The Corsair - Volume 123 - Issue 5 (Spring 2022)

April 20, 2022 | VOLUME 123 ISSUE 5 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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

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CONTENT News | pg. 3 Photo Story | pg. 4-5 Arts & Entertainment | pg 6 Culture | pg. 7 Opinion | pg. 8 Sports | pg. 9

EDITORIAL STAFF Katheryne Menendez | Editor-in-Chief Gavin Quinton | Managing Editor Jackson Tammariello | News Editor Carmen Gonzalez | Culture Editor Leonard Richardson-King | Opinion Editor Maxim Elramsisy | Photo Editor Celso Robles | Sports Editor Ashley Cox | Arts & Entertainment Editor Juliette Marquis | Multimedia Editor Andrea Marcy | Design Editor Aaron Schuchman | Design Editor Marlene Herrera | Social Media Editor Sarah Nachimson | Copy Editor Conor Heeley | Copy Editor Sophia Elidrissi | Digital Editor

CORSAIR STAFF Jorge Devotto Ordoñez | Anna Sophia Moltke | Nick McCall | Danilo Perez | Blake Thorton | Marc Federici | Karen Vartanian | Forrest Flanders | Jon Putman | Brandon Espelta | Drew Andersen | Guadalupe Perez | Rebecca Hogan | Kajsa Broman | Shahrzad Ghazizadeh | Samara Critney | Claire Hollingsworth | Zipporah Pruitt | Kyle Penix | Ashley Chinchilla | Dylan Smith | Sydney Adams-Smith | Brittney Ornelas | Keith Mowatt | Josh Hogan | Leo Gilad | Stacey Htet | Roxana Blacksea | Rafaella Ramaciote | Emily Miedema | Jason Osorio | Alexandra Barrett | Aja Marshall

FACULTY ADVISORS Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | Journalism Adviser Gerard Burkhart | Photo Adviser Sharyn Obsatz | Social Media Adviser

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Every winter, Salvadoran citizen Ermlinda Ramirez and her family fill as many bottles and containers as they possibly can with rainwater. Yearround, bottles of shiny glass and multicolored plastic line every corner and crevice of the family’s house. As winter comes to an end, the family must prepare to weather the dry arid climate of summer.

Ramirez, my grandmother, was born and raised in Ahuchapán, a rural town near the Guatemalan-Salvadoran border. My mother, Ramirez’s daughter, as well as the majority of my family, spent the majority of their lives in a small Central American country with fertile highlands and lush forests. Their upbringings were marked not only by rich cultural practices and beautiful landscapes, but also by war, poverty, and violence. Water in El Salvador was never guaranteed. When running water was not available, access to water relied on water that had been collected prior. They use pilas, or water basins, as well as spare bottles and containers for storing water used for anything from drinking, showering, to washing dishes, preparing food, and cooking.

In their adulthood, both of my parents immigrated to the United States in order to support their families back home. Hence, my sister and I were born in the United States, and live very different lives than the ones my parents lived. During spring break, I had the privilege of being able to travel to El Salvador to visit my family. But besides the excitement of exploring a new place and spending time with my family, I witnessed many Salvadorans living without access to essential resources.

Before collecting rainwater, my family used to get water from El Rio Paz, a river that flows through my family’s property. Around the same time, pollution from factories, industrial agriculture, trash, and mining has made a lot of water sources unusable. In a 2020 Report on the nation’s rivers, the Salvadoran Ministry of the Environment reported that 71.3 percent of sites evaluated had water quality classified as “bad.” So my family has resorted to collecting rainwater, and when their income allows, buying bottled water.

According to the Salvadoran University Institute’s Water Bulletin, water crisis affects 90.6 percent of the Salvadoran population. Meanwhile, 99.2 percent of the U.S. population has continuous access to potable water. As we have more and more discussions about the climate crisis and the environment, it is important to remember an important fact: environmental issues will impact the disenfranchised the most. As Earth Day 2022 fall on Friday, April 22, let us remember that the poorest people worldwide continue the suffer the most from the climate issue. It is our role as members of this planet to hold the politicians and companies that are polluting our earth accountable, and collectively reducing our waste. The privileged in regards to the climate crisis, such as myself, do not have to worry about daily access to usable water, food, and shelter. It is time we use our voice to stand for the voiceless, whose homes and livelihoods are being impacted more than we can ever imagine.

