Spring 2019 - Issue 2

ISSUE

2

SPRING 2019

DUNKING ON ADVERSITY BROWN SISTERSʼ BOND WITH EACH OTHER AND BASKETBALL FUELS THEIR DRIVE

PAGE 22

PARA LA CULTURA

ALUMNA DEDICATES HER LIFE TO LATINX CULTURE

PAGE 6

ITʼS NOT THE SAME

THE CARDI B AND BILL COSBY DEBATE HITS CLOSE TO HOME

PAGE 16

+MORE

contents CULTURE 10 Something for Every Belly 18 Latinx Presence 30 Life Through the International Lens 44 Short Story: The Man & The Tree

FEATURE 06 Para la Cultura 12 More Than Math 22 Dunking on Adversity 36 Shinin’ Shawna

OPINION 16 It’s Not the Same 42 Bleak Gaming

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

SPRING 2019

letter from the editor

H

ello everyone!

My name is Charity Wang and this is my third semester working with Logos Magazine.

This is my first time being the editor-in-chief for Logos and its sister publication, the Citrus College Clarion. This has been the first time in years that one person held both positions. I felt that it would be easier for me to work and communicate with all my staff members.

Being both EICs is no easy feat, as the dual role is demanding and strict with deadlines. However, overseeing a combined staff count of over 20 has led to me to see many perspectives I would never thought to consider.

One of the benefits of being EIC in both is the ability to coordinate crossover content. “Dunking on Adversity,” was originally published on the Citrus College Clarion, but was pursued further to focus more on the personal lives of the basketball sisters.

I originally started as a freelancer for Logos Magazine in spring 2018.

In fall of 2018, under Xela Quintana’s leadership, I was able to have fun redesigning the website in order to make it more modern and user-friendly.

We can only go so far with the rules and columns of a tabloid sheet.

However with the magazine, those who are creative are allowed to unleash their full potential.

For this semester, I took more of a managerial role, making sure that everyone felt welcome and critical to the magazine’s success. I acted as a

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ISSUE

guide by helping out staff members with technical, design or journalistic issues.

The type of stories featured in this issue helped cultivate the overall theme of “Cultures: Ages and Places.” From the ‘50s to now, from the city of Glendora to China, the magazine has truly captivated many cultures that reflect the student population.

For example, Graciela Horne Nardi is an alumna of Citrus College who opened the Art Gallery in Pomona in order to allow for upcoming Hispanic and Latinx artists to have space to showcase their art.

I’ve set a new tradition in this issue of Logos Magazine with the inclusion of a staff member’s short story and an art contest winner. I believe that to truly represent the voice, the life and culture of Citrus College, it would be erroneous to not open an opportunity for the student public to showcase their own work.

Without students, there would be no magazine. In the beginning, we struggled with a small staff, however everyone proved to be steadfast and dedicated in their writing, photography, artistry, creativity and designing.

Especially my editors, the glue that holds the magazine all together.

Giselle Vargas, my managing editor, has been one of the most dedicated writers on Logos Magazine. Her positive, can-do attitude has been a boon to the morale of the staff members and reflects throughout her stories.

Liandra Thibodeaux has been one of the most proficient photo editors throughout my time here in Logos.

She has provided valuable communication and connection to other photojournalists, leading to incredible art to accompany all the strong stories.

Xela Quintana, my art director, has been responsible for overseeing the design of the whole magazine, while also providing illustrations that complement the overall tone of a story.

I am grateful for my staff members who helped contribute to this beautiful magazine. It would have been impossible without everyone’s hard work.

SPRING 2019 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Charity Wang MANAGING EDITOR Giselle Vargas PHOTO EDITOR Liandra Thibodeaux ART DIRECTOR Xela Quintana STAFF WRITERS Dave Stout Vicman Thome Minhao Yang CONTRIBUTORS Alana Daly O’Brien Daniel Escamilla Gabrielle Johnson Tannan Luzzo Priscilla Medina Abraham Timisela ADVISER Amber Durfield Logos is produced by communications students and is distributed once a semester. Views expressed herein do not represent those of the adviser, faculty, administration, Associated Students of Citrus College or the Citrus College Board of Trustees. © 2019 Logos Magazine.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.

contact: Telephone 626.914.8586 Logos Magazine 1000 W. Foothill Blvd VA236 Glendora, CA 91741

Charity Wang Editor-in-Chief cwang@ccclarion.com

Printed By Primo Graphics Inc. 1648 Flower St, Glendale, CA 91201

Cover Image Kaylene and Kyannie Brown by Liandra Thibodeaux

SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 3

MEET THE STAFF

Giselle Vargas Giselle Vargas is a second-time staff writer at Logos, and first time as managing editor. She is excited to share her stories with the Citrus community. She is a journalism and communications major and plans to transfer to a four-year university, her dream is to become a storyteller, and she knew she wanted to be a journalist since she was in elementary school. Giselle is a former runner from the Citrus Cross Country team.

Liandra Thibodeaux Liandra Thibodeaux is a photography and studio arts major at Citrus College. This is her second time as photo-editor for Logos Magazine. When not running around campus or working, you can find her hanging out with friends or immersed in one of her many hobbies such as belly dance, watching movies, volunteering and hiking. In the future, she hopes to open up a studio and art gallery of her own. Thibodeaux is very passionate about the things that she does and is very grateful for all of the opportunities that have come her way through Citrus College.

Xela Quintana Xela Quintana is an English literature major. This is Quintana’s third semester with Logos magazine. Formerly editor-in-chief, Quintana has focused her work with Logos as art director. She is also the art editor for the Clarion, Logos’ sister publication. Once earning her Associate’s degree to Transfer in English and journalism, she plans to earn both an English literature and graphic design Bachelor of Arts at San Francisco State University. The work accomplished in this publication inspired a fantastic interest in journalism and media. She hopes to pursue the craft in the future.

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

Dave Stout Dave Stout is a journalism major and first-time staff writer for Logos and Clarion. He enjoys writing and time permitting, constantly strives to find a better way to say the same thing. Upon completion of the journalism curriculum, he hopes to transfer directly into a journalism job, preferably as an investigative journalist or war/crisis correspondent. Eventually he intends to go to graduate school for a Master of Arts in Journalism. He is also a freelance guitarist, bassist and vocalist, and hopes to one day achieve an Associate of Arts in Music from Citrus College.

Vicman Thome Vicman Thome is a staff member for Logos Magazine and a reporter for the Citrus College Clarion. This is his first semester in the magazine and is glad to have found a place within the staff.

Thome comes from a family full of reporters and came to Citrus to learn journalism. He been given the opportunity to break major stories, like the immigration rally in Glendora for the Clarion.

Minhao Yang Minhao Yang is an international student from China. She is currently a business management major.

She has been in the United States for seven years and has obtained an associate’s degree in business management from Citrus. Yang loves to play badminton and plan to transfer to an University of California campus next spring. Yang wishes to establish her own marketing company in the future.

SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 5

Feature

Citrus alumna, Graciela Horne Nardi, has dedicated her life’s work to Latin history and art TEXT BY: GISELLE VARGAS PHOTOS BY: GABRIELLE JOHNSON

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

Feature

Latino Art Museum Director and Citrus College alumna Graciela Nardi stops for a photo at her desk inside the museum on April 6.

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Feature

Inside the Latino Art Museum hangs three sections of art.

Shown here on April 6 is the room that contains Latino Art Museum Director and Citrus College alumna Graciela Nardi’s latest work, and the other two rooms contain a Fire and Ice Exhibition and a permanent collection.

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

n the heart of downtown Pomona on Thomas Street, there is a big white corner building with a unique basement with enormous space for diversity. It’s just not a basement. It is the home of the Latino Art Museum, managed by Art director and founder Graciela Horne Nardi.

Nardi, an Argentinian woman passionate and ambitious in the world of art and an inspirational role model in the community, Nardi is a alumna of Citrus College back in the 90’s.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she left her home country in 1984 to moved to New Orleans. Six years after in 1990, she made her way to California and started her journey in Citrus College.

Nardi has always been involved in the art scene in Argentina and Barcelona. During the years when she lived in New Orleans, she took her life in a different direction and opened an Argentine restaurant at night, where live music took part in the New Orleans environment.

She worked in a museum during her time in New Orleans and was vice president of the Association of Professionals of Argentines in Los Angeles and created the commission of art in the association.

