OK Keyes: Most Likely to Empower Women Through Film 

Third-year Film Studies and Media Arts student, O.K. Keyes attributes her inspiration for pursuing a career in cinematography to an island nation in the far east.“It’s Japan’s fault,” she explains. “I was getting frustrated with physics and on a whim, I decided to take Japanese, which introduced me to animation.”

 

That spontaneous shift in focus has served Keyes well, allowing her to showcase her passions through film. Seeking to produce nuanced portrayals of LGBT and female characters, many of Keyes’ films feature strong women in their storylines. Keyes even served as the di-rector of photography for USC’s official “It Gets Better” video, which came out last spring. Speaking about the experience, Keyes remarks, “I didn’t realize how support-ive President Pastides was of the LGBT community.”

 

This budding cinematographer’s work has not gone without recognition. Keyes’ films have won numerous awards, most recently, the Golden Tripod award for Cinematography at the 2013 Campus MovieFest. Her film, “Black and White,” which depicted racial tension through an exploration in innate rhythm, also won the 2012 Moving Image Research Collections’ Award for Creative Editing.

 

It is apparent that Keyes is motivated by her love for the craft. In her spare time, she works with local elemen-tary and middle school students to promote media and how it can reconstruct stereotypes. Trying to turn stu-dents, “from consumers into producers,” Keyes believes her work with students will teach them to fight cyber-bullying and overcome obstacles. As for what is coming next, Keyes says, “My dream is to be a cinematographer for a television series. I love awesome female hero char-acters, and there just aren’t enough on TV right now.”To watch some of Keyes’ work, visit USC’s “It Gets Better” video on YouTube.

Stephen Howden: Most Likely to Build Cars from Scratch

Imagine a car that is completely personalized and suited to your taste-from the way it looks to its handling and perfor-mance, it is designed by you from the bottom up.That dream may soon become a reality for third year Mechanical Engineering student Stephen Howden. Aspiring to construct his own cars, Howden began taking wielding and braking systems classes at York Technical College over the summer when he was 17. Now, nearly finished with a trike project that began in August 2011, he documents and features the progress on his YouTube chan-nel “Mechanical Attraction.”

 

His passion for constructing complex machines first arose as a child, building models of cars and planes. “Building cars has always been an interest of mine. Growing up, I wanted to be the one with the exotic car that people would pause and point at,” he remembers.

 

Putting that dream into action and serving as the project officer of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Howden is now trying to garner support for the construction of a Legends racecar. “I’m trying to get the club to take an outdated racecar, fix it up and possibly make it street legal,” he notes. “Hopefully we can get permission to park it in front of Russell House.”

 

Summarizing his passions and long-term goals, Howden interprets his love of construction as being part of larger inter-ests, stating, “I love to take an image in my head and make it reality. I also love inspiring people… I love to take part in other peoples’ interests, and understand why they enjoy them.” With those motivations, it is clear Howden is well on his way to building those visions a reality.

Wilyem Cain: Most Likely to Inspire Others

The sheer amount of passion and devotion that Wilyem Cain emits for representing underprivileged students in his commu-nity is enough to give you goose-bumps. A second-year Political Science student from Winnsboro, SC, Cain speaks openly and honestly about his background and how it has influenced what he hopes to accomplish in the future. “My great-grandma died and it devastated me. I became an angry black male and my mom told me I should take time and help kids. On the first day, a little girl asked me to be her friend, and you can’t be angry anymore when a little girl asks you that.”

 

At that moment, Cain transformed his anger into motiva-tion. Realizing his responsibility as a role model for the children he was helping through the Boys and Girls Club, he began to work harder in school and eventually earned a full scholarship to USC. Now the #1 motivational speaker for United Way, Cain has raised over $19 million to build a teen help center for his com-munity. Recognizing the hopelessness of his hometown and the troubling amounts of violence children are exposed to every day, Cain believes no child should have to go home feeling afraid, noting, “When you know someone cares, you do better. Every time I raise one dollar, I know I am helping someone who needs it.”

 

Cain cites his greatest influence as James Brown, the Vice President of the Boys and Girls Club. “He became really successful, and began to give back to the kids. That’s what it means to be doing the right thing and to be a good per-son,” said Cain. Planning to attend the USC School of Law after graduation, Cain hopes to one-day have the capacity to represent the people of his community and give them a voice. He states, “I want to go to law school and eventually work my way into politics. I want to represent kids and be a spokesperson for my community, even become a civil rights activist.” From the extraordinarily inspiring way he speaks of his ambitions, it is clear that Wilyem Cain is well on his way to achieving those goals.

