The Corsair Issue 04 Fall Semester by Santa Monica College Corsair Newspaper

CORSAIR

NOV, 02 2016 | VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

FIRST COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25

ELECTION MEETS HALLOWEEN IN HOLLYWOOD (P.6-7)

SMC HOSTS FIRST INTERCOLLEGIATE DEBATE (P.4)

THEATER DEPT. BRINGS SAMUEL BECKETT TO STAGE(P.8)

THE CORSAIR • THECORSAIRONLINE.COM • 1900 PICO BLVD. SANTA MONICA, CA 90405 • (310) 434-4340

WILD ART

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

EDITORIAL STAFF jacob hirsohn

............................ Editor-in-Chief

corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com september dawn bottoms

.......... Digital Editor

corsair.digitaleditor@gmail.com

christian monterrosa

............... Digital Editor

corsair.digitaleditor@gmail.com

josue martinez

.............................. Photo Editor

corsairphotoeditor@gmail.com jose lopez

....................... Assistant Photo Editor

corsairphotoeditor@gmail.com

daniel han.................................... Design Editor

corsair.designteam@gmail.com

christina kelley..........................Culture Editor

corsair.calendarpage@gmail.com

troy barnes............................. Sports Columnist

corsair.sportspage@gmail.com

CORSAIR STAFF Kianna Anguiano, Andrew Aono, Hank Brehman, Emily Burton, Daniel Bowyer, Oscar Carranza, Andera Canizales, Cliff Cheng, Kevin Colindres, Joanna Esquivias, Emily Flores, Samuel Gerstein, Sam Green, Alex Harris, Marco Heredia, Christina Kelly, Kissindre Kimbrell, Daniel Lee, Brian Lewis, Agustin Martinez, Erendira Martinez, Caroline Marriott, Yulia Morris, Dylan Mulcahy, Leslie Plascencia, Brian Quiroz, Martina Rakar, Jasmin Rogers, Brian Schaefer, Gabriel Schittdiel, Jett Sacker, Rebecca Singleton, Jovante Smith, Marisa Vasquez, Rosangelica Vizcarra FACULTY ADVISORS saul rubin

............................ Journalism Advisor

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

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FRONT COVER Top Photo by: Rosangelica Vizcarra. Caption: David Goldbach dressed as Donald Trump (right) and Wanda Jackson dressed as Hilary Clinton (left) pose for a portrait during the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival. Bottom Left Photo by: Jose Lopez Caption: Frankie Duan, a politcal science major at Santa Monica College, participates in round 3 of the debate competition held at SMC on October 28. Bottom Right Photo by: Rosangelica Vizcarra Caption: Spencer Cramer, in the role of the “Director”, handles a cigar while caressing a cat in the Catastrophe scene for the upcoming theater performance of Samuel Beckett Quartet at the Santa Monica College Main Stage on Friday, October 28.

Marino, 50, walks away with an arm full of pumpkins. Each year on the Wednesday before Halloween, the Santa Monica Farmer's Market has a Pumpkin Grab. For $5, one can take home as money pumpkins as they can grab. (Photo by: Cliff Cheng)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hello Readers of The Corsair, Two weeks from now, when we publish our next issue, the 2016 Presidential Election will be over. That’s right — American elections actually do end. And according to my calculations, only three months until candidates start campaigning for the 2020 primary. I see people complaining more about the length of this election cycle than four years ago or eight years ago, for pretty obvious reasons. Part of me definitely can’t wait for it to be over. Hearing the same six takes recycled over and over again all day every day has gotten pretty tiring. But I’m definitely going to miss it as well. Mainly due to one reason: I don’t know what I’m going to think, talk, and read about all the time after November 8. I basically only think about three things — as you probably know if you have been reading my letters weekly — the election, sports, and this newspaper. You’re probably thinking, “Well, just think about those other two things more.” And maybe I will. But I’m also concerned what the country at large will concern themselves with. Every late-night comedy show, every media outlet, every Twitter account, every group conversation, and every class discussion — everything has been about Trump and the election for a year and a half now. Despite the recent tightening in some national polls, I still think it’s pretty likely that Clinton wins the presidency next week. So what are we all going to talk about? The predominantly Liberal media has regularly failed in their attempts — or lack thereof — to criticize Clinton or parody her. The only controversies on the horizon revolve too heavily around the word “emails,” which even Clinton’s biggest detractors are pretty tired of hearing about. Except, I guess, dudes on Twitter with display names like “Deplorable Kent MAGA(flag emoji)” who respond to every one of Hillary’s tweets with “emails!!!!” I guess this speaks to a problem with the American political discourse much larger than any perceived lack of civility. My interest in politics has reached an all-time high over the last year. But I genuinely don’t know how I will continue to funnel my passion for politics into something productive after the president is elected. Everyone — myself included — becomes performatively interested in politics when the role of president is up for grabs because it is simple and easy. You pick your candidate and blindly support everything they do without ever thinking critically about any of the whole mess. But in reality, your vote for the presidency only matters so much. Where the real change will happen is down ballot and with the various measures and propositions on the ballot. And that’s what has been truly awful about this presidential election. Not the fact that Trump calls Hillary the devil and wants to throw her in jail, or that the DNC has constantly and repeatedly embarrassed themselves and revealed themselves as frauds

