The Corsair-Volume 124- Issue 1 (Fall 2022)

September 14, 2022 | VOLUME 124 ISSUE 1 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

A Return to Form EVERY COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25¢ | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1929

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September 14, 2022

CONTENT News | pg. 3 Photo Story | pg. 4-5 Arts & Entertainment | pg. 6 Sports | pg. 7

EDITORIAL STAFF Katheryne Menendez | Editor-in-Chief Jackson Tammariello | Managing Editor Marlene Herrera | News Editor Michael Zavala | Culture Editor Sosana Shelah | Opinion Editor Anna Sophia Moltke | Photo Editor Sasha Funes | Sports Editor Aaliyah Sosa | Arts & Entertainment Editor Ee Lin Tsen | Multimedia Editor Anna Moricz | Multimedia Editor Neil O'Loughlin | Design Editor Cecil Alsanussi | Design Editor Madison Piker | Social Media Editor Brittney Ornelas | Social Media Editor Timothy Lewis | Copy Editor Anthony Clingerman | Copy Editor Andrea Marcy | Digital Editor

CORSAIR STAFF | Caylo Seals | Tyler Simms | Nick McCall | Jamie Addison | Omar Pablo | Ethan Swope | Reis Novakovic | Danilo Perez | Otis Vega | Tara Burrows | Corey Fishwick | Guadalupe Perez | Rebecca Hogan | Lucian Polk | Kerrington Dillon | Jakob Walther | Emma Krul | Eva-Love Jopanda | Deshawn Pouper | Khadija Bellaftouh | Saige Washington | Brian Saurin | MyDari Baker | Richard Mendez | Drew Andersen | Kandy Barba-Downs | Josh Hogan | Brian Dockins | Jon Putman | Miguel Castillo-Cedano

FACULTY ADVISORS Sharyn Obsatz | Journalism Adviser Gerard Burkhart | Photo Adviser Samantha Nuñez| Social Media Adviser

CONTACT Editor-in-Chief | corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter | the_corsair Instagram | corsairnews Facebook | thecorsairnews YouTube | thecorsaironline

WEBSITE www.thecorsaironline.com

FRONT PAGE Jasmine Shorty, Catalyst performer is velied head to toe in colorful handmade quilts. Shorty is part of the second exhibition of the three part performance for 'Being Future Being: Land/Celestial'.

September 8, 2022. (Ee Lin Tsen | The Corsair)

People navigating between the stands at the SMC Start Up event on September 13, 2022, at Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, Calif. (Caylo Seals | The Corsair)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Tuesday, February 22, 2022 was my very first production day as Editor-in-Chief, and I was filled with anxiety and angst. I woke up in the early hours of the morning to start planning out how the rest of the day would unfold. The 40 minute car ride from my home to Santa Monica College’s Center for Media and Design had me attempting (and failing) to calm myself down. I talked to my mom, listened to mellow folk music, and practiced meditating all in order to relax my racing mind. There were so many things that could go wrong, and so many possible ways to disappoint myself and my team.

Slowly but surely, we went about producing our PDF. We worked together to copy-edit, layout, and design our content until we had a finished product we were proud of. Though the process was not easy, and though the stress never fully disappeared, the wave of support I received from advisors and staff members ultimately made the stress feel worth it. I became more secure in my position, and though production days never got easy, they became more and more manageable.

As the new semester begins, new faces fill The Corsair newsroom, each one with their own ideas, opinions, and aspirations. Though the familiar butterflies in my stomach may permeate my time as Editor-in-Chief, every pitch, article, photo, and discussion by staff members reminds me of why I became Editor-in-Chief in the first place. I have met some of the most dedicated, talented people I have ever known during my time at The Corsair, all of them united by their shared motivation to make a change in the world. No apprehensive thought or stressful workload will ever devalue the things I have learned, stories I’ve told, and people I’ve met in The Corsair. I am excited to be able to watch my team members grow not just as journalists, but as people, and am exhilarated to be able to witness what amazing things we can achieve this semester.