By: Riley Carithers

Most students complain about attending class just fifteen hours a week. Students in the Master of Fine Arts Acting program however put in enough hours to more than double that of a regular course load. Beginning at 10 a.m. and ending as late as 11 p.m., mornings are filled helping teach undergraduate courses, followed by afternoons in class perfecting their own techniques and evenings spent in rehearsal. If that weren’t enough, the already packed schedule is supplemented by weekends spent in more rehearsal. This schedule alone shows the commitment, true dedication and passion these students have for their craft.

The MFA program at USC is a graduate degree at USC that focuses on a specialization in acting, making it the only program of its kind in the state. Headed by professors Robyn Hunt and Steve Pearson, the three-year degree program works like a small company. A select group of students are accepted every two years through national auditions. The students then spend two academic years training at USC before using the third year for a professional internship.

Built upon the idea that, “all training is actor training,” students in the program enroll in a combination of traditional acting classes, which may for example, focus on Shakespeare, but range to voice training and even brushing up on skills such as clowning. The integration of actor training is part of what makes USC’s program so unique. Professor Robyn Hunt explains,

“When I went to school for my MFA it was very different – all the training was so separate. One of the things we attempt to do here is make sure that it all addresses that moment when you go on stage and have all systems be ‘go’.”

Professor’s Hunts MFA physical movement class, based upon a philosophy taken from Japanese actor training, is just one example of the combination of techniques and influences that give the program its distinction. Through various movement experiments, both formal and improvised, the actors work to increase the physical clarity and conviction in all they do on the stage, and to continually enlarge the degree to which their minds and bodies work as one. And rather than try to show emotion, they continue to experiment with finding ways to 'take action,' so the resulting sensations are close--though not exactly like--daily life. First year MFA student Trey Hobbs explains the work, “deal[s] with how instead of showing a feeling - how do we just ‘do’ and how do we make our bodies express what our mind and imagination is capable of.”

The long hours and different teaching styles prepare the students to graduate abilities to perform across all platforms, in stage, film or commercial and even with the credentials to teach at the college level.

First-year MFA student, Cory Lipman, explains, “What is wonderful about the program is that regardless of the medium, the education that you are getting is learning to be truthful in imaginary circumstances whether you are doing film or stage, that is at the core.”

With such an unusual course load, much different than a stereotypical acting studio, it seems fitting that their building is a bit out of the ordinary, too. A pair of unassuming, oversized, white doors tucked away on the horseshoe mark the entrance to USC’s Center for Performance Experiment. Enter the doors and behold a collection of tall scaffolding structures, framed by sheets of neutral fabric hanging from the ceiling. There isn’t a stage in sight– and although it may appear similar to an over-sized playground, the MFA acting students’ talent makes it clear their work is much more than child’s play.

Professor Steve Pearson, explains its significance, “[the program] is sort of centered around this space. All of working around theater is an experiment, with any kind of art - you are working on change and you are working on something that you don’t know what the out come is going to be.”

The MFA Actors perform throughout the semester, putting on their own productions and performing in some of the Theater Departments mainstage shows. Whether an experimental production or a well-known comedy, their performances are surely worth the experience, for as Professor Robyn Hunt explains, “Acting isn’t about whether the actor feels the emotion, it is about whether the audience feels the emotion, that is who you are trying to change.”

 

By: Jared Owenby

Pedro De Abreu: Most Likely to Succeed

Pedro De Abreu was born in Brazil, into a life of poverty and hardship. Many times he roamed the streets wondering what he would do in life and how he would be able to do it. In 2005, at the age of 15, he moved to the United States not knowing any English and realized the odds were against him. However, the resilient young man was ready for whatever battles he would face on the road to success. Today, Pedro has achieved more in the few years he has been in the US than most people do in a lifetime.

After high school, Pedro moved to Los Angeles where, along with two partners, he helped found a multi-media company before deciding to attend university. Back in South Carolina, Pedro established the Check Mate Foundation, a non-profit organization that teaches chess and leadership to children.

Currently in his third-year year at USC, Pedro is triple majoring in Business Economics, Management and Organizational Leadership, all the while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. For all his accomplishments, the Coca-Cola Foundation and USA Today named Pedro as South Carolina’s New Century Scholar for 2011.

Even with all the success and rewards he has gotten for his hard work, Pedro will admit that his greatest joy in life is helping others achieve their goals and dreams.

“What keeps me motivated is having the awareness that I can make a difference and that I can impact someone’s life. One of my goals is to let people know that they can do the same thing.”

