Corsair News Issue 04

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APRIL 19, 2017 | VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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CONTENT

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 •APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

EDITORIAL STAFF ZIN CHIANG

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

corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com RYANNE MENA

............................ Managing Editor

corsair.managing@gmail.com DANIEL BOWYER

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

corsairphotoeditor@gmail.com MARISA VASQUEZ

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

corsairphotoeditor@gmail.com

MAZYAR MAHDAVIFAR..................... Design Editor

corsair.designteam@gmail.com

OSKAR ZINNEMANN

.......................... News Editor

corsair.newspage@gmail.com

CHELSEY SANCHEZ

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

CHRISTINA KELLEY

........... A&E/Culture Co-Editor

corsair.webeditor@gmail.com corsair.culture@gmail.com

OSCAR CARRANZA .............. A&E/Culture Co-Editor

corsair.culture@gmail.com

LAZARO CARRANZA O . pinion Editorcorsair.opinion-

On Easter Sunday April 16, 2017, The Southern California coast was lined with surfers that came out to enjoy the waves and weather. Zane Meyer-Thornton

page@gmail.com

RAMSES LEMUS.................. Social Media Co-Editor

socialmedia.corsair@gmail.com

JACKIE BONES................... Social Media Co-Editor

socialmedia.corsair@gmail.com

MICHELLE AYALA....................... Multimedia Editor

corsair.multimedia@gmail.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ZIN CHIANG Editor in-Chief

CORSAIR STAFF Jose Aguila, Clyde Bates, Haoyu Chuang, Alejandro Hernandez, Cecilia Martin , Matthew Martin, Diana Parra Garcia, Essence Robateau, Frank Southard, Linda Aviles, Setareh Bakhtiyari, Adrianna Buenviaje, Kathleen Cullen, Juan Gomez Zane Thornton, Emeline Moquillon, Edward Lee, Michelle Ayala, Luis Valladares, Jazz Shademan, Abraham Barkhordar, Angelica Ramos, Sade Richardson, Trevor Schock, Maya Toolin, Vanessa Wyatt, Brian Vu, Miguel Gonzalez, Pedro Xavier Hernandez Garcia, Jade Lew, Angie Ramos, Sam Green, Daniel Lee, Jasmin Rogers

FACULTY ADVISORS ASHANTI BLAIZE-HOPKINS

...... Journalism Advisor

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

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FRONT COVER Top: The recent rain has brought back the seasonal poppy bloom at the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley California on April 8, 2017. Daniel Bowyer Bottom Right: The new Associated Students President Elect, Jennifer Chen. Photo taken on Santa Monica College's main campus in Santa Monica, California on April 17, 2017. Zane Meyer-Thornton Bottom Left: An estimated 300 protestors gathered at Pershing Square and marched to City Hall.

Protestors across the US demonstrated against the airstrikes in Syria ordered by US President Donald Trump. Los Angeles, California, April 8, 2017.

Welcome back from Spring Break. An SMC Alumnus and former Corsair staff member stopped by the newsroom this afternoon. He was a writer and photographer at the paper in 2001 and watched news coverage of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11 in our newsroom. He had to push a big CRT TV up to the counter to watch the incident unfold.

2001 was also the year The Corsair was printed in color for the first time.

The staff members saved up and pooled money together in order to publish the first, and much anticipated, color edition.

Now 16 years later, a colleague and I went to the VRLA convention in downtown Los Angeles over the weekend to learn about tools we can use for virtual reality in news reporting. We’ve been shooting and publishing 360° content since the

beginning of the spring semester, and like the staff from 16 years ago, our efforts are self-funded. It is exciting to be in a room full of like-minded people working to push boundaries and share inspiring content with their viewers. It feels like we are on the verge of a new era where not only can the press and media offer a perspective, but also personal experiences that help our audience relate to the topics that matter most.

