SMC Corsair Newspaper: Spring 2010, Issue 11

Corsair

An American Tragedy See page 11

The Santa Monica College Newspaper

Volume XCIX, Issue 11

www.thecorsaironline.com

Informing Since 1929

Mother’s Day at the Flower District

Stromberg recaps Obama’s foreign policy

By Dan Bluemel Opinion Editor

By John Stapleton IV Staff Writer

On Mother’s Day, kitchen tables, cubicle shelves and workspaces across the country are festooned with endless bouquets of flowers.

The special place that mothers hold in the hearts of their children is celebrated with these colorful displays, which come in endless arrangements, colors and sizes.

And while these pretty clusters of flowering plants serve to remind mothers just how appreciated they are, what may be little-known is the work that goes into making those flowers available to shoppers in the first place.

In the heart of Los Angeles, nestled between Wall Street and San Pedro, between Seventh and Eighth Streets, sits the Flower District, a bustling floral

See ‘Mother’s Day’ on page 3

John Stapleton IV Corsair A couple rushes to snag a deal as lastminute Mother’s Day shoppers pack the Flower District of downtown Los Angeles last Sunday.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Daniel Ross Corsair Kelli Freeman from the Hollywood Reporter greets students at the Internship Fair last Thursday at Santa Monica College. The ultimate objective of the fair is to offer students valuable and practical experience in their field of study.

Internship Fair at SMC draws big business

By Daniel Ross Staff Writer If you’ve ever contemplated record breaking feats of soccer ball juggling, or pictured yourself immersed in the enchanting and exotic world of reality television, then Santa Monica College’s Internship Fair last Thursday, May 6 was the place for you.

On a congested and bustling campus quad, placements in fields as varied as women’s soccer and local theatre ensured that it wasn’t exactly slim pickings for students looking for summer jobs and internships in the upcoming months and beyond.

Most abundant, however, were opportunities in the world of media, with Fox News and the Hollywood Reporter offering just some of the many opportunities

open to students hoping to get their foot in the door of film, radio, television and the ever-burgeoning online sector.

Alison Locke, a volunteer coordinator for Film Independent, a non-profit arts organization with close links to the Los Angeles Film Festival, said that they are looking for students with a “love of films and film making” to volunteer to help at the festival running from June 17-27. Sylvia, who asked that her last name not be used, works for entertainment magazine Moving Pictures and offered something decidedly more glamorous.

“We offer three different kinds of internships,” said Sylvia. “One in the content division, an editorial internship, and another that could put [the student] right in the mix of the film festivals at Cannes and Newport Beach.”

“We really try not to have our intern sitting in the corner and making coffee,” said Tonya Carter, a human resource director for Fox News. Carter said that they take in as many as 35 interns every year, and their duties, in some cases, can involve helping to edit the news reel that is part of their evening telecast.

Many students gravitated to the more fashionable stalls like Film Independent and The Hollywood Reporter, the latter looking for interns to help with an upcoming reality TV “Comic-Con” style convention. SMC student Ashley Hackworth, 19, was one of those. Already running her own promotional blog, Hackworth said that she was interested in helping at the LA film festival as a means of breaking into the world of public

See ‘Internship’ on page 3

Speaking to over 60 people on SMC’s main campus Friday night, former KCRW talk show host and retired SMC history professor Harvey Stromberg gave a lecture on Barack Obama’s foreign policy.

Stromberg took an unusual approach in his lecture. He explained U.S.-international relations through the eyes of Barack Obama – even speaking in first person as the president. “I will tell you, speaking as Obama, what I’ve done in office for a year and a half,” he said. “I want you to understand from his point of view.”

The lecture’s central argument was that Obama has ushered in a new foreign policy that differs from George W. Bush’s go-it-alone, unilateral approach. He cited instances such as Obama shaking the hand of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, making overtures to Cuba and sending an ambassador to Syria as evidence of this.

The lecture, which was hosted by the SMC Associates, ended with a brief Q-and-A and a recetion where attendees could socialize. In attendance at the lecture were AS President Cameron Henton and AS President-elect Tiffany Inabu.

Henton, who had Stromberg as a professor for History 11, says he always enjoyed Stromberg’s teaching style.

“He was great,” said Henton. “He always played the devil’s advocate in class.”

Students for Social Justice President Cameron Quinn, questions Stromberg’s assertation on Obama. “I don’t think it’s a new foreign policy,” he said. “It’s hard to have a new foreign policy

See ‘Obama’ on page 3

Bomb scare empties SMC library

By Tannaz Lavian Staff Writer At roughly noon yesterday, a calm announcement was relayed over the Santa Monica College Library PA system. Students were told to immediately pack their belongings and evacuate the building.

This was not a drill. But it was nonetheless coolly and quickly executed.

A possible bomb threat was underway.

The police reacted quickly

to ascertain the nature of an unattended bag in the library.

With the help of a bomb-sniffing dog, it was concluded that there was no threat.

Angelica Thomas, a second year SMC student, said that during the evacuation she felt, “confused and lost but safer after being evacuated.”

Jake Coronel was seated in the third floor of the library, adjacent to the study rooms, working on his laptop. A few seats away the unattended bag was locked to a chair.

An unidentified student who noted the black luggage carryon backpack had been left unattended for quite a bit of time spoke with the library staff.

The staff then notified Sergeant Jere Romano of the Santa Monica College Police who quickly arrived on the scene.

Sergeant Romano asked students to move back as he checked the bag with a gloved hand.

Romano deemed the bag suspicious because of its two locks, one a Kryptonite

See ‘Bomb scare’ on Page 3

Sal Guerra Corsair

SMC police officer searches the empty library for any other suspicious packages yesterday.

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THIS WEEK

Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

Wednesday May 12, 2010 Santa Monica College

Corsair

Newspaper

Spring 2010 Staff

Jessica Thomas Guiliana Dakdouk Indah Datau Antoine Themistocleous Rebecca Slawter Dan Bluemel Brandon Quin Ingrid Rosales Carly Gillis Teresa Raschilla Debbie Vasquez

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Calendar Editor Lifestyle Editor Online Editor Arts Canvas Editor

Staff Alessandra Catanese, Alfredo Luna, Alica Forneret, Althea Anderson, Anthony Pantoja, Astrid le Noine, Brian White, Bryn Woznicki, Christian Nussey, Daniel Ross, Danyale Kotur, David Carranza, David Dolmage, Emil Norlen, Eric Tipton, Farhan Ali, Jennifer Martinez, Jeremy Biglow, John Stapleton IV, Jorge Valdovinos, Jung Shim, Kevin Duron, Linda Konde, Lyndsay Smith, Marley St. John, Michael Mendoza, Michael Zielinski, Monique Michaels, Nicole Ritter, Sal Guerra, Sammy Soliman, Sean Carpenter, Sean Mazzapica, Tannaz Lavian, Tara Murphy, Tené Anderson, Terrence Timmins, Tieg Slattery, Tracy Navarro

Kasey Stokes Contributer Under the streets of downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood and Western Metro Station Tunnel is an alternative form of transportation for the many people in L.A.

News

Opinion

Lifestyle

Obama Lecture Bomb Scare Internship Fair Mother’s Day

Oil Crisis CIA Drone Attacks National ID Cards

Malibu Grotto Hike SMC Student Parents BarFly

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4

5 & 6

Sports

Calendar Photo Story

Weekly Fitness Women’s Tennis NBA Playoffs

American Tragedy Santa Monica Festival “Babies” Review “Iron Man 2” Review Broken Social Scene

Swinging Back in Time

7 & 8

10 & 11

Graphic Design Jhosef A. Hern

Computer Consultant Agnius Griskevicius

Faculty Advisors Saul Rubin and Gerard Burkhart

Letters to the editor are encouraged. They should be no longer than 250 words and must be signed by the writer. corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com

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Corrections: In Issue 10, the “Sneak Peek: an exclusive look into ‘The Last Airbender’” referred to Jackson Rathbone’s

band mate and co-producer as Jerry Anderson. It should read Jerad Anderson.

