Warrior Life, Spring / Summer 2020

Warrior Life Oh Yes, She Can Woman, Welder and EC Warrior

INSIDE

WL

el camino college’s lifestyle magazine spring / summer 2020 issue

Global pandemic forces EMT into temporary shelter Instagram recipes to try while stuck at home

spring / summer 2020

HOW TO JOIN This is an entirely student-run production. El Camino College students who are interested in joining the team should enroll in Journalism 9, the magazine production class, for fall 2020. The magazine publishes annually and the staff next year will be working on the spring / summer 2021 issue.

Erika Leyva rests against a pink wall in a black and white floral skirt and corset designed by Cheryl Brewer.

She drew inspiration from a Barbie doll outfit and designed this look in class.

Warrior Life Spring / Summer 2019 Issue

About Warrior Life

Warrior Life is a general interest magazine that covers the culture around El Camino College. We aim to highlight the unique individuals that make up our diverse community.

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FOLLOW US:

Twitter & Instagram: @ecwarriorlife Facebook: www.facebook.com/ecwarriorlife You can also find us on eccunion.com Warrior Life

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Warrior Life Staff WRITERS

Anna Podshivalova Christian Moreno Daniel Pineda Gary Kohatsu Jaime Solis Keiji Shiraki Kevin Caparoso Lauren Hadnot Rachel Maldonado Roseana Martinez

DESIGNERS Anna Podshivalova Kevin Caparoso Rosemary Montalvo

PHOTOGRAPHERS Anna Podshivalova Cameron Klassen* Gary Kohatsu Heather Guzman* Jaime Solis Justin Traylor Rosemary Montalvo*

ILLUSTRATORS Kaylynn Myles Lauren Hadnot

ADVISER Stefanie Frith

Staff refers to students enrolled in the magazine production class for a full semester in either fall 2019 or spring 2020. Contributers marked with * are students who did not stay for a full semester or are from other journalism classes. Warrior Life is a student-run magazine. Every step of production was done by students. The two forms of consistent assistance over the years have been our printer, Weber Printing Company Inc. and our adviser, Stefanie Frith.

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Editorial Team

Kevin Caparoso, editor in chief [left], Rosemary Montalvo, photo editor, Roseana Martinez, assistant editor, Jaime Solis, assistant photo editor, and Justin Traylor, managing editor.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the editorial team held their weekly meetings virtually.

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Letter from the Editor

I

t’s a weird time to be writing this. This usually is done at the end of production–as my professor says–a way to wrap up and reflect on the entire experience. But here I am, typing this out while in the thick of things. We are a couple weeks away from deadline and creating a magazine while the entire world is in chaos has been a wild ride thus far.

But we thrive in chaos. We are college students. We are no stranger to adapting under pressure. We are accustomed to late-night study sessions, caffeine binges and getting stuff done. The curve-balls we encountered throughout this semester did not hinder our spirits at all.

Plenty of our writers were new to journalism when this all started. They were learning the basics–the 5 Ws and H–and they were ready to tackle the campus head-on. Any journalist will remember how nerve-racking it was to learn how to put yourself out there. Walking up to strangers– dropping into people’s offices unannounced–our new writers were ready for it all.

Then it happened. The novel coronavirus.

The outbreak forced our school, El Camino College, to shut down and life has not been the same since. Our new writers never got to experience those things I mentioned.

Instead they adapted.

Do you know how many people want to talk to journalists during a pandemic? Not many. Do you know how many people want to talk to student-journalists during a pandemic? Even fewer.

Some of our sources stopped returning our calls and some of our sources didn’t want to be photographed–can’t blame them.

Regardless, I believe that the stories in this issue capsulate the culture within EC. What I love about the community college experience is the diversity among students. We all took different paths and had different timelines but we all ended up on the same campus.

I am proud to be part of this college but I am even more proud to be part of Warrior Life and I want to give a special shout out to some people.

First I would like to thank Lauren Hadnot. I met Lauren last year when I dropped into her art class because I was looking for an illustrator. She did two illustrations for this magazine that semester and now she is officially part of the team.

I would like to thank Anna Podshivalova for being my assistant editor in fall 2019. Thank you for helping me set up the style guide and craft the aesthetic for the magazine.

And to my current editorial team, “The Vibe Squad,” it has been an incredible journey.

Jamie Solis, our assistant photo editor. I can’t thank you enough for being there during every studio photoshoot and providing your own personal lighting equipment. We couldn’t have done it without you and I’m confident you will be an excellent photo editor next semester if you decide to take the position on.

Justin Traylor. You are the man, our managing editor and former editor in chief of an award-winning Warrior Life issue. I remember when I was still writing for our newspaper, The Union and you were already preparing me for the task at hand. Every time you would speak about this publication there was always one word you would say that’s still ingrained in my head–”legacy.” Thank you for being part of the editorial team this semester and let’s keep the legacy going.

Rosemary Montalvo, our photo editor and MVP of this entire production. Your photography has helped set a new bar for Warrior Life.

You did an amazing job this semester. You seriously put in so much work and your commitment has been vital. Not only did you take almost every photo featured in this magazine but the fact that you commuted over 60 miles for each shoot is truly remarkable. From Riverside to Torrance–you are a boss.

Roseana Martinez, our current assistant editor and my journalism buddy for two years. Dude. It’s been two years. We joined EC’s journalism program at the same time and have been through it all. We both grew so much as reporters/editors and I’m so happy that you are part of this team.

There’s so much I can thank you for but what I want to thank you for the most is for being my friend.

To wrap it up I just want to say, the best part about this entire experience has been the friendships I’ve made along the way. Because I felt like school wasn’t for me at first. I did not go to college right away and I did not know what I wanted to do with my life. But all of that changed after I joined the journalism department. I’ve made lifelong connections in this program and I think it’s evident with this issue. Camaraderie excels and work comes easy when the vibes are right. And with that I say.

You know the vibes,

Kevin Caparoso

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CONTENTS Profiles

Columns

Helpful Homegirls 14

A fire made me realize how much money I’ve burnt 12

He Lives Remotely to Work The Front Lines 8

Design Your Path 21 An Artistic Approach 24 Becoming The Brow Witch LA 44

Thirty and still not an adult 11

One day I felt like running 20 Finding purpose beyond my father’s shame 22

Chasing the Slice 50

Counting down the days: My first existential crisis 48

Riding Out the Pandemic 56

How young love ages 54

From Barbies to Reality 60

How I got catfished on Tinder 58

Instagram Recipes To Try During Quarantine 28

COVID-19 Documenting the pandemic 36

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SHE CAN DO IT TOO

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EMT Jayden Martinez, 20, keeps a safe distance from his grandparents Loudres and Nelson Martinez. Jayden has moved into his family’s RV during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep his family safe from infection.

He Lives Remotely to Work the Front Lines Photos by Gary Kohatsu

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An EMT continues to work during the pandemic and after his shifts, he returns to an RV to protect his family from the novel coronavirus Story by Christian Moreno

H

e wakes up for a morning jog at 7 a.m. followed by his The Torrance Fire Department implemented “station isolation exercises. staffing,” meaning that nobody is allowed to work at any other station that Push-ups. Sit-ups. Dips. they aren’t assigned to. This was put into place to avoid COVID-19 from Before working out, he enjoys listening to David Goggin’s spreading to other stations, Miller says. videos, an ex-Navy SEAL and motivational speaker, who he says is the One of the Torrance Fire Department captains was exposed to toughest person around.

COVID-19 and later tested positive for the virus. He had to quarantine This is Jayden Martinez. for 26 days in his garage. He would eat dinner out in the yard with his Tall with broad shoulders, his athleticism came from competing in family at a safe distance to be with them, Miller says. wrestling when he was in high school and over time, he maintained the Jayden, 20, who lives and grew up in Torrance, recently acquired his same workouts.

EMT certification from El “I sometimes feel lazy to get up and Camino College in December run in the morning but when I hear 2019.

Goggin’s crazy 100 mile run with broken He graduated from North feet story, I do it,” Jayden says.

High School in Torrance He returns from his jog to a 30-footin 2018 and then followed long modern RV around 10 a.m., where his passion for wrestling at he goes into the refrigerator and makes Cerritos Community College himself breakfast. Eggs and toast. He as a kinesiology major. Once gets ready for work, wishing the water in his wrestling days were over the RV would warm up faster so he could he decided to attend ECC and take hotter showers in the morning. enroll in the EMT program.

Off to work.

“In high school, I was Jayden is an emergency medical indecisive in what I wanted technician for a private company called to major in, but I was always Ambulnz. Ambulnz is an ambulance and When Jayden Martinez is on duty, he wears a shirt, pants, a cap, strong in science classes, I knew EMT company that has various stations ID, boots, goggles and a stethascope.

I didn’t want to waste time and around southern California; Jayden’s got my EMT certification and specific location is located in Torrance where each shift involves a different I’m planning to go into the fire academy at El Camino,” Jayden says. vehicle and partner.

After Jayden acquired his certification, he works full time and also takes His brown RV, stocked with food, supplies and clothing, isn’t his classes at ECC to fulfill the requirements the fire academy needs. permanent residence, but for now it’s where he lives.

His first assignment: To work the frontlines and help people during a During this pandemic, Jayden must live there because of his worldwide pandemic. grandparents, great-grandma, and brother.

“I make $14.25 an hour and every call we get assigned to is an extra As an EMT, he deals with COVID-19 patients often, so he stays in the $5,” Jayden says. “It’s crazy to think that I just finished up my schooling RV to protect his family. Before the pandemic, his family would use the for this and now I’m working during this whole coronavirus problem, I’m RV for family vacations, but now his grandfather took it out of storage so kinda scared.”

Jayden could use it as a temporary home.

He normally gets calls to Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in Los The Torrance Fire Department Assistant Chief of Emergency Medical Angeles where he and his partner are tasked with driving COVID-19 Services Alec Miller says there have been circumstances in which personnel positive patients to a hotel called The Sherman Hotel, located in Sherman has had to live separated from family due to COVID-19.

Oaks. This 30-minute drive is to quarantine these patients for 14 days.

In addition to this, other safety measures have been put in place to prevent the spread within the fire department.

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“I’m very heartbroken to see my Jayden live in the RV by himself.”

- Lourdes Martinez, 65

Most of these patients are homeless, so LA County set up this hotel as His girlfriend Carol Higa sometimes comes by to drop off freshly made a quarantine center for the homeless once patients are healthy enough to baked goods. leave the hospital.

When Carol comes by to drop off the food she leaves it by the door and “We sometimes get calls to pick people up from tents and then bring briefly says hello from a distance. them to the MLK emergency room,” Jayden says, “Every day is different.”

“I try not to think about the situation too much, but it’s always in the Because the homeless population do not have a place to quarantine, back of your head, even on off days because you see COVID-19 every day these types of makeshift facilities are key to especially on the fifth floor at MLK,” Jayden help slow the spread. He says that sometimes says. “On my days when I am home my nana the homeless population suffers from mental brings me food from the house but it’s not the health problems that he refers to as a “5150 same, I want to go inside.” call” which is the California code for someone Family is very important and the pandemic who is a danger to themselves or others. is changing the regular ways they interact “There’s times where we have to go pick with each other daily. up someone who is a 5150 call and we “I’m very heartbroken to see my Jayden sometimes use restraints because while my live in the RV by himself,” says Lourdes job is to help them, many times they act in Martinez, 65 who is Jayden’s maternal a way which is impossible to help them,” grandmother. “With my mother also in the Jayden says. house, this is the only thing we can do at the Jayden says he’s been spit at multiple times moment.” by patients who are unstable and because Lourdes describes that it’s very out of the of the ongoing pandemic, the fear of ordinary to only be able to see Jayden in the contracting the virus grows each day. front yard where the RV is parked. Normally When the time comes to be in contact with the Martinez family eats dinner together but someone who is COVID-19 positive, Jayden with the pandemic, they can only see each puts on his medical protective gown, N95 other in brief moments. mask and goggles. In addition to this, he puts “My mother had a stroke not too long on a double layer of gloves so that when he’s ago and with the virus, we have to keep her done with the patient he can throw away the in good health to make sure nothing bad top layer and still have gloves underneath happens to her,” Lourdes says. “Jayden is ready to go. doing this for us “I haven’t been tested for the virus yet, but Jayden’s grandfather ordered a connection for me, it would be a waste of a test because for the RV that would allow him to connect someone else who needs it could actually use the water supply from the house to the RV’s it,” Jayden says. water tank so that he wouldn’t have to keep After work, his schedule goes from relaxing refilling it. This new connection would allow at home to going straight to bed. Because of Jayden to take longer and hotter showers Jayden Martinez shows a photo of girlfriend the virus, his routine has changed as well as and would also empty the dirty water tank Carol Higa. As an EMT worker, Jayden says he his lifestyle. into the sewage line, Lourdes says. takes precautions to not expose loved ones “For dinner, when I’m at work, I get take“For now it’s the only thing we could do, to possible infectious diseases. out and that’s what I really look forward he’s helping everyone,” Lourdes says. to during my shifts,” Jayden says. “When I Jayden is only one of the many people get home I take my clothes off and put it directly into the washer before working the frontlines of the pandemic. While work is only a fraction entering the RV, shower, and go straight to bed because I normally work of his day the job continues when it comes to protecting the loved ones overtime.” around him, even if that makes him move homes for a while.

On his off days, which is normally only once a week, he sets up a TV “I’m honestly waiting for this to be over,” Jayden says. “But my job and PlayStation to make time go by. He also goes grocery shopping to asked if I wanted to be relocated to New York temporarily so I might do stock up on what he’s going to make during the week. that.”

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Kaylynn Myles / Warrior Life

Thirty and still not an adult Story by Lauren Hadnot

T

hree new notifications: Nicole just got married.

Angie just bought a house.

Stephanie just started a new job.

My latest achievement? Finishing “The Stranger” on Netflix.

Sitting in my room, looking through my latest notifications on Facebook, I think about my life compared to my friends. How can it be we all took similar paths yet ended up in such different places?

I followed the steps I was told to do: graduate high school, attend El Camino College, transfer to UCLA and graduate. Seven years later and I’m back at EC, working part-time and living at home at the age of 30.

Hard to feel like an adult when I have to ask my parents to “borrow” money for gas or groceries–not even counting credit card payments and utilities.

It feels like without a full-time job it is impossible to save for an apartment, retirement, or pay back student loans.

Maintaining a social life has also been difficult. How can I hang out with friends or think about dating when I feel a pit in my stomach whenever I swipe my debit card or know I should be job hunting instead?

