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  • Does Your Sign Match Your Personality? High Life Roundtable

    Does Your Sign Match Your Personality? High Life Roundtable

    According to astrology, celestial incidents coincide with human activity, but is that really true? In western astrology, astrological signs or Zodiac signs are twelve 30 degree sectors that make up the 360 degree orbit the Earth does around the Sun. The signs are named after constellations the sun annually passes through. Each Zodiac sign spans about a month within the year. The first sign is Aries that begins in spring, then there’s Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Your zodiac sign is said to have a personality trait or character that relates with you. Do certain occurrences in the sky affect our character? Are we our Zodiac sign? The High Life staff weighs in with their thoughts:

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter

    My sign is a Virgo. My daily horoscope today relates to who I am really well because it said, “In true Virgo fashion, you’re in the mood to be productive and get things out the door.” The way I feel about astrological signs and horoscopes in general is that I think they’re cool. I relate to my sign in general so much that people always tell me, “omg that is such the Virgo in you!” and my friends and my family always tell me I have the motherly traits and that I can be very truthful even if it does come out mean.

     

    Zinia Francis

    I am a Leo. My sign describes me almost completely. Leos are said to be creative, boastful, a pleasure to be around, and people who enjoy being celebrated. I would agree that I am creative. I tend to look at many things from an artistic point of view. I enjoy making art such as poetry, painting, drawing and even making clothes. I also can confirm my courageousness, with any obstacle put before me I always go into the situation with the confidence that I will overcome it. I don’t think I love attention very much but I do agree that I can be boastful by the way I change my hair styles frequently, but when my hair is not done I will have an attitude. Over the years I have noticed friends and family gravitating towards me because of my caring and warm demeanor. Lastly, as a Leo I do enjoy having the attention and time of my loved ones, I like to know that I am wanted around.

     

    Xandria Hines

    I am a Virgo. Usually, when I go on a curiosity-filled zodiac hunt for my sign and any information/predictions on it, the most common idea I can find about my sign is that we’re commonly task-oriented, over-analytical perfectionists. With this explanation, however, one much more detailed than others I’ve been able to find on the internet, resonated with me more than others I’ve seen. The idea that Virgos are mild-tempered and calm, their earth element keeping them humble and ‘down-to-earth’, and using their attention to detail to help others is something I believe describes the basis of my ideas well. They also bring in how their ideas and idealism can keep them mentally detached from the present, too caught up in the detail of the past or future to keep their head from the clouds and enjoy the moment, is something I’ve begun to struggle with, especially with the stress of the past year. I would never say any one person can describe a large group of people perfectly, but I would say this would describe some of my recent struggles and ideals very well. Would I ever say that my birthday alone has shaped me into the person I am today? Absolutely not.

     

    Caleb Dunomes

    My sign is a Gemini. The astrology.com website says that the personality of a Gemini is “active,” using words like loving, social, and lighthearted to their interactions with other people. The weaknesses of a Gemini make them seem “all over the place,” and describes them as being unable to commit to responsibilities and relationships while also having a noticeably short attention span. Hearing about this single description of a Gemini and many of the traits seem like they align with my personality. I can see myself aligning with the social side of being a Gemini since I enjoy social interactions and try my best to be lighthearted when socializing with others. But I don’t think I’d describe myself as “active” to a point where I am not “trustworthy.” My active attitude and personality doesn’t really interfere with my goals and passions.

     

    High Life Adviser Daryl Holmlund

    I generally think that any alignment between the signs and reality is coincidental. However, I’m an Aries, and I must admit that what people have told me about the fire sign characteristics seem to match up with me. I’m definitely passionate and impulsive, and I love starting projects but sometimes don’t finish them in a timely manner. I’m a charismatic leader but not great with organization and taking care of the little details. I love new things, new places, new experiences. I can sometimes be too direct or harsh when talking with people I care about, and don’t always realize that I’ve hurt their feelings. All of these are Aries characteristics. But… I also love learning and sharing information, a Gemini characteristic; I’m curious, like a Scorpio; and I have a lot of friends and acquaintances like an Aquarius. So, am I a true Aries? Kinda? Do I think it’s because I was born under a certain sign? No.

  • High Life Roundtable: Covid Positives

    The High Life staff recently posted a column with thoughts about what we’ve been missing or felt like we missed out on during the past year. In this column, we share things that have been positive, or ways that we’ve grown in the past year.

     

    Caleb Dunomes

    Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, I have learned a lot about myself and my ambitions. Moreover, one thing that I have learned that to achieve my goals I have to both believe in my dreams and believe that my dreams will come true. I have learned this after a year of losses and failures followed by lessons and successes. All of my challenges during track practice, online schooling and just life in general has forced me to grow up, manage time and even take time off for myself when I need to. Especially track practice, with us seniors having so much pressure to perform and put our names out there, I’ve been forced to believe in myself and all of my hard work. Because of these challenges, I have become even more ambitious, hard working and confident. In fact, I don’t think I truly knew and felt the definitions of ambition, hard work and confidence until this year.

     

    Xandria Hines

    This past year, going through school during the pandemic has been one of the weirdest times of my life. It’s sucked in so many ways, but nothing good goes to anyone without hardship. When the pandemic started, I thought that Covid infection rate would cool off enough for schools to be open by fall. It didn’t. But I was surprised to find that the online classes, the work, and my attention, seemed much easier than usual. It was common for me to get a large barrage of A’s with a B or two mixed in, but now on the honor roll, I’ve been able to find my preferred, and more productive way, of taking classes, and will most likely test this out more in-depth in the future, though hopefully not in the same circumstance.

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter

    The Covid-19 pandemic taught me not to take anything for granted, it showed who are my real friends. You should spend more time with loved ones and you should enjoy life. That time and life is very valuable and precious . It taught me that I can focus on my mental and physical health more, and also made me more mature. It has changed me in a positive way. Online school can be easy but hard and I have learned to find myself and become who I want to be. I have learned something new. I’ve  learned to play the keyboard, though I’m not that great at it yet. I can go in my backyard and do school work instead of  staying inside, I can take my dogs for a run. It taught me a lot of interior design and I also got better at painting. 

     

    Kelly Rodriguez

    The past year we have been in the pandemic I learned things about myself; self-love was the first important thing. I also went away for a month to Georgia. I started to appreciate nature. I went to Georgia with my two sisters and my cousin. We went to visit my mom’s sister and her kids. It was great. I got really close to my cousins. I also went hiking a lot. I learned that nature is so pretty – like, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. It was a way to keep me calm. It helps a lot just seeing nature. You get a lot of things out of your mind. I feel like I have grown. I want to be independent now without my mom doing it for me.

     

    Zinia Francis

    The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed me to become closer with myself. With not being able to see many of my loved ones and with many outdoor activities being cancelled, I was forced to be my own entertainment. To occupy myself, I explored my interest in many different areas, such as cooking, trying new foods, doing hair, working out, reading books, and writing. Doing these activities have brought me to feel comfort in my own company. During the pandemic I also realized that, like many people, I never used the time I had alone productively. I was constantly trying to avoid being alone and in the process I didn’t take advantage of being by myself. I have grown strong mentally in this past year. I thank the pandemic for my growth.

     

    Alex Phouma

    I think the pandemic helped people find out what they want out of life. Since we had to go into a lockdown in the beginning of the pandemic, it gave people time to think. For example I know people have had to rethink where they wanna work or what they want to do, and some students are thinking about college. For me, as a senior in high school, turning 18, it made me think about college and what I want to do as a career. I just think that helped people think about life.

  • Cleanliness and Safety as Lockdown Lifts

    Although cleanliness in most public spaces is kept up by janitorial staff or maid services, the CDC recommends that you also take preventative measures of your own.

    The Center for Disease and Control Prevention has created an extensive list of preventative measures for public places to consider when reopening to minimize contact and contamination. It’s quite extensive, so being able to quickly give a shorter list of quick behaviors to look out for both at home and out and about are important.

     

    1. Watch the staff at a restaurant.

    Keeping an eye on how they move around if they wear gloves or not, and how thoroughly they clean off surfaces could keep both yourself and others safe. Ensure that they space tables out carefully, are wiped down carefully if/when you have the chance. They should wear masks consistently, and there’s a possibility they were told to also wear gloves. While their individual cleaning habits cannot be tracked, making sure your server keeps to the guidelines can keep both yourself and others safe.

     

    2. See how they handle other customers.

    It’s not a restaurants’ responsibility to keep everyone happy, but it is their responsibility to keep everyone safe. If a customer is unwilling to wear their mask or follow the CDC guidelines for dining safely, that is their own fault. However, if the restaurant continues to cater to this individual, regardless of their dangerous behavior, the restaurant would be at fault. They are not only putting their own employees but other patrons in the restaurant in possible harm, regardless if they are dining inside or outside.

     

    3. Make sure Inside/outside dining areas are clean, and spaced out accordingly

    Inside dining has been recently allowed by Los Angeles County, but outside dining is still provided as an option. While outside dining was a way for restaurants to cope with the ban on inside dining, both are now open to the public in almost any restaurant you can think of. Some have welcomed inside dining with open arms, some less so. But the rules and needs of outside dining should still be followed in the restaurant to the best of the staff’s ability. Open windows and large/empty spaces between tables could still be upheld. Cleaning should still be done meticulously, and masks and gloves should still be worn.

    4. If you can, watch how they make food

    While some cooking is done in the background, or as passive entertainment with a small view, some diner-style restaurants have large openings where you can see into the kitchen area if you’re sitting at the right tables or booths. Get one of these, if you can, and while you wouldn’t be able to tell what each dish the workers in the kitchen are making, see if you can pick out how they make food if they’re wearing gloves while doing so, and how often they may or may not clean the counters or their hands, and if the chefs themselves wear masks. While kitchen cleanliness has always been an important part of restaurant hygiene, it’s even more important now.

