It is not in my nature to write emotionally, as many within the newsroom grow tired of hearing as I write this. I am most comfortable when writing about a trade war, or criticizing America’s top technological exporters, but that will not do today. As this, my final Letter-from-the-Editor as Editor-in-Chief of the Corsair approached, I prepared myself to write yet another commentary on national issues, spending the long weekend parsing through last week’s news to find the story that resonated with me most, and that I would feel compelled to share, as has been my process all semester. When I entered the newsroom on Tuesday morning, my dear friend and colleague Managing Editor Yasser Marte reminded me that this edition would be our last working together, and that this last letter should serve to acknowledge the efforts of all those that took our vision, built on it, and created a volume of the Corsair that was a beautiful amalgamation of us all. I knew immediately that he was right, as he so often is. When I first stumbled, and stumble is certainly the right word, into the Corsair newsroom last Fall, my future, and the path of the Corsair were changing. Then composed of only three returning students, the Fall 2018 Corsair had an almost wholly new staff of writers and editors, and at times a woefully uncertain future. I myself had just returned to school to reinvent myself after spending four years working professionally, and had yet to explore the depths of my love for journalism, but that would soon change. Despite that uncertainty, both personal and institutional, the perseverance of each and every member of the Corsair shone through, and a team was born that would charge forward into the Spring and herald a new paradigm for our publication. This team took the framework established in the Fall, and used it to excel this Spring, creating a product of which we are all immensely proud. We at the Corsair are once again at a crossroads as we wish a heartfelt and earnest goodbye to those leaving our staff this semester for greater prospects. All may rest assured that the staff taking the torch for Fall semester is composed of some of the most talented young journalists I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and will craft their own volume of the Corsair in the finest tradition of our 90-year-old publication, and in their own image. To both Blake Atwell and Martha Ramirez, who will be taking the mantles of Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor respectively, you have my sincerest admiration and appreciation for all the work you have done to better our publication both in the past, and in the imminent future. Your devotion to the craft of journalism is as inspirational as it is insightful, and I am eager to see you both continue the Corsair’s fine tradition. Choosing journalism as a path is in some respects willingly stepping into the unknown, and embracing experience, however positive or negative, where others might not, so that all may know and benefit. I was not without doubt when first entertaining the idea of studying journalism full time, and although I have now long left that doubt behind, it is important to acknowledge and remember. Journalism is not a profession for the faint of heart, rather it is a profession which requires patience, empathy, and an ability to reflect and react even when faced with the most perilous of moments. Having spent the previous four years working as an assistant, where my most harrowing experience was botching a coffee order, I was not certain I would have the stomach for journalism, but the Corsair would push me forward and provide me with the resources to learn and grow to acknowledge journalism as the truest love of my life, and the only possible option for my own future. In my year at the Corsair, I’ve covered a serial killer, a mass shooting and subsequent funeral of a deceased police Sergeant, wildfires, and more, while my colleagues have also compiled a list of equally harrowing experiences. Where initially I had harboured doubts, now I have only motivation and dedication to the craft, and that is the ultimate testament to the institution that is the Corsair, and the opportunity it affords individuals to not only learn the mechanisms of journalism, but experience and perpetuate them. I am personally thankful and indebted to all those students and advisors alike who helped me negotiate this path, and brought us to this point. There is not one individual among our staff today who I would not be proud to share a byline with, or whom I wouldn’t trust to accurately craft a poignant article in any of our sections, and while some of these individuals are pushing forward in their careers and leaving the Corsair in their pasts, your legacy is as clear as it is momentous. To all those that have filled the sails of the Corsair and pushed us ever forward, whether chasing a story, snapping a picture, or simply picking up one of our editions off the shelf, you have my most sincere and eternal gratitude. To each and every staff writer, photographer, and editor: congratulations on another semester completed, and congratulations on taking another step in your careers. Those of you leaving after this semester will be dearly missed, but there is solace in the knowledge that those leaving will equally miss the home and family that we have built together. It remains the greatest honor of my life to have been your Editor-in-Chief, and I thank you all for reading. Bon Courage,
NEWS
Superintendent Jeffery Denies Knowledge of Racist Statements
