North Lake College teacher Russell DeGrazier has a new job. He’ll be an assistant football coach. But not in real life. He’ll play that role on the NBC television drama Friday Night Lights.
DeGrazier teaches screenwriting and the business aspects of film/video at NorthLake. He’s been at the college since 2007. A graduate of Southern Methodist University, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Southern California.
His career so far includes writing screenplays for HBO, 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight. He wrote and directed a feature for Lion’s Gate and is working on his second feature as a writer/director.
New episodes of Friday Night Lights start Oct. 28 on Direct TV and later will air on NBC. Visit www.nbc.com/friday_night_lights.
A weekend of dining and music
Many Irvingites enjoyed a fundraiser and then the symphony last weekend.
On Oct. 9, Don Herring Jr. hosted The Great Harvest—An Evening To Care at the Four Seasons Resort and Club. The 19th annual fundraiser benefits Irving Cares, a nonprofit that helps residents in need. The evening included an extensive buffet of gourmet food and a live and silent auction. Irving Cares executive director Teddie Story said she’s proud of the community’s support especially since requests for services continually increase. Visit www.irvingcares.org.
The Irving Symphony Orchestra kicked off its 2009-10 season in style on Oct. 10. A near sell-out crowd witnessed graceful aerial artists floating across the stage while Hector Guzman led his musicians. The concert included complimentary champagne. Following the event, patrons in the Amati Circle were treated to a dinner hosted by Connie and Jerry Dunn. The symphony’s Crowd 15, a group of young professionals, headed to Las Colinas Country Club for an evening of dancing. To learn more, visit www.irvingsymphony.com.
Native Brazilian happy about 2016 Olympics
Maria Seppy of Irving said when she came to America from Brazil, many called her the “Girl from Ipanema.” The Cimarron Park recreation specialist said she received lots of calls when it was announced her native country will host the 2016 Summer Olympics. She went to a boarding school in Rio de Janeiro, which is near where some Olympics games will be. “My school was huge and directed by Italian nuns,” Seppy said. “It’s in a rich part of Rio with many mansions that look like castles.”
Seppy said she was surprised to learn that Rio was chosen because she knows the city has lots of poverty and economic issues. But she added, “People who go to the Olympics will come back very happy and impressed by the friendliness of the people.”
