Issue 1 // March 2016

LOGOS C I T R U S

C A M P U S

ISSUE

1

MARCH 2015

C U L T U R E

YES, WE’RE BACK.

WELCOME LOCAL DOOMSTERS

SILVER SNAKES

TO OUR FIRST ISSUE BACK

COVINA TASTY Local soft serve spot has history with the community

GEAR UP FOR THE BIGGEST TOUR OF THEIR CAREER

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& • • • •

Kanye West facebook emojis Doctor Who local eats

Study abroad can be an enlightening, maturing and life-changing experience. As Students live and learn to understand different cultures, they are challenged to re-examine themselves, their attitudes and their SCFC & Citrus studies

London fall 2016

College

STUDY ABROAD citruscollege.edu/studyabroad email: studyabroad@citruscollege.edu

Florence winter 2017

Barcelona Spring 2017

LOGOS

contents

MARCH•2016 Volume 1 • Issue 1

CULTURE 08 New Features for Facebook 09 Doctor Who vs. Netflix 14 Local Food Review: City Grill Covina

CAMPUS 20 Profile: Kendall Gagliano, AGS President 12 Profile: Covina Tasty owner Mark Tsai

MUSIC 06 New Music: Kanye West, Rihanna, Silver Snakes 28 Silver Snakes: A Conversation with Alex Estrada

28 Silver snakes

IT’S A RECORD ABOUT STEPPING ON OTHERS, WHETHER THEY BE PEOPLE OR CORPORATIONS OR SOCIAL ISSUES, WHATEVER THEY ARE.

LOGOS C I T R U S

C A M P U S

C U L T U R E

ISSUE

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MARCH 2016 ISSUE 1 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/ ART DIRECTOR Evan Solano JR. ART DIRECTOR Darius Johari CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Alcarez Sahara Barba Vidal Espina Montana Rose Levison Vanessa Oseguera ADVISER Margaret O’Neil Logos is produced by communications students and is distributed three times a semester. Views expressed herein do not represent those of the adviser, faculty, administration, Associated Students of Citrus College or the Citrus College Board of Trustees. © 2016 Logos Magazine.

All rights reserved.

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

contact:

0 logos@ccclarion.com f /logosmagazinecc T @_logosmagazine Logos Magazine 1000 W. Foothill Blvd TC123 Glendora, CA 91741 Tel 626.914.8586

T

letter from the editor “how soon is now”

This has been a long time coming.

Hello, my name is Evan Solano, and I am so honored to be the Editor-in-Chief of the returning student publication Logos Magazine.

For those that were unaware, this publication has been on hiatus for seven years. Seven long years that communications majors and students with a passion for exploring writing, photography, layout and design had to wait.

Seven long years when our school would attend our quarterly journalism conference only to have to watch other Southern California community colleges win countless awards for their student magazines while Citrus could only compete in the newspaper categories.

Those days are over.

The Clarion has been a great resource and pathway for students to explore writing and design. It is where I nurtured my natural talent for writing, and where I discovered my love of typography, design and layout.

For me, this magazine is a culmination of my years at Citrus as part of the Clarion. There would be no Logos Magazine for me without the things I learned and without the team of professors and professionals in the field who I can proudly call my mentors and peers.

As much as I owe the Clarion for everything, this publication is not a newspaper.

The stories we intend to cover in Logos will extend far beyond the reaches of our 104-acre campus, our focus will be the lifestyle and culture of the five districts that make up the Citrus College community and extended profile pieces about the students who make up the population of our college.

For our first issue I wanted to feature a local artist Alex Estrada and his band Silver Snakes who are currently on the road with rock giants Coheed and Cambria on a nationwide tour. I loved that Alex was himself, a former Citrus student who took advantage of the resources at his disposal and pursued his love of music and now is embarking on a landmark tour for his band.

He is a reminder of what we can all achieve if we have the tenacity and determination to chase down our passions.

For me and the staff at Logos Magazine, that is hopefully a career in writing, design, entertaining and engaging stories for you.

We look forward to the ride.

Enjoy the welcome back issue of Logos Magazine.

In my own strange way,

Evan Solano Editor-in-Chief esolano@ccclarion.com MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 5

music

NEW MUSIC:

KANYE WEST “THE LIFE OF PABLO”

STREET DATE: February 14 | GOOD MUSIC

B

y now you have already made up your mind about Kanye West.

From his declaration of being “a god,” to crashing Taylor Swift’s MTV Video Music Awards for Best Female Video or to his raging rants on Twitter, you either love the guy or you hate him.

Despite his egotistical persona Kanye West is an artist who reflects not only on his emotions but his life experiences.

The man is not new to the limelight and he has the 21 Grammys to show for it. Seven of his albums including Watch the Throne, his collaborative album with Jay Z, have been certified platinum in the United States.

Kanye is an artist who is not afraid of innovation and displays his artistic values in his eighth studio album, The Life of Pablo.

On an interview with radio host Big Boy Kanye West proclaims that though his newest album has cursing in it, The Life of Pablo is reminiscent of a Gospel album.

Jumping right into the opening track of the album we see the gospel elements come in to play starting with a sample off of Instagram of a young child, Natalie Green, proclaiming “We don’t want no devils in this house, God…We want the Lord”.

It seems that Kanye West is reaching out to God to help him prevail though all the negativity in his life.

This track, “Ultralight Beam”, features vocals from The-Dream, Kelly Price, Pastor Kirk Franklin and Chance The

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Rapper. The production of the track has a strong Gospel influence with a church choir and various chants and prayers and in my opinion is a perfect introduction to the album.

The next two tracks, “Father Stretch My Hands Parts 1 and 2” still hold firm to the overall Gospel vibe.

The title itself indicates Kanye West coming to God (even through his pride and arrogance) asking for liberation.

Part 1 features Ohio rapper Kid Cudi for the opening to the hook.

Part 2 introduces the newly signed Brooklyn rapper Desiigner, who is heavily inspired by music coming out of Atlanta, and samples the hook off of his song “Panda”.

Kanye will be Kanye, and his ego really comes alive in tracks like “Famous”, “Feedback”, “Highlights” and “Freestyle 4”.

In the track “Famous” he makes a reference to Taylor Swift by saying they should, in nicer terms, fornicate because Kanye is the reason for her success.

In the song “Feedback” Kanye West embraces the fame and wealth and compares himself to the Columbian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

“Highlights” is a track that further shows Kanye’s high and mighty character.

In this track he not only brags about his genitalia and his skills in bed but he also throws shade at former boyfriend to Kim Kardashian and R&B singer Ray J. “Freestyle 4” is reminiscent of his

2013 album Yeezus and dives into “wilding out” at a fancy dinner party.

The eleventh track off the album, “FML”, is told from the perspective of a person who has done it all and who is now trying to settle down and get their act right. Kanye West and his spouse Kim Kardashian now have two children and in the track “FML” he makes it his mission to “Give up the women…before [He] lose half of what [He] owns”.

The hook features R&B singer The Weeknd and outro samples from Section 25’s song “Hit”.