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"There's too many Latinos and blacks here. They're bringing down our numbers." President and Superintendent of Santa Monica College, Kathryn E. Jeffery, and Chair Margaret Quiñones-Perez at the Board of Trustees Meeting at Santa Monica College on Tuesday, April 2, in Santa Monica. (Tanya Barcessat / The Corsair)
Theo Greenly and Martha Ramirez Superintendent and President of Santa Monica College (SMC), Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery has denied knowledge of racist statements allegedly made by administrators during a meeting of senior staff. At the most recent Board of Trustees meeting, which took place on Tuesday, May 7, Chair Margaret R. Quiñones-Perez stated that a source close to her heard a member of senior management make racist statements at a recent Senior Staff meeting. "We don't want to talk about flavors anymore," Quiñones-Perez said, quoting what her source described hearing during the Senior Staff meeting. "There's too many Latinos and blacks here. They're bringing down our numbers." An audible gasp tore through the room as Quiñones-Perez described what was allegedly said. "People don't think we hear things," the Chair added, "but I hear things." Jeffery, who did not attend the May 7 board meeting, has denied any knowledge of senior administrators making such comments. “I did not hear anyone say that black and brown students were bringing down [SMC’s numbers],” Jeffery said. The statements were allegedly made at a Senior Staff meeting where SMC’s President and Vice Presidents discussed the college’s Vision for Success Goals. These goals
provide target numbers for various measurements of success, including the number of students who earn a degree and the amount of credits taken to graduate. The goals were originally set by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IE), a joint committee made up of faculty and administrators. It focused on eliminating equity gaps — the gaps in success between white students and students of color. The original timeline for the goals was for the 2021-22 school year. However, when the date was pushed back five years, to the 2026-27 school year, it lead to an outpouring of faculty and students who saw the change as an affront to students of color. QuiñonesPerez further supported their concerns when she quoted her sources as having heard senior management say, “Students of color’s achievement is going to bring down the status of SMC; that’s why we have to elongate the date.” Quiñones-Perez did not reveal her sources, but maintains that she has complete confidence in them. "My sources — I check — I trust with my life," she said. Jeffery characterized the chair’s statements as unsubstantiated rumors. “Dr. Quiñones-Perez was not in the [Senior Staff] meeting, but she’s talking about other things people have passed on to her, that she trusts,” said Jeffery. “Someone else may have heard some words that they interpreted in that way.”
Jeffery stated that she was not in the room for the entirety of the staff meeting, but that she does not believe a senior administrator would have made any such statement. “I can’t imagine anybody in Senior Staff saying that in my presence, I can’t imagine them saying it that day,” Jeffery said. “You can see who I am, visually,” said Jeffery, who is African American. “I fall into the category. So I would not be part of a discussion where we’re talking about people who look like me not doing well or bringing down performance at our institution. It makes sense that that would be a group I would care about, and I have cared about my entire career.” Jeffery stated that the numbers she intended to submit to the board represented the more ambitious 2021-22 goals and that an error had taken place while she was out of town. But when asked why the timeline was changed, Vice President of the IE committee, Hannah Lawler, told the board that she was asked to change the dates. “I want to apologize that you had to be directed to change those dates,” QuiñonesPerez said. “That is unacceptable. That is unacceptable. It’s inappropriate. It’s borderlining on harassment, and it’s a hostile work environment. And we don’t do that at Santa Monica College.” Vice-President of Enrollment Development and the only senior administrator also on the joint committee, Teresita Rodriguez,
offered the following statement: "SMC faculty, staff, and administration care deeply about the success of our students…While there was clearly some miscommunication, I have no doubt about our faculty’s, staff’s, and administration’s commitment to improving the lives of student and to closing the equity gaps for minoritized groups, specifically our African American and Latinx students." Rodriguez neither confirmed nor denied that the alleged statements were made. Jennifer Merlic, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, stated that there “was and is unanimous support for the goals and the associated metrics that the IE committee developed,” and that “Senior Staff members share a long standing commitment to closing equity gaps.” When asked, she offered no response as to whether racist comments were made or who decided to push back the dates. None of the school’s other Vice Presidents responded to repeated requests for comment. No Vice President has taken responsibility for the date-change. Ultimately, the board voted to uphold the original 2021-22 timeline. The next public meeting of the Board of Trustees will take place on June 4 at 7 p.m. at the Board Room in Business 117.
