Converge magazine - Issue 2 Fall 2021

Student magazine of CSU Bakersfield

Issue 2 | Fall 2021

table of contents

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FAMILY & CULTURE ARTISTS & CREATIVES FOOD & FUN

SWEET AND SAVORY Food trucks feed Kern County

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CELEBRATING YULE Pagan tradition honors rebirth

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BUSINESS INGENUITY Diverse women shine as successful self-made business owners

Front cover, “My Opening Line” by Nicole Lowrie, see page 37 Back cover, photo of Alumni Park at CSU Bakersfield by Leah Truitt

TIKTOK, CANDLES, & CHAOS Candle shop explodes after going viral

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CREATING IN THE PANDEMIC Turning idle hands into hobbyists

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Our Mission

Converge magazine enlightens and connects its readers by exposing them to local cultures and communities through arts and language. All stories, artwork, and photography in the magazine are produced by students at California State University, Bakersfield. Converge is a product of The Runner, the independent student newspaper produced as a learning lab in the Department of Communications at CSUB.

The Runner and Converge Magazine Department of Communications California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stoackdale Highway Bakersfield, CA 93311 (661) 654-2165 runner@csub.edu

Our Staff & Contributors Editor, Vada Hepner vunderwood2@csub.edu Adviser, Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu Content Creators

Graciela Aguilar, Taylor Ayala, Haydee Baharona, Juniva Bojorquez, Kennadi Burke, Paige Calvin, Jenn Chavez, Ana Dominguez, Jacqueline Gutierrez, Lola Jimenez, Ernesto Leon, Bryana Lozoya, Alexis Lynde, Yasmin Marcelo, Rhyan Nile, Faith Okoli, Jessica Rosas,

Lilliawna Shaffer, Allison Tovar, Leah Truitt, Gabriella Vides, Dionna Woolfolk

Copy Editors & Page Designers

Graciela Aguilar, Teresa Alcantar, Taylor Ayala, Joe Bejarano, Kennadi Burke, Jenn Chavez, Victoria Cipres, Charline Delgado, Marlene Garcia, Vada Hepner, Lola Jimenez, Anahi Lomeli, Bryana Lozoya, Xochitl Martinez, Rhyan Nile, Natalie Page, Lilliawna Shaffer, Ariane Skeggs, Ian Tash

A letter from the Editor Dear Readers, It is an absolute pleasure to welcome you to the second-ever Converge magazine. The entire team put it in so much work and had many late nights to make this magazine possible. I cannot thank everyone enough for making such an amazing issue a reality. It couldn’t have turned out better in my eyes.

It’s so crazy that this magazine was able to come together in such a short amount of time and mostly virtual. Putting it together with little to no in-person interaction was very difficult and not the most ideal. But we survived and used it to our advantage.

If we were able to produce this amazing issue while working together strictly virtual, I can’t imagine what we can do when we are back together in the same newsroom.

Inside this magazine, you will find a unique and diverse col-

lection of stories, showcasing family, culture, artists, creatives, food, and fun. These stories feature some of the most amazing writers, artists, photographers, and creators in the Bakersfield and surrounding area.

These stories show how we converged all of our skills and efforts together to create the second issue of Converge.

I welcome you to dive into the pages and truly appreciate all the hard work that lie amongst them.

In the words of Sam Underwood, the editor of the first issue of Converge, who happens to also be my dad, “Come see where our lives converge.”

Vada R. Hepner, Converge Editor

Page 3

Family & Culture

Here, We Learn

From parents to siblings, family harvests for the future

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t’s 3 a.m. My parents are scrambling to get ready and get out of the house before it’s too late. My sister and I are ready with our bags, dozing in and out of sleep on the couch as we wait to be dropped off at our daycare. My mom, dad, two older brothers and two older sisters are heading to work to pick oranges for the day.

They pick us up fairly late, covered in dirt and smelling of chemicals.

During the fall and winter seasonal period, it is usually dark by the time my parents and siblings are done. This was daily life for me and my sister until we, too, were old enough to start working.

We were in middle school when my dad began taking us to work to pick oranges. At this time, we weren’t actually working. It was more of him showing us

how to hold the sack over our bodies, how to properly dump the bag into the bin, how to hold the scissors in our hands, and how to use them. My older family members used 16-to-20foot ladders to get the fruit off the higher parts of the tree, but we were far too young and weak to give those a try.

A couple years later, we finally started to get the hang of it. At about the age of 15, we started learning to use the ladders. When doing any kind of field work, there are managers referred to as mayordomos or

Story and photos

by Graciela Aguilar

My dad, Eleazar Aguilar, 61, on his way to his next bin.

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mayordomas. These are the heads of the crew, giving instructions on how to pick the fruit, directing the field workers as to where to pick, as well as providing work materials. When picking oranges, the mayordomo or mayordoma has a trailer with a bathroom and ladders. These ladders are used almost every day of work.

When my sister and I started learning how to properly carry and use the ladders, my dad would empty out the trailer looking for the smallest or lightest ladder.

Carrying the ladder was one of the hardest parts of learning how to use them.

The weight of a metal 16foot ladder resting only on your shoulder having to walk 500 to 600 feet to the next bin was exhausting.

Resting the ladder properly on the tree was also tricky.

You would need to find the perfect spot on the tree where you can get the most oranges off from that area.

The most experienced workers don’t need to move the ladder many times around the tree as they know just the right spots to get the most oranges off a specific area.

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y dad always told us to strive to be as good as our older siblings. My mom stopped working with my dad after my youngest brother was born. My siblings were the best of the best. They climbed up the ladder with swiftness, filling up their bins within thirty minutes to an hour depending on how good the orange orchard was.

Field workers classify

any type of work as “good” or “bad” depending on the fruit. For instance, while picking oranges, we would classify an orchard being “good” if the oranges were big (this meant the bin would fill up at a faster rate) or if the orchard had short trees (this meant that ladders were not necessary if we could reach everything from an arm’s length).

Throughout the years, my dad was the one who showed me and my sister how to work in various types of field work. We picked cherries, oranges, olives, mandarins, and lemons. Citrus fruits used the same type of materials, the only difference were the techniques used to pick the fruit.

The work is not easy.

Both my parents and siblings never hid the physical strain field work had on them. My sister and I joined them in experiencing the unforgiving cold and heat during the season’s peaks.

“We had to change our gloves over and over again when we would have to work right after the day it rained, the trees dripping wet,” said Luz Aguilar, my sister who is one year older than I. We were taught how to work in various types of field work together.

“Picking grapes at 7 in the morning was also brutal,” she said. “Supervisors wouldn’t allow us to wear gloves, so we had to bare hand pick everything, the ice cold grape bunches and wheel barrels.”

We learned and did

My mom, Maria Guadalupe Aguilar, 57, picks grapes in Mcfarland, California. everything together. We picked cherries, olives, oranges, lemons, mandarins, grapes and blueberries together.

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owever, now as an adult, fresh out of college with her bachelor’s in economics, Luz now works for a citrus corporation in Delano, California. At Wonderful Citrus, she works as a product management analyst. Here she supports product managers in the varietal team. These teams work to optimize supply chain planning for Wonderful Citrus.

“For work we would go on field visits to an orange orchard to inspect the bins

for quality. I felt a sense of empathy for the field workers working tirelessly to fill up their bins,” said Luz. “I knew what they were going through, I knew how tired they were, and I felt a sense of community knowing I was there too,” she says.

We had been surrounded by field work our entire lives and Luz now made it a part of her career.

For many field workers however, their lives were rooted in only field work. A person could only elevate their status as a field worker if they became contractors, mayordomos(as) or supervisors.

Guadalupe, 41, and Jose Luis Sanchez, 45, have also

Family & Culture | 5

Luz Aguilar, my sister, packs grapes in McFarland a year before becoming a product management analyst. been field workers their whole lives. They worked alongside me and Luz for five years preparing, picking and packing grapes.

“It might be hard for us now that we’re getting older, but it’s like second nature for us to get up, make food, and head to work,” said Guadalupe.

“Yes, it’s hard, and some days we wished we had done different things with our lives, but we also enjoy the sense of community we feel when we work with relatives all together. It feels right,” said Jose Luis.

Guadalupe and Jose Luis also have a son that they would take with them to work. They taught their

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son the same way Luz and I were taught: waking up early in the morning, earning his own money, and buying his own things without needing the help of his parents.

“We think back and we’re happy we got the chance to teach our son how to work and how to earn a dollar, and how hard it is to earn that dollar,” Guadalupe said.

Their son, Junior, is now an HVAC technician, and graduated from San Joaquin Valley College.

“Another reason we wanted to show him the adversity of field work was to inspire him to get a good job and not be stuck in the

Luz Aguilar during a field visit to test the quality of the orange bins for her job with Wonderful Citrus. fields like us,” said Guadalupe. “We’re glad he has made a living for himself and has his degree,” she says.

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his idea was always instilled within me and my siblings as well. The idea that we’ve already done the worst. Whatever life has to throw at us, we’re ready, and we can do anything if we study hard and stay consistent with our schoolwork. Those who do field work here in the Central Valley are mainly Mexicans and other people of color.

“Americans will say, ‘You can’t pay me enough to do this kind of work.’

They won’t do it. They’ll look for something easier,” according to Joe Del Bosque, From Del Bosque Farms in the San Joaquin Valley.

UC Davis economist J. Edward Taylor states, “Agriculture’s reliance on immigrant labor, especially in the American West, goes back to the late 1800s, after the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad The domestic farm workforce was simply not big enough to support the growth of labor-intensive fruit and vegetable crops.”

Immigrants have played an essential role in making sure the abundance of fruits and vegetables are harvested here in the United States.

Like farmer Del Bosque states, “I’ll hire anyone who shows up ready to work.

But that rarely means someone born in the U.S.” My family is documented but we have worked with families that come from Mexico and are in desperate need of work. They turn to the fields, work that is always available at any time throughout the year.

Now as adults with jobs outside of the fields, my sister and I like to reminisce on the times when we worked together.

I work now as an afterschool tutor at an elementary school in Porterville, California. I am a senior at California State University, Bakersfield and working to get my bachelor’s degree in communications.

Although the work was unforgiving, we cherished the lessons we learned and carry them into adulthood.

Family Sows

Seeds of Love

Photo by Taylor Ayala

Three generations of family farmers endure challenges

By Taylor Ayala

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asco, California is a small farm town. Every other block contains a field in which various crops are grown. Many of these fields are owned by local farming families. One of these farms happens to be owned by my grandma and her two brothers- Alvie Snow Farms.

My great-grandfather, Alvie Snow, fought in World War II. After coming back home from the war, he decided to buy a plot of land in Wasco and start his own farming business alongside his wife, Betty Snow. They had three children, Bev Rogers, Ronnie Snow,

and Rick Snow. Alvie Snow Farms has been the family business for 70 years.

“We have 423 acres of almonds, 32 acres of organic almonds, 164 acres of alfalfa, 3 fields where almonds were taken out but we haven’t replanted yet, and then we have Sudan which is dairy cattle feed. We have 85 acres of that,” explained Bev. “We also do custom farming. We do almond harvesting for ourselves and others, and then we do laser leveling -- where you take the big tractors with buckets and level the ground using laser sensors. We also do other tractor work for other farmers,” she continued.

The business is now run by the three

siblings: Bev is 66 years old, Ronnie is 64 years old, and Rick is 59 years old.

Each has their own area of work that they do that contributes to the farm.

“The three of us make the business decisions. Ronnie oversees everythingwe all consult but he’s like the head honcho. He feels responsible to make sure it all keeps going for all of us, but we’re all equal partners. Rick works on equipment, he oversees the laser leveling and does whatever needs to be done. Ronnie makes sure everything is running and going. He makes dayto-day decisions on what we need to do. He makes contacts for our contract work. I do accounts payable and

Family & Culture | 7

receivable, payroll, any type of surveys or questionnaires, I do the banking, just whatever needs to be done,” she said.

Despite being an established farm in the community with 15 to 20 employees at any given time, there are some issues that Alvie Snow Farms and other small, local farmers have experienced.

The emergence of large business farms has impacted small farms in a big way.

“We’re trying to compete with deep pockets and it kills us. We’re trying to make a living out of every acre and we don’t have enough acres to justify it.

They go and buy in bulk and there’s not much left for us small guys. The rates go higher and it makes it tough,” explained Rick.

The issue at hand here is not the fact that large businesses own farms.

The problem lies in the fact that the

businesses are able to spend more at once, while small farms have to borrow money from banks.

“What it is, is when they come in, they bring cash. Small farms have to borrow money. Right off the get-go, they can raise less crop and still have bigger profits because their cost per acre is less than ours is,” said Ronnie.

COMPETING WITH BIG GUYS hese large farms are spending huge amounts of money at once, which allows them to invest more. In turn, companies that sell equipment to the farms raise their prices to keep up with large orders. Because of this, small family-owned farms struggle to afford the necessary tools to keep their businesses afloat.

