The Bull - Fall/Winter 2008 by The Bull

FALL/WINTER 2008

POWER O F O N E The anatomy of a generation Pierce Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s student-run magazine

THE BULL

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

EDITORS Natalie Yemenidjian Editor in chief

When Narcissus saw his reflection in the water do you think he saw his MySpace profile? Generation Y has been labeled narcissistic by psychologists, sociologists and by people who are scared that our consumer-generated, technologybased culture has a broken moral compass. I disagree. Although, Mikhail Goldenberg and I get along very well, we have strong opinions that often conflict. When he first developed the concept to do a story on Generation Y, I cried conspiracy theorist. “Advertising companies will affect the structure of our genetics? Really Mikhail?” I recall saying. Then I read Gil Riego Jr.’s question and answer series with three Pierce College professors. There was a correlation between what environmental science professor Craig Meyer said and what Goldenberg researched. Our genes, the very essence of what makes us unique, may be manipulated by the inundation of advertising and media that our minds are constantly processing. I’m not going to lie; it tripped me out a bit. With a theme like “Power of One,” which has been incorporated into every story, it’s hard not to mention President Elect Barack Obama. Women broke through glass ceilings, a biracial man is changing Washington and Saturday Night Live is getting revived. This is a great time to be in America -as long as you didn’t invest all your money in stocks and still have a job. Jared Iorio writes a letter to the incoming president warning him that he has a lot of ground to cover and a lot of change to fulfill. Kristopher Prue-Cook professes his love for the automobile. Although I don’t understand his obsession with the invention that changed the world, I think the article is hilarious. Rocio Romero, Jared Iorio and I focus on one person -- the kind of person who is average, yet powerful in his or her own right. All in all, the production of this magazine taught me a lot. I can fully function after three days of no sleep, I’m immune to caffeine products under 600 mg and I realized that the individual is powerful. - Natalie Yemenidjian -

Drawing by Jessie Lomeli Front page photo by Mikhail Goldenberg

Erin Hoover Managing Editor Jared Iorio Art Director Kristopher Prue-Cook Online Editor CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Gil Riego Jr. Laura Gonzalez Mikhail Goldenberg Nicole Ball Rocio Romero

ADVISERS Amara Aguilar Jill Connelly

SPECIAL THANKS TO Edgard Aguilar Julie Bailey Jeff Favre George W Hoover Kelly Goff Jorge Medina Stephanie Stassel-Bluestein Ava Weintraub Energy drinks and caffeine

www.t h e b u l l magazine.net

TABLE OF CONTENTS

POWER OF ONE GENERATION ome people say we are the most selfish, narcissistic generation that ever existed. Some say we are truly a consumer generation, meaning we live by the concept “We are what we consume.” Many people claim we lack both loyalty and altruism. Some define us by the year we were born, like some sort of neo-fascists placing virtuallymarked people in a virtual concentration camp of stereotypes. I am automatically branded with a “Y.” For me, this article is like looking for escape routes from this camp of misleading oversimplification. My personal involvement in this topic, however, does not make me an advocate for my generation. On the contrary, I am only seeking the truth, just like a hospital patient seeking the correct diagnosis; my understanding of the subject is that if we made any mistakes we have to fix it instead of repeating them over and over again. CONSUMER NATION I started with detailed internet research and a conversation with Anna Bruzzese, assistant professor of sociology at Pierce College. Western culture has always been very individualistic compared to other societies, so people have always had to be somewhat self-centered, maybe even increasingly so. Essentially, it’s because the times require it. We have to be self-centered to survive in this society. It is set up in such a way that it’s all about our individual success and there isn’t anybody we can rely on other than ourselves. Also, the commercial machine itself has become way more sophisticated. The methods and the frequency in which we are being bombarded with advertising is changing. It is now

constant, it’s twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Max Weber, the German sociologist, talked about the idea of rationalization way back, which is that society is becoming more and more obsessed with the pursuit of rational goals and that’s the characteristic of modern times. If you are not doing that, if you are not pursuing rational goals, like your career and material success, then you are seen as being somehow deficient and inadequate. Weber warned that if this trend continues, we are all going to end up in an iron cage of rationality where our life is defined by productivity. Plus, there are other mechanisms in society, such as consumerism, that contort who we are. The idea is that we define ourselves by what we consume. Of course, if we define ourselves by what we consume, we have to work even harder to support a specific lifestyle and it becomes a vicious circle. At the same time, these needs are being created in us by commercial machinery, because again, the contemporary business world has become more sophisticated in how it reaches out to us.