During VRLA, I watched a demo of the New York Times’ documentary about Pluto. The video started in darkness, with just a voice introducing the planet. Then almost like magic, Pluto appeared beneath my feet: icy tundra and red rolling hills in full grandeur. I looked up and saw Pluto’s moon out in the distance emitting a silvery glow and was told that home is light years away somewhere out of sight. I came out of the convention with more questions than I had to begin with. Would your reactions/opinions be different if you experienced news in first person instead of simply observing it from a flat wall of text? Is it a journalist’s job to manage empathy and adrenaline in VR

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content? I’m asking these questions because despite the relatively low resolution of most VR content commercially available, the power of 360 degrees of audiovisual immersion made me feel like I was there.

Unlike my first shot at wearing a headset, I’m sure that the Corsair’s readers in 2001 were already well acquainted with color photography, so seeing the shocking images of rubble and injuries on September 11 were not a “new”

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experience. However, journalists still selfcensor when it comes to visual content that might have profound emotional impact on viewers.

In today’s world of reporting, immersive content has the power to inspire and intrigue but very few precedence to take heed of. I feel like we have a unique opportunity to expand a journalist’s ability to document our humanity, this time, with our viewer as an active participant in the process.

Corsair, Volume 82, Number 3, 19 September 2001 - Front Cover

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NEWS/ILLUSTRATION

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 • APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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A.S. PRESIDENT-ELECT JENNIFER CHEN ON HER PLANS, HER TEAM, AND HERSELF Chelsey Sanchez DIGITAL EDITOR

Jennifer Chen, 22, a business marketing major and the Associated Students president-elect for the 2017-2018 school year, is the first Asian-American female student to be elected since 2010. This may seem daunting, but Chen faces life’s challenges with a sense of contagious optimism: a trait that could only help a nominee get elected to office. Becoming a leader for SMC’s vibrant community of diverse students is only then a natural step for a student like Chen.

The new Associated Students President Elect, Jennifer Chen.

Photo taken on the Santa Monica College main campus in Santa Monica California on April 17, 2017. Zane Meyer-Thornton

After beating her opponents Jorge Sandoval, Peyton See, and Furkin Yalcin by a wide margin, winning with 48.2% of the votes -- a hefty 6.5 points ahead of runner up Sandoval -- Chen will assume

her position as AS president with a network of other leadership experiences already under her belt.

In her senior year at Canyonville Christian Academy, Chen was appointed as her school’s Student Ambassador. Her leadership experience at Santa Monica College started with joining Alpha Gamma Sigma, an honor society that encourages community service, in her second semester of studying at SMC. Chen then began participating in the President’s Ambassador program, a program where students provide leadership by assisting at events and promoting college life and campus involvement, along with creating the Asian Culture Exchange Association, a club that aims to celebrate cultural exchange between international and American students.

“All these experiences are good for me because I kinda know what’s going on in campus and what programs [and] what resources we can use as the students,” Chen said of her involvement with different school activities and programs. “It’s also like a connection with other students too, because I’m always out there and people know me. For me, to get elected as AS president, they can easily just come to me and talk about their issues, their problems with school. I think I can be a really good bridge between AS and students.”

Campus apathy towards the student government elections is not exactly a new challenge for the AS. In a school of over 20,000 students, only 2,360 votes were cast for this year's AS presidential candidates.

“I think, for me [and] as the AS, we should be the ones to reach out to students,” Chen said, reiterating one of her campaign messages to promote more student involvement when it comes AS and campus life in general.

Support of SMC's Textbook Exchange Program is another message that Chen strongly advocated for during her campaign.

This program acts as a potential solution to a problem every college student inevitably faces -- spending a significant amount of money on textbooks they only use for one semester.

Campus apathy towards the student government elections is not exactly a new challenge for the AS. In a school of over 20,000 students, only 2,360 votes were cast for this year's AS presidential candidates.

Through the Textbook Exchange Program, every student would get their own account where they can turn in a book they no longer need and accumulate a balance based on the price of these books.

The balance they receive can then be used to buy a textbook they do need, and any balance that is left over will roll over into the next semester.

Chen wants to implement this project as soon as this upcoming fall semester, but plans to first discuss matters on how to get the program started with incumbent president Terrance Ware Jr. and AS advisor Dr. Nancy Grass after Spring Break.