Advertising Consultant Deirdre Weaver corsairad@yahoo.com

Business and Editorial Offices Letters to the Editor 1900 Pico Blvd., LS 172 Santa Monica, CA 90405 Phone: (310) 434-4340 Classified Ads: Daily Bruin (310) 825-2221 First copy of the Corsair is free, each after is 25 cents.

NEWS

Wednesday May 12, 2010

Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

Bomb scare evacuates library, but proves to be false alarm Internship

Antoine Themistocleous Corsair

A police officer removed the suspicious bag from the Santa Monica College library after a bomb-sniffing dog showed no reaction to it.

U-shaped bicycle lock attached to a chair, another a pad-lock on the top of the backpack.

At 12:17 p.m. Officer Hernandez attempted to disperse students who were gathered outside the library doors and stairs.

“Go get something to eat. They probably found a rat,” she said.

The library will be reopened in a little while.”

However students remained gathered around the solid concrete building that, as Romano stated, “has withstood many earthquakes,” and would have, in all likelihood, been left unmoved by any other disturbance.

Library staff and police remained tight-lipped. Juan Rojas, a student who was unaware of the situation, had been studying for an upcoming test in the library. He said, “I’m going to wait. They brought in dogs, someone probably just found drugs or something.”

At 12:32 p.m. the library staff was allowed back into the library. And soon thereafter the dog was escorted out.

According to Romano the dog did not “hit-on,” (bark at or stare at) the package. In fact the dog did nothing, a sign that no bomb was present.

By 12:38 p.m. Mona Martin, the library director allowed students back into the library. She confirmed that

an unattended bag had been left locked to a chair, and its contents including a laptop and textbooks were harmless.

The owner, as of yesterday, has yet to be identified. Given that the library does not have cameras in the particular area of the library, surveillance of the front entrance will have to be done to verify its owner.

Romano noted that many unattended backpacks can be found around campus throughout the day. Romano reiterated that what made this backpack suspicious and unusual was that it was locked to a chair.

Additionally, had their been a more credible threat, evacuation would have occurred without approaching the threat, the fire alarm would have been pulled and emergency exists would have been opened.

Fortunately no such credible threat was found, and by 12:40 p.m. the threat was cleared and business at the library was back to usual.

Precautions are necessary because the city of Santa Monica, and the Santa Monica Pier in particular, is on a terrorist watch alert. Recent bomb scares at the University of Southern California, a pipe bomb found at Pierce College in February, as well as threats on the East Coast have left authorities wary.

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Fair at Santa Monica College

Continued from ‘Internship fair’ on page 1

relations.

But interest wasn’t solely devoted to the big media companies. Jason Lemire, a general manager at the Pali Blues women’s soccer club, saw a steady stream of interest throughout the day, and made sure students’ attention was directed to the quality of their graphic and Web design department. But it was what they have planned for their opening day match that raised most eyebrows.

“We’re aiming to break the current world record for the amount of people juggling soccer balls in one stadium,” said Lemire.

“It’s part of an initiative to send soccer balls to needy children here in L.A. and around the world.”

Judy White, internship coordinator, was delighted with the turnout for the fair. She said that recruiters were impressed by students’ zeal and pointed out that SMC Careers Services offers booklets with employer and the internship information.

“So many of the employers came up to me impressed by the enthusiasm and interest shown by the students,” said White. “But the internships aren’t just limited to the summer, they’re available all year round.”

“Obama So Far” Lecture at SMC Flower District, a Mother’s Day destination Continued from lecture on page 1

‘Obama’ discussing the Israeli-Palestinian

when you are fighting all the old wars.”

Quinn cited U.S. belligerence toward Iran and the escalation of the Afghanistan war as evidence that Obama has not structurally changed U.S. foreign relations.

When it came to the issue of Iraq, Stromberg argued that Obama will make good on his campaign promise to remove U.S. soldiers from the country by the end of 2011. “The pressure on Obama to leave is going to be tremendous,” he said. “Obama wants to leave. He sees it as Bush’s war.”

But Quinn feels that is a difficult argument to make, considering the United States still has soldiers in Germany and Japan 65 years after WWII and has built what many say are permanent military bases in Iraq. And then there is the issue of military contractors and mercenaries, such as Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, who are not part of the withdrawal equation.

“If you take out all the combat troops, what’s left?” he said.

“Plenty of non-combat troops and military bases. That really doesn’t sound to me like a withdrawal from Iraq.”

Stromberg also spent time

conflict. He says Israeli settlements and the Palestinian right of return are holding up the peace process.

The Palestinian right of return refers to U.N. General Assembly resolution 194, which states that refugees should be allowed to return to their homes as soon as possible and compensated for losses.

Stromberg feels the U.S. has a legitimate role to play in the Middle East peace process despite the U.S. subsidizing the Israeli military and the Israeli lobby’s significant influence in Washington, D.C. He cited Obama’s first trip to the Middle East where he purposely did not visit Israel to send a message to Arab nations.

“He is trying to be more evenhanded,” he said.

SMC Political Science Professor Christina Caldwell says it is too early to make any pronouncements about Obama’s foreign policy. Since taking office, she says, Obama has focused more on domestic issues than international relations.

“The examples of some overtures toward Cuba, a new ambassador, shaking hands with Hugo Chavez aren’t in my opinion anything that is a major change,” said Caldwell.

“They are sort of symbolic more than anything else.”

Continued from ‘Mother’s Day’ on page 1

business center that provides flowers, bouquets and exotic plants throughout the year. Come Mother’s Day, the market-styled district explodes with activity, as shipment after shipment of fresh flowers are trucked in, prettied up and put on sale throughout the day. The delivery, preparation and selling of flowers lasts longer than 24 hours, and many shop owners work from Saturday evening until Monday afternoon.

Rebeca Robleda, who owns a small flower shop along Eighth Street, spent the day rushing between preparing flowers for bouquets, putting them out in front of the store, and completing monetary transactions as customers spilled in and out of her tiny shop.

“It’s busier this year. There are only three very busy days: Guadalupe Day, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day,” Robleda said between tasks. Competing for sales with the dozens of other shops that filled the Flower District, she operated her business with the aid of three family members who had enlisted their services to help during the busy holiday. While Guillarmo Villa, 24, cut stems

and pulled petals for different arrangements, 20-year-old Mariela Gomez tried to woo customers into the cramped stall with big doe eyes and an inviting smile. “I’m the one that says ‘Hello, nice to meet you,’” she said, beaming.

Farther from the nucleus of the action, but just as trafficked, orchid specialty shop Secret Garden focused more on quality than quantity, providing elaborately detailed orchid arrangements inspired by florist and owner Gina Chung. While Chung maintains a steady clientele throughout the year by providing high-end arrangements to corporate and celebrity events, when the demand becomes as lively as it gets on Mother’s Day, her children show their holiday spirit by helping out the family business.

“Usually my mother sells privately to clients who make very large orders, so she provides wholesale prices. During Mother’s Day she can offer these wholesale prices to the public, so it’s always busy on Mother’s Day,” said Lauren Chung, the owner’s daughter, between serving customers and perfecting arrangements.

While individually-owned shops like Robledo’s and Secret Garden made the most of hectic street sales, Flower District malls like the

Southern California Flower Market overflowed with fervid flower fanfare. These spacious warehouses vibrated with noise, color and energy as shoppers haggled over prices and vendors bustled about, filling orders, cashiering and restocking presentations.

The Southern California Flower Market houses 30 separate vendor stalls, all competing for business with each other by offering more elaborate displays, more exotic flowers and more flexibility on prices than neighboring stalls.

