Corsair fall volume 115 issue 01

THE

CORSAIR CORSAIR

FEBRUARY 28, 2017 | VOLUME 115 ISSUE 01 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE FIRST COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25

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A.S. V.P. STEPPING DOWN (P. 3) WAKANDA FOREVER (P. 6) CORSAIR'S STRIKE OUT (P. 8) THE CORSAIR • THECORSAIRONLINE.COM • 1660 STEWART ST. SANTA MONICA, CA 90404 • (310) 434-4340

NEWS CONTENT

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VOLUME 115 ISSUE 01 •FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

EDITORIAL STAFF EDWARD LEE.................................. Editor-in-Chief

corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com

LAUREN LABEL............................ Managing Editor THANE FERNANDES...................... Co-Photo Editor DIANA PARRA GARCIA.................. Co-Photo Editor EMELINE MOQUILLON...Social Media/Digital Editor

ROY GARZA...................Social Media/Digital Editor MICHELLE AYALA.................Co-Multimedia Editor

multimedia.corsair@gmail.com

HARLEY PHILLIPS............................ Design Editor DANIEL FARR..................................... News Editor TREVOR SCHOCK..................... A&E/Culture Editor NICOLAS JOHNSON............................ Sports Editor Daniel Bowyer/ Contrributing Editor

Hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered in Downtown Los Angeles, while some parents brought their children, most holding signs, as speakers took to the podium to talk about stricter gun control laws in the U.S. on Monday February 19, 2018. Pershing Square, Los Angeles Calif..

CORSAIR STAFF Zeynep Abes, Zane Meyer Thornton, Yasmine Da Silva, Wilson Gomez, William Wendelman, Theo,Verdier Ryanne Mena, Ruth Iorio, Reed Curtis, Rebecca Valsly, Pyper Witt, Petia Nicholos, Oskar Zinneman, Nicole Washington, Michael Irwin, Matthew Martin, Martha Virginia Russel, Kayla Hardy, Juan Gomez, John Roth, Jennifer Nystrom, Isai Palacios, Helena Sung, Heather Creamer, Hannae Izumiguchi, Elijah Cuffee, Edrado Cortes, Dylan Cortez, Dorothy Montague, Damaris Lizama, Claudia Vardoni, Carlos Lopez, Ashutosh B Singh, Alejandro Correa, Clyde Bates Jr, Ethan Lauren, Earl Agustines, M. Fernanda Rivera, Justin Han

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Edward Lee Editor-in-Chief

Dear Readers,

ADVISORS ASHANTI BLAIZE-HOPKINS

...... Journalism Advisor

gerard burkhart.........................Photo Advisor

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FRONT COVER A coconut bowl from Amazebowls at Smorgasburg LA in the downtown section of Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday, February 25, 2018.

Photo by: Helena Sung

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Stoneman Douglas High School, but do not account for the unacceptable number of students, friends, and family that will forever be affected by this tragedy for the rest of their lives.

15-year-old high school student Peter Wang kept the door open for his classmates to escape as he was shot and killed in a Florida high school. Wang was later admitted posthumously by West Point, his dream school.

Aaron Feis, a 38-year-old football coach, threw himself to shield students from gunfire. He also died. Alyssa Alhadeff. Scott Beigel. Martin Duque Anguiano.

Nicholas Dworet. Jamie Guttenberg. Chris Hixon. Luke Hoyer.

Cara Loughran. Gina Montalto.

Joaquin Oliver. Alaina Petty.

Meadow Pollack. Helena Ramsay.

Alex Schachter. Carmen Schentrup. These add up to the 17 students and faculty killed in Marjory

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As our current print issue includes topics such as Black History Month, school scholarships, and changes in our student government, I wanted to make sure that I do not leave those who suffered from this shooting forgotten.

The high school students who put their foot down and decided they need to get involved in the national conversation about gun violence, and have been more successful than almost anybody

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has expected. They have shown how important our youth are today in making the changes that they want to see. The lack of constraints that we have as students allow us to dedicate our full effort to make the changes that our entrenched institutions are too paralyzed to make.

Perhaps I am naive. I have always been an optimist. But as I start to see signs of actual, productive discussion about the issue of gun control, I remain optimistic that we as a nation can come to an agreement on how to end gun violence not only in our schools, but also in our society.

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VOLUME

115 ISSUE 01 • FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

NEWS

A.S. Vice President Resigns

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Santa Monica College’s Associated Student vice president's decision to step down came from a variety of factors, leaving the position currently vacant.

Ryanne Mena STAFF EDITOR The Associated Students of Santa Monica College announced a new vacancy last Thursday on Feb. 12, 2018, after A.S. Vice President Edgar Gonzalez stepped down from his position.