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

Katheryne Menendez Editor-in-Chief

WEBSITE www.thecorsaironline.com

FRONT PAGE Attendees carry the bags up to the sign, where Waste Management has been ordered to pick up the collection of trash. Stoney Point Park in Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California on Saturday, April 9, 2022. (Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair)

Illustration by Katheryne Menendez

NEWS

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Students Struggle with Remote Learning until COVID-19 cases drop even more before transferring to a four-year university to ensure she takes in-person classes. She was unengaged in her online classes due to an overall lack of enthusiasm.

Over the pandemic, many students at SMC were able to perform well in their classes despite the challenges of remote learning that Arguello voiced.

“During

Dylan Smith | Staff Writer

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one term to the next. "Those percentages have remained pretty steady even during the pan-

ow halfway through the Spring 2022 semester, Santa Monica College (SMC) has partially reopened its campus for academic and extracurricular activities for about seven months. The campus first closed in March 2020 due to the I-19 pandemic, and began opening in fall 2021 when students could receive COVID-19 vaccines. According to SMC Vice President of Academic Affairs, Bradley Lane, the Spring 2022 semester has seen about 9,500, or between 35 and 40 percent of all students, attending at least one 35-40% of on-ground class.

Some SMC students, like Criminal Justice Major Mela1 online class ny Arguello, have felt distance learning prevented them from achieving their full potential in academic," he said. demics. “I like it better However, offline because there are a lot Lane did fur60-70% of less distractions. When you're at home ther explain you can turn off your camera and mess most of the that SMC saw around," she said. pandemic, we a large increase Arguello further explained what she didn’t really see big in the numother term benefits from when she takes class- changes in the perber of excused es on-ground, “You also form better cent of students withdrawal , with connections with your teachers when passing courses," a high point of ​​1171 you're on campus,” she said.

Lane said. withdrawals during Arguello feels overwhelmed with Lane reported that the Spring 2021 seher college life over remote learning over all semesters about 60 to mester. Lane theorized that the during COVID-19. She is opting to wait 70 percent of students move on from spike could have been from students

There were

1171 early

withdrawals last spring semester

SMC students attend at least

students

enroll in an-

having difficulty adjusting to an online infrastructure. He then stated that the numbers started to return to normal levels in Fall 2021.

Cindy Marino, a sophomore Fashion Design Major at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) , has a different opinion than Arguello. She feels that remote learning has not had any significant change in her academics. "Before the pandemic I would definitely spend more time at school, stay after school hours to get help on my homework, study more... I was more of a studious person,” she said.

Marino also predicted that her academic performance would stay the same if she returned to online-learning, but also expressed that she feels that the community when learning in-person is more engaging. "I felt distance learning made things a bit harder because I'm the type of person who likes doing their work at school," said Marino.

As more students return to SMC’s campus each semester those who preferred in-person learning are able to continue their academics on-ground, while individuals who find online more suitable can remain home. According to Lane, SMC has offered remote learning since 1999 and will continue to expand its learning options for students for the foreseeable future.

Infographic by Gavin Quinton | The Corsair

Pride Center Calls for All-Gender Restrooms Carmen Gonzalez| Culture Editor

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embers from the Santa Monica College (SMC) Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club have advocated for the proposal to bring more multiple-stall all-gender restrooms to campus, which they presented to school officials across various meetings over the 2021-2022 school year. Two SMC faculty members leading this effort are Dr. Steph Anderson, Assistant Professor of Psychology, and Dr. Nathaniel Donahue, Art History Professor. Anderson is the lead of the Pride Center, the campus organization committed to protecting and prioritizing LGBTQ+ students.

The proposal suggests converting 23 first floor gender specific restrooms into all-gender restrooms with each facility having an all-gender sign, images

showing the type of plumbing in each restroom, and directions to gender segregated restrooms. This would be an estimated one-time cost of $2,900 dollars from the school. SMC would still have 39 gender segregated restrooms, meaning . “By using the term all–gender, it includes anyone that might want to use the restroom. We were very intentional in using that term,” GSA President and nursing student Catherine Lee said.

SMC currently has four public multiple-stall all–gender restrooms. One restroom is located on the third floor of the Student Services Center, one in Health Services, and two in the Core Performance Center. In addition, there are eight single occupancy all-gender restrooms on the main campus that require a staff key.

“One of my friends that is trans told

me he has to calculate how much water he drinks throughout the day to avoid going to the restroom on campus,” Lee said. “That is just sad.”