“[Advertising today] is like Big Brother gone wild.” Anna Bruzzese, assistant professor of sociology, Pierce College

Creative ideas started by young rebellious individuals are becoming co-opted by businesses and sold back to masses of young people at markedup prices. Again, we are being bombarded with advertising on a very intense basis, and with Blackberries and iPhones, you really can’t get away. Even when you send an e-mail through Blackberry it generally comes with an adver-

tisement. MySpace, now owned by News Corp., which also owns FOX News, uses your personal information to zero in on what you like and target advertisements in a very specific and personal way. Nowadays, ads can be tailored much more to an individual’s likes and dislikes, than 20 years ago, which directly causes a tremendous increase of its manipulative power. “It is like Big Brother gone wild,” said Bruzzese. As pessimistic as all this sounds, individuals are not simply passive pawns. They are not just victims who are completely manipulated. We still have the capacity to engage in our reality critically. There is always a chance that people can come up with some creative way of coping, however hard it may be. There is a tension between societal pressure and individuals engaging with it. So it is not completely hopeless, but it is increasingly difficult. It seems that although a lot of people are aware of what is happening, the demands of life are such that it is just easier to go along with it. It seems like a point of no return, like a complete social mutation, but there will always be some pockets of the population that will rebel. Essentially, most of these people can only rebel on a domestic level, but if one of these individuals has enough charisma and understanding of the conflict, this person would have the ability to change the course of history single-handedly. There are also plenty of people who share a much more optimistic view. Mia Wood, assistant professor of philosophy at Pierce College, presented an entirely different picture of what is happening to Generation Y. Mia doesn’t think our generation is self-absorbed, meaning we are not thinking about ourselves to the exclusion of others. We are willing to collaborate with each other, which is a direct and positive effect of internet communities like MySpace and Facebook, because people are being

taught how to reach out and connect with each other at a very early age. Contemporary mass-culture seems to advocate material success, but people in Wood’s classroom are really open to changing their opinions about that. They quickly become interested in aspects of life other than personal gain. In an academic setting people tend to be genuinely open to new ideas and look beyond what’s placed before them. People walk into a classroom not knowing what to look for. If all they’ve been given is what various media outlets have been feeding them, then they can’t possibly choose from a wide range to build a system of values. They still walk into class with an open mind. Although this current generation is bombarded with advertising, it is saturated with enough diversity that they can see that they don’t have to fit into anyone’s mold. Today’s advertisements are so diverse that there’s no unique way to be, so marketing is geared toward a myriad of niches to fit in. Also, current-generation youth is much more savvy. They seem to understand what the game is and they are not fooled. They know they are being marketed, they know that they are trying to be manipulated and this awareness is giving them an edge that previous generations didn’t have, said Wood. Now the common misconception that Generation Y is overall lacking loyalty to employers, which could be explained by the fact that people of this generation perceive that there are simply more options out there. They realize that their skill sets are broad enough that they can go on and try myriad jobs and careers, that they are not stuck on one particular job, said Wood. It appears to me that the actual situation is a few tones darker than that. Diversity of contemporary advertising might be giving people an illusion of choice, but in reality you

are still being heavily manipulated into supporting certain lifestyles. It is just another marketing trick created by experts to involve new layers of contemporary society into consuming material goods. Awareness of being constantly marketed to doesn’t seem to be able to resolve the problem either. You might be aware of being manipulated, but are still letting them manipulate you. You are still going to consume the product being offered for the reason that if you not playing by these rules, you most likely will end up as a social outcast. It is a great personal risk and not many people are willing to take it.

nother great problem we are facing is an actual after-effect of the great technological revolution that our society is currently going through. Computer technology is getting more and more affordable, and since we increasingly rely on digital devices in our professional and everyday life, any sane parent is trying to get their kids familiar with computers at the earliest possible age. Unfortunately, aside from developing a tremendous set of new skills, children are being heavily exposed to an uncontrollable volume of advertising at an in early stage of their brain’s development. Ann Hennessey, Ph.D. and psychology instructor in Pierce College, stated that it is highly possible that a human brain could be “rewired” for the rest of their life as a result of constant exposure to advertising in this particular age. Also, there’s a chance that these kind of changes could stay on a genetic level, and it could happen even within a frame of one generation.

Scary, isn’t it? ZERO RESEARCH Well, the scariest part is that I did not find any evidence of scientific research being conducted in this direction. Not only that, but 99 percent of any information available through the popular internet search engines about Generation Y has been published by experts in a fields like human resources, advertising and marketing. Which means that the only people who are sincerely interested in problems and conflicts of my generation are either people whose job is to manage us at our workplace with maximum efficiency and make sure we keep our career options limited by the same company. Or, people who are directly responsible for keeping the levels of consumerism in society at maximum level. There is a great tension between the generation of people who are fully aware of being manipulated and the monolith of the social structure that does not allow them to do anything about it. So, the only real hope for our generation to release this tension are the people who are trying to lead their own way regardless of what society is feeding them, taking a great personal risk of being alone. Maybe one of these individuals is going to be able to make a change on a larger scale of the whole contemporary society. And considering the fact that things could be possibly affected on a genetic level, it seems like there’s also a time factor involved. There’s a lot of research that has to be done to fill up the informational vacuum around this topic as well. I hope that this article will at least help the reader to understand the importance of this topic, let alone the fact that it is absolutely imperative to act. Now.