Freight trucks routinely pulled into the distribution area to unload refrigerated floral cargo, and wilting flowers were crushed underfoot as vendors scrambled to resupply their stalls with the brightest and freshest floral merchandise.

And yet, this chaotic frenzy serves a single purpose. Far from the hustle and bustle of flower commerce and miles from dyestained hands and thorn-pricked fingertips, the reason for all of this floral fanaticism manifests on living room mantles and windows sills and from behind the backs of children, young and old, across America. All of the labor and toil and mania ensure that millions of mothers, from Los Angeles to Tulsa to Raleigh, know how appreciated they are on their special day.

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OPINION

Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

Wednesday May 12, 2010

Our appetite for oil, our appetite for destruction America’s insatiable consumerism has led to bad policies, deregulation and an environmental nightmare for future generations.

By Tieg Slattery Staff Writer On April 20, an explosion rocked a British Petroleum deepwater drilling rig 45 miles off the coast of Louisiana. A slow response and bungled attempts at containment followed.

Government and British Petroleum officials estimate that 210,000 gallons of oil are seeping into the Gulf of Mexico each day.

Many experts remain skeptical of the figure as both groups have a vested interest in minimizing the perceived impact of the disaster.

Independent environmental groups, such as Skytruth, have stated that the true figure could be as much as 5 times the official number. As continued attempts at containment fail, the likelihood of this spill becoming the greatest environment disaster in U.S. history increase.

While BP and government officials are scratching their heads, residents of the Gulf Coast are bracing themselves for the massive oil slick’s eventual landfall and wondering, what’s next and how did we get here?

This disaster was 50 years in the making.

The warning signs have been evident and yet are still somehow being ignored. So let’s examine the events leading up to the spill.

1960: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela form OPEC (The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries).

1971: OPEC wrestles control of crude oil prices from interests based in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. The balance of power in the oil industry shifts to the Middle East.

1973:

In response to U.S. support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War, OPEC imposes oil embargoes on the U.S. as well as several other importing countries.

Late 1970s: Reacting to the embargo-related oil crisis, forward-thinking countries mobilize resources and begin to galvanize efforts to limit their dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.

However, in America auto manufacturers begin developing the SUV in order to take over a major share of the automobile market.

1980s - 1990s: Many European countries take the lead on producing sustainable energy projects and further commit themselves to limiting their dependence on fossil fuels.

1992: The Hummer, which gets nine miles per gallon, is released to civilian markets in the United States.

1990s and 2000s: The world begins to realize that Blowout Preventers (BOPs), the safety device that failed in the current Deepwater Horizon incident, are nowhere near fail-safe. Major oil-producing countries begin stricter regulations of BOPs and implement new restrictions mandating the use of acoustic triggers (a remote, fail-safe shut-off valve activator) on the BOPs of all offshore rigs.

Back home, the American government considers implementing similar safety measures. Big Oil, however, successfully lobbies against the restrictions, citing the $500,000 cost of the measures as excessive.

Safety measures on U.S. offshore rigs remain lax.

Late 90s and 2000s: Countries across Europe, Asia and South America begin the widespread use of solar, wind, and bio-fuel generated power.

Meanwhile, across America, commuters travel to work in shiny oversized 4x4s that have never seen a dirt road.

2000s: The U.S. continues to neglect sustainable energy progress. Wars continue to rage in the Middle East in the name of “freedom” or rather, oil. The endgame remains unclear.

Many prominent figures and politicians continue to deny the existence or extent of global warming.

April 2, 2010: President Obama addresses a crowd at a South Carolina town hall meeting. “It turns out, by the way, that oil rigs today generally don’t cause spills. They are technologically very advanced,” he says.

April 20, 2010: British Petroleum-leased offshore drilling rig explodes. Eleven crew members are missing and presumed dead.

April 24, 2010: Two days after Transocean’s Deepwater Horizon rig sinks to the ocean floor, robots detect the first signs of oil leaking from the BP well; rate of release remains unknown.

April 25, 2010: One thousand barrels of oil a day are originally estimated to be leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.

April 27, 2010: BP releases first quarter numbers for 2010. Profits for the 3-month period near $6 billion.

April 28, 2010: A third oil leak is discovered. The Coast

Guard revises original estimate and declares that as many as 5,000 barrels of oil are seeping into the Gulf Coast waters each day.

April 30, 2010: Reports surface that oil has reached the coastline. Opposition to the upcoming Cape Wind Farm, a sustainable energy project in the Nantucket Sound, becomes ever more ridiculous.

May 3, 2010: Gov. Schwarzenegger pulls support for the expansion of offshore drilling off the coast of California citing TV images of the BP oil spill as his motivation.

While it is clear that the full scope of this disaster will not be accurately measured for months or possibly even years, it has the potential to become the most devastating environmental disaster in U.S. history.

The question remains, however, can anything positive be taken from this catastrophe? Will this serve as a wake-up call and revolutionize U.S. policy and practice in developing and utilizing alternative and sustainable energies? If humanity has any hope of a long and healthy existence, then it is absolutely essential that we heed this warning and begin to shift this nation’s resistance to necessary change.

It is time for Americans to stop consuming for the sake of consumption. It is time to carefully consider this planet’s fragile future, instead of simply mortgaging it off to cover the ever-increasing cost of the present.

Unfortunately, given the U.S.’s history of blissful ignorance over realism, and capitalism over pragmatism, I expect this will neither be the last nor the worst incident etched into the American history books.

it will usher government into the very center of our lives,” he said to The Hill.

“All of this will come with a new federal bureaucracy - one that combines the worst elements from the DMV and the TSA.” This is very logical, and at this moment in history, definitely not something the government can handle with an overstuffed plate of problems.

An obvious issue with the bill is the expansion of bureaucracy and the potential cost. This program will be expensive, seeing as there are 300 million Americans to ID, a new bureaucracy that must be set up, new technology and employment training.

The government is not swimming in a sea of cash these days. The United States can’t handle more deficits. It has become a slave to China in terms of its debt and the value of the dollar is falling annually. If there is no responsible way to pay for this bill without raising the deficit, then the bill is just an idea, because it will never be passed.

Civil libertarians should breathe a sigh of relief. Considering the financial implications, a national ID card is not in America’s future.

By Dan Bluemel Opinion Editor

mental state of American and Canadian test subjects in the 1950-60s.

In short, the CIA is a criminal organization that should have been disbanded years ago. It is the antithesis of democracy, human rights and morality.

And it should never be trusted.

The House Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs has recently debated the legality of the CIA participating in such attacks, considering the agency is a civilian, rather than a military, organization.

However, they are missing a very important point. It is wrong to murder people for “suspecting” them of something. The CIA’s activity opens the door wide-open to killing innocent human beings, something that has already been well documented in America’s war on the people of Afghanistan.

Human rights activist and Office of the Americas Director Blase Bonpane says CIA drone attacks work against the U.S.’s stated goals in the region. “It’s creating tremendous opposition with the Taliban and other groups,” he said. “It’s counterproductive.”

So much for winning “hearts and minds,” but that really never was their intention. The CIA has an objective all its own, and legality, morality and human life have nothing to do with it.

Cost will kill national ID plan CIA drone attacks are criminal

By Farhan Ali Staff Writer

Civil libertarians, get ready. Your blood is going to boil. A proposal has circulated Capitol Hill this past month calling for a national ID card that would contain biometric information, such as fingerprints.

The program, entitled BELIEVE (Biometric Enrollment Locally stored Information and Electronic Verification of Employment) is part of an effort to curb illegal immigration. It is still a draft, but reports have arrived that the program, if passed, should be initiated within the next five-to-six-years.

The ID card would have an encryption key that would be checked by potential employers with a national database of individuals authorized to work. The Hill, a Washington, D.C. newspaper, reported that scanners, microchips, and databases would all be part of the program. Sounds expensive.

