Name: Jasmin Van Malderen
Year: 1st
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Hometown: Mission Viejo
Contact/Links/Website: Facebook

1. When did you start doing photography?
-Ever since I got my first camera around age ten. Even before that I’d always beg my dad to let me take pictures with his expensive camera.

2. What kind of camera do you use?
-Just a digital one. It’s easy to carry around everywhere because you never know when you can capture that one perfect photo. I hope to invest in a really nice digital camera with a zoom lens one day.

3. How would you describe your style of photography?
-I don’t really try too hard to get the perfect picture. It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Most of the time, I don’t even realize the picture is that beautiful until it’s uploaded onto my computer.

4. What kind of pictures do you like to take?
-I love scenes in nature. Especially when I’m traveling, I find beauty in so many different things. I love capturing images with memories attached to them, giving each and every one of them significant meaning.

5. What are some of your interests?
-In my free time I love traveling with my family, hanging out with my supportive friends and my amazing boyfriend, playing soccer, volunteering, snowboarding, swimming at the beach, going to the movies, eating Italian food, and going to theme parks and riding rollercoasters!

6. What are some of your inspirations?
-Just being around people who allow me to be myself, being around my supportive family who always have my back, and my boyfriend who is also very into photography and loves me for who I am. I would not be where I am today without any of them!

Okay, if you’re in a relationship I guarantee that there is fighting. If the both of you never fight then:
A. Your relationship is at most two-weeks old
B. You are in a virtual relationship
C. Both of you are emotionally deficient space terrestrials

Naturally, as members of the Y-generation, we turn to our iPods or Pandora, find some music to soothe our emotionally charged souls and cry your eyes out (if you’re a girl) as you do some incessant soul searching. These may or may not be songs that I have listened to as I was fighting, but I guarantee that you might want to avoid these.
• Jay-Z & Kanye West “Why I Love You So Much (feat. Mr. Hudson)- Watch The Throne is a pretty sick album, if you haven’t checked it out yet you must. However, I advise that you avoid this song during trying times unless you want to have your tears drop into a can of beer as you wail along with Kanye and Jay.
• Florence + The Machines “Shake It Out”- Florence recently released her follow up album to 2009’s smash hit, “Lungs” entitled “Ceremonials” which features this moving track, “Shake It Out.” Kind of like the title suggests, “Shake It Out” suggests finding a new beginning. Highly moving with it’s constant crescendos of sound that are a perfect accompaniment to your crescendo of tears.
• Weezer “My Best Friend”- “You’re my best friend/and I love you” is the chorus. Why would you want to subject yourself to this during a crisis? It’s exactly why you should avoid this song. Listening to Rivers Cuomo wail about loving his best friend, you’ll most likely be reminded of your “best friend.”
• Best Coast “Happy”- Just look at that title! Do you think that that’s a suitable song title for how you’re feeling? Probably not, unless you are the aforementioned option C. With this catchy guitar riff and repetitive use of the word “happy” this indie-garage rock trio really knows how to rub it in our face about how merry they are.
• Phoenix “If I Ever Feel Better”- The ever classic and quintessential Phoenix song from their album, “United” sings about feeling better and I felt I should include at least one decent song to listen to at such a time. This French man really knows how to create a good jam to get us out of such a jam. Maybe dancing around your room for a little while will help dry those tears.

By Victoria Yu

Florence and the Machine’s second album Ceremonials debuted at the top of the UK chart, beating out Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto. Ceremonials is theatrical with harps, booming vocals, violins, loud drumming. It is an over-the-top album continuing in the same bombastic style as their first album Lungs. However, Ceremonials lacks the punch of Lungs. After sampling their hit song, “What the Water Gave Me” and positive recommendations, I expected more from the album but was left slightly disappointed. The tracks felt repetitive at times and I was disappointed how the band did not step out of their comfort zone. I felt the bag of tricks which seemed like a breath of fresh air in Lungs, a bit old and outworn in Ceremonials.

The stand out track in this album hands down is “What the Water gave Me.” It is an eerie song with discordant chords in the background which builds up in intensity with the pounding of the drums. Florence’s vocals are lovely in this track especially her hushed vocals as she sings about suicide by drowning. There is an allusion to Frida Kahlo’s painting which translates to the title of the song and Virginia Woolfe as she sings about drowning with “pockets full of stones.”

“No Light, No Light” comes in a close second with hammering drums, mystical harps, and Florence’s bellowing vocals. It is fast paced, energetic track about losing a spark within a relationship. It is a powerful track with Florence’s anguished vocals and the hammering of the drums. The track has a tribal feel to it with the drums taking center stage. In the track, Florence impressively holds a long note, showing off her vocal capabilities.

Another great track is “Never let me go,” which starts off as a soothing ballad before becoming a gospel number. The minimalistic track eases off the instrumentals which sometimes distracts from Florence’s soulful vocals. In this track, Florence’s voice is accompanied by a piano before hitting the chorus and then the gospel kicks in. Her vocals are soars and becomes a powerhouse.

Although most of the tracks in Ceremonies are similar, their attempts to diversify are unsuccessful in the tracks, “Lover to Lover” and “Breaking Down.” “Breaking Down” is an indie pop number which sounds like a track from She and Him, miles away from the trademark style of Florence and the Machine. In the track, “Lover to Lover” also lacks depth. It is jazzy, gospel number with an 80’s feel to it. It is jarringly strange with the mystical sounds of the rest of the album. With both tracks, there is a failure to balance between keeping true to the original essence of the band and slight experimentation.