It is isolating to see others succeed with apparent ease while I get left behind.

It’s not fair to compare my life to my friends. It’s true we all followed the same steps in the beginning, but it’s the hundreds of choices we make in a day or a week that can lead us down different paths.

Unlike my friends, I decided not to go to grad school after receiving my bachelor’s degree in theater production. I thought that would be enough and a master’s was unnecessary.

Wrong.

After graduation, I realized I didn’t know how to find jobs in stage management, my focus at UCLA. I made some connections at school and did a few non-paying jobs, but didn’t have any luck trying to find a permanent position. I also spent more time working on art than finding a job.

After sitting on the fence for a couple of years after graduation, I decided that I would quit theater and focus on becoming an illustrator.

I know. The art field is not exactly a gold mine, but pursuing something I love will make me happy. Then I will be able to make money with freelance work.

After five years and many soul-draining jobs, I knew I had to go back to school and get a master’s in illustration. But I thought if I went back to school it would mean that I had failed.

All that time and money at UCLA wasted. I also didn’t think I would be able to afford a master’s degree or have time for school and work.

I felt anxious, frustrated and stuck in this jobless limbo. It wasn’t until a friend of mine, who was having similar struggles, told me he applied for the fall semester at El Camino College.

My friend never went to college and was able to make that leap at this point in his life.

It was at that moment I stopped thinking about my next step and took action.

Three semesters at El Camino and I am happy I did it. I see that this was the right time for me to come back. Unlike my first time as a student, I know what my goals are and what steps I need to reach them.

One New Notification: Lauren is making a fresh start.

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Lauren Hadnot / Special to Warrior Life

Lauren Hadnot / Warrior Life

A fire made me realize how much money I’ve burnt Story by Kevin Caparoso

T

he thick smell of smoke encapsulated my entire nose as I looked at my collection of personal belongings. There was no time for me to rationalize which of my endless amount of comic books, vinyl records, blu-ray movies and video games

to salvage.

What I once viewed as prized possessions now seemed like litter I accumulated—hoarded—scattered across my room. These objects were merely trivial and did not hold the significant value I thought they would when I first bought them.

The afternoon of August 1 was the day I came home to a burnt apartment unit and realized how much money I have wasted over the years.

My home was the victim of a structural fire and I had to swiftly recover what I deemed important because the space was no longer livable. My plethora of collectibles was the last thing on my mind.

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According to Mental Health America, a nonprofit organization based in Virginia, 5.8% of people in the U.S. will be prone to compulsive buying sometime during their life.

Compulsive buying disorder or shopping addiction was a problem I did not know I had. It took a tragedy to manifest this epiphany.

As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of pop culture, collecting physical media was a major hobby. Buying and owning a tangible representation of films and music I adored was important.

It is a great hobby but I took it too far. I bought movies that I only watched once, albums I would hardly revisit and video games I never finished.

According to Psychology Today, a New York based publication, compulsive buyers feel a “euphoric experience” when purchasing desirable items which can lead to an addictive habit.

The satisfaction came from purchasing these items rather than enjoying them. Every swipe of my debit card felt like an accomplishment.

“Reflecting on my past spending habits changed my perspective on budgeting and personal finance” Eventually I was able to save most of it but my collection still lost its personal value. I spent the following weeks selling a bulk of my unwanted items and learned that they lost their financial value as well.

Book-Off, a store that buys and sells physical media gave me about $70 for around 40 blu-ray movies I knew I wouldn’t watch again. Many of them were in collectible metal packaging that costed around $25 each.

While most of my compulsive shopping was spent on comics, I haven’t cut down my comic book collection just yet because it’s going to be a long task.

I tracked my comic book buying through an online database called CLZ Comics and my collection is currently at 909 single issues. At the time I am writing, comics usually go for $4 each, so I must have spent about $3,636 on them over the past five years.

That’s $3,636 spent on hundreds of comics I only read once.

That’s $3,636 spent on pages of paper held together by a couple of staples.

That’s $3,636 I will never get back.

Reflecting on my past spending habits changed my perspective on budgeting and personal finance.

I live more frugally now and only buy the things I need. If there is a big purchase that sparks my interest, I give myself at least a day to think about it. Most of the time I completely lose the desire to buy something after a few days.

I have replaced my compulsive buying with something else that makes me happier. It’s something that brings joy to my life and fills the void that shopping never could.

My disposable income now goes to experiences rather than things.

A lesson that came with perfect timing because I was able to enjoy nights out with friends before the pandemic put the world to a halt.

We dined at sushi restaurants, sang our hearts out at karaoke bars and occasionally went on weekend getaway trips.

Memories I cherish while I wait for the opportunity to them again.

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Helpful Home

China Oseguera [left], and Jazmin Anderson, created the nonprofit organization known as the Helpful Homegirls.

China and Jazmin organize several food drives throughout the year to help feed the homeless in their community.

l megirls Photos by Rosemary Montalvo

Two women run a nonprofit organization that helps minority groups and the rising homeless population in Los Angeles

Jazmin Anderson and China Oseguera discuss the route they will take to distribute care packages for the homeless of Downtown Los Angeles during their second annual sockdrive, Saturday, Dec 21.

Story by Roseana Martinez

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n the corner of 6th street and San Pedro in Downtown Los Angeles, a long table is set up in front of a white minivan that has bowls of soup and bags containing chips and burritos.

Two women wearing black long sleeve shirts with big pink glitter letters spelling “Helpful Homegirls” printed in the front are ready to hand out food to the public.

Tarps are lined up throughout the street, some blue, others grey.

Homeless people lay in small spaced abandoned doorways wrapped in blankets. Trash is stacked on the sidewalk and graffiti drawings cover the walls of most buildings. Clothes hang on handmade drying racks, while others have their personal belongings in grocery store carts.

A community known for its rising population of homeless people and low-income families walk from all sides of the street toward the direction of the food.

“Is this free food?” a man asks, with baggy, ripped clothes.

The women nod, smile widely, and politely say “Yes, it’s free. Here you go.”

As the man grabs his food, he thanks them three times and leaves smiling.

These are The Helpful Homegirls.

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Individually they were known as China Oseguera, 20, public health major at El Camino College and Jazmin Anderson, 21, biotechnology major at California State University of Northridge. But together they were known as The Helpful Homegirls, a nonprofit organization built to serve minority communities in Los Angeles as well as helping the rising homeless population.

In December of 2019, their last public event was held in Downtown L.A. where they fed over 300 homeless people and families with the help of Chipotle and Ultragalatik Catering, making it their biggest event yet.

They never imagined that to be their last event.

However, with no clear date on when COVID-19 will clear up, both China and Jazmin are doing their best to take care of the rising homeless population as well as those trying to make a living in low-income, minority communities.

Due to COVID-19, their events for the year are postponed yet they are still trying to help in any way they can.

“These are tough times for everyone, so we’ve been doing the best we can to still help out, even if it’s a small gesture, you know,” Jazmin says.

With China expecting her first child in September, she has been limited to going outside, but she still tries to share as much information about COVID-19 on her social media.

“A homegirl is someone you rely on.”

- China Oseguera, 20

Jazmin, however, has offered to help in any way she can. She offers “We wanted to make our organization feel more personal, so people free tutoring to students and spreads awareness about the virus to her can feel comfortable and come to us with anything,” China says. “We were community. born in this community, raised in this community so it is not easy going in “I know many students may be struggling with transitioning to online, and out, and like a homegirl is someone you rely on.” so I either travel to them or do video calls,” Jazmin says.

A minority community, known for drugs, gangs, crime, and cops.

Working in the Department of Public Health has helped Jazmin learn The idea that some people living there were drug dealers or gang about of free and affordable aid. Whether it’s leading people to other members overlooked the small businesses and working-class trying to resources or helping them fill out forms, they try to be available as much make a living in Los Angeles. as possible during difficult times like these.

Children play outside, elderly people walk together, hand in hand, as “We are not asking for donations at the moment, because we know it’s they smile at the children playing. A woman is seen walking down San a difficult time financially, so we are thinking of ways to hand out food,” Pedro Street and 97th greeting the neighbors with her grocery store cart China says. “We are still trying to see and plan with caution because we filled with tamales. know things are changing quickly and we have to be up to date on all the No cops, no crime, no drugs. laws and restrictions.”

Though from time to time it wasn’t unusual to see flashing red and blue Before COVID-19 hit, the original plan for The Helpful Homegirls was lights swirling around the neighborhoods, there was a sense of peace that to bring awareness of the rising homeless issue to schools. They not only roamed the streets of Los Angeles. Throughout the day people walked wanted to focus on the issue but also help low-income families and those in a hurry to catch the bus or cross the street before the light turned red. who are undocumented within their community. Over time their ideas Headphones on, backpacks on, people waited on the sidewalk for the bus. became bigger and one thing led to another, so they decided to reach a wider This was the community China and Jazmin grew up in. Though they audience through their Instagram account called TheHelpfulHomegirls. moved throughout these areas, their single mothers tried to find better With 197 Instagram followers, they have received funding and opportunities for them. donations from friends, family, and businesses to buy resources for those in need.

“We try to find as much help and funding as possible, so Chiptole has been one of our biggest donors,” Jazmin says.

“It’s a great feeling knowing that you are helping out within your community, even if it’s something small or big and we are grateful for any donation we get.”

All the funding they receive goes towards buying clothes, socks, shirts, towels, blankets, etc.

They pass them out throughout Downtown L.A. but they currently can’t because of COVID-19.

“We save most funding for future events, like our Annual Sock Drive, where we pass out socks and food,” China says. “But we also spend that on stuff we could hand out to people for free like small care packages.”

Their overall goal for their Friends and volunteers of the Helpful Homegirls distribute plates of food and beverages to the organization? To help those who homeless in Downtown L.A. on Saturday, Dec. 21. need it; specifically minority groups and homeless people in the city of Los Angeles.

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China leads the group of volunteers–each carrying care packages for the homeless–down a street in Downtown L.A., Sat. Dec. 21.

Growing up in minority families also set them to become mentors and leaders for their organization, especially when some of their own family, like China’s brother, struggle with being homeless. With hopes of one day reuniting, China wishes her brother would show up to a Helpful Homegirls event.

Though they only shared the same dad, she says she was very close to her brother growing up, however, she lost communication with him due to drugs.

“I can say a moment I’ve repeatedly thought about is my brother, because right now somewhere out there he is doing drugs,” China says.

“He’s homeless and we don’t know where he is.”

Losing her brother helped her realize that being homeless could happen to anyone, regardless of their lifestyle.

“We don’t know what type of life they live or have lived, and a lot of people get into an unfortunate situation or are born in unfortunate situations, so it’s sad,” China says.

China was born and raised in Paramount but moved around a lot throughout her childhood. She now resides in South Central Los Angeles.

Her wide smile presents her outgoing personality as her laugh makes others around her laugh.

Her wavy hair is noticed because of her hot pink tips and is emphasized in a half-up, half-down hairdo. Around her neck is a gold necklace with her name, China, on it. She wears that necklace every day.

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China was raised in a Honduran and Black family by a single mother, but never lost contact with her father as he always lived nearby.

Though her dad was still around during her childhood, it wasn’t long until he got deported back to Honduras. She then realized the real struggles minority people lived through, especially those living in immigrant families.

“In comparison to some of my peers, like I can’t even imagine what some of them were going through and still having to come to school,” China says. “I guess that’s what kind of shaped me but ever since I was young, probably like around eight or nine I always knew I wanted to help people from minority families.”

Her motivation in creating The Helpful Homegirls not only came from her dad, but it was also for her brother, knowing that he was out there in need of help.

A friend, sister, and business partner.

Jazmin grew up in Los Angeles and still resides there. Slightly taller than China, at 5’7, her hair is long and straight to where it meets her waist. Her personality is subtle, calm, and professional.

She grew up in a single-mother household in Los Angeles. Having little to no communication with her dad, she was raised by a household of women which included her aunt, sister, and mom.

“Growing up I’ve seen my mom struggle,” Jazmin says. “I’ve seen how my family is always there trying to help each other and support each other in any way they can.”

“I love being a Helpful Homegirl because everything we do and stand for is done from the heart.”

- Jazmin Anderson, 21

Witnessing this helped Jazmin serve around her community.

“I have always found ways to be helpful, but during high school is when I found my passion for helping, like babysitting,” Jazmin says. “I enjoy doing things for others because I’ve experienced it first hand where I would see my mom not having enough money for some things, but somehow she made it work.”

n Both China and Jazmin are proud of being raised in “the hood.” Their struggles and personal challenges, before they met, led them to create The Helpful Homegirls.

They met in August of 2014, where they both attended the same school, King Drew Magnet High School, and decided to join their leadership program.

Most of their time was spent planning for school events and ways to help their community. Then they realized they wanted to do more than help in their school. They wanted to help within their community.

This was the beginning of a friendship.

“My high school shaped our vision for The Helpful Homegirls,” China says. “At King-Drew, they gave us great opportunities to go out and see other communities, and I would realize like now I see why people say minorities are held back.”

High school friend Jai’Myah Henderson, 20, philosophy major, met China and Jazmin during their high school leadership program. Seven years later, Jai’Myah has seen the growth in both of them through The Helpful Homegirls.

“They have become strong leaders and I see them really tapping into their passion for helping people,” Jai’Myah says in a phone interview.

“The effort that they put into their projects just shows their commitment to the community and their gift of encouraging people to join them in making a difference.”

A year after graduating high school on October 22, 2018, Jazmin and China became business partners as they set out to create The Helpful Homegirls. With six years of friendship, they have successfully been running the organization for two years now. The effort both Jazmin and

China put into their projects can be “overwhelming, but fun” China says.

Communication is key.

“We always try and communicate when sharing ideas,” Jazmin says.

“We both can be creative so we like to get all ideas out there to see what to work with and what ideas we can save for later.”

Valencia Ross, 42, is an eligibility worker in Los Angeles. As China’s mother, she has seen first-hand the challenges that both Jazmin and China have faced in the last two years to create their organization. She has also seen the friendship and partnership that has been created through the organization.

“I’ve known Jazmin for about six years, but I always say she is like my daughter that I’ve adopted,” Valencia says during a phone interview. “I was excited for them when I found out about The Helpful Homegirls because they are young and doing something positive for the community.”

Though Valencia has not been able to attend one of their events, she does donate and supports with what she can whether it’s socks, clothes, or food.

She knows and trusts Jazmin and China are doing their best work.

