Talon Marks

A sit down with the fastest Falcon: Joshua Melendez

Listen to how California's fastest 1500-meter runner in community college, Joshua Melendez, became faster than 99% of people.

Podcast: Censorship on social media with Eric Pierce

This is an interview about censorship on social media with Eric Pierce, the editor of The Downey Patriot, a community newspaper and news site covering Southeast Los Angeles County, home to over two million people.

The NBA media has a problem

Editor-in-Chief, Isaac Cordon and former Editor-in-Chief Michael Delgado discuss the issues in NBA media with the recent drama between Stephen A. Smith and LeBron James.

Enjoying the final games of the NFL season: Super Bowl

Talon Marks editor-in-chief, Isaac Cordon and sports editor, Jonathan Diaz recap the NFL's Super Bowl weekend to enjoy the last game of the football season as it comes to an end.

Enjoying the final games of the NFL season: conference championships

Talon Marks editor-in-chief, Isaac Cordon and sports editor, Jonathan Diaz recap the NFL's conference championships games and predict the outcome of the Super Bowl to enjoy football season before it ends.

Enjoying the final games of the NFL season: divisional round

Talon Marks editor-in-chief, Isaac Cordon and sports editor, Jonathan Diaz recap the NFL's divisional round weekend and predict the NFL's conference championship games to enjoy football season before it ends.

Enjoying the final games of the NFL season

Talon Marks  editor-in-chief, Isaac Cordon and sports editor, Jonathan Diaz recap the NFL's wild card weekend and predict the NFL's divisional round match ups to enjoy football season before it ends.

Madeline's (Mars) Musical Journey Podcast

Madeline Castellanos, who goes by Mars, is a commercial music major here at Cerritos College.

Under the Rock: Brainrot

Music By: NiKneT_Art

Transcript:

[Upbeat jazz music fades in]

Andrew: Hello! Welcome to the first episode of Under the Rock Podcast! I’m your host, Andrew Pilani, and look – I live under a rock, but not just any rock, I live under THE rock.

 

[Upbeat jazz music fades out]

 

Andrew: ‘What does that mean?’ You might ask. That means that I know nothing about anything pop culture. Today, I am joined by my esteemed guests and fellow journalists Derrick Telix and Diego Carrillo. These two are going to help me fix that. What’s up guys?

 

Derrick: Hi, I’m Derrick, I go to this college and I have no idea what I’m doing here, but thanks for having me.

 

Diego: Wassup, it’s Diego. I got something crazy for ya’ll today. We’re gonna help Andrew get over this rock. Thank you for having me.

 

Andrew: Thank you both for joining me today, I really appreciate it. So, what exactly are you guys gonna tell me about?

 

Diego: Well, Andrew, I regret to inform you, but today we’re actually gonna teach you about brainrot.

 

Andrew: Brainrot?

 

Derrick: The hawks and tuahs.

 

Andrew: The hawks and the tuahs?

 

Diego: Yeah! You haven’t seen that yet?

 

Andrew: I’ve heard whispers, but I don’t know, what…

 

Diego: Wait, Andrew, tell me this. Do you have TikTok?

 

Andrew: No.

 

Diego: Aw shit!

 

Andrew: [Chuckling] I don’t use TikTok! I keep myself away from that monstrous stuff.

 

Derrick: You should use it more, man – bunch of doom scrolling, it’s so fun.

 

Diego: To be blunt, it’s-it’s dumb memes. It is funny, but it’s, like, when you actually take that to the head, like this new generation, that’s when you get fucked up.

 

Andrew: What do you mean by like, ‘fucked up?’ You wanna explain or you just gonna, like, dance around the issue?

 

Diego: Well, basically, if you see kids nowadays and the way they talk, they talk so stupidly and that’s basically what it is.

 

Andrew: What kinds of stuff are they saying, though? I mean, you can say they talk so stupidly, but what exactly are they saying?

 

Diego: Have you ever heard of, uh, hawk tuah?

 

Andrew: You guys just mentioned that, but what exactly is ‘hawk tuah?’

