NHSJC Spring 2016
los angeles what to do pg. 14 about the city pg. 16 where to eat pg. 12
a look at the people pg. 08
con T trib utors meet the
his special-edition magazine was composed by eight members of Mountain Vista Media, a comprehensive scholastic media program based out of Mountain Vista High School in Highlands Ranch, Colo. To find more news coverage from Mountain Vista Media, visit VistaNow.org.
Kelsey Pharis
Conner Davis
Katie Pickrell
Tyler Merchant
Tyler Felske
Gannon Rushall
Lexi Weingardt
Claire Beckman
Pharis has been on staff since her sophomore year and now, as a senior, serves as co-editor-inchief of MVM. Pharis is particularly passionate about sports journalism. Felske is a first-year staff member in his senior year. Felske specializes in music journalism and is the singer and guitarist of All Wrong, an indie-punk band.
Davis has been on staff for MVM since his freshman year. Now as a junior, Davis is an editor. His cup of tea is photojournalism, but he is also a versatile reporter. Rushall specializes in broadcast media. As a junior, Rushall is co-editorin-chief of Vista Now Video, the video subsect of MVM. Rushall is also involved with other platforms of MVM.
Pickrell has been on staff for MVM since her sophomore year. She is co-editor-in-chief of Mountain Vista Media and recently won Colorado Journalist of the Year. Weingardt has been a member of MVM since her freshman year. As a junior, she is an editor who specializes in Mountain Vista’s production of the Eagle Eye.
MVM special edition Preview 04 Welcome to LA The JEA/NSPA 2016 Spring NHSJC is in one of America’s largest cities.
Merchant is a first-year staff member of MVM as a junior. He is a wellrounded reporter, but prefers to write about sports. He specializes in spread design.
Visit
Beckman is currently in the introductory journalism course at Vista. She’s particularly interested in photojournalism and telling stories with photos.
14 Twelve things to do in LA Brief of the story. Brief description of the story.
Feature 06 Addressing Minimum Wage California recently passed a $15 minimum wage, but not everyone is content.
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08 Overlooking a Landmark There’s one building in LA that needs elevator operators, and the dup as security.guards.
10 Making a Statement Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, shares his views on the media and American culture as an uindocumented immigrant living in the United States during the opening keynote session..
The City
12 Food Where to eat, snack and drink in downtown LA.
16 Buildings An overview of three amazing feats of LA architecture.
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LA
A sea lion pokes its head out of the water near Santa Monica pier. Photo by Claire Beckman
Commentary by Katie Pickrell Photo by Conner Davis
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Coming to Los Angeles, Calif. from just south of Denver, Colo., there’s a lot of obvious differences in the evironment — partially because of how unique Colorado is, but mostly because of the distinctive personality of southern California. For one, there’s the weather. It’s not raining one day, sunny the next and snowing hours later — even in April. Then there’s all of the places to go and things to see. The Rocky Mountains have been replaced for us by the San Gabriel Mountains. We’re only miles away from the location that some of the most legendary Hollywood films were shot. You’ve also got all of the people. Los Angeles is home to people from more than 140 countries speaking 224 different identified languages. This huge amount of people makes the city a lot bigger and the traffic a bit worse than it is anywhere in Colorado. Within the busyness of the city, there’s millions of stories just waiting to be told. Which brings us to what’s most notable about the LA experience: The 4,000 student journalists swarming around the Westin Bonaventure in downtown LA, all with a variety of different passions and goals. For three days, students from all around the nation, coming from all different backgrounds, will join together to learn more about their passions. There’s photogtaphers and reporters and videographers from some of the most notable news sources on the west coast right within reach of thousands of curious individuals ready to make their mark on the world. This magazine is going to serve as a guide for anyone in attendance to make their short-lived LA trip one for the books.
Santa Monica Pier is an iconic location near Los Angeles. Not only does it offer the ocean and beach, but also a small amusement park with a roller coaster, large ferris wheel and several other rides. The ferris wheel pictured stands almost 130 feet above the ocean. Photo by Claire Beckman
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A good step, but not Enough
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alifornia recently raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour, a change welcomed by many low-income workers and those who sympathize with them throughout the LA area. A payraise rally was held along Oliver St. in downtown LA to encourage the proposal’s quick enactment and support other low-income workers around the country who have yet to recieve such benefits. Story & photos by Kelsey Pharis & Katie Pickrell The sound of beating drums and the chanting of thousands could be heard as a mass of people crowded downtown Los Angeles for a higher-pay rally. The $15 legislation recently passed by the state of California takes huge strides in the right direction to addressing the economic disparity seen across the city. Just within Los Angeles, 75 percent of the current fulltime workers are earning less than comparable rates to workers from 30 years ago. This is due to a pay drop of 14 percent for workers in the 50th percentile. Gloria, an employee for Kaiser Permanente’s radiology department, was one of the many leaders walking up and down the streets of LA with a clipboard in one hand and T-shirts in the other to spread the word about the plan and its current shortcomings. Though Gloria isn’t making minimum wage, she’s still pushing and fighting for those that do. The $15 legislation, Gloria said, isn’t going to be effective for another two years. “The cost of living is going to go up by then,” Gloria said. “People that are working for $9 an hour — or even $15 an hour — aren’t making enough to pay rent. “If you’re making $9 and you’ve got kids in daycare and a family to feed, what’s that going to do? Odds are, nothing. That’s enough for play money — and that’s all it is,” Gloria said. Aside from pointing out the importance of the legislation’s timeliness, the rally was aimed at unionizing workers who’re working for lower wages without any protections, Gloria said. Lizette Escobedo, a medical employee and a member of the United Long Term Care Workers Union, also attended the rally to stand with others around the country without access to higher wages. “We’re standing in solidarity with other workers in other states that haven’t passed [a higher minimum wage] yet,” Escobedo said. Los Angeles wasn’t the only place to hold demonstrations as higher-pay has long been a national issue facing the United States. “There’s marches all across the country for states that haven’t received $15 an hour,” Escobedo said. “We’re saying: We’re here, we’re union brothers and sisters and we support you. It’s a celebration and it’s a stand.” The end goal of the rally: To ensure the minimum wage is a living wage, both Gloria and Escobedo agree. “We’re trying to get people enough money to live on and survive,” Gloria said. “We need to have it now.”
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he Bradbury Building is the oldest historical landmark in west Los Angeles. Built in 1893 by LA goldmining millionaire Louis L. Bradbury, It attracts tourists who flock to the bulding because of its appearance in various films and television shows such as 500 Days of Summer and CSI: New York. To maintain the building’s original function as an officeplace for the Los Angeles Police Department and the Department of Internal Affairs, the security guards keep watch over any Hollywood expiditions. Story & photos by Kelsey Pharis & Katie Pickrell There’s only one building is Los Angeles with manuallyoperated elevators, leaving Anthony Saucedo and Lynette Avehart to help LAPD officers get to work in the famed Bradbury Building. Avehart has been working in security for the past three years after leaving a 24-year career in the hotel industry. Despite her experience in the field, she’s new to the Bradbury — working there for only 49 days as of April 14. The historical grandeur and architectural beauty of the Bradbury is what Avehart said first drew her in to working where she now serves as a security guard. “I got this job because I walked in this building one day to get a key for a different security job I was working,” Avehart said. Immediately after seeing the building, Averhart asked her boss if there was any way to transfer over to the Bradbury Building. After a two year wait, she received the opportunity. Although Avehart’s job entails her to work the elevators and serve as security, she’s also able to provide information to any of the 1 million tourists that visit the building every year. This, Avehart said, also encouraged her career choice. “I’ve always wanted to work in a museum-type atmosphere,” Avehart said. “It’s quiet here and the building itself is absolutely beautiful.” Saucedo, on the other hand, is not new to the game. After serving in the army for seven years, Saucedo went to school by day and worked the graveyard shift as a security guard by night. Eventually, Saucedo worked his way up to being the lead security officer at the Bradbury. “The best part of this job is getting to meet people from all over the world,” Saucedo said. “Quite a few famous people have came through. Jamie Foxx, Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake,” who, Saucedo added, was as stuck-up as you may imagine him to be. Saucedo has met many of these famous individuals during the filming various Hollywood hits. On weekends, the building shuts down for production. During the week, everyone has to work around the set. Regardless of the day, Saucedo and the other security officers are responsible for watching out for the integrity of the building. “When they come to film, we protect the building,” Saucedo said. “These tiles are over a hundred years old.” Saucedo and the crew will lay down mats and watch over the building, ensuring that if anything is broken, it’s paid for and replaced.
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monitoring a monument
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r e d e f i n g definitions
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he Journalism Education Association and the National Scholastic Press Association always kick off the National High School Journalism Conventions with a keynote speaker to inspire students to find more purpose in their work. This spring, the first professional students and advisers heard from was Jose Antonio Vargas: a journalist, an activist, an American who happens to be an undocumented immigrant.
Nearly 4,000 students leaned in, listening close, as Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, immigration rights activist and the founder of #EmergingUs, spoke about the view of immigration throughout both popular opinion and the mainstream media during the first keynote presentation of the 2016 spring National High School Journalism Convention in Los Angeles, Calif. Vargas used his time to explain how the coverage undocumented immigration receives can contribute to the stigma and ignorance regarding immigrants throughout the United States. Opening up, Vargas recalled going to get a driver’s license and realizing he was residing in the United States without proper documentation. “My first instinct was to say I’m not Mexican,” Vargas said, adding that he understands how horrid it sounds. The way the media had portrayed undocumented Mexicans living in the United States is what led Vargas to have the primary thoughts he did. But Vargas’ misunderstanding of the situation was more complex than that. To himself, Vargas wasn’t an “illegal alien,” he was a person just as much as anyone else and he deserved the same things and the same rights his classmates did. “In what context do we call people illegal?” Vargas questioned. “If someone is driving under the influence, we call them a ‘drunk driver’ not an ‘illegal driver.’” WIth tension rising throughout the United States, the media hasn’t picked up on a good way to cover immigration or race relations as some call for sensitivity and others claim “political correctness” is the death of free speech. Vargas, noting what he believes to be a flawed ideology, recognized this. “I’m not trying to be politically correct,” Vargas said in a straightforward manner. “I am here illegally. The border patrol could come here right now, if they wanted, and arrest me. But I, as a person, am not illegal because people cannot be illegal.” In saying this, Vargas came back to the same point time and time again: Actions, not people, are illegal. Vargas’ point was to address the flaw in the mainstream media when referring to undocumented Americans as illegal immigrants. The language, Vargas said, encourages a type of discrimination that makes American culture not only hateful, but racially driven. Commonplace words like “illegal alien” have a
Story & photos by Conner Davis & Katie Pickrell lot to do with this, Vargas said, because it can be dehumanizing to the people that come to the U.S. with proper documentation. “Don’t talk to me about legality — don’t talk to me about laws,” Vargas said, “if you can’t talk to me about justice.” The general public seems to be fine with calling people out for being from a place other than America, as Vargas noted, without caring for their background or life. This is because the media covers the politics of the situation, and not its humanity. The media, as Vargas pointed out, doesn’t report that immigrants aren’t just coming from Mexico. They don’t talk about the fact that they’re not a drain on social programs. They don’t bring up that they’re not responsible for taking American jobs from the economy. In fact, Vargas said, illegal immigrants have paid $100 billion into Social Security over the past decade — despite not being able to receive the same benefits as legal citizens. Vargas is one of 1.3 million Asian-American immigrants residing in the United States without documentation. Because he is not a citizen, he cannot be legally employed without the employer facing reparations. He can, however, start his own business and create jobs for other Americans. So why is it that the media isn’t searching out ways to tell the truth about immigrants? Why is there a difficulty addressing all perspectives of the issue? Vargas said a lot of the problem roots with a lack of diversity in the newsroom. “People go by their own cliques,” Vargas said, “and the cliques are very color coordinated. As a journalist, your job is to not be in a clique. Your job is to be in all of the cliques.” Vargas called on the young journalists in the room to recognize racial differences and appreciates the perspective in covering race and discrimination. “If you’re in a newsroom of mostly white journalists, and you’re trying to cover a community that is 40 percent people of color, are you going to be the white journalist that raises their hand and says, ‘Uh, this is not acceptable,’” Vargas asked. Bringing diversity into the newsroom, Vargas said, is the key to bridging the racial gap in how the country reads and percieves news. In this way, journalism has the ability to tell the stories that can promote equality. “Journalism is there to connect us,” Vargas said, “not divide us.”
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Where to
eat
The Original Pantry Café: Spaghetti & Meatballs
With an old-school vibe and an easy, traditional menu, The Original Pantry Café is possibly the best laid-back eatery in downtown LA. Walking in, there’s a dining bar and casual seating beneath a giant, chalk-written menu detailing the restaurant’s available dishes and daily specials. It smells like grease, bread and pure deliciousness. It looks like the retro diner it opened up to be in 1924. It sounds like the entire menu is on the grill and the people wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. But, most importantly, it tastes like the best homemade American grub you can get your hands on. The price isn’t too steep, taking about $15 out of your wallet.
877 S. Figueroa St, Los Angeles, Calif. Open 24-7
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Where to
snack Ramen HOOD: OG Ramen
Lollicup: Boba teas
317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, Calif. 11:00 a.m. — 3:30 p.m.
988 N. Hill St, Los Angeles, Calif. 11:00 a.m. — 11:00 p.m.
Within all of the busyness of Grand Central Market, there are a few places that visibly stand above others. Owned by Ilan Hall, winner of the second season of Top Chef, Ramen HOOD is one of those places. The restaurant is extremely accommodating to all types of eaters regardless of its short menu, sporting an all-vegan menu that tops its everyday rivals by using mushrooms instead of animals to make its broth. The food comes fast and hot, making it the perfect option for either eating in or taking out. Everything on the menu is cost effective, as well. It should only take about $10 for a bowl of traditional ramen.
With boba tea becoming a popular drink recently, it’s hard to find a boba tea shop that sticks out from the rest. Lollicup has accomplished just that. Lollicup begun as a single shop, but has grown and expanded to have shops in eleven states with plans to expand to Dubai and China in the coming years. When first starting out, Lollicup lacked the funds for advertising, but word quickly spread and five more shops opened within the first three months of operation. Some locations don’t serve both food and drink, but the one occpying downtown Los Angeles does, so it’s perfect for a quick drink and bite to eat with friends.
Caffe Primo: Coffee
Like its Italian meaning, Caffe Primo is first in class. It brings together a nice coffee shop and a swanky restaurant to form a restaurant that has become a global brand. It began as a small gelato shop that won “Very Best Ice Cream” in Angeleno Magazine. From there, the business began to expand and became what it is today. They serve everything from a simple hard boiled egg to a chicken cobb salad, allowing them to be an eatery for any time of the day. Since it does have a bit of a fancier feel to it, the price can be a bit high for a few items, but for the most part is very comprable to other cafes in the area.
612 S. Flower St, Los Angeles, Calif. 8:00 a.m. — 9:00 pm.
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L Spread by tyler merchant Story by Lexi Weingardt & Claire Beckman
Los Angeles is best known for its seemingly endless attractions. Whether you’re visting for a weekend or staying for a long time, there’s plenty to get done around town The city is extremely diverse, with people of all different backgrounds accounting for all different types of professions. Regardless of if you want to drop a few bucks on an unforgettable experience or just wander around aimlessly, the city provides something beautiful, unique and astonishing for you to do.
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There is no shortage of music in Los Angeles. Whether you’re walking the streets of downtown or strolling down the pier at Santa Monica, you’re sure to hear a performer. Los Angeles is famous for its large variety of concerts including all types of music, so make sure to get tickets to one when visiting — even if it’s just for a smaller, local band.
santa monica pier
Nothing says southern California like a trip to the beach. Santa Monica has everything: beautiful weather, warm sand and cold ice cream. If you’re looking for a very fun and unique beach experience, Santa Monica Pier is your best bet. The pier is packed full of restaurants, gift shops and the famous Pacific Park.
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Market Patisserie A hidden restaurant on the streets of LA, Market Patisserie attracts people from all over. The restaurant seves a variety of food — most notably pizza. The servers give the customers an all-around great experience along with the great food. Next to the restaurant’s kitchen is a bakery with delicious desserts. Enjoy a macaron after an almost-full stomach to top off the night.
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3 Go to a concert
In-n-out is a must
Not many people go to the west coast without eating In-N-Out. In-N-Out’s delicious burgers are unique to warm states in the west and are unparalleled to fast-food burgers around the nation. The secret to the scrumptious bugers is the secret sauce. When going to In-N-Out, keep in mind that there’s also a secret menu with even more options to choose from.
