The Corsair, Issue 8 (Fall 2020)

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CONTENT News | pg. 3-4 Culture | pg. 5 & 8 Photo Stories | pg. 6-7 Year in Review | pg. 9-21 Opinion | pg. 10 Sports | pg. 11

EDITORIAL STAFF Jack Hughes | Editor-in-Chief Carolyn Burt | Managing Editor Jackie Sedley | News Editor Allie Leeds | Culture Editor Romelin Barrios Maldonado | Opinion Editor Maxim Elramsisy | Photo Editor Deshawn Pouper | Co-Sports Editor Missael Soto | Co- Sports Editor Fernando Duran | Multimedia Editor Sonia Hiew | Design Director Johnny Neville | Social Media Editor Conner Savage | Podcast Producer

CORSAIR STAFF Brian Adler | Octavia Anderson | Drew Andersen | Kimberly Aquino | Clyde Bates | Mario Burgos | Silvia Curiel | Jorge Devotto-Ordoñez | Johaira Dilauro | Miriam Dossena | Rebecca Edwards Owens | Gabrielle Faulkner | Jesse Fiddmont | Miyae Folkes | Michael Goldsmith | Kamiko Greenwood | Parys Hall | Josh Hogan | Rebecca Hogan | Andrea Jimenez | Mariam Khudikyan | Romeo Kuhn | Makala Lee | Caroline Leff | Michael Leggesse | Marcos Mackey-Darden | Shannon Maher | Vincent Marcel | Aja Marshall | Kacy McGonegle | Niamh Moore | Marco Pallotti | Guadalupe Perez | Kyle Phanroy | Sergio Sanchez | Gregory Stogel | Paige Strickland | Yumna Temezia | Yasmin Jafari Tehrani | Teri Temme | Kevin Tidmore | Todd Wilkinson | Aaliyah Willaims

FACULTY ADVISORS Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | Journalism Adviser Gerard Burkhart | Photo Adviser

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

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

WEBSITE www.thecorsaironline.com

Illustration by Carolyn Burt

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR One of the most important facets of a successful news organization is staff diversity with respect to race, age, gender, social status, and creed. This creates a conglomeration of different perspectives that can completely encompass the range of angles on an event. What results is often a snapshot of forty or fifty individuals in completely different stages of life. Stories in different chapters, all overlapping to inform.

This newspaper is, in many ways, an accumulation of these stories. Not just in the sense of news and opinion writing, but also the dozens of narratives that contribute to a complete publication.

It’s the story of strong women. My Managing Editor, News Editor, Opinion Editor, Culture Editor, and Design Director are all women who have defied the cultural shackles put on them and gone above and beyond to produce amazing work. Making up more than half of the editorial board, I have no doubt these forces of nature –– to whom I am eternally grateful –– will be leaders in this generation's fight for gender equality. With respect to their work for the paper and their conduct, they have demonstrated a relentless drive to succeed. Without these confidants, this newspaper would be nothing. In the face of bias and sexism, Carolyn, Jackie, Romelin, Allie, and Sonia, among others in the staff, have contributed something truly remarkable to the environment of the newsroom.

It’s the story of success in the face of adversity. Time and time again this semester, my staff has been tested. Some have lost loved ones or experienced the anxieties of a locked down world. Others have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or had family members among the millions positive. Without exception, every writer, photographer, or editor who has been faced with these daunting circumstances has risen and produced great work. As a group, we have faced obstacle after obstacle, and yet, we have still produced a newspaper for which I have great pride. My admiration for those who have worked through the various forms of difficulty this semester is immeasurable.

It's the story of Johnny and Sonia, who have spent this semester doing whatever’s necessary to achieve perfection. They have revolutionized the design of this paper.

Perhaps more than any other pair of staff members, these two remarkably talented and hardworking people have been able to create a lasting change in our publication.

Finally, it’s the story of a political science major who fulfilled a dream by leading a newspaper during a presidential election. Since I started in student journalism, I hoped that one day I might be able to captain a newsroom during a national election.

As I sat on a Zoom call, with dozens of people at midnight that day, I knew I was part of something special. Fueled by caffeine and a sheer distaste for incompletion, we worked until the early hours of the morning. The dream was realized. It was everything I had hoped it would be––and then some.

I thank all of you for reading this semester's productions, and I hope that we were able to inform you and maintain some of the lost sense of SMC community. I thank the staff of this semester's paper for staying with me, through thick and thin. Without your work, The Corsair would not exist. I thank this semester's Managing Editor, Carolyn Burt, who has always given her opinion without filter or reservation, and worked harder than anybody else to make this possible. Finally, I thank our advisors –– your faith in me is a gift I hope I have repaid. You have answered the phone at all hours of the day and night, and given us the best advice possible. I am eternally grateful.

I appreciate everybody involved in this paper, from advisor to staff to reader. Thank you all.

FRONT COVER A mosiac of more than 500 photos taken by Corsair Staff throughout 2020. Designed by Sonia Hiew, Conner Savage, & Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair.

Editor-In-Chief Jack Hughes

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The Fight to Mandate Ethnic Studies

Octavia Anderson | Staff Writer

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n January 2019, Assembly Bill 331 was drafted with hopes of making ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement. If passed, California would be the first state to mandate a one semester ethnic studies course as a minimum requirement to get a high school diploma, starting with the graduating class of 2029. This summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill, relaying in his explanation that he supported ethnic studies as a whole, but cited unspecified problems in the proposed curriculum. Gov. Newsom's decision shocked many scholars and leaders, such as those within the California Teachers Association (CTA).

"In the midst of the largest and most widespread movement for equality and equity our nation has seen since the Civil Rights era, the need for all students to learn about the diverse histories and perspectives of Black, Indigenous and people of color couldn’t be greater,” said CTA President E. Toby Boyd. He called for “an authentic ethnic studies curriculum that can be implemented with veracity and reliability.”

On July 31, 2020, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced the California Department of Education’s (CDE)

recommendations to revise the ethnic studies model curriculum. Since then, the Instruction Quality Commission (IQC) has been reviewing each draft at its quarterly meetings with these recommendations in mind.

The ethnic studies model curriculum’s foundation focused on Black/African-American, Chicano/a, Asian-American, and Indigenous studies, but this was not inclusive enough to get AB 331 passed in California schools.

Ethnic and religious groups such as Sikh, Armenian, Jewish, and Korean Americans felt overlooked in the 2019 proposal. Some groups felt like the strides of their ancestors in the United States were not emphasized, and that anti-capitalist rhetoric was promoted. In August 2020, the California Legislative Jewish Caucus (CLJC) said the bill prioritized Latino, Black, and Asian caucuses, stating that "the initial draft of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, which was released in 2019, included highly-problematic content about Jews and Israelis." The CLJC has worked alongside Thurmond to create guardrails prohibiting anti-Jewish and anti-Israel teachings in ethnic studies.

Since the first revisions, the conversation around who and what should be included has ultimately tested the

weight of the truth between leaders in the IQC revision meetings.

On November 19, 2020 the IQC debated if terms like patriarchy, ableism, and anthropocentrism should be included in the curriculum. The IQC discussed replacing the term "capitalism" to "economic inequality." Assembly members argued if the list of terms were exhaustive enough to sustain the fullness of BIPOC experiences. Assembly-member Shirley Weber advocated shortening the list of items under power and oppression, stating that it has been exhausted and that "there will always be economic inequality unless you advocate for socialism, which then brings in folks concerned about communism and if they have oppressive powers as well." Board-member Patricia Ann Rucker turned the conversation back to the mission of the ethnic studies curriculum, stating that that "it's about how to do the work, how to have the conversation about oppression, and creating a good outline for how to implement and introduce the conversation, so teachers don't make the mistake in teaching slavery as an economic model in the U.S." The discussions and rebuttals within the IQC's latest meeting revealed the long-standing lack of major reform of

U.S history classes' model curriculum.