Gonzalez did not immediately make this decision, as multiple factors led to his decision to step down over the course of the last few months. “Well, it was more of like a mental thing, mental stability, cause I was feeling a little down. I kind of suffer from depression. So, I tried to commit suicide during the winter, like twice. I don’t know, it was just too much for me to handle,” Gonzalez said. Along with dealing with mental health issues, he also recalled times spent in the A.S. office where he did not feel as though he could be himself, “I just want to be myself…

It’s a lot of pressure, a lot of tension and, I don’t know, I couldn’t handle it.”

The beginning of Gonzalez’s relationship with A.S. began in the spring semester of 2017 when his friends encouraged him to run for the vice president position, as he has had a history of being a very involved student throughout his SMC career. Recalling back to the A.S. candidate debate that took place in the spring semester of 2017, Gonzalez said, “I remember when I did the speech, everyone was promising stuff. And I’m just like, I’m going to be there for the students.”

Following Gonzalez being elected into the A.S. office as the vice president, he organized a rally in support of SMC DACA students, which he considered to be one of his biggest successes during his time in

office. “I was saying that the school wasn’t doing enough for DACA students, which it wasn’t. It wasn’t until the march that [SMC] actually started putting stuff online and doing all this stuff for the undocumented students.”

Although Gonzalez thought positively of the SMC students' response to the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate DACA, the organize d on-campus protests had adverse effects on him. “I remember [after] I did the DACA protest, I didn’t want to go to the office, I didn’t feel safe. I didn’t feel secure because people were telling me oh, Nancy Grass is mad at you, other board members are mad at you.” Gonzalez also said, “You have to play a part of like, you have to make the school look good.”

He felt he had too many restrictions in what he could or could not do during his position as the A.S. Vice President, as he wanted to be more directly involved with the students at SMC, “My comrades, you know, they do an amazing job and we all try to do amazing work. It’s just sometimes we can’t really do what we want to do.”

Jennifer Chen, A.S. President, found out about Gonzalez’s resignation prior to the AS Board meeting held on Feb. 12, which he did not attend. “I was shocked that he resigned … I didn’t ask much because, you know, it’s private,” Chen said.”

Thane Fernandes/ Corsair Staff

Edgar Gonzalez raises his Megaphone in the air along with other protesters raising their arms to show the strength they have to fight for DACA and against discrimination. The students chant phrases like "No papers, no fear" and "Undocumented, unafraid" in front of Santa Monica College's library on main campus, Santa Monica, Calif.

the Homeboy Homegirl scholars,” stated Gonzalez.

Gonzalez formally announced his resignation via email, which followed with a disappointed, but understanding response from Dr. Nancy Grass, the A.S. advisor.

He said he made the decision in an act of self-care. “Now you see me and I’m all happy… I’m definitely doing stuff with

The Corsair was unable to reach Dr. Grass for comment regarding Gonzalez’s resignation.

The application for the vacant A.S. vice

SMC Simplifies Scholarship Process

A Legacy of Service: Black History in Santa Monica How do you create a legacy?

Ethan Lauren STAFF WRITER

Nicole Washington STAFF WRITER In honor of Black History Month, Santa Monica College Associates and SMC's Black Collegians Program sponsored an event in the auditorium of the Humanity and Social Sciences building room 165 at Santa Monica College on Feb. 22, 2018. In attendance were guest speakers Carolyne Edwards and Jo Lynn.

Edwards and Lynn spoke about the legacies they have been a part of creating in Santa Monica, particularly for the African-American community. Lynn spoke on The Philomatheans, while Edwards focused on the Quinn Research Center.

“Fasten your seat belts, I would like you to put your trays in an upright position and I would like you to get ready to soar,” said Lynn.

Lynn then lead the audience back on the journey of The Philomatheans. It is an organization of African-American women with the mission to educate and give back to the community, which operates out of Santa Monica as well.

Philomatheans derives from the Greek word philomath, which means “Lover of Learning." The Philomatheans started as an organization of 52 women who met at a church. Starting with just two dollars a day in donations, the organization continued to raise money and grow until they were able to buy property that is still owned by the organization today in Santa Monica. The organization members use the money earned from their real estate to continue their mission of education and service. Lynn left the audience by telling them to never stop learning, and to continue their legacy by serving others in our community anyway we can.

Edwards spoke on The Quinn Research Center, named after her uncle, Dr. Alfred T. Quinn, the first African-AmeriFOR

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With over 400 scholarships totaling over $600,000, the scholarship office at Santa Monica College and the Santa Monica College Foundation has been working to get students matched up with potential scholarships. The deadline to apply was Feb. 23, 2018, but work is in progress to make future applications smoother.

