Tag Archives: los angeles

Faculty Spotlight: Alex M. Purugganan

ALEX M. PURUGGANAN

ENGLISH PROFESSOR

HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL STUDIES

ALEXANDRIA CAMPUS

Website PhotoIf I think deeply enough, I can still recall my b-boy crew’s congratulatory hands slapping my back, brushing the top of my head, and pulling my arms high into the air.  I can also still feel the heavy bass of the music seeping into my bones and hear the whooping and chanting from the crowd.  Above all else, I can distinctly remember the euphoric emotion and the sense of accomplishment after completing my best and most important windmill while battling against another more accomplished break-dance crew in Los Angeles, California.

I was nine years old when I first started pop-locking and popping.  I danced at local parks, swap meets, and neighborhood parties, generating laughter from amused adults who smoked cigarettes and played cards.  One of the more respected, older neighborhood b-boys, “Flyman,” had asked me to join his crew after an impromptu afternoon battle at a park.  I was the youngest member of Flyman’s dance crew, so he took me under his b-boy wing, teaching me breakdancing moves to replace my pop-locking routines and presenting me with a new nickname, “Kid Krazy Legs,” because of the way my legs convulsed and kicked as I spun doing windmills, a dance move where movement is generated from legs twirling in the shape of a V.  In one particular battle against a rival dance crew, Flyman and I completed simultaneous windmills as a climactic touch – the oldest and youngest members of our crew leaving a lasting, and ultimately victorious, impression for the judging crowd.

Mr. P with his son
Mr. P with his son

Faculty Spotlight: Viridiana Guerra Acosta, M.S.

VIRIDIANA GUERRA ACOSTA, M.S.

STUDENT LIFE COORDINATOR

ALEXANDRIA CAMPUS

Ms. Acosta in Spain
Ms. Acosta in Spain

One of my most memorable experiences has to be when I studied abroad as a freshman in college. I remember walking by the bulletin board with the advertisement and thought “huh… I may be crazy enough to try this”.

You see, making the decision to go was huge for me because I had never been anywhere outside of Los Angeles County, my hometown, other than to visit family in Mexico. I also did not know anyone in the program and I was about to spend a whole summer with strangers on a different continent!

Espanya!
Espanya!

Needless to say, this was a mind blowing experience. I remember the first night we landed the group and I went to dinner in Puerta del Sol, Madrid and I just looked around at my surroundings in amazement. I felt so grateful!

It took me some time to adjust to the long days, nine-hour difference, and humidity but I got the hang of it quickly. Thankfully, I speak Spanish so language wasn’t a barrier for me. I made many new friends and learned a lot about Spanish culture. I tried new dishes and visited many places like Toledo, Córdoba, and Seville. Above all I learned a lot about myself. I gained the confidence to step out of my comfort zone and to try new things.  I highly recommend studying abroad to all college students.