and interact. It will build up characters when you aren’t directly involved. A lot of that is gone online.

After five editions, Dungeons and Dragons is still the most popular roleplaying game in the world.

What’s your favorite thing about D&D. Just individually, everyone say what’s your favorite thing. Or something you really enjoy. Joey: The thing I enjoy about it, is that you get to experience a story with a group of people. It’s not just sitting down and reading a book by yourself. Everyone is playing together. As much as I like the game itself, I like the social aspect more than anything. Quinn: Be able to actually interact with actual forces rather than a book like Joey said. Mark: I like to role-play unfavorable situations. Like when we messed up earlier, that’s the best part about the game. Tyler: I’ve always loved acting. And basically with D&D, you can play any role you want. And better yet, you learn storytelling. As Joey once said, everyone creates the story as it goes. Everyone shapes it as it goes. It’s like a nov-

el, but everyone writes it together to create the experience. It is incredible. The format itself isn’t cement, it’s made by interactions. All the friends and characters. Tommy: So for me I guess, my favorite part would be pretty similar. Although I see it as cooperative, interactive video game. An RPG kinda of. I still kinda treat it like a video game because I play a lot of video games, but it’s a lot more interactive because instead of following a set path or pre-programmed things, it’s whatever the dungeon master says and how you act to that. Matt: My favorite thing would have to be having a character and watching them grow. Because it’s completely different world. When you like experiencing a different person, role-playing another character, or something, and watching them grow to be something really cool. From a cool hero or something terrible. It’s just really fun. PORTER AYDELOTTE LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites | misc

Indoor Plants are More Than an Aesthetic

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ther than enabling our ability to live, plants are continuously used throughout interior design to warm up a room or add a pop of color to neutral-toned areas of the home. Newer aesthetics allow ferns and succulents to dress a confined area up or down, ultimately tying a space together. However, new research by biodiversity engineer and ecologist, Jessica Green, reveals that these decorative pieces serve a greater purpose of improving our cardiovascular health overall. The greenery we accumulate in our kitchens, living rooms, or bedrooms can protect the human immune system by creating natural ventilation within enclosed spaces. According to Green’s 2011 TED Talk, we spend 90% of our lives indoors. Most of these buildings use mechanical ventilation or air conditioning systems. While these filtration bodies are “colonized by airborne microbes that enter through windows and mechanical ventilation,” they do not necessarily prevent harmful pathogens from passing through and into the air we breathe. In fact, the sourced microbes– good and bad– are brought in by people and eventually circled through-

out spaces by mechanical filtering systems. This increases the likeliness of inborn microorganisms interacting with humans and, therefore, escalates risks related to sickness. Instead of keeping the outside out, promoting natural ecosystems will diversify the microbial beings in the air and can reduce crossing paths with potential pathogens. Indoor plants are also known to be “air purifiers.” Through photosynthesis, they convert carbon-dioxide into breathable oxygen that even removes toxins from the air. Because we spend most of our time inside, air pollution is higher there than in the outdoors, among the earth. A 2004 study by Ralph Orwell demonstrates that indoor plants create better air quality in their environments by removing volatile organic compounds that are present in indoor settings. Even potted soil is linked to the elimination of cancerous agents like benzene and formaldehyde within the air we breathe. As the sight of our beloved self-made nurseries warms our hearts, we now begin to realize how much it affects our body and protects our immune systems from possibly damaging microbes inhaled throughout the day. Make sure to take loving care of your plants because they are taking care of you. MELODY BATHAEE

FUNCTIONS

OF

ESSENTIAL OILS FOUR MOST CURRENTLY USED ARE... Decorative styles for common plants around the home. 16

Orange Appeal | 2020

EUCALYPTUS LEMONGRASS LAVENDER PEPPERMINT

optimism, concentration, memory calm, clarity tranquility, peace, awareness sharp memory, clear thinking, acuity

Our Fashion Foot Print 2 Is the rank of the fashion industry in terms of pollution.

500,000 is the number of tonnes of plastic microfibers laundry of synthetic materials releases into the ocean every year.

60 is the percentage of plastic-based materials used in clothes.

1 garbage truck is how much textiles are landfilled every second.

2,000 is the number of water gallons used to make a typical pair of jeans.

world health | bites

Forests Need More Than Trees

Reforestation is the only way to stop animals from extinction

LEFT PAGE: MELODY BATHAEE; RIGHT PAGE: NICHOLAS A. TONELLI

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ll around the world, large areas of temperate and tropical forests have been deforested for human activity. Most of these areas mainly being used to grow crops and raise certain livestock that we need to survive, and with better practices and knowledge, can sustainably produce even more crops and meat. Many areas of deforested lands are useless, though, producing less than one cow per hectare, and are good candidates for reforestation projects. The reason many of the deforested lands are useless is because the wind blows away all of the important nutrients for crops to grow. More than 200 million hectares of deforested land provide little to no food production, and are eligible for reforestation. Farmers constantly having cows or other livestock grazing in the same place can also cause the land to become useless. Reforesting the useless land would require 3 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year. Reforestation can be a very expensive form of regeneration, and can involve difficult changes in cultures. Reforestation can be inexpensive and as easy as not burning grazing land, which can often cause forest fires. Restoration opportunities exist all around the world, even in temperate and tropical regions. By investing in known reforestation opportunities, reforestation could provide the largest land-based climate opportunity while providing cleaner water, cleaner air, flood

control, more fertile soil, wood and tree crops. The premise of assisted natural regeneration is that the most economical way to restore and protect forests is to acknowledge nature’s resilience, remove barriers to natural regeneration, and where necessary, accelerate it. Without barriers, trees will grow and spread around for miles. Given plenty of time, trees will regrow and forests will come back.

is called applied nucleation, which involves planting only a very small number of trees that attract a variety of birds and other seed eaters, who can spread the seeds around the area. Slowly, these tree islands will turn into intact forests. Planting new trees into deforested areas can help to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Gases like carbon dioxide and methane are a few major contributors to the changing cli-

Assisted natural regeneration supports and quickens the process. Some examples of assisted regeneration includes stopping fires from burning young trees that are naturally regrowing, dispersing a variety of seed mixes in deforested areas close to forests, and developing national policies that require intensifying agriculture in some areas in order to let others naturally regenerate. One of the most exciting aided natural regeneration strategies

mate. Reforestation is an effective strategy to fight global warming. In addition to benefiting the climate, reforestation helps protect important species of animals. Reforestation helps to rebuild habitats and deforestation, which are the leading threats to the health of a species. Deforestation damages soil and habitats through erosion. Reforestation can help restore what erosion has damaged. In addition, regional watersheds that have

been damaged by deforestation can be brought back to health through reforestation. Regional watersheds are an important resource for human development. Reforestation can also help us to address world hunger and deal with water usage and availability. Restoring forests has many benefits on the levels of an entire ecosystem. Reforestation can also help to give jobs for those who lack skills to be employed in other industries. Therefore, it benefits not only the environment, but the economy as well. Reforestation is not the same as afforestation, even though both are planting trees. Afforestation is the act to reforest an area which originally had no tree cover. It is the effort to create a new forest in a previously unforested area or a part of land that was not under forest cover. Reforestation is repopulating an area which has lost its tree population due to deforestation. It is an act different countries are undertaking to maintain ecological balance. Restoration of forest ecosystems could directly fix climate change by releasing atmospheric carbon, both above and below-ground. Trees release and retain more atmospheric carbon in their biomass than crops or pastures do. Under carbon trading or carbon (Links to an external site.)emission reduction schemes, it is possible that widespread reforestation will become economically useful. Increasing uncertainties in crop yields with climate change may encourage landholders to diversify into other investments such as ‘carbon farming’. Reforestation could also provide an important tool for fixing climate change in the short-term while fostering a low-carbon economy and improving environmental conditions in the long-term. MILAN MURVAY LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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Finding comfort in the uncomfortable

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By MARIAH MILLER

o, it isn’t porn. While the feeling many experience has often been dubbed a “braingasm,” the majority of ASMR material is PG. This doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable when your roommate walks in only to hear heavy licking sounds echoing from your laptop. Autonomous sensory meridian response is the tingly sensation that begins at the crown of one’s head and may find its way throughout the body depending on how the listener reacts to any given trigger. When our mom plays with our hair or our partner whispers sweet nothings in our ears, it’s not uncommon for a chill to run down our spine. This is a trigger. It is a pleasurable feeling that really only comes from another person, sort of like tickling yourself just doesn’t have the same affect. At some point it stops, and we’re always left wanting more. Thank God for YouTube. ASMR established its presence on the platform in 2009 and has grown exponentially since. In fact, data presented on a blog post on Ahrefs found that as of April 12, “ASMR” was one of the 18

Orange Appeal | 2020

top searches on YouTube in the US, second only to PewDiePie. Worldwide, ASMR was searched 13,910,000 times, claiming the number three spot following PewDiePie at number two, and to no surprise to anyone, K-pop sensation BTS at number one. So what’s so intriguing that over 13 million people on this planet are tuning in? It appears people are always seeking new ways to relax. Whether your method is yoga, weed, or therapy there must be a way to cope with the physical, mental and emotional weight that’s placed on us by simply just surviving in today’s world. While I’m sure an in-house masseuse might very well do the trick, not everyone has that kind of dough. ASMR may provide the stress relief you need on your own time, while giving you the power to choose what best affects you. In a study done at University of Sheffield’s Department of Psychology in England, researchers found “that those who experience ASMR showed significantly greater reductions in their heart rates when watching ASMR videos (an average decrease of 3.14 beats per minute) compared to those who do not. They also showed signifi-

cant increases in positive emotions including relaxation and feelings of social connection.” Follow This, a BuzzFeed docuseries currently streaming on Netflix, aired the pilot episode in 2018 titled, “The Internet Whispers.” In it, reporter Scaachi Koul explores the ASMR trend and speaks to content makers and fans. “Every day, during the day, I don’t even watch TV,” says Joanna Ortiz, ASMR enthusiast. “I was mainly raised in the inner city, high crime,” she continues. “It wasn’t that great of a childhood. A couple of years ago, I was really sad and depressed and didn’t like how my life was turning out. Coming across the ASMR videos, it took me out of reality. It really helps with my depression and anxiety. Feels like free therapy, I don’t even feel depressed anymore.” Most people that try ASMR will agree that the results they experience are positive, and have lasting affects long after they look away from the screen, but what about those who say they don’t feel ASMR or those who say the triggers affects them negatively? Unfortunately, there has been minimal proper studies done

It really helps with my depression and anxiety. Feels like free therapy, I don’t even feel depressed anymore. causing anxiety instead of relaxation as intended. The demand for this sensation is at an all-time high with this phenomenon growing so rapidly, and people want more than just YouTube videos. Now ASMR enthusiast have more options than ever to get that tingle with apps specifically for the community. Apps like Tingles, Zees, and Silk ASMR feature popular artist while eliminating pesky advertisements and allow for continued play while your mobile device is locked. Along with ASMR focused apps, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and streaming services alike have

TOP LEFT: MARIAH MILLER; SCREENSHOTS YOUTUBE CHANNELS “GENTLE WHISPERING ASMR,” “ASMR BAKERY,” “TING TING ASMR,” “JOJO’S ASMR,” AND “ASMR DARLING”

ASMR

on ASMR and most of the data there is comes from personal accounts. That being said, no one is quite sure some people experience ASMR and others don’t, aside from open-mindedness to the videos themselves. But for those who absolutely distain the reaction they have while watching ASMR videos, it is possibly linked to a condition called misophonia or the “hatred of sound.” Noises extremely popular in videos, such as chewing, tapping or whispering can be triggering in this worst way for someone with this condition,

misc | bites now made space for the new wave of audio entertainment. For those who want to take it just one step further, in person ASMR made its first appearance in Brooklyn, New York in 2016. BuzzFeed’s Follow This episode on ASMR depicts Scaachi Koul as she immerses herself in the experience. “Watching YouTube videos of ASMR gives you intimacy without vulnerability. When you come to Whisperlodge, you’re getting intimacy and you are vulnerable,” says Andrew Hoepfner, co-founder of Whisperlodge. “Our hope is that they find a deeper state of relaxation and presence.” This real life 90-minute guided ASMR experience is meant to “lull you into a state of deep relaxation and heightened awareness.” Performers take the audience one by one through multiple rooms and act out popular dynamics such as a teacher or a student while using physical touch with brushes or fingers to provide extreme tingles. This is a deeply personal event and lead by absolute strangers, so it may not be for everyone. “What we are doing is in a way trying to combat everything being digitized in our lives. And by bringing this into a live setting, we are forcing you to try to have this intimate connection with someone,” says Melinda Lauw, co-founder of Whisperlodge. So now you want to tingle? Where do you start? My advice is to go at it with an open mind. Assuming you don’t suffer from misophonia, this will more than likely be pleasurable experience. In the graphic to the right, you will see some of the most popular triggers. To each there own when it comes to the types of triggers that work for them, so start with simple whisper videos and feel free to get lost in the deep rabbit hole that is ASMR.

“Gentle Whispering ASMR”

“ASMR Bakery”

“ASMR Bakery”

“Ting Ting ASMR”

“Jojo’s ASMR”

“ASMR Darling”

WHISPERING: The artist will softly whisper into both sides of a microphone. The best way to get the full affect of this trigger, and many others, is to wear headphones. It will feel like the whispers are happening directly into both of your ears and the subtle lip and mouth sounds are just the icing on the cake. TAPPING: Similar to scratching, tapping is commonly used due to its versatility. You will see tapping in a majority of videos because it is a well-liked trigger that can be easily done throughout the video, even if it’s not the main focus, for an extra layer of tingles. SCRATCHING: This trigger is a versatile one considering there are a zillion objects just in one household that an artist can use to affectively cause tingles for the viewer. Items like wood, textured surfaces, hair brushes and even the mic itself can be scratched with the artist’s nails or using other objects. EAR LICKING: This may be where some onlookers get ASMR confused for porn. In these videos the artist will almost exclusively be French kissing the mic. The sensation it brings is intense, but it is one of the louder triggers, so it isn’t always great for sleep. For this to be most affective, the artist will usually have a binaural microphone. This microphone will give the view a more intense tingle because it will feel like actually being in the room with the performers or instruments. PERSONAL ATTENTION: These videos are for those of you craving one-sided intimacy. A powerful trigger for sleep due to the nurturing nature of the videos. Many of them are themed with care of the view in mind. The titles usually have words like “comforting,” “sleep,” or “positive affirmations” and can involve close up hand movements to simulate affection. ROLE PLAY: While a lot of role play videos involve personal attention, they are also themed, and the artist is acting as something other than themselves in order to create a life like relaxing environment for the viewer. They will many times take on the role of a caretaker. Popular roles include, doctor, massage therapist, make up artist, and so on. Another subgenre of these are “fantasy” videos, which feature artist acting out triggers while portraying mermaids, witches, and aliens.

LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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bites | let’s talk about the reefer

Talking Blunt In a conversation from four years ago, a pot dealer talks shop, the economy, and politics By EVANGELINE BRENNAN

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hen a campus pot dealer voices his opinion about state marijuana legalization, it’s atypical for them to say that, while they think it’s smart from a business standpoint for the state to capitalize on the possible income from taxing marijuana, they don’t see themselves favoring it in the future, believing it could make them begin to resent what they had once loved about their state. It was a warm Spring afternoon in 2017 when a dealer in the notoriously known “party dorm” at their small, private four-year university sat down for an interview about his college side hustle. He was just a freshman then, looking for an easy way to make money and stoke the flames of his own smoking habit. The source, who chose to remain anonymous, will be referred to from here on in as “Mr. Blunt.” In the time of this interview, the media liked to portray drug dealers as people you would least expect; they were people like Nancy Botwin, the suburban housewife from Weeds, and the high school chemistry teacher, Walter White, from Breaking Bad, or whatever comical character screenwriters could come up with for movies. Given the representation, the fact that Mr. Blunt is a nondescript kid from a suburb in New York state should come as no surprise. Dressing in a navy blue, long-sleeve Vineyard Vine shirt and khaki pants, he sat on the settee of the dorm’s common room, one leg propped up on the knee of the other and leaned back nonchalantly. He didn’t seem to care that anyone could walk in at any moment, 20

