Scene Magazine - Current Staff
Ryanne Mena
Editor-in-Chief
Los Angeles native Ryanne Mena is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at California State University, Northridge. She enjoys spending time in nature and watching documentaries. Mena is also the Community Outreach Editor of The Sundial, CSUN’s independent award-winning student-run publication.
Samantha Neff
Editor-in-Chief
Samantha Neff is a student reporter and editor at California State University, Northridge and plans to graduate with a bachelor's degree in general journalism in May 2023. Her interests also include teaching hot yoga and creative writing.
Ozzy Anguiano
Managing Editor
Ozzy Anguiano is an undergrad student at California State University, Northridge and is currently pursuing a major in Journalism and a minor in Japanese. Ozzy has a passion for any self-propelled, or human-propelled, object with wheels. He also enjoys video games and creating comic books.
Priscilla Lara
Managing Editor
Priscilla is currently finishing her second semester as a mass communication grad student at California State University, Northridge. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach last May. In her free time, she enjoys exercising and painting.
Carolyn Burt
Online Editor
Originally from the Bay Area, Carolyn now resides in Los Angeles, where she is getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge. Outside of her academics, she enjoys spending her free time exercising and crafting. In addition to being the Online Editor for Scene Magazine, she is also the Managing Editor at the Daily Sundial, CSUN’s independent Student-run, award-winning news publication. Previously she was the Editor-in-Chief for the Corsair at Santa Monica College.
Habeba Mostafa
Photo and Multimedia Editor
A Greater Los Angeles native, Habeba Mostafa has immersed herself in So-Cal universities; having graduated from UCLA in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature, she is now pursuing a master’s degree at CSUN in mass communication. With nearly seven years of photography experience, she is also a freelance photographer, where her experience ranges from all types of portraiture to various events. She is currently the Multimedia Assistant Editor for CSUN’s newspaper, Daily Sundial. In her free time, she loves to write poems and songs, along with shamelessly studying the latest social trends.
Sonia Gurrola
Photo Editor
Sonia Gurrola is a Chicana and was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She is attending California State University, Northridge and completing a double major in photojournalism and Chicano Studies, which are her two loves. For the past two years she has been a photographer for the Sundial, CSUN’s award-winning student newspaper. She will be graduating from CSUN in May 2022.
Ashton Blatz
Social Media Editor
Ashton Blatz was born and raised in California. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations with a minor in Queer Studies at California State University, Northridge. He has a passion for LGBTQ+ activism and has interned at multiple LGBTQ+ companies. He enjoys writing, trapeze, and gaming.
Daniela Hernandez
Social Media Editor
Daniela Hernandez is a Chicana born and raised in North Hollywood, Calif. She has a passion for writing and is currently studying to get her degree in English with a specialty in creative writing and a minor in journalism. She plans to graduate from California State University, Northridge this upcoming fall semester. She is currently the social media editor and writer for Scene Magazine, which will include her story about Paicoma's muralists.. Her love and drive for writing influenced her to intermix English and journalism in hopes of furthering her storytelling abilities and pursue a career as an author/writer.
Aimee Perez
Social Media Editor
A born and raised valley girl from Northridge, Calif, Aimee Perez is currently getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism at the California State University, Northridge. She is currently a social media editor for Scene Magazine and a contributing writer for the Sundial. With an affinity for writing and fashion from a young age, Aimee plans on merging the two to become a writer and contributor for Vogue Italia.
Li Wei Ng
Art Director
Li Wei is a Malaysian international student living out her senior year at California State University, Northridge with a major in Film Production - Cinematography and a minor in Asian Studies. Her passions lie in writing and analyzing films and she intends to translate that into a future career in film criticism. Li Wei is one of the Art Directors of Scene Magazine, a position that coincidentally mirrors her role as the art director of CSUN senior thesis film, “Here.”
Vicente Vitela
Art Director
From the city of San Fernando, Vicente Vitela is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, at California State University, Northridge. When not writing stories, Vicente coaches a youth travel ball softball team with the goal of getting his players scouted and committed to collegiate schools. Vicente is also a news writer at the Daily Sundial, CSUN’s independent Student-run, award-winning news publication. He was previously the Sports Editor for the Valley Star at Los Angeles Valley College.