 

Diego: it’s this girl, right? And she, like-

 

[Diego laughs]

 

Diego: "Hawk tuah" is a sound that a girl makes when she’s like, sucking your private parts-

 

Andrew: Wha- huh?

 

Diego: And the meme behind it is cause this girl made it really funny when she said it, like ‘HAWK TUAH, spit on that thang!’ You know what I’m talking about?

 

Andrew: No, I don’t know what you’re talking about – honestly, I don’t think I want to know what you’re talking about. Derrick, can you, like, fix this conversation, please?

 

Diego: Yeah, just trust me – you don’t want to know.

 

Derrick: I don’t even know what it is. Let’s move on.

 

[Andrew sighs]

 

Derrick: Have you ever heard of KSI, right?

 

Andrew: I am aware of KSI, to an extent – not much.

 

Derrick: He released a new song called “Thick of It.”

 

Andrew: Wha-Thi-“Thick of It?” Why?

 

Derrick: It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.

 

Diego: CAP! This man Derrick right here is bullshitting.

 

Derrick: I’m not lying-I’m not gonna lie – it sucks-

 

[Diego laughs]

 

Derrick: It’s so trash, bro. He has a PRIME bottle in his video – it’s so funny, like –

 

Andrew: But what exactly is PRIME, though?

 

Derrick: It’s a drink made for, like, little kids to, like uh, promote exercise, but most of the kids who drink it aren’t exercising – it’s just a dumb drink –

 

Andrew: So it’s kinda like an energy drink?

 

Derrick: Yeah, basically –

 

Diego: it’s an energy drink, but it’s very bad and, like, KSI and Logan Paul promote it very heavily and basically the song is the stupid promotion song. So it’s like-so it's really bad.

 

Andrew: But, like, how exactly is it related to brainrot, though? It just seems like sounds like a meme song… question mark?

 

Diego and Derrick: It is brainrot!

 

Derrick: So basically, KSI made this song and it got memed like crazy –

 

Diego: Cuz it’s ass.

 

Derrick: Yeah… I’m gonna lie, it’s awesome, though. Like, it’s a pretty good song! You should listen to it –

 

Andrew: You’re gonna lie? It’s awesome? That makes no sense –

 

Derrick: What do you mean!?

 

Andrew: “I thought it was the best song ever!”

 

Derrick: It is! –

 

Andrew: Oh-ok alright… whatever you say –

 

Diego: This is something brainrot does to you, Andrew. This is stuff like it –

 

Andrew: It makes you, like, super contradictory and you don’t understand anything about what you’re own saying?

 

Diego and Derrick: Exactly!

 

Andrew: They’re talking- they’re talking together! This is like the brainrot turning them into, like, mindless zombies!

 

[Derrick laughs]

 

Diego: Whatchu mean? We got our own opinion…

 

Derrick: What do you mean!? I’m perfectly normal, man. I have- I got like two hours of sleep last night… Just going on Tik Tok –

 

Andrew: What were you doing? Like what were you doing, doomscrolling Tik Tok? –

 

Derrick: I was-I was… I was watching a bunch of KSI videos, uh, hawk tuah compilations –

 

Diego: I was watching the “Henry Danger” memes and that’s why, sadly, I did not make it to class on time –

 

Andrew: You didn’t make it to class on time!?

 

Diego: Well, did you see me in class?

 

Andrew: You monster…

 

[Diego laughs]

 

Andrew: But like, wait, “Henry Danger?”

 

Diego: Do you know what the “Henry Danger” meme is or do you know what “Henry Danger” is?

 

Andrew: I have no clue what the fuck a “Henry Danger” is.

 

[Andrew chuckles]

 

Diego: Ok so “Henry Danger” was kinda like a kids show when growing up – it was about this normal teenager basically. He goes to a job application and turns out he ends up working for a superhero and he’s a sidekick! –

 

Andrew: Uh huh…

 

Diego: But he has to hide life cause he’s in high school and –

 

Andrew: So how is that like brainrot then? It just seems like a normal thing?

 

Diego: It was a normal thing – it was actually a really good show, like, I watched it as a kid. Derrick did you watch it as a kid?

 

Derrick: No.

 

[Andrew laughs]

 

Diego: Aw shit…

 

Derrick: But it’s pretty funny!