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SMC Offers Measles Vaccine Marianna Torne | Staff Writer
There have been 47 confirmed cases of measles in California so far this year, according to the California Department of Public Health. As the number of measles outbreaks around the state grows, the Santa Monica College (SMC) Student Health Services Center fights against the disease by administering the measles vaccine. Kasiani Gountoumas, a nurse at the center, administers the vaccine to students. “The best way of preventing an outbreak is immunization,” said Gountoumas. Historically, the measles virus has posed a very serious threat as deadly epidemics have ravaged societies throughout the world. Individuals who came into contact with this virus would become greatly ill in a matter of days. According to the World Health Organization, measles killed approximately 2.6 million annually, until the vaccination became readily available in 1963. With the help of technology and with medical advances made throughout the years, the virus was put under containment and declared eliminated in the United States in the year 2000. But recent outbreaks of the disease indicate that measles has made its comeback. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that there have been 940 cases reported so far in 2019 that span 26 states, which is up from 372 cases reported over the entire year of 2018. The sudden jump in measles has lead to concern among citizens, and has brought new attention to the vac-
CALIFORNIA
cination debate. The Student Health Services Center offers a Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccination to students. The vaccine is delivered in a series of two injections, one month apart, to students with an SMC identification card. SMC student James Cobrick said, “I think vaccinations are important and while you can’t force parents to vaccinate their children, you can try to inform them about the harms they put their child in and society. I am pretty sure with the The measles vaccine, available at the Santa Monica College Student Health Services Center, Monday, May 6, in Santa Monica. (Tanya measles making a come- Barcessat / The Corsair) back; it has opened the eyes of many parents to vaccinate their The symptoms of measles may be as traditionally been international students who children. It has a nasty rash that no one ever common as any other flu, ranging from high don’t have a record of immunization, but would want to see their loved ones go fevers to a runny nose to a cough. A trademark that she has been giving more immunizations through.” of this virus is the developing rash that begins to domestic students due to the recent rise When asked whether it is important to to spread once the individual has been con- of outbreaks. vaccinate oneself or children, Pedro Caño, taminated. Susan Fila, Director of Health “Students who aren’t sure they’ve had who has been attending SMC for two se- and Wellbeing at SMC, expressed just how the vaccines, we highly recommend them mesters, replied, “I think vaccinations are contagious the virus is—capable of spread- to do it because there is no harm if they do really important in society. They are made ing in two hours after an infected individu- an extra booster or two,” Gountoumas said. with a purpose to fight against a virus that al has left the perimeter. If exposed to this To learn more about receiving a Measles, poses a threat, it is not to harm individuals virus, depending on the individual, Measles Mumps, and Rubella vaccination, visit the or implant something bad into their bodies, can spend up to 21 days developing after Student Health Services Center at the Northrather it is for the benefit of humans. Scien- the initial exposure. east corner of the Cayton Center Complex. tists along with doctors come up with [it], Gountoumas explained that the majorso obviously we need it for health purposes.” ity of students receiving the vaccine have
The Air We Breathe
Pyper Witt | Staff Writer
Los Angeles is the number one city polluted by ozone, according to the American Lung Association’s 2019 census which gave the city an F rating.