Large companies also buy out

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smaller farms. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists- a nonprofit organization dedicated to science advocacy, “Consolidation has had troublesome consequences for many rural communities. It has come primarily at the expense of midsize farms, which have historically been the economic backbone of these communities. It has reduced opportunities for new farmers, who have become increasingly rare.”

When larger farms make it almost impossible for smaller farms to run, they are forced to either sell the business or go out of business on their own.

It’s a dog-eat-dog industry, and the large companies are ahead.

As the three of us stood at the farm shop talking about larger farms, there was a strong feeling of camaraderie in the air. Yes, they are business partners,

“We’re trying to compete with deep pockets and it kills us.” - Rick Snow, Farm Owner

Photo by Taylor Ayala

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however, Bev, Rick, and Ronnie are first and foremost siblings.

When asked about the impact of larger farms on the family business, Rick and Bev agreed in a serious yet somewhat lighthearted manner.

“They took all the fun out of it,” said Rick.

“Yah, they made it into a job!” chimed in Bev. WATER FIGHT nother issue specific to California farms is water. California is running out of water at an alarming rate, and farmers rely on wells to water their crops.

“You have to pull from wells, then your wells go out. To dig a new well is about $300,000. We have several wells that are on our property that we’ve dug,

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but it gets to the point where everyone is pulling water from the ground and the water table goes down and your wells don’t go deep enough so you have to drop your wells lower,” explained Bev. Large farms have the capacity to shell out this money when they need water. However, not all farms have an extra $300,000 laying around to spend on digging deeper wells. If larger farms pull more water, the water table lowers and everyone has to dig deeper.

FAMILY TIES RUN DEEP espite competing with larger companies, Alvie Snow Farms is doing well. Great-grandpa Alvie worked to build a better life for his family than he had as a child, and he succeeded. After Alvie passed away when his children

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were 24, 22, and 16 years old, the family kept the business up and running in his honor.

Alvie Snow Farms now has around 15 full time employees and 20 employees during harvest season. This includes Ronnie’s son as well as one of Rick’s sons.

The Snow family is now very large- Bev having two children and five grandchildren, Ronnie having three children, seven grandchildren, and a great grandson, and Rick having two sons and two grandchildren. It is likely that when Bev, Ronnie and Rick decide to retire they will sell the farm.

“Family farms don’t do it for the money. We do it for the love of the craft. It’s usually something that’s generational, and it’s just carrying on the family tradition,” said Bev.

“Family farms don’t do it for the money. We do it for the love of the craft.” - Bev Rogers, Farm Owner Photo by Amanda Ayala

Family & Culture | 9

CULTURE SHOCK

Illustration by Faith Okoli

When immigrants from Latin America find a different kind of America in the U.S.

By Ernesto Leon

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isiting a new country can be a culture shock for many people, but for immigrants, it’s no new feeling.

Here are some ways young Latin American immigrants ex-

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perienced culture shock when they first arrived in the U.S. GREETINGS

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ne of the first things a person does when meeting others is a greeting, and, when

departing, a goodbye. Mathias Franz came to the U.S at the age of 15 from Guadalajara, Mexico. He is currently 20 years old and living in Denver, Colorado. He explained that in Mexico it was quite common to meet others in a very phys-

ical manner, which is not the case in America.

“I remember when I first came to the U.S., and I was at a church service. Towards the end, my parents were telling me to say goodbye to a woman who they met, and I kissed her

“My dad, who grew up in America, had to explain to me that it’s not normal to just kiss people on the cheek or hug here.”

- Mathias Franz, from Guadalajra, Mexico

not worry about it the same way,” Yepez stated.

Yepez explained that for him it was the biggest feeling of culture shock he experienced, and the feeling of safety makes it easier to enjoy time out with friends without worrying as much about a time to be home before dark and not being scared to check the news while he’s out.

LANGUAGE

H Illustration by Jessica Rosas cheek as I was saying goodbye.

She gave me the most surprising face. My dad, who grew up in America, had to explain to me that it’s not normal to just kiss people on the cheek or hug here,” said Franz.

Franz said that, in Mexico, it’s normal to introduce yourself to a stranger with a kiss on the cheek or a hug. It’s viewed as friendly and even expected.

Here in America, it’s more of an expectation to shake each other’s hands or just wave to each other as a form of a polite greeting. It’s not as physical unless it’s with very close individuals a person knows.

ANIMALS AS PETS

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ranz also goes in-depth into the treatment of animals that caused a culture shock for him. Franz is a dog walker and pet sitter, and he explains that his job wouldn’t be possible if he lived in Mexico.

“In Mexico, for the most part, we didn’t treat animals the best. It was a norm to not want your dog inside the house, and have them outside.

Even the idea of having like a dog walker would be funny if I told people in my neighborhood if I could walk their dogs,” Franz said chuckling.

He further explains that, in America, pets can be more part of the family or, for some, as an accessory. This is why there is more emphasis on pet sitters and dog walkers. He explains that it was definitely a culture shock to see how different people viewed the concept of pets.

Julian Hernandez, 19, came from Bogatà, Columbia at the age of 12, and resides in Miami, Florida. He mentions that having pets as companions wasn’t typical in his former country.

“I own a cat. His name is Tobi. I wouldn’t have been able to have a cat in Bogata.

People like pets like dogs there because they can also be protection or security, cats not so much,” Hernandez stated.

Hernandez said pets are important tools for a lot of people in his hometown, but here in America, the idea of having a pet doesn’t typically have to start with thinking of

physical protection, but rather an emotional companion.

ernandez said he got major culture shock from hearing different types of Spanish. Being from Columbia, he calls a straw “pitillo,” while Franz calls it “popote,” and Yepez refers to it as “pajita.” Hernandez said this isn’t something he would’ve discovered in Columbia.

CUISINE

SAFETY

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ernardo Yepez is a 19-year-old and is currently an international student in America from Ecuador studying in Washington D.C. He’s been studying in the U.S for a few months now, and when asked about what his biggest culture shock experience was, he answered safety.

According to Insight Crime, Latin America is ranked as being the most dangerous region in the world. The United States ranks 56th when viewing the World Population Review’s crime rate by country as of 2021. Most Latin American countries rank much higher than the U.S like Ecuador which ranks 37th in the crime rate report.

“Being here, I feel safe to go out. I used to not go out in Ecuador because I was scared of what was showing on the news or hear about someone getting hurt or something. But here I feel like I can go out and

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merica is well known for being a melting pot of diversity with it being filled with a mixture of different cultures.

Franz said he found food fascinating when he came to the U.S. Where he was from in Mexico, there was some fast food, Mexican cuisine, and even North Asian cuisine, but he never found what he considers to be his favorite today, Indian cuisine.

“It’s such an amazing experience that really opens your eyes when you meet new people that you wouldn’t meet in Mexico for the most part, and get to partake in their food, music, art, and just overall culture,” he said.

When all were asked about Americanized Mexican food, such as Taco Bell, they all had the same reaction. They do not approve of Taco Bell or Del Taco, but Franz and Yepez said they enjoy Chipotle.

Family & Culture | 11

Graphic by Marlene Garcia

Married to Marianismo Cultural pressures leave long-term effects on Latinas

By Allison Tovar

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arianismo is defined as an aspect of the female gender role in the Hispanic American culture, originating from the Catholic Church’s image of the Virgin Mary. Many Latinas who were raised through marianismo, were taught that their roles are to be the spiritual family leaders. Attempting to fulfill this role and marianismo’s expectations has made women feel less valuable in their households.

Four virtuals that marianismo praises are as followed: inner-strength,

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self-sacrifice, family, and chastity.

These virtuals have guided and created the power of marianismo in Latino households. Many Latinas refuse to give up the roles correlated with marianismo because they are afraid to fail their husbands and families.

INNER-STRENGTH

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ne quality that Marianismo values is inner-strength. In a Mexican household, women are often seen as the “heart” of a family. Therefore, they have to always remain strong despite

any circumstances or events that may arise. Author Nicole De Silva said that in a study of 205 immigrated Latinas, 50% of them still deal with psychological distress due to this specific virtual of marianismo. Latina women are afraid of not keeping their loved ones happy, especially their husbands, so they avoid letting their emotions overpower their happiness. They choose to suffer silently.

My grandmother who was raised in La Piedad, Mexico stated that she remembers accompanying her mother to the store for groceries, and her mother

would often sit in the car before entering the store and cry. As a young child, being about 7-years-old, she never knew what was the issue, she always thought maybe her mother was crying because she felt ill. However, she now realizes that not once did she see her mother cry around anyone else, but herself.

Many Latinas are holding in all their emotions, which only results in extreme depression. One major effect that the quality of inner-strength holds on Hispanic women is leading them to feel afraid of showing their true emotions resulting in them being a person who they truly aren’t.

SELF-SACRIFICE

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he second virtue that is valued through marianismo is self-sacrifice. Latinas must sacrifice their own personal lives, in order to benefit their loved ones. If a Latina woman enjoys doing an activity, she isn’t allowed to do what she likes, unless her husband no longer needs her assistance.

She must spend all her time fulfilling the role that marianismo has put on women.

Latinas sacrifice their lives to make their husbands happy and follow the Hispanic American culture tradition.

Self-sacrifice has excluded Latinas from doing what they love and reaching their own personal goals. It keeps them hidden away from the world, pushing them away from living a life with freedom. Latinas are afraid to do things they love because they feel as if they will fail as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter, etc.

A friend of mine who was raised by an old school Mexican father said that she often finds herself having to stay at home and help her parents complete house duties instead of going out with her friends. She stated, “Si no me quedo en casa, me sentire muy culpable y mis padres me verán como la peor hija del mundo.” This translates to, “If I do not stay at home, I will feel guilty and my parents will see me as

the worst daughter in the world.”

Because her dad was raised through marianismo, he does not see any other possible way of raising his own daughter despite living in an entirely different country. She said that going out with friends like a normal young adult is seen as the devil’s work in her father’s eyes FAMILY

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amily is the most important quality that marianismo values. A hispanic woman is supposed to take care of everyone in her family whether it’s her kids or husband. Following the idea that all mothers must be like the Virgin Mary who sacrificed her entire life for

Latinas focus so much on providing for their families, that they often forget who they are. her son (Jesus). Latinas focus so much on providing for their families that they often forget who they are It also only gives men the ability to see themselves as the powerful ones who can control their wives. Allowing men to maintain the status quo of being in power only affects those Latinas who may be dealing with abuse. They feel afraid to tell the world what they are dealing with because they are supposed to remain submissive to their husbands.

Latina women were taught to prioritize family, moving them away from

their opportunities of having a career or job outside of their home. Their “jobs” are to clean the house, make food, and supply for their husbands/ children. This has affected these women keeping them away from what is in the outside world. While their husbands are out working, they have to be getting dinner or the house clean for when he returns. If the children are at school, the mother must also get ready for their arrival. Due to the quality of family that marianismo values, Latinas are only exposed to minimal opportunities and knowledge.

CHASTITY

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n the Catholic religion, which marianismo originates with, virginity is praised. Women must abstain from any sexual intercourse until married.

Sex is depicted as “gross” unless one is married to their partner. If a Latina has sexual intercouses with their partner, they feel forced to marry that individual despite any circumstances.

This increases the chances of Latina’s staying in an abusive relationship to fulfill their role as women.

My mother who was raised through marianismo said that she knows many of her friends who got married at such a young age because they had sexual intercourse with their partners. She added that half of those girls are now divorced. Latinas are so blinded by the important feature of virginity that they will marry their first encounter.

Discrimination is seen in Mexican households, due the amount of people who view “sex” before marriage as being “nasty.” Many of my own cousins have been called prostitutes by their own family members only because they have had more than one boyfriend within a short time.

Marianismo has allowed individuals to label women as something they are not, affecting the way Latinas feel about themselves. Thus, leading them to feel insecure and unhappy in their own bodies.

Family & Culture | 13

Pride on the Court

Photo by Mackenzie Westphal

Coach Giovana Melo huddles with the CSUB Volleyball team at a recent match in the Icardo Center. After taking a leap and coming out herself, she started Volleyball Pride Night to support LGBTQ+ students and athletes.

Embraced at CSUB, volleyball coach creates safe place for all athletes

By Paige Calvin

G

iovana Melo has been head coach of two university volleyball programs since 2008, but it wasn’t until she began her career at California State University, Bakersfield in 2014 that she took the monumental steps publicly identifying as gay, which led her on the path to self realization and activism.

I personally have the pleasure of being coached by Giovana Melo, as I am a new member of the CSUB volleyball team this year and will continue next year. Melo, head coach of the CSUB volleyball team, has overcome social and workplace discrimination, as well as the hardships of being closeted as a lesbian.

Through perseverance and courage, Melo has learned invaluable lessons in coaching, parenting and her identity.

Melo’s story begins in 2008, in the small town of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Melo had been head coach at Western Nebraska Community College for six years, and built relationships with faculty, players and community members.

