Tea Tunes: Keegan Hawkins conveys thoughts on sin, nostalgia with original songs

Music inspires the soul and allows listeners to feel joyful and free, and behind every piece of inspirational music lies a songwriter and a story. Throughout spring quarter, columnist Kaitlyn Peterson will sit down over tea with UCLA singer-songwriters to explore their musical goals, personal inspirations and what makes their songs so special. You really […]

Alumni focus on diversity in Netflix film ‘Deidra & Laney Rob a Train’

Susan Cartsonis watched “The Wizard of Oz” every year as a little girl. However, she quickly realized that there weren’t many other feminist role models like Dorothy on screen. “I like stories about women in which they’re dimensional, in which they have agency, in which they actually do things,” Cartsonis said. “While that may sound […]

Collecting Creatives: Design student puts spin on storytelling with 360-degree camera

Nate Mohler had to translate a Korean instruction manual the first time he operated a 360-degree camera. The Samsung Gear 360 camera, which was so new at the time that it didn’t even come with English instructions, has come into the mainstream since Mohler first picked it up in the summer of 2016, he said. […]

UCLA alum Weiko Lin reconnects with late mother in short film ‘Miki’

Weiko Lin remembers eating sesame rice wrapped in banana leaves while lying on his mother’s lap. Although he was only around 3 years old, his mother’s comfort and safety stayed in his memory. Following his mother’s death, screenwriting alumnus Lin produced a play and Chinese film called “100 Days” to honor his loved one. Now, […]

Cents of Style: SquaresVille’s playful styles are ideal for costumes, not daily wear

Wedged in between Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, UCLA students have no shortage of places to shop for clothes. However, high price tags can limit shopping options for students on a college budget. Each week, columnist Linda Xu explores different secondhand shops in Los Angeles and discusses her thrifty outfits. SquaresVille has every college party […]

TFT alum, lecturer brings Polish poetry to stage through performance

The name for Monica Payne’s latest project came to her while reading a Polish poem with imagery of clouds and skies. The phrase “Into the Empty Sky” popped into her head as she read poetry that took on the viewpoint of the clouds floating over humanity. Payne, a theater lecturer and 2011 alumna of UCLA […]

Former lecturer brings identity, diverse team to ‘Dear White People’

Stephanie Allain worked as a studio executive at Columbia Pictures for seven years. But when she entered the conference room at work, people asked her to bring them coffee as if she were an assistant. Though Allain, who previously taught producing in the entertainment studies department at UCLA Extension, no longer works at Columbia Pictures […]