So I picked up the first Collegian issue and I assume, that you were baffled like I was when I read Meuri Picazo & Kari Van Horn's article titled, "Winter Intersession Cancelled." Are you kidding me? Not only does the College Board of Trustees increase the enrollment fee to attend this campus, but increased fees to attend a campus that is practically a construction zone with never-ending projects.
LA City College now offers Los Angelinos less programs than before. What a way to welcome 80 years in business. What's to celebrate? Seriously, If you pick up any of our old archives located in the Chemistry Building, Room J-106, or in the library you'll see for yourself the beginning of our campus and the eight decades it has been running. 1929 was an unprecedented year to commence a college, specially a year that marked the first Wall Street crash. Imagine starting a community college during a time when the country faced one of its toughest financial crisis. But the impossible happened and now it looks like our campus is struggling to keep a steady heart-beat during another troubling time for our state and country.
Well, here we are walking across an 80-year-old campus that offers students a non-existent academic in sports. Administration has decapitated the entire department over-night, fortunately leaving behind the Volley Ball team to represent the whole sports department as a basket-case. No offense volleyball players and fans, I don't watch any of your games, but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. I do.
I can't help but say that this campus reminds me of an unhealthy 80-year-old. At this age, we're lucky to be even alive. A senile old-man who has happened to lose track of its purpose and who can barely remember its own name. LACC is that senior citizen whom has run up his bills. Millions in debt. Broadly illustrating that it too mismanaged money during our youthful healthy years. LACC has failed to allocate money on the side in case of that financial emergency. Academically, the school is and will be under a microscope for a period of time to prove that it can meet accreditation. That's like being under hospice care because we're not able to prove that we can be on our own. This campus was on top of its game many years ago, but now it is visibly showing signs of age.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
The People I've Slept With
Independent filmmaker Quentin Lee currently attending LACC discussed his provocatively titled film, “The People I’ve Slept With,” a sexually charged comedy about a young promiscuous woman determined to find the father of her child after receiving news that she is expecting a baby. The 89-minute comedy just premiered at the Honolulu International Film Festival.
Quentin explains how he and screenplay writer friend Koji Sakai came up with the title of their current project.
“When we were developing the script, we threw a bunch of potential movie titles onto the table and the one that everyone fell in love with was, ‘The People I’ve Slept With,’ because it was catchy and to the point,” Lee said.
Lee met Sakai at a professional networking meeting. After reading some of his previous works Lee decided to collaborate with Sakai with new script ideas. In this film the creative duo bring to life the carefree playgirl, Angela, played by Karin Anna Cheung from the movie “Better Luck Tomorrow.” In this new age role, Cheung fearlessly bares it all for the cameras without remorse. To keep track of all her lovers, Angela takes a Polaroid of the people she has slept with and uses these photos to create baseball-like cards that showcase the prominent sexual features of her former partners, like the pepperoni-nipple guy, the five-second guy, the nice but boring guy, or the well-endowed guy.
Audiences in the theater laughed and cringed at the same time when they witnessed Angela's unorthodox ways in collecting DNA samples to help her piece together who the father of her baby.
“To prepare for this role, I decided to change my diet because I knew the character was going to get pregnant,” Cheung said in a recent phone interview. “I turned to organic foods, minimized dairy portions and took out junk food completely for six months in order to get that pregnancy glow.”
Gabriel, Angela’s flamboyant gay best friend is played by veteran-actor Wilson Cruz, who has appeared on film and television, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and “My So Called Life.”
“Half-way through the first shoot, I felt like I knew [Cruz] for a while. He is naturally amazing,” said Cheung.
This is the sixth feature-length film directed by Quentin Lee which premiered Sunday, October 18 at the Dole Cannery Theater in Honolulu.
In 2004, the Hong Kong native wrote and directed “Ethan Mao,” a dramatic film about an Asian teenager excommunicated by his family after his mother discovers a homo-erotic magazine in his room. The 88-minute film takes audiences through young Mao’s shoes as he faces the consequences of homophobia in the family and documents his descent into the life of a hustler.
The central theme throughout my work usually relates to someone’s quest for a connection,” Lee said. “It’s basically the running theme of my life, which I believe is a theme of humanity. This quest is often painful and arduous, filled with drama, fear, comedy and passion.”
All of Quentin’s films have been produced outside of major film studios and describes the film industry as one of the hardest businesses to pursue. The writer/director/producer further comments on the financial perplexities that a film encounters before production. In his case, as a director and writer, he faces an uphill battle in finding producers to invest and jump-start an “indie” project.
