Share: My dad is first generation American and second generation Guatemalan. Back in the 1970’s, my grandma – who was pregnant at the time – came here to the United States. As a single mom, she wanted to raise her son in a place that will allow him opportunities she knew he could not receive back in her home country. My grandma came here to achieve the “American Dream” for my father, to give him a better life. Follow:
Love and praises for ‘The Hate U Give’
Share: In a world full of racial tension, bias, and brutality, “The Hate U Give” respectfully and creatively presents a sense of understanding and a universal message of the unfairness Black people face daily, simply because of the color of their skin. The movie begins with a controversial subject within the Black community, “the talk.” Instead of the usual “birds and the bees” talk most parents pass down to their children, Black parents must explain widespread discrimination and racism to their kids, warning them about …
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’: the PG version of a rockstar’s life
Share: The biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” follows the legendary band Queen, specifically the standout lead singer Freddie Mercury, during the most important 15 years on their road to success up to their Live Aid performance in 1985. The film gives a glimpse of Mercury’s private life and the outside influences that tore apart the band for years. It is almost impossible to distinguish where actor Rami Malek ends and Mercury begins. From his infamously horrible teeth to his defined facial structure, it’s difficult to imagine that …
Thinking is critical to professors, students in theory club
Share: In the corner of an office sits English professor Shane Underwood, the Critical Theory Club (CTC) adviser, hunched over his desk, trying to figure out how to connect his printer to his computer. While he was away on his sabbatical last year, a couple of things got rearranged – apparently his printer was one of them. Follow:
Celebrating the evolution of women’s pro wrestling
Share: It’s an exciting time for World Wrestling Entertainment, and in a historic evening for women of all sports, WWE hosted its first all-women’s pay-per-view event “Evolution,” featuring over fifty female superstars. The women’s pro wrestling revolution has been a long time coming. It is great to finally see proper female roles taking shape in the squared circle, as they had previously been confined to portraying sexual objects and support for men. Follow:
Exhibit sheds light on women artists who never sought to hide
Share: Ask the average person who their favorite artist is and you’re likely to get names like Da Vinci, Picasso, Van Gogh or even Banksy – only men, most of them mainstream names and rightly praised for their masterpieces. Throughout most of history, the artistic contributions of women to the world of fine art have not been forgotten, because they were rarely noted and remembered in the first place. The Pasadena Museum of History’s exhibition “Something Revealed; California Women Artists Emerge, 1860-1960” seeks to play …
The Mamba Mentality: Going inside the mind of a psychopath
Share: When Kobe Bryant announced his first book, “The Mamba Mentality: How I Play”, many were ecstatic that one of the greats in basketball was going to write about his experience in the NBA, as well as his knowledge and understanding of the game of basketball after 20 seasons. Like Bryant’s “Detail” series on ESPN, where it’s 20 minutes of him doing in-depth game analysis of current NBA players, I was expecting a book enriched in text on Bryant’s psychological strengths and habits, which made …
A Halloween block party that’s dead for all the wrong reasons
Share: If you are a college student looking to have fun during the Halloween weekend, don’t go to Little Tokyo’s Halloween Block Party. It’s not so bad that nobody should attend, its just that if you are of legal age to drink, your money and time should be spent elsewhere. With an all ages event, it is to be expected that they would close off a part of the block party so people 21 years and older can enjoy their drinks. But this “beer garden” …
Stop wearing Pocahontas costumes
Share: Imagine having a deep love and respect for your culture only for Halloween to come around each year. Like clockwork, you see stores and costumes make cheap imitations of your culture. Costumes that appropriate or reinforce stereotypes of multiple cultures are still sold in 2018, and frankly, they desperately need to stop. Follow:
Pumpkin Nights: Nothing but a photo op stop
Share: When an event is hyped on all social media platforms, held in celebration of a big holiday and located in a spacious setting, naturally the expectations are high. Unfortunately, expectations can lead to disappointment. The Pomona Fairplex is showcasing local artists throughout the month of October at an event called Pumpkin Nights. What this entails is about a 30 minute trail filled with fake carved pumpkins, a scavenger hunt, poor ponies tired of giving pony rides and no Halloween music. But wait, there’s plenty …