Christopher Calabrese, legislative council for the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), couldn’t agree more.

“Creating a biometric national ID will not only be astronomically expensive,

Civil libertarians, get ready.

Your blood is going to boil.

Last week, the Los Angeles Times reported that, since 2008, the CIA received “secret permission” to kill “suspected militants whose names are not known, as part of a dramatic expansion of its campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan’s border region.”

It should be deeply troubling to us all that the CIA has been given permission to murder unidentified people who are merely “suspected” of militancy.

CIA spokesperson George Little declined to comment to the Corsair on what criteria the agency employs to determine if someone is a militant. However, to assuage any fear of wrongdoing, he did address the agency’s behavior in drone attacks.

“The CIA’s counterterrorism operations are conducted with extreme precision and in strict accord with the law,” he said.

The agency’s assertion they are following the law is not enough to provide solace.

The CIA has a checkered history of coups d’état (Iran 1953, Congo 1965, Chile 1973, among others); subverting democratic elections (in Italy, Greece and Central America, for example); and human experimentation like Project MK-ULTRA, where the CIA covertly influenced the

Wednesday May 12, 2010

LIFESTYLE

Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

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SMC childcare aid gives hope to student-parents

By Tené Anderson Staff Writer The wisdom of the Nigerian proverb, “It takes the village to raise a child,” isn’t lost on all modern American families.

SMC has a small yet determined population of full-time students who are also full-time parents. In addition to their parental and student obligations, many of them also work. With financial assistance and help from friends, a handful of students are taking advantage of what the village of SMC has to offer and finding success.

Chris Callas is a husband and father of two, ages 5 and 1. He is also finishing his last semester of the nursing program. He stood out at the Bundy campus with his 1-year-old daughter nestled heart-to-heart with him in her baby sling.

“In the beginning, we were able to manage alright, but it gets harder,” Callas said. “We had our daughter during the end of the second semester and there just wasn’t enough care to go around.”

Callas is in the middle of a preceptorship in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit at University of California, Los Angeles. The preceptorship requires Callas to work 100 hours per month at the hospital. Callas also works as an administrative care partner at UCLA, a position he has held since 1993.

With Callas’ wife pursuing her post doctorate degree and his own reduced work hours, they have “had to take out a ton of loans” said Callas. At this point “the

money’s drying up,” he said. sure that both she and her 8-year-old son, Callas expressed immense gratitude Laqota, have their homework assignments for the efforts of SMC’s financial aid in order. department, and particularly for Damon “My education has been extremely Mcleod of the Financial Aid Office, who important to me,” Gun said. “It empowers Callas described as “an incredible and me… and it makes me evolve.” supportive resource who goes above and Gun enrolled at SMC five years ago. beyond to help the students out.” Callas “I felt like my life was stagnant and I was able to secure grant money allocated needed a change,” she said. “The path I was for nursing students. going wasn’t working for me anymore.”

“You really have to make this program Recalling how she felt that first semester a priority in your life, and when I say and what inspired her to continue on, priority, I mean the priority,” Callas said, she said, “I kept hearing all this positive acknowledging feedback and that the hardest My education has been extremely I thought, you part of his know what, I schooling has important to me. It empowers me… and like this.” been the strain it makes me evolve.

Gun says she it has put on his wishes she were family.

Deborah Gun in a position to “A lot of the continue her time I’m not studies without mentally and emotionally there because I’m interruption, but time and finances have so caught up in all the things I have to do forced her to take more than one semester to be successful,” Callas said. “Something off. She calls her roommate her “saving has to give and unfortunately, it’s been my grace” because she rearranged her schedule family.” around Gun’s and Laqota’s in order to pick Whenever he gets the feeling that he is in him up from school when Gun has class. over his head, it is the love for, and from, Gun also credits the Extended his family that keeps him moving forward. Opportunity Programs and Services “You make it happen, I’m just not willing (EOPS) and Cooperative Agencies to contemplate any other alternative,” he Resources for Education (CARE) programs, said. which provide book and meal vouchers as Deborah Gun is pursuing her degree in well as reimbursement for childcare and early childhood education. Every morning transportation to school, for putting her before she leaves for class, she makes education within reach.

“If it wasn’t for that program, I wouldn’t be able to go to school… they’ve been extremely supportive and helpful,” Gun said.

With continued support, Gun hopes to receive her associate’s degree and land a position as a special education teacher when she graduates. Her renewed enthusiasm for school has been contagious. She says Laqota is already telling her he wants to go to college.

“When you have children, you have to be positive because your children model what they see,” she said. “My son is my drive.”

Along with EOPS and CARE, SMC provides abundant resources for student parents. The Associated Students Childcare Fund offers up to $400 per month toward childcare costs for single parents with dependent children younger than six years of age. Jenny Trickey, director of the Childcare Fund, says there are no students currently taking advantage of this subsidy.

She says the money is available, there’s no deadline to apply, and the paperwork takes five minutes to fill out. For more information, you may call 310-434-8526.

There is also a $10,000 scholarship available for student mothers at scholarshipsformoms.net. Students may submit an online application by Friday, May 14.

Raising a child can be daunting enough without the hectic pressure of schooling.

Fortunately for SMC students, the college can step in to be a part of your “village.”

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LIFESTYLE

Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

Wednesday May 12, 2010

Vista views of Ventura at Malibu Grotto hiking trail

Brian White Corsair

Christian Nussey Corsair

Christian Nussey Corsair

Grotto Trail located deep in Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains is a moderate hike that is just about four miles round-trip and is surrounded by plants, streams of water, and the grotto itself.

By Tieg Slattery Staff Writer The Malibu Grotto Trail is the perfect afternoon escape. Only a short drive from the SMC campus, this majestic nook in the heart of Southern California serves as a welcome reprieve from all things big-city.

It is often said that in life it is important to take pleasure in not only the destination, but also in the journey itself. The Malibu Grotto Trail is one of the rare opportunities when both journey and destination are equally invigorating.

Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Malibu Grotto Trail is pure pleasure and offers sweeping scenery from the drive to the destination. From Santa

Bar

Monica the journey begins northward on the Pacific Coast Highway, where scenic views of the coastline ease the tension of even the heaviest weekend traffic.

Roughly one mile after passing over the Ventura County line, take a right on the perilously narrow Yerba Buena Road and continue for 5.4 miles as it snakes its way up the canyon. Endless double-apex turns and a sheer, 100-plus foot drop just feet from the driver’s side window ensure that hikers arrive at the trailhead with blood pumping, ready to hike. The Circle X Ranch and Ranger station clearly mark the beginning of the Malibu Grotto Trail and free parking is offered.

As the path descends steadily downward, the maintained footpath is

shaded and offers many lookout points to take in the lush green landscape of the canyon floor. High above the trail, a sandstone peak over three thousand feet tall watches omnipotently over the canyon, while the sweet aroma of coastal sage and other dry-weather shrubbery hangs lightly in the air below.

After the dry reddish-brown rocky slopes of the upper section have been successfully navigated, hikers are transported through two inviting, houseon-the-prairie-style meadows and then onto the fern-studded valley floor. An underground stream, which feeds the grotto, peaks through the moist topsoil every so often, and keeps this portion of the hike considerably cool.

Once colossal rock formations begin

to dominate the scenery, the grotto is within reach. This last section of the hike, however, requires a little more effort. Prepare to get dirty and do a little rock climbing or misstep into foot-deep icy-cold water. However, like many past explorers who overcame perils to reap reward, you too will not be disappointed.

House-sized rock formations soon open up to reveal a naturally occurring rockwalled grotto-pool (playmates not included) perfect for dipping a toe or, if careless, an entire foot.