Ceremonials is a continuation of the style of their first album Lungs. In Ceremonials, Florence and the Machine mostly sticks to what it does best. However, I hoped Ceremonials would deliver something new and fresh, which I did not get. On a positive note, Ceremonials has stand out tracks like “What the Water Gave Me,” one of my favorite tracks from Florence and the Machine. For the all those reasons, Ceremonials gets a rating of 3.5 out of 5.

Name: Michelle Ha
Year: Freshman
Major: Undeclared Engineering
Hometown: Pomona, CA
Contact/Links/Website: hamichelle21@yahoo.com, hahahawowmichelle.tumblr.com

1. When did you start doing photography?
-I probably started doing photography when I first learned to use a disposable camera as a kid.

2. What kind of camera do you use?
-Right now I’m using a simple Sony Cyber Shot digital camera that my sister lent to me. I usually take photos with whatever camera I have at the moment.

3. How would you describe your style of photography?
-I would say I have a random photography style. My photos range from natural scenery like the sunset to random objects and signs that look interesting to me.

4. What kind of pictures do you like to take?
-There is no one thing that I like to take photos of. It’s a kind of spur of the moment for me. Many of my pictures are of common objects I see in a typical day. If I go somewhere with nice scenery, I like to take photos of that also.

5. What are some of your interests?
-I like to scrapbook when I have time and do other creative projects with photos. I’m also a total Glee fanatic also =)

6. What are some of your inspirations?
-I’m inspired by the simple things in life. There are things that are often overlooked, and I believe that if you take a second look at something, you’ll have a whole new view of it. Of course my family and friends inspire me to do great things and be my best.

“Disengaged Beauty”
Here, life was taken, but beautifully.
Last seconds, spent well, spent differently.
Beauty left in its solace.
Beauty in its last place.

“Standing in Line”
Glow stick + plastic = art

“Where You Go”
As long as you know where you are going, it really doesn’t matter how you go.

“Wilt”
Look at how sorrow has touched you.
You look so down.
But beautiful, nonetheless.

“Natural Silhouette”
Just my shape alone,
is enough substance.
So full and empty.

It’s hard to imagine that cultural organizations of any sort, on campus and off, could be capable of anything less than bringing people of all backgrounds together to celebrate the differences in ethnic diversity. I certainly wouldn’t have believed so in my first year here at UCI- the allure of music, food and traditions from all over could seem to offer only open arms. Fast forward two years later to the present time and I can now understand reason to suggest otherwise. Looking back at encounters that my fellow peers and I have experienced these past few years in college serves to beg the question- To what degree do culture clubs bridge the gap that separates people?

There’s no questioning the purpose behind the existence of cultural clubs here at UCI. That much is evident enough in the numbers from the National Center for Education Statistics for four year institutions: White students represent more than two-thirds of college student in the US, while minority student constitute a mere one-third, creating a stark imbalance in the groups represented on campus. Naturally, this underrepresentation would create a demand for organizations ensuring a voice for minorities.

But within this want for representation (as significant and necessary as it is) lies an inherent paradox in the aims of college culture clubs. Not to be confused with a criticism on the ethnic clubs here at UCI, the following is more an analytic observation of the paradox seemingly evident in the aims and goals of college culture clubs. The question itself was introduced in a discussion I was having with some colleagues, regarding our experience with making friends (or trying to) with particular groups on campus. While some claimed to find a circle of friends easily in a group with similar ethnic backgrounds, others testified that they couldn’t even fit into their own group (much less any other) because they did not boast the part. In other words, whatever ethnicity they were, they weren’t “enough of it.”

Surprised as I was about how much can be said on this topic, I became inspired to investigate the degree to which students here (whether or not they belong to a cultural club) define themselves by their race, as well as if too much association can result in isolating oneself from people of other backgrounds, thereby hindering any progress toward unification.

The general response I received from a myriad of UCI students fell along similar lines. Larissa Donikian of the Armenian Student Association and Decerry Donatto of Kababayan, both committed members of an organization pertaining to their own ethnicity agree that cultural clubs do have the tendency to create a segregated environment. “I feel that this club is strengthening our segregated bubble,” states Donikian, while Donatto admits, “If you see a bunch of different faces, not similar to yours, you feel a bit intimidated. It’s just human nature, and what we are set to do.”

Both students, who also strongly associate their identity to their race, expressed their belief that cultural clubs fall in the gray area that both segregates and unites people. Other students like Angie Martinez did not harbor the same sentiments. Half Hispanic, Half Asian, she does not claim to tie her identity with her ethnicity- “I have to say that it is frustrating to see that you want to cling to a culture badly when in reality you aren’t a product of your race or of your “ethnic background. Those are small fragments of what makes you.”

Finally, a sit down interview with second year Alexander Guardado proved to be the most eye opening. Thus far, I had heard from students who had joined a cultural club pertaining to their own ethnicity or not joined one at all, but Guardado was the exception in that he was of Peruvian/Salvadorian descent yet active in the Black Student Union, a club mostly consisting of African Americans.

