FEATURES
MAY 18,2017
EL CAMINO COLLEGE UNION 3
Librarian of horror Analu Cruze-Josephides is fulfilling his dream of becoming an actor after being a government worker for 20 years Don Perez
Staff Writer @ECCUnionDon
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here’s something creepy about libraries, with the scent of musty old tomes, towering aisles upon aisles of shelves obscuring views and the eerie quietness. And then Schauerman Library has Analu Cruze-Josephides - lead reference librarian at El Camino and horror actor off campus. “Growing up, I hated horror. It really surprises my friends and family,” said the 44-year-old Cruze-Josephides, whose friendly and outgoing personality clashes with his roles; his friends call him “Sunshine.” Cruze-Josephides, of Greek and Hawaiian descent, has been in several short films, playing odd characters with a creepy aura about them, like the Greek god Morpheus in “Morpheum.” He doesn’t mind being typecast; such a niche might lead to more roles for himself. “I don’t mind being typecast as the villain. There’s something about being the villain. I enjoy being that,” he said. It’s not all ominous supernatural beings and killers for CruzeJosephides — among his favorite roles was a stage bit as a wizard in “The Princess and the Pea.” Cruze-Josephides’ next film, “Concealing,” has him playing a family man suffering schizophrenia and becoming more and more violent. In the short film “Nic,” a thriller which was a finalist at the Cinecafest Central American short film festival, Cruze-Josephides (billed as Analu Cruze) portrayed a mysterious character who turns out to be a murderous Scandinavian water spirit who lures victims to drowning through his music. Nic’s director, Daryl Arleen Callejas, said Cruze-Josephides improvised as he didn’t know how
to play a violin or flute with such creatures, so he used a ukulele for his siren’s music. “There’s a strange vibe about his character,” Callejas said. “At the end, I just told him to look very creepy, scary or weird. He did [the final scene] in only two takes and it was very hard to decide which one to use.” Dandelion Lin, director of “The Bride of Death,” Cruze-Josephides played the Grim Reaper, said Cruze-Josephides was “wonderful ... passionate and gentle,” and conveyed his versatility and skill in his body language, as he was in costume for the role. “He showed spirit,” Lin said later in a phone interview, adding he knew of Cruze-Josephides’ delay in returning to acting. “He is not afraid of pursuing his dreams, the American Dream.” For Cruze-Josephides, acting has been a dream of his since he was a 4-year-old in Oahu. At first getting some stage and extra spots, Cruze-Josephides said he stopped acting for about 20 years on the advice of his family, who thought he would be more financially stable in getting a government job. He did that, becoming a genealogy researcher focusing on Hawaii and getting a Master’s in Library and Information Science. But there was a gnawing emptiness for a man who was proud of his Hawaiian heritage, but felt that he left his heart in the Golden State, somewhere in Hollywood. “I was sad and depressed, about not fulfilling that part of me,” he said. “I want to be able to have my cake and eat it too; to be a librarian and an actor and see how both can be lucrative.” For now, Cruze-Josephides will continue to learn acting skills from Hollywood teachers, all while directing students in the library. “’All knowledge is not learned in one house. Go out and learn from the different teachers, the learned ones, and gather those
Jorge Villa / UNION Analu Cruze-Josephides, librarian and actor exemplifies his rendition of the “Kubrick stare,” a technique synonymous with villainous characters he plays in films. skills and tools you need,” CruzeJosephides said, invoking a saying of Hawaiians. “I need to be here for my students. Being present for our students is the first thing. My overarching goal is not just to be educated, but to educate others in many things.”
Filmography: Analu Cruze-Josephides has played multiple ominous roles including playing Morpheus in “Morpheum,” the Grim Reaper in “The Bride of Death” and a murderours water spirit in “Nic.”
Meal prepping 101: Tips for people on the go Managing a healthier lifestyle begins with taking care of what you eat on a daily basis
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Sydney Fajardo
Staff Writer @ECCUnionSydney
tudents and faculty often find themselves searching for quick, cheap, and healthy foods to bring on campus. For most people, it’s hard to make time in their schedules to cook meals; it’s expensive to buy meals around campus everyday; and it’s easier to settle for a cheap burger and some fries. Meal prepping is a great way to save time, money, eat healthy, and it’s eco-friendly. To meal prep, someone would cook a large amount of food and portion them in containers for the week so that every meal is ready to go. Heather Cordovil is a part-time instructor for the health science
and athletics department with a master’s degree in exercise science and encourages students to meal prep for the week. “When I build my plates I think about a good carbohydrate, a lean protein, and some time of vegetable or fruit,” Cordovil said. Some good carbohydrates include brown rice and whole wheat pasta. Meat, fish and eggs are some examples of proteins that are beneficial to our bodies. Trail mix, cheese & crackers and apples & peanut butter are also good snacks to bring to school because they are very quick, portable, cheap and healthy alternatives. Rebecca Rimmer is a 20-yearold at El Camino with a major in photojournalism that brings lunches to school and often uses the microwaves at school located in the Student Activities building. “On the days I have time to use the microwave I bring leftovers and
when I don’t have time I’ll bring a sandwich or a cold salad,” Rimmer said. “I eat kind of slow so, it’s a lot faster for me to bring my own food than to buy food and I also save money that way. Anh Tran is a 22-year-old at El Camino with a major in nutrition and has noticed that some students on campus prefer to purchase food. “I see people eat a lot of fast-food like hamburgers and fries,” Tran said. Many people buy to-go food and ready-made meals to eat on campus. They usually purchase them from the cafe’s on campus or from nearby restaurants like McDonald’s, Ramona’s, Subway, Del Taco, etc. “It can get expensive,” Cordovil said. “(But) if you’re able to plan ahead and make your own sandwich, that’s going to be a lot cheaper than even a five-dollar footlong.”