One recent change that happened in this year’s online appli cation process was making letters of recommendations optional. Previously, students who applied were required to submit two letters from faculty at SMC. William Bloom, the Associate Dean of Financial Aid and Scholarships, has been working in this position since the summer of 2017. He has been working alongside others to streamline the process to make it simpler for students to apply. Blooms said that he found the requirement for letters to be more of a roadblock for students rather than a benefit.

Instead, more emphasis will be placed on the students merits and interests.

“If the student is unable to get them or does not have them, we will still consider their application,” Bloom said regarding students who applied this year. “Some faculty members might say, ‘This is one of my favorite students and I still want to write a letter,’ we will accept it this year. But next year they will be phased out.”

With around 1,400 students having applied to scholarships through SMC, past recipients have mentioned how beneficial they were for school. Salena Nguyen, a political science major, has received two awards for $1,000 each.

“I needed money for school and I remember when I first learned about it, they said that the check was for anything. I figured that would help with housing and food and it didn’t have to directly go into my enrollment fees.”

Nguyen said.

For those who missed the deadline for SMC, Bloom encouraged them to apply for scholarships outside of school that are available. The scholarship office works to find these scholarships and makes them accessible for students.

For students who didn’t apply for this year’s scholarships at SMC or want to apply to even more, Bloom suggests the website, ‘www.

Clyde Bates Jr./ Corsair Staff

Carolyn Edwards, President of the Philomatheans explained how the service organization was founded during a discussion hosted by Santa Monica College’s Black Collegians at the Humanity and Social Science Building (HSS)Room 165. Pictured bottom right is Chase Matthews, Student Trustee and Black Collegians' ICC Delegate. Feb. 22, 2018 at Santa Monica, Calif.

can professor at SMC. Edwards and her husband Bill Edwards started the Quinn Research Center, following Dr. Quinn's legacy of collecting books and artwork. Edwards expressed how important art is as a historical marker of moments in history, and how crucial it is that it be preserved for future generations.

The Quinn Research Center hosted an internship for SMC students to help with this preservation, digitally archiving the books, pictures, and art.

When asked how the audience may go out and create their own legacy, Edwards said, “You started just today by coming and trying to find out something about... our community…. When you have a chance, you pass on the information you have learned to others. It starts catching a hold and after a while, everybody is starting to talk about it."

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president position is now available online on the AS website, with the deadline being on Wednesday, March 7 at 9 a.m. The election for the vacant position will be held on Monday, March 12 during the weekly A.S. Board meeting at 3 p.m. on SMC’s main campus at the Cayton Center.

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Ethan Lauren/ Corsair Staff

Located in the Financial Aid department on campus is the Scholarship office within Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif. The Scholarship office works to match students with potential scholarships and the removal of letters of recommendations should allow more students to apply. February 23, 2018.

fastweb.com’, which is free to use and matches users to potential scholarships.

Bloom suggests students applying for scholarships never to pay when applying for a "guaranteed" scholarship, and make sure that the entity giving the scholarship is reputable. He also suggested that the students should take their personal statements and tailor them to the specific place they're applying it towards by finding common values.

Recipients of scholarships at SMC will attend a small ceremony on June 9 to celebrate and get everyone together. Bloom said, “We’re talking about coming out for an afternoon, have some refreshments, meet the folks because they want to see you. They want to talk to you about your studies, what your plans are, they get a kick out of these things.”

Though scholarships are just one part of the work that Bloom does at SMC, he has strong feelings towards the subject.

“If I see someone walk the stage with their cap and gown and their credential and think that we may have played a small part in that, it feels pretty good,” Bloom said. “That’s why we’re here. I work real hard to make sure that we’re not a reason that the student can’t be successful and that we are a reason they can be successful.”

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NEWS PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 01 •FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Smorgsborg Showcases Innovative Food On a bright, Sunday morning at the Row downtown Los Angeles in the historic LA Arts District, the enthralling smells of grilling meat, sweet baking bread, and exotic spices from dozens of vendors and food trucks crowd the recently-opened LA location for the popular Brooklyn-based food market, Smorgasburg.

Reed Curtis STAFF WRITER The tall, washed-out, tan walls of the Alameda Produce Market evoke a European-style forum, and the crowds of people walking between rows of stalls piled high with exotic and delicious-looking food serve to complete the image. Walking around the Row downtown Los Angeles, many spectators overlook the vibrant hub of culinary culture located just within the historic wholesale market.

In a city in which “nobody walks", stepping into that open air market, full of unique and idiosyncratic food vendors, feels like walking into a different country.

However, food truck events, such as the “First Friday’s” event on legendary Abbot Kinney Boulevard, have developed a reputation as a hotbed of “hipster” culture, and as an engine for gentrification in the neighborhoods in which they manifest.