“I came from a family [where] I don’t

have to worry about a financial situation,” Chen said. “But, sometimes, while growing up, I see a lot of my classmates kinda suffering and they might not have a lot of things provided by their family. And I’m always there; I want to help, I want to encourage.”

While born in and currently living in Los Angeles, Chen hails from Taiwan, where she was raised and where the rest of her family also resides. She came to the US by herself at the age of 15, a time when she didn’t even speak English. She learned how to speak the language conversationally within a year. “I wasn’t afraid to try,” she said, “so I learned faster.” Today, Chen’s immovable spirit has her speeding through her words as if they were her first language.

Across the board of positions for next year’s AS leaders, diversity is a given.

Candidates like Edgar Mauricio Gonzalez, vice president-elect, and Chase Matthews, elected as Student Trustee, have already worked in leadership roles through clubs like Homegirls and Homeboys and the Black Collegians Program, respectively.

“We are really a good team with diversity,” Chen said of her future partners.

“I’m sure it can bring out a lot of good ideas, and then we can work together so we can kinda reach out to all parts of school, not just one individual part.” When it comes to SMC, Chen is determined to focus on the big picture -- and she wants the average SMC student to see it with her.

“I wish all the students can take advantage of [their] two years and take advantage of the programs we have at SMC and meet people with different backgrounds, different diversity, and have friendship,” said Chen. “SMC is not a school just for classes, I would always say that. For me, SMC is like a family.”

Illustration depicts the current conflict between the United States and North Korea. Diana Parra Garcia.

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PHOTOSTORY

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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 •APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

U N IT Y F O R SY R I A OSKAR ZINNEMANN NEWS EDITOR

O

n Friday, April 7, groups of protesters gath- is why we are here, just to let our American friends ered in downtown Los Angeles to demonstrate know that the truth is different from what you hear against the United States’ recent preemptive on FOX News and CNN.” strike against Syria. The attack, which occurred the In addition to the hundreds of pro-Syrian/anti-war night before, saw some 59 cruise missiles strike a protesters, nearly half a dozen counter-protesters Syrian air force base near the city of Homs. were also present. They stood across the street The demonstrators, including many Arab Amer- jeering at the others as they delivered their speech icans, angrily conon the steps of city hall. demned Trump’s Each counter-protester attack and rejected the proudly wore typical notion of America pro-Trump attire — all intervening in Syria’s but one. bloody civil war, Donning a Bernie which is approaching Sanders tee shirt, selfdescribed “FDR-style its seventh anniversary. A majority of the Democrat” Eamon Hartnett actually protesters appeared to support Syrian leader turned away from the anti-war march to join Bashar Al-Assad, the small gathering of who has frequently been accused by the Trump supporters across the street. “I international comconsider myself a munity of targeting civilians in his camleftist and a socialist,” paign, to regain he said, “I think Trump control of his country. is awful; nearly everyAs the group of thing about Trump protesters marched horrifies me. However, through Pershing I think that last night Square towards City when Trump bombed Hall, people could be Syria’s airfield, he acseen wielding Syrian tually did the right flags, including one thing, believe it or not.” with Assad’s face.

To emphasize his point, Chants of “Hands off Hartnett carried a sign Syria!” and “Syria that read: “A broken we’ve got your back!” clock is right twice a filled the air. day.”

Protestor Bella De Soto shows her support for the people of Syria after the United While many in atHartnett also clariStates missile strike, at Los Angeles City Hall in Downtown Los Angeles on April tendance were sup- 7, 2017. Zane Meyer-Thornton fied that his stance on porters of Assad, Syria comes from a many others were simply against another war in “humanity first” mentality, as opposed to Trump’s the Middle East. According to Bella de Soto, a “America first” ideals. “Assad’s regime is responmember of the antiwar LA ANSWER Act Now to sible for the vast, vast, vast majority of civilian Stop War & End Racism Coalition, the group “asked deaths in Syria for the past six years. There are for this culmination of people in unity with orga- plenty of innocent civilians in Syria who support nizations to protest yesterday’s bombardment of democracy, who support the West, who have been Syria under Donald Trump and the United States." calling for international intervention for six years Unlike most other demonstrators, the ANSWER since this world began," he said.