In recent years he has become a sought after motivational speaker, teaching topics of self-awareness, self-motivation, and achieving goals. Here are five things Pedro wants USC students to remember on their journey to success:

• Know where you want to go in life
• Be passionate
• Be patient
• Get rid of low self-esteem
• Know that you are capable of achieving anything

If you would like to know more about Pedro De Abreu or his upcoming events visit pedrodeabreu.net or facebook.com/pedrodeabreu.

Chuck Teez: Most Likely to be Heard on the Radio

Oh Boy! South Carolina has a new MC on the rise, and he doesn’t plan on stopping until he gets to the top. Fourth-year advertising student Charles Washington, aka Chuck Teez, and sometimes Mr. Star Move, is making moves to become the next big thing in the rap game. Born in Japan and raised in a military family, Charles has seen a lot of the world.  The majority of his upbringing was spent in Charleston, South Carolina, however Charles traveled the globe as a youngster gaining experiences he would later use to create his music.

Charleston, known as Chucktown to many, was the birthplace of the name Chuck Teez.

“My friends called me Chuck, and they started playing around and calling me Chuck Teez - it kind of stuck from there,” he says. Charles tells G&B he came to USC to ‘put on’ for the Gamecock Nation and will focus on his degree for the time being.

The young rapper has some pretty impressive achievements to date. He has worked with old school rap legend Dana Dane, best known for his single, ‘Cinderfella’, released in 1987. In fall 2011, Chuck’s single, ‘Star Move’, was first played at a Dallas Cowboys football game. After recording the song, Chuck thought it would be a good fit for the Cowboys so he started calling the franchise to promote it.  It took a while to find the right person to get his song played, but he didn’t give up.   “That’s my mind set– I’m always thinking outside the box, never thinking local, always thinking global.”

Chuck is currently working on an album with the goal of eventually landing a deal with a record label. As for the future, he plans to focus more on promotion and a possible tour. For more information about Chuck Teez and what he is up to, visit facebook.com/TheRealChuckTeez, @Chuck_Teez, or chuckteez.com.

Katie Marissa: Most Likely to Defy Gravity

From Macbeth to Hairspray, fourth-year theatre student, Katie Marissa, knows how to capture an audience with genuine acting and believable emotion. Before becoming an actress, Katie was heavily involved with dance. She first began dancing at the age of five, which led to cheerleading and eventually acting. Clearly Katie first performed in front of an audience at a very young age, and she doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

She has already built an excellent resume of projects that include eight different plays, films, and commercials. Katie is also trained in basic stage combat and aerial silk, a type of performance found in shows such as Cirque du Soleil, in which an artist performs acrobatics while hanging from a piece of fabric, free of any harnesses or safety nets.

After graduation, Katie plans on moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. Her goal is to find work in film rather than theater, but if need be, she has no problem getting back on stage and performing.

“I don’t think I’m really in a position right now to be too picky. I like doing stage and there is plenty of it out in California.” Currently, she is working on a student film, ‘The Saint,’ a supernatural/action short about a duo named The Saint and Gabi.  Having completed the first episode of ‘Outpost 409’, which can be viewed on You Tube, there is talk about continuing the sci-fi comedy web series. To learn more about Katie and her upcoming projects, you can check out videos, and more at her website, www.katiemarissa.com.

 

Man of the Moment: Kenny Tracy

Woman on Top: Christina Galardi

Q&A with Kallie Linsberg

Annette Hoover, a USC grad and owner of the event planning business, Eventus, is the mastermind behind HRTM 362: Wedding Planning and Management. Each year, her class selects one lucky couple for whom they plan a dream wedding, free of charge. Her seven years of experience consoling bridezillas, supporting students’ dreams and creating happily-ever-afters keeps Gamecock romance in the air.

In 2010, Amy Woodell, a fourth-year retail and fashion merchandising student, returned from a summer mission trip in a slum of Lusaka, Zambia, which changed the course of her life. The Cary, NC native had long dreamed of a fast-paced life in the New York City fashion industry, but the widows and children she met at an orphanage began to consume her thoughts.

Losing a parent is a tragedy no one wants to face, but fourth-year exercise science student Patrick Lawler found that, sometimes, it can breed hope, rejuvenation and a drive to help others. Two years ago, Patrick lost his mother to cancer, and for the last three, he has participated in Relay For Life, a 12-hour, overnight relay to raise money for the fight against cancer. He teamed up with his friend, Maddie Miller, to form Team Jameson in his mother’s honor.