Suburbia issue #1
photography • writing • art • fashion • music
On the Cover: Photo by Dylana Edwards featuring Grace Foster with illustrations by Kyra Gundred
Suburbia
Heather Frame
Advisor
Una Stanisavljevic Jaeun Park Sam Haro Emily Andrews Rachel Deguzman Riley Villiers-Furze Zoey Greenwald Morgan Baker Isabel Zheng Faith Myszkowski Cynthia Samano Mahnoor Adnan Jason Wei Simon Schroeder Kyra Gundred Sedona Vivirito Keith Carapella Noah Chang Olivia Go Angelique Noblejas Ashley Pagisbigan
Layout Editors
Skijler Hutson Mina Jang
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Editors-in-Chief
Fundraising Manager Web Editors Writing Editor Writing Staff Music Editor Art Editor Art Staff Illustrator Fashion Editor Fashion Staff Photography Editors Photography Staff
letter from the editors Dear Reader,
Welcome to the first volume of West Ranch’s Literary Magazine, also known as Suburbia. Some features of this edition revolve around hidden musicians, artists, poets, while others highlight emerging writers and fashion designers. For this issue, we chose several creative and distinctive minds, as our goal is to showcase and bring light to the importance of art. Throughout the school year, we got to see so many extraordinary works from students and were able to collect dozens of contributions. And that is why, thanks to all of you, the students at our school, that we were able to curate this memorable collection of artwork around the community and sustain this artistic side of West Ranch to keep on flourishing.
You may have noticed while looking through our magazine that a recurring theme is bees. This may all seem like a silly idea, yet truthfully, we think that bees and their importance to the environment are a strong portrayal of what makes West Ranch Literary Magazine. For a long time, bees have symbolized community, brightness and personal power. In addition, they are integral in order for us to eat, as they are the most important insect pollinators of a variety of crops like cranberries, blueberries and tomatoes (USA Today). Because of this, we see bees and their purpose as somewhat similar to the arts, as they are both things that are necessary for the world to thrive and blossom. However, bumblebees have been put on the endangered species list as their population has dropped at an alarming rate. Like we want to bring light to the creative side of West Ranch, we also want ensure an environment which is as beautiful as the art we love. That is why Suburbia has committed to donating proceeds from our various fundraisers to select save the bees organizations. You can help too! Please donate at www.thehoneybeeconservancy.org.
We hope that you find the content in this magazine insightful, hopeful, and profounding. We believe the arts are a central factor to what make our lives grand and beautiful, however they are still underappreciated. That is why it is so important we remember that our minds, still young and growing, have the power to inspire and awe others’ worlds, and it also why we must appreciate the artists at our school: the ones who have the ability to create. At a time where many of us are searching for hope, and current problems at the moment seem to be never erasing, art has the power to soothe away our pain. We must never forget that we are the future, and it is our duty to make this world a better place. While West Ranch Suburbia may not be able to impact globally, we wish to preserve the living art that grows within this community.
Constructing our online website and creating this magazine was a collaborative effort involving the dedicated work of our fellow students, our adviser Ms. Heather Frame, and our publisher aPrintis. We thank the West Ranch staff for their contributions throughout the academic year. West Ranch Suburbia would not be possible without the support of our amazing club members. Lastly, we thank the authors that contributed their works to this volume and to our club. We hope West Ranch Suburbia opens a wider door for contributors to let out their passion and be better connected to others in the arts, and we wish that our readers feel and share their inner creativity with us. Sincerely, Mina Jang and Skijler Hutson Co-Editors-in-Chief
Letter From the Editors
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Photo by Skijler Hutson
Contents Pg1 -- Staff Pg2 -- Editors’ Letter Photography Pg5 -- Dylana Edwards-Caputo Pg9 -- Chandler Sutton Writing Pg13 -- Leila Bathke Pg17 -- Stevie Sanborn Art Pg 21 -- Moses Chang Pg 25 -- Jaclyn Napoli Fashion Pg 29 -- Jacqueline Hofmann Pg 33 -- Emma Otera Music Pg 37 -- Daniel Paik Pg 41 -- Playlist
dylana edwards
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Dylana Edwards-Caputo is sweet, yet you can tell she holds something creative inside her. When not serving lattes and cappuccinos at Starbucks, Dylana can be seen photographing her friends/models in a studio or out in some of her favorite locations. Although she plans to graduate and move to Italy this summer, her journey as a photographer started right here at West Ranch freshman year in Mrs. Kornfeld’s photography class. Photos provided by Dylana Edwards Story by Sedona Vivirito Where are your favorite places to shoot? I really like natural light; I don’t like studio light, so I always end up shooting outside and usually in the evening. I like to shoot outside because there is so much more subject and space to work with and places like downtown Newhall and LA, because there is so much to do. I like the beach too, but the beach is always tricky.