“China has always been very mature for her age and she always took that initiative to go that extra mile for people,” Valencia says. “She’s always been outspoken ever since age two and an all-around go-getter; and Jazmin is a motivator, ambitious, and very helpful. I’ve seen her growth and excels at whatever she’s doing.”

Throughout today’s COVID-19 pandemic, Jazmin and China continue to strive to help homeless and minority groups.

“It’s truly devastating seeing people struggle during these times,” China says. “I am so ready to go back out there and help because life feels more fulfilling and this has given me more confidence in my community.”

It has made them realize their true path in life is to help others, Jazmin says.

“I love being a Helpful Homegirl because everything we do and stand for is done from the heart and in the best interest of supporting our community in any way that we can,” Jazmin says.

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Lauren Hadnot / Warrior Life

One day I felt like running Story by Christian Moreno

M

y cousins visited my house and rested their arms on my shoulder, hinting to me that I’m small for my age compared to them.

At every holiday when my family gets together I would hear the typical Hispanic saying “¿Y si come?, se ve muy flaquito,” which means “Does he eat? He looks very thin.”

I have two siblings, a sister and an older brother named Javier. We are 10 years apart and our structural builds are very different.

When my brother Javier was born he was 10 pounds, I was born 5 pounds. In addition to this I was not only this small as an infant but throughout childhood.

The doctor would show my parents how I wasn’t in the growth percentile where I should be. As a child hearing this felt normal because I have heard it so many times, I somewhat accepted it. I became numb to it.

Javier was a prodigy in soccer throughout high school and college, so my parents signed me up every year up until the age of 12 when I quit.

Quitting made me find my true self and created new friendships with kids that had the same interests as me. I felt as if I was living in his shadows and my parents wanted to match his childhood with mine.

Being smaller than the other kids made me feel less powerful and I felt that people didn’t take me seriously. I didn’t have the best coordination, or the best swing, kick or jump and would get pummeled around in contact sports.

One day Mrs. Loften, my physical education teacher at Magruder Middle School, announced to the class that she and another teacher would be holding a running club after school.

The following week I decided to join the club and it’s where I found my love for long-distance running.

I wasn’t planning to take it seriously and joined out of boredom.

The goal of this club was to train year long to build endurance so we’d be in shape to run from school to the beach–about 4 miles.

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When it finally came along I finished the run and thought to myself, “I wonder if I could do it faster.”

When I reached high school I joined the track team at North High School in Torrance. I specifically joined sprints because I didn’t know distance events existed. I was getting pummeled in sprints but I could outrun the seniors on their “long-run”.

I was introduced me to the distance coach and that very first track meet I won my first track race against Beverly Hills High School.

I was no longer a hobby jogger, I wanted to win.

On the line at the races all the other kids had the same build as me, I finally found a sport where I felt at home.

We were lean, mean running machines.

I became addicted to the thrill running would give me and there was only one other freshman who could beat me, Dawit Abebe. To this day he’s still my best friend. We both went through high school training hard and eventually went on to win several cross country meets as a team.

When the start gun would go off at meets I could feel the adrenaline going through me–smelling the scent of the blank bullet and the hot rubber track.

When graduation came along I was sad that the sport I loved and worked on so hard was going to end. The team had a bond that created lifelong friendships.

Out of high school I didn’t have a major locked down so I decided to attend El Camino where I joined the cross country and track team.

This sport allowed me to regain my confidence and compete at the collegiate level.

Without running I don’t know where I would be academically or athletically, but give me a pair of split shorts, singlet, track spikes and I look and feel powerful.

Running gives me the drive to move on in life, step by step.

Design

Your Path Art major manages freelance businesses while staying optimistic during pandemic Story by Lauren Hadnot

B

elieve. Faith. Love.

Bold, white letters stand out against a dark wood panel.

These words define the way 24-year-old Aisja Robinson, graphic design major, lives her life. Confident in her purpose on this Earth and faith in God’s plans for her, Aisja is pursuing her dream of being a professional graphic designer.

Currently self-isolating in her home in Compton with her mother, stepfather and younger sister, due to the coronavirus, Aisja follows a daily routine to keep herself focused on her business and creative goals.

Out of bed by 8 a.m, Aisja skims through YouTube videos while enjoying a veggie omelette with a side of fruit and a cup of green tea, a must have in the morning. She then goes to her room to begin her work day. Sitting at her desk, Aisja pushes her long dark braids away from her face, causing her gold hoop earrings to bounce against her cheek. Her pink acrylic nails slide across the mouse pad of her PC as she works on her latest commission.

Though the Covid-19 pandemic cost Aisja her sales associate job at Nordstrom Rack in Redondo Beach, her freelance graphic design business, iAm Creates, keeps her busy designing logos, business cards and marketing videos for small businesses. Aisja is also using her time at home to begin launching her second business, A. Monet Designs, which specializes in designing graphic T-shirts.

Aisja Robinson, 24, enjoys a hot drink while reviewing her different design sketches.

Photo courtesy of Aisja Robinson One of Aisja’s goals for A. Monet Designs is to open an online store and expand it in the next two to three years into a boutique.

Though a career in the arts makes some parents nervous, Aisja’s mother, known as C Key, is happy her daughter has found something she loves.

“It brings me great joy to see her excitement and watch her flourish,” C Key says.

Simple beauty, enhanced with bright pastel colors, play a large part in Aisja’s work. She uses the graphic design program, Canva, to create a colorful aesthetic that will clearly convey her artistic vision. Aisja’s artistic style clearly reflects the light and joy she emits in her personal life.

Starting off designing logos for her mother’s jewelry business, C Key Beauty, Aisja was able to expand her skill set and grow creatively. Though she enjoyed the creative side, it wasn’t until her uncle, Russell Robinson, a professional graphic designer, saw her working on a book cover for her pastor that he encouraged her to design professionally.

Balancing school and two budding businesses is not easy, but Aisja’s optimistic and cheerful personality keeps her going and shines through for others to see. Joyce Dallal, digital arts fundamental professor at El Camino College, recalls Aisja as “bright, lovely, and fun,” when she was in her Tuesday and Thursday morning classes.

Though Aisja has no problem promoting herself, the guarantee of paid work is a familiar struggle for many artists.

“I worry about students being exploited...by clients who are trying to get professional level work for little money,” Dallal says.

Finding clients willing to pay what the artist is worth is a common problem many artists face. According to the entrepreneurial website, Business 2 Community, beginning designers can charge anywhere between $65 and $150 per hour. But faced with clients who repeatedly ask for professional work for little to no money, Aisja has had to lower her rates well below minimum wage standards, sometimes to a flat fee of $50, just to get many of her jobs.

Now that she has gained more confidence as a professional designer Aisja is firm in her prices. People need to “understand the value of people’s art,” Aisja says.

While, at the moment, it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel for many people, Aisja’s passion for what she does shines through in her life and her work. Seeing the creative potential in everyone, Aisja hopes to encourage others to share their gifts with the world.

“God gave you a gift. Don’t sit on it,” Aisja says.

Aisja’s movie poster for Joyce Dallal’s Art 141 Digital Art Fundamentals class.

Photo courtesy of Aisja Robinson

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Lauren Hadnot / Special to Warrior Life

Finding purpose

Lauren Hadnot / Warrior Life

beyond my father’s shame Story by Rachel Maldonado

J

et black hair and a dark olive complexion representing Puerto Rico in New Jersey. That was my dad.

He gave me one gift. Life.

I look exactly like him.

My mom would say otherwise. “All you get from your dumb father is your butt and hips. He’s just a sperm donor.”

Sperm donor, I thought. I liked it.

I remember dragging my seven-year-old body into McDonald’s once or twice every weekend after the divorce. It set the tone for my dad publicly addressing me, his daughter, as “fat” or “gordita.”

My mom used to tell me about the rolling of the “r” sound in his native tongue when he spoke. The words had a purpose, just as much as they did when he was delivering them with correct pronunciation, but words become repetitive. The “r” sounds became more and more familiar.

I was getting used to my newly defined body description. Speaking in Spanish, my aunts would turn their “gordita” bodies away from me and mock my fat and cellulite. Little did they know, I knew all along. The shame. The guilt. All of it.

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“I didn’t deserve it,” I hope every nine-year-old would say. But, little did my dad know his shame to his only daughter would haunt me forever.

California became my escape route after my mom remarried.

As a 14-year-old, I was enlightened to know I escaped my dad’s wrath, but he influenced others— my two older brothers. In times of struggle and anger, my brothers would lash out. “You’re fat,” they would tell me. It became a strategic move in a game. They each took their turn and I lost. I questioned if my dad had “won the game of life.”

My brothers eventually grew up and so did I. Altogether, we realized our dad lost the desire to love his children. We all began a journey to separate ourselves from our dad and eventually reunite with one another over time.

Eleven years ago, at 14-years-old, I stopped talking to my dad.

Eleven years ago I also knocked on my neighbor’s door to have a playdate with my friend. My neighbor answered the door and gave me a flier. I left that day with a flier that changed my life.

Riverdance, I thought. No, Irish dancing.

The flyer listed one free Irish dance class. My friend and I took the class, but shortly after she quit. Great.

One free class turned into an investment of more.

The small dance studio echoed with taps and accordion-like tunes.

Each dance move I saw was so intricate and precise. Dancers of a large array of body types moved across the floor in seconds— light as a feather.

Tall. Curvy. Muscular. Short. Petite.

Each dancer had a unique mold that remained untouched and equal.

A mold that I can fit into, I thought. I began to cry.

I had found a purpose through Irish dancing.

My mom didn’t believe I would be standing after the first class. She said in between uncontrollable laughter that I am “the biggest klutz she ever knew.” Fact. I did fall a lot, but through dance, I became fixated on the intricacy of pushing beyond the weight of my past.

My weight.

Four days a week. Eight and a half hours of dance instruction. I tied my leather-bound shoes to each practice. One pair of shoes allowed me to dance similar to a ballerina. The other pair gave me the power of two dancers: a ballerina and a tap dancer.

Both shoes were driven to a top speed of complexity completed at the

level of an Olympic sprinter. I felt each weightless movement fit delicately into the accordion-like tunes.

Once completed, I found the end of the rainbow. The rainbow did not end with a pot of gold, according to my dance teachers. It was when I was on the dance floor holding onto the back of my foot in pain or when I completed the dance with a smile. Everything was done for a purpose.

Irish dancing continued to redefine my interpretation of childhood dreams and aspirations that I thought were lost in translation.

I no longer dragged my lead body carrying the weight of my past.

Twenty pounds lighter, I have competed as far as Australia in a $2,000 hand-stitched dress.

The Irish dance community has welcomed me with open arms, all the while I had thought my dad had still won the competition over my life.

Each body type was equal and well presented physically through hard work.

I won three championships to enter into the highest level of Irish dancing. After that, I competed at the North American Nationals in Vancouver, Canada. Through pain and tears, I still retained a spot at the top of my regional competition.

Traditional Irish tunes filled the voids in my life. Dancing became the words and disassembled the heavyweight of my past.

Rachel Maldonado wears a dress designed by I.D. Costumes, based in Los Angeles. She competed in the North American Irish Dance Championships in Vancouver, Canada on July 1, 2019. Photo courtesty of Michael Prine

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Thea Rosemary, a 21-year-old studio art major at El Camino College performs a poetry set at Coffee Cartel in Redondo Beach, on Tuesday, March 3. She read original poems covering different aspects of her life that include past relationships and being a writer.

An Artistic

Approach Her hope is to inspire people, it brightens her day to see an artist begin to believe in themself and pursue what they love

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Story by Anna Podshivalova Photos by Rosemary Montalvo and Anna Podshivalova

S

he tucks a lock of hair behind her ears while sitting at a pink vintage table in her bedroom. The walls are decorated with little collections of pictures that inspire her. Posters from the ‘70s and old postcards from Scotland creates the atmosphere. The leaves of plants provide some comfort as the sun shines on them through the window.

Bending over her small black notebook, El Camino College student Thea Rosemary, 21, a studio art major and writer, slowly writes word by word. She periodically stops and looks thoughtfully at the sketches with random women’s faces glued to the front door of her room. She is writing a poem for her class about the vain conversations she hears in Los Angeles in a metaphoric sense.

Thus art is born.

Thea wants to surround herself by the arts and bring new ideas to people. Thea’s goal is to become a novelist. Writing has helped Thea through tough times with mental health, and she hopes that her own work will help people in similar situations.

She hopes that she will show people the way literature can help them create a safe haven. Thea wants to inspire them to pursue what they love because being happy is the ultimate reward of life, she says.

She was an imaginative child, she grew up with her parents and older brother and sister.

A love for writing came to Thea when she was 15-year-old. Her older sister Bobbi Haas left a fantasy book called “Next Full Moon” by Carolyn Turgeon in her bedroom that made Thea start thinking that literature could be an interesting thing. Bobbi has always enjoyed reading and the magic of getting lost in another world through the books she reads.

“I knew if [Thea] connected [with] the right book she would love it,” Bobbi says. “I kept encouraging different reads, but she wasn’t connecting with anything. I was reading in her room and just left it [the book] on her table.”

After Thea read that book, she wanted to dive deeper in the literature world and found another fantasy book which catered to her creativity.

The fantasy book was a novel from the “Divergent” series, a story about a post-apocalyptic world where people are divided into sectors to survive.

The main character is the cliche shy girl who comes out of her “shell” and goes against the government because of the strict rules that they created to control everyone. There is a love story born between characters who battle.

Thea watched the “Divergent” movie first and then read the novel. She enjoyed the book more than the movie and was surprised that the book was more in-depth. It was the moment she fell in love with literature.

She stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing the entire book in one day. The next morning she asked her mother Sandy Barbour to buy other books in the Divergent trilogy. She finished all three books in three days.

That story was a rush of emotions and euphoria for Thea and showed her the magic of words.

“That’s when I knew I wanted to take my imagination and turn it into something to help other people feel that way,” Thea says. “Even if you’re feeling sad emotions, it’s always so good to feel.”

After that Thea wrote her first book called “The Brave One,” a story about a girl who is a superhero. She sent the full manuscript to an agent who used to be an editor for world-famous publisher HarperCollins. She said the agent sent her an email that they read it but they wouldn’t publish it.

The publishing industry is difficult for young writers who want to publish their work. Jonathan Sperling, Advanced Placement Literature professor in the Torrance Unified School District’s High School and AP Literature professor at El Camino College, says that the easiest way for writers is to self-publish. Especially poetry, because it is a personal thing where most readers may not understand the writer. His students publish novels through a subsidiary of Amazon which is a practical venue for them to get their words published.

