Media Comm team brought home the ribbons

Del Mar Fair prizewinners, from left, Jorge Serrano, Alexis Jacquett, William Snead, Nicolle Fedor and Chris Norris

-Staff Report–

DEL MAR, California — Over the summer, the Media Communications Department of Grossmont College won a pastle of awards at the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar in a competion for the best college-level mock television newscast. Broadcast student and producer Nicolle Fedor explained that the storyline of Grossmont’s broadcast followed an evening television newscast format with three anchors. The 10-minute live broadcast informed the Grossmont campus audience of such world news stories as it the death of Osama Bin Laden followed by news of the Royal honeymoon and the United States Navy’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy changes. In a high-tech business segment, the team covered news of Microsoft , Skype, AT&T and T-Mobile, Google, Apple, Facebook and Symantec. The three anchors then closed out the broadcast. Besides Fedor, team members included Alexis Jacquett, Chris Norris, and Jorge Serrano. Faculty member William Snead oversaw the project.

Other team members included Director, Vincenzo Ruffino; Technical Director, Christian Vega; Audio,  Joshua Jensma; VT Recorder, Ryan Mahan; Camera 2, Sakuna Thongramsy; Talent 3, Arianna Nevins and Announcer, Shawn Felix.

Grossmont Dance and Music departments stun

By Alexis Jacquett

Alexis Jacquett

SAN DIEGO—Grossmont College Dance Department’s “Entrances and Exits” matinee concert at the Joan B. Kroc Center on Saturday, April 16, was definitely amazing! This concert had so many great highlights.

In addition to the dance pieces, I really enjoyed the live music by the Grossmont College Afro-Cuban Ensemble and Grossmont College Gospel Choir , classical composer/ performer Kristopher Apple and percussionist Amir Etemadzadeh. The venue at 6611 University Ave., was good from the standpoint of seating but the acoustics were not as good as they could have been.,

There were 11 different pieces, featuring such different dance styles as Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop, Tap, and Ballet.

A Persian piece was very interesting and powerful! The dancers’ attire was neat, evoking an interesting culture. The live music added so much to this piece. The instruments provided strength and beauty.

At the end of the concert, there was an interactive piece in which they encouraged the audience to get involved and dance or clap. This was fun. They also provided the audience, with its many high school students, the opportunity to Q and A with the dancers, choreographers, and musicians.

This was such an exciting event. I thank Grossmont College Dance and Music Department for putting together an AMAZING show.

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Jacquett is a Media Comm 199 student. Click here for video of the performance.

Live music will surpass CD for ‘Entrance and Exits’ dance showcase April 14-16

Alexis Jacquett

By Alexis Jacquett

GROSSMONT COLLEGE — When the Dance Department presents “Entrances and Exits” on April 14, 15, and 16, guest musicians will include the Grossmont College Gospel Choir, Afro-Cuban Ensemble, Amir Etemadzadeh, and Kristopher Apple with faculty choreographers Melisa Adao, Nancy Boskin-Mullen, Kathy Meyer, Sylvia Morales, David Mullen, Coleen Shipkowski, and Debi Toith-Ward. This event will be held at the Joan B. Kroc Theatre.

The idea came from last spring’s concert when Berkley Heart, a local folk group, was asked by Boskin-Mullen to perform one of the pieces. Kathy Meyer got the idea that the Dance Department should collaborate with the Music Department to add live music to the concert. There is just a difference between live music and a c.d.; it’s much more moving, Meyer noted.

Joan B. Kroc Theatre at 6611 University Avenue, San Diego 92115, seats about 650 people. There will be 55 dance students and about 62 musicians performing this event. There will be Middle Eastern calligraphy in the background of the stage and a small amount of set design.

This concert has something to offer everyone from all different backgrounds. There is ballet, modern dance, jazz, tap, contemporary, salsa, and hip-hop. This is the first time that live music will be played throughout the whole concert. Also there is a matinee concert on Saturday to accommodate the high school students that may want to attend the event.

