The Corsair Spring Issue 1

February 22, 2023 | VOLUME 125 ISSUE 1 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Serving up Spring

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

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THE

February 22, 2023

| CORSAIR

CONTENT News | pg. 3 Sports | pg. 4-5 Culture | pg. 6

EDITORIAL STAFF Sasha Funes | Editor-in-Chief Conor Heeley | Managing Editor Anna Sophia Moltke | Photo Editor Jackson Tammariello | Senior Copy Editor Katheryne Menendez | Digital Editor

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR CORSAIR STAFF Baleugh O'Brien | Isaac Manno | Caylo Seals | Jehrid Hale | Nicholas McCall | Alejandro Contreras | Claude Epperson | Danilo Perez | Damond Collier | Terrance Polite | Rebecca Hogan | Maria Lebedev | Sydney Partyka | Presley Alexander | Rafaella Cruz Ramaciote | Victor Chambers | Taylor Parise | Aaron Wiria | Bryan Antunez | Antoineé Jones | Ryan Watts | Christina Torres | Callie Yiu | Shaylee Guerrero | Ilayda Gercek | Michael Zavala | jorge Devottoe Ordonez | Daniel De Anda | MyDaru Baker | Vanessa Daily | Ashley Chinchilla

FACULTY ADVISORS Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | 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)

When I was about five years old I wanted to be a firefighter because I went on a field trip to a fire station. A few years later I started playing soccer and swimming and thought I could be the next Katie Ledecky. In my middle school years I contemplated a teaching career as I loved math at the time, but throughout all of it, I stuck to playing soccer and trying other sports like softball and flag football. In high school I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career; I started taking soccer more seriously and wondered if I could possibly make it pro. It was then that I started becoming interested in watching and really learning the terminology and logistics of the sports. In my senior year of high school I still didn’t really know what I wanted to do as I applied to colleges. I did well in computer science classes so I made that my intended major. Later in the year, I enjoyed an engineering class so much I ended up deciding on an electrical engineering major instead.

Three months before my graduation, the pandemic hit and we stopped going to school in person. We were only supposed to be gone for two weeks, but weeks turned into months. My mental health declined greatly and despite being accepted to a UC, I chose SMC instead. I wouldn’t have to leave home or my sisters behind, I’d save a ton of money, and though my family wasn’t onboard with me going to a community college when I got accepted to a university, ultimately the choice was mine and I was trying to prioritize my mental health. I got off to a rocky start, failing two of my four classes in the first semester, while investing the majority of my time watching the World Series; I was able to see my team win the 2020 World Series. Dropping out crossed my mind very frequently after my first year at SMC, but I wanted to be the first in my family to graduate college, so I stuck with it.

In the fall of 2021, I was contemplating switching majors to journalism, but something was stopping me. I couldn’t figure out what. After an hour long talk with a stranger, I made the decision to switch majors to journalism to become a sports journalist and I’ve not regretted it. Since making the switch, I’ve made it on the Dean’s Honors List, completed all requirements for an AA in Journalism, joined the Corsair and was Sports Editor in my first semester, and am now fortunate enough to be the Editor in Chief in my second semester at the paper.

I know at The Corsair I’ve found my place, my voice, and something I’m willing to get out of my comfort zone for. I can’t wait to see what new opportunities this semester will bring, and I’m most definitely excited to work with a brand new group of people.

Sasha Funes

Editor-in-Chief

NEWS

February 22, 2023

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Lyfting Students From Point A to Bundy Jackson Tammariello | Copy Editor

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anta Monica College (SMC) is promoting a free Lyft rideshare service to ferry students from the main campus to the Bundy campus and back amid Big Blue Bus service reductions.

All students currently enrolled in a class on the Bundy campus, as well as the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and Center of Media and Design (CMD), has received an email with information detailing how to get free Lyft Shared rides during the week, according to SMC Sustainability Manager Ferris Kawar.

Information is also posted on flyers throughout the various campuses and on the main SMC website.

“We're trying to make sure that every student knows, especially the ones that have classes at other campuses,” Kawar said. “The challenge is just getting the word out.”

By opening the Lyft app and inputting a promo code, students can request a free Lyft Shared ride between 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays. Students carpool with each other and are transported to the Bundy campus from either the Expo/Bundy station or the main campus.