However, the agents dismiss only strengthened Thea’s self-confidence.

She is proud of her first book, despite the fact it was never published.

Working on this novel helped her cope with difficult times.

There are anxiety disorders that run in Thea’s family. Thea herself dealt her battle with anxiety and depression. Writing gave her an opportunity to view things from varying perspectives as a sort of therapy. Characters from her book helped her escape from reality during that time.

Thea wrote two more books after “The Brave One” and she continues to work on the fourth between semesters at ECC. Since Thea prefers to read different types of books, she came to the conclusion that she also wants to write about different things in her life, so she combines different variations of genres in her writing.

The art piece “A half of a rid cage with flower buds and honeycomb dripping”

by Thea Rosemary was drawn for her poetry midterm exam in fall 2019.

Redondo Poets hosts a weekly open mic every Tuesday at Coffee Cartel in Redondo Beach, California. On March 3, Thea Rosemary was the featured artist and read a 20 minute poetry set.

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The sun and the moon depicted in Thea Rosemary’s art piece “The idea that darkness and light go hand in hand.”

Thea Rosemary thinks that random things that come across in her life can be useful in her writing. “It’s about having a sharp eye for the mundane and finding inspiration out of everyday things,” she says.

Thea wants to encourage artists in the club to work more on their “When I write, I almost feel like I’m in the head of my characters,” individual projects as poetry, digital works, designs or personal zines.

Thea says. “It’s a very special thing because it helped me transform into a When Thea became president, Izzy Leslie, the club’s creative director person I’m more proud to be.” says the club became more organized. The club now has more members Her passion for writing led Thea to join El Camino College’s Zine Club and more activities. in spring 2019 and it helps her find motivation to create things and be “She’s a big inspiration to all of us,” Leslie says. around other creative people.

“It’s very understandable why she’s the president.

The Zine Club allows students to come together and We’re already way ahead than we were in last year’s work on different projects, such as creating magazines club.” or mini zines, drawings and do custom designs for After Thea discovered zines, she got more into clothing. graphic design and illustration.

Over the summer, Thea published her own zine She used to do graphic design at her previous job through Mixam printing company based in Buffalo at “Best Swimwear,” a little boutique in Hermosa Grove, Illinois. She sold 30 copies of her zine online Beach. Thea was an intern for her sister while on the artists and designers selling platform gumroad Bobbi was on maternity leave. website for $10 each. It is designed for artists who want Her job was to do email marketing and website to self-publish and takes 10 cents out of each sale. content. Thea worked for three months and fell The Zine Club helped Thea to “find a home on in love with this kind of job because it helped her campus.” Everyone in the club is a talented and think about being an illustrator in the future. positive influence. That positivity showed her a way to Thea wants to focus more on her creative writing keep working and realize that writing and artwork are and studio art classes after the end of the Winter what she wants to do in her life. session when she will be done with her general Thea did design work for the Zine Club and education classes for associate degree (AA). She also attended every meeting. During fall 2019, she became decided to strive toward receiving two AA’s - one in the president.

English for her writing, and the other in Studio Art Club member Bri Mai is glad Thea is now in charge. The art piece “Sip of Magic“ by by fall 2021.

They met as club members in the spring 2019 semester. Thea Rosemary that means “drink She dreams about transferring to Otis College of “She is a very goal-oriented and very hardworking up the galaxy.”

Art and Design in San Francisco, where she wants [girl], she cares for the club,” Bri says. “As the club to pursue graphic design and creative writing. president, she is always on top of it.”

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Thea’s room is also full of many antiques such as small mirrors, jugs, figurines, pillows and more.

Thea also loves collecting vintage items. The Beatles, Queen, Love and many other records and cassettes are piled on a chest of drawers near Thea’s bed. She likes its charm and history.

Collecting vintage things is special because it’s keeping something someone had so long ago, she said. It makes her feel as though those people are still alive and speaking to her, spreading their stories and wisdom and acting as inspiration.

Thea describes herself as an “old lady-like soul,” and says that she has “the heart of Peter Pan.” She is very protective of the people who are close to her, just like Peter Pan does. At the front of her bed, she hung a poster on the door of Peter Pan, with a bunch of old letters and cards that she has.

She loves to be youthful and thinks that it is so important to stay young at heart and to have a youthful love for life. She is interested in fashion and music from the 1970s, a time when the hippie culture was at the peak of popularity and a time when peace and love were preached.

Thea thinks that the process of writing is an individual thing. She found out that listening to music creates a “symphony of ideas and sensory of objectives,” for her.

She writes every day. Between the notes on her phone and a little black book that she carries everywhere, she also has many works stored on her computer. She tries to write something every day, even if it’s just a word, Thea says.

Between her work at the club and at EC, Thea found a part-time job in September in a small coffee shop called “Hi-Fi Espresso” in Hermosa Beach.

That work helps inspire her for future stories because most of the customers share their stories with her.

Thea thinks that random things that come across her life can be useful in her writing. She tries to find interesting elements of everyday life that can become a story. For example, there is a man who Thea Rosemary often sees around her house. He just sits at the end of the street and has a puppet with a megaphone. One day she took a picture of him just in case she incorporates him into one of her stories.

In November 2019, she decided to change her name from her legal name Taylor Barbour to Thea Rosemary. She has come into her own as an artist and individual and wants to bring more of her heart and soul to her identity.

Thea feels close to her mom and sister and their Lebanese roots. She wants to bring old names of their heritage back to the present. The name Thea means the name of the goddess of light, mother of Sun, Moon and dawn. Rosemary is the name after close and distant relatives and a combination of the Marie and Rose names of her family. Thea was always told by people that she is a lover and everything that she does comes from and ends in love.

Her family was hesitant about Thea’s name change. It’s a strange thing to do and seemed like a sharp decision to her parents, she says. This new name has brought Thea closer to her identity. She says that her parents still call her Taylor which she is ok with. Her parents have accepted and supported her decision.

“It seems I’m always changing into something new,” Thea says. “But my soul will forever remain the same–I’m just now embracing pieces of me I was afraid to.”

“On that door are a bunch of old letters and cards I found, and in the center is Peter Pan because I love this character so much,” Thea Rosemary says. She thinks she has “the heart of Peter Pan” because she is very protective of the people who are close to her.

Thea Rosemary has 10 tattoos. A lot of them represent the stories and characters she created. She plans to get more in future and wants to sketch for her own future tattoos.

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Instagram Recipes To Try During Quarantine Story and Photos by Rachel Maldonado

The morning commute to El Camino College is no more and 7:45 a.m. classes have ceased.

Alarms are still set for an early wake-up call, but now I find myself relentlessly scrolling on my iPhone in bed searching for Instagram worthy recipes.

Tap bookmark.

Saved.

Plant-based recipes.

Here are some recipes I have found during quarantine that are quick and easy.

One Pan Spaghetti

By Instagram account “veganisfood” 271k followers

All-in-one pan dinner by Ferdinand Beck of “veganisfood” makes after dinner clean up a breeze.

It is like your “Mom’s spaghetti,” but better with a homemade pasta sauce and your favorite vegetables.

INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the uncooked spaghetti in a baking dish, large enough to fit the spaghetti. Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, seasonings and herbs. Use your hands or a pair of tongs to toss and evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, water tomato sauces on top of the spaghetti and toss it again using the tongs to evenly coat the spaghetti with sauce and vegetables.

Sprinkle dairy-free cheese on top to cover the spaghetti.

Bake uncovered in the oven for about 45-55 minutes or until the top is browned and bubbly.

Remove from the oven and garnish with basil and vegan cheese or more nutritional yeast.

Cut into squares to serve.

INGREDIENTS One pack (500g) of whole grain spaghetti 2 tbsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 tbsp seasoning (I used oregano) 1 tbsp dried herbs (I used dried basil) 1 package of diced tomato half package of tomato sauce 1 zucchini 1 head of broccoli 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 3 cups of water

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Dalgona Coffee

By Instagram Account “sovegan” 312k followers

From TikTok fad to a viral sensation on all media platforms, South Korea’s “dalgona” or “whipped coffee” is essentially an upside-down cappuccino.

Instagram account “sovegan” with 312k followers shows viewers how easy and affordable this viral drink truly is.

INSTRUCTIONS Add instant coffee, sugar, vanilla extract and hot water to a mixing bowl using an electric handheld mixer for 2-3 minutes or until the liquid thickens.

Once you’ve made your frothy top for your Dalgona coffee, fill a glass about 2/3 with milk and a few ice cubes. *A regular whisk can be used, but be prepared for 10 minutes of whisking.

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp instant coffee (I used freeze dried instant coffee, but any instant coffee will work) 2tbsp granulated sugar (Alternative sweeteners do work - I used monk fruit sweetener- but make sure the sweetener is not too fine as it will not create the “whip.”)

2 tbsp hot water (I have used both hot and cold water, but hot works best.)

1tsp vanilla extract (I omit this because of the sweetness of the sugar, but if you are not a fan of some “bitterness” try using the extract.)

Oat Milk (any milk will do, but my favorite is unsweetened almond milk for a little nutty flavor.)

Ice Cubes

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

By Instagram account “plantyou” 270k followers

Carleigh Bodrug of Instagram account “plantyou” takes a not-so-average spin on breakfast, turning what is usually a dessert, into a quick and wholesome meal.

This recipe is pantry friendly and also a nice addition to any mid-morning study break.

INSTRUCTIONS

INGREDIENTS 2 ½ cups rolled oats 1 ¼ cups pureed pumpkin ½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup maple syrup ½ teaspoon cinnamon ½ cup chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Form the mixture into 10 cookies onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. * The cookies can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days and reheated for about 15-20 seconds.

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SHE CAN DO IT TOO Photos by Rosemary Montalvo and Justin Traylor

Sparks fly as 24-year-old welding student, Samantha Schreider molds two metal pieces together using a technique called shielded metal arc welding. This form of welding compared to variations like tungsten arc welding is the “messiest” because it results in a surplus of embers that requires adequate protection–like the yellow cow-hide jacket Samantha wears.

Within El Camino College’s welding program, a 24-year-old student and mother aspires for a career in a male-dominated field Story by Kevin Caparoso

S

he spends her nights crouched inside an industrial looking booth, draped by yellow vinyl see-through curtains. Inside the booth is a small table on which a constructed hollow metal cube sits.

With steady hands protected by thick padded gloves that are a little too big for her, she carefully positions the torch she is holding towards the cube. And like magic, a bright ball of light manifests between the tip of the torch and the corner of the cube. The intensity of the light pulses as she controls it with a foot pedal underneath the table–illuminating the entire booth.

After a few seconds, the light diminishes. Samantha lifts the black helmet she is wearing which looks like it came out of a 70’s science fiction movie. She has olive skin with a petite oval face that tilts downward to examine her work–inching closer to the cube. Her downturned almondshaped eyes squint as she gathers her thoughts.

“It’s not hot enough,” she says.

The Center For Applied Technology, a building in the north-east side of El Camino College, somewhat secluded from campus, is where you can find Samantha Schreider. When the 24-year-old student is not with her family, she spends her time there–working toward a certificate of achievement in welding. She lives at Carson, California with her husband Cory Schreider who she married in 2016. After being certified, she hopes to become a diesel mechanic in the longshore industry in order to provide for their one-year-old daughter.

Welding was not something Samantha initially wanted to do. Like many young adults, she was unsure of what to do with her life after finishing high school. She did not attend college right away because she didn’t see the point of going while being uncertain of her major.

Her parents are seperated and at the time she was living with her father.

Her father and step-mother were supportive of her decision not to go college.

So she spent three years working at Target until the feeling of stagnancy weighed her down. Being in a retail job during the holiday season depressed her and she did not want to get stuck.

Then she tried different occupations. She worked as a job-coach, helping adults with disabilities succeed in a work environment for ICAN, a non-profit organization based at Hermosa Beach. After that she worked in a daycare for Hope Chapel, located in the same neighborhood as ICAN. Between those jobs, Ruth Valdez, her 42-year-old mother living in Long Beach, encouraged Samantha to find a career to stick with. Ruth has always been blunt with her. She had Samantha when she was 18 and pushed her daughter to strive for a better life.

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Ruth says she was a strict parent and maybe a little overprotective because she didn’t want Samantha “having a hard time in the long run.”

Ruth worked in the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports since 2004 and proposed to Samantha the idea of becoming a longshore worker and mechanic. She advised her to look into getting a certificate in welding.

According to EC’s institutional research and planning webpage, the college has given out 15 certificates in welding from the years 2017 to 2018. That is triple the amount that was given from 2014 to 2015, which was four.

“There are a lot of welding jobs in that industry[longshore] and so getting a certificate... is certainly going to help her get her foot in the door,” Executive Director of the American Welding Society Foundation, Monica Pfarr says.

Samantha was curious so she scoured the internet for welding content.

She watched videos, went on Pinterest and looked up the hashtag “girlwelder” on Instagram. Her gears started turning when she saw women working in a field dominated by men.

Monica says that for the past eight years, the U.S. welding workforce has been composed of 5% women.

Samantha was intimidated and nervous, but she knew she had to “make a move.”

6 Samantha was still working for ICAN when she enrolled at EC during the summer of 2017. She took her first welding course, Introduction to Shielded Metal Arc Welding with professor Dylan Meek. In the beginning she felt lost. The lectures were dense and flew over her head. The first time she entered a booth which the classroom was filled with, she didn’t know what to do. The booths in the classroom are where the students weld and each one houses the equipment necessary to do so. A booth which is now a second home to her, was foreign land at the time. She stared at the machine that powered the torch–confused. She felt like she “was being fed to the lions.”

Samantha felt scared but wanted to challenge herself. She was determined to feel the pride of accomplishment. So she went for it. She carefully observed her classmates and learned by example. At home she asked Cory for advice because he works in construction and had background knowledge. Then she made friends in class and they “popped” into each other’s booths frequently for help.

Renee Newell, welding professor at El Camino College [left] and Samantha Schreider at “the yard,” an outdoor space at The Center For Applied Technology on campus, Monday, Oct. 28, 2019.

“You can have both.

You can have a skirt in the welding world.”

- Samantha Schreider, 24

Samantha never got discouraged. The days she struggled in only fueled her ambition.

Samantha says Dylan is a straight forward professor and she did not want to let him down. When one of her classmates didn’t show up one semester out of frustration from not making progress, Dylan “saw it coming.”