According to Mark Rein, sports information coordinator and photographer at WNCC, she coached dozens of athletes and

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led the Cougars to the final four at the national tournament four times, including one national championship title in 2010. However, despite massive success at the college, Melo was fighting her own battles at home.

For six years, Melo and her then-partner kept their relationship a secret, as they were known as being simply friends, in fear of social discrimination or isolation due to the small-town beliefs of Scottsbluff.

“I think it was out of fear for judgement from our social groups.”

She went on to explain that having come from such a small town with very outdated beliefs, she and Trisha feared that they would be judged for not falling into the “typical” family or relationship dynamic.

A YEAR OF CHANGE

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n 2014, life began to look quite different for Melo and her then-fiance Trisha Lacey. Spring marked a monumental change in their lives, as Melo would begin her CSUB career in April, and

they would be wed in June.

Giovana Melo said that she first came out publicly in her interview for the head-coaching job at CSUB. Although the question was never asked of her, she wanted to be hired for her true, authentic self, not a facade of who she would never be.

Melo did embrace vulnerability with select friends and family prior, one of these friends being Cesar Benatti, assistant indoor coach and head beach volleyball coach at CSUB. Benatti said they had been friends for a few years, and had built great trust and respect before Melo came out to him.

Once her friends and players from her past heard the news as it passed through the volleyball community, they reached out and said that it wouldn’t have changed anything if they would’ve known before.

Melo described the process of coming out as happening in everyone’s own unique time, saying, “If you aren’t ready, you aren’t ready. So many doubts, questions, so much hurt, you lose friends, so much fear. It all teaches you - until everything eventually makes sense.”

WORTH THE FIGHT

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ne reason as to why Giovana Melo was not ready to come out publicly prior to her relationship with Trisha Lacey, was just that - Trisha Lacey wasn’t in the picture before.

Prior to meeting and falling in love with Trisha, Melo had never experienced a love like theirs, a love worth fighting for.

“Nobody besides Trisha was worth the fight,” she said, adding that she had never felt the way she did about Trisha with anybody else, and those feelings made everything else entirely worth it.

Trisha Lacey stated that she learned, “Me and my relationship are so much stronger than I thought and we deserve to be happy no matter what anyone else thinks.”

Over time, the two learned to value their own happiness over everything else.

After taking the leap and going public with her identity as a lesbian in Bakersfield, Melo began on her journey of

advocacy and support of other LGBTQ+ individuals. Specifically, Giovana Melo began an annual CSUB Volleyball Pride Night to help support possibly closeted individuals in the athletic community, as she knows first-hand there is not much support for LGBTQ+ in athletics.

Benatti states, “Raising awareness, breaking barriers that people might still have with this kind of matter, letting people feel valued and seen. Athletics has a really good power and exposure to make this happen in a very positive way. It’s very rewarding for us and important.”

Pride Night takes place every year at a home volleyball game in October, and the team wears shirts that honor inclusivity and support for LGBTQ+.

Melo’s idea for Pride Night was not met with support from all of her team members at first. In 2017, the first year of this event, a few individuals did not feel comfortable wearing the shirts due to personal conflict. Melo said this made her feel hurt and confused, because each of these girls had agreed to play for her, and support her knowing her identity, yet they didn’t want to support her publicly.

She chose to face the issue head-on by talking with her players about their different beliefs and finding a way to meet in the middle. She spoke on lessons regarding respecting the beliefs of others, and loving them for their differences. She understood and acknowledged that every individual had their right to wear the shirt or not.

That night, every player ended up representing Pride. This educational conversation is just one example of the many ways Coach Melo is using her experiences to advocate for LGBTQ+ in her career and personal life.

SPEAKING OUT

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or Pride Night in 2019, Melo was able to speak to students on the screen at the game. She used this platform to speak to fellow LGBTQ+ individuals who may be struggling Photo from CSUB Athletics

Family & Culture | 15

Melo could sense the uncomfortability factor with this recruit and her family, despite them knowing who she was prior to the visit.

This recruit did not end up committing, and the visit has always left a sour taste in her mouth due to the judgement she felt.

However, Giovana Melo does not let the thoughts and opinions of one individual and her family, or even a multitude of opinions, stop her from living her true, authentic identity, and continuing on in her works of advocacy.

Pride Night 2021 took place on Saturday, Oct. 23 with 526 fans counted in attendance. The volleyball team sported T-shirts featuring Rowdy the Roadrunner in the rainbow colors of the LGBTQ+ flag, as well as rainbow striped bows throughout the duration of the game.

The game resulted in a 3-game sweep of UC San Diego, a formidable opponent, and the home team battled in the name of Coach Melo and LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere.

“Don’t be afraid. Be proud of who you are. You are stronger than you think.”

- Giovana Melo, CSUB Volleyball Coach

Contributed photo by Mackenzie Westphal

Giovana Melo with her wife Trisha Lacey, their daughter Eva, and their son Leo.

and still hiding or running from their true identity saying, “Don’t be afraid. Be proud of who you are. You are stronger than you think.”

She spoke on her experiences, which resulted in many athletes contacting her saying what an impact her words had on them.

Melo felt as if there was finally a conversation starting about LGBTQ+ individuals in the athletic community.

Melo has taken these invaluable lessons to heart in her parenting as well. She describes parenting as, “Having this view of what you want for your kids,” but goes on to say that despite this, she has learned to allow them to be whatever and whoever they want to be, and free them of any labels she envisioned for them.

MORE THAN WHAT YOU SEE

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risha holds a similar viewpoint with their children, Eva, 3, and Leo, 8 months, stating that she wishes to raise them to be “open-minded and not place judgement on others. There’s a lot more to people than what you can see on the outside.”

Every so often, Melo still experiences discrimination due to her identity. In one instance with a recruit for the volleyball team,

16 | Family & Culture

Contributed photo by Mackenzie Westphal

Giovana Melo on the sidelines during a CSUB volleyball match.

Fashion Forward

Contributed photos

Ronald John Magoha, left, and Clementine, right, blend feminine and masculine styles.

How Gen Z is breaking down male fashion barriers

By Ernesto Leon

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utting on your daily foundation, followed by some eyeliner, a ring on every other finger, some bracelets and necklaces, all finished up by a crop-top and a skirt before going out. For most, reading that sentence has an automatic assumption of femininity, which is true, but also specifically for women. However, for young people, this description is also becoming more fitting for men.

Ronald John Magoha, 22, was born in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which he left at the age of 8. First, he lived in New York City until he was 14, then moved to London, England where he currently resides. Magoha’s style is a combination

of masculinity and femininity, and it’s his truest authentic self.

Fashion to Magoha signifies, “...identity, it’s how I express myself. It’s one of the first things people see when they look at me… When I think of men’s fashion, I think of masculinity with what’s seen as normal, but I’m open to femininity too.”

Magoha explains that his style includes crop tops, nail polish, and being more open to the idea of presenting feminine.

There are also days when he just wants to wear a hoodie and jeans and feels just as great.

Having lived in both the U.S. and U.K., he said there was still this idea no matter the country that men’s fashion is very similar. In America, he noticed the same

shirt-and-jeans type of style in his age group. There wasn’t much stray for men’s fashion. In England, it is very typical for men to wear tracksuits in his age group as well as fanny packs.

Magoha said despite the increased fluidity in the fashion trends for his generation, not everyone is accepting.

“I wear crop-tops, and because of that, there are people that will have plenty to say. I remember I was walking down the street with some friends, and out of the blue there were people shouting, ‘Wear a full shirt’ right at me,” Magoha said.

“I hate that what I’m doing is considered brave. It’s fabric and colors, but I get that it’s difficult,” Magoha stated.

This idea that there are such similar

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Contributed photos

Ronald John Magoha is comfortable in a hoodie or a crop top: “I hate that what I’m doing is considered brave.” clothing options available in most men’s cultures has been researched by philosopher Cooper Thompson in his research titled “A New Vision of Masculinity,” published by MIT Press.

His research argues that western culture emphasizes homogeneity. This means that there is a strong built-in idea that men should try to act and dress the same, and if they don’t there is social discipline. If a man deviates from what’s socially acceptable, he can be subjected to derogatory name-calling, stares, whispers, and even physical harm.

Thompson said in his research paper that within this social standard of what masculinity means for men is an embedded idea to not be feminine, to not show emotion, and not be as expressive. It’s because of this that there is anger and discomfort when other men don’t follow masculinity’s guidelines.

Gen Z fashion has created styles like e-boy (electronic boy), which is a dark color palette of clothing with big boots, lots of jewelry, and nail polish, similar to emo/gothic trends. It focuses on the color

18 | Family & Culture

black, so there is an emphasis on black nail polish, eyeliner, and mascara. Another fashion trend known as soft boy normalizes lighter colors like pink, which is traditionally seen as taboo for men. There is also a makeup element to the soft boy aesthetic that includes drawn-on freckles and light blush.

Clementine, who prefers this chosen name for himself, is 18 and resides in Bakersfield, California. He has also found his true self through the fluidity of Gen Z fashion.

“I like to see it (fashion) as a book. It’s part of me. It’s sorta like the cover of the book. I want people to look at me and get an idea of who I am,” said Clementine.

Clementine explains that the way he dresses is for him, and not really meant to be seen as some double meaning. “People like to say that I’m promoting propaganda, but I dress the way I do because I like it.

If you can rock a skirt, what’s stopping you?” said Clementine.

He explains that the lack of variety in men’s fashion was a major reason for him wanting to start expressing himself in Gen

Z fashion trends.

“It’s important for a guy to also have an outlet to be expressive and yourself, and if something considered girly makes you comfortable then be comfortable,” said Clementine.

He also elaborated on how Gen Z fashion trends opened a doorway to makeup.

“I like to wear eyeliner, mascara, and concealer. I’m still pretty new to the makeup thing, but I’ve enjoyed it so far,” explained Clementine.

Both Magoha and Clementine stressed the idea that they aren’t doing this for the sake of breaking down gender barriers.

They do it because it’s what makes them feel like themselves. It just happens to be how they express themselves.

For Magoha, “It’s all about being open.

We can’t call fashion stupid - it’s our identity. It’s what we feel comfortable with.

Learn that the word normal is subjective.”

“Try your best to tap into yourself,” Clementine said. “Yes, these trends exist and can be a gateway to expression that is much more fluid, but they’re not defining.

If you’re interested, do it.”

Photo by Gabriella Vides

Yule décor often contains items from nature, such as garland and branches, as well as lights and candles.

Celebrating Yule Pagan tradition honors rebirth

By Gabriella Vides

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id you know that Christmas actually is derived from Pagan traditions?

The most commonly known tradition is a Norse festival of the Winter Solstice called Yule. According to The Goddess & The Greenman, it’s a day of the year around Dec. 21 in which Pagans celebrate the honor of the return of the light after the longest night of the year.

It celebrates the rebirth of the Sun God and the return of hope and promise, which

means traditions focus on renewal and rebirth. It was also the last great feast before the coldest and darkest months occurred.

So how did it become what we know it as: Christmas?

History explains that Christianity was spreading while Pagan traditions were slowly being demonized. However, Pope Julius I knew that it was important to slowly integrate Christianity into Pagan traditions to prevent backlash. With Christmas, it allowed Pagans to continue their traditions but under the name of

Christianity, and the new religion was becoming more accepted. By the Middle Ages, Christianity basically dominated Paganism by claiming these old traditions as their own.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have noticed throughout social media that Pagans began to share their religions and practices. The Atlantic explains that today, a rise in Paganism can be traced through the growing infatuation with Pagan—and even witchy—practices like tarot, astrology, crystals, manifestation, and so on.

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I am one of those who are slowly integrating old traditions into my modern ones — ones that I grew up with. With the increasing love for the social media app, Tik Tok, I stumbled upon the ‘witchtok’ hashtag and became fascinated with it all.

It has been about a year since I began my journey with Paganism and its several different practices. Celebrating the different Sabbaths like Yule has been the easiest for me to adopt. It’s how I met a couple of my friends, who also celebrate Yule.

Christine Howland, a friend of mine from Bakersfield, says, “The biggest activity I do with my family is a big holiday meal on Christmas Day. Since Yule is about honoring longer daylight and celebrating rebirth with a big feast before the harsher winter months hit, which meant fewer cattle and crops were available.

Our big Christmas Day meal is to honor that.”

DECORATING Pagan and witchcraft blog and shop, Plentiful Earth, lists the different associations with Yule. Colors like the obvious red and green are common, but also white, silver, midnight blue, and gold are great choices to use for candles or for decorations. Incense and oils and even candle scents are important too. You can use cedar, cinnamon, clove, frankincense, juniper, myrrh, peppermint, pine, and sweet orange.

If you’re into crystals and stones, there are some options associated with Yule: bloodstone, clear quartz, diamond, emerald, garnet, and ruby. There are animals closely related to Yule as well, such as bear, boar, deer, eagles, owls, robins, squirrels, snow geese, sow, tigers, wrens, and of course, reindeer.