POWER OF ONE LEGACY

living

legacy Leaving a lasting impression on the world is a feat that few people are able to accomplish. Gil Riego Jr. sat down with three Pierce College professors and asked what they thought they have contributed to the lives of their students and if they only had one last lecture to give, what message they would leave behind.

mmortality may seem impossible, but each person lives as a walking epitaph to the ones who have died; be it a celebrity, public worker, family member or even teacher. Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, took it upon himself to reach out to a large audience. Pausch’s forum for spreading his message was his book “The Last Lecture,” and his actual final lecture “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” The 47-year old Pausch diverted from his normal teachings of computer science to talk about life and happiness in his final speech to more than 450 of his students, colleagues and friends. In respect to the legacy of Pausch, Pierce College professors weigh in on how they feel they keep themselves in touch with as many lives, what stands out in their life and what they would give as their last lecture. These professors give a view on how to save the world, yourself and how to find happiness.

Kathy Daruty

“There is no place on the planet that brings together finer human beings than on Pierce College” Pierce Professor of Business since 1979

Art by Gil Riego Jr.

How do you feel that you’ve changed lives? I can only judge that by what I hear back from people, years later. I get e-mails from people that left here ten years ago, and they tell me, or I get nominations for “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers,” and that is a student that says, “Pick the one person that’s made the most influence on you.”

What made decide to be a teacher? I had a degree in business and was working in the industry. I hated it. They wanted me to serve coffee. I had a 4.0 out of USC. I took statistic and calculus and I wasn’t going to serve coffee. Then while camping with some friends at Big Sur and I realized I didn’t want to live in the city. I wanted to get out. That’s when I decided that grad school is what made sense. I could

get a master’s degree, I could get a community college teaching job. I didn’t realize that I would like teaching until the first night I ever did it. I was looking at other issues.

When did you realize you love teaching? The first night I taught a class, I lecture for three hours, I left the room and was whipped. I thought to myself “This is hard work,” while walking back to my car. Then as I put the key into the door of my car and it occurred to me: “They’re gonna pay me!” Now when you do something that you’re so tired, and yet after you’re done, it’s an afterthought that they are going to pay you, You’ve found what you should be doing in life.

What would your last lecture cover? It would cover the importance of three things in life. I look at life like a

three-legged stool. The first leg is to find a partner in this life that you share everything with. That’s the single most important thing. The second is to find work you love. You need to think about what you love doing, not what is going to be the best paying job. The third is what Aristotle calls “being sufficiently supplied with material necessities:” managing your finances. You’re secure in your home and future. You’re not buried in debt.

Where would you have your last lecture? Pierce College. I’ve given my life and my love to this place. There’s no better place on the Earth. It’d be in 3218, where I’ve spent the last 30 years of my life. There is no place on the planet that brings together finer human beings than on Pierce College.

Craig Meyer “Your generation is going to have to be the one to make the changes to save the species.” Pierce Professor of Environmental Science since 1975

Original photo courtesy of Ava Weintraub

How do you feel that you’ve changed lives? What’s most important would be the influence (students) who don’t become majors in environmental science or geology. The ones going out to become business majors or social services and they now understand what limits nature puts on them, what’s reasonable to do. They have a perspective that hasn’t been shared by previous generations of business people or those in the science directly.

What is one of the more memorable moment in your career? Last year we applied for a grant for a student research project from the (Environmental Protection Agency) that I never expected to get because it’s difficult for community colleges to compete with fourw-year schools. Our team got to go to Washington

D.C. to present our results, and we were the only community college in the country to do that. We were there sitting: Princeton. Penn State. Berkeley. Us.

What would your last lecture cover? Your generation is going to have to be the one to make the changes to save the species. We’re damaging our life support systems beyond repair, and though they haven’t yet failed, they are in the process of failing now. If we don’t do any significant changes we’re going to have a real catastrophe. It’s not at all uncommon for a species to be extremely abundant and then physically change the character of it’s environment until it no longer fits him, so there’s precedent here. The challenge for this generation is that the changes we need to make have no history precedent.

We’ve never been in a position when the world is full, where we were at limited resources. Where our economic growth was causing our life support system be stressed. I would council students to start looking to develop the mind-set to make the changes. Because if they don’t nature is going to do it for them, and Nature won’t do it gracefully.

Where would you have your last lecture? It would have to be broadcast. I’d pick a nice interesting venue that would be fun to be at. Some great wilderness area, where I could go fishing when it was over. As long as it was my last lecture, I might as well get my last fish in. I really don’t think the venue is that critical. It’s the audience that’s critical. It was just for the students I’ve known or interacted with, I’d probably give it in one of the big lecture halls.

"Noble" Eisenlauer “Take your time to appreciate everything that’s around you. Take nothing for granted… and be happy” Pierce Professor of Anthropology since 1990

Art by Gil Riego Jr.

How do you feel that you’ve changed lives? I’m very blessed that students think enough of me to want to come back and share their post-graduations experiences with me. I use their experiences to tell current students how others have fared in the outside world. I think part of it is because I let them know I am interested in their lives. I feel that I have a good rapport with my students.

What stands out for you in your teaching career? I was invited by a couple of former students to attend their graduation at University of California, Santa Barbara. One of them came in (to my course) as a happy-go-lucky, not-too-focused, not really interested-in-grades kind of guy. When he was given his UCSB diploma, he stopped the whole proceedings, and put a special dedicatory shawl around my neck that signified that I was the most influential professor

of his career. He told me “Thank you for getting me here.” I thought it was quite an honor. He ended up with a fully paid scholarship to the University of Chicago, and is earning his doctorate in anthropology.

