Categories
Arts & Entertainment music

What’s In Your Headphones?

As college students, we tend to get ahead of ourselves when it comes to having stress while trying to deal with anything college-related, but from experience and many friends/peers of mine, music is the number one way to destress, focus, or even just to walk around campus. I wanted to get different people’s opinions and find out their way of thinking when it comes to using music to help, so I interviewed three students to understand why they listen to the music that they do. I asked them the same five questions and got very different but interesting answers.

Interview 1: Leslie

1. Is there a certain artist that you like to listen to when you want to destress?

– Tame Impala 

2. How does that artist help you focus?

– The message in their songs, along with the beats, keeps me in the zone. The lyrics aren’t too distracting.

3. What genre of music helps you get into the focusing zone and why?

– Techno or house music. The beats keep me in a constant though instead of having lyrics steering me away from my assignments.

4. What song would you describe your college life right now and why?

– Passionfruit by Drake. It’s good vibes and I feel like I’m flowing through the school work taking it day by day.

5. What song plays in your head when you submit an assignment at 11:59?

– Only Angel by Harry Styles. It had a good mix of buildup and intensity then relief when submitting the assignment.

Interview 2: Alyssa

1. Is there a certain artist that you like to listen to when you want to destress?

– Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish 

2. How does that artist help you focus?

– Ariana Grande tends to make songs that hit emotionally, Billie Eilish makes melodies that ease my stress and calms me down. 

3. What genre of music helps you get into the focusing zone and why?

– Usually girl pop, but if I really want to get into my zone, I usually put on a lo-fi radio station, and I usually tend to put that on for when I study or do my assignments/homework.

4. What song would you describe your college life right now and why?

– My Future by Billie Eilish because It really has you thinking about not only school but life. 

5. What song plays in your head when you submit an assignment at 11:59?

– Count Contessa by Azealia Banks. It has good vibes all around and makes me feel like I’m that girl because I got it done before the deadline.

Interview 3: Ashley

1. Is there a certain artist that you like to listen to when you want to destress?

–  Taylor Swift because she has a song for every feeling. If I’m feeling stressed, I usually put on Evermore or Folklore. If I want an album to hype me up, I’ll put on Fearless because that is just such a good pop album.

2. How does that artist help you focus?

– Her music helps me focus because it creates a certain mood.

3. What genre of music helps you get into the focusing zone and why?

– Pop music for sure because it’s upbeat and motivating.

4. What song would you describe your college life right now and why?

– This Is Me Trying by Taylor Swift because I feel as though anybody can relate no matter what stage of life you’re in.

5. What song plays in your head when you submit an assignment at 11:59?

– Time Of Our Lives by Pitbull feat Ne-Yo because it’s such an uplifting song.

Quote from my interview with Leslie

“The way music has the power to transport you back to a certain feeling or time is beautiful.”

For context, this playlist is one of my favorite playlists to listen to because it’s calming music to help you focus.

Final Thoughts

After taking the time to interview these students, I reviewed everyone’s answers, played all the requested songs, and sat down with them as I listened to everyone’s choices. Even to understand the way a song can mean so much to a person. It’s crazy to think how different each person answered and the type of music each one uses to focus.

Categories
Business Social Media

Who is Watching These Ads??

When you’re scrolling on TikTok or Instagram and you see a video that says “sponsored” on it, you probably scroll past it. It’s not the ad’s fault, it’s not your fault, it just happens. With the increase of advertising through social media, companies are usually required to add the sponsored feature or often add links to make it easier for viewers to access the product. Instead of responding in a positive way, most viewers find these videos an interruption to their scroll. 

There actually were studies at the University of Twente and Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences where they had tracked a number of participants’ Instagram feeds by looking at analytics and conducting interviews; The results confirmed that sponsored ads have much less watch time and overall less engagement compared to organic content. 

This raises the question of how companies will move forward in marketing through social media, and who will actually even respond. 

While I don’t have the resources these Universities have, I have a microphone and an iPhone, so I have conducted a series of short interviews with social media users of different kinds of demographics. 