For herbs and flowers, blessed thistle, chamomile, ivy, mistletoe, peppermint leaf, rosemary, and sage work well. Keep in mind, some can be used in cooking, and some are great for decorations. Of course, there are trees associated with Yule.

Apple, birch, cedar, chestnut, citrus, fir, holly, juniper, oak, and yew are great for those Christmas trees so many people like

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putting up.

The coolest thing about decorating these trees is that it is so similar to decorating any other Christmas trees. Putting up lights, ornaments, or even adding pine cones or garlands can be perfect to decorate your trees.

All of these associations can be used in so many different ways that are unique to the person. For me personally, I like color and candles. I usually put more focus on my candles and the beautiful colors to decorate my space.

gans, such as “Goddess Has Your Back,” “Patheos” or “Trust Gaia,” explain the background behind why new beginnings and inner peace is associated with Yule.

In Paganism, different times of the year, different days, and even the moon cycle affects our practices. Yule happens to be the Sabbath that is associated with new beginnings and inner peace.

Of course, neither of those things happen overnight, but Yule is a great time to begin the work. Ways to work on this is passed around among Pagans. It’s a time to look at the things that are holding you back and letting it all go. Journal what hurts you and angers you.

Bless and cleanse your home and yourself from any negativity.

Begin the journey of healing emotional wounds.

As for me, I love to remember where I’ve been while moving to where I should be. Something I have learned from more experienced Pagans is that Paganism has a lot to do with energy and connecting with the elements: water, fire, earth, air, and even soul. Celebrating Yule, like any other Sabbath, doesn’t just consist of the associations listed above, but also the connections and emotions made.

In my family, we have an annual baking day for Christmas.

When we bake, we put certain intentions in it. For example, the Photo by Gabriella Vides phrase “made with love” when it comes to cooking or baking or CUSTOMS even crafting gives a task or hobby an inctivities are very similar to modern tention. In our baking, we incorporate the traditions as well. Things as simple as intentions of love, happiness, fresh starts, drinking hot chocolate, sitting by the fire and good luck. Intention is about giving or going on a nature walk can be associthose good energies into what we do. ated with Yule, as long as the intention is there.

NEW BEGINNINGS “I love gingerbread houses so much, efore becoming Pagan, it was just a and I like spending time with my family silly superstition that made our time during where we make a lot of frosting together all the more fun. Now, it’s a pracand eat it afterwards,” another friend of tice I do personally to contribute to my mine, Lonah Abel from Seattle, says. “I work on finding inner peace and getting to also like the smell of the pine trees we put those new beginnings Yule is about. up. Nature walks are the best during this Whatever the case may be, Yule is time of year.” about new beginnings and spending that It’s common knowledge among Pagans new journey with those closest to you. that Yule is a time of new beginnings and finding inner peace. Blogs written by Pa-

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Artists & Creatives

TikTok, Candles, & Chaos

Shop owner Tawnee Shelton, right, poses with her crewmate Brandi Lynch.

Contributed photo

by Jess Cadena

Artists & Creatives | 21

Candle shop explodes after going viral

By Lola Jimenez

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he popular audio from the movie “Scream” plays in the background of a TikTok video.

“What’s your favorite scary movie?” the man’s voice asks as a candle appears on the screen.

Except it’s not a regular candle, it’s a candle of Ghostface, one of the most famous characters in horror film history. The face is being filled with white wax and a knife is being attached to the candle.

“Uhh, Halloween,” answers the woman’s voice in the audio.

The last detail, blood-red wax, drips onto Ghostface’s knife.

The video is viewed 20 times, then 300 times, then over 1,000 times in a couple of days. The video reaches about 3.5 million views, making it the second TikTok video that has gone viral for That Candle Stuff ’s TikTok account.

When Tawnee Shelton first launched her shop, That Candle Stuff, business orders were slow. But one day, she decided to post a video on TikTok of her dipping a coffin candle, which blew up overnight. Now she’s gone viral again from the Ghost Face video she’s posted recently and has received over 400 orders in about two days. According to Lauren Frias from Insider, TikTok has helped many small businesses explode into high-selling ones. The algorithm provided

by TikTok allows the small companies to find their demographics and flourish, which

22 | Artists & Creatives

is exactly what happened for That Candle Stuff.

Not only has Shelton’s business blown up with new customers, but she’s even been recognized by big movie franchises. Producers of “Scream” and “Ghostbusters” have asked That Candle Stuff provide their candles for the movie premieres’ sequels. They’ve made hundreds of candles for both events. Shelton’s small crew of three even found a way to make the custom logo the Ghostbuster’s team had asked for. Due to this exposure, influencers have tagged the shop in their photos, attracting even more customers.

Shelton owns two different businesses. One is That Beard Stuff, and the other is That Candle Stuff. She operates both under the name Needful Things.

“So, I didn’t want to put myself in a box when I opened just a candle store. I want to be able to sell more than just candles and what I feel I should have in here,” she says, leaning on a table.

Shelton is a mother of three and was a stay-at-home mom for about nine years.

She always wanted to keep her hands busy, so she began learning how to make candles.

She loved little crafts and used to do resin art, tumblers, and anything to keep her busy. She used to go to candle events, which is where she met Brandi Lynch, who’s her right hand.

Lynch used to work for Golden Canyon, a big candle company

Photo by Lola Jimenez

An experimental candle made by Tawnee Shelton. that has since gone. She had copious amounts of knowledge on candles as well as a passion for them too.

Shelton’s created That Beard Stuff over seven years ago. Her husband Ty used to work in the oilfields and wouldn’t maintain his beard.

“His beard was disgusting,” she says as she smacks water off of the candle that’s in her hand.

He had heard about a new product for beards, but, when Shelton looked it up, it was too expensive. She thought she could create a product just as great as the one he wanted.

“For a year, I tried to perfect it and work on it….That blew up and everyone loved

it,” Shelton says. The product was like a deep conditioner or a detangler for beards. Now she’s putting the focus on That Candle Stuff because of the vast amount of orders they have recently received.

Shelton was overwhelmed with orders but also grateful. She never thought her business would get the traction it did after a video “I just [did] it for funsies.” However, the team has had a hard time keeping up with orders. So Lynch brought Remy Langley-Burr to the team to help fulfill orders. Burr is family friends with Lynch and has only been working at needful things since their orders have skyrocketed. Burr

inserted himself into the team and helps out as much as he can whenever he can.

Shelton started a shop downtown in May 2020. Then the pandemic hit and she was waiting for orders to come in.

After her coffin dripping video, she went viral and orders began to flow in. Her business outgrew the space quickly.

She moved into another shop downtown a few streets over and recently rented the basement of her shop. With over 100s orders, the back of the shop was chaotic. Candles were piled everywhere as well as the molds that hold them. They have “Ghostface” candles and “Bleeding-heart” candles in bulk all over the tables. Shelton apologizes for the mess as they run around the shop trying to get orders out. Needful Things hasn’t stopped growing. However, Lynch wanted Shelton to do a grand opening to let the community know they are there and make it official.

The girls were stressed because they had many orders

to fill, and the grand opening was set for Oct. 1, 2021, only a few days away. The opening was just in time for Halloween and all the bloody candles she specializes in.

The store had been transformed. People were lined up outside of the shop in costumes. They were only 10 people allowed in the shop at a time; red and black balloons arched in front of the door.

All three members of the team were also in costumes, running around. Customers searched through the candles, smelling each scent and looking at each design.

They all mentioned the community is their favorite part of Needful Things. Shelton is helping to empower small businesses in the community.

Other small businesses or local artists she carries in her shop are Dented Earth Pottery, 70 Knotts, and Lady Lapidary. She has resin (plastic/glass looking) trays, bracelets, and many other creations brought to her shop to help artists get the

Photo by Lola Jimenez

Tawnee Shelton dipping a limited edition pumpkin candle.

Photo by Lola Jimenez

Tawnee Shelton pouring black wax into a mold. visibility they deserve. Shields Honey company, located in Lebec, also supplies her with honey and the beeswax she uses in her candles.

Lynch’s favorite part of the shop is the customers. She likes seeing them and feels good when they complement the vibe of the shop, but what she loved more was when the customers became part of the shop community.

They constantly had people pop up in the shop and hang out, friends, customers, or any of the artists who sell items at the shop. Both Shelton and Lynch mention how customers would even come to them with problems, and they would talk to them and give them support. They even go as far as to get small items like a crystal or essential oil that made them think about their customers, such as a small rock they were looking for or something they felt would help with their situation. They would hold the item until the customer came in, and would give it as a gift or for a discount. Lynch had even

mentioned a time a regular customer hadn’t been coming in, and she worried for his health since he’d been gone for so long. When he made it back to the shop, they found out he had been sick. She made sure he did check-ins with the shop every once in a while to make sure he was fine.

The staff has tea time where they brew some tea from their shop and will sit down and “decompress, gossip,” says Burr with a smile. They will all take this time to talk and catch up and not talk about the shop.

They emphasized how much self-care was important. They like to think that they are a one-stop shop for self-care.

Even though Shelton was nervous about her shop, she was in disbelief at the outcome.

She felt so warm that about 100 people came through her shop to explore. TikTok helped her small business, and many people visit the shop because of the platform. Lynch was so “happy to see so many new faces.” They’re all excited for the future of Needful Things.

Artists & Creatives | 23

Creating in the Pandemic

“When you are cooped up in the house (whether it be due to a global pandemic or otherwise), it can be hard to think of things to do.”

- Leah Truitt

24 | Artists & Creatives

Turning idle hands into hobbyists

By Leah Truitt

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hen you are cooped up in the house (whether it be due to a global pandemic or otherwise), it can be hard to think of things to do. However, one thing that I realized after being cooped up in the house for a year is that your possibilities are limitless.

Taking up a new hobby is always a great thing to do, and the pandemic has inspired many to discover new talents and to try out new activities. Here are some of the activities and projects that I tried out during the pandemic and some recommendations for those who are looking to pick up a new crafting project.

of the pandemic, I was able to find many vintage sewing patterns and fabrics at local thrift stores, such as the Junk-Atique Outlet Thrift Store. Another great place to shop is the local fabric store, F & M Fabrics.

They have a great assortment of fabrics and great prices! One thing that is especially great about sewing is that the possibilities really are limitless. Something that I enjoy doing is creating new clothing out of vintage fabrics or old repurposed clothing. You can even use old tablecloths, which is something that I had a great time doing!

THREADS & NEEDLES

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ewing is a great and useful skill to acquire. Regardless of whether you are looking to learn how to sew on a button, hem an article of clothing, or make something entirely new, sewing can be a very fulfilling activity. Throughout the course

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

DOUGH IT OUT

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earning how to bake and cook are incredibly important life skills! Not only can it be a fun way to learn more about different cultures and about different time periods, but it can also be a new way to bond with your family and friends.

Baked goods also make great gifts, something that is good to keep in mind with the holidays fast approaching. Recipes are also a beloved way to connect with past generations; some of the recipes I have are from my great grandmother and they always make me feel more connected to my family. A few of my favorite things that I learned how to make throughout the pandemic were pies and bread loaves!

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earning a new skill is always a fun thing to do, no matter how old you are.

This last year, I decided to learn how to roller skate in order to beat the doldrums of staying at home.

Roller skating is a lively and amusing way to stay more active. It can also be a fun idea to try with friends or as a first date. Some great beginner roller skate brands are Moxi Roller Skates and Impala.

Both have affordable roller skates that are suitable for beginners or for those who are more experienced.

Artists & Creatives | 25

Business Ingenuity

By Lilliawna Shaffer

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he courage and incredible work ethic displayed in female small business owners throughout Bakersfield are shown through the success of their small businesses.

Specifically, Bakersfield hosts a small business community filled with a diverse range of ethnicities, who deserve to be recognized for their incredible achievements.

Female small business owners are often overlooked due to larger maledominated businesses like Amazon and Target.

Here are just some of the diversities represented within the female small business owners in Bakersfield who are successful in making a business of their creations.

26 | Artists & Creatives

D IV E R S E WOMEN S H IN E A S SUCCESSFUL, S E L F- M A D E B U S IN E S S OWNERS

‘CRAAFTY’ PIECE OF JEWELRY

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he first small business is a clay and resin craft company called Craaftsbyeva, which is owned by a Hispanic female named Evelin Medina.

She started the business in Aug. 2020 but started getting more serious about it at the beginning of 2021. She began her business by making face masks for the pandemic but eventually converted to making jewelry and rings.

Each of her pieces are priced on how long it took her to make them.

Now she spends two to four hours each day, after her regular part-time job, creating new jewelry.

“My biggest challenge is having more free time to make more pieces that I think about, but forget once I actually have the time. There’s

always competition, but that has never bothered me. I know my value on my items & how much I love I put into my work,” Medina says.

She struggled to make sales at the start of her business but after reaching out to people and posting more on social media, more orders were placed.