“I don’t want him to see that in me,” Samantha says. “I want him to know I mean it.”

Although welding was new to her, some things came naturally. When welders mold pieces together, the torch and the metal being welded form a bright arc that shouldn’t be looked at directly. This is why welders wear a helmet equipped with a lens shade dark enough to protect their eyes. When learning how to weld, it can be difficult for students to see the molten puddle of metal they are altering through this lens. But for Samantha, it came as “second nature.”

“She sees the puddle like immediately and so it becomes very easy to her,” Renee Newell, welding professor at EC says.

Samantha first got a glimpse of Renee during that semester in 2017.

Renee walked into her class wearing a skirt, boots and striped socks. She immediately grabbed Samantha’s attention because she didn’t look like a traditional welder. Samantha loved that Renee was confident about expressing herself and femininity in their field.

“You could have both,” Samantha says. “You can have a skirt in the welding world.”

Renee had a “look” and she was “serving it.” Samantha too likes to express her personality through her welding wardrobe. One outfit she wears consists of a mustard yellow long sleeve shirt, black Dickies overalls, Vans sneakers and socks that have a green alien print design. However, she only wears Vans when she knows a class session won’t require boots.

But what really revved Samantha’s engine was having a female welding instructor at EC. It excited her to be able to learn through a woman’s perspective.

“I wanted to experience class through her eyes,” Samantha says.

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“I’m going to be a grandma?”

- Ruth Valdez, 42

She received a distasteful joke from a man she occasionally interacted with during class.

The man walked into her booth and asked her if she was Mexican–like him. She confirmed that she was, so he followed up by asking her if she spoke Spanish. After admitting she was not fluent but could understand the language, the man proceeded to ask “te pegan?”

In English, it translates to “they hit you?”

It was the man’s way of expressing interest in Samantha. The man laughed, thinking he delivered a light-hearted joke but she did not find humor in the expression.

“In my head, I’m breaking it down to–that’s your way of asking do I have a man at home that beats me?” Samantha says. “That is how you ask me if I have a significant other?”

Samantha gave the man a disgusted look. She retorted by letting him know she did not appreciate his words and revealed her married status.

The man awkwardly left the booth after realizing what happened.

Later into the semester the man apologized to Samantha and they have not talked since.

“Women in the field have to have a little thicker skin, little things can’t bother you, off-color jokes can’t bother you,” Renee says. “You have to be better because you are being judged.”

6

Samantha Schreider, 24, [right] with her mother, Ruth Valdez, 42, and her 1-year-old daughter, Emma Schreider, at Shoreline Park in Long Beach, California.

Monica says she’s noticed a rising female population studying welding in the schools she’s visited. She expects it to continue growing but believes some women may be skeptical to pursue the field due to misconceptions of an unclean work environment and getting “picked on” by male coworkers.

Monica says the women working in welding she has met can attest against it, but for Samantha, that is not entirely the case.

Samantha gets along with her male classmates, but once had an offputting experience with one of them.

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By the time she completed her first semester at EC, Samantha was already eager for the next one. What she did not know, however, was that she wouldn’t return to school until a year later.

A week before the fall semester started in 2017, Samantha started to feel so sick that she called off work from ICAN. Over the phone, Ruth advised Samantha to go to urgent care to benefit from the health insurance she was under. Cory was at his construction job so Samantha drove herself over to Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center at Harbor City.

She told the doctor her symptoms and after a couple of tests, the doctor revealed she had a stomach flu. Then the doctor asked if she was aware of her pregnancy. Samantha was two weeks pregnant. It took her by surprise and she couldn’t believe it. She asked if the doctor was joking and once the reality of her situation sank in, she asked for a moment to be alone.

Then Samantha called Ruth. She was nervous to tell Ruth the news but she looked to her mother for guidance. When Ruth answered the phone, Samantha immediately began crying.

“I’m going to be a grandma?” Ruth asked.

She kept crying. She expected Ruth to scold her because she was not done with school. Samantha was aware of the sacrifices her mother made for her and she thought she would be disappointed. However, Ruth assured Samantha that everything would be ok and that she could still finish getting her certificate.

“I’ll babysit,” Ruth said.

Ruth Valdez, 42, [middle] says that although welding is a "man's world,” she knows that her daughter Samantha Schreider [right] is more than capable because "her heart is going to be in it."

Samantha still wanted to attend EC while being pregnant. She emailed Renee, who she was already registered to take a class with, about her situation. She asked Renee if it was possible to still take the course. Renee advised against it and told her to prioritize having a healthy baby first, then return.

Samantha kept track of the calendar and the closer she got to her pregnancy due date, the more she questioned if she could actually return to EC. Although she had people who could babysit for her, she wanted to be there for her child. She didn’t want balancing school and work to interfere with spending quality time with her future daughter.

During her pregnancy, Samantha transitioned from her job at ICAN to working at Hope Chapel and she was with them until maternity leave.

Cory supported Samantha so she didn’t need to go back to work. They wanted Samantha to return after she gave birth but she refused.

“Already going back to school is time away from her and I want her to know me,” Samantha says.

On June 19, 2018, Samantha gave birth to Emma Schreider at Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center. She returned to EC during the fall of that year.

6 Samantha inspects the silver twiggy rod-like object that is holstered inside the tip of her torch. After removing her well-worn oversized gloves, she pulls the piece out. She has a slightly frustrated look on her face.

“I’m going to need another one,” she says.

She exits the booth through the yellow translucent vinyl curtains.

Finding herself inside a factory-like classroom, she walks past similar booths–each one containing other students welding away.

Leaving her classroom, she struts through the Center For Applied Technology corridor before arriving at a counter. The counter is accompanied by a spacious large window.

The woman behind the desk has pale skin and vibrant blue hair.

Samantha lifts the rod to eye level–showing it to her and asks for the proper name of the item.

It’s a tungsten. Samantha has a cheery look on her face. She finds absolute joy in everything she is learning.

Samantha has found a deep passion for welding. It amazes her to watch someone manipulate something as solid as metal. When she sees the sparks flash across the windows of her classroom while walking toward it–her heart skips.

When Samantha is at school, she gives it her all. Since studying welding takes time away from being with her daughter, she wants to feel good about the effort she puts in. She doesn’t have time to “mess around.”

However, the certificate she is earning isn’t only for her family. It’s also for herself. She would be heartbroken if she spent her life not going after anything. Graduating high school was not the only thing she wanted under her belt.

“I never get tired of saying ‘Im going to school for welding,’” Samantha says. “Right away I feel proud.”

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COVID-19 Documenting the pandemic

The I-110 freeway has significantly lighter traffic going both southbound and northbound at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13 because of Los Angeles’ ongoing stay-at-home order due to COVID-19. Jamie Solis / Warrior Life

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Photos by Rosemary Montalvo, Jaime Solis, Cameron Klassen and Heather Guzman Story by Rosemary Montalvo

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic first reached the U.S. mid January of 2020. Because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, several countries like China and Italy went on a strict lockdown to help reduce the spread of the deadly virus. U.S. states soon followed with their own individual stay-at-home orders.

Before the quarantine order in California was put into place at the end of March, Universities and colleges around the state transitioned classes to an online platform and closed their campuses.

El Camino College was one of them. Originally EC’s campus was only supposed to be closed through spring break, but updates from college officials quickly informed students that classes would remain online and campus would stay closed for the remainder of the Spring 2020 semester and through the summer term.

The closure of the college put a halt to the work being produced by us, the Warrior Life staff. The stay at home order prevented us from covering campus life and current events and forced us to broaden our coverage to our own neighborhoods; from Marina Del Rey to Riverside.

We’re living through something none of us were ever prepared for, but instead of being idle, we decided to do what we do best and get out there and document it–safely, of course.

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Heather Guzman / Warrior Life

ABOVE: A healthcare worker stands at a drivethru COVID-19 testing site at Alondra Park in Lawndale, on Friday, April 10. The county of Los Angeles has set up 25 drive-thru test-sites in an effort to track and contain the virus.

RIGHT: Signage outside of Costco in Marina Del Rey provides information about which products are in stock and which products are out of stock, Tuesday, April 7. Lots of sanitary products were out of stock in many stores because of COVID-19.

Cameron Klassen / Warrior Life

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LEFT: A man wearing a painter’s mask looks at bananas at a Costco in Marina Del Rey on Sunday, March 22. Los Angeles County made it a requirement for employees and patrons to wear masks in public areas on Wednesday, April 15.

BOTTOM: Keith Terry, [right], tends to a customer looking to buy hand sanitizer from his Corona Virus supplies stand, Wednesday, May 13. Keith intends on keeping his stand up until the end of the quarantine in order to provide the community with essentials to protect against the virus.

Cameron Klassen / Warrior Life

Rosemary Montalvo / Warrior Life

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A man on a bicycle and a child on a Hoverboard cruise by the So Cal Gas Tank Farm in Playa Del Rey, on Sunday, April 12.

Governor Gavin Newsom ordered California beaches to be closed on May 1 in an effort to lessen the spread of COVID-19.

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Cameron Klassen / Warrior Life

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Jaime Solis / Warrior Life

ABOVE: Two masked men walk past each other at the South Bay Petro gas station on Manchester Ave. on Monday, May 1.

Mini marts attached to gas stations have stayed relevant by offsetting lines at grocery stores with the convenience for basic wants throughout the pandemic.

RIGHT: A home-printed sign with specials is displayed on the window of Jame Enoteca, a restaurant in El Segundo, on Friday, May 1. As the COVID-19 lockdown took over, small businesses had to get creative with advertising in an effort to stay afloat.

Cameron Klassen / Warrior Life

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Jaime Solis / Warrior Life ABOVE: Masked Chase Bank patrons line up outside of the bank, as they wait for their turn to enter, Saturday, May 16.

Lines running outside of an establishment have become a common sight during the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to enforce the social distancing rule and keep employees and the public safe.

LEFT: Luis, an eletoro/street corn vendor, fills a cup with fruit as he continues to make his weekend route through a neighborhood in Riverside during the stayat-home order. “It’s actually going very well. Since more people are home, I sell more,” Luis said.

Rosemary Montalvo / Warrior Life

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Becoming

Nina Rojas poses with an instrument called the Venus, a wireless pen from Elle Marie Co. that she uses to tattoo her clients’ eyebrows–a technique known as microblading.

The Brow Witch LA Photos by Rosemary Montalvo and Cameron Klassen

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She’s a magician with brows, meet the Instagram based beauty entrepreneur Story by Kevin Caparoso

T

he tacos were ready to be served.

Clack, clack, clack.

Although the food was already prepared, she needed to rush back into her room. They couldn’t begin until she was wearing her fanciest clothes.

Her mom is waiting.

The dress she puts on is white and lacy on top while the bottom half is black. The dress is a-cut, meaning the skirt portion is wider than the fitted top–a little puffy but not too much. Her frilly socks are ruffled and she is wearing the best pair of shoes she owns.

Clack, clack, clack.

Her pink clear-plastic Barbie high heels strut across the wooden floor.

Clack, clack, clack.

Now they can finally eat.

As a child Nina Rojas would tell her mom to pause serving dinner because she needed to get changed first. She liked to dress up for the meal.

Nina would throw on one of her dresses usually saved for bigger family occasions, comb her hair and put on a headband. On her feet she often wore a peculiar set of toy Barbie shoes.

“They used to have Barbie slip-on shoes for little girls and she used to wear them around the house all the time,” her mother Guadalupe Cardenas, 43, from Hawthorne says. “Her ‘fancy shoes’ she would call them.”

Nina runs a beauty business on Instagram called The Brow Witch LA. It’s a page she uses to book and advertise her many services which include brow threading, microblading, brow tints, lash lifts and more. The 22-yearold lives at Hawthorne with her boyfriend Angelo Fransico, 23, but she takes her appointments in a spare room–converted into a workspace–at her parents’ house. Nina also goes to El Camino College and is pursuing an esthetician certificate–a program she waited a long time to open.

A wait that has just been prolonged.

Nina was only four weeks into the esthetician program when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) hit the world. EC’s initial reaction was to move in-person lecture classes online while keeping certain lab classes open.

But according to a letter from EC President Dena Maloney on the college’s COVID-19 Task Force webpage, on-campus lab and activity courses “that could not be converted to an online format” would be canceled for the rest of the spring semester.

Nina says the program tried to function by moving lectures online, but since lab time was crucial her classes were canceled.

“It just wouldn’t have worked,” Nina says.

The esthetician program takes only two semesters to complete and consists of 600 hours of total lab time–300 per semester. After clocking in 600 hours the students can then take the Esthetician State Board Exam at a California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology test center–the closest to Nina being in Glendale.

Nina envisioned that she would have finished the program and attained her esthetician license by the end of 2020–a plan foiled by the uncertainty of the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Yeah it’s tough, oh my gosh I’ve been waiting so long to find like a [esthetician] program, I was really really excited,” Nina says. “Then all of this happens so it’s kind of on hold for now.”

The esthetician program is a subsection of EC’s Cosmetology Department. While cosmetology is a broad study that pertains to hair, nails and skin, the esthetician program specifically focuses on just skin.

Nina chose esthetics over cosmetology because when it comes to beauty, working on her own makeup always came more naturally than doing her hair. She says when she wants to try a new makeup look, she just finds one on YouTube and it’s easy for her to learn.

“Nina has always been very stylish, she’s always been one to kind of explore different looks,” Clara Ortega, 22-year-old, Inglewood says.

Clara met Nina in 10th grade at Da Vinci Design High School, a charter school located at Hawthorne when they attended but is now at El Segundo.

Clara says that in high school, Nina dyed her hair multiple colors from red to a natural brown. She had long hair and sometimes she would have bangs and sometimes she wouldn’t. She got a septum piercing which was a “big thing of her look” along with her makeup–cat-eye eyeliner.

“That was her thing in high school,” Clara says. “That was her signature look.”

Ever since Nina was a child, she prioritized the way she presented herself. Although she no longer puts on “fancy shoes” or wears an elegant dress for dinner, her aesthetic has evolved.

“Now she is not as fancy as she used to be when she was little,” Guadalupe says. “But you can definitely see that she is unique in her own way–she has her own little style going on.”

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So Nina looked into microblading which is essentially tattooing tiny hair strokes in sparse areas of the eyebrows to make them look thicker.

She says to perform the service you only need a certificate and it doesn’t require having an esthetician license.

It was a way for her to find out if she would really enjoy the beauty business.