What makes you continue to have a love and passion for photography? Photography has always been a piece of me because I grew up with it. Since I have anxiety, it is very therapeutic and relaxing for me.
Can you tell us about your featured photos? That was the first time I had done anything like that because I usually don’t shoot in a studio. I feel like when I shoot in a studio, I always end up being claustrophobic or creatively restricted, but I ended I up busting out some flowers, because the shoot was inspired by spring. The prints ended up way better than I expected. It was fun and different but something I never really do. They are my favorite ones that I have shot so far. I like to shoot outside because there is so much more subject and space to work with.
What kind of camera do you use? I use a Canon Rebel 5 series, and I just started used film. I am using an old Canon , but I’m still trying to get used to it. I like to use digital cameras for portraits because of the better quality. I like to film when I shoot objects and things because I really enjoy the look of it.
Who are your inspirations? I have a million photography books, but I have never really settled on one style or person. I think I subconsciously draw inspiration from what I see. I just like to take pictures of people because I like taking pictures of beautiful things, and people are beautiful. I like to capture different people and different qualities in people. What is your advice to other who are trying to get involved with photography? Shoot as much as possible and make art as much as possible, whatever kind of art you want. Oh, and always keep your camera on you, you take way more pictures when you constantly have it on you.
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Modeling: Grace Foster (R) and Sammy Dolan (L)
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“Fashion is definitely a form of art. Fashion is a way of displaying your creativity which is ultimately what art is meant to do. Photography
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chandler
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Chandler Sutton is a shy, skilled photographer who brings her creativity everywhere she goes. She can take stunning photos in any environment she is put in, always seeing the beauty of the world through her camera lens. Although she is only eighteen years old, her talent radiates through her photos, and she has been inspired ever since she was 13 years old. Photos provided by Chanlder Sutton Story by Angie Noblejas
Where do you get your inspiration for your photos? I don’t really have a specific place I get inspired by. Kind of just where I go. If I bring my camera with me, then I’ll just find things to take pictures of. I like going to beaches and like downtown areas because there are interesting things to find, and there’s always interesting architecture. What sparked your passion for photography? I originally got a nice camera because we went on an Alaskan cruise, and I wanted to take good pictures. I just really liked taking pictures, so I kinda just kept doing it when we went places then I started doing it for fun.
What motivates you to continue taking pictures? The main thing right now is that I’m in Photo II, so I have to take photos. But I just like to do it for fun, so sometimes my mom will tell me, “Hey, we are going someplace so bring your camera.” Sometimes when I’m bored and have nothing else to do, I’ll just drive around and try to find places to take pictures of. What’s the most challenging part about being a photographer? The most challenging part is trying to find interesting angles because there are so many straight-on angles that you can take. Everybody takes those, so you have to mess around and try to figure out something different. Also some people really don’t take it seriously because they are like, “Oh, if you have a nice camera, all the pictures look nice,” or, “I can take photos too because I have an Instagram and an iPhone.” So it’s kinda hard. What’s your photographic style? I wouldn’t necessarily say that I have much of a style, I just like either getting really close or from different angles. I usually do low angles because I’m short, and then I just squat down more and combine interesting angles. I like shadowy or really bright and colorful pictures, whatever works best for the mood of the photo.
