Converge magazine - Issue 1 Spring 2019

Issue 1 | Spring 2019

table of contents

05 17 34 50

FAMILY

OUR TOWN

38 46 29

MIND & BODY

5 THINGS BEGINNERS SHOULD TAKE ON A MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE Better to be prepared.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MYSTIC HEALING

GUN CULTURE

A spiritual healing experience told by a skeptic.

A look into Kern County’s gun culture, a lively community.

57

ARTIST Q&A

Four CSU Bakersfield seniors showcase their art and share their creative influence.

A Year of Firsts Welcome to the first-ever Converge magazine. Not only is this the first issue of Converge, but it is also the first magazine of its kind to come out of the brilliant and creative minds that I am privileged to be surrounded by at CSU Bakersfield.

This magazine started as an idea. Actually, it was more of a dream. Then it was a long van ride full of tired journalism students and their advisor shouting out ideas and laughing on their way home from a college journalism conference. I heard about this idea my first semester at CSUB in a feature writing class. The idea was that we could assemble our stories, ideas, art, and photography to have them converge in one place. We could have done a website or a blog, but those things are not real. They are not concrete. There is something much more elegant about printed paper especially in this digital age.

It has been my privilege to see this magazine through to completion for all those students in the van and our advisor.

The entire team at Converge magazine have put in many hours editing, reading, designing, and communicating with photographers, artists, and writers. We have been to art shows, club meetings, out to locations to get a better photo, called sources to spell a name correctly, and we even took a trip to Oildale to photograph a church. This team has done outstanding work as their efforts have converged here in this publication.

Inside, we have compiled and written a diverse collection of cultural and community based stories that are centralized around Bakersfield and the surrounding areas. Our content also features some of the brightest artists and photographers CSUB has to offer.

As I write this letter to introduce our magazine I can’t help but to think what a wonderful ride it has been. So I welcome you to turn the pages, read the stories, look at the pictures, and appreciate the art. Come see where our lives converge.

Samuel M. Underwood Editor – Converge magazine

Converge Team Our Mission: onverge 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.

C

Editor: Sam Underwood Samantha Cook Savana Cromeens Norma Hernandez Sergio Hernandez Tony Hernandez Aqsa Khan Jessica Manzo Chelsea McDowell Marsalh Musaad Allie Page Bre Parks Sarah Rhodes Vanessa Villalvazo Austin Yi Adviser: Jennifer Burger

Cover art by Nacho

Back cover photo

by Sergio Hernandez

Questions? Concerns? Story or art ideas? Feel free to contact us via email. therunner.converge@gmail.com

Family

Juggling Act:

The Life of a College Mom Story by Violeta Trujillo

Family | 5

S

he tried to play it normal. She went to basketball practice and waited for her mom to pick her up. Her mom was taking longer than usual.

Then, her mom has arrived. She saw her face: blotchy, swollen eyes, tear streaks. She knows.

“Is it true?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” replied Kassandra. “It’s true.”

Her secret was out: pregnant at 16.

Kassandra Carrillo was a junior at McFarland High School in 2011 when she discovered she was pregnant. She had her daughter, Sophia, in August 2011 at the beginning of her senior year.

Kassandra was homeschooled that fall semester, to stay on track. Elizabeth Bowman, her college-guidance teacher, visited her two to three times a week, with work for her to complete.

Kassandra did not let her pregnancy deter her from being involved in school. She was ASB Vice President her senior year, holding a leadership position despite constant critiques. Kassandra returned to MHS for the spring semester of her senior year and graduated with the rest of her class in 2012. Her unexpected teen pregnancy didn’t stop her from graduating from high school. However, it has turned her once-planned four-year college journey into six years and counting…

Fall 2012: It’s Kassandra’s first semester at California State University Bakersfield. She’s majoring in criminal justice and aspires to be a juvenile probation officer. She’s also working 40 hours a week at McDonald’s. She’s a working college student, but her first priority is being a mom.

Sandra Carrillo, Kassandra’s mom, stops taking classes at Bakersfield College, so her daughter can continue her education. She takes care of her granddaughter while her daughter works or attends classes.

“It was very hectic,” says Kassandra. “I didn’t have a car, so my mom had to take me to all my classes.”

The drive from McFarland to CSUB is 27 miles each way.

She fails her courses and has to transfer out to community college…

Summer 2013: Kassandra transfers to BC’s Delano campus, so she doesn’t have to commute to Bakersfield. The Delano campus is six miles away, much closer to home.

She’s still working 40 hours a week at McDonald’s, serving burgers and attending customers, to pay the bills. She continues at BC through fall 2013, taking general education and criminal justice courses…

Spring 2014: Kassandra moves in with her boyfriend, Danny, who is Sophia’s father, in McFarland. It is the first time being on her own.

“It was such a different way of life,” says Kassandra. She thought moving in with her boyfriend, would be best for Sophia. But Kassandra

6 | Family

wasn’t ready.

She’s taking five classes this semester, and fails all of them. It’s her second time failing an entire semester.

“I remember crying to my mom and telling her I wish I had waited to move out,” says Kassandra.

Kassandra turns to her mother for support and moves back home, hoping she can find some stability. Danny understands, and gives her time to adjust…

Fall 2015: Kassandra returns to BC, but this time takes it easier.

“I started pacing myself,” says Kassandra.

“Instead of taking five classes like before, I took two or three.”

She adjusts her schedule and makes lists of what she has to do every day. She sorts out her assignments, her work schedule, Sophia’s schedule, and anything in between. Feeling like her schedule is under control, Kassandra again moves in with her boyfriend in McFarland, but this time she feels more prepared. She continues at BC through spring 2016…

Fall 2016: Kassandra returns to CSUB after four years away. This time she has her own car.

She is a sales representative at Delano Chevrolet, where she contacts people to purchase cars, sets appointments for services, and is required to meet a quota every month. She works 40 hours a week.

Sophia, 5, is now in kindergarten.

She fails two courses and passes two, but her GPA does not meet academic satisfaction.

She gets academically disqualified for spring 2017.

“I felt really ashamed of myself because I felt I was not putting enough effort into my education,” says Kassandra. “I kept putting work before school because I was afraid of not having enough for my daughter.”

She takes spring 2017 off. She knows education needs to be her priority…

Fall 2017: Kassandra petitions to return to CSUB, and is accepted. She reduces her work hours to 30 hours a week, giving her more time for homework. Danny pitches in more with Sophia.

He feeds and bathes her, helps her complete her homework, and gives her the attention she needs…

Kassandra works 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, then attends class at CSUB from 2 to 10 p.m. On the days she does not attend school, including weekends, she works 1 to 8 p.m.

Most days she gets home to her sleeping daughter.

She alternates weekends with her coworker, so she can spend time with her family.

Kassandra is relieved knowing Sophia’s father is watching over her.

Six years ago, Kassandra started her academic journey at CSUB and she’s still going at it.

Kassandra is relieved knowing Sophia’s father is watching over her.

Six years ago, Kassandra started her academic journey at CSUB and she’s still going at it.

Stephanie Alvarado, Kassandra’s childhood friend and Sophia’s godmother says, “She’s come a long way juggling school, work, and being a mom.”

“She’s Sophia’s role model. Sophia tries so hard in school and she gets it from her mom,” says Alvarado.

Sophia, 7, is now in second grade. She currently has a 4.0 GPA. She has been receiving awards in language-arts and math, since kindergarten.

Kassandra has to remind herself to focus on her own path, many people she graduated with have already started their careers. She used to compare herself to others, but she learns not to.

Her friends and family support her and that’s what matters.

Lorena Garcia, Kassandra’s best friend, says “She’s the epitome of a woman who can have a daughter at an early age, continue to seek education, and lift herself up, which is not easy at all.”

Thought she felt discouraged at times on her long academic journey, Kassandra is not alone in taking over four years to get her degree.

In 2014, 42 percent of first-time freshmen, graduated within six years from CSUB. It may take her longer, but she’s getting there.

Last spring, she received her associate’s degree in criminal justice from BC. It’s happening - slowly, but it’s happening.

“Don’t give up,” says Kassandra.

Kassandra encourages college moms to use all the resources they can on their journey. Take a cycling class, take a yoga class, do Zumba, whatever it takes to relieve that stress. Kassandra is taking a cycling class this semester at the Student Recreation Center.

She burns extra calories and she clears her mind.

On a recent Wednesday night, Kassandra’s last class at 8:30 p.m. gets cancelled. She can hardly wait to go home and see Sophia run to her at the door.

Photo provided by Kassandra Carrillo.

Fast Facts • • • • •

26 percent of American college students are raising dependent children That percentage equates to 4.8 million college students Women constitute 78 percent of students who are also parents 43 percent of student parents are single mothers Student mothers accumulate, on average, $3,800 more in debt than nonmother women students Source: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 2014

Family | 7

Parents in School The Other College Life

Story and photo by Sam Underwood Photo Illustrations by Bre Parks

J

anessa Magana, 31, sits across from me as I am tutoring her in Algebra. Magana is trying to work on an algebra exam online. Magana’s 2-year-old daughter, Camilla, sits next to her playing with her mom’s cell phone.

“Mommy,” says Camilla.

“Yes, Camilla?” asks Magana.

“I love you!” responds the child.

“I love you, too. Now watch cartoons so mommy can finish her test,” says Magana.

It was cute the first time but this scenario played out around 20 more times in 30 minutes while Magana worked intently at the exam she was trying to finish. Her patience was wearing thin and children don’t always understand, especially when their parent is not paying attention to them. Magana is in her first year at Porterville College.

She is trying to get into the nursing program but is already realizing the struggle of trying to study and raise her two children.

College is a lot of work already. But it’s exponentially more work for students with children. While obligations and work schedules can be juggled and adjusted to fit a

8 | Family

heavy class load, kids must be attended to, they must be cared for.

According to a briefing from 2013 by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, 25 percent of college students in America have dependent children. With that large of a percentage, it is a struggle to find programs that help students with children. Colleges have children’s centers that offer daycare, but often there is a waitlist and the cost is not cheap.

There are not many assistance programs, like disability services or veterans’ services, that are designed for parents trying to attend school. Conflicting class schedules can quickly become an issue as well when there are not many options for a required class. Many parents have help in the way of other family members or friends. No matter who is involved, attending college is a challenging experience for the entire family.

Dina Richie has to balance her time carefully. Richie is a 23-year-old student at Porterville College who is raising her 3-year-old son, Jorgie, alone. Richie is majoring in social science and takes advantage of the student work-

study program to have a part-time job with flexible hours.

Her son goes to child care off campus during the day while Richie goes to school. After school, Richie is faced with a toddler who needs attention, dinner time, bath time, story time, and bedtime. She still must try to find time to complete homework and assignments.

“At home, every time I sit down at my computer or laptop, there [Jorgie] is climbing on my lap, moving around,” says Richie. “He actually has told me before, ‘Mom don’t do your homework, come lay down with me,’ and I feel bad, but I have to get it done.”

Richie has also just recently discovered that she has a learning disability known as processing deficiency, a condition that requires her brain a longer amount of time to process information. Richie is figuring out how to manage this condition while raising a child. These added responsibilities don’t change her assignment deadlines.

Richie has asked for extensions in the past, yet she doesn’t like to make excuses. “ I think people ask too much for no reason. I don’t want to sound like that by asking all the time,” says Richie.

Like many parents, she wants to provide a better life for her son. Richie is setting a great example for her son, although she really misses going to the gym…and sleep.

“There is not enough time in the day to be a mom, and a student, and work,” exclaims Richie.

Spending time with family is something important to Richie that she has had to sacrifice, along with a hobby in photography that she was able to earn money in the past with. Child welfare pays for daycare, but that is only while Richie is at class.

Richie said that, “some days I forget to eat, but as long as Jorgie is fed and I’m not starving, then it can wait.”

I myself am a single father with four children. I go to school full-time, work full-time, and my kids live with me fulltime. I work in a retail logistics which is a physically demanding job that leaves me exhausted quite often. Fortunately there are weekend shifts that allow me to keep working full time and still have time to go to school. However, my schedule is a balancing act and I often feel guilty about the lack of quality time I spend with my kids. I don’t have the struggle of raising a toddler or infant. My children are 16, 13, and twin 10 year-olds. Being older, they appreciate that I need time to study and write. I am told all the time by friends and family that I am a great example, or that I am doing a great job. Yet, I still often wonder if what I am doing is the best thing for them? Am I taking too much time away from them? Would they be better off if I quit school and stayed home to be a regular dad? Would that be the best thing for me? I am faced with the choice of finishing school to provide a stable income as an English teacher for my family, along with a little self-fulfillment, and quitting school to be home more and struggle to get by. I have

already invested over three years, there is no turning back now.

Getting back into school after a long break in education is a challenge in itself, let alone with children. After 20 years away from school, Christina Davis, 39, just recently graduated from Porterville College and is now attending Fresno Pacific University. She works part-time at a shoe store, where you can often find her with her laptop open, banging out an assignment between customers.

Davis tried attending Porterville College after high school, “but I wasn’t ready for it. I dropped out of all my classes and about 20 years later I finally decided to make a commitment,” said Davis.

Davis decided to return to school when her husband lost his job. She is majoring in liberal arts to become an elementary school teacher and has two children, ages 12 and 8. Davis struggles with raising her kids and going to school. Her husband hasn’t had steady work since, which has added to the difficulties that she faces while attending classes.

Overall, Davis faces the same struggles as all parents do: how to balance school, work, and time with your family.

“I’m constantly busy. I have no social life. I never took my kids to the pumpkin patch. Finally, I had to not do some assignments so I could just do some stuff with my kids like take them trick or treating.

That is the frustrating part about being a parent, you feel like to do well in one area, you are going to neglect something else,” says Davis.

That is the balance.

People often tell my children that they are lucky that I am going back to school. That I am setting a good example. But do we ever consider how the children feel?

When Jessica Guillen was 9, her mom went back to school, leaving her and her two younger siblings at home with their father.

“My mom was not single, but my dad wasn’t very kind either,” says Jessica, who is now 20 years old and attending college herself.