“Making an independent film is hard all the way from production to distribution,” he said. “It takes so much talent; work and faith to make an indie film that may or may not do well. Luck also plays a big factor.”
The director mentions his recent plunge into the world of documentaries.
“0506HK” is the title of his personal documentary that helps him understand Hong Kong, years after his migration to the United States. The eight-part documentary reviews real life accounts of people that have made the cross-continental transition from U.S. to Hong Kong, post England’s 1997 decision to hand over the region to China.
Readers can watch snippets of Quentin’s work by visiting his website at www.marginfilms.com or on YouTube to catch his trailers for his work.
Quentin explains how he and screenplay writer friend Koji Sakai came up with the title of their current project.
“When we were developing the script, we threw a bunch of potential movie titles onto the table and the one that everyone fell in love with was, ‘The People I’ve Slept With,’ because it was catchy and to the point,” Lee said.
Lee met Sakai at a professional networking meeting. After reading some of his previous works Lee decided to collaborate with Sakai with new script ideas. In this film the creative duo bring to life the carefree playgirl, Angela, played by Karin Anna Cheung from the movie “Better Luck Tomorrow.” In this new age role, Cheung fearlessly bares it all for the cameras without remorse. To keep track of all her lovers, Angela takes a Polaroid of the people she has slept with and uses these photos to create baseball-like cards that showcase the prominent sexual features of her former partners, like the pepperoni-nipple guy, the five-second guy, the nice but boring guy, or the well-endowed guy.
Audiences in the theater laughed and cringed at the same time when they witnessed Angela's unorthodox ways in collecting DNA samples to help her piece together who the father of her baby.
“To prepare for this role, I decided to change my diet because I knew the character was going to get pregnant,” Cheung said in a recent phone interview. “I turned to organic foods, minimized dairy portions and took out junk food completely for six months in order to get that pregnancy glow.”
Gabriel, Angela’s flamboyant gay best friend is played by veteran-actor Wilson Cruz, who has appeared on film and television, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and “My So Called Life.”
“Half-way through the first shoot, I felt like I knew [Cruz] for a while. He is naturally amazing,” said Cheung.
This is the sixth feature-length film directed by Quentin Lee which premiered Sunday, October 18 at the Dole Cannery Theater in Honolulu.
In 2004, the Hong Kong native wrote and directed “Ethan Mao,” a dramatic film about an Asian teenager excommunicated by his family after his mother discovers a homo-erotic magazine in his room. The 88-minute film takes audiences through young Mao’s shoes as he faces the consequences of homophobia in the family and documents his descent into the life of a hustler.
The central theme throughout my work usually relates to someone’s quest for a connection,” Lee said. “It’s basically the running theme of my life, which I believe is a theme of humanity. This quest is often painful and arduous, filled with drama, fear, comedy and passion.”
All of Quentin’s films have been produced outside of major film studios and describes the film industry as one of the hardest businesses to pursue. The writer/director/producer further comments on the financial perplexities that a film encounters before production. In his case, as a director and writer, he faces an uphill battle in finding producers to invest and jump-start an “indie” project.
“Making an independent film is hard all the way from production to distribution,” he said. “It takes so much talent; work and faith to make an indie film that may or may not do well. Luck also plays a big factor.”
The director mentions his recent plunge into the world of documentaries.
“0506HK” is the title of his personal documentary that helps him understand Hong Kong, years after his migration to the United States. The eight-part documentary reviews real life accounts of people that have made the cross-continental transition from U.S. to Hong Kong, post England’s 1997 decision to hand over the region to China.
Readers can watch snippets of Quentin’s work by visiting his website at www.marginfilms.com or on YouTube to catch his trailers for his work.
Profile: Karina Reyes
This is Karina Reyes' first semester at L.A. City College as a part-timer. She hasn't locked down her exact field of study but knows that her future could possibly involve working with children. Having come from Downtown Magnet High School, Reyes expresses how fortunate she has been in regards to the mentors and a supportive after-school program she had available growing up.
She's a product of the after school program former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley started in 1988. The program aimed at enriching children and teenagers in the city continues to grow strong to this day. This program is part of the reason why she would love to pursue a career involving kids.
"I would love to work with kids. One of the most curious things about children is the way they think," said Reyes.
Reyes also shared the need to protect children through such programs. She personally shared a frightening life-changing experience she had as a teenager.