“Never be scared to reach out to another business for help. They also needed help and did so much research to start themselves,” Medina offers advice for someone who would like to start their own small business, “Express yourself & never give up.”

Evelin Medina showcases her handmade turkey earings that are made from clay.

Contributed photo by Evelin Medina

YUMMY CUP OF AGUA FRESCA

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guas-Karen is a local small business food company that started in the home of Anakaren Munguia in Mar. 2019, but her success has allowed her to recently move her business into a food truck.

Anakaren and her husband, Miguel Esquivel, now sell a variety of Mexicanbased foods and drinks called antojitos and aguas frescas.

The idea to start the company began after she posted a drink that her husband made. It was an agua fresca with a chamoy rim on the cup. After that, people began asking if they were selling aguas, and they

eventually did.

“For a year and half we worked from our home. We would do curbside pick-up so we would walk it out to them and then they would leave,” Munguia explains.

In Aug. 2020, Bakersfield Police Department shut down their in-home small business due to the traffic that was being created on the street, but these resilient owners cooperated and managed to find a way to minimize traffic and keep their small business going.

They now sell a wide variety of agua frescas, which are drinks made from

fruit and sweeteners, with a chamoy rim such as mango, watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, and strawberry.

In addition to these, they sell a variety of horchatas, which include a chocolate horchata with a cookie rim. Esquites, tostilocos, mini pancakes, fresas con crema, albondigas, chile con carne, and menudo are some examples of the foods that they sell.

Their truck can be found in different spots around town, but they offer catering for large events as well.

Anakaren proudly shows a watermelon agua fresca with a chamoy rim.

Contributed photo by Anakaren Munguia

Artists & Creatives | 27

MAMA AND ME SMALL BUSINESS

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larissa’s Bows is a handmade hair bow company owned by Julisa Del Toro, a CSU Bakersfield alumni.

She is a Latina mother who started the business after the birth of her baby girl, Clarissa, in Nov. 2020.

“I loved putting hair bows on her, and I was like ‘I should start making them.’ It started as a hobby but then I started getting a lot of compliments and people were asking if I was selling them,” Del Toro explained.

She was a stay-at-home mom at the time due to her maternity leave, so she decided to embark on the journey of creating a small business to make extra

money.

Now, Julisa participates in pop-up sales around Bakersfield and continues to make sales through her Instagram.

“When I went to these popups I was so grateful. In two days, I gained 40 followers,” she continued, “I did notice that the majority of people at the popups were young small businesses and the majority were Hispanics, so I felt comfortable. It was a good environment. I like the fact that everybody was so supportive.” She explained how the familiar environment created by the young Hispanic small business community allowed her to feel like she fit in.

Contributed photo by Jennifer G Photography

Julisa Del Torro and her daughter Clarissa, who is wearing homemade bows. Clarissa was the inspiration for the start of this business.

SWEET WAY TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY

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Contributed photo by Christina Quintanilla

Christina with a holiday box of soaps, which include Eucalyptus Lavender and Abuelita’s Hot Chocolate.

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Cherokee and MexicanEuropean small business owner, Christina Quintanilla is the owner of Bloomwell Essentials.

It is a vegan skincare and shampoo company that was created in the summer of 2019. She sells extravagant homemade soaps, shampoo bars, and spa sets in an Etsy shop online.

“A lot of store-brand shampoos have the same ingredients as laundry detergent and we put that on our body and hair,” Quintanilla explains.

She spends an entire week each month hand-mixing the ingredients for each soap and creating her pieces, then uses the remaining three weeks of the month to ship and focus on her schooling.

A large part of the identity of Christina’s business is its association with her culture, given that she takes a great amount of pride in supporting diverse women and empowering different cultures.

“In one generation, my family lost ties to Indigenous language, culture, and ways of knowing. I grew up being told that my grandpa was

Cherokee and English (and possibly Chickasha.. an ongoing journey), but I had never considered what indigeneity and the traditions of my ancestors meant to me. In my college years, Espiritu Santo invited me into a significant season of claiming my Latinidad as a Euro-Mexicana. I thought I had come to the end of my ethnic identity journey. It was not until my late twenties that Creator would invite me into a series of sacred encounters that compelled me to embark on a deeper journey of decolonization and understanding my indigeneity,” Quintanilla explains in an Instagram post.

Because of her passion and dedication for culture and social justice, 10% of each purchase goes towards injustice initiatives such as The Dolores Huerta Foundation, hunger relief in Honduras and Uganda, and the MLK Community Initiative.

Contributed photo by Cheyenne Reyes

A large charcuterie board made by Cheyenne Reyes.

Cheesy way to enjoy salami and crackers

A

specialty charcuterie board company called CheyCuterie is owned by a Mexican-American Indian woman named Cheyenne Reyes.

This business has allowed Cheyenne to express her art in the form of food. She got the idea to start her business in July, 2021 after people showed such fascination with a board she made for a theater party.

Reyes explains the process of creating a board, “I wait until close to the order to get the supplies so that everything is super fresh. I make sure everything is super clean; I wash everything and salt the boards before. I basically go off of a color

and I pick the cheese then I put the cheese on first to get an idea of what everything is going to be centered around. So cheese, then fruit, then I just place things until it feels right.”

Each month she has several orders of charcuterie boards that range in price depending on how many people are to be fed, the largest being $300 for up to 25 people.

“I always try to go above and beyond what people think they’re going to get but I am a people pleaser and I want everything to be perfect, so I just want people to be like ‘wow,’’ she explains.

Contributed photo by Cheyenne Reyes

At a wedding shower, Cheyenne Reyes made a Big Board, a Vegan Board, and a Vegetarian Friendly Chip Board.

Artists & Creatives | 29

Wonders of Wax Local esthetician changes lives, one wax at a time

By Jennifer Chavez

Stephanie Moreno, also known as WaxedbySteph, is an esthetician in Bakersfield who specializes in Brazilian and full-body waxing. She is 27 years old, and when asked why she became an esthetician she replied, “Truthfully, I chickened out from being a nurse, and my sister is already a hair dresser … and she said she would help me with clientele.”

Having started waxing in 2019 she experienced working through the pandemic and the troubles of the shutdown, all while still trying to build a loyal client base.

“I took a leap of faith, went to a salon that was pretty popular in town. I probably had about 10 loyal clients, and now I have over 150 clients,” Moreno said.

She started in May 2019 in a room that was “a closet. It was a room in a salon, but it was very small.”

She would work four days a week, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and took whichever clients would come in, whether it was one or three. “(It) was actually really good for me, because starting off you never know what you’re gonna get,” she said.

During the lockdown, only essential businesses were allowed to stay open, and this of course did not include estheticians. Although waxing is a practice in which sanitation Contributed photo

Stephanie Moreno, 27, local esthetican, practices on her husband.

30 | Artists & Creatives

is a must, for the safety of everyone, Moreno had to abide by the nationwide mandate and close her doors.

“The government pissed me off during the pandemic because we didn’t get any kind of help and I was Ubering for three months,” she said.

I asked if she could have possibly filed for unemployment since she was essentially laid off, but she informed me that she could

“I’ve cried with clients, cheered with them, hugged them ... I absolutely love sharing moments with my clients.”

- Stephanie Moreno, Esthetician only apply for PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loans, which would have to be paid back because they are loans, not grants.

Since Moreno specializes in full body waxing, and caters to everyone, she offers a variety of services such as, ears, eyebrows, forehead, nose, chin, upper lip, full face, inner thigh, half/full legs, half/ full arms, neck, Brazilian, underarm, back, belly, chest, bikini, and bottom waxes.

Her most popular service is the Brazilian waxes.

“In the summer, they become very popular. Everyone wants to get in. No one can really get in unless you’re a client already,” she said.

She also provides the option of adding on a hydrojelly mask which helps soothe the skin after a wax. Moreno has also recently expanded her range of services to include facials and lash lifts as she is now certified.

Waxing can be such a personal and intimate thing for both the client and the esthetician. I asked Moreno how she mentally prepares herself.

“It doesn’t bother me much… I usually tell myself I’ve done this before and I try to keep the client as comfortable as possible. They’re most likely more nervous than I am,” stated Moreno.

I also asked whether waxing is easier now for her than when she first started or if it was just something you don’t ever get used to.

“Way easier,” she replied. “It was hard at first because I was so nervous I would hurt my client. I remember my first male client, I was so nervous. But I tried to stay calm because he was more nervous than I was.”

Waxing can be therapeutic in a variety

Photo contributed by Stephanie Moreno of ways such as self-care and quite literally by talking with your esthetician. I asked Moreno how she deals with clients when they vent their problems and issues or talk about their personal life: Does she allow them or change the subject?

“Absolutely,” Moreno said. “I think that’s what I love most about my career, the relationships I’ve built. I’ve cried with clients, cheered with them, hugged them when they’re on the table because they just got pregnant. I absolutely love sharing moments with my clients… The energies shift with each client.”

Along with it being therapeutic, sometimes boundaries are blurred and clients can become a bit too comfortable.

“This is my career and the way I pay my bills. Most of my clients are understanding of my policies and understand there are fees for last minute cancellations.

If my client has an emergency, I try to be

understanding. But if they continue to use excuses to come in I have them pay for the late fees. It’s how you wean out the bad ones,” stated Moreno.

In the time I have known Moreno, she has moved locations three times. I asked Moreno if she had any plans to expand.

“Yes,” she answered. “I just got a salon with my sister so were actually expanding. Hopefully in December I’m moving.

I currently work at a small house. We’re super excited to do a full-service salon and hopefully December 2021 we’ll move in and then hopefully we can do the grand opening in January 2022.”

At this salon with her sister, she plans to offer her services, hire another esthetician or lash artist, add about eight stylists, and potentially hire some manicurists.

For now, she is located in downtown Bakersfield. Find her on Instagram @ waxedbysteph.

Artists & Creatives | 31

Scripting her Culture

“I personally felt like it was my calling to share this part of my culture to others.”

- Catherine Pablo 32 | Artists & Creatives

Artist honors Filipino history

By Yasmin Marcelo

D

elano resident Catherine Pablo is helping commemorate Filipino history through her business.

Prior to launching her brand, Pablo was already receiving encouragement from her friends and family to start a business with her calligraphy. “Because they saw my potential, they made a lot of project requests and promoted my work on their social media,” she shares. Finally, in 2017, Pablo established her small business, Catherine’s Script.

Pablo is a California State University Bakersfield alumna who graduated in fall of 2020 with a Bacchelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. Aside from running her business, she is also working toward her certifications for teaching. She explains in her business’s website, “To officially become an elementary teacher, I am currently enrolled in Point Loma’s credential and

master’s program.”

In celebration of Catherine’s Script’s 4-year anniversary, Pablo announced a rebranding and new product reveals on the official Instagram page. The reveal is scheduled to take place on Dec. 3.

Despite having her own brand, Pablo expresses, “it’s been hard to call myself an entrepreneur... [possibly] because I’m not as active or busy with my small business.”

However, her efforts are still commendable as she is mainly handling her brand by herself while juggling her higher education. Eventually, she does want to “bring people on board” once her business grow.

Pablo is using her platform to spread more awareness about Filipino history.

Baybayin is an ancient script that was used in the Philippines around the 16th and 17th Centuries. Catherine’s products include stickers featuring Baybayin writings. Pablo shares, “I personally felt like it was my calling to share this part of my

culture to others.” She further discusses that, in the future, she plans to “have them on decal/vinyl stickers, tote bag, hats, and other clothing apparel.”

Pablo felt compelled to sell Baybayin items “after learning so much about [her] culture and realizing how beautiful it is.”

She elaborates, “Baybayin [is] such a beautiful script. It broke my heart when I learned that this special writing was trying to be erased during the Spaniard’s colonization. [It] can’t be forgotten because...it holds so much history and meaning.”

Apart from Baybayin products, Pablo also sells a variety of other items. Currently, her catalogue consists of keychains, ornaments, and gift tags. She also offers custom acrylic signs for weddings, birthdays, and home décor.

To look more into her brand, check out her Instagram page, @catherinesscript.

Alternatively, people can also visit her website, www.catherinesscript.com.

Catherine’s Script, a business by Catherine Pablo, features Baybayin Filipino-inspired stickers and mementos.

Artists & Creatives | 33

Return to

Art Mosaic with paper, Rebecca Fruto

Student quits job to rekindle her passion

By Ernesto Leon

S

he walked into work for her shift.

It was like every other day she had worked except this was her final day. She was constantly overworked with expectations to still excel in her course load in college all to come home and stare at an empty canvas. The last day of her working felt like a boulder was lifted. The moment she put her finger on the check-out device to be scanned was the moment she felt she regained herself.