After cooling off by the grotto, head back up the same path. The first mile or so is fairly strenuous, however, the clean, crisp mountain air is a refreshing respite from the usual carbon-tainted Los Angeles oxygen, so soak it up.

f ly

By John Stapleton Staff Writer Confession time: I’m an Okie. Born and raised on the giant, shiny buckle of America’s Bible Belt, I grew up driving pick-up trucks, skipping school to hunt, and drinking lots of PBR back when it was just cheap beer and not ironically chic. So I might be a little biased about finding a country western bar that’s this remarkably close to my redneck roots in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, but Cowboy Country just nails it.

Cowboy Country is actually located in Long Beach, but it’s worth the drive since it offers not only one of the most spacious honky-tonks I’ve ever been to, but one of the most distinctively countrified. This giant, two-story saloon features not one, not two, but three spacious dance floors for boot-scootin’, two full bars and a

the quest for the Westside’s best watering hole complete kitchen with a menu replete with down-home fixins. There’s even a Western Wear shop in case you didn’t get the memo and showed up in a ball cap or sneakers. And just to complete the theme, a mechanical bull (yeehaw!) is available for a buckin’ good time.

Although these things could stand on their own, what really makes Cowboy Country shine is their massive stage for live bands.

“We only do live bands,” says owner Ken Littleton. “There’s no other place this close to line dance. There’s no place like it around here, period, and people get hooked.”

It’s easy to see why. There’s no specific demographic at Cowboy Country. That “Roadhouse” scene you’re imagining is only half accurate, because people from all walks of life enjoy a little Southern charm once in a while. The older crowd

can enjoy the nostalgia, and the younger crowd can just cut completely loose, even if they never thought line dancing would be something they would ever do without a gun to their heads.

As Littleton puts it, “At least half of our new customers have been brought in here kicking and screaming, and the mantra is always, ‘I never knew I could have this much fun at a country bar!’ In a place like this, nobody cares – it’s all fun.”

Even if you don’t have the look, Cowboy Country’s jumpin’ juke-joint atmosphere will have you kickin’ up your heels in two shakes of a lamb’s tail. Littleton credits this to the music. “There’s something about country music that no matter how young or old you are, it has an impression on you,” he says, “It has an appeal that goes from [ages] 19 to 99 because it’s fun. You don’t have to have a uniform – I mean, look at you: you don’t have on

cowboy boots. Country music doesn’t care.”

And country music didn’t care as I completely embarrassed Oklahomans as a whole with my non-two-steppin’ two left feet. But boy, I tell you what for, it was a good time, and no one judged those of us who couldn’t quite execute the “line” part of “line dancing.” Even the bartenders were serving up healthy portions of Dixie hospitality, and finally – finally – I found a bar that could recreate, with delicious dexterity, a dangerous combination of spirits known back home as the Johnny Shivanni. I can’t say what’s in it, but it’ll leave you feeling snake-bit.

Cowboy Corner lacks in absolutely nothing becoming of a real, live country western bar. In the words of Toby Keith, “I like my truck, I like my girlfriend…but I love this bar.”

And that’s the God’s honest truth y’all.

Wednesday May 12, 2010

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Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

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Eliseeva and Lauritzen place second at State Championships

Siddhartha Abbazi Corsair Freshman Tiana Lauritzen (in front) and teammate Anastasia Eliseeva (back left) ready themselves against De Anza’s Phuckachamp /LuTran in semi-finals match.

Lady Corsairs finish off their season in style, as they take second place in doubles at the State Championships.

Brandon Quin Sports Editor Playing against teams all across California, the Lady Corsairs proved, like they had all year, that this team is indeed something special.

The Lady Corsairs capped off their season in spectacular fashion last weekend at the State Championships.

Standout sophomore Anastasia Eliseeva reached the semi-finals in the singles bracket and the duo of Eliseeva and tennis rookie of the year Tiana Lauritzen combined to capture second place in doubles competition.

The combination of Eliseeva/

Lauritzen had been bulldozing opponents all season, and California State Championships were the perfect opportunity for the duo to showcase their talents on a larger scale.

The team’s trek towards the State final match began Friday afternoon, as Eliseeva/Lauritzen prepared to face Chabot College’s Kris Pacis and Rachel Peralta. The Corsairs’ duo wasted little time in the opening round, defeating Chabot College in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

Given an hour to rest and recuperate, Eliseeva and Lauritzen resumed their march to a title in the second round against the Sierra College Wolverines.

Sierra’s Brittany Miller and Kelsey

Chrisco tried their best to knock off the second seeded Corsairs, but just like SMC’s first round opponent, the Wolverines were simply no match.

Eliseeva/Lauritzeen took down their opponent in straight-sets and continued to cement themselves as the team to beat.

After a day’s hiatus, doubles play resumed on Saturday afternoon, as the Corsair duo moved onto the semi-final round of competition. Needing only one more victory to reach the illustrious championship match, Eliseeva and Lauritzen were pitted against De Anza College’s Cartoon Phuckachamp and Diane LuTran.

Merely hours earlier, Phuckachamp had captured the women’s singles state title and was finishing off her opponents in dominant fashion. Facing such a menacing player might put fear in the hearts of weaker teams, but the Corsairs weren’t about to shy away from a challenge.

Eliseeva and Lauritzen battled Phuckachamp/LuTran to a standstill, as each duo took one set respectively.

The third and final set would determine the winner, and the Corsairs weren’t about to let this opportunity slip away. Eliseeva/Lauritzen made the necessary adjustments as they took the determining set against De Anza, 6-3, and subsequently paved their way to the State Finals.

With only a half-hour to recover, the Corsairs virtually jumped right back into action as they faced a familiar foe in the doubles championship match.

Eliseeva and Lauritzen recently took the Ojai Invitational crown and defeated Reedley College’s Amy Busch and Yumiko Justin in order to do so.

It was déjà vu for the Lady Corsairs as Justin and Busch would be their finals’ opponent at the State Championships as well.

Unfortunately for SMC, their magical run would come to end, as Reedley College’s duo proved to be too much on this night. Eliseeva and Lauritzen took the lead early, but Justin/Busch would battle back to take both the first and second set, ending the Corsairs’ title hopes, 7-5, 6-4.

Despite the disappointment, the women’s tennis season has no doubt been one for the ages and Eliseeva couldn’t have been happier.

“This season was great for the whole team,” said Eliseeva. “We won conference and reached the State Finals.

It was an amazing year, and it was the most fun I’ve ever had.”

Head coach Richard Goldenson echoed Eliseeva’s sentiments and knew that this season he had been coaching a very special team.

“Their level of dedication was truly phenomenal,” said Goldenson. “Every time the team stepped onto the court they gave it everything they had.”

How sweep it is: NBA Conference Semi-Finals Playoff Report Farhan Ali Staff Writer With the first round in the books, the NBA playoffs are lacking competitive fire in the conference semi-finals, as inferior teams have fallen quickly and three out of the four series subsequently ended in sweeps.

The five remaining teams, however, are all strong contenders, and each have the ability and experience to perform upsets in any of the current or upcoming series.

The Phoenix Suns are one of those five contenders, after surprisingly defeating the San Antonio Spurs with ease. Despite Phoenix versus San Antonio being one of the more memorable rivalries in the past ten years, the Spurs couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain as the Suns made quick

work of the southern Texas team.

San Antonio had eliminated the Suns in each of their last three meetings in the post season, and it seemed only a matter of time

Even a bloody eyelid couldn’t stop Phoenix’s attack, as Nash was elbowed in the face by Tim Duncan in game four and was subsequently forced into the locker

“It seems some of the hype in this year’s playoffs have been overplayed, but the clash in the Western Conference Finals will no doubt keep eyes glued to the television. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers defend the 3-point line against the Suns.” before the pendulum swung the other way and Phoenix got their revenge.

In all four games, the Spurs were incapable of stopping the Sun’s gritty, defensive bench and the pick and roll combination of star point guard Steve Nash and Forward Amare Stoudamire.

room to be stitched up. Undeterred, he returned with a swollen left eye to finish what was left of the Spurs’ season with 10 points and 5 assists in the fourth quarter.

Nobody expected a 4-0 sweep of a team with such an extensive championship pedigree, but the Spurs just couldn’t cool

off the hot Suns. The Los Angeles Lakers hoped to fare much better in the next round.

Before those Lakers could face the Suns, however, they had to finish off Utah Jazz in a series that was all too familiar for Jazz fans. Los Angeles eliminated Utah in the past two playoffs, and 2010 was no different. The Jazz found no solution for the Laker bigs, who simply out-rebounded, out-muscled, and outplayed the undersized Utah forwards.

The Okalahoma series seemed to sharpen the Lakers, who have finally decided to play defense, holding the Jazz to 44 percent while shooting over 50 percent themselves, according to NBA.com.

Continued on page 8

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Wednesday May 12, 2010

NBA Conference Semi-Finals Report Continued from page 7

Add to that Kobe’s emergence as his old self, Los Angeles had no problem taking down Utah in four games and keeping the Lakers’ supporters content.

With the series victory, the defending champs will now play the Phoenix Suns to determine the West representative in the NBA Finals.

The East, on the other hand, is still fully not decided.

The Orlando Magic followed the Suns and Lakers formula, by sweeping the Atlanta Hawks in dominant fashion and finishing with an unbelievable 101-point margin of victory.

Orlando looked sharp as its Big 4 of Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson man handled the undersized Hawks. By moving the ball offensively and smothering Atlanta on the defensive end, Orlando simply cruised.

The Magic held the Hawks to under 40 percent shooting and it came to the point where Atlanta had virtually stopped competing in game three.

Orlando defeated the Hawks 4-0, and became the third team to do so in the 2010 conference semis.

The only series yet to be decided in the second round is the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Boston Celtics.

With the Celtics fully healthy and the Cavaliers beefed up with off-season and mid-season acquisitions, this match-up

has intrigue written all over it.

Cleveland and Boston split games one and two, and then proceeded to leave each fan base awe-struck with otherworldly performances in the following two contests.

Game three saw LeBron James score 28 of his game high 38 points in the first half and subsequently will his team to victory. Not to be outdone, Boston point guard Rajon Rondo became only the third player in NBA history to score 29 points, grab 18 boards and dish out 13 assists in game four as he helped the Celtics tie the series 2-2.

The series is set to resume in Cleveland for game five on Tuesday night.

It seems some of the hype in this year’s playoffs has been overplayed, but the clash in the Western Conference Finals will no doubt keep eyes glued to television. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers will defend the 3-point line against the Suns, as it is something they have struggled with all season.

With the Magic coasting to a consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals, it appears Orlando will be prepared to face either Boston or Cleveland in the upcoming round.

The finish line is drawing close and with three of the last four series resulting in sweeps, basketball fans hope to find more parity in both conference finals.

Sal Guerra Corsair Second-year guard, Rodney Hudson, posing on the basketball court as he preps fro the 2010-11 season.

SMC Weekly Fitness: Rodney Hudson Sophomore guard Rodney Hudson gives a brief look into his off-season training regimen, as he prepares for the upcoming basketball season.

Michael Mendoza Staff Writer For second-year shooting guard Rodney Hudson, playing the game of basketball is simply second nature.

Despite playing both football and baseball as a child, Hudson always gravitated towards basketball and subsequently learned to appreciate the sport at an early age.

“Man, I’ve been playing basketball since I was five years old,” said Hudson.

For Hudson, developing a love for the game at such a young age has now manifested into a drive that pushes him to compete both on and off the court.

“I’ve loved winning since I was in the crib,” said Hudson. “I’ve always been competitive in everything I do.”

This Inglewood native possesses a killer instinct that is one of the unteachable intangibles involved in basketball.

Possessing the will to compete and working with his head coach, Jerome Jenkins, Hudson stays on top of his workouts to ensure that his game remains flawless.

“I enjoy the workouts with the team,” said Hudson. “The practices are constant; sometimes we have three-a-days. Coach

Jenkins is always working with the players to improve their game for the next level.”

Hudson trains on a daily basis, building an arsenal that will stimulate even more success for the sophomore guard in the upcoming 2010-2011 season. From his ball handling skills to his conditioning, Hudson is constantly working on every aspect of his game to ensure that he won’t miss a beat on the basketball court.

“I’m always working on my shooting accuracy, dribbling through cones with a weighted ball for ball handling,” he said.

Eating healthy for Hudson has never been an issue. “I wouldn’t say I have a strict diet, but I’m always conscious of what I eat,” he said. “I stay away from fatty foods and junk like soda because it’s detrimental to your conditioning.”

With food on his mind, Hudson wasn’t afraid to admit the kind of meal that he simply can’t resist. “I love soul food, especially fried chicken,” he said chuckling. “A lot of people think it’s bad, but you just can’t eat a large quantity of it.”

Rodney is just a hard-working athlete with a big appetite. And with his massive appetite for success, Hudson will continue finding ways to improve his game in the hopes that this upcoming basketball season will be one he never forgets.

Wednesday May 12, 2010

A RT S C A N VA S

Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

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Two in One

by Zaira Pruneda Born by the name Maria Patricia on April 2, 1966 my mother is one of the few women in my life I truly admire. Raising three kids on her own has not always been easy, but she has managed to accomplish filling in for both roles of mother and father. Patricia became a single mother on May 9, 1997, and has remained one for the last 13 years. There have been other challenges and obstacles in her life but she has not stopped persevering.

Although my mother puts up a tough front she is a loving caring individual who currently works at a day care/school for kids with autism. My mother is two-in-one; there is the concerned mom and loving side of her and there is the disciplinarian side of her. In my household we got to see more of the firm and strict role, and for that I am grateful. My mom is a strong believer in higher education and if she had not persisted on the importance of my education I would not be attending school today. “A person with a college education is more suitable than a person without” is what she always said. I followed her advice and enrolled at Santa Monica College in the fall of 2007. My second day at college was one of the worst experiences in my life. After many tears that day I was determined college was not for me. Later that night she said, “Zaira come here” I walked over to her bed and she hugged me and said, “tomorrow will be a better day.”

Mother’s Day Thoughts :

Momma

I’ve rolled so far away from home

By John-John

The edges of this earth I’ve roamed

So here I am, a few years later –

And yet – not once! – was I alone

By Edward Yeakel

Somewhat grown-up, somewhat greater

(or free from your phone-callin’)

My mother, Judith Ann Grenier, is an inspiration. She teaches second grade at an elementary school in Palm Desert, CA. Eighty percent of the student body is Hispanic, and many of the children are only citizens in this country because their parents crossed that southern border to deliver them here in the United States. Every year she turns kids who can barely speak English into ones who can not only speak the language, but read and write it as well.

Somewhat more a mischief-maker – (But still your “baby,” all told)

And when your worry’d wear me thin I’d hear your fears as affirmin’ (I’ve surely been no cherubim,

I left a thirsty thespian,

But know I’m still your angel)

But filled so many shoes since then: Student. Worker. Veteran.

I both have led and followed.

So here I am, proud product of A patient mother’s ardent love Though rooted now, I rise above

While I left you home and crying

The thicket of life’s strangles

Know it’s not for lack of trying, I just couldn’t stay home lying To myself (or in your nest)

So thank you, thank you, thank you mom In your eyes I could do no wrong

As a man I simply had to Spread my wings – and I was glad to!

–

And by your guidance I’ve grown strong And know that you’re proud of me

Though in retrospect I’m mad to Call my life’s lot less than blessed.

Just know – on your day – I’m proud too To have a mother wise as you

When things were hard, you shaded me Your branches, they supported me

(who makes the best cookie dough too!)

‘Cliché’ you’ll say, but you’re the tree From which this fruit had fallen.