Students can also take a free Lyft Shared ride to the PAC and CMD from the main campus or 17th Street/SMC station in the evenings from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Route 41 to the PAC and Routes 16 and 43 to the CMD run every 15 minutes during the day.

Kawar says there are currently no plans to extend this service to the new Malibu Campus due to the distance between the campuses, though Metro Bus Line 134 stops right across from the Downtown Santa Monica station.

Due to a nationwide shortage in bus drivers, Big Blue Bus has been eliminating or delaying the restoration of several bus routes in order to meet demand. Service has also been impacted

The Big Blue Bus pulls up infront of the Main Campus of Santa Monica College In Santa Monica Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.(Isaac Manno | The Corsair)

because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a significant decline in ridership. Route 44, which travels between the main SMC campus and the Bundy campus, is one of the lines currently affected.

“Even in the last two semesters where we've had classes on ground, we haven't had very many people riding that line at all,” Kawar said. “So they weren't able to support that line and bring it back this semester.”

Route 42, one of two buses that travel from the main campus to the PAC, is also out of commission. There is cur-

Person Walks towards Main Campus after exiting The Big Blue Bus next to Drescher Hall at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023.(Isaac Manno | The Corsair)

rently no indication of when these lines will return. The Lyft rideshare program was started prior to the pandemic but has seen more use over the last couple years. According to Kawar, student reception has been positive.

He encourages students to get the Metro GoPass, which is covered by the $22.50 Student Benefits fee and gives students access to unlimited rides on the Big Blue Bus, Metro Bus and Light Rail, Culver City bus, and more.

“It's the best deal in town,” Kawar said. “It shows that when you take away that barrier or extra step every time you

need to go somewhere, having to think ‘well, should I use the car’ or ‘do I have enough change in my pocket,’ if you just know that it's already paid for, people use it.”

To register for the GoPass, students can log into Corsair Connect and click on the Enrollment tab. Under the Spring 2023 semester, they can click the Metro/BBB Tap Card prompt on the sidebar and follow the instructions.

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S P O R TS

Nicholas McCall | The Corsair

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Kane Schwengel dives for and bumps the ball during the men's volleyball match against the Grossmont College Griffins on Wednesday, at Corsair Gym in Santa Monica, Calif.

February 22, 2023

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Beikwaw Yankey (right) blocks the ball sent by Grossmont College Griffins' T ta Monica, Calif. The Corsairs won 3-0.

Corsairs Split To

Sasha Funes | Editor-In-Chief n Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs men’s volleyball team played two home games in a non-conference tournament.

The first game was against the Grossmont College Griffins and the second was against the San Diego Mesa College Olympians. The Corsairs had a positive start to the tournament, but the Olympians prevailed, keeping their win streak alive.

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The first game against the Griffins started off rough for the Corsairs. They were eventually able to get their communication down and the Corsairs seemed unstoppable from that point forward. The blockers prevented nearly every spike going over the net and the setters executed Nicholas McCall | The Corsair superb passes to get the kills. There were a Grossmont College Griffins' Aaron Knudsen sends the ball past Santa Monica College Corsairs' Camden Higbee, few serving errors throughout the sets but Beikwaw Yankey, and Kane Schwengel during the men's volleyball match on Wednesday.

the Corsairs pulled thr with scores of 25-16, 2

Libero Javier Castill first game, feeling posi but acknowledging th provement.

“I think we learned som selves that, like, you k team is like not at your bring down your level,”

Energy and positiv Castillo was determine the second game, as h the difference on the c

The Olympians en ment with a four gam obtained their fifth win

February 22, 2023

S P O R TS

Nicholas McCall | The Corsair

Santa Monica College Corsairs' Tylus Williams, Sergio Carrera, and Enkhtur Tserendavaa during the men's volleyball match against the Grossmont College Griffins on Wednesday, at Corsair Gym in Santa Monica, Calif. The Corsairs won 3-0.