Rebecca Fruto is a 20-year-old art student at Bakersfield College as well as a dear friend of mine who I’ve known since we were both 15 in high school. Art to Fruto is a passion she holds dear. She talked about how it was instilled in her from her dad when she was young, and the love for it never faded. Her artwork focus-

34 | Artists & Creatives

es on acrylic painting and painting styles of all sorts. Ironically, she began working because she wanted to afford her own art supplies and supply her creativity. Working under the stress of what the pandemic created for her workplace at Subway dimmed her passion, and it eventually went out. She explains that she has a love and hate relationship with art. She enjoys the outcome but the process is draining in itself, yet she always feels accomplished when finishing a piece. Art is a part of her, she explains that she feels attached to it even when she tried giving it up, the love always came back.

Fruto began working in March of 2020, her place of employment was severely affected by labor shortage due to many of her co-workers quitting, and her management not being able to generate new staff to keep up with the demand of the store.

Furthermore, customers had become angry due to the COVID-19 regulations.

“When the pandemic hit, I was working almost 50 hours a week, while still going to college full-time. I felt pressured to work, and everyone was quitting. I felt like I needed to work,” Fruto explained.

She elaborates saying that she typically worked six days a week, and it was quite common for her to stay past her shift if the store was busy. She was paid overtime and apart from working over full-time, she was enrolled in 15 units. Due to this, she felt overwhelmed by the workload that was required in academics and her job, her classes were online and she set them all up in the afternoon when she had free time because her typical shift hours were 3:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

According to a report in November of 2021 by CNBC, big brand fast-food chains

are dealing with severe labor shortages.

In September of this year, the unemployment rate went down 7% and added over 100,000 job openings in big chain fast food establishments across the country.

Fruto explains that her place of employment, Subway, was severely affected and many of her co-workers were leaving due to parents having to stay home from school being taught remotely at the time.

Some of her co-workers quit because they refused to wear a mask that was required by the business’s guidelines.

Working so many hours was a draining experience for Fruto. On some days, she worked as many as 11 hours.

“Imagine working from 3 a.m. to 12 p.m. then having Zoom lectures along with all the homework a college student gets…,” stated Fruto.

Fruto explains that felt she felt as she had to prioritize work more than anything, and let go of the passion she has for art.

She is a studio art major at Bakersfield College, taking five classes per semester.

“Being an art major, you would think that there would be a lot more art involved, but I’m doing gen-ed requirements. And the art courses I do take have

Selfie of Rebecca Fruto been illuminating, but it’s not the same to paint for the love of it and paint with a deadline,” said Fruto.

At work, the lack of staff perpetuated a cycle of workers quitting.

Arnoldo Bravo, a former co-worker of Fruto, began working at the establishment

in August of 2020 and left in June of 2021.

Bravo is a 20-year-old college student at California State University, Fresno and while being remote and moving back to Shafter, he took on a job at the same establishment as Fruto.

“What sucked was that we were really short-staffed all the time and it put a lot of stress on all of us. I quit because I didn’t want to deal with it anymore,” said Bravo.

He also explained that Fruto helped train him and was glad to hear about Fruto deciding to quit.

“It’s a lot, to be honest. I’m happy to hear that she is going to be focusing on herself,” said Bravo.

Fruto remarked that it was so exhausting having to work in such a fast-paced environment and having to deal with new hires who were put into stressful situations due to the short staff.

Although she understood the situation for everyone, this caused Fruto to have to pick up extra work, and it affected her personally.

“I’m an art major. Part of my curriculum is to draw. But we are also meant to practice doing it on our own, which was something I could not do in the situation

Painting by Rebecca Fruto

Artists & Creatives | 35

Painting with acrylic, Rebecca Fruto I was in. It was a constant art block, just staring at a blank art canvas, already drained from everything else going on,” Fruto stated.

Fruto said customers mistreated her at times because of COVID-19 regulations that she had no control over. She explained that her employer mandated staff to wear masks, distance themselves six feet from customers, to close indoor dining eating, and answer questions about temperature and potential exposure. However, Fruto’s employer did not enforce a mask mandate for customers.

Fruto explained a dialogue with a customer.

“Why are you wearing that stupid mask on your face? You do realize they don’t even work.”

Fruto ignored the comment.

“It’s not even a real thing. I can’t believe you can believe in such propaganda,” the customer continued.

This was just one of many similar

36 | Artists & Creatives

interactions, Fruto said. Just by wearing a mask, it opened a doorway for customers to attempt to argue or fight with her. She explained that she never entertained those conversations.

Fruto became uncomfortable with the fact that customers never had to wear masks inside the store. Unmasked customers sneezed and coughed near her or products, and even tried to look over the glass that separates the ingredients and the customer.

Fruto’s sister Magnolia Fruto, 22, noticed how exhausted she was from everything happening in her life.

“It’s a lot. Her and I are super close, and it’s not nice watching someone you care about be constantly stressed,” said Magnolia Fruto.

Magnolia explains that Fruto wasn’t the same sister that she really knew. She wasn’t painting anymore. She wasn’t as talkative. She knew that the workload from school and her sister’s job was af-

fecting Fruto.

Fruto’s final day was Oct. 3, 2021.

Her final semester at Bakersfield College is spring 2022. She hopes to transfer to California State University, Bakersfield where she wants to obtain her bachelor’s degree in studio art, as well as teaching credentials. Since she’s left she’s been able to focus on herself and although going to college full-time is still exhausting, she found a sense of herself again.

Fruto explained that she finally gets random ideas for paintings how she used to. Before her job, she would always get inspired while just sitting on the couch, and how it was torture if she wasn’t home because the idea would be in her head without a way to paint. She feels more like herself than ever. For the first time since leaving her job, she did not see a blank canvas. The creativity and passion inside her saw an idea ready for her to create.

The Power of

Photo contributed by Deanna Barahona

Women’s Work

Deanna Barahona’s installation is a love letter to Guatemala in CSUB’s White Room gallery.

Textile arts reclaimed as creative medium

By Haydee Barahona

T

extile art refers to the use of natural and synthetic fibers to create decorative objects.

Despite being one of the earliest practices in human civilization, working with textiles

was not considered an “art” form until recently.

Crafts, specifically textile and fiber art, have had a very long history of being viewed as “women’s work.”

Because of its gender assignment, textile work had often been undervalued.

According to the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, it was not until the 1960s when this hierarchy of art was challenged “by Pop and feminist artists, alike.”

“That’s why I like to say the art of craft, rather than just craft, because when you talk

about craft in this way of art, it is art,” says Nicole Lowrie, 22, a fiber artist from Bakersfield, California.

“As of now, we consider it art. But back then, the reason it was called craft is because it’s a woman’s skill, so it’s ‘not considered art,’ because

Artists & Creatives | 37

Photo contributed by Nicole Lowrie

Artist Nicole Lowrie with her yarn and felt textile work , “My Opening Line” (2020). ‘women can’t be artists,’” Lowrie says.

Lowrie’s art focuses on the appreciation of the female form: pregnancy, birth, menstruation, and social issues.

Practicality vs. aesthetic

A

ccording to a March 7, 2020, article from Sotheby’s by Brenda Lin, the practical purpose of textile

38 | Artists & Creatives

may be the reason it was not regarded as fine art, “even if highly decorative.” Lin says, “when we consider what makes something art, there is a sense that it is a work that exists outside the realm of the practical.”

As daughters to a seamstress, my sister, Deanna Barahona, and I grew up surrounded by textile work as a form of labor. Barahona, age

24, is a Latin-based artist and candidate for a master’s in fine arts at UC San Diego. She expands on both the art and functionality of textiles.

“There’s that separation between labor and play in art.

So, I think, once it loses its play, maybe people just don’t consider it as an art form even though it still is. Art is play.

You play with paint or digital things, you’re putting things

together that are not seen to be put together, and you’re putting concepts and material together. But I think when you lose the idea of play, it becomes just work.”

Textiles as a medium

L

owrie was introduced to her practice at age 9 when her mother signed her up for sewing classes, a skill that she

“They kind of get this intimidation and they don’t really expect it, especially from someone who is a crafter.”

- Nicole Lowrie, Textile Artist believed girls should know.

Today, she uses yarn and felt to create giant abstract rugs, along with a process called needle punching. She says that her medium helps combine her ideas.

“I’m small, 5’2, I weigh 100 pounds. When people see the stuff I make, they’re like, ‘wait you did this? And I’m like, ‘yeah, I did this!’ Then I will discuss my topics with them, and they kind of get this intimidation and they don’t really expect it, especially from someone who is a crafter. So, it’s really showing this power that my body as a woman really has.”

Barahona uses colored cardstock, string, and found objects to create sight-specific and public installations. However, she also works with recycled fabric that our mother has collected over the years. She uses craft to take what was once seen as a feminine decoration and reclaim it as an art form.

Visual storytelling

L

in explains that textiles hold purpose beyond utility. Through its “specific colors,

Photo contributed by Deanna Barahona

“Papi’s Honda” (2020) by Deanna Barahona features a 1991 Honda Accord, yarn, and textile remnants. The embroidery translates to ‘I work and buy only to forget.’ techniques and symbols,” textile can also be used to convey messages. Barahona uses her practice to touch on the effects of minimalism, gentrification, consumerism, and cultural erasure and integration.

“Visiting Guatemala was just a culture shock to me, especially seeing all the colorful buildings there, then coming back to the states and realizing that doesn’t exist simply because of the fact that, in the United States, color is seen as unprofessional,” says Barahona, who often incorporates color and culture into her work.

“I think when you find out how looked down upon color is, it’s only because it’s been whitewashed. Culture is slowly being washed away. We don’t have to follow the white standard. Just because I involve

color doesn’t make it less important,” Barahona says.

Lowrie worked at Beverly’s Fabric and Crafts as a cashier for about one year.

She says her influence comes from the crafters she meets.

“When working at Beverly’s, I met all these really talented women. They would open about what they’re doing, and they would always have these stories. They would help with the Linus Project, they would be giving their blankets away to charity, and I thought that was super inspiring. I really wanted to show this appreciation for what they’re doing through my work.

“Whenever I’m working, I always think of them,” Lowrie says.

Art after the degree

B

arahona and Lowrie both graduated from CSU Bakersfield within the past two years.

Barahona will be graduating with her MFA from UCSD in Spring of 2024. She wants to pursue a career as a professor.

“What I really want to do is continue to get my work out there and network with other artists, gallerists, and historians,” says Barahona.

As for now, Lowrie wants to continue participating in more local shows. She also plans to attend graduate school.

“My top school is the University of Oregon. They have a really nice fiber program up there. There is also MICA University and Bard up in New York.”

Artists & Creatives | 39

Food & Fun

Dropping In performs at Indie Band Nights on Aug. 21, 2021.

Contributed photo by Colin Walker’s dad

Finding a new rhythm

Bands take the stage during pandemic

By Alexis Lynde

O

ver the past year, local bands have had to find a new rhythm while coping with the pandemic.

The lockdown era of COVID forced local artists to find new ways to share music, gain support, and ultimately continue creating music.

Jordan Sutton, the lead singer for The Habbits, said finding gigs during lockdown was practically impossible.

Many of the venues that hosted live music were restaurants or bars, and, therefore, had to remain closed.

The Habbits tried to put on shows through streaming services. However, they found this was not as enjoyable as the live venues they were used to

40 | Food & Fun

playing.

Given live music was not an option, the band focused their attention on creating their new album.

“That’s when we did the majority of our album writing and recording, as well as future planning here and there, but mostly the album. It was honestly a pretty good time for us to write. There was quite literally nothing else to do,” said Sutton.

Other local bands, such as Dropping In, a young teenage band, had very similar experiences. Dropping in did not play a true in-person show for about seven-eight months.

Therefore, the band spent much of their time practicing or recording demos at home.

However, because the band was fairly new at the start of the pandemic, putting on shows and interacting with audiences was very important.

Matt Rose, the bass guitarist and singer for Dropping In, stated, “The lockdown made us reimagine what we thought of as a show.”

Colin Walker, the drummer for the band, helped his bandmates host a few Livestream performances from his living room, which became somewhat of a success for them.

Rose also stated, “Social media was a crucial bridge between the band and our fans.”

Despite being completely virtual, both The Habbits and Dropping in received a lot of support from their fanbases.

The Habbits received more support than they expected during the lockdown.

They hoped their music was providing a sort of escape from a chaotic world.

Similarly, Dropping In received a lot of their support through encouraging words, likes on social media, and Livestreams. Aaron Wright spends much of his free time attending performances from local bands.

Wright described the break from live music as, “Really difficult since music is something I derive a lot of joy from and not being able to share my favorite public experience with other like-minded fans of music was extremely hard to adjust to.”

In order to support his favorite artists, Wright purchased albums, merch, watched online performances, and shared his favorite music with his friends.

Though bands were able to survive

during the lockdown, they were eager to hit the stage. The Habbits were both excited and nervous returning, only because they were not sure how many businesses would welcome them or how many people would attend their shows.

Although once the band began playing live, they were able to find a variety of gigs and found their audience was just excited as them to be back.

Sutton said being able to perform on the stage is a collective event where the crowd feeds off the band, and the band feeds off the crowd. The Habbits were reminded of how much energy live venues held. Dropping In is beginning to experience this on a whole new level.