This piece is arguably one of the best tracks off The Life of Pablo because it not only does the tone change to a somber tone but Kanye is pouring out his feelings.

“The Life of Pablo” also features radio hits such as “Real Friends” and “No More Parties in LA”.

“Real Friends” features Ty Dolla Sign, most famous for tracks like “Or Nah” and “Blasé”.

“No More Parties in LA” features Dr. Dre protégé Kendrick Lamar.

The Album ironically enough ends with “Fade”, a track with a club vibe and features newest rap sensation Post Malone and Ty Dolla Sign.

The album should be taken as “art for art’s sake”. It is a body of work that is be reminiscent of Kanye West’s discography. The lyrics may not be the best but overall the album is sonically appealing and it is written for fans to enjoy. There are tons of features on the album and it is definitely worthy of making your track list. L TEXT BY DARIUS JOHARI KANYE WEST: PHOTO BY DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY IMAGES

music

SILVER SNAKES “SABOTEUR”

S

ilver Snakes takes a risk with the release of their third album, “Saboteur” by straying away from their more melodic sound on their previous albums and taking a leap into a darker realm of music.

As the name suggests, the theme of “sabotage” carries throughout the album, as it lyrically follows the story of someone who’s committed sabotage in the first half of the album. Midway through the album, there is a lull in intensity, which is the person’s final moment of calmness before the intensity rises in the second half, when this person has no choice but to face the consequences.

“Saboteur” is Silver Snakes’ first album to incorporate electronics, which adds a darker element to their music and creates a new depth to their production. The jarring, in-your-face samples along with the distortion on the guitars, make the songs sound visceral and heavy while still maintaining a balance of melody.

The result is a collection of 10 tracks that sound like the missing link between Nine Inch Nails’ classic concept album “The Downward Spiral” and modern droned out doom bands like Windhand and Sleep.

The first track, “Electricity,” kicks the listener in the face right out the gate, starting with heavy synth-like drums.

The guitars create such a full sound that it feels like the listener is being drowned in riffs. The bass notes add another layer of malevolence, setting up the mood for the rest of the album.

RIHANNA “ANTI”

A

STREET DATE: February 5 | EVIL INK RECORDS

Even if there were no lyrics on the album, the instrumentals would have been enough to get their emotions across. The songs give off a bittersweet vibe and ooze anger simultaneously.

The middle track, “Fire Cloud” is a refreshing instrumental track because

it changes the pace of the album. Though the vocals of Estrada adds to the roughness of the tracks, it was great to hear a song where the main voice was the guitar.

The bass particularly shines on the song, “Devotion.” Mike Trujillo’s bass line hypnotizes the listener because it is played so melodically with the guitars. There was also more open soundscapes in this song that allows the bass to stand out more.

Although, there are times when the lyrics were hard to understand because the guitars were so loud in the mix.

“Saboteur” is an impressive album because the songs themselves convey the band’s emotion and message so well through the instrumentation, that the lyrics seem like an added element.

Though the album shows a different side of the band, “Saboteur” is an album that is yet another defining moment in the band’s till emerging career. L

STREET DATE: January 28 | WESTBURY ROAD ENTERAINMENT

fter three-years of production, pop singer Rihanna recently dropped her eighth studio album “ANTI”.

The album arrived tentatively and was followed by a lot of hype and excitement from her fans.

There were many teasers involving the album release on social media leading up to it’s debut in January.

“ANTI” is a provocative dance oriented album that is different from any of her previously released albums.

Her mesmerizing voice absorbs all the energy of the music and it is as

SILVER SNAKES TEXT BY: SAHARA BARBA, RIHANNA TEXT BY: VANESSA OSEGUERA

though the album is generating an overpowering sound.

The dancehall single “Work” is extremely popular and there is a strong chemistry between her and featured rap artist Drake.

This isn’t the first time the two have collaborated, they released a single together titled “Take Care” which was featured on Drake’s second studio album.

“Work” is a catchy single that is something more than an instinctive language.

It seems that she is babbling “work-work-work-” throughout the whole song

but it seems to work in her favor due to all the popularity from the fans.

Rihanna sings more openly and seductively in this album compared to any other album released.

It is safe to say Rihanna is in an experimental music phase because over the past couple of years she has been influenced by many different styles and production sounds.

It has been over three years without any released music, and she is making it clear that her music is vital to the current state of pop music. L MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 7

culture

Facebook rolls out new reactions Though Facebook’s “like” button has become iconic in the world of social media, last week Facebook added five other buttons for people to better express their emotions online.

The new buttons are “love,” “wow,” “sad,” and “angry” and are referred to as “Reactions.”

The buttons pop up when hovering over the “like” button on a computer or by long pressing the button on a phone.

In the past, when there was a post about something tragic, the only way to interact was to “like” it, not express sorrow or anger. The addition of Reactions was created to allow a more accurate depiction of emotion.

In 2014, Facebook stickers became accessible on nearly all parts of the website,

except for Facebook Pages. Frequently used stickers were monitored, which led to the creation of Reactions.

Reactions were in production for over a year, said Hope King of CNN. After extensive research about what Reactions would allow people to express themselves best, the Reactions were narrowed down to the five new buttons, according to the L.A. Times Choosing the Reactions was not the only reason it took so long to develop.

It took some time to figure out the easiest way for people to use them.

Pulling up a menu of Reactions might take too long and displaying all of them for each post might be overwhelming, which is why Zuckerberg brought up the idea of the long press on phones, Zhou told the L.A. Times.

Vyvyan Evans, a professor of linguistics at Bangor University who studies the use of emoji in communication. “The stratospheric rise of emoji is essentially fulfilling the function of nonverbal cues in spoken communication,” he told Wired.

Julie Zhou, a product design director of Facebook, told Wired that the Reactions add a quicker way of showing how people feel about something, rather than taking the time to type a comment out.

Facebook has had many changes in the past, whether it be a new appearance or addition of a new element, like stickers and Reactions. So far, the “like” button is still the most common, but the countries tested, began to use the Reactions over time, Zhou told the L.A. Times. L

SO

WHAT’S NEW?

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TEXT BY: SAHARA BARBA PHOTO BY: EVAN SOLANO

opinion

Doctor Where

Can we watch?

Is The Rising Popularity of Individual Streaming Sites a Blessing or a Curse? continued >>

TEXT BY: MONTANA ROSE LEVISON ILLUSTRSATION BY: EMILY HERMOSILLO

MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 9

opinion

A

merican fans of the popular British sci-fi series “Doctor Who” were left in the dark when streaming sites Netflix and Hulu announced that the series would no longer be a part of their subscription services as of February 1.

Although the series is still available through BBC America, those interested in “binge watching” it will have to purchase 12 seasons on DVD, with each season priced at approximately $74.98 on the official BBC Doctor Who shop – a cost significantly higher than Netflix’s basic monthly subscription fee of $7.99.

However, “Doctor Who” is not the first program to be pulled from Netflix.