Photography
What do you like most about being a photographer? Its really fun, and it helps you see the world from different points of view. Sometimes you find -- it’s kind of cliché -- but you can find beauty in things that you wouldn’t think. You’ll take a picture of a certain angle of a street corner and you’ll be like, “Wow, that’s actually really cool.”
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“Its really fun, and it helps you see the world from different points of view. Sometimes you find -- it’s kind of cliché -- but you can find beauty in things that you wouldn’t think.” 11
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leila bathke Leila Bathke -- who is she? There are many sides to Bathke. To some, she’s the girl with the fiery red hair and undying appreciation for Walt Whitman. To others, she’s a kind, caring friend who is always loyal. However, above all this, Bathke is someone full of fresh new ideas and stories to tell the world. Leila Bathke is a passionate writer and poet. What inspired you to start writing? So, I read this book that talked a lot about Walt Whitman, and one of his poems is called “Song of Myself,” and it inspired me to read Walt Whitman’s poetry. I bought his book. It was a totally tattered copy, probably like fifty years old, and it really inspired me to write. It’s a super long poem, and it’s really good. There’s this one part about God, and he’s questioning God, and he doesn’t really get to an answer, but just putting it down on paper … just the question at the end.
Why do you think literature and writing are important even in today’s society? Well, we read in history. We read a lot of literature, and it’s good to write literature to leave that for posterity, especially since our world is changing so much, and youth have become so much more empowered now. So, I think youth should really write as much as they can because our world is going crazy, and it’s good to have that in the future.
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Why do you write? I write because sometimes there’s just too many thoughts in my head, and putting it down on paper makes it easier to make decisions or just reflect on it and get through it.
Suburbia
Illustrations by Kyra Gundred Photo by Angie Noblejas Story by Mina Jang & Emily Andrews
What is the hardest part of writing for you? I think the hardest part about writing is when you write something that is so truthful to yourself that it might sound like really dumb if you say it out loud. You constantly worry about every word that you write, like, “Oh my gosh, people are going to think I’m crazy or dumb or too extreme.” So like questioning every word. What’s your favorite book, and why? This book called “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury because I read it one time, and this is like three years ago, and I totally didn’t understand it. Well, I mean it was good, but I didn’t really look into it that much, but a couple years ago, I read it again, and I started annotating it and looking for all these symbols, and … I just really loved it. I loved reading into all the metaphors, and it made me want to write more.
How do you think your creativity affects your thinking on a daily basis? I used to have this sign in my room (I just wrote it down myself) that said, “Search for symbols in your life and create symbols in your life, so that you can make that in your writing.” I tried to remind myself to be creative and be a poet in everything that I do, whether that’s going on a hike or climbing trees. But I think going through life poetically and having a creative mind like that [opens] a different side to things. If you could write about anyone fictional or nonfictional, who would you write about? Maybe my brother, just because I’ve known him his whole life, and I know all of his experiences and stuff, but he’s a very quiet and mysterious person, so it’s hard to tell what he’s thinking all the time. So, it would just be really interesting to sort of try and study his mind.
“I try to remind myself to be creative and be a poet in everything that I do, whether that’s going on a hike or climbing trees. ” Writing
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The Dream Synopsis Sweet-sounding Shadows sang to me As the perfect sun followed us Through milky clouds, it shone on the tree-speckled fields The occasional silver branch or hint of blue sky reminded us of the home we return to Yet the sentimental waves of horses granted the past few days with that special feeling
I share with you the impossible visions of our year, and remembered the playful infrequent touches But we leave those memories in the greenery of San Jose Without denial or obsession As the fields turn yellow and the trees lose their grandioseness Your caring eyes still flash in the bore of the dirt And our laughs echo through the cemented plains You never stay long enough to see And north in buried deep in late spring When will you come back again?