Smorgasburg appears, at first glimpse, to be attempting to buck this trend. Perusing stalls offering a record-breaking seven different cultural spins on the classic LA street taco, one would be hard pressed to find a single demographic not accounted for.

founders Eric Demby and Jonathan Butler teamed up with local food writer Zach Brooks to curate a selection of the most innovative and diverse vendors in the LA area. While food truck events are currently in vogue, Smorgasburg aspires to be something more. The company prides itself on being an “incubator of new concepts”; in fact, some of their vendors, such as Chichi Dango and Shrimp Daddy, made their debut alongside Smorgasburg LA, and are growing in notoriety and popularity alongside the event.

As he chowed down on a basket of wings from Daddy’s Chicken Shack, long time Los Angeles local Liam Dow lauded the “diversity in the people here, divers(ity) in style and age, (…) you’re really seeing the real LA”. Though the usual throngs of Instagram-happy hipsters snapped a seemingly endless selection of shots posed against the historic downtown architecture, they were matched in number by a remarkably diverse assortment of families from nearly every community in LA.

Chichi Dango is a flamboyant twist on the familiar concept of Hawaiian shaved ice. Served in squat towers evocative of sand castles and topped with fresh passionfruit and strawberry, these delightfully colorful desserts were one of the most popular dishes at the event. Happy customers walking and balancing their technicolor obelisk drew glances of jealousy and awe from the gathered crowds, who would then dutifully take their place in the winding queue for their own chance to try

This state of affairs is intentional on the part of the organizers of Smorgasburg.

When they wanted to take their popular Brooklyn-based concept to LA, co-

something truly one of a kind.

As eye-catching as Chichi Dango is, the dish that most consistently caused a stir was the exquisitely presented Garlic Butter Shrimp served by Shrimp Daddy. Ensconced within a fresh, halved pineapple, and topped with mac salad, furikake seasoned rice, fragrant cabbage and cubed pineapple, their signature Garlic Shrimp is an all-out assault on the taste buds. A captivating mix of sweet, smoky and caramel flavor, the Shrimp Daddy stall was never without a line of at least 30 people throughout the event. Often creating an impassible barrier across the isle of stalls, it served as a natural focal point and hub of conversation, as excited patrons drew ever more people into the maelstrom.

On Saturday, March 10, 2018 Smorgasburg will be setting up shop on the Santa Monica Pier for a “pop-up” event, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Helena Sung/ Corsair Staff

Helena Sung / Corsair Staff

Amanda Slate (right) and Erika VonNovak (left) takes pictures of their coconut bowls from Amazeballs on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at Smorgasburg LA, a weekly food and vendor market on Sundays at Row DTLA.

Daddy's Chicken Shack is one of the newer food vendors at Smorgasburg LA. Pictured in downtown Los Angeles, Calif on Sunday, February 25, 2018.

Helena Sung / Corsair Staff

Analia Torres (left) and her daughter Alyanni Torres (right) eat Hawaiian shave ice with homemade mochi from Chichi Dango, a vendor at Smorgasburg LA in the downtown section of Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25, 2018. "It's really good,"; the mother and daughter said..

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EVOLUME

115 ISSUE 01 • FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

PHOTOSTORY NEWS

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Helena Sung / Corsair Staff

A pork belly taco from Goa Tacos, one of the food vendors at Smorgasburg LA on Sunday, February 25, 2018 in the downtown section of Los Angeles, Calif.

Helena Sung / Corsair Staff

Diners at Smorgasburg LA in the downtown section of Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday, February 25, 2018. Smorgasburg LA is a collection of food and shopping vendors that gather each Sunday at Row DTLA.

Helena Sung/ Corsair Staff

Natalie Reyes, 13, (on right) helps customers pick out different flavors of Filipino brioche buns at Smorgasburg LA in the downtown section of Los Angeles, Calif. Reyes; mother, Chari Reyes, is the owner of Ensaymada Project, a home-based business making Filipino brioche buns.

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NEWS CULTURE/OPINION

VOLUME 115 ISSUE 01 •FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Black Panther Scratches Out Competition Dylan Cortez STAFF WRITER The most highly anticipated film of the year is finally here. When Captain America: Civil War premiered on May 6, 2016 revealing a Black Panther addition to the Mar vel ser ies, moviegoers anxiously awaited for its release on Feb. 16, 2018, and it has lived up to the hype. From the costumes, to the massive sets, the film is quite a visual experience. According to Forbes, Black Panther is now the third fastest grosser of all time, earning $400 million in just ten days.

Black Panther is one of very few superhero films where the minority is actually the majority. At least 85 percent of the cast was African American, which is very notable considering our social and political climate with heightened racial tensions. This film was also perfectly released in the middle of February, which is Black History month.