Through an advertisement on Instagram, Nina found the Pretty Woman School, located at Beverly Hills. According to the Pretty Woman School website, they offer classes on “permanent makeup” which includes microblading. Although Nina was reluctant about having to commute to a beauty school, she says the course only took three days to complete so it was worth it. She took two classes, one for microblading and another for brow laminations and lash lifts.

“I just thought that would be a nice way to get my foot in the door and see if it was something I liked,” Nina says. “Just a way for me to start building clientele.”

After receiving the certificate, she created the Nina Rojas workspace, located in her parent’s home in Hawthorne is decorated Instagram account for The Brow Witch LA in with candles and crystals–items that cater to her spirituality. “I just found that it’s April of 2019. really helpful for myself in terms of healing and like feeling better about myself,” Nina says people are a little skeptical about Nina says. getting their eyebrows microbladed because it is more permanent–lasting about one to two years.

So she provides other services as well. One of Nina’s style is eccentric and modern. She has multiple piercings which them is eyebrow threading which is more popular with her clients. It was include thin large hoops on both earlobes, another hoop in her septum and a stud on her medusa–the space between the nose and above the lips. something she already knew how to do. But she incorporated the things Her skin is a canvas for 34 tattoos across her body. Her collection she learned from Pretty Woman–how to properly shape the eyebrows and include: spider-webs on each elbow, a sword on her left forearm and one how to map the eyebrows for specific face types–to give her clients a more unique experience. of Frida Kahlo as a sugar skull on her right shoulder.

“To kind of just differentiate myself from other threading salons,” Nina Nina says she didn’t really map out the placement of the tattoos on her body. She just started getting them every time she thought of an idea and says.

Nina says she could’ve just made a conventional website but she felt she then started filling the spaces in between.

Her first tattoo is a small heart placed on her left rib cage. Inside the could reach more people on Instagram. It’s where she followed beauty heart is the roman numeral 14 (XIV). It matches one her cousin Valeria influencers and where she found the person who does her nails.

“I kind of just took that idea and just ran with that,” Nina says. “Just Rojas, 23, got with her. The tattoo symbolizes their birthdays–Valeria’s is because social media is really really influential now.”

Oct. 14 and Nina’s is Nov. 14.

On Instagram Nina has over 500 followers and over 100 posts It was actually Valeria who gave Nina the idea of becoming an documenting her sessions. esthetician. Nina was taking psychology courses at EC at the time and told Nina still remembers her first appointment. It lasted for about an hour Valeria that she was not enjoying it.

Valeria was working as a receptionist for European Wax Center and to and was the longest session she has ever done. She was nervous but it be a waxer at Valeria’s job, all you needed was the license. From there you helped her realize that it was exactly what she wanted to do. Now her would be able to build your own clientele and essentially work for yourself. sessions last for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Appointments are done in a spare room at her parent’s house. The Nina liked the flexibility and the idea of becoming her own boss. So she began looking for beauty schools. They were all far away and pricey but room used to be her brother’s but he transferred to a bigger bedroom, one a friend told her that EC would be starting their own esthetician program that Nina and her sister used to share before they individually moved out.

Nina says that although she operates in her parent’s home, they are under their Cosmetology Department. very flexible with her. She just lets them know ahead of time whenever she has an appointment, needs to clean the space or needs to spend time practicing there. Sometimes she has sessions that go on until late at night but her parents don’t mind.

“They love it actually,” Nina says. “It doesn’t really feel like work for me, Before Nina started the now canceled esthetician program, she wanted because you know, I’m in a space where I’m comfortable.” to start branding herself already. She was brewing the idea for The Brow

'

Witch LA but didn’t want to start her career without credibility.

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Guadalupe says that Nina’s business doesn’t interfere with the household at all.

Nina even has a set of keys to the house if no one is home. Guadalupe just wants to help her daughter. The two haven’t formally talked about it but Guadalupe knows that Nina would like to rent a studio of her own one day–outside her parents’ house.

Nina says before she redesigned the space, it was a “complete boy room.” The walls were blue and it was covered in sports decorations–stickers of soccer balls on the walls. She took a couple of clients while the room looked like that but decided to put on hold for a couple weeks to restyle it.

“Just to make it more personal for me,” Nina says. “Make it like a space that represents myself.”

She wanted it to look more professional so she painted the walls white. There was an open closet that she covered with a curtain.

And then she bought new furniture and placed a ring light next to a vanity that sits on top of a white elegant desk. The ring light shines toward the centerpiece of the room–a massage table where she takes all her clients on.

Guadalupe says she helped “spruce up” the room by decorating it with little “trinkets.”

She would occasionally pick up crystals for Nina who recently started collecting them and would put it in the room for her.

The crystals along with various candles and essential oils represent the spirituality Nina got from her mother.

“That’s just my personal belief and I guess I just passed that down to my kids,” Guadalupe says, referring to Nina.

Guadalupe says she always believed in the power that crystals, incense and essential oils had to bring calmness and “energy changes.”

She believes the essential oils give Nina’s workspace a more “spa-like feeling.”

Guadalupe has always been more into spirituality rather than religion; a feature of herself that she sees reflected onto her daughter. She says she can’t really “put it into Nina Rojas holds a piece of Palo Santo wood in her left hand, that she uses for words” but she always sensed a sort of healing spiritual cleansing. In the other hand are the crystals jade, clear quartz and purple attribute within Nina. amethyst.

Guadalupe says Nina never fought with her siblings. When Guadalupe was pregnant with Nina’s younger sister Sebelle Rojas, Nina would Those who get their eyebrows done by Nina not only recieve an sing to Guadalupe’s belly. She cared about her siblings and was always aesthetic lift, but they leave her sessions with invigorated spirits as well. affectionate with them–a natural healer.

“I’m changing your look to something that makes you feel good,” Nina Nina designed her workspace to be a “personal healing place” for her customers. She wants her customers to feel at peace when they come for says. “I’m a magician, I’m making magic with your brows.”

She truly is The Brow Witch LA. their appointments. The crystals and candles provide a sacred environment for every session.

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Lauren Hadnot / Special to Warrior Life Lauren Hadnot / Warrior Life

Counting down the days: My first existential crisis Story By Daniel Pineda

T

wo years ago, I turned 18. My uncles and I had come back from a snowboarding trip. My entire family at my house for a massive party; my parents, sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, the list goes on. We all spent the night having a good time, watching TV, eating food and cake, opening presents (well, watching me open presents). It was just a regular birthday.

By midnight, the party was over. My extended family had gone home and my parents and sister were all going to bed. I was the last one to go to sleep. Or at least, try to go to sleep.

I just couldn’t help thinking about how I was now an adult. I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe I’m now 18-years-old. This is awesome.”

And again.

And again.

And again…

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That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Oh god… I’m now 18.”

At the time, I had no idea what an existential crisis was. But I most certainly didn’t forget how it felt.

My heart felt so heavy as it began to beat at a much faster pace. So much so that I thought it would just stop completely if I stopped breathing. My body laid still, while my hands clung to the sheets. I stared into the dark of night, questioning what would become of me.

Until that day, I never thought much about age or mortality. I was always too focused on family, school and other personal matters to worry about anything else. Even at some of the funerals I’ve attended, the idea of one day dying was still foreign. But that painful realization was suddenly crashing down on me.

I felt so many emotions that night. I was scared about what I should be doing next. Scared for when I would die. Scared for how I would die.

“What will happen after my death?”

That last thought was the most popular because it wouldn’t be the last time I thought about it.

Every now and then, over the course of several months, I would have many more. My mind would play an uncountable amount of possibilities on how I’d kick the bucket.

A sudden heart attack. Suddenly stop breathing. Getting hit by a car.

Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. With loved ones at my death bed. Or my personal favorite, dying alone in an empty hospital room.

But what I think was the most stressful part of these existential crises, are what I would call my “final questions.” The ones that never fail to flood my brain.

“Will I have done all that I wanted in this life?” “What will I leave behind? And to whom?” “Will I have any regrets?” “What will dying feel like?”

But none of them, not one, has shaken me to my core quite like the question: “What will happen after my death?”

I can’t express the amount of fear those six words, alone, can do to a person; especially one who’s going from being a kid to a full-fledged adult.

Two years have passed since then. I’m now 20 years old and attending El Camino College. I still experience these crises but on rare occasions.

This is probably due to me maturing more within those two years and becoming more accepting of the inevitable.

Still...

I think the inevitability of death is also the reason why I want to be finished with school as soon as possible, so that I can accomplish some of the life goals I’ve yet to complete.

Things like publishing my own series of novels, becoming a professional artist, buying a house and starting a family.

But the most important of all, leave something worth leaving behind.

If I can do just that, then hopefully all my concerns will finally go away.

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Bob Gilewski [middle], flanked by workers Lidia Ortega [left] and Josue Aquino, poses with a large pepperoni pizza from the oven.

The New York style pepperoni pizza is one of many classics on GiGi’s menu and is freshly prepared each day.

Chasing the Slice

When a business across from El Camino College was on the brink of shutting down, a neighboring businessman made sure to get a piece of the pie Photos by Gary Kohatsu and Rachel Maldonado Story by Rachel Maldonado

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A

man carries a tray of bottled Cokes from the storage unit in the neighboring business complex to his building storefront.

He crosses the parking lot with authority, his steps long and even.

His eatery is embellished with accent colors of red, white and green, the color palette of the Italian flag. The business, almost 60 years old, stretches out to 300-square-feet in length onto Crenshaw Boulevard, where cars chase each other north and south.

An array of benches and cement dining tables are nestled underneath vibrant red umbrellas on the patio. Spring flowers bloom from small, green shrubs that enclose the business.

The man opens up the door to his eatery to drop off the soda. He steps back out to observe his business. In front of his Italian flagged quarter, a sign beams with the company name: GiGi’s Pizza.

This mom-and-pop shop sits in the middle of the block, across from El Camino College.

Today, GiGi’s is positioned among popular chain franchises: Taco Bell. McDonald’s. Starbucks. Del Taco. Domino’s Pizza. KFC. And now Chick-Fil-A. However, only GiGi’s can deliver a unique offering, New York-style pizza by the owner Robert “Bob” Gilewski.

“A slice of normal life.”

- Bob Gilewski, 58

Bob refers to his pizzeria as his “California Dream.”

He puts his menu, business sharp work ethic and GiGi’s rich history and charm up against the big-timers six days a week. Besides GiGi’s classic, thin-crusted pizza, it offers torpedo sandwiches, pasta, antipasto salads and Sicilianstyle pizza.

The Sicilain crust begins to rise on top of the 500 degree oven in a square sheet pan, while a thin-crust pizza is tossed, receives its layers of toppings and is put into the oven.

“A slice of normal life,” Bob says.

Bob, 58, is a small business and franchise owner in the South Bay who continues to carry family tradition and food to the highest standards. He towers above Gigi’s Pizza has stood at this location, 16006 Crenshaw Blvd., since it opened as an Orange Julius in his employees in height with the 1960s. With few physical alterations, the storefront remains close to its original design. maturing ash grey hair and youthful work attire that includes a simple tuck of his red Dr. Pepper shirt into his light washed jeans.

“Surf. Sun. Sand,” Bob says.

His employees race back and forth in the tiny framework of the pizza Born in Canada, Bob envisioned a new reality during his childhood stand with bright red aprons. Sprinkling the finishing layer of vegetables through the sound of the 1960s band The Beach Boys courtesy of his or cutting the sandwich precisely on paper, they are his extended family. older brother. The Hawthorne natives’ classic hits “Get Around” and Bob has held a spot in the college area for 28 years as the owner of “Surfin’ USA” resonated with Bob as each band member sang of a Subway and now GiGi’s for 5 years serving students, faculty and customers tropical paradise. alike.

The warmth of the sun. The consistent wave swells. California.

Customers from as far as Newport Beach and Los Angeles will travel to “I gotta find a new place where the kids are hip,” The Beach Boys sang have a slice of New York’s finest pizza in the South Bay. in their song “Get Around.”

Students cross the busy intersection of Crenshaw and Manhattan Beach Bob “got around” to Toronto University and remained optimistic Boulevard to enjoy a quick pizza slice in-between classes. about the possibility of living in California. He was a full-time student The “good feelings” and “good times” Bob has made as an owner of balancing a major in nutritional science and a minor in physiology, all the Subway and GiGi’s Pizza on Crenshaw Boulevard makes him feel like one while running a furniture moving business with his longtime friend Mark of the locals.

Springett.

Until now.

Bob graduated from Toronto University in 1985 with a bachelor’s The uncertainty of global pandemic COVID-19 has closed down degree in nutritional science and a business built from the bottom up. The all “non-essential” businesses while GiGi’s continues to remain open as shuffling of furniture back and forth became a tall tale of success. Mark “essential”. and Bob together took out a $5,000 small business loan tailored to students “Across from the college, we exist to serve the college community,” says and the business exploded into a new stage of interest.

Bob. Bob and Mark continued to create stability within their moving Bob takes the “unpredictable and difficult” nature of the novel company and sold their business. coronavirus “day by day” and presses forward with his family, employees “If I start something, I just wanna finish it,” Bob says. “I took the leap.” and returning customers.

His leap of faith offered a wavelength of possibilities.

He can’t stop smiling and remains present and hopeful while drifting Once the business moved furniture to the next destination, so did Bob. back into his California dream.

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Gigi’s owner, Bob Gilewski, explains the process of preparing Scilian pizza dough for some orders.

A mural of a pizza maker adorns a patio wall in Gigi’s serving area.

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In 1991, Bob followed Mark and his family to California to chase a new set of business adventures and his childhood dream.

Redondo Beach.

Only 12 miles away from The Beach Boy’s hometown in Hawthorne.

Bob made sure he knew the locality of his new home by his own book research of the South Bay. He first lived in a small bedroom for rent in a family home and continued to work as a doorman to make sure “every nickel” was used toward purchasing a new business.

Walks along the Redondo Beach Pier were done during his past time, but Bob didn’t sit still.

Bob worked around the clock to invest in a company that would fulfill his dreams to start a family and migrate permanently to the South Bay. In 1992, Bob became a local in the South Bay by joining a trade agreement (Investor Visa) between the United States and Canada, which allows equal access within the United States in order to partake in business ownership.

His first business? Subway across from El Camino College.

This franchise ownership helped Bob build a deeper understanding of what being a business owner in the South Bay community truly means.

“It takes a lot of hard work and some luck,” Bob says. “ [You] apply and use a bit of common sense.”