Conlee Taylor
Page Designer
Originally from the Bay Area, Carolyn now resides in Los Angeles, where she is getting her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge. Outside of her academics, she enjoys spending her free time exercising and crafting. In addition to being the Online Editor for Scene Magazine, she is also the Managing Editor at the Daily Sundial, CSUN’s independent Student-run, award-winning news publication. Previously she was the Editor-in-Chief for the Corsair at Santa Monica College.
Chris Riscen
Production Manager
Resides in Los Angeles County, where he is getting his Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge. Riscen enjoys sports and enjoys debating about the hottest sports topics. In addition to being production manager for Scene Magazine, he has also been a photographer for the Daily Sundial, CSUN’s student run publication. Previously he was a radio host for KPCRadio.com at Los Angeles Pierce College.
Chris Constantine
Copy Editor
Born in Chicago, Chris moved to Los Angeles when he was 2 years old and has considered himself an LA native ever since. He started his college career at the University of Puget Sound in Washington state, but moved back to California to study journalism at California State University, Northridge. Chris has been a car enthusiast since he was big enough to grasp a pair of keys in his hand. After he graduates, Chris plans to continue writing about and photographing cars.
Rylee Holwager
Copy Editor
Rylee Holwager was born and raised in Santa Clarita, California. She is now attending California State University Northridge for her bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a minor in Communications. She will be receiving these degrees in the Spring of 2022, adding to her educational resume that already consists of an Associates degree in Journalism received at College of the Canyons. In addition to being a copy editor at SCENE, she also is the social media editor at The Daily Sundial. Besides writing, she also enjoys gaming, cooking, painting, and fashion. She hopes to one day combine her two passions, fashion and writing, to become a fashion writer for a major magazine. As the Cheetah Girls once sang, “passion is the fashion.”
Sam Landau
Copy Editor
Sam Landau was born and raised in Culver City, Calif. He is attending California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and completing his bachelor's in Journalism in May 2022. In addition to his place in Scene Magazine, he is also a staff photographer for the Sundial, CSUN’s student-run magazine. Once completing his time at CSUN, he intends to work in the automotive aspect of Journalism as a writer, as he is an avid car enthusiast.
Patrick Pamanian
Copy Editor
Born in Panorama City, Patrick moved all over Los Angeles County before settling in Santa Clarita. He transferred to California State University, Northridge from Valencia’s College of the Canyons with an associate degree in Journalism, where he reported on local news and events. While counting the days until his graduation ceremony for his bachelor’s degree in journalism, he finds therapy in yelling at the television during Lakers games. In the offseason, he entertains himself with gaming — likely still hard-stuck platinum in Valorant — and enjoys spending time with his three lovely nieces. He hopes to one day be a journalist in the gaming industry, writing about games, streams and everything in between.
SHannon Carter
Staff Photographer
Shannon Carter is a Southern California native attending California State University, Northridge, and completing a major in journalism. Carter hopes to use her degree to expand the boundaries of general storytelling and create captivating visuals through the use of photojournalism, which is one of her passions. For the past two years, she has worked on staff for the Sundial, where she is currently the editor-in-chief for CSUN’s award-winning student newspaper. She will be graduating from CSUN in May 2022.
Clarissa Corral
Staff Writer
Originally from the Inland Empire, Clarissa Corral will be graduating Spring 2022, from Cal State University Northridge with a journalism degree. She has a passion for all things music related and hopes to pursue a career at a major music publication.
David Blumenkrantz
Advisor
David Blumenkrantz is the Advisor for Scene Magazine. A photography and visual communication educator for more than 20 years, David has lectured at several universities in China and Kenya. He has taught at or ran workshops for Kodak East Africa, Nikon, the All Africa Conference of Churches, the French Cultural Centre in Nairobi, former freedom fighters working as photographers for the fledgling government of a new Eritrea, the Art Institute of Pittsburgh's Online Division, the New York Film Academy, and for at-risk youth at the Watts Towers Art Center (Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles), and the North Valley Caring Services. In 2004, after eight years teaching with the Los Angeles Unified School District, David joined the journalism department at CSUN.