Q: What made you want to join in the first place?
A: Originally I was interested in joining after some friends in my hall asked me to join and come to one of the meetings. After one of the first meetings I met lots of people and realized that the BSU is a welcoming place…to all cultures and all backgrounds. It’s just a really comfortable place for me. And I really liked the social aspect of it. They’re all about informing people and activism but it’s mostly a social club and I like that.

Q: How long?
A: I joined fall of freshmen year.

Q: How did you feel in the club when you first joined compared to now?
A: Honestly it’s been the same since I have friends in the club and know other people who I’ve met through the club. I’ve been welcomed. They’ve greeted me with kindness and I still feel the same way, I still feel connected. I feel a connection because we’re all minorities and because a lot of the BSU people are a lot more liberal and share the same views as me so I felt that connection.

Q: Are you involved in any clubs pertaining to your own ethnicity? Why or why not? How committed are you to them?
A: I went to MECHA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) one meeting, but I just didn’t find them as welcoming as the BSU. Like in all clubs, cliques get formed, but the BSU just had an atmosphere that was more appealing to me. When I went to a MECHA meeting, I was asking around what people thought of it and from them, I got that it was a more activist club. I don’t want to get involved politically…more socially. BSU is more social. The most important thing really, in a cultural club, at least for me is to be informed and provided with a welcoming community for minorities

Q: How close do you identify with your own race?
A: I identify with my ethnicity only if I am with people of the same race….but I don’t go up to people just because they are Hispanic. I’ve never been like that. I don’t go up to people and introduce myself: “Hi I’m Latino!” I can’t really identify with people based on their race but based on their similarities and differences.

Q: So lastly, what is your stance on the whole topic? Do you feel that culture clubs bring people together or that it separates them more? Does it do both? To what degree?
A: The primary reason of any culture club is to promote that culture. Culture clubs make people feel left out because their primary reason for being active is to help people of a specific culture. If you’re not of the same ethnicity, you will feel like an outsider. For example…white people club. There’s no such thing because they don’t get left out. They are the majority. We have culture club because we feel left out, so that’s why their primary goal is to help people of a certain group and as a result, there’s always going to be people feeling left out.

Having heard from Guardado’s point of view and from others, I’ve come to accept the fact that maybe these cultural organizations, like ASA and the BSU do inadvertently segregate people by way of targeting a specific audience, but as Guardado demonstrated, it all comes down to a specific attitude and readiness. So long as we recognize that entering a new setting is bound to come with feelings of intimidation, we become more apt toward immersing ourselves into newer atmospheres.

Hi guys. My name is Lori, and I’ve just started this blog for Incite to share with you some posts about my travels abroad. I’ve been in Spain and London this past winter break, and my trip was great! However, while being abroad, you also learn how tough it can be, especially if you’re going for an extended period. Now, I was only in Europe for about two and half weeks, almost three. It’s funny how emotions can get to you even in this short amount of time. Nonetheless, traveling should be a must-do on everyone’s list. I’m planning on studying abroad again through EAP in the UK (if I don’t get the Scottish Parliament Internship that is) next fall, so I’m sure I’ll be posting more about it once the program takes place.

For more daily/personal posts, visit: www.meetmeinrome.tumblr.com.

*Dec. 16, 2011- “Highlights of Madrid”

Madrid has been a great city so far.

Some notable things I’ve explored:

Parque del Retiro- This is a huge and beautiful park. We only got to stroll around a corner of it, but I got to see a pond of ducks, a large lake where people paddle boat, a crystal dome, and lovely nature surrounding us. Apparently the park is supposed to be crowded on Sundays since most shops and businesses are closed. Everyone migrates here to relax. Wish we had that in California.

Museo del Prado- The two-story museum is filled with what seems to be hundreds of paintings by different artists such as Goya or Velazquez. You’ll see an array of art from religious depictions to ancient sculptures. I did not know the Las Meninas painting by Velasquez was located here. Humcore was the only reason that I remembered this painting. As a result, I bought a print of it along with others.

Calle de Goya- I love love love this street. The apartments are certainly beautiful. Rows of shops line along this street. It’s also in the more expensive area to live in I believe. As for shopping, my favorites have been Springfield, Massimo Dutti, Lefties, Pull & Bear and Sfera. What’s funny is that in any shopping district, the stores will repeat. You’ll see like a Springfield on every block or something. It’s weird. I’m glad that they mainly have their Spanish brands instead of just US ones.

Mercado de San Miguel- Once you enter, you’re in a world of delightful cuisines. It offers high quality products and seasonal food. People walk around with glasses of wine trying different tapas. It gets fairly crowded as well. I really enjoyed their frozen yogurt. It was simply one of the best I’ve tried so far.

I’ve also come to realize that I’m kind of glad I did not choose Spain for my study abroad option. Madrid is amazing, but for some reason I think Scotland or the UK just fits me more. It’s not the language, but perhaps the lifestyle. I’m not much of a late night, party till 7am type of person nor do I partake in this need to drink. I feel that it’s just part of the culture here. I haven’t experimented with a range of Spanish foods beside tapas and this strange meal at a random restaurant at 11pm one night, but I feel like I would tire of them soon. There’s also this idea that the Spanish are very relaxed people, and I suppose that is true, which I’m the complete opposite of at times….However, Madrid is wonderful and has unique qualities of its own, so if you get the chance to visit, you should.

Anywho, I leave for London tomorrow! (Spain time) I need to start preparing soon. Hope you are all having a good break!