Coalition has no personal connection to the Syrian Following Friday’s rally in downtown Los conflict. Rather, the group considers itself "anti- Angeles, a similar event occurred at Pasadena City imperialist" and seeks to promote peace by oppos- College (PCC) on Tuesday, April 11. Many PCC ing military aggression around the globe. "We are students stood in solidarity with the overall message here to tell the United States reallocate and readdress -- that the US must not intervene in Syria. their funding to education, work, [and] housing the “Syria is never going to be saved by the US people need in this country and not to occupy and government, we need to de-escalate now, pull the destroy other countries’ sovereignty and steal their troops in there out now and make sure we no longer resources,” de Soto said. attack directly the sovereign government of Syria,” Some activists leading the march held up a Syrian said Lorenzo Oster-Hein, President of Students for flag with Assad’s face superimposed over it. One a Democratic Society at PCC. As Syria comes close to its seventh consecutive such activist was Ray Sayeed, a member of Arab Americans for Syria. “I am here today to protest year of conflict, the American intervention against the aggression which was ordered by president Assad dramatically changed foreign policy around Trump against Syria… which is [not] of any common the world in almost an instant. Russian diplomats sense,” he said. “It’s against international law, it’s are saying relations with the West are as bad as against our interests as Americans here in this country they were during the Cold War. Trump’s attack also because if we want to defeat ISIS and fight ISIS drew harsh condemnation from Iran, but also praise and bring peace to the world we should help the from many pro-Western countries, even Saudi Syrian army who is fighting ISIS.” Arabia.

Sayeed also claimed the bombardment against On the home front, Trump’s action against Syria the Syrian army is counterproductive in America’s has drawn additional criticism from both Democoncurrent battle against the Islamic State (ISIS.) cratic and Republican lawmakers, who have ques“There [are] two forces on the ground who [are] tioned his ability to launch such an attack without fighting ISIS, the Iraqi army and the Syrian army. congressional approval. Russia and Iran have since When you go and bomb the Syrian army, what does warned the US that they will “respond with force” it mean? It means you are helping ISIS,” he said. should any new attacks on Syria occur.

“This is why I’m here: As an American, as a Syrian, I’m against the war. I want peace for America, peace for Syria and… Trump should be quiet. This FOR EXTENDED COVERAGE VISIT US AT THECORSAIRONLINE.COM •

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"Syria is never goi US government, we now, pull the troops make sure we no lo the sovereign gov

Estephanie Guardado (middle), President of the Homegirls and Homeboys Club, and Edgar Mau

missile attack on Syria. Dozens of demonstrators gathered at Pershing Square, Los Angeles, Calif. o attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria on

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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 • APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

PHOTOSTORY

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An estimated 300 protestors gather at Pershing Square and march to City Hall. Protestors across the US demonstrated against airstrikes in Syria ordered by President Donald Trump. Los Angees, California, April 8, 2017. Daniel Bowyer

ing to be saved by the e need to de-escalate s in there out now and onger attack directly vernment of Syria."

Eamon Hartnett discuss Donald Trump’s missile strike on Syria with an attendee of the anti-war protest in front of Los Angeles City Hall, Los Angeles, Calif. Apr. 8, 2017. Zin Chiang

uricio Gonzalez (right), Vice President elect of the Santa Monic College Associated Students protest Donald Trump's

on Apr. 8, 2017. Gonzalez does not believe that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was responsible for the chemical

Elsa Aldeguer, an avid Trump supporter from Los Angeles, stands across from protestors against the airstrikes in Syria

Apr. 4, 2017. Gonzalez also believes that funds should be spent on education as opposed to acts of war.Zin Chiang

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ordered by US President Donald Trump in Los Angees, California, April 8, 2017. Daniel Bowyer

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CULTURE

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 •APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

FILM REVIEW: TICKLING GIANTS MAZYAR MAHDAVIFAR STAFF WRITER

In 2012, Sara Taksler, one of the senior producers for The Daily Show met an interesting guest on Jon Stewart’s show.

