Photo by L-in-the Cornfield (if pronounced "linthee," it's funny)
Upon entry to physics teacher Yong Kim’s room at Pine- wood, you are immediately surrounded by TIE Fighter stickers, Millennium Falcon posters, and mini Grogu lego sets. If this were not already enough to tell you that Kim is a diehard Star Wars fan, you would figure it out the moment you laid your eyes on his tests. Forget the elastic collision of two basketballs, you are dealing with the elastic collision of two Ewoks. Kim has always combined his passion for Star Wars with his passion for physics, but the past month has brought to light that Kim values one over the other.
Kim fell for a scam promising to cast him as a Jedi in a new Star Wars film.
“I got a letter and it offered me the role. All I had to do was pay for the management fees,” Kim said.
Yoda’s famous mantra of “do or do not, there is no try” proved to be the wrong piece of advice for Kim. This all or nothing approach left Kim with thousands of dollars in debt and a broken heart of crushed dreams.
The scam was started by a group of “trekkies,” the die-hard fans of Star Trek, who are natural enemies to people like Kim. They tracked social media fan pages and sales of Star
Wars merchandise by placing multiple insiders in the com- pany. Kim’s name, along with hundreds of others, surfaced quickly; they became the new hope of the Trekkies. The group sent out letters explaining that the role of a Jedi was open in a new film. They explained that the project was con- fidential, making it unlikely that any of the victims would tell others who could suggest the possibility of a scam.
Unfortunately, the scam did not stop there.
“Once I sent the money in, they sent me a schedule for acting classes and film times” Kim said. “I knew then that I wouldn’t be able to teach and be a Jedi.”
Kim said that he tried to quit his job at Pinewood, but he could not tell the faculty the real reason for his departure, so he was unsuccessful. This proved to be a blessing in disguise, as news surfaced a few days later, explaining the scam.
“My job was saved, but my credit score was not,” Kim said.
With his future trip with the seniors to Disneyland, it is unclear whether Kim will set foot in Star Wars land. Will he be able to overcome his dark side? We will see. Until then, Kim, remember that you will always be a Jedi in our eyes and we will always be your young Padawans. On behalf of us all, may the force be with you, Yong Kim.