Katheryne Menendez Editor-in-Chief

September 14, 2022

NEWS

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Free Fresh Food and Supplies at Bodega Katheryne Menendez | Editor-in-Chief Jackson Tammariello | Managing Editor

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odega is Santa Monica College’s (SMC) centralized food pantry, where students can go to receive free fresh produce, non-perishable food items, clothes and toiletries. Bodega is located on the main SMC campus, around the east side of the main cafeteria and across from the science building. Every Wednesday from 11 a.m to 3 p.m., a line of tables are set up with an array of fresh fruits, vegetables and dry foods like rice, beans and soups, with several racks of clothing and boxes of essential hygienic supplies nearby.

The name Bodega alludes to the small neighborhood convenience stores from east-coast cities like New York, and is named such in effort to destigmatize the use of food pantries, according to Sharlyne Massillon, the Basic Needs Project Manager who leads Bodega.

“We want it to sound like a place that is welcoming, and that feels convenient for students,” Massillon said.

Bodega first opened on Sep. 1, 2021, and has since then provided hundreds of students weekly with free fresh produce, non-perishable dry goods, clothing, baby products, and more. The main requirement is the student’s proof of enrollment at SMC, such as a school ID. Other requirements include completing SMC’s COVID-19 symptom survey and wearing a mask.

“Prior to the food pantry opening, a lot of departments on campus had already recognized the need that students had for food, and they opened up food closets in their specific areas that had dry goods in there for students to grab whenever they were hungry,” Massillon said. “And so we kind of just

Bodega Bites opens its doors to students in the Center for Media & Design at Santa Monica College. (Reis Novakovic | The Corsair)

evolved that program into a larger centralized location, which is Bodega.”

These food closets are now branded as Bodega Bites, extensions of Bodega that provide quick grab-and-go snacks like cups of cereal, energy bars and crackers. There are 14 Bodega Bites locations all throughout the main campus and the satellite campuses, including the Center of Media and Design, Performing Arts Center, and Bundy and Emeritus campuses.

When their doors first opened last September, Bodega would see around 200 students a week utilizing their ser-

vices. According to Massillon, the student response has been overwhelmingly positive. With a recent return of on-ground classes and activity, the number of students visiting has significantly increased.

“Last Wednesday, we saw over 300 students come through Bodega, so we're definitely seeing an increase in the amount of students utilizing Bodega,” she said.

According to a 2019 survey conducted by Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community and Justice, around 39 percent of college

students faced food insecurity in the last 30 days. At its core, Bodega aims to address the food insecurity SMC students may face by providing them with their basic needs in order to facilitate their education.

Now, the current plan is for Bodega to open more days a week. Recently, Mondays have been the newest addition to the schedule, with Bodega being open from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. This is in addition to the current Wednesday hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bodega plans on being open five days a week in the future.

A.S. Seeks Board Member Due to Vacancy Jackson Tammariello | Managing Editor The Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Students (A.S.) is looking to fill a vacancy in the 2022 A.S. Board of Directors. In a Board of Directors meeting on Aug. 29, it was announced that the position of Director of Budget Management had been left unfilled since the beginning of the fall semester.

“Over the summer, unfortunately we had a vacancy in our Director of Budget Management,” said Thomas Bui,

the Associate Dean of Student Life. “To fill that position, we have to follow our constitutional process.”

This process begins by announcing the vacancy in a Board meeting, followed by establishing an appointment committee to screen potential candidates. Next, the application process begins, and the vacancy is open to the public. The four members that will oversee applications will be A.S. President Kamiko Greenwood, Inter-Club Council (I.C.C.) Chair Antoine Aoude, Director of Activities Francis Yang and

Director of Basic Needs Cecilia Jeong.

The Director of Budget Management is one of the 15 positions that make up the A.S. Board of Directors.

This position is responsible for keeping a record of all financial information related to A.S., which includes paid student memberships and sponsors.

Other responsibilities include chairing the A.S. Finance Committee every Wednesday at 11 a.m. and providing financial summaries to the Board, Finance Committee and the I.C.C. at least three times a semester.

Applications for Director of Budget Management were due by Tuesday, Sep. 13 before 5 p.m. After the deadline, candidates will have their eligibility determined by the appointment committee. Eligibility requirements include not being a first semester student, having at least a 2.0 GPA and being enrolled in at least five units at SMC. The approved candidates will be invited to the A.S. Board of Directors meeting for interviews on Sep. 19 starting at 3 p.m.