*Dec. 19, 2011- “London Calling with Stress”

Tyler and I have settled into our new hotel near the earl’s court tube station. At first we thought it was a hostel, because I originally thought I had booked a hostel, but luckily it turned out to be a very decent hotel. I was in disbelief! Our own private bathroom, a tv, bed, desk. We were very relieved that we could set our backpacks down. No more getting lost in that Smart Russell square hostel and feeling paranoid about everything. I never felt as happy as today. I also just bought wifi for an hour, but it seems to still be working, so yay!

This week has been a bit unfortunate however. Tyler lost his passport at the airport somewhere, and he didn’t realize it until we were already on the Gatwick express to London Victoria. We had to go back to the airport and it was just a mess, because they didn’t receive anything at the lost and found place and said that we would probably have to wait 24 hours. We were freaking out, and we decided to go to the US embassy. Unfortunately it was closed at that hour, so we came back today, but this lady told us that Tyler would need to make an appointment. After a failed phone call at one of the telephone booths, he finally got through to one. Hopefully things work out, because the man stated that he should be able too receive a temporary passport. I had no idea what I would do if he had to postpone his flight back to Spain, because we planned on leaving Thursday. In addition, the hostel environment just added to the stress when I probably shouldnt have. I just felt all this anxiety. It’s frightening to be calm and collected when you’re in a different country, and things occur not according to plan. I think this trip has made me realize that being abroad for long periods of time may not be the best thing for me emotionally. Ive been to other countries, but Ive always had some stability (with parents, short program). I also thought I would travel the world independently and love it all, but what I understand now is that I need to be with my loved ones. all this thinking is making me skeptical about studying abroad next year, but I know I need to overcome this fear. The fact that my boyfriend will be in law school next year also makes me feel uneasy because we’re so used to being around each other most of the time. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just hope everything works out. I love him so dearly.

And now I’m going to end my rant. Today was actually a good day. We got some shopping done on the popular Oxford street. I went into Primark for the first time and boy was it overwhelming. I really like the store though. Lots of great prices and styles. If only I didn’t have just a backpack with me. (did not feel like adding a check in bag for more pounds). I just got a sweater and two tops. I bought my mom a sweater from Uniqlo. There’s also this store called River Island, and they have really cute clothes, but again I probably won’t be able to fit too many things in my backpack. We had lunch in Soho at a place called Pho or something, and it was quite nice inside. And the food was great. We plan on doing more touristy stuff tomorrow (tower bridge, London eye, etc). More updates soon.

*Dec. 22, 2011- “Last Night in London”

It is my last night in London, and for some reason I cannot force myself to sleep. Last night was the opposite. It was the first time that I actually had an adequate amount of sleep since arriving in Spain. As a result, I felt great exploring London today. We ventured into the soho district, which Tyler and I fell in love with. It was my ideal place to live in. An artsy community full of unique businesses. I saw publishing companies such as Hearst, which was neat. Some of the architecture looked very modern, while others maintained its old Tudor style. Carnaby street was lovely. There is also a type of department store called Liberty that consisted of four floors full of apparel, accessories, stationary, chocolates, etc. I adored the exterior and interior of the building. It made me feel like I was in a crafty multilevel market selling upscale items.

We both impulsively decided to get haircuts at a place called headmasters. That’s where a large portion of the last of my pounds went. But I like my new hairstyle. Just some subtle trims with the layers and shorter bangs. I had a ritual done also, which is basically a hair conditioning treatment. Tyler attempted to look like a true Brit with a shorter cut that went along with his newly fashionable ensemble.

We ended our evening with a dinner at a very cool Thai restaurant. I swear most businesses in the soho area have some sort of eco friendly or healthy touch to them. They’re….rejuvenating. Yes. That’s the word. Our dinner was delicious nonetheless.

I suppose I should get some sleep now. I do have to wake up in a couple hours. Cross my fingers that I get some rest tonight.

Mr. David Klein is an innovative and fun-loving candy maker who created Jelly Belly jelly beans in 1976. The Jelly Belly quickly became popular throughout the country because of its unique flavors and quality taste. When the business was about to explode in 1980 Klein, who prefers to be called Candyman, unwillingly gave up the business and has regretted it ever since. His name would have been erased from its history, but in 2010 the documentary “Candyman: The David Klein Story” was released and people are now giving him the recognition that he deserves and is optimistic about his new candy venture.

Q: So it’s been about two years now since the film has premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah. My first question to you is, how did the film get started?
A: Director Costa Botes flew thousands of miles from New Zealand to come meet me here in Covina. My son, Bert Klein, is the producer of the Candyman and so is his wife Jennifer. So, I’ve never known how to use a computer. My daughter Roxy said, “Dad, you’re a genius. You invented the Jelly Belly and you don’t even know how to use a computer.” She actually shamed me and told me that even five-year-olds know how to use one. When she told me that, I said, “Okay, I’m going to show you that you can teach an old dog new tricks.” My family pitched in and taught me how to use the computer and navigate the internet. In 2007 I started blogging about my life. Costa started reading the blogs.

