The Corsair Spring 2023 - Issue 5

CONTENT

News | pg. 3-5

Photo Story | pg. 6-7

Culture | pg. 8-9

Opinion | pg. 10-11

Arts & Entertainment | pg. 12

EDITORIAL STAFF

Sasha Funes | Editor-in-Chief

Conor Heeley | Managing Editor

Anna Sophia Moltke | Photo Editor

Antoineé Jones | News Editor

Baleigh O'Brien | Arts & Entertainment Editor

Taylor Smith | Arts & Entertainment Editor

Michael Zavala | Culture Editor

Sydney Partyka | Opinion Editor

Dylan Dayton | Sports Editor

Ryan Watts | Sports Editor

Jackson Tammariello | Copy Editor

Katheryne Menendez | Digital Editor

Christina Torres | Social Media Editor

Callie Yiu | Multimedia Editor

Presley Alexander | Multimedia Editor

Caylo Seals | Design Editor

Alejandro Contreras | Design Editor

CORSAIR STAFF

Bryan Antunez | My'Dari Baker | Victor Chambers

| Ashley Chinchilla | Damond Collier Sr. | Rafaella

Cruz Ramaciote | Vanessa Daily | Daniel De Anda |

Jorge Devotto Ordonez | Claude Epperson | Ilayda

Gercek | Shaylee Guerrero | Jehrid Hale | Josh Ho-

gan | Rebecca Hogan | Torrie Krantz-Klein | Maria

Lebedev | Isaac Manno | Nicholas McCall | Richard

Mendez | Danilo Perez | Akemi Rico | Tyler Simms |

Kevin Tidmore | Sebastian Villamil | Amanda Villa-

mil-Solano | Aaron Wiria

FACULTY ADVISORS

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | Journalism Advisor

Gerard Burkhart | Photo Advisor

Samantha Nuñez | Social Media Advisor

CONTACT

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

Managing Editor | corsair.managing@gmail.com

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter | the_corsair

Instagram | corsairnews

Facebook | thecorsairnews

YouTube | thecorsaironline

WEBSITE www.thecorsaironline.com

FRONT PAGE

A protester holding up a sign which reads "women's rights are human rights" during a protest organized by Women's March Foundation LA, Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights LA, and several other organizations. (Caylo Seals | The Corsair) Read more on page 4.

A demonstrator holds a sign while shouting at the Women’s March gathering at Pershing Square in Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday, April 15, 2023. The march was organized in response to a federal judge in Texas blocking the approval of an abortion pill.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Two weeks ago, a federal judge in Texas made a decision to block the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion medication mifepristone, which has been used safely by millions of women since 2000. Since then, a sense of fear has washed over me that hasn’t gone away. I fear for the future of women’s rights.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states all over the country displayed their hostility on abortion access setting heavy restrictions, such as banning abortions after six weeks or having to prove rape or incest was involved in order to receive one. Some states have banned abortion entirely. I thought it couldn’t get worse.

I personally felt safe in California until two weeks ago. I thought no one could take away the basic rights women have in our state. But now, even here we’re in danger of seeing them slip away. The judge’s ruling, should it stand, will have a negative effect on women in this state by denying them essential medication. The Supreme Court will soon make a decision on mifepristone, and it worries me knowing they already overturned Roe v. Wade and have shown their anti-abortion stance.

Women all over the world are forced to give birth because they don’t have access to abortions or women’s rights, and the United States is now taking steps backwards and seeming like they’re taking steps to slowly get to that point.

I’ve met countless women in my life who have told me not to have kids young, especially if it can impact my education. Kids are a major responsibility, and on top of school not every person can handle being a parent. Some women have to make that sacrifice in choosing school over a kid.

Giving birth can be very dangerous. A 2021 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that “1,205 women died of maternal causes in the United States compared with 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019.” Those deaths occurred either while being pregnant, or the month and a half period after.

There’s also the financial aspect of having a child. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the average annual spending for a child from a middle income family is $12,980 in 2015. $12,980 isn’t the kind of money everyone has, especially those under the poverty line. The Census Bureau states that in 2021, 11.6 percent of the population lived in poverty. That’s approximately 37.9 million people.