Art has been a part of her life since a young age; she comes from a family of artists. Her father was an artist and served as her inspiration.

When Graciela moved to California, she started to paint again and decided to attend Citrus College. She received her Associate’s Degree in art in 1998 and graduated with honors. She transferred to the University of La Verne where she got her Bachelor’s in fine arts and Master’s in leadership and management.

In 2001, Nardi opened the Latin Art Museum, a non-profit organization in Downtown Pomona that has been running for 18 years with 650 members.

Nardi opened the museum for Latin American artists that wanted to exhibit art in the U.S but did not have a place to. “ She has open the doors for locales artist and foreigners,” Said Mario Gee Lopez Former Treasurer on the board of Latin Art Museum.

The museum exhibits artists’ work from all over America.

Something interesting is that museum has representatives in different countries that brings artist to the museum to be able to exhibit, she haves one in Argentina, Peru that brings every year a group show and two in Mexico.

Feature

Address 281 S Thomas St. Pomona, CA 91766 Hours Sunday - Tuesday: Closed Wednesday-Saturday: 3-6 p.m.

One representative of Mexico put the exhibition of the past February was really big. The council of Mexico and Los Angeles, the museum turn in diplomas for the artist sign with all the council members that even helps the artist to show that they have already exhibited in a gallery.

Beside the Museum Of Latin American Art in Long Beach, the Latin Art Museum is one of the only Latin art museums in the Los Angeles Area.

“I saw the need that was going on for the artist to exhibit Latin American art,” Said Nardi.

The museum follows themes for exhibitions throughout the year, such as Women’s History Month and Cinco de Mayo.

There are 11 exhibitions in a year, all of them distinctive. “ We try to repeat the themes every year so people can remember that situation” Said, Nardi.

One of the exhibitions’ theme is “Fire and Ice,” which stress the ideals to protect the universe, relative of catastrophic events like the melting of ice caps and the wildfires. This will be the fourth time that the museum revolves work around the “Fire and Ice” theme.

Nardi created the entire museum into a piece of art from the inside to the outside. The outside of the museum features a mural made by a Colombian artist mother and son, named the “Immigration Mural” which took nine months to complete.

“They are always growing here I have had artist that today I wish I could have them in the museum, but they are all around the world,” Said Nardi.

Part of the museum is a vintage store where most of the products were donated in order to sell to fund for art supplies.

The area is full of traditional dresses, jewelry, clothing, ceramic dishes and antiques.

“One of the longest surviving galleries in the art colony, she expanded the triple size in the last years the size of her gallery, she brings in artists from all over the world, usually from South America and Central America and does a lot of community work. She is very involved in the community, certainly in the art colony,” said Larry Egan, Executive Director of Downtown

Pomona Owners Association.

One of Nardi’s goals is to expose the world of art to Latino families in Pomona that might see art as a luxury. She wants to help the community to be able to feel comfortable to appreciate art.

The vision Nardi had for the museum was to give space and opportunities for artists to be able to display their art be a bridge for them.

Graciela also shares her knowledge and passion by teaching art classes in the museum. The love of art is present in the museum and how she transmits it to her students as well as exhibits their work in the museum.

She mentioned about one of her students who has autism and was really hard for him to start painting and even said no use colors, she tried baby steps he was impacted by one painting of Snoopy his face also change when he saw it, Graciela draw the snoopy and asked him if he wanted to color it, and he said yes.

When she talks about her students, she has a glow she says it’s very satisfying for her to be able to help her students.

In her time at Citrus College, she mentions that she loved the campus and everything she learned from her professors.

For only one semester she had an art professor named Duncan Simone that everybody loved so much and was so great, but had to leave after, so she decided to start a petition so everybody can sign to let him stay for another semester and presented to the Dean and he was able to stay another semester to teach.

Duncan Simone, former citrus art professor said,” Wonderful student because she was very dedicated committed of being painter and artist, it’s something you don’t really encounter.

Nardi has been able to exhibit her former professor in the museum several times.

When it comes to limitation they do not exist for Nardi, she have created a successful career in art building the museum for the community for artist, art lovers and anybody that desires to learn or appreciate art. L SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 9

Culture

Flappy Jack’s Pancake House and Restaurant provides great food, great service and a trip back in time TEXT BY: DAVE STOUT PHOTO BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

Culture

Address:

lappy Jack’s Pancake House and Restaurant is a sensory extravaganza of sights, sounds and the taste of delicious food.

The eye catching blue and white exterior of the establishment pales in comparison to what awaits inside.

Upon entering, patrons are greeted with an explosive amalgamation of mid-century Americana and Route 66 reverence.

Among the numerous roadside businesses milking the historic thoroughfares brand, Flappy Jack’s takes its “Mother Road” homage to celestial proportions.

Not that that matters.

Contrived or not, the relentless 1950s/ Route 66 themed decor and period music makes customers happy.

In fact, one can’t help but get a Fonzie vibe. Aaaaayyyyy!

Despite its nostalgic ambiance, Flappy Jack’s is a great place for people of any age and every occasion.

Flappy Jack’s menu is also eye catching, with bright colors, checkered flag style borders and flame graphics enhancing the foods depicted, while revving up the appetite.

The Flappy Jack’s menu said the concept of the restaurant was brought over from Chicago, Illinois. Owner Theodoros Romios established the first Flappy Jack’s Pancake House Restaurant in Glendora in 2002 and the second in Orange in 2011. Romios used his many years in the culinary business and working knowledge to great effect, creating recipes for pancake batter, waffles, crepes and many more items.

The Flappy Jack’s menu said that their goal is “to provide exceptional service and to satisfy every craving.”

Though not the cheapest restaurant around, Flappy Jack’s menu said that Romios uses only the highest quality of fresh products and ingredients in his food, which might explain the higher prices.

Photography major Priscilla Medina, 24, ordered the “Classic Eggs Benedict” at $12.19, which is served with a side order of hash browns.

“The poached eggs were perfectly cooked,” Medina said, “but my favorite part was the gravy.”

Though usually not a fan of hash browns, Medina said that the “gravy,” described in Flappy Jack’s menu as home made hollandaise sauce, brought out flavors in the hash browns that she

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really enjoyed.

Medina said that the thick strips of Canadian bacon tasted really good.

Patrons wanting their breakfast with a French flair can order the “Stuffed French Toast” at $11.19, which can be ordered either by itself or as a combo with eggs or bacon for an extra $2.50.

The fitness minded may want to order “Arnold’s Favorite Omelette” from Flappy’s Fitness Menu.

For the gluten-phobic, Flappy Jack’s offers numerous gluten free breakfast items such as “Banana Nut” pancakes or “Blueberry” waffles, among others.

Patrons on a budget have a wide variety of “Breakfast Specials” to choose from, including the “Hash Browns & Eggs” at $7.69, which comes with a side order of either pancakes, toast, or biscuits and gravy.

The large helping of hash browns are cooked just right, being crisp on the outside, but light and airy on the inside, and taste marvelous, especially after being drowned in ketchup.

The scrambled eggs portion is kind of small, but tastes great, as if the eggs were cooked with the perfect amount of pepper.

The side order of pancakes are light and fluffy on the inside and after being slathered in syrup, the taste is pure ambrosia.

Flappy Jack’s offers a wide selection of “Lunch Specials”, including the “Classic Burger” at $8.39.

Served on a toasted sesame seed bun and topped with crisp lettuce, tart tomato, zesty sliced onions and a rich tasting special dressing, the hearty ground beef patty comes grilled to order and is rather large, so customers had better be hungry before ordering it.

Even so, they’re still probably going to need a nap after eating it, because it’s very filling.

The plump, old fashioned french fries served on the side are flavorful, as is the spicy seasoned pasta salad.

There is a maximum table occupancy of two hours during peak times, so that every guest can be served.

However planning ahead to avoid the peak times would be difficult, because the peak times vary both during the week and on the weekends.

Though Flappy Jack’s gets crowded during peak times, waiting for a table is made more comfortable by the multiple benches provided for customers. L

640 W Route 66, Glendora

Hours:

6 a.m.- 3 p.m.

Monday-Sunday

SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 11

Feature

More than Math Math Owls have created a community based on the members’ passion and anxiety for the subject TEXT BY: DAVE STOUT PHOTO BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX

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hat’s smiling and laughing with some good friends, while picking up trash in the forest got to do with E=mc²? Not much unless you’re a Math Owl, a member of the Citrus College math club.