Both Dr. Anderson and Lee believe that some of the resistance from school officials to change these restrooms is because of the claim of cis-gender women experiencing violence in all-gender restrooms. “What we know empirically is that even at locations that have created and sought all-gender restrooms, there is no increase violence against cis-women,” Dr. Anderson said.

“Black and Latina transgender women are more likely to encounter violence in restrooms.”

Recently, during a SMC District Planning Action Committee meeting on March 23, board members raised concerns over cost, implementation, and how changes with all-gender

bathrooms would affect SMC's current standing with California Plumbing Code.

Because of the concerns voiced by the committee members, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Donahue postponed their presentation to the Board of Trustees meeting which they had originally scheduled for April 5. Now, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Donahue will present the proposal to the SMC Board of Trustees on May 3.

“The Pride Center and GSA really prides themselves on intersectionality.

We want all your identities to feel welcome and celebrated. These restrooms are one step towards that,” Lee said.

She encourages students to sign the Change.org petition she made to rally support for the all-gender restrooms on campus.

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Kristen Hernandez introduces the crowd to the organization Leave No Traces, which provides the crowd with informed discussions on Apreserves. (Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair)

William Vazquez holds the dentures he found while cleaning garbage in the park. (Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair).

Josh Quitiquit walks down a tr

Trailmothers Clean & Climb the Environment Anna Sophia Moltke | Staff Photographer

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n honor of Earth Week, Trailmothers hosted a Clean and Climb event on Saturday, April 9, at Stoney Point Park, located at the north end of Topanga Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Around 40 community members showed up to lend helping hands for Mother Earth by cleaning up litter around the park. Trailmothers’ founder Kristen Hernandez welcomed the crowd underneath the shade of a large Oak tree and introduced Trailmothers as a community of “stewards who dedicate our lives to protecting the environment.

Whether it’s public parks, hiking trails, or a crag such as Stoney Point Park, we want to continue our passion and motivate others to do the same.”

If she is not climbing or hiking at Stoney Point, Hernandez said she will visit the park to “lay on a rock like a lizard and take it all in.”

Other environmental conservation organizations were present at the event, such as We Explore Earth, It is Overdue, and Leave No Trace. They pro-

vided the crowd with informed discussions on different ways to be mindful any time they travel in nature.

After this advice, people spread throughout the local trails with protective gloves, trash bags, and grabbers. As expected, it did not take long for trash to accumulate. Glass, bottle caps, plastic wrappers, water bottles, spray cans, and batteries rattled in trash bags as volunteers hiked along the trails. Amongst the littered landscape, attendee Ted Mattison spotted a Melanistic Diamondback Rattlesnake nestled in a hole at the base of a tree.

The rattlesnake is just one example of the wildlife that the trash littered across nature reserves affects.

Once everyone accumulated their gatherings at the meeting point, there was a data collection and weigh-in. Hernandez announced the total collective weight of trash to the group, amounting to 145.79 pounds. “Stoney is able to breathe again today,” she said. The Trailmothers’ next event is at the same location, Stoney Point Park, on Saturday, May 21.

Josh Quitiquit walks down a trail collecting garbage at Stoney Point Park, April 9.

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rail collecting garbage.

. (Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair)

(Top) Lizard basking on a rock in the sun at Stoney Point Park.

(Middle) Caitlin (left) and Sammy (right) sort through the trash that has been collected at Stoney Point Park.

(Bottom) A Melanistic Diamondback Rattlesnake, coiled in a hole at the base of a tree at Stoney Point Park. (Anna Sophia | The Corsair)

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

April 20, 2022

SMC Student A.J. Sohrobi shines as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Jorge Devotto Ordonez | Staff Writer

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he Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde had its opening night Friday, April 1 at the Theater Arts venue on Santa Monica College (SMC) main campus.

The young A.J. Sohrabi delivers a tourde-force performance impersonating Mr. Hyde, turning out from a well-mannered and well-spoken Dr. Jekyll. The play as well as the novella explores the duality of human nature, the inner struggle between good and evil. Sohrabi, a native of the bay area, takes all in count while using his skills to change his face, posture, voice, and look to create a completely different character, Mr. Hyde.

The transformation of Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde took not only a combination of images from the screen projections, dimming lights, and changes on dramatic music and sounds, but also the charismatic performance of 19 year old A.J. Sohrabi took the Mr. Hyde character to the right extreme. “This is my first show at Santa Monica College,” Sohrabi said. “Since High School, I’ve never had a professional theater experience before. I’m just so happy to be part of it”.