Conservatives making decisions on Roe v. Wade and mifepristone aren’t considering everything. They aren’t considering the dangers of giving birth or the financial struggles one can have while raising a child. They aren’t considering full time students who already have to work a full time job just to get by themselves. They don’t care that someone may be forced to carry a child from someone they didn’t want a child with.

It’s important to get your voice out there in any way you can. Protesting to show support and going out to vote are two impactful ways to show that we will not stay quiet as politicians and judges decide what’s best for our bodies.

Sasha Funes

Photo by Anna Sophia Moltke

Sexual Assault Awareness Month at SMC

Throughout the month of April, Santa Monica College (SMC) will hold a series of online and in-person events in recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). Some of the topics covered included self-defense training, dealing with trauma and art therapy. The month-long program is spearheaded by the SMC Title IX department.

“Sexual violence happens all the time, but in April we just want to really highlight how sexual harassment, assault, and violence hurts and impacts all of us, and what can be done about it,” said Lisa Winter, SMC’s Title IX Coordinator. Winter works alongside several appointed deputies to oversee Title IX compliance at the college.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded educational programs and activities. The law also considers sexual assault and sexual harassment as forms of discrimination.

The definitions of sexual assault and sexual violence includes events of rape, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, and sexual battery.

The importance of observing SAAM at the college was brought up during the SMC Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, April 4. The meeting’s agenda affirmed that the month-long program provides “a special opportunity to educate people about sexual violence, encourages the prevention of sexual assault, and has improved treatment of its victims/survivors, and the prosecution of its perpetrators.”

The Board also discussed SMC’s support of the Peace Over Violence’s appointment of April 26 as “Denim Day,” a date when people are urged to wear denim to spread the message that “there is no excuse and never an invitation to rape.” Peace Over Violence is a nonprofit organization focused on the issues of sexual, domestic, and interpersonal violence.

One event, titled “Empowerment through Self Defense,” will take place on April 19 at the Core Performance Center, room 216. The workshop will cover strategies and tools to both avoid violent conflict and prepare for unwanted physical altercations. Professor Garen Baghdasarian from the SMC Kinesiology and Athletics department will serve as the instructor.

From the same department, Professor Karen Hun-

er will lead a Restorative Yoga workshop at the same location on April 21. The class will focus on a gentle form of yoga that focuses on relaxation and stress relief. The goal will be to teach attendees to better connect with their bodies, encouraging the release of emotional tension and helping to calm the nervous system.

“Prevention is only achieved with lots of attention,” said Winter. “Our goal at SMC is to provide support, offer resources, educate, and work with allies so our students feel safe.”

According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 are at significant risk of sexual assault, with those under the age of 18 accounting for approximately 44 percent of all reported assaults. The DOJ also stated that female college students of that age are three times more likely to be sexually assaulted than women in general while their male counterparts are five times more likely than non-student males.

A 2018 study by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center stated that 81 percent of women experience some kind of sexual violence throughout their lives, compared to only 43 percent of men. The study also showed that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 14 men had survived sexual assault.

In 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a survey that found that women of racial, ethnic, and sexual minorities are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence. The report, titled National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS), states that within the LGBTQ+ community, transgender people and bisexual women

face the most alarming rates of sexual violence.

“All of the cases of assault I’ve heard about in the seven years I’ve worked here have taken place outside the campus,” said Johnnie Adams, Chief of the SMC Police Department (SMCPD). “However, we still try to be as helpful as we can because I feel we should be safety advocates.”

Adams said that if an SMC student has been a victim of sexual violence off-campus, they can still reach out to the college’s police department for assistance. “We can help them navigate the SMC resources, get a restraining order, or direct them to treatment centers in the area.”

Adams also affirmed that in the event of a sexual violence episode, a student should call the SMCPD first. He said that all SMCPD officers undergo extensive background check and training and are well-equipped to handle sensitive situations.