He was Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian cardiac surgeon who had decided to quit his job at the hospital and become a political satirist on TV. Taksler was very intrigued to find a heart surgeon doing political satire. She imagined what it would be like if Jon Stewart decided to be a heart surgeon. Taksler also met the team behind Youssef's show, The Show, and realized that half of the team that helped Youssef to make his programs were women. The idea of Tickling Giants started to form.

Taksler talked to Youssef about a proposal, making a documentary about Youssef and going behind the scenes of his show. Youssef agreed.

At first, the documentary was supposed to be a nine-month project following the daily life of Youssef and his team while producing The Show. But what happened in Egypt because of the Arab Spring and its political atmosphere extended the project for four years.

The movie begins with a statement read by Youssef asking the audience to leave the theater if they are dictators or if they support them. Then, step by step, we realize how the idea of The Show formed, how it began, and how it finally ended.

It all began in the midst of the Arab Spring. Youssef was working as a surgeon in a hospital in Cairo when one of his friends called and offered him the opportunity to make a political satire for the online audience. The team started to record

If your regime isn't strong enough to take a joke, then you don't actually have a regime. - Jon Stewart TV program in the Arab world and made Youssef the most popular media personality in Egypt for three years in a row. He was also one of "The 100 Most Influential People" in 2013, according to Time magazine. But, that wasn’t the entire story.

In the Middle East, politicians -- no matter who they are-- are not used to being criticized. Hosni Mubarak, a so-called elected president who ran Egypt for more than 30 years, Mohamed Morsi, who had been elected in a democratic election but forgot many of his promises after taking office, and even Abdel Fattah El Sisi, an army general who “saved” the country from Morsi to be a new dictator -- all disliked criticism.

Pressures on The Show and Youssef increased. He was arrested for what the government called "insulting Islam and President Morsi." After Morsi was removed from power in a coup d' état, Youssef and his crew still received threats from the authorities and their supporters. Finally, a TV network that had canceled his show filed a lawsuit against him. The court ordered him to pay compensation of $100 million Egyptian pounds ($5.5 million USD) which, according to Youssef, was the largest fine in Egypt’s history. Eventually, Youssef was forced to end his program and leave the country.

You might ask why he had to leave his country, while “tyrants” and “thieves” were still there? In his book "Revolution

by Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring" Youssef writes,“I didn’t steal, didn’t abuse my powers, and certainly

the show in Youssef's laundry room. They put the film on YouTube expecting about 10,000 viewers, but the result was surprising. The film attracted 35,000 visitors on the day the video was uploaded, and five million visitors in just two months.

One of the major TV networks offered him a contract to create a TV show similar to Jon Stewart’s Daily Show; a program that Youssef called Al-Bernameg meaning The Show.

Press Release. Sarkasmos Productions

In The Show, Youssef criticized politicians and made fun of them, no matter who they were and which position they were in at the time. With each episode his audience became bigger, and the show attracted about 35 million viewers every week, in a country with a total population of 90 million.

Al-Bernameg became the most popular

didn’t hurt anyone. All I did was tell jokes."

Youssef asserts that dictators may like satire but only if it is not about them “because comedy takes away their fake respect,” and because “all of these dictators basically draw their legitimacy and their status from people fearing them.”

The dramatic and suspenseful story of Tickling Giants and Youssef's amazing character have made the documentary similar to a movie thriller. We know there is no scripted dialogue for documentaries.

Nevertheless, all of us watching the film are waiting for the moment when thanks to the writer, a super-hero emerges and helps our satirist overcome all obstacles.

Some of us are even waiting for a moment in the film when Youssef rises as a savior and stands in front of all corrupt authorities. But, it never happens because we are watching exactly what has happened in the real world, and Youssef is not a superhero in a Hollywood movie. He is an ordinary man who never wanted to be a hero. He is a political satirist who just wanted to make the people of his country happy and aware of corruption within their government. He is a husband and a father who wants his family to be safe.

Tickling Giants, Starring Bassem Youssef, Directed

by Sara Taksler. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 111 MIN. You can find free screenings of Sarah Taksler's "Tickling Giants" at the following locations: University of Southern California, Tue, April 25, 2017.

