Issuu

October 21, 2026

Student News Publication of Santa Monica College

Corsairs Tame Cougars in

10-0 Victory Read on page 22

October 21, 2026 | The Corsair | Santa Monica College Volume 129 | Issue 3

Corsair Staff

Sofia Kieser | Editor in Chief Vicki Mehdizadeh | Managing Editor

Faculty Advisers: Elizabeth Bacher | Photo Editor Sharyn Obsatz || Writing Adviser Gerard Burkhart || Photo Adviser Jordi Garcia Sosa, Tom Rosholt | Assistant Photo Editors Samantha Nuñez || Social Media Adviser Patrick Conlon | News Editor Caelen Perkins | Assistant News Editor Manuel Brooks | Culture Editor

October 21, 2026

Cover: The Santa Monica College Corsairs Juan Hermosillo (2) leaps over a defender kicking the ball out of play in the game against the College of the Canyons Cougars on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at Corsair Field in Santa Monica, Calif. Hermosillo scored a goal in the first half of the matchup. ( Jason Purisima | The Corsair) Inside Cover: Lucha Libre wrestler Simone Williams points with excitement toward the crowd to get students involved in her post-match celebration after winning her championship at Santa Monica College on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. The moment capped off a high-energy performance in the main quad ring, drawing cheers as she rallied the audience with her title belt. (Azael Rios Ramos | The Corsair)

Staff Writers: Adrian Ibarra, Allison Hyun, Ashley Gomez, Victor Estrada, Caelen Perkins, Daniela Tapia, Jerritt Clark, Rebecca Merida, Patrick LoBuglio, Milo Ochoa Garcia, Diego Carrillo, Lisa Williams, Thia Doenges, Adelfo Aguilera, Marissa Matias, Elliot Leary, Ella Rothman, Manuel Mateo Staff Photographers: Guillermo de la Barreda, Andy Garcia, Juliana Frame, Jose Hernandez, Eojin Seo, Lisa Whitmore Jared Bojorquez, Demi Ramirez, Jiayi Jiang, Ruby Grossman-Sartain, Azael Rios Ramos, Azael Rios Ramos, Marshon Allen Gonzo, John Orihu, Masanori Aguayo, Christopher Conelly, Jason Purisima, Silke Eichholz, Steve Lopez Social Media Staff: Gisselle Martinez, Monique Strong, Chasity Alexander, Carlo Jones, Daniel Weinblut, Sepalle Nseke, Adelina Rico, Jasiah Jimerson, Faithani Fox, Maurice Jacobsen, Cherrish Thomas, Kenya Gittens, Simon Gonzalez, Maya Gonzalez, Samuel Kim, Natacha Vilson

Volume 129 | Issue 3

LFTE

October 21, 2026

Letter From The Editor F

or this edition of The Corsair, instead of my usual Letter From The Editor, I wanted to recognize some of the people behind the hard work that gets put into this paper. On Oct. 10, The Corsair attended the Journalism Association of Community Colleges Southern Regional Conference at California State University, Northridge, and brought home 24 awards. The Corsair won 19 publication awards as well as five on-the-spot competition awards.

Photo by Gerard Burkhart | Corsair Adviser 2026 Fall Corsair Editor-in-Chief Sofia Kieser indicates a second First Place win in two semesters in the On-theSpot Copy Editing competition at the Journalism Associatiion of Community Colleges (JACC) Southern California Fall Conference on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles, Calif.

Behind those awards are the many hours our staff spends reporting, writing, editing, taking photos and putting each edition together. There’s a lot of work that goes into getting a story from an idea to the page, and what we do doesn’t always get recognized, so seeing our staff be awarded was a proud moment for me. Take a look at some of the awards Corsair staff received for their coverage this year.

Photo by Gerard Burkhart | Corsair Adviser 2026 Fall Corsair staff at the Journalism Associatiion of Community Colleges (JACC) Southern California Fall Conference on Saturday, October 10, 2026 at California State University Northridge in Los Angeles, Calif. The JACC is a statewide organization and the keynote speaker Olivia Smith talked about using AI its strengths and Pitfalls in the newsroom.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

LFTE

October 21, 2026

ON-THE-SPOT COMPETITIONS Copy Editing: 1st place, Sofia Kieser; 3rd place, Jacqueline Martin Feature Photo: 2nd place, Juliana Frame News Writing: 3rd place, Patrick Conlon Opinion Writing: Honorable Mention, Jacqueline Martin MAIL-IN COMPETITION Video Hard News Reporting: 1st place, Patrick Conlon and Eli Vikstrom

Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair Harry Hanson, frontman of English dance-rock band Adult DVD, performs at Swan Dive on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Austin, Texas, during the South by Southwest festival.

Front Page Layout: 2nd place, The Corsair Staff Online Photo Story/Essay: 2nd place, Kayjel J. Mairena Opinion Story: 2nd place, Dillon Stafford News Photo: 2nd place, Jake Crandall Podcast/Audio News: 2nd place, Jenna Tibby, Jeffrey Berrios and Tim Sim Photo Illustration: 3rd place, Guillermo De La Barreda Feature Photo: 3rd place, Guillermo De La Barreda Photo Story-Essay: 3rd place, The Corsair Staff Environmental Portrait: 3rd place, Gregory Hawthorne Inside Page Layout: 3rd place, Guillermo De La Barreda Sports Action Photo: 3rd place, Tom Rosholt

Juliana Frame | The Corsair Attendees take notes at University of Southern California Adjunct Instructor Olivia Smith’s keynote speech “AI and Its Impacts on the Newsroom”, Saturday, October 10, 2026 at California State University, Northridge, in Los Angeles. The title slide of her presentation is visible reflected in glass.