I miss the idea that you exist somewhere in a dark bus or colorfully lit cafe Whether it’s in a school bus or through bumpy rides through California Or even the future coffee scented streets singing Sinatra through the bright trees—does it matter? Why do I grasp so tightly onto this vision? Why do you listen? It only leaves an ugly unease and restless heat of southern summers Get out! Or let me out of here! Even the window reflects your portrait at me And costal coldness draws me toward your warmth My thoughts cannot keep running with you, I need to calm down The knife twists at the thought of his eyes at him—seeing me and knowing their cagedness As clear as the window of this damned bus He tells me, in his dreams he feels my detachment from him And that breaks me But I can’t talk to anyone about you because that would be admitting my thoughts! What can I do? What can I do? To my right, a field of trees look quite aligned in one perspective Yet in another they haphazardly branch into the cramped space Through the hazy outlines of my eyes I walk in the jumbled direction Skipping between leaves and swinging in the canopy And it’s still very cold, so you give me your scarf And I say thank you
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Interview With a Dying Man 1.9 Do you remember your first love? Like my birth, he says, it remains dear to my heart, though I have no recollection Do you remember love at all? He says he remembers it every day.
Did you have a nice holiday? He thinks so. Did you enjoy your wife coming to see you yesterday? He becomes confused. He calls for the nurse. He screams for the nurse—no—he screams for her, with cries of agony through the night. How do you feel about your life? He says it has been long and full of sorrowful, lost beauty. And, forgive me, how do you feel about dying? It has been a wondrous adventure.
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stevie sanborn
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Stevie Sanborn … our first impression was that she was the embodiment of nice and kindness. As we began to talk more, though, we realized there was much more to Sanborn; underneath, we found a girl who was adventurous and a person unafraid to say what they think. We found someone with such a creative mind that was just flowing with unbelievable ideas and unique stories. We had found a writer. Photos by Angie Noblejas Story by Mina Jang Illustrations by Eva Schroeder
Does writing energize or exhaust you? It is a mix, actually. The passion I have for writing absolutely energizes me, but being creative for long periods of time takes a mental toll, and it can definitely get draining. For the most part, though, writing gives me life to every day. I always interweave some aspect of creative writing in my daily life.
Has there been a book that has really inspired you or pushed you towards writing? If so, what is it and why? Growing up I hated reading. I have terrible reading comprehension, ironically. I found the first book I ever loved in junior high, which was “Thirteen Reasons Why.” That book sparked a love for complicated storylines that connect, and later when I fell in love with my favorite book, “Lolita,” I found my love for crafting sentences. Both books pushed me to focus on specific aspects of writing. What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? Finding the time to be creative, and summoning creativity at that designated time. I have been writing a novel since January 2014. If I had the time, it would be done, but alas, I have an abundance of responsibilities and a shortage of time. The free time I do have, I’m tired and usually do not have the mental energy to enter a fictional world and create the events to a life that doesn’t exist. One day, I will live with my best friend Jillian in the mountains and I’ll have all the time in the world to write my mind.
If you could write about anybody in your life, who would it be and why? I only write about people in my life. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes subconsciously. I usually end up writing different versions of myself in my characters, and only realizing it afterwards. How do you feel when you write? How you feel after you take a few deep breaths, is how I feel when I write. I have severe asthma, but my chest doesn’t feel so tight when I’m writing.
