At 6:20 p.m. on Monday evening, a fire alarm blared at Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. The flames that alarm heralded cast the evening sky in a thick plume of smoke, and inflicted heartbreak on a nation and world with no choice but to helplessly watch on. Notre Dame has sat by the Seine river in Paris since the cathedral’s groundbreaking in the early 12th century. It has acted as both a place of worship for Christendom in Europe and as an architectural and artistic font of inspiration for generations. As the son of two French immigrants, and a French citizen myself, watching such a symbol of France and Europe burn accidently and crumble live before my eyes was heartbreaking; but also seemed a dire omen for Europe’s currently disjointed state. Although portions of the cathedral were saved, and many of the priceless artifacts survived, it will take decades of work and millions of dollars to restore the damage. For those of us attending Santa Monica College who hold European Union passports, or concern ourselves with European affairs, it is impossible not to perceive this tragedy as a portent for Europe’s tumultuous current, and potentially dire future. Europe has entered a new political paradigm, which reflects the Western world’s general departure from the post-World War model of the “Liberal World Order,” for the short-term appeals of authoritarian and populist movements. In the United Kingdom, Brexit dominates every news cycle as the initiative to separate the U.K. from the European Union continues to face delays and extensions to negotiations. Parliament narrowly avoided the dreaded “no-deal Brexit” for a third time just last Friday. In Parliament, representatives have been wholly unable to agree on a seperation plan to lessen the potential blow of Brexit, and has had to repeatedly ask for extensions to negotiations with European Union representatives. In this scramble, it has been estimated by Bank of England policy maker Gertjan Vlieghe that the U.K. has lost 800 million pounds (equivalent to about $1 billion) a week since initially voting to leave the EU in June 2016. The fiscal black hole resulting from just the potential of Brexit should act as a dire warning to the U.K., and should lead its citizenry to question the validity of the populist movement that asserted they should leave the EU in the first place. As the U.K. struggles to determine its uncertain future, other EU nations are looking to shore up their troubled economies through outside solutions. Last month, on March 21, President Xi Jinping of China arrived in Rome to announce and welcome Italy to China’s “Belt and Road” (BRI) programme, becoming the first of the G7 nations, and the first major power in Europe to warm economic relations with China’s authoritarian regime to such an extent. The BRI, according to Beijing, is a multi-billion dollar “bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future,” but has received criticism from other G7 nation’s for rather being a modern play at economic imperialism in Europe. The plan would connect China through a “new silk road” to over 60 nations on the Eurasian continent through roads, railroads, and shipping lanes, and bring China closer to European economies than it has been in centuries. Italy’s dance with China may bring short term relief to an ailing economy, but begins a return of major European states looking to authoritarianism for solutions. In the home of Notre Dame, France has experienced its own set of interior turmoils in the last several years, from the rise of the National Front (a far-right anti-immigration party now rebranded as the “National Rally”) to the prolific demonstrations of the Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vests) throughout the country. Arising in November 2018, the protests were an effort to bring attention to France’s ailing middle class, high gas taxes, and low minimum wages. The Gilets Jaunes took to the streets wearing uniform yellow hazard vests, required by the government to be carried in every vehicle in case of emergency. The protestors do not seem to come from a single ideology, but claim to express the general anxiety of a middle class facing increasing costs and unemployment levels. The Gilets Jaunes movement, a textbook example of unguided populism, has routinely attacked and defaced businesses and institutions they perceive as icons of status and wealth in France. In total since November, the Gilets Jaunes protests are estimated to have cost over $170 million in damages throughout France, and that number is steadily rising. With President Emmanuel Macron currently holding a 27 percent overall approval rating, France has once again lost faith in the function of its democratically elected government, and the Gilets Jaunes protests continue without an end in sight. As the spire atop Notre Dame collapsed on the live broadcast before me, I could not help but feel that I was looking into the future and watching Europe and the EU at large, burning and in danger of total destruction. While my heart cried for a symbol of France, a symbol of my people, a symbol for my family, it wept more for the divisions forming in everyday European society, and how those divisions curiously mirror those we see daily in the United States, and what sort of omen that is for the future of Western democracy. While Europe has yet to join Notre Dame’s fate, the kindling has been arranged, and the match ready to be struck.