Photo Illustration: 4th place, Fai Fong Environmental Portrait: 4th place, Elizabeth Bacher Sports Action Photo: 4th place, Silke Eichholz Critical Review: Honorable Mention, Christine Xolotl Muñoz Online Photo Story/Essay: Honorable Mention, Elizabeth Bacher, Daniel Bowyer, Nicole Haun, Mary Funsten and Jose Aguila Enterprise News Story/Series: Meritorious, Kayjel J. Mairena Online General Excellence: Meritorious, The Corsair Major Herman Wall Award ($2,500) for military veterans at the Eddie Adams Workshop: Kayjel J. Mairena

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Jake Crandall | The Corsair Mourners gather at a vigil held outside the Federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept 11, 2025, after Charlie Kirk’s assassination.

October 21, 2026

LFTE

Fai Fong | The Corsair Heavy, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bags, often used in grocery stores, labeled by manufacturers as recyclable to qualify for an exemption under the 2015 plastic bags ban, are generally not recyclable. SB1053 takes effect in January 2026 and aims to permanently ban plastic bags as carryout bags in grocery stores.

Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair KCRW-FM President Jennifer Ferro poses for a portrait inside the KCRW Media Center at Santa Monica College (SMC) Center for Media and Design Campus in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, March 19, 2026. KCRW (89.9 FM) is a community service of SMC and NPR's flagship member station in Southern California.

Tom Rosholt | The Corsair Santa Monica College Corsair pitcher Cadence Pursell (7) pitching with a runner at second base during a game against Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros in Santa Monica, Calif., on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. The Corsairs lost to the Vaqueros, 12-3.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

October 21, 2026

No Kings Midterms Rally No Kings: get-out-the-vote rally draws smaller-than-usual crowds in front of City Hall. By: Patrick Conlon

A Los Angeles Police Department officer takes out his baton in front of an on going arrest outside of the Metropolitan Detention Center on Saturday Oct. 17, 2026. Andy Garcia | The Corsair

Volume 129 | Issue 3

October 21, 2026

Volume 129 | Issue 3

News

Ice Busters activists wearing ‘Icebusters’ T-shirts walking at Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday, Oct. 17,

October 21, 2026

Steve Lopez | The Corsair

Thousands of Angelenos gathered outside Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday for a No Kings: get-out-the-vote rally ahead of Nov. 3 midterm elections.

In the past, large crowds of protesters have continued from the official No Kings to the Metropolitan Detention Center to protest immigration arrest detainees who are jailed in the building.

Black Lives Matter organizers, anti-ICE activists and state assemblyman Isaac Bryan spoke at the rally’s start, urging attendees to vote and organize against the Trump administration. Protesters then marched around the block demanding the abolition of ICE and the end to U.S. involvement in conflicts in the Middle East.

After the initial march ended, a few dozen protesters gathered near the detention center. Some expressed disappointment that fewer people had continued to the detention center.

The protest was nonviolent aside from a few right-wing counter-protesters detained by the LAPD outside the Federal Building and ended around 4 p.m. The Southern California chapter of 50501, part of the coalition that organized the rally, said in a statement that nationwide No Kings rallies showed Americans’ discontent with the Trump administration through larger and larger turnouts at each gathering. However, speakers and attendees at Saturday’s rally said the smaller crowds were disappointing. “With this current No Kings, we are hoping to convert this mass mobilization into mass voting, with a massive push to make the upcoming midterms too big to rig,” said Michael Diggin of 50501. In March, the nationwide day of action reached nearly 8 million people, according to event organizers.

“It’s simply just disappointing to see that more people didn’t show up, and they only showed up for City Hall, where it’s safe, and no one wants to come out here,” attendee Justin Rodriguez said. Stephana Egger, standing outside the detention center, said the protesters who showed up were better prepared, carrying water bottles and protection gear. However, she said the turnout wasn’t large enough to put pressure on law enforcement. “There’s not even a police presence, because they’re not threatened by us, because there’s not a big enough turnout,” Egger said. LAPD declared a dispersal order after dark, and multiple protesters were arrested. Angel Perez, a freelance photojournalist, was also arrested alongside the protesters by LAPD and charged with failure to disperse. When reached for comment, Perez told The Corsair, “Physically, I’m still recovering from the incident. I have visible bruising on both sides of my face and other parts of my body. I also have a deep cut on my right elbow.”

The LAPD has not responded to our request for comment as of publication.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

October 21, 2026

News

Steve Lopez | The Corsair A protestor surrounded by mannequins with masks of the current US administration. A mannequin in the center has a sign that reads ‘Don’t be a bystander please help me & VOTE’ along with a mannequin that has a strip of duct tape that says ‘Jane Doe.’

Jose Hernandez | The Corsair A Protester in colonial garb, with a mask, and a Palestinian sash holds an inverted American flag during a protest at City Hall in downtown Los Angeles, Saturday, Calif. Oct. 17.

Steve Lopez | The Corsair

Jose Hernandez | The Corsair A Protester holding a sign “No innocent ukrainan Lives For Russian oil.”

A protestor holds a sign with face cutouts of Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Vice President J.D. Vance, and President Donald Trump in clown markings with counter protestor Nima Poursohi to the right, wearing a toy crown outside of the Federal Building in Downtown Los Angeles. The sign has ‘Bozo, Dumbo, Jumbo’, and says ‘No crowns for these clowns.’

Volume 129 | Issue 3

News

October 21, 2026

Jake Crandall | The Corsair Angel Perez, a freelance photojournalist is arrested by LAPD officers, during an unsanctioned protest at the Metropolitan Detention after the No Kings protest, in downtown Los Angeles, on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026.

Doruk Sen | The Corsair Demonstrators gather during the “No Kings” rally organized by 50501 SoCal and the Los Angeles No Kings Coalition at Gloria Molina Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. The demonstration aimed to encourage voter participation ahead of the November midterm elections.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

October 21, 2026 Patrick Conlon | The Corsair An attendee of the Oct. 17 No Kings rally ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections wears a shirt saying “Arrest Trump” and eats lunch in front of City Hall in downtown LA. Many protesters demanded legal action against the Trump administration.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

News

October 21, 2026

The Not-So-Great California Shakeout Earthquake Drill The Great California Earthquake drill at Santa Monica College uncovered the need for clear, concise earthquake safety instructions for SMC students, which was not provided by the evacuation drill according to students.