Having fun volunteering to clean up the environment is just one of the interesting activities the Math Owls are involved in.

“It was so much fun and we filled up five bags of trash,” founding president and business administration major Helen Mahmood, 20, said.

The club likes movie too. At the club’s Math Movie Night, they watched “The Man Who Knew Infinity”.

Being a fairly new club the Math Owls recruit new members every semester.

Physics major and new Math Owl recruit Claire Feld, 24, said “I like math and it looked like something fun to do.”

Founded in 2016, the Math Owls promote academic success and community for students interested in mathematics, but proficiency in mathematics is not a requirement.

“You don’t have to be good at math to be in the math club.” mathematics professor Sophia Lee said.

Math Owl members who excel at mathematics help out those having difficulty with it.

“Math club is a good opportunity for people who are struggling with math to learn how to think mathematically.” engineering major and current president Jerek Cheung, 18, said.

During Math Owl meetings, individual members are encouraged to put the math problems they are having trouble with up on the board and then the club works together as a team to help solve them.

“It may help me with my math classes,” statistics major Tianyi Xie, 23, said.

One of Mahmood’s inspirations for helping to start the Math Owls was the tutoring center.

As a freshman at Citrus College she often found herself struggling to understand certain math problems, so she would go to the tutoring center for help.

Though she loved the environment the tutoring center created

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

Feature Citrus College Math Owl president, Helen Mahmood, 20, and member Jerek Cheung, 18, pose with club advisor Sophia Lee on March 1 at the math building. Mahmood is a business major and helped found the reinstatement of the Math Owl club.

SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 13

Feature

for students to get help for their individual subjects, she often had to wait a long time before a tutor would be available to help her.

She envisioned the math club as an additional resource for students to use in terms of homework help besides the tutoring center and as a supportive social space for students to discuss mathematics.

“I love everything math related,” mathematics major Naomee Freedman, 17, said. “...and meeting peers who share the same enthusiasm and passion for math as me is nice.”

Over time the social aspect of the club grew into a meeting place where great friendships were born.

Eventually the amazing bond the club members had formed with each other led Mahmood to plan off-campus activities, such as volunteering and fundraising.

One memorable Math Owls fundraiser took place at Universal Studios, where the club watched a taping of the game show “Family Feud”.

In addition to raising over $300 for the club, members

Citrus Math Owl president and founder, business major Helen Mahmood, 20, discusses what the Math Owls club means to her on March 1 in the math building. Part of the inspiration behind Mahmood reinstating the math club was her frequent visits to the tutoring center.

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

brought their families, friends and significant others, making the day as much about community and togetherness as raising money.

Besides helping the campus community, by volunteering as math tutors, Cheung said that the club is also thinking about starting a program for volunteering to tutor students in the STEM Center, as well as tutoring kids at local elementary schools.

The Math Owls also take part in mathematics competitions.

In November the club will represent Citrus College in the next American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYCS) “Student Math League” competition, a nationwide junior college mathematics competition, consisting of two one hour exams with the first exam being given in November and the second exam being given in early Spring of the following year.

Student representatives from each junior college compete for scholarships and cash prizes, with the student with the highest exam score winning a $3,000 scholarship to an accredited 4-year college or university.

The most enduring attribute of the Math Owls, is the sense of social acceptance and support membership in the club brings.

“No matter what level of math, our club promises a sense of belonging on campus.“ Lee said.

The website “About AB 705 - California Community Colleges Assessment and Placement” said that AB 705 is a bill requiring community colleges to maximise the probability that students will enter and complete transfer level coursework in English and mathematics within a one year time frame, thus avoiding having to take remedial mathematics and English courses.

Lee said that because of AB 705, students need even more support, both in mathematics and as students and the math club helps to provide emotional support to

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students taking all the mathematics classes, but especially the new corequisite classes.

Whether the math club has actually caused an increase in the number of students deciding to major in mathematics at Citrus College is difficult to determine however.

Lee said that because there were so many changes this past semester as a result of AB 705, where students were placed directly into transfer level mathematics classes, she doesn’t believe that a direct correlation can be made at this time, due to all the variables involved.

However a direct correlation could probably be made regarding membership in the Math Owls and the academic and interpersonal benefits received by the those who join.

Though mathematics can be a challenging and scary subject to students, the college experience itself can also be challenging and scary, especially to first time college students.

However Mahmood said that the club provides an environment where students struggling with mathematics can prosper both academically and as individuals.

“The teamwork approach to solving problems on the board improved my confidence and communication skills,“ Mahmood said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Coming to community college, the math club helped me to grow as a person.”

One might not assume that a club dedicated to a subject so purely academic as math, could inspire such deep, heartfelt feelings towards the club from one of its members, but that’s just the kind of club the Math Owls are.

Mathematically speaking, it’s the human variable that makes the club special.

Whether helping each other with math homework, volunteering to help the community, or just hanging out and having fun, the Math Owls set an example that’s both meaningful and replicable.

“Other than being academically involved on campus, we join together as a community to be a team to inspire others.”

Mahmood said. L

“The teamwork approach to solving problems on the board improved my confidence and communication skills [...]

Coming to community college, the math club helped me to grow as a person.”

Founding president and busniess major, Helen mahmood, 20

Interested in joining?

Follow the Math Owls club via Instagram: @citruscollegemathowls

Meetings:

Every other Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in MA 125

SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 15

Opinion

it's not the

same

Some have compared Cardi B’s early schemes to Bill Cosby’s sexual assaults but the false equivalency can set a dangerous precedent TEXT BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX PHOTO BY: DANIEL ESCAMILLA

C

ardi B worked in a industry in which men and women are constantly putting themselves in dangerous situations in order to survive, it can be considered somewhat understandable the actions she took.

Based off reports from multiple sources, including a post directly from Cardi B’s official instagram, she drugged and robbed individuals that intended to pay her for sex. She did not sexually assault them.

No matter the gender, age or status, drugging someone is wrong and should be considered inexcusable.

However, there is a difference when a person drugs someone to possibly assault them, especially while in a position of power, than to take their belongings while avoiding being sexually involved with that individual.

On the other side of the spectrum, in which Cardi B’s actions are being compared to, there are individuals like Bill Cosby, whom were accused of drugging the unaware in order to commit sexual violence.

Cosby not only took advantage of these women’s trust and thwarted their aspirations in their prospective careers–– but he took a part of them they may never get back.

Cosby was in a position of power, preying on those that were not.

Sexual violence is not gender specific and can happen to anyone.

Although having went through something so traumatic, an anonymous male has decided to share his story in hopes to help bring light to the possible dangers, that even male sex workers encounter.

Due to the sensitivity of this topic, and for the sake of keeping any other harm from coming his way in regards to the events that had taken place, he will remain anonymous.

“I was a sex worker for about a year when I met a man at a bar, he was supposed to be my next client.

He looked super fancy, suit and tie kinda guy. We went

back to his room and we had a couple more drinks.

Then he drugged me, he slipped something into one of my drinks and kept me locked in a room proceeding to rape me repetitiously for about three days...it felt like years,” said an anonymous male, 27, psychology major.

“Honestly, I don’t even know how I’m alive right now. I didn’t go to the police… because why would I? They wouldn’t help someone like me anyway. ” He continued with tears running down his face.

“People don’t get how hard it is to survive in the world these days. Some of us do what we can.

Whatever we can. Even if this isn’t the best job. We are still human beings. We deserve food and a roof and to be safe. I have never been the same. I don’t do that anymore and I still rely on medication to sleep. This was six years ago in August. ” He ended with saying that although the man did not go to jail for doing what he did to him, he is currently in prison for other charges.

Anonymous male is now a full time student, working towards a degree in psychology in order to help others that have experienced sexual violence in the future.

As of now he works as a hairstylist on his days off of school as well as sees a therapist twice a week.

Forty-six percent of sex workers experienced violence in the course of their work, and forty-two percent had been threatened or beaten for being a sex worker. Additionally, fourteen percent reported violence at the hands of the police, and sixteen percent encountered sexual situations with the police as stated by a project run by the Urban Justice Center in New York called Behind Closed Doors: An Analysis of Indoor Sex Work in New York City in 2018.

Cardi B may not be the most talented artist to date, nor were her actions acceptable in any sense, but attempting to say that two very different situations should be handled the same way is also incorrect.

There is a false equivalency between sexual assault and theft.

continue at logosmagazinecc.com >>

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| LOGOS | SPRING 2019

Opinion

Editor’s Note: This story may be upsetting to some readers.

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Culture

LATINX PRESENCE Managing editor, Giselle Vargas, delves into Latinx history and its lack of representation in media and the American education system TEXT BY: GISELLE VARGAS

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LOGOS | SPRING 2019

Culture

Welcoming guests to Plaza Olvera, a statue of prolific Mexican actor, Antonio Aguilar, stands tall over the rest of the plaza on a pedestal. Photo by Vicman Thome.

T

he U.S. is a country founded by immigrants.

The diversity in the U.S. is extremely broad; there are many cultures, ethnicities and diversities.

When it is time to represent history from other cultures in history classes, the educational system does not go in-depth and under represents the many cultures that shaped this country. I will only deeply consider Latin history, but I do recognize there are many other cultures also being underrepresented and uncelebrated in the U.S. From my own experience, I have always heard my peers talk about how in their high school or elementary history classes, they did not learn much about Latin history and because of that lack of information, they feel they do not know much about their own history.

It is upsetting. I cannot relate to it because I grew up in Costa Rica, so my history classes were very different.

For example when we learned about colonization my teachers were unfiltered. Whereas my American peers were given a washed out version of the same lesson.

I have never known how to address this subject. I dedicated myself to learning the history of Hispanic and LatinX history in the U.S. to know the scale of their contribution to this country.

I started with social media and television because this is where I gained most of my cultural information on the U.S. but I found nothing. I realized that some ethnicities and cultures had a stronger platform than others.

The main goal of studying history is to

culturally educate communities about any and all ethnic backgrounds without forgetting or ignoring others.

Defeated from the limited results on such large platforms, I checked Netflix and found John Leguizamo’s stand-up comedy special titled “Latin History For Morons.”

In the most humorous way, the actor and comedian teaches a history class. From all the topics and points he demonstrates, what caught my attention the most was how Latin history and Latin contributions are nowhere to be found in many history textbooks.

Until I saw the Netflix special, nobody comprehensively answered my question and confirmed that Hispanic backgrounds and history is overshadowed.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Latinos accounted for 39.1% of the population in California in 2018, making it the largest ethnic population in the state. The 2018 Student Success Scorecard states that 60.8% of students at Citrus College have a Hispanic background and are the largest ethnic group on campus.

This is not represented in our high school curriculum, where the assigned textbooks mainly focus on a Eurocentric perspective of the American revolution and the development of this country.

“It’s really a shame that it is underrepresented,” Latin American history professor Michael Ray said. “You have all these requirements— math requirements, English requirements, history requirements. But none of those history requirements have anything to do with Latin America at the college level.”

continued >> SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 19

Culture

You have all these requirements— math requirements, English requirements, history requirements.

But none of those history requirements have anything to do with Latin America at the college level.

-Michael Ray, Latin American history professor

Latin history may not be taught in school, but U.S. history is.

There are many historical figures with a Latinx background that contributed during the historical timeline of this country that are not mentioned. Latin X people have been a part of and fought in every single war of U.S. According to the Al Día website, in the Revolutionary War Francisco De Miranda was part of the siege of Fort Pensacola and contributed to Washington’s victory in Yorktown. Cuba also contributed financially to the revolution with 1.2 million pounds sterling, the equivalent of $28 million dollars.

The Al Día website wrote an op-ed of the museum of the American Revolution about how LatinX contributions are left out of American curriculums.

According to the website, Hispanics in the U.S. Army included a Cuban woman named Loreta Janeta Velazquez disguised as Lt. Harry T. Buford, a Confederate soldier who took part in the Civil War. In the Spanish-American War, the Hispanic Captain Maximiliano Luna was part of the Rough Riders,leaded by Theodore Roosevelt the 1st U.S. volunteer cavalry with George Armijo that become a member of Congress.

Two historical figures of World War I are Nicolas Lucero, who contributed by destroying two German machine gun nests and maintaining constant fire for three hours and received a French Croix de Guerre honoring his service. Marcelino Serna single-handedly captured 24 enemy soldiers and received the

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Distinguished Service Cross.

A 2017 Minority Veterans Report states approximately 400,000 to 500,000 Hispanic people served in the U.S. Armed Forces in World War II. 150,000 Hispanic people served during the Korean war, many part of the all-Hispanic 65th Infantry Regiment in the U.S. Army.

With so many historical figures that have contributed to the history of the U.S., students should know these figures and part of the history of how other countries—especially our neighbors— contributed to the U.S.’s development.

John Leguizamo pointed out that Hispanics fought in each war this country ever had and helped to shape it. They spilled blood in the battlefield but it is not mentioned and if it were, imagine how the stereotype could change.

Legislative petitions for ethnic studies in California are creating a movement for high school and California State Universities. California Assembly Bill 331 would add one course requirement of ethnic studies for high school students to graduate, while California Assembly Bill 1460 would apply one three-credit requirement for the 23 CSUs for graduation.

It is no secret that learning gives you a better concept and understanding of the world, as the more we learn the more open-minded a person becomes. If ethnic studies are implemented on high school or university campuses in California, students will grow up with a better understanding of our neighbors. L

Culture A stand sits full of all sorts of classic Mexican knick-knacks. Photo by Liandra Thibodeaux.

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Dunking on Originally published in the Citrus College Clarion

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n ADVERSITY Through basketball and familial love the Brown sisters triumph TEXT BY: TANNAN LUZZO PHOTO BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX

Kaylene Brown,18, kinesiology major, and Kyannie Brown,19, sociology major, pose for photo wearing their Citrus College basketball uniforms on May 3 in the Citrus college black box photography studio.

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D

espite several challenges throughout life, Citrus College women’s basketball players Kyannie and Kaylene Brown consistently found ways to overcome the barriers placed before them.

For the Brown sisters, giving up was never an option — let alone a thought.

Guided by the unrelenting support of their single mother, Sylvia Olvera, the Brown sisters persevered in paving their own road to success.

While many people in life face obstacles, the most difficult of them all for the Brown’s was on April, 23, 2015.

Life for the Browns changed forever that day.

Their beloved grandfather Manuel Olvera died after a battle with gallbladder and bile duct cancer.

In the blink of an eye, lost their mentor and father figure.

“He always pushed us to go hard every single day, and he taught both of us to never give up no matter how hard it got,” Kyannie said.

Manuel had a large impact on the people with whom he came in contact. His upbeat spirit, resiliency and core values were passed down and influenced his family.

“My dad always said to my girls, ‘Never give up. Tú puedes (you can do it),’ and this is why I believe they work so hard and dedicate their time and effort to becoming better people every day,” Sylvia said. “That’s where we learned it from: my dad.”

Manuel had stomach pain for many months and despite the entire family imploring him to care for himself and go to the doctor, he declined.

“He didn’t want to go because he said that he felt that if he had surgery he wasn’t going to wake up, and he didn’t want to leave his grandkids alone,” Kyannie said. “So after that, he dealt with the pain.”

One day the pain became so unbearable that he decided to seek help after falling on the floor.

Initially the doctors said he was OK, but upon further testing they discovered a cancerous mass behind his gallbladder. He was subsequently given six months to live.

The Brown sisters were close to Manuel.

He lived with them at home and shared a close relationship with everyone in the family.

The death really difficult for his granddaughters to handle.

“It was hard, because we watched him take his last breath like right in front of us, and seeing that is kind of hard to forget sometimes,” Kyannie said.

Manuel helped raise the Browns and was like a father figure.

They were so close, and for Kyannie, losing someone near to her heart was difficult.

“That was a big roadblock for Kyannie’s freshman year,” Linnae Barber, head coach of the Citrus College women’s basketball team said. “He was like Dad. They didn’t have their dad.”

The Browns try to focus on the positive memories — how happy he was and how he shared a close-knit bond with his granddaughters.

“The girls always loved to hang on my dad’s legs and were doing so while my dad was making a sauce in the blender,” Sylvia recalls. “He got distracted and turned on the blender without the lid and the sauce went all over the place — on the wall, on his head, on the girls’ faces. It was hilarious and it brings a smile to my face every time I tell this story.”

Like many people grieving death, certain things may remind them of their loved ones such as a song, and object or maybe even a song. In the Brown’s case, sunflowers remind them of Manuel.

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“I feel like sunflowers represent happiness,” Kyannie said.

“My grandpa was always a happy person. You never saw him down. He was always like smiling, happy, dancing like as soon as he walked in the house.”

When they see a sunflower, they are reminded of Manuel and the light he brought into everyone’s lives — not just their own.

The pair also give Manuel due credit for assisting Sylvia in raising them and their little sister Stephanie from infancy.

“My mom struggled, and he played a big part in helping her out,” Kyannie said. “With everything,” Kaylene added.

Even though raising three daughters was no simple task for Sylvia, she sacrificed a lot to make sure her daughters were OK. Kaylene was not even aware at times of how challenging the circumstances were for her mother.

“I knew we didn’t have a lot of money and all that stuff, but I didn’t know it was, like, that bad,” Kaylene said. “I still had a good childhood, but it just wasn’t as good as other kids would have it when they would have two parents.”

The Brown sisters call their mom “unbelievable.”

Sylvia was able to accomplish a lot of things and provide a happy life as a single mother, and she did not give up.

“My mom’s just a really strong person, and I’m really blessed to have her in my life because without her I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I just want to make her proud; that’s all,” Kyannie said.

Kaylene marveled at how her mom’s hard work caring for her family taught her how to motivate herself. “Taking care of her three girls, that’s not easy— especially with us being in sports,” she said. “Just for us to make it to a 5 a.m. practice, we have to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning … if she’s able to do all of that and still keep waking up every morning and going every single day, non-stop, then there is no excuse for me not to push for her and push for myself.”

Hard work and dedication demonstrated by Sylvia throughout their lives has convinced Kyannie and Kaylene to keep going when times do get tough.

“I am unbelievably proud of each and every one of my girls,” Sylvia said. “They are intelligent, humble, loving, and respectful.

They are everything and more than I could have ever hoped for.”

BASKETBALL Kyannie Brown started playing basketball at Montebello high during her freshman year in high school— a rare feat for someone playing college athletics, especially to the success that she has.

The 5-foot-10-inch sophomore earned the Western States East conference MVP honors, conference player of the year award and First team all-conference honors all in the 2018-19 season. Kyannie also featured in the California Community College Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, showcasing her skills to the audience and recruiters during the California Community Colleges Athletic Association State Basketball Championship weekend in 2019.

“Words cannot describe how proud I am of Kyannie for all of her accomplishments,” Sylvia said. “She went from being an inexperienced freshman basketball player to getting MVP honors. That’s to show that with hard work and dedication, you can accomplish anything.”

During the 2018-19 campaign, Kyannie also averaged 17.4 points per game along with 9.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6% from the field.

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"It's just really cool to discover yourself and you're more than just an athlete."

-Kyannie Brown Grandpa Manuel Olvera curiously overlooking a baseball game at Dodger Stadium. He was consistently seen sporting a hat but most commonly his Dodger cap as he was a big baseball fan, especially of the Dodgers.

Grandma Hermelinda Olvera with Kyannie Brown on her lap, Grandpa Manuel Olvera with Kaylene on his lap, pose for a holiday picture. The grandparents were always around, playing vital roles in the raising of Kyannie and Kaylene.

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Feature Kaylene Brown No. 23 practicing her dribble moves and rhythm during a practice.

In the background, Kyannie Brown No. 31 practices her jumper.

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She started all but two games, and carried her team to a 18-10 record and a postseason trip that finished in the first round when the Owls lost to Cerritos College.

The eldest Brown sister led the conference in scoring and finished third in rebounds per game.

Her defensive game improved from her first season as well, tallying an average of 1.4 blocks per game and 1.3 steals per game.

“I remember saying, ‘I want to play college ball,’ so it’s kinda crazy that I’m playing college ball right now,” Kyannie said.

Coach Barber saw potential in Kyannie the moment she watched her play basketball for the first time.

“She just has a special gift, and so when I watched her play, I’m like, ‘That girl is going to be something special,’” Barber said. “She was one kid I really, really wanted.”

Though initially a surprise, Kaylene quickly followed suit playing basketball in high school after her older sister’s success.

“I wasn’t into sports, really,” Kaylene said. “I was into music, and I wanted to be in choir and sing.”

She decided to try out for the squad during her own sophomore year at Montebello High School and wound up making the team.

CITRUS After graduating from Montebello High School in 2017, Kyannie chose Citrus College to continue her basketball career.

Kyannie said being separated from Kaylene was weird at first, but admitted that she enjoyed taking a step back and watching her younger sister evolve — something she had not had the opportunity or privilege of experiencing.

“It was cool, because I got to see her grow up,” Kyannie said. “I was (at Citrus) all the time, so I didn’t get to see much, but when I would go see her play I could see her improvements.”

Kaylene agreed the transition was tough knowing her older sister was no longer on her campus but knew it helped her grow and develop in the long run independently.

“It also helped me be more independent and by not having to depend on (Kyannie) I was able to grow out of my shell and not always have her behind me,” she said.

However, she missed being on the court with her sister. “It was hard to not play with someone I’m used to playing, and we know what we like,” she said.

As most strong recruits do, the eldest Brown sister had several offers to play college basketball.

Kyannie’s decision to attend Citrus was simple— the coaching staff was unmatched.

“There’s not really many coaches out there like (Barber) because for her it’s more than basketball,” Kyannie said.

“It’s not just doing drills every day; she actually teaches you life skills that are going to help you find your own path and career in life.

“It’s just really cool to discover yourself, and you’re more than just an athlete.”

Barber said she was actively involved in Kyannie’s recruiting and played a vital role in that decision from the star forward to attend Barber’s program at Citrus.

“I recruited her heavy, and I went to all of her games,” Barber said. “I tried not to skip a beat. I saw not just potential in her basketball-wise, but her as a young lady. She’s outgoing, she has a great personality, and I do believe that this program has changed her life — to be true to who she is.”

Barber is a hands-on coach who likes to get the opportunity to learn about her players beyond basketball. Her opportunity with Kyannie came when Barber was paired together with her at a fundraising event for the basketball program during Kyannie’s freshman year.

Engaging in a normal encounter with one of her newer players, Barber had asked Kyannie a few questions about her personal life and her family.

Those questions turned out to be life-changing words for Kyannie, as it prompted her to deal with an issue she had not yet addressed in her life — her relationship with her father.

FATHER “I had asked her about her father and, you know, I like to know my players,” Barber said.

“She cried and she was very upset with me, and I was like, ‘Why is she upset with me?’ you know? But he wasn’t in the picture.”

The sisters had a strained relationship with their father Kenneth Brown.

While their relationship was not to the level of completely estranged, the daughters had difficulty engaging with their father.

They only saw him a couple times a year, if that, during their childhood.

“We talked to him, but it was just awkward,” Kyannie said of the inconsistent and at times superficial interactions.

The only father figure that was

a constant in their lives was their grandfather Manuel who died in 2015, and Kyannie was struggling with her lack of relationship with Kenneth.

“I wanted a relationship with him, but I was just upset because he wasn’t really around,” Kyannie said.

Barber seized this opportunity to learn more of the story over the season to help her star player grow.

“She had a very rough year with me her freshman year,” Barber said. “I was just breaking her down mentally and physically because I knew she’s really that good.”

Barber said she felt the issues with Kenneth were holding Kyannie back, but knew it needed to be resolved on Kyannie’s own terms.

“I left it alone with (Kyannie), as I knew she was very upset, and I told her, ‘Whenever you’re ready to have a relationship, you will,’” Barber said.

Kaylene finished high school and made her way to Citrus to join her sister on the hardwood and in the classroom.

“I’m happy Kaylene decided to further her education and attend Citrus with Kyannie,” Sylvia said. “I was excited when I found out because I didn’t think I would get the chance to see them play on the same court again. Since they play the same position, it didn’t happen very often, but when it did, I made sure to have my camera ready.”

Barber was initially surprised that Kaylene came, highlighting the long commute and stressful lives the sisters already live.

“For Kaylene, I didn’t think she wanted to come here,” Barber said. “They take the bus, they take the train and they figure it out. So for me, I’m like, ‘she probably won’t come because of the commute,’ but then she said she’s coming, and I was excited because I feel like she has a special type of a talent.”

Not only did Barber see her developing on the court, she also noticed Kaylene’s potential to grow both emotionally and personally.

Kaylene initiated contact to renew her struggling relationship with Kenneth first.

“I didn’t have a connection with him, but I wanted one,” Kaylene said.

Barber had a conversation with Kaylene that ignited a fire within her. She told Kaylene to go after the things in life that she wanted when she is ready.

“I said, ‘Go get your dad, you meet with your dad and when (Kyannie’s) ready, she will be — but if you’re ready and you want that, you go get your dad,” Barber said.

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RECONNECTION Kaylene reached out to Kenneth and they went on a summer trip together, expressing their feelings and being together in a happy moment of reunion.

Upon her return, the sisters asked Kenneth together if they could go on a father/daughter breakfast.

“We planned that; we would talk about how we actually felt about him not being around and what it was like for us not having him around in our lives,” Kaylene said of the breakfast.

Kenneth took the opportunity to share his feelings, uncertainty and understanding of their family dynamics as well.

“He said he did want a relationship with us, but he didn’t know if we wanted one with him,” Kaylene said.

Over the years, they had not seen each other that often as certain obligations held them all from spending quality time together.

Whether a choir concert or a basketball game, the sisters were busy a lot growing up.

“Once in a while he would randomly text us, and then we couldn’t go (see him),” Kaylene said.

The loss of connection and relationship was a miscommunication between everyone.

“At the end of the day, we both wanted a relationship,” Kyannie said.

The breakfast resulted in hugs and tears between the trio, and the decision to remain in each other’s lives.

Ever since then Kenneth has been in their life, exchanging text messages often and even attending Citrus College basketball games to watch his daughters. “(Kyannie) walked with her mom and father sophomore night,” Barber said. “I just think that is amazing.”

After they reconnected with their dad, Barber said she was excited to see Kaylene decide do something on her own and with independence.

“It was exciting, because it came from little sis,” Barber said. “(Since they reconnected), he has been a part of the picture and he has been at a lot of our games. And it’s nothing bad; it’s just that when siblings are around, you get shy and you shy away, and of course she looks up to her older sister.”

Kaylene was impressed with herself and proud that she didn’t wait for anyone else’s OK to go after what she felt she needed in her life.

“It makes me feel like I have my own voice and like I am not a follower,” Kaylene said. “I do what I want when I want, and nobody is going to tell me what I can and cannot do.”

She says she noticed a positive emotional change in her life.

“I just feel more appreciative, and I’m just, like, happy, because I did it and I stepped up and I went out to get what I wanted,” Kaylene said.

Kyannie thanks Barber for her support in overcoming her own obstacles and the challenges that she faced, especially with the death of her grandfather.

“I’m really grateful for Coach B,” Kyannie said. “She’s played a huge role in my life. She helped me face certain things like the relationship with

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my dad, accepting that my grandpa passed away, and she has given me a lot of confidence within myself. If it wasn’t for her, then I wouldn’t be performing the way I am right now.”

The reconnection with Kenneth no longer leaves Kyannie feeling constrained. She plays with a free mind on the court now, having instead been provided with a new surge of emotion and an energy on the court she was not used to.

While the season ended in the first round of the playoffs with an 11-point loss to Cerritos College, Kyannie is proud of the efforts she has made as she made her best effort.

“I know when I sign my scholarship papers, everything I’ve been through is going to be worth it,” Kyannie said.

Two-year college transfers can be a timely matter, and typically their recruitment runs into late spring.

While Kyannie is not sure where she will transfer next year, her coach is confident she can take all her talents anywhere she wants to in life if she tries.

“Kyannie is something special,” Barber said. “She just started playing in the ninth grade, and I do believe that she can continue to play even after college if she wanted to play overseas or something. The girl has a special gift and I know she will utilize it. She’s going to get a very good offer that she worked for.”

Barber cannot wait to see what Kaylene can accomplish on her own next season as well.

“I had a conversation with Kaylene about when her older sister leaves, how much she is gonna grow,” Barber said. “I told her I’m excited for her growth, and ever since then she’s been on her own agenda, and I like it.”

Kaylene has a bright future ahead of her next season. She hopes to see more playing time on the court to improve her craft.

Barber said that it was difficult for Kaylene to get minutes this season because she plays the same position as Kyannie— forward.

With the numbers Kyannie was putting up and the awardwinning season she was having, Barber had difficulty justifying putting Kaylene in the game.

“I told her she didn’t play a lot this season,” Barber said. “I mean, she couldn’t, because Kyannie is very good, and it’s very hard to come in for her sister.”

With just three freshmen returning next season, Kaylene will need to work hard and hit the gym hard in the offseason.

“It’s going to be really cool, because it’s going to be my moment to shine and not be behind anyone else,” Kaylene said. “It’s gonna be like my moment and my time, my sophomore year and my team next year. I need to show what I can do.”

For the Brown sisters, basketball and a perfect family life has not always been a constant in their lives, but their resiliency both together and apart as sisters has remained continuous.

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Sylvia says that watching the sisters grow up and attend Citrus together has been a dream come true. “I’ve always stressed the importance of getting an education and becoming a person of good character with good grades and with a person like coach Barber guiding them and supporting them, they are heading in the right direction.”

The Brown sisters have a lot of people in their corner, and the choice to attend Citrus and play basketball has impacted them for the better.

“I am happy for both of them,” Barber said. “I am happy they are in my program. They have grown separately and together, and I’m just so proud of both of them.” L

Kaylene Brown No. 23 and Kyannie Brown No. 31 smile during a photoshoot in the Citrus College gym, The Owls Nest. Kyannie won the Western States Conference player of the year in 2019.

(From left to right) Grandpa Olvera, cousin Fatima Olvera, Kyannie Brown and Kaylene brown taking a photo in front of a waterfall. The family was celebrating Kyannie’s birthday together with family and friends.

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LIFE through the international lens TEXT BY: MINHAO YANG PHOTOS BY: ABRAHAM TIMISELA AND CHARITY WANG

Yang stands still as a crowd of people pass her on May 5 at the 7th Street Metro Center in Los Angeles, California. Yang is an international student from China. Photo by Abraham Timisela.

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Yang stares up through the crowd of people on May 5, at the 7th Street Metro Center in Los Angeles, California.

Photo by Abraham Timisela.

I still remember when the airplane landed in the U.S. I was happy and nervous at the same time. I knew it was going to be a long journey for me.

As an international student, I’m very happy to study in the U.S. I don’t have to go to classes everyday and I’m free to do whatever I want. My current situation is a little disappointing and I do not feel as if I have fully integrated into American culture.

However, I keep studying. If I want to ask questions during class or do presentations, discuss in a group— I can handle it. Now I am not afraid to communicate with strangers like before because my

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spoken English is a lot better and I have become more confident.

In 2013, my first year in the U.S., I stayed with a host Filipino family. They were very nice people, helped me a lot and have become my second family. The home stay is located in Glendora. I went to a FLS International language school nearby Citrus College and it is also not far away from my homestay, but I can’t drive. My main form of transportation is by bus for school, work and socializing.

Before I came to the U.S, I thought there must be lots of taxis just like in American-made movies. Then when I came for few days, I realized there were

no taxis and the public transportation system was poor in comparison to China’s.

Living without a car in southern California makes is difficult.

During this time Uber and Lyft were not available as a means of public transportation and even the Metro Gold Line had not yet been extended to Azusa. The summers were really hot and the winter days would get dark by 4 or 5 o’clock.

Sometimes when I would walk to the bus station, only homeless people would be with me waiting for the next arrival.

They would try to talk to me and I would pretend I did not understand English

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because I was so scared. Other times I truly did not understand them because my English was not strong. I learned the bus was not reliable and never on time and I was frequently late.

I would doubt myself and try to evaluate my happiness: “Why did I come here?

Do I really like staying here— really? I feel lonely. I need to learn a lot, but if at least my parents were here I know I’d feel better.” I’d try to persuade myself into thinking it was fine and try to inspire perseverance. I reminded myself I didn’t have class everyday, so I had time and opportunities to make friends and learn how to drive.

I knew I needed to push myself to join a group. I lived by myself and every time my parents asked after my life in the U.S. and even when it was not good, I still told them things were good. If I told them the truth they would worry a lot, but they would not have been able to help me from where they were.

I had to deal with the problem by myself. It took one month to learn how to drive and I took the driver’s test twice before finally getting my license. I can go out to eat some Chinese food and go shopping everywhere.

I still remember the first meal that I took my host family to eat was at Din Tai

Fung. They loved it, and that memory brings me joy.

After few weeks, another girl moved in to my home stay. She was from Russia.

Her name was Maria. She was very beautiful with long blonde hair, tall and slim. She was 23 years old.

We went to the same school and became fast friends. She was the first friend I made in the U.S. We have completely different backgrounds and cultures. I just can’t believe that my first friend was not Chinese but a Russian girl.

In the beginning I was very shy. I did not know how to talk with her. I was afraid we would not understand each other.

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Culture Yang chats with friend Bessie Lee,19, journalism major, on May 8 at the visual arts building of Citrus College in Glendora, California.

Photo by Charity Wang.

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Both of us had poor English speaking skills, but we used body language or a translator.

The translator was mostly inaccurate or wouldn’t translate the whole phrase and we would have to guess what the other was trying to say anyway. And if we couldn’t understand at all, we would just laugh because it was very awkward.

Body language is useful. Body language was the only way form of communication where we didn’t need a translator that didn’t confuse us. It made us get along with each other better.

After one term passed, our English improved and both of us passed the level 5, the first English level that we need to pass, and we still have four more levels to pass in order to transfer to a college. Some nights she asked me to her room, usually just to watch Youtube together, and I would return to mine to sleep. The night after we passed Level 5, Maria had set up a pink blanket in her room with two cups and a big plate of fruits. “Congratulations, girl! We need to celebrate. I prepared little gift for you,” Maria said. I was so moved and very excited. Then she offered me a cup and it smelled like apple juice, but after one sip I realized that it was not just apple juice but mixed with some alcohol.

“Do you like it?” she asked, and I responded with an emphatic affirmative and said, “But I’m a little bit scared because I’m not 21. I can’t drink.” Maria rationalized it was necessary to celebrate achievements and said, “Don’t worry. It’s only you and me. Nobody else is here.”

I didn’t want to disappoint her so I started to drink. When I get drunk, my voice gets louder. It was already 11 o’clock and we thought our home stay mom was already sleeping.

But with our combined voices and laughter, we woke her up. She opened the door and both of us were scared.

My heart was beating so fast, I was sure I was screwed.

I immediately started to pretend I was normal and nothing happened, but my face was so red because I was so nervous.

My home stay mom just reminded us how late it was and to keep our voices down while Maria explained, “We are so happy that we passed level 5.” I just nodded my head. Then the homestay mom looked at me and asked, “Cecilia, did you just finish showering? Your face is so red.

Are you OK?” “Yeah, I feel so hot, so Maria give me a cup of apple juice,” I said. She was satisfied by my answer and left.

When she was finally out of the room, Maria and I just looked at each other and started laughing again.

Currently, Maria and I study in different colleges and even though we live in different cities we still get in touch with each other. I have already been to Citrus College for three years, and after one more term I will be transferring out. I’m not sure which university I want to go to, but I’ll try to apply some UCs and Cal States. I hope I can get in a UC system’s university. That’s going to be the next journey for me and I’m very excited about it. In three years, I became an independent girl. I moved out the host family, live in an apartment, and I also made lots of friends. I really like Citrus and California. L

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Shinin Shawna TEXT AND PHOTO BY: LIANDRA THIBODEAUX

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Shawna Cook, 31, dance and photography major, poses for a portrait on Nov. 14, 2018 at the Performing Arts Center.

Citrus choreographer prances over injury and illness in order to strive for excellence

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B

attling injury, insecurity and aging, all the while still wearing vibrant shades of pink and a large smile on her face, Shawna Cook, 36, of Glendora, California is a prominent personality not only in one department of Citrus College, but two and majoring in both.

Anyone a part of the dance or photography departments on campus has possibly made her acquaintance.

S. Cook has been a member of the Citrus dance community since 2001, and the photography program since late 2014.

She initially found an interest in photography in junior high, but placed it “on the back burner” as S. Cook would say, due to a lack of confidence.

She found her calling through aerobic dance and decided to join a dance club.

“It was the best decision I ever made.

I made friends for life, and I found my passion,” S. Cook said.

S. Cook has not always been the outgoing individual everyone has come to know and love.

Often compared to her identical twin sister Breanna Cook, 36, S. Cook grew up very shy and timid. “She is the Sam to my Frodo … like if I lose my way, I know that she will carry me,” Shawna Cook said, referencing Lord of the Rings in her relationship with her sister.

B. Cook was a very social and vibrant individual before the family discovered that her health was slowly deteriorating.

She began losing weight and became very withdrawn.

B. Cook was diagnosed with a blood disorder called Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, an autoimmune disorder where the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys blood platelets. It can follow soon after a viral illness, such as the flu. “I have ITP. It was rough, and she was there for me,” said B. Cook. The Cook sisters are inseparable.

As she recovered, B. Cook remained a bit introverted, instead pushing S. Cook to continue on her path in order to be able cheer up and support her sister.

In joining the dance club, S. Cook got her first taste of choreography. She choreographed solo pieces for the end of the school year recitals while she attended Gladstone High School.

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Feature

Through this club, S.Cook found enough confidence in herself to continue to pursuing dance instead of allowing her insecurities to stop her as it had in the past with photography.

Soon after graduating high school, 19-year-old S. Cook joined the Citrus College Dance program.

“I absolutely remember first meeting Shawna,” says Renee Liskey, a Citrus Dance instructor. “Shawna was very new to the whole world she lives in now.

She has always been an extremely hard worker and very focused.”

S. Cook went from being a beginner to teaching kids in Covina and Glendora in late 2010, and began choreographing pieces for the Citrus dance program soon after.

She was approached by dance instructor, now Dean of the performing and visual arts departments at Citrus, John Vaughn, asking if she was interested in teaching dance.

“It hadn’t even crossed my mind at that point, as I was still in the process of getting my dance certificate,” said S. Cook.

But instead of veering away from it, S. Cook chose to “jump into it.”

“Choreographing is hard. It isn’t something that comes easy. And she really stuck with it. It was interesting watching her grow in that way,” said Liskey. [“She has been choreographing for us, for the dance concerts, for several years now …] Her first piece very great, it was also very new to the choreography genre. But she was very focused and intent on becoming someone that could choreograph.”

S. Cook worked really hard on her first piece, taking the critiques of her instructors in stride. She explored different genres and different songs and genres of music to pair with the pieces she prepared. “We all have a specific sort of flavor.”

“It has been really exciting seeing her (Cook) become a better dancer, to see her find a career path that she can make viable and make money at it. Doing what she loves, while inspiring the younger generation, continuing the art form, keeping it alive. All of those are really important and it’s been really special watching Shawna discover that.”

Although many performers in S. Cook’s age group tend to develop physical Cook assists dance students in her 3-5 year old ballet class on May 6 at her recreation hall dance studio at Covina Park in Covina, California.

continued >> SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 39

Feature

challenges as a result of the constant strain they expose their bodies to, she continues to do what she loves. S. Cook often deals with painful shin splints, which if not taken care of, has caused her to put off dancing for weeks at a time.

In December of 2013, S. Cook, while practicing on the stage of the Haugh Performing Arts Center, fell 6 feet into the orchestra pit. After being rushed the hospital, she was told that she had broken her arm and fractured a rib, but as luck would have it, she was still able to walk out of the Emergency Room the same day.

However, S. Cook was unable to take part in the performance she had been practicing for and chose to take photos with her point and shoot camera instead.

Due to the fall she had to take an extended break from dance after losing all of the muscle strength in her arm. This caused her to have to start again from the beginning of her dance journey. With hope and perseverance, this didn’t keep her down for long. S. Cook managed to bounce back through physical therapy and regained the will to get back on her path.

S. Cook’s fall also prompted Citrus college to take action in order to prevent any future injuries. The school updated the safety regulations and guides for those that are on the stage or near the orchestra pit and providing training to those that need it.

After gaining some confidence through her experiences and being forced to take a break from dance, S. Cook decided to once again try out photography. This was still a scary step for her.

“She came into class and introduced herself. Not only as a hopeful photographer, but also a dancer. She told me that she has a real passion for photographing the performing arts,” said Amanda Keller-Konya, professor and head of the photography department.

S. Cook focused her attention on photographing fellow dancers and performers at Citrus. The first show she officially photographed was Little Shop of Horrors ( October 2014).