Bon courage,
Mysterious Website Blacklists Students Ryanne Mena
On Thursday, February 28, Hesham Jarmakani, vicepresident of Santa Monica College’s Associated Students (AS), was working on his Columbia University application essays at his desk in the AS office when he received a message from a friend on Facebook: “You’re on Canary Mission.” According to their website, “Canary Mission documents individuals and organizations that promote hatred of the USA, Israel and Jews on North American college campuses.” The website includes thousands of dossiers on students, professors and groups associated with being pro-Palestine, including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a club Jarmakani founded in the fall of 2018. “If you’re a racist, the world should know,” read Canary Mission's slogan until they changed it in early 2019 to “because the world should know.” Like the other personal pages of individuals the site targets, Jarmakani’s page includes photographs and social media screenshots, along with a list of pro-Pal-
estinian groups Canary Mission claims he is associated with. “I was very quiet for a long time, I just didn’t know how to react,” said Jarmakani. This had not been the first time SJP members reported facing harassment on campus. “So, we also have members in SJP recently reporting that people have been taking pictures [of them] without their consent… there are individuals on campus that are afraid of joining the club because they’re afraid that if they do end up getting blacklisted, they might face persecution back in their home country,” said Jarmakani. The Corsair has identified three other former or current SMC students that are on Canary Mission. Canary Mission’s blacklist of pro-Palestine individuals has led to the FBI questioning two college students on their unproven ties to militant groups in the Middle East, according to The Intercept, where US government agents directly referenced Canary Mission. Palestine Legal, a civil rights organization, responded to 308 incidents of US-Palestine advocacy suppression in 2017, according to a report addressed to Michigan State University’s Chair of the Board of Trustees. The document encourages the board of trustees to publicly condemn Canary Mission. “Canary Mission defames students and faculty members as terrorist supporters and antisemites, and exposes them to harassment and violent threats by Israel supporters in online forums like Twitter and Facebook,” the document states. “Canary Mission contacts employers, schools, and law enforcement with false and unsupported claims that Palestine rights activists support terrorism.” Although Canary Mission protects all of its members’ anonymity, an undercover investigation by Al Jazeera reported that one of Canary Mission’s funders is a rightwing millionaire by the name of Adam Milstein. Milstein is also the president of the Adam and Gila Milstein Family Foundation, a large funder of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) chapters across the US and Canada. SMC’s SSI club released a statement on their Facebook page addressing Canary Mission on March 12. “Over the past several days, our club has been hearing that an SMC student was placed on a blacklist website of sorts called Canary Mission and that there are students at SMC claiming that SSI is responsible for this,” read the post. “We want to be clear when we say that our club was not responsible and was not involved in this student being placed on the Canary Mission’s website.” Eleven days later, Jarmakani publicly spoke about his blacklisting for the first time during an Inter-Club Council meeting. Addressing the council, Jarmakani said, “Intimidating students to keep them silent is not a step towards achieving peace, it is a weapon of tyranny and it is disgusting, repulsive and should have no place on our campus. With the ICC’s chairs blessing, I hope to work on a resolution that seeks to condemn this website known as Canary Mission."
Design by Yasser Marte
CALIFORNIA Emotional Support Animals Give Service Animals A 4
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This Week In California
On December 18, 2017, five-year-old Gabriella Gonzalez was at Portland International Airport when she was attacked by an emotional support animal (ESA) in the waiting area. Gonzalez’s mother filed a $1.1 million negligence lawsuit against the dog’s owner on February 25, 2019. Many airlines have adopted stricter policies to prevent such incidents from occurring. Many of these new regulations extend beyond ESA to all service animals. Alaska Airlines now requires service animals to be kept in a carrier or on a leash if they cannot fit into a crate; and most airlines require a note from a doctor stating that the animal is in fact used for medical support. According to ServiceDogCertifications. org, a site that allows the public to legally register service animals and provides information on rules and regulations, dogs used
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for emotional support do not require extensive specialized training, nor are they required to be registered. However, service dogs must go through an extensive training and registration process. While most airlines require ESA to be registered or have a doctor’s recommendation, fake documents are widely accessible on many websites, such as waggy.pet and onlinedogtor.com. These sites sell recommendation letters and registrations with no documentation. According to Jillian Marvel, a veterinary assistant, “People think getting an ESA is such a good thing because you can carry your dog with you everywhere and they can just buy a vest and bring their dog to Target, but in reality it really makes people have a bad reputation of service animals because your 'ESA' dog isn’t fully trained.” Marvel confides that her office once had to muzzle a dog that was identified as an
ESA because the dog tried to bite her and her coworkers. ESA or not, service animals are trained not to show aggression. Santa Monica College (SMC) accommodates service animals and ESA on campus. According to the Disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS), students with an ESA require documentation from a licensed doctor in addition to registering with the DSPS and meeting with a counselor. In addition to the initial meeting with a DSPS counselor, students have to be granted approval of their ESA on a semester-by-semester basis. Like service animals, ESA at SMC must be trained to not show aggression or be disruptive to the learning environment. According to ServiceDogCertification. org, ESA are not allowed under the law to go into restaurants or any place where food is sold, but service animals have that right. People often guise their house pets or ESA as service animals to gain this privilege.
