Virtual Event: Roll Modelz

A film about the culture, complexity and celebration of a Chicano lowriders club

4 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Join Whitman alumni, parents and friends for a virtual event featuring young alumni filmmakers, Oliver Dickson '25 and Yahir Tzec '25, and their documentary on a lowrider car club based in the small agricultural towns of Eastern Washington. Both graduates from the Film & Media Studies department, Oliver and Yahir will discuss how Whitman helped prepare them for this experience, what drew them to the project and how they connected with the community shared in their film.

About the presenters:
Oliver Rodriguez Dickson ’25 is a Mexican American filmmaker and actor from Olympia, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies from Whitman College. His first short documentary film, “Sky,” premiered at the Portland Film Festival in 2024 and earned official selections for both the Santa Fe Film Festival and the Short. Sweet. Film Fest in 2025. In his work, Dickson highlights people who embrace their culture and identity in order to serve a cause greater than themselves.

Yahir Tzec-Carrasco ’25 is a Chicano filmmaker and photographer from Portland, Oregon, with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies from Whitman College. While at Whitman, he collaborated on a range of short films and a mini web series. His creative work centers on spotlighting emerging artists and athletes across the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on voices from underrepresented backgrounds. 

About the car club:
The Washington State Lowrider’s Car Club was founded in 2022 by Jason Pastor-O’Neel and Cris Avila in memory of Mya Avila. Together Jason and Cris built a space for healing, transforming grief into a collective journey of pride and resilience. As the up-and-coming lowrider club in Eastern Washington prepares for a new season of car shows and a new chapter in their lives, members challenge stereotypes and celebrate a culture rooted in resistance since the late 1940s. As forces attempt to rip the Latino community apart, Roll Modelz is a statement about embracing your culture, rebuilding your future, and proving that what was once discarded can still roll with pride and power.

Read more about the filmmakers and their project in this Whitman news story.

️ Kindly RSVP by Monday, September 15th.