P H OTO S TO R Y

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September 14, 2022

Cruising Low and Slow

An attendee observes a remote control lowrider on the Sant urday.(Anthony Clingerman | The Corsair)

Dancers from the Ballet Folklórico de Santa Monica perform for the attendees. (Anthony Clingerman | The Corsair)

Anthony Clingerman | Copy Editor Anna Sophia Moltke | Photo Editor

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ico Youth & Family Center (PYFC) hosted the second Annual Santa Monica Classic Car Show on the Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, September 10. As Tropical Storm Kay moved North from the coast of Baja, California, dense clouds provided relief from the harsh heat wave roasting Southern California.

Hundreds of community members attended this event, taking photographs of, and with the many lowriders, hot rods, and classic muscle cars lined along the Pier.

Santa Monica Ballet Folklorico performed for the audience, with musical appearances by

House of Vibe, DJ Demo, and Ed-Vinyl carrying the event's ambiance.

'Lowride for a Cause,’ the goal of putting together this car show, is preserving and celebrating the lowriding culture. "All of the proceeds will benefit youth services and after-school programming for underserved youth in Santa Monica and Los Angeles County," the PYFC website states.

The PYFC is a non-profit organization with a mission of serving the youth and families of the Pico neighborhood in Santa Monica through services of support, education, creating opportunities, and prevention of violence.

Craig Schilling, vehicle exhibitioner, polishes his Roadrunn

September 14, 2022

ta Monica Pier, on Sat-

P H OTO S TO R Y

Young driver grins widely, as he takes the wheel of a classic car on Saturday. ( Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair)

Modified Bel Air lowrider sitting in the middle of the rows of cars. (Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair)

ner during the second Annual Santa Monica Classic Car Show on Saturday. The Pico Youth & Family Center organized this event on the Santa Monica Pier. (Anthony Clingerman | The Corsair )

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A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

September 14, 2022

Stacey Lynn Smith performs the second part of 'Being Future Being: Land/Celestial' with an interpretative dance as performance partner Jasmine Shorty circles the Blue Gum tree. (Ee Lin Tsen | The Corsair

World Premiere of ‘Being Future Being’ Anna Moricz | Multimedia Editor Khadija Bellaftouh| Staff Writer Madison Piker | Social Media Editor Cecil Alsanussi| Design Editor

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n Thursday, Sep. 8, 2022, students and faculty on SMC’s main campus were invited to view and participate in a unique call for environmental justice. BroadStage, a performing arts theater in Santa Monica put on three exhibitions in an effort to advocate for the protection of trees.

Ashley Pierre-Louis, interpretive dancer, performed in the first showcase, which took place in front of the library on the campus. Pierre-Louis spoke to students and others spectating, explaining her connection to what she called fire trees, or trees having survived fires or being threatened by urbanization, such as the one right next to the currently on-going construction on campus.

“The tree is looking for a way out,

growing out away from the math and science buildings,” Pierre-Louis said.

Speakers playing brown noise blasted as Pierre-Louis danced around the circumference of the tree. She further emphasized the importance of honoring “our connection to our more than human kin,” as in respecting trees and other plants as living beings just as we do other humans.

The second performance was by Stacey Lynn Smith along with Jasmine Shorty, who was covered in a large quilt costume. The quilt, made up of several small quilts sewn together, was made by individuals from different parts of the world in community quilting sessions, explained creative producer George Lugg. Each one was covered in dreams and hopes for the future, a couple read “Love,” “Joy,” and “Peace.”

Smith danced around the tree in an emotional performance as Jasmine made small steps toward the spectators present, her very slow steps representing the hyperslow movement of a

tree as it grows.

“This tree… It’s been here a long time and has witnessed many things in its life; beautiful things, difficult things and many passing by… We are taking time to gather around it to offer it protection and strength,” Lugg said.

Life itself is a dance and a tree has its own form of dance, spanning decades and centuries across time. Its expression being the color of its leaves, the falling of dead ones, and the flourish of new ones.

The power of a silent statement can move people to consider perspectives with a new openness as it stimulates introspection and deep thought. In the last exhibit, choreographer Emily Johnson and dancer Sugar Vendil, used their presence with three trees to tell the audience a story of relationship.

Surrounded by trees, bold whispers filled the art building courtyard. Johnson’s story, told in a whisper, cried out against climate change as it has allowed for many trees to perish from

insect overpopulation. Many of Johnson's childhood trees in Alaska are now gone, and for her, the quiet whispers represent a gesture of attentiveness.

The performance of the Whisper Tree inspired people to listen. Emily Johnson broadens this on her event website, ‘Being Future Being’ saying, “The multilayered performance becomes a site for transformation, ushering into focus new futures with the potential to reshape the way we relate to ourselves, our environment, and to the human and more-than-human cohabitants of our world”.

Not only are trees a home to many creatures that are crucial to our ecosystem but they also represent the spiritual connection that is so innate to human kind. Through dance do we generate the feelings of gratitude towards the trees that represent physical and spiritual nourishment and connection. Although trees may not appear to dance, we are encouraged by the dancers to sway with them in appreciation.

September 14, 2022

SPORTS

Corsairs Optimistic Despite Rough Start

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Above, Santa Monica College Corsair Jaboree Thornton (14) being tackled by players from Pasadena City's Lancers. on September 10, 2022 in Santa Monica, Calif. (Caylo Seals | The Corsair)

Sasha Funes | Sports Editor Jackson Tammariello | Managing Editor

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n Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, the Santa Monica College (SMC) football team, The Corsairs, played against the Pasadena City College (PCC) Lancers on the Corsair field for their first game of the season. The first touchdown of the game was scored by PCC early in the second quarter, with SMC running back Jaden Bridges scoring a running five yard touchdown soon after to tie up the score 6-6. But PCC quickly took the lead back, resulting in a score of 13-6 by the end of the second quarter, ending the scoring for the first half altogether.

The only offensive production to come out of the third quarter was PCC tacking on another touchdown, making the score 19-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Forrest Brock threw two passing touchdowns to wide receivers Jaboree Thornto and Everson Bozeman. PCC managed to get a touchdown in the fourth quarter that kept them ahead, ending the game with a score of 27-20.

Head Coach Kelly Ledwith praised his team for performing well, but said that ultimately too many small mistakes cost them the win.

“We had offensive production, we had some attacks in defensive plays that I thought were really good, we had some

big special teams plays,” Ledwith said.

“But we were playing our first game of the season, and they were playing their second.”

Offensive lineman and tight end Ameer Dalbik felt that even though SMC lost, he feels good about the future of the season. He remarked that the biggest improvement for football teams is between weeks one and two.

“For only being in our first game I thought we played really well against a team that is pretty good, and had two weeks,” he said.

Though Saturday’s game was the first real match-up for the Corsairs, the first game of the season was supposed to be against the El Camino College (ECC) Warriors on Saturday, Sep. 3. Several offensive and defensive players had sustained injuries during training, with at least four players waiting on MRIs to determine if they could play the season at all. In addition to Coach Ledwith being hospitalized on the Thursday prior, ultimately the game was canceled to prevent any more possible player injuries.

According to Ledwith, the team was devastated, being that many players had been putting in countless hours of work into preparing for the game.

“A lot of these guys have been putting in the work since February, you know, and it was seven, eight months of work,” Ledwith said. “It's always built towards

Above, Santa Monica College Corsairs players sit in on a halftime speech as they trail behind Pasadena City College Lancers. (Caylo Seals | The Corsair)

that first game. And it didn’t happen.”

“We thought it would be best to cancel one game instead of hurting people for 10 games,” Dalbik said.

The game being canceled effectively cost the Corsairs 10 percent of the season. Fortunately, The Corsairs will be able to make up the game against the Warriors at ECC on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.

Despite last Saturday’s loss, the Corsairs fought hard, giving their all for a game that will hopefully start a successful season. “It felt good to get out and play this week, and I know our guys were excited to play there,” Ledwith said. Even though the result was less than ideal, the Corsairs are excited to continue the rest of the season and look forward to the future games. The next game is Saturday, Sep. 17 at Compton College.

Santa Monica College Corsair LJ Holmes (12) taking a moment after being tackled during a recent home football game against Pasadena City's Lancers. (Caylo Seals | The Corsair)