Written By Caelen Perkins | Assistant News Editor

SMC students standing close to a building during the California ShakeOut in the HSS Building.

Jordi Garica Sosa | The Corsair

Some Los Angeles local Santa Monica College students have done earthquake drills since middle school, and some international and out of state students have not. The one thing they have in common is being confused by the California Shakeup earthquake drill on Oct. 15.

hold. After the earth stops moving, everyone will evacuate to their respective areas where they are safe.” As building monitor, Arenas is the last person to go through the Pearl Annex building and nearby trailers and make sure students are safe and the structure is secure.

At 10:15 a.m. students received a text from Santa Monica College Emergency Alert notifying them that an earthquake drill had begun and received a phone call five minutes later. Two more texts, three more calls and three emails followed after students had already returned to their classrooms.

When asked what to do during an earthquake, Aiya Nahaka, a Los Angeles local student said, “I don’t know, hide under my desk. This feels pointless to me, we should already know what to do.” Three other local students shared the sentiment that students should already know what to do, but none of them could describe what steps to take when an earthquake strikes.

Earthquakes are familiar to Los Angeles resident students and international students alike, but the Great California Shakeout Earthquake Drill is the only earthquake preparation SMC does annually. Yet, as Chloe Seo, a student from Saipan said, “This wasn’t really a drill at all.” Despite the drill local, out of state and international students did not have a uniform understanding of what to do during an earthquake. Four students who had been through earthquake drills throughout middle and high school said that the shakeout drill would not have helped them if they did not already have experience, and two students without previous experience said they did not know whether they should evacuate the building or hide under their desks. Leyla Arenas, building monitor with the Center for Wellness and Wellbeing said, “During the drill, everyone will drop, cover and

Volume 129 | Issue 3

“I’m a teacher and I see how people learn, and it is through repetition,” Alex Schwartz, professor of psychology said. “I think it would be better if there were a couple of sayings or truisms like stop, drop and roll.” Schwartz has taught at SMC for 16 years, and proposed a catch phrase that tells students not to run outside, but to stay inside California’s earthquake-safe buildings. He said, “stay in, stay under, stay low.” Meiqi Zhang, an international student from China said she was surprised that there were no sirens like those present in earthquake drills in her home country. There had only been teacher instructions and text messages by the time students had gone back to class. The earthquake warning siren cut her sentence off, alerting the handful of lingering students who remained outside after the evacuation had concluded.

News

October 21, 2026

Instructor Eric Minzenberg points the way out as students leave Room 271. Students evacuated to an open area in the middle of campus.

Jiayi Jiang | The Corsair

Jiayi Jiang | The Corsair A student shows text alerts from SMC about the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill . The first alert, sent at 10:14 a.m., told students to “Duck, Cover and Hold”; a second ordered everyone to evacuate all buildings.

Doruk Sen I The Corsair Students in a video editing class at Santa Monica College’s Center for Media and Design largely ignored the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill, despite an emergency alert instructing them to drop, cover and hold on. Only one student appeared to follow the emergency instructions, while the others remained in their seats. As the school’s emergency alert continued, Louie said, “I am not feeling comfortable doing that,” referring to the instructions to take cover.

SMC students standing under a building during the California ShakeOut on Thursday in the HSS Building.

Jordi Garica Sosa | The Corsair

Santa Monica College students and faculty evacuate down a stairwell and exit into the quad area .

Azael Rios Ramos | The Corsair

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Arts & Culture

October 21, 2026

Kanye West and his daughter, North West walk through a huge crowd with their body guards after a surprise visit to the North West clothing booth. Andy Garcia | The Corsair

Street Culture Celebrated at ComplexCon ComplexCon marks 10th anniversary with streetwear and hip-hop culture. Written by Lisa Williams

omplexCon celebrated its 10-year anniversary at the Los Angeles convention center on Oct.3-4, 2026. More than 400 clothing brands represented streetwear, hip-hop culture, and music. Playboi Carti served as an artistic director for the event, alongside Hiroshi Fujiwara and Fragment Design. On opening day, sneakerheads at the Satoshi Madhouse booth rushed the line for the Vans x Satoshi Nakamoto shoe drop. The crowd became involved in a shoving match, temporarily forcing the booth to close. Landone Smith, a ComplexCon attendee, said he was shoved and pushed during his 45-minute wait on day two of the event. Despite the incident, Smith remained in line awaiting the drop. When asked how it felt to walk away with a pair of one of the event’s most popular sneaker releases, Smith said, “ It feels dangerous! It feels like there’s a target on my back. I don’t even wanna have these shoes on me right now, but I have to.” One of the event’s major releases was Playboi Carti’s Opium collaboration with six other brands, including I.AM.GIA, Bape and YVL.

Shopper Evan Hughes shared his favorite Opium purchase. “It’s been a dream of mine to get a Bape hoodie. There was one left in my size, so to get one that’s nice in my style, I’m very happy about that,” he said. Rapper Quavo released his third solo album and clothing collection at ComplexCon. He showcased pieces associated with his album, “Qromelife,” at a custom booth designed by Malcolm Ransome. “He hired me to push the bar on his vision, open new doors and expose that new Qrome layer that is Qromelife,” Ransome said.

geles to showcase their fashion brand, My Vintage Ways. Located in ThriftCon’s Creative Corner, the My Vintage Ways booth showcased shawls, vests, and blazers adorned with the brand’s unique designs. Spencer said her interest in fashion began with her mother, who taught her to sew when she was 8. “My mother was in fashion and she taught me how to sew when I was eight. I taught my son and now he knows how to sew,” she said. Food vendors at the event included Marathon Burger, The Boiling Crab, Seoul Taco, House of Wings, Wi Jammin Café, Satoshi‘s Pizza Place, offering a range of dining options.

ComplexCon brought together hip-hop artists, social media personalities and other figures in pop culture, including Kanye West, Playboi Carti, Quavo, Travis Barker, Wiz Khalifa, Ken Organizers reported more than 80,000 attendees, which they Carson, North West and French described as a record for the Montana. Panels and converevent. People who missed the sations took place featuring DJ event can look for participating Akademiks, French Montana, Kai brands through their websites, Cenat, Danny Leigh and others. social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, and physiThis year, ComplexCon hosted cal stores. ThriftCon, a section dedicated to vintage clothing, repurposed Eka Eyoh, a first-time Comfashion and sustainability. ThriftplexCon attendee and self-proCon also had a pop-up shop, claimed fashion lover, said, “This selling items for $10 per pound. is my first year so I’m just taking it in and I’m here for the vibes, Carla Spencer and her son, Djay, the fashion and the pop ups.” traveled from Atlanta to Los An-

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Melissa Ochoa Garcia | T Jose Ramirez, owner of the Mexica brand LAST CALL, standing in front of sewn Mexican flag he made for Com LAST CALL’s clothing is all hand-ma motivation stems from his father’s eff immigrating to the United States

October 21, 2026

The Corsair an clothing f his handmplexCon. ade and his fforts when s at just 13.

Arts & Culture

Left: Dusaint Duvel owner of the jewelry company Dusaint Duvel showing off his favorite set of custom-made grills. Dusaint Duvel formed a partnership with clothing brand Hotwleather, a family-owned leather tannery business since the 1940s (currently administered by Dani Loreno), and sold both tooth jewelry and clothing items at their combined booth at “The Block”, a section of the West Hall of the Convention Center containing different brands and artists from New York.

Melissa Ochoa Garcia | The Corsair

Melissa Ochoa Garcia | The Corsair Above: Ko Asante is a first generation Ghanaian American and considers himself to be a multi-disciplinary creator; content creator, designer, artist, and community organizer. He explained that his inspiration for his outfit was Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter and the clothing brand Cross Colors, whose logo is seen on his jacket.

Gamma Gabe posing at complexcon across his booth under art that condems Consumerism at ComplexCon.

Andy Garcia | The Corsair

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Arts & Culture

October 21, 2026

Club Awareness

Jiayi Jiang | The Corsair Interior Architectural Design Club president Clara De Donno, left, and Inter-Club Council representative Yishak Yetemgeta (right) pose at the club’s table. The club is a sister organization of SMC’s NOMAS Architecture Club.

Students explored campus clubs foc

2026 Club Fair introduces students to SMC organizations Eliette Hyde and Amaya Chism | The Corsair

Santa Monica College (SMC) Cheer Club members pose. Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Arts & Culture

October 21, 2026 (LEFT) Santa Monica College (SMC) Chess Club Secretary (Right) Gary Quiros plays a match of speed chess with an SMC student. Quiros, a Business & Administration major at SMC, has been in the club for 1 year.

(BELOW) Pico Animal Club members, from left, secretary Joseph Huang, Inter-Club Council representative Colin Romana, publisher Sakura Koreeda and president Yuuka Yamagishi pose at the club’s table. The club volunteers at local animal shelters and plans fundraisers and social events to support them. They handed out flyers to recruit students to volunteer at local animal shelters.

Jiayi Jiang |The Corsair

Guillermo De La Barreda | The Corsair

cused on fashion, culture, animal welfare and academic support.

n Tuesday, Sept. 29, students filled the main campus quad, learning about different campus organizations, signing up for student-run clubs offered during Santa Monica College’s annual Club Awareness. Clubs hosted activities and handed out items such as candy, bags and makeup. Some clubs also offered interactive photo opportunities and even on-site cosmetology services.

markets, and learning about negotiating prices through a “low-balling 101” course. Founded at SMC in 2022, Thrifted Treasures has grown its membership and activities. Goldstein said that joining the club is a way to indulge in a love of fashion and creativity while addressing “one of the biggest crises that we are living through. … Climate change and rising prices of basic necessities.” One of the many other clubs offered by students here at SMC is the Japanese Language and Culture Club Association, or JLCA. According to club president Tama Ko Sekine, JLCA has been at SMC for around 80 years. JLCA offers activities and events for students interested in learning about Japanese culture and the language.

The Thrifted Treasures Club, led by president Justin Goldstein and vice president Grayson Davey, focuses on fashion, environmentalism and sustainability and is for those interested in thrifting with groups and bonding over fashion. The club meets Tuesdays in MSB Room 310 from 3:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Activities include creating mood boards, making Halloween costumes us- A newer addition to the clubs at ing items from local shops and SMC is the Pico Animal Club also

known as PAC, run by President Yuuka Yamagisha. The club organizes fundraisers to provide supplies, including food, treats and toys, to the same animal shelters members volunteer at. Yamagisha wants curious students and members to know that although the club is new, its advisers have completed the training required for members. Members will receive guidance during club meetings as they complete their own training. According to Yamagisha, the club’s volunteer work is flexible, allowing members who miss a scheduled volunteer opportunity to visit shelters on another day. PAC meets Tuesdays at HSS Room 150 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Black Collegians, led by president Zyla McDowell, offers academic support, workshops, discussions, and a relaxed environment to students looking for

a club targeting allyship, socializing and community. The club offers tutoring help with statistics homework, and hosts student-led discussions on topics submitted by members. At a recent meeting, members submitted topics for group discussions. McDowell said she wants all students to feel welcome. The Black Collegians club is run “by students for students,” McDowell said,emphasizing the club’s focus on student needs. Black Collegians meets Tuesdays in HSS Room 103 from 11:15 a.m to 12:35 p.m. SMC students will have another opportunity to explore campus organizations at Club Row on Thursday, Oct. 29, beginning at 11 a.m. The Halloween-themed event will also include a costume contest held by the Associated Students.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Arts & Culture

October 21, 2026

Lucha Libre

Grappling With Heritage: High Flying Action at SMC Paola Carrasco and Diego Carrillo | The Corsair

Professional wrestlers Andres Cabrera or “Latino Meat” (left) and Tito Escondid all pose for the start of the match at the Live Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling Even

Students’ reactions to the Live Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling. Professional wrestler Tito Escondido

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Arts & Culture

October 21, 2026

do (right) with their referee (middle) nt.

Lucha Goth Haus hits campus for wrestling, face painting and traditional Mexican food.

n Thursday Oct. 1, the Student Equity Center hosted two Lucha Goth Haus matches to celebrate Latine Heritage Month. The event also included face painting, and tamales with agua frescas. Luche libre is a form of professional wrestling known for its colorful, iconic masks and fast-paced movements. Originating in Mexico, the sport has featured many wrestlers who have made history, including El Santo and Rey Mysterio.

The wrestlers compete multiple times a week, and Williams had just returned from Tampa. “We are traveling everywhere every single week, the stages vary, today it was for the people and a lot of the time it’s for the TV,” she said. William’s final move sent Carma to the ground, where she remained as the referee counted to three. Williams won the match, and the crowd cheered as both wrestlers left the ring.

The final match was between Bad Dude Julyssa Guevara, basic needs case Tito and Andres “Latino Meat” Cabrera. manager, and Gladys Preciado, an art Both wrestlers drew laughter from the history professor, both gave a brief intro- crowd during their entrances. Tito carduction about the history of lucha libre be- ried his championship belt while dancfore the fights began. Then, the masked ing, and Cabrera carried the Guatereferee entered to start the matches. malan flag while hitting a peck dance.

Photos by Ruby Novak | The Corsair

“We love to entertain, being able to come through and do stuff like this is always really fun for us,” - Simone Williams Lucha Goth house wrestler

Maya Gonzales, a first-year SMC student, stumbled upon the event and was eager to participate and watch the match. “I was just walking by and now I’m here. I am going to get my face painted and then watch the match and get tamales,” she said.

The match began fast, with Tito throwing Cabrera out of the ring and taunting the crowd with a dance after each hit. It looked like Tito appeared ready to strike Cabrera with a chair, but the referee intervened at the last second and took it away. The luchadors then brought the action into the SMC quad, prompting Mario Martinez, who started as a DJ students get out of their chairs and at 15, now represents Lucha Goth move out of the way in fear of being hit. Haus. The event marked the group’s first appearance at a school event. “I After returning to the ring, they wrestlers never once thought it would lead me climbed to the top rope where Tito hit on to Santa Monica College to host Cabrera with a suplex throw. Once both some events. Through different trials wrestlers were on their feet, Tito perand tribulations and the different chan- formed an F-5, bringing Cabrera to the nels of rivers I came across in my life- ground. Tito went back to the top rope time, it led me here,” Martinez said. to finish Cabrera with a frog splash, ending the match and retaining his The first match featured two women championship in front of SMC Students. luchadoras, Simone Williams and Carmireli Rodriguez, or “Carma.” As they After the matches, students had the opporentered the quad, the crowd erupted tunity to meet all four luchadors: Williams, in cheers, with spectators choosing Rodriguez, Bad Dude Tito and Cabrera. sides and rooting or their favorite wres- The matches drew an enthusiastic tler. Williams and Carma began the crowd and marked the first professional match by grabbing each other around wrestling event held on SMC’s campus. the neck and pulling each other’s hair. “I was excited because I love doing this type of show… It is not every day you get Williams grew up practicing martial arts to wrestle on site on a college campus. and was always interested in fighting. I’m sure you guys don’t get the opportunity to see wrestling right here in the quad. “We love to entertain, being able to Half of the students don’t even know come through and do stuff like this is al- what is going on while walking to their ways really fun for us,” Williams said. classes, and seeing a bunch of lucha libre out there. It’s exciting!” Cabrera said.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Sports

October 21, 2026

Secret Superheroes of SMC Sports: Athletics Department Welcomes “New” Athletic Director Get to know the people who work behind the scenes to make the Corsair sports department successful. Written by Mia Whitlock | Sports Editor

Photos by Guillermo DeLaBarreda

Santa Monica College Athletic Director Thomas Briskey poses at Corsair Stadium on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Santa Monica, Calif.

eading into the 2026 school year, the Santa Monica College athletics department lost four of its veteran staff across several positions: athletic director Reggie Ellis, assistant athletic director Lydia Ayala, head athletic trainer Diane Watanabe, and assistant athletic trainer Anne Ozello. Ellis and Ozello were both at SMC for 11 years in their respective roles, Ayala for five years, and Watanabe worked in the department for 41 years, from 1984 to 2025. SMC’s new athletic director, Thomas “Tom” Briskey, is a former Division I Athlete at University of California Berkeley and Pepperdine University, where he played water polo. He is also an SMC

alum, attending the college in 2015. Briskey received his master’s degree in coaching and exercise science from Concordia University Irvine. Before being hired as athletic director, Briskey was coaching the SMC water polo team and then took over as interim athletic director in 2025. “I’ve worked pretty much every job under the sun,” Briskey said. “But at a certain point I fell in love with teaching and coaching and knew that was kind of what my, like, long term plans were.” Briskey worked in real estate, did toddler swim lessons along with mommy-and-me classes, and was an entrepreneur. In the end, coaching and teaching is the one thing he knew he loved to do and could do for a long time to come.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

“And so I kind of scratched my head and said, ‘hey, this is what I like doing, so let me figure out how I can do more of that,’” Briskey said. During his first community college coaching job, the head coach he worked with explained that community college is a place where he could teach and coach and do it long term. So, once he got his master’s degree, he reached out to SMC. “If there was any place in the world I’d want to teach and coach, where would it be? And this is the place,” he said. Assistant athletic trainer Ryan Lee said he knows that Briskey has coached in the past because of his understanding of athletics and that he has been supportive of the athletic trainers.

October 21, 2026

Sports

SMC Athletic Director Thomas Briskey (Left) and Assistant Athletic Director Theresa Tang (Right) pose at Corsair Stadium.

“I’m grateful for the shoulders I’m standing on and I just hope I can continue that legacy and stick to the mission and really help our studentathletes achieve whatever it is they want to do in life.”

Santa Monica College Athletic Director Thomas Briskey poses outside his office.

“You can really tell he’s like trying to go out of his way to make our job easier,” Lee said.

athletic director position. “The way athletics operates is unlike any other department on campus,” he said.

Briskey loves getting to connect with student-athletes and coaches at SMC. “That’s not just about the sports or the performance side, it’s about team management, team organization,” Briskey said. He enjoys working with teams on building culture and having a mission, vision, and values.

Both Briskey and assistant athletic director Theresa Tang said there is a lot that happens behind the scenes to allow the department to run effectively on a daily basis. “It requires a lot of relationship building and coordination internally,” Briskey said.

Briskey’s affinity for learning pushed him to further his education recently. “So I’m a Ph.D. student right now and I study identity and values in elite sports and so any chance I have an opportunity to talk about some of those things with coaches, I’m always super excited,” he said. He is currently seven months into working on his dissertation paper for his Ph.D. program. He is halfway through completing his paper and intends on completing it by the start of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. “My research study will be interviewing Olympic athletes and talking about how their identity develops around being an Olympic athlete,” he said. While being a student, Briskey is also navigating the challenges that come with the

When Briskey took over the athletic director position from former director Ellis, he appreciated the approach he took in passing off the job. “I had a lot of mentorship but also a lot of freedom to mess around with things, try things out, see what would work. So I’m grateful for both.” Outside of SMC, Briskey enjoys photography and getting outdoors with his girlfriend Emily. “We like to get outside city limits when we can,” Briskey said. “We backpacked through Iceland for six days. We spent the previous summer in Switzerland and France.” Next year, they will be traveling to Japan. Tang said that Briskey is the optimist to her pessimist. “Meeting with him, I thought he was very spirited, open-minded, and optimistic,” Tang said. “I’m an introvert, he’s more of an extrovert.”

When describing their working relationship, Tang explained that their strengths and weaknesses are very complementary to each other. “His strengths and my strengths kind of, like, work well with one another. And then where I fall short, you know, he doesn’t.” Briskey has come into his new position ready to grow SMC athletics. “It starts with every team and every student-athlete leaving here feeling like they had an excellent experience, and they’re ready for the next challenge,” Briskey said. “I say, we have to be the best at doing that.” One of Briskey’s goals is to strengthen the branding and image of SMC sports. He wants to see more spectators, especially faculty, at sporting events. Another goal of Briskey’s is to be the top academic, top athletic, and top transfer school, as those are qualities he said define the department and the college. Briskey is appreciative for his chance to make an impact. “I can’t emphasize how grateful I am for what I’ve inherited from the people who came before me,” he said. “I’m grateful for the shoulders I’m standing on and I just hope I can continue that legacy and stick to the mission and really help our student-athletes achieve whatever it is they want to do in life.”

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Sports

October 21, 2026

The Santa Monica College Corsairs’ midfielder Noah Johannes (13) and College of the Canyons Cougars Isaac Negrete (28) race for the ball during the second half of the match.

Corsairs Tame Cougars in 10-0 Victory The Corsairs dominate with a 10-0 win over the Cougars.

Written by Adelfo Aguilera | Photos by Jason Purisma

he Santa Monica College Corsairs won 10-0 against College of the Canyons on Tuesday Oct. 13, after an offensive masterclass in both halves. After a close 1-0 win against the Renegades last Friday, the Corsairs responded with a blowout. Getting their second win in the regular season. Going into the game, SMC head coach Tim Pierce talked about how last game against Bakersfield they had 20 shots on target but the ball didn’t go in. He wants his team to focus on getting the clean sheet if the ball doesn’t want to go in the back of the net. “I mentioned to the team, sometimes the ball doesn’t want to go in the goal, and in those scenarios, you gotta make sure you’re trying to keep a clean sheet,”

Pierce said, “Going into this game. I’m obviously hoping that we can lift our level of goal scoring production. You always want to score goals but sometimes it’s easier said than done.” The Corsairs dominated the first half on offense, scoring four goals to take the lead. Within the first six minutes, forward Santiago Veizaga was tripped inside the box, earning the Corsairs a penalty. Veizaga stepped up to take the penalty but missed. The Corsairs responded by applying more attacking pressure on the defense and gave themselves two scoring chances. In the eleventh minute, Veizaga responded after a deflected shot and passed the ball to forward Robert Mejia who scored.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

29 minutes into the game, Cougars defender Jacob Larios got a yellow card for talking back to the referee after fouling SMC’s defender Joseph Moncada. Coaches from the Cougars also got a yellow card because he argued the referee’s decision. The Corsairs got their second goal of the game after the Cougars goalie Zandar MacDonald stepped out to clear the ball, leaving an open net for defender Melvin Santa Cruz to score a header. With seven minutes left in the half, SMC’s defender Renner Smiley gave a through ball to defender Juan Hermosillo and finished the opportunity by shooting through the goalie’s legs.

October 21, 2026

Sports

Corsairs’ midfielder Anthony Lopez (10) with a free kick after being fouled in the second half.

Corsairs’ midfielder Angel Diaz (21) battles College of the Canyons Cougars Diego Chavez (13) for the ball during the second half of the game

Corsair Angel Diaz went past three defenders and laid it off to midfielder Rani Roff for an easy tap-in goal. The first half ended 4-0. “Today we just wanted another goal, we were persistent the whole game. It lets us keep scoring goals,” Santa Cruz said. “Their defense looked shaky. They gave up a bunch of mistakes but we ended up scoring through those mistakes.” In the second half the Corsairs kept their foot on the pedal. Within the first five minutes, the Corsairs got another early penalty after midfielder Anthony Lopez got tripped from the back. Lopez shot the penalty at the bottom left corner and scored. After the game Lopez explained what was going through his head when he took the penalty. “Against Bakersfield I missed a penalty. So I just tried to make it, and get my confidence back,” Lopez said. In minute 61, Diaz took on two opponents and a nice pass to forward Miguel Cano, who scored the sixth goal. A minute later, Lopez scored his second of the night with a volley, making the score for 7-0.

Dominating possession for 10 minutes, the Corsairs added another two goals. In minute 70, Diaz took on another two players then passed it to Cano for him to score another goal. Forward Zen Franco made a run on the left side and crossed the ball, resulting in an own goal when Cougars defender Isaac Negrete tried to clear the ball but it went into the Cougars’ net. To end off the night, forward Aydin Leyva was one versus one against the goalie and finished with a top left corner goal. The game ended 10-0, with the Corsairs scoring double digits for the first time this season. “I am happy with this performance. After we scored a couple goals, the other team kind of gave up. The best thing about this was we were able to rotate a lot of guys and give new players some minutes,” Pierce said.

Corsairs’ forward Zen Franco (17) smiles after he scored a goal

The Corsairs will play their next game away on Friday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. against Glendale Community College.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Sports

October 21, 2026

SMC Men’s Basketball Preview SMC lose in scrimmage against LA Harbor 56-65

Written by: Victor Estrada | Sports Editor

Photos by: Jason Purisma

n Friday Oct. 16, SMC played their first preseason scrimmage at home against LA Harbor College where they lost 56-65. The Corsairs showed their scrappiness on defense, forcing many turnovers and deflections, but offensively could not find consistent success. Center Micah Blackman led the team in scoring, with help from wing Jaylen Brown, who showed off his offensive skill set going 2/2 from three and two dunks.

The Corsairs had already played a few preseason games at Cerritos College for the Juco Jamboree, where they went 1-3 in the tournament. “We could’ve won the majority of our games if we made free throws,” Coach Malik Bray said. Noting that the Corsairs were able to get to the line frequently in every game but came up short on points with missed free throws.

“Defense was okay, offensively we need to pass and move the ball more”

This year’s roster features many new faces. Before the game began, Coach Bray said the main difference is depth.

-Head Coach Malik Bray

For coach Bray, the main focus of the scrimmage was to apply heavy ball pressure. The first half started with the Corsairs forcing two turnovers, one with rotations in their set man defense, and one through their full court press. This new team showed length and athletic ability which allowed them to consistently apply pressure on the ball handlers. They often doubled whoever had the ball with quick rotations to recover. Offensively, Blackman dominated in the paint, but most points came from turnovers and fast breaks. On a miss or a make the offense quickly outletted the ball, trying to beat the defense before they got set.

SMC Corsairs Men’s basketball Head Coach Malik Bray coaching sideline against LA Harbor College Seahawks in the second half of the scrimmage game on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, at Corsair Gym in Santa Monica.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Eventually, LA Harbor kept sending Blackman to the free throw line where his continued struggles resulted in game shooting under fifty percent from the free throw line. His paint presence stood out, finishing through contact, getting multiple rebounds and a block all in the first half.

SMC C H

Coach Bray brought out subs five in five out, to see what groups worked best. “Mainly to see who gels with who,” Bray said when explaining his method of doing so. The second half started with the Corsairs trailing by five, the deficit quickly grew as they were only able to score three points in the first ten minutes of the second half. The Corsairs cut the18 point deficit to10 with two minutes left on the clock.

October 21, 2026

Sports

SMC Corsairs Men’s basketball Micah Blackman (3) dribbles by LA Harbor College Seahawks defender and looks to attack the goal in the second half of the scrimmage game

Corsairs Men’s basketball Micah Blackman (3) tips off with LA Harbor College Seahawks center to start the scrimmage game.

LA Harbor held on to that lead until the end of the scrimmage, making the final score 56-65. After the final buzzer both teams ran scenario drills where each team was down by one with forty seconds left. “More pick-n-rolls with Micah as he was dominating down low,” said Bray. The Corsairs play their next preseason game at Moorpark on Thursday Oct. 22.

SMC Corsairs Men’s basketball Jaylen Brown (12) with a lay up against LA Harbor College Seahawks defender in the second half of the scrimmage game

The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs Men’s basketball Head Coach Malik Bray (center) standing sideline against LA Harbor College Seahawks in the first half of the scrimmage game

“We got a lot more people and more bodies this year, and camaraderie will be much better this year” -Head Coach Malik Bray

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Opinion

October 21, 2026

Did the Clippers get away with it?

Graphic by: Katie Easterson

The NBA hit the Clippers with the harshest punishment dished out in its history. It still wasn’t enough. Written by Kollin Zullo

s the leaves turn orange, the costumes come out, and the NBA prepares to tip off its season, one thought has been in the back of my mind: The Los Angeles Clippers kind of got away with it. Yes, of course, they were punished. Cynically, I was worried that might not even happen. The NBA’s investigation dragged on in silence over the course of a year. I began to think they would just sweep this whole thing under the rug as no one wanted to challenge Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, by far the richest in the league.

Thankfully, this was not the case. The NBA did do something. The question is, was it enough? To recap, the NBA uses a salary cap, which means each team is limited to spending the same amount on player salaries, in order to keep rosters on a level playing field. The Clippers were caught circumventing the salary cap to sign superstar forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard signed “no show” endorsement deals with various companies, but never appeared in a single promotion for them. Ballmer then invested in these companies, effectively paying

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Leonard tens of millions of extra salary through these channels.

sounds nice, but I have a few issues with this.

In response, the NBA dropped the toughest punishment in the history of the league. The Clippers were stripped of five first round picks, fined $30 million, and Steve Ballmer was suspended for one year, along with President of Business Operations Gillian Zucker. President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank was suspended for six months. Kawhi Leonard was fined $700,000 with no suspension.

First of all, the fine is pretty insignificant outside of being a big number that looks good on a tweet. 30 million is a mere 0.018% of Ballmer’s $165 billion net worth. Even for an NBA owner who is rich instead of being in the top ten wealthiest people on Earth, this is a hit that they can take.

Five first round picks and being able to call it the “largest punishment in NBA history” all

Another problem, in the age of calling, texting, Zooming, or however you prefer to communicate, this suspension is essentially meaningless. Ballmer and co. will almost certainly have their hands on the team

October 21, 2026

“

I think it will encourage teams not to do it, or not to get caught doing it. —SMC Coach Malik Bray

behind the scenes. All this really means is that there won’t be any incredible GIFs of Ballmer celebrating courtside for the next year. Of course, the real meat of the punishment is the five first round picks. Again, this one sounds great on paper. The NBA has never taken this many picks away before. First round picks are the backbone of any serious rebuild. The Clippers are screwed. These all may be true, but when you start to think about it harder you see some cracks in the validity of this punishment. The Kawhi Leonard era for the Clippers has been a walk of shame. The blown 3-1 lead, all this shady dealing, the publicized punishment, and only one conference finals appearance to point to as a positive memory. It’s easy to laugh at their misfortune, applaud the NBA’s punishment, and move on to the next story. What if, however, the Clippers had achieved the ultimate goal? What if Kawhi Leonard hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy for the team paying him under the ta-

Opinion ble? Suddenly, any punishment the team incurs becomes immediately worth it. Ask any team owner if they’d drop $30 million for a championship. I think even John Fisher takes that deal. In that same vein, ask any GM if they’d trade five first round picks for a championship. Just last year, the Orlando Magic traded five first round picks for Desmond Bane. Not to mention, you only lose the five first round picks if you get caught. If Leonard had simply filmed a couple of commercials, something he could point to and say “I was being paid to do that,” who knows if there would have even been enough evidence to punish the Clippers. All this to say, the punishment being only five first round picks leaves the rest of the league’s general managers with a very interesting risk to reward ratio to consider. Do you try the same scheme, knowing that if you get caught and lose the picks, you can just write it off as akin to what you would have traded for that player anyway? Most GMs probably aren’t that bold, but it leaves the door open in a way that the NBA shouldn’t have done. Leonard escaping with almost no punishment is also a bad look. The $700,000 fine he paid is miniscule against his 2026-27 salary of $50 million. He will not miss any games to suspension, and the Clippers even traded him away from the dumpster fire their roster will inevitably become. Leonard also bears responsibility in this situation, he wanted these hidden deals, and now he gets to ride off into the sunset, competing for championships with the team he has already won one with. Other players

will take note of this, and I fear some will now feel emboldened to pressure teams to engage in their own hidden deals. Why not? Eat the fine, which is significantly less than the extra money you’re making, miss no games, and get the hell out of there while that team suffers. Santa Monica College student Justin Rose said “I think Kawhi got off light…no suspensions seems extremely light.” Another student, Matt Wong, said Kawhi’s punishment was “probably not” fair and that he “used to be a big fan of him, but everything he’s done since [leaving the Toronto Raptors] is really not something that I can get behind.” After all this complaining about what the NBA did wrong, I suppose it’s only fair that I offer a solution of my own. What should have been done? Well, when I said this was the largest punishment in NBA history, there was one huge asterisk behind that statement. In 2014, team owner Donald Sterling was caught on tape saying incredibly racist and sexist remarks. He was famously banned for life from any association with the NBA. Plans were made to force Sterling to sell the team, but he and his wife did it of their own accord before this could happen. Ironically, this team was the Clippers, and this is where Steve Ballmer entered the story. Morally speaking, Ballmer’s actions aren’t in the same stratosphere of evil as Sterling’s. However, I really think the nuclear option should still have been in play here. This type of scandal can seriously impact the competitive balance of the league if GMs and players start to believe they can get away with relatively light punishments. Furthermore, this isn’t even the

first time Ballmer tried this trick. He was caught and fined for offering DeAndre Jordan a Lexus sponsorship if he re-signed with the Clippers. This was back in 2015. The league needed to send a serious message that cap circumvention would never happen again in the NBA, and if it did the consequences would be immense. Instead, the Clippers will suck for a decade or so before going back to normal, which really hurts their fans the most. Meanwhile, Leonard and Ballmer get to take their slap on the wrist and carry on. Others around the league will remember this. In regards to the punishment, SMC basketball coach Malik Bray said “I think it will encourage teams not to do it, or not to get caught doing it.” That second part is my issue with this whole thing. Across all sports, teams are going to do whatever they can to get an advantage. However, when the cheating is this blatant and advantageous, I believe the punishment needs to be so severe that no one will even have the thought of trying to do it without getting caught. The risk needs to severely outweigh the reward, and right now it simply doesn’t. This was all kind of a pipe dream though, sadly. The NBA was never going to engage in full on war with a man whose net worth is more than triple that of the second wealthiest owner. Ballmer has been doing this for years because he knows he can get away with it, and while this setback will be huge for the Clippers, it kind of seems like he still can if he’s smarter about it next time. We can only hope that whatever ancient curse was placed upon this team continues to hold them back from reaching the mountaintop.

Volume 129 | Issue 3

October 21, 2026

Volume 129 | Issue 3

Gamma Gabe posing and promoting his brand “GAMMA MUSEUM” at Complexcon in the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, Calif. on Saturday October 3rd, 2026. (Andy Garcia | The Corsair)