“It’s important for students to know that they don’t have to share their identity if they don’t want to,” said Adams. “The most important thing is to get the student to a safe place and have them receive immediate help.”

When it comes to students protecting and defending themselves, he recommends having the LiveSafe app installed on one’s phone, walking in pairs or groups, and even carrying a small pepper spray on a keychain. “It’s legal on campus, but it should only be used defensively to allow yourself to escape from a dangerous situation,” Adams said.

He explained that to properly use a pepper spray, one should firmly hold the release trigger for two to five seconds while gesturing in a figure-eight pattern and focusing on the “face’s triangle,” which is the forehead and eyes area.

LiveSafe is a free mobile app that SMC shares with its students, faculty, and staff to provide direct and fast communication with the college’s safety officials. The application is available for download on the App Store or Google Play.

“You can use the GPS in the app to follow a friend’s movements if they are feeling unsafe, for example,” said Adams. “It’s like a technological version of the buddy system.”

The schedule of all SAAM events can be found at www.smc.edu/calendar/.

Victor Chambers | Staff Writer

Illustration by Victor Chambers

Illustration by Alejandro Contreras

Shira Yevin (center), founder of Gritty in Pink, an organization that advocates for gender equity and equality in the music industry, holds a sign which reads "rights back, right now" during a protest organized by Women's March Foundation LA, Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights LA, and several other groups, outside Los Angeles City Hall, in Downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on Saturday, April 15, 2023.

Protesters march from Pershing Square to Los Angeles City Hall. The protest was sparked after a federal judge in Texas invalidated FDA approval of a common abortion pill, mifepristone.

Demonstrators Craig Winterman (left) and May Lee (right) holding up signs outside City Hall.

Caylo Seals | The Corsair

Caylo Seals | The Corsair

Alejandro Contreras | The Corsair

VP Harris and Mayor Bass Speak at Women's March

Hundreds of demonstrators marched from Pershing Square to Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday, where Vice President Kamala Harris and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass spoke in support of reproductive rights.

The march, organized by the Women’s March Foundation, comes after a federal judge in Texas blocked the Food and Drug Administration’s approved abortion pill Mifepristone last week.

Once the protesters reached Los Angeles City Hall, the Women’s March Foundation and Planned Parenthood, along with Rep. Judy Chu, Bass and Harris took the stage to voice their opinion on the recent Texas ruling. All guaranteed that Los Angeles will remain a safe haven for women seeking abortions.

Chu spoke about authoring the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would give women access to abortions nationwide and said that she’s “with you every step of the way.”

Bass opened up her speech by expressing how great California is for ensuring women maintain their right to choose to have an abortion or not, but that people should still be mindful of the impact the Texas ruling can have on California.

Harris called out those trying to silence the voice of the people, including the Supreme Court for overturning Roe

v. Wade. She expressed the importance of showing up “each and every day to defend our fundamental rights.” She also stated that an attack on women's rights in America, is an attack on America itself.

“There’s so much at stake right now,” said Harris. “And so we have been called upon to be the next generation of the people who will help lead and fight in this movement for freedom and liberty based on our love of our country.”

After the 1973 Supreme Court case that protected a woman's right to an abortion, Roe v. Wade, was overturned last June, states were given the power to regulate abortion access. Conservative political figures are now trying to take things a step further and ban abortions nationally.

On April 7, Federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas ordered a hold on the FDA approval of mifepristone, a drug which terminates pregnancies between 12 and 20 weeks of gestation.

Around the same time, federal Judge Thomas Rice in Washington ruled in a separate case in favor of allowing 17 states to continue using mifepristone.

After going to an appeals court, the Supreme Court stepped in to issue a temporary stay for mifepristone across the country while they review both sides of the argument.

62-year-old James Craig, who uses a wheelchair, was the first to arrive at Pershing Square. Craig has attended many Los Angeles marches and protests in the past and plans to continue to do so in the future.

“I’ve lived my life. I’m worried and concerned about younger people, because they’re the ones that are going to have to live with the consequences that people my age are making or not making,” Craig said.