“It is amazing how much energy he (Sohrabi) puts out on the show,” Dr. Harrop, the play’s director, said. “It is really like basketball players going for 5 times what they usually go and leaving it all on the floor.”

Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson’s book was adapted by playwright and author Noah Smith, a

Massachusetts native and it was first performed in 1999. The play spreads in two acts, the first introduces Dr. Jekyll (played by AJ Sohrabi) and his best friends Lanyon (played by Justin Lescoulie) and Utterson (played by Cooper McAdoo). Maids and butlers support with each change of scenario, and guide the storytelling with their voices from down stage right and left. Dr. Jekyll develops the serum and enjoys his outings as Hyde, but then struggles to regain control as Hyde goes violent and murderous. The second act, focuses on his friend Utterson who investigates the mysterious being and tries to make sense of Hyde’s connection with Dr. Jekyll, ending all in a show down inside Jekyll’s laboratory.

Professor Adrianne Harrop, “Dr. Harrop'', director of the play and faculty member at the SMC Theater department, talks about the challenges of her first in-person play after the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Harrop molded the adaptation to fit the requirements of the school adding more supporting characters as maids and butlers. “The college requires to have 18 students in the cast…that’s tough, that’s difficult…what can I do?…the play (Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) had one maid and one butler. If I add 3 maids and 3 butlers, I make my magic number 18!”.

About the cast Dr. Harrop commented, “Utterly amazing…this is one of the best casts I’ve ever had…acting wise, and personality wise.” This was Dr. Harrop's first in-person play after a period of Zoom plays and distancing. And this is Sorahbi's first out of high school

Marina Portillo (Left) and A.J. Sohrabi (Right) perform during a dress rehearsal of the Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department production of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" at the Theatre Arts Complex Main Stage on Monday, March 28. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Justin Lescoulie (left) and A.J. Sohrabi (right) perform with other cast members at a dress rehearsal of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" on March 28. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Sonic Races To Win Hearts of Audiences Emily Miedema | Staff Writer

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oving at supersonic speed, the Sonic movie sequel ”Sonic the Hedgehog 2” debuted in U.S. theaters on April 8. The beloved video game character has returned to screens nationwide in a new live-action adaptation which delves further into the Sonic Universe. The first film left off with Sonic the Hedgehog, voiced by Ben Schwartz, comfortably living in the fictional Green Hills with his newfound family— Tom Wachowski, played by James Marsden, and Maddie Wachowski, played by Tika Sumpter.

The sequel features the return of

archnemesis Dr. Robotnik, played by Jim Carrey and the introduction of his new companion Knuckles the Echidna, voiced by Idris Elba. Knuckles is not the only new addition to the live action film from the Sonic Universe. It also features fan favorite Miles “Tails” Prower, an anthropomorphic fox who is Sonic’s kindhearted friend. Tails is played by voice actress Colleen O’Shaughnessey, who has voiced the character in Sonic video games since 2014.

Subplots within the new film, such as a humorous wedding scene, stray from the movie’s connection to the video games. However, the addition of these entertaining side stories make the viewing experience enjoyable even

for those unfamiliar with the franchise.

Despite some scenes that felt as if they dragged on, the film’s gags and adventure comedy gave the story universal appeal. With these elements, it’s easy to see why fans gave “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” a nearly perfect score of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes as of April 19.

Sonic sets the pace for a continuation of his tale at the end of this film.

Paramount Pictures has kept in stride and they’ve already announced that ”Sonic the Hedgehog 3” is in the works at ViacomCBS Investors Connect day on February 15. While very little information has been confirmed about that third film, moviegoers should note to watch ”Sonic the Hedgehog 2” in en-

tirety, as a post-credit scene introduces a fan favorite character who is sure to make an appearance in the future movie.

At ViacomCBS Investors Connect day, Paramount also teased fans with more content from the Sonic Universe by confirming an upcoming spin-off series featuring Knuckles. The series is set to launch in 2023 and will be exclusive to Paramount’s streaming service, Paramount+. It’s clear that Sonic and his pals have no intention of slowing down, as the Sonic Cinematic Universe we’ve been dreaming of seems to finally be coming to fruition.