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throughout the whole process. Both candidates have been able to skate by without talking about any issues of substance whatsoever. Trump hasn’t talked about any serious issues — outside of ISIS — because he doesn’t know shit about any of them. Hillary hasn’t because she knows she doesn’t have to. Because she is running against a guy who probably ran for president as a joke. This has allowed the entire country to easily talk about the election ad nauseam without discussing anything that really matters. And for an entire generation, that will be their first real impression of politics. That’s what we focus on in what is perhaps my favorite story we have published this year, which you can find on page four. One of our staff photographers Marisa Vasquez visited local elementary and middle schools to see how parents, teachers, and administrators are teaching their children and students about this weird, empty election. (It turns out middle schoolers stopped being interested after Bernie lost too). In the other half of our News section, we have more political discourse. Dylan Mulcahy wrote about the first intercollegiate debate ever hosted at SMC, where students talked about syrian refugees, social media, and many things in between. Taking control of the Opinion section for the week, Digital Editor September Dawn Bottoms ranted and raved about her hatred for breast cancer awareness, or, more accurately, the hundreds of millions of dollars that get poured into it that could be used actually helping people. For our photo story, what we thought would be a fun Halloween-themed escape from politics ended up being more presidential talk. Jose Lopez covered the West Hollywood Halloween parade which ended up getting taken over by that dang election. Our Culture section is all theater, with coverage of the Samuel Beckett short plays currently being staged at SMC, as well as a lovely profile of The Improv Space over in my home neighborhood of Westwood. Now, let’s see. I’ve talked about politics, I’ve talked about the newspaper. What am I missing? Oh, yeah. Sports. In our Sports section we have a profile of Turhan Douglas, our new women’s volleyball coach, and a writeup of a thrilling Homecoming football game. Enjoy reading, and please vote next week.

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Sincerely, Jacob Hirsohn Editor-in-Chief The Corsair

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NEWS

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

I'M WITH THEM

Community educators attempt to guide kids through a tricky election

Illustration by: Rosangelica Vizcarra and Marisa Vasquez

MARISA VASQUEZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

This year’s presidential election has been a roller coaster for the whole country. Americans are drained with the negativity that has been traded between political opponents, party affiliates, and the presidential candidates themselves. The discourse has been so rabid that at times it spreads like wildfire, while at others, it is silenced in order to avoid conflict. It’s natural to get caught up in the whirlwind of the political circus, and for some, marvel in the glowing limelight of their candidate. While the nation is captivated by the scandals, mudslinging, and big personalities of this year’s presidential election, who is left to filter the drama and absurdities we are witnessing to our nation’s youth? How are the students, who will lead the future generations of our country, understanding this year’s election? Some of our community's educational leaders have gotten creative in their methods of helping their students understand the election season, while others have discouraged the students' engagement with it for their own protection. Candice Bohoannon, a fourth grade teacher at Playa Vista Elemntary School, believes the best way to address these issues to her class is by giving them hands-on experience in how an election works. Bohoannon leads her class through a mock election in the classroom that allows them a safe space to discuss and analyze the presidential debates. Students volunteer to run as a candidate, pick a team to develop their campaign, seek funding, debate issues, and end with a vote. This is all done within a single classroom.

Though it is her first year teaching, Bohoannon is pleasantly surprised by her students’ interest on such a mature topic. Students pay attention to the election outside of class and then come in with questions for the classroom debates. Bohoannon explains that her students are so opinionated about the election that she rarely has to guide them through their class discussions. “They hear all these scary stories that are happening in the news, and they see that as applicable to them,” Bohannon said. “They want to talk about all of it, but it is on a very kid friendly level.” The Playa Vista Elementary fourth grade class sees their classroom election as a way to channel their excitement over the election into a passion project for themselves. The Principle of Playa Vista, Rebecca Johnson, has observed an overall opinionated attitude within the student body compared to previous election cycles. In fact, some students have become "a little loud" about their own political opinions while on the playground due to a “dinner-table-to-school” dynamic that has emerged among the children and their parents. “We have a very engaged parent population, so the kids have very strong opinions as well,” Principal Johnson said. "They take on their parents’ point of view.” This drives their primary understanding of the election. The students take what they have learned about each candidate and their campaign from home and bring those ideas to school. Susanna Esquivias, an involved parent at Playa Vista Elementary, explains that the school is against the students discussing politics during school hours. She agrees with the school’s avoidance

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of this topic, due to that fact that Susanna’s daughter, who is in second grade, had been in an altercation with another student involving the election. “She came up to me and said ‘a girl in school told me that Hilary kills babies,'” said Esquivias. “I was shocked.” The election has brought issues to children’s attention that, in Esquivias' opinion, are often too mature to explain to elementary students. She now discusses feminism, abortions, racism, and other issues of the like at home with her five and six year old daughters. “I’m going to have to be more in tune with raising my kids to understand how to handle sexism, how to handle racism, how to defend yourself, and how to be inclusive with others,” said Susanna. Her children, like so many others, are absorbing what this presidential election has brought to light and are trying to make sense of their premature understanding, not only at school, but at home as well. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some student populations who are encouraged to stay up to date with the election, but are less engaged with it nonetheless. This is the case at John Adams Middle School, located across the street from Santa Monica College. According to Principal Steve Richardson, the students are encouraged to discuss and analyze the election inside and outside of the classroom. Though these middle schoolers understand the basics of our government system, Social Studies teacher Cori Goldberg has some concerns when it comes to teaching her students about this year’s election. “The problem with this election, specifically, [is that] it’s not really about @THE_CORSAIR •

the issues,” said Goldberg. “The issues are being overshadowed by the personalities.” This becomes a drawback as she prepares to educate her 8th grade students on how a president is elected into office. Goldberg noticed that her students seem to take this year’s election less seriously than they have in the past. When looking back on the past election years, Goldberg remembered her students having more of a hopeful outlook on the finial outcomes, especially when President Barack Obama was elected for his first and second term. “There’s so much negativity in this campaign… there’s not the hope that came with Obama, there’s not the excitement that came with Obama,” Goldberg said. “With Obama, there was someone who [the students] could truly identify with.” The John Adams’ middle schoolers were more involved in the presidential election back when Senator Bernie Sanders was still in the running. Many of Goldberg’s eighth grade students left school early to attend his rally that was held earlier this year at the Santa Monica High School football field. She believes that many of her students grew tired of the election after their favorite candidate failed to secure the nomination. Goldberg takes on the task of re-enthusing her students for an election that was over for them back when #FeeltheBern faded away from mainstream media. There is clearly no one way to approach keeping students educated about an entirely unique election cycle. But the lessons learned this year may affect the way these young people view politics for the remainder of their lives.

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NEWS

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

STUDENTS FROM AROUND LA DEBATE THE ISSUES AT SMC DYLAN MULCAHY STAFF WRITER Last week, intense debate broke out all around campus, all at once, all at the same moment, all on the same topic. Several groups spread across multiple rooms began to argue about the pros and cons of allowing Syrian refugees into the country. But the debate wasn’t vicious or violent — like so much political discourse has been in the current election cycle — but organized and educational. Santa Monica College held its first official intercollegiate debate tournament on campus on Friday Oct. 28. The competition was energetically well received as more than 20 teams representing SMC, LMU, and UCLA attended the event to compete. Each team comprised of two members. Five rooms were provided with four teams and three judges in each room in the format of a mock British Parliament. During the first three preliminary rounds, a debate topic was provided which the government strongly suggests implementing. Two of the teams spoke in favor of the topic siding with the house and two teams spoke on behalf of the opposition party. Taking turns, each member stood at a center stage podium with seven minutes to argue and justify their stance for the round while the judges presiding scored their performance. Implementing the strategy and tactics of logic and rhetoric through speech and idea, each team exclaimed a variety of pros and cons for the contested issue. This heated and passionate verbal exchange quickly lead to a plethora of points and counterpoints thrown back and forth in rapid succession leading to nearly unceasing rebuttals and refutations. The first topic presented was the Syrian Refugee crisis. Contestants were asked to argue if and how the government should increase aid towards Syrian refugees. The moment the timer began, the competitors dissected this multi-faceted issue to great lengths examining in detail how the nation should stand. Views on morality and security, how America's actions impact international culture and economics, and how such aid would be implemented and interpreted in the realm of diplomatic relations and military strategy were all factors for discussion. With lives at stake for citizens of the United States, Syrians, and members of the international community as a whole, students became very invested in expressing their voices on the crisis and how to best respond to this contemporary quandary. The second topic of the tournament was the idea that universities should eliminate degree programs that are unlikely to provide employment after graduation. The very moment this topic was presented, the speakers were energized and immediately prepped their arguments with an enthusiastic furor. The struggle students and faculty face in attaining education for employment was thoroughly examined as well as the risk and reward of debt-based funding in relation to the class divide in American social strata. The topics themselves were flexible enough that it allowed each competitor to share their scholarship as well as exchange personal philosophy. Speaker Dakota Klasky from UCLA said, “I got a lot more confident with my speaking and figured out a way to clearly structure my speeches as the rounds proceeded. I think as the tournament went on, everyone got better.” Upon reaching Round 3, the house was assigned to argue that social media platforms should have stronger restrictions on free speech. The competitors could explain the topics both on an intellectual and visceral

Nishanth Selvalingam, a double major in philosophy and psychology at UCLA, participates in the final round of the debate competition.(Photo by: Jose Lopez)

level quite effortlessly. At times members of the mock parliament were deftly referencing meta-level anecdotes to further bolster the validity of their stance on the issue. In some rooms, it was a meticulous analysis of governments influencing private companies as a policy of regulating individual free speech, collective spaces congregation, and data sharing. It gave house members the question: to what extent and context people are willing to ensure safety and security of body and mind if in order to do so they must relinquish the privilege of perspective originally uninhibited by the Internet. As the discourse persisted, conceptual lines soon blurred between social safe spaces and brazen ISIS havens as it became a point of contention what words and activities could constitute a definite grounds for the restriction of speech. The first three rounds were well fought, but judges decided that amongst the top performers, four teams representing UCLA were to contend in the final bout. At this stage, the subject of debate was whether or not the United States government should have compulsory voting laws for its citizens. The concluding match was quite memorable and exceptionally relevant to this year’s presidential election. Through the frame of compulsory voting laws, the topic presented struggles of civic engagement through the use of federal mandates and incentives as well as the duties and moral obligations of the collective and the individual. As the 2016 election reaches the pinnacle of a grand national campaign between the mighty forces of Clinton and Trump, the power of one’s vote was an exploration of the nature of choice. When and if there are only two choices sponsored by the state, should one pick a lesser of two evils or go against the grain selecting a third party candidate? Or does one perhaps reject consenting to the process altogether in an act of defiance? This debate brought forth systemic and structural challenges democracy faces worldwide. The dilemmas of voter fraud, gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and winning by plurality all became contentious predicaments. Rhetorically, it was asked to everyone present in the house, how does one encourage mo-

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Frankie Duan, a politcal science major at SMC, debriefs with her boyfriend, Danny Ochoa, a theatre arts major at SMC, after her second round at the debate competition on Friday, October 28. (Photo by: Jose Lopez).

tivation and fight the disenfranchisement and disenchantment that pervades the American public? Ultimately the debate came down to each speaker’s faith in voting. Whether or not the individual believed their vote mattered, if it would have a meaningful combined impact on the election, the nation’s future, and on the American model of representative democracy. Upon the debate’s end, the teams in opposition of compulsory voting laws scored a solid victory. Most notable speakers of this tournament were UCLA teammates Nishanth Selvalingam and Madelyn Chen, winning the final round and receiving top scores overall in their first tournament as a team. “We adapted throughout the rounds and we learned what worked for us and doesn’t,” said Chen. “It was a really good chance to compete together and have a really fun time while doing it.” “In my eight years of debating, It seems to me as if there’s a community of debaters that seems to transcend their individual backgrounds. When you are a debater, you access a higher level of cognition of the culture which is defined by lots of different schools,” said Nishanth Selvalingam. While SMC may have not reached finals, @THE_CORSAIR •

the debate team has planted the seeds of ongoing prosperity. SMC Debate Team alumni and UCLA speaker, Filipp Krasovski, reached the final round and scored amongst the top ten for the tournament. Finalist and UCLA speaker Joe Kahn said, “I’m very impressed with what SMC has done for their first year of BP debating...their coaching staff Nate [Brown] and Luis [Andrade] seem like they’re doing great things. I wouldn’t be surprised to see SMC become a pretty big name on the circuit in the next couple of years.” Judge and communications professor Brianna Broady said, “It was a really strong debate. I think it came down to the first opposition team, though it was really close with them and the second team representing the house. As the first SMC Debate Tournament, it was a great success!” The event culminated into an immersive, educational, and entertaining exercise that allowed students to examine and participate in the process and functions of western democratic institutions. With each speaker originating from a variety of life experiences, every team contributed to a diverse dialogue of viewpoints and perspectives.

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OPINION

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

EVERYONE IS ALREADY AWARE OF BREAST CANCER So now what do we do? SEPTEMBER DAWN BOTTOMS DIGITAL EDITOR

I guess I could stick to the facts. I could mention all of the ways Susan G. Komen has blatantly gone against its “mission” to end breast cancer. I could mention how it’s funneling money into the very pockets of those corporations who cause cancer in the first place, while simultaneously keeping up this facade of the quest for the cure. I suppose I could mention their “Buckets for the Cure” campaign in which they paired up with KFC, a fast food restaurant that uses genetically modified chicken which causes cancer and contributes to obesity. Obesity by the way, contributes to one out of five of all cancer-related deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. Side-note, Komen made $2 million in the first week of that campaign. Perhaps I could mention how in 2008 Komen paired up with Ford Mustang for a “Warriors in Pink” campaign and then hit you with the study done in 2012 by Environmental Health that women who work in the automotive plastics industry are five times as likely to get breast cancer. Or maybe I could drop the bomb on the 2011 scandal, where Komen created it’s own brand of perfume called “Promise Me” that was made with harmful cancer causing chemicals which was brought to light by the ThinkBeforeYouPink Campaign. The perfume was met with opposition and Komen said they would reformulate the perfume, but never got around to it. I don’t know, I thought about using all of these scary facts to formulate my opinion and provide a cohesive platform on which you too could formulate an opinion. But the more I thought about it, the more I decided I wanted to rant

about my irrational hatred for Komen as opposed to my very rational hatred. Mind you, I do not currently know nor have I ever known any one with breast cancer. I do not have any deep personal ties to those who are being swindled by the Komen organization. But I do have this seething deep anger that bubbles inside of me every time I see something pink that ever so stoically pretends to help cancer patients. I’ve seen the development of the pink ribbon since I was a child. I remember the first wave of stamps with the breast cancer awareness ribbons on them. As I’ve read, they weren’t so successful. I remember in middle school, 2006, when the Campbell’s soup redesigned their cans to be a pretty soft pink. I distinctly remember dreading the soup aisle because the pink cans reflected off of the floor creating this overwhelming aura of pretty in pink doom. I was going through a goth phase and my angsty preteen self had sworn off the color pink due to its sweet nature. It was strange to me how such a positive, uplifting color could bring up feelings of dread. How a color I despised due to its peppiness could simultaneously cause this anxiety and fear about my own breasts. As I got older, breast cancer awareness just became this overwhelming campaign that never stopped growing, shoving its obnoxious pink face in every facet of my life. Friends were participating in breast cancer awareness runs and joyously patting themselves on the back as if they’d single handedly cured cancer. More and more candies started coloring themselves pink and pretending like they weren’t poison. And all of this was to raise awareness? I didn’t and I don’t understand. Haven’t we been aware? Hasn’t awareness been shoved down our throats for the past 25 years? Hasn’t the fear of breast cancer

been looming over my breasts since before they even started to sprout? Isn’t literally everyone aware now? I sure as hell am. I’ve discovered that there are many others who share my hatred for Komen, which is comforting. I’d hate to be this villainous tiny blond girl against this seemingly successful corporation with no reason at all, so it’s good that my irrational hatred isn’t quite so irrational after all. Plenty of women have come forward, many of whom actually have breast cancer, who say that they despise the pink ribbon and want no affiliation with it whatsoever. Laurie Becklund, a former Los Angeles Times writer, wrote, “Promise me you'll never wear a pink ribbon in my name or drop a dollar into a bucket that goes to breast cancer ‘awareness’ for ‘early detection for a cure,’ the mantra of fund-raising juggernaut Susan G. Komen, which has propagated a distorted message about breast cancer and how to ‘cure’ it.” She died shortly after writing that article. A huge part of the awareness campaign is the push that early detection is key. Komen spent $124,557,577 in 2015 on Public Health Education alone. That’s nearly 40 percent of their budget that went towards informing the public that breast cancer is a thing and encouraging all women to get mammograms as they could save lives. I pulled that directly from their budget reports. I also found statistics on the Komen website stating that regular screenings for breast cancer only saved 21 out of 10,000 lives for women between the ages of 60-69, who are at the most risk for breast cancer. That’s only 0.0021 percent deaths avoided due to mammograms. That percentage dwindles the younger that women are with 0.0003

percent out of 10,000 deaths avoided ages 39-49. Now sure, if you’re in that 0.0021 percent you might be thinking, hallelujah! And believe me, I’m happy for you too. But it still begs the question, why the hell is Kumen spending nearly 40 percent of its funds on awareness, when clearly that isn’t the issue? And why the hell are they advertising that it’s exactly what they are doing? Probably because they are assuming that the average American doesn’t do their research. And they’re right. This has been happening for 25 years and the death rate for breast cancer hasn’t declined in the least. It’s plateaued. About 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S this year and according to the American Cancer Society, of those, 40,450 women are expected to die. Instead of fueling research into finding a cure for this disease, Komen is feeding it and they’re feeding you. So please, I urge you cult followers to stop for a moment, do some research and fund research, not Komen and their stupid pink T-shirts or their stupid pink tools or their stupid pink killing corporations. It’s difficult for me and my breasts to actively hate an organization whose intention is to save them. But it’s also clear to me and my breasts that somewhere along the way those intentions changed. If you can’t take my word for it, take Lisa Bonchek Adams who made several blog posts throughout the end of her life slamming the Kogen organization, “I think a better name for them is Susan G Komen For(got) the Cure.” After a long battle against breast cancer, Adams died in 2015.

Illustration by: Rebecca Singleton

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PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Wanda Jackson dressed as Hilary Clinton (left) shares a moment with Isabel Nelson (right) who is dressed as a Bernie Sanders’ supporter who turned into a Clinton supporter. (Photo by: Rosangelica Vizcarra)

AMERICAN HORROR STORY Election takes over West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval JOSE LOPEZ ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Every year, thousands of partygoers head out to West Hollywood for the Halloween Carnaval to participate in what has been called the world’s biggest Halloween party. The range in creativity of people’s costumes is one of the elements that make this event an annual attraction. Everything from drag queens, to pop culture references, to political messages can be found roaming Santa Monica Boulevard, as well as the traditional store bought rubber masks. This year being an election year like no other, it was costumes with political messages that dominated the parade. Many took clear sides on who they supported as a candidate as well as who they opposed. Gary Longaberger from Santa Barbara dressed up in what he called “Trump’s Tenth Victim of Molestation,” where he was dressed as a woman with a Trump character on his back touching him inappropriately, in reference to the many women accusing Trump of sexual harassment. Longaberger said, “It was a political statement on what’s been going on. It’s fun to have something like this that’s creative, poignant, and gives a political message along with having a great reaction from people.” While the majority of costumes took on the task of demonizing Donald Trump or championing Hillary Clinton,

a Trump supporter could still be found in the crowd. Joey Meyer from La Quinta took the form of a zombie for the night while walking the boulevard with a sign saying “Make America Weird Again -- Vote Zombie 4 President,” expressing the idea that many voters are dead in the head and out of touch with what the country needs. When asked for his thoughts on this year’s election, Meyer said, “It’s pretty ugly this year compared to past years. I guess if I had to vote I’d vote for Trump…I think he is going to make change. Hillary has been in there for 30 years and has done absolutely nothing but talk.” Halloween Carnaval is a space where people feel free to exhibit their politics, however it is also a space where people simply come out to let loose and celebrate the dark mysterious nature of the holiday in playful ways. It is an excuse to become creative with costumes and personalities other than our own. Branimir Kvartuc, who dressed up as the viral debate attendee and undecided voter Ken Bone, shared his thoughts on the election. “It’s already over, so Hilary is gonna be the next president,” he said. He also went beyond the political nature of his costume to share how his choice is attuned to his interest in popular

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culture. Kvartuc said, “I usually try to do a pop culture reference that’s appropriate for that time. Last year I was Doc Brown with my brother. He was Marty because it was 2015, right? This year I wanted to be a pop culture reference, so Ken Bone was the way to go for me.” West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval is a seasonal festive space where exotic costumes representing the culture of the Victorian era can be seen along side popular culture characters such as Homer Simpson as they take a selfie together. Kvartuc, who has been attending for the last five years, said, “What is really consistent is the creativity of people with their costumes. That’s what you come out to see. This is the way to enjoy Halloween as an adult.” In the end, people go to the carnaval to party in the spirit of Halloween before anything and politics is simply another layer of the personality for this massive party. This year just happens to coincide with the most polarized election of our lifetime, where the characters up for election in effect served as the honorary mascots for the 29th Annual West Hollywood Carnaval.

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VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

PHOTOSTORY

Kelly Coate, from Columbus, Ohio, dresses up as Donald Trump with tiny hands during the Halloween Carnaval in West Hollywood. Taking a hard stance on the candidates Coate said, “Definitely don’t vote for trump, vote for Hillary.” (Photo by: Jose Lopez)

Gared Reagins, 26, from Inglewood dresses up as a “Purge” version of Barack Obama. Reagins commented on this years election by saying, “I think it’s showing a lot about America on the inside. I think that a lot of our deep-rooted problems have come out. I think that people are gonna be charged with facing them in the next new year.” (Photo by: Jose Lopez)

Branimir Kvartuc dressed up as the politicized character Ken Bone takes a photograph with Dennis Miller who is dressed up as Hillary Clinton. When asked about the upcoming election Kvartuc confidently said, “It's already over, so Hilary is gonna be the next president. The real thing about the election is whether people are gonna vote on measure M and whether people are gonna vote for HHH." (Photo by: Jose Lopez)

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CULTURE

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

THEATER DEPARTMENT STAGES FOUR SAMUEL BECKETT SHORTS REBECCA SINGLETON STAFF WRITER

Joey Dworsky, in the role of the “Voice of Bam”, performs in the “What Where” scene for the theater performance of Samuel Beckett Quartet at the Santa Monica College Main Stage. (Photo by: Josue Martinez)

The sound of a choir constantly chanting numbers hums throughout the room. It’s an excerpt from “Einstein on the Beach” by Philip Glass, but you wouldn’t know that. All you’re wondering is when the show begins. "Quartet: Samuel Beckett's Short Plays," is being presented at SMC's Theater Arts complex stage through early November. This is opening night for this production of the Nobel Prize winning, avant-garde novelist, playwright, director, and poet's work. Director Perviz Sawoski is nowhere to be seen as theater students, Jordan Barksdale and Brooke Jones, give a rather humorous introduction about what the night entails. Because his works are timeless it seems almost inevitable that a few Samuel Beckett plays would inevitably make their way to the SMC studio stage. The first play of the night, “Come and Go,” is a re-enactment of Beckett’s original piece which was first brought to the stage in the mid-1960s in Berlin. With the appearance on stage of three actresses sporting Victorian-style hats and dresses, the setting is clearly of a different time. Two things that are most notable about his plays are that everything is up for individual interpretation by the audience, and there is sparse dialogue. When asked how the actors keep their energy up during the unspoken moments of the performance, actress Sivan Aviv said, “Perviz taught us how to maintain the energy flowing within, even if you aren’t saying anything. It’s like when you shake a can you know it’s about to explode if you open it, but it sits still." At its conclusion the audience is left in utter confusion by the last few words of "Come and Go." A character asks, “May we not speak of the old days? Of what came after? Shall we hold hands in the old way?” To which a second character responds, “I can feel the rings.” Without any previous context regarding how these words connect to any of the rest of the play, the audience is required to listen to the dialogue intently and study the actions of each character to interpret the meaning of these final words. The performance of “What Where” had the audience breaking out in hearty, knowing laughter. This piece begins with Bam (Spencer Cramer), standing with a light flashed across his face in semi darkness. A voice could be heard around the stage which represented the inner monologue of the protagonist. The three remaining characters, Bom (Ty Dubo), Bim (Ray Strachen), and Bem (Garrow Geer), appear on stage interchangeably

to carry out orders made by Bam. Throughout the entire show, the audience is never given a backstory. When asked how the actors interpreted the seemingly nonsensical plays, Joey Dworski, a member of the cast, said, “I think Beckett looks at a play the same way a biologist would look at a cell. The cell is made up of a bunch of different things that aren’t alive and each thing by itself is just mechanical. I feel like what Beckett did, was put a whole bunch of people on stage, have them do a bunch of actions, and somehow from Sivan Aviv (left) Akua Parker (center) Sophia Avgeris (right) sit on a bench for their role in the “Come and us doing all this random stuff Go” scene. (Photo by: Rosangelica Vizcarra) with its own rhythm, it creates some sort of feeling that is so ambiguous that it’ll hit you no matter what,” Dworski said. The last play of the night was “Quad.” The scene is set with a sort of tribal drumming in the background, a woman shouting numbers in Hebrew, and four characters dressed in robes that were color-coordinated with squares painted on the floor. Every time a new character appeared on stage, an instrument would chime in and all the characters walked in-sync. This piece was broadcasted on television in 1981, and it is believed by many that the inspiration for it was the 1915 Armenian Genocide. “Everybody created their own The red, blue, yellow, and white creatures come together during the “Quad” scene .(Photo by: Rosangelica meaning for the walk and what’s behind Vizcarra) the message," said Geer. "When I’m on the sides of the square, I imagine that I’m walking to not do that and purposefully make it ambiguous so the routine of every day, and then when I go towards that you can find your own meaning." In interviews Beckett said that there is no actual the center, I am going to have a jump – like an act of meaning implicit in his plays and that they are meant faith. But then at the end I go back to my regular life." to be completely absurd. So, audience members need Regardless of the actual backstory to “Quad,” the no pretext to understand a Samuel Beckett play because actors have their own ideas about what pacing around there is nothing to try to understand. Every piece the in an invisible square actually means. “We tried, while hugely influential writer has created was meant for giving it a lot of energy, to not to make it so specific your own interpretation, and that is what makes his and give meaning as all of us would want to do as avant-garde works so timeless. directors," said Sawoski. "With Beckett you want to

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CULTURE

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

ULTIMATE IMPROV A look inside Westwood's inclusive improv space JOSEPH TAJARAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dewey Cassady, a UCLA student and house manager at The Improv Space in Westwood, was encouraging passersby to come in to see the theater's show just five minutes before it was about to kick off. In a quirky location with lots of traffic -- right down the hill from UCLA and two doors down from the Westside's funkiest looking In-N-Out -- the theater is small and intimate. Its stage is like a very long dinner table, just in front of a delicate black curtain. Facing the stage are 30 to 40 seats for the audience. Time rolled around for the show to kick off, but Cassady waited for a couple more minutes hoping to get a bigger crowd. He mentioned that the Wednesday show, the "Improv Sessions," is huge. It’s how he got his start at the Improv Space. But college students and academics walked past Cassady as if he’s a canvasser asking for donations. The Improv Space charges a measly five-dollar admission price -- about the same as the cost of a few cans of Arizona iced tea -- but it didn't seem to matter. So a few minutes later Cassady excused himself and headed to the sound booth to introduce the first improv team of the night. “Cautiously Optimistic,” of which Cassady is also a member, took the stage, asked for a suggestion from the audience and the show began. The team moved and spoke with a feeling of familiarity, as if the performance was scripted. But that’s the magic. It’s improvised. As the show progressed, it became clear that each performer knows the other’s quirks well and has an idea of what the other is going to say before they say it. These kinds of relationships are what separates "The Improv Space" from many of the other improvisation schools in Los Angeles. In a city where classes can be expensive and the schools can feel competitive, "The Improv Space" welcomes performers to take risks in a safe space. “My life is completely different than it was a year ago. It made me more confident in myself. I didn’t even know performance was an option,” said Cassady. "The Improv Space" is a non-profit theater in Westwood that was founded by actor J.D. Walsh in 1999 and initially dubbed "Ultimate Improv." In 2008, Walsh asked Ashley Opstad and her then-boyfriend-now-husband Danny Lampson to take over and refresh the theater. With help from their third partner, Doug Lief, they turned the theater from a for-profit to a non-profit enterprise, and envisioned it branching out into the community and into more of the performing arts. The new partners put on plays, held open-music nights, developed a stand-up and sketch program, and had held classes for high school and middle school students. As Opstad summarized

