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In The Spotlight—Ira Heffler |
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Instructor, writer and world travelerare just a few of the words that describe Ira Heffler, one of Glendale College’s newest full-time instructors.
After teaching speech and English at John Burroughs High School in Burbank for 22 years, Ira became an adjunct instructor of speech and English at GCC. He now enjoys teaching speech communications full time in a one-year contract position. Paralleling his passion for teaching is his passion for writing. On March 15, MGM is releasing a movie called Lucky 13—screenplay by Ira Heffler. While many of Heffler’s screenplays have been bought, this is the first one to be produced into a movie. Lucky 13 is a romantic comedy about a man whose love life isn’t so lucky, so he decides to visit his former girlfriends to learn from the broken relationships. Starring Lauren Graham of the Gilmore Girls, this movie was filmed right up the street in Montrose. When you watch it, look closely and you’ll spot Heffler in one of the scenes. The thrill of having a screenplay produced into a movie comes with some frustrations. His contract stated that the producers could bring in their own writers and make changes. They did, and now the ending isn’t what Heffler had in mind when he penned the story. He’s philosophical about it, realizing that this happens frequently to screenwriters. Some of Ira’s inspiration for his writings comes from his travels. His latest trip is one he’ll never forget. In December 2004, Ira was on Phuket Island in Thailand. The earthquake woke him at 5 a.m., but living in Southern California has made him used to feeling the earth shake, so he rolled over and went back to sleep. Later that morning he was making his way down the street to the beach and was met with people running up from the beach. Not exactly sure why, he started running, too. A terrorist attack is what first crossed his mind. Water soon drenched the area. Ira ran back to the resort to get his camera. In that short amount of time, the second wave of the tsunami hit and brought devastation. Mud, water and debris flooded the streets and buildings. The restaurant where Ira ate breakfast an hour earlier was gone. Two thirds of the hotel was destroyed. There was no electricity or fresh water. “It’s so true that when times are at their worst, that’s when we’re at our best,” Heffler said. He witnessed an amazing human spirit among the Thai people, who had great concern for the tourists and helped in any way they could. He feels that “Going through this makes us reevaluate what’s important.” Ira Heffler knows what’s important. His love of teaching makes him an enthusiastic, passionate teacher. I had the pleasure of experiencing this first-hand last fall, when I was a student in his Speech 101 class. His enthusiasm flows through the classroom, catching his students up in the excitement of learning. “Even with my success as a writer, I’m most proud of what I do in the classroom,” Heffler said. Glendale College is lucky to have him here full time.& |