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"The Front Arte Cultura" Uplifts Voices at the Border Sarah Nachimson | Copy Editor Marlene Herrera| Social Media Editor Leo Gilad | Staff Writer

T In front of "Generico Generacional" by Tijuana, Mexico-based artist Angelica Omaña stands San Ysidro, Calif.'s Front Arte & Cultura gallery director Fransisco Morales on April 12. (Sarah Nachimson | The Corsair)

he best art museums provide a haven for voices from each work housed within the confines of their walls. Casa Familiar’s program The Front Arte Cultura, a 15-year-old art gallery in the Mexico-U.S border town of San Ysidro, California, achieves just that.

Every piece, from both established and emerging artists hailing from Tijuana, Mexico to Kyiv, Ukraine, is chock-full of emotional messages.

The current exhibit “Love is an Action” aims particularly to commemorate International Women’s Day. “It's a space for women, for women artists, to show your work,” gallery director Francisco Morales said. “To talk about relevant issues of women and non-binary equity and gender violence.”

One piece, "Braiding a Message of Love" by the art collective from both sides of the US-Mexico border Collectivo XoQUE, invites visitors to write encouraging letters on glittery gold stars. Morales noted that “Love is an Action” has a significantly large number of interactive pieces adhering to the theme, but inviting viewers to participate in the artwork is an element that Front Arte Cultura sees throughout their various exhibitions.

“Popular artists are enjoying having the activation of the public to complete their works.”

Another piece, “Generico Generacional," is a heavy-handed splice of emotion straight from Tijuana-based artist Angelica Omaña. Atop a canvas built with a collage of medicine and cigarette cartons is three layers of portrait: Omaña’s self-portrait, her mother, and her grandmother. The individual elements each play a role in its voice. From the medium to the subjects of the portraits, the most minute details together lend themselves to the all-encompassing message of Omaña’s anxiety about aging and the detriment of smoking. As a nurse in Mexico during the peak of COVID-19, Omaña’s experience gave her a unique, personal perspective on those health-related worries.

Partial meaning from “Generico Generacional" may be lost on a viewer who ditches the effort to delve deeper, but Morales believes that some of the greatest art takes time to understand. “I've seen pieces that need no

explanation and those are amazing,” he said. “But I’ve also seen various pieces that, once you read the text, it blows your mind open with so many ideas and possibilities.”

One contribution to the “Love Is An Action” exhibit, an idea explored with pictures created in 2020, came from an artist who today faces an environment created by the antonym of love — the Russia-Ukraine War. In a series of three photographs, the formerly Kyiv-based artist Maria Kasvan explored the bonds of “parenting.” Since she did not have children in 2020, her closest relationship to motherhood at the time was the bond she had with her pet dog.

Kasvan captured that emotion in a photo entitled “Love is in the Air.” The second photo in the series, “My Friend Enke,” depicts a mother huddled over her baby son surrounded by dirt. The third, “See The Sea,” finds its subject from a mother and young daughter vacationing at Dzyrylgatch Island, a deserted island in Ukraine. The two are swimming nude in the black sea, creating an intimate moment of maternal affection.

Unintentionally, Kasven’s photos also serve as a painful juxtaposition to her present reality. In 2022, the Russia-Ukraine war forced the artist to flee to nearby Poland for safety.

“It's very ironic because the message that she's sending is love,” Morales said regarding Kasven’s work in the gallery. “Then, a month later, the country is at war and hate is kind of predominant in the country.”

Other works in the gallery almost overflow with passion, specifically as a form of protest. "Raspado (Abolish ICE)" by Annabel Turrado, projects a video onto a sheet of corn husks. In that video, a woman shaves a block of ice as a commentary on the inhumane practices of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Another installation, “Amino Mujeres,” calls on visitors to write anonymous letters to send to women and non-binary people in an act of solidarity. Intertwined not only in “Love Is An Action,” but all of The Front Arte Cultura’s exhibits is fervor for social justice from many different ethnic identities. Their exhibits feature contributions by indigenous Kumeyaay artists protesting against colonization to local Filipino migrants sharing their immigration experience.

“Love Is An Action” is open to the public until May 7.

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OPINION

April 20, 2022

​​Is Social Media Causing Preteens to Skip the Awkward Phase?

Sydney Adams-Smith| Staff Writer

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ost people born before 2000 have experienced an awkward preteen phase. While the life period itself is hard for some to reflect on, it leaves a huge impact on many people. It’s a time where young teens have the chance to find out who they are.

With the normalization of social media exposure, younger kids see what everybody years older than them is doing and kids are mimicking the behavior of postteen internet personalities.