Television shows have come and gone since the company launched as a streaming service in 2007; the list of popular shows pulled from streaming over the last four years alone include “Mythbusters”, “Spongebob Squarepants”, “South Park”, “Teen Wolf”, “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”, “Veronica Mars”, and “Desperate Housewives”, as well as countless others.

What separates “Doctor Who” from this list is its reason for being pulled.

In 2015, director general of BBC, Tony Hall, announced that the network would be launching its own streaming service in 2016. At a press conference attended by the Hollywood Reporter, Hall stated, “Next year, we’re launching a new OTT [“overthe-top” content; delivery of media over the Internet without the involvement of a multiple-system operator as opposed to the purchase or rental of digital content via an Internet service provider] video service in America offering BBC fans programs they wouldn’t otherwise get”.

At first, this development might seem like the American “Doctor Who” fan’s dream come true. It does, however, raise the possibility of a larger problem.

The rising popularity of streaming sites came about shortly after the rising popularity of the Internet and illegal downloading. When viewers realized they could watch their favorite shows for free on their computers at their leisure, as long as they were willing to take the risk of downloading them illegally, they jumped at the chance.

Enter Netflix, which began as a DVDby-mail service in 1998. After delivering their 1 billionth DVD in February 2007, the

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“It is clear why networks feel pressured into cashing in on the growing popularity of streaming sites...

It’s the perfect solution for reaching out to younger, more tech-savvy fans.” site began offering video streaming to its customers via the Internet.

Since then, Netflix has grown staggeringly quickly into one of the largest content libraries legally available, with close to 7,000 titles at any given time. Gone were the drawbacks of hour-long buffering, risk of viruses, and the infamous pop-up advertisements. No more scouring the Internet to find a link to the next episode of your favorite show and hoping beyond hope it wouldn’t crash your entire laptop.

Now you could watch three episodes on Netflix in the time it took one illegal download to buffer. For a price almost too good to be true, audiences were granted full control to watch what they wanted, when they wanted, for however long they wanted.

Soon after Netflix came Hulu and Amazon Prime. These three main streaming services give audiences a choice as to which provider they prefer, but are essentially the same type of service. They all offer movies and television shows from various networks and production studios.

This brings us back to Netflix and Hulu dropping “Doctor Who”.

BBC is not the first to decide to release its own streaming service. Other TV streaming services include HBO Now, CBS All Access, Warner Archive Instant, and PBS Video, the only one listed that does not charge for its subscription.

It is clear why networks feel pressured into cashing in on the growing popularity of streaming sites. Theoretically, it’s the perfect solution for reaching out to younger, more tech-savvy fans. The idea behind it is simple; audiences are watching the networks’ shows on a third party site.

Remove the third party, add your own spin on the same service, and audiences will spend money on yours instead.

While the logic is understandable, it is also incredibly unrealistic. No one wants to go back to the dark ages of buffering, pop-ups, and viruses, but they also don’t want to be forced to pay separate subscription fees for each network they watch. Especially if, like in my case, there are only one or two shows I actually watch per network.

However much I love Martin Freeman, I’m not going to pay $15.99 a month for HBO Now just so I can watch “Fargo”.

The beauty of a streaming site such as Netflix is that it’s affordable enough that its users – even high school and college students, which made up a hefty 65% of its American usage last year, according to global web index – are willing to pay for the convenience of having programs from multiple networks in one neat little package. Which is very bad news for those networks trying to cash in on individual streaming services.

They are making it less convenient for their audiences, not more. Several sites offer pirated movies and TV shows for free, albeit at higher risk and lower quality, so why bother paying for a more inconvenient process than Netflix currently provides at a cheaper price? And those who are willing to pay the higher cost for multiple streaming sites will find their mobile devices cluttered and their data space wasted.

In short, what BBC and other networks are doing in pulling their shows from Netflix in favor of their own streaming services is taking a massive step backwards.

If they are truly interested in keeping their younger, busier, media-hungry audiences, they would be better off renegotiating their contracts with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. L

features

“

I had no money, poor English and no work background. I knocked on every Tastee Freeze door until someone gave me a job.”

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- Mark Tsai, owner of Covina Tasty TEXT & PHOTOS BY: ELIZABETH ALCAREZ PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY: EVAN SOLANO

features

g n i v r e S Soft the community

For many of us, memories of malt shops and trips to the ice cream store are a part of growing up. For one man, it has been his whole life’s work.

M

Mark Tsai has been the owner and operator of Covina Tasty for more than 30 years. Moving here from his homeland of Taiwan made finding work a difficult task, but he always seemed to have a knack for ice cream.

In 1981, fearing the looming threat of Communism in his home country and seeking better opportunity, Tsai moved to Southern California eventually making his way to Covina where he began looking for work.

“I had no money, poor English, and no work background. I knocked on every Tastee Freeze door until someone gave me a job. I took anything I could get.” Tsai said. Having little knowledge of America, let alone the American work force, made Tsai’s options very limited. He knew how to operate an ice cream machine and he knew how to clean, and that was more than enough for him.

Eventually, Tsai was hired by a small Tastee Freeze shop, where he worked 16 hour days, only getting paid $1.60 an hour, though the minimum wage at that time was $3.35.

He did this for three whole years. It was a struggle, but he never complained.

Tsai appreciated having a job and worked very hard at it. He saved as much money as he could, and all his hard work was paying off. In 1984, the owner of Tasty Freeze in Covina finally retired.

Tsai saw his opportunity and bought the shop for himself, becoming the new owner of Tastee Freeze. Eventually, Tastee Freeze became Covina Tasty, and even featured a brand new menu.

Tsai’s menu was, and is to this day, completely meat-free, making it one of the first vegetarian fast food restaurants in the United States.

The menu includes all kinds of fast food favorites, ranging from chili cheese dogs to “chicken” sandwiches, french fries, and burgers, none of which are cooked or prepared with animal meat or fat.

“I’ve been a vegetarian my whole life.”

Tsai said. “Originally, I stopped eating meat for religious reasons, but I realized being vegetarian went beyond that. I needed to do it for my health.”

Though some customers aren’t used to an all vegetarian menu, the food isn’t often turned down. Business is booming, and Tasty has outlived all of it’s surrounding establishments, without even a single remodel.

Tsai recalls watching as the buildings in front of him went from a school to a shopping plaza. A lot of construction always happening, and faces coming and going.

Covina Tasty has a comforting charm.

It’s quaint, happy, and filled with art. It’s a familiar spot for Covina and neighboring cities, and the name is often associated

with positive thoughts and memories, which is why it has stood for so long.

Tasty’s customers seem to appreciate the simplicity of the shop and menu.

Though of course minor changes have been made here and there, it’s a dependable place for a good time and an even better sweet fix.

Tsai has even had customers visit after 20 years, going out of their way to see if the shop still stands, and always leaving pleasantly surprised when they find it is.

For years people have enjoyed his famous sundaes and banana splits, and are now enjoying new items, such as boba tea and coffee fraps.