Craig explained he arrived at 8:30 a.m. to not only beat the crowd, but to witness the formation of the protest.

“I wanted to get down here and be a

part of everything that’s going to go on before it ever started,” he said.. “I actually wanted to watch the people come to mingle and get to know each other.”

One marcher, 72-year-old Gloria Laisure said she has been taking her fight to the streets for 50 years now and wants to lead by example for her own granddaughter.

“I’m teaching her to be a little activist at a young age because that’s what we need. We need young people to care and to take over,” Laisure said. “You see a lot of people my age still taking to the streets because we just can’t believe this is happening again.”

Another veteran protester, Karen Rawinsky, remembers protesting before Roe v. Wade passed. She also encourages people to go out and vote so their voices are heard on the matter at hand.

“I’ve worked in women’s health a long time and this thing about not letting people take advantage of what’s available to them to remain healthy, to be in charge of their bodies,” said Rawinsky. “We encourage everyone to take care of themselves and this is self care.”

The temporary stay for mifepristone from the Supreme Court is in effect until at least Friday, April 21. The Supreme Court then will make a decision on the future of mifepristone.

“We have been called upon to be the next generation of the people who will help lead and fight in this movement for freedom and liberty.” – Vice President Kamala Harris

Sasha Funes | Editor-in-Chief Taylor Smith | Arts & Entertainment Editor

Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair

Caylo Seals | The Corsair

Caylo Seals | The Corsair

Caylo Seals | The Corsair Cynthia Fisher holding signs before the march begins. Protesters march from Pershing Square to City Hall.

(Above) Vice President Kamala Harris (left) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (right) embrace on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall before Harris gives a speech.

(Right) Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-28) announced that she was an author of the Womens' Health Protection Act.

Gearing Up for the Grand Prix

Thousands of racing fans and car enthusiasts flocked to the 48th annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach last weekend from Friday, April 14, to Sunday, April 16. Attendees took part in spectating the multitude of events held on the streets surrounding the Long Beach Convention Center.

Thunder Thursday preceded the three-day event, with an action-packed motorcycle stunt show at the Pike Outlets shopping center.

Most of Friday’s events were practice races, with two qualifying races to ease in fans for the thrilling weekend to follow. The weekend was when the challenges began for the Grand Prix.

The first round on Saturday was the Historic Formula One (F1) Challenge Race, in which drivers took to the race tracks behind the wheel of vintage F1 cars. Individu-

ally, each of these cars can cost up to 10 million dollars.

Following that was the Nippon Telegraph and Telephoto (NTT) Indycar Series Qualifying & Fast 6. The fastest six racers were allowed to advance to the big race on Sunday.

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) SportsCar Grand Prix took place at 2 p.m. This includes the highly anticipated Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), a Le Mans Daytona Hybrid vehicle.

The GTPs faced off for 100 minutes against other competitors, with some cars being modified daily drivers.

After the IMSA race, Stadium Super Trucks began racing and driving over ramps for 30 minutes on a short off-road course. The following event was the Porsche Carrera Cup Race #1, which lasted 40 minutes. The last car-based event was the Super Drift Challenge,

where top formula drift drivers slid their cars around curvy turns along the racetrack.

In addition to racing, a Lifestyle Expo inside the Long Beach Convention Center featured various exhibits and racecars for event attendees. Near the entrance of the Prix was a concert with headliners Boombox Cartel and Kings of Chaos, with former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum playing for Kings of Chaos.

On the final day of the action-packed weekend, an exotic car parade, warm-ups, and F1 challenge began. Sunday culminated in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, where racers battled for first in an 85-lap race.

Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Autosport won first place in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, leading 53 out of 85 laps in the number 27 twin-turbo Honda NTT Indycar.

Anna Sophia Moltke | Photo Editor Danilo Perez | Staff Photographer

Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair

Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair Racing marshal stands by different color flags, which correspond and signal different conditions to drivers and their crews throughout the track.

(Above series) Drivers compete in Formula One racecars during the Historic F1 Challenge Race at the 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday.

