Summer 2013
Second to None: An Interview With Brian Helgeland M.F.A. ’87
Jackie Robinson, a native of Pasadena, Calif., transformed major League Baseball when he took his place in the infield of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He also changed U.S. society, by becoming the living symbol of desegregation and, in time, a tireless advocate for civil rights for African Americans. Robinson’s life was the subject of a major Hollywood film this spring — “42” — that was written and directed by Brian Helgeland. Just before the film was released, Helgeland was interviewed by Editor Joseph Wakelee-Lynch.
A Conversation With Doris Kearns Goodwin
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin delivered the Undergraduate Commencement Address on May 11. Her “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” was the basis of the 2012 feature film “Lincoln." She told the members of the graduating Class of 2013 that there is a direct connection between storytelling and the work of a historian. Goodwin has written several books about U.S. presidents, and her “No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt” won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for history. She was interviewed her before her arrival on campus by Peter M. Warren.
A Conversation with Debra Linesch
Debra Linesch is professor and chair of the LMU Department of Marital and Family Therapy. The author of four books and numerous articles and a former elementary school teacher, she has worked for years helping children deal with the effects of witnessing violence. She was interviewed by Editor Joseph Wakelee-Lynch.
A Conversation with Will Terry ’08
Will Terry ’08, who majored in business administration, is chief operating officer of Terry Farms, a family-owned fruit-and-vegetable farm business that has operated on 1,800 acres in Ventura County for more than a century. In 2003, the family launched a strawberry business, Terry Berries. We talked to Terry about growing strawberries, which first replaced lemons as Ventura County’s top agricultural crop in 1999. He was interviewed by Fred Puza ’10.
A Conversation with Ying Sai
Ying Sai, an assistant professor of computer information systems who teaches in the College of Business Administration, is an expert in Internet security research and e-commerce. She was interviewed by Editor Joseph Wakelee-Lynch.
Assisi Road
When the cardinal from Buenos Aires, Argentina, stepped onto the St. Peter’s Basilica balcony for the first time as Pope Francis in March, surprise was the world’s reaction: Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a non-European, a pastor from the Southern Hemisphere, a Jesuit. And his name, following in the footsteps of one of history’s most revered saints: Francis of Assisi. We asked Allan Figueroa Deck, S.J., the author and editor of six books and more than 50 articles, to reflect on hopeful signs he finds in the election of Pope Francis.
Colton Plaia Throws People Out
Colton Plaia ’13 was named a First Team All-West Coast Conference selection in his junior and senior years. At the end of the 2013 season, he was named the WCC Defensive Player of the Year. He led all Lion hitters with a .311 average, 24 runs scored, 16 doubles and three homers, and recorded 25 RBIs. Plaia was named to College Baseball Daily’s Top 100 Players list prior to the 2013 season. As a junior, he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 33rd round but elected to return to LMU after playing for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team during the summer of 2012. His brother, Nick Murphy, played catcher in college, which is why Plaia has been practicing catcher’s drills since he was a boy.
Ink Tank — Memorial Tattoos
Andrew Ranson ’98 says tattoos are not permanent enough for him. The canvas, skin, eventually goes the way of all flesh, into the ground.
L.A. Murals: City Lights
The murals of Los Angeles have become one of the city’s defining images. View more than 30 of Los Angeles' murals.
Honolulu
Jayson Chun says that six years after his LMU graduation he felt a call to return “home to the islands,” to Hawaii.
Slab Art
Turn any corner in Los Angeles, and a mural may appear: Our Lady of Guadalupe gracing a bodega wall, or chamber musicians eight stories tall on a downtown parking structure. The Homeboy Industries mural, “Jobs Not Jails,” is found at Learning Works, at 1916 E. First St. in Boyle Heights.
Maritza Barrera ’01 and Cesar Ramirez ’01
Cesar and Maritza were married on Aug. 7, 2004, in Guadalajara, Mexico, where Maritza’s parents are from. The couple lives in Hacienda Heights, Calif., and returns frequently to LMU, often attending Mass at Sacred Heart Chapel. They hope their two young children will one day attend LMU.
Second to None: An Interview With Brian Helgeland M.F.A. ’87
Jackie Robinson, a native of Pasadena, Calif., transformed major League Baseball when he took his place in the infield of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. He also changed U.S. society, by becoming the living symbol of desegregation and, in time, a tireless advocate for civil rights for African Americans. Robinson’s life was the subject of a major Hollywood film this spring — “42” — that was written and directed by Brian Helgeland. Just before the film was released, Helgeland was interviewed by Editor Joseph Wakelee-Lynch.
The Benefit of Habit
Steve Page’s parents had a mantra. “It was,” he remembers, “You guys are going to get an education.” His LMU education was made possible by the generosity of others.