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The lakers & the dodgers
The L.A. area houses two very influntial teams. It’s common to see people sporting their Lakers yellow and purple of their Dodgers blue and white. Games for both teams are must sees if you’re in or around the L.A. area.
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WALK THE STREETS
Enjoy the beautiful California weather by exploring the streets of downtown. Places to eat are accessible all throughout the downtown area. Stop in and grab a quick lunch and then be on your way for more sightseeing and exploring.
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China Town is an essential part of the L.A. culture. There are more AsianAmerican immigrants in California than there are in any state in the United States.
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Grammy museum The Grammy Museum houses the incredible history of the music industry. The museum walks visitors through past Grammy awardwinning artists, giving toursits the opportunity to expand their music horizons.
the Griffith Observatory
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The Griffith Observatory has telescopes the public can use to observe outer space as well as amazing L.A. views like the Hollywood sign.
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take a trip to the grove
The Grove, an entertainment and retail complex in downtown Los Angeles, is one of the many beautiful, must-see sights in California. The most unique part of The Grove is the center fountain which plays “music fountain” shoes every hour. As the music plays, there is a choreographer water show. The fountain was designed to be reminiscent of the Bellahio in Las Vegas. Other things at The Grove include food, live shows, a famer’s market and lots of other store to shop at.
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Universal studios Universal Studios gives tourist a fun day of both rides and attraction in LA. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter experience is the new buzz around the park with people from all over the world coming to see it. The Harry Potter attraction has the full Hogwarts experience. The rest of the park has sets from movies, amusement park rides, live shows and cinema themes.
Getty Center
The Getty Center is on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains. There, Richard Meier designed a beautiful museum that also included outside courtyards as well as many gardens. This is a gorgeous space that is available to the public from LA and from all over the rest of the world. The Getty Center is a great choice if you are looking for a nice place to go see the amazing architecture and the sights of LA.
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L o s An g e l e s , C A L I F.
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Architecture WITHIN LA A L O O K AT S O M E O F T H E A R C H I T E C T U R A L S T Y L E s WITHIN LOS ANGELES
Although there are many impressive
buildings that catch the attention of
those who pass by, I believe The Walt
Disney Concert Hall, The Broad and The
Los Angeles Public Library are the
most aesthetically impressive.
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BY Conner davis
ooking up is a common practice among tourists, especially in an area like downtown Los Angeles where the sky has more rooftops than it does birds. Not only are the buildings immensely tall, they are built in such a fashion that demands they be studied, scrutinized and marveled over. Some look physically impossible, half-built due to an odd shape or even structurally unsound. Regardless of their odd shapes and sizes, (and in some cases even colors) the architecture in LA is not something you get to see everyday, so gawk at it while you can.
he Walt Disney Concert Hall is a mass of metal and concrete at the cor ner of Hope St. and W. 2nd Ave. It seats an audience of 2,265 and was designed by architect Frank Gehry in 1987 and was opened for use on Oct. 23, 2003. The project cost $274 million in total, with $50 million of it coming from a donation from Lillian Disney, Walt Disney’s wife. The metallic roof is made of stainless steel and had to be repainted to have a more matte finish, as it was creating hot spots of 140 degrees. The wavy roof panels are meant to look like a ship with its sails billowing in the wind.
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contemporary art museum, The Broad, sits directly across the street from the Walt Disney Concert Hall, creating an impressive look between the two buildings. The white, holey, netlike walls of The Broad are meant to contrast greatly with the shiny exterior of the adjacent concert hall. Diller Scofido + Renfro and Leslie E Robertson Associates are the two architecture and structural engineering firms that worked on this project, which cost $140 million — a considerable amount than its glistening neighbor. The Broad’s exterior is reflective of its also moder n contents.
walt disney concert hall
the broad
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he thought of a public library being one of the most eye-catching buildings in downtown LA is a strange thought, however, it is a reality. The Los Angeles Public Library is comprised a white, stucco-ish material that compliments its ornate bronze and blue pyramidal top. The walls are not plain though. Sculptures can be found all along the outside of the library, giving it a traditional feel in the sense that art is used to tell a story. The overall modern look of the building blends well with the statues to create a unique look and feel to be associated with the library.
los angeles public library 16