Bruce Marquand sits inside of a Formula One racecar, and partakes in the Historic F1 Challenge during Acura's 48th Grand Prix at Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday.

Danilo Perez | The Corsair

Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair

Anna Sophia Moltke | The Corsair

Danilo Perez | The Corsair

Danilo Perez | The Corsair Sean Allen drives an open-wheeler McLaren in the Historic F1 challenge.

George-Lyn wears her “Grand Prix outfit” and sports pins of past races on her hat on Ocean Boulevard, outside of the 48th Annual Acura Grand Prix.

Pit crew member performs final touches on #27 NTT Indycar before the Historic F1 Challenge. These tweaks are unique to each team, and can be crucial for performance. Kyle Kirkwood won the Grand Prix with this vehicle.

Grand Prix attendee in a ride along with Spencer Pigot in a double-seater Formula 1 style vehicle. Some fans got to feel an F1 during intermission.

A Small Landmark That Packs a Lot of History

The last intact Shotgun House in Santa Monica is located at 2520 Second St., near the intersection of Ocean Park Boulevard and Main Street. The historical landmark is open for free tours, which are held two to three times a month.

The house was originally built in 1897, and serves as the Preservation Resource Center (PRC) for the Santa Monica Conservancy. PRC docent Sylvia Rose said that the Center “provides help for people who are trying to restore or save old buildings.”

According to Rose, the house stood two blocks further south 15 years ago. The owner of the property planned to knock it down to make more land space, but the neighborhood got together in protest to save the landmark.

“One of the neighbors said ‘no, you’re not gonna do that,’ and literally got between the bulldozers and the

house,” Rose said. “The neighborhood came together to save this house.”

After it was saved, the small building was moved to a new location and money was raised to restore it. The Shotgun House known to the public today has been open since 2012.

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, shotgun houses derived their name from the format of the rooms, which are connected directly without hallways. If a gun was fired from the front door, the bullet would pass straight through the house without hitting anything and exit out the back.

The Santa Monica Shotgun House consists of a front porch and four rooms which flow seamlessly into one another in a single straight line. The white walls are covered in framed posters that provide detailed descriptions on the history of the city.

One poster, titled “Living In The

Shotgun House,” tells the history of the landmark. The Shotgun House was occupied by the family of Karen Noonan from 1956 to 1967. Noonan lived here with her two parents, her brother, and an older sister who visited from time to time.

The front room was used as the living room, the two middle rooms were bedrooms, and the rear room was a kitchen. The pop-out in the wall of the second room, which, according to Rose, could have been used for a Murphy bed at one point, was used as a clothes closet by the Noonan family. Today that space is taken up by four built-in cabinets.

The entire floor of the house is covered in lacquered wood. However, there is a small sliver right below the cabinets that is missing a floor board, revealing the house’s original wooden flooring. The fourth room of the house, which

was added after the restoration, contains a small fragment of the original wall — a faded, peeling wallpaper with a rhombus pattern dating back to the 1950s.

Catherine Azimi, the Communications and Database Manager for SMC, said that the Shotgun House has seen over 7,000 visitors since its grand opening back in 2012.

“One of the things that we offer and promote as an organization is the heritage of the city and an authentic Santa Monica experience,” said Azimi. “We tell the story of why buildings are the way that they are and why the community is built the way it is.”

More information on tours for the Shotgun House can be found at www. smconservancy.org.

Maria Lebedev | Staff Writer

Sidewalk view of the Preservation Resource Center at the Shotgun House in Santa Monica, Calif., on April 12, 2023.

Photos By Nicholas McCall

(Above) Santa Monica Conservancy Volunteer Docent Sylvia Rose holds the door open to the Preservation Resource Center at the Shotgun House.

(Above) The Preservation Resource Center at the Shotgun House.

(Right) A portion of the original floor and a 1940s newspaper, glued on for insulation, on display.

(Left) A view from the front door to the rear.

(Below) A fold-down bed was likely originally installed where this set of cabinets is, and the dividing wall now swings open to combine the first two rooms of the Preservation Resource Center

Detail of the one remaining original windows.