What would your last lecture cover? In subject matter, I’d like it to cover life, and not just anthropology. I think we’re diluting ourselves that as professors we sit in the classroom and think we are adequately preparing students for survival in the real world, if we just teach our discipline. If you asked any of my students you’d see that they are taught several different things. I know we have specialized classes, but I don’t feel good unless we give them some sort of rounded (education). I would basically say, “look at what’s around you. This is what you’re en-

tering when you leave this campus. Somewhere you have to find a place for yourself here.” I managed to do it by following a desire I had, and I was happy doing what I was doing, and I will go to my grave being happy that I made a choice that pleased me, gave me a sense of fulfilment and now you have to do that.

Where would you have your last lecture? If I had one last lecture, I’d have it outdoors, somewhere on campus but away from the din of traffic. Somewhere where you can feel the breeze. Where you can see the grass sway. Where you can watch the animals.

How would you end your lecture? Take the time to appreciate everything that’s around you. Take nothing for granted... and be happy.

POWER OF ONE DISCIPLINE

Urban MOVEMENT

Climbing up walls and leaping over treacherous gaps may look like reckless behavior. Alex “Ace” Scott fills us in on the real reason for practicing Parkour. Photos and interviews by Jared Iorio.

“I can’t stress this enough: Parkour is free.” “When you spe nd three h ours try ing to figur e out ho w to get o ver a w all... [how] w e

apply ife is by

that to l

never g iving up on the obs tacles w e’re trying t o overc ome in our d aily live s. ”

“We ne e this is s d to make su re omethin people g t h p thougrhat ctice wiatth with pri fulness. .. de... disciplinand with e.”

“[Parkour] is about being strong to be useful. .. to help

other people

through your own strengths and abilities.”

Alex “Ace” Scott started practicing Parkour at El Camino High School (top left, above) and has continued while attending Pierce College (bottom left, bottom right).

a s i ] r u ze o k r a “[P to bla way ur ownr yoath in yonut.” pnvironme Go inside the practice and philosophy e of Parkour online @

www.THEBULLmagazine.net

POWER OF ONE LEADER

Dear Barack, I hope you don’t mind that I call you Barack after almost two years of us getting to know each other. You have been courting me, after all. “Change is coming,” you say. Your slogan caught on. Where I live, it seemed I couldn’t go 50 feet without running into that stylized, colorful, iconic drawing of you. It was everywhere. “Hope” has been the catchword this year. Standing in lines in banks and grocery stores, in the malls and in the bars, you couldn’t help but catch sound bites from strangers whispered conversations. Not football scores or chit-chat about the weather, but Barack Obama. It was viral. “More of the same,” is the charge that you levied against your political opponent. People inherently understand that accusation. A great many of us have felt that way towards politicians for a long time. It’s like that Who song: “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” Our lackluster quadrennial voter turnout has belied our past apathy. The Greeks had a word for people so uninterested or ignorant toward civic life. Idiots. This election has turned us from a nation of “idiots” to a nation of active participants. I only reluctantly mention your race, simply to call attention to what a dramatic symbol of change you’ve become. The contrast between you and Mr. Bush is quite remarkable, wouldn’t you say? Your election represents the tacit approval of voters for drastic change. People didn’t vote for a different candidate or a different party. They voted for a different America. They voted for the most unlikely of ideas: change from the top.

The “change” equivalent of trickle-down economics. They believe that change will eventually reach them too. I’m not convinced that you have the ability to accomplish what they want. They might have it backwards — change may need to come from the bottom. In that case, maybe you have stimulated people to be the change that they desire. You have four years to fulfill all this hope. Your ability to speak and inspire may buy you another four. But only action, resulting in substantial

Illustration by

Jessie Lomeli

change will secure that whole generations of Americans, who have been so enthusiastic and active this campaign season, will not stick their heads back into the political sand. What a heavy burden this must be, to have the hopes and dreams of an entire people deposited fully in your hands. I have hope, though. Hope that you’re up to the challenge. Sincerely,

Jared Iorio

THE

Photography & Design by

Jared Iorio

POWER OF ONE COACH

MOTIVATOR

Pierce College football coach Efrain Martinez is an inspiration to the Brahmas and a powerful individual. Rocio Romero documented Martinezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s influence on his players.