The dates and times are as follows; are Thursday April 14th at 7:30p, Friday the15th at 7:30p, and Saturday the16th at both 2:00p and 7:30p. There is a pre-sale option for all faculty and staff, $8 until Wednesday April 13th at 12:00 noon. Students may also purchase pre-sale tickets for $10, up until  12:00 noon Wednesday. Regular tickets at the box office are $12. Tickets may be purchased at the ASGC office, the dance office, any dance instructor, the box office, or at the door.

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Jacquett is a Media Communications 199 student

Cantata recalls Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy

Story by Alexis Jacquett; Video by Xavier Green

SAN DIEGO —  San Diego State  University  hosted a powerful commemoration concert on March 23 to remember 146 women who lost their lives in the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factorey Fire in New York City. Dr. Sue Gonda, the creator of the U.S. Women’s History courses at Grossmont College, gave a heartfelt introduction to this cantata, providing background on this time period and the hardships faced by  immigrants in America.

Gonda provided a sense of connection to these women who earned their living sewing clothes in a factory on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors where exit doors had been locked, preventing the women from saving themselves.

Grossmont’s Dr. Gonda and Prof. Benedetti to participate in factory fire commemoration

By Alexis Jacquett  

Alexis Jacquett

SAN DIEGO –San Diego State University will host a cantata to commemorate the women who lost their lives in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire 100 years ago. The concert on Wednesday, March 23, in Rhapsody Hall of the Music Building  is the only public event in San Diego that is being held to recognize this significant tragedy that helped shape some of the safety and labor laws today.

Yale Strom, the composer of this music piece, is in residence in the Jewish Studies program at SDSU. He “decided to write a composition to commemorate the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire’s 100^th Anniversary.”

Dr. Sue Gonda is President of Grossmont’s Academic Senate, as well as a Women’s History Professor at Grossmont and SDSU. She also created the U.S. Women’s History courses at Grossmont. She will introduce this cantata.

The cantata will incorporate music and poetry in the English, Italian, and Yiddish languages.  There will be poetry recited in both English and Italian, and poetry sung in Yiddish. The two Yiddish songs that will be sung are “Fire Sacrifices” which was written after the fire and “The Calm Place.” Strom wrote a poem that will be sung in English called “Stench.”  The Performers for this concert are Yale Strom, Elizabeth Schwartz, Mark Dresser, Lou Fanucchi, and  Fred Benedetti.  The latter is a Guitarist and Music Professor at Grossmont.

Concert demonstrates musical traditions of slaves yearning to be free

By Alexis Jacquett

Alexis Jacquett

GROSSMONT COLLEGE—Gospel music became an avenue of hope for slaves in America. They used stories from the Bible to represent freedom and code names like “Jesus” and “Moses” to represent Harriet Tubman and other abolitionists who helped free slaves through Underground Railroad.

On Feb. 25, Randall Tweed, the director of the Grossmont College Mater Chorale, opened up the Gospel concert.  Tweed introduced Ken Anderson, the director of the Grossmont College Gospel Choir who gave a little bit of background history about Gospel Music and Spirituals. Anderson also gave the audience the “Ok” to be a part of the concert and “shout Hallelujah or Amen if the spirit leads.”

The concert began with the Master Chorale performing three selections of the Spiritual Tradition; “I’m Gonna Sing When The Spirit Says Sing,” “The Time for Praying (Bach Sheep May Safely Graze),” and “I Want Jesus To Walk With Me.” All three selections had a classical rhythm.

Performing in the second half of the concert was the Grossmont College Gospel Choir.  It sang “Call Him Up, Lord,” “We Love You,” “Worship the Lord,” and “It’s A Mighty Good Day.” In “Worship The Lord”, the slaves gave the time of day and direction of escape. According to Anderson the slaves explained they were heading East in the morning to freedom.

