Buy A Bowtie, Take A Top Off
Panic washes over 21-year-old Alex Koontz when the idea of going to the bathroom approaches. Koontz barely ever passes as a guy so going into the men’s restroom is extremely stressful. It’s even worse to use the woman’s restroom with all the stares and constant whispers. Keeping his eyes to the ground and doing what has to be done is Koontz’s only way out.
From Lost Boy to Homeboy
As a riverboat passes by on a quiet river in Tennessee, an ex-gang member from Pacoima, Calif. sits on a dock nearby. Just watching. Breathing. Living.
This serene setting is a world and life away from where a 12-year-old Neil Gutierrez was issued a seven-year sentence for beating up his mother’s boyfriend. He walked into her house to pick up clothes...
Beaten, Broken, or Brilliant? (Occupy LA)
Dear Occupants of Los Angeles,
It’s me, one of the 99%ers. I’ve seen you around town. I’ve had some conversations with people who claim to represent the movement. However, I still am full of questions and concern.
Room for All-Ages
By Portia Medina
Across from the football field at Granada Hills Charter High School, three wiry teenage boys assemble the marquee at the First Presbyterian Church to read “The Breathing Room.” Inside the fellowship hall, a youthful man with a kind face covered in a short scruffy golden beard with warm brown eyes directs the boys. 29-year-old Justin Souza is...
Divine Intervention
Story By: Kari Golden
Red.
Green.
Walk.
San Julien Street. Busted walls and littered concrete. Cracked windows and ignored street signs. Clusters of men and women lean against doorframes and empty spaces as others sporadically cross the street with blind eyes to oncoming traffic. Black hoodies and blazer jackets cover layers of clothing; layers of thickened scars. There is no sense of time or...
Hollywood Screams Peace
Story By: Jessica Conway
No Justice, No peace! No justice, no peace! The chants echoed through the streets on Mar. 19 2011.
It was a protest on the streets of Hollywood and Vine, not just for anything but for a change in the world.
The streets were filled with thousands of people, young and old of all races, who were unhappy with...
Pushing Boundaries
Gina and the Eastern Block break the mold with controversial antics and a new style of music.
Divine Intervention2
Jeremiah Johnson's past led him on a journey to step out from the dark and into the light through Skid Row.
Room for All-Ages
One man's dream is the driving force behind the San Fernando Valley's newest all-ages music venue: The Breathing Room.
A Little Piece of Broadway
Cal State University Northridge debuts the new Valley Performing Arts Center to culturally rival San Fernando's adjacent communities.