Though his most popular item, for as long as he can remember, are his delicious dipped cones. The ice cream comes in three classic flavors; vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate, and a variety of delightful dip flavors and toppings are available to choose from.

After a long career of serving the community Tsai plans to retire in the next year or two with hopes that the legacy of his mission will live on. “I may not always be here, but Tasty will stay.” L

MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 13

food

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food

City Grill Say hello to

The answer to Covina’s BOLD new reinvention

C

asa Moreno Mexican Grill and its owner, Mercy Moreno, have been beloved members of Downtown Covina ever since the restaurant’s opening CITY GRILL in 1995.

As an active 147 E. College St. member of the Covina, CA 91723 Covina Chamber of Commerce, Moreno HOURS has carved herself and MON-WEDS: 11 a - 8 p her restaurant spots in THURS-SAT: 11 a - 9 p the collective heart of SUN: CLOSED the community.

Well-known by regulars for her background in Puebla, Mexico and Casa Moreno’s traditional Mexican fare, it came as a surprise when Moreno opened up a new restaurant in 2015 (Casa Moreno’s 20th anniversary) that was unlike anything she had pursued before. continued >>

TEXT & PHOTOS BY: MONTANA ROSE LEVISON

MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 15

food

Califas Burger

4-way beef blend patty, butter leaf lettuce, tomato, red onion, spicy avocado aioli, fried egg, bacon and aged cheddar. Cooked to order. House French fries included with all burgers.

Located next door to Covina’s City Hall, City Grill Covina offers a diverse menu of “California cuisine”, inspired by the best of California.

Every meal is made fresh, never frozen, and with the best ingredients available.

At its base, it is all-American comfort food: burgers, salads, and flatbreads. However, City Grill takes it a step further and puts it own unique spin on each of the classic recipes.

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The creamy artichoke dip, for example, introduces not only the familiar flavors of garlic, artichokes, and Parmesan cheese, but added elements of Ortega chili, thyme, and rosemary, then served with a side of toasted, perfectly crispy slices of baguette that seem to melt in your mouth.

Both children and adults alike will be delighted with the fried mac n’ cheese balls;

creamy mac into a golden served with a The burger patty blend a satisfying in The Califas example of C stacked high

caroni and cheese rolled and fried n-brown ball of bread crumbs and a side of spicy marinara. rs, handmade from a 4-way beef and cooked to order, are wholly a way a proper burger should be. s burger is arguably the best California cuisine on the menu, h with crisp bacon, a fried egg,

food

Chicken Airline

Grilled rosemary citrus marinated chicken served with string beans, quinoa and brown rice.

“

It is all-American comfort food...However, City Grill takes it a step further and puts it own unique spin on each of the classic recipes.”

butter leaf lettuce, and (of course) avocado.

The Deep Blue burger is a decadent blend of sautéed mushrooms, bacon, and melted bleu cheese. I’ve never liked bleu cheese in my entire life, so you can understand why I was so surprised to find how much I enjoyed it.

If you’re looking for a dinner entrée, I sampled the airline chicken and found it to be a fascinating combination of elements. Grilled, citrus marinated chicken with rosemary, green beans, quinoa, and brown rice, arranged and served rather beautifully. The chicken was cooked to perfection, a lovely color all the way through and incredibly tender and juicy.

The lemon garnish unfortunately made the citrus flavor a bit

overwhelming, so I would perhaps recommend requesting easy on the citrus if you do decide to order this dish.

The salads are meals in and of themselves, diverse and colorful in their presentation. The wedge salad is a house favorite, iceberg lettuce served with bacon, cherry tomatoes, bleu cheese crumbles, red onion, hardboiled egg, and that everpopular California avocado, topped with ranch dressing.

The Gorgonzola salad is a perfect choice for those looking for something sweeter, butter leaf lettuce tossed in sherry vinaigrette, topped with Gorgonzola cheese, apple slices, cranberries, and candied walnuts. continued >> MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 17

food

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food

City Grill also offers a beautiful bar with a wide selection of wines and craft beers, both bottled and on tap. In fact, with their current “Pick 2 menu� available all day every Monday and Tuesday, you can try a number of these beers and wine with your choice of a burger ($12) or flatbread ($10).

City Grill seems to represent exactly what Downtown Covina is trying to reinvent itself into. It is eclectic and chic, decorated by Moreno herself with bright colors, mirrors, Christmas lights, and a wall of unusual clocks, as well as a brick wall with a maze of pipes and light bulbs; bursting with color and music without ever feeling overwhelming.

The servers are genuinely welcoming and eager to please, and can often be

found engaged in friendly conversation with their customers.

The back patio is the hidden jewel of City Grill. Curiously unknown by most of its patrons, it is an excellent space for large parties, of which the restaurant hosts many.

The small lights turned on at night create a beautiful atmosphere, as well as the two large fire pits that can be lit at request, making it a treat to eat outside and enjoy the sights and sounds of bustling Downtown Covina in the distance.

City Grill is at once both an ideal place to take a date for a romantic dinner for two and a local favorite to drink a beer and watch the football game.

Perfect for having a glass of wine, quiet conversation, and excellent food. L

MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 19

features

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features

TEXT & PHOTOS BY: VIDAL ESPINA

A Doctor in the making MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 21

features

I

t’s very rare for a child to know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. Often times, children’s life goals will change day to day from being a doctor or nurse to super-hero or policeman, whatever seems to tickle their fancy at that moment in time. But Kendall Gagliano, she knew what she wanted to be from the very early age of four.

“I remember [her pediatrician] would wear a stethoscope and on it was a Buzz Lightyear action figure along with a black cat that would makes a noise when you press it. One day I was in the office for a migraine and I was playing with her stethoscope while she was examining me,” Kendall reminisces fondly about that moment with her pediatrician, Dr. Sandra Mathur, “I told her ‘Someday when I grow up I want to be just like you.’”

Even Karen Gagliano, Kendall’s mom, remembers, “At around age three, we would watch “E.R.” and she would be wearing her grandmother’s stethoscope and mimicking the same procedures on her teddy bear. She would rather watch “E.R.” than cartoons.”

Kendall Michelle Gagliano, was born a healthy little girl in Covina, California, and has been defying expectations since she came into this world. “My doctor, accidentally, told me we were having a boy. I wanted it to be a surprise but he let us know to expect a big, boy,” Karen remembers, “I got my surprise, a beautiful, healthy little girl.” espite being born a healthy baby, Kendall started developing excruciating migraine headaches at an early age. Karen remembers when her daughter was sick and complaining of a headache, “I thought, ‘Oh my god, my four year old daughter is having migraines.’ And so I immediately took her to see a neurologist.” It was then that Kendall was started on migraine medication.

In elementary school Kendall frequented the nurse’s office, she became known as the “headache girl” and was relentlessly teased by fellow classmates year after year. Many times she would go home crying from the feeling of unacceptance from her others in her class.

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“With invisible illnesses, meaning illnesses where you can’t blatantly see the effects on someone, people tend to not believe you,” remembering how fellow students treated her, “Often people, including some of my friends and family, even doctors, thought I was faking my pain. It’s still something I have to deal with to this day.”