Caylo Seals | The Corsair

Nicholas McCall| The Corsair

Tanner May (center) during the men's volleyball match on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, at Corsair Gym in San-

Seasons First ournament

rough and won 3-0 25-15, 25-17.

lo reflected after the itive about the result here’s room for im-

mething about ourknow, just because a r level doesn’t mean ” he said.

vity were two things ed to carry over into he said they make all court.

ntered the tourname win streak. They n in their first game

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Santa Monica College Corsairs reacting to San Diego Mesa College Olympians taking the lead in the fifth set of a home game in Santa Monica, Calif. on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2023. The game ended with the Corsair's defeat: 3 - 2.

and were off to face the Corsairs. It wasn’t an easy game for either side as the first set went up to thirty points before the Corsairs finally won it.

The following three sets ended in scores of 25-20, with the teams tying the game at two sets apiece. The final set was a shortened 15-point set, and as much as the Corsairs put up a fight, it was ultimately the Olympians who would win 15-11 to extend their win streak to six games.

The Corsairs’ next game is on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at the home of the Golden West College Rustlers at 5 p.m. Their next home game will be their final non-conference scrimmage. They will play the Irvine Valley College Lasers on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m.

Caylo Seals | The Corsair

Santa Monica College Corsair Jonathan Pritchard (11, middle blocker) serving the ball in the second set in a home game against San Diego Mesa College in Santa Monica, Calif., on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. The game ended with the Corsair's defeat: 3 - 2.

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C U LT U R E

February 22. 2023

Gallery members are admiring the large variety photographs at Danziger Art Gallery, in Santa Monica, Calif.,Feb,20,2023. (Alejandro Contreras | The Corsair)

Photos Forward: 1500 Works From All Over the Country Maria Lebedev | Staff Writer Michaeo Zavala | Staff Writer

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welve galleries from around the country showcased their works at the Photo Forward LA exhibition on Saturday, Feb. 18 and Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Danziger Gallery at the Bergamot Station Arts Center. 1,500 works were on display by exhibitors such as the Scott Nichols Gallery from Sonoma, California, the jdc Fine Art gallery from Gleneden Beach, Oregon, the Andrew Smith Gallery from Tucson, Arizona, and Paul M. Hertzmann Inc. from San Francisco.

The art varied from landscapes to portraits to abstract pieces. The time periods of the works ranged from the second half of the 19th century all the way to 2022. Some of the oldest pieces date all the way back to the 1860s. Two pieces by Andy Warhol from 1975 identically titled “Lips” were displayed in the Danziger Gallery, as “Kate Moss, Times

Square,” a photograph of the model taken in 1994 by Glen Luchford.

ican photographer to receive a Guggenheim Fellowship Award.

The Andrew Smith Gallery from Tucson, Arizona brought in some contemporary Indigenous pieces, such as works by Zig Jackson, an artist, photographer, and a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Jackson’s works represent the idea that the American land was originally Indigenous, and he draws on that idea in two series of photographs, “The Indian Mainland” and “The Homeland Series.”

According to Smith, Jackson went to a lot of boarding schools growing up, and many of his classmates were Native Americans. Jackson made friends with them easily, and soon learned what tribes they came from and the ceremonies and practices that they performed.

Naturally, he began to document it all through photography. Two years ago, Jackson became the first Native Amer-

Art by Shelley Niro, a Mohawk filmmaker and contemporary artist, was also displayed by the Andrew Smith Gallery. One piece titled “The Shirt” depicts the horrible tragedies that the Indigenous people of America had endured through a series of nine photographs. In the photographs Niro wears a shirt that reads “And all’s I get is this shirt,” which is then taken from her as the series progresses.

The styles of the works displayed ranged from landscapes to portraits to abstract pieces; there was really no general theme to the show, just a great variety of works from numerous galleries across the country.

The Danziger Gallery in Santa Monica opened on Feb. 19, 2022. Since the

opening, six different exhibitions have been held at the gallery. The Danziger Gallery was originally founded in New York in 1989 by James Danziger. Before opening the gallery, Danziger worked as a director of photography at the Vanity Fair magazine from 1983 to 1987. He visited Los Angeles frequently, eventually moving here in 2021.

The exhibition was presented by PAC LA, a non-profit group whose mission is to build and expand the photography community in Los Angeles. Michael Hawley, a founding member and photography collector, says PAC LA organizes close to 40 events per year and attracts residents from all over the city.