NASA defines ozone as a naturally occuring gas that forms in the upper part of the atmosphere, formed when oxygen atoms (O2) are split by sunlight and then combined into O3. As part of the stratosphere, ozone is
A layer of smog blankets Downtown Los Angeles as seen from the Baldwin Hills overlook in Culver City on Thursday, March 14. (Conner Savage/ The Corsair)
considered good as it protects against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. But when it interacts with nitrogen oxide gasses from car and industrial emissions, it can cause ground-level ozone, which has dangerous effects. NASA states that anything over 70 parts per billion (ppb) per 8-hours is considered unhealthy. “Low level ozone, if it can manifest, has irritation and then you can, let’s say you have asthma or some kind of respiratory issue that is chronic, [ozone] can make that worse,” says Santa Monica College Professor and Life Sciences Department Chair, Alexandra Towers. As of May 7, 2019, Los Angeles has reached around 0.072 parts per million (ppm) per 8-hours. This is down from 2018, when Los Angeles reached a high of 0.099 ppm, but is still considerably higher than the recommended healthy amount. “It's far and away above the concentrations that station agencies have suggested,” says Towers. Towers explains how pollution in various parts of the world will vary in particulates and effects. “What we experience in California is different from that which they
experience in Pennsylvania. For example, because of the different climates, or what they're using to burn, a lot of coal is burned in the east, and because of the way that movement travels, it carries the same kind of the emissions.” Los Angeles ranked in at least the top ten of all of the American Lung Association reports, which measured things such as shortterm particle pollution and year-round particle pollution. California cities such as Bakersfield and Fresno also numbered among the top polluters. Particle pollution, or particulate matter, is a mixture of small liquids and solids floating throughout the air. Such particulates include beach sand, dust, metals, and pollen. The difference in these two lists is that one is representative of a 24-hour period, and the other represents the year-round stretch. NASA scientists agree that climate change contributes to ozone pollution; if trends continue, Los Angeles can expect ozone pollution to continue to rise in the coming years.
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SMC dance and chemistry major Tiffany Dong stretches before rehearsal in SMC's Core Performance Center on Thursday, April 25, in Santa Monica. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
Particles In Motion Glenn Zucman
Like Superman and Clark Kent, Tiffany Dong has two identities. Like Superman, Dong the ballerina puts on a leotard and tights and performs athletic feats unimaginable to most mortals. Like Clark, the newspaper reporter, Tiffany the pharmacist puts on a lab coat and quietly goes about her business of making the world a better place for the people who live there. Like Superman, the things that hold most of us back, don't hold Dong back. Yet there is always kryptonite. In Dong's case, kryptonite is called pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs). And like kryptonite, pulmonary embolism can turn a flying ballerina into a weakling who can't even run a single city block. When Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman in 1938, they created a man with multiple identities: Superman, the Man of Steel, and Clark Kent, an ordinary man. Back in 1938, we were on the brink of World War II, modernity was at its zenith, and we thought more about the ascent of man than about the diversity of humankind. We thought about singular national identities, not the multiplicity of individual identities. The Man of Steel, and Just Clark were an unusual binary. When Tiffany Dong and her twin sister Sabrina Dong were three, their mom, Tia Dong enrolled them in ballet classes. She said she did it because they had flat feet and ballet would help their arches. But she also admits that as a former Polynesian dancer, she'd never seen anything as beautiful as ballet and wanted to share that with her daughters. For the next 14 years, Tiffany Dong dreamt of joining a regional ballet company. In Spring 2017 she was about to realize that 14-year dream. She auditioned for a number of ballet companies holding auditions in nearby San
Francisco and was accepted by at least one. When high school graduation approached she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. Everyone said it was stress. She asked her dad to run with her and he was shocked to see that she was winded and wheezing after running less than a block. In the coming months, Dong's time in dance rehearsal studios would be paralleled by time in hospital waiting rooms. Going across the country to join a ballet company didn't seem so practical anymore, so she enrolled as a dance major at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) instead. After fourteen years of studying ballet, at UCI she studied Modern Dance for the first time. One "normal" school night she woke up and couldn't breathe. Doctors found a hole in her heart and sent her to Los Angeles for surgery. It was on this journey that she heard about Santa Monica College (SMC) and transferred to SMC for her sophomore year. When Dong arrived at SMC she was a dance major, but now as she prepares to transfer to the University of California, Berkeley she is a dance and chemistry major. As for how a dance major came to add a double major with chemistry, Dong explains, "I was treated with so many drugs and so many tests. I randomly took a [chemistry] class here at SMC and I didn't know it would ignite a passion in me. I've really enjoyed chemistry at SMC. SMC helped me find another route to go down." Dong the ballerina still has dreams of performing on stage, but now Tiffany the pharmacist also wants to be a part of working toward a cure for pulmonary embolism. After 14 years of ballet, Dong studied Modern Dance at UCI and now studies Contemporary Dance at SMC. Of studying Contemporary Dance at SMC Dong says, "I'd never had a space to just play and incorporate (continued)
