Short film honors franchise horror icon

VANESSA ARREDONDO Managing Editor @v_anana

The hockey mask may be the most iconic image in horror movie history, but few know who the psychotic killer was. Sean Richards’ documentary film reveals that.

Richards, an actor, a writer and a producer, presented his documentary film “Friday the 13th Part 3: The Memoriam Documentary” during this semester’s first Media Arts Speaker Series event.

Fueled by childhood nostalgia for ‘80s horror movies and respect and admiration for an old friend, a firsttime filmmaker set out to create a work that would capture the spirit of an iconic franchise.

“These are all iconic characters. It’s part of our cinema history,” Richards said. “It was the 80s, it was boom time for horror.”

Tracie Savage, a Pierce Media Arts professor, acted as Debbie in “Friday the 13th: Part III” and was interviewed for the documentary. She helped organize the film viewing and Q&A.

“The idea for tonight’s event was to motivate young filmmakers to just get out there and do it,” Savage said. “Here’s this guy who has never produced a film before, and here he’s got a 40-minute film that is produced wonderfully.”

“I recruited last year for the very first time ever in the history of the softball program,” Cooley said. “I went and talked to 12 different local high schools and four different club teams.”

Cooley said these visits, conducted entirely without a recruiting budget, yielded 32 potential team candidates, but only one student followed through.

“It’s all volunteer time calling up high school school coaches, begging to come out to talk to the group,” Cooley said. “It starts there. You’ve got to go out and recruit and make it happen somehow.”

Cooley said that although he and head coach Breanne Parr were able to find replacements for their five unexpected losses, they realize that their season’s journey is only just beginning.

“There are some kids out here that have never touched a ball before. This is college ball, so the level of difficulty is high,” Cooley said. “We have a large hill to climb.”

While the softball coaches struggled to keep their team alive, the campus-wide advertising piqued the interest of a number of women who never played softball before.

Francesca Canales is one of the five new players on the team. She had never played before last week, but figured that this was the perfect opportunity.

[For the full story visit theroundupnews.com]

“We wanted to highlight them as being not only part of the Pierce community but also part of the African American community and how that resonates with the activism and diversity of the Pierce college community,” Macias said.

Macias said creating a space to celebrate diversity is part of the reason the library has these displays. This helps students understand that throughout this campus they are represented.

“Seeing the displays made me realize this campus is a lot more diverse than I thought,” said student Kyle Dizon. “Even if it was just a small fact, I learned something new I didn’t know before.” dpadilla.roundupnews@gmail.com

In the past, the library has showcased diverse displays such as Hispanic Heritage Month and the Harry Potter series, and Macias said the library plans to continue this tradition every month.

Richards said he was motivated to make the documentary film after learning that Richard Brooker, who played psychotic killer Jason Voorhees in “Friday the 13th: Part III,” died of a heart attack in 2013, the year of the film’s 30th anniversary.

“First and foremost, it shares Richard Brooker’s journey. It’s a personal touch behind the scenes,” Richards said. “You see who they are portraying the characters on the film, but you don’t see who they are, so you get to know them on a personal level.”

Richard McMullen is an actor who returned to school full time as a film major. He attended the event because he is interested to learn about professionals breaking into the field.

“Anybody out there who wants to be a documentary filmmaker that, if your project is something that may have been done a bit before, it may make it more difficult to see your project through, but still he was able to do that,” McMullen said.

Savage acted as Debbie in “Friday the 13th: Part III” in her last role before going to college.

“It was absolutely a blast. I worked my entire childhood since I was 2, and I was going away to study journalism,” Savage said. “I knew that I was pretty much done with acting. I got this role, and I thought, ‘Well, it will pay for college.’ I didn't know that it was going to turn into the cult film that it is.”

Richards said he met Savage at a horror convention 15 years ago, and he contacted her through Larry Zerner, who played Shelly in the original film, to be interviewed for the documentary.

“Looking back on these interviews, everyone one brought their own brand. Tracie brought professionalism and great stories,” Richards said.

The documentary presents behindthe-scenes footage, photos and personal accounts from the actors and crew, which Richards said is important and interesting to fans of the genre.

“As horror fans, you get to know the people behind the production,” Richards said. “You share their experiences of a time that’s unfortunately in a capsule; the horror movie has changed quite a bit, so I’d like to preserve that.”

The recent shooting in Florida has people across the country focused on how they can stay safe on and off campus.

As media outlets continue to inform the public of the latest violent acts, the demand for preparedness is heightened.

Pierce should work toward having a more comprehensive system of informing everyone on campus about how to stay safe and what to do if they are faced with a threat.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 34 shootings in the United States since Jan. 1, all of which resulted in multiple injuries and/or deaths.

A 2016 study done by Citizens Crime Commission of New York City showed that there was a 153% increase of shooting incidents on or near college campuses during the 2011-12 to 2015-16 school years compared to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 school years.

Currently there is no system to ensure that everyone on campus is explicitly informed about all of the safety resources that are available to them.

While the campus already has safety precautions put in place, there is never a bad time to reevaluate current procedures to ensure that everyone on campus knows how to be safe.

The Sheriff's Department on campus has their office and emergency phone number and Emergency Booklet is posted on the college website.

Campus payphones may also be used to connect directly to the oncampus Sheriff’s station by dialing *86.

The Sheriff’s Department said that they heavily rely on the information posted on the college website and other outlets on campus including the Roundup.

Even though Pierce has potentially helpful systems, students and staff may not be aware of what is available to them or how to access them. One possible solution to keep students more aware of safety resources at Pierce is to create a video to be included in every student’s orientation. The video can go into detail about what resources are available to students on campus and how to access them by including locations or building numbers and important phone numbers.

Examples and tutorials can be provided in the video to demonstrate how to use equipment such as the emergency phone and even make suggestions for how students should handle a threatening situation.

In addition, the video can be posted on the Pierce website with the emergency handbook for anyone to view again with additional phone numbers to call if they have any outstanding questions. Communication is a big part of keeping a campus safe and it is necessary for Pierce to find ways to communicate more efficiently.

The campus could invest in the Barracuda, an intruder defense system that can lock doors even if they open in or swing out.

The Barracuda runs as low as $62 depending on the type of device needed. There are other companies

“Paris.It'snottoobad,it's nottoogood,it'sjustinthe middle. You can fix whatever youneedtofixwhenyouget there."

-ApriyanaShackelford,18,Child Development that have similar products, but it should not cost more than $9,500 to protect each room on campus.

While there are already precautions in place to keep everyone on campus safe, there should continue to be a constant effort in finding ways to improve them.

“Korea,wheremyfamilyis, because that's sentimental tome.Ifeellikeeverybody wantstogowheretheyhold somethingtotheirheart."

-JulianColey,21,Enviornmental Science

The traditional path of college academia after high school is not always the wisest educational plan for a variety of students.

By the end of their high school careers, students will have all the tools necessary to academically succeed in college. However, despite being intellectually prepared for college, nothing can adequately prepare a student for the life beyond adolescence.

A gap year, as explained in the PBS News Hour, is an excellent way for students to come back to college with a refined sense of self and direction in their studies.

While the surrounding stigma of a gap year is that of laziness, this assumption cannot be further from the truth. Gap years, if done effectively, can lead one down a path of self-discovery. This process helps students avoid the inevitable existential dread or slump that usually awaits them halfway through their college career.

By taking a year off to volunteer, intern, or globetrot, a student will come back to the academic world with a drive that can guide them through the next steps of their educvational path.

According to the Gap Year Association, 90 percent of students return to college within a 12 months of starting their gap year.

Pursuing a gap year does not necessarily mean a definite stop to school. It simply means taking a break to pursue other avenues of education.

The most common thing students do while on a gap year is travel. Whether it be to somewhere domestic or international, this is a tremendous way to grow as an individual. One is exposed to cultures that are different from their own, forcing them to leave their ethnocentrism behind. During their travels, students will also meet people from all walks of life who will teach them lessons that can only be taught outside of a classroom.

Additionally, students who take a gap year to undertake an internship ready themselves for future careers. This is done simply by students building a resume with practical work experience as well as networking with professionals in their desired field.

Upon returning from their gap year, students will come back with an education that cannot be learned in any college class. A year off to pursue one’s passions will lead to the experiences that will mold one’s value and expand their worldview. Overall, this is an experience each student should undergo before committing to the marathon of a race that is higher education.

CAMILLE LEHMANN Reporter @camilleslehmann

A gap year is taken by students as a break to work, travel, or simply rest their brain between secondary school and college. Though, students should make sure that their gap year doesn’t turn into gap years. Whether it’s taking a break to work or to experience and travel, the biggest disadvantage to taking time off can lead to a waste of time. It can be an unproductive experience for students to take a gap year, causing them to forget most of what they learned, lose focus, and fall out of the academic routine.

Students that tend to waste time also lose momentum and hesitate to return to school when given the opportunity.

If students decide to waste time, they can be at risk when they return to school. With that being said, if their activities spent during a gap year don’t contribute to their education, their chances of being accepted into a university will be decreased.

According to the Nation Center for Educational Statistics, students who delay attending college and decide to take a gap year are at risk of veering off track.

“For whatever reasons students wait to enroll in college, those who do delay are at considerable risk of not completing a postsecondary credential when compared with their peers who enroll immediately after high school graduation.”

Taking a gap year can result in financial struggles, as many students tend to spend more money instead of saving. Traveling is an exciting opportunity, but can be very expensive.

A big factor that students worry about when taking a year off is financial aid. Although students are still eligible and may qualify for FAFSA, they will have to reapply and are required to do more work.

Some scholarships that universities offer are against the idea of taking a gap year and will not allow it. Therefore, it can be a huge disadvantage for students by putting their chances of getting financial aid and grants at risk.

Some students prioritize their time, energy, and money into their careers rather than getting an education in school. They fail to acknowledge the limitations that they are placing on themselves by giving up academics, in the form of entering college directly after high school.

Many students who take a gap year, get caught up with work and their social life, as well as start to develop financial difficulties.

Therefore, taking a gap year should be discouraged, as students end up getting distracted, focusing on responsibilities that can further become a challenge or a burden.

“AtiebetweenItalyand Tokyo.Ononehand,ifIwas goingtogoforthemost easygoinglifethatreflects someofmyhobbies,Iwould choseItaly.ButifIgoforthe morebusinessend,itwould beTokyo.”

-Andranik Nazarian, 21, Business advertising materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, are the responsibility of the student newspaper staff. Under appropriate state and federal court decisions, these materials are free from prior restraint by the virtue of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Accordingly, materials published herein, including any opinions expressed, should not be interpreted as the position of the L.A. Community College District, the college or any officer or employee thereof.