Coach Efrain Martinez is always on the job, whether at home with his kids, studying for his masters in kinesielogy, on the field at Shepard Stadium (labove left), in the classroom at El Camino Real High School (above) or in the locker room (bottom left).

s the sun begins to set at Pierce Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s John Shepard Stadium a whistle blows and the powerful sound of a pointy cleat kicking brown leather sends dozens of players to various destinations. Within seconds, they rush the field and the sound of colliding plastic shoulder pads and helmets, the grunting and heaving of players showing aggression create a football battlefield â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a battlefield where only the toughest survive. The goal is to win. Not just on the field, but within themselves. The one to lead them has to have certain characteristics. He has to be a motivator using his words and actions as weapons to instill fear into others. Determined to develop their internal and external structures to help them achieve success. He is not just their coach, but their leader. Efrain Martinez, the head coach for the Pierce College football team, can often be found at the stadium during

practice on the sideline blowing a whistle or on the field enhancing the skills of his players. Although there are a couple of other coaches dedicated to the coordination of the team, there is no way you can miss him. Standing 5-feet, 6-inches, noticeably built, tan skin and a trait that distinguish him from the rest: his smile. Before stepping foot on campus his day begins at 5 a.m. Martinez, a 34-year-old native of El Salvador, is responsible to get his

two boys ready for school while his wife goes to the gym. The day is also beginning for students at El Camino Real High school where he teaches mathematics. His subjects include geometry and advanced applied math. The advanced applied math class is designed to give students who are having difficulty with math a second chance. The purpose of his class is to give them the opportunity and motivation to move on to a junior college. The bell rings and instead of beginning a lecture or taking notes he begins to put students in groups of five. From each group he ties the hands of two students, making it hard for them to untie themselves. The group is responsible for helping the two students get free. “Seems impossible doesn’t it?” said Martinez. “But, that’s how

“He is your own personal tutor, relating math to real life.”

Shaerna Jefferson, El Camino Real High School student

many things seem.” Students were having a difficult time and some grew impatient. “Try something different, if it doesn’t work one way try another,” Martinez said. Shaerna Jefferson,16, felt frustrated when trying to untangle one of her classmates. “The simplest things can be so hard,” she said. “Yet the hardest things can be the most simplest.” Jefferson moved to West Hills after her hometown Houston was struck by Hurricane Ike. Although she left everything behind she has been able to adjust to her new home and stay on track. Coming to second period is more than just sketching graphs, memorizing formulas or inputting numbers to equations. “He is your own personal tutor, relating math to real life,” she said. For example, when the word circumference appears she imagines herself running in circles. “I have so much fun in this class, he makes it so

much easier,” Jefferson adds. Second period ends, three more periods to go. His next stop: Pierce College. Today players are seen perfecting their plays and their drills. The sweat running down their faces is due to hours of continuous work. Their faces reflect dedication and responsibility. It’s that same dedication and responsibility their coach instills in them. The majority of these players thirst for opportunities and change rather then the cold water they drink on their break. In the past, players were in charge. Coach Martinez changed all of that. Using football as his motivating tool to get his message across. Defensive Tackle Alex Martinez,19, has been playing for the football team since the beginning of the season. He has been building a friendship with his coach over the years. A friendship that began when he was an El Camino Real High student. During his junior

year he recalls going through a difficult time. “He gives me advice, that was a big thing that drew me to where he’s at,” Alex Martinez said. Entering the football team is like entering a factory of players with the purpose to “transform them into better people, better human beings and without a doubt better players,” said Efrain Martinez Currently Alex Martinez is dedicated to achieving in school and determined to strive as a player. Alex Martinez knows that Efrain Martinez football program is going to get him to a four

year college and playing for Division I something he dreams of doing. “I feel more responsibility,” he said. In addition, motivating his math students to reach higher education Martinez tries to bring the same inspiration to the young men he coaches. When his former players visit him, Martinez hopes they come back not just to offer gratuity, but to continue the life lessons he has taught them. He wants his players to take what they learn and pass it on. “Everybody needs a role model,” he said. His role models were his parents who worked hard but never forgot to dedicate time to him and his siblings. As he sits on the dusty benches of the stadium, his green eyes peering over the field where his players practice with pride and enjoyment, he sighs with a smile and says “that’s a reminder of the hard work you put in. To get there you have to work hard for it.”

“Transform them into better people, better human beings and without a doubt, better players.”

Coach Martinez (right) recaps the day and prepares his players for their upcoming game during practice at Pierce’s Shepard Stadium.

Efrain Martinez, head coach

Check out www.thebullmagazine.net for this story’s multimedia piece.

Machinery of Kristopher Prue-Cook loves his cars. He explores the impact they have on the world, both good and bad (mostly good).

POWER OF ONE INVENTION

Beauty

Kristopher Prue-Cook sits in his garage with his Nighthawk black pearl beauty.

Photo by Jared Iorio

I Design and art by Kristopher Prue-Cook

see the other woman every morning. She’s there when I need her and I’m always at her beck and call. When I step out of my house and into my garage, she’s waiting for me. My nighthawk black-pearl beauty waits for me as if she has been anticipating this moment all night. I disarm her alarm, open the door and climb into the driver’s seat that hugs every inch of my body. I place the key in the ignition and hit the “Engine Start” button and she rumbles to life, sending a tingle through my body. My car is my greatest love affair.