Q: How did Costa find out about the blogs?
A: Well, Bert and Jennifer are both animators. They were working on “The Lord of the Rings” in New Zealand, and Costa was working on the same film. That’s how they met each other. Bert told Costa about my blogs. He read them and he said, “You know, I see a movie here.” So he contacted me. On his first day here, Costa was filming me from the ground up, sitting right below me under my desk, right here. He’s filming and taking pictures and the phone rings. The lady on the phone asks, “Is this Dave Klein?” I said, “It most certainly is, who are you?” and she said, “I’m such and such with” CNN…CNNBC…BCN…

Q: CNBC?
A: CNBC! She says, “We want to know what’s happened to you for the past 30 years. We would like to do an interview with you to be aired in worldwide television.”

Q: So after Costa was already involved in filming on his first day, CNBC called. Did they know that Costa was already filming you?
A: No, they called while he was here on the very first day. They didn’t even know about each other.

Q: So you received a call from CNBC…
A: Right when Costa is here on the ground! He could hear everything I was repeating and wondering what I was going to say. If I had told them that I was interested, Costa would’ve taken the next plane back to New Zealand because that’s why he was here.

Q: For the exact same thing.
A: For the exact same thing! I mean is that a coincidence or what? My whole life has been nothing but coincidences. In the beginning of the Candyman documentary when I walked into the Garvey Nut Shop where I first started selling candy, which is now a bicycle shop, I hadn’t been in there for 27 or 28 years. Just as Costa and I pulled up the only guy I knew in the whole town was riding his bike into the store, his name was Ronnie. What is the coincidence in that? A little freaky? Why is he driving his bike to the store while we go there to film?

Q: Is Ronnie the owner of the bicycle shop?
A: No he used to hang around there often. When he saw me he said, “Hey, you’re the jelly belly man, I remember you.” So all I can tell you is that my life has always been this way so I said to CNBC, “You know something, I have a prior commitment and I promised that this man who is filming me right now will be able to do my story and I’m going to have to take a pass on it.” Now, if I had gone with them my story would have been out within a month. They would of sent a whole crew out here, we would of had much more exposure. By the time Costa starting filming it to the time it was in Utah, three years went by.

Q: In your own words, what is “Candyman: The David Klein Story” about?
A: The David Klein story tells how I had $800.00 to my name and managed to convince the world that the Jelly Belly jelly bean was worth paying a price 5 times that of a regular bean.

Q: So the documentary starting filming in 2006, roughly?
A: Let’s see. The documentary was inherited in 2010. He started in 2007. It would have made much more economic sense to go with these guys, but it wouldn’t have been right. I would have sold Costa down the river, so I said no. I wanted to say where were you guys when nobody knew who I was? (laughs)

Q: What was your experience like filming with Costa?
A: Considering that Costa only had three weeks to film me and follow me he did a great job. Costa said to me that he’s never met a person- Costa has done documentaries his whole life. He said he’s never met a person that whatever I say it’s an interesting story. It was fun.

Q: What is one moment that you remember while you were filming?
A: Some of the things in film he did not want to use. He doesn’t appreciate my sense of humor. My dog, who has passed on, Maxie, the best little Boxer was in our backyard…

Q: At home?
A: Yes at home. And I said to Costa with his camera, “Just follow me on this would you please.” He asked, “What are you going do?” and I said, “Just have that camera rolling.” I had a gold jelly bean scoop that the Jelly Belly company sent me a long time ago. It was gold plated, but it wasn’t real gold or anything. So I used the scoop while Costa was filming to…you know, pick up Maxie’s dog poop.

Q: Costa didn’t appreciate that, did he? (laughs)
A: Costa said, “Okay I got it on film, now what do you want me to do with it?” I said, “I want you to put it in the documentary, what do you mean what do I want you to do with it?” He said, “Dave that’s not going in my documentary. It doesn’t belong in there.” I thought it was funny. Costa was great. My son Bert, Costa, and I went to Toronto to Hot Docs Film Festival last year. They picked the Candyman as one of the documentaries to show, which is not the easiest thing in the world to get into. At that point in time we didn’t have a deal with anybody to distribute it. So after the festival we were at the Toronto Airport to fly back to California. We went into a restaurant, I’m not going to say the name- TGI Fridays! And I ordered a burger. Now, I like to eat, but I never tasted food that I had to spit out. The meat was rancid. So we all left and went to another restaurant at the airport. If that burger had been decent, I would not have met the man that I met at the next restaurant. That man at the restaurant saw me and said he loved my documentary. I wore my Candyman hat at the airport so I was recognizable. After chatting with this man for a few minutes, I finally asked him “Who are you?” and he said as he’s handing me his card, “I’m James Ackerman. I am president and chief executive officer of the Documentary Channel in the states. I’m going to buy your documentary” and I said, “Do you have to talk to anybody to get approval?” and he said “I don’t think you understood what I just told you. I am the president. If I want it, I don’t have to talk to anybody” So that was my first break so to speak in getting the word out there. Fate? Who knows.

Q: How has the experience of filming affected your life?
A: Take a look up there (across his office), do you see that giant Astro-Pop? Ellia Kassoff, the man who is bringing back Astro-Pop candy saw the documentary the first time it aired on the Documentary Channel. Ellia never knew who had invented the Jelly Belly prior to seeing the documentary. He got in touch with me immediately, called my daughter first, who is a genius by the way. She invented a candy we have here at the factory called Sandy Candy, which I am going to give you a box to take home. And he introduced himself. After talking for a few minutes he finally asked me, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life?” and I told him I was forced out of Jelly Bellies. They made me sign a contract that I didn’t want to sign.