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Trust It was 8:04 pm, and I died at 8:13. Max watched it happen. Some people want to help, some people at least try, but Max never did. I thought that was why Max was so intrigued by me, because I forced him to explore how to be a good person. He never was one, but he at least understood what being good meant when he was with me. I really tried to improve him. Maybe that was my fault. Max was unemployed so I had to pay for anything he needed. I had recently been hired at a fashion company and was making good money, so initially I didn’t mind. But I got tired of him using me. The only time he looked at me lovingly was when my arm was extended toward him with cash in my hand. So, one day I cut him off. Seventy-two hours later, the two of us were walking to the movies together when my killer came up from behind, stabbed me in the back and took my wallet. From then on my memory is vague. I had roughly a minute to reflect and say my goodbyes to the sky. I wonder what I thought about in my last moments. Hard to remember now. In hindsight, holding my wallet in my hand was a bad idea-- deadly-- especially with so much cash. I thought about if I had done one thing differently, would I still have been dying right then? The answer was yes, because at 8:12 pm, with only fifteen seconds left, I opened my eyes to see Max one more time, and I did see him. There he was, walking with my killer, counting the cash.
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The Dead Don’t Need Their Memories What are the repercussions for digging up a grave? Do police patrol graveyards regularly? Is anyone going to see me here at 4 am? I was standing there with my shovel in my right hand, staring down at my first victim. Deep breath, but the air came in cold. My breaths were short and fast as the shovel broke the solid dirt. Fast forward nine months and I’m on victim number thirty-six. Looking back, victim number eight was rather nice. She had an old, rusty pentacle buried with her. Sold for $35. Victims number twenty and twenty-one were my favorite, though. The two were buried next to each other-- the man buried with a photo of his wife wedged between his stiffened fingers, and the wife buried just the same with a photo of him pressed to her decaying chest. “That’s sweet,” I thought as I threw the dirt back over the casket, both photos folded in my back pocket. Those images didn’t sell for too much, but they were my favorite. They had the best story, I assumed. When I sit in my antique store, my eyes wander up the walls of all the artifacts I’ve stolen. It’s beautiful. History is everywhere, and the dead don’t need their memories. But now I stand above victim number thirty-six. I have a good feeling about this one. I lift up my shovel as I’ve done so many times before, and then I hear it. Leaves crack behind me as a bright light shines with it. I stare forward, unable to move. “Drop the shovel and turn around.” I don’t move. “Drop the shovel.” I can’t move. I hear the cock of a gun. My mind wanders. How far away did he sound? If I swing my shovel, could I knock him out? How many of them are there? I hear another gun cock. It’s too much. My hand loosens the grip on the shovel and it slips. The vibration of the shovel hitting the ground rings in my head. It’s over. With the slightest steps I’ve ever taken, I turn around to face them. Two cops. Two guns pointed at my head. I lift my hands. I drop my head. “Cuff me,” and as the metal shackles contain my wrists, I contemplate while the two escort me out of the cemetery. As the barred gate slams in front of me and I sit on the concrete bench, I think, “What are the repercussions for digging up a grave?”
Writing
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moses chang
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Moses Chang may seem calm and quiet on the outside, but in reality, he is a spectacular artist with an eye for detail. He works furiously as he takes out his vibrant colored pencils and enhances the details of his piece by adding shadows and highlights. His preference for colorful, textured paper adds a unique style to his beautifully blended drawings of animals. Photos by Angie Noblejas Story by Cynthia Samano
How has art influenced who you are today? After taking art, I feel like I’ve become more aware of and appreciative of my surroundings, especially nature. It’s always spontaneous too. Sometimes I can gaze at the shapes and slow movements of clouds for pretty long periods of time; sometimes I get lost in my thoughts, and other times I get irritated that they aren’t puffy enough. Sure, a lot of people appreciate the colors of trees in fall, and the colorful sunsets every once in awhile, but I now find myself actively looking for these “random” scenes more often. I guess in this way you can say art has unlocked my daydreaming potential. What subject matters do you like to draw the most and why? Animals because I love animals. They’re adorable and look nice.
What’s your favorite medium to work with and why? My favorite medium is color pencil because it’s the medium I tend to get my most developed pieces from. In other words I can fine tune my drawings and add the details I want with precision for my drawings. I guess I can do that with graphite too, but I like colors. Also, I don’t know how to use other mediums.