The film’s release seemed to add to the sense of pride this February.

The film was action-packed, with an intriguing storyline that left the audience on the edge of their seats for the entire two hours. Director Ryan Coogler, also of Creed and Fruitvale Station, casted Chadwick Boseman as the protagonist and Michael B. Jordan as the antagonist, and each could not have been better fits for these roles.

This was Coogler’s third film with Jordan as a lead character, and they seem to complement each other with their work.

Chadwick Boseman, who also played Jackie Robinson in the movie 42, gave our youth another hero to look up to.

Boseman plays T'Challa, the king of the African nation of Wakanda and the new Black Panther. He delivers to the

audience a powerful message: learning how to defend the safety of your community, rather than allowing someone else to thrive on the power they have over the people.

During a recent interview on ESPN's First Take, Boseman stated that this is "a sea change moment." He was able to be something bigger than just another super hero because of his ability to take current issues in this world and make them relevant to the film.

The movie takes place in what first appears as a third-world country to the rest of the world, but is actually a secret technological powerhouse in Africa called Wakanda. Only the people of the five African tribes are allowed in Wakanda. Although the villain and Jordan’s character, Erik Killmonger, was born in Oakland, Calif., he is the son of Prince N’Jobu, the original Black Panther's brother, and T'Challa cousin, allowing him to challenge the Black Panther (T’Challa) for his position as king of Wakanda.

Jordan called his journey as Erik Killmonger “liberating” in an interview with Sean Evans on Hot Ones. He trained himself for nine months by studying Heath Ledger’s role as The Joker in The Dark Knight. Killmonger had no family in the movie, so Jordan also made sure to seclude himself from the outside world.

This movie was overall inspirational, entertaining, and ended with a powerful message. This a movie you will probably want to watch more than once. In its typical fashion, Mar vel did not disappoint. I, along with many others, am already looking forward for the next Black Panther to be here.

Press Release Walt Disney Pictures, Inc.

15:17 to Paris; An emotionless trainwreck

Dreams of a Plastic-Free SMC Jennifer Nystrom STAFF WRITER Inside the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies (CEUS), 15 students from Plastic Free SMC and Eco Action wait for the semester’s second meeting to start. The room is small, and people are sitting in a circle, some on chairs and others, the f loor. The walls are filled with posters containing slogans like "You Can Stop Fish From Disappearing", along with other environmental-friendly signs. Then, Plastic Free SMC’s President Bronwyn Hancock Major walks in the room.

Wearing a black beanie and green pattern bomber jacket, she starts the meeting.

Pyper Witt STAFF WRITER

Clint Eastwood has taken a step back with his new feature film, “The 15:17 to Paris.” The director who often proves his patriotism through his movies depicting American heroes -- whether they be cowboys in the desert or soldiers in battle- tried to step outside of the box and failed miserably.

The documentary style movie is unique because the three main characters, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, and Anthony Sadler, are played by themselves; however, that was Eastwood's biggest mistake. The director's classic style of slow rise action does not pair well with three guys who have probably never acted before in their lives.

The two environmental clubs meet every Thursday at 11:15 a.m in CEUS to discuss and plan how to make Santa Monica College plastic-free and to bet ter i nfor m its st udents on environmental issues. The clubs focus on spreading awareness on the adverse effects of global warming and what can be done to combat it.

The movie resembles something put together by high school students trying to pass their video production class. The acting that should be holding it all together until the climax is absent, therefore it loses the audience quickly. You would think the legendary director could have taught Spencer, Alek, and Anthony a few things about acting, instead most of the “acting” consisted of them taking selfies in various tourist destinations in Europe.

The two single mothers of Skarlatos and Stone are played by Jenna Fischer (Heidi) and Judy Greer (Joyce); their characters portray some of the sparse emotion displayed in the movie. The two deeply intimate hugs between Fischer and Skarlatos bring most of the emotional appeal you can find in the film.

As the movie is f ilmed in this documentary style that follows the three men through their elementary and high school struggles, it is met with random tidbits of the event on the train to keep the audience on their toes. These random clips are very short, and once they end, the movie goes back to the slow-paced body of the story.

The better acting throughout the film is done by the youngsters who play the three main characters as kids when they meet each other and develop their everlasting friendship. Bryce Gheisar (young Alek Skarlatos), William Jennings (young Spencer Stone), and Paul-Mikel Williams (young Anthony Sadler) bring to the film childish fun and humour, both of which could have been kept through the FOR

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Press Release Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

The film ends by tying the film to the real clip of the President of France, Francois Hollande, granting the three men medals of honor for saving 500 passengers on that train. The shooter had 50 or so rounds of ammunition in his bag, and without the courage (and luck that the shooter forgot to reload his gun as Spencer Stone darted towards him) of those three, the 15:17 to Paris would have been another unfortunate tragedy. The speech Francois Hollande gives is by far the best part of the movie.