Fortunately in those early years, the migraine headaches came and went like the breeze allowing her little but some relief; however, just as fickle the weather so too was her migraines.

Anything could set off her headaches from extreme weather conditions to food triggers.

At the start of puberty Kendall became dangerously anemic. She would be diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, an endocrine system disorder whose treatment often involves hormone therapy with a birth control pill in order to regulate hormone levels. “I was 12 years old when I was put on the pill and that was the start of the 24 hour headache. [The headache] debilitated me. I couldn’t go to school. I couldn’t even leave my house. ” After trying different types of hormone medication, with still no relief from the 24 hour headache, Kendall decided (with her doctors) that she would rather live with her symptoms from polycystic ovary syndrome than to live with the long-lasting migraine. Hoping that this decision would end the 24 hour migraine, Kendall soon found out this would not be the case, “Ever since I was taken off birth control, I’ve been living with this migraine headache for every second of every day.”

Not one to let her headaches take over her world, she started high school.

She was in the honors program and was thoroughly enjoying drama, an activity that helped her cope with her pain. But her migraines would develop beyond her capacity to contain, “I had started

to lose my vision. I couldn’t concentrate in class because the lights and noise would aggravated my headache. I was miserable.” So under doctor’s recommendation, Kendall continued her education through independent study where she continued her academic excellence while having repeated, scheduled doctor’s appointments.

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t the age of 16, most teenagers are concerned with the latest news of their inner circle of friends, getting good grades, making their high school sports team, and, sometimes, celebrity gossip.

However, Kendall had more pressing matters to deal with, her doctor had recently changed practices and she was without a primary care physician at a time when her blood pressure was on the rise, “I contacted the old medical clinic [Dr. Mathur] was at and they told me I needed to go to Children’s Hospital of Orange County because I was at risk of having a stroke.”

It was at C.H.O.C. that the E.R. doctor prescribed a spinal tap; the procedure that Karen Gagliano had wanted done a year earlier in an effort to get a diagnosis for Kendall’s ailments but was never conducted because it was deemed too invasive for a child.

“My mom had spent so many sleepless nights searching the internet doing her own research on what could be causing my pain.” Kendall mentions that Karen had a suspicion that only a spinal tap could confirm.

Remembering the moment the neurologist confirmed the spinal tap lab results as having Psuedotumor Cerebri, “Nobody does research like a mother when her child is sick,” Karen said, “I

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knew she had I.H. a year prior, but her doctor didn’t want to do the spinal tap if she didn’t have the other telltale signs.

So when we finally knew what it was, I was relieved.”

Kendall Gagliano in the hospital in 2013. “I was seventeen. I had never been so scared in my life. I was scared because the risks of complications...I didn’t know how this would turn out,” Gagliano said.

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seudotumor Cerebri, known by its simpler name Intracranial Hypertension, is a rare condition where the pressure inside the skull increases without reason and treatments to alleviate symptoms can include diuretics to decrease spinal fluid pressure and/or periodic surgeries to relieve fluid pressure build-up.

Kendall is allergic to diuretics and therefore only had the option of surgery.

She immediately reached out to I.H. sufferers, via a Facebook group, where she was directed to Dr. Lew Disney, through a local Southern California I.H. sufferer.

“Actually, her pediatrician was against Kendall getting the procedure,” Karen opens up about the decision, “But, Kendall told her doctor she can live with the headaches but she can’t live without being a doctor. And she couldn’t go to school to become a doctor unless she did something about the headaches.

[Kendall] was very close to her pediatrician so she eventually said ‘ok’.”

After consulting with Dr. Disney, who agreed to the perform the surgery that would alleviate Kendall’s pain, they scheduled her first surgery in January 2013.

Kendall remembers this day so vividly, “I was seventeen. I had never been so scared in my life. I was scared because the risks of complications and I know my body doesn’t heal very well, so I didn’t know how this would turn out.”

Complications from surgery, including a staph infection and an allergic reaction to suture material, had Kendall back in the hospital for numerous revision surgeries during the following eight months.

September 2013 was the last surgery and despite having to schedule follow-up surgeries every 2 - 3 years in order to maintain pain manageability, this has not slowed her down.

Less than a year after her surgery, Kendall graduated from high school and immediately started the summer session at Citrus College. It was her first time back in a classroom so she decided to take one class, a health class, and although she was a little apprehensive after being out of a classroom after so long, she was very excited to be starting her official path to becoming a doctor.

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“

Often people, including some of my friends and family, even doctors, thought I was faking my pain. It’s still something I have to deal with to this day.”

After spending what seems like a lifetime at home, in a clinic or at the hospital, Kendall is grabbing life by the horns and thriving, “I’m experiencing so many firsts here and I couldn’t be happier. I truly feel like this is my time to shine.”

Going to Citrus College gave Kendall many “firsts” in her life. The first involvement in campus clubs, her first group activity with friends, the first official classes to become a doctor, her first boyfriend, and even her first best-friend.

“I’ve known Kendall since Fall 2014 semester. We met in AGS. Actually, we were carpooling to a fundraising event.

We talked about our goals and about the medical field during the whole trip,” best-friend Jorge Urquiza remembers becoming friends right away.

“She’s very bright, has a good heart and is an outgoing person. She’s also very determined. Determined to help others, whether it be someone on campus or in AGS. She’s also very determined to reach her goals which inspires me to reach for my own goals.”

Going into fall semester, Kendall got involved on campus in full force. She was taking four classes, had began working in the DSP&S office and joined AGS, an honor society on campus, as treasurer. Such a full load while dealing with a disability is not easy, but, being a DSP&S student has helped her gain the assistance she needs to be successful.

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inter session of 2015 was especially exciting for Kendall. It was during this time she introduced the event Denim Dash to her club, AGS. “I found out about Denim Dash through an email from Global Genes. Global Genes is an organization that helps the rare disease community and I was heavily involved with them,” Kendall said,” I told AGS about this event and they were very interested in participating.” Denim Dash is a virtual 5k that, for one week, encourages everyone to raise awareness of their rare disease by participating in an activity of your own liking, as long as you are spreading the word and posting your progress on social media.

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Kendall Gagliano hosting the “Denim Dash,” in Spring 2015 at the Citrus College Stadium. The event raises awareness

of rare diseases.

Early photo of Kendall Gagliano pictured with her mother Karen.

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his event encourages everyone to get sponsorship and more importantly to be your own advocate. So, with the encouragement from the club, Kendall organized a Denim Dash event at Citrus College. “I wanted the event to be big,” Kendall said, “So I asked the school if we could have it on campus and they allowed me to host the event at the stadium.”

After the approval of the use of the stadium, Kendall planned the first Denim Dash event all by herself, and executed the event with the support of AGS. Raquel Gutierrez, advisor for AGS, remembers the first Denim Dash event, “I had just signed up to be an advisor for the club, when Andrea [former AGS advisor] told me I would be in charge of the closing shift of the event. We ended up raising a little over $1000 which is really impressive for running an event like that for the very first time.”

With the success of Denim Dash under her belt, Kendall continued the spring semester working, attending Med-Health Club, participating in AGS, all while enrolled in four classes. By the end of spring semester Kendall had been elected President of AGS where she still holds the position.

Unwavering in her mission to complete her path to becoming a doctor, Kendall has remained enrolled every semester and intersession knocking out required classes to transfer to Cal-Poly Pomona for Fall 2017, so she can finish her bachelor’s degree in biology before going to the University of Washington to complete

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her doctorate.

She’s also been very active in school events in addition to leading AGS. In the summer of 2015, she spoke at the scholarship banquet to a room full of Citrus scholarship fund winners, herself included, and in front of the board of trustees.

Kendall Gagliano in a Alpha Gamma Sigma meeting in the ASCC Executive Board Room.

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ost recently she attended a public forum, on campus, to advocate for student’s with disabilities. “Since I work with students with disabilities I want to help be a voice for them, so I went to this forum to speak on their behalf. I plan on running as commissioner for ASCC where I hope to advocate for students, so this forum was a [springboard] for me,” Kendall said.

Julie Law, advisor for AGS, mentions an interaction she observed between Kendall and another student, “There was a student who was in a wheelchair and he felt like he couldn’t get involved with activities on campus, but Kendall told him, ‘Actually, you can! We [AGS] will have activities where we’ll make sure that you can participate in.’ So it’s in that extra heart, that extra giving, she wants to make sure that everyone is included. She’s very compassionate.”

This semester, Spring 2016, Kendall continues to work up to 20 hours in the DSP&S office, is taking chemistry and lab in addition to precalculus. She often starts her day with studying at 5 AM and in her free time throughout the day, she handles AGS presidential responsibilities and planning future events, especially Denim Dash; evenings are reserved for homework and other unfinished AGS business.

“This spring semester, [Kendall] has been more focused on her baby project, Denim Dash,” Julie Law shares her thoughts on this year’s event, “Last year was a really good start. It gave us the momentum for us to keep continuing with [the event] and to make it bigger and better. Our goal is to double last what we did last year.” This year’s Denim Dash event is taking place Saturday, March 26, at the Citrus College Stadium. Everyone is invited to participate, show support and help raise awareness for the rare disease community. Jorge Urquiza adds, “We’ll be having other clubs on campus participate, there’ll be live bands for entertainment, a food truck and booths set up for information on rare diseases.”

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lthough Kendall is extremely busy with work, school, and club activities, she still needs to take time to take care of herself and the effects of her rare disease. She visits the doctor’s office twice a week for check-ups and prescription refills. Recently she things seem to be catching up with her. “I was in the [school] parking lot doubled over in pain. Since I can’t drive, because my vision could change drastically with the amount of pain I experience, my boyfriend Rene offered to drive me to emergency. He’s my rock,” Kendall continues, “It’s been about three years since my last surgery, so it’s about time for me to get revision surgery.”

But despite these setbacks in health, Kendall is determined to stay on course with her goal, “This coming fall I plan on taking calculus, a chemistry class and a biology class. If I end up having to have surgery, then I will probably schedule it during a summer or winter session so

I can have time to heal but not miss a semester.”

From the age of four Kendall has always known what she wanted to be and has not let a debilitating rare disease stop her. She continues to inspire those around her to keep thriving, advocate for yourself, help others and more importantly, to never give up on your dreams.

“I have had this dream for when I become a pediatrician with my own practice. I want to have a waiting room with some blank scrubs, a table and fabric markers,” Gagliano said.

“My patients will be free to draw whatever they like on the scrubs and I’ll wear them. I want them to feel like they are apart of me. I also want to periodically offer free health services for the homeless, since I know this is a big issue,” Kendall continues to share her life dream.

“In addition to having my own practice, I’ll be living in the Washington area with a husband and two kids. It’s beautiful up there and seems like a good place to raise a family.” L PHOTO BY: VIDAL ESPINA

MARCH events Join us for our first ever cabaret-style evening of music and fun.

Tickets: $34 Student/Senior: $30 16 & under: $15 ASCC: $17 8 www.laurencehobgood.com/

Tickets: $34 Student/Senior: $30 16 & under: $15 ASCC: $17 8 www.vontrapps.net

Thanks to our Media Sponsor:

Tickets: $36 Student/Senior: $32 16 & under: $15 ASCC: $18 8 www.igudesmanandjoo.com

Also from our Visual and Performing Arts Department...

APU Jazz Ensemble vs. Citrus College Blue Note Orchestra

BATTLE OF THE BIG BANDS round 12 Thursday, March 17, 2016 at 8PM • Friday, March 18, 2016 at 8PM Tickets: $18 Senior: $16 Student: $10 ALL Tickets (regardless of age) are $20 at the door.

tickets: www.haughpac.com • (626) 963-9411

SNAKE CHARMER

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A conversation with Alex Estrada of SILVER SNAKES

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TEXT BY: SAHARA BARBA LIVE PHOTOS COURTESY OF: GUADALUPE BUSTOS // LUPESPHOTOGRAPHY.COM MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 29

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Silver Snakes

mastermind, Alex Estrada wakes up at 9 a.m. to do his laundry after celebrating National Margarita Day in Boston, where his band, just played to a packed audience at the House of Blues the night before.

Though the size of the venue shocked the band, they still have bigger shows to play, as they are set to take on one of the biggest tours in their still emerging career, opening up for the massively popular progressive rock band, Coheed and Cambria and post-hardcore legends Glassjaw.

Silver Snakes, who consist of Estrada, bassist Michael Trujillo, guitarist Jeremiah Bignell and new drummer Garrett Harney, have been cutting their teeth in the local Los Angeles hardcore scene where they call home for the better part of a decade.

After Estrada’s other band, Cathedrals, came to an end, he decided that he wanted to go in a different direction with his music, which led to the creation of Silver Snakes.

The band released their heavily post-hardcore/ alternative debut album “Pictures of a Floating World” in 2011 on the indie label Animal Style Records, and followed it up with their sludgier and

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darker sophomore release “Year of the Snake” in 2014 on hardcore label Bridge 9 records. With their third release “Saboteur,” Estrada and the band find themselves pushing the boundaries of their own sound and experimenting with new elements such as electronics and lyrically themes that tie the album together.

“Saboteur” not only provided the band a new musical endeavor, but a new label home as well, being released on Evil Ink Records, the newly founded label of Coheed frontman Claudio Sanchez.

The son of a Grammy winning mariachi performer and producer Jóse Hernàndez, Estrada has been surrounded by music his whole life, establishing a musical bond between father and son that has lasted throughout the years, even today as both Estrada and Hernàndez both have new albums that are climbing the charts in their genres.

Wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps, Estrada continued >>

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“I’ve been wanting to make a record like ‘Saboteur’ for many years. It was a very intimidating record to make...