What inspires you to draw? I don’t really get inspired for art very often. I mean, every once in awhile I see something cool on Instagram or Facebook, and I think “oh sh*t, I wanna do that too.” But other than that, I just scroll through Google images until I find something I’m interested in. How long have you been drawing? I’ve been drawing off and on for about ten years.
What subject matters do you like to draw the most and why? Animals because they’re adorable and look nice.
Did you take art classes or was art just a hobby? It started as a hobby, and then I took like six art classes over a span of three years because I hate art class. They always touched my work, and I hated it. What is your favorite piece you’ve made? I haven’t finished my favorite, but it would have to be the snake. I want to finish it, but it’s taking so long because of all the colors.
Art
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“Sure, a lot of people appreciate the colors of trees in fall, and the colorful sunsets every once in awhile, but I now find myself actively looking for these ‘random’ scenes more often. I guess in this way you can say art has unlocked my daydreaming potential.”
Art
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j a c l y n
n a p o l i
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Jaclyn Napoli is hard at work on another beautiful piece during her first period AP Studio Art class. Now a senior, she has been gracing the class with her talents since sophomore year. She was one of three tenth graders allowed in the upperclassmen-only course. Her drawing style is distinguishable and draws her classmates’ attention as they walk past her table. They can’t help but stare at her incredibly detailed work. Photos by Noah Chang Story by Cynthia Samano
What’s your favorite medium to work with and why? Colored pencils because you can really work with the detail of every picture. I guess I really like to see the detail and work with a fine point in my work. What inspires you to draw? I’ve been drawing ever since I was young. My dad really worked with me when I was younger, and I guess I just like to express myself by drawing because I can’t sing or do anything else. What subject matters do you like to draw the most and why? Anything that really comes to mind. Usually I look for an image, and I draw what I see. I guess still lifes because they’re just sitting there and they’re there all the time.
What is your favorite piece that you’ve made? It’s hard to tell. It’s hard to say which one. I guess the pisces and the crab from the zodiac because that one took me probably a little over a month. I worked on it everyday and did the details with the colored pencils. That piece took me so long because it was my first piece for concentration when I was a sophomore. I had no idea what I was doing. I figured I would just work really slow and take my time. I really liked the piece, though. Are you planning to pursue a career in art? I’m definitely thinking of pursuing graphic design because everything is on the computer nowadays. It’s hard to find real studio art and I don’t know where that would get me. So, graphic design and graphic communications is what I’m thinking.
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jacqueline hofmann Jacqueline Hofmann has a classy, timeless style about her. The signature Jacqueline blend of minimal clothes with a creative touch makes her stand out in a crowd. As well as being involved with FIDM, Hofmann started and runs her own blog, Leap Into Fashion, as a creative outlet for her love and appreciation for the art of fashion.You can visit Leap Into Fashion for DIYs, fashion tips, and lookbooks.
Photos by Skijler Hutson Story by Sedona Vivirito
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Fashion
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Why did you create your blog and what does the name represent? A little bit would have to do with me wanting to do something unique for college apps and something that appealed to my passion. My parents were like you should just do it, and my friends said I have a nice sense of style. I was like why not express it on an online platform where I can do what I want. It’s called Leap Into Fashion. My biggest trouble was finding a name for it, I think it’s about leaping into something and not really thinking about it, just doing what you like and what appeals to you and that’s what I strive to do on my blog.
What inspires your daily wear and love for fashion? I really like a lot of fashion bloggers like Aimee Song from Song of Style. She really just got me going into the fashion blogging scene. She just had a really cool style I hadn’t seen in magazines before and she was an ordinary looking girl so that also appealed to me, and my mom because she was a costume designer so she had influence over my love for fashion. I also like looking through catalogs of Made Well or Free People. I like a lot of different styles so if there’s something I see on instagram that I’ll try to copy that or tweak it to be something that I would wear. As a fashion icon at West Ranch, what is advice you would give to fellow students that are looking to get into the fashion world? I would say don’t feel limited by what you perceive to be on trend and stylish, just go with what you think is aesthetically pleasing, what looks good on you and what you feel good in. You can have like the most “on trend outfit” and you just won’t feel comfortable or good in it. That means it’s not a good outfit for you. I would just say to wear what you want because life is short-ish. Dressing for yourself is the most important thing because you are never going to feel good, comfortable or like what you wear if you buy it just because you think that is what will make you cool.
Do you see fashion as an art form? Yes, fashion is definitely a form of art. Fashion is a way of displaying your creativity which is ultimately what art is meant to do.
When styling an outfit, what is the most important part of the ensemble? That’s hard. I would say jackets are the most important thing, each one is different. I have so many green jackets, because I went through this phase where everything had to be a green jacket, but I also love blazers and bomber jackets and leather jackets and jean jackets. So I think jackets would probably be the most important thing because they cover up everything and they look good with everything. Describe your style in 3 words. Inspired, because It’s inspired by my mom and a bunch of different styles. Unique, because I like combining different styles, and cheap because I don’t spend a lot of money on my clothes piece by piece.
“Fashion is definitely a form of art. Fashion is a way of displaying your creativity which is ultimately what art is meant to do.” Fashion
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e m m a
o t e r a
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Photos by Skijler Hutson Story by Sedona Vivirito
Emma Otera brings the style and coolness of Verona, Italy to the suburban streets of America. As she is living out her American dream, she brings along with her the importance and art of fashion from Italy. Her fusion of Italian and American fashion makes Emma a style icon on campus. Can you classify your style in a couple words? I don’t know how to classify my fashion because I don’t just go into one type of shop. I just buy whatever I think is my type. I like a lot of different styles.
As a fashion icon at West Ranch, what is your advice to other students that want to change their style? It depends on the person. If you are strong enough and don’t care about other people, just do it. The most part of the day people see you is at school. So if you want to dress different but you don’t feel comfortable dressing different at school then be different outside of school. Somethings I don’t feel comfortable wearing to school, so I wear them outside of school. I don’t care if other people see me because I don’t know them. You know, teenagers are mean so dress and wear what you think makes you feel comfortable and good. How do you get inspired? Traveling and seeing different types of people means a lot. Now I can tell my style has been changing since I’ve been here. I think that’s a big part of my style because the fashion here is different from the fashion in Verona so for me having both styles. It’s cool cause I think my own style comes from mixing different styles I see when I am traveling.
When did you start to express yourself through fashion? When I was younger I didn’t like fashion at all, but my mom really liked fashion so she brought me out shopping and everything. So at the beginning I was like wearing her clothes and [now] I just go and buy what I think would be cute for me.
Italy is one of the most respectable countries in the fashion world, does living there effect your style? Yeah, I think so. In Verona, where I live, I wear my mom’s clothes. She buys her clothes in our shops. She likes some good brands. In Italy, I live near Milan, the city of fashion, so she bought everything like that. She buys clothes for her and I use her clothes. I mean I feel like here [in America] the people are more casual, like jeans and a t-shirt or something. In Verona, everybody has to look perfect. There’s not competition but everybody looks so nice and so perfect. People try to dress up nice and everything. What is your go-to color palatte? Colors, ah. I really wear like a lot of black and I really like the color yellow or something blue. I wear plain clothes like black or white but I like to put color in it. So maybe like a big, red sweater with black clothes or jeans.
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“In Verona, everybody has to look perfect. There’s not competition but everybody looks so nice and so perfect.”
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daniel paik
Photos by Skijler Hutson & Angie Noblejas Story by Faith Myszkowski
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Daniel Paik sits center stage at a beautiful black piano with his eyes closed, so deeply in love with the music he is playing. The melody ends and the crowd cheers. The curtains close and he heads to the dressing room. As he makes his way there, he thinks of his successes and future at Berkeley School of Music in Boston. He puts on his faded slacks, oversized shirt, ripped vans and pink beanie. He leaves and heads over to an empty parking lot. He jumps on his board with jazz playing through his headphones. He lands a kickflip. He is the skating, edgy reincarnation of jazz. What do you play? I play jazz music, swing music, and community music. Music that makes people feel good.