The awkward phase usually occurs in young preteens. It entails going through wacky makeup phases, fashion choices, and special interests. Many young adults can look back and remember the “cringy” things they used to do when going through this phas e that shaped them into the person they are today. Something that brought memories of that awkward teen phase to adults later in life is the 2022 Pixar movie “Turning Red,” where the main character and her friends are seen living through their childhood fangirling over boy bands, wearing things intended for kids, and overall just being the textbook definition of a kid.

Now, on apps like Tiktok and Instagram, older social media influencers and celebrities post their trends for the world to see and follow, but it’s not just influencing their

older fan base. The young followers feel the need to adhere to the standards set in place for adults.

“When I was growing up Myspace was the biggest social media, and we weren’t really comparing ourselves to other people on there,” said Sydney Winbush, who is an actress with over 300,000 followers on the social media platform TikTok. Winbush explained how as a preteen, she was able to experience her childhood without the influence of older adults. Now she notices 13-year-olds comparing themselves to 30-yearolds. ’Everybody is skipping the blue eyeshadow and pink lip gloss phase,” she said.

Kids are now exposed to seeing young adults posting on social media.

Provocative trends on TikTok and lots of attention towards suggestive photos on Instagram pressure those kids to fit beauty standards geared towards adults. This results in society losing that crucial awkward phase and instead watching young teens present themselves the same way as someone much older.

One example of this is Jenny Popach, a 15-year-old Tiktoker with over 6 million followers. Other popular TikTokers like Noah Glenn Carter have voiced their concern with Popach’s social media presence and alleged that her parents enable her oversexualized content on TikTok. As a result of this, she has suffered from predatory behavior on her social media platforms.

“Now it’s cool to be provocative on social media. You see preteens in their bikinis doing suggestive danc-

es. It’s so uncomfortable,” Winbush said. “Social media is definitely playing a role in how fast kids are growing up these days.”

Another reason that preteens today are growing up too fast is the overabundance of adult influencers.

There is a lack of child influencers sharing child-appropriate things with a young, impressionable audience. Even the relatively young influencers who go viral on social media are presenting themselves in ways that are more appropriate for

adults.

“A lot of my peers have talked about it, but with every generation, there is something we are running towards,” Winbush said. “We were all trying to grow up super fast too, I think that’s just common. Right now, it’s just on social media so everyone can see it.” With the lack of an awkward phase causing concerns for the older generations, people are left with the question, “what can we do?” in order to show kids that it’s okay to be a child.

Illustration by Katheryne Menendez | The Corsair

SPORTS

April 20, 2022

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Corsair Men's Vollyball Season Comes to a Conclusion Celso Robles | Sports Editor Jackson Tammariello | News Editor

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n Saturday, April 16, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Men’s Volleyball team faced off against the Irvine Valley College (IVC) Lasers at the IVC Hart Gymnasium for their first round matchup of the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Playoffs. The Corsairs faced IVC earlier this season on the same court on Wednesday, March 23 and lost 3-0. The result of the rematch on Saturday was the same, with SMC losing to IVC 3-0.

As a result, SMC was eliminated from the state playoffs, ending their season.

The SMC Corsairs finished this year’s spring season with an overall record of 8-9, but their conference record of 7-5 was enough to earn them a spot in this year’s CCCAA State Playoffs.

Their last win of the season occurred on Wednesday, April 6, against the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros in The Pavilion Gym at SMC’s main campus.

After going down 2-0, SMC managed to come back and win that game with a score of 3-2.

Their final game of the regular season resulted in a 3-0 loss at home against the Long Beach City College Vikings on Friday, April 8. “I’m just happy that we finished a full season, the COVID years weren’t easy,” Liran Zamir, Head Coach of the Corsairs, said after Friday’s loss. Zamir expressed gratitude for the memories he and his team made this season. “We came back to the unknown, and we have a great, solid team,” Zamir said. “I love doing what I do thanks to them.” Although the season is now over, the Men’s team plans to host an alumni game in the upcoming fall semester. More information will be announced at a later time.

Santa Monica College Corsairs Javier Castillo (17) dives for the ball during the men's volleyball game against Santa Barbara City College. SMC won the game 3-2 on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the SMC Gym in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)

Illustration by Gavin Quinton | The Corsair

The Santa Monica College men's volleyball team in their game against Long Beach City College.

Pictured are Head Coach Liran Zamir and players Javier Castillo, Bryant Bardeau, Elijah Chambers, and Sean Ortiz.April 8, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nicholas McCall | The Corsair)