Silver Snakes: Michael Trujillo (bass), Alex Estrada (vocals, guitar), Garrett Harney (drums), Jeremiah Bignell (guitars).

went to Citrus College to study recording technology after going to East L.A. College for a recording technology program, which helped him better understand what he was doing with the second-hand recording equipment that he started to acquire from his father’s studio. Though he was learning much in his classes, Estrada spent a lot of free time studying recording on his own and getting hands on beh ind the boards, inviting his friends in the punk and hardcore scene to come and track songs with him.

Estrada, who just celebrated his 30th birthday only a few months ago, started recording bands professionally at age 19 at his studio, Earth Capital and has been recording ever since, sitting behind the mixing board for popular bands like Touché Amoré, Nails, and Joyce Manor who have all gone to find commercial success in their respective genres within the last decade.

Now, after toiling in the underground punk scene more than a decade, armed with a new record, new drummer and the opportunity to tour with one of the biggest names in rock music, Estrada and Silver Snakes are ready to meet success as well, on their terms.

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My first question is about your recent residency that you did at the Silverlake Lounge. I was wondering how the experience went overall.

It was great. We’ve never been a band that played locally much, so we were a little unsure of how the residency was going to go over, but each week the crowd was bigger and bigger. By the last week, we kind of had a built-in crowd that just kind of found out about us recently from the new record and recent press, and it was great playing with new people in our home town.

Do you think it’s something you would do again?

We’ll see. Not anytime soon. Maybe whenever we do another record, but the priority right now is mainly just touring.

Was there anything about the residency that you particularly enjoyed or found challenging?

It was challenging building a lineup each week that was diverse, but I really enjoyed what we came up with. Each night there was about four bands that were completely different stylistically.

It was a really nice change of pace from the way shows usually go.

Do you think fans of your old albums are responding well to your newest album?

It’s a bit early to tell. For the most part it’s a lot of new people that were seen coming out to the shows, writing to us online, and tweeting at us or posting about us on Instagram. We’ve seen it happen from record to record since we’ve changed very much from release to release, especially with this one where we did an even bigger change.

We didn’t tour much last year, so we’re kind of laying low. We’re just seeing this whole new explosion of different people all over the world that are getting into the music, especially with the Coheed and Cambria connection that we have now.

Can you explain a little more about the connection with Coheed now? I know you guys are on Claudio’s new label. Can you tell me a little bit of how that came about?

We did a single show with Coheed in, I believe, 2013 and it made a lasting impression on us. We followed up with their representatives and pretty much

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told them, “Hey. Anything we can do with Coheed in the future, we’d really appreciate it,” because their fans really took to us and we felt a really strong connection playing with that crowd.

So we kind of just stayed on their radar and once we demoed songs for the new album, we sent it to their manager who basically checked it out and said, “I think Claudio’s going to like this.”

He passed it over to Claudio who had just started Evil Ink Records and hadn’t had many releases on the label. They wanted to do the record so we went with them and it’s been great.

Have you been a fan of Coheed yourself?

I didn’t really grow up on them as much as some of my friends have. I feel like they’re a band that you need to get into the records and then immerse yourself into them. Because there’s so many stories and plot twists. It seemed really daunting at the time when they first came out, so every time I listened to them, I loved it and I love Claudio’s guitar playing.

That’s something that’s always left an impression on me, but it’s not until recently that I started actually diving into their albums. I would almost consider myself a new fan even though I’ve been familiar with them for over ten years.

What’s the overall theme of “Saboteur”?

The theme lyrically is sabotage. It’s a record about stepping on others, whether they be people or corporations or social issues, whatever they are. It’s about stepping over things in order to achieve your own goal, whether it’s a negative or a positive in your own eyes. It follows the story of someone who does that and has to face the consequences of those actions.

Musically, we just wanted the music to convey that message. It’s a very dark record musically and lyrically, very bleak. There’s not a lot of hope but there is a lot of conviction. It’s very unapologetic on every front. In my eyes it represents a particular story, but I wanted to leave that open-ended to the listener. The first song is the spark, what makes this person want to commit these acts of sabotage, what acts of sabotage inspired them to go down this path? The last track on the album, are the consequences.

You can kind of see that song as like a jury deliberation. It’s about the person facing judgment for what they’ve done and unapologetically admitting to it all.

...We had to be comfortable with ourselves before we were able to dive into that process.”

-Alex Estrada The last track on the album, “The Loss.” It ends with clapping, what does it mean?

That coincides with the story. The last song is about this person facing their consequences. I see it in my own mind that the song is basically a person on trial and stating their case and having people rooting for them in the courtroom and having people root against them in the courtroom.

Basically when it comes down to this person being on the stand, that’s the last words of the album. This character says, “The dream is dead,” and it’s basically saying, “My mission is accomplished. We incorporated elements of Flamenco palmas, a style of handclapping used in Flamenco music. I really wanted to tie that into the record since it was a big inspiration on me musically. I figured it would be a cool way to use that, by putting this rhythmic clapping, which also represents the supporters of this person who committed these acts of sabotage, basically showing gratitude and solidarity with that person.

It is your first time using electronics on this album. How do you think your first experience with using electronics went?

It was really fun because it’s something new. I’m personally at a point where I’ve been playing guitar for so long that it’s hard for me to get excited about playing guitar. We played a lot of different tunings in order to keep things fresh for us as musicians which really helps, but adding those other elements and instruments that I’m completely inexperienced with, really brought an

excitement to the process of making this record.

We had some other people come in and kind of help us with the programming aspect of things. I was doing trial and error sampling on my own. I was watching old movies and basically sampling sound bits off these movies and manipulating them with computers and using different apps and really harnessing modern technology to make it all work for myself, without having a guide, without anyone teaching me or walking me through that process.

So the electronics added a new challenge to producing the album?

Definitely. It was challenging because we didn’t know exactly how to execute it. It was a challenge, but it was like any other challenge when making a record.

It’s like when a song is done but you don’t have lyrics. You kind of just have to make it work. You have to sit there and make it happen and that’s what happened with the electronics. Once we got a skeleton for them, we were able to layer on top of that. It was an exciting process and a challenge that we welcomed.

The track in “Fire Cloud” really sticks out on the album because it changes the pace of what is going on in the album. Where did that track come from? Why was it in the middle of the album?

It goes in line with the album. You know how the album has a story? “Fire Cloud” is literally the calm before the storm, “Red Wolf”, the next track, is when this person commits actions or a grand act of destruction or sabotage or whatever it may be. “Fire Cloud,” kind of sounds like it’s a part of “Red Wolf,” because that was the original version of that song. It was a slow, drawn out, very melodic, eight minute basically doomy rock song. We knew that was going to be the end of one side of the record, so we kind of felt like bringing it back down and having a lot of tension right there with those very dark chords and there’s an eeriness that goes with the melodic sense in that song.

I feel like it just builds up the tension.

There’s some synth lines under the guitar parts that I think really bring out those layers well.

I was wondering if there were Native American culture references between the names of the songs on the album?