1927

Ford Model T

2006

Transformation of the 1982

Bugatti Veyron Lamborghini Countach

back out of the driveway, grab the stick shift, put her in first gear and one of the best parts of my day begins. I writhe in anticipation for the moment my engine’s RPMs will start to climb and the road will become her playground. Whew! I need a cigarette. I know this all seems a little excessive and almost pornographic, but this is the power she exerts over me. A lot of people spend a good portion of their income personalizing their vehicle or buying new ones. In the past three years I have had

five different cars and I have personalized each one. You can imagine how much money I have spent on these “other women.” It’s almost a sickness that can’t be controlled. I plan out what I can buy next with the little money that I have saved up. Like any sordid love affair, this has had a negative affect on my life. I will sometimes spend money on her that I don’t really have. I think I should see a shrink. According to The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association, the annual estimated sales of aftermarket auto parts in the U.S. were $179 bil-

lion in 2001 alone. I guess I’m not the only one. This love of modifying cars brings many different people together who probably wouldn’t be associated with one another otherwise. When my friends and I attend one of our car meets, we are all so excited to be there to talk shop. It doesn’t matter if we are different ethnicities. We bond on our love, the invention of the automobile — one historic achievement by man, yet one that has spawned a lot of problems in the world. There are about half a billion vehicles in circulation worldwide, ac-

1948

Tucker Sedan

1960

automobile 1975

Cadillac Eldorado

Ford Mustang Cobra II

cording to the Society of Automotive Engineers International, The production of an automobile requires a lot of natural resources such as metal, petroleum and rubber products. Once these natural resources are processed, the production of the vehicle requires huge amounts of energy and creates its own pollutants. For propulsion, modern vehicles still depend mostly on the internal combustion engine, which pollutes the atmosphere, and relies heavily on the oil industry for fuel and all sorts of lubricants. Once a vehicle has reached the

end of its useful life, car owners are placed in a bind. Cars used to rot away in junkyards for many years, but today the automobile recycling industry is bigger than ever. Recycling automobiles saves an estimated 85 million barrels of oil per year that would have been used to manufacture new or replacement parts, according to the Automotive Recyclers Association. Cars are only a means for transportation for the average Pierce College student. But, cars are an essential part of today’s society. Cast aside their most essential purpose of getting people from point

A to point B and think about what they transport. They get your mail to your front doorstep in an instant, they deliver your groceries to the local stores and in some cases, can be the ambulance that saves your life or the vehicle that can take it away. This one invention has helped shaped the world we live in, may it be positive or negative. So treat her well — get her smog checks every once in a while, give her a tuneup and buy her something pretty once in a while — she’ll be sure to return the favor.

Nikki Ball explores underground hip-hop â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the genre, the culture, the way of life.

Rising

Photos and design by Nikki Ball

UNDE

g up

POWER OF ONE CULTURE

t’s almost midnight. E.D.‘s in the makeshift studio with walls covered in sound-insulating foam and egg cartons, floor crowded with synthesizers, machines, and microphones. Though it’s not the most fancy studio in the world, it serves its purpose as a place for underground musicians to make their music. “Turn up the tempo on the beat,” he says to the producer. “And add a little more snare to the drums.” His speed contradicts the clarity of his flow, creating an aesthetically pleasing equilibrium of sound. E.D. raps for fifteen minutes straight without stopping once. No stuttering. No hesitation. Twenty-one-year-old Pierce College student, E.D., has been rapping since he was 12 years old. “At this point it just comes natural to me,” he says, “music is my therapy, my meditation…music is my drug and I’m an addict.” When asked about the title of his upcoming album, “A Blessing in Disguise,” which is an eclectic blend of basic hip-hop beats, jazz-like drums and a touch of rock, he replies, “It’s about how bad things balance your life out.” E.D. has had his fair share of hardship; from the ages of 10 to 14, he had already been to thirty funerals. With a jaded strength in his voice, he says, “Death doesn’t scare me anymore; if I were to die tomorrow I know I’d have done everything I wanted to do, and this, rapping and making music, this is what I love to do.”

ERGROUND

“Music is my therapy, my meditation... music is my drug and I’m an addict.” -E.D.