But you can avoid having to go through the painful acting and slow movie by looking up the video on YouTube, “Americans and Briton Who Thwarted Train Attack Get France's Top Honor | Mashable News.”

During the meeting, they discussed and planned for the two major events happening this year -- Earth Week, starting April 17 to 25, and Sustainability Week, from Oct. 16 to 19. One big matter that they are working towards is getting rid of all plastic on campus.

“Plastic Free’s main objective is to minimize the use and consumption of single use plastics here on the campus of Santa Monica College, but also everywhere else in our daily life”, said Major.

All in all, this was not Clint Eastwood's best work, or even good work. Thankfully, the popcor n and Redvines kept me entertained more so than the sluggish pace of the poorly acted film. Save your money and time, do not get in line for this one.

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As the even came to a close, Major emphasized that removing plastic straws would be a big step towards making SMC plastic-free. “I think it would be really powerful for Santa Monica College to be one of the first community college’s to ban plastic straws. I think that would get a lot of attention for our programs and maybe, you know, boost enrollment."

“Now more than ever, it’s super important that we take a more active role, and more forward presence on campus," Major said. “The more you know, the more you can do. And so I think that with that education and that knowledge and that wisdom, we can make better choices.”

remainder of the movie to keep you from falling asleep in your seat.

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buying food from any of vendors in the cafeteria, similar to the discount when students bring their own coffee mug.

They are also in the process of eliminating plastic straws and replacing them with paper ones. Major said, “We've had a huge sort of movement going to get plastic water bottles banned here on campus, we have been gathering signatures”.

One thing that the club has arranged already is a discount for every student who bring their own utensils when •

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Trevor Jackson/ Corsair Staff

Vice President of Free Plastic SMC, Ashley Avant, sports the clubs shirt from last year in Santa Monica, Calif. on Thursday, February 22nd, 2018.

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VOLUME 115 ISSUE 01 • FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

SPORTS NEWS

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Jessica Melamed: Long Road to Stardom

Sophomore point guard overcomes adversity to reach first team all-conference honors.

Nicolas Johnson SPORTS EDITOR In the game of basketball, players display their natural abilities through ball-handling skills, defense, an efficient jump-shot and moves to drive to the rim. Over time, an individual can become a student of the game by practicing these abilities, which is exactly what Jessica Melamed did.

Melamed, a sophomore point guard for the Santa Monica College women's basketball team out of Beverly Hills High School, finishes her tenure on what has been considered as the one of the best in school history.

A native of Beverly Hills, Melamed explained some of the responses she gets when someone asks her where she resides in.

"I feel like it's the same," Melamed said. "Everyone always says 'oh you're from Beverly Hills,' and I'm just like yea I am, and they all think about like oh you're rich oh you're this. Honestly just because I live in Beverly Hills doesn't mean anything. I was raised maybe not the same as every other family, maybe like more privileged and not little bit more, I feel like people think wrong of Beverly Hills, and (I'm) kind of used to it, I don't really care. I do me, and I do me all the time, and I don't care what people say."

Melamed also gave an insight on how she got into basketball, living with her family who helped get her to this point.

"I grew up with two older brothers, and a lot of older guy cousins, so I was always with them for holidays, or shabatz for Friday nights, and they would play I just kind of joined them all the time," Melamed said. "At the age of seven I joined in a league u ntil I got to high school, and then I came here. So basketball is in my family."

Melamed's start at SMC however, was one that proved to be a tough challenge to overcome. After her first four games in college, she suffered an ACL tear that forced her off the court for nine months. She mentioned how hard it was dealing with the road to recovery. "I think that was one of the toughest obstacles I've ever been through," Melamed said. "I've been through like concussions here and there in high school, back to back and ankle injuries, but they weren't as bad as getting surgery. So I think overcoming an ACL injury, and coming back to playing to the level I'm playing is definitely an accomplishment for myself."

After her return from injury, Melamed played her first full season in a Corsair uniform, and was a complete force for her team, as she went to earn a first-Team all conference honors, and was part of a team that won the Conference title during the 2016-17' season. But going into this season Melamed said that the team lost many of its more experienced players. "(It's) Definitely different compared to this year...definitely different than what it is now and it kind of

sucks to lose all those sophomores and all of our top players, but that's how junior college basketball is," Melamed said.

"Girls are not going to keep returning and can only play for two years."

The athleticism Melamed displays on the court is tremendous, with her ball-handling skills, defensive capabilities, an efficient jump-shot, and a knack for driving to the rim. These skills grew under the tutelage of SMC head coach Lydia Strong, who has led the women's basketball program since 2000.