Ricky Staffieri (left) and Jared Popkin (right) from the duo group BloodOath performing a short form set. (Photo by: Joseph Tajaran)

it, “[We] tried to create as much as possible with [the little] resources available.” Due to its location in Westwood, The Improv Space attracts a large pool of UCLA students. Samir Forghani, a managing director, has taken classes here since he was 18 and sees the theater as a kind of gateway for young comedians. “For the kids at UCLA, we’re the first comedy-club they've ever been to,” said Forghani. “Before I was 18 years old I felt the same way, because I didn’t even know where to get comedy." Both Forghani and Cassady came out of The Improv Space's internship program where participants learn how to create shows, the basics of lighting, the mechanics of the sound board, how to book acts, and more importantly, how to network with other aspiring comedians. Forghani, who contributes to the program without pay, described this as a “symbiotic relationship,” saying “they’re helping us [and] we’re helping them.” The theater offers three levels of classes in seven week sessions. Each costs $199 dollars. Students in the internship program can pay a smaller fee in addition to working as a staff person for a show. Internship applications from SMC and UCLA students are being accepted now. Cassady encourages aspiring comedians to stop by and explore the possibilities. “Anybody can show up and do improv for the first time, and you’ll see how truly kind and wonderful everyone that performs here is, and in a way, it’s kind of a metaphor for improv itself,” he said. “Everyone here is open to helping each other out and helping everyone get better.”

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Justin Tan (left) and Corey Blake (right) from the group The You Convention performing a long form set. (Photo by: Joseph Tajaran)

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SPORTS

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

'JUMP HIGH AND HIT HARD' Former assistant coach returns to lead women's volleyball KEVIN COLINDRES STAFF WRITER

As he walks into the Corsair gym, Coach Turhan Douglas turns on the lights. It's early in the morning and after a series of losses, it's time for him to coach. He brings his team together and after a motivating speech they rally together, building energy for their practice. Douglas smiles as he sees his team get into practice. This is Coach Douglas’ first year as the head coach of the women’s volleyball team. In the early 90s, he was an assistant coach for the men’s team and decided to come back this year when given the opportunity to be a head coach. Douglas’ first experience with volleyball was in his freshman year of high school at Westchester High School when he tried the sport out in his physical education class. “I didn't know much about volleyball at that time, but what I did know was that you needed to jump high and you needed to hit hard," Douglas said. When his high school held a volleyball tournament, he decided that he'd take a shot and register for it. But he first had to assemble a team. He went over to the basketball players and asked them to be a part of his team and they eagerly joined. Douglas went on to lead the team with practices and recognizes this as his earliest experience with coaching. His team dominated the tournament, but lost the final and fell to second place. However, he felt this was a big accomplishment for him. He recalls winning the silver medal in the tournament and still has the medal with him today. It was the most fun he had playing any sport and it was then he decided to play organized volleyball for his high school. Throughout his high school career, he would play as a middle blocker and outside hitter. While Douglas remembers having the skill to play, there was one thing he lacked that kept him improving as player. “My selfishness is what kept me from being the best team player I could be,” Douglas said. “Volleyball is a team sport and I needed to understand that I had to contribute and be aware of my teammates success in order to really be a good team.” Douglas did not learn how to be a great team player until he had played his first year of college volleyball at Pierce College. It was here that he learned to be committed to his teammates success. The college athletic environment was foreign to Douglas at the beginning. The new styles of coaching and the bigger size and athleticism of the players was drastically different and took some getting used to. Even through an adverse transition period, Douglas was able to win a state championship with Pierce college, earning one of his greatest accomplishments as a college player.

A year later he would go to Long Beach State and would win an NCAA Division 1 national championship, the highest accolade a college player can strive for. Being a part of that team was monumental for Douglas and that experience would stay with him throughout his life when he would go into coaching. “Five of the six starters of my team were on the [USA] Men's National Team, they were world-class athletes,” Douglas said. “It was amazing to play with them and it was valuable for me to learn from them.” Douglas would actually get through college by coaching other volleyball teams. He began to coach in the offseason where he would coach the women’s and men’s teams at Pierce College, until he got his first part-time college job at West Los Angeles College as an assistant coach. After that he came to SMC as an assistant coach in the mid 90s. “It was a good start for my coaching career, but I wanted to get further into coaching and become a head coach for a great school,” Douglas said. In 2000, it seemed as if his dream had come true when he landed an assistant coach job for the men’s team at USC for three years. He considered this his first big break and after three years he was appointed as the head coach of the men’s team at USC and would be the head coach for the next four years. While there were not many accomplishments for his team at USC, the information and experience he had gained from coaching there would help him for the next chapters in his coaching career. After leaving USC, Douglas had become the assistant coach of California Baptist University where he would win a Division II national championship. Aside from the collegiate level, he has also coached at various high schools in California. “It’s been a dream for me to play a sport that I love even though I started late into my youth,” Douglas said. Having the opportunity to coach many teams from small junior colleges to big schools like USC has been great and to this day I remember all the things I have learned even from my first high school 'coaching' experience.” Along with currently coaching here, he coaches at Southern California Volleyball Club where we works with boys 14 years old and younger. With another practice in the books, Douglas packs his bag and begins to head out of the gym. Turning off the lights one by one, he looks at the gym and reflects on his long career as a player and coach.