One evening, 16-year-old Reyes walked through her neighborhood's poorly lit streets after leaving the grocery store. She had just completed the last chore her mother sent her on for that day. The streets she walked in were a normal route she had taken for years. That night she didn't expect what was going to happen to her. She refers it as the day that changed her life.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed a stranger a few feet away. She began to hear footsteps of what seemed to be two men. She picked up her pace, once noticing that they were moving in on her. She slowly began to run with her bags on hand as one of the assailants grabbed and pushed her against the wall. One of the men physically held her against the wall. Fearing for her life Reyes began to scream for help. She remembers both of them forcibly groping her.
"Now that I think about it. The matter probably took a minute, like a flash. All I could hear was the beat of my heart pounding," said Reyes."I was scared."
Her cries for help got the attention of a passerby who managed to startle the assailants. Both men fled the scene before the police could take matters into their hands.
"There was a cop car in the area when this took place, but they were non-responsive," said Reyes. "I felt like the police weren't there for me when this incident took place. I felt helpless. I thought the bad guys were going to be put away, but they weren't. They're still out there. There could be other victims like me."
Reyes made a police report trying to do her best to describe the details she was left with regarding both men. But she felt like the officers at the scene weren't taking her serious. After filing the report that night the police left empty handed.
Three years ago this incident took place. Coping with this has been something Reyes says has been doing gradually on a "day-by-day process," but something that she is comfortable sharing.
"It's amazing how closer my mother, father, and even brother have been since this incident," admits Reyes. "You definitely lose trust in a lot of things and view life differently. If I'm ever out in the evening, I keep a close watch of my surroundings. It's like you lose trust on a lot of things. That's why I think kids should receive the best protection. It's a reminder why I feel like helping my community."
Reyes did receive some professional counseling soon after, but admits that the communication with her family has best helped her cope with the past. She doesn't discourage professional guidance, but shares that sometimes family is best at handling hard times. She currently volunteers at the LA's Best: After School Program as her way of helping the children in her community.
"I'm able to freely talk about this because I think it might will help everyone understand a part of my life," concluded Reyes.
She's a product of the after school program former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley started in 1988. The program aimed at enriching children and teenagers in the city continues to grow strong to this day. This program is part of the reason why she would love to pursue a career involving kids.
"I would love to work with kids. One of the most curious things about children is the way they think," said Reyes.
Reyes also shared the need to protect children through such programs. She personally shared a frightening life-changing experience she had as a teenager.
One evening, 16-year-old Reyes walked through her neighborhood's poorly lit streets after leaving the grocery store. She had just completed the last chore her mother sent her on for that day. The streets she walked in were a normal route she had taken for years. That night she didn't expect what was going to happen to her. She refers it as the day that changed her life.
From the corner of her eyes, she noticed a stranger a few feet away. She began to hear footsteps of what seemed to be two men. She picked up her pace, once noticing that they were moving in on her. She slowly began to run with her bags on hand as one of the assailants grabbed and pushed her against the wall. One of the men physically held her against the wall. Fearing for her life Reyes began to scream for help. She remembers both of them forcibly groping her.
"Now that I think about it. The matter probably took a minute, like a flash. All I could hear was the beat of my heart pounding," said Reyes."I was scared."
Her cries for help got the attention of a passerby who managed to startle the assailants. Both men fled the scene before the police could take matters into their hands.
"There was a cop car in the area when this took place, but they were non-responsive," said Reyes. "I felt like the police weren't there for me when this incident took place. I felt helpless. I thought the bad guys were going to be put away, but they weren't. They're still out there. There could be other victims like me."
Reyes made a police report trying to do her best to describe the details she was left with regarding both men. But she felt like the officers at the scene weren't taking her serious. After filing the report that night the police left empty handed.
Three years ago this incident took place. Coping with this has been something Reyes says has been doing gradually on a "day-by-day process," but something that she is comfortable sharing.
"It's amazing how closer my mother, father, and even brother have been since this incident," admits Reyes. "You definitely lose trust in a lot of things and view life differently. If I'm ever out in the evening, I keep a close watch of my surroundings. It's like you lose trust on a lot of things. That's why I think kids should receive the best protection. It's a reminder why I feel like helping my community."
Reyes did receive some professional counseling soon after, but admits that the communication with her family has best helped her cope with the past. She doesn't discourage professional guidance, but shares that sometimes family is best at handling hard times. She currently volunteers at the LA's Best: After School Program as her way of helping the children in her community.
"I'm able to freely talk about this because I think it might will help everyone understand a part of my life," concluded Reyes.
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