May Gray, June Gloom
I’vealways been envious of the Pacific Northwest; damp weather with cold wind and a view of very rocky mountains, trees that tower over you and a beach with sand so hard you’d probably break your bones if you slipped. I grew up taking trips to Oregon, and I fell in love with it. I still kind of am; and hold onto the loose hope of someday moving there. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.
As it approaches the end of the semester, my time at The Corsair approaches its end. Finally! (Just kidding). Even after I transfer and work towards other goals I’ve set my mind to, I will forever have a spot in my heart for journalism. I care deeply about this field — I’m excited to see everyone I’ve met in this newsroom continue to grow and work on the things they are passionate about.
Speaking of which, over the weekend I saw “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” I’m not one for sequels really. For that reason, I was kind of skeptical of the movie before it came out. I won’t spoil it of course, but all I have to say is the movie does a fantastic job of showcasing why the arts matter — and why journalism matters — now more than ever.
It always will.
Editor In Chief Katie Easterson
Drawing by Katie Easterson
Corsair Editors
Editor in Chief
Katie Easterson
Managing Editor
Sofia Kieser
Photo Editor
Elizabeth Bacher
Assistant Photo Editor
Tom Rosholt
News Editor
Kayjel J. Mairena
Assistant News Editor
Patrick Conlon
Arts & Entertainment
Editor
Kyla Downey
Culture Editor
Nastassia Melendez
Assistant Culture Editor
Vicki Mendizadeh
Opinion Editor
Jaqueline Martin
Sports Editor
Ciara Burris
Copy Editors
Harley Morgan
Maria Lebedev
Multimedia Editors
Jenna Tibby
Tim Sim
Raphael Lopez
Social Media Editor
Jeffrey Berrios
Newsletter Editor
Harley Morgan
Advisers
Photo Adviser || Gerard Burkhart
Writing Adviser || Sharyn Obsatz
Social Media Adviser || Samantha Nuñez
Staff Writers
Harley Morgan, Alexandra Gorgij, Kollin Zullo, Malaika Kamau, Christine Muñoz, Leo Williams, Izabel Enrique, Natalia Zabala, Addison Koepke, Kayvon Nili-Esfahani, Cam Brewster, Sean Mendoza, Caelen Perkins, Maria Isabel Carias, Victoria Cue, Vicki Mehdizadeh, Joanna Rivas, Paola Carrasco, Alejandro Contreras, Milca Lopez
Photographers
Andrew Starnes, Victoria White, Jinhao Tian, Guillermo De La Barreda, Silke Eichholz, Karina Custodio, Jordi Garcia Sosa, Michael Diebert, Tori Campbell, Juliana Frame, Maria Lebedev, Katelynne Dubeau, Gregory Hawthorne, Kantapong Wongjirasawad, Masie Najafi, Danny Sanchez, Ada Greatrix, Masanori Aguayo
Social Media Staff
Roxanne Solar, Clarissa Moreno, Cayman Carter, Donnisha Mukes, Gia Rush, Darlene Cabanillas, Seandrea Brady (Nicole), Tiwana Floyd
Front Cover
Delirium Musicum founder Etienne Gara at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 25, 2026, addresses young visiting students of Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles from the stage before rehearsing. Elizabeth Bacher || The Corsair
Inside Cover
Taylor Morales, a CCAC fellow with the SAMO Fund, attends a screening of “Making a Mini-Forest” at the SMC main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Morales spoke about the importance of plants in strengthening urban ecosystems and supporting community sustainability. Masie Najafi || The Corsair
Back Cover
A parishioner of Corpus Christi Church—destroyed by the Palisades Fire—sits to read the Bible at St. Joseph’s Chapel in the Carondelet Center shortly after Easter Sunday Mass on April 5, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Nathan Hanson || The Corsair
“It’s just really unfortunate because Wendi is kind of like the glue that sticks everything together.”
-Regis Peeples
Kayjel J. Mairena || News Editor
Wendi DeMorst poses for a photograph under a ficus she calls the “Tree of Life” in front of the Santa Monica College library in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday March 1, 2026, months before she retires.
Kayjel J. Mairena
Layoff of respected student support leader sparks concern
Associate dean Wendi DeMorst, who manages tutoring and supplemental instruction programs, is among a handful of administrators cut as the college addresses a $17.4 million deficit.
Outside of Santa Monica College’s library, Wendi DeMorst sat for a photograph she didn’t expect to need — one marking the end of a career she thought would last six more years.
DeMorst, an associate dean who oversees tutoring and academic support programs serving thousands of students, is among a select group of managers listed for layoffs as the college moves to close a $17.4 million deficit. Her departure — alongside broader staff cuts — has raised concerns among colleagues who say her work is central to support and equity efforts.
“Some people have reasons for wanting me to go that aren’t necessarily pure,” DeMorst said. “There’s always a price to pay when you’re a person who speaks out. I’m paying that price.”
DeMorst was hired in 2008 as a project manager and intended to work at the college for two years. Her first performance evaluation noted that to say she “hit the ground running from the moment she joined the college is an understatement.” She remained, she said, because of colleagues who shared a commitment to supporting students.
Early in her career with the district, DeMorst worked near the Black Collegians program, where she participated in the women’s empowerment group, Sister to Sister, and became an informal mentor and advocate for students, according to program leader Sherri Bradford.
“She made students always feel seen,” Bradford said. “I don’t see that from a lot of administrators.”
DeMorst isn’t an official member of Black Collegians, a program focused on assisting Black/African American students transfer to four-year universities, but she’s integral to the office, Bradford said — an office that received two statewide awards at the Umoja Community’s annual conference in 2025; one for top student success and high achievement, and another for most degrees awarded in the history of Umoja.
Bradford said she was shocked and saddened by the news of DeMorst’s layoff and worries about the loss of a voice she sees as critical in budgetary decisions affecting student services.
“To have someone who has been here for 18 years and then to be told by email that you’re losing your job — I couldn’t wrap my brain around it,” Bradford said.
Colleagues describe DeMorst as someone who is student-centered and extremely vocal about meeting stated equity goals—often finding herself at odds with other administrators. “So it leads me to think and not just me, but others that somehow this is personal,” Bradford said.
“There’s not been transparency about why and who and how those decisions were being made,” Bradford added. “So it leaves one to think, is this the reason why she is being laid off?”
SMC’s 2025-28 Faculty and Staff Diversity Report shows Black/African American people make up 11% of faculty and 29% of administration. If the trustees lay off DeMorst, it’s going to create resentment and dampen visual
representation, said Regis Peeples, secretary of the Pan African Faculty and Staff Alliance.
“Because when you have an exceptional person like that, and you have other people that are in that department (Academic Affairs) that aren’t being let go of, it’s kind of like being gaslit into thinking they served no purpose,” Peeples said.
The effort that DeMorst put in, especially working alongside Bradford, played a huge part in SMC receiving a Black-Serving Institution designation from the state in February. She advocated for students in meetings, guided them around campus and put them in front of equity-minded colleagues, Peeples said.
“It’s just really unfortunate because Wendi is kind of like the glue that sticks everything together,” Peeples added.
DeMorst manages 31 staff members across the college’s Supplemental Instruction program, tutoring centers and academic labs, which provide peer-led study sessions and support services to students across disciplines. When she was offered the associate dean role in 2021, she requested to combine it with her previous position as director of supplemental instruction to unify the college’s tutoring services under one structure.
It has not been easy for DeMorst as a Black administrator given the historical dynamics of personnel in her program but her commitment to students and doing the work makes her the true leader she is, her latest performance evaluation notes.
While working for SMC, DeMorst, who
Photographed by Kayel J. Mairena
“There’s always a price to pay when you’re a person who speaks out. I’m paying that price.”
- Wendi DeMorst
only that it hurts. Her bosses notified her that the college was laying off members of her staff, and after she returned from consoling them, she learned from an email that she’s also losing her job.
None of her bosses have spoken with her to explain why she is being laid off, and she is aware of other managers who received an explanation for why they’re being impacted, DeMorst said.
The Corsair reached out to members of the college’s upper management for an interview regarding DeMorst, but as of publication, no one has responded.
Foundation President Lizzy Moore says the loss of anyone that has been a “bright light” and a contributor to the campus is devastating, but with DeMorst it’s particularly challenging and personal.
parties until the pandemic forced them to pivot and start a drive-thru pantry, according to Moore.
Since 2017, Giving Thanksgiving has provided food to more than 10,000 students and raised thousands of dollars for the Basic Needs program. “It started from a place of care and love and kindness and generosity of heart, and it just evolved to be something that much bigger,” Moore said.
DeMorst also hosts cookouts, dinners and ice cream socials for students and her colleagues. She says she throws these events to foster community off-campus, and give people a chance to connect.
It’s also because she has a love for party planning, said Aurelia Rhymer, SMC alumna. Her most memorable one is the annual tree-trimming party, Rhymer said.
at her alma mater, UCLA, Rhymer said.
“Wendi is one of those bigger persons that affected me during my time there,” she said. “I’m really sad to see that this is what’s happening, and students are not going to have this wonderful person.”
DeMorst said she had planned to remain at Santa Monica College until 2031 but will retire in June. The board formally approved her retirement at its April 7 meeting, with her final day set for June 30.
She chose to be photographed under a ficus tree in front of the college’s library because it was on campus long before her and it’ll be there way after she’s gone, DeMorst said.
holds a master’s degree in teaching and a license, says she’s had her credentials as an educator questioned by colleagues. Her ideas were also stolen and dismissed until a white coworker would repeat them.
“I’ve been in meetings where she has introduced ideas that would really foster a greater sense of community across all tutoring spaces that the students
would really benefit from, and I’ve seen where there’s been great pushback. I mean to the point of, really disrespect for some of the ideas that she’s brought forth,” said Clay Barham, an English professor.
“She’s had to watch, consistently, people diminish her ideas or tell her why what she came up with can’t be done or shouldn’t be done, only for them to come back
and ask her in some way to do double work, to do work she’s already done,” Barham said. “To come up with ideas she’s already come up with, and people just haven’t listened to her.”
When asked for examples, neither faculty nor staff would provide information about closeddoor meetings, citing fear of retaliation from upper management. DeMorst said being laid off doesn’t anger her,
The college’s signature fundraiser, Giving Thanksgiving, is often credited to the SMC Foundation, but it started with DeMorst. She would feed international students with nowhere to go for the holiday at her home until Moore asked to co-host the dinner, Moore said.
The dinner was moved to Moore’s backyard, and they continued hosting
Rhymer is one of DeMorst’s mentees, but she says she sees their relationship as more “mom-anddaughter.” They first met in 2016 at the college and have remained close.
DeMorst helped her through her political science scholarship, assisted her with the transfer application process, and has continued being supportive as she applies for graduate school
“I am always rooting for the students,” she said. “No matter what happens, I hope that SMC can continue to keep the students as the main focus.”
Ashes to Rebirth
Parishioners of burnt church show faith and determination to rebuild after the Palisades Fire.
Patrick Conlon and Nathan Hanson || Assistant News Editor and Staff Writer
Dozens of people gathered for early morning mass on Easter Sunday at St. Joseph’s Chapel in Brentwood, Los Angeles. The pews were full, but most in attendance were not members of the congregation. They were parishioners from the Corpus Christi Catholic Church, which burned down during the Palisades Fire in 2025.
Monsignor Liam Kidney, Corpus Christi’s main priest for 27 years, led Mass inside the borrowed chapel where the displaced congregation has gathered for the last year. Kidney said he’s had difficulty adjusting to living without the parish. “You’re in a whole new world that is very unusual, and you’re trying to pretend that it’s normal,” Kidney said.
Although 80% to 90% of the parish now lives scattered throughout Southern California since the fire, many of its members still drive several hours every week to maintain their relationship with the parish, according to Kidney.
“For all those people to say, ‘I’m going to get up on a Sunday morning, and I’m not just going to go to church, but I’m going to go to church at Corpus Christi in Brentwood on the top of Bundy.’ You’ve got to be pretty committed,” Kidney said.
Before the church can must first approve the aims to be in the design according to Kidney.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued January 2025 to expedite ing process. This is done requirements under the Quality Act and the California ing projects, according
Tracking recovery data website shows that the averaging a 51-day turnaround als. Once permitted, Kidney process will total in the Besides the church, the records. “The sacramental parish from 1950 through tisms, deaths, marriages, tions — all the records man, Corpus Christi Parish Monica College alumna.
Hartman, who evacuated Fire, has worked for Corpus
Father Valerian Menezes, associate pastor of Corpus Christi Church, sits in the lobby of St. Joseph’s Chapel near a painting of St. Agnes—a 4th-century martyr and symbol of purity.
rebuild, the city of Los Angeles church’s master plan. The parish design process by the end of April,
issued Executive Order N-4-25 in expedite the fire recovery and rebuilddone by temporarily lifting review the California Environmental California Coastal Act for qualifyaccording to the executive order.
data from the state’s “Rebuilding LA” city of Los Angeles is currently turnaround time for permit approvKidney estimates the construction the millions.
the fire also destroyed the parish’s sacramental history of everyone in the through 2024. The records of bapmarriages, Holy communion, confirmaare gone,” said Lorraine HartParish Office Manager and Santa alumna.
evacuated her office during the Palisades Corpus Christi for 35 years. She
“Resurrection is actually a victory over death, and rebirth is literally like rebirth; being reborn again, which all Christians are reborn again at baptism.”
— Monsignor Liam Kidney
graduated from SMC in 1979 with an associate’s degree in accounting shortly before the birth of her first daughter.
Despite losing her decades-long place of worship, Hartman says the fire has led her to find a renewed strength in her faith. “Sometimes prayer is hard at times like these, but I began to realize that God was truly walking with us through it all,” Hartman said.
As the front office contact for the church, Hartman recalled the outpouring of support that the church received in the wake of the fire. She said that she received calls from all over the country: a woman from New Jersey who took up a collection in her prayer group, a man in Maryland who offered a home to any family who needed shelter and a teacher in Long Island who sent the church children’s Bibles.
Hartman raised her three daughters in the Pacific Palisades, all of whom attended the Corpus Christi School from kindergarten through eighth grade. “It was a great place to raise kids,” she said.
The fires scorched the Corpus Christi school, next to the church, but didn’t fully destroy the building. According to Kidney, roughly one-third of the school is
still usable, and over a quarter of the student body has relocated to the American Martyrs School in Malibu, Calif., according to Kidney. Still, he remains hopeful that the school can reopen in the fall, but is doubtful of that timeframe, as no one is living in the Palisades at the moment, he said.
The American Martyrs, when asked for comment, said they could not speak to the media without permission from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. As of publication, Archbishop José Gomez has not responded.
Kidney said that he and the associate priest both lost their homes to the fires when the rectory burned down alongside the church, and that insurance is paying for their leased home in Brentwood, alongside the salaries, benefits and retirement plans for all the affected school employees.
According to Kidney, the Palisades is going through more of a rebirth than a resurrection.
“Resurrection is different from rebirth,” Kidney said. “Resurrection is actually a victory over death, and rebirth is literally like rebirth; being reborn again, which all Christians are reborn again at baptism. Baptism is our rebirth, but Easter is resurrection.”
Left: Monsignor Liam Kidney, lead pastor of Corpus Christi Church, greets parishioners following Easter Sunday Mass.
Above: A statue of Jesus Christ stands behind a metal fence as rebuilding efforts begin at the site of the former Corpus Christi Church .
Photos by Nathan Hanson || The Corsair
New turf of the Santa Monica College Corsair Field on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at SMC Main campus in Santa Monica, Calif. Construction started on December 1, 2025, and the project was officially turned over to the college on Thursday, April 23, 2026, and opened to the public on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The scope of the project was to replace the existing track and field and to install a new digital scoreboard on the existing south wall of Parking Structure 3.
An Electro Construction employee operates a boom lift during the installation attempt of the Santa Monica College Corsairs board above the new digital scoreboard on the existing south wall of Parking Structure 3, at SMC Main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Monday, April 6, 2026. Due to some changes in the electrical for the scoreboard, the installation needed to be stopped and postponed until after Spring Break.
(L-R) Santa Monica College (SMC) Lead Theater Technician of the Campus Events Department Mike ‘Gunner’ Gunderson, Field Manager of Vanir Construction Management Vahid Hatami, SMC Lead Theater Technician Adrian Thomas, and Contractor of Environmental Construction Michael Sabzerou, discuss the proper installation of the new digital scoreboard in connection with the Morrison Track and Corsair Field Announcement and Operator booth on Friday, April 3, 2026, at SMC Main campus in Santa Monica, Calif. Thomas said that his department is responsible for all technical equipment for graduation and other events happening on the SMC campus.
Silke Eichholz || The Corsair
Darryl James Jr, a business major, sprints to the 200m finish line during his first practice returning to the resurfaced Morrison Track on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. He said, “It is hard. We are definitely not getting the same quality of work as our competition might be, but our coach does what he can. We show up every day and work
Corsair
Corsair Petra Rocchini, who placed 13th, throws the javelin during the Women’s Javelin event at the Western State Conference Track & Field Championships on Friday, April 24, 2026, at Griffin Stadium at Moorpark College.
Brandon Mahoney, who placed 5th during the Men’s Javelin event at the Western State Conference Track & Field Championships on Friday, April 24, 2026, at Griffin Stadium at Moorpark College. Mahoney qualified for the upcoming SoCal Championship in Bakersfield.
Head coach Larry Silva leads his athletes for the first time down the new resurfaced track for practice on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. Silva said, “I was really concerned at the beginning of the season, because we knew that we were not gonna have a track to train in.”
Corsair Jouzif Alhalak, during the Men’s Long Jump at the Western State Conference Prelims and Championship at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Friday, April 17, 2026. Alhalak placed 17th, jumping 5.44 meters.
Corsair Alberto Bravo, shakes hands after receiving the gold medal for the Men’s 3000 meter Steeplechase. Bravo, a kinesiology major from Spain, was the runner up last year and said “I trained a lot. Every day training is hard but makes you stronger, mentally and physically, and that is what I did in the race. I tried to go behind the second one, and when two laps were left, I tried to pass him and do my best every day… Our goal is to go to State, so I will have to continue training and focus on racing.”
Corsair Joshua Leslie received the bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter dash. Leslie, a kinesiology major and communications minor, said about not having a track to practice on, “It didn’t really just affect me; it affects the whole team. For a while, we were all a bit bummed about not having a track, but you know, where there is a will, there is a way! And thanks to our coach, he found a way, so shout out to Coach Silva and all coaches, Shaka and Said.”
(L-R) Corsairs Pierre Valenti, Joshua Lesley, Brandon Mahoney, and Jeff Martinez received their bronze medals for the 4x400 meter relay at the Western State Conference Track & Field Championships on
(L-R) Corsair Joshua Lesley receives the baton from Jeff Martinez during the men’s 4x400 meter relay. Teammates and head coach Larry Silva cheered them on during the crucial exchange process. Corsairs placed third, winning a bronze medal.
(L-R) Corsair Darryl James Jr. receives the baton from Joshua Leslie during the men’s 4x100 meter relay. Corsairs finished in 6th place and qualified for the upcoming SoCal Championship in Bakersfield.
Corsair Florian Marzouk, (center) sprints out of the blocks during Women’s 200 Meter Dash at the Western State Conference Prelims and Championship at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Friday, April 17, 2026. Marzouk placed 14th, finishing in 27.80.
Racing Against Time
Corsairs Adapt Through Track & Field Closure
As Santa Monica College’s Morrison Track and Corsair Field underwent major renovations, athletes and coaches got creative with training across the city and stayed competitive despite limited access to practice facilities.
Silke Eichholz || Photographer
The Track & Field and Scoreboard Replacement Project started on Dec. 1, 2025, and was anticipated to be completed by April 15, 2026.
During the construction and repairs, funded by local voter-approved bond Measure AA (2008), the Morrison Track and Corsair Field, located at Santa Monica College’s main campus at 1900 Pico Blvd., were closed to enrolled SMC students for courses held on the field, college athletic programs and the local Santa Monica community.
Under the supervision of Vanir Construction Management and Environmental Construction, the field turf was replaced, the track was completely resurfaced and new lines and distance markers were painted during the winter semester. The scope of the project also included the installation of a new digital scoreboard with three individual parts on the existing south wall of parking structure 3, taking place during the first half of the spring semester.
Track & Field Corsairs and their coaches were most affected by this ongoing construction because various competitions were taking place during the winter and spring semesters leading into the Western State Conference Championship scheduled to start in the middle of April.
Leading into the track & field season, all coaches got together and discussed alternatives, created a plan of where to work out and what to do, and tried to be innovative.
Sprint practices were held at Lincoln Middle School’s track for the first few weeks and alternated between pavement at Clover Park and uphill streets in Santa Monica, which was hard on athletes’ knees and ankles. Corsairs head coach Larry Silva said, “We’ve been doing block starts inside the gymnasium. We put mats down, and we put the blocks on top of the mats, and we sprint inside.”
Discus, shot put and javelin throws were practiced at Clover Park. Sometimes alternative workouts took place in the weight lifting room and gym hallway on rainy days, and at the SMC pool for water workouts.
“Through all that creativity, we’ve been able to get our team really ready, and I think we haven’t missed a beat,” said Silva. The only question is, would we be faster if we would have had a track? But we are very competitive without the track.”
The use of the full Morrison Track was delayed by a week due to electrical changes for the scoreboard and machinery still needed on the track surface to lift and install the final missing part of the “Santa Monica College Corsair” board. Athletic Director Reggie Ellis supported the Track & Field team by giving the Corsairs access to the Morrison Track as soon as possible and when it was safe to do so, just the week prior to spring break. Other programs like football and men’s and women’s soccer stepped on the new Corsair Field right after spring break.
Ellis did not know about any official opening ceremony and assumed that the gate to the renovated Morrison Track & Corsair Field would be open to the public again when the renovation was completed. He signed the beneficial occupancy document on April 23, which officially turned the project over to the college. Signs with opening hours for public use beginning Saturday, April 25, 2026, were updated and posted on the gates.
In the meantime, the Track & Field Corsairs were competing in the Western State Conference Championship prelims and finals on April 17 and April 24.
Alberto Bravo won gold in the 3,000-meter Steeplechase. Balmore Montes, long-distance assistant coach, said, “He wanted it really badly this year. So that was another mentality he had going in. There was no second place for him. It was time to win.”
Joshua Lesley won bronze in the 400-meter dash, and Lesley, Brandon Mahoney, Jeff Martinez and Pierre Valenti raced to third place in the 4x400-meter relay. Additionally, Corsairs qualified in sprint distances of the men’s 400-meter dash and the men’s 4x100-meter relay, in long distances of men’s 1500-meters, 5,000-meters and 10,000-meters, and in field events in the men’s javelin to compete at the SoCal prelims and finals for a chance to qualify for the State Championship.
The results of the meets demonstrated that the team remained competitive despite limited access to its home facility.
Delirium Musicum: Los Angeles
Led by violinist Etienne Gara, the chamber orchestra of strings and synthesizer prepared for two concerts in its home city. Written and Photographed by Elizabeth Bacher | Photo Editor
(L-R) Cellists Joo Lee, Javier Iglesias Martin and principal Stella Cho in rehearsal on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. “There’s always a twist or two,” Lee said of interpreting music with Delirium Musicum.
Violinists YuEun Kim (front), Yeonglee Kim (L) and Sophia Szokolay (R) dress rehearse at BroadStage in Santa Monica for the Sunday Morning Music series, Sunday, March 29, 2026.
(L-R) Cellists Joo Lee, Javier Iglesias Martin, and principal Stella Cho, perform at BroadStage’s Sunday Morning Series on Sunday, March 29, 2026.
ARTS & CULTURE
InMarch 2026, touring chamber orchestra Delirium Musicum (DM) performed and rehearsed for two concerts in its hometown of Los Angeles. Consisting of bowed strings and a keyboard synthesizer, the ensemble features both local and traveling musicians. Each concert is curated by DM’s leader, violinist Etienne Gara, who also recently became a father.
Over the course of a week, the players rehearsed at Theatre Raymond Kabbaz of Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, then at Global Arts in Pico Union. On Saturday evening, they performed at Benjamin Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project, then repeated the program for the Sunday Morning Music series at Santa Monica College’s BroadStage.
To DM, BroadStage has become a familiar performance space. According to Rob Bailis, BroadStage’s artistic and executive director, DM is among the venue’s most frequently presented ensembles. Citing the scope of the energy in their performances of classical music, Bailis called them the “next generation.”
“At the very beginning of curation, I think there’s a desire to engage with an audience, to enter this kind of communion with their audience.... more like a human experience that’s working together ... vibration, resilience, electricity in the air where you feel that all the players in the audience are leaving something very meaningful and strong together.”
- Said Etienne Gara
Etienne Gara rehearses at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
(L-R) Violinists Juchao Zhao and Misha Vayman rehearse at Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz in Los Angeles on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
(Clockwise from top L) Misha Vayman, Juchao Zhao, Evan Hjort and leader Etienne Gara perform Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition at BroadStage, Sunday, March 29, 2026.
EcoAction Club hosts film screening of “Making a Mini-Forest” for Earth Week
The event aimed to educate urban communities on how microforests work and how to get involved in increasing the biodiversity of any space.
Izabel Enrique | Staff Writer
Earth Week at Santa Monica College
began with a film screening of “Making a Mini-Forest,” hosted by SMC’s EcoAction Club in collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountain Fund’s Field Institute and California Climate Action Corps fellows. The event aimed to educate urban communities on how microforests work and how to get involved in increasing the biodiversity of any space.
Held on April 9, the screening took place at the main campus’ Stromberg Lecture Hall and featured eco-friendly activities prior to the screening, followed by a Q&A session with ecologist Dan S. Cooper and filmmaker Angelina Lee.
The documentary-style film highlighted different people working on planting mini forests throughout Europe to make a stand against climate change and provide wildlife. Aubrey Pevsner, a CCAC Urban Greening Fellow, says the method was developed by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, which involves planting diverse trees closely together without fertilizers to restore degraded land and sustain itself over time.
“A microforest is a small pocket of habitat that brings wildlife back to an urban area,” she said.
Deanna Armbruster, Executive Director of SAMO Fund, got the evening started after outdoor activities wrapped up with a brief introduction sharing background on the organization and its purpose: “Our goal is to bring environmental stewardship into the community, and to introduce to people who already love wildlife, and those of us who are trying to figure out how to get off our screens and get out,” she said.
“The heartbeat of our program is restoration,”
- Deanna Armbruster.
Armbruster explained the restoration process, which involves removing invasive plants that fuel fires and replanting native species.
Free plants are offered to participants during a screening of Making a Mini-Forest at the Santa Monica College main campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, April 9, 2026. Students learned how urban communities are transforming neighborhoods by planting greenery, increasing biodiversity, and improving climate resilience. Masie Najafi | Photographer
“The discussion then shifted to organizer Pevsner, who spoke about her experience working to boost biodiversity across several sites, including recent efforts at SMC’s main campus.
“Tonight is a celebration of the replanting of the microforest. We installed 90 new native plants with students on Tuesday who got to learn about what this project is about,” she said. The microforest is one of several urban greening projects stewarded with the SAMO Fund.
“Plants are the foundations of our ecosystem,” Pevsner said. Her closing remarks added a final charge.
“My hope is that you leave tonight seeing how even small projects can have a big impact,” she said.
Narrated by Hannah Lewis, author of “Mini-Forest Revolution,” the film showcased people involved in planting mini forests: students, volunteers and environmental organizers, capturing their personal motivations and collaboration.
Featuring French-language interviews with English subtitles, the documentary highlights community-driven green initiatives through real-time footage.
The environmental cinematography was complemented by orchestral-style background music, building on the momentous effort.
The crowd applauded the film as the lights came on and acknowledged Lee, seated in the front row.
Cooper and Lee concluded the event with a discussion offering additional commentary and clarity on the information presented in the film. When asked about how the film came to be and how the story took shape, Lee revealed something larger.
“These projects take a long time,” she said. “They are making one big metaphorical mini forest to gether.”
For those still interested in seeing this film, a free screening will be held on May 9, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the REI Burbank store.
The Microforest Demonstration at main campus on Thursday.
Aubrey Pevsner (R), a fellow with the California Climate Action Corps, leads the screening event, “Making a Mini-Forest.
(L-R) Stephanie Sea and Rachel Lopez attending the screening.