One Subway turned into two; and, in 2015, Bob took another leap, shifting his attention to an ownership position at a restaurant that has been running since 1964.

The small stand started with early franchise roots of Dairy Queen’s “Orange Julius” and followed thereafter independent ownerships.

Orange Julius. Perry’s Pizza. Bonello’s Pizza.

Bob’s knowledge of the historical timeline of blooming business ventures called out to him.

The architecture of the eatery made Bob reminisce on the “simpler times” of America’s historical past of food and small businesses.

Meanwhile, previous owner Benedetto Bonello of Bonello’s Pizza panned out Italian family traditions for 34 years.

From Sicily, to New York, and to his final stop in California, “Mr. Bonello” served El Camino College and the surrounding beach cities.

Bob and Benedetto “Mr. Bonello,” became extended business neighbors when Bob became the owner of Subway. After sharing local business together for 25 years, Mr. Bonello told Bob one day that he planned on retiring.

Bonello’s Pizza was in the market to be politely snatched by local corporate competition.

Starbucks, one of the biggest corporate competitors in the food industry, was a contender for a local spot because of its smaller size.

However, Starbucks opened a location a block south, previously occupied by Wienerschnitzel.

Bob enjoyed the idea of running a “family business, nonfranchise” restaurant, but he wanted to ensure himself from a business and personal aspect that the decision was sound.

The camaraderie between Bob and Benedetto created a transition to keep the Italian family heritage alive, including some new and familiar additions into the employed family Mr. Bonello created.

Bob jumped ships in 2015 to balance both franchises and now being an independent owner of GiGi’s Pizza.

“Mr. Bonello got it right,” Bob says.“It has always been my favorite ‘excellent’ pizza.”

Bob knew this was a business and investment he could carry forward into his own family traditions.

His parents told him growing up in Canada “you can make any life you want” and Bob did just that.

Bob now balances the life of being a father, husband, franchiser and small business owner.

Named after Bob’s Mom, GiGi’s Pizza continues to stand tall alongside rows of corporate competition.

Only a name change is not what Bob had planned. Bonello’s was a “family” name known by customers across the South Bay. “He [Benedetto] wasn’t too comfortable passing the name on although I wanted to keep the tradition going,” Bob says. “We changed the name, but everything [is still] the same.”

Being the “new old guy in town,” Bob made sure that the traditional recipes of Bonello’s would stay and embody all the characteristics of Benedetto’s Italian quarter.

“Everything is homemade and it is a secret,” Bob says.

The spices are used in a unique formula that has turned traditional Italian delicacy into Gardena’s little treasure.

GiGi’s Pizza employee Sylvester Gutierrez, 47, is the keeper of the prized recipes and has been making Mr. Bonello’s dishes for 19 years.

He enjoys the inviting and “easy” environment of being in close proximity to home and sees using “only hands, no machine” when making pizza as another unique way to give back to customers who have kept coming back over the past 34 years between Bonello’s and Gigi’s Pizza.

“All the time the regular customers we have are really friendly,” Sylvester says.

On one occasion a long-standing customer Josue Aguino, 30, pulls a pizza out of the oven. Josue has been employed at Gigi’s for returned to the pizzeria to give Sylvester a bike to eight years. ease the commute time to work.

Monday through Saturday, 50 pounds of dough is tossed on the finished, light wood prep “Small businesses [are] the backbone period.” board that has an indentation marking years of heavy labor to deliver top Running two Subway franchises and GiGi’s pizza is no small feat, but standards.

Bob today continues to do so while showing the tenacity and humility it Pizza is prepped and dressed with an array of fresh ingredients. Along takes to fight for a self-made dream. with pizza dough, homemade garlic bread and torpedo sandwiches are “You can have somebody do it for you [running a business], but as an some of the customer’s favorites. owner, nobody will ever do it the same way you put care into things,” Bob “The garlic bread we make is pretty special,” says Bob. “The bread says. is made “in house” having a “crispy, moist inside with garlic spread and mozzarella cheese.”

A special sauce is spread evenly on their torpedo sandwiches with an arrangement of Italian delicatessen meat and cheese.

Bob’s smile and short words are intertwined in his focus hourly.

Another thin-crusted pizza, the “jalopestroni,” glistens in the sunlight Six days a week Bob is on-the-go and faces the extended whirlwind of with fresh jalapenos and pepperoni. chaos from COVID-19 in order to keep his businesses afloat during selfThe Italian cuisine has been structured over years of experience from quarantine.

Sylvester and other employees, holding a special place with customers and Bob and his 12-year-old son will play basketball or baseball in his spare the community through the art of Mr. Bonello’s traditions. time outside of work at their home in Palos Verdes. They both keep a El Camino College English and ESL Professor Elise Geraghty, says that “social distance” and release any anxious tensions from the unexpected the slices of Bonello’s and GiGi’s pizza she has had over the years while circumstances arising from COVID-19. working at ECC are more “personal” and offer direct insight into the Family. authenticity of the business.

Together, Bob takes the time he has to reflect on how far he has come as “If I am going to get pizza I am not going to go to Domino’s, I’ll go to a businessman, husband and father.

Gigi’s,” Elise says.

“I am happy to have gotten the business a few years ago, and continue Today, while mass food corporations get bigger, Bob believes that GiGi’s things on,” Bob says.

Pizza will continue to stand as long as faculty, students and local customers “I enjoy the business and the people and the employees are great.” go down the stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard.

The “good vibrations” Bob has felt as a California local will not end.

Bob’s outlook on new competition, Chick-Fil-A, does not scare him but Bob does not plan on retiring for a while and hopes that his son will has encouraged him to see the hindsight of it all, the business will not go eventually carry on the tradition with GiGi’s Pizza. unnoticed in the midst of chain food corporations.

“This is a big part of it, that dream carries all the aspects of having The executive director of the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce a family and being able to enjoy all of what California has to offer and Wanda Love says that the revenue and stability of small businesses keep having a business that is successful.” the city of Gardena and the United States run as a whole.

“Small businesses [are] truly the backbone to America,” Wanda says.

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Kaylynn Myles / Warrior Life

How young love ages Story by Roseana Martinez

D

ear diary, I met a boy.

It was during lunchtime back in seventh grade. I was leaning against a wall with my friends when I saw him running across the blacktop.

He was wearing a red shirt, blue jeans, and some old, worn-out black Vans. His hair was long and curly. It covered his eyes as he chased his friends across the blacktop.

Carrying himself with confidence he smiled at his friends as he gave them a handshake and a pat on the back.

Oh, what a smile he had. It was contagious.

We became friends for about a year before feelings began developing... at least for him. I had liked him during that year of our “friendship.”

It wasn’t until Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013 when he walked me home because he wanted to confess his feelings towards me. I thought he was going to ask me out, but he didn’t.

I let a couple of days pass before we saw each other again. It wasn’t until Feb. 2 that he asked me out during our friend’s birthday party right as they started singing the Happy Birthday song.

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“Will you be my girlfriend?” he asked.

I nodded yes.

I was 13-years-old and he was 14.

Jump forward seven years later, now 20 and him 21, we are still together.

Seven. Years.

Young love. That’s what it was supposed to be, right?

You fall in love at 13, break up and go into high school or college to meet someone else. Then laugh about the old relationships and say, “Wow, I dated that guy?”

That was the plan. Living a teenage life.

I was young and in love, but still believed it was only temporary.

Everyone told me it wouldn’t last because we were young. He was 14 and I was 13, and it made sense we were going to end at some point in our teenage years.

“Aren’t you tired of him,” friends say. “You’re too young to be in love, you should go out there and meet new people.”

I believed it. I was too young to be in love. Forever with this guy? No honey, I don’t think so.

So I broke up with him 3 years into the relationship.

The breakup only lasted 24 hours.

Why end it if we were happy? A part of us feared we were just used to each other, but that’s when we realized we were growing up and it was ok if we didn’t agree on everything. We were growing up as two individuals, together.

He was my best friend and we got along so well it felt right. But for a long time, I struggled, wondering if I missed out on a lot of fun experiences my friends were going through.

That didn’t necessarily mean I needed to be hooking up with other people, it just meant I wanted to live without worrying about someone else.

I wanted to focus on myself and grow by myself and make mistakes without worrying about hurting my partner.

I wanted freedom.

And for a long time, it was a struggle, but I did not want to walk away from what we had.

Will I never be single again?

It was always a thought, but as I get older I am not scared of what’s to come.

“You guys are still together?” friends say. “Break up or get married already.”

I just laugh it off and say “Oh haha no, not yet on marriage.”

Marriage, kids, moving in together. Those topics were just conversations, but never something we took seriously. I have been dating him since I was 13 and I don’t plan on marrying him or having kids with him anytime soon. I am more worried about what college to transfer to.

Now that we are older, we have talked about those next steps. We talk about the upcoming years and our plans of one day moving in together.

Today, 78% of young Americans between the age of 18 and 29 believe it’s acceptable for an unmarried couple to live together, even if they don’t plan to get married, according to Pew Research Center, a research center that informs the public on issues, trends, etc., through data research.

As we continue to discuss the next steps, we are still at an age where we have the liberty to move around and have fun. We could travel and work and go to school wherever we want. We do not want to hold each other back from our dreams.

Is he “the one?”

I could see a forever with him, but I can also see our lives heading in different directions.

I still feel too young to be planning these things out, but a relationship is a serious thing. Though we might not be young teenagers anymore, it feels like we still have a long way to conquer our goals within our personal lives.

We are in no rush to get married or to have kids, but our time together has been a long time, so it feels as if we have to make things more serious quicker.

As time continues, I have learned to not care about what others think of how young we got together and the time we have been together. It’s okay to fall in love young, and it’s okay to take our time as we continue to grow.

He is my best friend and regardless of what the future holds, I can say I am happy being with him.

Until next time, Roseana

PLAYLIST FOR THE LOVERS: SIDE A

SIDE B

Taylor Swift

Madison Beer

- Love Sory

- Teenager in Love

Katy Perry

Christina Perri

- Teenage Dream

- A Thousand Years

Paramore

Lifehouse

- Still into You

- You And Me

WALK THE MOON

Coldplay

- Shut Up and Dance

- The Scientist

Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam

Lana Del Rey

- A 1000 Times

- Young And Beautiful

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Practicing safe distancing, EC student Michele Matamoros is seen here in a self-portrait taken at her Koreatown apartment. Her “selfie” was then displayed on a laptop screen and rephotographed at Motorcycle Michael’s Gardena bike shop. Photo by Gary Kohatsu / Warrior Life

Riding Out the Pandemic

EC custom paint student new automotive YouTube series is garaged by coronavirus lockdown Story by Gary Kohatsu

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S

he flings back curtains in her bedroom. Opens the window enough for some air, some sun, and perhaps a bit of fresh inspiration. The view outside, however, isn’t worth the bother.

The woman crosses the room, sits in front of her faithful Brother sewing machine, and begins a day of sewing for friends. But this is not where Michele Matamoros expected to find herself. By now she should be connected to thousands of viewers — not secluded in her bedroom.

2020 was to be her breakout year.

Her game plan was hopeful: transition from a merchandise display worker to an entrepreneur. Build a successful web series that she could parlay into a startup business mixing art with automotive. The series would be part instructional (DIY general auto maintenance) and part promotional (showcasing her custom paint designs on motorcycles and cars).

The potential here is unlimited, says one of her college instructors.

“She did a motorcycle in my class last summer and it was amazing,” Brent Kooiman, adjunct professor at El Camino College, says. “There is nothing you can’t confront her with that she won’t accept as a challenge.”

Eighteen months of college classes, planning, preparation, and selecting a social media platform for launch have led to this moment. Then …

COVID-19 struck.

Her plans were instantly stalled. That was four weeks ago when President Trump declared a National Emergency.

It’s Saturday, April 18, and the world awakens to another day of selfquarantine and social distancing. Michele, 43, pays little attention to most coronavirus news; weary of the mounting death toll and checklist of safety mandates. Bad news messes with her mindset, she says.

Like others in her working-class L.A. neighborhood, Michele is in selfisolation. Holed up in a one-bedroom Koreatown apartment that she occupies with her music engineer boyfriend and his two cats.

For now, her dreams are on pause. Her YouTube channel is stuck in quarantine and there are 23.3 miles of separation between Michele and the El Camino College garage — her painting workshop, where she had been videotaping her automotive class projects to be featured in the YouTube series.

“I have lost a bit of momentum, just because everything is up in the air,” Michele says.

Although the pandemic setback is disheartening, Michele has unusual resilience, says boyfriend Thomas Queyja.

“Her focus and drive are unparalleled,” he says. “She can find patterns in chaos and is unstoppable when she sets forth on her ideas.”

Born in Manhattan, N.Y., she is the youngest of three children in the Matamoros family. Her father was a career Army officer and her mother a daycare operator. As a first-generation American, Michele is fluent in English and Spanish.

She has always been drawn to the arts, but with no particular proclivity.

As a young adult, she dispensed with a college degree for real-world learning. In the past 26 years, Michele has worked in a sector of the fashion industry as a behind-the-scenes visual merchandiser. Her duties for Rag & Bone (an American fashion label) focused on display concepts in retail outlets.

“I had about 48 stores that I would go in and train and develop the staff on how to maintain our company’s visual standards,” she says. “It’s the psychology of selling.”

The job helped her develop an eye for detail and visual presentation.

Despite enjoying the diversity of her profession, she felt something was missing. She decided to venture across the country.

Michele arrived in Los Angeles in 2017. Rag & Bone, created a position for her in L.A., but seven months later, the company downsized. She was suddenly unemployed.

Instead of jumping back into the workforce, she took a self-imposed sabbatical. Bundling her severance package, bank savings, and unemployment checks to sustain herself financially, Michele looked to enroll in a community college.

“On my last day [of work], I had a moment: I thought, ‘I could do anything I want… what am I going to do?’” she says. “I took three months off, then thought, ‘I’m going to learn how to fix my [1972 Datsun Z car].’”

She fell in love with El Camino College. In the fall of 2018, she enrolled in Automotive Collision Repair/Painting with instructor Patricia Fairchild.

“I saw this whole new world of art media unfold with each class,” Michele says. “I saw the opportunity to share my art in an unconventional way and ultimately join a community of amazing artists who see the world as I do.”

Michele chose a motorcycle as her first-class project.

“Miss Pati’s class inspired me to ask a friend for one of her many motorcycles,” she says. “I thought [ the friend] would hand me a beater bike. Instead, she handed me her prized possession — a Ducati bike.”

Francesca Wilby said the timing was uncanny as she was in search of a quality body mechanic. “[Michele’s] artwork is fantastic and her work ethic and attention to detail are insane, so I said that she could have my whole motorcycle to paint if she wanted,” Francesca says.

Michele and Francesca collaborated on a concept for the matte-black Ducati 1098R bike.

Michele Matamoros created an outer space, alien theme for her design on Tiana Brinton’s Suzuki Galaxy. The custom design won Matamoros a first place category win, Tiana says.

Photo courtesy of Michele Matamoros

Francesca Wilby rides her Ducati bike, which was repainted by Michele Matamoros. “The original color code I had in mind was duller than I wanted and (Michele) found a different purple that was the absolute best I could have asked for,” Francesca says. Photo by Cali Photography / Courtesy of Francesca Wilby “Ducatis have stock paint that’s notoriously difficult to remove, and she just about broke her back doing all the [prep work],” Wilby says. “But the payoff was so worth it. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

Michele says her approach is to focus on the exterior features.

“Other painters go crazy,” she says. “A lot of people who paint motorcycles want to change out the engine, change performance aspects.

I’m into changing paint and making the exterior beautiful.”

Five weeks into her first auto class, she knew she could make a living at custom painting, she says.

“There aren’t a lot of women out there dealing in custom color. I could benefit from that niche,” Michele says. “The motorcycle community is very tight, especially women’s. My name has gotten around. That can just elevate more, as long as I do a good job.”

Female motorcycle artists are a rarity. But more women are purchasing bikes, increasing opportunities for artists — especially females, says Nick Torrey of Del Amo Motorsports.

“Once you find somebody with the skill to paint and do it well, those people have a pretty solid future,” Torrey says.

Michele continues to take auto classes under the tutelage of instructors, Brent Kooiman and Saul Munoz. She thrives on the creative process, whether painting bikes and cars at EC or in her bedroom today, sewing COVID masks for friends and medical professionals.

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Lauren Hadnot / Warrior Life

How I got catfished on Tinder Story by Keiji Shiraki

W

hen I was 19, I was in an relationship with a woman who I briefly dated for over six months. She broke up with me because she had to move back home to go take care of her family and couldn’t afford the rent on her apartment anymore. It wasn’t a harsh breakup as we both left it off on good terms but I still pondered about her from time to time. I told one of my best friends about my situation and he suggested that I sign up for Tinder. He told me it would be a “good way to get over her and meet new girls.” My friend was already a pro with dating apps as he showed me all of his matches and shared stories on the dates he went on.

Inspired by my friend, I signed up. After a week of swiping right, I matched with this beautiful girl with curly hair. When I matched with this girl, I started to get butterflies in my stomach. She looked like a model so I was surprised that she even swiped right on me. To protect the girl’s identity, let’s call her “Sally.”

I messaged Sally, made some small talk and got her number. I don’t

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really like talking or texting on the phone because you aren’t face to face with the person so you don’t know what they look like and can’t really make that authentic connection–especially a girl that you just met on Tinder.

A week passed and we still are text messaging. We planned to meet up and go to dinner but something fishy started to happen.

As I was scrolling down my Instagram feed, I went to the discover tab.

I was just looking through memes then all of a sudden, I saw a picture of Sally.

But it wasn’t Sally.

So I asked Sally if she wanted to FaceTime me. She kept making excuses that she didn’t want to. We never talked on the phone so I never heard her voice.

It was a picture of a famous model named Chantel Jeffries.

I started to feel skeptical and began to get the idea that I might be getting catfished.

“Why would you do this to me?”

Catfishing is a term when a person uses a different identity online instead of their own. They would use different names and pictures to trick people.

Basically, it’s identity theft.

After some convincing, I had her say yes to FaceTiming me. I called her the first two times and she didn’t pick up. She called back but I was nervous as I didn’t know what to expect because obviously, she isn’t the girl in the pictures.

I picked up the call.

But I couldn’t see her face because the screen was black. I heard a voice, it was a girl (thank goodness). But still, I couldn’t see her face.

I asked Sally to show me her face because I couldn’t see her. Again, she kept on making excuses for why she didn’t want to show her face. At that point, I’ve had enough of her games.

I told her straight up that I saw her Tinder pictures on a popular Instagram model’s page and that I don’t think she was being legit.

After I said that, she hung up.

Shortly, maybe five minutes later, she called me back and I finally saw her face.

It wasn’t the girl in the pictures.

Sally was the exact opposite. Sally had straight red hair. The girl I knew from Tinder had curly hair. The pictures on Tinder portrayed a skinny girl but Sally was more on the heavier side.

I was speechless. Sally looked embarrassed.

“Why would you do this to me?” I asked her. “Why did you put up fake pictures?”

“I’m an insecure person and I never had a boyfriend,” she said. “I really liked you and I didn’t want to tell you the truth.”

At that point, I felt bad for Sally. But I told her that she doesn’t need to feel insecure and she is beautiful just the way she is and she doesn’t need to change anything about herself.

Even though she catfished me, I wanted to help her.

For the next 30 minutes, we talked and I gave her some advice on being confident in your own skin. I also told her to keep a promise to me to never to pull the stunt she pulled on to me with others.

After that, I never saw or talked to Sally again.

Fast forward two years later as I am typing this story, I am now wondering how Sally is doing. I wonder if she got a boyfriend? I wonder if she ever found true love? I wonder if she actually kept our promise?

Moral of the story, never trust everything you see on Tinder.

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From Barbies

To Reality

Fashion designer finds her calling on the runway after taking the long way through life Photos and Story by Jaimie Solis

Cheryl Brewer models a silver jersey dress with a pearl trim down the front that she designed. Cheryl says she was inspired by the airy, simple, carefree, yet dressy style of the women’s attire she saw on a trip to Dubai she took in 2016.

S

he was radiant.

A large smile beamed from her face, the make-up gleaming off her ebony skin as she strutted under the lights of the runway in El Camino College’s 2019 spring semester fashion show. Cheryl Brewer, 61, Inglewood resident and fashion design major at EC, was no stranger to the runway. She breathed and lived for the runway.

And El Camino’s annual runway wasn’t her first foray in walking the walk. She had some experience modeling at a Barbie convention in the ‘90s before attending EC. But this time was different.

Tonight she wasn’t wearing someone else’s design for the walk.

Cheryl was wearing clothes she brought from home. Nice clothes, but not to show off on the runway.

Instead, she was leading a group of other women wearing designer garments.

Erika Leyva applies Cheryl’s make-up before their photo shoot on Saturday, Her designs.

Fashion and making clothes was always a part of Cheryl’s April 25. Erika says she had a lot of practice with her make up thanks to the repertoire of hobbies growing up. It’s why she chose to start majoring COVID-19 pandemic and relished the opportunity to practice on someone else and participate in a fashion shoot. in fashion design at El Camino College.

If it weren’t for the COVID-19 pandemic, she would be preparing outfits to display in EC’s now-canceled annual spring fashion “I would take my uniform, change the uniform, design it, keep all the show. She never imagined how much she would come to love and crave patches and everything on it but my uniforms were totally different and something like a fashion show. professional-looking from everyone else’s,” Cheryl says. “A lot of people at work would say ‘Cheryl, you are in the wrong profession, you need to be designing and sewing.’”

Fashion and design would find its way back to Cheryl’s life.

In the 90s, Cheryl was a member of a Barbie Doll Collector Club that Cheryl grew up in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood on San would occasionally hold conventions and fashion shows. During one of Pedro street, where instead of “playing outside until the street-lights came these conventions, Cheryl designed and modeled a garment she styled in on” she would play with toys that were a constant source of inspiration honor of the first black Barbie doll, released in 1980. and practice for her passion.

“They had other black Barbie dolls, but this one was particular,” Cheryl “I sat countless hours hand-sewing clothes for my Barbie dolls,” Cheryl says. “They used the name Barbie on the box and that was a big deal to says. “I was so passionate about it, I was using a sewing machine needle black people, to actually have a doll named Barbie that looked like us.” to hand-sew clothes.”

It wasn’t until 2001, when Cheryl enrolled at El Camino College, that Having no idea it was a sewing machine needle, she would start sewing she would fully rekindle her joy for needlework and fashion, particularly with a friend on the steps of their home, making clothes for dolls. By the on the runway. time she was eight-years-old, she taught herself how to crochet.

In 2003, while walking through campus after one of her classes, she With the skills she knew, Cheryl made sure to incorporate as much saw an ad for EC’s annual spring fashion show. This ad, in particular, was needlecraft as she could, especially at school. asking for model participants of any age and size.

When she began school at Horace Mann Middle School in Los Angeles, “That’s me,” Cheryl thought. she took as many of the sewing classes as possible. Later at Crenshaw High Despite her initial fears of being rejected, she showed up to the first School in Los Angeles, she joined a club called The Future Homemakers rehearsal for the fashion show thanks to some encouragement from friends of America. and family. Cheryl knew this was what she wanted to do.

There her teacher, Ms. Saucy, made Cheryl and other students in her She participated that year as a model and was hooked. class practice sewing techniques until they were of a satisfactory standard.

After that, she would walk on the EC runway every year she could, as This passion and dedication, however, would be stifled after she she worked around her post office job and raising her family in Inglewood, graduated high school in 1976 and attended California Polytechnical State which consisted of a 15-year old son, 9-year-old daughter, and her University in San Luis Obispo for a semester doing general education husband. classes.

She had found her home away from home.

Feeling homesick she decided it would be best to return home.

In the back of her mind, she worried there wouldn’t be anything for her To be closer to home, she enrolled in Southwest Community College, to model in upcoming shows. majoring in child development, where she held a couple of jobs at local At the time, there would usually be one or two things for her to wear, schools as a teacher’s assistant while enrolled in college. most of the other garments were made for younger, thinner women. So, However, it became too much for her. She liked being active, so she Cheryl started submitting a few individual pieces of her own, for her to concluded that her ideal job, at the time, would be one in the outdoors. strut in during her annual walk.

After graduation in 1984, she jumped on a new opening as a mail “I decided it was time for me to start making my own designs,” Cheryl courier at the US Post Office, hoping this would allow her to be active. says. “And then I wouldn’t have to worry about there not being anything But, she became more intrigued about the uniform. for me to model.”

In her eyes, the uniform had a certain style to it that she appreciated.

From that moment on, Cheryl, just as she’d done in middle school, Over time as the uniforms changed, she made an effort to keep a sense started taking as many fashion and design classes as she could at EC. She of style as she made adjustments to the uniform to fit her wishes while worked at the post office at the same time until she retired in 2015 and maintaining an official post office look. transitioned into a full-time student.

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Now here she was, leading a line of women wearing garments she made in the crochet style in the 2019 spring fashion show. She felt the style needed more representation and was her motivation for choosing it.

That show led Cheryl to win the Best of Show award with one of her pieces, worn by model Erika Leyva, 19-year-old psychology major at El Camino College.

The 2020 spring semester fashion show was going to be Cheryl’s opportunity to grow and show off her newfound trademark. She had plans to incorporate crochet designs in her submissions for this year’s show and Erika was ready and willing to help Cheryl with that goal.

“I asked her [through message] whether there was gonna be a fashion show this semester because I wanted to model again,” Erika says. “I still have the other designers’ [contact information] but... when I spoke to them [last year], it would be like ‘Oh, I’m only doing this semester. I’m not sure if I’m gonna do next semester.’ If I needed answers, Cheryl is the one who’d know.”

Erika was not a student at El Camino College this spring semester.

She was obligated to take a semester off to take care of her sick mother, which was not related to the COVID-19 pandemic. She did have plans of returning as a student and participating in the spring fashion show as a model again.

However, due to the pandemic, Erika, like many others, was forced to put her plans on hold. She did not re-enroll for the 2020 spring semester.

Instead, she hopes to continue her studies at EC in the fall, hoping that the dangers of COVID-19 subside and allow for life to return to a sense of normalcy, including a fashion show in spring 2021.

“We’re gonna have all kinds of fun, getting bigger and better than before,” Erika says. “We’re gonna make up for this year.”

For both of these women and many others in the community, the annual fashion show at EC was an opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of fashion, be it as a model, designer, planner, or just an admirer of the artistic interpretations of fashion and beauty presented.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has overtaken the world and put a pause to daily life. Shutting down work and school, and postponing or canceling event after event. Even something as local as the EC’s spring fashion show was affected.

On a global scale, the fashion industry has taken a large toll. Places like India has experienced around $2 billion worth of order cancellations in apparel goods, according to a statement from India’s Apparel Export Promotion Council President A Sakthivel to The Times of India publication on April 7.

Around the world, fashion shows have started canceling or postponing shows, many of them transitioning into a digital format. The Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, France’s governing body for all things fashion, has recently announced plans for its Paris Fashion Week to be conducted in a video-only format, slated for July 9 through 13.

Despite the global slowdown, Cheryl continues to dabble in fashion, even if with no fashion show. She still has plans to develop her brand and trademark of crochet finishing on her garments. She continues to work on individual projects, currently working on a crochet piece for her niece.

For Cheryl, fashion is life.

“Modeling and fashion is really a part of me,” Cheryl says. “If I couldn’t do it, I’d still find a way.

I’m in my element when I’m designing, and it just feels great; I feel like I have something to contribute to others in the world. I couldn’t imagine life being without it.”

Cheryl Brewer [left] and Erika Leyva wear crochet pieces made by Cheryl. Erika is wearing the look that won the “Best of Show” award in El Camino’s 2019 spring fashion show.

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HOW TO JOIN This is an entirely student-run production. El Camino College students who are interested in joining the team should enroll in Journalism 9, the magazine production class, for fall 2020. The magazine publishes annually and the staff next year will be working on the spring / summer 2021 issue.

Erika Leyva rests against a pink wall in a black and white floral skirt and corset designed by Cheryl Brewer.

She drew inspiration from a Barbie doll outfit and designed this look in class.

Warrior Life Spring / Summer 2019 Issue

About Warrior Life

Warrior Life is a general interest magazine that covers the culture around El Camino College. We aim to highlight the unique individuals that make up our diverse community.

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Twitter & Instagram: @ecwarriorlife Facebook: www.facebook.com/ecwarriorlife You can also find us on eccunion.com Warrior Life

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Warrior Life Oh Yes, She Can Woman, Welder and EC Warrior

INSIDE

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el camino college’s lifestyle magazine spring / summer 2020 issue

Global pandemic forces EMT into temporary shelter Instagram recipes to try while stuck at home

spring / summer 2020