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SMC Corsair Womens head Volleyball Coach Turhan Douglas is in his first year of coaching onFriday, October 28. (Photo by: Daniel Bowyer)

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SPORTS

VOLUME 112 ISSUE 04 • NOV 02, 2016 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

FOOTBALL TEAM 1-7 AFTER HOMECOMING LOSS TROY BARNES SPORTS COLUMNIST

Homecoming is synonymous with football in America. It’s a very sentimental game that allows the home team to shine in front of possibly the largest showing of students, fans, and family they’ll see all season. For the team, the energy of the homecoming festivities and crowd is their battery. Four quarters of hard fought battle later, the Corsairs fell to the Bakersfield College Renegades with a final score of 14-26. Turnovers and a tough Bakersfield defense kept the Big Blue from getting their second W of the season after the Corsairs gave every ounce of heart and grit they had. Early in the first quarter, the Corsairs offense looked like it was trying to find its pace after a sack on Corsair QB Weston Massett and a forced punt. Bakersfield mounted their attack with efficient passing, but their drive was stopped and they were forced to punt. Bakersfield receiver Derrick Vickers received ball the on a handoff, but fumbled during the tackle and the ball was recovered by Corsairs CB Marek Spooner-Leduff. The Corsairs now were in scoring position. After the fumble recovery, the Corsairs offense was determined to get on the board. At the 18 yard line, Massett called for the snap and found WR Hakeem Zeb in the end zone for the Corsairs first touchdown. This was Zeb’s first action since being injured with ligament sprains and tears in both of his knees. At the end of the first quarter, SMC led by 7. “That felt great, it’s my first game back,” said Zeb. “ They were running a lot of cover two [defense] and I could read the coverage well. I won my matchup and I knew I could beat the cover two.” As the teams came back on the field for the second quarter, the Corsairs had possession and started the quarter off with more efficient passing which led to three first downs. However, just as Massett was looking to throw a long pass for a possible touchdown, Bakersfield managed to pick the pass off in their end zone and come up with their first interception. The Corsairs’ defense was able to strike right back ending a Bakersfield drive with a 21 yard interception return by CB Carnell Lewis. However, the Corsairs were unable to make anything out of this turnover. A quarterback sack later, Bakersfield’s offense was coming back onto the field. Bakersfield made several successful passes and runs to get within ten yards of the SMC endzone. After a touchdown pass meant for Bakersfield’s Vickers was broken up, he then came out of the game with an injury, and a pass interference penalty was charged against the Corsairs which put Bakersfield at first and goal. Bakersfield made a quick run and Bakersfield evened up the game with their first touchdown. The Corsairs mounted a drive that was suppressed by the Renegades defense. The Renegades then came back with two long runs by RB La Meshio Hill and with 1:32 on the clock,

The Santa Monica College Corsair mens football team wide reciever (2) Hakeem Zeb (blue,left) is able to run past The Bakersfiels College Renagades defensive back (4) Justin Cash (right) for a first down during the Homecoming game in the 1st quarter. (Photo By: Daniel Bowyer)

Bakersfield QB Cesar de Leon ran the ball into the endzone to give Bakersfield a 14-7 lead going into halftime. As the second half began, SMC was determined to even this game up. Good defensive coverage ended several Bakersfield drives. Lewis came up with another interception which he returned for 34 yard and placed SMC on the 24 yard line and in position to score. After RB Kwame Duggins gave the offense an extra eight yards on two runs, Massett’s pass found Zeb again who ran the ball into the endzone and tied the game at 14-14 with about four minutes left in the third quarter. In the final 15 minutes of the game, it became now or never for SMC to get the W. Early in the fourth quarter however, another pass from Massett was intercepted which led to a productive Bakersfield drive that ended in a 13 yard touchdown pass from de Leon to WR Jakell Tomlin and gave the Renegades a 20-14 lead after missing the extra point. As the clock ticked down towards zero, two more interceptions caught by the Renegades put them in command of the game. A good drive put the Renegades on the goal line and de Leon was able to make a 1 yard run for another Bakersfield touchdown. After missing the two point conversion, the Renegades had a commanding lead of 26-14 with eight minutes left on the clock. Bakersfield would hold this lead as the final score of this game. “I wouldn’t have done anything differently, we were fighting with them,” Coach Bill Laslett said after the game. “We came back, but didn’t execute offensively when we needed to. In the end we were just telling Wes [Massett] to just throw it, and he’s a freshman so games like that are going to happen.” With two games left on the calendar and our record standing at 1-7, there is nowhere to go but forward with this

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Santa Monica Corsair Fineaso Maiava(6)(left) tackles Bakersfield Renegades quarterback Cesar De Leon (15) (right) during a homecoming match. (Photoby: Rosangelica Vizcarra)

team. Despite the loss, the Corsairs put up respectable stats tonight. Massett threw 27-48 for 248 yards, Zeb ended with 2 TD and 116 yards, RB Lavonte “Rico” Cranford ended with 35 rushing yards, and all on top of Lewis’ two interceptions. “We’ve got 45 guys here who are busting their ass and I told the team that they will always be my favorites. This is the team that’s going to be remembered for when we went to the upper division. They did all the heavy lifting and they’re right here,” Laslett said. The Corsairs play College of the Canyons in their house next Saturday, November 5th at 6:00pm. @THE_CORSAIR •

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