To comfort, push and love me.

A bit belated yes, but in the end, it’s the thoughts that count....

Five years ago, my mother began a project with her second grade class. The project, constructed by my mother with the help of her students, demonstrated how incredibly efficient earthworms are at decomposing food wastes. The process is called vermi-composting. After one month, the worms are able to reduce the volume of food waste to one-fifth its original volume. The compost food waste is combined with earthworm manure to be used as an organic fertilizer.

That year, the project was entered into district and state competitions for K-12 environmental projects. Her idea won first prize at both levels and were chosen to receive national recognition from the President’s Environmental Youth Awards. The awards are given every year by the Environmental Protection Agency to ten outstanding projects that promote the awareness of our nation’s natural resources.

My mother and her class were invited to Washington D.C. to celebrate the success. When the award was presented, President George W. Bush was there to congratulate them. I wonder if Bush still would have praised them had he known that many of my mother’s students were the children of illegal immigrants. These second graders enjoyed the privilege of spending an entire week exploring our nation’s capital, all thanks to my mother.

Sadly, funding has since been cut and opportunities for projects like this no longer exist at her school. My mother still teaches second grade, but she spends her days preparing for, and administering, standardized tests. She has far too many students (30 now, compared with 20 students five years ago) and is slowly becoming one of those teachers who simply look forward to retirement.

I’d like to blame the system and, while that’s probably justified, I know it isn’t fair. It’s only that I know what my mother is capable of, not only as a mother but as a teacher. I would hate to see her lose that fire. Both as a mother and a teacher, she is the quintessential role model for any child. I would not be half the man I am without her. I love my mom. Happy Mother’s Day.

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Wednesday May 12, 2010

New film offers outlook on life, culture, and diapers Broken Social

By Alica Forneret Staff Writer Although movie stars like Johnny Depp are revered for their versatile acting abilities, no one could make yawning, crying, or even urinating as worthy of an “Ooo,” or “Aww,” as the four infant stars of Thomas Balmes’ new film, “Babies.”

“Babies” follows the first two years of life for four infants from the four corners of the planet. The documentary gives insight to the extreme cultural differences that each child is raised under, without leaving out all of the cutesy moments for those looking to see some hilarious childhood incidents.

It begins with the birth of the four children: Ponijao of Namibia, Bayarjargal of Mongolia, Mari of Japan, and Hattie of San Francisco.

It quickly becomes clear that the film is on the road to being a ninety-minute global home video, uninterrupted by dialogue or subtitles to decipher native tongues. The only sounds are fragments of music and sporadic screaming or crying courtesy of the rowdy tots.

Seeing as the stars of the film have

minimal bearing on language themselves, it serves well for the film to be presented as a documentary sans commentary, giving a true glimpse into what their experience is like.

As the first months progress, each child exhibits the same short list of capabilities that babies have: rolling around, staring into space and drooling.

The year goes on and the children learn to speak, dance, and develop into what they are: tiny human beings, each living unique and environmentally influenced lives. The message within the film becomes clear as slivers of each child’s life are juxtaposed to examine each family’s different approach to child rearing.

In one segment, Ponaijo’s mother wipes the baby’s bottom with her knee and then scrapes off the excess excrement with a dried corncob. The little girl is also seen licking her pet dog’s tongue and is covered in flies while her mother pays no heed.

The neglect of strict hygiene by Ponaijo’s mother is compared to the life of Californian-born Hattie, who is at the opposite end of the spectrum. In one scene her father vacuums the carpet she

is perched on and then afterwards takes a lint roller to the baby from head to toe.

Hattie is seen rejecting her banana while seated at the dinner table as Bayajargal roams the cattle field outside of his hut in the nude while his mother sorts through the organs of a slaughtered goat.

The film exhibits many clips like these of each child’s differing routines. It shows that regardless of the similar canals we enter the world through, the road for each of us diverges, resulting in a wide range of lifestyles.

For those who shiver at the thought of wide-eyed, slobbering infants, this movie will most likely provide nothing but a headache, especially during the first few weeks after its release. The theater seats are bound to be filled with no less than a dozen restless babies providing boisterous feedback.

To appreciate “Babies,” one need not be a parent or even enjoy fawning over infants. The film’s style allows for it to be seen as either a simple feature length version of America’s Funniest Home Videos, or an insightful cross-cultural examination of parenthood.

Cast attempts to deliver in “Iron Man 2” Robert Downey Jr. certainly succeeds in playing the superhero in the new sequel. The rest? Not so much.

By Jung Shim Staff Writer Iron Man 2 has just hit the screens and already it has made a huge impact.

Shows sold out weeks in advance and movie trailers only increased anticipation.

However, after watching the film, it is clear that without Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role, the movie would be nowhere near as good.

It’s been six months since Tony Stark revealed himself as Iron Man and he’s been very busy in those six months “privatizing world peace.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Whiplash (played by Mickey Rourke) is building a suit out of scrap in a dingy apartment and plotting revenge on Stark.

As if that wasn’t enough, the United States government is foaming at the mouth as it

tries to take away the Iron Man suit from Tony Stark while everyone else is trying to make an Iron Man suit of their own.

Combining beautiful special effects with an intriguing storyline, Iron Man 2 is extremely impressive at first glance.

Downey comes across as an exuberant, hyper, and eccentric billionaire, but he does it so well that we forgive him. In fact, while most people would find such a man aggravating and annoying, Tony Stark’s character is rather likable.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much else.

Gwyneth Paltrow is rather bland in her role as Pepper Potts, even though her character is given a much greater role in the sequel. Transitioning from secretary to CEO should make the character more interesting, but her screen presence was rather weak and boring.

As for some of the others, Don Cheadle

has a strong showing as War Machine, but his screen time is rather limited so there was only so much he could do.

In fact, the only welcome addition to the cast was Scarlett Johansson in her role as Natalie Rushman/Natasha Romanoff/ Black Widow. Playing a double agent, Scarlett Johansson managed to juggle playing a glorified secretary as well as a secret agent while maintaining her poise and captivating the entire audience.

But to sum up the entire movie: Scarlett Johansson has an amazing action scene that lasts for a beautiful 30 seconds, Don Cheadle gets to use the war machine suit for 30 seconds or so, and Gwyneth Paltrow stands around looking lost.

It’s hard to say if Marvel managed to make a great film worthy of its predecessor or if they just hashed out a movie for the money. That decision is up to you.

Scene matures in new “Record”

By Jeremy Biglow Staff Writer Apart from their name, Broken Social Scene is anything but broken. After a long hiatus, the seven-member group has reunited to introduce avid indie music listeners to their latest album, “Forgiveness Rock Record.”

Unlike past albums, which were presented as a melodic rhythm with a melancholy undertone, “Forgiveness Rock Record” proved that the band has matured to a state of being more audacious with their songs and lyrics this time around.

Hailing from Toronto, the Canadian indie rock band first stepped out in the music scene in 1999 with founding members Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew adding seventeen additional members to create the band Broken Social Scene.

The band has come a long way from having nineteen members to a solid seven (with the exception of a few contributors). While the band never actually broke up, a few of the current members, including Leslie Feist and lead guitarist Andrew Whiteman, worked on side projects and solo acts.

“Forgiveness Rock Record” features a more seasoned sound from Broken Social Scene, as they came back with their music goods and showcased a wide range of diversity while still exhibiting their orchestral sound.

With experimental tracks like “All to All,” Broken Social Scene utilized their talent for synthesizers and vocal alteration. In other aspects of the album, the band utilized classical instruments to show their fans the range of diversity they are capable of, while still keeping the same sound that put them on the charts to begin with.

This new album brings a sense of change to the band’s earlier sound and shows that a rarified and refined evolution by any band can be captivating for fans. If you prefer to listen to a band that actually has something relevant to say, compared to commercialized hits on the radio, then this album is something to invest in.

Broken Social Scene has proved to be a collaboration of talented musicians. With “Forgiveness Rock Record,” the band clearly shows what they are capable of, captivating with their broad spectrum of sound and whimsical instrumentation and vocals.

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“An American Tragedy” not your typical opera

By Tannaz Lavian Staff Writer When thinking of a night at the opera, one’s mind begins to flicker with images of decadent costumes colored in vibrant hues, set in motion by orchestral harmony. The commanding vocal chords of a soprano inexplicably lashes and awakens the soul in a foreign tongue. By the end of the last act, her ruminations on the ill-begotten pains of love and loss move the listener to silent yet uncontrollable tears.

However, I discovered last Sunday that opera is in no way limited to this.

At the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, while attending an operatic rendition of Theodore Dreiser’s classic novel, “An American Tragedy, I learned that opera can also be contemporary.

In a mixing of talented and up-and-coming performers, The Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, The SMC Chorus and The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus came together to give voice and sound to the opera.

“An American Tragedy” was composed by Tobias Picker and premiered at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 2005. This current 2010 rendition was conducted by James Martin and directed by Gail R. Gordon.

The plot, based on a true story, follows the story of Clyde Griffiths (played by baritone Chad Sloan). Clyde, born of a missionary mother and raised to become a flirtatious yet ambitious man, is offered the chance to work for a wealthy businessman’s shirt factory in New York. Here he begins to circle the periphery of high society.

After a promotion, Clyde starts a fling with a naïve worker of the more humble sector, Roberta Alden, portrayed by Shana Blake Hill. Eventually though, another damsel of a wealthier breed piques Clyde’s

attention. Sondra Finchley, played by mezzo-soprano Nazani Ashjian, offers him a tempting entrance to high society and promising possibilities.

A major conflict of morality arises when Clyde decides to lie and conduct both affairs clandestinely.

In Act II, tensions and circumstances rise and give way to, as the title suggests, tragedy.

Instead of decadence and vibrancy, the cast was overlaid in a muted color palette of mostly black, white and grey tones. This emphasized the undertones of nineteenth century religious morality. However, with few frills, the wonder of operatic exhibition was muted.

Unadorned by props nor painted backdrops, the stage was put into motion by a projection screen playing a stream of black and white photography.

Most of the time, the stage was consumed in dynamic and saturated colors of red and blue, save for moments of great emotion, when lights of yellow and white then illuminated it.

Though the stage was used innovatively to show actions separated by time and space with fluidity, the process was sometimes ineffective. Simultaneous actions turned confusing and the opera, though performed in English, became almost foreign.

Still, the confusion offered the audience time to pause and ponder the enormous skill and control it takes to sing countless lines of dialogue. It was the resonating voices of strength that emerged, and the harmonies that were created by the orchestra, especially in scenes where the entirety of the cast sang together in unity, that were most moving.

Unfortunately it was not the opera I had always dreamed of. And though I didn’t see anyone tearing up, I did see one or two in the front nodding off.

Severn Lange, a first time opera attendee perhaps said it best, “It’s hard on the ears. It’s contemporary.

It’s powerful. And it’s still really lovely.”

Santa Monica festival aims to spread unity The annual Santa Monica festival invited the city this past weekend to a sustainable day in the sun.

Environmentalists gathered to partake and lead in workshops for a greener, cleaner community.

By Emil Norlén Staff Writer A fresh wind blew over Clover Park in Santa Monica this past Saturday as a theme of green was introduced at the 19th annual Santa Monica festival.

Vendors, volunteers, and activists were lined up around the park to promote their work, sell their products, and invite park visitors to a variety of workshops. The festival helped raise awareness of the environmental effects caused by living in urban communities and promoting going green.

Free valet parking was ready and waiting for those who arrived by bicycle. Along with that, recycling cans had been carefully placed around the park with volunteers ready to assist those uncertain of what to recycle and what to trash.

In collaboration with Malibu and Santa Monica schools, Robert Gilliam offered a creative and fun time for all ages in his painting circle. A 12-by-15 foot canvas was spread out on the green grass and children were seen painting circles in a variety of bright colors.

Gilliam found the annual theme “ties

in to what we are trying to do with our programs. Our concept is that we all have to work together, and not cover up anyone else’s work,” he said. “When the art work is done, everybody should be able to see their work.”

Gilliam arranges art programs in Malibu and Santa Monica schools for students starting in elementary school, all throughout high school.

Sustainable Works handed out free

city of Santa Monica was the first city to sign the pledge, banning non-recyclable containers in all food establishments and promoting reusable shopping bags instead of plastic ones.

Recycling and sustainability were promoted by businesses such as Whole Foods, the Big Blue Bus, and Sparkletts drinking water. Flyers were handed out with tips and pointers on how to be more environmentally friendly with some easy choices like taking the bus to reduce gas emissions, eating local produce to reduce the environmental impact and costs of transporting products, and choosing a stainless steel canteen for your drinking water instead of purchasing water bottles.

Awareness, combined with creativity, made for a fun festival. Live Afro-Cuban music and zumba dance took to the stage and a sense of community and solidarity were displayed throughout the day in the park.

For more information about how you can get involved in the sustainable work performed by the city of Santa Monica, head to www.sustainablesm.org.

“Our concept is that we all have to work together, and not cover up anyone else’s work.” sustainable bags made by Green Vets L.A., with the option of having your bag decorated by Rosie’s girls, a middle school girl group. The bags were made of fabric waste, discarded by local Los Angeles businesses, fabric pieces that otherwise would have been put into a landfill, said environmental analyst Josephine Miller.

Sustainable shopping bags were offered to those willing to sign the “Cool Foods Campaign Pledge.” The pledge was born in Washington D.C. and the

Siddhartha Abbazi Corsair

The actors from “An American Tragedy” perform at the Broad Stage.

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Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College

Right: David Williams, better known as Sammy Davis Jr., was the center of entertainment as he danced to some jazz and swing at the center of a cheering crowd at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles.

P H O T O S T O RY

Wednesday May 12, 2010

Left: Chester Whitmore’s big band replica from the Golden Age of swing at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles, Calif.

Jennifer N. Martinez Corsair

Jennifer N. Martinez Corsair

Above: Sylvia Rodriguez, a classical singer, and Cherster Whitmore (back) and his band performed classical swing music at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles.

Jennifer N. Martinez Corsair

Swinging back in time

By Jennifer Martinez Staff Photographer John Stapleton IV Staff Writer

Ties and cufflinks are perfect. Hair and lipstick are exquisite. For dinner dating, the Cicada Club kicks it up a notch by transporting couples back in time to the swinging Big Band era.

The detail-oriented, period-themed restaurant captures the art-deco look and swinging feel of America’s Golden Age of Swing, from the roaring 20’s to the shorty 40’s. Guys and dolls can cut a rug to the Club’s live Big Band music, or they can simply take in the authentic, jazzy ambiance over the extensive menu.

Cicada Club offers a swell venue for hip cats and history buffs alike, but this is one ring-a-dingding where the glad rags are required: Big Band era suits and ties (or period-specific uniforms) are mandatory for gents, while broads can be togged to the bricks in anything from flapper dresses to swing skirts to pant suits.

Bands like last week’s Chester Whitmore Band rotate out weekly, and seats fill quickly for this once-a-week extravaganza, so Cicada Club highly recommends making reservations in advance.

The doors open at 6 p.m. every Sunday night, and admission without a meal costs $10 while there is no cover charge for patrons who order the $50 dinner.

Cicada Club is aces from its landmark Oviatt Building setting to its dillinger dance floor, but it’s not all dress-up and make-believe: the friendliness is absolutely genuine, and so are the roaring good times.

Jennifer N. Martinez Corsair Scott Giordano and Sandra Poland swing dance to the music of Chester Whitmore’s big band at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles.