Aztlan Staff: Click On Their Names To Learn All About Them

• My favorite class has always been Language Arts since I love reading and writing! I also love my teacher this year. 

• I have a dog called Pepsi who is seven years old.

• I’d rather live by the mountains since I can experience the change in seasons. In the winter, I could experience snow and in the spring, there are lakes to swim in.

• I love to read, write, or talk to my sister when I’m sad.

• My favorite holiday is Christmas since I like getting together with my family to make pizzas. 

• Daniel Dumile (MF DOOM): was my introduction to hip hop when I was 4 years old.
• Rod Serling: His activism as well as his contributions to film and TV with programs like Twilight Zone have been extremely inspiring. 
• William Basinski: His style of ambient music has assisted me through many different times of struggle. His song “For David Robert Jones” is very important to me. 
• Thundercat: one of the greatest bassists alive, who got me into playing bass, and seeing the importance of it in music. 
• Jennifer Kent: One of the greatest current female directors (The Babadook, The Nightingale)

• When I feel sad, there is usually a reason why. I try to be productive, and use my creative outlet, which is music, to work through my issues. By the time I’ve, at the very least, processed what I’m feeling, I’ll have something that you can listen to that illustrates exactly what I was feeling at that time. 

• Halloween, of course. Christmas is okay, but as much as it promotes kindness and happiness, the commercialization of the holiday has exposed the selfishness that lies within a lot of people. Halloween is a holiday that promotes people getting out of their comfort zone through things like scary mazes, while also providing seasonal employment for people at amusement parks. 

• After my sister passed away last October, and the funeral was held in December, we ended up visiting the room she was staying in with her daughter at her mom’s house. Being in that room was eerie, I started feeling sick, I was feeling anxious, and I remember going into the closet that was in the room. I was looking at her clothes, and there was a mirror behind me. I swear from the corner of my eye I saw her in the mirror, and I had to leave the room after that because I couldn’t be in there anymore. 

• Back in December of 2020, my friend contacted me, asking if I could take a picture for him to use as an album cover. He also let me do a little rant about a recent event that I still hadn’t processed completely, which I found to be very beneficial, and which ended up on his first album released in January of this year. Eventually, he started asking me to help out on projects. From January-June of 2021, we released 3 Albums and 2 EPs, and lots of other recordings that didn’t make it onto projects. I was working on music for our next project when he told me that he was leaving for college and would no longer be able to focus on making music, so he told me to go make some on my own. And I’ve been working on my album since late May. 

What is your favorite holiday? 

• My favorite holiday is Halloween because of the fun decorations, costumes, and movies! Also, my birthday is in October so overall it's a very lively month.

Would you rather live by the beach or the mountains?

• As much as I enjoy the cold, I would rather live by the beach because I am so drawn to waves. 

Is there an interesting story having to do with your hair?

• I’ve been getting my hair done in braids since I was two and the process takes roughly four-six hours. One time, I was sitting in the chair and fell asleep for the entirety of my appointment!

How would you describe your room?

• My room is my favorite creation. On my walls, I have newspapers from floor to ceiling along with posters and original art. My ceiling holds 350 functioning glow-in-the-dark stars and a moon/sun tapestry. 

What was your favorite toy when you were 5 years old?

• When I was younger I loved dolls and fashion. Monster High and Barbie dolls were probably my favorite toys because of the outfits that came with them. I had a ton and always watched the movies.

• Language Arts is my favorite class so far because this year we are reading more interesting books in class and learning more about Native Americans.

• Something people don't know about my personality until they know me well is that I seem aloof and distant at first but as you get to know me if you open up more and become caring and protective.

• My mom loves the movie Fools Rush In and loved how strong and independent the main character was, Isabel. But my mom decided on Izabellah to give my name it's own meaning and so that my name would have a unique spelling. I still have not once seen someone else with my name spelling.

• In my home we have a picture of all of our names in my family and our names are the structure of a house. To me this symbolizes our strength as a family and how as long as we have each other we are home.

• My favorite holiday is Halloween because it's the one time of the year where you can be your silliest and no one will single you out for it. It's a day to be free and your weirdest self.

• My favorite thing about elementary school was probably going on all of the different field trips, some of which were strictly for fun and not having to do with anything educational

• One phobia I have is of the deep ocean; there is just so much that we don’t know about our oceans and what could live down there, and the thought of not knowing that when I swim in the ocean is terrifying to me.

• My mom’s mom was only 16 years old when she got married to my grandfather (21 years old). They married so young because my grandfather was in the Air Force, so they wed so my grandmother could follow him and be with him on the bases. She gave birth to my mom/aunts/uncles all on different military bases around the world.

• I would much rather live by the mountains; I love cold weather and I love snuggling up in warm clothing and blankets, so I think I would do very well up in the mountains. I’ve never enjoyed the beach that much anyway, but I love the mountains.

• My mom chose the name “Alyx” because since she knew I would be a girl, she knew I would face difficulties because of that. She wanted me to have a strong name so she named me after Alexander the Great. She added the “y” to make it a little bit more feminine, but the name still carries the strength she wanted.

• I have one cat named Trixie. She is a gray and white cat who plays fetch and basically acts like a dog.

• I love traveling during summer. This past summer I got to camp in Utah and Catalina, as well as go to Hawaii. I enjoy seeing new things and being outdoors.

• I would rather live by the mountains and be able to travel to the beach. The mountains have more activities and the beach is more of a relaxing place.

• My favorite holiday is Christmas because my whole family is able to be together and have fun. All of my cousins come into town and we are able to spend great time together. 

• When I get out of school, I go eat some lunch, come home and take a nap, do my homework, and then go to swim practice.

What is the story behind your name?

• I was named after Aaron the levitical priest and brother of Moses in the Bible who helped lead the Israelites out of Egypt in the book of Exodus. My middle name Jabez is a short prayer in the Bible about being blessed by the Lord. And as for my last name, there is no real significance. 

What is your favorite event of the summer?

• Watching the fireworks with my friends from church on the Fourth of July. 

What is your favorite holiday?

• Christmas because I love the many sweets and music of the season. And I also love the cold weather, especially the snow which it brings up in the mountains. 

If you feel sad, what do you normally do to make yourself feel better?

• If I feel sad, I´ll usually pray and listen to Worship music, and talk to my best friend. 

What is an object with symbolic significance to you?

• My Bible. It means everything to me. It's like a love letter from God, to me His child. And the fact that I get to read it whenever I want, makes me beyond grateful.

What is your favorite holiday?

• My favorite holiday is Christmas. Each year, I love viewing the lights around homes in the neighborhood, drinking peppermint hot chocolate, putting up the Christmas tree with ornaments, and listening to the annual Christmas music. This time of year connects families, inspires a sense of giving, and emulates altruism abroad.

Would you rather live by the beach or the mountains?

• I would rather live by the beach. I love the sound of the ocean waves, the salty smell of the air, and the warm feeling of my toes in the sand. 

What was your favorite thing about elementary school?

• One of my favorite events that occurred each year in elementary school was the Imagination Machine. Each student had the opportunity to write a story. The Imagination Machine would then come to the school and choose a few of the stories to act out in front of all of the students in the school. It was creative and kept each student's full attention every year. 

What is your favorite event of the summer?

• My favorite event of the summer is going to Lake Powell with my family. We go wake-boarding, wake surfing, water skiing, tubing, and enjoy our time on the lake being together as family. It is a beautiful lake I would recommend to everyone. 

Do you have any pets?

• I have one dog named Lady. She is a 6 year old cocker spaniel. She loves all types of foods. We first saw her in the Brea mall and fell in love with her immediately. We named her after Lady from the Disney film Lady and the Tramp as she looks very similar to the dog in the movie.

What is your favorite holiday?

• My favorite holiday is Christmas. All of my family comes together to spend time with one another and normally I go with my friends to look at the lights. 

Would you rather live by the beach or the mountains? 

• I would rather live by mountains because I love being around nature and hiking is my favorite thing to do. 

What was your favorite birthday party as a child? 

• My favorite birthday party as a child was a little mermaid theme birthday party. I was four, all of my family members were there and I just remember being so happy. 

What is your favorite event from the summer? 

• My favorite event from the summer was when I went to Idaho to see my cousins. It was tons of fun and I never been there so it was nice to see how different it is from Cali. 

What is a phobia you have? 

• A phobia I have is spiders. Spiders just creep me out.  

What is your favorite holiday and why?

• Christmas is my favorite holiday and always has been. I love giving presents and seeing peoples’ smiles on their faces. Every year my family buys presents for a homeless family and it makes it extra special for them and us.

What is an object that has symbolic significance to you?

• A hummingbird has always been a symbolic significance to me. When I was a kid, my sister and I would always look for hummingbirds and named them after Avengers characters. They used to go in our backyard everyday when we came home from school. My sister and I were always fascinated by them so they became a symbolic significance to me.

What is your favorite event of the summer?

• In August, I went to Honolulu with my family for 10 days. Though I’ve been there many times as a kid, I was excited to take pictures and eat food. It was more of a relaxing vacation trip but it was nice to know what it was like now that I’m older.

Where is your favorite spot at home?

• My room holds a special place in my heart, other than my kitchen. I get my own personal space away from my family and my snack drawer makes me happy. It doesn’t help me get out of my room to socialize but I have easy access to food.

If you feel sad, what do you normally do to make yourself feel better?

• When I’m upset, the reason is usually something small so I have to tell myself to not get worked up over it. But, I usually listen to music and just try to relax and stay calm. Sometimes I try to make myself feel better by watching anime and it usually helps my mind drift off of the problem.