Aaron Adams, a barista at Peet's Coffee in Manhattan Beach, sees this happen on a daily basis. Trained to politely ask customers if their dog is a properly-trained service animal, he has found that most dogs that come through the store are not. “To date there have been less than 10 ADA service animals that have come through my store that answered the questions correctly while almost every week people come in and violate the rule," Adams said. "Most people claim emotional support and then get up in arms.” According to Adams, “Taking advantage of a system meant to assist those with disabilities just shows the privileged nature that some people believe they have when they treat their pets as members of the family. Not only that, but it is very rude towards those who do have a disability and require a service animal.”
Michael Fanelli | Staff Writer
Pyper Witt | Staff Writer
Martha Ramirez | Staff Writer
With the backdrop of the Santa Monica Pier Ferris wheel, Public Safety Officer Eric Perez stood next to his vehicle on the beach bike path. A few hundred yards down the path, a police officer was standing by his patrol car, red and blues flashing. They were conducting a “Scooter Enforcement Operation,” stopping anyone riding electric scooters on the path to let them know this isn’t allowed. Perez said that he was giving verbal warnings, but if people refused to walk the scooters and continued riding past the next patrol car, they would be ticketed. It was a hazy, overcast Tuesday as they conducted the operation, but the department will be holding another outing on a future weekend, when they anticipate much more beach traffic. According to Consumer Reports, approximately 1,500 e-scooter deaths and injuries occurred throughout the United States since the scooters’ release in 2017. The point of the Santa Monica Police Department operation, aside from spreading awareness of scooter laws, is to get an idea of the size of the problem. Perez was keeping a record of how many riders he apprehended, information the police will use to determine if regular scooter checkpoints are necessary. The events come in the wake of a recent rise in scooter-related injuries, both nationally and locally. A scooter rider was killed by a driver in Santa Monica last month, and another was killed in Hollywood last Saturday - both were hit-and-runs.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra joined the attorneys general from 13 other states on Monday, sending a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that urged them to reject President Donald Trump’s proposal to roll back parts of the Clean Water Act. One of the first US government acts to address environmental pollution, the Clean Water Act of 1972 was enacted to provide drinkable, clean water for thousands of Americans. Trump has been trying to roll back such regulations since 2017; but his 2019 budget introduces major budget cuts to the department which could actually make this a reality. A press release from California’s Department of Justice read: “‘California can’t and won’t go back to a time when water pollution was the norm,’ said Attorney General Becerra. ‘This proposal would significantly harm California waterways and the people, plants and animals who depend on them. We urge the EPA and Army Corps to withdraw this ill-conceived proposal.’” These streams connect to the main rivers, thus whatever streams are polluted or developed nearby will bring the grime to the main waterways where many Americans get their drinking water. That's why the Clean Water Act of 1972 makes any “seasonal stream or wetlands that could impact larger bodies” protected by the federal government, as stated on the Office of the Federal Register website. These protections are exactly what the current administration aims to strip.
Governor Gavin Newsom visited San Bernadino Tuesday night to participate in a roundtable discussion addressing the state's homelessness crisis. He met with service providers and local officials in the hopes of finding new solutions to a rapidly growing problem. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, approximately 130,000 Californians were homeless in 2018, with a majority of the homeless population being unsheltered. In 2018, the city of Santa Monica reported a 4% increase in its homeless population, with the count rising to 957 people. The homelessness crisis has extended to college students, as well. A recent report by the California Assembly Speaker's Office of Research and Floor Analysis revealed that one in four community college students were homeless or housing insecure in recent years. In order to assist the homeless or housing insecure student population, the California State Assembly has proposed Assembly Bill (AB) 302, which would require community colleges to allow homeless students access to overnight parking. AB 302 has drawn attention to Santa Monica College's (SMC) commitment to supporting its homeless and housing insecure students. Additionally, the state has allocated $500 million to build emergency shelters, navigation centers, and supportive housing. According to the Governor's office, Gov. Newsom's Homelessness Roundtable will focus on the state's cost crisis and solutions for homelessness.
Gov. Newsom CA Fights SMPD Cracks Trump’s Water Visits SoCal to Down on E- Regulation Roll- Talk HomelessScooter Laws ness backs
At Right: Members of the Aztec Dance Group, Xipe-Totec, prepare to perform a ceremonial dance at the First Baptist Church of Venice during a community rally for the church, Sunday, April 14 2019, in Los Angeles. Jay Penske, owner of Variety and Rolling Stone Magazines, purchased the church with remodel plans that include a rooftop deck, in an attempt to convert it into a single residence mega-mansion for he and his wife Elaine Irwin, former Victoria's Secret model, and former wife of John Cougar Mellencamp. (Victor Noerdlinger/The Corsair) Below: A group gathers for a final prayer circle, during a community rally organized by Save Venice, to show support for the First Baptist Church of Venice, Sunday April 14, 2019, in Los Angeles. Jay Penske, owner of Variety and Rolling Stone Magazines, purchased the church with remodel plans that include a rooftop deck, in an attempt to convert it into a single residence mega-mansion for he and his wife Elaine Irwin, former Victoria's Secret model, and former wife of John Cougar Mellencamp. (Victor Noerdlinger/The Corsair)
PHOTOSTORY
History’s Not for Sale: A fight for the First Baptist Church of Venice
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At Left: Laddie Williams (front) brings water to demonstrators during a community rally organized by Save Venice, to show support for the First Baptist Church of Venice, Sunday April 14, 2019, in Los Angeles. Mike Bravo can be seen in the background and has been a key organizer behind the efforts to save the historically black church. Jay Penske, owner of Variety and Rolling Stone Magazines, purchased the church with remodel plans that include a rooftop deck, in an attempt to convert it into a single residence mega-mansion for he and his wife Elaine Irwin, former Victoria's Secret model, and former wife of John Cougar Mellencamp. (Victor Noerdlinger/ The Corsair)
Victor Noerdlinger | Staff Photographer The sun peaked through a hazy Sunday afternoon outside the First Baptist Church of Venice (FBCV), where a group of supporters rally on the corner of Westminster and Seventh Avenue. The FBCV is located in the historically black Oakwood neighborhood of Venice Beach, and was recently purchased by media tycoon Jay Penski owner of Rolling Stone, Variety, and billionaire heir to automotive giant Roger Penski. Penski and his wife, Elaine Irwin, a former Victoria’s Secret and Calvin Klein model, have plans to convert the space into a single residency with a 11,750 square foot mega-mansion plan. Long time Venice locals and supporters have fought against the destruction of the church with an organized rally encouraging the crowd to donate to the ongoing legal battle over the fate of the church. The next hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, April 30 th at a Westside Planning Commission meeting. Lot designations and the displacement of people within the California Coastal Zone have prompted several initiatives to be filed with the Planning and Land Use Commission and the Los Angeles Superior Court. Gentrification is a prominent issue, making it harder for those born and raised in Venice to remain in the area.
A group gathers, watching, photographing, and filming the Aztec Dance Group, Xipe-Totec, who perform a ceremonial dance during a community rally for the First Baptist Church of Venice on Sunday April 14, 2019, in Los Angeles. Jay Penske, owner of Variety and Rolling Stone Magazines, purchased the church with plans to convert it into a single residence mega-mansion for he and his wife Elaine Irwin, former Victoria's Secret model, and former wife of John Cougar Mellencamp. (Victor Noerdlinger/The Corsair)
David Busch, a local Venice Beach homeless person and social activist, says, ‘I'm a white homeless person who has been saved by black people's food and love and care, that's the work of God, and that's the things that they have done in this community,’ on the stairs of the First Baptist Church of Venice during a rally for the church which is slated for a conversion, Sunday April 14, 2019, in Los Angeles. Jay Penske, owner of Variety and Rolling Stone Magazines, purchased the church with remodel plans that include a rooftop deck, in an attempt to convert it into a single residence mega-mansion for he and his wife Elaine Irwin, former Victoria's Secret model, and former wife of John Cougar Mellencamp. (Victor Noerdlinger/The Corsair)
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Connecting Through Dance: Aya Nakaguchi Megan McNaughton | Staff Writer The unspoken language of dance is universal — hip-hop dancer Aya Nakaguchi traveled from Ishikawa, Japan to study modern dance at Santa Monica College (SMC). Currently in her third year as a dance student at SMC, she has the honor of being a student choreographer for the college. Synapse Dance Theater, whose performance will first debut on Friday, May 24 at 7:30pm and on Saturday, May 25 at 4pm and 7:30pm at The Broad Stage at SMC Performing Arts Center. This is Nakaguchi’s first student piece in an SMC dance concert, as well as her first
time choreographing a contemporary piece with a large group of 13 dancers. While still a work in progress, she reveals that the movement is inspired by fashion models, but the piece itself is inspired by life and the ups and downs the journey holds. She discloses, “What I heard from my high school teacher, he said, he’s a math teacher, the line is not just a line, it’s formed by so many points. I think the points are the things you have to go through in your life and how you connect those points [to] create your own line, and it doesn’t have to be straight.”
Taking that inspiration into her own choreographic style, Nakaguchi is creating the piece on a rehearsal by rehearsal basis with her casts feelings and personal styles in mind, rather than providing a set combination of choreography. She is constantly newly inspired by fellow dancers and the changing world around her. Giving more insight to the process, she says, “I came to rehearsal without anything and workshopped with them, trying to find the natural way to move for them, not only for me, cause they’re the ones dancing.” Nakaguchi will be performing in a total
of 3 pieces in the Synapse Dance Concert. She admits it’s tiring, but it’s clear that she absolutely loves everything she is doing. “No matter what happens, we have to keep going as long as there is a point in front you,” she says with a smile.
At Right: SMC student choreographer Aya Nakaguchi (top) works with Alyssa Fletcher to fine tune a movement sequence in Nakaguchi’s new, not-yettitled work for Synapse Dance Theater during a rehearsal in the Core Performance Center (CPC) on Tuesday, April 2, in Santa Monica. Synapse Dance Theater will be presented on Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25, on the SMC Broad Stage at the Performing Arts Complex (PAC). (Glenn Zucman/ The Corsair)
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SMC dancer Christ Nakaguchi’s new, no (CPC) on Tuesday, day and Saturday, M (Glenn Zucman/The
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At Left: SMC dance Aya Nakaguchi rehe for "equalizer_", a n work by guest chore pher Jay Carlon, in Core Performance C (CPC) on Tuesday, in Santa Monica. "e izer_" and Nakaguc not-yet-titled new w two of the eleven wo that will be presente Synapse Dance The on the SMC Broad S at the Performing A Center (PAC) on Fr and Saturday, May 25. (Glenn Zucman Corsair)
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topher DePiazza works with Aya Nakaguchi’s choreography in a rehearsal for ot-yet-titled work for Synapse Dance Theater in the Core Performance Center March 12, in Santa Monica. Synapse Dance Theater will be presented on FriMay 24 and 25, on the SMC Broad Stage at the Performing Arts Complex (PAC). e Corsair)
e major earses new eogran SMC’s Center April 2, equalchi’s work are orks ed in eater Stage Arts riday 24 and n/The
1. Emily Hemelbert (#15), Taylor Sun (#13), Juliet Artiaga (#12), Tiffany Dong (#11) and Letxia Cordova (front right) audition for Aya Nakaguchi’s piece in Synapse Dance Theater on Thursday, February 21, inside SMC’s Core Performance Center (CPC) in Santa Monica. Nakaguchi asked the dancers to move along a grid: across the stage and upstage-downstage, but without making any arcs or diagonals. Within their grid movements, if they encountered the floor or another dancer, they could ‘give weight’ to that person or surface. From Nakaguchi’s simple instruction set emerged a variety of movements and configurations. The auditions are for the upcoming Synapse Dance Theater, which will be performed on the Broad Stage at SMC’s Performing Arts Center (PAC) on Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
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2. SMC student choreographer Aya Nakaguchi demonstrates a movement for the dancers in her not-yet-titled Synapse Dance Theater piece in the Core Performance Center (CPC) on Tuesday, March 12, in Santa Monica. Nakaguchi’s choreographic concept started with a strict grid structure that allowed dancers to move across the stage, or upstage and downstage, but not on diagonals or arcs. Nakaguchi said that as her rehearsals have progressed, the grid remains, but it has softened. Synapse Dance Theater will be presented on Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25, on the SMC Broad Stage at the Performing Arts Complex (PAC). (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
3. SMC dancers Christopher DePiazza and Alyssa Fletcher rehearse a sequence from student choreographer Aya Nakaguchi’s new, not-yettitled work for Synapse Dance Theater in the Core Performance Center (CPC) on Tuesday, April 2, in Santa Monica. Synapse Dance Theater will be presented on Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25, on the SMC Broad Stage at the Performing Arts Complex (PAC). (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
4. SMC dancers explore movement along a rightangle grid in a rehearsal for student choreographer Aya Nakaguchi’s new, not-yet-titled work for Synapse Dance Theater in the Core Performance Center (CPC) on Tuesday, April 2, in Santa Monica. Synapse Dance Theater will be presented on Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25, on the SMC Broad Stage at the Performing Arts Complex (PAC). (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
CULTURE
And Sew it Begins: SMC Students Prepare for LA Mode 2019 Drew Hofbauer | Staff Writer “One day you’re in and the next day you’re out,” goes the phrase popularized by supermodel Heidi Klum during her tenure on the hit reality show Project Runway. These words speak to the demanding and often cut throat aspects of an ever-evolving industry, one that if you’re unable to keep up with you’ll be forgotten. Although sounding somewhat bleak, there are those that take this as a challenge to grab the bull by the horns. Students at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Fashion Design & Merchandising program are just these people. Each year, SMC’s Fashion Design department hosts LA Mode, a runway presentation showcasing the work done by students. Although the official show date isn’t until June 13, students are well underway preparing for the main event. Angela Dillman, a design and merchandising major, loves visual arts and expresses her passion through taking candid photographs of the designers and their artistic process. “These photos will be posted and shown on a video that plays during the show”, said Dillman. She acts as a bridge between the students and the show’s producer La Tanya Louis, a fashion professor at SMC. Fashion design students B. Palomarez and Durryl Washington are well underway in executing their visions to tangible reality. Palomarez, a Moreno Valley native, landed on her life-long love for fashion design after trying both culinary and music theory school.
“Fashion is something I’ve always been fascinated with. I’ve been sewing since I was five years old. I just didn’t focus on it as my career until a few years ago,” said Palomarez. Being from the desert and having a love for plants, animals and insects, Palomarez draws inspiration from nature, incorporating
these elements into her collection. “It’s like taking something that somebody wouldn’t really see beauty in and turning it into something beautiful,” said Palomarez. Muramatsu, an international student who moved to Los Angeles two years ago from Japan, works on marketing the show through social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. “I think social media is huge right now. A lot of people can see it and it’s very good for advertising. It’s very useful for us to promote [LA Mode],” said Maramatsu. “The production team has a lot of different pieces. I like social media, it’s fun and easy for me. Others like photography, but it’s great because we help each other to make one big show.” Originally at SMC for photography, Washington found his place in fashion design after the photography classes he needed were no longer available. To fill the credit hours, Washington took a fashion design sewing class. “This was pretty much a silver lining moment,” said Washington. “I completely fell in love with [fashion design] and now I’m making garments for everyone.”
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Washington’s process for his design esthetic is to draw inspiration from everywhere. “If you keep your mind in a box you’re only going to stay in that box,” said Washington. Having grown up seeing his mother and grandmother getting ready for work every morning, Washington’s collection is described as “luxury but luxury on a budget. Something you can wear every day. Something you can throw on, feel really glamourous in and still be comfortable.” With aspirations to own his own label one day and at the same time knowing the pressures of the industry, Washington adds, “If you want to do it, do it. Don’t let anybody tell you can’t do it.”
At Left: SMC Fashion Merchandising student Ayano Muramatsu (right), 29, from Tokyo, Japan, records a social media video of Fashion Design student Durryl Washington, 33, from Los Angeles, on Thursday, March 28, in the Fashion Design & Merchandising studios at SMC in Santa Monica. In the video, Washington invites people to the department’s LA Mode fashion show. LA Mode will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, at Barnum Hall in Santa Monica. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
Below: SMC Fashion Design student B. Palomarez works on a design project in the Fashion Design and Merchandising studios at SMC on Thursday, March 28, in Santa Monica. Palomarez’s work will be featured in the department’s upcoming LA Mode fashion show at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, at Barnum Hall in Santa Monica. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
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Preview-Flamenco Macbeth!: A Unique Approach To A Classic Tale Ana Duraes Peixoto | Staff Writer The sorrow of flamenco interlaced with the tragedy of Shakespeare told through drama, movement, and music. This version of the play takes an unusual approach to the power-driven tale of Scottish General Macbeth. The flamenco, a modern-day symbol of Spanish culture, is a musical style with Romani origins. During rehearsals, actors who are unfamiliar with the style, are asked by co-choreographer Cihtli Ocampo to take a step back, breathe, and restart with small movements. A flamenca never rushes. Flamenco Macbeth! is a Studio Stage production by Santa Monica College (SMC), adapted by Director and Theatre Department Chair, Perviz Sawoski, who envisioned Shakespeare's play enhanced by the intensity and sorrow of flamenco. The production follows the traditional story of its protagonist, Macbeth, a general who receives a witches prophecy to naturally become king of Scotland. However, he is corrupted by power, and alongside his wife, Lady Macbeth, violently seeks to secure the throne. Through guilt and madness, Macbeth grows increasingly paranoid and murderous throughout the play. "The concept of Flamenco Macbeth! is to take Macbeth and incorporate flamenco in it without changing the language of Shakespeare. We are also incorporating footwork and arm movements into the play, the ethos
Co-choreographer and SMC Theatre & Dance faculty member Cihtli Ocampo (front right, in all black) teaches flamenco choreography to the cast of SMC’s upcoming production Flamenco Macbeth at the SMC Studio Stage, on Thursday, March 21, in Santa Monica. Flamenco Macbeth is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth by SMC Theatre Arts department chair Perviz Sawoski. The play will be performed at the SMC Studio Stage, a 100-seat thrust stage, from Friday, April 26 through Sunday, May 5, 2019. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
of flamenco, the feel of it,” says Sawoski. “The flamenco has an aspect that brings in the pain the gypsies [Roma] went through in their trajectory to Andalusia, Spain. There is melancholy infused in it.” Ocampo is a lifelong flamenco artist, currently teaching dance classes at SMC. “It’s a question of the director letting me know what the scene is about and what she wants to accomplish with it.” explains Ocampo. “Flamenco is not just pretty steps, the cast is embodying flamenco and the
world of it and blending the two.” adds Perviz. Flamenco englobes not just dancing, but instruments and singing as well. The production features existing flamenco guitar music, as well as original music written for the play by flamenco guitarist Ethan Margolis. Students Angel Salas and Julia Andersson respectively star in the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Mehmet Bakir, Deonte Allen, and Jacques Chevelle take on the roles of King Duncan, general Banquo, and Macduff.
Tickets are available for purchase online or in the Theatre Arts Box Office at SMC. Advance Sale price is $10 dollars and At-the-door price will be $13 dollars. Showtimes: April 26, 27, May 3, 4 at 8 p.m. April 28, May 4, 5 at 2 p.m. May 2, 5 at 7 p.m.
At Left: Flamenco Macbeth co-choreographer and SMC Theatre & Dance faculty member Cihtli Ocampo (centerright, in all black) teaches flamenco choreography to the cast of SMC’s upcoming production of Flamenco Macbeth at the SMC Studio Stage, the space where Flamenco Macbeth will premiere in a month, on Thursday, March 21, 2019. Flamenco Macbeth is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth by SMC Theatre Arts department chair Perviz Sawoski. The play will be performed at the SMC Studio Stage, a 100-seat thrust stage, from April 26 through May 5, 2019. (Glenn Zucman/ The Corsair)
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The Recent College Admissions Scandal Begs for a Change in the Overall Admissions Process Hazel Siff | Staff Writer On Tuesday, March 12th, news broke of the discovery of an underground college admissions service run by William “Rick” Singer, who charged wealthy families hefty amounts of cash (from $200,000 to $6.5 million on a case-by-case basis, according to the Los Angeles Times) for his services in getting their children into elite universities. More than 50 people were implicated. The process involved a number of extreme and illegal operations, including botched college entrance exam scores and the bribing of university coaches to offer places on their teams to students (many of whom didn’t even play the sport). UCLA, Georgetown, Stanford, Yale, and USC are just some of the exclusive universities that have been implicated. The scandal, and subsequent investigation dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues,” brought forth the issue of the different “doors” that are utilized to enter college. Up until now, the public has generally been aware of two doors, front and back. The front door is the most straightforward way of getting into college, and involves genuine reasons as to why a student should attend their desired school: good grades, high standardized test scores, and strong extracurricular backgrounds. The back door, however, is open to the well-off who wish to improve the likelihood of admission through donations and endowments, legacy connections, and
expensive tutors. The wealthy elite have been able to historically get a leg up in admissions in ways that are shady but, technically, legal. However, Rick Singer has flung a new “side door” wide open, to the tune of a total $25 million in earnings. This strategy did not simply improve one’s likelihood of getting into college, but actually guaranteed it. With his covert (and very illegal) operations, Singer was able to promise parents that their children would be admitted to their top schools, no matter the cost (literally and figuratively). A list of over 50 of those entangled has been compiled, and those people are currently facing criminal charges, with final decisions still unfolding. Since Operation Varsity Blues was exposed, the universities involved have been making efforts to recover. According to the New York Post, USC has put academic holds on all students involved. UCLA’s soccer coach, Jorge
Salcedo, who accepted bribes from Singer, was put on leave. While these may be positive first steps, they are small, temporary fixes for the bigger issue. The obvious question in the matter would be, why would these parents go to such extreme measures— just for the label? But if a wider lens is applied to the issue, the more concerning question is, why did anyone feel that these particular tactics were even necessary to achieve said label? If 13 years of schoolwork can be completely negated by the results of tests that really only evaluate one’s ability to spit out memorized facts under extreme stress and time pressure, something is wrong. If the unethical actions of 33 parents can leave an entire country’s worth of students shaking in their boots, terrified of how this will affect their education, the system is obviously slanted. If college admissions didn’t operate
like this, the so called side door would be a lot harder, impossible even, to open. SMC and other community colleges offer an alternative pathway to an excellent education. This one is without test scores altogether, and it seems pretty attractive by comparison. Students can attend for two years, knock out their GE’s for a fraction of the cost, and transfer to an upper tier university with just their grades and essays making their admissions decision, rather than their parents’ wallets. The fact that SMC is number one in transfers to USC and UC schools, among others, means that students whose test scores were ineligible for freshman admissions at exclusive schools have the opportunity to flock from far and wide in order to get another chance. Alternative pathways should not be necessary, but they certainly look pretty alluring at the moment. If, and until, serious change is made, maybe more students should consider adjusting their plan. While news of this scandal may be disturbing, it also brings forth an opportunity to discuss the very serious issues within America’s education system. It brings a chance not only to slam the side door shut, but also to maybe, just maybe, begin closing the back door. Illustration by Pyper Witt
Design by Conner Savage
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SPORTS Cross Country Athlete Becomes Successful a Long ǀCORSAIR
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Ways From Home
Western Conference Runner of the Year Leonard Mccomas warms up for his long distance run on February 20, 2019 at Santa Monica College's Corsair Field. (Clyde Bates/The Corsair)
Chelsea Healy | Staff Writer
From the icy, cold climate of Montana to the warm, sunny beaches of Southern California, Leonard Mccomas became a highlight on Santa Monica College's (SMC) Cross Country team. Mccomas won the Western State Conference Runner of the Year, an award given after the state meet where coaches of the Western
State Conference choose a winner. His entitlement came after holding a consistent 2018 winning record of races. Bozeman, Montana was home to Mccomas where he began running in seventh grade and continued throughout high school. He attended Bozeman High School where his team won state titles. During his senior year, he won a Nike National Title. After being denied from his desired universities, Mccomas was unsure of what to do with his future. He arrived in California with the plan to take a year off of school but changed his mind and enrolled at SMC. Upon arriving at SMC, Mccomas began researching the sports that were offered. "Since running was something I always did in high school it made sense to do it in college," said Mccomas. After discovering the cross country team, Mccommas contacted head coach Eric Barron. Recalling their conversation, Mccomas said, "Okay, yeah this is something
I definitely want to continue here." Coach Barron is recognized as 2017 Western State Conference Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. “Coach Barron is amazing, he is one of the most knowledgeable coaches I've met and you notice he enjoys working with the team,” said Mccomas. Weather conditions were a positive adjustment to his drill. Growing up in Bozeman, Montana he was used to training in the cold weather and had no difficulties adjusting to the warm Santa Monica climate. "It's cold in Montana. I don't like the cold," said Mccomas. “Racing in the warm weather is nice, because you can get into a good training cycle in the off-season, and not have to worry about slipping on ice or jumping on the treadmill during the winter months.” He hopes to continue his running career at Pomona College after graduating at SMC. He is studying economics and plans to transfer, with the intention of eventually obtaining a graduate degree and becoming a college professor. “Running is a sport that shows the amount of effort you put into it. Being a part of a running team is unique because you improve on your personal times with the aspect of being a part of a team,” said Mccomas. The typical training regimen for him consists of Monday and Wednesday being high intensity workouts, Tuesday and Thursday being recovery days. Most of his weekends from now until mid-May consist of scheduled track meets. With track season midway through, Mccomas looks forward to improving his personal running times and having a successful 2019 season.