Since the return of live music, the newly formed band has been able to meet new fans, sell merch, and connect with other bands as well.

“Playing live shows feels great. It is the biggest growth point in our band so

“Pull quote goes here in Helvetica regular 20 pt font.”

far,” said Rose.

Furthermore, Dropping In is preparing to record their first full-length album.

Wright was also thrilled to attend live music again and stated, “Live music is more organic, real, and almost tangible.

It makes you feel like you’re witnessing something special. The musicians are creating the music right in front of you, and, as soon as their hands are no longer touching their instruments, the music doesn’t exist anymore. You are part of an experience that only someone that was in the room that day, that time, can relate to.”

The Habbits and Dropping in tell the story of many other local bands during the lockdown era.

The struggles they had were struggles many other artists experienced, but they also demonstrated a resilience found only in the heart of a creator.

- First Last Name, Person’s Title

Food & Fun | 41

Release

from

Lockdown

Challenges of pandemic inspires Lou Beauty’s new album

“This EP is better when you’re done with the day and just wanna let the day go.”

- Jacob Atlai Cota, Listener

By Yasmin Marcelo

O

n Friday, Oct. 29, Lou Beauty, local indie artist, released “Agoraphobia” on all streaming platforms.

The title “Agoraphobia” is derived from “an extreme anxiety disorder that literally means ‘fear of the outside,’” the musician explains.

As someone with anxiety, who also experienced panic attacks while working at his old job, he shares how cataloguing his experiences in life through his music helped him “cope.”

The EP consists of five songs that mix the alternative and bedroom pop genres, which makes it the perfect music to casually listen to.

Listener Jacob Atlai Cota says, “This EP is better when you’re done with the day and just wanna let the day go.”

Luis Velez, professionally known as Lou Beauty, was inspired to work on the EP during a challenging time in his life.

He was juggling school, “hopping from job to job,” and

42 | Food & Fun

preparing for graduation. He mentioned being “burnt out” and feeling like he was “doing too much and still not being enough.”

He also talks about being mentally affected by the pandemic and seeing how undervalued average workers are in the current system.

This record was put together over the course of two years.

However, he “wrote a majority of the EP” and “recorded most of it in lockdown.”

He wrote the first track, “Not You,” in 2019 and wrapped it up with “Los Angeles ‘Is Sinking to the Ground’” in the beginning of October this year. With the help of Emile Antonell, his producer and engineer, the two worked together to make the tracks “what they are today.”

Velez drew from numerous musical influences while putting the record together.

He says, “I was inspired a lot by the sound of artists who

do a lot of ‘lo-fi’ home recording, like Mac DeMarco, Gary Wilson, Jonathan Richman, Jerry Paper, and Paul McCartney.”

He also looked to the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and other jazz greats.

“I wanted to build songs that use simple progressions but by the means of using really complex chords,” Velez explains.

He also discusses drawing inspiration from movies such as “Mulholland Drive,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel” and “Napoleon Dynamite.” He felt compelled to write about the characters and the plotlines.

Cota says his favorite song from the EP is “Not You” because it gives him “Jack Johnson vibes.” On the other hand, Velez names “Los Angeles ‘Is Sinking to The Ground’” as his favorite because it “captured a really bittersweet, late-night vibe.”

For the composition process

of “Los Angeles ‘Is Sinking to The Ground,’” Velez discusses coming up with the hook first and taking further inspiration from “a headline about how the city of LA is slowly sinking because of all of California being on a fault line, and after watching ‘Mulholland Drive.’”

Despite being the “birthplace of so many people’s favorite stories,” the city can still be “plastic and dark.”

He likened that juxtaposition to the final days of a failing relationship “where the two people involved ignore all the signs that what they have is coming to an end but are still at each other’s beck and call despite how toxic it’s becoming.”

While listening to the EP, Cota states, “This made me feel at ease, and even at peace, at times.” He also recommends that people give it a listen because aside from featuring a mix of acoustic and 808 drums, as well as real drums, it also captures “the old and new vibes.”

Crude and Heartfelt

Bakersfield improv group Brian’s Beard, from left: Bret McGlew, Matthew Borton, Steve Miller Nolan Long, Jose ‘Paco’ Tenorio, John Spitzer, Jeff Bittleston.

Improv group plays with audience Story and photo by Yasmin Marcelo

O

n the last Saturday evening of every month, Brian’s Beard graces the Stars Playhouse stage, according to co-founding member, John Spitzer.

Brian’s Beard is a local improv group that was first formed in 2016, Spitzer shares. He and fellow member, Nolan Long, were the two who “decided to form a troupe.”

Long explains how he was “disheartened by the [lack] of improv available in town at the time,” which led to him and Spitzer “holding workshops for...friends who were interested in trying improv out.”

According to Long, the group’s name “Brian’s Beard” originates from an inside joke between him and Spitzer. Spitzer elaborates, “Nolan and I were talking one day about if we just named our group after a person...then I had this idea of ‘We Are Brian’s Beard,’ and people were amused by it.”

The name Brian was taken from Brian Sivesind, “a theatre professor at BC who also founded The Empty Space,” Spitzer

further details. Now, Brian Sivesind is not a member of the troupe. But because the name “stuck,” the group continues to go by “Brian’s Beard” to this day.

Long’s favorite memory was how the members “messed around enough and somehow managed to make a new form of improv.” Meanwhile, Spitzer says, “Improvising one acts with a single location and no time skips would be the most rewarding thing we’ve done.”

The group runs their improv shows with a little help from the audiences. They give the crowd a prompt and take some of the suggestions they would yell aloud.

Although not explicit, the shows often involve innuendo jokes that may not be appropriate for very young audiences.

Bret McGlew, a newer member who joined toward the end of 2019, says, “Best part is I am able to have the freedom to do whatever... when I’m on stage and make everyone laugh out loud.” He also says he prefers “chaos” and “less pressure with... improv” over a scripted production.

With their interactive formats, improv shows do a wonderful job at making people feel like they are a part of the act

happening onstage.

What makes improv stand out from a production with a script is its nonlinear style and absence of characters that need to be fleshed out. The beauty of it is the opportunity to create a story or multiple stories from scratch in front of a live audience.

As Long puts it, “Improv often feels like the most honest acting.”

Spitzer says that doing improv has helped him be “able to really listen to other people and just be in the present moment...”

McGlew encourages people to come see the troupe perform because “it’s a different show each time. It’s unpredictable.”

Long says, “We’re strange, and witty, and crude, and heartfelt, and sometimes you honestly won’t be able to believe we didn’t plan it all out.” Hence, the uniqueness of each performance is what makes it special.

McGlew also advises to simply “let go.

You don’t need to say much, just move and react; less is more. It’s just like fooling around with your friends late at night being super silly with each other.”

Food & Fun | 43

B rthday

25 places to get a trea

By Rhyan Nile

B

irthdays are the one day of the year where it gets to be all about us. We get to be spoiled and feel special. We expect to have balloons, heartfelt cards, a cake, and maybe even a bouquet of flowers, but we deserve so much more than that. Our favorite stores, restaurants, and shops want to celebrate with us.

Here is a list of 25 popular places that we all know and love that want to show us love back on our own special holiday.

1. Baskin-Robbins

FREE Scoop of ice cream, or soft serve swirl. Valid 5 days before your birthday, the day of, and 5 days after.

2. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse

FREE “Pizookie” of choice. Valid 7 days before your birthday, the day of, and 14 days after.

6. Chili’s

Sign-up for the Chili’s email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE birthday dessert that is valid 7 days before your birthday, the day of, and 7 days after.

7. Del Taco

Sign-up for the Del Taco email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE premium shake (vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry), and you also get a coupon for 2 FREE chicken soft tacos. Valid the day of your birthday and 15 days after.

8. Denny’s

Sign-up for Denny’s rewards to receive a coupon for a FREE build your own “Grand Slam” breakfast. Valid only on the day of your birthday.

9. Dunkin’ Donuts

3. Black Angus Steakhouse

Sign-up for Dunkin’ Donuts DD Perks and you’ll receive a FREE drink iced or hot coffee, tea or milk, hot chocolate, or Coolatta. Valid 7 days after your birthday.

4. Buffalo Wild Wings

Sign-up for Famous Dave’s email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE pork sandwich with one side of choice.

Valid 7 days before your birthday, the day of, and 7 days after.

Sign-up for the Black Angus Steakhouse email list, and you get a birthday coupon for a FREE steak dinner or entree up to $29.99. Valid throughout the whole month of your birthday.

Register for “Blazin” rewards and get a FREE snack size wings that’s valid throughout the whole month. Valid throughout the whole month of your birthday.

5. Cold Stone Creamery

Sign-up for the Cold Stone Creamery email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE creation, your choice of ice cream, and mix-ins. Valid 7 days before your birthday, the day of, and 7 days after.

44 | Food & Fun

10. Famous Dave’s

11. Hooters

Sign-up for Hooters email list and get a birthday coupon for 10 FREE boneless wings. Valid on your birthday and 7 days after.

12. IHOP

Sign-up for the IHOP birthday code and you’ll receive a FREE birthday meal coupon for a full stack of pancakes with any topping. Valid 7 days before, the day of, and 7 days after.

Freeb es

at on your special day 13. Jamba Juice

Sign-up for the Jamba Juice email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE small smoothie or 12 ounce juice. Valid on your birthday and 30 days after.

14. Jersey Mike’s Subs

Sign-up for Jersey Mike’s Subs email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE regular sub and fountain drink. Valid the day of your birthday.

15. Orange Julius

Sign-up for Orange Julius’ email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE 20 ounce “Julius Original” or premium fruit smoothie. Valid on your birthday and 15 days after.

16. Red Lobster

Download the Red Lobster app and you’ll get a birthday coupon where you have the choice of a FREE bowl of any soup, any dessert, or signature shrimp cocktail. Valid 7 days before your birthday, the day of, and 21 days after.

17. Red Robin

Sign-up for the Red Robin Royalty Club and you’ll receive a FREE birthday meal deal that includes a FREE gourmet burger or chicken sandwich. You also get FREE bottomless steak fries with your birthday. Valid any day of your birthday month.

18. Rubio’s

Download the Rubio’s app to receive your birthday reward which consists of a FREE entree. Valid 5 days before your birthday, the day of, and 7 days after.

19. Starbucks Illustration by Jessica Rojas

Sign-up for the Starbucks’ email list and get a birthday coupon for a FREE hot

or cold drink, bottled beverage, or food item. Valid 1 day before your birthday, the day of your birthday, and 1 day after.

20. Bare Minerals

Join the Good Rewards loyalty program to get a FREE birthday gift of the advertised product of the month. Valid throughout the whole month of your birthday.

21. Sephora

Sign-up for the Sephora’s Beauty Insider program to get a FREE complimentary product set. Valid throughout the whole month of your birthday.

22. Ulta

Members of the Ultamate Rewards program get a FREE gift and earn double points on purchases made during their birthday month. Valid throughout the whole month of your birthday.

23. AMC Movie Theatre

Sign-up for the AMC Stubs premiere and A-List and you’ll receive a FREE large popcorn and FREE large fountain drink. Valid throughout the whole month of your birthday.

24. Redbox

Sign-up for a Redbox account and you’ll receive a FREE Redbox rental of choice for one night. Valid for the whole month of your birthday.

25. Petco

Sign-up for Petco email list and receive a birthday coupon for a FREE bag of treats for your pets. Valid on your birthday and 21 days after.

Don’t forget to treat yourself on your next birthday. You deserve to be celebrated!

Food & Fun | 45

Dig into Gardening

Photo by Bryana Loyoza

The Edible Garden at California State University, Bakersfield is located on the south side of campus.

Volunteers nourish campus with food

By Bryana Lozoya

T

he cold, Thursday morning air was like pins and needles pressed against skin, but as the sun began to peek through the clouds, it warmed.

Students, volunteers, and staff were hard at work building two vertical planters using pallets.

NEW KNOWLEDGE arlier, the group listened to a lecture about building gardens in small spaces at the California State University, Bakersfield Edible Garden.

The garden’s AmeriCorps VISTA education coordinator, Heide Gutierrez spoke about the different methods of vertical gardening that’ll accommodate small spaces.

Now attendees were putting their newfound knowledge to use.

A student made a comment about how tricky it is to staple the fabric pockets of planters that will be holding leeks and ornamental succulents.

E

46 | Food & Fun

Another voiced her nervousness about the loud sound of the staple gun and how it makes her jump every time it goes off.

Several other students nodded their heads in agreement.

The university’s garden hosts a series of educational workshops on gardening and growing food.

Established in 2017, the garden provides fresh produce for the university’s food pantry where students, staff, and faculty of the school can pick up.

The garden is small, but it is rapidly growing with the help of volunteers and student assistants.

The garden’s goal is providing educational resources about small-scale food production and healthy food choices, while also nurturing a relaxing and safe space for enjoyment and recreation.