6:30 - 9:00 PM Pomona College, Wed, April 26, 2017. 4:15 - 6:45 PM Los Angeles City College, Mon, May 15, 2017. 5:00 8:00 PM University of California, Santa Barbara, Wed, May 31, 2017. 6:00 - 9:00 PM

A NEON VALLEY - WHAT THE DESERT RAINS MEAN FOR YOU ABRAHAM BARKHORDAR STAFF WRITER

Southern California has been mired in an epic drought since 2012. Our hills have been painted drab brown through these dry seasons, but the recent rains have changed all that. The drought is over and the rain has brought new, vibrant colors along with it.

The surrounding hills of The Los Angeles Basin have been restored to a gentle green, and just a short drive away to Lancaster’s Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve, the hills are kissed with orange, gold, and purple. Our state flower, the bright orange California poppy, has spread across the valley. Visitors from all over are flocking to the park to witness this rare super bloom.

The orange poppies are not the only flower you’ll see in the park. You’ll also find light purple Lupine and Lasthenia (goldfields) in the park. This menagerie of colors makes the perfect backdrop for anyone from an Instagram model, soccer mom, or budget-conscious college student.

The super bloom season is quickly coming to a close. The poppies are currently just beginning to fade and “depending on rains next week could last until late April or early May” according to the Antelope Valley Flower Hotline. At the time of reading, more current information can be found on the park's website (http:// www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=627), which is updated weekly.

Visitors may be tempted to delve into the fields themselves in search of the perfect photograph, however, this is strictly forbidden by both the park rules

SUPER ANTELOPE VALLEY POPPY RESERVE

The poppy bloom in Southern California brought thousands of vistors to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley California on April 8, 2017. Daniel Bowyer

themselves and even state law. Walking off-trail not only crushes the poppies that are already blooming but also prevents future generations of poppies as well. The soil is compacted under the careless visitor’s foot, leaving it inhospitable to next year’s flowers. To keep the park gorgeous for all (and to avoid a hefty fine), please stay on the official trails.

The park is also frequented by some friendly and some less than friendly wildlife. The desert tortoise is a denizen of both the nearby desert and poppy fields themselves so be certain to watch for this slow and low companion. They have also been known to take cover from the sun

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under parked cars so check for a hidden turtle before driving off. Much more dangerous than the turtles is the Mojave green rattlesnake. The Mojave Green rattlesnake is extremely dangerous and specifically hunts people who pick poppy flowers. Joking aside, the snake has been known to be found inside the reserve and give visitors who stray from the trail a nasty surprise.

For an ideal visit, the Antelope Valley Wildflower Hotline recommends that visitors carpool and visit during weekdays when the park is less busy. In our own anecdotal experience, visiting during the weekend was still very enjoyable. Another @THE_CORSAIR •

thing to keep in mind when planning your visit is that poppies actually close at night!

Similar to a Venus flytrap, these flowers completely shut at night; they then open as the day begins to warm. For this reason, leaving early to beat the crowds is not recommended.

A visit to the reserve is not complete without a quick stop at the Jane Pinheiro Interpretive Center. This small center has great exhibits on the area, including a large display of stuffed animals arranged to show the areas food chain. The center also plays a descriptive video on loop about the park throughout its open hours.

Lastly, the Pinheiro center houses the gift shop. I personally recommend buying the poppy seeds for growing at home and sew-on patches. Purchasing items at the gift shop is also a great way to support the park in a time when park funding is being cut nationwide.

The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve State Park makes the perfect weekend getaway for the tired SMC student. Please enjoy the park safely and have a blast in this pristine, natural setting.

Helpful tips: If you park on the streets outside the park, you save $10, skip the line, and even get some exercise walking.

Ask a gift shop employee for a map and where the flowers are. They are extremely friendly and helpful people.

Bring sunscreen, water, and a camera.

If you have these three things it’s hard not to have a good time.

Call ahead before you go, this number will give you current conditions and more (661) 724-1180

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OPINION/CULTURE

VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 • APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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WORLD POLITICS TODAY'S MOST FRUSTRATING TOPIC EMELINE MOQUILLON STAFF WRITER

I'm sure you have noticed, politics is not a popular topic these days. Rest assured, this did not start yesterday.