I asked,

“Why do you scroll past sponsored ads on TikTok, and why do some of them catch your eye?”

This video is of an interview with my coworker and friend Kianna expressing her opinion and answering the questions above. Of the 10 people that I interviewed, all the answers were generally the same. Viewers response to authentic content is significantly better than their response to ‘hokey’ sponsored content.

Thank you for reading, and I hope that this article urges you to consider why you avoid certain ads, and why others attract you.

Categories
Beauty & Wellness Student Life at VC

 Confident Skin, Confident You, in 4 Easy Steps 

Cleanser. Hydrating Serum. Moisturizer. Sunscreen.

Most people don’t have a skincare routine, but I’m here to tell you the importance and ease of starting yours today! There are four base products everyone should have, which are a cleanser, hydrating serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Skincare is for everyone, whether it’s for acne, preventative care, or corrective care.

Itzel Reyes, a licensed esthetician, says, “This is an effective skincare routine that incorporates all the essentials to bring your skin back to life…they are professional grade, result driven products.”

It is important to have a skincare routine not only to look good but to have healthy skin now and as we get older. Also, if you think it’s too late to start yours, it’s not as long as you start! People usually think skincare is only for people with acne, but they’re wrong. Itzel sees clients who also want to prevent their skin from getting dry during the fall season or who want to protect it from getting sun damage. She also has clients who already have sun damage and hyperpigmentation, which is caused by not using or having the right products to protect their skin.

“Would you believe me if I told you this was 80% home care…”

Ultra Gentle Cleanser

Step 1: start with your cleanser and make sure you fully rinse it off before applying the other products.

Hydrating Serum

Step 2: After you’ll want to add a pea size amount of your hydrating serum.

Moisturizer

Step 3: Add about a nickle size of moisturizer and make sure to wait about 20 seconds before adding your spf!

Sunscreen

Step 4: Lastly don’t forget to put your sunscreen, which should be two finger length amount. Make sure to massage it in to not have a white cast!

Categories
Food & Beverage history Student Life at VC

Matcha: What Happened?

Overconsumption, Shortage, and Alternatives

Today, matcha is a staple drink at any coffee place. But with it causing so much demand places today sell you a cup at $7-$10 full of cheap powder, artificial sweeteners, and cold foam. What happened?

I had first started drinking matcha 5 years ago, hearing it could help me with my stomach issues. It wasn’t until recently I came to the conclusion that what people are selling you today does not taste the same as it did before. There was once an earthier taste, way more grassy, if you will. 🤭

I want to say it was 3 years ago where I went in one day to get a matcha when the barista told me they were out of powder for the week. Later I went to another place and again I’m told they were out of powder. The times where it felt only me and Kourtney Kardashian drank it were over.

Unfortunately, throughout that time, it became a recurring situation where there was never enough supply to last coffee places the whole week. But it wasn’t until January of last year when I saw a video for the first time that there was a matcha shortage but I knew it had started way before that.

It feels like every week there’s a new coffee shop that opens and there is not enough matcha to go around.

I spoke with Veronica Sara – a matcha lover who has taken classes in Uji Japan learning about matcha and its origin. She physically got to grind matcha leaves by hand to create the powder. She shares,

“You only get 10g of matcha powder in 30 minutes of stone milling”

Getting back to what was said earlier, a lot of places will buy cheap powders and mask the drink with different flavored fruit syrups, foams, etc. And you pay upwards of $10 for a cheaply made drink.

I can name a couple of places here in the 805 that are or aren’t worth your money, but we can save that for a future segment.

What I can assure you of today though is that if you are looking for its true rich texture, flavor, and quality you are best off buying a great quality powder that originates from Uji, Nishio or Yame and making it yourself.

It’s not the easiest thing to get into, but I guarantee you once you get the hang of it, there’s really no going back. Also while a great quality powder can be pricey it’s worth the price compared to spending on a mid coffee shop.

There’s this saying I see in videos time and time again where they say depending on the color of the drink you’ll know if it’s actually good or not. The greener the better.

@dogloverimani on TikTok

But it also gets complicated and confusing because it also gets to a point people overdo the powder, and it’s not only adding to the shortage, but also people are overconsuming the number of grams they should be having for a daily intake. This, in some cases, causes people to end up in the ER because of a lack of poor knowledge.

I had the privilege of watching and observing all this play out in real time. However, it saddens me that matcha became another victim to overconsumption culture. There’s not, and most likely never will be, enough to get around to truly appreciate. The plot was lost and its beautiful culture was forgotten.

Categories
Business Food & Beverage Food & Dining Local Business Spotlight

Top 3 Best Breakfast Spots in The 805

Ever looking for a nice breakfast spot to eat at? Check out my favorite 3 spots to go have a nice brunch out here locally in Ventura County!

Breakfast Burrito w/ Country Potato’s

3. Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut
(Oxnard, CA)

One of my top 3 breakfast spots to go to is Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut. Located at 2800 A Harbor Blvd, Oxnard, CA, this breakfast restaurant is lovely for its outside patio because of its scenic view of being by the harbor where people dock their boats, being close to the water, and for the patio being all sand to make it feel like you are having breakfast on the beach. Mrs. Olson’s has been around for 50 years! “What started as a small coffee shop only holding 45 people, it has grown into a neighborhood favorite breakfast restaurant being able to hold 350 people” says new owner of Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut. “Based off our sales, The Big Basic (2 eggs, potatoes or hash browns, choice bacon sausage or turkey sausage. beef patty or ham steak with additional charge) has to be our customers favorite dish along with The Breakfast Burrito and the Chilaquiles.”

My favorite dishes at Mrs. Olson’s are:
1.Country Fried Steak and Eggs ($18)
2.Classic Eggs Benedict ($15).
3.Chilaquiles ($16)

Everything on the menu is super delicious. Great food and great customer service, hands down a beautiful environment to be eating breakfast by the beach.

2. BG’s Cafe (Oxnard,CA)

BG’s Cafe is what you really call a “Hole-In-The-Wall” breakfast joint where it is really easy to miss on the front street, but the trick is to enter through the back of the restaurant where there is more parking . Located on 428 S A St, Oxnard, CA
BG’s Cafe has been serving delicious food since 1971 in downtown Oxnard. This family-owned restaurant has the tastiest coffee I’ve ever tried , and I don’t usually have the care for drinking coffee.

My Go-To meals at BG’s Cafe are:
1. Homemade Chilaquiles with Country Potato’s and Eggs -$18 (seen in photo). This is an everyday favorite Mexican breakfast and also a customer favorite item.
2. The Ham Steak and Eggs -$20. This dish comes out with a huge slab of cooked ham and comes with a side of eggs, golden hash browns and some fruit.

BG’s Cafe is truly a hidden gem, I’ve been going here ever since I was a little kid and the food has only gotten more delicious. I highly recommend visiting this great establishment.

Chilaquiles w/ Eggs and Potato’s
New York Steak and Eggs w/ Country Potato’s

1. Arts Corner Cafe (Ventura,CA)

My personal favorite breakfast spot to go to is Arts Corner Cafe. Arts Corner Cafe is a top tier breakfast spot in Ventura. This family-owned restaurant is located on the corner at 1907 E Thompson Blvd, Ventura, CA. Arts is a lovely breakfast restaurant to go to on a date, eat with family, or just to simply get good food. They have a nice outdoor area to eat your food along with indoor seating as well, but I prefer to eat outside. They also have amazing cocktails for the 21+ crowd that comes on by. My go to drink is their Paloma $12. A customer favorite is their Mimosas that come in this big goblet for $12-$15.

The main 2 items I order are:
1. The Cinnamon Roll – $11
This big cinnamon roll is great for an appetizer or dessert so make sure to not be eating alone. Comes with this rich glazed cream and some syrup on the side. This item is a for sure another customer favorite!
2. New York Steak and Eggs w/ Country Style potato’s – $30
(seen in the photo). The juicy steak is covered with a chimichurri sauce over it and blends really well in flavor with the eggs and potato’s.

The whole menu has really great quality food and drinks. It can be expensive but that’s why you get the amazing love and quality type of food they prepare. The customer service is also welcoming to all! I suggest getting there early in the morning because they are usually packed as the day goes by.

Categories
Business Nature & Outdoors plants

Tucked Away Garden

some places sell plants. others help you grow a home. explore this garden center located at a hardware store in midtown ventura.

Do you like plants, but feel unsure of where to start? I wanted to focus on this small garden center located at Franklin’s Ace Hardware in Ventura. Miss Jackie is the wonderful human who runs it, alongside Stacey and Nick. She has helped so many clients with great tips and by boosting their confidence to start digging and planting. This is a family owned franchise. I love supporting local businesses and feeling like a part of their community.

Ace Hardware is known for their amazing customer service and that is definitely experienced at this location. They opened their doors back in October 2024. Their garden center is a newer addition. It’s only been one year of serving the community this March 2026.

As college students, we are always looking for budget friendly places and I believe this place is a great start. Miss Jackie takes amazing care of the plants and they have a small “plant recovery” section where they sell plants for a huge discount so they may be nursed back to health.

I’m not necessarily a plant guru but this place has my heart because it brings me so much peace even just walking through it and admiring all the beautiful plants and listening to the bubbling coming from all the fountains. There are disco balls glistening and birds enjoying the bird baths. It truly is a tiny magical oasis.

“I enjoy the uniqueness of our plant selection and helping customers with which plants would suit their garden the best.” – Stacey

“I love coming out here during my breaks to listen to the fountains and birds chirping in their bird baths. The ambience is everything.” – Mary

From succulents, tropical plants, jasmine trees, to petunias and marigolds, their plant selection is very vast and Miss Jackie is always taking recommendations. Come on in and get started on your gardening journey with customized picks and tips!

Categories
Business Clothing Fashion & Retail Local Business Spotlight

Express Your Individual Style with Trending Items: A Spotlight on B Max Clothing.

Leslee Ramirez said, “Whenever I want to shop for trendy, high-quality items, I visit B Max Clothing.”

Have you ever found yourself spending an entire day visiting countless clothing stores in search of a pair of shoes for that dress? Or a skirt for that birthday party you were invited to next weekend? You’re probably a shopping lover (like me), but these kinds of situations can definitely be frustrating when it seems like we’ve searched the entire city and there’s not a single place that has anything worthy of our attention.

With rising prices and constantly changing fashion trends, it’s become increasingly difficult to find a place that offers clothing, accessories, and shoes worth buying at affordable prices. People today only shop online to save time, but I think it’s important to support local businesses. Besides, when it comes to buying clothes or shoes, there’s nothing better than trying them on and checking the quality in-person before you make a purchase.

I have visited numerous clothing stores throughout my life, and I can say that I always go back to those that caught my attention the first time I saw their window displays. But there is one in particular that I cannot resist visiting.

B Max Clothing is a boutique located in Fillmore, California. They have a wide range of items, including shoes, accessories, and clothing. The business targets women—from teenagers to adults—and all these beautiful ladies will undoubtedly find themselves walking out of this store with a new purchase.

A fantastic store is always up to date with the latest fashion trends. However, you may find different items or clothing colors depending on the season. For example, in fall, you might find high boots or a brown sweater, and in spring-summer, you might find a wide variety of open-toe shoes or sleeveless tops.

The in-store atmosphere has a California vibe. When you walk into the store, there is good music playing, from English pop to Spanish ballads. They also have a weekly arrivals section and a plus-sizes section. One of my favorite sections is the accessories section. Seriously, I could spend hours looking at the necklaces and earrings.

