The Cerritos College Visual and Cultural Studies Program is a first-of-its-kind interdisciplinary AA degree unique in the California Community College system. Building upon such traditional programs as Art History, Film Studies, Ethnic Studies, and Gender Studies, students are free to mix and match across a broad range of areas of specialization. The eight papers assembled in this seventh volume of the self-published journal, VIEWS, present just a sampling of the many papers and independent research projects pursued by students enrolled in courses within the program this year.

The past and the present are rarely as far apart as they may seem and the essays collected here make this quite clear, either by examining the historical context of contemporary practices or by looking at the past through a contemporary lens. A number of the student scholars focus on issues of gender and sexuality, with Victoria Garcia exploring the problematic histories of dissected female bodies in the visual arts in general and Jocelyn Serrano tackling the overlapping issue of idealizing sexual violence in Surrealist Art specifically. Some of the essays are presented as imaginary exhibition catalgues, including Amanda Salvador’s study of Nam June Paik. A couple also present examinations of Disneyland as a cultural space, with Kennedy Geesey unpacking the history of the Innoventions Center and David Munoz exploring the development of the Incredicoaster.

Individually, these papers represent milestone achievements for these young scholars; together, however, they represent the very best of Cerritos College’s Visual and Cultural Studies program and we could not be more pleased to share them with a wider audience via this wonderful journal.