Strong was complementary when describing Melamed's work ethic. "She is relentless in her pursuit in improving and perfecting her game," Strong said. "I respect her work ethic and the fact that she is obsessed with the game. She also has done a lot of film study. A lot of athletes don't realize how valuable film study is in improving your game, and Jess gets it."

Melamed finished her sophomore season averaging 18.3 points, four assists, two steals, and almost five rebounds per game, making first-team all conference for the second year in a row. She credits her skills to Coach Strong and explains how much she loved playing for a coach like her.

"Honestly it's been an honor to play under Coach Strong, and unfortunately it's coming to an end," Melamed said.

"I feel like she's helped me in any way possible to get me better, and starting with when I tore my ACL, always coming to visit, doing what she can to get me back, and then as soon as I came back, helping me in many ways that my coaches never helped me before. Just being herself, a kindhearted woman who always wants the best for her athletes."

Strong reiterated how close the two are, saying that they have a "good, open and honest," relationship.

"I think she trusts me with her talent and know I would never steer her wrong. She works on her craft daily and wants to be the best," coach Strong said.

Melamed also gave her thoughts on where her future lies and what her experiences were like here at SMC. "Even if I don't end up playing basketball after here, I would still see myself playing the game whether it's everyday or every other day throughout the week, so I would definitely join a league or two just to stay in shape and play the game," Melamed said.

Melamed wants to continue her active lifestyle at Cal State Northridge this fall. "Hopefully I'll be at Northridge, and fulfill my requirements and everything to get a bachelor's in Kinesiology, and then I would say after that take a big exam and get into a physical therapy school, and then I guess take it from there. I think I could do it, I have the motivation in what I want to do. Just got to take it day by day and not stress too much," she said. "It's definitely been a great experience here at SMC playing, and it's been great.

I'm glad I came to SMC and play here."

Justin Han/ Corsair Staff

Jessica Melamed (2), a sophomore guard of Santa Monica College Women's Basketball Team, poses for a portrait at the SMC Pavilion at the Santa Monica College Main Campus. Santa Monica, Calif. February 17, 2018.

Santa Monica Corsairs Fall to Ventura Pirates

The Corsairs tennis team falls to 2-4 after 6-3 decision to Ventura at Ocean Park Tennis Courts, in Santa Monica, CA. player Abby Mullins, who att e n d e d t h e p r e s t i g i o u s We i l Te n n i s Academy during her sophomore year of high school, gave quite the show during her match. From volley-to-volley points to long baseline cross-court points, both athletes played great tennis.

Although SMC player Mullins s t a r t e d o f f a b i t s l o w, s h e w a s able to gain focus and loosen up and started hitting solid forehands. Both players were hitting the ball with confidence and moving each other around. The rallies were long but Mullins stepped it up and was able to close out the match with a final score of 6-3, 6-2 against Pirate Lea Meschke.

Corsair sophomore, Mina Girit, remains focused while returning a serve against her Ventura College opponent. A hard-fought match resulted in a loss, and the Corsairs ended the day in a 3-6 defeat. The Corsairs took on the Pirates at the Ocean View Park tennis courts in Santa Monica, California on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

U n d e r c l e a r, b l u e s k i e s , t h e C o r s a i r s t o o k o n Ve n t u r a C i t y College Pirates, being their seventh match of this season.

Both teams came out fired up, ready to rally and give a fight on the tennis courts.

O n c o u r t n u m b e r- t h r e e , Ve n t u r a College Allie DeMarco got the first win for the pirates, with a solid score of 6-1, 6-1 against Corsair Amanda Golling. “Not my best match, but I look forward to my next one,” Golling said with a smile on her face. Golling remained calm and positive FOR

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throughout the entire match, even though it was not her greatest performance. Golling has only been playing tennis for five months. “I took a tennis class and the coach told me to think about playing for the team, so I decided to do it and joined,” Golling said.

Meanwhile in the doubles competition, due to a change in the Corsairs lineup, there were only two double matches being played o u t . S M C ’s t o p - p l a y e r p l a y e r Abby Mullins was taken out of the doubles, which bumped up the line up; this meant automatically losing one of the doubles points, leaving the overall score at 5-2.

The second win was on court n u m b e r - t w o , a l s o f o r Ve n t u r a College, where Alyssa Powell won 6-1, 6-1 against SMC Sophomore Mina Girit. “Although I lost, I f e e l h a p p y, i t w a s a f u n m a t c h , ” Girit said. Both players cramped during the match, due to the long rallies and lots of running they endured throughout the sets.

Both doubles matches had great, long rallies with a lot of

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This year the Corsairs are starting up fresh; after losing most of their premier players from last y e a r, t h e y a r e b u i l d i n g u p a n e w team with a few girls that have just started playing tennis. But one thing that was clear on the courts was that all of them gave out their best and fought for every point.

A t n u m b e r- f o u r s i n g l e s , Ve n t u r a College Jule Lauinger took the win with a 6-0, 6-1 against Susan Ta l r e j a . O n c o u r t n u m b e r - f i v e , P i r a t e Tr i c i a M c C l a i n w o n t h e match with a solid 6-0, 6-0 final score over SMC sophomore Kiho Hirayama. SMC took the win over Pirate Chelsea Carmichael, the final score was 6-1, 6-1, leaving the overall score at 4-2 with the Pirates leading.

William Wendelman/ Corsair Staff

M. Fernando Rivera B. STAFF WRITER

v a r i e t y, f r o m b a s e l i n e r a l l i e s t o closing out points at the net. Although the Corsairs had some good points, it was not enough to win the matches. The pirates took both wins in doubles, ending the match with a 7-2 score. The overall series ended with a 6-3 d e c i s i o n f o r Ve n t u r a o v e r t h e Corsairs.

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William Wendelman/ Corsair Staff

Susan Talreja prepares for a doubles match against the Ventura College Pirates. Susan and partner Yurim Han (not shown) ended the match with a loss, leaving the Corsairs with a 5-2 overall. Santa Monica College Corsairs took on Ventura College Pirates at the Ocean View Park tennis courts in Santa Monica, California on Thursday, February 22, 2018.

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VOLUME 115 ISSUE 01 •FEBRUARY 28, 2018 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Corsair Softball Shut Out

The Corsairs ship sunk at home against Ventura 14-0

Matthew Martin/ Corsair Staff

Santa Monica College Corsair freshman infielder Taylor Liebesman #23 (left, white) pitches a curve ball during the bottom of the 4th at the Corsair Field in Santa Monica California, on Tuesday, February 27 2018. The Corsairs would go on to lose the game 0-14 against the Ventura College Pirates.

Dylan Cortez STAFF WRITER

Santa Monica College softball swings and misses again. The Corsairs are now 0-2 in conference games after a rough 14-0 loss to Ventura. On Feb. 27th, 2018, the Corsairs met the Pirates from Ventura College in a home conference game. Ventura is currently ranked #2 in the Western State Conference while the Corsairs are sitting at #13. Ventura is the reigning champion of the conference, and they are looking to take the title again.

The Corsairs got off to a slow start and let six runs through in the top of the first. This was Ventura’s highest scoring inning, but they definitely did not let off of the gas pedal. They followed up with another three runs in the top of the second.

The only home run was hit by Ventura’s first baseman #18 Angelina Flores, who scored three times throughout the game. A majority of these runs were hit off of pitches from the Corsair ’s #3 Freshman Ashley Nava. Nava is the Corsair’s latest addition to the team and has little experience pitching. Head Coach Phillip Gomez made the decision to start Nava at pitcher so she could get more reps and grow as a pitcher. Nava was finally taken out in the top of the 5th inning for #23 Taylor Liebesman, who tried to give the Corsairs hope, but it was far too late. Liebesman is a freshman pitcher and infielder who is also the Corsair’s leading scorer, with 11 runs to date.

Coach Gomez talked about the game’s rough start, since this has become a reoccurring issue for the Corsairs. “The best experience is doing it in a game. The first inning has actually been one of our roughest innings all season, but I think we're getting better with that and have become more confident,” Gomez said. Unfortunately, Gomez’s strategy to practice live hitting in preparation for this game was no match for Ventura’s #54 Megan Best.

Best pitched until the bottom of the FOR

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4th inning and clearly showed up to play. A no-hitter is very impressive at any level of softball, let alone in this competitive conference. #14 freshman Nichole Valdez was the game’s standout player, going 3/3 at bat. Valdez also had an impressive performance at center field, making it a no fly zone for Ventura.

She seemed to be the Corsair's toughest defender, as she made multiple diving catches to give the Corsairs some momentum. Valdez was asked how she could help her team improve and her response was, “I think I can help the team improve by bringing more energy to the dugout.”

The Corsairs take on #6 Cuesta College on Thursday, March 1, 2018 in an away game. The Corsairs are hoping to pull of a win against the highly-ranked team, although this is not a conference game. The Corsairs' next conference game is next Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. in John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica, Calif.

Matthew Martin/ Corsair Staff

Santa Monica College Corsair freshman infielder Taylor Liebesman #23 (left, white) pitches a curve ball during the bottom of the 4th at the Corsair Field in Santa Monica California, on Tuesday, February 27 2018. The Corsairs would go on to lose the game 0-14 against the Ventura College Pirates.

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