Office of Public Relations
Benedict College Welcomed…
Mr. Chris Tucker – co-star of Rush Hour/2
&
Ms. Vanessa Mendoza- Miss Colombia 2002-3
On Wednesday, March 2, 2005, Benedict College welcomed Mr. Chris Tucker and Ms. Vanessa Mendoza to its campus at the HRC Arena as a part of its celebrity lecture series.
Chris Tucker was born on August 31, 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia. He has three brothers and two sisters. During his childhood, Tucker always enjoyed acting and comedy. Shortly after graduating from high school, Chris Tucker left his native Atlanta for the comedy clubs of Los Angeles. Soon he was a regular at L.A's comedy clubs, which earned him a spot on Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, which landed him a role as Johnny Booze in House Party 3. Tucker followed that role with one in the Bruce Willis’ science fiction vehicle, The Fifth Element (1997), in which he played a high-energy 23rd-century talk show host. Tucker is a contagiously funny man. Often noted for his frenzied roles, Tucker was even cited by one critic as having the ability to “make caffeine nervous".
Chris Tucker was 23 when he played in Friday, which was his first big part in a movie that helped him become a big actor. Recently he played opposite Hong Kong martial arts star Jackie Chan in Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2 {1998-2001} and is slated to appear with Martial Law's Sammy Hung Kam-Bo in Raging Silence in {2000}. He also did Friday, starring Ice Cube, Dead Presidents starring Larenz Tate, Money Talks starring Charlie Sheen and co-starring Heather Locklear. During Rush Hour & Rush Hour 2 Chris Tucker taught Jackie Chan how to dance and Jackie Chan taught Chris Tucker fighting moves. In return for their hard work MTV awarded both of them a movie award.
Miss Colombia 2002, Vanessa Alexandra Mendoza Bustos, was the first African-descent winner.
The representative of the state of Chocó, Vanessa Alexandra Mendoza Bustos, was chosen in Cartagena as the new " Miss Colombia". Vanessa Alexandra succeeded Maria Andrea Noceti Gómez, and became the first black woman to win the 67-year-old Miss Colombia Beauty Peagent.
Miss Colombia is 23 years old and was the main favorite to be crowned from the moment at which she arrived at Cartagena, because of her spontaneity and charisma. "I always demonstrated that I came to the world to speak for my race and my State", she said at her first press conference. The triumph of Vanessa Alexandra who was called the "black Barbie" due to her fine features and perfect measurements caused celebrations across Colombia.
