LASA Marches for Our Lives in L.A.

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LASA voted to attend March for Our Lives L.A. in Downtown L.A. on March 24, 2018. The march was followed by our speaker, Dr. Cynthia Willard, Medical Director of Program for Torture Victims and consultant for the USC International Human Rights Clinic. Thank you to our friends at LA Plaza for hosting us. Here are a few of the photos from that …

LASA learns about Food Security/Insecurity in L.A.

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LASA gathered at the Huntington to bus to our shift at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The Food Bank partners with local organizations to serve 300,000 people a month. The massive warehouse and community of volunteers are a testament to Angelenos’ commitment to civic engagement. We learned that Los Angeles is the hunger capital of the country – and all of …

LASA in Downtown L.A.

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LASA kicked off 2018 in downtown Los Angeles at the public library. Hovering at the half-way point in our LASA year, we spent time thinking about the questions LASA students have answers for and those that remain. The list is impressive: How might be address lack of cohesion of LA neighborhoods – what causes the sectionalism/gentrification? What are LA’s plans …

LASA goes Under L.A.

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In November, LASA considered the subterranean stories under Los Angeles. Seeking answers to questions about the details of these stories and the significance of “under Los Angeles” to their present lives, students met on the USC campus and jumped on the bus to the La Brea Tar Pits. Greeted by Stephany Potze and Laura Tewksbury, LASA walked to the amphitheater …

LASA Considers Justice and Injustice in L.A.

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On October 21, LASA considered justice and injustice in Los Angeles. We started at LAPD’s Hollenbeck Station where we received a tour and the generosity of the officers’ time. Cesar noted that the visit allowed him “to experience what a normal day looks like for the police officers” and also gain “some insight on [the] views and objectives” of the …

LASA Learns about Tech in L.A.

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  LASA ventured into the worlds of technology and pine forests in September to consider the history and future of high tech Los Angeles. Departing from the Huntington, LASA traveled up to Mt. Wilson Observatory. As the bus weaved its way up the mountain and the temperature dropped, we considered how close the Observatory is and yet how many of …

LASA Welcomes our Class of 2017-18

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Wednesday, August 9 LASA welcomed its 2017-2018 class on Wednesday. This first day LASA considered the underlying natural environment of Los Angeles, starting a discussion on water and thinking about the plates underneath us. LASA worked together in teams to map LA in creative and innovative ways. Check out some of the maps we created. After introductions and mapping, the General …

LASA thanks Metabolic Studio

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LASA celebrates and offers a heartfelt thank-you to Metabolic Studio for its support for the 2017-2018 program. LASA looks forward to starting the new session in August and is grateful for Metabolic’s assistance to serve such a terrific class of incoming high school juniors.

LASA digs into the Port of Los Angeles

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LASA ventured farther in April than usual with a day at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach. Juan – our terrific bus driver for the day – ushered us from the Huntington to pick up Geraldine Knatz and the rest of our group at Ports O’Call in San Pedro. Geraldine is the port expert – having started …

Urban Nature: From Frogtown to the Future

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March left like a lamb.  We had perfect weather for our LASA gathering at the end of the month.  We began at The Huntington, where Bill Deverell gave us a “mini college lecture” on the history of the Los Angeles River.  Temperamental, tiny, and sometimes ferocious, the little river ran dry most summers but could flood in winter rains and …