Q: They? Are you referring to the Goelitz Candy Company who was your Jelly Belly manufacturer?
A: Yes, Herman Goelitz is what they were called then. You’ve done some studying on this haven’t you? They now changed their name to Jelly Belly Company. When I first approached them to manufacture my jelly bean before the business took off, I called them on the phone first and I said, “I have an idea, I want you to make my jelly beans only if you will be able to keep up with the demand.” They said they would be able to take care of it, which proved to be a lie, but Ellia said, “What do you want to do with the rest of your life” and I told him that I wanted to get back into the jelly bean business but I have no money and he said, “Don’t worry about it, I will take care of it.”

Q: And this was all as a result of the film?
A: Yes! I mean, how much better result could I possibly get of having my life dream getting back in? Herm Rowland made me sign a 20-year non competitive clause in along with the contract to give up my business. I created the Jelly Bellies in 1976. For four years, I worked day and night and weekends getting that product off the ground, traveling all around the country doing publicity. I was on AM Los Angeles with Regis Philbin, AM Seattle, and on the Mike Douglas show twice. The second time I was on the Mike Douglas show, Henry Winkler was co-hosting. Funny thing is, when I came up with the idea of Jelly Bellies I was watching an episode of Happy Days. After all this work was done, Herm called me and said we are buying your trademark. The owner of Jelly Belly factory admitted in this article that if I hadn’t sold him the trademark in 1980 that he would of made the beans under a different name and cut me off completely. He said that he knew that I would of sued him for doing that, but by the time I got to court I would of ran out of money. So they really played hardball. It’s not like I said “Hey guys, I’m ready to sell.” They said, “We’re coming to town, we’re in Oakland now. We are not leaving there until you sell us the trademark.”

Q: I could only imagine how that made you feel…
A: Absolutely terrible! It’s like parting with a child because nobody wanted the product in the beginning. I had to literally get it off the ground. Customers said it was too expensive at the time with $2.00 a pound. The first sale I ever made of Jelly Belly’s on the first day was only $20.00. In fact, our first customer accidentally spilled his beans on the floor and I said to myself “I hope this is not a sign of what’s coming.” So, with the documentary being filmed, going to Toronto, meeting James Ackerman, Ellia the Astro pop guy seeing the documentary on the Documentary Channel, and starting my new jelly bean business. That’s where we’re at right now. All of this was a result of the documentary and made the experience of filming worthwhile.

Q: How did the Jelly-Belly Company respond to your documentary?
A: Oh they hate it, are you kidding? I was going to get an article published on a trade magazine called Candy Industry. Everybody in the candy industry gets it. It’s one of those free trade journals where they charge for advertising. I emailed the publisher of it, his name is Bernie and told him about the documentary. I asked if he had any interest in interviewing me because I am the man who created the Jelly Belly. Bernie said, “You know, I heard so much about you and I would love to know the real story. Can you send me a copy of the documentary so that I can come prepared with questions?” So I sent him a copy. I waited for three weeks and I did not hear from him. I finally called him and asked him “Bernie, when are we going to do the interview?” he said, “There is not going to be an interview.”

Q: Really? Was it because Bernie got in touch with a Jelly Belly rep?
A: Yes, Bernie sent a copy of the documentary to the owner of Jelly Belly behind my back. You gotta realize, the Jelly Belly company are very important advertisers in that magazine. Bernie didn’t want to print anything in there that would disturb one of his advertisers. So I told Bernie that I never gave him permission to send the documentary to them. So Bernie said, “Well, Herm told me not to print the article, so I’m not going to interview you.”
Jennifer: Herm?
Candyman: Herm Rowland. Herm’s the current owner of Jelly Belly. He owns one-hundred percent of the Jelly Belly company. He’s the fifth generation owner. When I was in Chicago for the last trade show, Herm came up to my candy booth and I said, “Hello Herm. You came to our booth to wish us well on our new jelly bean.” He mumbled something and I asked him, “You know, while I have you here Herm, why don’t you tell me why you killed my article on the Candy Industry Magazine? You’ve seen the documentary, what is your problem?” Herm said, “Oh Dave, there’s a lot of things in there that we won’t agree with.” I asked him “Well, can you tell me just one thing that you don’t agree on?” and he said, “Too many, just too many!” As a matter of fact, on that same article in the LA Times, there’s a quote (takes out magnifying glass), “Rowland credits Klein with the name Jelly Belly and the idea of using natural flavors and purees but believes that he has greatly exaggerated his involvement.” Okay, he said I greatly exaggerated my involvement. How much more involved could I have been? Come up with the concept, find an artist for the logo, come up with the name, and marketed it nationwide and got us on People Magazine, with the picture of me in the bathtub of jelly beans (points to that same photo framed on his wall).
Jennifer: I can understand how you feel. I can sense some sort of hostility between you and Herm.
Candyman: Oh yes, very much so. All these years the Jelly Belly company has deliberately distanced themselves from me. Their 30 year history book shows everything you want to know about Jelly Belly. They didn’t even mention my name once in there. If you go to their website right now, click on history at the bottom and it says that they were approached by a Candy distributor out of Los Angeles in 1976. What would it hurt them to mention my name in there?