     

    5. Don’t allow your own cleanliness habits to slip

    When in public, the first person you need to look out for is yourself, especially in restaurants, while keeping an eye on the environment around you, make sure you don’t put yourself or those around you in danger. Always wear a mask unless eating, ensure that you can stay a safe distance away from others, clean up after yourself, and ensure you’re touching as few surfaces as possible. 

     

     

    Now, however, there are dangers to having a less-than-suitable cleaning routine, either inside your home or out with others. Having a less than reliable cleaning staff could get your entire business shut down, and not cleaning your home properly, with parents and students now going back to work or school, could cause one or more people in the household to get sick, or worse. Weekly, routine cleaning is needed to keep everyone in a restaurant or at home safe. 

     

    1. Clean yourself off once you get home

    A quick and easy way to make sure possible hazards don’t enter your home is by tossing your clothes in the washer once you get home and putting on new, clean clothes. It’s possible that airborne and contact germs found their way onto your clothes and yourself, taking a shower and getting into clean clothes once you get home would be the best way to minimize germs entering your household.

     

    2. Make sure you have a regular cleaning schedule

    As entering and leaving your home becomes more commonplace, it’s important that you keep the spaces you frequent the cleanest. Having a reliable cleaning routine when you return home is a good thing, but germs can always enter your home, and cleaning your home often and with good disinfectant would be an easy way to keep your home and everyone in it safe.

     

    3. Make sure to clean any packages that come to your doorstep

    Home delivery before the quarantine was a common practice but became almost necessary when stuck at home and in need of quickly delivered, commonly used necessities. However, being able to know where exactly packages you order have been, or how well they’ve been handled is impossible. Along with yourself, and your home, clean the boxes that you bring into your home before opening them, and ensure anything your order is cleaned before being brought into your home. 

     

    4. Minimize the guests in your home

    Much like at the beginning of lockdown, being able to stay home and isolated with your roommates and family are the easiest ways to stay safe, but with the slowly loosening restrictions on dining, outings, and visitors, having a person or two in your home wouldn’t be a terrible idea. However, that doesn’t mean you allow them to easter through your home, forgo watching their hands, or minimizing the time they stay with you. It would be a safe bet to meet on your lawn, porch, or outside your home, and if you do allow them into your home, make sure to clean up after them, and any surfaces they touched.

     

    5. Always have cleaning supplies on standby

    Being able to keep yourself and your home clean isn’t a new idea, but with the dangers, we could still face, even with the slowly lifting precautions of the lockdown, having a small stock of cleaning supplies tucked away in a bathroom or closet could be necessary in case something worrying happens, and the harsher lockdown is put back into place. Cleaning supplies were a bit hard to come by in the beginning, and if there were to be a second lockdown, finding cleaning supplies would be near impossible.

  • My Pfizer Vaccine Experience

    My Pfizer Vaccine Experience

    With the pandemic changing lives drastically, the creation and distribution of a vaccine is crucial to the return of a “normal life.” As the various vaccines rolled out it has become a new controversial topic, with various conspiracies involving Bill Gates, microchips and the government all undermining the public’s trust in Covid-19 vaccines.

    Despite the controversy, misinformation and politics, I was determined for months to get the vaccine. As a student-athlete (in person), restaurant worker and volunteer at my local church, I felt as if it was necessary for me to get the vaccine. Recently on April 17th, I had finally got my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Here’s how the vaccination process went.

    Luckily for me, the process was made easier since I had such ease scheduling appointments. With three members of my family being employees for the city alongside my job as a restaurant worker, I am considered to be a somewhat high priority individual for getting vaccinated.

    Despite this, it still took persistence. It took three appointments for me to get my first vaccine shot.

    The first attempt was at Dodger Stadium on March 12th for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Both my mom and I waited around an hour, in a line that looped around the hills of Los Angeles. Upon arrival, I was denied the vaccine shot since I am not old enough for the Johnson & Johnson shot specifically (you have to be 18 to get a one dose vaccination shot.) It was frustrating. After weeks of anticipation, waking up early in the morning and getting out of bed, only to be denied a vaccination shot.

    The second attempt was through my dad. My dad had signed me up for a vaccination appointment on March 22nd at a high school in Lynwood through his job within the school district. Once I arrived, the wait in line was quick. The volunteers at the vaccination site were on point, both taking my temperature and verifying my appointment in a matter of minutes. Through this appointment, I was scheduled to receive the  vaccine which was a two dose shot. But, once again, I was denied the vaccination shot. This time I was denied since the organization providing and funding the vaccinations did not allow Moderna vaccinations to anyone under 18 (even though all two dose vaccinations are allowed to anyone above 16). At this point I was not surprised but still disappointed, I understood the vaccination process was already long so these constant setbacks seemed like a waste of time. After this failed appointment, both my mom and dad made constant efforts toward my vaccination.

    These previous attempts lead up to my third and final attempt. My first dose of the Pfizer vaccine was scheduled for March 27th at a Kaiser hospital in Los Angeles. Once my final appointment was scheduled, I understood the requirements, age limits and even the side effects since my family members had received their vaccinations (and since I learned so much through the other attempts).

    Both Kaiser appointments were quick and seamless, with the workers giving simple and clear instructions. The entire process took under 25 minutes, including the time it took to find a parking space, wait in line and receive the shot. For those that are used to amusement parks, you could compare the Kaiser vaccine experience to the line to a popular ride, they gave clear instructions throughout the process, with railing and stickers on the cement to direct you in the proper direction.

    The process started with a 5 minute wait in line after confirming your information. Once finished filling out the paperwork and reading about the vaccine, you are led by a volunteer into the tent where people were getting their shots. You then wait until a spot opens up. Once you sit down in a seat, you are then introduced to the medical professional and confirm whichever dose and vaccination you’re getting. After this you receive your shot. From my experiences and everyone I’ve talked to about the shot the first shot itself was less painful than expected and quick while the second shot was the more painful one (but it didn’t still hurt all that much.) Immediately after you take your shot you’re instructed to wait 15 minutes in a waiting area in case of any side effects (nothing happened to anyone both time during times during the waiting period.)  

    The side effects after receiving the shot were tolerable. The first shot had only left my arm sore for around three days. The second shot was different, I was left with a fever the night of the shot and a headache three days following the shot. 

  • Roundtable: What We’ve Missed During the Pandemic

    Scenes from the last year…

     

    March 13, 2020, a date which will live in infamy. There are other dates that marked the beginning of the Covid-19 era for other groups of people – for NBA players, coaches, and fans it might be Rudy Gobert’s positive test on March 11, the same day the WHO also officially characterized the spread of coronavirus as a pandemic. But for teachers and students, that Freaky Friday the 13th was the last day in the classroom – and for many students, the last day with their friends – for over a year.

    This is a collection of thoughts from the High Life staff and adviser about what we have missed over the past 13 months – or what we feel we have missed out on.

     

    Xandria Hines, Staff Writer

    I feel like I missed out on an entire year of my life. My family and I were supposed to do some travelling and visiting family. Getting together and celebrating smaller achievements and happy moments. My friends and I, too, most of whom are other seniors, won’t be able to have a normal prom or graduation. We would be standing so far apart from one another, unable to dance like weirdos or mingle with other groups, that there would be no point in going. Most of the smaller things in life you look forward to aren’t possible, because they’re done outside, or with others. It kind of sucks all the emotions out of you, and I miss that as well.

     

    Sierra Brott-Hunter, Staff Writer

    I feel what I missed out is going to family gatherings. I missed out on seeing my best friend that lives an hour away and missed going to her birthday. I missed going to Disneyland, Knotts, going to the park. Missed going to concerts. I miss seeing my friends and going to movies with and just having fun. Just going outside. I miss going to the mall and just being able to chill. I miss going  bowling. Going on trips  with friends and family. 

     

    Kelly Rodriguez, Staff Writer

    I feel like I missed out on being a teenager. I am going to be 18 already and we’ve been in quarantine for a year. I didn’t get to be in school doing fun things, going to games, or hanging out with friends since it wasn’t safe. Also, my friend’s parents were scared to let their kids out because it wasn’t safe. Another thing is that I spend my time on the TV and on my phone. I think that my whole family can’t stand each other because we weren’t able to go out and it was all of us in a house, fighting most of the time because we didn’t have space. Till this day my friend can’t go out because her parents are still scared. I only have one friend now. I lost touch with everyone I use to hang out with a lot. 

     

    Alex Phouma, Staff Writer

    Something that I feel like I missed out on is my last year of high school. For seniors it’s our last year of high school, and after high school you have to become more independent and responsible. You gotta worry about college, for those who decided to go, while balancing working, and the little milestones like being leading and able to drive to get to those places. 

     

    Caleb Dunomes, Staff Writer

    Throughout the beginning of the pandemic everyone had lost access to so many experiences and activities. Things like access to loved ones and significant others, big sporting events and even once in a lifetime school experiences. Personally, I have missed out on the true teenager experience. With both my junior and senior year being taken away I’ve lost the opportunity to go to dances, go to big track meet invitationals (like Arcadia, Redondo, Arizona and more), and even events outside of school. It felt like I was on the top of the world, going to Disneyland during February (before Covid was seen as a threat) directly after three months filled with events like club events, track meets, Black college expos and fun memories with my friends. Now it feels like I won’t be able to experience that anymore. My life now has just been working, track practice and homework assignments. Covid has made me feel like I’m being forced into growing up without experiencing things that teenagers experience. Now all us seniors can do is grow and face the unpredictable future.

     

    Zinia Francis, Staff Writer

    The past year has felt like someone pressed fast forward. I feel like I have missed a significant part of my teenage years. Since I was younger I’ve always wanted to have a true high school/teenage experience like going out after school with friends, sleep overs, hanging out on the weekends, going to amusement parks and having parties. So far as a seventeen year old I haven’t experienced the fun I have been yearning for. The Covid pandemic started when I was sixteen and I will be eighteen in three months. Up until I was sixteen I hadn’t had many outings with friends or was very social in general . I had begun to come out of my shell shortly before the quarantine. I’ve missed out on being social and simply taking advantage of having no responsibility.

     

    Daryl Holmlund, Adviser

    Immediately after the home quarantine began, I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to visit my 99 year-old grandma over Spring Break in April – not just because flying to Chicago by plane seemed incredibly risky at the time, but also because she was in a retirement home that was locked down to keep the virus out. Grandma turned 100 in March, and while some family members visited her for her birthday, most of us didn’t feel safe or right flying in and potentially bringing the virus with us to infect other family members. We had a nice Zoom call with family, but it wasn’t the same, and I can’t help but think that if circumstances were different, we would have had a bit of a family reunion. I’m hopeful that I’ll get to see grandma and others this summer, but it won’t be the same as it would have been celebrating on her actual birthday.

  • Roman Candle, an Album by Elliott Smith 9.6/10

    Roman Candle, an Album by Elliott Smith 9.6/10

    “I’m a roman candle, my head is full of flames,” Elliott Smith sings in the title track to his album Roman Candle. (Composite image by Audrey Ramirez)

    Recorded on a four-track recorder in his girlfriend’s basement, Elliott Smith manages to combine soulful lyrics and lo-fi folk instrumentals to create his absolutely stunning debut album Roman Candle. Smith touches on heavy subjects such as domestic abuse, alcoholism, relationship issues, and loneliness in such an inconspicuous way, reminiscent of Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, a song about divorce hidden behind a fast-paced dance rhythm. 

    “I wanna hurt him, 

    I wanna give him pain.” 

    Smith opens with this line as his chorus to the title track “Roman Candle” which begins the album. Quick yet subtle guitar strums hauntingly ring in each ear as you take in the deep and intense lyrics. 

    “He could be cool and cruel to you and me

    Knew we’d put up with anything… 

    Your tears are cheap, wet hot red swollen cheeks…”

    Smith bravely shares his painful experiences of domestic violence and emotional abuse as a kid via music. Seeing as this is only the first track of the album, it suggests that you strap in and prepare yourself for the rest of the album because it is definitely a ride. 

    Songs like “Condor Ave”, “No Name #2”, and “No Name #4” discuss relationship issues, abuse, and occasionally alcoholism, which is a huge issue Smith personally struggled with for a long time. 

    “I wondered if I would talk about drug use. But I guess, why hide it?” says Smith. 

    Elliott beautifully combines acoustic guitar with his own soft and breathy vocals. “No Name #3” is a perfect example of the kind of melodies Smith is capable of creating; with about a few guitar and vocal tracks stacked on top of each other, this song is the epitome of “indie”. Each song has such a raw tone, almost as if you were with him while he was recording. “No Name #3” opens at a 79 bpm tempo soft guitar strum that makes you appreciate your sense of hearing more than ever before. Elliott begins singing in a whisper, discussing an unhealthy relationship either between a couple or a family. 

    Emotional intensity and musical brilliance combine to create a nearly perfect album. 9.6/10

  • BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse: An Amazing Experience

    BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse: An Amazing Experience

    Deep dish pizza with bacon and pepperoni (K. Burton)

    This has been an amazing experience. BJ’s Restaurant in Torrance, Ca. was the perfect place to order takeout. We ordered a Wing Dinner and some Salmon, Salad and Green Beans. When arriving to pick up the dinner everyone was following the Covid-19 guidelines and they made sure to sanitize the counter every time a new customer approached. 

    The food was well packed, no missing items and everything was hot when we picked the food up and they even provided a few sani-wipes. 

    You can either win or lose with salmon, but this salmon was delightful. It was buttery full of flavor and once topped with the lemon cream sauce it took it to a whole ‘nother level. “[Even though] I’m a vegetarian I would give the salmon an A + this is one of the best cooked salmon I have had in a long time,” said Hisa J. 

    Grilled salmon with lemon cream sauce. (K. Burton)

    Salad oh salad it was a normal salad. The one thing I did enjoy was the mixed greens that were used instead of just plain lettuce. The balsamic dressing is what took the salad over the top and gave it the extra kick it needed. 

    House salad with balsamic vinegar. (K. Burton)

    The wings were seasoned to perfection, not over cooked, still nice and juicy when you take that first bite. The dipping sauce was provided on the side which allowed the chicken to still have that crunchy skin. “I would order these wings anytime they are just as good as other restaurants that I have ordered takeout from,” said Jordan J.

    The garlic knots. (K. Burton)

    The garlic knots were little bombs packed with lots of flavor. You can taste a fair amount of garlic but it’s not too overpowering. 

    Vegetables are the best part of a meal for a vegetarian. “The green beans were cooked just how I like them with a little char on the edges and full of flavor seasoned with a nice salt and pepper combo and a little fresh garlic had my taste buds jumping,” said Hisa J. 

    Sautéed green beans. (K. Burton)

    This is one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time due to us being in a stay at home order.  Overall I would recommend this restaurant to my friends and family to try. From the moment I arrived to getting my food home and in my stomach it was an amazing experience.

    The author, Jaylan Miller, trying the pizza. (K. Burton)
  • Honest Review of the Restaurant Claws

    Honest Review of the Restaurant Claws

    A closer look inside bag of seafood. (Alyssa Thomas)

    Seafood is one of the most versatile foods. Different types of seafood, different ways to eat/cook it; there are so many options that seafood can please everyone.

    One of the options that I personally love eating is seafood boils. Seafood boils consist of different sea animals such as crawfish, lobster, clams, and much more. Many seafood boils also contain corn and sausage. Louisiana and South Carolina are known for their tasty and giant seafood boils. Seafood boils typically do not contain any fish, since fish is rarely ever boiled. 

    When ordering seafood boils from restaurants, you pick your meats and extras, then the food is brought to your table in bags. Claws, located in Cerritos, is my favorite restaurant to eat seafood boils. You order by the pound and not by how many meals you need. For example, if your table has four people, you don’t order four “meals”, you would order around four pounds of food to share among the group.

    At Claws, you are treated with bibs, gloves, a table cover, and many different seasonings for your food. My family and I typically order calamari and fries as our appetizers. We then choose the seasoning that is a combination of all flavors available. In about 10-15 minutes all the bags of seafood come. The entire table is covered with paper so the table can get as messy as you want. The waiters give everyone a small container of salt, pepper, and ketchup.

    What seafood boils from Claws look like before eating. (Alyssa Thomas)

    When I eat at Claws, I’m usually with three other people and we order four to six pounds. Our seafood bags usually contain crawfish, mussels, shrimp, and corn. My cousins and I are not a fan of spice, so we order mild.

    Ordering and eating seafood boils from restaurants during this pandemic is, unfortunately, not the same. The number one convenience of eating seafood boils at a restaurant is there is not a big mess for you to clean up afterwards. Seafood boils almost always get messy due to the bags and sauce getting everywhere. When ordering Claws to-go, you choose your seasoning, meats, and everything else you would when ordering in the restaurant. When your food is ready you get the bags like normal, and it all tastes the same, but it is definitely not as fun or convenient as eating inside.

  • How Awesome is this Sushi? Very

    Picture a Ma ‘n Pa shop mixed with a trendy, modern sushi joint, and what comes to mind will probably look a lot like Awesome Sushi. Located on the corner of Clark Avenue and Willow Street, this restaurant may be small, but makes up for it with great customer service, food, and the determination to stay open. 

    During the health and economic crisis of the past year, small businesses like Awesome Sushi have struggled to stay afloat. Before COVID-19 spread throughout the nation, restaurant owners would greet their customers at the door and make them feel welcomed without a mask or plexiglass divider. What makes Awesome Sushi unique is the staff still finds a way to make a customer feel welcomed despite necessary safety precautions. 

    The staff at Awesome Sushi make ordering takeout via phone simple and easy. To-go orders are on-time, and the staff greets each customer with a smile and asks how their day has been.

    Awesome Sushi is also known for their healthier options as they have low-carb and vegetarian rolls. The sushi joint also has a wide variety of fish ranging from tuna to salmon to escolar. I tried the tuna poke, spicy edamame, and an iced green tea. The freshness of the ahi tuna and flavor of the edamame was the perfect combination. The iced green tea topped the meal off. There is so much to try on their menu which makes each meal different.

    Awesome Sushi is now only open for takeout orders. The determination to stay open throughout the pandemic is telling. Additionally, the restaurant persists by the closeness of the family and staff that work for their community. 

    At Awesome Sushi, they think that sushi should be more than just a high-end meal. It’s a meal for all. 

    “Come and try out how awesome we are!!!!” the Awesome Sushi staff said.

    To find out more about Awesome Sushi, you can go to  http://myawesomesushi.com/

     

  • Wings By BTS

    Wings By BTS

    The Korean boy band BTS released their 2nd full album, Wings, on October 10, 2016, under their label BigHit. 

    The album includes the track “Blood, Sweat, and Tears”, which gave the boy group their first win at the “Mnet Asian Music Awards” for best dance performance that same year. Like the intro track “Boy Meets Evil”, the album is about the temptations of a young boy when growing up: “Too bad but it’s too sweet”. 

    Back to the title track, it’s about being intoxicated with one’s feelings and neglecting them. The vocals are breathy, expressing the lust of commiting a sin that’s “sweeter than sweet”. 

    This album is also the first time the boys try solos, expressing their hardships of growing up. The soft and soulful dance track “Begin” by Jungkook is about how his bandmates raised him during their trainee days. The electronic-inspired “Lie” by Jimin is about being so deep into a lie that you lose yourself. The sensual solo “Stigma” by Taehyung is about lying to yourself and the world, along with the feelings of being a sinner. The passionately rapped “First Love” by Suga, is about things or talents that have been neglected for a while, there is still a fire there in the heart. It’s about an escape. The meaningful rap, “Reflection” by RM, is simply about just learning to love yourself. The old timey feeling, “Mama” by J-Hope talks about the struggles of family sacrifices. 

    And lastly, “Awake” by Jin, is lyrical with powerful vocals and is about seeing your limits, questioning if you’re enough. There are other tracks on this album but I feel that these are the best and get the meaning through. We all reminsenice on our past mistakes and try to force ourselves to be something we’re not, to try to fit in. From this album, I got that we should learn how to love ourselves, imperfections and all. That is a beautiful message that is not said enough.

  • The Weeknd’s “After Hours” album — a story about a beautifully toxic relationship

    The Weeknd’s “After Hours” album — a story about a beautifully toxic relationship

    When fans and other music enthusiasts learned that three-time Grammy winner The Weeknd was not nominated for a Grammy this year, despite his record-breaking feats and well-received praise from music critics, people were notably upset. 

    Abel Tesfaye, most well known as The Weeknd, dropped After Hours on March 20, 2020, which set a high bar in music. 

    The album’s unique instrumentals encompass the listener with strong emotions that almost feel like an out-of-body experience. After Hours follows a clear storyline about an unhealthy relationship influenced by Tesfaye’s own love life. Even if you have not been in a relationship, Tesfaye makes it as if you were the one in his situation. 

    The Weeknd opens up the album with a dark R&B feel and heavy bass lines that convey his deepest thoughts and experiences during his relationship. This theme follows throughout the first half of the album, up until “Blinding Lights”. The narrative starts with The Weeknd singing about his unstable relationship with a girl who is devoted to him, but he, unfortunately, cannot be the same towards her. Despite him not being able to properly communicate his emotions, he still finds it hard to let go of the girl he loves. Their relationship continues to crumble due to trust issues and insecurity, and it eventually leads to their breakup.

    Aside from his relationship, Tesfaye shows a more vulnerable side to him by talking about the harsh reality of stardom. In “Snowchild,” Tesfaye reminisces about his time before stardom and the hardships he faced before his breakthrough with a graphic opening line: “I used to pray when I was 16, If I didn’t make it, then I’d probably make my wrist bleed”. The song then transitions to focus on his life as a superstar, boasting about his fancy lifestyle and the fame he gained. Once again the focus shifts, but instead it’s about Tesfaye’s true thoughts on his life as a celebrity: “20 mill’ mansion, never lived in it / Paparazzi tryna catch me slippin’,” which can be seen as him feeling alienated in Hollywood. The melancholic atmosphere with the lack of beat shifts within the song sends a message as if his feelings never changed despite him being at the top.

    The Weeknd uses “Heartless” as the midpoint between the thematic shift of R&B to 80s pop. Unlike the previous tracks, he boasts about how his material possessions and notoriety made him “heartless” (hence the title). Though this track’s trap and R&B beat make the listener feel as if they are invincible — like they’re in an intense chase scene from an action movie. The dark reality of the lyrics shows how even though Tesfaye has all this wealth, his ability to properly connect to anyone emotionally has been severed.

    With “Blinding Lights”, the most notably popular song off of his album, The Weeknd completely ditches the dark R&B and replaces it with the 80s inspired tunes. Bound from the beginning to be a chart-topper, this song incorporates futuristic synths and a fast tempo that anyone can dance to. In this song, Tesfaye collaborates with Max Martin, a man who helped produce hits like “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys and “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. This song fills you with ecstasy and adrenaline, thanks to electro-pop sounds combined with Tesfaye’s captivating vocals. This song also perfectly weaves into the theme of the previous song, “Faith”, which centers around The Weeknd’s fall into drug addiction. The chronological placement of this song serves as him being on that “high”. 

    The album continues with the romantic aspect of the story, despite the two parties already having separated. Both The Weeknd and his love interest still have feelings for each other, yet they know it’s wrong to be together. However, they find a way around that by being friends with benefits, even going so far as committing infidelity with each other. The sound also reverts to the dark R&B feel, which represents him going back to the toxic “relationship” they have.

