STREET

What is your favorite Marvel character? Why? Quotes be able to escape the near poverty that the barrio is keeping everyone in.

With her return she sparks a budding romance with Benny (Trevor Alkazian), a long time worker for her father, but the two are forbidden to be together due to Kevin’s prejudice toward Benny for not coming from the same ethnic background.

As Usnavi, Balderas commands the stage when he steps out of the bodega for the first time. Able to convey the tried and true archetype of a clerk stuck in town, Balderas vocals were able to capture an essence on the stage. In greater spirit Balderas was able to create a mesmerizing flow for the raps within the musicals score.

Pierce College Theatre Department tackles a generic script with ease BEAT

“CaptainMarvelbecausesheisso empoweringandheisinfluential.”

-BrinaGalvez Sociology

“Blackpantherjustbecausetheyarenotso self-absorbed.IfeellikeeveryonelikesIron Manbutit’salwaysabouthim.”

-LilianaMejia Nursing

“Thanosismyfavoritebecausethethingheisstrivingfor isveryimportant,theeliminationofhalfthepopulation.”

-MarcoEdwards Math

"SpiderManbecausejustknowingheisateenlivinghislife, goingtoschoolandalsobeingasuperheroit'skindacrazy. It’sjusthowdoyouprocessbeingateenagerandalsobeinga superhero.”

-CynthiaHernandez RegisteredNurse

"IlikeIronManbecauseheisreallysmartandkindofa jerkbuthasagoodheart.IliketothinkIcanseemyself in Iron Man.”

-RozalynRandall Psychology

Vanessa (Lam) is another welcoming voice. From her first introduction, her singing abilities struck the auditorium. She invited the feeling of reciprocity from the plays generic telling of her character.

The cast as a whole is genuinely engrossing. Alkazian, as Benny, and Solano, as Nina, capture the glimmer of young love spectacularly. Both enjoying the flow of the stage as they shared scenes.

The most captivating parts of this play are the raps. In the opening track, named after the play, Miranda’s lyrical abilities were shown with Balderas being able to capture the intensity and subtleties that come with creating a flow that can hit beats and carry from rhyme to rhyme. The subplots of a student dropping out, a girl wanting more, a slacker looking for approval, store owners struggling to stay monetarily viable have been re-told many times. The shift of demographic did little to bring life to the actions on stage.

But this play can be viewed as a piece of Miranda’s steps toward his most recognizable musical, “Hamilton,” which perhaps Pierce will one day get to produce.

“In the Heights” will have shows Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and May 5 matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets can be bought online at brownpapertickets. com or by phone: 818-719-6488.

HARLEY DAVIS & NYSHEKA HERRING Reporter @TheRoundupNews

For many, your blue jeans are just apart of your wardrobe. But on April 26, your pants can be illicit change.

Denim Day, which has become a nationally acknowledged as an anti-rape campaign, gives people a chance to stand with survivors of sexual assault and violence.

Associated Student Organization (ASO) hosted a Denim Day Clothesline Project Monday, April 22 on the Pierce Mall to support and share these stories.

Holly Hagan a mentor of the ASO brought this event to the campus back in 2004. She stated the purpose of the event was to bring awareness to victims of domestic violence or any assault on an individual.

“This event has grown since then, as it’s usually is geared towards women but its now more common for both men and women,” Hagan said. “I’m a survivor of both domestic violence and sexual assault.” Both men and women came out to the event to take pictures of shirts that represented them the most or someone close to them. Shirts were placed on the table by colors for anyone to come by and choose which color is meant for them and their stories.

“Sexual assault is still happening and so with different colors shirts are different types of sexual assault,” Allison Portillio a ASO Mentor said. “It's important for us to remember and advocate for this to make sure that this doesn’t happen."