24 Hip-hop is prevalent everywhere. It can be in the way we talk, the clothes we wear, or the music we listen to. Twentytwo-year-old Mike Jones immediately grabs your attention. Although he does not sport the more commonly seen hip-hop fashion, this Pierce College freshman stands out by wearing ornate and flamboyant necklaces, which he makes himself. Each necklace represents an important aspect of his life. If there is one word that describes the underground hip-hop scene, it’s creativity. Creativity expressed through clothing, like Jones, breaking down stereotypes of the hip-hop genre mold, like E.D., or rapping about taboo topics that are generally not discussed. Jordan Clarfield, an underground producer, is a unifying force for people of all walks of life who are trying to make music, but may not have the sufficient funds to do so. “Sometimes people will come into the studio and they are amazing musicians with such raw talent, but they don’t have a lot of money to make their music and get it out there. I provide that possibility,” said Clarfield. Although one may wonder why someone would go out of their way and donate their own time to help others, Clarfield, who used to be in a band, knows the troubles of finding a producer who will make good quality music on a low budget. “One time, I had a guy come in here who was so talented but his mom was really sick and he had to pay her medical bills, so he didn’t have any money for studio time. I decided to help him out and record him for free,” Clarfield proved that a lack of riches can’t stomp on a desire to make music. Underground hip-hop, also known as “alternative hip-hop” is more than a genre. It’s believed to be more of a culture and a way of life — a haven for artistry and creativity. Underground hip-hop can be everything from art and graffiti, to poetry and break dancing, to beat boxing, turntable mixing and free styling. Hip-hop got its roots from jazz and blues, which utilized live instruments like drums, bass, and guitars, as opposed to the more repetitive, digitized beats of modern hip-hop. Underground hip-hop combines all types of music genres such as jazz, blues, rock, classical and funk. Although opinions vary on who started the underground hip-hop movement, rappers such as Common, Organized Konfusion, Big Daddy Kane and KRS-One, were said to be the creators of the sound that would eventually be classified as “underground.” Underground hip-hop musicians usually record and perform in a way similar to the original, earlier styles of hip-hop music, as opposed to their more popular commercial and mainstream counterparts today. Hip-hop’s message has changed immensely as well, explaines 19-year-old Pierce College student, Jonathan Tinajero, who said hip-hop‘s earlier message was about, “a struggle and living a hard life; modern day hip-hop is more about bitches, hoes and money.” In the book “Rap Music and Street Consciousness,” author Cheryl L. Keyes said: “Many rap artists strive to remain “underground”, refusing to identify with a pop market and insisting that staying “real” necessitates rawness, authenticity and a continued connection with the streets.” Underground hip-hop artists usually aren’t promoted by big record labels due to the content of their lyrics and experimental nature, often rapping about taboo and thought-provoking issues such as politics, world change, philosophy, justice, race, religion, etc. In Immortal Technique’s song, “Harlem Streets” he addresses race issues. “You can’t read history at an illiterate

Opposite Page: Pierce College student E.D. has been rapping for nine years and has the ability to freestyle for fifteen minutes straight without hesitation. Above: E.D. records in Jordan Clarfield’s studio for his upcoming album,”A Blessing in Disguise.” Below: A set of turntables onstage at “The Terrace,” a venue in Pasadena where musicians of all genres come to play.

stage/and you can’t raise a family on minimum wage/Why do you think most of us are locked in a cage?” Immortal raps. The underground hip-hop culture is just that — a culture and a movement. It‘s a haven for creativity, free thought and artistry with no one way to express individuality, no matter what your views, age, gender, income, or race. Like in E.D.’s song, “One Wish,” whether you‘re “a man with too much sense or charisma,” or a “dose of a native, mixed with a drifter, raise up and take a risk.” In this particular industry, it’s not “all about the Benjamins.” You’re not the fancy studio you record in or the label on your clothes. You’re not the six figures you are aspiring for or the money in your wallet. You’re not the car you drive. You’re underground.

Check out www.thebullmagazine.net for this story’s multimedia piece.

dIMENsIONS ANd 25

A group seeking inner peace and personal enlightenment. Laura Gonzalez follows its members and explores their philosophies of life.

Art and design by Erin Hoover

d DREAMSCAPES POWER OF ONE MOVEMENT

few months ago, Alysa Lauren, former Pierce College student, felt fulfilled. She was one of the lead guitarists and the singer of a rock band called “Husband and Wife,” she was writing music, her passion, and was in a stable relationship. “In my life, at that time, I was really great at where I was because I felt that I knew everything,” Lauren said. A coworker introduced her to Final Dimension Three, a group of people who meet weekly to discuss philosophies of life and love. Final Dimension Three made her recognize that there were gaping holes in parts of her life that she had not yet filled. She came to realize the band, the boyfriend and her friends were creating a negative environment. To Lauren, these people have become like family. Every Sunday, they meet, in the house of the group leaders, to discuss whatever problems, or as what they called them “blocks,” minor or major, happened to them throughout the week. They do not belong to any specific age group. Teenagers, young adults, adults and even children are part of this social interaction. The group gives advice to each other, supports each other and most importantly helps each other understand their individual strengths to overcome any obstacle in their lives. “I now feel that I am doing the right thing, Lauren said, I feel that I am going in the right direction.” She no longer plays with the band because she realized it was not the kind of music she wanted to make. Now, Lauren makes the music that comes from her heart. Before she met the group, Lauren said, she was not aware of her full potential. But now she is sure that she can do whatever she desires. Esther Folmar’s story is different. She is one of the leaders of the group and has been practicing the beliefs of the group for nearly seven years. Folmar was battling many of her own demons when she found Final Dimension Three. “I had a lot of emotional problems because I was coming out of a relationship and also had some troubles from my childhood,” Folmar said. “I felt like I didn’t really understand