  • Accessories section

The customer service is excellent, whether you interact with a staff member or the store owner. I mention this because I have experienced it firsthand. Let me tell you about a time when I was looking for a pair of shoes to wear with a dress I had previously purchased. At the time, I wasn’t sure what color or style I was looking for, so I picked up the first pair that caught my eye. The owner was there, and I remember our interaction very well. She gave me her opinion on the right size for me and which ones would go best with my dress. To be honest, I think there’s nothing like feeling welcomed when you arrive at a shop; it definitely makes you want to come back.

You can find the store as @bmaxclothing on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, and TikTok. I recommend checking out their Instagram (their most active social media platform) and watching the content they have posted. You can also visit their website B Max Clothing. Do not hesitate to stop by B Max Clothing the next time you want to go shopping.

Store address: 508 Santa Clara st, Fillmore, California 93015.

Hours: Mon-Sat•10am-8pm | Sun•11am-4pm.

Phone: (805) 625-7105

Categories
Sports & Leisure Student Life at VC

Ventura College Men’s Basketball: The Breakthrough Season

Last season, Ventura College men’s basketball didn’t have the record it wanted. The pieces were there, but something was missing. Fast forward to this year, and the Pirates are league champions and a serious playoff contender. So what changed?

According to assistant coach Kane Daniels, it started with one thing: culture.

Photo from VC Star

“The focus was the culture,” he said. “Conditioning is something they took pride in.”

Practices were intense. Players were pushed to embrace hard work and stop avoiding uncomfortable situations.

At the start of the season there was an adjustment period with a new system, and it took some time for everyone to get comfortable with it. But little by little, the players bought in and started to fully embrace the change.

Now, he describes them as mentally tougher and ready for challenges. The goal became clear. Coach Kane said, “Get comfortable being uncomfortable.”

That mindset showed up in their playoff opener.

In the second round of the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs, the Pirates were in a close game at halftime against East Los Angeles. But in the second half, everything clicked. VC dominated the final 20 minutes, pulling away for a 91–73 win at home. Sophomore Kam’Ron Cigar led the way with 33 points, and the team outscored the Huskies 53–35 after the break. It wasn’t just talent it was discipline and energy.

Photo from @vcpirateathletics

The turnaround didn’t happen overnight. According to Coach Kane, it came down to daily habits: staying focused, keeping a positive mindset, learning from each other, and embracing hard work every single day.

What this season taught the team was simple but powerful: stay consistent and stay mentally tough.

From a season that didn’t meet expectations to a league championship and playoff run, VC men’s basketball proved that changing the culture can change everything. And if their first playoff game is any sign, they’re not done yet.

See the box score here

Categories
Sports & Leisure Student Life at VC

VC Makes History: New Women’s Flag Football Team

With quarterback standout April Luna having 5 passing touchdowns in their 45-6 win on the road, Ventura College’s new flag football team is on a 3-game winning streak with a 5-2 overall record. Ventura College’s flag football team is making history by adding a new women’s sport to their athletic program, bringing their total to 20 sports. Ventura is now one of 9 community colleges in California to have a flag football program. This flag football program gives female athletes more opportunities to play at the collegiate level and offers scholarship opportunities.

Women’s flag football has been around for more than 60 years, but it wasn’t until recently that they formed the WFA (Women’s Flag Football Alliance). With women’s flag teams growing, they partner with organizations like the NFL and Nike to help raise money and awareness for this 40-team organization.

The NCAA now has 40+ schools sponsoring varsity teams, with the NAIA allowing programs up to 12 scholarships per team. This allows more opportunities for female athletes to earn their degree with a scholarship while playing a sport they love. VC’s flag football program does the same. This widens opportunities for female athletes to continue playing at a four-year university while also getting their bachelor’s degree.