Edible gardens are for growing and harvesting plants that are consumable such as vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

DIFFERENT METHODS

O

ne type of gardening consists of cultivating edible plants, the methods of caring for plants are not the same, and not all forms of gardening are the same.

Even within the form of edible gardening there are different methods in caring for different types of crops.

For example, the way you grow rootbased crops will be different in some ways from how you grow herbs.

Different factors like growing conditions and things to take into consideration will vary.

To illustrate an example, the National Gardening Association’s Learning Library holds a series of articles explaining the ins and outs of gardening.

Their article on how root crops grow explained when growing root crops sun exposure should be noted. The sun causes discoloration to the root exposed during their growth and can change flavor profiles. It is recommended to pull or cover exposed roots with mulch or soil.

When it comes to growing herbs,

how many lights I put on it...the sun is much more powerful,” she said.

If there was one piece of advice Kirksey would give to those interested in starting an edible garden, it is to just try doing it.

He explained a common misconception for people to think is they must already be experts in gardening, or a specific person cannot garden.

Wefaq Alshami, a CSUB student who frequently volunteers in the school’s garden, explained she prefers helping with the school, but does not like gardening for herself.

“It’s pretty much a new experience because I’ve never had a garden before,” she said.

Alshami recognized it takes a lot of time and effort she does not necessarily want to take on for herself yet.

Someday she might start her own when she felt she got more experience from her volunteer work.

BENEFITS TO GARDENING person’s journey on how to pursue gardening is unique and works best when it suits their needs and desires.

To note, Kirksey expressed that the amount of effort put into gardening and the willingness to learn is what makes a gardener.

“Anyone can garden, you don’t have to be an expert, you don’t have to have a farming background,” Kirksey said.

Kirksey said there are many benefits to growing your own food.

It tastes better when harvested fresh; it has a higher nutrient profile compared to store bought produce, and people have control and knowledge of what is used in growing their crops.

Another benefit he commented on is how edible gardening connects people together.

Others at the school’s garden agreed.

Gutierrez spoke about how it’s been nice for her to reconnect with people working as the AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at the garden.

“One of the best things I think I’ve gotten out of this so far has been speaking to students and learning about their backgrounds and how the garden helped them, whether it is getting food from the

A Photo by Bryana Loyoza

Lettuce grows in a raised bed at CSUB’s edible garden. they generally prefer full sun. Charles Nardozzi, a contributing writer for The National Gardening Association wrote in his article Edible Landscaping—Herb Gardening Basics 101 that herbs need at least six hours of sun a day, something that varies from other plants which require sun all day.

Joel Kirksey, CSUB’s Edible Garden Coordinator explained how it is a common mistake in not providing the right growing conditions and sunlight for the plants gardeners are trying to grow.

“Your plants need the right amount of sunlight, they need the right kind of soil, and the right amount of water,” Kirksey said when talking about common mistakes people make.

Gardening is a learning experience

and not everybody can get it right the first time, sometimes it takes a little bit of trial and error and learning.

Gutierrez shared her learning experiences in edible gardening and how the university’s garden played an important role in her knowledge expanding.

Gutierrez shared about learning the importance of watering consistently and the power of the sun.

Gutierrez used to live inside a basement of an apartment and tried her luck in indoor edible gardening.

She was unaware she could not successfully grow crops like watermelons and tomatoes inside a basement using cheap heating lamps.

“I tried so hard to grow things and I was so mad... I realized it doesn’t matter

Food & Fun | 47

pantry or just being able to come out and get fresh air,” she said.

Connecting through a hobby comes in many forms, in many places.

Kirksey brought up how he spent several hours on a recent plane trip talking to an older woman who was a master gardener in Oklahoma.

Student assistant Pedro Arredondo said he was especially happy when the university finally allowed volunteers in Sept.

2021 after a lengthy time restricting them because of COVID-19.

Arredondo enjoys being able to give back to people who gave to him when he didn’t have anything.

This sentiment first dawned on him when he would go by the food pantry when he first started CSUB. The woman working there was kind to him and would tell him to take however much he needed.

“If someone that is a complete stranger that doesn’t know me from someone else walking down the street, can invest in my future, then why can’t I be able to give

back and invest in other people’s future that are maybe having a tough time financially,” Arredondo said.

FACING CHALLENGES here are challenges in edible gardening.

It does require time and effort, and for some people that can be challenging.

The increased water consumption can also cost money.

“You need to consider, as a gardener, how you source your water, how much you are using your water, and the water needs of your plants so that you’re not using more than you need to,” Kirksey said.

Water can be expensive, especially due to droughts in California.

There are also challenges in controlling pests and diseases in gardens.

“There’s a reason why farms spray chemicals that you and I cannot pronounce and are concerned may cause cancer because pests and diseases are challenges,” Kirksey said.

Gardeners must learn the proper ways

T

Student volunteers help with weeding the edible garden at CSUB.

48 | Food & Fun

of growing crops without them dying before they’re harvested, Kirksey explained.

“There is no single pest that bothers plants equally, it all depends on the plant,” he said.

He recommended people to get the third edition of “Pests of the Garden and Small Farm: A Grower’s Guide to Using Less Pesticide” by Mary Louise Flint.

He said this is the best book for California gardeners to have on hand because of its comprehensiveness and detailed illustrations and passages.

The rhythmic shoveling of soil being placed inside the makeshift planters mixed well with the sounds of drilling as posts were being attached to a pallet to secure it against the ground.

With the light and cheery atmosphere, the sounds of people stapling gardening fabric on the backs of pallets filled the air.

CSUB’s Edible Garden is about to get a new addition of plants added to their garden.

A colorful and space saving addition that’ll allow plants to flourish.

Photo by Dionna Woolfolk

Sweet and Savory

Food trucks feed Kern County

By Jacqueline Gutierrez

W

ith large portions and healthy options, Bakersfield residents need to check out the new food truck Bachi Bros.

Although the dishes are a little pricier, the amount of food makes it worth it.

Bachi Bros can be found at two locations in Bakersfield, which are on Calloway Drive, and off Highway 178, near Tony’s Firehouse Grill and Pizza, according to posts on their Instagram account.

One aspect that sets this food truck apart is the high-quality ingredients used to create the meals. All the food items come with a side of steamed vegetables and fried rice.

After one bite of the chicken from the Single Entrée Plate, which is $14.99, the quality was beyond what was expected. Other than the chicken, the rest of the meal was a little bit bland. However, customers can purchase sauces, which are ginger, mustard and teriyaki sauce, for 50 cents. The meal includes free packets of soy sauce and siracha.

Paired with the meal, customers can purchase a drink which includes a lemonade that went nicely with the meal.

The Single Entrée Plate was loaded with high-quality ingredients. The amount of rice in the plate appeared to be a little bit over a cup, and the steamed vegetables consisted of broccoli, zucchini, carrots and onion.

Bachi Bros is the first Teppanyaki grill in Bakersfield, Faith Esparza, an employee at the location off Highway 178, said.

The prices of the Bachi Bros Single Entrée Plates range from $14.99 to $28.99, with the least expensive meal being chicken and the most expensive meal being lobster. Other than those two items, Bachi Bros also offers shrimp, NY steak, filet mignon and wagyu sirloin.

If customers want Combination Plates, the prices range from $19.99 to $39.99, with shrimp and chicken being the least

Photos by Jacqueline Gutierrez

Bachi Bros offers two teppanyaki grills on wheels, one each in northwest and northeast Bakersfield.

expensive and wagyu sirloin and lobster being the most expensive.

Trio Combination Plates are also available, and the price ranges from $29.99 to $40.99, with the filet, shrimp and chicken plate being the least expensive and the lobster, filet and shrimp plate being the most expensive.

Another cool aspect about this food truck is that they also offer keto cauliflower fried rice as a healthier option.

Bachi Bros is a newer food truck, and with their options, serving size, and quality, it is worth a try. For more information on Bachi Bros, visit their Instagram profile bachi_bros.

Food & Fun | 49

Get your sugar rush at Sweet Bites-n-Ice

By Kennadi Burke

S

weet Bites n Ice is a dessert food truck local to Bakersfield. They are located at 4647 White Lane and open every day, except Mondays, from noon to 10 p.m.

This small business opened up in July of this year and has quickly become very popular in the food truck scene.

Their main offerings are bubble waffles and funnel cakes. Their menu also features things like aguas frescas, deep-fried Oreos, and even crepes.

One thing I did note was that there was a lack of dietary alternatives. While the aguas frescas are vegan, the other offerings are not. I did not see any type of dairy-free alternatives on their menu, so keep that in mind when visiting the truck.

We collectively tried one of each thing and had no complaints. Everything tasted very fresh and made to order. Their bubble waffle was one of the best I have ever had. The extensive menu involves many

Photo from Sweet Bites n Ice

The banana monkey funnel cake at Sweet Bites N Ice is topped with bananas, caramel, Nutella, whipped cream and walnuts.

different flavor profiles in many varieties.

Many of their items consist of fresh fruit, Nutella, whipped cream and ice cream.

I went to visit the truck later at night, and there were quite a few people there; however, despite being busy, they still had a very short wait time. At the time I visited, there was no seating; however, they have since added seating, which provides for a more comfortable environment.

Be advised that the truck is located directly off a busy street, so it can be very loud.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our items and plan to return. It is not very pricey for the amount of food that is given.

They have expanded their hours just recently as they are becoming more and more popular. I would not be surprised if they opened a storefront in the future.

Find them on Instagram at @sweetbitesnice and Facebook at SWEET BITES N ICE.

It’s all about the tacos at Tacos El Primos

By Juniva Bojorquez

T

acos El Primo is a popular taco truck located on County Line Road in Delano. It is open most days, except on Mondays. It also stays open late, which is why many love this taco truck because other taco places close around 9 p.m. while Tacos El Primo closes at 11:45 p.m.

They serve tortas, burritos, and quesadillas, but their most popular item is their tacos. Tacos El Primo allows their customers to serve themselves a variety of salsas, cilantro, onions, radishes, guacamole, and lemons. Therefore, the customer doesn’t have to ask for

50 | Food & Fun

extra.

The drinks that are served are horchata, jamaica, and tamarind.

Most love the horchata as it is sweet, creamy, and rich in cinnamon flavor. Jamaica is a deep rich red color, it smells amazing, and it tastes delicious. Tamarind is unique and almost tastes like candy.

Many people love that the tacos at El Primo are packed with meat.

They remain the most popular taco truck in Delano.

Photo by Juniva Bojorquez

Tacos El Primo in Delano packs their tacos with meat.

Get a taste of Mediterranean at Pita Paradise

By Jennifer Chavez

P

ita Paradise is a food truck that serves delicious, freshly made Mediterranean food. Although they are not new to the food truck scene, they are a place that is definitely worth trying if you have not already.

They are located in downtown Bakersfield, on the corner of 2020 H St. and 21st St. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. They can also be found at the Tejon Outlets on the weekends, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

They used to operate a second food truck on 3901 Wible Rd., but an employee I spoke to said that it has been under maintenance, and they are hoping to get a new truck out to that location soon.

Pita Paradise offers platters, sandwiches, and sides. The platters include your choice of meat: lamb, beef, or chicken along with salad, rice, pita bread, and falafel topped with their garlic and tahini sauce. The sandwiches are your choice

of meat served on soft pita bread with the classic lettuce, tomatoes, pickled onions, and their garlic and tahini sauce. The sides include their five-piece falafel, hummus and pita, garlic fries, P.S. fries, and regular fries.

They have vegan options as well as the option to make your meal keto style.

They have a variety of sauces such as garlic sauce, tahini sauce, hot sauce, and paradise sauce. As for drinks, they offer a variety of cold bottled beverages.

I tried their chicken shawarma sandwich, and it was immediately a favorite.

I also got a small order of their P.S. fries, which are topped with a sauce much like thousand island sauce, without the pickles, which I actually prefer.

The chicken sandwich is structured much like a chalupa you would find at Taco Bell, but the pita bread is nice and soft and, they give you a heaping serving of perfectly seasoned chicken topped with fresh lettuce and pickled onions.

Their tahini sauce pairs perfectly with the chicken and is the touch you did not know you needed.

I also ordered a side of their hot sauce and did not regret it; it is a nice homemade hot sauce that cannot be replicated anywhere else. As for the fries, they did not disappoint. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the sauce had been layered throughout the fries, and they were nicely fried to a crispy but soft texture.

Pita Paradise is an affordable option for the amount of food you get, and you can’t beat the quality. Their prices range from $8 to $12, but their prices are subject to change. They are friendly and have the best service I have experienced at a food truck. If you decide to become a frequent customer, they also offer rewards, a pointbased program in which 10 points gets you one free food item.

You can find more information about Pita Paradise on Yelp, as well as on their Instagram page @Pitaparadisefoodtruck.

Photo by Jennifer Chavez

Pita Paradise makes the trek from downtown Bakersfield on weekdays to the Tejon Outlets on the weekends.

Food & Fun | 51