According to a 2015 report from The Atlantic, McGraw-Hill history books listed the Atlantic Slave Trade as a means of immigration for African workers, instead of being listed as slaves who were stolen. This was later revised after public outcry on social media, but would have likely been ignored otherwise.

Although the new ethnic studies model curriculum revisions are currently in development for March 2021, the core teachings on Black/African-American, Chicano/a, Asian-American, and Indigenous studies have been implemented in many California high schools independently from state mandates.

For instance, the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES) is in its fifth year of mandating ethnic studies as a graduation requirement. Ben Burton, who graduated from LACES in 2019, took the course in the first year of its inception in 2016.

“At LACES it felt like ethnic studies was like sensitivity training, and people decided to make fun of/delegitimize it," Burton said. "There's so much specificity in the way these classes have to be taught, from curriculum to teacher. It's difficult to standardize, but totally important."

#BlockGarcetti Protests Continue

Johaira Dilauro | Staff Writer

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lack Lives Matter-Los Angeles (BLM-LA) has decided to host a daily protest stating that LA Mayor Eric Garcetti should not be picked nor considered to be a cabinet member in the Biden-Harris administration. Protests in front of the Mayor’s Mansion on 6th and Irving began Thanksgiving morning and have continued every day, beginning at 9 a.m. BLM-LA says they will protest every day until they hear confirmation that Garcetti will not be considered as a cabinet member for the upcoming presidency.

Garcetti served as a co-chair throughout Biden’s Presidential campaign, and multiple news sources including the LA Times have reported Garcetti as a potential nominee for a cabinet position. Speculations have been brewing about the possibility that Mayor Garcetti may be the Transportation or Housing and Urban Development Cabinet appointee. Garcetti has said he has no intention of obtaining a cabinet position and that his focus is on containing the coronavirus.

“I have been focused 110% on these numbers and on COVID and on saving lives,” Garcetti said at his COVID-19

news update on Nov. 24. “It’s one of the last things on my mind right now. You know, we have deaths that are going to be increasing, we have record numbers of cases and so I don’t have anything to add on that, not because I have anything to hide, I just have nothing to add. Right now, my job number one is to make sure I protect the lives of Angelenos.”

Los Angeles residents have held Garcetti under a microscope for several reasons, including homelessness, increased police violence, and abuse in communities of color. BLM-LA claims Garcetti has abandoned Angelenos and is using his position as Mayor for his own personal gains. The organization has spread the hashtag #BlockGarcetti across their social media platforms, and encourages protesters and allies to use the hashtag to upload photos and information.

BLM-LA has created a “#BlockGarcetti Action Toolkit” that includes their goals, participation guidelines, and facts about Garcetti’s term as L.A. Mayor. According to a document linked within the Toolkit called “F**kGarcetti,” at least 618 people have died at the hands of police in Los Angeles while Garcetti has held office - none of which have been charged.

“Since entering office in 2013, he is responsible for exacerbating the double-figure increase in homelessness, condoning the destruction of affordable housing in low-income neighborhoods in favor of privately funded commercial projects, and muddling his commitment to transit projects so that they benefit tourist-driven mega-events, not long-term residents,” said BLM-LA within their Toolkit.

“Garcetti’s political career is a failure at best.”

Deaths among unhoused people in Los Angeles has doubled since 2013, according to a report by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. An additional count by the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) in January of this year found that 66,436 people are currently homeless in the County. This count was conducted before the pandemic hit in March.

LAHSA’s reports also indicate that Black people are only 8% of the county population, but make up 33.7% of people experiencing homelessness. These conditions are one of many reasons BLM-LA protestors are speaking out against the consideration of Garcetti by the Biden-Harris administration.

Garcetti said in November that he

has expanded the homelessness budget to more than 16 times what it was five years ago. He started “A Bridge Home” in 2018, a shelter program intended to get unhoused Angelenos off the streets immediately while thousands more permanent housing units are being built with city funds.

According to the City of Los Angeles’ official proposed budget for 20202021, drafted in April, the city’s total spending for this fiscal year stands at roughly $10.5 billion. Of that, roughly $430 million is set to be invested “in housing, services, and safety for Angelenos experiencing homelessness.”

53.8% of the city’s general funds would be put toward police forces if approved, while 7.7% will go toward public works projects like sanitation and transportation.

BLM-LA has brought a national spotlight onto Garcetti’s record as mayor. Their organization continues to advocate for equality in the hopes of rooting out systematic racism. As the protest continues and social media attention amplifies, the Biden-Harris administration will have to choose if assigning Garcetti as a cabinet member is worth the backlash from a movement that continues to speak out and rise up for Black lives.

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Pandia Health Revolutionizes Birth Control Niamh Moore | Staff Writer

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s Telehealth becomes increasingly popular due to COVID-19, Pandia Health has been working to ensure the safest and most effective birth control can be delivered to the doorsteps of people across the United States.

Founded in 2014, Pandia Health is easy to use. For those who already have a prescription for a certain birth control, all they would need to do is send it over to the Pandia doctors, who then send it to the Pandia Health pharmacy.

It is then delivered right to your doorstep.

If those who wish to sign up don't already have a prescription they can go onto their website and fill out a health form; one of their doctors will look over their information, find a prescription for you, and have it delivered for a $20

co-pay. A prescription for any birth control is free with insurance and $15 a pack without.

Dr. Sophia Yen serves as the CEO and Co-founder of Pandia Health. She graduated from MIT, UCSF Medical School, and UC Berkeley with a Master of Public Health in Maternal Child Health. Yen currently works as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at Stanford Medical School.

Dr. Yen stresses that it is important to know who your online doctors really are, especially when it comes to reproductive health. Pandia Health is made up of nine certified doctors, all of them are listed on the website, along with their credentials.

“We are the only women-founded, women-led, doctor-led company in this space,” said Yen, “and I think as

more people go into telemedicine it's really important to look at who is the CEO of the company, who is the founder, and what their values are, choose the one that's founded by a woman who actually understands the situation."

Along with founding Pandia Health, Dr. Yen has a Ted Talk on what she calls — #PeriodsOptional. Yen believes that people with uteruses should not have to suffer from as many menstrual periods in their life as they currently do, and by cutting back the number of periods people will be less vulnerable to certain health issues. This can be achieved by using birth control to alter the menstrual cycle, making life easier for people all over the world, and creating less waste in landfills.

The recent nomination of the conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett into the Supreme Court has left many

people worried about the future of reproductive health in the United States.

Dr. Yen is concerned about the strict abortion laws that are being pushed in certain states across the country.

“They passed a lot of crazy stuff in very conservative states taking away abortion rights so if you're leaving California, you better get your birth control all together,” said Dr. Yen. Pandia Health is able to send birth control to any state in the U.S. However, their online doctors can only write prescriptions in California, Texas, Arizona, and Wyoming. They plan to expand as the company gets more revenue. If clients live in states other than these four, they can still get their prescription delivered. However they must have a pre-existing prescription or obtain one from their own doctor in the state in which they reside.

Los Angeles Arts on the Road to Recovery Aja Marshall & Rebecca Hogan | Digital Editor & Staff Writer

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n Monday, Nov. 16, The Broad Stage hosted its second event of the IN FOCUS virtual series titled, "LA Voices & The Road to Recovery." It was an intimate panel of esteemed leaders within the Santa Monica and L.A. arts communities who discussed how their institutions and organizations have evolved to continue their work amid COVID-19. Artists on this panel were able to showcase their programs as shining examples of the L.A. performing arts community’s efforts to continue creating and performing, in spite of the pandemic. “[IN FOCUS] is our new speakers platform to bring together thought leaders and artists on the biggest ideas and most pressing concerns of our day,” said Rob Bailis, the event’s moderator as well as the Artistic and Executive Director of The Broad Stage.

When COVID-19 restrictions were implemented in California, the state prohibited indoor gatherings to slow the spread of the virus. Many of L.A.’s performing arts centers and foundations were affected, including The Broad Stage — the main stage of Santa Monica College’s (SMC) state-of-theart performing arts center.

To continue their work using art to service, educate, and connect with the Santa Monica and greater L.A. community, The Broad Stage modified their 2020 season and moved their events

online. This included the IN FOCUS virtual series.

“This panel today looks at the road to recovery for our arts organizations and cultural institutions,” said Bailis, whose opening remarks introduced the panel of leaders that included SMC Superintendent/President Dr. Kathryn Jeffery; Shannon Daut, Manager of Cultural Affairs of the City of Santa Monica; Jean Davidson, President & CEO of the L.A. Master Chorale; and Melissa Barak, Choreographer & Artistic Director of the Barak Ballet.

Davidson and Barak discussed how video and digital media allowed their programs to continue amid the pandemic and reach new audiences. The L.A. Master Chorale created short form videos of their pieces, such as "Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal," that was previewed during the panel. Davidson explained that each member contributed to the piece by recording their parts at home using their own equipment. The clips were edited together to make a digital video that now lives on the L.A. Master Chorale’s social media channels.

“What’s been interesting about the digital content is that in a normal year, we’re reaching about 175,000. Our first video reached 100,000 people in a week,” said Davidson.

Melissa Barak received a similar response to her company’s short film, called “Breathe In.” It was shot at Pan Pacific Park in L.A. with choreography that maintained social distancing be-

tween the performers. Barak said, “It was great to create again and be together again, and people loved the movie. I was shocked at the response that it got.” It inspired Barak to make another film, “Reclamation,” that premiered at her ballet company’s first virtual gala.

Dr. Jeffery talked about how virtual learning was SMC’s innovative response to COVID-19. “The move to use remote modalities of instruction enabled SMC to continue offering classes in a way that adhered to the state and local guidelines for social distancing, and ensure the safety of our students and personnel.”

“An unfortunate outcome was when we moved to remote operations, key public facing arms of the college such as The Broad Stage and KCRW, were significantly impacted,” said Dr. Jeffery.

She noted that public radio was deemed essential by the state’s health department and continued in-person with reduced staff, but “the arts didn’t fall into that [essential] category.”

She went on to praise The Broad Stage for its innovation of virtual events that have created a safe performing arts alternative — continuing its mission to connect with the L.A. community through art.

Shannon Daut, the Manager of Cultural Affairs at the City of Santa Monica, discussed how her department took a different approach to handle the pandemic. They positioned art as part of the city’s recovery efforts and identified $500,000 in private funds to endorse

meaningful art projects around the city.

“It’s really to address our three crisis that we’re in right now — the pandemic, the economic collapse, and the racial injustice and inequity,” said Daut.

After connecting with local artists to learn their needs, Daut and her department formed a network of businesses and external stakeholders for the artists to collaborate with. The program will showcase a diverse slate of work from artists throughout Santa Monica and L.A. “By design [its] allowing different types of projects to be proposed,” said Daut. A few of the projects coming down the pipeline are murals on center dividers in outdoor dining areas, vacant storefront art installations, and interactive projects that address issues such as mental health.

In addition, the city of Santa Monica recently approved drive-in live performances at certain, yet to be confirmed, sites. They’re working on providing the infrastructure for these events as Daut noted that it’s not sustainable for Santa Monica’s smaller arts organizations to rent their own equipment and fund their own events.

As for the panel’s future outlook of L.A.’s art community, there was a collective sentiment to continue using technology to increase efficiency and accessibility of their work, and use the arts as a vessel to work towards a more accepting, inclusive, and equitable future.

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Patrons sit outside Rick’s Tavern on Main, a bar that’s been a popular hangout on this part of Main Street, Santa Monica, Calif., for over 25 years, on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020.

Rick’s Rolling With The Punches

Main Street Mainstay in Peril

he fate of popular local bar, Rick’s Tavern on Main, which sits close to the center of the busy Main Street, Santa Monica shopping district, is uncertain.

Howard Alpert, the current owner, bought the bar from Rick—Rick Clarke—in 2014. He positioned Rick’s as the street’s sports bar, but an Irish bar a block away had metamorphosed into a sports bar, and because of its larger size and better layout, had been taking business from Rick’s. Howard’s other property on Main Street, Circle Bar, had been doing well until March when businesses were forced to shut down because of COVID-19.

Howard decided to sell Rick’s in this year’s lull in sports that falls between the Superbowl and baseball’s opening day. He found a buyer, and the sale was due to close in early April. On the evening of St. Patrick’s Day, the staff threw themselves a party as they’d been told they would be let go when the new owners took over. That was one day after Santa Monica enacted initial restrictions in response to the pandemic. The sale fell through.

The bar was closed for months, but in the summer, when the City of Santa Monica authorized limited outdoor dining, Howard reopened Rick’s and had been doing well enough to stay open. The new COVID-19 restrictions starting after Wednesday, Nov. 25, will force Rick’s to close again, for at least three weeks, and it’s possible the bar will not reopen.

Circle Bar, which has been closed since March, is now essentially a storage unit, with unused and unneeded bar and restaurant equipment filling it.

Marco Pallotti | Staff Photographer

Bar worker Marvin Martinez stands behind the bar in Rick’s Tavern on Main. Marvin has worked at other bars and restaurants around Main Street since emigrating from El Salvador several years ago.

Neighborhood residents (from left), Mehrnoosh Mojallali, “Doc” Rick’s Tavern on Main. They’re all regulars and come to the bar a

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Bartender Maryssa Rillo pours a drink inside Rick’s Tavern on Main. Because of COVID-19 restrictions put in place by the county, Rick’s has to close on Wednesday Nov. 25, for at least three weeks. Maryssa is not sure if the bar will reopen, or if she’ll have a job even if it does.

”, and Tom & Annika Steichen, enjoy happy hour outside a few nights each week.

Maryssa Rillo asks local restaurant owner, Louis Lee, to put out his cigarette as he’s seated in an outdoor dining area. Louis, who was taking a short break, complied good-naturedly.

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Cases on the Rise as Holidays Approach Guadalupe Perez | Staff Writer

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he holiday season can be exciting as it’s a time where many gather at their family member's homes to celebrate, cook, and even wake up early to get an early start on their holiday shopping on Black Friday. Many also host Friendsgiving gatherings in order to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with their closest friends.

This year many people have made a change in the ways they celebrate the holidays, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the new partial lockdown in California.

Mireida Fernandez, a Sociology major at Santa Monica College (SMC) said, “My holiday plans this year are just cooking food for my family and playing family games.” Fernandez, who is currently living at home during the pandemic, said, “I have my grandma at home who is an easy target for COVID-19 so I really try to stay home as much as I can. If I’m not at work, I’m home. “ If COVID-19 was not around, celebrating this year's thanksgiving would have looked much different for Fernandez and her family. “We usually go to our family’s friend’s house to eat, watch movies, and do karaoke for thanksgiv-

ing. Unfortunately, we can’t this year so that sucks. But we’d rather stay home and safe and save it for next year.”

Fernandez was also one of the 1,500 SMC students who attended the SMC Thanksgiving drive-through pantry on Nov. 24. "My experience at the drivethrough pantry was really good. Everyone was so nice and I’m really thankful for the pantry for hosting this during the pandemic." said Fernandez.

Fernandez said the food provided at the SMC drive-through pantry helped her and her family's Thanksgiving meal this year. "We cooked the turkey and stuffed it with the vegetables they gave us and also made cranberry sauce." said Fernandez.

Soon after Thanksgiving the Fernandez family began getting ready for Christmas. "Aside from decorating for Christmas, we usually invite our friends to have a Christmas dinner with us and exchange gifts." said Fernandez.

However, this year that Christmas tradition will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic "Yes of course.

We love to have our friends over, but we won’t be having friends over this year.

If covid wasn’t around, we would have a full house with friends and family. We would all be cooking together, dancing together, and just having a good time."

Many SMC students have similar holiday plans like Fernandez. Sophie Hellerman, an English major, says her parents typically have separate plans during the Thanksgiving holiday since her parents are divorced. “My mom usually goes to a friend's house and my dad usually goes to a friend's house, but this year they’re actually both staying home. We’re all just celebrating Thanksgiving alone this year which is weird but we’ve never been too big on Thanksgiving in general so it’s not too different.”

Hellerman says even though the family isn’t big on the thanksgiving holiday it is typically more social than it is this year because they were all able to celebrate with their friends when the pandemic was not going on.

“The holiday season is kind of being overwritten by all of this academic stress... I've never had so many assignments due on December 1st before, plus college applications." said Hellerman about the cause of her academic stress during this time.

Hellerman who has participated in Friendsgivings in person in the past says" I have some friends who don't take too many precautions with covid, but even getting together under the same roof with a bunch of people, who

are definitely not getting tested, for Friendsgiving that was too much for them." says Hellerman about why she will not be participating in Friendsgiving celebrations this year.

Hellerman, ensuring she stays safe for Thanksgiving, said,”I plan on just Facetime my friends and telling them how grateful I am for them and then going to stuff my face afterwards.”

Although the Hellerman family is not big on Christmas, "In terms of Christmas, we usually have the whole family come over to my mom's house, and everyone kind of gets each other gifts and everything, and of course there's cookie baking, and hot chocolate, and of course Santa comes every year I would say that's a tradition." Hellerman says about her family's previous Christmas traditions.

The holiday season has changed drastically for many people and their families this year. Though, many have come up with different ways to celebrate the holiday season while social distancing and following safe at home orders. Typically digital gatherings are not the ideal way to celebrate holidays for many. But, it has given people a new appreciation for the holiday season and the family traditions they had before the pandemic.

Disney’s Buena Vista Street Reopens Josh Hogan | Staff Writer On Thursday, Nov. 19, Buena Vista Street reopened as an expansion of the Downtown Disney District, which is a popular retail and dining area connected to the entrance plaza of the theme parks. Three retail stores opened, including Elias & Company which spans the full length of the street and is a main destination for unique Disney themed items. Several outdoor dining restaurants opened in addition to many streetside food, snack, and souvenir stands. Other attractions in the theme park remain closed in compliance with state guidelines.

Buena Vista Street is the area directly inside the entrance of Anaheim’s Disney California Adventure Park. Its theme portrays Los Angeles in the 1920’s, which is when Walt Disney moved here. It has shops, restaurants, and a Trolley car, similar to Main Street U.S.A in Disneyland Park.

The restaurants and shops along the streets include: Trolley Treats, Clarabelle's Hand Scooped Ice Cream, Oswald's, Big Top Toys, and Elias & Company. The Buena Vista Street area is a

main hub with entrances to other sections of California Adventure Park like Hollywood Land, Grizzly Peak, and Paradise Gardens Park.

Disney’s California Adventure and Disneyland, which share a common entrance plaza, are separate theme parks requiring purchase of separate admission tickets. They were both closed indefinitely starting on March 14, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parks were scheduled to reopen on July 17, but due to rising COVID-19 cases in California, both parks remained closed until further notice.

To access Buena Vista Street, everyone must first wait in line, masked and 6 feet apart, to enter and walk through the Downtown Disney area where temperatures are taken and bags go through security check. Once guests reach the park entrance they sign onto a virtual queue reservation waiting list.

They spend time in the Downtown Disney area while waiting for their turn.

Although Buena Vista Street reopened at 10 a.m., guests started lining up at the Downtown Disney entrance at 5 a.m.

Rosa Alarcon and Melanny Perez, Disney Park season passholders, drove 2 hours from San Diego, Calif. to be at the reopening. They used to visit the theme parks twice a month, before the March shut down.

Alarcon and Perez checked into the virtual queue at 11 a.m. and were told 500 people were before them on the waiting list, there was an estimated three hour wait. They didn't mind at all.

“We’ve already been waiting for the longest time [to return to the park].” said Alarcon. When asked about COVID-19 health concerns and how the reopening was handled Alarcon said, “Everything seems really well organized and safe.”

Disney employees, who are referred to as cast members, have been told they are not allowed to give official interviews or quotes, but are allowed to speak of their experience in casual conversation.

A cast member who was directing crowds away from the park’s closed off areas, said it was his fourth day back after being off work since March. He said that so far it had been a great crowd of

guests and everyone was following protocols, being very patient and friendly, and happy to be back.

A cast member in the Smokejumpers Grill restaurant said that if the reopening of Buena Vista Street went well, there were high hopes that Main Street USA, the dining and retail area inside Disneyland Park, would also be able to open soon.

Holiday Mickey ears and smiles were everywhere as guests walked the decorated streets. They shopped for holiday gifts, skipped around to themed music, and stopped to take selfies with the restored “Storyteller Statue” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

Parking is $10 and admission is free, compared to the usual $25 parking fee and $124 holiday admission ticket to enter California Adventure. John and Emily, a father and daughter from Fresno, Calif., drove 4 hours to experience the holiday spirit saying “It's the perfect opportunity to visit during the holiday season without the expense.” Although the rides are not open, much of the park can be seen and enjoyed.

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Businesses boarding up windows around the Third Street Promenade prior to the Election Day in anticipation of potential civil unrest and violence, on Nov. 2, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)

2020 in Review

Jackie Sedley | News Editor

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he world was still alive when we were warned about the likelihood of widespread death and devastation. Sure, we’d heard about the increasing case rates in the U.S. since the tailend of January, but that can’t happen to anybody...can it?

265 days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 as the first pandemic sparked by a coronavirus. 265 days ago, many of us had to look up the difference between “epidemic” and “pandemic.”

And over the past 265 days, we have all been advised to deprive ourselves of our most basic human needs. Abraham Maslow created a Hierarchy of Needs in 1943, breaking down human psychology into five categories of need: physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization. Coronavirus has successfully challenged all five in a way that I do not think Maslow himself could have fore-

seen.

We’ve been forced to choose between our health and our innate human desires. Humans are naturally social animals; nobody who actively participates in society can be fully independent, and most people do not wish to be fully independent.

The past 265 days have been called unprecedented, unpredictable, and unbelievable. For many of those leading protests in the streets, however, the murder of George Floyd on May 25 wasn’t unpredictable. They did not consider the subsequent outrage and calls to action to be unprecedented. And, unfortunately, the idea that innocent people of color continued to be killed by police following Floyd’s death wasn’t that difficult for them to believe.

We saw widespread illness and death, heard cries for justice and demands for allyship, and witnessed political immaturities that will be talked about in history classes for decades to come.

Not a single health expert, politician, social reform advocate, or news fanatic can tell you what to expect in the new year. And even if they did, they’re probably guessing.

2020 cannot be summarized, because much of what began in 2020 will continue to unfold. Vaccines are on the horizon, but we do not know how long that will take to be distributed across all demographics. Reformists and advocacy groups are gaining traction, but the fight against systemic inequality and ingrained racism runs further back than a year can mend.

Nonetheless, we all must continue to wear masks, keep our distance, ask hard questions, learn about others’ experiences, and work with 2020’s challenges rather than fight against them.

Not only will we save lives this way, but we have the potential to shift society into a healthier, more inclusive space than it was before this year began.

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January Romelin Barrios Maldonado | Opinion Editor

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anuary marked a heartbreaking start to what would become a tumultuous year. On the morning of Jan. 26, 41-year-old Kobe Bryant passed away in a fatal helicopter crash near Calabasas, Calif. The retired athlete was one of nine passengers who fell victim to the crash. Bryant’s daughter, Gianna Bryant, was among the fallen.

The death of the former NBA star and the crew were later confirmed by the NBA in a letter to their employees.

News of Bryant’s death quickly spread throughout social media platforms, prompting widespread mourning from fans and fellow athletes alike.

Hundreds of Angelenos gathered at the

Los Angeles Staples Center, home to Bryant’s former team. Pictures, flowers, and other fan-made memoriam of Bryant covered the stadium’s pavement. The hashtag #GirlDad also gained traction on Twitter, in homage to the star’s quoted pride of being a father to a family of all girls.

Kobe Bryant is often recognized as one of the best players in NBA history. He was an icon to the city of Los Angeles, having dedicated his 20-year basketball career to the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant helped the team win five league championships and was crowned most valuable player once in the regular season and twice in the finals.

The first case of coronavirus in the United States was reported on Jan. 19 in Washington state. One week later, California saw its first case; the patient was admitted to a hospital in Orange County.

Visitors at the opening of the Getty Museum's exhibition, Michelangelo: Mind of the Master, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 24. (Marco Pallotti / The Corsair)

Camryn McMahan is escorted onto the court for her final game at Santa Monica College on Friday, Feb. 21. (Glenn Zucman / The Corsair)

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February Romelin Barrios Maldonado | Opinion Editor

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ollowing the death of Kobe Bryant and the eight passengers in the Calabasas helicopter crash, February became a month of remembrance for the former basketball

star.

The world mourned the retired athlete’s death by celebrating his legacy as one of the all-time best players of the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers, the NBA, and other acclaimed sports associations highlighted the many triumphs of Bryant’s 20-year league career. Artists in Los Angeles created several murals of the star and his daughter, Gianna. Fans and fellow Angelenos continued to visit the Staples Center to mourn Bryant’s death.

Towards the end of the month, a memorial service hosted by the Los Angeles Lakers was

Thousands of fans gathered at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. to mourn the loss of Kobe Bryant on Jan. 26. The Lakers superstar, his daughter, and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

Michael Jordan speaks at Kobe Bryant's Memorial Service at Staples Center on Feb. 24. (James Shippy / The Corsair)

held at their home stadium to celebrate the lives of Bryant and the other victims of the crash. The date, Feb. 24, was a homage to the Bryants’ basketball jerseys - Kobe was No. 24 and Gianna was No. 2.

Former teammates, family, friends, and fans were among the 20,000 attendees. His wife Vanessa Bryant, along with Shaquille O’Neil and Michael Jordan, delivered tear-filled eulogies remembering their time with Bryant and Gianna.

Family friends Cristina Aguilera, Beyoncé, and Alicia Keys also performed. Fans who were not able to attend inside, crowded outside, viewing the service from the stadium’s large screens.

Coronavirus cases heightened in February, including the infamous Diamond Princess Cruise ship outbreak that left 20% of the ship’s population infected.

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| CORSAIR L.A. Marathon runners passing by Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, Calif. on March 8. (Alex Ramirez Canales / The Corsair)

The 10 freeway in Los Angeles, Calif. devoid of rush hour traiffic on March 25.

California enters its sixth day since Governer Gavin Newsom's safe at home order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

(Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

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People gather to enter Costco in Van Nuys, Calif. on March 13, hours before the store opens. (Carolyn Burt / The Corsair)

A shopper browses empty shelves at Whole Foods Market due to COVID-19 in Venice, Calif., on March 18. (Kiran Baez / The Corsair)

Jackie Sedley | News Editor

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March

he United States was flipped on its head in March.

The month started with Americans still believing the election would be the biggest headline of 2020, and hundreds of thousands took to the polls on Super Tuesday to vote in the presidential primaries. The L.A. Marathon took place on March 8, one of the final glimpses of pre-pandemic life.

Though COVID-19 had already made its way to the U.S. in January, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the global pandemic on March 11. Santa Monica College (SMC) had its last day of in-person classes on March 12, and the majority of schools across the nation were shut down around the same time.

These announcements set off chain reactions across the state, as people panic-bought as many rolls of toilet paper

and bottles of hand sanitizer as they could. Bulk-buying continued through the month, even as grocery stores began implementing social distancing guidelines that led to extended wait times and lines out the door.

The nation fell into an official state of emergency on March 13, and on that same day, 26-year-old Breonna Taylor was fatally shot in her Louisville apartment by police officers. Her name would be seen on social media for months to come, with advocates pleading for the arrest of the cops who killed her.

Los Angeles tried to curb the spread of the virus by enforcing the “Safer at Home� order on March 19, which halted all non-essential activity county-wide. All trails, beaches, and parks were also closed. With hospitals quickly overrun, the navy hospital ship U.S.N.S. Mercy docked in the Port of L.A. on March 27 to relieve medical facilities treating coronavirus patients.

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Shoppers at Ralphs during the Coronavirus outbreak on April 20, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari-Tehrani / The Corsair)

Allie Leeds | Culture Editor

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April

n April, as COVID-19 lockdowns carried on worldwide, some Americans settled into an adjusted routine, while others fought against lockdowns. Mask mandates were set into place, requiring Californians to wear a face covering whenever entering a business, along with the ongoing stay-at-home order and guidance to stay six feet apart.

The United States healthcare system faced a serious shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) as COVID-19 continued to rapidly spread. PPE production went into overdrive, and the race to make sure all essential workers — from grocery store employees to nurses and doctors — had the equipment necessary to keep themselves safe. The struggle to find essentials like toilet paper, hand sanitizer, soap, and canned food carried over into the month of April.

Many showed (William F. Es

Two skateboarders in an otherwise empty skatepark in Venice Beach on the afternoon of April 22.

Authorities dumped sand into the skating pools to prevent their use. (Marco Pallotti / The Corsair)

The world continued to adjust to the new way of living. Beaches, skate parks, salons, places of worship, and other public spaces remained closed. Easter, on April 12, was the first major holiday celebrated in the United States since lockdowns began. Celebrations were held virtually or at home, with churches closed and public health guidelines prohibiting large gatherings.

The economy was reeling throughout the month of April. The unemployment rate reached 14.6%, a number not hit since the Great Depression. The California government responded to the alarming rise in unemployment by adding an additional $600 a week to benefits. The Treasury issued $1,200 stimulus checks to Americans who qualified, but residents who expected these to be continuous were disappointed. Another round of stimulus checks has not been sent out since.

While many local parks and beaches were shuttered due to the growin City of Santa Monica chose to keep some open. Airport Park in San (Michael Goldsmith / The Corsair)

May Jackie Sedley | News Editor

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ngelenos received a breath of fresh air in May, when nature decided to give us a pleasant distraction from the tumultuous pandemic and ongoing election.

This year’s super bloom brought thousands of bright orange poppies to Antelope Valley and Lake Elsinore, and attracted tourists into the Southern California region.

Similarly, thousands flocked to California’s beaches to see the bioluminescent waves, a rare phenomenon related to algae blooms. Many of California’s beaches - including all of those in L.A. County - were still closed due to the pandemic, but this didn’t stop onlookers from heading out to the shores. Beaches reopened on May

d up to the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancaster, Calif., May 3.

Espinosa / The Corsair)

A protest amidst stay-at-home orders in Huntington Beach, Calif., on May 1. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

ng coronavirus pandemic, the nta Monica, Calif., on April 1.

A drive-through COVID-19 testing sight at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 18. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

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13 for physical activities, around the time that the bioluminescent waves ceased.

The year took yet another tragic turn with the unjust murder of George Floyd on May 25, who was killed at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death sparked nationwide outrage, including massive protests in the streets of Los Angeles. Mayor Eric Garcetti responded to these protests by calling in the National Guard on May 30 and implementing an 8 p.m. curfew, supposedly to reduce looting and violence. Black Lives Matter and other advocacy organizations have been speaking out against police brutality and systemic racism for years, but the movement has gained extensive media coverage in the months since Floyd’s murder.

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Jackie Sedley | News Editor

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June

eniors in high school and college participated in virtual graduation ceremonies throughout June, unable to congregate in-person due to the coronavirus. Santa Monica College (SMC) held its virtual commencement on June 7.

With the economy battered and unemployment claims piling up, rushed reopenings started in cities across California. A new phase of reopening began on June 12, with bars, restaurants, salons, gyms, and more all allowed to invite customers back in — so long as they followed COVID-19 safety guidelines. Many of these reopenings were rolled back in later months, when cases began to significantly spike yet again.

The city began to appear the most “back-to-normal” it had been since March. Restaurants started offering outdoor dining, taking up sidewalks and even parking lots to provide services to guests. Similar reopenings were seen all around the state, and Gov. Gavin Newsom mandated the wearing of face masks on June 18.

George Floyd protests continued across the country, and organizers pushed for local and national governments to “prosecute killer cops.” Decades of inaction by prosecutors fueled anger among demonstrators in June, and campaigns for justice for those who have been murdered by police gained more traction. Rayshard Brooks was killed by police officers on June 12, and his name joined hundreds of others chanted by protestors across the U.S.

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A protester holding a sign from their car on Fairfax on Friday, May 30, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)

Protest in Downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on June 4.

(Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)

An LAPD cruiser burns after being set on fire during the protests against police brutality in Los Angeles, Calif. on May 30. (Yasamin Jafari Tehrani / The Corsair)

July Marcos Mackey-Darden | Staff Writer

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n the midst of summer 2020, July brought feelings of boredom as many were unable to take part in their usual summer activities. This led to the surge in and popularity of drive-in movies which helped many gain back some aspect of normality, as well as a feeling of nostalgia.

Beaches were closed on July 4, in an attempt to curb further spreads of coronavirus, but a spike occurred nonetheless following Independence Day. Toward the end of July and into the beginning of August, the L.A. County Department of Public Health noted a significant increase in cases and hospitalizations most likely linked to July 4 gatherings. Later in the month, on July 17, gyms followed in beaches' footsteps and closed again after being briefly permitted to reopen.

Protesters out after a 6 p.m. curfew are lined up wearing plastic handcuffs in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 2. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

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August

Johaira Dilauro | Staff Writer

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f 2020 has taught us anything it’s that life comes at you fast, hot, and filled with unexpected turns and sometimes devastating loss.

From extreme heat waves and endless wildfires, to virtual presidential nominations, August delivered a heated variety.

On August 14, the port explosion in Beirut, Lebanon shook the world. The explosion was caused by a large amount of ammonium nitrate that was being stored at the city’s port, injuring more than 6,000 people and killing 204.

The hottest August in California’s recorded history combined with lightning thunderstorms on August 16 and 17, led to the most devastating fire season in California’s history with over four million acres burnt down. In the month of August alone, 367 fires were simultaneously burning in California.

On August 18, during the second night of the first virtual Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden became the official Democratic nominee for the 2020 presidential election.

After 5 months of bad at-home haircuts and new grey hair growth, hair salons and barber shops were allowed to offer services indoors with 25% capacity on August 28.

On August 29, the world mourned the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, the first African American protagonist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Black Panther star had been quietly battling stage three colon cancer since 2016.

To complete the sizzling heat, on the last day of the month Santa Monica College started the Fall semester entirely remote for the first time. The campus was desolate and the Zoom classes began.

Will Rogers State Beach was filled with beachgoers escaping the heat wave on Sept. 16, in Santa Monica, Calif. People we

The Los Angeles Fire Department was quick to the scene of a fire between the southbound 405 and Sepulveda Boulevard, just north of the Getty Center exit on Sept. 11. As fires rage across the state, this fire near the scene of the 2019 Getty Fire, was quickly contained. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

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September

Johaira Dilauro | Staff Writer

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ere seen mingling and cooling off over Labor Day weekend despite the global pandemic. (Johaira Dilauro / The Corsair)

Eric Hester of Weiser Farms at the Santa Monica Farmers Market on Sept. 5 helping a customer pick out their famous "magic potatoes". (Johaira Dilauro / The Corsair)

ike every month in the year 2020, September hit differently: the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the rush to nominate a replacement during a COVID-19 super spreader event at the Rose Garden, the yearning to celebrate Labor Day, the start of the first fully-virtual school year, and the most bizarre presidential debate in our nation’s history. The chaos continued and the moments we took for granted in the past were very deeply felt in September.

Labor Day on Sept. 7 was welcomed during a heatwave, and the previous day was the hottest on record in L.A. County, topping 121 degrees. With the West coast burning due to ongoing wildfires, San Francisco woke up to a dark orange painted sky, bringing with it very toxic air quality. On Sept. 10, the August Complex Wildfire became the most devastating fire in California’s history, destroying 471 acres (736 square miles).

On Sept. 18, Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed and the very next day Trump publicly vowed to swear in a new Supreme Court judge.

The Trump administration held a COVID-19 super spreader event at the Rose Garden on Sept. 26. The mostly maskless event was held as a celebration to officially nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Consequently, over 12 elected officials contracted COVID-19, including Donald Trump and Melania Trump.

To conclude the overwhelming anxiety of September, over 73 million people tuned in to the first Presidential Debate on Sept. 29. From the constant interruptions, snarky remarks and Trump's refusal to denounce white supremacy, it will go down in history as the most bizarre 90 minutes of any presidential debate.

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Terrifying clowns strike a pose. Halloween in Georgetown Washingto D.C. on Oct. 31. (Todd Wilkinson / The Corsair)

Allie Leeds | Culture Editor

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October

ate in the evening of Oct. 1, President Donald Trump tweeted that he and first lady Melania Trump had both tested positive for COVID-19, starting off the month with a bang. This came after at least 18 people who had been in close proximity to the president also contracted the virus -- many of which were at a nomination event for Amy Comey Barrett just days before the positive test. The president went on to spend three days in the Walter Reed Medical Center, where he received an experimental antibody cocktail.

After the president’s positive COVID-19 test, the second Presidential Debate between him and former Vice President Joe Biden was cancelled. Despite Trump’s close contact to Vice President Mike Pence, the Vice Presidential debate between Pence and Senator Kamala Harris went on, after negative COVID-19 tests were confirmed from those involved. The debate, which was held on Oct. 7, featured hard hitting questions about COVID-19, race relations in America, the environment, and more. The standout moment

from the debate, however, was the fly which sat on Vice President Pence’s hair for over two minutes without getting his attention.

Also on Oct. 7, the ex-police officer charged in George Floyd’s death was released on bail. Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd in Minneapolis in May, and his release from prison further enraged those seeking justice. On Oct. 11, over 100,000 took to the streets of Los Angeles to show their support for Armenia. The protest was sparked by the latest violent clash between Armenia and Azerbaijan on Sept. 27, over the highly disputed Republic of Artsakh. Southern California has one of the largest Armenian populations.

For sports fans, there was celebration to be had throughout Los Angeles. The Lakers won the NBA champinship finals against the Miami Heat on Oct. 11.

The Dodgers won the World Series on Oct. 27 after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in game 7.

The month came to an end with a Halloween celebrated much differently than years past. Socially distanced drive-thru events popped up around the L.A. area, acting as an alternative to traditional trick-ortreating, parties, or theme park celebrations.

Due to COVID-19, the Dia de los Muertos festivals and public walking displays were significantly scaled back or moved online this year to keep people safe. Nov. 1, Placita Olvera, Los Angeles, Calif. (Silvia Curiel / The Corsair)

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People stood on top of their cars holding signs and flags celebrating Joe Biden's victory in West Hollywood, Calif. on Nov. 7. (Michael Leggesse / The Corsair)

November Marcos Mackey-Darden | Staff Writer

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ovember was a big month for everyone across the country, as the election loomed near and many were feeling the pressure of what was to come of the United States. As many went out to cast their votes on Nov. 3, the push to vote was extreme as many advocated to go out and ensure their future for the greater good. Four days after Election Day, Biden was projected to be the winner of the 2020 Presidential election. Pres. Trump still has yet to publicy concede.

The month progressed on and as the Thanksgiving holiday rolled around, many had virtual thanksgivings while others quarantined leading up to the day and got tested in order to spend time with immediate family.

With Los Angeles classified in the Purple Zone of California's Tier system for COVID-19 outbreaks, new restriction were put in place the day before Thanksgiving such as restaurants no longer being allowed to provide outdoor dining and relying on take out orders for income. In addition, a three week Safer-At-Home order began Nov. 30.

December Carolyn Burt | Managing Editor

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ith much of December still ahead, it is predicted that Los Angeles will face another Shelter-In-Place order before the year is up due to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases. It is anticipated that residents will still travel for the upcoming holiday season featuring Christmas and New Years. Angelenos are being asked to stay home and opt for virtual hangouts rather than in person.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California will be recieving over 327,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to be distrubted in December.

Celebration after Joe Biden was projected to be President-Elect in West Hollywood, Calif. on Nov. 7. (Michael Leggesse / The Corsair)

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Food for Thought: Thanksgiving Reality Paige Strickland | Staff Writer

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any adults who grew up in the American school system have similar memories of celebrating Thanksgiving in their elementary classrooms.

They traced their hands and turned them into rainbow-colored turkeys, glued feathers to headbands for makeshift headdresses, and made little square hats out of cardstock like the pilgrims wore. They snacked on cookies and punch, imagining what the first Thanksgiving feast might have been like.

Christine Kwon grew up in Mission Viejo, California, and attended Kindergarten in 2005 at O’Neill Elementary School. “I remember in Kindergarten our class was split in half. Some of the students dressed up as pilgrims, they made little white collars and hats with painted buckles on them. The other students dressed up as Native Americans with feathers glued on headbands to resemble headdresses,” said Kwon. “We painted rigatoni noodles that we called our ‘Indian beads,’ that were supposed to be like the jewelry Native Americans wore. Then we ate mini pizza bagels together on the floor as our feast.”

Mainstream society is increasingly becoming aware of cultural appropri-

ation and the white-washed version of history taught in the American education system. History lessons and textbooks predominantly focus on the achievements of white men, much like the settlers who stepped off the Mayflower, and under-represent other cultures, races, and ethnicities that made major contributions to the America we live in today. They ignore major historical injustices at the expense of indigenous people in particular -- such is the case with Thanksgiving.

Matthew Lawrence attended public elementary schools from 1990 to 1996, including schools in Anacortes and Tacoma, Washington. Lawrence also went to a school in Neah Bay, Washington on the Makah Indian Reservation, where he shares his Makah heritage. In a conversation via Zoom Lawrence reflected on the differences between attending schools on and off reservations.

“In Anacortes and Tacoma it was very much about the triumph of the pilgrims with the help of the indigenous people. Very one-sided,” said Lawrence. “[When I] moved to the reservation where half of my heritage is from, it was a total culture shock where white people were the minority. Growing up there helped with giving me and my classmates a strong indigenous identity.

Thanksgiving wasn’t really taught and

Columbus Day was no longer a holiday we would be celebrating anymore.”

Lawrence shared a clip from the 1993 film “Addams Family Values,” where a class of young students, and a crowd of white parents as spectators, put on a performance of the “Thanksgiving story.” "This clip was very eye-opening to me as a kid," said Lawrence.

In this clip, the children dressed up as pilgrims and referred to the indigenous as “savages.” A white mom in the audience remarked “20 grand for summer camp and he’s Mr.Woowoo?” as her child stepped on stage dressed as a caricature of an indigenous person.

It cemented the divide between whites and indigenous people.

Going off-script during the performance in the film, Wednesday Addams, a main character in “Addams Family Values” was also in costume as an indigenous person. She created her own monologue critiquing the relationship between white Americans and indigenous people, “My people will have pain and degradation, your people will have stick shifts.” This scene had a strong impact on Lawrence, “I learned more in this clip about privilege and the way natives are viewed in a white society,” he said.

Lawrence was asked for one word he would associate with Thanksgiving.

“Reflection,” he replied. "I think it is a day to reflect on what has been done to Native people since 1492, and also celebrate the resilience and courage of my people."

Most non-indigenous adults grew up with this false narrative. It is time to re-educate and reflect on how Thanksgiving activities reinforce cultural appropriation and ignorance. The harm caused by colonization must be acknowledged, and society must open their eyes to current forces that seek to disenfranchise and steal from indigenous communities. It is of importance to recognize their resilience. There are ways to honor indigenous people in an informed and progressive way. Donating time and resources to indigenous run organizations and researching the history of local tribes can increase cultural awareness, and bridge the divide.

While spending time with family and counting blessings this Thanksgiving season, adults can teach their youth, children, and peers that gratitude is a daily practice. That fieldworkers and day laborers play a large role in putting food on the table. That there are always multiple sides to one story. That Indigenous history is American history.

America's COVID-19 Accomplices

Michael Goldsmith | Staff Writer

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remember waking up on September 11, 2001, to the news that America was under attack. That morning 19 jihadists had simultaneously hijacked four separate airliners and used them to kill nearly 3,000 innocent people. It was the deadliest attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

As horrific and damaging to the national psyche as that day was, it ended up bringing Americans together in a way nothing else could. We had been attacked — not just one individual, group, or political party, but the country as a whole. The tragedy of 9/11 momentarily turned America back into the United States.

Our country has once again been attacked, this time by an invisible enemy, with the help of millions of Americans.

When we look back on this pandemic, the tragedy will be how it didn’t have to be this way. The virus was sure to kill a lot of people in a country of over 300 million, but it could never have reached the level it did without the help of America’s COVID accomplices.

It’s easy to become numb to death, especially when it’s other people’s fam-

ilies and friends. Hearing the daily and collective statistics during the pandemic, it begins to feel like these numbers aren’t real people. However, it's all too real for those who have lost loved ones and suffered personal tragedy over the past year.

Businesses and schools will eventually reopen. People will find new jobs.

Life will go on for the living. But those killed by the pandemic aren’t going to be rising from their coffins, and people who missed out on being with their dying loved ones will never get a do-over.

My mom and I haven’t seen my dad face-to-face in over nine months. A few years ago we were forced to move him into a skilled nursing home due to the mounting effects of his dementia, including losing the ability to talk or understand language. He has no way of understanding why we don’t visit him anymore. Although we are extremely grateful for tools like FaceTime, there’s no substitute for human-to-human contact.

After the first coronavirus outbreak at his facility, all “non-essential” personnel were prohibited from visiting, including families. The twice-a-week window visits we subsequently had

with him were canceled after the second outbreak. As the virus currently explodes across the country, my family and millions of others like us have absolutely no idea when we’ll be able to see our loved ones next.

Our family is fortunate in many ways. We have the resources to provide my dad with the care he needs. His facility is staffed by many caring individuals who try and provide him with both physical and emotional support. The hard reality is that there’s no replacing this lost time.

The real tragedy of this once-in-acentury pandemic is that my family’s situation isn’t extraordinary — it’s sadly become common place. Countless other Americans have and continue to suffer far more than us.

While my mom and I have been following the public safety guidelines put out by healthcare professionals since the beginning of the pandemic, tens of millions of Americans have decided that they’re special — choosing to live in their alternative-facts bubble. President Donald Trump is at the top of that list.

In a recorded March 19 phone call with journalist Bob Woodward earlier

this year, Trump admitted he knew how deadly the pandemic would be. “I always wanted to play it down. I still like playing it down,” the president responded to Woodward. Trump continued, “Now it's turning out it's not just old people...

Plenty of young people.”

While privately confessing knowledge of the tremendous infectiousness and lethality of the virus, the president continued to mislead the American people. His purposeful deception and negligence has resulted in the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. It’s important to remember that he’s not alone.

Every politician who enabled and made excuses for his impotent and callous response to this crisis has blood on their hands. Every media pundit who lied to their audience has blood on their hands. Every anti-medicine quack who preyed upon scared and vulnerable Americans has blood on their hands.

And most importantly, every person who decided that their momentary pleasure was worth more than their fellow American’s lives has blood on their hands.

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Giving Santa Monica the Fighting Spirit Michael Leggesse | Staff Writer

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n our beautiful city’s parks, Santa Monica Striking coaches Dean Rosenwald and Lance Dixon train their fighters in Muay Thai. They are temporarily offering these classes free of charge. “I don't want to turn anyone away who can’t afford to pay, especially [during the pandemic],” said Rosenwald.

But as many gyms have been closed for months, Rosenwald, the founder of Santa Monica Striking, has had to move his classes outside. These outdoor classes are primarily done at parks throughout the city.

As the pandemic still goes on, hundreds of gyms across the nation have had to close. For the first two months of the lockdown, Rosenwald still had the desire to teach his students, so he taught through Zoom calls. Rosenwald said, “It was pretty much a digital Muay Thai class where we would go through technique and strikes, kind of like guided shadowboxing, but a lot more technical.” Even with the shutdown, the coaches of Santa Monica Striking continued to train their students every day of the week, online or outdoors.

His classes consist of a diverse group of people from beginners, to trainees that have been practicing for several years. They are open for anyone that has an interest, to come and join. The community, Dixon said, “ is

very strong, very humble, and very respectful.” And his students agree. Santa Monica residents, Anna and Nate Redmond have been training with Santa Monica Striking for over a year. “We came in with no experience”, said Nate.

Anna added to that saying, “when we started, we looked at a couple of places though, and we really liked the energy, they’re relaxed, they take what they do seriously.”

Santa Monica Striking trains several fighters, some coming in with no experience prior to joining Rosenwald’s community, like fighter Chris Heihn.

“Back in January, we got a student [named] Chris Heihn. He came to us with zero experience, zero striking, and wanting to compete. So he put in the work. And after about six months, we started thinking about fights. And then in November, he was able to compete in his first amateur fight,” said Rosenwald.

But there is still a serious concern on the possibility of COVID-19 exposure. Although outdoor activity is still permitted, cases in Los Angeles County have reached an all-time high. In the class, people are paired up for striking and pads, which requires close contact throughout the workout. “Yeah, there is [concern]. I tell people if you want to wear a face mask, definitely wear a face mask. But I think just being out in the sun, being outdoors, exercising is a key part of health,” says Dixon.

There is uncertainty when it comes

Muay Thai instructor Dean Rosenwald and his student Chris Heihn train in Santa Monica, Calif., on Nov. 30, 2020. (Maxim Elramsisy / The Corsair)

to how much longer indoor gyms will be closed. This outdoor exercise is an opportunity to try Muay Thai without being charged, until their indoor gym

opens. For anyone looking to attend a class, send them a direct message on their Instagram, @santamonicastriking for class time and location.

The Show Goes On... Virtually Missael Soto | Sports Editor

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hen Santa Monica College (SMC) announced it would go online for the Fall semester it was difficult to imagine how particular classes would adapt to going online. Dance classes, which usually involve a lot of movement and open space can be challenging since not everyone has access to a large amount of space.

Students from beginners to advanced can struggle with learning new choreography, while instructors can find it hard to direct students through a monitor since dancing is a kinesthetic learning experience. Instructors usually have an entire studio to assess movement and critique easily with all of their students in one place as opposed to

multiple tiny screens via Zoom.

SMC Dance Instructor Mark Tomasic however, adapted fairly quickly to the online changes. Tomasic gives instructions from his living room which he rearranged to feel more like a dance studio, moving his coffee table and rug to create more space.

“It’s surprisingly similar to a regular dance class just that we’re not meeting in person … I see all of them [students] on screen in their own spaces obviously, and I’ll demonstrate things physically and I’ll also talk through things and I’ll have them do it, and often times I’ll do it with them.” said Tomasic.

While the classes may be similar, Tomasic mentions that dancing and learning choreography through Zoom does come with its own challenges.

“I think a challenge that I experience and that my students experience is

missing a shared energy, particularly in a dance class. If you think about it, 20 people moving around in a space that actually physically builds up a certain amount of energy that is palpable.” said Tomasic when comparing in person to online classes.

For Jessica Taylor, a student choreographer and dancer, in the SMC production Synapse Contemporary Dance Theatre she’s found her own challenges in online dance classes.

“When you log on to a Zoom call you’re looking at the person [instructor] trying to mirror movement. If it’s my right side, is it your left side? Did you want your left side? Are you mirroring me? So you’re doing the opposite, but it’s the other side. Sort of like a Rubik Cube.” said Taylor Taylor remains optimistic on what the outcome will be at the end of the

semester “I think all of us can learn a lot from the process, whether we’re in a piece or in my case I get to choreograph something, I think it’s definitely something we’ll look back on and say look at what we were able to do.” said Taylor.

This year the SMC Dance Department faculty and students put together two productions, Synapse Contemporary Dance Theatre and Global Motion World Dance Company which would usually be performed at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. However, you can find both of these productions on Vimeo for free where you will see the performers execute choreography collectively through individual video recordings. The dance department created two productions they are really proud of despite the obstacles of digital learning.