Jessica says her dad is a more traditional Mexican who did not know how to care for his children well until he took a parenting class. Jessica took on the role of caregiver for her two younger siblings in the wake of her mom’s absence and her dad’s lack of compassion.

“We went to Disneyland one time and my mom spent the whole day in the hotel room doing homework while my dad took us riding around in the park,” remembers Jessica.

That was her balance as a child.

Jessica remembers that, “I always got told how lucky I am to have a mom going to school, but I don’t feel like that.”

Balance is ultimately the struggle of every parent attending school. Balancing work, assignments, family, and

“That is the frustrating part about being a parent, you feel like to do well in one area, you are going to neglect something else” -Christina Davis

Family | 9

sometimes guilt. My kids didn’t make it to the pumpkin patch either.

My oldest daughter, Vada, 16, is graduating from high school a year early and has recently been accepted to Washington State University. She was able to do this because of a concurrent/dual enrollment program through her high school, Summit Charter Collegiate Academy.

10 | Family

“My dad inspired me to attend this particular high school. He had knowledge of the college and recognized the benefits of taking college classes while going to high school.

He has supported me better because of his experiences in college. I’m super proud of my dad,” said Vada.

Let’s hope our efforts continue to inspire.

TRIPLE THE LOVE TRIPLE THE LOAD Story by Andrew Paredez Photos Contributed by Akins Family Photo Illustrations by Bre Parks

S

hady Akins thought she had a couple of weeks left until her life would change forever. Pregnant and in her third trimester, 37 weeks along, she reported for another check-up with Dr. Sanchez. However, at this appointment, they found that one of her three triplets had grown a pound heavier than the others, putting the other two children’s health at risk.

It was roughly three weeks before the actual due date February 22, 2009.

Akins and her doctor decided it was best to deliver that evening for the children’s sake.

Akins, excited as always for her check-ups, would soon be unprepared how to take on the news that was to come.

“When we first went to hear the baby’s heartbeat, they couldn’t find it. The doctor assumed we had our dates mixed up,” Akins explains.

Akins and her husband Mike, had been together for 4 years before

deciding to get married and have kids.

They each had one other child from previous relationships, but now they wanted to have a child that together.

“It wasn’t until I reached four months that I became worried because I was having pains that had me rushed to the hospital. I seriously thought I was having a miscarriage,” Akins said.

“When I finally got examined, the doctors broke the news that I was having twins. I was excited, worried, I had so many emotions going on, I

Family | 11

didn’t really know what to think,” she says.

“My husband and I ran into an insurance problem that forced us to wait about a month to get a new insurance so that I could go back in for another check-up.

“It just so happened that the doctor had a team of interns that day and asked me if it was ok if they were to be in the room as well so that they could learn how to read the monitor. After the doctor asked them what they saw on the monitor, the doctor broke the news that we were not having twins after all. We were told we were having triplets and I remember looking at my husband like, ‘What the heck is going on?’” Akins said.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, triplet and higher-order birth (a pregnancy in which the woman carries three or more fetuses) rate declined forty-one percent from 1998 to 2014. In 1998 one in every 515 births were triplets, but in 2014 only one in every 880

12 | Family

births resulted in triplets. In 2009, there were 5,905 triplet births. Akins just so happened to be one of the 5,905.

Akins gave birth

by C-section to Michael Anthony, born at 7:51 p.m., weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces; Seryna Rene, 7:52 p.m., 3 pounds ,12 ounces; and the youngest, Lily Michelle, born at 7:53 p.m., at 3 pounds, 9 ounces.

The babies were a little underweight because of their prematurity, leading them to stay in the hospital for another 30 days. In order for the children to leave the hospital each child had to successfully perform certain tasks such as holding a specific body temperature, being able to eat, and continue gaining weight.

A month later Akins’ triplets were released and home at last. Given that both girls looked identical, each girl had to wear a certain colored ribbon on their wrist to tell them apart, one purple and one yellow.

“Our life really changed after the

birth of these kids. I was literally out of work for about five years because child care for three kids was more expensive than any job was going to pay me,” stated Akins.

Before the triplets, Akins used to work as a bus aid for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Transportation making $14 per hour. Child care cost $600 a month per child totaling to $1,800 per month costing more than she earned to pay for child care.

The first two years Akins was her children’s only caretakers. Her husband had to take on another job where he was working 16 hours a day to make up for the money Akins was previously bringing into their household.

“All I ever did was work, come home, eat, go to sleep, and wake up to go to my other job. I felt like a zombie for that time period. But I had to do what was necessary to support my family,” stated Mike Akins.

Akins life was hectic due to constant

crying, feeding, and changing three babies’ diapers throughout the day and being the only parent available. Her whole sleep pattern changed.

“We had to make my master bedroom into the nursery room because it was too crowded in their room. We had three cribs and two rocking chairs in one small room. It got to the point where I was up every night, all hours of the night, checking on the kids between feeding and crying babies, I eventually moved a spare mattress into the center of their room and would knockout on the floor with them,” said Akins.

When the kids turned two and a half, Akins decided to enroll back into school to try to finish getting her degree in child development at Bakersfield College.

Akins could only take two classes each semester.

Things got difficult, so Akins had to find another job. It was overwhelming for her husband and she hated to see him suffer like he had been doing.

She was able to get a job at Bakersfield College working as a substitute in the Child Development

Center. She worked about 30 hours per week making $10.50 per hour, but was then only able to take one class each semester, making her dreams of graduating even further away.

The triplets finally turned 4, which made them eligible to register for transitional kindergarten. With the kids being in school, Akins decided to find a better job to help her husband bring in a higher monthly income.

She got hired at Community Action Partnership Kern where she was working a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job. She became an early head-start teacher, working with infants. Akins’ kids were able to get into the magnet program and after school program which allowed them to stay there until 5 p.m.

Finally, after years of constant struggle, headaches, and a house full of energetic kids, Akins and her family were finally able to live comfortably. The children ended up each getting separate rooms, and Akins and her husband were able to finally get their master bedroom back.

The kids are now 9 years old and in 4th grade. Both girls attend Mount Vernon Elementary and attend the Magnet program after school. Michael is attending the gate

program at Owens Intermediate then goes to the afterschool program. Mike picks up all three children at 5 p.m. which is the time Akins gets out of work as well. Their weekends consist mainly of hanging out and spending time with each other barbecuing and playing at the park near their house.

Just as things were starting to look up, Akins started not to feel well so she was rushed to BC to take a pregnancy test. Then, around January of 2013 Akins was at school and didn’t feel well so her niece rushed to BC to take her a pregnancy test.

“I took a 99 cent store pregnancy test in the restrooms at Bakersfield College just to find out I was pregnant again,” Akins said.

Her new due date was in September of 2013 and Akins was absolutely terrified of possibly having multiples again. Luckily she only had one, the newest addition to the family, Matthew James Akins.

“I love our big family. I love my mom and dad. I love my brothers and sister. And I love our dogs,” daughter Seryna Akins said.

Family | 13

Reunion on the Midway Story by Sarah Rhodes

Photo by Claudia Alvarez

T

he sweet smell of funnel cakes and cotton candy fills the night air. High-pitched melodies mix with distant screams against the grinding gears of fair rides.

Along a row of carnival games at the Kern County Fair, people shout from their booths like auctioneers under a neon glow.

“Five dollars get you three chances! Ten gets you seven!” shouts a man in a booth wallpapered with balloons.

Just past rows of goldfish, in the “One-In-Wins” basketball booth, carnival worker Candace Barr gives a young father advice on how to sink his shot. The ball isn’t like a normal basketball, it is much smaller and bounces off the backboard like a bouncy ball.

head. Her bubbly personality and infectious smile lure fair-goers into handing over their cash for a chance to win a giant stuffed animal.

The man takes Barr’s advice. On his third and final shot, the small green basketball floats through the air.

Nothing but net! Barr smiles, bends over into a bucket and pulls out three stuffed snakes. The man picks a blue one for his child.

“I love my job.” Barr declares as the happy family walks away.

The hustle of being a carnival worker is not for everybody. It is hard work to set up and tear down the games just to do it all over again in another town.

“Too hard. What you want to do, your best bet, lob it up and toss it in.” Barr says as she exchanges his $5 bill for three balls.

“It’s not the easiest job in the world, it’s not for the faint of heart but to me it’s fun.” Barr says.

Barr is an 18-year-old, modern-day gypsy. She has a girl-next-door vibe despite the piercings under her lip, gauge earrings that stretch her earlobes and half-shaved

Barr started working the fair circuit a year ago in Fresno, CA. In the last few months she’s traveled to Morgan Hill, Los Banos, Bishop, San Jose and, now, Bakersfield.

14 | Family

She will be heading back to Fresno after this, then home to Tennessee for a month before going to Florida for the winter.

Barr is not a stranger to living on the road. After her mother died in a car accident when she was 2, Barr’s grandfather adopted her, and they spent her childhood traveling across the country while staying with family. Barr’s father was not in her life because he was addicted to drugs and traveled as a carnival worker.

“I’ve been to every state in the United States except Maine and Hawaii. One year we drove from Tennessee [to] Southern Cal., [to] Northern Cal. through Canada to Alaska.

I lived there for a month.” Barr says with a southern accent.

In Alaska, they lived with her uncle, a pilot whose job it was to patrol the Canadian border off the coast of Alaska.

“I was the first and only civilian to ever step foot in a government AWAC plane when I was 7 years old because my uncle was the pilot. I have pictures of me in the cockpit of that plane and we weren’t even supposed to be in there.”

Barr laughs and describes the radar surveillance plane with a “big, giant disc” on top.

Barr enjoyed many adventures on her travels with her grandpa, but she attributes his old-school work ethic to her success as a carnival worker.

town and decided to reach out to him.

She remembers her father telling her, “Well, before we go to Oregon I’m working this one last spot in Fresno. If you want to meet me here, you can work too,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m excited,’ because my whole life, I loved the fair.”

Her grandfather dropped her off in Fresno before heading up to Alaska. She worked in a booth next to her father and liked spending time with him. She also realized she enjoyed the hustle of carnival work.

Barr’s father works a few booths down from her in the balloon booth. He says he is ashamed of not being in her life when she was growing up and doesn’t want to be named, but he says he couldn’t be happier to have the chance to make it up to her every single day.

Barr says, “I remind him every day that I still love him and that I’m not mad at him. We both struggle but it’s good. Things are a lot better now.”

It is a slow night at the fair as the weeknight crowds have gone home. It’s 9:30; only 30 minutes until the fair closes. Barr picks up a basketball and jumps over the ledge of the booth. Instead of yelling like an auctioneer from the safety of her booth, she shows off her skills and asks a couple walking by if they want to give it a try. They politely decline but Barr is not phased. She turns to get another ball, then lines up three more on the ledge.

“Growing up with my grandpa, I grew up very quick.

From the time I was 9 until the time I was 12, I was learning how to do flooring, sheet rock, roofing, and putting in sunrooms.” Barr says. She did this all while attending schools in different states and online. She graduated high school early, at 16-years-old.

Grandpa’s work ethic may have made her successful, but it was her father that got her in the carnival business.

“So, last year I met my father for the second time in 17 years. This is actually how him and my mom met.” Barr says.

Her mother and father met at a carnival in Pomona, CA where he was working and her mother was living. While Barr was visiting family there, she saw that the fair was in

Photo by Sarah Rhodes

Family | 15

Photo by Sarah Rhodes

It is important that Barr gets customers because she makes her living on commission. She gets 25 percent of what she brings in for the day. On her best day, last year in Fresno, she made $1200, but most days she makes around $300. Many of the Butler Entertainment workers co-own their games with Butler Entertainment.

game operators are individual owners that pay a daily fee, known as a ‘privilege,’ for the opportunity to operate on the carnival midway.”

This is a common practice in the carnival business according to a Drake Law Review article, “Carnival Games: Walking the line between illegal gambling and amusement,” by J. Royce Fichtner. The article states, “While some of the carnival games are owned by the carnival itself, many carnival

“We love having her. She’s a hard worker, and it’s real good to see them [Barr and her father] together.” Redman says as customers walk up to try their luck at popping a balloon with a dart.

16 | Family

Barr’s game is owned by her dad’s best friend, Greg Redman, who is working the balloon game with her father.

Barr smiles as she walks back to

her booth. The fair is about to close.

The sound of the crowd has faded into a tired mumble.

Under the bright flashing lights of a makeshift city, Barr has found her home.

Our Town

MariaMorales Rewriting Her Own Success

Story by Jessica Manzo Photos Courtesy of Maria Morales

A

n immigrant from Mexico—vowed into an abusive marriage that bore five children, who is now sixty years old—sends a message to her community to never give up.

Growing up, Morales’ father was very sick and in the Cristero War. In Mexico, one has to provide one’s own books, supplies, and transportation to school. Sometimes it would even take two buses to make it to school. She was unable to finish her junior high education due to the little income coming that her family could spare. Morales took time off school to stay home to help with her 9 siblings.

At the age of twenty years old, after working in the factory, she was able to pay to finish high school. At twenty three years old, Morales moved to California to meet with her brother, who was already here. “[My father] taught me about values and to pray for a miracle, the miracle of education,” Morales said.

The journey begins In 1979, Morales spent two years at Placerita junior high to take English as a Second Language courses. At the same time, she was working six days a week in the onion fields.

“The teachers were dedicated volunteers that [wanted]

to teach us the beautiful English language,” Morales said.

Morales took her first college course in 1989 at College of the Canyons and graduated with an Associates in Arts in 2005. At the same time in March of 2005, she was taking her first couple courses at California State University of Bakersfield, graduating in 2009.

She was determined, despite being constrained for many years. Morales had to retake a couple courses but took advantage of tutors available at school and even would travel twice a week when courses were offered at Antelope Valley Campus.

“They ask me how I did it, raising a family and working and I tell them it was 1 or 2 classes at a time but always kept thinking I’m going to graduate. It was hard. I have a message for all CSUB [students]. I know it is very hard and must seem impossible but you must make the impossible possible and 14 years ago I was one of them I was a student learning from my teachers and taking what they said and using them as my tools,” Morales said.