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be it another student or campus security. In this particular dorm, there was an unspoken rule of sorts, a “live and let live” motto that guided these college freshmen and the resident assistants through each day. This dorm took care of their own. They grouped together for parties. They texted warnings in a house group chat if campus security was in the area nearby. They cared, and so, for one year, this dorm acted as a family—a highly dysfunctional one— but still a family. So, of course, Mr. Blunt had nothing to fear sitting in the high-traffic common room just off the entrance of the building while talking about the small weed business he ran out of his shared room. For him, there was nothing to fear, no long-term consequences he had to worry about. In fact, when asked about any possible con-

sequence he thought he would have to face if he were ever caught, he laughed and shrugged his shoulders saying, “I don’t know what the school’s policy is, but it would probably be something like being suspended or probation or something like that, but I’m careful with it so…” At the time, Mr. Blunt stated that he would—at most—have an ounce of weed (the equivalent to about a small sandwich bag) at any given time, making sure to hide it carefully in his room given the number of surprise inspections the dorms would have throughout the year. If he had been caught selling, he could have been convicted of a felony, jailed for seven years, and faced a fine of $5,000. Depending on the harshness of the persecutor, he could have been tried for a much harsher crime; at the time, according to Penal Law 220.44, the sale of “marihuana” photography by Mariah Miller

up to one year in jail and/or up to a $1,000 dispensary. College students seem to still be in fine. A sentence paling in comparison to the a mindset of “this is an illegal act” and so they previous felony charge. purchase it through illegal means. On one hand, This decriminalization on a state level oc- they are correct in the fact that their schools and curred in conjunction with the popular vote and universities still outlaw the substance and act the state’s new ability to tax marijuana. Colorado, of partaking in marijuana and city and couna state early in the queue to legalize the Schedule ty laws still apply, but, even if these rules and I drug, has seen an increase in state revenue each laws were to change for whatever reason in the year based on marijuana taxes, licenses, and fee future, convenience is king to a college student, revenues. According to the Colorado Depart- and if they could buy it on campus from a friend ment of Revenue, in 2014, revenue reached of a friend, it seems that they will continue to do $67,594,323 and the most recent complete year so, if anything, to avoid traveling to a dispenreached a whopping $302,58,426 in state-col- sary or the sometimes exorbitant price of taxes lected revenue. Also, in 2019, Leafly, who touts tacked onto their purchase. themselves to be the largest cannabis website in It appears that, regardless of the time, the world, estimated California collected approx- college drug usage and deals are going to be imately $635 million in heavily insulated to the state and local cannabis collegiate system itself. Dated 2016 Problem tax revenue, a 35% rise It becomes difficult to since 2018. This despite separate one from the the mediocre reception other. So, campus pot of Prop. 64 in California dealers—short of being cities and counties when caught—your side hustle it comes to the legality of might be something that cannabis businesses. Propis able to stand the test osition 64, passed by maof time. As Mr. Blunt bejority vote on November lieves, regardless of state 8, 2016, decriminalized legalization and on-camthe personal possession pus competition, the law and use of marijuana in of supply and demand adults 21 years of age and stands, and there will alover, thereby reducing ways be a demand in colpenalties in conjunction lege students. He started with these acts. because he had a friend Despite this newthat sold and, though he found view towards marididn’t take the opportujuana on a state level, Mr. nity until some time latBlunt was hesitant when er, the fact that he could discussing the effect state sell weed and support his legalization could have on lowering the demand own smoking habit led him into accepting the for weed through illegal sources as opposed to offer. He merely filled a space in the market going to a dispensary. “I think that [state legaliza- by supplying to the party dorm on campus betion] won’t have much of an effect because a lot cause he lived in it. of the distribution places you have a lot of idenFor Mr. Blunt, his chosen side hustle came tification and prerequisites to buy from there, about through opportunity and his conneche said. “So for people that don’t want to have tions. He could and so he did and there wasn’t to go through that, come to me, I guess. And I anything wrong with it unless he was caught. think it’s more expensive at a lot of those stores/ In the future, his political conservatism very dispensaries.” well may influence a shift into a more conserIn fact, he might have been spot on in his vative stance towards marijuana and state and guess. Looking back three years later, college federal legalization as well, but, while he was pot dealers still operate in the same manner still in college, he still saw his place in it and that they have grown accustomed to. They still chose to continue smoking weed every day to have clients-students knocking on their door or every other day, a habit he had picked up in sending them a text on a number they got from the ninth grade. a friend to purchase through illegal means, deMr. Blunt has since graduated with a bachspite the new ability to purchase directly from a elor’s degree from the undisclosed university.

If he had been caught selling, he could have been convicted of a felony, jailed for seven years, and faced a fine of $5,000.

on the grounds of an educational facility is considered a class B Felony and punishable with up to 25 years in prison and a fine up to $30,000. The “dealer” would also be subject to the policies of their university. If Mr. Blunt were to ever be caught in possession of marijuana by one of the public safety officers on campus, he would have run the risk of suspension or expulsion according to their school’s guidelines in addition to any judicial punishments. For the same crimes by today’s standards in New York state, possession of “marihuana” up to one ounce would constitute a civil violation and incur fines of no more than 50 dollars and face no jail time. If he were to be caught selling up to 24 grams (just shy of the 28 grams in his biweekly ounce pick-up), he would be charged with a misdemeanor and

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Shopping Local Brands During the Pandemic

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The impact you will make and the great things you will get in return By YOMNA BORG

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Orange Appeal | 2020

DUNRITE LEATHERWORKS

hopping local is something we should all be doing more of in normal circumstances, but during the current COVID-19 pandemic, it has become almost imperative, part of our duty towards our local community. This is especially true for the fashion scene; which due to the elective nature of buying clothes has been hit harder than other industries, causing joblessness and economic hardship across the supply chain. For local designers and brands, it has been even harder as larger brands and department stores have capitalized on a decade long culture of discount only shopping, which smaller brands can’t afford. Sixty percent of people in the United States say they will be more careful with how they spend their money, according to the latest McKinsey report “The State of Fashion 2020: The Coronavirus update.” So now that brick and mortar stores are much harder to shop while independent brands who are mostly based online are getting easier, and that we have more time on hand, we should seize this opportunity to explore and find new ways to shop in the future. It is time to spend

LITTLE PIECES JEWELRY

MOKUYOBI

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whatever money we have available during these hard times to support small scale labels run by people very much like us doing what they love. Shopping small local brands not only means you are supporting the local economy, but it also means you are shopping slow fashion products, largely not mass-produced with more transparent production streams, that are ethically made and support environmental sustainability goals. You also support creativity while getting beautiful high-quality pieces, designed and made with care and love before they hit the masses. You get to be the trendsetter and not just a follower. One such brand is Little Piec-

es Jewelry, based in Los Angeles, run by Isis Blackstock, a mother of two. The brand is all about everyday jewelry which is unique, sustainable, and handmade, a winning combination for sure. She now designs and creates the pieces on her dining table while her 3-year-old and 24

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6-month-old play around her. Despite this being a hard situation to work on she powers on and even sees a positive side to it as her three-year-old has developed an interest in her work “he wants to design and create his own jewelry next to me, so that’s been a fun bonding experience,” she says.

Blackstock is very hopeful for the future after the pandemic as she thinks it has pushed people to support small businesses as they start to see clearly the direct impact they can have. She hopes this is the trigger which helps move us as a society away from constantly consuming

fast fashion to focusing on buying unique long-lasting pieces. “I hope the silver lining coming from all of this is that we all work together and start supporting each other more,” she says. Another local brand Dunrite Leatherworks is designs and makes leather accessories inspired

LITTLE PIECES JEWELRY

“I hope the silver lining coming from all of this is that we all work together and start supporting each other more.”

“I’m not sure what lies ahead for the world. But I do recognize the resilience in people.”

during these difficult time. “Without them, my passion would simply not be possible,” he says. Ceuvas wants his brand to stay away from mass production and remain intimate producing pieces that are special to their owners. He hopes he will be able to continue to do this despite the pandemic. “I’m not sure what lies ahead for the world,” he says. “But I do recognize the resilience in people.”

DUNRITE LEATHERWORKS

by a romanticized California from the past. “I make leather goods for the pistoleros at heart,” Guillermo Cuevas says. He runs the brand as a oneman show with designing and making the unique pieces. The pieces are mostly custom made so the pandemic has affected the one to one meetings that need to take place for the piece to be developed, despite this his customers are still adamant to support him

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As for a local brand the have a full fashion line including; apparel, bags, and accessories “Mokuyobi” is a perfect example. It was founded in 2006 and makes pieces that are not only designed local just down the street from us in Los Angeles but are also made in the United States. Their pieces are easy to wear and also a statement with their signature fun bright colors and patterns. They are very thankful that despite all the uncertainties, factory closures, and working mostly remote with only a very small team in the office, the steady stream of online sales has helped them keep their prod26

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“It actually made it easier for me to focus on designing more which I really enjoyed.”

uct launches on schedule. Julie Pinzer the founder and creative director of the brand sees a positive side to the isolation the pandemic has brought about. “It actually made it easier for me to focus on designing more, which I really enjoyed,” she says. The effect the pandemic has had on brick and mortar stores is very apparent in her opinion but she believes that people will become more comfortable with time and as hopefully a vaccine is introduced. “I think this change will happen extremely slowly and right now there doesn’t feel like there’s an end in sight,” she says.

MOKUYOBI

first thoughts

My Micro Bag Nostalgia Should you give in to your desire to buy it?

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By YOMNA BORG

here it is; the smallest bag I’ve ever seen sitting there taunting me on the shelf, enticing me with how attractive it looks, daring me to buy it. It reminds me of my little barbie bag that I used to own as a child, I would refuse to go anywhere without it as it made me feel grown-up. In college, I was so happy that I could now carry the big over-sized bags and that I actually had enough things to fill them up, how very important it made me feel and then when I started work it made me feel so good that I needed to carry my laptop around, such a professional thing to do. I now crave to own this little bag to feel young and carefree again, it crosses my mind how very ironic this is. I lift the price tag and hold my breath, a lot of money for such a small thing that would hold nearly nothing, I began to think of excuses in my mind because I so wanted this tiny expensive bag. Hadn’t I always wanted to be a minimalist but was too lazy to organize my belongings and invest time in actual throwing away the thing I don’t need nor like or both, maybe this could be my motivation, like the jeans I loved but could only find in 2 sizes too small on sale but bought anyway “as motivation l to lose weight” it sits on the very top rack of my closet, but maybe this will be different. Maybe I won’t need to buy any more expensive clothes because this will be my statement piece, the once that tells everyone who sees me how “IN” I am how on-trend. It would make my most basic pieces look stylish, even my rushed quick looks would be in-

stantly elevated. I wouldn’t, need jewelry too, I can wear one of these around my neck like I’ve seen the models on the runway, or maybe even dangling elegantly from my waist. Isn’t the smaller your bag the higher in social status you are? I’m sure royals never lug around huge bags, and in the early 1900s didn’t the wealthy carry mini bags called reticules while the working class wore large shoppers similar to the ones I usually carry around? How about those beautiful tiny beaded structured bags that Van Cleef & Arpels designed in the 1930s weren’t they special designed for socialites. Doesn’t this make it such a perfect symbol of luxury that it justifies its price?

YOMNA BORG

Maybe function wasn’t what I needed, maybe I need to let go of my adult-oriented life.

Maybe it can be my feminist statement too, men don’t carry around bags, why can’t women fit everything they need into this pocket-sized bag, we don’t need to carry all the family’s needs around. It can be my statement that we too can walk freely without the weight on our backs and shoulders. Then again this bag wouldn’t fit more than a lipstick and maybe two cards, it wouldn’t even fit my phone but maybe function wasn’t what I needed, maybe I need to let go of my adult-oriented life. Maybe that’s why when Jacquemus first introduced micro bags on the runway in 2017 with only 2 models wearing them they suddenly became all the rage with all the other luxury brands creating their own versions. They seem to have appealed to other millennials who like me are facing a slower economy and more challenges than they remember their parents faced when growing up, who as a reaction strive for nostalgia as they romanticize their memories. So while this was not a bag that would fit my life but it is certainly one that could set me free, carrying it I would be a youthful fun version of myself, that person I was when I so strived to become who I am today, but it’s so hard this adult thing.

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Capsule Wardrobe What it is and how you can create your own with timeless essentials

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written by YOMNA BORG photos by MELODY BATHAEE

closet that you open and never feel lost thinking that you have nothing to wear, without breaking the bank, isn’t that everyone’s dream. That’s exactly what you can have if you put in the time and effort to create your own “Capsule Wardrobe.” According to the Cambridge dictionary, the term is defined as “a small collection of clothes that can be put together in different ways and includes everything you would normally wear.” It was conceived in the 1970s by Susie Faux who as mentioned in the about section of her book “Wardrobe” ran two boutiques and a fashion consultancy under the same name where she helped her clients choose versatile pieces that could be put together to create multiple outfits. As the desire for minimalism rose in the past few years, with Marie Kondo (the Japanese organizing consultant) becoming global popular and stories of people adopting extreme versions of the concept spreading, the most famous of which is that of Matilda Kahl the New York Art director who wore the same outfit to work for three years, creating a capsule wardrobe has become increasingly thought after. So how can you too adopt this less is more approach and love the

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Melody Bathaee in a peasant blouse, classic blue mom jeans, accessorized with retro sneakers and a dainty flower-printed hair scarf. Just the right mix of basics and on trend accessories creating a laid-back bohemian outfit.

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A Parisian beret-style cap adds a chic twist to a basic outfit.

way you look every day at the same time. As you will need to edit your wardrobe to consist of a limited number of items (30-40 pieces for each three month season is the number widely suggested) it would mean you would need to find your own personal style before you can start the selection process. Finding your personal style is a

very debatable subject with multiple professional stylists working to achieve style systems to help people do this’ Kibbe’s “Metamorphosis”, David Kyla and Dressing your truth to name a few, these devices not only cost a lot of money, but there is also a long waitlist to access many of them. What we propose below is much simpler. What you wear tells the world

a lot about you not just because of how we generically categorize people according to what they wear but also because clothes make us feel different things (sexy, sophisticated, or laid back for example) which intern reflects how people see us. So starting this process is very similar to branding yourself, you will need to choose 5 keywords which define your style (the style you want to achieve which doesn’t have to be your current one) these words don’t have to be things that we typically categorize clothes with like classic or bohemian, think words that you want to pop into peoples minds

A closet that you open and never feel lost thinking that you have nothing to wear, without breaking the bank. when they see you. Next, create a list with the main activities you do in your everyday life, as you will need a wardrobe with outfits you can wear to do this stuff. With these two lists in mind, you will now need to create a mood-board of looks you like, the easiest way to do this is to get on Pinterest (if you aren’t already there you are missing a lot of inspiration for all areas in your life). You will need to choose photos of outfits that you not only love but also fit your everyday life and look good on you. Although 30

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beautiful) is outdated, you will still need to know your body inside out to choose pieces that accentuate whatever beautiful shape you have. You should now have a better idea of what your style is, so you can start going through your existing wardrobe (yes, you will mainly work with what you have so don’t

get all excited and open your favorite shopping app. just yet) and organizing it into modules. You can do this by focusing on your daily activities one by one and choosing three tops, two bottoms, and a third piece of your choice that you can use as your statement or signature piece. Mix and match these pieces to create Melody Bathaee in a basic everyday outfit of boxy white T-shirt, flared dark wash jeans, and again the retro sneakers.

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the traditional technique of finding out your body type and then dressing to create the illusion of the ultimate body shape; “The Hourglass” (which for centuries has been thought of as the most beautiful) is outdated, you will still need to know your body inside out to choose pieces that accentuate whatever beautiful shape you have. You should now have a better idea of what your style is, so you can start going through your existing wardrobe (yes, you will mainly work with what you have so don’t get all excited and open your favorite shopping app just yet) and organizing it into modules. You can do this by focusing on your daily activities one by one and choosing three tops, two bottoms, and a third piece of your choice

Starting this process is very similar to branding yourself. that you can use as your statement or signature piece. Mix and match these pieces to create as many outfits as you can, then move onto your next daily activity and do the same, choose versatile basic pieces that survive seasonal trend changes and you will be surprised by how many outfits you can create. Try everything on with a fresh eye looking to see if the neckline is flattering, if it hits you in the right places, ultimately if it makes you feel beautiful. Now that you have the skeleton of your wardrobe you can move onto the fun part; adding pieces (that you may or may not have) that will make your outfits pop. You can add trend pieces 32

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An over-sized denim jacket is a trend piece to dress up a basic outfit.

and change them come the next season or better add statement investment pieces (which you will now have the budget for having stopped buying tens of pieces you never wear,) again remember it has to pass all the process above. You should also start thinking of buying duplicates of your basics so you are not doing a ton of laundry. However for each of your trend or investment pieces it would be ultimate if you think of

your closet like a full bus, for some thing to get in there, something else has to get out, so you will always need to think what you can part with to make space for this new purchase. Lastly, creating your own signature style “Capsule Wardrobe” is a process, and it’s totally normal to not get it right the first time, so don’t throw away those pieces you decide against yet, just store them out of sight.

A floral twist on the classic little black dress for a casual night out. Pair it with retro sneakers or high-heeled sandals, depending on the vibe you want.