Q: How does that make you feel?
A: Terrible! I’ll tell you what made me feel the worst. I was in Chula Vista, CA for the Lemon Festival a few years ago. I was actually there with my assistant Carol. We set up our booth at 8am with my daughter Roxy’s Sandy Candy and a guy came up to me and said, “Oh this is colorful, what is this?” I told him what it was, we were just talking, and he asked me “Was this my first experience in the candy business?” I said, “No, actually I created the Jelly Belly jelly beans back in 1976.” And he looked at me and he gave me the coldest stare. The coldest stare that you could ever see in a person’s eyes. Real cold, and he said, “I don’t believe you.” I asked him why he didn’t believe me because it was true and he said, “If you created the Jelly Bellies, then you would not be out here at eight o’clock in the morning setting this thing up.” From that point on, until the documentary came out I did not tell anybody about the Jelly Bellies.

Q: So that occurred before the documentary was filmed?
A: Oh yea. When my son was in high school he told everybody that his dad created the Jelly Belly and they called him a liar. Nobody believed us because the company distanced themselves from us. They wanted to make it look like their family came up with it on their own. What it says on the website is totally untrue.

Q: I notice you’ve brought up your children a few times during this interview. What was your relationship like with them prior to filming the documentary?
A: Well, prior to the documentary my daughter Roxy wanted to go into the candy business and established her own business called “Can you Imagine That!” in 1995. We actually established this business to create a lot of sour candy. Sandy Candy became the bulk of our business before the documentary and we love working together. My son- I always tried to steer him in the right directions. He’s wanted to get into the animation industry since he was thirteen years old and my wife Rebecca and I always supported him. He got into the profession very early in his life.

Q: So it sounds like you and your family were very supportive of each other, despite of what had happened to you, before the documentary was filmed.
A: You know what? In the documentary it seems like we had our problems together beforehand, my son and me. I think it was just him more rebelling then a direct problem with me because we are very close now.

Q: Did the documentary bring your family closer?
A: Yes it did, absolutely.

Q: How so?
A: Our family realized that this documentary would establish the truth about the history of the bean. Everyone realized how hurt I had been to have been written out of the history of the product and to never have been recognized by the candy industry for my contribution. The documentary made our whole family realize the pain I had endured all these years as a result of being forced out of the product I loved and we grew closer because of it.

Q: So you’ve started your new line of jellybeans as a result of this film. Tell me about them.
A: My new jelly beans are called “David’s Signature.” My signature on the box that I’m going to show you, is the exact signature off of the contract that I was forced out of Jelly Belly with.
Jennifer: Oh my goodness! (laughs)
Candyman: You have to have a twisted mind to think of something like that. I gotta tell you, Jelly Belly doesn’t like the idea that I’m back in business. I am calling David’s Signature Jelly Beans “beyond” gourmet, which is a slap in their face because their jelly bean is just gourmet. In his mind, Ellia believes that he came up with the term “beyond gourmet” but I think I did. I think it’s brilliant because it’s telling the world “Hey wait a minute, this is not just a gourmet jelly bean- it’s BEYOND gourmet.” Want to hear another amazing coincidence?
Jennifer: Yes
Candyman: When I got back into the jelly bean business with the Astro-Pop guy, I thought to myself “Who would be a good person to team up with?” Brad and Troy, the two of the three sons of Marinus Van Dam are the ones manufacturing my beans. Marinus is the man who created the original jelly bean recipes while working with me at Jelly Belly. Marinus left Jelly Belly to form his own candy company called Marich in the 80’s in Northern California. He’s passed on now. When you have a product it’s nice to have a background you can talk about with the press- although we got a letter from the Jelly Belly company recently. They don’t want me to talk about Jelly Bellies anymore. They don’t like that I put “from the originator of the Jelly Belly” on my new product. They don’t want none of that in there and we’re not going to back down at all.

Q: Till this day the jelly belly is a world renowned candy. You’ve put your heart and soul into creating it. Does it make you happy to know that people still love the Jelly Belly?
A: It used to until the Jelly Belly company disassociated me from it. I said wait a minute, I created this. I took it to a level where the factory couldn’t produce anymore. It wasn’t my fault that they were a small two-bit company. If I had gone to some company that had huge production, chances are I would still own it. They were losing money. The owner was driving a beat up station wagon and they never had a hit one time in their life. They made commodity items like candy corn that nobody knew who the manufacturer was. So when they latched on to this one great idea, I could understand them wanting to make it into “Hey, our family did it!” and try very hard to take it away from me.
Jennifer: Right, absolutely.
Candyman: But to give them credit they made the product for me, but they would have never got it off the ground without the marketing. No matter how great the product is; if it doesn’t have great marketing it’s not going to go anywhere. It’ll die on the vine.

Q: How did it feel for you to re-hatch your emotions and tell your story for millions of people to see on film? What was that experience like?
A: It was a great experience. I felt elated. In fact, we got a standing ovation everywhere we showed the film. It finally feels good to let the truth out because my grandkids would of never known without this film and actually believed me.

Q: Which David’s Signature jelly bean is your favorite?
A: Ginger. Here, try some.
Jennifer: (Took a bite) This is a good jelly bean.
Candyman: This is a good bean. It hits you immediately. We also have Wasabi, Thai Spice, Bacon and Chocolate, Chipotle, and we have one that is way out, I mean, way way out. Have you ever had Himalayan Sea Salt?
Jennifer: No.
Candyman: That one gets to you and the taste improves as you chew it. I don’t now how popular the Himalayan Sea Salt will be. Ellia thinks people will eat it in conjunction with other beans.
Jennifer: I love how these flavors are completely revolutionary from any other flavors!
Candyman: Thank you.

Q: Are you looking forward to starting your new jelly beans?
A: Absolutely. I’ll tell you, our ingredients are all natural. When I started Jelly Belly I asked them to make it all natural over the years. A lot of the flavors that were natural at one time have turned over to artificial. I don’t know if Jelly Belly did it to save money or they think that it tastes better or whatever, but a lot of their flavors are now artificial. I was very careful with the stores that I sold them to back then. I didn’t want it in Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Costco- those kind of stores because it cheapens the image of it. So I had in it in only the finest department stores like Bloomingdales, Marshall Fields. Jelly Bellies now- if you walk into any .99 cent store or dollar store, you’ll see Jelly Bellies in there. It’s not a gourmet product if it’s in that kind of a store. So we are going to do my best to try to keep our new product out of these stores. We are selling them to gourmet shops and candy stores that will appreciate great candy. You want to know something? If this product goes no further than having it on my desk then I’m happy. Does that sound crazy to you?
Jennifer: Why would be satisfied with that?
Candyman: Because I have created a new product that I know is going to be more successful than Jelly Bellies. So that alone gives me a lot of satisfaction. The next step is going to be easy.
Jennifer: The marketing?
Candyman: We have a good product! And we have a great story behind David’s Signature beyond gourmet beans. We are going to create a lot of excitement in the industry, we’re going to shake it up. We are back in business.

Q: Do you still have the contract that you signed to give up the Jelly Belly business?
A: Oh yea.

Q: Do you ever look at it?
A: I look at it all of the time.

Q: Why is that? Do you look at it for means of inspiration or-
A: No, I look at it and I think about how I went in a meeting with them that lasted about four hours and I didn’t have an attorney with me, which was really stupid. I mean, if you’re going to go into a meeting that is going to effect the rest of your life an you know that these people are trying to take something away from you, then at least have an attorney there. If that was the case for me, the attorney could of stood at the end of the meeting and said, “Okay, we have your contract here. Give us some time and we will get back to you” and just walked out of the room.

Q: Did you ever try to contest the contract?
A: Not yet.

Q: What else comes to mind when you look at the contract?
A: What comes to mind- why did I sign it!? I should have walked away from the table. But you know what? It is what it is. I can’t change history but my new product will give me a lot of satisfaction.

Congressman Adam Schiff, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, California State Assembly member Anthony Portantino, “Grey’s Anatomy” star Chandra Wilson and Medical Geneticist Dr. Richard Boles, as well as organizers and supporters, gathered on October 22, 2011 at the beautiful and historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA for a short press conference to announce the first Rock ‘n’ Roll Pasadena Half Marathon, set to be run on February 19, 2012. Each special guest briefly spoke to the small pressroom to comment on the exciting announcement. Many reporters were in attendance and a handful of supporters for CureMito sat in the audience.

The half marathon will benefit a nonprofit charity called CureMito that promotes, fundraises and advocates for Mitochondrial Disease research. As Mitochondrial Disease expert Dr. Richard Boles stated at the press conference, “Everybody has heard of energy. Energy is required for life; without energy there is no life. And while you may not know what Mitochondria are or what Mitochondrial Disease is, I bet you know someone who has it. Mitochondrial Disease causes a lot of different problems because without the energy your Mitochondria are not working to full steam. A very large number of diseases can occur, such as epilepsy, autism, diabetes, Huntington’s disease, cyclic vomiting or simply migraine headaches. Unfortunately some of my patients have died. People need to hear about this disease.”

Chandra Wilson, who plays Dr. Miranda Bailey on “Grey’s Anatomy,” found herself in a real-life medical mystery two years ago when her daughter was diagnosed with Mitochondrial Disease. “My daughter started manifesting the symptoms when she was about sixteen. Hers manifested into the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and it came in coordination with her menstrual cycle,” said Chandra Wilson, a CureMito ambassador. She went on to explain, “There’s some things that kind of stand out when you look back. You know I realized, ‘Ok my kid was a little tired! A little tired, a lot.’ But it’s been 12 months since my daughter’s last hospital stay, so now she’s just been working on dealing with her Mitochondrial Disease because when it kicked in, it just kicked in so hard.”

Wilson’s involvement with CureMito began once her daughter’s symptoms seemed to be somewhat controlled. “Once we got everything under control I asked my daughter if she wouldn’t mind me speaking out about Mitochondrial Disease because I had a feeling it was more prevalent in society than people thought. After speaking with Dr. Boles about CureMito’s lack of funds, I really wanted to get involved to see if there were any creative ways to raise more money for the cause. So it’s really exciting that this event is actually happening,” explained Wilson. When asked about whether or not viewers can keep their eyes out for an episode of “Grey’s Anatomy” on Mitochondrial Disease anytime in the future, Wilson responded, “We’ve definitely been talking about it.”

The pressroom echoed with laughter when Assemblyman Anthony Portantino revealed that he “won’t be running because I don’t look good in those running outfits and if I ran a half marathon I think I’d die.” He went on to say, “This event is a magnificent testament to the dedication of CureMito.”

The race will begin and end at the Rose Bowl and cover many iconic Pasadena landmarks such as The Colorado Bridge, Norton Simon Museum, the Tournament of Roses House as well as Old Town Pasadena. “We are proud to be the hosting the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Pasadena for the first time,” states Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard.