Conversations

Kate Micucci ’03 Makes Her Mark

Kate Micucci — smart, witty, musical, artistic, funny — could make a living five different ways. We interviewed Kate about funny songs, love, the creative process and the pressure of making a living solely by one’s wits and talent.

Field Work

Patrick Mullen ’93

Patrick Mullen, an an AFROTC cadet when he was a student, is a corporate pilot who operates a Gulfstream G650 and G-V in Portland, Oregon. The captain’s seat he occupies now is a thing to behold.

My L.A.

The Last Book Store

There is magic and danger at the corner of Fifth and Spring. Jill Cornelio ’04 describes one of her favorite L.A. haunts—The Last Book Store.

Conversations

A Conversation with Tom Leach ’08

Tom Leach ’08, founder and president of Media RED, says reality TV has blurred the line between entertainment and politics. The ability to create a reaction is more helpful than ever for politicians.

Diagram

An Annotated History of Reality TV

Reality TV played an unexpected part in the presidential election of Donald Trump, says Tom Leach ’08, lecturer in the LMU School of Film and Television. Yet, reality TV has its roots in shows that defined the medium at birth.

Conversations

Conversation with Jeff Fryer ’90 & Leslie Lopez-Wood ’17

Two of LMU’s record-setting 3-point shooters talk about the pressure and thrill of draining the long-range shot.

First Person

A Life in Exile

Elias Wondimu spent his first 20 years growing up in Ethiopia, a country riven by civil war. A casualty of that strife has been the nation’s history itself, which leaders often rewrote or erased. Wondimu is determined to secure his nation’s history.

My Take

Summers of Love

In the 1960s, Margaret Grundstein M.A. ’02 lived a communal life in the backwoods of Oregon. Four decades later, she has learned that love is still currency.

Forum

Together at the Table

Ask someone to name his or her hero and why and you will learn as much about that person as the historical figure. We asked faculty members to tell us which person in history they would invite for an evening’s dinner and conversation.

Alumni BBQ Polaroids

Favorites

L.A.’s Greatest Gigs

Drew Tewksbury ’04, LA Weekly managing editor, recalls some of L.A.’s greatest rock performances …

Letter From L.A.

Hot Air

The winter onset of Santa Ana winds — hot air in December — reinforces the strangeness of Los Angeles. The Santa Anas have become threads in the city’s dystopian lore.

Heritage

Sullivan’s Start-Up

The first start-up in Silicon Beach succeeded, as start-ups often do, despite skepticism and opposition, and because of vision and risk.

News

Climate Change May Worsen California’s Water Issues

A projected increase of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit in the Southwest U.S. could cause an increase in the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts in coming decades.

Essay

Slow Down

Today’s seemingly infinite proliferation of information and info sources is nearly overwhelming. The notion of “slow time” — to pause, reflect, integrate, then act — is a response. We asked David L. Ulin to stop and give slow time some thought.

Sports

Hitter: Sarah Sponcil ’18

A Q&A with Sarah Sponcil ’18, outside hitter for LMU women’s volleyball and 2016 AVCA All-Region honoree.

Voices

All About His Women

Pedro Almodóvar says much of his childhood was spent in the company of women as they cooked and washed clothes. Women not only framed his life, they shaped his films.

Features

Middle of Nowhere

The U.S. middle class, which was built with New Deal policies of the 1930s, has been getting squeezed and shrunk for decades. But what are we doing about it?

Origins

Origins: Matthew Parsons ’18

You could say Matthew Parsons ’18 took the London train to L.A.: a trip to a college fair in England’s capitol city convinced him LMU was the school for him.

Traditions

Come Together

Every Oct. 23, the anniversary of Sam’s death, LMU’s theater community reconvenes at Sam’s Corner to sing and play Beatles songs — Sam’s favorite music. The annual concert is well known as BTLS4SAM and draws up to 150 people.

Top Ten

Decisions of a President-Elect

Some of a new president’s most crucial decisions are those made between election day and inauguration day. We asked Tony Coelho ’64 to outline the 10 most important decisions to be made by a newly elected chief executive.

Profile

The Asia Blend

Kelly Shanahan M.B.A. ’16 draws on her Chinese roots and familiarity with Chinese silk in creating ZIRAN, her clothing line.

Object Lesson

35-millimeter Acme Animation Camera

Today, animated films are usually done on computer — but LMU wants its animation students to learn the old-fashioned way. Fortunately, the School of Film and Television owns a 35-mm still camera to teach them how.

The Giveback

A Brash Bird’s Legacy

The LMU School of Film and Television received a $5 million donation from the Walter Lantz Foundation this past September that will dramatically alter the school’s ability to train students.

Conversations

A Conversation With Allan Ides

Allan Ides, professor of law at Loyola Law School, discusses the possible impact of the 2016 presidential election on the composition and decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Letter From