Pretty tough
It’s early in the morning at the Pierce College Farm. The sound of the wind whips the grass, the smell of soil and animal manure are the first to invade the senses. A ray of sun hits the field and the sweat rolls down one’s forehead signaling the beginning of a workday.
It’s time for animals to be fed, for...
Reel to Real
Amid the background of a seemingly sleepy suburb in Bakersfield, California, musical magic is made. Here in an unassuming home Rocketship Recording Studio produces audio treats.
In the dimly lit recesses of a cave-like studio, sweet sounds waft through the space, light and airy like the scent of fresh baked goods. The vibe quickly shifts, this time something of a...
Silent No More
Swarms of college students blend together, holding their textbooks, coffee cups and laptops, consumed in thought as they hurry to and from class on the University of California, Los Angeles campus. A bright red hat upon a confident young woman’s head makes a statement, standing out among the crowd.
The white capital letters embroidered on the hat read “Make...
#InstaFame
Huddled in an intimate circle, surrounding a palm-sized digital camera sitting atop a black tripod, five casually dressed twenty-something year olds break into fits of laughter. Their eyes laser in on the camera’s screen as they review the footage they just shot.
The actors filmed a parody of popular dating websites, such as Match.com, taking turns speaking to the camera...
Other Worldly
A half-formed face pieced together from scraps of clay stares at the blanched ceiling—voiceless yet unnerving. Its hollowed eyes gaze upward in a state of perpetual shock while its mouth—prodded and pulled out of alignment—hangs slack-jawed as if it were screaming. Like the many other sketches and sculptures that litter Naomi Nadreau's modest home, the mask is a work...
Killing the track
She wears her team’s uniform with pride as she skates around the flat track with her navy blue jammer helmet that has lime green stars indicating her position.
Dressed ready to compete, 37-year-old Staci Park sports tattoos on her arms and legs, with several of them an ode to the Japanese character Hello Kitty.
Park founded the San Fernando Valley Roller...
MusicAli Speaking
The sound of seventeen carefully blended voices fills the room in a swelling crescendo as the cohesive group of UCLA students concentrates on executing the songs they’ve spent more than one hundred hours rehearsing. One soprano with shiny dark hair and a powerful falsetto stands out among the assembly.
Ali Hepps is a 19-year-old student starting her sophomore year at...
Man Ascending
Pearls of sweat roll down the sun-drenched arms of Ryan Talbot, 19. The tense muscles of his tangled limbs quake under the weight of his toned frame. After a brief moment of hesitation, Talbot inhales sharply before launching himself upward. Scathing pain twists his calm expression as the rock’s jagged surface scores the skin of his calloused fingers.
This brief...
Producer on the run
Juxtaposed against her thin frame and bubbly personality, Racquel Lehrman plays a leading role in theater entertainment. Despite being almost 3,000 miles from New York, she is bringing Broadway to Southern California.
Theater is Lehrman’s greatest passion. Her goal is to help keep the art alive as she runs her own production company in Los Angeles.
She believes in the personable...
Emotionally Strong, Mentally Empowered
Photo by: Monica Salazar
It’s third down from the 25-yard line and the Pierce College football team is looking to hold its ground against Santa Barbara City College. Bodies are flying and colliding explosively. Amid the violent clashes, Brahmas’ defensive lineman Ron Young Jr., maintains a smile. The thought of going into battle would make many people tremble, but Young’s...