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ELECTRICITY Through the Screen

Weathers embarks upon a unique approach to connecting with their audience

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s musicians search for innovative ways to guide music into the homes of listeners, Los Angeles based alternative rock group Weathers brings to light the once inflamed soul changing experience of live concerts. In the transition to a remote lifestyle for most during the worldwide pandemic, the band not only releases two singles “Always Tired” and “C’est La Vie” in a five month period, but creates a true, virtual live performance right from viewers’ screens at home. Now, this is no ordinary livestream in an artist’s bedroom where they answer questions about their daily routines or expose the meanings behind popular lyrics. But a full out recorded video shoot in a studio-sized venue with multiple camera angles alternating every few seconds, blaringly projective lights, and a statement wardrobe that makes you feel underdressed in your own quarters. Weathers’ image precedes them as an authentically pronounced band that carries their sets with unforgettable showmanship: whether they open or headline 34

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a show. The concert simulating, live viewership on July 18th, via the streaming service Veeps, stages no difference from the reputation that seizes the audience’s excitement as they portray their usual booming choreography whilst losing themselves in the music. A live concert emulates a completely different environment than the ritualistic procedure of bumping a personalized playlist between the ears. There is a present in-the-moment phenomena that happens a sea of bodies look up in a trance at their favorite artists whilst repeating memorized lyrics back to them and watching the pure excitement that is taking place on stage. Fans feel free from judgment and, often, a sense of euphoria visualizing the performance occurring in front of them. That irreplaceable feeling is savored today as the world cuts off social congregation on account of the mass spread of COVID-19. People begin to crave a spec of connection and liveliness by turning to musicians who use the outlet of music as a sparking ardor. With tours pushing back dates and entertainers trying to find cre-

SCREENSHOTS FROM THE LIVESTREAM

By MELODY BATHAEE

ativity in a time of crisis, Weathers paves the way for a rather untouched form of communication with their fan base that ties in the energy of seeing them live but shares the performance from the comfort of one’s home. The idea dawns upon their front man and lead singer, Cameron Boyer, and guitarist, Cameron Olsen, after receiving the news that their first national headline “Our Little Secret Tour” is postponed to February of 2021. Noticing that their regular Instagram live streams– consisting of acoustic versions of their most popular songs– could not keep their passionate listeners at bay for long, they thought bigger. “We’re not going to be able to play a show for these fans for a long time,” Boyer says. “Maybe we should try to put on a full on band show with all of the members playing full out: lights and all; like it’s a real show so that we can give the fans something that will hold them over till February.” Interested in bringing all of the aspects of a typical, electrifying Weathers show into this virtual experience, the four members got to work on how to give these future watchers a real connection to not only the melodies and lyrics, but to the humans on the other side of the screen. “We really just wanted to put everything we could into it so that the fans felt like it was a real show,” he continues, The band congregate for three days of rehearsal following their longest time apart to get back into the groove of playing with one another. Similarly to an in-person show, Weathers prepares for a blood pumping set on the day of the live stream, however, it feels slightly unusual having to break out of their once continuous routine of isolation that has adapted to the entire world. But that does not impact them from picking up right where they left off. “We did have to shake off a bit of rust but we’ve played so much that it’s second nature at this point,” Boyer says, “you just play a song and it all comes back.” Even though the nerves of playing in front of an audience no longer exist, there is still a pressure that the group pushes through amidst their return to the stage. In addition to their usual set that retrieves tracks from

their 2018 debut album Kids in the Night, Weathers ties in three never before played songs. Incorporating their most recently released single “C’est La Vie” and a new, unheard song titled “Talking is Hard” posed to be slightly nerve wracking since having to pause from performing. Instead of stopping there, though, Weathers also covers their own version of “Lucky” by Britney Spears that turns the early 2000s soft pop hit into a more instrument heavy ballad; with electric guitar chords and an acoustic rhythm to allow the original beat to remain somber. Throughout the duration of a concert, artists gain feedback from the audience– whether it be a plea for encores or unconsciously dancing to the rhythm of a song. But in this scenario, Weathers plays for a silent audience: releasing all of their energy to watchers with no ability to see the reactions of their viewers on the other side of the screen. “It was pretty strange,” he says, “and you feel kind of this awkward silence and have the urge to fill it with something but you just have to accept that there’s no way around it and that’s just the nature of it.” Even when faced with this challenge of building an atmosphere that resembles a social setting, the band continues with gestures, notions, and conversation that would intensify and excite the crowd, no matter who is in front of them. But the person-to-person interactions between artists and their fans is what makes a performance exhilarating. Cameron Olsen chimes in. “You feed off the energy of the crowd and there’s little things in live shows that are not going to be the same as when you are streaming,” he says. “But we are going to work with all we have. It was still fun but there is something nostalgic about playing live: going on stage and seeing all of these people are out there for us.” One experience that separates streaming and viewing a concert live, Olsen says, is “if they know the words that’s huge.” They emphasize the line between listening to their songs and making the jump to attending their shows shares a greater level of desire and support. “It’s a huge confidence boost when the fans are reacting back to you. It makes you feel like you’re doing something right. It feels LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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LIVESTREAM SCREENSHOTS/PHOTO ART BY MELODY BATHAEE; POSTER BY VEEPS INC.

better to have them there but the nature eting experience that is Weathers from all of our situation forces you to accept it the over the world. way it is and allows you to move on: to just In reflection upon the event, Boyer enjoy it.” and Olsen open up about what it is like The Weathers livestream continuous as artists to find the motivation to write to use aspects of audience interaction and produce music when inspiration is to make the set as realistic as possible. less prevalent as a result of the national During their raucous single “Lonely Vamquarantine that has especially engulfed pire” the group implements an explosion Los Angeles. “There was a bit of an adof energy from the audience during evjustment period when this started and we ery show they play. Since the song came really just didn’t know what to do,” Boyout in 2019, Cameron Boyer encourages er says. “There was a lot of down time the audience to crouch down during the and thinking ‘What are we supposed to bridge and as he screams the first words do?’ But then we got to the point where of the chorus, the mass of people in front we kind of saw the silver lining in it and of them jumps up in unison to the lyrics thought that it was more of an opportuni“And I can’t change” and dance ballistity being handed to us to take this time to cally. This electrifying tradition still stands experiment and try new things with our within the livestream but is tweaked to acmusic that we normally wouldn’t have the Bassist Brennen Bates, left, drummer Cole commodate this new reciprocity,” he says. time to do otherwise.” The group uses Carson, Cameron Boyer, and Cameron Olsen. “It was strange because that space was their new found commodity to push the still in there for ‘Lonely Vampire’ where boundaries that once confined them when we extend the bridge so that it is longer busy opening for bands like Echosmith compared to the record but instead of diand Badflower on tour in the past year. recting the audience, I thanked everyone that was tuning in and was “We are trying to expand Weathers as a whole and to see where we can involved to fill the space.” The front man expresses his longing for go because we would usually not have this kind of creative freedom so their usual connectivity with fans as he says, “I wish the fans could it’s important to take advantage of it while we can.” be there to jump with us and, like Olsen said, to sing the lyrics back As the “Our Little Secret Tour” dates and their ability to reappear to us because it really does amplify the emotions that everyone in the on stage come closer, Weathers shifts their focus to the semi-permeable room are having.” Nonetheless, the hour-long session on July 18 brings future and what it may hold. “We are constantly changing and still together an international audience that gets a piece of the energy-riv- growing up, but at the same time trying to challenge ourselves because

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we don’t want to be complacent in writing the same style of songs multiple times,” Olsen says. Boyer says, “I definitely think about the future a lot. Like where we are going to go and what Weathers is going to end up being. I eventually want it to be bigger than just the music alone. To be a culture, a feeling. Olsen and I have been writing a bunch of music that’s pretty different but still familiar and taking the first steps to expand Weathers as a memorable feeling to be associated with.” “We almost want to be the soundtrack to a kid’s high school experience,” Olsen says. “Where it becomes more than music and more than a band.” The introduction to authentic emotional ties within their music takes Weathers to a new level in exploring unique routes of raw innovation that links the band’s image to the atmosphere they create live.

“

I EVENTUALLY WANT IT TO BE BIGGER THAN JUST THE MUSIC ALONE. TO BE A CULTURE, A FEELING.

“

In 2020, the future is unpredictable and an endless thought of results. “There is so much space and time to keep growing so it’s exciting to see where we will be in some time,” he continues. Weathers continuously works towards one initiative that is spoken about through their music and portrays the message strongly. Songs like “I’m Not Okay,” “Casual Mondays,” and “Problems” carry an upbeat track but share deeper thoughts on mental health awareness. The band writes lyrics touching upon internal battles and turmoils with self-identity that instate a relatability to societal pressures. Themes of normalizing action towards bettering oneself and building the courage to accept help make the alternative rock group veracious. In light of social distancing procedures and the effect it has on mental health, Boyer says, “It’s really easy to get lost in quarantine and lost in your thoughts, which is okay but there comes a point that it can be dangerous. When you feel out of a routine and you’re not doing certain things, you can fall into a pit of nothingness which is kind of how it feels sometimes.” Weathers

advocates acknowledging and embracing who you are, but working to find help if needed: “It’s important to stay busy but also to make sure you have at least one person that is your lifeline– someone you can reach out and talk to, especially in this unique situation, as a support system. It is important to stay attentive to your thoughts but if you do go to a bad place, work through it and don’t necessarily ignore it because it is a work in process. It really always is.” Going back on tour in February as national headliners, Weathers takes the experience of their livestream concert with them and talks about what they are most looking forward to once back on the road. Finally taking new music to the stage and creating fresh memories in between adds a gratifying aspect to touring again. “We’ve never done a national headline so I’m excited to see how well it does, see if people actually come out and see us,” Boyer says. For the lead singer, it is a holistic experience that takes up more than the venue or the fans. He discloses the one of a kind moments of cross-country scenery and irreplaceable views. “I’m the only guy in the band that really enjoys the long rides when I’m either driving or sitting in the back. When I think of tour I will always remember the shows and fans but the parts that stick with me are the little moments when we, for example, pass by the same house every single time we go on the road because it’s on our route or always go to the same restaurant.” One specific captured memory, he reveals, is seeing the sunset while driving through Montana. The adventures that last forever shape their unique snapshots of life and bring soul back to touring. Memories like hearing “Happy Pills” on a radio in Iowa, stopping for the largest cinnamon rolls at Heaven on Earth when driving from Oregon to California, or going on stage in Pittsburgh after being caught in the rain during their first tour, spark realness to encounter when performing across the country. The Weathers livestream opens the door to new forms of communication between artists and their fans by providing a platform that strikes up human connection from across a screen. Their showmanship and authenticity entices listeners to do more than just listen. Intriguing and extraordinary, they turn music into experience. LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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BLM BL M

marchess IN PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS BY

FRANK ROCHA 38

Orange Appeal | 2020

ORANGE

COUNTY LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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June 3

BLM

Black Lives Matter

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Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM City Hall), San Juan Capistrano (Historic Town Center Park), Irvine (Colonel Bill Barber Park), Newport Beach (Pacific Coast Highway and MacArthur), Newport Beach (NB Pier), and Ladera Ranch

(OC June 8 Ladera Ranch Shopping Center

June 9 Newport Beach (City Hall) & Laguna Niguel (Crown Valley Parkway)

June 4

June 5

June 6

June 7

Rancho Santa Margarita (City Hall), Irvine (City Hall) and Mission Viejo (MV High School)

Rancho Santa Margarita (City Hall), Laguna Niguel (Greenfield and Crown Valley), Lake Forest (El Toro Road and Rockfield), and San Clemente (Community Center)

Irvine (Culver Drive and University), Huntington Beach (HB Pier), Irvine (City Hall), Lake Forest (El Toro and Trabuco Roads), Laguna Beach (Main Beach), and Newport Beach (NB High school)

Laguna Beach (Main Beach), Huntington Beach (HB Pier), Newport Beach (Balboa Island), Huntington (Civic Center), Newport Beach (Back Bay Science Center), Newport Beach (PCH and Superior), and Laguna Niguel (King Road and Sunshine)

Marches in June) June 10

June 12

June 14

June 20

San Clemente (SC Pier) & Laguna Beach (Heisler Park)

Huntington Beach (HB Pier) & San Juan Capistrano (Historic Town Center)

Huntington Beach (HB Pier)

June 13

Laguna Niguel (Greenfield and Crown Valley)

Seal Beach (Main to Pier), Rancho Santa Margarita (RSM Central Park), Huntington Beach (HB Pier), San Juan Capistrano (Historic Town Center Park), and Newport Beach (Bonita Creek Park)

June 11 Laguna Niguel (Greenfield and Crown Valley) and Huntington Beach (Central Park)

Huntington Beach (City Hall) & Irvine (Center Hall)

SIGNS HIGH, CARS BLARING their horns as they pass by, protesters walk across the Orange County town to argue that black lives matter and that police brutality is rampant, on June 8. A march in Mission Viejo started from city hall to Lake Mission Viejo, where activists walked peacefully along the sidewalks with signs and hand-made posters in raised in the air. Many marches spread across the Southland this June during a global pandemic. Some say it might be it’s a movement, but with the growing numbers of marches towards the ongoing police brutality on the black community continues. “We demand change,” “4 Anti-Hate,” “BLM FOREVER,” and “Justice for George Floyd” were

June 18 June 19 Irvine (Colonel Bill Barber Park)

just a few of the signs created by the activists. Some signs like “I don’t understand, but I stand,” shows the activists hopeful optimism. A protester even had their facemask design with the word hate crossed out. “If we are not out here, who else will,” said Jason, a Mission Viejo resident. “We need to stand up for black lives,” said Emily, an student at Irvine Valley College. “Black lives are beautiful, black is beautiful,” said Sarah, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident. Marches continue to keep up across the nation, even though there are more restrictions than ever. More than 20 states are necessary or advised stay at home orders. Deaths continue to soar,

nearing the presidential election in November. Many continue to spread BLM, as the virus surges along with it. Not only the police presence is stopping marches across the nation, the biggest enemy towards the activists is the plague. Marchers like the ones in Mission Viejo, will continue their goal to stop racial inequality, celebrate that black is beautiful and provide justice for the deaths towards innocent lives like Breonna Taylor or George Floyd. This moment transcends a movement because it’s bigger and more important to stand up for what’s right and who is on the right side of history. It doesn’t begin with bigotry and racial inequality towards black individuals across the globe.

LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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BLM

Baked Goods for Black Lives Matter Students raise $3,000 with a virtual bake sale in the only BLM issue that deserves sugarcoating IN SPITE OF ORANGE COUNTY TAKING ON THE LABEL of the “red curtain” for its localized conservatism amidst the continuously rising economy, the youth of southern California are taking social and political initiative into their own hands. By donating their talents and skills to raise awareness for injustice all over the world, these community leaders reshape their geographical region one step at a time. A recent rejuvenation of the Black Lives Matter movement has shaken the United States’ population and has spread its aftershocks all over the world. However, the discussion has only grown stronger through the bonds created by those who have had enough with continuously ignored racial discrimination. Marches, protests, and unplanned riots are pronounced the booming microphone of the voices taking action against police brutality. The video-recorded murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 has created a momentum inspirational enough to carry a liberative togetherness of diverse communities across the nation. At the pinpoint of Mission Viejo, individuals and allies of the movement use their innovative minds to find a safe, positive way to contribute to fundraising towards this globally ensured cause. In fact, two strong-minded women alike took their passion and baking expertise to a county-wide collaborative bake sale. Saddleback student, Amanda Tang, and close friend Hannah Rogers thought up the delicious idea organizing a socially distanced event on June 19–– otherwise known as Juneteenth, the day in which the last slaves in America were emancipated from Texas slaveholders once the news of their freedom finally reached them two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed in 1863. The two leaders brought in friends and family from different SoCal cities to volunteer over 40 different kinds of pastries, delivery drivers, and packagers. Even so, there were more positions to be filled. “What was so great about the bake sale is that there were so many different jobs people could do,” Tang says in an email response. “Everything you bake burns? That’s okay! You can volunteer to drive and deliver the orders. Too young to drive/don’t own a car? That’s okay, be a baker! Can’t bake or drive for the sale? All good! Buy some delicious baked treats from our sale! Don’t live in the South Orange County area, but want to help? Great! Donate! 42

Orange Appeal | 2020

Can’t donate? That’s okay, too! Share our posts on Instagram to get the word out.” Like the movement, there is always a way to play a part in resolving injustice. The “Baked Goods For Black Lives Matter” event was to take place one week after initially spreading the word through Instagram stories. Tang and Rogers also created a platform to post the different announcements and desserts they were going to offer. However, the support from the OC community was overwhelming. The “virtual” bake sale’s name was spread across the platform after being seen on various stories and posts regarding the unique juncture. As Tang has been known around the campus to be a notable baker after being taught by her own mother––a bakery owner herself––chatter began to form about what delectable treats were to be of-

COURTESY OF AMANDA TANG AND HANNAH ROGERS

By MELODY BATHAEE

fered. When the exciting day came, Tang and Rogers gathered their recruited volunteers in groups that worked together to create a successful system after seeing the influx of offers for their wholesome goods. After releasing that the bake sale was going to be held for 8 hours, the excitement and yearning to donate in any way to the growing initiative turned “Baked Goods For Black Lives Matter” into a proud community moment for the youth of Orange County. Every unit was sold within hours leaving the organizers tired, yet, starstruck with the rush of support and love received by their peers and strangers looking to help in any way they can. With aching hands and scattered thoughts, Amanda Tang and Hannah Rogers raised $3,000 towards their donations to three organizations fighting for racial equality. Rogers

enlightens that “We started ‘Baked goods For BLM’ as a safe way to raise money for organizations that directly help black communities.” Effectively, the donations from the fundraiser have been equally split between Equal Justice Initiative, ArtworxLA, and the Communities United Against Police Brutality. Each working in regards to achieving equality for black individuals in the U.S. The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., to challenging economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. Based in Los Angeles, ArtworxLA combats the high school dropout crisis by engaging students in long-term, sequential arts programs to offer a pursuable life path that inspires them to stay in school, evolve as unique people and flourish as creative adults. Communities United Against Police Brutality tackles defunding and ultimately changing the system of Minneapolis and St. Paul area police departments, in light of George Floyd’s death, by combatting brutality from many angles-- including political and social legislative action, education, research, and providing services and support for victims and their families. This prosperous outcome of the “Baked Goods For Black Lives Matter” event leads Amanda Tang and Hannah Rogers feeling hopeful about a future enforcing equality for black individuals and dissipating the normalcy of racism. When asked about how they internalize the difference they are making, Tang emphasizes “If there’s anything I want to let the people who feel like they’re just one person so they can’t possibly make a difference know is that I used to feel that way too. You don’t need a large online platform or loads of money to do so. Use the talents you have! Small changes and big changes are changes nonetheless.” Similarly, Rogers is ready-- as an ally-- to see change in the communities they worked to donate to: “We feel that this fundraiser will make a difference because through our chosen organizations we can help ensure justice for those who are wrongfully imprisoned, foster creative spaces for people of color to thrive in, and to support efforts to assist those directly affected by police brutality.” When speaking on their inspirations and motivations for the virtual bake sale, each of them described what they are hoping to see as a result of all of the efforts that are constantly evolving as a result of the resparked movement. The activists converse how “there are many changes I wish to see in our communities and nation, but the one that was the main initiative to create the Baked Goods for Black Lives Matter bake sale is that Black people are killed by the police at a greater rate than any other race; but also that Black people, largely due to our nation’s colonial past and systemic racism, have been put at a disadvantage. The social issues in our country like unequal education, housing, food insecurity, the cycle of poverty, etc. can be traced and have roots in systemic inequality which affect marginalized groups, more specifically Black Americans.” “Change is long overdue,” Rogers says, “and we must continue to fight for what we believe, no matter the opposition we may face on the road to freedom.” The two find that their passions align with the ambition needed for initiative to be pushed forward, but “America has made progress, I acknowledge that, but we shouldn’t stop now. There is more work to be done.” LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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BLM

Teen Starts Business with a Purpose

A

Southern California teen’s business started in the family garage and has become a part of a strong movement in Black Lives Matter. Noah Bustillos, 18, created his own clothing brand, with some inspiration from family and friends, called Nickel Piece. And that inspiration mirrors Bustillos vision of the future and the message in his design. Noah: First, I wanted to add was how the meaning of my brand nickel piece, which is a slang term for the opposite of a dime piece, is that nobody can put a value on yourself besides you. Which also ties into the BLM movement. Your value doesn’t change if your black, white, or brown you are beautiful in your own unique way. When did Nickel Piece began? Was it always something you wanted to do? I’ve always had the idea of starting up my own clothing company but didn’t really start putting ideas together until I was in high school. At the time I couldn’t settle on a name. I had a couple ideas but nothing that stood out. After I graduated, I had a lot more time on my hands and more time to think. While getting inspiration from friends and family I came up with the name Nickel Piece which is a slang term for 44

Orange Appeal | 2020

someone who is rated 5/10. It’s pretty much the opposite of a “dime piece.” Everybody has their own personality, traits and is beautiful in our own unique way. What defines beauty? Today’s society we focus too much on other’s opinions and thoughts, so much so that they often cloud our head causing us to dampen our light of uniqueness. Do you make every shirt at home in the garage? Is it difficult to do or do you find enjoyment out of the process? I make all the shirts by hand in my garage. At times it has been difficult, but that’s just the

trial and error process. Once I have all my screens, inks and t-shirts all aligned up time flies and often find myself still printing in my garage till 3 or 4 a.m. I have been drawing all my life and being inspired by my dad, who is an artist. Is the artwork all done yourself ? Yes, I get all my inspiration from going outside, by seeing and hearing other people’s perspectives. How did the BLM Donation T-shirt come to be? I saw a need for voicing the injustice and I took action after attending multiple events I wanted to help make a change.

Making t-shirts to raise money for the BLM charity was the best solution for me. How much research and sourcing to find each person’s name who have died to racial injustice black individuals in the United States? These are a long list of names of deaths at the hands of the police since Eric Gardner’s death, July 2014, according to a national credible news source. Do you believe more people are breaking their silence and standing up to racial injustice? Yes, I do, and it’s amazing seeing our generation making a change for the better and not being afraid to speak up for others. Did you happen to attend any BLM protest? I’ve attended a couple protest in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach. They were all peaceful sit-down protest or marches. The people that start riots don’t really care about the cause, there just taking advantage of the situation. Do you think the BLM movement will continue to rise? I believe that the BLM movement will continue to rise because of how dedicated the youth are. This period in history is not a moment, it’s a movement. FRANK ROCHA

The names of black individuals who have died from police brutality by Noah Bustillos.

presidents past | politics

President of the Press Look to Theodore Roosevelt for the answers now

LEFT PAFE: NOAH BUSTILLOS; RIGHT PAGE: NATIONAL ARCHIVE

T

he disconnect between the press and political leaders tends to be an ever widening gap. With the words of politicians stating any contradicting news as ‘fake news’ and an immense sea of random information being the internet, this divide places the average Joe and Jody in deadman’s land. Yet, the United States hasn’t always been in this limbo. At one point, the president was open to the press. Working together in a symbiotic relationship that benefited the common citizen, during a period where corporations and corrupt politicians dominated the nation. The president that challenge these times was none other than Theodore Roosevelt. A progressive that was not afraid to challenge both parties, and worked with the press to achieve changes that helped the nation and her people. His impact is still felt today, with the creation of National Parks and the Food and Drug Administration being prime examples. With current political unrest and the challenges faced by the reporters, it seems fitting to use Roosevelt’s words to push through these times. “Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. No kind of life is worth leading if it is always an easy life. I know that your life is hard; I know that your work is hard; and hardest of all for those of you who have the highest trained consciences, and who therefore feel always how much you ought to do. I know your work is hard, and that is

By PORTER AYDELOTTE why I congratulate you with all my heart. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life; I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.” Roosevelt lived his life as

be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.” Among the Democrats and Republicans of his time, Roosevelt stood out. He was the president that created the national parks during an era of industrial-

“A great democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democracy.” a fighter. In his childhood, he struggled with severe asthma. As a young man, he lost his mother and wife within a few days of each other. However, these events never stopped him. He was a man of action, a quality built through his struggles. He learned that you need to push forward even with the obstacles set in your path. “A great democracy has got to

ization, he helped with the living conditions in large cities with the FDA, and worked with the press to help with the people of the United States. A nation must learn to adapt and progress forward, otherwise it remains in a rat race that has no checkered flag at the end. “Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean

to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”. The argument to support the president is a moot point. By becoming the leader of the United States, it does not give you the right of support. Roosevelt knew that you need to earn the trust of the citizens, it wasn’t freely given. Citizens should have the right to oppose leaders, discourse and conversations path the way for change. If people lay down when someone is failing, then they are no better than pets. “The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first and love of soft living and the get-richquick theory of life.” It is the duty of active citizens to face challenges head on. If they remain idle, then the nation that has withstood countless battles will crumble to nothing. It would be a sad to day to see all that effort be done for nothing. Roosevelt was a president that should be remembered by leaders and reporters alike. He fought for change and saw the importance of the people that elected his predecessor and then elected him, something both political leaders and reporters should emulate. LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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politics | Q&A

A generation of undocumented immigrants receives a moment of safety following the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dreamers. A DACA recipient reflects on what’s next in an exclusive Q&A and poem.

Reprieve

A Brief

By EVANGELINE BRENNAN

T

he Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that grants undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children temporary protection from deportation. Despite attempts to walk back the program from the Trump administration, on Thursday, June 18, the Supreme Court found in a 5–4 ruling that the current administration had not sufficiently justified ending the program. While this decision can be repealed at any time with sufficient causation, for now, the Supreme Court has changed the lives of DACA recipients across the country. This news was met with great adulation from DACA participants and allies alike across the country as, for the first time since the Trumpera began, a generation of immigrants has been offered a small reprieve from persecution. Following a tumultuous time in legislative limbo, in which the Supreme Court considered the Trump administration’s petition to rescind the protections DACA offers early childhood arrivals, Tania Y. Solano Cervantes, a student at Saddleback College at the time, wrote a poem regarding the possibility that DACA would be repealed and how it would affect not only her—a childhood ar46

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rival herself—but also her loved ones and future generations of immigrants. I had the privilege of sitting down with Tania Y. Solano Cervantes to ask for her thoughts on DACA and her experience as an immigrant who has had to live in fear of not only being undocumented but also of the formation of stricter immigration policies from the current administration. When did you come to America and where did you immigrate from? I was born in Guerro, Mexico and I immigrated to the U.S. when I was only two months old. Do you consider yourself an American? Have you/would you be comfortable living anywhere else? I often find myself struggling to answer this question. On the one hand, I was raised knowing of my undocumented status; I was well aware that I was not a U.S. citizen and because of it, I felt un-“American.” On the other hand, although I am proud to be Mexican—I am very proud of where I come from and I honor my heritage—I can never call Mexico my home. As I mentioned earlier, I immigrated to the U.S. when I was 2 months old. I was brought to California by my parents as an

infant. Therefore, my life here in the U.S. is all I really know. It’s the only place I can call home, but this government often fails to recognize that. Immigration policies have never considered me as an “American,” it wants to rid me of this country by deporting me, and I grew up internalizing that. And for a long time, I did not feel comfortable living in Mexico or the U.S. because I felt like I did not belong anywhere. This is why advocacy for undocumented rights in America is so important to me because I know there are between 690,000800,000 DACA people who have struggled and continue to struggle with their nationality. Some of us have not stepped foot in our respective birth countries since we immigrated to the U.S. Few of us have forgotten or don’t speak our native tongues anymore. And most of us have lived the majority of our lives in the U.S. We (DACA people) don’t consider any other place “home” other than the U.S. So, no. I do not feel comfortable living anywhere else. Ultimately, in every way, shape, and form, DACA people are American. And it is time that we all acknowledge that; I am starting to, and this is why I will not stop until this country does, too.

Have you ever been afraid of deportation? If yes, can you describe that fear? I have always been afraid of deportation. However, lately, I have been more frustrated and angry than afraid. I can speak more about the vexation I have towards the risk of deportation. It just does not make sense to deport DACA people. It’s not going to fix any of the many issues of our immigration system. It’s not going to eliminate immigrants from this country because DACA recipients are only a fraction of that population. It’s going to cost millions of taxpayer money to fund ICE to deport us. It will strike our immigrant communities with this severe trauma as they watch their young DACA recipients be uprooted from their friends and families. Moreover, DACA people are so ingrained in our American society, economy, and culture. For instance, in terms of education, all of us have attended American schools (in fact, that is one of the main requirements to qualify for DACA). For the majority of DACA students, this country has funded our K-12 education via public schools. Now, as DACA students are entering college, earning degrees, and starting careers, we have so much to offer to this country because of the education that the U.S. has invested in us—and we want to contribute to this country! Currently, there are thousands of DACA people risking their lives and fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic as healthcare workers—are these the people this country is really willing to lose by deporting them? Again, it just doesn’t make sense to deport a cohort of people in whom this country has already vested in with protection from deportation. It just does not make any sense—economically, politically, socially, morally—to deport DACA recipients. What does the Supreme Court’s decision on DACA mean to you, in both a concrete sense

(i.e. how long are you protected by it) and abstractly (your feelings toward it)? So this is how DACA works: it is an immigration policy that protects people who immigrated to this country as children from deportation and grants them employment authorization that allows us to work legally with valid social security. But this is temporary. We (DACA recipients) must renew the application every two years, which includes a fee of $495 (revenue that the ICE collects). Some of the benefits, of course, include protection from deportation and being able to gain employment. In California, DACA students qualify for in-state tuition and financial aid, which I greatly benefit from. I get to keep my driver’s license! Older DACA recipients can get mortgages and start a family. Basically, anything that requires social security, but does not ask you to be a U.S. citizen, DACA people can participate in. In a concrete sense, the Supreme Court’s decision continues to allow this. Abstractly, however, I know that the Supreme Court’s decision does not make DACA permanent. This immigration policy continues to be temporary. At any moment, it can face the challenge of repeal again. In other words, the SCOTUS decision on DACA was a victory battle, but we are still at war. The fight for a path towards citizenship or something more permanent remains for DACA people. Also, my fear is that folks may be hesitant to apply for DACA for their first time because they realize that the application requires one to willingly share an undocumented

I was on the verge of a cliff, and SCOTUS was either going to push me off that cliff or pull me back into safety.

person’s information to an institution that, at any moment, can repeal and deport them. DACA, in general, is so strict and specific on who qualifies and who does not and, on top of that, with this current anti-immigration rhetoric and politics, many undocumented children and young adults may not benefit from DACA because their parents and families may feel that it is not a secured policy. Therefore, while the SCOTUS decision was a favorable outcome, there is still so much at stake. How did you react to the news that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of upholding DACA? I’ll be honest: I was not expecting the SCOTUS to rule in our favor. I was working on a protest committee who was in support of DACA and we have been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on the program for months. Throughout our planning meetings (virtually, of course), we always brought up the fact that the Supreme Court was currently a conservative majority and their ruling would jeopardize DACA. For months, I was on the verge of a cliff, and SCOTUS was either going to push me off that cliff or pull me back into safety—I was so moved when it picked the latter. I woke up to the news on June 18 and instantly a hard knot of emotion formed in my throat. I was not expecting it. And while the fight for a permanent DACA solution remains, the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of upholding DACA allowed me to just simply breathe in peace for once since this administration took office. How does DACA change your outlook for the future? What are your plans? The fight towards justice and equality does not stop with this DACA decision. We still have a long way. But the SCOTUS’s decision on DACA gives me hope that change is possible. The next step is, okay so how can we create a path of citizenship or a permanent solution for DACA people. More so, what comLariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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politics | Q&A

DACA rally outside the Supreme Court as DACA cases are heard within, November 2019.

prehensive immigration reform can Congress pass that will support thousands of uncounted, undocumented folks in this country that live day to day in fear of deportation and in limbo.

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What do you believe is the next step in immigration reform? I am now starting to learn how to defend myself from a government that continues to

disregard and marginalize immigrant communities in the U.S. And I am not just talking about this current administration. Immigration reform has been long overdue in the U.S. I will continue to advocate for this reform. One of my concerns is that once this administration is voted out of office, the public will feel that there is no direct threat affecting not just DACA recipients, but immigrant communities as a whole. Yes, a presidential term and conservative senate can be voted out, immigrants and undocumented folks will remain in this country. Let’s begin having discussions and advocating for comprehensive immigration reform that benefits not just DACA people, but immigrants and undocumented people in the U.S. In your poem, “Dream Repealed,” you give your visceral reaction to the possibility of DACA being walked back by the Trump administration and you mention the absence of the American Dream. As an immigrant, do you feel as if there is sometimes a double-standard when it comes to who is allowed to the American Dream? Is it something that can be afforded to everyone?

VICTORIA PICKERING

Do you believe DACA can be improved in any way? I appreciate that DACA is directed at young people who did not have a say in crossing borders “illegally,” but again it is not permanent policy, and very few people actually qualify for it. To apply for DACA, you need to verify your attendance in an American school and that you have/or will graduate high school, verify that you were less than 16 years when you immigrated to the U.S., you have to prove that you do not pose a threat to national security and public safety. Really, the initial application process is very scrutinizing, and if you don’t have the proper verification or paperwork, you are instantly rejected. In my opinion, many undocumented people deserve DACA. This government must take the immigrants who do not qualify for DACA into consideration and offer them similar solutions. I also think that DACA fails to be fair with those who do qualify. For instance, DACA people have to pay taxes, yet we do not qualify for

healthcare or federally funded programs. Public policies greatly affect DACA, yet we have no say in our democracy because we are not allowed to vote. It is also unfair rhetorically, as well. There is this common notion or public belief among certain political groups that declare DACA people as “illegal aliens.” It’s like, first off, we have not committed any crimes or illegal activities (we would not qualify for DACA if we did). DACA people had absolutely no autonomy in immigrating to this country. So stop acting like we are committing an “illegal act.” And even if we did have a say, there is nothing “illegal” about crossing borders in the search for a better life. Also, DACA people are not foreigners, we are so ingrained in American society, so stop calling us “aliens.” For instance, I am a DACA recipient and I bet I know our Constitution and Bill of Rights more than someone who is U.S. citizen. Labeling us as “illegals aliens” serves as a painful reminder that we are not welcome here or that we don’t deserve to be a part of this nation.

As you may know, DACA people are often referred to as “Dreamers.” I wrote “Dream Repealed” on Nov. 12, 2019, inspired by the Dreamers marching in the streets of Washington and in honor of the great American poet, Langston Hughes. This is the day the SCOTUS scheduled hearings for DACA after the administration’s rescission of the program. Personally, my immigration status has impacted my sense of well-being since I was a child. I grew up struggling to make sense of it, and, now that I am older and see/hear and understand things more clearly, I am garnering up the courage to share my experience in the hopes that others support us, Dreamers and all undocumented folks. Writing this poem is an example. And it worked. You [Evangeline] read this poem, partook in our car rally the day of the SCOTUS decision on DACA last week, and now she is interviewing me to share with others what it means to be a DACA recipient. And one thing I want to share, as written in my poem, is this sense of hopelessness that I feel about the American Dream. There is a double-standard when it comes to who is allowed to live the American Dream and not everybody can afford it. The American Dream has become more of a luxury than a right. In terms of immigration, those who qualify for visas, green cards come from privilege or have access to resources that grant them this possibility to go through the “legal” immigration process. A lot of Americans think this is a luxury all immigrants can afford and it is simply not true! Many immigrants

cross borders “illegally” because this is their only option for a better life. Ultimately, the American Dream exists, but let’s be mindful of who it serves today and who it has oppressed throughout history. I do want to add that DACA opens many opportunities for me that I would not have had if it were not for this program. But there are still so many barriers people such as myself face in this country: racism, the cycle of poverty, sexism, gentrification, voter suppression, educational inequity, suppressive labor rights, underserved communities, and misrepresentation or no representation at all in the media—the list never stops! And this is a reality for many minority groups out there. This poem is dedicated to those who have been unjustly robbed from their right to live the American Dream: of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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merica has largely been built on the premise of the “American dream,” an idea that anyone—regardless of where they were born or their economic status—can fulfill their idea of success in America through hard work and perseverance. It is a country that was supposed to welcome anyone, free from persecution, under the idea that people were created equal and with intrinsic rights. The Supreme Court’s decision on June 18, feels like a first step, of sorts, in the direction of the seemingly elusive idea that America is a country built on dreams and, finally, it’s time to welcome the dreamers.

Dream Repealed By TANIA Y. SOLANO CERVANTES inspired by Hughes and the Dreamers marching in the streets of Washington

America, the bold, the beautiful, the great, the land of the ​f r e e — where is the American Dream? for years We sang to your flag, We let you pull, twist, reverse Our mother tongue; she’s now h u r t — will We ever be enough? not red, not white, not blue We are a different shade for you Ourselves viewed less human than​ y o u — this land is not made for Us? living in the shadows, they say separated by walls every day no laws or pathways,​only u n c e r t a i n t y — why throw Us across the floor? D A C A — are We here to stay? not here, not there, — if not, then w h e r e? We are not welcomed We do not belong will Our dreams d r y u p — like a raisin in the sun?

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Taylor Swift’s folklore The icon pop-star reinvents herself for a second time

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aylor Swift gave us all an unexpected gift: her adorned eighth studio album folklore, uncharacteristically within 15 hours of its announcement. Swift, notorious for leaving easter eggs in songs, music videos, and social media posts, wrote on Instagram, “Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time, but the timeswe’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed,” upon the album’s announcement. A must-listen,

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folklore is by far Swift’s most experimental album, introducing influences of folk and alternative music, as well as a return to country. The album was written, recorded, and produced in its entirety during the state of self-quarantine many currently find themselves in, while Swift was set to tour around the United States and Europe for her seventh album, Lover. Credits for folklore include collaborations with Aaron Dessner, Bon Iver, William Bowery (believed to be a pseudonym for Swift’s boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn), and Jack Antonoff; addi-

tionally, engineered by Laura Sisk and Jon Low and mixed by Serban Ghenea and Jon Low. In another post about her new album, Swift writes about the creative process for folklore, “In isolation, my mind has run wild and this album is the result, a collection of songs and stories that flowed like a stream of consciousness.” She goes on to explain that writing the album provided a “way of escaping into fantasy, history, and memory” during the state of lockdown in most parts of the world this past spring and summer. The concept of the al-

REPUBLIC RECORDS; MARCEN27; ODDS & EDNDS

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bum stems from images and visuals that Swift claims “popped into my mind” and eventually developed into characters, some real, some entirely made up, and others a combination of both. Deviating from her past albums, Swift masterfully slips into alternate personas for the majority of the album, writing and singing from the many perspectives of said characters. Habitually, Swift’s songs and albums in the past have predominantly resulted from personal experiences, relationships, stories, and widely criticized dramas. Folklore also veers from its predecessors on genre. She rose to fame in the music industry through country music with herfirst three studio albums Taylor Swift, Fearless,​ ​and Speak Now. With Red, Swift began her transition from country to pop, flawlessly reinventing herself with fifth album, 1989. Marking another genre change for Swift, folklore ventures into “alternative music,” as iTunes labels it, containing tinges of folk, pop, and country. Many see this album as a way for Swift to revisit those country roots, even if only as country-adjacent. As unexpected as this redirection of genres is, it seems like a natural progression for Swift; with its noticeable country and pop influences, folklore feels like a natural maturation of Swift’s sound. However, only time will tell if this will be only a temporary diversion from pop music. A new sound for Swift, folklore is saturated with a blend of sweet, dreamy vocals, skillful use of a mellotron, cozy acoustic guitar riffs, and soothing piano melodies, as well as sprinkled with bouts of cello, saxophone, and notably, the harmonica. Simultaneously, the album ably maintains the familiar storytelling expertise of Swift’s song writing. Perhaps the most experimental song “betty” is reminiscent of Swift’s country days, opening with a bright, folk-style

music | taste guitar pattern paired with a glaring harmonica melody. As it continues, more country-esque instruments arrive along with gradual layers of percussion, bass, and subtle piano, beautifully filling the track. Swift manages to evoke feelings of nostalgia and familiarity in this one with a concept and writing style comparable to Swift’searly music, quintessentially “Tim McGraw.” As one of the few upbeat, cheery songs on the album, “betty” stands out from others on folklore, which largely take on a more mature tone and voice as well as a rather minimalistic, soft sound. Taylor Swift’s folklore marks a possible new beginning for the artist, as she manages to effortlessly delve into an entirely new genre with complete ease. Largely accepted as Swift’s most mature album, its success marks the largest female debut on global Spotify, ranking second to Drake’s Scorpion. Born out of self-isolation due to this year’s unprecedented pandemic, folklore showcases Swift’s imaginative capabilities as a lyricist and melodist, once again, proving she’s an adept songwriter and performer in any genre, unbound by labels like country or pop-star. ISABELLE DIAZ

Swift performing in 2015.

ODDS & ENDS

Their Album What Are the Odds? is an Unsung Hero

Colette Lush R&B extraordinaire drops hits as fire as her red locks

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efore gracing Lush with the three golden tickets to Hollywood, sit-ting judge Jennifer Lopez turns to Keith Urban and says, “I feel like Carrie Underwood just walked in here.” Twenty-four-year-old self-pro-claimed “ironically soulful ginger” caught her biggest break in American Idol’s 2016 season, winning judges’ hearts with her rendition of the Jackson Five’s “Who’s Lovin’ You.” Fast forward four years, and she now has 10 original tracks across multiple platforms with seven of those appearing on her 2018 mixtape, Seven-One. This mixtape is a no skips, bop only type of project. Her smooth, sultry vocals paired with R&B beats will have any listener feeling themselves. Groovy, hip shaking tracks like “High” and “Cry” are perfectly counterbalanced by deeply personal and emotional tracks such as “Save Yourself ” and “Please,” taking her listeners on an honest and intimate journey through her relationship trials. Lush crushes the game in visual, as well as musical style. As an indie artist, she is faced with task of creating much of her brand herself. “I like every-thing to have the vibe of kind of vintage and kind of ratchet,” she tells Irvine Weekly when describing her visuals. With over 70,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Colette Lush is the R&B dream girl you need to know. MARIAH MILLER

FOUNDED IN 2018 BY A GROUP of high school students from San Clemente, California, Odds & Ends is likely a rock band you’ve never heard of but should start listening to … immediately. Reminiscent of both ’80s and early 2000s blues-rock, like The White Stripes— sans synthesizer—Odds & Ends currently utilizes electric guitar solos from lead guitarist Ashton Minnich, a heavy drum beat courtesy of their drummer Indy Minnich, the occasional spoken-word feel to lyrics from lead vocalist Foster Poling, and a subtle but killer bassist Hudson Poling. There have been a few band member changes throughout the past two years, but the culminating sound has resulted in music that inspires head banging with each chord progression and guitar solo. Their music can be found on Apple Music and Spotify at Odds & Ends, but, sadly the “Odds & Ends” Spotify page hosting their material seems to be a catchall for music by various bands given the same moniker. It is the latest album on the page, published March 24, and titled What Are the Odds? that is the band’s debut full-length album, which contains a combination of fan favorites, including the bangers “What’s the Deal?” and “So Tough” (both adopted from their 2019 demo album) and “Place to Hide (Feelin’ So).” EVANGELINE BRENNAN

Demo album at OddsAndEndSSC.bandcamp.com / @oddsandendss

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taste | the scene

ORANGE CO U N TY

coverage of these extremist fans amassed the coverage of those with opposing views, and although hardcore gangs successfully formed in the 1990s to violently push the neo-Nazis off their platform, the stigma remains today. “Hardcore punk has always been about honoring integrity when households, governments, and social relationships fail,” says Eric Giordani, Orange County resident and longtime heavy metal-punk enthusiast. While sitting down with Giordani, he speaks about an interesting and oftentimes overlooked branch of hardcore fans. “Despite the conflicting perceptions, common lyrics discuss struggles with mental health, being unapologetically true to one’s identity, resisting corruption against institutions and government, social justice, and staying drug- and alcohol-free,” he says. “In fact, one of the subcultures of hardcore punk is the ‘straight-edge’ scene, also represented as ‘XXX.’ This scene is so prevalent that the straight-edge hardcore scene is often referred to as ‘HxC,’ where the ‘X’ represents the straight-edge foundation. People who identify with HxC are also commonly vegan and actively promote activism against animal cruelty.” Twenty-year-old straightedge artist Jenn Guinevere the punk scene “has always been a platform for the oppressed,” she says. The music can stand on its own while others “find communities and seek self-improvement.” “It’s a place where kids with broken homes can let their frustrations out and meet with those alike,” she says. “It can also be a platform for activists to speak out about injustices, or a place where people can just let loose after an uptight shift at work. Most people in the scene are friendly, and it’s good to have friends in the mosh pit when the crowd gets wild.” Guinevere laughs as she recalls memories of shows, pre-quarantine, that got out of hand. Most of the time, crowds and stage presence are high energy, so mosh pits are always expected, especially for the headlining bands. “Limbs flailing everywhere and bodies diving off stage is the best part of the show,” Giordani says. “Light injuries are common. Down-tuned guitars and palm mutes make people rabid.” Although mosh pits seem like a cracked skull waiting to happen, there is a rule of thumb the majority of pit goers seem to follow. Holding lost items over one’s head for others to find, no moshing outside the pit into the standing crowd, and no throwing things are just a few examples of basic rules known throughout the community. Knowing they can absolutely lose their shit without fear for their lives is the

The Golden Coast is in the midst of a major shift in punk culture for a new generation ready for more

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hile being tossed around in a pit of sweat with strangers stage diving onto your head unannounced isn’t everyone’s ideal concert going experience, it is a welcomed trill for the hardcore music scene. For Orange County, the somewhat underground culture is very much a thriving community made up of queer folk, activists, and straight-edge vegans. While misconceptions circulate, fans and even some bands themselves, have been adamant in changing the perception of the scene. People unfamiliar with the culture are quick to assume hardcore shows are composed of drug-addicted degenerates who may also be anarchists or neo-Nazis. This train of thought stems back to the neo-Nazi skinhead movement born in 1980s United States as they expressed their hatred via hardcore punk. The media 52

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KAT NIJMEDDIN

HARDCORE

kind of controlled chaos that keeps people coming back to the shows. The most popular venue in Orange County to find hardcore punk shows is Chain Reaction in Anaheim. The space is small and intimate with no stage barricades, a blessing for stage divers. “Many shows are also played in record stores, since it is inexpensive and easygoing for the bands and attendees,” says Andrew Marquez, a 23-year-old from Garden Grove. Programme Skate & Sound in downtown Fullerton, which sells a variety of hardcore vinyls, CDs, and cassettes is one such place. Fullerton is home to a booming community of HC and punk lovers. Another legendary record store, previously a venue, is Black Hole Records. Then there’s another famous worldwide hardcore band from the 1980s: Adolescents, formed in Fullerton.

An energetic crowd piles on top of one another together during a DARE show at Toxic Toast in Long Beach. A fan backflips on stage during a Turnstile show at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California.

In most recent times, DARE, another Fullerton band, is rapidly growing a fan base. They aim to empower the straight-edge community while urging the youth to resist social pressures, especially given the destruction that drugs caused in their homes. Paying homage to their humble beginnings, DARE’s latest album Welcome to the OC released in late 2019. To an outsider, the tree hugging do-gooders don’t easily fit the stereotypical punk rocker. But once you learn what the music is about, you begin to understand the anger behind each scream and growl. And the infectious energy and emotion in those sweaty mosh pits transforms into something as reasonable as a glass of wine with dinner or a good cry after a hard day. MARIAH MILLER LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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taste | movies Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi in 1993’s Super Mario Bros.

Kissing Booth 2 Takes Off Where the First Ends

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Pick Your Mushroom Why video game-to-movie adaptations are just as lousy as movies turned into video games

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ith the recent release of The Witcher on Netflix, starring Henry Cavill, film studios are trying to find a positive reception towards a major motion picture or a Netflix original made from a video game. Hollywood’s attempt to legitimize the turn from video game material to the silver screen has been mostly negative. The first movie that forced the question will video game movies ever be good, is 1993’s Super Mario Bros. and it’s most recognized for being a major box office failure. The film has no resemblance at all of the quirky and charismatic Italian plumbers played on a Nintendo video game cartridge at home. The movie antagonist, Bowser, is played by Dennis Hopper, donning blonde icy-tips and wearing a burgundy zoot suit, who more resembles a villain from a Dick Tracy comic than a cartoonish fiery lizard-dragon. The movie garners responses like the Wired calling it “the worst marriage between [video games] and Hollywood.” Since the Super Mario Bros. film, there have been over 30 films released based on video games. With the release of Tomb Raider, Rampage, Detective Pikachu, and Sonic the Hedgehog, it seems the trend of video games turned into movies will continue. So, if you’re wondering why movies based on video games are still being made, even with the films low review score or having a high chance to flop at the box office. It’s because film franchises like Resident Evil and its six films which haven’t gained a positive reception from critics but has

thrived with its cult following. Each film earned at least $100 million at the box office in 2002 and it was the second film based on a video game to do so since 1995’s Mortal Kombat. From 2002-2017 the Resident Evil franchise total budget of all films was $288 million. At the global box office, it has earned over $1.2 billion. It doesn’t matter about the reception, there will always be an audience for something. And that’s why studios will continue to push more movies out that are based on video games. This is due to the video game medium surpassing the film industry’s monetary value and continuing to gain more consumers by the day. So, movies will take more from video games than video games take from movies. Video games became a main target for major film studios to bring more consumers to the cinema. Deals were then made between major gaming companies to license their films for games to create new forms of transmedia storytelling in some titles like Star Wars Episode III or the Matrix Reloaded, but most titles have fallen flat transferring to a new media. Some game companies have gone bankrupt, due to acquiring film deals. Back in 1982, E.T. was released on the Atari 2600. The company released the game, believing it would be an innovative adaption from film and it destroyed the company. The game is known to be the worst game ever created by IGN and Polygon as an utter commercial failure. It was a main contributor to the video game crash of 1983, where multiple major gaming studios went bankrupt. Because the game was rushed to release for the 1982 holiday season and was a last-minute deal before the holidays between Steven Spielberg

MAIN PHOTO: BUENA VISTA PICTURES; OTHERS; NETFLIX

THIS TEEN GIRL ANGST STORY balances the relationships of friends and a long-distance romantic love. Elle’s boyfriend has left for Harvard and her senior year is filled with handsome hunks with six-packs ripping off their shirts. The lead role of Elle (Joey King) carries the film. She is relatable and empathetic. Her only downfall is that she is living a barely believable fantasy that reminds one of Pretty in Pink for the next generation. Notably, Molly Ringwald plays her boyfriend’s mother. This film takes notes from heavy hitters Mean Girls and Clueless; it’s a rich girl high school fantasy that has her best friend driving her to school in a new convertible. And how high can that uniform skirt go? The talking! More teenagers with astoundingly expressive verbal acuity and maturity hoaxes the audience. Face it—rarely are adults able to get this honest about their feelings and resolve their issues without therapy. This film leans heavily on the same conflict formula as The Kissing Booth and then ties up the loose strings to give that “happily ever after” that is a must for certain ages. Tweenagers will love it! However, it is a formulaic bore for most audiences and unbelievable for anyone past that age. If you loved The Kissing Booth do yourself a favor and watch it twice. This is a better waste of your time as The Kissing Booth 2 never quite gets you to laugh and much of the acting falls flat. LORIE SHULTZ

movies | taste and Atari for $25 million, leading the company to over $500 million ($1.6 billion, today) in debt. The first problem, the game was made in less than two months and they made over five million copies thinking that the game would sell like bananas; they were wrong. The game was a mess, E.T. looked like a brown stick figure sliding around a dull landscape of basic shapes and uncanny realism. And the people spoke, they were not going to pay $60 or more, which by inflation today it’s almost a $100, for a single game. This almost destroyed video games for good, Atari made a bad bet that cinema popularity will equate to success in another form of media and it lost. They sold only 1.5 million copies and games were dead for the next two years. Video games went from $3 billion business to a $100 million business in just a few years. Then, video games went into the dark. When video games rose from the ashes, the continuation of cinema trying to influence themselves into video games came back. Not only did Hollywood want to make a comeback they wanted to prevent a situation like the Atari E.T. catastrophe. So, some film companies started their own gaming publisher. Today, most have gone bankrupt or disappeared due to poor sales and reception from audiences. Companies like LucasArts, owned by George Lucas (Star Wars, American Graffiti), before the Disney acquisition of 2012 and Disney Interactive failed to last. The one thriving film studio that is still relevant today and that is Sony. Sony Pictures has the right to market and display any Sony Pictures film likeness or personality into any video game as they please. The Sony PlayStation brought the multi-media company to the video game space and has thrived for over 25 years and now it looks to release their upcoming PlayStation 5. Sony even owns certain rights to Spider-Man and models the superhero as its own mascot. Proof of this would be the choice to design the logo for their third console with the Spider-Man movie font style. What’s worse: a film studio turned game publisher that is unaware of the market and shuts down its multiple gaming studios because it didn’t turn out as they planned it, or games made about films that almost destroy a form of media that will be forever cherished for eternity? Both have hurt each other and are still continuing in some capacity. Today, while under quarantine, movie production is at a standstill and video game production continues as designers, artists, producers all work from home while the pandemic ravages on. What is the next move for Hollywood when video games are lapping cinema on the track of relevance and it doesn’t seem to stop anytime soon? Cinema is going to gamble more than ever when trying to attract away an audience with material that poorly mimics the multi-million-dollar production on a video game title and makes the consumer gamble $15 for a ticket to some mess like Super Mario Bros., Hitman, or Assassin’s Creed. FRANK ROCHA

The Old Guard

Immortality, the New Superpower

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hat gives the team of The Old Guard a oneup on superheroes? They can defy death! Superheroes can die (like in Batman vs. Superman and a whole bunch of others in Avengers Infinity Wars) but the army of The Old Guard has immortality ... well, until they don’t ... OK, it’s complicated. With the intense action-packed fight sequences and cringe-worthy special effects as massive wounds miraculously heal, this film entertains and leaves everyone wanting more despite the weaker plotline. Andromache of Scythia (Charlize Theron), or Andy as she prefers, serves as the Old Guard’s battle ax welding leader. She leads a team of three, Booker (Matthias Schoenaertz), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) who all have the ability to come back to life like she does. They have spent centuries fighting for what they believe will help better the world. This honorable purpose, however, results in Andy questioning if what they do truly benefits the world or if it just makes things worse, especially when some discover their special “ability” and seek to take advantage of them. As predictable as ever, Steven Merrick (Harry Melling), a greedy billionaire CEO of a pharmaceutical company wants to discover the secret to their immortality for, as he claims, a purely humanitarian reason for helping others, but, in truth, merely wishes to benefit himself. What weakens the plotline is the whole reason the team of immortals gets captured. In the film, Joe expresses the collective group’s biggest fear, that of getting captured and locked away for hundreds of years. Well—spoiler alert—why would Booker, one of their own, betray them, getting everyone captured, himself included? Remorse immediately fills him and he has a change of heart. It just seems a little far fetched given the closeness and loyalty shared among the four friends. Despite the plot’s weakness, fans will be

happy to know that the story stays true to the original comics written by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez with only a few minor tweaks and some “beefing up’’ of certain character’s backstories. While the plot might lack in certain areas, the fight sequences more than make up for it. The action sequences are exciting, fresh, and give this film the cool factor. Fight coordinator Danny Hernandez and his team shine while making each sequence feel different by incorporating a variety of fight tactics and weapons both ancient and modern. Thanks to Hernandez, Andy, likely an expert in every martial art and combat technique known to man, has a whole arsenal of unique and powerful combat moves she uses. After all, as the oldest immortal, she has had time to perfect her skill. Theron executes these moves brilliantly and the cinematography allows for the appreciation of her skill. For the Academy and Golden Globe-winning actress, who tends to star in films that highlight female strength and power, this role fits right up her alley and she did not disappoint. An incredibly strong performance is also given by Kiki Layne who plays Nile, who recently discovered she, too, possesses immortality. As the newbie immortal, the audience can connect most with her character. The other supporting cast of Schoenaertz, Kenzari, Marinelli, and Ejiofor also deliver great performances. The special effects add a very notable highlight. Despite the logical knowledge that healing wounds and resetting bones within seconds is impossible, the special effects of this film make it seem realistic enough to have viewers cringing in awe. The seamlessness of these edits are what elevate the idea of invincibility up to the superpower level. There remains, however, a chance of immortality being lost. Flashbacks give glimpses of the immortals and how they have lived their lives, but leave viewers with many questions and wanting more. A lot has been left unturned which begs the question “will this be the start to the next big franchise”? The stage is set for a sequel, but only time will tell. After all, what is time to someone who can live forever? TRACY SPYKERMAN

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taste | television

10 Foreign Netflix Series to Binge Now By EVANGELINE BRENNAN 1. QUICKSAND | Swedish

2. SEX EDUCATION | English

A spectacular coming-of-age series that is rife with drama. Otis, one of the main characters, is faced with finding his place in the world of his high school. He finds himself following in the footsteps of his mother, a sex therapist, despite being embarrassed by her profession. The series obviously includes various issues when it comes to sex, but also topics like finding one’s place in the world, learning to be who you are, and coming out. It’s clever and funny and yet still manages to cover some very serious subject matters without making them seem daunting. TV Rating: MA for nudity, minor violence, language, smoking, alcohol use, nongraphic sexual assault Length: 2 seasons, 16 episodes thus far, with another on the way, rumored to release next January 56

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3. HOW TO SELL DRUGS ONLINE (FAST) | German

It can be really hard to root for the drug dealer, but somehow How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) does it. It gives us Moritz, the perfect underdog to root for, a young man recently dumped by his girlfriend on her return from a study abroad trip. Moritz is a fly-under-the-radar kind of guy who is consistently undermined and it makes us hope with him. Add a great sense of humor and a unique show editing style that incorporates social media handles and video games to the more mundane transition scenes and you have your next binge watch sesh on Netflix. TV Rating: MA for sex, nudity, language, smoking, substance abuse Length: 2 seasons, 12 episodes 4. THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD | English

In this Bonnie and Clyde-esque show, two teens on the cusp of adulthood find themselves in some very deep waters after running away from home. James and Alyssa, the two protagonists, seem to bring out the best in each other despite the terrible trouble they find themselves in and it makes them strangely likable despite their beginnings as an assumed psychopath and a confrontational “nymphomaniac” (James’ word). One to watch for sure. TV Rating: MA for violence, language, mild sexual content Length: 2 seasons, 16 episodes

5. THE HOCKEY GIRLS | Catalan

A coming-of-age TV show about a girls’ roller hockey team that is fighting to keep their team together in the face of a club president who wants to disband them to focus on the boys’ team. While the sports show surprisingly doesn’t devote much screen time to montages of hockey games, there is plenty of action. The first episode focuses on the injustice the girls face when compared to the boys’ team and, while that is an underlying issue that makes reappearances throughout the series, the personal issues of the girls and their families take center stage. TV Rating: MA for nudity, language, smoking Length: 1 season, 13 episodes 6. BABY | Italian

Centering around the lives of Chiara, Ludovica, and Damiano, three Italian high school students who find themselves seduced by the idea of freedom from their everyday lives. They soon find themselves trapped in the dark world that hides behind the facade of their Roman neighborhood. It contains drugs and prostitution and yet still somehow makes the drama of high school seem just as important. TV Rating: MA for nudity, language, smoking Length: 3 seasons, 18 episodes

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The show opens in the aftermath of a school shooting and follows the investigation and trial of one of the suspected shooters, Maja. The show itself is told in a series of flashbacks and present-day moments as Maja is forced to reflect on the events of that day. This is an incredibly heavy show that shows just how easily someone can become trapped in a situation with seemingly no way of escaping. From the way the story is told through flashbacks to the unreliable main character, this series, as its title suggests, will grip you like quicksand. If you can handle the heaviness of the subject matter, I would say that Quicksand is an absolute must-watch, giving Sex Education a run for its money, which isn’t an easy feat. TV Rating: MA for nudity, violence, language, smoking, sexual assault, substance abuse Length: 1 season, 6 episodes

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PRO TIP: While many Netflix TV shows offer an English audio option, try listening to the show in its original language. No offense to the voice actors, they are just doing the best they can, but they rarely match the tone or intonation of the original actor.

Hanna Ardéhn leads the cast of Netflix Original Quicksand. 7. CURON | Italian

If horror and thriller are your things, look no further. Set in a small Italian town, Curon follows the lives of fraternal twins Daria and Mauro as they try to understand the mysteries of the town and its legends after their mother goes missing shortly after they move. It has its spine-tingling moments, but the fact that the series gets its start from urban legends of the real-life town of Curon makes it all the more hair-raising. TV Rating: MA for language, smoking, some sexual content Length: 1 season, 7 episodes 8. VAMPIRES | French

Someone at Netflix really wants vampire-mania to make a come back with the release of V Wars and the aptly-named Vampires, and it may be working. Vampires grips you with each episode. Much like the half-vampire and half-human protagonist Doina, the show strikes a great balance between light and dark. It’s one of those few shows that, while being heavy in nature, still manages to incorporate brief moments of levity that keeps the show from fully succumbing to the dark subject matter. TV Rating: MA for sex, nudity, language, sexual violence, smoking Length: 1 season, 6 episodes

Television Shouldn’t Be This Good Angely Gaviria travels through time in Always a Witch. 9. BLOOD & WATER | English

Set in South Africa, Blood & Water focuses on Puleng, a high school girl whose sister was kidnapped soon after birth 17 years ago. At a party, Puleng meets Fikile, a girl who seemingly has it all who Puleng suspects is her long lost sister. The show starts off a little slow but has a really interesting mystery that Puleng tries to solve with each episode. TV Rating: MA for language, smoking, some sexual content Length: 1 season, 6 episodes 10. ALWAYS A WITCH | Spanish

Time-traveling witch Carmen searches for a way back to her own time to save the love of her life. It has so much potential and, while it is strong in general, there are a few inconsistencies in the rules of the world, like if Carmen could appear in photos, what time period Aldemar is from, and what stealing a shadow does to a witch. Even if the writers have sorted this information out, it should be expressed to the audience especially when these rules are later tested. If you can look past those smaller problems, though, it’s a pretty strong show. It juggles serious issues like slavery and death without focusing on them. Lighthearted supernatural shows are hard to come by these days, so, if you like the world of witches but don’t necessarily love watching them deal with Lucifer and Hell à la Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Always a Witch is the show for you. TV Rating: TV-14 for suicide, substances, language, smoking Length: 2 seasons, 18 episodes

IN 2014, THE 100 FEATURED 100 kids and teens expelled from their home orbiting Earth to test the planet’s radiation levels 92 years after a nuclear war. Seven seasons later, the journey ended on Sept. 30, featuring unique plots each season. A major strength is character evolution; some might not seem lovable at first, but they become your favorites. Season 1 establishes the 100 delinquents’ resettlement on Earth. A leader arises: Clarke Griffin (Eliza Taylor), and brother-sister duo Bellamy (Bob Morley) and Octavia (Marie Avgeropoulos) wreak their own Lord of the Flies havoc. Come season 2, the Ark survivors and the 100 work together on Earth, stirring up trouble with the locals and survivor hostile environmental changes. As the series progresses, the 100 delves deeper into the primitive culture of the planet, especially the politics and lore of the 13 Earth clans, lead by Leksa kom Trikru (Alycia Debnam-Carey). The series covers various topics, from technological advances to nuclear annihilation, even going off world in search a new planets to colonizes. It’s never dull, and those characters keep the series grounded in reality, even while the events become more sci-fi. MILAN MURRAY

LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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taste | resturants

Paper menus are given to customers to reduce the spread of germs.

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ow, months into our “new normal”, Orange County is having to adapt to dining out taking on a new meaning. While some restaurants were equipped for dining al fresco with patio seating, others were designed solely for an in-house experience. Award-winning, sister restaurants, Dublin 4 Gastro Pub and Wine Works for Everyone are two examples of such restaurants. Right here in Mission Viejo, the family-owned, and operated establishments were one of the many businesses tasked with the challenge of creating a safe outdoor space that customers could dine. As a repeat customer myself, I can tell you I was not ready to give up their beautiful cocktails or their lamb and goat cheeseburger—I 58

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type as I drool over my keyboard. Thankfully, the Coyle family and staff acted quickly to ensure their numerous regulars wouldn’t have to go long without their favorites. “The start of COVID-19 brought a lot of uncertainty. As a small business, there were so many immediate concerns and emotions like ‘How long will this last?’ ‘Is my family safe?’ ‘Will we be able to survive financially to re-open?” says, Drew Coyle, restaurant manager. Along with other restaurants at the beginning of this mess, Dublin and Wine Works transitioned to a full take out model to try and limit the interactions with customers. Coyle attributes their regulars’ continued support during that time keeping them afloat until dining establishments were allowed to open with safety guidelines in place.

When news broke that restaurants would be allowed to open so long as seating distances were six feet apart and employees would wear protective gear, Coyle and his staff had to transition again. Dublin and Wine Works are set in small and intimate settings, so having to get rid of half the seating was a hit. Probably one of the biggest downsides was the loss of the bar that Coyle worked at himself. It wasn’t possible to keep a six-foot distance from anyone at the bar top, so that was closed completely, which was a disappointment for many who visited the bar specifically for the opportunity to speak with him and his other bartenders while they worked. “As a bartender, I definitely miss the face-to-face interaction and conversation at the bar top.

To build and create a cocktail, based on the sense and personality of a guest, is a huge part of mixology. The saying ‘A smile is worth a thousand words’ has never meant so much in these times within our industry. I miss that,” he says. This most recent shift has shown us the true grit and innovation of the service industry. In early July, Gavin Newsome announced that all indoor dining would need to be immediately ceased, which had restaurants all over scrambling, yet again, to transition to patio/outdoor dining only. “We hear of all closures and guidelines no earlier than the general public does. Only a few hours before opening, we had heard we were no longer able to accommodate our reservations inside once

MARIAH MILLER; JACOB CASTRO

Dublin 4 Works for Everyone

Harvest Restaurant The fine dining experience goes outside during state shutdowns

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OVID-19 may have ruined the dining experience for many, but at The Ranch Laguna Beach’s Harvest restaurant, that would be next to impossible. Although this restaurant is abiding by all of the safety guidelines and regulations to keep their guests safe and their doors open, the service and ambiance of the restaurant hasn’t taken a back step whatsoever. In fact, you could argue that the ambiance in particular, is better than ever. The restaurant abides by the strict COVID-19 laws that

apply to all food and beverage businesses at the moment. The tables are spread out wide to encourage social distancing, guests are not allowed in the restaurant without having a mask, and they moved their entire restaurant outside, after California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, ordered all indoor bars and restaurants to re-close, due to a spike in coronavirus cases. Now, Harvest overlooks a beautiful 9-hole golf course, making the ambiance second to none. The scenery is also amazing. With a large mountain essential-

ly engulfing this entire location, you almost get reminded of the beautiful luscious green mountains that are all over Hawaii. Aside from the beautiful view, the food and service at this restaurant is great as well. They feature a variety of delicious appetizers, entrees, and desserts. From duck drums, to pork chops and fried chicken, to butter cake and creme brûlée for dessert, their menu is truly unique and hard to come by. One dish Harvest is known for is their duck drums which is an appetizer. Many people have told me about them in the past, and when I finally got my chance to try, they lived up to the hype. They are absolutely delicious and unlike anything I’ve ever had before. They are a tad bit spicy though, so if you don’t enjoy spicy, these may not be for you. As far as entrees go, my favorite item on the menu is the grilled eye of the ribeye. The beef is sourced from Snake River Farms, and the quality of the meat speaks for itself. The dish is served with a sweet corn risotto, java beans, asparagus and a chipotle-lime butter. If you visit this restaurant upon my recommendation, I’d suggest you try this delicious and savory entree. I personally asked the restaurants executive chef, Kyle St. John, what he recommends off the menu. He recommended the pork chops, fried chicken, and the duck drums. Don’t bother wasting your time and money at those other restaurants in Laguna Beach that may gauge you just because of the location by giving you an over priced, under par menu with poor service. Enjoy the best restaurant in Laguna Beach that has an exquisite menu, beautiful ambiance, excellent service, and prices that are more than fair for the quality of food served. They truly deliver. JACOB CASTRO LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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HARVEST INSTAGRAM (LEFT), MARIAH MILLER (RIGHT)

again, in which we had to build a fully serviceable parking lot patio. Our staff made this happen quickly and safely without question,” says Coyle. “Our outside patio was made by laying turf in our parking lot, allowing us to have an occupancy of 65 guests, half of our usual. We built furniture, umbrellas, planted flowers, and hung stringing lights to create an atmosphere where you could enjoy, even in a parking lot.” In total, these renovations cost the family $3,740 with the costliest item being the grass turf. The expenses, while difficult, weren’t the only challenge with outdoor dining. The July heat brought its own destruction. Tables that were used inside actually began to slowly warp in the hot sun and Coyle was forced to buy furniture made for weathering the elements. I took my mom to the now combined Dublin and Wine Works parking lot for drinks and apps one night and the outdoor dining experience was no different than the usual fabulous food and service we are used to. Eating in the open air made us both feel more at ease and our server wore protective gear and was doing everything by the book when it came to cleaning tables and keeping her distance from us and other customers. The décor made us forget we were in a parking lot and it kept the same classy impression as it always has. Coyle and his staff keep a radiantly positive attitude during these constant transitions and are clearly ready to face anymore coming their way. “From learning, training, and adapting to these guidelines, I truly could not applaud our entire staff enough in this conversation. Almost five weeks later, they are continuing to provide a safe and healthy dining experience. We are all in this together. Health, love, and happiness overcome all.” MARIAH MILLER

Do Pants Even Matter Anymore? That strange moment sweatpants and other comfortable clothing took over work attire (at least below the belt, that is)

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or every zoom conference call or work conference meeting, most of us are in the comfort of our cozy clothes or lounge wear while we work. While our denim jeans lye in our closets, collecting dust next to that summer luggage. What is the purpose to keep them? Could it be the nostalgic past of the average blue collard individual or could jeans disappear for good? As the months continue, under quarantine jeans are in less demand than ever. According to the Levi Strauss Jeans Brand at the stock market proves that jeans are dying. Before the quarantine began in February, the average share was 20. Today the average share is 12, a 80% decrease in share value. Other Brands that are known for loungewear or comfy work out attire, like Lululemon are thriving through the pandemic. Unlike Levi Strauss, the Lululemon company shares are thriving on the market. Before the pandemic, Lululemon average share was 260 and today a share values at 325 a 25% increase in one quarter. 60

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And the trend of its shares will continue to increase while the pandemic stretches on. Even commercials like to poke fun at the idea of people not wearing pants during work hours from home. But as you might be reading in your older comfy pair of sweatpants or loungewear, it provides comfort in a time of uncertainty. As conditions get worse, someone wants to wear even more pieces of comfort. People are looking for any kind of relief possible, and the answer is not the skin tightening, blood constricting, sweat inducing, and uncomfortable pant legs making it impossible to binge any form of media. Here is to comfortable clothing and how it might loosen the ideas of proper attire. Pants once equated to the hardworking, blue collard individual, but today its one who holds onto the past. The hardworking person might not need pants to work anymore, but it doesn’t mean we are going to be throwing away soon. When consumers see rise in the stock market for Levi’s is when the economy and the workplace eases back to normalcy. FRANK ROCHA

FRANK ROCHA; PIKEST; YOMNA BORG

juice

get out | juice

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olorado, known as the California of the Midwest has many popular tourist destinations ranging from ski towns, the famous sand dunes, hikes going up to fourteen thousand feet in elevation, amusement parks, sports teams, concerts at Red Rocks and many more activities people can do in their spare time. A flight from John Wayne Airport to Denver International takes about two and a half hours with the time-zone change, while the drive is around 15-17 hours depending on how much you stop. A pro: it’s a scenic drive, and you get to drive through many different states. So here are all the many activities the state has to offer. Ski towns. There are hundreds of ski-mountain towns to go to in Colorado that offer great winter and summer activities. The majority

Hot Spots in Colorado of ski-mountain resorts in Colorado are under a three-hour drive West of Denver. According to the Vail Mountain Resort, you can ski and snowboard ($130/day), hike, cycle, go on brewery tours (free to $20,) go tubing ($45 for three runs), or get an adventure pass and try the mountain coaster and scene gondola ($75). Colorado sand dunes. Believe it or

not, Colorado actually is home to the tallest dunes in North America. The Great Colorado Sand Dunes is about a seven hour drive south of Denver. According to the National Park Service, you can camp ($11-$20 a night), hike, go tubing on the river or go sand boarding, and sand sledding (free to $15 rentals). 14ers. Colorado is home to hundred of hiking trails known as 14ers

that go up to 14,000 feet in elevation and offer some amazing views. Per 14ers.com, you can hike Grays Peak (7.5 miles), Mt. Elbert (9.5 miles), Pines Peak (24 miles), Castle Peak (13.5 miles), Mt. Bross (3.25 miles), Mt. Yale (9.50 miles), Longs Peak (14.5 miles), Wilsons Peak (10 miles), Crestone Needle (12 miles), North Maroon Peak (9.25 miles), Mt. Wilson (16.00 miles), and Little Bear Peak (14 miles). Amusement parks. There are also many amusement parks in Colorado that people of all ages can enjoy. Most of these amusement parks are located in Denver or just a short drive outside of Denver. Here are some amusement parks you can enjoy: Elitch Gardens and Water Park (Denver, $70/person), Water World (Denver, $25/person), Great Wolf lodge (Colorado Springs, four Hours south of Denver, free entry).

