by Jim Mulligan
Here in southeastern Fresno County and a sliver of Tulare County, there exists a school with a geographic reach larger than most. This school has no mascot, no marching band, and no football team. It doesn’t have its own cafeteria or bus fleet. Its student body has never elected homecoming royalty. What it does have is over 7,000 students, enrolled in over 340 high school classes, taught by almost 100 teachers whose primary credentialing criteria is years of experience in their respective industries. For fifty years, the Valley Regional Occupational Program (ROP) has provided career technical education opportunities for tens of thousands of high school students in our area.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
Dr. Gina Sandi-Diaz is the Assistant Professor of Theatre, Department of Theatre and Dance at Fresno State. She is from Costa Rica and moved to Kansas in 2013. In 2017, she moved to Fresno to work at Fresno State. Recently we chatted with her about her background in theatre, and her work at Fresno State.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
The College of the Sequoias Performing Arts will be presenting its first ever Shakespeare in the Park show, Much Ado About Nothing, starting this weekend on their new Festival Stage. We took a moment to chat with the show’s director, James McDonnell, about the show and the new stage. James is Professor of Theatre and Cinema as well as the Fine Arts Division Chair. He also serves as the resident costume designer for the productions and directs about half of the shows.
by Jim Mulligan
On a regular afternoon in the bustling capital city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Cathy Luque was walking with her young one-year-old son. They were approached by a man, a known local drug dealer, on a motorbike who buzzed right up to them and offered her some chilling advice, “You better make sure to take good care of the kid.” After that, it didn’t take long for 1st Lieutenant Captain Select Jaime Luque and his wife Cathy to decide they needed to make a drastic change.
by staff
Education is a significant component of society and helps build nations. It is a tool that assists people in gaining knowledge, acquiring skills, and distinguishing between good and evil. Moreover, education makes people aware of their rights and duties and lays the solid foundation for a productive society. The field of education has gone through a massive transformation, and today, it encompasses a wide array of areas. The two main components of education are students and educators. Still, multiple departments and individuals work in the education sector to help educators impart knowledge to students and make them valuable citizens.
by staff
The year 2020 was far from anything that the world expected. The airborne disease coronavirus spread rapidly, enveloping more than 180 countries in its wake and soon morphing into a full-blown pandemic. Many governments administered lockdown, forced people to stay homebound, and limit their outdoor activities. The epidemic has compelled people to charge their daily activities and think of alternatives to have some semblance of normalcy.
by staff
Developing and honing linguistic skills is a vital prerequisite to academic, professional, and personal success. Language allows us to express our deepest thoughts eloquently and advocate for what we want. While each global language has its importance, there is one that has made its mark as an international language and is widely spoken by millions globally.
by Jim Mulligan
If you love the settings of movies like The Horse Whisperer or A River Runs Through It, you have likely dreamt of living in the wilds of one of the most beautiful states in the U.S.A.: Big Sky Country—Montana. At least during the summer months, it seems like an idyllic place to live, be a kid, and experience rural life to the fullest. No one would argue that growing up in suburban towns, urban centers, and even the mega metropolis of a place like New York City don’t give folks these unique opportunities and perspectives.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
College of the Sequoias Performing Arts is presenting another virtual show this weekend. This one is called All in the Timing and it was written by David Ives. KRL chatted about the show with Chris Mangels who is Professor of Theatre and Cinema Arts at COS, and the producer of this show.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
Fresno State University Theatre is presenting its fifth virtual production of their 2020-2021 mainstage season. It will be available to view May 7-15 and is called The Agony of Ecstasy. KRL took a moment to chat with the show’s director, Assistant Professor of Theatre at Fresno State Gina Sandi-Diaz, about the show.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
Recently we had the opportunity to interview local performer, director, and Fresno State Professor Thomas-Whit Ellis. He is currently, Professor of Theatre and Department Chair of Africana Studies at FSU.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
To Thine Own Self Be True: Gender, Sexuality and the Bard is the third virtual mainstage production of Fresno State’s University Theatre. It is written by William Shakespeare, and conceived and directed by Fresno State professor Brad Myers.
by Jim Mulligan
If you’ve attended any local sporting events in the last few years, or been to a birthday party with some amazing cupcakes, or taken a Communication class at Reedley College anytime within the last 25 years, you may very well have made the acquaintance of Jenny Peters. Peters is an exuberant sports fan, especially when one of her kids is on the field or in the pool representing Reedley High School and Reedley College.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
The Fresno State Experimental Theatre Company is presenting more virtual theatre available to watch as of this weekend. We recently chatted with one of the students involved, Teya Juarez, whose show is called Z.