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The song “Red Wolf” is probably the closest because that song was inspired by a Native American man. We have a lot of those sorts of titles in our past releases and it’s something that I’ve always been interested in. When I write lyrics, I go through a lot of Native American history books and watch a lot of documentaries on their cultures.

There’s a lot of depth to it and it’s something I’ve always been interested in.

Do you have any memorable stories about how a song came to be?

There’s a song on the album called “Charmer,” it was written like three years ago. I came up with the idea for that song when I was at my studio.

The idea for that song just popped in my head. I recorded a guitar part, sat behind the drums, played a bunch of these drum lines, it was a really crazy process. It was my first time messing with audio manipulation and really chopping things up and experimenting with that more industrial sound. That was the spark that made me think we should head in this direction at some point, but this was many years ago and we weren’t ready to make this record yet even though I wanted to.

I’ve been wanting to make a record like “Saboteur” for many years but it was intimidating. It was a very intimidating record to make and we had to be comfortable with ourselves before we were able to dive into that process. I would say “Charmer” was an interesting song because it really sparked everything and created this record.

Was there any bands that influenced you on creating this record?

We really go back to our roots when it comes to writing. We’re ‘90s kids for the most part. We grew up on bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails and a lot of that has always made its way into our sound. We’re not trying to sound like any band, but if you learn how to play guitar by playing those bands’ songs when you’re a kid, it naturally makes its way into your repertoire and the way you play.

and even tinges of Black Sabbath in there because that’s who we listen to these days. When we’re in the van, that’s one of the only sorts of genres we could all agree on. So the record is a big combination of those two genres.

I’ve never heard people combine something as raw and repetitive as stoner rock, with something as modern and in your face as electronics.

With the electronics and such, I was leaning more towards the Nine Inch Nails sort of thing and bands like Garbage, Ministry, Godflesh.

There’s a lot of these heavy industrial bands. We listen to a lot of stoner rock and stoner metal, that influence is also pretty heavy on this record. There’s a lot of bands like Om, Sleep, Windhand,

Are you still recording bands like Touché Amoré and Joyce Manor?

Yeah, at my studio I’m working with old bands and new bands all the time. I actually just recorded both those bands in the last few months. Both those bands are off to doing huge things.

It’s really awesome that their careers have taken off. We’ve been working

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together for so long. I’ve been working with Touché Amoré for at least six or seven years now. Joyce Manor brings me in to do production on their records.

Touché just came in and did all their pre-production for their new record they’re working on. I have a really good relationship with both those bands. We work together well. Both of them are going to be in the studio when we get back from the tour, so I’m hoping to catch up with them right away and kind of see where I could help.

Can you tell a little about how it was like getting started when you first started doing audio engineering and what some of the challenges were to

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try and get your name out there?

I started engineering as a necessity.

I grew up in recording studios. I had 4-tracks when I was younger, I used to record on karaoke machines.

When I was out of high school, I went to East L.A. College for a couple months. I took a quick program on electronic music, learned a few things, then actually started going to Citrus College doing all my prerequisites for the recording program. I ended up picking up really quick from these classes. I had really great teachers.

My dad ended up giving me a bunch of hand-me-downs from his studio, so when I was 19, I already had a whole set up going. Once that was set up, we started inviting our friends’ bands to come and record and we were recording our own music. It just kind of snowballed from there. I haven’t had another job ever in my life. It’s going to be 11 years already that I’ve had my studio and it’s just been a whirlwind ever since. The music business can be very unpredictable, but I’ve managed to get by on it for a long time, I’ve been fortunate enough to work with bands that have got my name out there.

Your dad is pretty well known in the mariachi community. Can you tell me a little more about him?

My dad is a sixth generation mariachi.

He was born in Mexico and he moved out here with the whole family.

They were all musicians as well. My grandfather came over in the late ‘30s and started playing shows. It’s a family business. My dad opened his restaurant in 1985 and I believe he’s had his group since 1981. They’re Grammy nominated. He’s worked with the biggest names in the Latin community. He’s produced for Selena, stuff for Green Day, Beck.

He’s done a lot of crazy stuff. He just had a new record that came out a week ago, so it’s pretty crazy seeing his record and my record both on different iTunes charts currently.

We’ve been talking to each other on the phone a lot while we’re both touring. It’s a really unique bond we have through music, from complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

You are touring with Coheed and Cambria, I the Mighty, and Glassjaw.

Both Coheed and I the Mighty have a lighter sound than yours. What has the crowd reaction has been like?

Coheed fans are very receptive to bands that Coheed basically gives their stamp of approval to.

The fact that we have that sort of validation from Claudio of Coheed and Cambria, releasing our record on his own personal label really opens us up to their crowd. A lot of times when you go to a show you have all these preconceived notions.

You’re just there for the headliner and don’t care about the opening bands. But being up there, this whole community of Coheed fans know our association with them, so they’ve been very receptive. They’re very sweet.

They’re die hards. Coheed fans are one giant tight knit family and it’s been really great. Even though we’re the heavy band on this tour, stylistically, there’s been a warm welcome to us. We’re only one show in and we already felt it. We’re really looking forward to this tour.

SHEDDING

You guys play at the Palladium in L.A. on the 22nd. Is that the biggest show you guys have done so far?

In L.A., definitely. That is one of the top three or four bigger shows on this tour, but that is without a doubt the biggest show we’ve ever played in L.A. We couldn’t ask for something better. We’re going to be playing in front of a lot of people we went to high school with, old friends and old coworkers. There’s going to be a lot of familiar faces in the house. Our parents are all going to be there, so that’s a really exciting show for us.

Hopefully I’ll be used to the bigger rooms. I mean, we play at Madison Square Gardens in New York. That’s the biggest venue on this tour. By then we’ll shake off the rust and play these big rooms because last night was a shock. House of Blues Boston, is a huge room. That was already the biggest show we’ve ever played.

“PICTURES OF A FLOATING WORLD” 2011

Do you think your music is translating well to bigger crowds and bigger rooms?

It is, especially with this new record because a lot of the music is really heavy and really hypnotic. Especially in rooms that big where the sound is really in your face and you have the subwoofers going and feel every drum hit and every note the bass plays. It’s really crazy to be on stage and see this ocean of people head banging at the same time. It’s really cool. L

SKIN

Since their inception, Silver Snakes have evolved their sound from post-hardcore purist to doom-laden industrial fiends.

FFO: At The Drive-In, Braid, Joyce Manor, Sainthood Reps, Glassjaw, Thrice, Thursday

“YEAR OF THE SNAKE” 2014

FFO: Smashing Pumpkins, Isis, Baroness, Windhand, Pelican, Pallbearer, Kyuss

“SABOTEUR” 2016

FFO: The Ocean, Windhand, Nine Inch Nails, Godflesh, Kylesa, Deftones, Cult Of Luna MARCH 2016 | LOGOS | 35

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C A M P U S

C U L T U R E

ISSUE

1

MARCH 2015

”.UOY LLIK THGIM DROW DETNIRP EHT TUB ,UOY TRUH YAM GNIREPSIHW EHT“