More than a century of paint layers peek from under a period-appropriate ceiling light fixture.

The Evangelical Right Has A New Target

In June 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex marriage is a constitutionally guaranteed right, many queer Americans believed that we were entering a new era of legal equality.

But, as we near the 2024 election season, queer rights — and in particular, trans rights — are increasingly the target of conservative political agendas. As Ella Ceron wrote for Bloomberg in March, “state lawmakers in the U.S. have already introduced more anti-LGBTQ bills this year than in the past five years combined.”

As of Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union is tracking 461 anti-LGBTQ bills in state legislatures throughout the United States. These bills threaten queer Americans’ access to healthcare, public bathrooms, and public school sports as well as our freedom of expression and protection under nondiscrimination laws.

This is truly unprecedented: only 18 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced in 2018 despite the fact that the number of Republican controlled states was greater during that time. In light of these statistics, it becomes clear that this new wave of political queerphobia is both deliberate and strategic.

This phenomenon is not new. It hearkens to the politics of the late 1970s and 1980s, when the Evangelical Right became a major voting bloc for the first time in modern American history. Contemporary religious and political leaders sought to galvanize the support of religious Americans, and were able to do so by focusing on the specific issues of homosexuality and abortion, which they claimed posed a threat to morality. While these positions eventually became ingrained in American conservative politics, their function at the time was simply to rally the masses to combat desegregation efforts by the Carter administration. With the support of the new Evangelical Right, Republican candidate Ronald Reagan defeated incumbent Jimmy Carter in a landslide in the 1980 election.

Nearly 50 years later, queerphobia is being used again to galvanize the Evangelical Right. But why now?

In 2012, the percentage of Americans who identified as white Christians of any denomination dipped below 50% for the first time ever, according to the Public Religion Research Institute. And in 2020, another first occurred: the number of evangelical white Protestants was surpassed by the number

of mainline (non-evangelical) white Protestants.

As a result, the politicians who rely on the support of the Evangelical Right are focusing on anti-abortion, anti-queer and anti-trans agenda in a desperate attempt to rally the rapidly shrinking Evangelical voting bloc. And since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the brunt of this force is being directed against trans rights.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a favored choice for the 2024 Republican presidential candidate, gained widespread attention after he signed HB 1557, the notorious “Don’t Say Gay” bill, into law last year. He has continued to be the national face of queerphobia and continues to build a platform on his anti-queer political agenda.

Despite the decreasing power of Evangelical voters, there will be serious consequences for queer Americans as anti-LGBTQ bills continue to be introduced. The Trevor Project reported that, in 2021, “94% of LGBTQ youth reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation found that hate crimes against trans and gender non-conforming individuals increased significantly from 2020 to 2021, with

respective upward trends of 15 percent and 83 percent.

While only a small fraction of transphobic bills actually get signed into law, those that do have devastating effects. Recently, legislation in Idaho felonized gender-affirming care for transgender minors, and trans minors in Indiana who are already on hormone medication will be required to stop by the end of the year. Gender-affirming care has been shown to reduce the rate of suicidal ideation among trans youth, a population at high risk for suicide, by 73 percent.

As we enter the 2024 presidential election season, trans rights are likely to become more widely debated than we have seen before on the national level, and may become a dividing issue when presidential candidates begin debates later this year. As the overturning of Roe has demonstrated, the loss of rights for one group sets a precedent for more rights to be taken away. It is important for us as Americans, queer or not, to understand that threats made against trans rights are a threat to all of our freedom.

Sydney Partyka | Opinion Editor

Illustration by Presley Alexander

The Willow Project Will Backfire on Biden

Ilayda Gercek | Staff Writer

On March 13, President Biden's administration gave final approval for the Willow Project, a controversial oil drilling project in Alaska. This controversial decision sparked fierce debate and raised concerns about the potential impact on Alaska's fragile ecosystem and the global climate.

Willow will be developed by ConocoPhillips, a multinational oil and gas company. It will involve drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). The NPR-A covers more than 22 million acres of land in northern Alaska and is home to a diverse range of wildlife including caribou, grizzly bears and migratory birds.