Sports events. Denver is home to some of the most talented and fun to watch sports teams out there. All these teams are located in Denver, Colorado. You can enjoy watching these home teams playing baseball (Colorado Rockies), football (Denver Broncos) or basketball (Denver Nuggets). Red Rocks. Finally, Red Rocks amphitheater is a world renowned concert venue where people from all around the world come to see the best artists perform. The drive from Denver is only 30 minutes. The average ticket to Red Rocks costs about $100. Here are some of the most notable performers through the years: Radiohead (2003), The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1968), The Beatles (1964), Daft Punk (2007), The Grateful Dead (1978), John Denver (1974), and U2 (1983). SHANE HEALEY

A Taste of Cairo All our plans for 2020 have been put on hold, so how about a breakfast you can very easily put together (even if you have zero cooking skills). Not just any breakfast but one that will take you to a balcony in downtown Cairo. Feta & Tomato The prep is all cutting. Begin by dicing your tomatoes, then cutting your feta into cubes. Crumbled feta from the any grocery store works well too. Next, place your feta and tomatoes in a bowl, mix them together and add a drizzle of corn oil.

Honey & Fresh Cream To make this you fill a small bowl with honey and add a thin layer of fresh cream. Molasses & Tahini It’s known jokingly as the Egyptian Nutella, so think of it as your organic alternative. It’s as easy as mixing the two ingredients. The only trick is finding the balance you prefer. Basturma Scrambled Eggs Heat a pan on high with a good amount of ghee/butter, add basturma strips, and fry until crisp. Toss in beaten eggs, season to taste, and scramble yoour eggs. YOMNA BORG LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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juice | horoscope

Your Next Destination According to Your Star Sign

Traveling Horoscope

Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18): Although you love your independence and alone time, you are drawn to large social gatherings and close proximities with others. Adventure is what calls to you when you roam throughout cities or even the countryside; as long as there’s 62

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a bonding, connective energy wherever you go. Brazil’s second most populated city, Rio de Janeiro, checks off all the boxes when it comes to being surrounded by beauty and liveliness wrapped up into one destination. This seaside hot spot is the heart of the South American country, as it stays awake all night and is constantly pumping with Portuguese music that will make even your timid feet move. You may be a comfortable speaker Aquarius, but only the world famous Carnaval will get you dancing in the people flooded streets of this cultural paradise. Maybe you’ll even join the flamboyant samba dancers by night who are normal civilians by day and have the time of your life partying on top of one of the bird themed parade floats. There is no better place to feel the freedom you desire than Rio, watching the thousands of diverse species of birds painted by the

colors of the universe soar above you. While you would prefer to have a drink with the locals alongside a beautiful sunset, take a picture of the Christ the Redeemer statue for your friends and family to see that you explored at least one tourist spot on your endeavor. Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 20): There is an intuitive side to you that would thrive in a busy atmosphere but your openness to trying new things might get you into trouble. Your gentle nature reads to people that you are reserved, but what you really need is a night out with friends at the locally favorited bistro, Trippa, and a nice pasticceria or “pastry” whilst walking to nowhere in particular, enjoying the historic beauty of Milan. Italy’s fashion and design capital lets you express your creative side, Pisces, and appreciate the cathedral inspired buildings that

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ELIKA BATHAEE

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ith domestic and global travel bans up in the air due to the international spread of COVID-19, there is only planning to do for curious minds in light of these restrictions. Whether you cross state lines or commute oceans away, one impact on this final decision may fall onto the promising accuracy of your zodiac sign. Find out what your next travel destination entails by following the congruencies between your lifestyle and how the stars align.

By MELODY BATHAEE

turn an orange and pink ombré at sunset right as the streets start to mellow down. We all know you love to have a good time, but that does not mean it has to take place in a bumping club. You never turn down a stroll to the nearest shops, whether you are feeling a splurge coming on or want to save for a special evening out. Milan’s luxurious amenities can wear you down but your resiliency brings you right back up, just in time for you to witness snowfall in the winter or humidity rising throughout the summer. Allow me to recommend a compromise of traveling there for spring break? After all, the buzz of fashion week stays around well after its departure and will gloss your perceptive eyes with the vogue style choices of the town’s finest design students. A treat for your inner artist and known visionary that will go on to take the world by storm. Aries (March 21 to April 19): As one of the most active zodiac signs, your life has a consistently fast pace to it. While it may seem turbulent at times, you have an energetic personality that is easily spotted in a group setting and makes for a great entertainer at events. The adventurous spark that you take with you everywhere you go is only lit further when the place matches your lifestyle and feeds into the innovative curiosity that takes over your brain. Tokyo, Japan sets fire to your child-like wonder because of its constant inventive pattern. The ultramodern streets crawl with new and different beings that invite the refreshing perception of life you have been craving for a while now. From gigantic holographic jellyfish circling skyscrapers to unique Asian cuisine, you will somehow feel exactly where you are supposed to be. It may be over the top, but you and the city are one. While loud and rambunctious in external scenarios, you often console yourself instead of leaning on others. Visiting the Ichigaya Fish Center and reeling a line might take your mind off things. After exploring this vast cultural setting, you will leave with a mindset only acquired by Tokyo’s eye-opening experience and a few friends to come back to. Taurus (April 20 to May 20): You really do not know what to expect at times but are always excited to discover. A new journey awaits you and it is impossible to withstand it much longer. But the stability that grounds you, takes you to a place that has accumulated a great time to plan. When the day comes, you are whisked away to a land of gnarly wildlife

coincided with elegant views of the deep blue Pacific waters. Sydney, Australia shows you the best of both worlds and takes just one trip for you to never want to go back home. Your reliability and elite trait of responsibility allow you to take such a grand trip that makes way for both a cruise along the whale-spotted harbor or a stroll through some farmer’s markets on the weekend. Although you can be materialistic, Taurus, a secluded dinner overlooking the ocean may be exactly what you are in the mood for. If the dazzling accents are not enough, take a trip to the Sydney Opera House to fancy your love for romantic engagements and any reason to put on your most tasteful outfit. With all of the endeavors you accomplish, take a moment to let this irreplaceable memory sink in and to cherish the warm invitation this lustrous city hands you: eternally waiting for your return.

Cancer (June 21 to July 22): Traveling somewhere that means a lot to you will always be comforting, Cancer. But a new destination can give you just the experience you are looking for. In need of a place that aligns itself with your heart and adds to much needed calming presence, the reconstruction of this old town across from the Rhine River depicts a scenic location with historical significance from World War I and II. Cologne, Germany touches the sentimental feeling you cherish so closely. The cobblestone streets house the Cologne Cathedral, an artist’s dream architectural build, that holds stained glass ceilings and storytellers within its walls. The foggy town is engulfed by the varieties of fresh breads and sweet memories. Your empathy for others serves best in this historic landmark and can be reflected back upon while sitting by the swaying river. Drawn to this venue, you tell yourself you will come back once again to reminiscence on the essence of Cologne. A story for the ages, literally.

Hot OC vegan restaurants

Gemini (May 21 to June 20): Your spontaneity and resistance to confinement connects you to wild places Freesoulcaffé that cannot keep you tamed. Leo (July 23 to Aug. 22): *AMERICAN BLEND The affection you give-- but Given your extroverted Native Foods also crave-- makes for a very personality and eagerness *COMFORT EATS engaged, memorable ento socialize with just about counter for those who run anyone, you thrive in enviNourish into you Gemini. Extreme ronments of mass congre*INDIAN in your actions, both opens gation. However, it can beThe Wheel of Life you up to unique expericome a little overwhelming *SOUTHEAST ASIAN ences and graces your peers to get to know every person Tocaya Organica with this firecracker of a in the room so maybe it is *MEXICAN human being. time for a more groundNew Orleans is the most ing experience that you so socially free space in Louideeply need. This travel siana: in which those who visit feel welcomed destination has amazing scenery and the opand wanted. The town is rich with fluidity portunity to grow alongside the locals because and embraces its history as the melting pot of your love to make others feel wanted comes French, African American culture of the south. first: even on vacation. This new Creole cuisine may just become a The internalized chakra alignment thernew favorite of yours and spark a yearning for apy can finally feel worth it when you travel this type of cooking around the clock. to Bangkok, Thailand. The Southeast Asian Your sociable personality will mix well country has towering cities right up against with the city’s people and your bright-eyed canal-side villages that bring you the peace fascination with the world takes you through and serenity your usually loud mind will a whirlwind of memories that consist of bead adore. Feeling that you want to take off on a throwing on Bourbon Street, late night drinks cultural voyage, you may visit the deeply rootat the Prohibition-inspired speakeasy, and ed crown of Thailand, the Emerald Buddha synchronizing to the rhythms of street music Temple. Although you have never really been on the terrace next to a Madi Gras parade. tied to religion, this gold and red enveloped You may feel insecure at times Gemini, but piece of architecture can make you more suyou will never feel more confident than in perstitious than before, opening a door to a this Mississippi river bordering city that truly new perspective to life. In the midst of taking brings you out of your shell. in the lush green vegetation that swallows the LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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juice | horoscope hillsides and brushes against the crystal clear water, perhaps you will ditch your immense focus on yourself and deviate it onto the many passions of helping the world. Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22): It is time to take a breather for yourself. You have been working hard without a break and you are in need of some serious relaxation. This shyness and quaint ability to close your emotions off from others is soon to be changed. The chaotic excitement of Mathura, India will surely have you letting loose in no time. Its colorful stone and mud constructed town halls set the tone for a new day in the bright city: not only depicting a unique civilization by the sea but a light spirited approach to life. Sail along the Yamuna river and witness the Holi Festival, in which rainbow colored powders are scattered across the sky by civilians in celebration of spring. You seek goodness in humankind, Virgo, and this attitude entangles itself in the city’s compassionate atmosphere. Grab a taxi to drive one hour out of Mathura and visit the Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum, to immerse yourself into an ideology of purity and good. As rose water and cardamom take over your senses, you realize that you have fully enveloped into the cultural beauty that Mathura has to offer. Libra (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22): You are in love with being in love. But that does not necessarily mean with another person. While your infatuation with romance goes oh so far, all you want to do is travel somewhere that is rich with exaggerated emotion and the kinetic energy that will make your head spin around. That is why Paris, France is where you need to be. Take the metro to one of twenty districts that the city of love is divided into and pick up a fresh baguette from a local fruit stand on the way. Navigate to a rooftop deli that shares its view with the skyline of French flats and the Eiffel Tower beaming out towards you. With the entire world in front of you, the accordion owned by a street busker begins to play and you are once again exhilarated by what is to come tomorrow. A lunch date at the cafe under your hotel, gazing upon the immaculate Louvre sculptures, or venturing 64

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outside of the capital to see the gardens of Versailles, any place will deem to be unforgettable to you. Scorpio (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21): As a fierce and brave individual, you tend to be the leader or protector in your group of friends or family. This trait will take you far in life as being truthful is a great force to wield when it comes to sticking up for those you love. These zealous characteristics counteract your cool manner and turn into a powerful feeling of pride. The United Kingdom’s

northern country of Scotland is known for its patriotism and likeness to preserving prehistoric sites like Caerlaverock Castle in Dumfriesshire. This welcoming jumble of islands share with you the true meaning of faith and honesty, Scorpio, by hosting numerous Gaelic heritage events throughout the year. Filled with Viking ships and flame throwing sports, the traditions can make you feel quite included in the festivities surrounding you with quick-witted and fun loving Scotts. To wind down, hike to the largest underground cave in the U.K. with three marvelous waterfalls peaking through to the sky. The grassy knolls of Scotland, whether it be in the fervent towns of Glasgow or Edinburgh, carry a heart of gold that you just cannot miss when thinking about your next adventure across the coast. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21): Open-minded and philosophical, Sagittarius is one of the most intrigued of the signs when it comes to traveling. Always ready to embark on a new journey, you let your mind run wild with the possibilities of what lies ahead. If backpacking is your forte,

check out the Swiss Alps to go on the trip of a lifetime. This Alpine region in Switzerland has some of the most breathtaking views in the world. Mountains that cover autumn-ridden tree hills and interloop with thousand foot long waterfalls expose your eyes to speechless prospects. Entering the small but well-known region of Jungfrau, you can travel up the valley and stay in charming, car-less towns. A visible connection with the natural world is undoubtedly to be made, Sagittarius, but do not forget to explore the Swiss cuisine in village markets as well as the landscapes. Thankfully you invite change into your life, making it incredibly easy to be free-flowing during this expedition and allowing yourself to let loose on your expedition. Even though you might take a couple extra days getting side tracked by the ride, the Swiss Alps remain calling to you with avidity. Capricorn (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19): While you hold a lot of responsibility over you with ease, you are always up for hanging out. The possession to find the utmost use out of materialism travels with you wherever you go. Reliability helps you progress as a person and makes you a great candidate to lead a trip. This exploratory skill is best suited in Morocco, a bordering country in Africa. With the ability to achieve familiarity, this foreign estate is unrecognized by most. However, this Berber and Arabian culture is seen as a jewel of the Mediterranean lifestyle. Stretching from fishing towns to mountain ranges to the Sahara desert, there is not much you can miss when you pass through Morocco. Fez, one of the most colorful cities on the planet, captures the attention of just about every tourist – exactly what you would be looking for in a travel destination, Capricorn – because of its iconic medieval preserve and the magnificently decorated Medersa Bou Inania. As you glance through the animated town, your spirits lift more easily, shifting your pupils from a green to a fuchsia window, and you adapt to the vivid way of life Fez offers. Walking up to the vivacious liquid paints that sit just under an attractive pile of patterned rugs, you use your finger as a paint brush to dip them in and join right alongside the rest of the community; coloring the souks that stood over centuries.

crossword | juice

The Cancel Culture Crossword Where once beloved celebs go to die Down

1. First name of NBC host who faced criticism from viewers after trying to defend blackface, resulting in her show’s cancellation 2. This Daddy’s Home actor recently faced backlash when past actions resurfaced of him using racial slurs and committing hate crimes, such as chasing three black children and pelting them with rocks while yelling: “Kill the n-----s” until an ambulance driver intervened when he was just 15; first and last name 5. Stand-up comedian who admitted to masturbating in front of female comedians, causing some women to leave the industry 7. First name of influencer who played the white savior between cops and protesters in a Pepsi commercial in 2017 8. First name of former Glee actress called out by co-star for telling fellow cast members if she had the opportunity, she would “shit in her wig,” among many other micro transgressions towards black co-workers 11. British author of famous fantasy novels who tweeted transphobic comments; initials only 12. Stand-up comedian and podcast host who was accused of attempting to solicit nudes from girls as young as 16; first name 14. Dark Horse Comics editor accused of harassing and assaulting co-worker since 1999; first and last name 15. First name of former Jane the Virgin star who posted an Instagram story using a racial slur while singing along to a song

19. Surname of former Disney star who downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 in the early days of the crisis in an Instagram video saying, “Even if everybody gets it, like yeah, people are going to die, which is terrible ... but inevitable?” 21. Surname of disgraced film producer and convicted sex offender at the heart of #MeToo 22. Popular sportswear corporation that faced criticism after collaborating with Colin Kaepernick and the Black Lives Matter movement (criticism became so harsh, some customers burned the company’s merchandise and posted videos of the process on social media in protest) 23. Surname of YouTuber who filmed a dead body in Japan’s Aokigahara, known as “the Suicide Forest”

26. Surname Lost and Ant-Man and the Wasp actress who refused to quarantine in Los Angeles, claiming it “feels a lot too close to Marshall Law for my comfort already, all in the name of a respiratory flu” 28. Surname of ’80 sitcom star accused of drugging and assaulting 60 women 30. R&B singer arrested on federal charges alleging sex crimes and obstruction of justice, reportedly trapping six women in a sex cult 31. First name of former Full House actress involved in the college admissions bribery scandal who paid $500,000 to facilitate USC admission for her daughters

Across 3. CrossFit CEO who declared, “We’re not mourning for George Floyd

— I don’t think me or any of my staff are,” among many other comments against the BLM movement; first name 4. Comedian posted a photo of herself holding up a Donald Trump mask made to look like a severed head; first and last name 6. YouTuber slammed for blackface and racist jokes in his skits; first and last name 9. YouTube beauty guru who lost 3 million subscribers over a weekend after a former friend posted a video calling him phony and claiming he, as a gay man, inappropriately tried to court straight men; first and last name 10. Female hip-hop artist who was exposed on video in a chat room of an alt-right community 13. YouTuber who canceled herself and left her