 

Andrew: Ay – you flipping off Derrick?

 

Diego : Yeah he got me a little mad now.

[Diego laughs]

 

Diego: But anyway, so what happened is now that it got onto Netflix and basically like, public domain. Cause the actor, “Henry Danger,” he uh, did a lot of funny, like, poses and just funny like, just scenes basically –

 

Andrew : So how exactly does “Henry Danger” relate to, like, brainrot memes though?

 

Diego: So the way it went into brainrot was they took snapshots when he was making funny faces, cause he does a lot of expressions, like uggh uggh, like, you know what I mean?

 

Andrew: No.

 

Diego: Well you’re going to find out. And –

 

Andrew: I do not know what you mean. You are going to have to explain it in immense details. So that way I understand exactly every single –

 

Diego: Funny Faces! Funny Faces!

 

Andrew: NO! I refuse.

 

Diego: Andrew, we need to get you above the rock.

 

Derrick: We need to have you try Lunchly, man.

 

Diego: Wait! No we’re talking about “Henry Danger!”

 

[Andrew laughs]

 

Diego: Hold On!

 

Andrew: How is “Henry Danger” related to Lunchlies?

 

Diego: He's not, he's not! No Derrick. Sorry I love you, but shhhh.

 

[Diego chuckles]

 

Andrew: The brainrot is infecting Derrick further.

 

[Everyone starts talking over each other]

 

Andrew: He is thinking about Lunchlies… –

 

Diego: He’s too far deep… He’s too far deep –

 

Derrick: You need a feastable bro, Mr Beast! Feastables!

 

Diego: Ok the brainrot has took him already. “Henry Danger” has funny faces and they add text to it that’s like, that’s related to your life, right –

 

Andrew: Yea.

 

Diego: So it’s like, well I can’t give you an example – cause it has to be related to your life. So the more you scroll the more it will connect to you.

 

Andrew: How so, like, what kind of connections?

 

Diego: I don’t want put myself on blast, but like –

 

Andrew: Ummmmmm. Diego about to expose himself in 4k?

 

[Diego chuckles]

 

Diego: Ok, I won’t say nothing too much, but it’s like when someone is going crazy at the party and then it shows the “Henry Danger” memes – like, it’ll have the text there – and then it’ll show, like, the “Henry Danger.” So, you’re just scrolling, then you see it and you’re like, “Wait that’s how I react!” You know what I mean?

 

Derrick: But It’s exaggerated.

 

[People talking over each other]

 

Andrew: I guess, yeah that makes sense. Kind of like, just old memes in general –

 

Diego: Exactly!

 

Andrew: Like reactions faces.

 

Diego: Yup it got so big cause his reactions are funny. And, It’s something we watch as kids, so it’s like, “Oh what the hell, this is…” –

 

Andrew : Kind of like those wojacks or something?

 

Diego: What’s a wojack?

 

Andrew: Ok-ok this is going around the wrong way. You guys are supposed to be explaining stuff to me. I'm surprised you guys don’t know what wojacks are.

 

Diego: We’re not that old…

 

Andrew: That- wojacks aren’t even an old thing!

 

[Diego chuckles]

 

Derrick: I'm 42, I’m not that old man.

 

Andrew: Derrick you’ve got the energy of a 42-year-old, I’m sorry!

 

Derrick: What do you mean?

 

[Andrew laughs]

 

Andrew: What do you mean, “What do you mean!?”

 

Diego: I don’t want this to turn into a roasting session of Derrick.

 

[Andrew laughs]

 

Andrew: Alright, well, Derrick – defend yourself, give us a meme. A Brain Rot…

 

Derrick: …I had a Lunchly for lunch today.

 

[Andrew laughs]

 

Andrew : Ok are we going back to Lunchlies?

 

Diego: They're nasty. What was the other one that was better?

 

Derrick: The one with moldy cheese?

 

Diego: Huh?

 

Derrick: The one with the moldy cheese pizza?

 

Diego: No. The Lunchables! Lunchables, Lunchables!!!

 

Derrick: I like Lunchlies better, man.

 

Diego: Man why are you looking at me like that. We are supposed to help Andrew.