This did not start with Donald Trump or Barack Obama, nor did it only happen in the United States.

Over the last few years, current political powers have been heavily criticized, which triggered some really passionate discussions among friends and family all around the world. For as long as I can remember, politics have always been an important and common interest to discuss. Personally, I remember being a child and listening to those never-ending discussions during the family dinners. Unfortunately, the last time I had a dinner with friends and family, I noticed an immense frustration in the people surrounding me, they don’t even want to talk about it. A discussion seems to lead to more frustration, and people just don’t believe in politics anymore nor trust their elected officials.

Indeed, people are less inclined to vote because they don’t feel represented by the “adequate candidate.” It seems the old way of doing politics is not working anymore.

What is even sadder is the way this issue reveals itself with heavy consequences around the world. For instance, the low participation rates during major elections.

Another example is in Great Britain, with the referendum to leave the European Union and the surprising result. Polls were giving an advantage to the “No” to leave Europe. Meaning that it didn’t take into consideration the fact that some new voters might vote yes to Brexit. According to the Bloomberg View, a net increase of 2.8 million voters in the Brexit turnout "was entirely to the benefit of the Brexiters." If a lot of younger voters that didn't think it was possible to leave EU had been more motivated into the voting process, then the result would have been different. Many regret not voting because the polls were saying that they would stay in the EU. In

CREATIVE COMMONS IMAGE

a Business Insider UK article, "just less than 28% of registered Brits did not vote in the June EU referendum."

In the United States, could we say the same regarding the public’s surprise on Trump’s victory? Hillary’s victory was a sure thing in the polls, and though she lost to Donald Trump, the popular vote still went to her. So the issue might be a bit different, but what's surprising is the high percentage of non-voters. According to the Washington Post, 41.9 percent of eligible Americans didn’t vote and are mad at the result. However, what could they have done if voting for Hillary was not even an option for them?

As a woman, even more, I proudly fulfill my right to vote every single election. I feel that since our ancestors fought for this right a century ago, all women owe it to them to go and vote. I have to be honest though, this has not been easy and it still won’t be easy for the next elections - coming up in France, my home country, by the end of April.

Like everyone else, I feel fed up with unsustainable promises and good talks, even bad talks for that matter.

Sometimes I can understand the people that are ready to go to extremes in order to show their frustration. What saddens me even more is wondering how they came to these extremes? Isn’t it a politician’s job to find out why people are so unhappy with them and look for answers?

Nowadays it just feels as if they are either deaf or can’t find the words to reach out to people the way they should.

The political landscape as we know it is changing. In France, recent studies show that people historically voting extreme left, are now voting extreme right. This is utterly surprising, but it shows that not only fascism is responsible for high scores of the extreme right.

I never believed that all of the sudden a majority of people around the world could become racist or fascist.

Unfortunately, yes racism is still a reality today, but it is not what motivates half a population to vote for a candidate. They are fearful and need reassurance from leaders, ones that would tell them how to believe in the future.

Extreme Right Parties like “Front National” in France know too well how to play with people’s fear, as do all parties using our fears to their advantage. They just use manipulation by telling us what to fear instead of telling us what to hope for. Fear has too much power over our rational thinking.

However, Austria has surprised everyone. Last October, in a country that has had an evolution towards the extreme right these past years, the 72-year-old independent candidate with the Green Party won the Presidency. This change contradicts our previous observations, but it might be a way to be hopeful, it depends on where you stand politically.

Politics should find a way to overcome our doubts and problems that the main historical parties’ representatives around the world can't seem to solve right now. Is politics in a changing era because of that? Are the new successful politicians closer to the people? We just have to be careful in an era where good communication is everything.

Be aware, the words whispered to our ears could just be lead by an individual’s pursuit of success and power. A new politician or new politics does not necessarily mean better, so be hopeful but be careful!

ADULTHOOD IN LIMBO: FOSTER CARE COLLEGE STUDENTS STRUGGLE TO FIND SUCCESS BETWEEN THE CRACKS

ANGELICA RAMOS STAFF WRITER

Transitioning out of foster care and attending college is a difficult move that some must make.

When a foster child turns 18 in the state of California, he or she suddenly goes from being part of “the system,” to being on his or her own unless they are enrolled in extended foster care. This transition can be rough, and many of these youths may not be prepared.

Foster children have an option of enrolling into extended foster care once they reach 18 years old. Under California Law AB 12, they can stay in foster care until the age of 21. The law was written to help improve outcomes for those in the system.

The Alliance for Children’s Rights, a free legal services organization for abused and neglected children in Los Angeles, says that about 2,000 people are enrolled in extended foster care.

Isabel Castillo, 20, is a Santa Monica College student majoring in communications. When Castillo was 17 years old, she was placed into foster care. When she was moved into a group home, she was returning home to Los Angeles from Tijuana, Mexico.

"At 17, I was here in the US, I had my DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). My mom was like, 'Your brother is in Tijuana, can you go help him?'" said Castillo. While coming back to the states after helping her brother, she tried to request

political asylum. When asked to show documentation, she presented her DACA. “I got arrested. I was in the heilera (the Spanish term for icebox that many detainees use to describe holding cells because of their cold conditions) for four days and three nights. And then after that, they transported me to a foster home,” said Castillo. She was assigned to a group home with 12 or 13 other girls who were also undocumented.

Castillo was in the group home until her mother proved that she was fit to take care of her.

Once Castillo started at SMC, she applied for the Chafee Grant but was denied because the grant program could not find her complete file. The grant is for people who are or were in foster care, and who have financial need. Applicants can qualify for up to $5,000 a year for job training or college. “My file is there, but my file is blank. And that happens to a lot of foster youth. Their files are blank, or they have misplaced information,” said Castillo.

According to SMC’s demographic data from 2015, 384 students identified as current or former foster children. Debra Locke, a coordinator of the Guardian Scholars program, said the last report was given by the financial aid office at the end of spring semester 2016 was approximately 836 students who have self-identified as foster kids. “Of that number, though, I would say approximately 25 percent or so are probably incorrect because

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maybe they checked the wrong box or they didn’t understand what the question was.

But that still gives us a good five to six hundred students who have self-identified as being wards of the court,” said Locke.

Many former and current foster youth may not self-identify as being a ward of the court, or even tell people their situations -- fearing embarrassment, exclusion, and judgment. “You’re putting yourself on a radar and it’s really scary,” said Castillo.

The Guardian Scholars program helps current and former foster kids who are attending SMC succeed in school. The program requires students to be currently enrolled in at least nine units, and be between the ages of 17 and 24.

“We offer counseling, we do book assistance, we do meal assistance -- and having that basic need of eating while you’re on campus was a necessity for our foster youth. So, when we did the grant, we made sure we had that line item dedicated specifically for meal assistance.

Likewise, with transportation assistance as well. We also reimburse their health fees, their ID and AS membership cards,” said Locke when describing all the different ways the program helps its students.

The program also has an in-house, parttime mental health counselor who meets with students, as well as an academic counselor who can help review their educational plans, help with career decisions, and help the students stay on track for graduation. @THE_CORSAIR •

The Guardian Scholars also helps with another student need. “Housing has been a huge issue. So, we do have resources to try and help students get placed into transitional housing, or even placed into temporary shelters, or temporary housing until they can get placed into more permanent positions. The big issue for us is the housing component because a lot of the students find themselves homeless,” said Locke.

Half of the people who have aged out of foster care are unemployed and living in economic hardship. Half of individuals who leave the system will become homeless in their first two years of exiting.

The Guardian Scholars program has served 101 students during the current semester.

“Our foster youth are really a special community of students that we have on this campus. I don’t think that people really understand and see the perseverance, the dedication, the drive, and the want to succeed for these students. Even in the face of not having somewhere to live, not necessarily eating every day, not having all the basic needs that most of our students on this campus have they’re still here and they’re still smiling,” said Locke.

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VOLUME 113 ISSUE 04 •APRIL 19, 2017 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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