MARIAH MILLER

channel after controversy over Nicki Minaj blackface video; first and last name 16. Popular fast food chain criticized for repeatedly donating money to anti-LGBT organizations 17. First name of New Orleans Saints quarterback who said he “will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United Stated of America or our country” in response to Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling for the national anthem 18. Comedian who faced backlash after anti-gay tweets surfaced from 2011, resulting in exit from 2018 Oscar hosting; first and last name 20. Surname of DJ who claimed he does not believe in giving oral sex but expects to receive it from his girlfriend: “It’s different rules for men. You gotta understand, we the king.” 21. Surname of rapper who disappointed fans after sporting a MAGA hat in support of President Donald Trump; last name 24. Desperate Housewives actress found guilty of conspiracy to commit mail fraud after paying $15,000 to boost her daughter’s ACT score; first name 25. Surname of actress shamed for taking roles away from minorities and working alongside Woody Allen 27. Surname of former House of Cards, Usual Suspects actor accused by more than 30 people of inappropriate behavior since 1986 29. Anchor accused of inappropriate sexual behavior by his coworkers at the NBC’s Today show; surname 32. First name of former Los Angeles Clippers owner who said to his mixed-race girlfriend, “It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people” See answers on page 69

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juice | how to

No Need for Vegas Enjoy gambling thrills without taking off your unwashed sweatpants

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oin an online sports betting site. Do some research before picking which site you want to gamble on. There are many factors that go into choosing an online bookie service. Compare deposit options, withdraw rules, rewards system, site security, and legality of sites so that you can figure out which one fits your needs best. According to SportsBetting, the top three sports betting sites to use in 2020 are Bovada, My Bookie, BetOnline. Sites to avoid as mentioned by SportsBetting are GT Bets, and 5Dimes. Join an online poker room. It is best to find a poker room that reaps the most rewards and benefits for cash back. According to CardPlayer, the top three U.S. card rooms are Americas Cardroom, Bovada, BetOnline. These sites vary in their benefits and perks for playing on the site. For example, if you’re looking for the easiest competition, you’d probably want to join a sports betting site that also has a card room like Bovada, BetOnline, or Ignition Casino. A lot of these sites will have beginner or novice poker players that made their way over from the sports betting part of the site. Creating an easier level of 66

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competition throughout the poker rooms. If you are an experienced player and are looking to increase your advantage by using various softwares to play, you’d need to play on a site like Americas Cardroom that allows heads-up displays (HUD). Join a free or paid picks site. Getting picks are important when it comes to maximizing your profits. Some people sell picks, but there are also free picks websites out there too. The top two bets sports pick services according to Odd Shark are, Doc Sports Picks Services Review, and The Linebacker. Learn proper bankroll management. Without proper bankroll management, you would be a losing gambler in no time. Whether its cards or sports betting, google some ways on how to properly manage your bankroll to become a winning gambler, better, or card player. It is important to learn and understand this concept before you actually start your gambling journey. As they say, the house always wins, so follow these steps to ensure you have the best advantage. JACOB CASTRO

AS FAR BACK AS APRIL, THE CDC’S plea for Americans to wear masks in the wake of a pandemic when leaving the house has mostly been met with obedience. A piece of cloth while at the grocery store compared to the alternative was a no-brainer for most. Nevertheless, our great nation did what does best: divide. Over the past months, concerns ranged from possible loss of small businesses to the more urgent request of needing a haircut. Concerned citizens took to the streets demanding their cities lift stay-athome restrictions, while voicing their complaints and conspiracies. Well, as anyone who’s ever worked in the service industry knows, behind every complaint is a Karen. Keds pounding the pavement, these Karens, Kaetlynns, and Ashleighs clutch to homemade signs – reading “Open Our Beaches,” “Stop Masking the Healthy,” and a new twist on a classic “My Body, My Risk, My Choice” – with fierce determination. Draped head to toe in red, white, and blue, these patriots demand “freedom,” some event linking social distancing to communism. These are the same Karens many see while employed in the service industry. Karens who would like to speak to your manager because her extra side of ranch didn’t come out in a timely fashion, despite you having to serve six other tables. MARIAH MILLER

WIKI COMMONS, LEFT; ILLUSTRATION, LINDSAY JOHNSON, NEEDPIX; NEXT PAGE, BENTE NORDHAGEN

Protesting according to Karen

every story fleshed out with a world that has the socio-economic system built on elven fart. When you focus too much on one specific detail or attempt to flesh out everything, no story will be crafted. Instead, you will create all this useless information and have no story to speak off. Don’t overthink it, just start writing what you know about the story. Worry about the extra details after the first draft, since then you have something to work from. Draft and Draft Again. Unless you’re Huxley, make sure to draft multiple times. Every story needs to be reworked again and again before it’s ready. It’s like created an English essay, you read over it before you submit to get the best possible grade. Read, Watch, Play. If you want to be a writer, then keep your mind constantly fed. Reading books is a good way to learn what you like to write about and how you might write the story. However, movies and games can also help with the structure of the story. Movies tend to be shorter than most books, and it means you can watch more within a short period. It also shows how to temper your story so it doesn’t drag too long. Games like Dungeons and Dragons requires a lot of writing and it can help with creating characters and worlds. If pen and paper games aren’t your style, then modern video games often have decent stories. The goal here is to stimulate THIS WAS PLANNED TO BE A HOW-TO-WRITE A STORY. your mind so you can find what drives your story With the coronavirus still influx and many still retired to their homes direction. due to the pandemic, now is the perfect time to write stories. These Schedule and Break. These are the most are six steps that I have found to be extremely useful to create stories. important lessons for any writer to learn. These Buy a Notebook. While it may be easier to write from a are to make sure you actually create a story and lap- top or computer, it tends to be better to write on a physical don’t burn yourself out over the story. Schedule pages. It will take more time and effort than doing it digitally, but a period of time dedicated to writing. I’d say aim it does come with some advantages. You pay more attention to the for morning hours on a weekday, more on weekwords you place on the page and it makes it ends if you have time. an active process to get down your thoughts These period should down. It also is satisfying to flip through pagfocus on creating more Unless you’re Huxley, make sure to es as you read your handiwork, knowing you pages or reviewing what made an effort to create it. you have. If you don’t Use Your Background. Every indihave a set time, then you vidual is unique, no single circumstance is can easily stop writing Every story needs to be reworked exactly the same nor is the way that someout of ease. again and again before it’s ready. one handles their situations. An individual’s It is really easy to get experiences in life should serve as fuel for the sidetracked on boring story created. From the adventures you had sections, but you are goas a kid to the struggles to the current journey as an adult, these ing to have to push through that period. If you can serve to write a story. Even if the story is about a generic parever get tired of writing the same story, then take agon knight, the possible story will drastically vary between each a break by reading or any activity that you enjoy. individual. Perhaps he becomes jaded from heroics or maybe he Time to yourself isn’t bad, just attempt to find a retires after his journey, perhaps the knight is she instead. balance. A balance between these two things is Don’t Overthink It. Not every story is a groundbreaking important. It can slaughter you if not taken into series with seven installments that defines a generation. Nor is account. PORTER AYDELOTTE

Six Basic Tips on Creating Stories

DRAFT MULTIPLE TIMES.

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juice | how to

Find Your Geek Prose Discover the path to publishing as a fan fiction and Wattpad writer in seven straightforward steps from an unapologetic fan-savant By EVANGELINE BRENNAN

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K, I’ll admit it, I’m a FanFiction and Wattpad writer, so I may have some bias when it comes to the fandom community but, for years, I had this internalized embarrassment over having been a fan fiction writer. For Wattpad, it isn’t met with nearly as much stigmatization, except when these books later reach mass-market audiences and can be dismissively written off as “a Wattpad story,” supposedly synonymous with being cliche and formulaic. In a way, the writing community can be cruel sometimes, and it often gives fan fiction writers a bad reputation, but there are many benefits to becoming a fan fiction writer before making the leap into traditional publishing. In recent years, I realized that writing fan fiction gives you a start in writing. It provides you with a world that fans can already recognize and are comfortable with and it challenges you to imagine these characters in new ways. There is so much freedom a writer has, they can choose to follow the original plotline, or canon, and show it from a different perspective. They can place the characters in an alternate universe, or AU, or change their personality drastically to make them stronger, darker, or otherwise different. Fan fiction writers throw a grenade into the works they love but, not necessarily as a way to pick apart the stories, but as a way to make them live on, past the moment the last page is read or the screen fades to black. For some creators, this work is unusual to view, to have their characters re-imagined, to have the threads of their works picked at until it unravels and can be re-stitched. For others, they got their start on sites like FanFiction.net and ArchiveOfOurOwn.org. At one point in time, it was their bread and butter, sustaining, inspiring, and teaching them until they wrote work of their own. In an interview with The News Tribune in 2012, Marissa Meyer, author of the best-selling series The Lunar Chronicles, said “By writing so many [fan fiction] stories, that’s how I learned the craft of writing. The great thing about fan fiction is that you get instant feedback. I learned to take criticism.” You learn to develop a story and submit yourself to the eyes of your fellow fans. Meyer, in her time on the site, wrote 39 Sailor Moon stories and it is still posted on FanFiction.net under the pen name, Alicia Blade. It is Wattpad, then, that can become another stepping stone in developing one’s writing by allowing a new writer to develop a full story of their own for the first time. If you are one of the fan fiction or Wattpad writers that hopes to one day traditionally publish your own series, consider these steps. Step 1. Have an idea. Scratch that. Have multiple ideas. Know what makes your characters who they are. What do they like? What are their goals in life? What makes their blood boil? Why do they do what

they do and what makes the way they do it so much different (or similar) to the way others do it? Try to map out the plot as best you can and divide up drama into chapters or sections. Some people like to adopt the “pantser” method, meaning they like to fly by the seat of their pants when writing a story or book. They like to be just as surprised as the reader should be while they write the book. While this is a valid option, this method does open up itself to a greater possibility of plot holes and character inconsistencies. However, it also gives a writer a visceral moment with each scene in which they are completely submitted to and involved in each moment because they are seeing it for the first time and living it with their characters. Whichever method you choose, make sure it fits your writing style. As a fan fiction or Wattpad writer, you likely already know which avenue of writing suits you the best. Step 2. Put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and actually write your story. A story comes alive when it exists independent of you. When the characters live and breathe and become just as real or important to others as they are to you. The first three books of Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles, Cinder, Scarlett, and Cress, were born in the fever dream that is NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, a month devoted to getting all those ideas that are cooped up inside a writer's head and putting them out into the world with the help of a 50,000 word goal. Step 3. This one can vary depending on the author, but make sure to read and edit your work. Some authors hire copy editors early on to help them spot holes in their plot lines or character development, but it is always best to have the first eyes on your work. You know what you meant when you first wrote it and can easily revise it the second time. And, honestly, if you don’t even want to read your work to edit it, why should anyone else? Step 4. Deep breath, now let people actually read it. You can do this by joining a writing group. The good news is that, if you write on sites like FanFiction or Wattpad, you likely already have access to hundreds of thousands of writers. In a testimonial he gave on Wattpad, Emmet

Sometimes the critics should be ignored, but if there are enough people yelling that there’s smoke, likely there’s also a fire raging that must be addressed.

Sinclair (@MCliffordAuthor), the winner of Wattys 2017, said, “Winning a Watty means acceptance. I’m sincerely grateful for the acceptance I’ve found here. To everyone who has befriended me, we’re kindred spirits. Every time I open Wattpad, it feels like coming home.” Just as countless writers have done before you, find a few people that you can trust and let them give you their feedback. You don’t have to listen to every suggestion they give, but try to see your writing the way that they see it, with new eyes and unbiased. Step 5. Edit it again. This may take awhile. Step 6. This step can be split depending on how you wish to publish your writing. On one avenue, you can hire an agent to market your book for you and search for a publishing house to submit your book to, or you can research publishing houses and the criteria that they look for when reading and selecting a manuscript. Crucial criteria include things like knowing if they accept unsolicited manuscripts (otherwise your hard work likely won’t even be read), if the genre you wrote aligns with previous or current works published by the company, and how to go about submitting a manuscript. Oy vey, this process is likely going to make you want to pull your hair out and long for the days an upload to the world was just a click away, but keep with it.

The great thing about being a fan fiction or Wattpad writer prior to stepping foot into the scary world of publishing is the experience that it gives you with the writing process. These authors learn early to create plot lines, pepper in details that give the story and characters dimension, adopt a writing and upload schedule, and, most importantly, learn to submit themselves to the public eye and listen to criticism. Yes, sometimes the critics should be ignored, but if there are enough people yelling that there’s smoke, likely there’s also a fire raging that must be addressed. Learning from these mistakes and taking the time to progress as an author is what makes posting on these sites prior to diving into one’s first novel so important. You have your base here. You’ve already learned some of the most important things about yourself as a writer and have developed some sort of schedule and process when it comes to crafting a story. Now let yourself use these lessons and try not to overthink yourself too much in the long, arduous path you take to publication. Step 7. Believe in yourself. You have to become the biggest advocate for your writing. Sure, insecurities will happen and there will be doubts, just as there is with anything, but you have to believe in your writing, otherwise, what was all of this work for?

CANCEL CULTURE CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY Down 1. Megyn Kelly 2. Mark Wahlberg 5. Louis C.K. 7. Kendall Jenner 8. Lea Michele 11. J.K. Rowling 12. Chris D’Elia 14. Scott Allie 15. Gina Rodriguez 19. Vanessa Hudgens 21. Harvey Weinstein

22. Nike 23. Logan Paul 26. Evangeline Lilly 28. Bill Cosby 30. R. Kelly 31. Lori Loughlin Across 3. Greg Glassman 4. Kathy Griffin 6. Shane Dawson 9. James Charles 10. Doja Cat

13. Jenna Marbles 16. Chick-fil-A 17. Drew Brees 18. Kevin Hart 20. DJ Khaled 21. Kanye West 24. Felicity Huffman 25. Scarlett Johansson 27. Kevin Spacey 29. Matt Lauer 32. Donald Sterling Full names provided

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final word

Wheeling Near the Edge 2020 has been a novel year defined by a novel coronavirus

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ccording to the World Health Organization timeline of COVID-19, Wuhan Municipal Health Commission first reported these events on the last day of 2019. From then on, the entire world has been facing an unfeeling monster. Thousands have died from the virus itself or the aftermath dealt by the brutal nature of the virus. The pandemic continues to spread across the planet, placing individuals with weakened immune systems on edge. I am such an individuals nervous about these events. Facing an actual threat to my life, it’s something that isn’t easy to deal with. Here’s my situation. I was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a condition that causes the muscles in the body to be weak and continues to weaken throughout life. Those with this condition typically only live into their 20s or 30s. I’ve gone from walking at age 7 to becoming fully wheelchair bound at age 12. It hasn’t been an easy journey. Being a teenager and young adult without any underling issues is difficult; try watching as your body’s strength is sapped, and it becomes harder to do activities you enjoy. With this weaker disposition,

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We aren’t just another empty name or blurred face, we are flesh and blood just like everyone else. I’m always on edge concerning my health. Every time I get sick, I need to take as many as possible steps to protect myself. It’s really nerve wracking to be in a position where my health is constantly a struggle to maintain. Not only do I have to worry about my underling medical conditions, but I have to worry about a viral infection. So right now, I want to avoid any chance to become infected by this virus. I understand that for some this transition has been rough. From the economy struggling to the in-

creased stress of online schooling to canceled trips, it feels like we are trapped. Even with these wants, the need for precautions and isolation cannot be understated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website that COVID-19 spreads quicker than the flu. Further, this virus is contagious for at least 12 days. Both of these neglect the fact that COVID-19 is nearly 10 times more fatal than the flu. That high of a fatality rate alone makes this virus a threat, combined with

a quicker spread means that COVID-19 can pose a death threat for people such as myself with weaker constitutions. I really struggle when people refuse to wear masks or downplay the significance of the pandemic. I am part of the minority at risk, and I am not alone. There are many others with my same medical condition or those with other medical conditions that put them next to death’s gates. It’s easier to think of everyone who isn’t close to you as a nameless face you’ll never meet personally. However, with the information provided by medical organizations and the actual risks it places on people, there is no excuse to not take precautions. All those actions do is harm more people, resulting in a longer pandemic and greater loss of life. So you can ignore the restrictions, use their rights as United States citizens to bypass medical concerns. Ignore those at risk because you aren’t one of them. In the end, it harms more than just a handful. You sentence others to suffer by your actions. I wanted this to stand as a statement for those at risk. We aren’t just another empty name or blurred face. We are flesh and blood just like everyone else.

PORTER AYDELOTTE

By PORTER AYDELOTTE

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

become a part of something that can change the galaxy.

Join the teams of OC News Team (attached to JRN 106 Video Journalism), the Lariat newspaper and website or Orange Appeal (both attached to each News Media Production course). Visit OCNewsTeam.com and LariatNews.com. LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal

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FIND YOUR VOICE, BECOME AN ORIGINAL Write, photograph, design, create, develop your portfolio by contributing to the student magazine when you join JRN 125 Magazine Journalism in summer 2021.

O A OA Orange Appeal // Saddleback College // May 2019

Orange Appeal | March 2016 | www.orangeappeal.org

OA Orange Appeal | March 2016 | www.orangeappeal.org

FENCED IN

Race Imboden on his beginnings, career, and becoming a world champion PAGE 26

Attached at the Nip Breastfeeding publicly becomes the new way to shame women

Sex Talk

POPPIN’ PILLS LIKE

Candy Prescription pills becoming the new epidemic falling over Orange County

A close look into the world of non-monogomy

PAGE 14

Fake Equality Gay marriage fronts as the face of queer liberty

HIDDEN

HAVEN The wildlife sanctuary with a mission to protect endangered species

6 • Orange Appeal • March 2016

May 2019 • Orange Appeal • 1

Music, Food, Sports Writing. Exposés. Columns. Film Reviews. Trends. Profiles. Photojournalism. Personal Narratives.

Get more Orange Appeal magazine online on Issuu.com/orange-appeal or at LariatNews.com/OrangeAppeal. For more information on programs and courses in the Journalism and New Media Department, visit Saddleback.edu/la/journalism-and-new-media-department.

JOI N STUDENT MEDIA