    The album reaches its end with a tragic, yet hypnotizing song, “Until I Bleed Out”. Other than reading the title itself, the song impacts the audience as Tesfaye hypnotizingly chants about how he wants to cut her out of his life permanently to the point that he bleeds. However, depending on the listener, this song can also have a double meaning in which it refers to his drug use. Continuing from the story around “Faith” and “Blinding Lights”, “Until I Bleed Out” serves as the conclusion of the story with The Weeknd being hospitalized most likely from his drug usage. The ending is up to the listener on whether the character he plays is still alive. 

    Truly an album worth 4 stars, The Weeknd inserts many allusions that allow the audience to interpret their own story. The cycle of pain, heartbreak, and bad habits is something that leaves the listener upset at his actions, yet the melodic and catchy tunes are something that sticks with them. Without a doubt though, The Weeknd has a unique artistic ability that allows him to create a sophisticated storyline that lets the audience have a love-hate relationship with the character he created. 

     

  • Ben Platt’s Sing To Me Instead Album Review

    Ben Platt’s Sing To Me Instead Album Review

    At a young age, Ben Platt became interested in the theatre arts. When he was 11, he took the opportunity to do a small tour with the musical Caroline, or Change. Since his debut in the musicals, The Book of Morman and Dear Evan Hansen, Ben Platt also starred in the Pitch Perfect movies leading to his nomination in the Teens Choice Awards and a Tony Award. He has appeared in other movies and shows and is now the lead in the series The Politician on Netflix. That same year Platt released his album Sing To Me Instead.

    Sing To Me Instead, released on March 29, 2019, is a Pop album of 12 songs that revolves around the world of love, heartbreak, and healing. With each song, I felt as if I were being drawn in and invited to see Platt’s love story. 

    One of the songs, “Share Your Address,” tells the story of how Platt is known to move fast in a relationship and has quickly fallen in love. “It’s ’cause I’ve waited far too long, for someone just like you,” inferring that Platt was tired of waiting, and now that he’s in love he wants it all. It contains a very upbeat rhythm that invites the listener to get up from their seat and start dancing. At the beginning of the song, the music seems exciting and the piano part is repetitive but enjoyable. 

    A song that also tells a story about a new love is “Honest Man.” In his documentary on Netflix, Platt stated that he wrote this song about a past relationship where his boyfriend hadn’t come out yet and Platt described how he wished he could’ve tried his best to support the relationship and his partner as he went throughout his journey of coming out. Throughout the song, the piano seems to stay the same quiet soothing sound. The beginning starts off slow and quiet but by the end, it’s a bit faster and there are more high notes. This song is something that some people can relate and sway their heads to. 

    In “Temporary Love,” written by Platt, Ben Abraham, and Jonny Price, Platt sings a song that would bring ease to a partner who has been heartbroken many times and fears a new relationship. The lyric “This is not a temporary love” repeats all throughout the song, and “Know your heart is in my hands,” gives hope to the listener that unlike past relationships, this one won’t lead to a big heartbreak. The song could possibly be a storyline that follows after “Honest Man,” in which the partner is still doubting a relationship with Platt’s character. 

    “Hurt Me Once,” is a song that is a sudden change from Platt’s previous songs. Composed by Platt and Eg White, this song tells a story about a relationship that is slowly ending, where one is losing interest and the other desperately wants the relationship to continue. The song brings a melancholy vibe that is sure to cause sorrow to everyone who has ever had a heartbreak. The lyrics, “You have all these choices, I have none,” implies that the partner who desperately wants to save the relationship knows that one doesn’t work without the other. They know that if a partner becomes disinterested in the relationship, it’s not worth saving, it’s up to the disinterested partner to decide if the relationship should continue. There’s nothing to do but to wait around to see if heartbreak is going to come. It may be a sad song but the lyrics make it a catchy song that even someone who’s never experienced a relationship heartbreak will be able to enjoy. 

    One of the most popular songs in the album, “Grow As We Go,” follows the theme of heartbreak. In this song, one partner is lost and believes that in order to grow they need space from the relationship and that it should end. This song is in the view of the second partner, singing that the other one doesn’t need to leave in order to change, that they can grow together. The background music is very calming and can leave the listener at ease. The lyrical section encourages a healthy relationship in which the partners talk to each other and help one another through “every twist and turn.” 

    A song that moves from heartbreak to healing is “New.” In this song, Platt expresses how after an ended relationship, he feels like a whole new person. The lyrics begin, “Wish that I’d known, this feeling was coming, when I was crying over you,” describing how even though a breakup may hurt, it will be over and you’ll feel like a new person that you never would have imagined. The beginning rhythm was electric and can cause your body to move to the beat. The line “Burned all your letters just for fun” shows how easy it is to just let go and discover the new person that you’ve become. This is a great song for anyone who is past the point of being sad after a breakup and gives them a chance to jump up and dance. 

    It’s a great album for anyone who’s in love, heartbroken after a breakup, or past that point and ready to become a new person. Platt’s music is creative and very enjoyable. Months after the Covid-19 outbreak, Platt released a new single titled, “So Will I.” He is also hoping to release his second album sometime in 2021.