“She was really good at it. She had an eye not many photographers in her class had, as a dancer she knew just what to look for,” said Keller-Konya.

FAST FORWARD TO 2019 S. Cook, now 36, has had a hand in the production of many Citrus dance performances. She teaches kids in the community, of various ages, igniting the love of dance in many them and she frequently photographs performances for the Haugh PAC, as well as for the performances she has organized for her students.

Although she still deals with painful shin splints and occasional pain in her once broken arm, she now knows how to properly manage her pain so that it does not get severe enough that it might hinder her progress.

S. Cook’s dream is to one day open up a studio of her own that combines both her love for photography and dance in one place. She will continue to “reach for the stars” no matter what obstacle comes her way. L From left, Shawna and Breanna Cook, 4, pose for family photo in Glendora, California.

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Feature Lissette Garrido, 20, musical theater major, sits on stage as leaves fall around her on Nov. 13, 2018 in the Haugh Performing Arts Center.

Garrido had participated in a dance choreographed by Cook titled “Imagination.�

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Opinion

Azusa arcade looks promising on the outside but reveals high prices and broken games within TEXT AND PHOTOS BY: VICMAN THOME

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A “Dance Dance Revolution Supernova” videogame sits alone in the corner of the arcade.

Opinion

S

uper Arcade sits in the shadow of the historic Wells Fargo bank in downtown Azusa. It lies nudged between a travel agency’s drive-way and the back of the bank. The arcade is barely noticable.

But that might be a good thing, upon entering the arcade, and after their eyes adjust to the darkness, guests realize that “arcade” might not be the best word to describe what the place is. There are only about 20 machines located around the main bottom floor of the arcade, most of which sit with their screens black and speakers silent as the “out of order” signs flutter from the tape they are held by.

For me, it actually took me a while to find a game that was not broken or not in use the first time that I went. I finally settled on an old pacman cabinet that was nestled among a Ms. Pacman machine and a a space game. The faded sides and the mostly worn out text on the controls made me feel like I was in a Back to the Future movie and I was Marty McFly about to meet my young parents. After dying for about three times i decided maybe it was time to move onto a different cabinet and play something else.

As I walked around, i noticed that if guests keep looking around they can also catch a glimpse of the internal guts of many arcade cabinets splayed out as the one lonely technician struggles to try and fit them back into the machine. He seems to be failing.

When gamers continue to look around for a place to insert their quarters into, their options become severely limited as the games that are considered “the classics” are constantly being backed up by long lines of gamers putting their quarters across the bottom bezel of the screen to reserve the next game.

The other machines they can play are either out of order or so common that the neighborhood Chuck-E-Cheese’s has them. Gamers come here to get an experience of times long gone, not of sitting in a Chuck-E-Cheese’s full of screaming kids.

“I don’t play anything, my kids and my husband are the one who like to play, but we come because prices are fair compared to like the bowling alley or Chuck-E-Cheese,” said Rosie Vidrio, a mother of a group of kids who were playing a Simpsons’ themed pinball game. Vidrio was waiting in line to play Ms. Pacman, there were two quarters ahead of hers.

As gamers head a little farther into the arcade, they are met with a long ramp that heads up onto a floor full of monitors of all shapes and sizes where guests can plug in their consoles or gaming computers and play games. They can choose to bring their own or rent them from the arcade for $10.50 Their mismatched monitors consist of old tube TVs, older generations of computer monitors and the occasional plasma screen TV. These TVs are all connected to a network streaming service called Twitch where they stream all the players’ games live.

“I would love to come here every week but, it’s a little pricey, like I was told it was $10 but I ended up getting charged $15 for pizza that I didn’t even get,” said Don Huin, an occasional arcade goer, as he proceeded to beat up different characters on his screen in Super Smash Bros. continue reading at logosmagazinecc.com SPRING 2019 | LOGOS | 43

Culture

SHORT STORY:

the man & the tree TEXT BY:LIANDRA THIBODEAUX ILLUSTRATION BY: XELA QUINTANA

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Culture

Sometimes it is the most unexpected people that might come make a difference in life.

The stranger who’s small act of kindness not only brightens up one day but many. This shows that although another person can water your tree, it is up to you to make sure it continues to flourish.

T

here once was a man that had been hurt. He walked down the same road every day, twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night. This was a long unpaved road. On one side of the road, it was barren. On the other side of the road, there was one tree. Every time he reached this tree on his path, he would say “Hello” to it, give it a bit of water and be back on his way.

Over the years, he would occasionally invite someone to walk down this road with him.

Each time that person was no longer on the road with him, the tree would somehow shrink a bit.

At first it was unnoticed.

But the longer he walked down that road, with each passing person, the tree got smaller and smaller. This saddened the man greatly. This tree has been there since as far back as he could remember.

It was the only consistent life form besides his own on this road.

Then the man made a friend. He believed he was happy.

This friend gained all of the man’s attention for a bit of time. To the point in which the man forgot about the tree. On the road he went with his friend day in and day out, not once taking time to say “Hello” to the tree nor give it water, as he always had.

Until the day came in which this friend too, took their leave.

This left the man broken, but still on the road he went...One day finally remembering the tree.

However, with each passing day, the smaller the tree got, the more the man

panicked.

This time the tree was shrinking without having someone by his side and that person leaving.

He couldn’t bare the thought of the tree no longer being there. For at this point, the tree wasn’t a tree at all. It had become just a branch. And no matter what the man did, it wouldn’t seem to grow.

He decided to veer off of the road in search of other resources to help the tree grow big and strong again. But before doing so, he built a huge brick wall around the tree in order to keep it safe while he was gone.

Down the road he went, the furthest he’d ever gone, until he reached a tavern.

In this tavern, there were many people from all over the world. They were different shapes, sizes and races. He talked to a few to ask for advice, some of which he liked more than others.

He made many friends while at this tavern. But afraid of the tree being harmed, he refused to invite anyone else to walk down the road with him. Because of this, he seemed to spend quite a bit of time at this tavern. Up until the moment came when he finally decided it was time to head back to his tree, so he gathered some supplies and went on his way.

When he returned to the wall in which surrounded the tree, he noticed something different...there was a small brick missing. And when he looked through the hole, he saw that the tree had started to grow again.

The man was happy, but also afraid.

“How could this be?” The man asked

himself.

Unable to answer he continued his routine. Walk up the road, say “hello” to the tree, give it a bit of water, say “goodbye.” Walk back down the road, say “hello” to the tree, give it a bit of water, say “goodbye.” The tree continued to grow.

One day, he walked a bit further down the road than he normally would and noticed another tree on the opposite side. This tree wasn’t very big, it had a bow tied around it and it also had a wall.

Curious the man extended his walk each day to try and catch a glimpse of who was caring for the newly discovered tree. And one day he finally did.

He said “Hello” to this person and they cautiously returned the greeting.

As they more frequently spoke, the man realized that he had met this person a few times at the tavern, but never seemed to remember them. The person mentioned that they too had went to the tavern to look for advice in helping their own tree and leaving a bit earlier than he had, they came across his. They remembered how saddened he was about his tree shrinking and they wanted to help.

They understood what it felt like to be hurt by their own shrinking tree and using some supplies they had gathered at the tavern, they removed a small brick.

The man, astonished by what he was hearing, he asked “ But how were you able to get my tree to grow again?” So the person explained how they were able to help the man’s tree start to grow…“All I did was give it a bit of water and say hello. The rest was up to you.” L SPRING 2019| LOGOS | 45

Winner Section

A Bit About The Artist: Age: 20 Major: Photography, soon to transition into film Instagram: @Cristiannn.sanchez What got you into photography?

My grandpa got me interested in taking photos back when I was 13, but I didn’t start taking it seriously until about 16.

Describe your style:

I look at the world differently then what I did a couple of years ago. I try to evoke emotions with my work using negative space and contrast to my advantage. Having more of a conceptual idea to it makes it more personal.

Have you come across any challenges in relation to your art?

I am the most unorganized person in the world, so sometimes it pulls me back from shooting certain mornings and creates a lag in my creative drive. I need to work on that for sure.

What do you enjoy most about your art?

I am alone most of the time so music helps inspire me to create these dramatic photos, with the use of headphones being a key component when shooting. It puts me into a state of focus. I also enjoy capturing motion and movement in my photos because it creates a sense of time and mood for the viewers to get lost in.

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CRISTIAN SANCHEZ

Winner Section

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