The making of a music video

http://www.facebook.com/v/178764685472072

By Alexis Jacquett

GROSSMONT COLLEGE — This video is an assignment for the class known as “Media Communications—Basic Professional Editing Principles.”

The assignment was to use video assets such as personal video footage, still photos, and music, and create and edit a music video. The video had to run the standard time of most music which is about 3-3.5 minutes. The editing system that the Grossmont Labs are equipped with is Adobe Premiere Pro. This video took about 3 weeks class time and outside time as well.

The assignment was graded on length, organization of digital files, naming of digital files, organization of the bin, video following the beat, and the proper export of file. First I had to pick the music I wanted to use for the video. I used a slower song in order to leave images on the screen longer. I wanted my video to have more meaning rather than just following the beat. There were some places that the animals/models’ movement went with the beat.

At first, I had a hard time making the decision on where I wanted to cut the footage, because editing is a decision. And for me making decisions is hard because I am very particular. When using footage that is borrowed from a website usually the footage isn’t exactly what you want, so you have to play with what you want and trash what you don’t. Once I figured out the clear direction of what I wanted for the video, putting the footage together was easy.

With all footage you trim off the fat, or the parts you don’t want, and then place it in the timeline and drop each section side by side without any space in between each clip. The bin is a folder where you keep your assets. Also you have to rename the footage/digital files so you can easily grab what you need for the finished product. This assignment for me was very educational.  It was  exciting to learn how to edit a video.  Video-editing is  a tool and skill that can be used in many areas of life.

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Jacquett is also a student in Media Comm 132–Campus Newspaper Production, for which this article was written.

Inside the Campus Veterans Center

GROSSMONT COLLEGE–The new Veterans Resource Center on campus is intended to create a “positive environment” for veterans and dependents, according to John Weber, the president of the Student Veterans Organization.

The center provides computers, academic counselors, a quiet study area and a positive environment, Weber recently told Alexis Jacquett in the following  on-camera report for the GC Summit filmed by Xavier Green.

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Green and Jacquett are students in Media Comm 132

Student with disability among the most active on the campus

 

Deidrea Lewis (Photo: Russ Lindquist)

 

 

By Alexis Jacquett

 

GROSSMONT COLLEGE –Deidrea Lewis is one of the most active students  not withstanding a disability and a work injury, which limit her mobility. She has osteoarthritis, which is a joint disease.

“My disability does affect my weight, a lot, but I’ve always been a chubby girl, and struggled with my weight.” said Lewis. She is working on having  weight loss surgery but has been delaying the procedure because she doesn’t want to miss school.

A wife, mother, singer, a teacher’s aide, Lewis, 47,  is also  president of the honors society, Phi Theta Kappa.  Her daughter is 22 years old.

Lewis sings in the Grossmont College Gospel Choir, and the Cuyamaca Rock, Pop, and Soul Ensemble. She has been singing for over 40 years, getting her start at Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Ennis, Texas.

Restaurant Review: Pokez offers a Mexican vegetarian feast

By Kamri Jackson

Some favorite Mexican dishes, Pokez style (Photo: Alexis Jacquett)

SAN DIEGO – This city has several qualities which many would claim set it apart from any other city. The beautiful weather is one– and another big one is its Mexican cuisine.

Let’s be honest, we are truly fortunate to have amazing access to such great Mexican food. Although this may hold true for most San Diegans, the vegetarian or vegan, often finds it a bit tricky to locate the right taco shop that will appease our dining needs and expectations.

Pokez (pronounced po-keys), is a Mexican vegetarian eatery at 947 E Street in downtown.  It is sure to please the veg foodie. 

Pokez has been one of my favorite Mexican Restaurants for years, and continues to serve up lard-free beans, tortilla chips, and tofu dishes which are never cooked in the same oil as meat. Rest assure, veggies– Pokez got you!