Now the question is: how do female flag football players get noticed at a DI level? The answer is visibility! Visibility is important because you can be the best person on the team, but if nobody is noticing you or talking about you, scouts cannot find you. Although flag football is growing, colleges like VC are struggling with visibility. I created a survey for VC students about the new flag football team. With 34 responses, 73.5% of people did not know that VC had a flag football team, but 70.6% of people would attend a game if they knew about it. When asked what they think about VC adding this new sport, one student states, “It’s very nice to see more variety in the sports at VC,” and another student says, “I think it’s cool; just make it more known because I haven’t heard of it.” This survey shows the importance of visibility. People are interested in going and supporting the team, but they did not know that we had this sport. To increase visibility, VC could promote the games more, hang up flyers for games, post it more on social media, and add activities to get the students involved at halftime during the games.

This program has all the potential to succeed in the future with the team currently having a breakout season blowing out the competition. With the future of flag football growing VC is breaking the stereotypes of female sports, making a more inclusive campus. When asked what kind of effect do you think this  program will have not only for female athletes but also the female student body? One student answered, “I think this creates a lot of opportunities for female athletes. For the longest time it was seen as a “boys” sport, so this will shift culture. It will challenge stereotypes and normalize strength, aggression, and athleticism in the female body” whereas another student answered, “I think it is a great gesture and unfortunately will underperform expectations on a broader scale. Female flag football just doesn’t have the same effect on the campus as mens college football does.” This is the stereotype this campus is trying to solve. Women’s sports can be just as entertaining as men’s sports if people take the time to watch it. Like the student pointed out, this creates more opportunities for female athletes whether that be for health reasons or for scholarships reasons. This program strengthens the inclusivity on campus and promotes new opportunities for women and the female student population. The best way this program can succeed is to build visibility. The season ends early May so there are many more games! Come and support your fellow students and who knows you might fall in love with the sport yourself. Come and find out March 23 when VC plays Irvine Valley college at VC at 5pm! This is just the beginning of a great season!!

Categories
Local Business Spotlight Student Life at VC

The People Yearn For Community – Where is Your Third Space?

We all enjoy spending time with our friends and family but sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to do and where to go. Sure, going out for coffee or lunch is always nice but sometimes you don’t always want to spend tons of money just to hang out. That’s where the idea of a third space comes in — the place you go that’s not home or work. Third spaces help build community, allow for quality time to be spent with your people or yourself, and can even help you meet new people that have similar interests. Discovering a niche spot to spend time in that costs little to no money can seem pretty difficult sometimes. That’s why I’d like to highlight some pretty cool local spots that you may not even know about.

For all the music lovers out there I’d like to introduce The Grape. The Grape is a jazz club/bar in Ventura that has a warm and inviting atmosphere, where you can enjoy live music, bring in outside food, grab a drink, and dance with little to no entrance fee.

My dad frequently goes to The Grape and I love joining him whenever I get the chance. I decided to interview him about his experiences here and what keeps him coming. He talked a lot about the cool atmosphere and vibe that The Grape offers but also states, “what really keeps me coming here is all the local bands and artists that they frequently host.” Following that thought saying. “I love how they’re conveniently right down the street.” So the next time you’re bored and not sure what to do maybe listening to some live music at The Grape is a good option for you.

Another place I wanted to put some spotlight on is Night Owl Ciderworks in downtown Ventura. This is a really cool family owned cider tasting room. They often host various pop up events, like local artists, karaoke, drag bingo, etc. However even if there isn’t an event going on this is still a super cool place to spend some time. They invite you to come hang out, bring outside food, play games, and if you’re really feeling it crack open your laptop and get some work done. So if you’re looking for an inexpensive change in scenery to hang out perhaps check out Night Owl.

Or perhaps your niche is board games. If this is the case then maybe Punchboard Cathedral game room is for you. This is a new spot that just opened up in downtown Ventura that offers a wide variety of board games to play, anything from simple games to highly strategic games. You can come in with friends or by yourself and meet new people. With an inviting, comfortable atmosphere this could just be your new third space.

My main objective with this article was to highlight some local niche third space options that might be new to some people. Third spaces are all around us whether this be your local park, local hiking trails, the beach, local libraries, the list goes on. But if you’re feeling like you might want to expand your options and find something more specific to your personal niches then maybe one of the options I’ve listed above might be a good fun option for you to check out!