Her setback Morales married in 1981. Her husband knew of her sexual abuse during her younger years, and continued the abuse during their twenty years of marriage. Together they

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had five children.

“Women. When we’re in relationships, we think that 1) we’re the only ones, 2) we don’t want to tell anyone, and 3) our mindset is skewed,” Morales said. Her husband thought, and would make Morales believe it too, that if she pursued an education, she would leave him. “Men use that to keep women at home.”

Morales’ husband kept her from being a full time student.

While putting her education on hold, Morales kept busy by working as a part time teacher assistant and raising her children.

In 2003, Morales’ husband was arrested and deported, never to be seen again.

“I was waiting for a miracle to happen, waiting for [my husband] to believe that family comes first, not this abuse.

He was deported to Mexico but at the same time it was my escape. At the same time I was able to become a full time student and a mom,” Morales said. “It was my time to be a full time student.”

Morales was determined and had a passion for learning.

In 2012, Morales earned her teaching credential from Mount Saint Mary’s University.

While attending MSMU, she was also a substitute teacher in Palmdale. She would travel back and forth from Los Angeles to Palmdale to pursue both schooling and work.

“I didn’t have a life in those days. I was driving, teaching, going to school and sleeping only six hours a day,” Morales said. “I left my country following my dream and even though it took a long time to come true, I am a teacher.”

“

Graduation published in 2005, Para ti Mujer (For You Women) published in 2015, and Palabras Fuertes de Mujer (Strong Words from a Woman or Words to Empower a Woman) published in 2017.

Currently she is working on two new books; Poems in Spanish: Pobre del Pobre (Poor Poor) and An Immigrant Survivor Story.

“The purpose of my books is to empower women so they can continue their education and they can have a better life and take care of their own families,” Morales said.

On her free time, she attends high schools and public libraries in Palmdale and College of the Canyons reading her books.

She hopes professors and students are able to use her books as a teaching tool or a resource to help someone who has gone through similar painful situations.

“I see those who identify with my stories and even men cry when they hear my stories and the following day [after a free speech], a student’s father said he read my story and said ‘My father was crying’ and that was the best compliment I had received,” Morales said.

Morales’ gives her five children the same message: to never give up!

“One of my daughters called and said crying ‘mom there is no way I can do this, it is too much,’ and I tell her, ‘yes, you can.’ I did it,” Morales said.

Now, four of Morales’ children are living in different state, one of them in Germany working as a computer technician in the Army. Four of her children have finished with their Associates in Arts.

Morales’ message to all who come across her stories: “I want to tell my story because women must know that they are not alone. Sometimes when we are struggling we may think that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Make your education your light.”

I know it is very hard and must seem impossible but you must make the impossible possible

”

Never giving up Today, Morales has three self-published books; My

18 | Our Town

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Our Town | 19

Photo by Bre Parks

Challenges of a Catholic Priest Story by Rylee Smith

20 | Our Town

O

ut the windows of Monsignor Stephen Frost’s home, cars pulled in and out of the church parking lot. The slender black cat, Dart, took up his unfortunate habit of scratching a fabric chair. And Frost sat, thinking over the homily he was preparing to preach to his congregation that afternoon.

The nerves had set in. What if it was not the right decision? A church of Catholics would soon fill the pews of Christ the King Church in Oildale, waiting to hear what he had to say. To hear his guidance. To hear him represent the word of God. That was why he felt he had to do this.

As he stood at the front of his church on November 25th, the adrenaline rushing through him passed away, leaving him with a feeling of calm. The church was warm, despite the outside chill, but it did not feel stifling.

“Cardinal Eijk of the Netherlands wrote, ‘Before Christ’s second coming the Church must pass through a final trial that will shake the faith of many believers,’” Frost began. “‘The persecution that accompanies her pilgrimage on earth will unveil the “mystery of iniquity” in the form of a religious deception offering men an apparent solution to their problems at the price of apostasy to the truth.’”

Frost explained to his parish that the quote referred to statements made by the hierarchy of the global churchspecifically, by Pope Francis. Francis has received criticism for various statements, including an official Vatican statement called Amoris Laetitia, in which he expresses the possibility of allowing divorced and

Photo by Rylee Smith

remarried Catholics to receive the Eucharist, which are small wafers of bread. Catholics believe the Eucharist they are consuming is the body of Christ, and that only those who are not in a state of serious sin can receive it. Though the Pope is expected to share the Catholic Church’s traditional beliefs about God’s truth, this new change would go against beliefs that the church has held for centuries about remarriage being a significant sin. Pope Francis also faced backlash from many Catholics after he reportedly told journalist Eugenio Scalfari that hell does not exist, but rather that souls that do not repent “disappear.”

To Monsignor Frost, these sentiments represent a trend in the global church away from the word of God, and towards progressive policies instead. If Pope Francis misrepresents the views of the church to align with more progressive ideas, as some say he did when he criticized America’s borders as anti-Christian, then unwitting people will be led astray.

In a routine meeting with sixteen local clergymen, Frost expressed these concerns. He stood on the issues alone. Though no one spoke out against his words, no one affirmed them, either. Frost decided that he would continue to speak out nonetheless.

“If the Pope is wrong, I have to say something. The Gospel is burning inside us unless we proclaim it,” he says.

It is common for Catholic priests to hold politically conservative views based on the traditional views of the church, on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, so Frost is discouraged to see his peers in the clergy not concerned about the pope. He believes the other clergymen are not unwilling to speak out, but rather that they are not as well-versed in Canon Law, the traditional laws and norms of the Catholic Church. If they do not know when the pope is sharing false information, he argues, they cannot inform their parishioners of it.

In the global church, four cardinals expressed their concerns that Francis was going beyond church teaching in Amoris Laetitia in 2016. Though two are now deceased, two others restated their concerns in April of 2018.

Tensions increased when Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó released a letter in August 2018 alleging that Francis allowed Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick to take a more active role in the church, despite being aware of multiple sexual

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misconduct allegations against McCarrick.

Despite such allegations, Francis continues to have a positive reputation. According to a Gallup poll conducted in Sept. 2018, 79 percent of American Catholics viewed the pope favorably. Catholics have a range of opinions about him, including ambivalence.

“I like him, I guess, for the most part,” says Danielle del Papa, a 20-year-old Catholic woman. “Some of the stuff he says is a little left for me.” Del Papa is among local Catholics in Frost’s church who are hesitant about the pope’s choices in political matters. She cites Francis giving an award to a pro-choice Dutch politician as one example of her hesitations toward him.

Frost believes that it is his job to give his flock the information they need to make up their minds, about politics and the pope. Though he has wanted to speak out about politicians such as Nancy Pelosi or Joe Biden, Catholics famous for being politically liberal, he has kept his political comments to broader issues such as gay marriage. He struggled, though, with the fear that his parishioners would support candidates that did not follow God. When Frost was 18 years old and beginning the seminary, the same questions about whether to get involved in controversial issues plagued him even then.

As he knelt before the Bishop who would ordain him as a priest in the Diocese in Fresno, his hands clasped between the hands of the Bishop, Frost made a promise of obedience.

Looking eye to eye with Frost, the Bishop asked, “Do you promise me and my successors obedience and respect?”

His answer, “Yes, Father, I do,” is one which Frost still takes seriously.

He remembers, however, being disappointed to hear that this obedience included a rule which meant that he was discouraged from making political recommendations to his congregation. In 1954, the government passed a law which defines a 501(c)(3) organization, a church or a charity, as “one which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office,” according to the Internal Revenue Service’s article “Charities, Churches and Politics.”

In order to maintain tax exemption, a church must follow this rule.

In his early career, Frost struggled with opposing arguments over how to handle the rule.

“It’s like it makes me an accomplice. You can’t say the truth. But then you know, there’s the rationalization. You say, ‘Yeah but if you do and you get fired, who’s gonna take your place, and that would be worse.’” He sighs when he recalls the struggle between risking his vocation as a priest and being true to what he sees as God’s truth. As society and the church become more progressive, he worries that there is a growing distance between God and His people.

This time, Frost is prevented by no law from speaking out. Making a statement about specific politicians may risk his church’s charity status, but sharing his feelings on Pope

22 | Our Town

Francis does not. However, there are some who believe there are other reasons not to make statements against the pope.

Sister Susana Del Toro, of Our Lady of Guadalupe Convent in Bakersfield, says that her Mexican heritage demands that obedience be at the center of her faith, and that means praying for Pope Francis to do right by the church and not speaking out against him. Though she believes that Francis’ controversial quotes were either taken out of context or the result of speaking off the cuff, this is not her main argument.

“Follow Jesus. He never disappoints,” she says.

“Remember that the church is holy, but formed by sinners.”

One of Frost’s parishioners has his own hesitations about speaking against the pope. Edward Goscinski, 22, has not been closely following the controversy with Francis, but has qualms about Frost sharing negative opinions about the pope in general.

“If he doesn’t like [Pope Francis] he shouldn’t express it,” Goscinski says. “He can respect the position even if doesn’t respect the individual in that position.”

Frost says he’s concerned that parishioners would feel this way. If people did not know what the pope had been saying, he feared, would they feel that he was being disloyal to the Catholic Church? The last thing Frost wants is to be viewed as dishonorable to his position. If he didn’t speak out, though, would that be agreeing with the words of the pope? Frost felt the answer to the latter was a resounding “yes.”

“Even in law, silence bespeaks agreement,” Frost explains.

As Frost left the church that day, parishioners approached him to express their concerns.

“Aren’t you worried there will be negative repercussions?” a member of the group asked him, her voice echoing in the church hall.

Though at 67 years old Frost is only three years away from the age when a priest is allowed to retire, it is typical for Bishops to encourage priests to continue working past 70 if they are in good enough health to do so. Frost worries, though, that this request to continue his work might not be offered if there is retaliation against him for his opinions.

After all, Frost’s criticism of the pope expands to criticism of the bishops who do not speak out against him.

Frost looks thoughtful when he reflects on the memory of his parishioners’ worried faces.

“I am concerned, because I love my job. I love being a pastor of souls. That’s why I dedicated my life to this.”

Even if he risks the longevity of his career, Frost is determined to speak the truth. The goal of the Catholic clergy, he explains, is to make the world resemble the church of God. It is not to make the church of God resemble the world. His purpose as a priest is to be a shepherd to God’s people. Shepherds cannot abandon their sheep to protect themselves.

As he leaves the church hall, Frost hopes that at the very least, his words will begin a conversation.

Photo by Bre Parks

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On Patrol

with Jason Wood, CHP Officer

Story and photo

by Rylee Smith

T

echnically, Officer Jason Wood didn’t even need to be there that pre-dawn morning. Technically, the call to which he responded fell under the jurisdiction of the Kern County Sheriff Department.

But there he was. And there she was.

Standing in the middle of Union Avenue in Bakersfield at 4:30 in the morning was a very large woman, waving her arms wildly and shouting nonsense. Wearing nothing but her obvious anger, the woman zeroed in on Wood and challenged

24 | Our Town

him to a fight.

She charged towards him, throwing fists and cuss words in his direction.

Deciding that fighting a disgruntled naked woman was not the way to finish out his overnight shift, Wood tased the woman and arrested her. Later, he would learn that she had gotten into a fight with her daughter earlier that night, and as he guessed, she was under the influence of drugs.

For Wood, one of the consistent truths of working as an officer for the California Highway Patrol is that “you never know what you’re gonna get.”

The patrol car awakens for a new shift with a blast of cold air conditioning as Wood prepares for a 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. afternoon to night shift. He checks his radio and lights, and a series of beeps confirm that each is in working order. As he does every day behind the wheel, Wood puts a new compact disc into the “Watch Guard” machine, which will record the audio and video of his time on patrol.

The camera sits above his head inside the vehicle, waiting to make a record of the traffic and stops of the day.

When he takes anyone on a ridealong to see a peace officer in action, he starts with a warning. “This is my job, this is not your job,” he begins.

“I’m the one who gets paid to put my life on the line. You don’t have a gun.”

He points to a radio and explains how to call for help if he needs it, but reiterates that no one sitting in the passenger seat on a ride along has any duty to intervene in a dangerous situation.

Though the uncertainty of each day brings unforgettable stories, it means that Wood can never promise his wife and two daughters that he will come home safely. As he puts on his tan CHP uniform each day, Wood commits his life to the duty of protecting the community. Once he puts on that uniform, he knows that every interaction with the community represents himself and his organization, and he makes it his daily mission to make that representation a lasting, positive one.

His beat takes him south of Niles Street. Though the area is commonly thought of as within the city of Bakersfield, it is actually considered Kern County land. The Kern County Sheriff’s Department is in charge of crime reports in these areas, while the CHP is in charge of traffic accident reports. The CHP can choose to make stops in any part of California, with the exception of Native American reservations and military bases.

The first stop of the day is not for using a cell phone or refraining from

wearing a seatbelt, though Wood does look out for these behaviors, which he calls his “pet peeves.” No, the first stop is when Wood pulls his squad car horizontally across the lane to ensure that a slow-moving, elderly man with a shopping cart can safely cross.

As he waits, he addresses the common myth that crying is a good way to get out of a traffic ticket.

“Crying works for me usually,” he admits.

The California Highway Patrol has a policy of allowing officers to use their discretion on what methods of enforcement to use. According to Lt. Marty Casey, officers mainly look for sincerity.

“It’s a feeling. Sometimes a warning is enough. If someone is responsive and owns their mistake,” then a ticket may not be necessary, Casey says.

When it comes to determining whether or not to give tickets, Wood explains that he takes into account whether issuing a ticket is actually going to change a behavior, or whether it will simply cause an undue burden on a citizen who is otherwise trying to follow the law.

“I try to be personal. I come across single moms who are struggling, and I try to put myself in their shoes. I listen to them. Giving them a ticket could just hinder them from standing on their own feet,” Wood said.

On a street corner, a group of elementary school children wait to cross. Wood stops for a moment to use his radio to say hello to them, earning a round of wide-toothed smiles and enthusiastic waves.

Though Wood explains that engagement with the public is second nature to him, he adds that forming a strong relationship with the public is a top priority for the CHP. One of Wood’s supervisors, Sgt. Jeff Mesa, explains the highway patrol’s Public Trust Initiative. “We want them to be engaged in the community at any opportunity that they have. In the past, the officers were supposed to just focus on enforcement, but now we like to visit schools, read to the kids, things like that,” Mesa says.

Negative portrayals of police officers in the media can give some

people a certain perception, Wood says, which can be difficult to change.

According to a 2016 Criminal Justice Survey by the Cato Institute, a think tank and database headquartered in Washington D.C., 64 percent of Americans have a favorable view of police officers, but Wood wants to leave everyone he can with a positive impression.

Wood maintains his professional demeanor as he exits the patrol car into the stifling Bakersfield heat to approach the driver’s side of a black Dodge Avenger. He has just signaled the driver to pull over after he saw the driver using his cell phone. After exchanging greetings, he asks the driver if he knows why he has been stopped. Though Wood saw the driver holding his phone up to his ear, the driver denies that he was using it.

The driver does not have a license since it has been suspended. This leaves Wood with a choice. He can impound the vehicle, forcing the driver to walk home, or he can allow the driver to call a friend or family member to come pick him up and drive the vehicle home.

For Wood, the decision is made by what, or rather who, he sees in the back seat of the vehicle.

Strapped into a car seat is a baby girl, who appears to be about two years old. Towing the car would mean that the driver would have to walk in 90 degree weather for some time, while carrying his baby with him.

After running the license number using his patrol car computer, Wood approaches the driver once again.

He hands him a ticket and discusses the cost of impounding a vehicle that he has spared the driver. Wood then instructs the man to arrange a ride to come pick up him and the child.

“How many kids do you have?”

Wood asks.

“Three,” he answers, barely audible from outside the vehicle.

“They need you, right?” Wood responds. “You have an important job.

Remember that.”

The advice comes not just from a protector of the community, but from one father to another.

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Sharing the Road: The Lives of Ride-Sharing Drivers Story by Vincent Perez Photo by Sam Underwood

L

ate nights driving a car in a dark neighborhood might not seem safe for anyone, but for four drivers it benefited them financially or personally.

26 | Our Town

Imagine you are a student, EMT, USPS mail carrier or a collection specialist, and after a grueling day, you’re not on your way home - You’re going to your second job, ride-sharing driver. These are everyday people who made ends meet.

Uber and Lyft are seamlessly leading the ridesharing industry. The New York Times reported the 2018 net worth’s for Uber is $120 billion and Lyft is $15 billion. Yet, it’s the drivers of Uber and Lyft that are the backbone for each company.

Jennifer Nicole-Rodriguez, Uber A former firefighter and EMT, Jennifer NicoleRodriguez, 38, drove Uber customers for a year in Atlanta, Georgia. Rodriguez, who lives in Atlanta, was on call for fires from 2013-2016 and is now an operating manager for a Telehealth company. She describes her time as an Uber driver from 20162017.

“Back when I started doing Uber, I was an EMT. I got four days off a week,” she says. She worked at the Telehealth company as an EMT for a nonemergency ambulance service which took people to their doctor appointments.

Rodriguez says she worked 20 hours a week as an Uber driver, along with an EMT schedule of 48 hours. “I actually enjoyed it. I am an extrovert.

I was almost home too much. I noticed myself getting depressed,” she says. “Being able to talk to people helped me get out of the funk.”

Rodriguez says she was a divorced single mother at that point, with her three children in middle or high school. The 60-plus hours of work helped her not only mentally, but financially.

“I didn’t want a traditional job where I was stuck in hours,” she says. “This allowed me to be in control of that more and how much money I needed that week.”

Rodriguez says she did not drive Uber at night but detailed her only worry. During an Uber-pool ride, there was an older lady and a younger man in her car in Atlanta. She picked up the man from a Waffle House, who appeared suspicious. “We picked him up and she got out, and it was another two minutes with him. It was just an uncomfortable time,” she says. “Having been a firefighter and EMT, I tend to chew more than I can handle.”

Today, having been injured from a call as an EMT, she handles the operating manager duties for a Telehealth company in Atlanta. She said she

Joseph Ramirez, Uber & Lyft

enjoyed the transition and liked her experience driving for Uber and would do it again if necessary.

Joseph Ramirez, 29, recently began a career as a collection specialist. He also delivered money for Trans-West Security, then valeted cars, and now drives part-time for Uber and Lyft.

Ramirez works from mornings to 5 p.m. at his collection job, for 40 hours a week, then turns around and drives for Uber and Lyft.

“As soon as I get off work, I do that until I need to go home and sleep,” says Ramirez. He says he goes to sleep by 12 midnight or 1 a.m. On weekends, those driving hours will vary more, he says. Making time with family is important to Ramirez, who is married and has a newly-born son.

“Honestly, it’s hard. I work full-time already, and almost full-time with driving,” he says. He makes clear that he plans out a day, usually Sundays to spend with his wife and son. “It’s just temporary.”

Ramirez chose to drive for Uber and Lyft because he had freedom. “No boss down my neck; It’s easy. If I want to go home and eat something, I can do that,” he says.

According to an October 2018 article about ride-sharing platforms in the International Journal of Data and Network Science, “Real-time flexibility is more beneficial for Uber drivers in terms of earning compared to the less flexible arrangement.” The time-management factor attracts most people to begin driving for ridesharing companies. Yet, issues can arise.

He remembered a time when he shared more information about himself than he should of. Ramirez likes to network with customers and one person didn’t like that so much. Ramirez, while giving a ride to two customers and shared a social media page with one customer. The other customer in the car filed a complaint to Lyft.

That timing would not benefit Ramirez.

Lyft had a deal with drivers that if they reached 200 riders before New Year’s Eve, they’d give drivers $500. That complaint got to Lyft, so he was disqualified. “Lyft just cancelled [my license] without notice. They didn’t have my back; they were more for the consumers,” he says.

“They investigated, and they found out I didn’t break any policy,” Ramirez adds.

Lyft’s Terms of Service state: “We are not responsible for the use of any personal information that you disclose to other Users on the Lyft Platform or through the Services. Please

Our Town | 27

carefully select the type of information that you post on the Lyft Platform or through the Services or release to others. We disclaim all liability, regardless of the form of action, for the acts or omissions of other Users (including unauthorized users, or ‘hackers’).” Ramirez still drives Uber and Lyft today.

Joe Manzo, Lyft Years may have passed for those that have dabbled in Lyft, but for Joe Manzo, 29, drove for Lyft from 2015 to 2016.. Manzo, who lives in Bakersfield, was in the Bay Area on vacation in 2012, when he ran into Lyft.

“I saw a car with a crazy pink mustache, and a Lyft logo,” he says. Manzo saw the logo again in Bakersfield. “I saw an ad, and the name Lyft. I thought, ‘I want in on this,’” he says. “I knew it was legitimate and in a major city. If people in San Francisco are using it, then it must be good.”

Manzo was in San Francisco with a former girlfriend. He enjoyed his short but fulfilling time with Lyft.

“The best part was getting to know people. You come across so many people, going to work, parties,” he says. The weekends were when people would share rides to and from downtown Bakersfield. Manzo remembers those times.

“Saturdays were the craziest. I picked up people from The Mint Bar, Riley’s Tavern,” he says. “Your car became Taxi Cab Confessions on HBO. When people have alcohol in their systems, their inhibitions totally go away.”

Manzo talks about riders that surprised him. “I’ve had a few chicks flash me as a tip, which was cool, I guess,” he says.

He said that sometimes he would have strange dealings.

On an average day at 2 p.m., he picked up a man from Cottonwood Road who asked to be dropped off at a suspicious neighborhood. Then, he returned the customer to where they were picked up. This happened more than once says Manzo. “All three instances were quiet, they kept to themselves and requested no music,” Manzo says.

He has advice for new drivers. “Don’t do it if you’re trying to chase paper because there’s no way that’s going to happen, unless you get tipped very well,” he says. To Manzo, a good tip was more than $5 per ride, which doesn’t happen often. Manzo most recently was a funding assistant at a local company he chose to not name.

28 | Our Town

David Steiner, Lyft David Steiner, 24, became involved with Lyft three years ago. “I had heard about ride-sharing before it came to Bakersfield,” he says. Steiner said he first took an Uber from CSU Bakersfield before working for them and that was his first ride-sharing memory.

Steiner was a CSUB student from 2012 to 2013, majoring in communication. Steiner says he did not complete his degree. “I left because I was no longer interested in it. I chose to take a different path.”

Steiner is no longer the passenger; He’s the driver.

Steiner works full-time for Lyft, driving 28-35 hours and babysittings on the side. On weekdays, he wakes up at 7 a.m. and works until 5 or 6 p.m. On weekends, he works from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., takes a break, then works as early as 8 p.m. to as late as 2 or 3 a.m.

“I always tell people it’s a cool way to make money,” says Steiner. He said he loves to talk with customers, but not everyone can respond when intoxicated. In only one out of 600 rides, he had one customer throw up in his car and the results were tough to handle.

Steiner picked up a customer from 1933 Speakeasy Bar and Grill. Steiner told the customer there was a bag for him to use if he felt sick.

“We were driving down Rosedale Highway around 50 miles per hour and I asked him a question,” he says. The customer hesitated to answer, so he looked back, and the customer put his head out the window and vomited. The speed caused the vomit to spread all over Steiner’s car. “I was so tempted to leave him there, but I took him home,” reflects Steiner. Customer service is crucial in car pickups.

“Your ratings play a big part of it. I’ve heard other customers tell horror stories of other drivers,” he says.

Steiner knows the role of a Lyft driver. “I’ll fake it if I have to, because at the end of the day it’s customer service.”

Steiner is currently working on starting his own business yet to be named with the help from entrepreneur friends of his, while driving for Lyft.

Locked and Loaded in the South Valley

Story by Sam Underwood

Photo by Sam Underwood

I

feel the weight of the steel in my hand. It’s heavy in more ways than one. I pick up the magazine and slide it into the handle with a mechanical click. The first round is chambered when I pull back the slide, a distinctive series of clicks takes place as the mechanics of the Glock 17 turns a useless piece of steel into a deadly weapon. The gravity of that is hard to miss as I point the pistol down range at the target, careful not to touch the trigger until it is time to fire.

An acronym I learned as a child begins my process now. B.R.A.S.S. Breathe. When you try to hold your breath, you lose control of the slight movements in your body that will affect your aim. Increase oxygen by taking a deep breath in and a half exhale.

Relax. Don’t tense up the muscles or they may shake and quiver.

Aim. Point at the target, focus, and continue to breathe.

Slack. Pull back on the trigger and stop just before firing.

Squeeze. Squeeze the trigger fully to fire the pistol at the end of an exhale.

As the 9mm round explodes, I feel the concussive blast across my chest. My heart is thumping, and my ears are ringing for a split second regardless of the hearing protection. My shot is slightly low and to the left.

Brandon Armstrong, 32, from 2nd Amendment Sports, stands behind me and explains that I pulled the barrel down a bit when I took the slack out of the trigger. He must lean in and yell in my ear so I can hear him with the ear protection on. This is my first time firing this pistol and I repeat this two more times with the same results.

Finally, after the fourth shot, I hit within an inch of where I am aiming. The feeling is exhilarating as I hear my heart beating and smell the freshly burned gunpowder in the air.

Armstrong has been a part of recreational shooting sports, like hunting and target shooting, as well as firearm training for the store, since his childhood when he would go hunting with his father and grandfather.

There is a great deal of training, experience and responsibility that accompany owning and shooting fire arms. My father served as a United States Marine, so my training started at the early age of five. The rules were very strict and without interpretation.

I haven’t owned a gun in many years, so I have set out on this journey to three different places to get reacquainted with the current laws, community, and culture

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that exists in the south valley today.

In the southern San Joaquin Valley, there is an entire culture that revolves around gun ownership and all that it entails. Primarily this culture revolves around sports such as skeet shooting, target shooting, long distance precision shooting, and hunting. However, many owners carry for self-defense as well. The Kern County Sheriff’s department reported that there are currently 10,893 people that possess a concealed-carry weapon (CCW) permit. This number doesn’t include owners who merely have legally registered firearms.

So, what does it take to purchase and legally own a fire arm in the state of California? Armstrong explains, as we sit in a training room, that first you must pass a basic safety test. The safety test includes common knowledge concerning safety, identifying types of firearms, ammo, etc., as well as some basic functions of different types of firearms. Once you have completed the safety test, it is time to shop. After you have selected a firearm, two things happen; There is a mandatory ten-day waiting period before you can pick up your firearm and a background check.

At the time of purchase, you must fill out a federal form that is used to conduct an extensive background check. Anyone with any kind of domestic violence, violent misdemeanors, or any felonies are automatically rejected. After ten days, and the background check comes back clean, you can pick up your firearm.

In addition, Armstrong has seen a few other types of rejections, “I’ve had people rejected by the DMV for unpaid registrations and back dated parking tickets.”

There is much negative press that surrounds gun own-

30 | Our town

Photo by Marsalh Musaad: Brandon Armstrong of 2nd Amendment Sports

ers, especially with mass shootings taking place around the world. Many people feel that stricter gun laws are needed to stop these shootings.

California has some of the strictest gun control laws in the nation, and in a time period where a growing percentage of the population believe that more gun control is needed. Armstrong believes that “the more laws that are created are going to keep the guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens that are willing to protect the people that don’t want to protect themselves.”

The reality of gun laws is criminals don’t obey the law.

“There is a lot of misunderstanding. People need to be educated,” said Armstrong. “A gun is tool like anything else. If people want to hurt others, they will find a way no matter how many laws there are.”

Armstrong attended the Route 91 Harvest music festival when Stephen Paddock fired into the crowd, killing 58 people and wounding 422. He doesn’t want to talk about that night much, but he did share with me that after much consideration, he has not changed his views on gun control or owning firearms.