Advocates of the project argue that it will create jobs, generate revenue for the state, and increase America's energy independence. They also point out that ConocoPhillips has pledged to use advanced drilling technology to minimize the impact on the environment and wildlife.

However, opponents of the project emphasize that the great risk to Alaska's ecosystem and the global cli-

mate outweigh the potential benefits. The NPR-A is an essential habitat for wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. The project will contribute to climate change by increasing greenhouse gas emissions and exacerbating the effects of melting permafrost in the Arctic.

In addition, the decision to approve Willow is significant since it marks a departure from the current administration's campaign promises. Under the Trump administration, there was a significant push on climate politics. Republicans were eager to embrace an anti-climate agenda, which included a pressure to open up more of Alaska's public lands to oil and gas development, including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The approval of Willow is likely to have significant legal and political implications. Environmental groups have already filed lawsuits challenging the project, arguing that the administration failed to consider the full impact on worldwide climate conditions.

Biden campaigned on a promise to protect America's natural resources

and combat climate change. The decision to approve Willow suggests that the Biden administration is prioritizing economics over climate in Alaska, but it remains to be seen how this will play out in the long term.

This project could impact Biden's standing with voters, particularly those who prioritize environmental protection and combating climate change. Biden campaigned on the promise of “no more drilling on federal lands, period,” and the approval of Willow is a definite departure from his promises.

The president’s attorneys claimed he was left with few choices in this matter. ConocoPhillips has been in possession of the potential drilling site for around two decades, and Biden’s legal team concluded that refusing the drilling permit would result in a lawsuit that would cost the government billions. However, this excuse seems like an inadequate explanation. He approved it freely, without the pressure of a court order or congressional mandate. Potential costly legal consequences by ConocoPhillips are neither sufficient nor acceptable justifications.

Biden’s previous landmark investments in clean energy will be undermined through his support of the Willow Project, and young voters especially could turn against him as a result.

Democrats may be able to use the Willow project to argue they are committed to balancing economic development with environmental protection for swing voters. They could claim they are working to create jobs and prioritize the economy. However, this messaging is complicated and makes Democrats seem inconsistent or hypocritical on environmental issues.

Ultimately, the impact of the Willow project on the 2024 presidential election will depend on various factors, including the state of the economy, the political landscape at the time, and the candidates' positions on a range of issues. The project is likely to remain a contentious and divisive issue, with both supporters and opponents making their cases to voters.

More information on the ramifications of the Willow Project and ways to get involved can be found at stopwillow. org.

Illustration by Katheryne Menendez

626 Night Market

Mini

Isaac Manno | Staff Writer

The 626 Mini Night Market has returned to Santa Monica this spring with vendors selling delicious food and merchandise.

On Saturday, April 15, attendees were greeted with a whiff of many extravagant aromas from all the different vendors set up. Popular food stands like Sunday Cafe and Yakitori Yado had four to five lines leading up to them.

Sunday Cafe served baby bottles filled with agua frescas in three different sizes, offering a free refill with every purchase. Yakitori Yado served grilled squid on a stick and a wide variety of bubble tea.

In addition to food, several vendors sold merchandise. Patchy Patchenstein

sold different iron patch designs with aliens, bees and super heroes. Get Bent And Hammered sold both handmade and hammered metal jewelry such as rings, wire name necklaces and other custom engraved items.

The Night Market not only offered food and merchandise, but also an opportunity to bring more than one community together. Many people came from all over Los Angeles to take part in this event.

The 626 Mini Night Market will be held at 1324 5th St every other Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. until May 28. Tickets can be purchased at www.626nightmarket.com/mini.

Attendees walk through the 626 Mini Night Market with a deep fried potato kabob and baby bottles filled with agua fresca in Santa Monica, Calif., on Saturday.

Custom iron-on patches at the Patchy Patchenstein booth.

Attendees socialize at the 626 Mini Night Market.

The

returns to Santa Monica for its second year.

Photos by Isaac Manno