myself.” Folmar feels content with her life now and wants to use her experience to help other people. Folmar said that they talk to young people about issues like war, love, drugs and suicide. The group is working on several projects, including a concept album. An important elements of Final Dimension Three is dream interpretation. They analyze their dreams and try to apply them to real life issues. Folmar explains that when people dream, they receive messages that put them in the position of understanding themselves. “When we are dreaming, our deeper subconscious is communicating with us,” Folmar said. They believe that when we are awake we are not able to connect with ourselves because of “blocks.” Folmar said that when people are dreaming, blocks are set free and it is easy for them to see what is keeping them from attaining harmony. Kyle Schulte is a Pierce College student who is still in high school and member of Final Dimension Three. The 17-year-old skateboarder said that the group has helped him be more tolerant of others’ points of view. “Since joining the group, I am a lot more patient with myself and a lot more accepting of other people,” Schulte said. He says that he is now more confident in himself as well as in his relationships with other people. “I am not trying to change myself but rather accepting who I am,” Scwhulte said. When Schulte joined the group, his involvement was gradual. He did not have to conform to a certain pace — no one does. Final Dimension Three’s beliefs do not consist of talking about morality in terms of right or wrong. Folmar said that if something feels right to you, that is what you are supposed to be doing. The key to fulfillment is to just be. “We talked about our problems and go to the root of them to help each other overcome them and achieve harmony within ourselves,” Folmar said. In the midst of all their personal struggles, the individual members draw strength from the group to find the power within themselves to attain the harmony they crave.

“When we are dreaming, our deeper subconscious is communicating with us.”

Esther Folmar, member of Final Dimension Three

Esha, dressed in white Courtesy of CSUN

Design by Natalie Yemenidjian

When Cal State Northridge student Esha Momeni was arrested Oct. 15 in Iran for questioning women about their status in society, teachers, students, friends and family bonded together in a way Momeni had always wanted. Natalie Yemenidjian followed the story two weeks after her arrest.

POWER OF ONE WOMAN

Hussan Hussein, a neighboor and friend of Esha Momeni, wears a “Please Free Esha” shirt at a candlelight vigil for Momeni at CSUN’s Oviatt Library. The vigil was held upon Esha’s release from an Iranian prison on bail. Photos by Jared Iorio.

sha Momeni could not understand why the women of the One Million Signatures Campaign were not closer. So, she asked questions – a lot of questions. She got to know you before you realized what happened. It was a curiosity that gave the graduate student many friends at Cal State Northridge, but in Tehran, Iran on Oct. 15, it landed her behind bars. Click. Click. Click. The left turn signal went and so did the sirens behind Esha’s car. She was pulled over by Iranian police and instantly called her father, crying. Twenty days after she was arrested for an illegal left turn on Modarres Highway and taken to Evin Prison, she was charged for “propaganda against the State.” Several women’s rights advocates in the One Million Signatures Campaign have been similarly charged. Esha’s involvement with the campaign was the same as everyone else’s, she just happened to document some of the campaign’s women for her

Master’s degree thesis requirements in mass communications at CSUN. “The group has no hierarchy,” Roja Bandari, UCLA Ph.D. student and member of the One Million Signatures Campaign. “There is no real leader, we are not in the business of having a revolution.” The campaign, established June 2006 in Iran, brought the efforts of women’s rights groups together and created a goal to collect one million signatures to demand a change in discriminatory laws in Iran. The creators of the ongoing blog for-esha.blogspot.com posted a letter from her father, GholemReza Momeni on Nov. 4, the same day she was charged. “Although you made me cry when I heard your sad voice and your outpour of tears over the phone,” began the open letter. “Inside I felt proud of my little Esha who like an exceptional champion and a historic hero will triumph over the effects of an era of injustice. This feeling gives me an inner delight and strength of a young man. This brave woman roars like a caged lion, yet she leads a great symphony, which will make the universe dance and lifts me like a light-footed angel up to the zenith of my dreams.” This poetic expression of fatherly love was most

likely influenced by the same literature Esha would get lost in as a little girl. “She was an artist,” said someone who has known Esha all her life. “She would read all of the books in her father’s library. She loved to express herself.” Esha is her father’s daughter. The strength she awakened in him is the same strength that brought her and her family to Iran from the states in the early ‘80s, while everyone else was leaving the politically torn country. She came back to America, where she was born in 1980, for her graduate degree at CSUN, the same school her father went to for engineering. After being charged, the Iranian government released her on $200,000 bail. Her parents used their home as collateral. Since publication, Esha remains charged with “propaganda against the state,” and is at home with her parents. “We just want her to graduate with us,” Anasa Sinegal, a graduate student and a classmate of Esha’s at CSUN said at a candlelight vigil Nov. 12 for Esha in front of the Oviatt Library at CSUN. “We want her back.” Her classmates described her as one of those people. The kind of person who walks around campus with a welcoming glow and a sincere interest in your story, said

Sinegal. Esha always pressed Bandari and the other women in the campaign to get to know each other. “She was almost annoying about it,” Bandari joked. Esha’s plight has brought these women together now. “We know each other so much better,” Bandari said. With the elusive heart of a poet, Esha wrote “A Different Experience” a portrait of life in Iran the summer of 2007. In the essay, she writes: “…Behind every closed door, a young girl dressed in white is making history so that she can embrace the future with pride and honor. My grandmother everyday practices her signature, as evidence of her existence and her uniqueness. Here in Iran, I, you, and our mothers are all brides dress all in white, and with our peaceful approach we dance in the alleys from house to house so that our promise of equality and unity transforms the sounds of chains on our feet to the melodies of an anklet.”

Check out www.thebullmagazine.net for this story’s multimedia piece.

CSUN students stand outside of the Oviatt Library on the CSUN campus after hearing of Esha’s release on bail Nov. 12.

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