 

Andrew: Yeah, Wha-what are you guys even doing, you guys are like, back and forth. Is this what brainrot does to people?

 

[Doomscrolling sounds start in background]

 

Diego: See that's why we're showing you how brain rot works in the flesh. Bang. Bang.

 

Andrew: Why are you-ok bang, bang points finger guns at me, alright. You guys are kind of kooky. I guess. Ok alright. This is enough. We need to get things back on track. What are —

 

[Doomscrolling gets louder]

 

Andrew: What? What the hell are those sounds?

 

Diego: Oh my bad, I was, oh –

 

[Phone dropping]

 

[Andrew chuckles]

 

Andrew: What the hell, what was that? You want to explain?

 

Diego: Yeah that’s the brainrot we talking about.

 

Andrew: You doing that, like, doom scrolling thing?

 

Diego: Yeah. It gets me addicted.

 

Andrew: Oh my God, you know I think I might need to perform a lobotomy on you two. With all the brainrot, I think I’m gonna have to go in. Derrick first! Derrick first cause he’s –

 

Derrick: Why what did I do!?

 

Andrew: Cause you've been zoned out man, you got your eyes glazed over. You’re just like, “Aw sleep, also drawing, also uhh hawk tuah or something.” I don’t know, but like –

 

Diego: Spit on that thang!

 

Andrew: Oh my God, please. So I think you're getting the first lobotomy Derrick. Uh Diego –

 

Diego: I’m smiling. –

 

Andrew: I don’t know if I’m brave enough to give you a lobotomy, but I think it's worth a shot. Cause clearly this brain rot is messing you guys up.

 

Diego: Hey, but we’re teaching you, no?

 

Andrew: Yeah, y-you're teaching me alright, I don’t think I want to know anymore. Maybe I’ll go back under the rock. You know what guys I think I’m completely done with this whole dumb brain rot discussion. This is-this whole thing has just been crazy and stupid. I’m just so done – it makes no sense. This is Andrew Pilani from Talon Marks. Thank you for listening to the Under the Rock Podcast. Im outta here screw this.

 

[Chair rattling]

 

Diego: Man forget about him. It's Diego here from Talon Marks once again.

 

Derrick: I’m Derrick from Talon Marks, too, uhh.

 

[Door Slams]

 

Diego: Hey, Derrick, what are you doing after this, man?

 

Derrick: Probably eating more Lunchlies and watching KSI, bro –

 

[Upbeat jazz music fades in]

 

Diego: KSI?

 

(Diego speaking fades out)

 

[Upbeat jazz music fades out]

Behind the game with Isabel "Izzy" Vasquez

Natalie Gonzalez: Hello. I am Natalie Gonzalez,

Alejandra Guerra: and I am Alejandra Guerra,

Natalie Gonzalez: and we are your hosts for today's podcast.

Alejandra Guerra: In this podcast, we'll be interviewing a special guest about her life and soccer journey.

Natalie Gonzalez: Today's special guest is Isabel Vasquez, number nine on the Cerritos College soccer team,

Alejandra Guerra: According to her bio on the Cerritos College team roster, Isabel has played for Long Beach FC, FC Premiere and Slammers club teams. She also helped the team advance to CIF semifinals as a senior, and played on three league championship teams

Natalie Gonzalez: When Isabel was a freshman, she was voted her team's Defensive Player of the Year and helped them win the winter tournament title. We will now be welcoming Isabel Vasquez, also known as Izzy.

Alejandra Guerra: Hello, Izzy. How are you today?

Isabel Vasquez: I'm doing good. How are you?

Alejandra Guerra: I'm good. Thank you for asking.

Natalie Gonzalez: Can we have you share a little bit about yourself?

Isabel Vasquez: Um, so I'm the oldest of five children, and I've been playing soccer for about, I'd say, 11 years. And, um, well, I'm attending serious College. Obviously, my major is animal science, and I plan on going to Cal Poly Pomona after this, or Cal State Long Beach or any of those. And, yeah,

Alejandra Guerra: awesome. Can you share what inspired you or made you start playing soccer?

Isabel Vasquez: Um, so I'm actually adopted by my dad, so he he's the one who has played his whole life. I started when I was about, I would say, seven or eight years old, and he introduced me to it before that, I was playing tee ball, and I tried out for basketball, but then he had me try out for soccer, and he's like, okay, you can either do this, and if you don't like it, you could just do it. Just do a different sport, but I decided to stay in it. And he's the one who taught me how to like, how to play and everything. He's helped me grow a lot. And, yeah, my mom was there for support, and so is he.

Alejandra Guerra: What is your most memorable soccer match?

Isabel Vasquez: My most memorable soccer match was my last high school game. We were in the semifinals, and we lost, unfortunately, but we broke records because our team has, or that school hasn't been in semi finals since like 19 something. I forgot the date, but it's been a long time, and we were the we had no goal scored on us against us in season, so we were a really strong and good team.

Natalie Gonzalez: and what had been your favorite soccer match?

Isabel Vasquez: I know this isn't good, but I have gone to a fight with one of my matches, and my friend was in there too. I was just defending her, and they just thought I started it. But that one was pretty cool, because the parents got involved too, and it was just a lot of drama going on. And it was just because our team was like, beating the other team. So it was like, the parent just caught any foul, so they would try to get us in trouble. But then we started talking back to the parent. It was just a lot of stuff going on.

Natalie Gonzalez: You come from a family where everyone plays sports. Have you been playing other sports besides soccer, or are there any sports you enjoy playing outside of soccer?

Isabel Vasquez: No, I only play soccer now.

Alejandra Guerra: And what is your favorite thing about soccer?

Isabel Vasquez: My favorite thing about soccer is for me, when I step on the field, like when I was practicing or a game, my mind would just be cleared. Like no, like, no stress, or anything, anything I was worried about outside of soccer, it would not be in my mind, like I would just be focused on the game, so I'm able to release any stress that I have and put it on the game or at practice.

Natalie Gonzalez: What role has soccer played in your life?

Isabel Vasquez: Um, it's played a big role. Actually, I feel like it's gotten me closer to some people that I think didn't think I was going to be closer to, like my dad when we first, when he first met us, or me and my sister, and then also, too, it's it's helped me grow as an individual, because I'm a very extroverted person. But as I got into the higher levels of soccer, it made me realize that it's better, if you like, start talking to people, because then on the field you'll have more chemistry together. So it starts off the field, if you're very bonded with your team, it'll help you being on the field with that chemistry.

Natalie Gonzalez: And what are the most important things you have learned from playing soccer?

Isabel Vasquez: Most important things would be, oh, okay, so this is one that I had a hard time, like taking in or kind of learning during the game it's very high, high intensity. So everyone is like, everyone will yell at you, but it doesn't mean they're, like, trying to hurt your feelings. They're trying to make you better. So that's one thing that I learned, that it was very important, because for me, I take yelling as, like, a bad sign or something, or I would that's just how I was raised. Like, yelling is like, not good, or they're trying to. Uh, like, hurts your feeling or something, but our coach has taught us to not take it in a bad way. Take it as like, they're trying to make you better because they see something that you probably don't. So they they're trying to criticize you in a good way so you can incorporate that in your next like, play.

Natalie Gonzalez: And I would assume, like in the field, they have to yell,

Isabel Vasquez: yeah, they have to yell anyways. But it's just sometimes, some girls come off as like, I know I do. I come off as like, Oh, I'm trying to, like, hurt your feelings or something. But no, I'm really not.

Natalie Gonzalez: It's the tone, aggressive.

Isabel Vasquez: It's the tone, yeah.

Natalie Gonzalez: Okay. And who's your greatest inspiration? Whether it's soccer on your personal life,

Isabel Vasquez: Greatest inspiration would be my parents there. They came from very low, and now they're up there with me, and they have supported me through the whole the whole time.

Alejandra Guerra: What is the most difficult obstacle that you've had to overcome in your life and or in soccer? And how did you overcome it?

Isabel Vasquez: It's not as big as what's happening right now, because I am injured and I can't play, but for me, I have another escape other than soccer, so I do art. I like to draw a lot, and it keeps my mind, my mind busy, because I can't I can't exercise right now, so it's hard for me. Sometimes I'll just be scrolling on my phone, but that's not I know that's not good, so I'll just like, I'll just start drawing. I like, out of nowhere, so that's a good one.

Natalie Gonzalez: Okay, can you share with us a little more information about your injury and how it has affected your soccer career?

Isabel Vasquez: So my injury, I have two tears, one in my ACL. The ACL is fully torn. The meniscus is torn a bit, and I have a lateral minor fracture, so I don't even know how I'm walking right now, but I have to get surgery. Thinking about their my doctors are talking about next month, and right now, I'm not able to do any lifting over 20 pounds, which is not a lot. I can't run, I can't jump, I can't squat or anything. I can do upper workouts, but it's not the same. My big thing is running, because that's how I keep fit, keep my stamina up, but I can't do that. I have to wear brace. It's not the most comfortable thing, but it helps me walk and helps my knee from coming out of place. I am on. They gave me pain meds, but I don't take them a lot because I just, I'm just home. I can't do much my I have two jobs, so one job is not allowing me to go back to work, but one is with minor adjustments. So yeah, it's impacted me a lot, so I can't do a lot of stuff.

Natalie Gonzalez: And how long is your injury keeping you from playing soccer?

Isabel Vasquez: So with this injury, the ACL tear, automatically is one year out of soccer. If it was just a meniscus tear, it would be just, they said minimum four weeks. So I would be out the whole season anyways, but it's three things in one. So I don't know how long that's going to take, but I'd say about a year in a couple months.

Natalie Gonzalez: Okay, and were you hoping to play soccer once you transfer as well?

Isabel Vasquez: Yeah, I was. Before this I was looking into it, but I'm trying to see if I can red shirt this year so I can get my like, like fitness back up. And if I, if I'm able to red shirt, then I would feel more confident in myself moving to the next level. Because if I just go from now to the next level, I know I'm not going to be where I'm at where I was at.

Natalie Gonzalez: So you're majoring in animal science, and you just do art on the side. Yeah, can you tell us a little more about your major?

Isabel Vasquez: So ever since I was little, I really, I really love animals. One of my jobs is washing dogs at a grooming shop. And I was just like, Okay, I'm gonna be a vet. Like I've always been saying that since I was little, and so now I'm just majoring in animal science, or right now, I don't have like, a specific, like job in that area, so I'm looking at different branches, but I know majoring in Animal Science will take me far in different like areas.

Natalie Gonzalez: And how's your experience working at an animal shop washing dogs?

Isabel Vasquez: It can be frustrating, because dogs are a little nervous when you get there, because they don't know you. You don't know them, so, but you just have to take it slow. But once you get to know them, they're, like, all happy and like, they're wiggling their tails and everything. They're they're really nice, if you if you're patient with them

Natalie Gonzalez: Yeah, because I have a Frenchie and I take them to go get washed, and I've been seeing like, all the other dogs, like, get showered, like, big dogs, yeah? And I'm like, I wonder if they're ever scared, like, of getting bit.

Isabel Vasquez: Yeah, they're no, I've gotten bit once, but it wasn't because the dog was old and, like, he was already over it. But yeah, and we've had big dogs before. Like, the most I've had was 180 pound dog. She was really big. So, yeah.

Alejandra Guerra: So what is the best piece of advice that someone has given you? And what advice can you give to anyone listening to this podcast right now?

Isabel Vasquez: Um, best advice is just go with your gut. Because I have not go with your with what your gut says, like the first time, the first feeling that you get. Because I have not done that so many times, and I like, I regret it sometimes, but then I'm like, Well, what? Like, I wouldn't be here if I didn't do that, or I just go. I think about my decisions a lot, but what my dad has taught me is just go with your first say or your first feeling, and that has gotten me actually pretty far.

Natalie Gonzalez: Well, we want to thank you again, Izzy, for taking the time out of your day to come out onto our podcast. I hope your recovery goes well, and good luck in your major Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Alejandra Guerra: And thank you for listening to today's podcast. If you enjoy this podcast, please be sure to give it a comment and a like. For more podcasts like this, check out the Talon Marks website.