2nd Amendment offers extensive training in many areas, hand-to-hand combat, knife training, firearm training for handgun, shotgun, rifle, and long-distance precision shooting, as well as maintenance courses.

“We are well rounded and [offer training regarding] basically anything you need to know about firearms and firearm safety,” said Armstrong.

Educating people is exactly what the Southern Tulare County Sportsman Association (STCSA) and the Safari Club are trying to do. Along with the Army Corps of Engineers, and a local 4-H chapter, they put together a youth hunter exploration challenge (YHEC) each year.

This is just one of the STSCA events that teach people about firearm safety and the sport that goes along with it.

This one is for kids ages 7 – 18 years of age.

On this weekend, I was surrounded by the amazing scenery of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Kids and adults gather together at the Kincade Cove Wildlife Management area on the north side of Lake Success to let kids go through the five stations of the YHEC. Safety and instruction are a primary concern at this event. Any youth handling a firearm has an adult standing right next to them. In addition, Camp Nelson Ambulance volunteers an ambulance. Two medics volunteer their time as well.

The first station is a bow station, where kids get to learn how to shoot compound and recurve bows. Kids line up to fire arrows at bales of hay. Adults manning the station teach kids how to properly handle, hold, aim and release using a bow and arrow.

The next station is a target shooting station that uses break-barrel pellet rifles. Mike Larson, a local business owner and avid hunter with years of experience, manages the station ensuring safety first. Each youth with a pellet rifle had an experienced adult guiding and watching over them. The break-barrel style of rifle only holds one pellet at a time.

The third station is manned by local volunteers from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kent Foreman, Steve Southworth, and Mike Barnhart. They have set up various taxidermized animals around their station in order to teach kids about identifying animals they may encounter while hunting and what their characteristics can be.

The wild boar is a good example that Foreman uses to warn people. “They are not an aggressive animal, but if you shoot one and don’t kill it right away, they tend to have a temper” he said.

The next station is a compass course that orientates kids on direction and land navigation. These types of training can be invaluable to young hunters as they have their first experiences out in the woods.

The final station is a skeet shooting station where kids who have completed their hunter safety card, or junior pheasant license, can shoot clay pigeons in the air. Kids who do not meet the requirements can visit the station but are not allowed to participate.

Photo by Sergio Hernandez

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32 | Our Town

At the station, I watch as Bill Moench, oversees, Ethan Heuer, 12, shoot at clay pigeons. Ethan is clearly experienced as he rarely misses the clay pigeons. Nevertheless, Moench holds the ammo, giving Heuer only one round at a time, and ensuring the shotgun’s safety is on before each round is loaded.

Moench is the chairman of the STCSA and is there with his wife Linda, son Jarred, and grandson.

“This is quite a family affair,” said Moench.

This is the only public training event of this type for kids left in California.

The next weekend I was off to Fountain Springs CA, where the Porterville Fraternal Order of Eagles (FOE), which I am a member of, holds their bi-annual turkey shoot. This is a clay pigeon event for shooters to show off their skills and compete for “turkeys,” shooting with shotguns. The day is broken up into heats, where a line of shooters competes against one another in an elimination round. The final shooter wins the “turkey” which is a $15 coupon for J & R Meats in Porterville, and bragging rights. The bragging rights don’t last long as the next heat begins within a few minutes. A large crowd was gathered to watch shooters. Barbecue, games, and refreshments were all available. Proceeds of the event go to the FOE, who makes many monetary contributions to various organizations in the community.

Walt Orth, a trustee for the FOE, has been helping organize this event for over eight years.

“This is one of our lodge’s biggest fundraisers and it requires a lot of support from the members,” said Orth.

“It’s a great event where anybody can come have a good time” he said.

Like any other shooting event, there are safety precautions in place. Each shooter is only allowed to chamber one round at a time, and no loaded firearms are allowed outside of the shooting area. I learn the rules quickly as this is my first time shooting in an event like this. The entire day sees heat after heat of shooters vying to win the round. I compete in a total of seven heats, and don’t do very well in any of them, but the experience was very enjoyable. I go home that afternoon with a sore shoulder, a sunburn, and a smile.

This look into the south valley gun culture has revealed amazing groups of down to earth people who want to enjoy the sports, educate the youth along with anyone else who wants to learn, and do so with the highest regard to safety.

I am planning to take my safety exam in August.

Photo by Sergio Hernandez

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Mind & Body

DON’T DON’T JUST JUST CHASE CHASE YOUR YOUR DREAMS DREAMS,

RUN THEM DOWN

Story by Vanessa Villalvazo Photos by Bre Parks

34 | Mind & Body

O

nce ranked number one in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in the 800-meter, recorded the top 800-meter time for the third week straight, and has earned Athlete of the Week four times this season, Curtis Threlkeld is definitely the athlete to watch.

Curtis Threlkeld, a junior at CSU Bakersfield, is making big headlines running track. Threlkeld usually runs the 800-meter, which is the shortest middle distance event where the runner runs twice around a 400-meter track. He graduated from North High School in 2016, where he not only ran track and field, but also managed to play football and stay in honor roll for all four years.

He decided to continue his studies at CSUB because he felt this was the best place to get his education, and he still has his family behind him to support and guide him as they have been his whole life. He stressed the fact that there are a lot of things you can do without going away to college.

“I grew up here in Bakersfield, but most of my family is from Texas.

I started running track when I was eight. I played football in high school, which kind of messed with my track background. Now I am here at CSUB on my junior year and everything’s starting to pay off and I am starting to feel like a track runner again,” said Threlkeld.

Threlkeld is very thankful towards his parents because without them he wouldn’t be as successful as he is today.

“My mother has sacrificed so much for me and I would say from taking me to football games to practice and food for us every night. My father has also paid for spikes to workout gyms for me as a child and even camps. They always have been there since day one and built me up to always stride to be successful no matter the circumstances,” said Threlkeld.

He started running track when he was eight years old, but his break through moment didn’t happen until middle school.

“My seventh grade year I actually wasn’t going to do the 800 hundred, I was running the hundred because I didn’t want to run the long races and my dad, I have a step dad that took

Mind & Body | 35

over as a father figure in my life when I was one, he told me ‘man get out there and run the 800’. I wasn’t even signed up in the event, but I ran to the track and I told them that they forgot to put my name down. I put it down and I went out there and ran the 800 hundred and I ended up going to nationals in seventh grade and I took fifth place,” said Threlkeld.

Threlkeld is a student-athlete that no matter where he goes, he won’t forget where he came from.

“I am representing CSUB, but I am also representing Bakersfield, so I feel like just to have the support in this home town is super big. There’s a lot of people that go away and still have support, but when you’re around it and you go places, you go to grocery stores, you go back to your old high school like I did the other day, you just realize where you came from and how big of an influence it has had on my life and made me into a better person,” said Threlkeld.

Like many athletes, Threlkeld has a pre-meet ritual.

“On Friday I love to do like a shake-out run and stretch as much as possible, getting some strides in. I eat clean all the time so I feel like that is

36 | Mind & Body

what is paying off, so I just eat clean and hydrate well and I always get Pedialyte,” said Threlkeld.

Being a track and field studentathlete is not easy, as Threlkeld has a specific diet that includes staying away from Chick-fil-A. “I usually don’t eat lunch,” says Threlkeld, “I usually eat brunch and at night I have meal preps that I eat.

I stay away from Chick-fil-A for now because I usually eat Chick-fil-A a lot.”

Bakersfield will always be home to Threlkeld because Bakersfield saw him grow up and shaped him to the man he is today, so he plans on giving back in the future.

“I plan to go back and teach. I reached out to a couple of my old teachers at my high school and the principal really wants me to teach there, so I don’t know if that’s where I am going to end up, but I want to just give back and help kids and help children that go through the struggle because at one point I was there. I feel like you just got to show the kids that there is more to life than just going out and be involved with drugs and gangs,” said Threlkeld.

Although Threlkeld does track and field, a professional athlete whom

he looks up to has nothing to do with track and field.

“I look up to athletes like Connor McGregor like mixed martial arts just different sports because I feel like if you are just focused in just that one sport, sport gets old so you got to get involved in other sports and watch those too,” said Threlkeld.

The past two season have been good for Threlkeld, but they have never been as great as this season, where he remains the reigning conference champion. He has finished first in back-to-back meets, he has earned four first-place finishes, and has also held the fastest 800-meter time in the country.

“I feel like this season is starting to come together as the best it hasn’t ended yet, but probably this season I feel is like going to be one of the best season of my life. I had some seasons when I had fun, but I never been the top guy. I usually have been chasing people, but now I feel like it’s the other way around, so I feel like this season is going to be the one,” said Threlkeld.

Threlkeld works hard to play hard because without pain there is no gain.

Even on recovery days, he is still on the grind.

“A typical morning I usually put in miles on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I put in some quick miles in the morning then I come back in the afternoon and I hit a hard workout, which would be like 400 hundred or 600 hundreds. Tuesdays are my recovery days but I still get in some good miles and strides,” said Threlkeld.

As a child, Threlkeld’s parents first introduced him to another sport, but he did not take to much interest in it.

“I played football in high school, so I am pretty athletic I would say.

Most track runner are just runners, the ones that I know, but when I was growing up I did boxing as a child and a lot of people don’t know about that,” said Threlkeld.

Corbin Chronister is also on the track and field team and has become good friends with Threlkeld.

“I met Curtis at one of the team meetings when I first was brought here and I didn’t really know him super good before that, but he seemed like a good guy at the time. He’s a funny guy, a good guy to be around, and I thoroughly enjoy his company,” said Chronister.

The Director of Track and Field, Marcia Mansur-Wentworth, has become very fond of Threlkeld and knows that he will go far in life.

“He’s a fantastic competitor and one of the hardest working people that I’ve known in my 22-plus years of coaching. I think he leads by example, people see that he works hard and that he’s successful and he’s becoming a fantastic leader. He wants to compete and he’s just a phenomenal competitor, said Mansur-Wentworth.

Mansur-Wentworth had her eye on Threlkeld, while he was still in high school, in hopes that he would come to CSUB one day.

“We watched him compete and we knew he had great speed. He was able to cover a lot of different events in track and field, and we knew once he didn’t have fall football we could train him year round for track in field. We knew he was going to be something special,” said Mansur-Wentworth, “I am confident in his ability to defend his WAC title in the 800 hundred and I feel confident that he is going to qualify for the NCAA regionals in the 800 hundred.”

“I usually have been chasing people, but now I feel like it’s the other way around, so I feel like this season is going to be the one.”

– Curtis Threlkeld

Mind & Body | 37

5

Things Beginners Should Take on a Mountain Bike Trip Story and photos by Sarah Rhodes

H

ave you ever wanted to go mountain biking but don’t know what gear to take?

I recently went on a trip with my boyfriend and mountain bike enthusiast, Blake Tedder, where I met other mountain bikers as they packed for their day on the trails.

As a rookie myself, I took the opportunity to learn about some essential items that every mountain biker needs.

Robert Estrada has been riding mountain bikes for over 30 years. He won multiple awards for downhill racing in the

38 | Mind & Body

1980s and 1990s. He also worked for Kernville, California’s outdoor recreation store, Mountain River Adventures as a bike mechanic and mountain bike guide. Brothers Zane and Blake Tedder spent their teen years working at Mountain River Adventures and learning how to ride from Estrada.

Whether you are planning on riding an advanced downhill single track with nothing but a straight 100- foot drop to cushion your fall, or just want to go for a leisurely ride on a beginner’s trail, these are the essential items to take with you.

1

The Right Bike

Seems obvious, right? But the kind of bike you take on the trails can make or break your whole ride. These are the three most important aspects to look for in a bike: Frame – When looking at the frame of a bike, durability is key. The metal should be lightweight but not compromise on thickness and strength.

Photo credit Sarah Rhodes-Montano “An aluminum or carbon fiber frame is best. A good solid lightweight aluminum with strong weld points. When I say strong weld points I’m talking about oversized tubing on the frame. Look at the weld points if there’s reinforced pieces and basically how well the pieces are welded together.” Estrada said.

The award-winning mountain biker said Kona, Giant, and Trek are among the top brands to look for.

Shocks - Shocks help soften the feel of your ride. They are your suspension. Zane said shocks absorb any drops, rocks, or debris that you may run over on the trail.

There are two types of shocks: air shocks, and coil or spring shocks. Blake recommends air shocks.

“Air shocks give you more options. You can change how it recoils back and the amount of pressure.” Blake said, adding, “If you drop off a 5-foot log, the impact of that, if it’s not an air shocks, could send you flying off the bike.”

Good quality shocks are important. Estrada and the Tedder brothers agree dual suspension is preferable.

Wheels – Mountain bikes are known to have fat or thick tires. The beer brand, Fat Tire is named after mountain bike tires and tastes great after a long ride. I bet some people from the mountain bike club, Kern County Fat Tire Association enjoy a Fat Tire beer after their day on the trails.

So, what’s with the fat tires?

Thick wheels, up to 3 inches wide even, are best to be able to go over rough terrain, according to Blake.

“You don’t have to get all padded up. You definitely want some sort of helmet, shin guards, gloves, and a good, breathable, shirt with sweat absorbing material.” Estrada said.

A solid shoe with a strong sole and good grip is important. Blake learned this the hard way because he did not have the proper shoes for this ride and thought he was skilled enough to handle it. But his shoes kept slipping and he fell very hard.

Blake added, “[The shoes] don’t have to be anything special, no boots or high tops though.”

3

Water

Staying hydrated is the most important aspect to any sport but for mountain biking it is especially important to plan ahead. There isn’t a drinking fountain or corner

“It’ll make you feel real confident and ease your mind about some gnarly terrain when you got big ass wheels on your bike.” Blake said.

2

Protective Gear and Apparel

No matter what level rider you are, falls are bound to happen on the trails. Riding in just shorts and a t-shirt could result in more scrapes and injuries than if you had on some protection.

Mind & Body | 39

market nearby when riding mountain trails, so it is especially important to bring your own water.

Bottled water can be cumbersome and may not be enough to get you through the day.

CamelBak hydration packs hold 3 liters of water and they’re hands-free. You wear it like a backpack and it has a long flexible straw attached so you can drink and ride simultaneously. It also has a compartment to put stuff in like a regular backpack.

“The Water Straw is great to have, may not be essential, but if you ever get stuck out there in the mountains it could save your life.”

Zane said. The water straw turns stream water into drinkable water through a filter. It is small and super portable.

4

What to put in your pack

Each biker must pack their own gear in their Camel Back or backpack. An air pump, spare tire tube, and multi purpose Allen head tool are essential.

“If your handlebars move, you can adjust them. If you need to take off the wheel and replace the tube. The force of hitting a tree can spin your handle bars around pretty quickly and you’ll need to fix it.” Estrada said.

Power bars, Gatorade gummies, and other energizing snacks are good to have in case you get hungry or tired.

“It just gives you that necessary potassium and vitamins, all around good stuff, to keep you going and feeling strong.” Estrada said.

5

Technology

For the tech and social media savvy, mountain biking apps like Relive are a great way to share your mountain biking experience. It tracks you as you ride and highlights your route on a map. From the start of your journey a yellow line follows along the route you take over the top of a virtual map. Any pictures you take along the trail are tagged and displayed at the location you snapped the picture.

Using a GoPro video camera is another great way to relive your adventure.

“Just mount it to your helmet, handlebars, or chest.

It all just depends on you but a lot of people do the helmet one.” Estrada said.

Blake added, “The first person perspective is like you are there again. Plus, what if something crazy happens? I mean you could see bigfoot out there, you never know.”

40 | Mind & Body

Finding You in the Universe A Look Inside the World of Modern Astrology Story and Photos by Allie Page

Mind & Body| 41

Astrology has become an element of modern, young adult culture. On the Internet, individuals can also learn more about the discipline. The expansion of the public’s knowledge has allowed closeted astrology fans, and even those who were not previously fans, to get involved with the practice.

“I definitely feel like I’ve clung to astrology more so than other aspects of spirituality, because I feel like it’s more tangible,” said Claery-Grace Dickson, 21, a theater major at Bakersfield College. “I’ve always liked looking at the moon and the stars, so I naturally was drawn to it.”

It has also allowed those who were publicly into astrology to delve further.

W

hether someone is a tenacious Taurus, a lively Leo, a secretive Scorpio, or a consistent Capricorn, the majority of Americans are familiar with their zodiac signs along with their stereotypes.

Throughout modern history, the average person discovered astrology through print horoscopes. Newspapers and magazines delivered simplified messages vaguely enough to apply to everyone, and these astrological messages focused only on surface-level traits, but they still drew people in. If there wasn’t enough time to read the newspaper, there was always time to read at least the horoscope section.

With newspapers on their last legs, horoscopes reach fewer eyes than before. However, the Internet has sparked a new subculture of astrology fans. Astrology has become more popular among young adults over the last few years, and people are noticing.

“I have noticed that more people are talking about zodiac signs now,” said Deanna Barahona, a senior-year art major at California State University, Bakersfield. “It can be fun, but some people do use it as an excuse for bad behavior. Being a Gemini is not an excuse for being fake or crazy.”

Much of this discussion takes place on Twitter, Instagram and other social media platforms.

“A lot of my friends, I’d say at least six, have their signs in their [social media] bios,” said Brianna Santiago, a junior liberal studies major at CSUB. “They follow zodiac accounts on Twitter that post traits, horoscopes, advice, memes, and more.”

42 | Mind & Body

“I’ve been involved in the astrology community in some form since I was like a child,” said Emma Scott, 21, an English major at Bakersfield College. “When I was a kid, I was on a zodiac forum with other people my age. I now follow some astrology accounts on Twitter. I’m not necessarily dedicated to astrology, but it’s great for making sense of our lives. I feel like people started taking astrology more seriously within the last one or two years.”

In addition to changing the format of delivery, the Internet expanded the scope of popular astrology. In the past, most people only knew their sun sign – commonly just called their “sign” – since they could find it on a list of dates. However, many modern astrology fans use an indepth system called a “natal chart.”

According to the online astrology school Kepler College, a natal chart includes the positions of all signs and planets at the time of a person’s birth. The sun sign, while still important, is only one aspect of the chart. A Virgo is not just a Virgo. People also have moon signs, rising signs (or ascendants), and signs for every planet and dwarf planet. In astrology, each planet connects with a specific element of a person’s personality.

“Your sun sign is your basic personality. Mercury shows how you communicate, the Moon shows your emotions, Venus is your love sign, and so on,” said Dickson.

Before computers, finding someone’s natal chart required calculations. People would pay astrologers to find out their charts. With the help of computers, individuals now only need to know their date, time and location of birth. Websites and apps such as CafeAstrology.com will calculate the chart for free.

“I’ve kind of been practicing astrology my whole life, but it wasn’t until high school and college that I really started to actually dive in and learn my whole chart,” Dickson said. “I feel like that’s when the resurgence came too, when millennials came around and said, ‘This is fun; this is hip and cool!’”

“Growing up, I always liked being a Leo,” Scott said. “I thought it was cool to be the lion, and I could relate to it.

But knowing the other parts of my chart helps me out.”

According to Dickson and Scott, charts can explain why someone might seem different upon first impression versus after getting to know the person. Charts can also explain why people can seem to have paradoxical personalities. Both say they enjoy looking up others’ charts, because they can gain more insight than they can by just asking, “What’s your sign?” “I think that knowing someone’s chart helps me understand them better as a person,” said Dickson. “Your sun sign can have a lot of importance, but there’s so much more than that, so I think it is important to know your chart for sure. A lot of people don’t relate to their sun sign either. Maybe they relate more to their moon sign, or something else instead.”

Dickson says that natal charts provide a better measure of compatibility as well. Two people who have disharmonious sun signs, such as a Taurus and a Gemini, may get along well because their moon signs are compatible. On the contrary, two people who have compatible sun signs, such as a Libra and an Aquarius, may end up fighting because their Mercury signs clash. Of course, people interested in compatibility can compare each other’s charts using the same online tools.

“There’s an ongoing joke now that if you meet someone, you’re going to ask them, “Can you tell me where and when you were born, and what time?” Scott chuckled. “No, no, I’m not with the FBI. I’m just into astrology.”

Scott and Dickson mention that the signs are divided into four elements: fire, earth, air and water. According to them, the fire signs – Aries, Leo and Sagittarius – have a strong, passionate focus, which makes them energetic and sometimes hotheaded. The earth signs – Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn – possess a grounded nature, which can make them consistent, loyal and down-to-earth, but also stubborn, picky and materialistic. The air signs – Gemini, Libra and Aquarius – are natural communicators, but they can also be wishy-washy and sporadic. Finally, the water signs – Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces – are sensitive, intuitive and emotional, but Scorpios tend to be colder than the other two water signs.

“Having multiple placements in the same sign can really strengthen that energy,” said Dickson. “I have a Virgo stellium (three or more planets in one sign) and have a lot of that sort of energy, that sort of Virgo focus.”

Before meeting with them, I calculated my natal chart online using CafeAstrology.com. I am a Taurus with a Virgo moon and Cancer rising. I have positions in all four elements, but mostly fire and earth.

The first thing both noticed was that I have three planets – Mercury, Venus, and Saturn – in Aries.

“Something that sticks out first is that you have an Aries stellium,” said Scott. “You have three Aries placements, so that sort of intense energy is more pronounced in you.”

“You have an Aries stellium? So, you’re kind of impulsive, a little fiery,” Dickson said.

I replied, “A little bit, but yes.”

“A little bit?” Dickson said, laughingly. “My Aries moon can relate to that. She just jumps out all the time.”

The outermost planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, have less to do with the person and more to do with the generation.

“You have a Pluto in Sagittarius, and so does every other person born between the millennial generation and Generation Z,” Scott said. “Our generation likes activism; we like to be opinionated. The generation born after us has Pluto in Capricorn, and they’re a bit more conservative.”

The Internet has also provided a forum for astrological enthusiasts, allowing them to find memes and other relatable content.

“I’m a fire sign with a water background, which kind of dampens out the fire a little bit. It makes me more empathetic and less hostile,” Scott said. “My chart is very diverse. I have almost 25 percent of fire, earth, air and water.”

When Scott says she’s a fire sign with a water background, she means she has a Leo sun with a Pisces moon and a Scorpio ascendant. Dickson, on the other hand, has a Cancer sun, Aries moon, and Aquarius ascendant. The sun, moon, and rising signs are the “big three” signs, which influence the major aspects of someone’s personality. The other planets can play a minor role, but having several in the same sign can intensify that energy.

Mind & Body | 43

Photo by Allie Page: From right to left, Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius flank the night sky in Southwest Bakersfield. The faint constellation of Ophiuchus (the so-called “13th sign”) can be found above Scorpio. Jupiter was in Libra when this photo was taken.

“The Internet is great,” Scott said. “I like how we can learn about the zodiac ourselves, without an astrologer. I’ve never even met an astrologer.”

“A lot of my friends, even if they’re not active astrologers, are kind of casually into it,” Dickson said. “They see a meme with their sun sign, and are like, ‘That’s me, I’m gonna retweet that.’ I feel like I see zodiac tweets all day, and when I don’t see them, I specifically search them out.”

Zodiac signs, whether they’re just sun signs or full charts, also make an appearance in social media biographies and profiles. Snapchat automatically places sun signs in its profiles, unless the user opts out of it. At this point, asking for someone’s sign may be unnecessary – all that’s needed is checking their profile.

“I like when they put their signs in their bio. I think it’s a good thing,” said Dickson “I sometimes see the big three, but it’s usually just the sun sign. Still it’s good. It can be a warning sign, or a sign of quality, no pun intended.”

Scott points out that in her experience, astrology fans tend to be women, and many are also lesbian, gay, bisexual

44 | Mind & Body

and transgender. “Straight white men usually don’t like astrology, because it goes against their idea that everything must be ‘logical,’” said Scott. “But I’ve noticed that more guys are asking me about their charts now, even the same guys who made fun of it just a year ago.”

While a key part of culture, astrology is not without controversy in the scientific community.

Carl Jung, a Swiss psychologist, supported astrology in his 1962 book Synchronicity. He gave the example of menstrual periods synchronizing with the moon. He also believed in sign compatibility, writing that similar individuals are naturally attracted to each other. He conducted an experiment where he compared the natal charts of various married couples, finding that couples two months apart (i.e., Aries and Gemini) do best.

However, physicist Shawn Carlson conducted a study where 28 astrologers were asked to match 100 people’s birth charts with their respective personality profiles, taken using a psychological inventory. The study, published in 2010 to the scientific journal Nature, found that the astrologers’ predictions were no better at predicting person-

ality traits than randomly guessing.

Scott said.

According to a 2017 Time magazine article, researchers have found a slight correlation between birthday and personality, but it’s caused by the seasons, not the signs.

Summer babies were found to be the moodiest of all seasons – could this explain the stereotypes of the two-faced Gemini, emotional Cancer, and unstable Leo?

At the end of the day, astrology serves its fans as an outlet. Fans of astrology, both of new and old, use it to make sense of the world around them. Dickson says it’s all a part of modern spirituality, which focuses on knowing yourself and others better.

“There’s some truth to that,” said Dickson.

Of course, astrology fans like Dickson and Scott say they won’t necessarily stereotype everyone by sign, since every rule has its exceptions.

“I think there’s a lot to be said about compatibility, but I’m not that person who’ll say, ‘I’m never going to be your friend,’ just because you’re a Gemini,” Dickson said.

Scott mentioned that there is no “good” or “bad” sign.

“I think every sign has something to bring to the table,”

“My advice is to just be your best self and always continue to grow, even if you think you’ve learned everything,” Dickson said with a smile. “I think everyone should have a good dose of open-mindedness, even within astrology. A lot of times, people will argue over the same things, but at the end of the day we all just want to relate to each other.”

The zodiac is growing among this community of young adults, and while print horoscopes are becoming outdated for this new era, social media has allowed them to evolve into this greater conversation on the stars. So whether someone is a spirited Sagittarius or an adamant Aquarius, they can find others online with common ground.

Mind & Body | 45

Mystic Healing: The Power of Placebo Story and Photos by Sarah Rhodes

46 | Mind & Body

I

park around back in one of the spots marked in faded white paint. A red gate is open with a sticker that states, “Smile you’re on camera.”

“Am I in the right place?” I think to myself.

A sign above my car reassures me. “Parking for Enchanted Cottage customers only.”

This is my first time in a store that specializes in tarot readings and crystal healing. Although I have spent many hours reading books on spirituality, I had yet to dive into the world of spirit guides and auras.

I have always been skeptical of people who claim to have healing powers or psychic abilities. After all, I am a college student studying to be a psychologist. There are numerous studies claiming healing crystals and tarot cards are pseudoscience. Not real. A placebo effect. A con to get your money. But there is scientific research proving there are real benefits to a placebo pill. So why can’t those benefits extend to tarot cards and healing crystals? I wanted to find out.

As I stood contemplating if the open gate was the entrance, I took a deep breath and stepped into a cloud of mysticism and incense.

A pebble stone path leads me through a small garden to the entrance of the Enchanted Cottage. As I walk in, I’m greeted by Stan Forrest. He is a kind man with a welcoming smile. I planned to just learn about the healing powers of crystals, but something came over me. Without a thought, I immediately ask if there is anyone available for a tarot card reading. I admit to him it is my first time, and he assures me Marcia will be perfect for me.

The store is aptly named. The small cottage style house feels like an enchanted haven among the boarded-up houses of central Bakersfield. As I wait for Marcia to enter the small room, I’m sure was once someone’s living room, I am drawn to the display with many small bowls filled with crystals. I intuitively pick up a black one that reminds me of fossilized charcoal. Before I could read what it is or what kind of healing powers it possesses, Marcia walks in the room.

We introduce ourselves and she guides me through a tie-dyed curtain into what used to be a kitchen. Heavy velvet drapes cover the windows. The low warm lighting engulfs the small nook where the table sits. I sit across from her and the first thing she says is, “You said your name was Frances, right?”

My name is Sarah, and she just heard me say that not two minutes ago. But Frances is a very important name to me, so I am taken aback.

I said, “No, my name is Sarah.” I do not want to divulge that Frances is my former step-daughter. My first child.

The person I am not allowed to have contact with since I divorced her dad. No, I do not tell her all of that because I want to know if there is something mystical about this reading.

“That name keeps popping up in my head. I’m also an intuitive psychic, and I keep hearing Frances. Frances.

Frances must mean something to you,” Marcia says.

I’m silent, partly in amazement but mostly still skeptical. She continues, “I feel a lot of love from this person but also sadness. It’s like they’re trying to be close but can’t.

Does that make sense?”

Mind & Body | 47

After an awkward silence I say, “She is my former stepdaughter. Her dad won’t let me see her anymore.”

“Well, that’s her then. And you don’t have to worry because I’m hearing she will be an adult soon, and she will seek you out. She wants to be around you. You are a huge influence to her, possibly the most important, and she needs you. You two have been through many lives together.

Your bond is stronger than anyone can break,” Marcia says.

For Marcia to say these things throws me for a loop. I am struggling to hang on to my skepticism.

She holds out her hands, and I instinctively place mine on top of hers. She begins to pray. “God, thank you for bringing Sarah to me today…”

After we both say amen, she asks me what question I have and begins shuffling the tarot cards.

I came to test the healing powers of mysticism so I ask, “Why have I been so anxious lately? What is causing it?”

She deals the cards onto the table. Slowly turning each card over, one by one, she details my life with every card.

She explains that I am in a transitioning process, but I have completed the majority of the work needed to get through the transition. Although vague, it does ring true since I’m about to graduate from college, a journey I started at the end of my marriage.

On the second to last card she pauses for a long moment. She says, “This card usually means there are a lot of people surrounding you to protect you, but I am hearing that it needs to be read another way. You are not surrounded by supportive people on this realm. The people surrounding you are your guides. You have so many of them.”

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She gazes down at the table in front of me, and I see tears in her eyes. She whips her head up and says, “Your main guide is strong. She is a motherly figure with so much love for you; it’s giving me goosebumps.” up.

She shows me her arm that has hair sticking straight

“It’s so sad but happy, really,” she said shifting in her chair to face sideways. “She was your mother in a very distant past life, and she has made her presence known to you.

You’ve actually seen her.”

She pauses as she looks me right in the eyes.

“She has saved your life. You saw her save your life.”

My researcher hat flew off my head. I was no longer skeptical. Once, my car broke down in the middle of a busy intersection. Three people dressed in white painter suits pushed my car across the intersection right before a lifted dually truck screamed by. My mother had been following me, when her light turned green, she drove through the intersection, pulled over and told me, “Thank God you got the car started. You could have been hit by that truck.”

I told her, “No. Didn’t you see those painters push me across?”

There had been no painters. I had seen them clear as day, but now there was no one there but my mom and me.

The mechanic confirmed there was no way my car would have restarted because the engine was completely blown.

Marcia knew things I had only revealed to my closest family and friends. I was careful not to give her verbal or physical cues since I feared I could be leading her to them, but could my spiritual predisposition have aided the experience?

Many modern psychologists believe tarot cards and healing crystals work because of the placebo effect. According to a 2006 article, “Crystal Healing and Gem Therapy,” in the journal Complementary and Alternative Medicine, “The healing power of positive thought is accepted by both traditional and alternative medical practitioners.”

The placebo effect is widely known to benefit many ailments. In fact, most studies on pharmaceutical medications must account for the placebo effect by giving a control group a sugar pill instead of medicine. While the mechanism behind the efficacy of the placebo effect is still a mystery, researchers are trying to figure it out.

The stronger the belief in the treatment, the more a person experiences a placebo effect. This could be due to a person’s need to make sense of the world around them.

A 2017 study published in the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies suggests the mind is indeed part of the environment, “It is embedded within it; enmeshed. In this way, the interrelatedness of meaning and context becomes clear. In other words, placebos are meaningful symbols that become expressed through relational contexts.”

So, my belief in mystical powers allowed me to be more open to what the tarot cards said. It allowed me to gain emotional insight and healing through the context of the cards. The cards helped me heal emotionally by addressing some anxieties I have been trying to ignore, especially concerning Frances. Similarly, crystals can become meaningful and beneficial due to the symbolism ascribed to them.

Marcia recommends I use crystals to help with anxiety and balance. The cards told her that, because I am an empath, I will always be combating negative energy. She leads me through the tie-dyed curtain again and back into

the room full of crystals. She picks up the crystal I was drawn to when I first arrived, the black one that looked like fossilized coal.

“This is the best one to ward off negative energy, right?”

She asks Stan. He is the owner of Enchanted Cottage and is an expert on crystal healing.

“Ya. That one is the strongest one,” Stan says about the black tourmaline crystal.

“And it looks like charcoal, to absorb negative energy like charcoal absorbs toxins,” I say curiously.

“Actually, that one is one of the few crystals that doesn’t need to be cleaned because it doesn’t absorb anything.

Negative energy bounces right off of it,” he says.

“Another one that would help is rose quartz. It will attract loving energy as well as absorb negative energy,” Marcia said.

The crystals are not expensive; less than $4 each. The 30-minute tarot reading was $45. In no way would this substitute for a trip to the psychologist or doctor for treatment of severe symptoms but it could be a good addition.

I keep the rose crystal and black tourmaline crystal on my nightstand. They remind me to let negative energy bounce off me and instead, pay attention to the loving energy that surrounds me. This helps me stay balanced.

According to a pharmaceutical journal article, there is nothing toxic or harmful in using crystals for healing. So, if you believe in the powers of crystals and tarot cards, they may be very beneficial, placebo or not.

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Arts & Entertainment

A Night at Jerry’s

Story by David Morales Photos by Sarah Rhodes

D

esert Legs singer and guitarist Kurt King screams into his microphone, flashing LED lights making every move the band makes dramatic as the intimately spirited audience rocks out to every lick. This is just another night at Jerry’s Pizza.

“We got a show here three to four times a week,” explains Jessica, a bartender at Jerry’s Pizza who declined to giver her last name.

Jessica doesn’t mind the business. She likes the diverse clientele.

“I get to serve all kinds of people—country, rap, emo, punk, all the good ones,” Jessica says, adding that Jerry’s even has some pretty decent jazz shows every now and then.

Tonight though is all about screamo bands. With the exclusion of Desert Legs, most of the bands on the roster for the night belong to this classification. The genre usually involves screeching vocals only matched by the heavy guitar riffs and rolling drums. The singers often tackle subjects just as complicated as their vocal delivery. From lovelorn loss to spending time at a Long Beach psych ward, each band lays their personal hardships and defeats for the welcoming audience. Their voices ring across the basement

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under Jerry’s, where all the shows take place. The venue is an intimate set up, with a spacious stage area giving way to a narrow room with wooden rafters and brick walls covered in stickers and memorabilia of different bands that had headlined in the past. Further accentuating Jerry’s underground vibe is a giant mural of the Ramones at the back of the basement.

The company in charge of the event on this night is 661 All Inclusive Entertainment (AIE), and the man behind that company is Pablo Garcia. Garcia started in the promoting business a year and a half ago after putting a party together for his friend, a get together with over 300 people. He hired a few bands, some security, and in his own words “made a bunch of money after that party.”

After the bash, someone suggested that he start doing it professionally, and just like that 661 AIE was born.

“I had to make sure that the name sounded professional, but that I could also abbreviate it. Punks and metalheads don’t like professional sounding companies,” he says.

Garcia himself looks like he is ready to jump into the fray at any moment. In fact, he says he usually sports a mohawk and a beard, he was just caught on an off day. It’s his first show at Jerry’s, something he is very excited about since it

was at Jerry’s that he went to his first concert when he was 14. He got kicked in the face by people swinging from the rafters. To him, that is what your first go around should be like.

Besides banning people from swinging from the rafters, though, Garcia says Jerry’s is the same place it was when he first went there. To him and many who are a part of the alternative scene in Bakersfield, Jerry’s is synonymous with the city’s music culture. That is something Garcia wants to be a part of. To him, 661 AIE is not just a business, but an opportunity to help nurture the local bands around the area.

Still, people have come from far and wide to Jerry’s. It is often the first stop in Bakersfield for independent bands touring the state. Take the Nuvolascura for example, an L.A.-based scream-o band on their fifth tour. They chose to play in Bakersfield on this particular night thanks to its proximity to their home base or the last stop on their tour.

With a self-titled album coming out in 2019, the band can use all the time it can get. They seem to regret letting the cat out the bag though.

“Actually, you can’t drop this interview. It’s too exclusive,” Taylor, the band’s drummer, states with amusement.

As the night comes to an end, Nuvolascura takes the stage. Approval for their overloaded vocals and dark chords is shown by unified head-banging from the crowd, a headbangers salute. Sweaty and out of breath, they thank the attendees and gather their equipment.

The basement is illuminated by fluorescent lights, ending any atmosphere that the stage lights created. This moment in Jerry’s long storied music history ends with little spectacle, at least to the casual observer. It means much more to those who came to the show. After all, plenty of big bands, like Paramore and Weezer, have played here before their big break. Their excited commentary following the night’s events could be the insights of those who would later claim that they were fans before the group made it big.

They might even claim friendship, as band members and show goers alike ascend the stairs at the back of the venue to hang out in the alley behind Jerry’s.

It’s barely 10:30 p.m. The night is still young. The bartenders topside clean up. Garcia and his crew do the same underground. The place has to be ready for the next business day, not to mention Jerry’s hosting the Spookybash the very next night an event boasting almost a dozen local bands like Sweatpants and Johnny Cage. At Jerry’s, the show must go on.

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How to be an Annoying Customer Story by Rylee Smith Photo illustrations by Sarah Rhodes

I

f you’ve had enough of asking your young relatives why they’re not married yet, or yelling at small children for walking on your property to pick up a stray ball, fear not. There are more people out in the world for you to antagonize: customer service employees.

They’re out there right now, minding their own business and trying to get through their shift. You can’t let them get away with that.

Your next victim awaits.

Maybe it’s the poor sap trudging through a department store with an arm full of discarded clothes, hangers poking into their chest and stomach as they attempt to recover

1.

Be Impatient

2.

Ignore Greetings

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from a rush of customers. Perhaps it’s the teenager working the morning drive-thru at Starbucks, who will smell the cloying chocolate scent of a double chocolate chip frappuccino on the wind every time someone yells at him for the next few years.

There are myriad ways to be the most annoying customer you can be. All it takes is a little disregard for how your actions and attitude will affect other people. With this simple how-to list, you can start aggravating customer service employees everywhere you go.

Long lines are a fact of life, especially when kids and their parents have time off. If you find yourself having to wait a little longer to make a purchase, it’s reasonable to cut the workers some slack. Don’t do that. Instead, throw a fit. Become as angry as you can, and do not accept their attempts to solve the problem. The store may be busy, but didn’t they know you’d be coming in today?

Patrick Williamson, who works at Papa John’s Pizza, says that it can be hard to work with customers who get angry about wait times. “They want to take their frustrations out on you,” he says. “They’re so mad that they don’t want to remedy the situation.”

If you don’t demand to see the manager and yell at him too, you’re not even trying.

Retail employees are expected to have positive, friendly interactions with their customers. In many stores, this means greeting customers with a “How are you doing today?” Their managers want to see them putting in that effort. Your job is to remind them that you’re only there to purchase your items and get out, not to chat.

“Some customers assume I’m trying to bother them or sell them something right away so they automatically go, ‘No thanks, just looking,’ before I’d even get through the greeting,” says Desiree Diaz, who worked last year at Mainland Skate and Surf, a clothing store. “It’s just really annoying when customers are rude right off the bat when you’re just trying to greet them.”

Bonus points if you’re on the phone and hold up a hand to wave them away rather than saying anything.

3.

Leave Items On the Floor

4.

Flirt With the Employees

5.

Expect To be The Exception

Customer service employees are supposed to clean up after you. That’s why they get paid. If you’re looking at a nice jacket for your niece and discover that it’s not the right size, don’t worry. Just throw it on the floor. Bending over to pick things up is a hassle, not to mention the effort it would take you to put it back on the hanger.

Clairessa Wheeler, who works at Target, says it can be annoying when customers “just throw clothes on the floor and don’t pick them up.” This doesn’t just happen in the fitting rooms, but anywhere in the clothing sections of the store. This forces Target employees who work in “soft lines,” meaning in the clothing area, to stay late after the store closes to clean up the mess.

If leaving items on the floor is too mainstream for you, there is a way to take it up a notch, by leaving behind your own items. Shawntina Kleim at Dick’s Sporting Goods shared that she recently found a pair of used underwear in one of the store’s fitting rooms.

If you’re not having great luck flirting with the bartender who’s nice to you to make tip money, you could always try your luck with asking a retail employee on a date. This tip may even get security called on you, which will keep you off the couch for a while.

Kleim says that one customer insisted that she go with him on a cruise to Alaska. “I said, ‘I can’t, I have a boyfriend.’ And he said, ‘you don’t have to tell him. Leave him at home.’”

Store policies (and sometimes, the law) can be such tyrants. If an employee tells you that they can’t do something for you, the best thing to do is argue and make it difficult for them. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, right?

California law requires grocery stores to charge patrons 10 cents for a plastic bag. Though this law includes Target, some customers demand that Target not participate. According to Phillip Castro, customer service manager at Target, customers get angry about being charged for a bag, and yell at their cashiers.

“It’s hard because we want to make it as satisfying an experience as we can, so of course if we can do something to help them we will,” he says of handling customer complaints. “But sometimes we can’t, and people get really upset.”

Being an annoying customer is easy once you get the hang of it. Before you know it, it might even become a habit.

If you get tired of that, you can always try writing satirical articles about customer service employees and annoy your readers.

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Biggest Seat in the House Story and Photos by Sam Underwood Artwork by Bre Parks

A

t a planning meeting in the lobby of the Porterville Barn Theater, a few people sit around a table eating lunch, looking at their phones, and discussing preparations for the upcoming play. A poster for “Little Shop of Horrors” is on the wall and opening night is in three days. It’s the middle of the day yet Denise Everhart, the director of the play, has been up since 6 a.m. getting things ready for opening night. She confesses that she won’t get home until midnight.

Organizations such as the Barn Theater are a team effort, but it is the individuals who care that keep it alive.

Everhart is one of those individuals. She is typically occupied with an overwhelming amount of tasks, stays up late

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at night to wash costumes herself, and has been proclaimed a perfectionist by those that know her best. She is exactly what is needed to keep the Barn Theater going.

“Today is our first day working with the puppets,” Everhart says nervously as she talks about the four versions of Audrey II they have to work with, a central figure in “Little Shop of Horrors”.

Everhart constantly pauses in mid-sentence to update her assistant, Crissy Bunch, who is intently typing on her phone, “make sure everyone knows no costumes tonight, we are working with the puppets,” she says, then continues with the conversation seamlessly.

Later, at rehearsal, there is a buzz around the theater.

The stage is filled with actors waiting for rehearsal to begin.

Someone calls for a mic check, and the actors begin a round of repeating “mine” like the birds in “Finding Nemo,” till everyone stops to laugh. After the goofing around stops, the actors take turns attempting to perform a mic check over the buzz of construction, a grinder showering sparks across the stage, as workers are adding finishing touches to a wall. There is a sense of family among the players and Everhart says she thinks of them in that very way. The entire theater is a scene of organized chaos and in the middle of it all Everhart wanders from place to place, making sure everything is going according to her design, while intently carrying around a bottle of Aleve and her glasses. Not only is Everhart the director of this play, she is also the president of the board that governs the Barn Theater.

Everhart, 51, moved to Porterville from New Jersey twenty years ago when her dad took a job with an electrical union. Her four daughters are grown, and she has four grandchildren. Everhart is also the owner of a hair salon downtown on Main street, Salon Sassafyde, where she works as a hairdresser and esthetician. She is also a wedding planner and an ordained minister.

When the rehearsal begins, Everhart takes a place in the middle of the theater toward the back and resembles a kid seeing her first play, soaking in the magic of the theater.

Everhart had some theater experience in high school, mostly in a supportive role like set design. In 2012 she was asked by Sharon Hall to play a saloon girl in “WFearless Dick” at the Barn Theater.

In between scenes at rehearsals, Everhart began doing little chores like cleaning because, as she puts it, “this place needed a lot of love”.

She was awarded a Hosscar award for her first roll at the Barn Theater.

The Hosscar awards are a local tradition started by Peter Tewksbury. The name, “Hosscar,” is a bit of wordplay making light of the award in relation to the “Oscar” awards.

According to an article in the Porterville Recorder, Tewksbury started the Barn Theater, when it was literally a barn in 1946. Tewksbury was a famous director known for hit Hollywood shows like “My Three Sons” and “Father Knows Best”. A few well-known actors and actresses have started their careers at the Barn Theater as well. Most notably is Ann B. Davis, who played Alice on “The Brady Bunch”, and Kirsten Vangsness who plays Penelope Garcia on “Criminal Minds”. Last year, Vangsness reached out to the Barn Theater and returned to Porterville. Everhart was able to organize a fundraiser show, completely sponsored and starring Vangsness, that raised nearly $11,000 for the Barn Theater.

At the rehearsal, Everhart’s tranquility is broken when a piece of a dentist chair is snapped off mid scene. Everhart rushes to the stage, a frown of worry creased in her brow.

Immediately the entire cast surrounds her on stage making jokes, laughing, and mocking the actor who broke the chair.

The theater family has come to the rescue and saved their fearless leader from a meltdown. Plans are made to work the scene with the broken chair and the rehearsal goes on.

Everhart reclaims her place, but she still frets. “I borrowed that chair from a friend,” she confides. “I hope it can be fixed.”

Everhart was elected to the board of directors for the Barn Theater in 2012, and this is her first year as president.

Bunch said that working with Everhart is like, “Working with her best friend, as president she is focused on some of the more detailed things that increase publicity and

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revenue for the theater.”

After the rehearsal ends, she doesn’t leave the theater until 3:30 a.m.

The cost of putting on “Little Shop of Horrors” is an astounding $6,500. They are paying the puppet master $5,000 alone for the use of his puppets and training in working them; he arrived two weeks late which is one more problem for Everhart to deal with. The puppet master was one of a few costly options the theater had to represent Audrey II, the giant-man eating plant of “Little Shop of Horrors.” They had decided to go with Roberto Ferreira, the puppet master, because the Barn Theater’s puppeteer, Kallysta Tyler, and the rest of the cast would receive a few weeks of training before the show opens. Ferreira owns a puppet school in West Hollywood and has worked with Jim Henson Productions. Since he was two weeks late, actors and stage hands worked together, along with Ferreira, to quickly build the giant puppets over a few days period.

Ultimately, Everhart felt that they could have built the puppets themselves for a lot less money and stress.

The Barn Theater is negotiating a reduced price with Ferreira, because he didn’t deliver on all he promised in a timely manner. They must also pay $1,200 for the rights to the script and $250 for music. Everhart estimates that she will need over 400 people to come see the show during its nine showings, over a three-week run, in order to break even. The small theater only seats 160.

After intermission the curtain rises and all see the completed puppet, a huge monstrosity taking up a fourth of the stage. The Barn’s own puppeteer does a masterful job manipulating the beast with only a precious few minutes to practice during intermission.

“...I’m still going to be down here doing what I’m doing. This is my After the show at an opening night champagne family.” gala in the lobby, the audience applauds the cast as they make their rounds. The - Denise Everhart show is a success judging by the

Chris Shepard, an actor in the show, explains that it’s difficult to attract a crowd to the older shows that are not under copyright. “People don’t want to come see ‘Dr. Faustus,’ they want ‘Mama Mia.’ That attracts a crowd and rakes in the money.” Two days later and it is opening night. The theater is packed, and the puppet master is still trying to assemble the giant Audrey II puppet for the final scenes backstage.

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At intermission, Everhart and Bunch circle the room socializing with patrons, concealing a bit of fear that the final puppet won’t be done when the curtain rises again.

enthusiastic words of the patrons at the party. No one was even aware of the near disaster with the puppets.

After the show made it through a successful opening night, a very tired Everhart says, “Regardless if I’m re-elected president next term or not, I’m still going to be down here doing what I’m doing. This is my family.”

Everhart doesn’t leave the theater that night until 2a.m.

Studio art majors at CSU Bakersfield work long and hard to prepare for the Senior art show each year. This year, Converge Magazine caught up to a few of those Seniors for a short Q&A, to ask them about their art and what inspires them.

THE PINNACLE ART SHOW Art work by Dale Wolf Photos by Anthony Hernandez

Dale Wolfe Q: What inspired your piece?

A: My inspiration for both pieces came from different emotions I was feeling at that time and are reflected with every stroke or application of paint. Some areas of the canvas express rapid movement while other areas contain elegant swirling motions. By using my hands or invented tools I am able to create a one on one bond with the paint and canvas.

Q: What themes are you drawn to as an artist?

A: I prefer my work to be interpreted by the viewer.

Looking at the piece from different angles create different meanings for each individual. Yes, my work has its own personal meaning to me, but in the end, it is up to the viewers to find their own meaning.

Q: Who or what inspires you the most?

A: A lot of my work comes from situations in my life.

Having the ability to express myself through my artwork has freed me of certain emotions in my life. I’m allowed to create chaotic movements in an allover style then bring it back to order with pleats or rips of the canvas.

Q: Who is your favorite artist?

A: I do not have one favorite artist at this time. I am inspired by a number of artists I learned about last year, including Louise Nevelson, Picasso, Jan Van Eyck and of course Jackson Pollock.

Q: What is that you want your work to say?

A: The theme I am drawn to most is abstraction.

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Monica Juarez Q: What inspired your piece?

A: My piece was inspired by butterflies because or their vibrant colors, their constant transformation, delicacy, and the fact that they are constantly moving. The painting “mi moni” is a self-portrait painted in vibrant colors to mimic the wings of a butterfly. In a sense it’s about self-reflection about myself who I was, who I am, and who I’m becoming.

Q: What Themes are you drawn to as an artist?

A: I’m drawn to reflections on objects like glass and mirrors among others. I love playing with texture whether it’s from a sculpture I’m creating or an image that I’m painting.

Q: Who or what inspires you the most?

A: I find inspiration in everyday life for example in objects that I like to collect, lyrics in a song, words that I hear, and nature. My mind is easily occupied with ideas of what I could do next and how I can challenge myself. As for who inspires me, I would say my professors because they work

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hard and are very supportive to all the students.

Q: Who is your favorite artist?

A: My favorite artist is Anish Kapoor because he creates sculptures with reflective surfaces that capture the movement their surroundings. I enjoy the distortion his stainless-steel sculptures create with nature.

Q: What is that you want your work to say?

A: I leave my work open for interpretation because I enjoy hearing what others have to say. I’m very detail oriented so I try to capture the small details in my work and even small gradual shifts in color because I want the viewer to enjoy small moments of surprise. I want to spark curiosity and get the viewer to look at it up close because the more you look at the painting the more it becomes abstract. It looks like a normal school painting but the color gives the image a sense of movement and an aura.

Nacho Q: What inspired your piece?

A: My piece is about my life journey and Costa Rican heritage. It is based on the traditional ox cart wheel from Costa Rica. Like any ordinary wheel, it symbolizes progression in life.

Q: What Themes are you drawn to as an artist?

A: I am drawn to the themes of minimalism, Latin folk art, and pop art.

Q: Who or what inspires you the most?

A: My life experiences and culture inspires me a lot when it comes to art making. I try my best to show those themes in my artwork.

Q: Who is your favorite artist?

A: My favorite artist is Edgar Negret. I love his use of color and geometric shape in his sculptures.

Q: What is that you want your work to say?

A: What I want my work to say is that no matter what you go through life, you can always move forward and preserve.

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Anthony

Q: What inspired your piece?

A: My piece is inspired by the theme of gender fluidity.

I originally envisioned a cyberpunk futuristic dystopian in which people are born without gender, so they have the option to choose what they want to be when they pick a sex organ off the shelf. Because of this freedom, they aren’t limited by one gender which i find very liberating.

Q: What Themes are you drawn to as an artist?

I usually work with themes of gender fluidity, good vs. evil, and sexual freedom.

60 | Arts & Entertainment

A: Who or what inspires you the most?

My main source of inspiration is my collection of art books, comic books, and video games. I love fantasy illustration the most because of the world-building aspects that go into making a painting.

Q: Who is your favorite artist?

A: I love Frank Frazetta, John Currin, and especially Q: What is that you want your work to say?

A: I want my work to generate discussion surrounding issues of body dysphoria and gender fluidity.

RASHAD THOMAS CSU Bakersfield Art Club Photo Contest Winner

R

ashad Thomas, a senior studio art major at CSU Bakersfield, was at a friend’s house shooting a music video when he decided to take some photos of the sakura (cherry) blossoms in the back yard. He did not know then that he was capturing the winning photo to the CSU Bakersfield Art Club photo contest.

Thomas’ craft began with painting, but eventually his muse called him to a new medium. When it comes to photography, portrait and landscape compositions draw Thomas in the most. After graduation, Thomas plans to stay true to his roots, working as an apprentice to expand his name throughout his hometown of Bakersfield with potential sights set on the music industry.

Dimensions: 5184 x 3456 Exposure: 1/800 sec at ƒ / 4,0 Focal Length: 50 mm Camera: Canon EOS 7D Lens: EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Arts & Entertainment | 61

In Remembrance of the Christchurch Mosque Victims

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Photos by Allie Page It was very comforting being able to see so many people

from different backgrounds coming to show their condolences for the lives that were lost. It was an environment of solidarity and empowerment...my favorite part of the vigil was being able to have a rabbi, pastor, and, iman showing that at the end of the

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day no matter what religion we are from, we are all human and should stand together.

-Hoda Huzaibi, Muslim Student Association President

Musa Vali Suleman Patel, 60 Ashraf al-Masri, 54 Hussein Moustafa, 70 Mounir Soliman, 68 Zeeshan Raza, 38 Ghulam Hussain, 66 Abdukadir Elmi, 78 Mohsin Al Harbi, 63 Osama Adnan Youssef Kwaik, 37 Mojammel Hoq, 30 Mohammed Omar Faruk, 36 Muhammed Abdusi Samad, 66 Muse Nur Awale, 77 Ahmed Gamaluddin Abdel-Ghany, 68 Muhammad Haziq Mohd-Tarmizi, 17 Zekeriya Tuyan, 46 Ali Elmadani, 65

Husna Ahmed, 47 Naeem Rashid, 50 Talha Naeem, 21 Amjad Hamid, 57 Kamel Darwish, 38 Linda Armstrong, 64 Mohammed Imran Khan, 47 Karam Bibi, 63 Hamza Mustafa, 16 Khaled Mustafa, 44 Junaid Ismail, 36 Abdelfattah Qasem, 60 Ashraf Ali, 61 Ashraf Ali Razat, 58 Mathullah Safi, 55 Hussein Al-Umari, 35 Atta Elayyan, 33

Mucad Ibrahim, 3 Sayyad Milne, 14 Lilik Abdul Hamid, 57 Areeb Ahmed, 27 Tariq Omar, 24 Shahid Suhail, 35 Syed Jahandad Ali, 34 Haroon Mahmood, 40 Farhaj Ahsan, 30 Maheboob Khokhar, 65 Zakaria Bhuiya, 33 Asif Vora, 58 Ramiz Vora, 28 Ansi Alibava, 25 Ozair Kadir, 25 Haji Daoud al-Nabi, 71 Mohammed Moosid Mohamedhosen, 54