Outside of other artists what inspires you to create music? I play music for sentimental reasons. Whenever I play or listen to jazz I become nostalgic about a time I wasn’t even born in.
How did u start out at music? Around kindergarten my mom made me play classical piano. I like classical piano but i didn’t really like taking lessons.
What instruments do you play? I play jazz piano and jazz vibraphone.
Is there a specific song you play that means a lot to you? I like the song “I Love You” by Cole Porter. It has a lot of interesting intervals. I really like the chords in that song.
What’s your favorite thing to play? I like ballads because it gives you a lot of time to think about what your playing and really take it in.
What advice would you give to beginners? Don’t lie to yourself. You know when you’re not practicing. Just know that when you’re not practicing there’s a cat that is. Somewhere on the planet there’s a cat your age that practicing and getting better than you”
How would you describe your sound? Very unpredictable. It’s very exhilarating and exhausting knowing you have control over someone’s emotions with what your playing. I’m still developing my sound but I’d describe it as a lot of tension and release.
What does music mean to you? Honestly, if jazz didn’t exist I wouldn’t be here right now without a doubt. There will never be another truth. Jazz is the only music that deserves to be called music. It is the purest form of music. So little is known about it. This beautiful thing called jazz is forever lost in time but I will carry on it’s beautiful legacy. Jazz truly means the world to me.
What do you see with music in your future? I picture myself at a jazz club with a bass player and a drummer and maybe a horn player in my combo. What’s your biggest dream with music? When I die and people hear my music, I want them to know it’s me without anyone telling them.
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“Honestly, if jazz didn’t exist I wouldn’t be here right now without a doubt. There will never be another truth. Jazz is the only music that deserves to be called music. It is the purest form of music.” 39
Suburbia
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Listen to this playlist on our spotify: @wrsuburbia 1) “The Kiss” by Gustav Klimpt ... “Green and Gold” by Lianne La Havas 2) “Fin d’Arabesque” by Edgar Degas ... “Bravado” by Lorde 3) “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Hokusai ... “La Mer” by Claude Debussy 4) “The Persistence in Memory” by Salvador Dali ... “In The Sea” by Froyo Ma 5) “The Scream” by Edvard Munch ... “Wishing Well” by Black Sabbath 6) “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper ... “Night Café” by OMD 7) “Drowning Girl”by Roy Lichtenstein ... “Kiss With a Fist” by Florence + The Machine 8) “The Blue Boy” by Thomas Gainsborough ... “Blue Velvet” by Lana Del Rey 9) “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugène Delacroix ... “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay 10) “The Flower Vendor” by Diego Rivera ... “Billions of Eyes” by Lady Lamb 11) “Wanderer above the Sea of Fog” by Caspar David Friedrich ... “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles 12) “The Japanese Footbridge” by Claude Monet ... “Vacation” by Florist 13) “Guernica” by Pablo Picasso ... “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley 14) “Girl with Pearl Earing” by Johannes Vermeer ... “Girl from Ipanema” by Astrud Gilberto
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Suburbia
Illustration by Kyra Gundred
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how to submit Submit to the West Ranch Literary Magazine! Our goal is to highlight the creative, talented minds within our school, and to do that, we need your work: It can range from a poetry assignment you worked hard on to fun videos you made with your friends when you were all bored. Every submission we receive is uploaded onto our website: www. wrsuburbia.com, and each year, we will select a handful of students to be featured on our literary magazine. There are two ways to submit:
1) Go to our website, click the Submit page, fill out the needed information, and then email us your pieces at wrsuburbia@ gmail.com
2) DM us your pieces through Instagram or Twitter (@ wrsuburbia) along with your name (if you prefer, you can say “anonymous�) and the title of your work. @wrsuburbia
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wrsuburbia.com