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"...if my health wasn't part of it, I'd be on the East Coast dancing every day." Tiffany Dong, 20, from San Francisco, Calif. in a quiet moment during rehearsal for choreographer Erik Fine's new work ‘7’ in the SMC Core Performance Center on Tuesday, April 16, in Santa Monica. Of working with Dong, choreographer Fine commented that "her striking ballet technique caught my eye first…. She always brings 110%." (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
Tiffany Dong is identifying an unknown ionic compound in Chemistry Lab class on Monday, April 15, at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica. (Tanya Barcessat/ The Corsair)
my creative thinking with my movement. There are so many options I don't want to restrict myself to just ballet anymore." As for dance and "kryptonite," Dong says, "if my health wasn't part of it, I'd be on the East Coast dancing every day." "I've always thought negatively of Community Colleges, but I'm learning so much at SMC, and I'm grateful to be here. I have a whole different view on Community College now," Dong says. For the Synapse Dance Theater concert, Dong is performing in dances by three different choreographers: Erik Fine, Jade James, and Angela Jordan. She is excited by all three pieces: she says she loves the chance to try Jordan's hip hop and salsa styles; she's excited by the female empowerment themes in James' ballet-jazz fusion; and of Fine's piece inspired by "Dante's Inferno", Dong comments enthusiastically, "Erik is such a great choreographer!" In the end, Superman always does save the world. And Clark's hard-hitting news stories fight just as strongly for truth and justice. In the end, perhaps the only real challenge is for Clark and Superman to find a way to integrate the dual aspects of their persona. Back in the modernity of the early and mid 20th century, Clark and Superman's task was essentially impossible. Which was great for making lots of TV shows and movies, but not for finding a way to live in your own skin. In our postmodern 21st century moment, Tiffany and Dong have a more doable task. Today it's understood that identity is not monolithic. Today it's understood that you can put on a leotard and tights on Saturday night, and still get up on Monday morning and help people at the pharmacy. Dong's father, Ed Dong, who's always been supportive of her dance career, is equally proud of the maturity he says she's shown by looking at pharmacy as an additional career path. He says he's fully supportive of both careers for his daughter. While Clark always struggled to win Lois Lane's love, Tiffany the pharmacist, and Dong the ballerina have a family that seems to make that challenge easier, regardless of which costume she happens to be wearing.
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At Right: SMC dance and chemistry major Tiffany Dong, 20, from San Francisco, Calif. shows her EKG tattoo in SMC's Core Performance Center on Thursday, April 25, in Santa Monica. In the summer of 2017 Dong postponed joining a regional ballet company because of pulmonary embolism and enrolled as a dance major at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) instead. One night at UCI she woke up unable to breathe and was hospitalized again. Doctors found a hole in her heart and in preparing for surgery in Los Angeles she discovered Santa Monica College (SMC). After being treated so many times and having so many tests, Dong asked one of her doctors for a copy of her EKG. She added a heart at the end of the EKG tracing and got it as a tattoo. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
Below: Tiffany Dong and Liam Gifkins practice a flirtatious move during rehearsal for a new dance by SMC faculty choreographer Angela Jordan in SMC's Core Performance Center on Tuesday, April 16, in Santa Monica. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
At Right: Yurino Niyama (playing Dante's Beatrice), 19, from Fukuoka, Japan, and Tiffany Dong (playing Greed), 20, from San Francisco, rehearse choreographer Erik Fine's new dance '7' at a lighting rehearsal at the Broad Stage at SMC's Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, May 21, in Santa Monica. (Glenn Zucman/ The Corsair)
At left: SMC dance and chemistry major Tiffany Dong, 20, (right) from San Francisco, Calif., describes her father, Ed Dong, 60, (left) as "the coolest dad you will ever meet," at dinner with her father at the Subway across the street from SMC on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Ed Dong says that his daughter has "probably been in the ER a dozen times unable to breathe. She's been through a lot and the fact that she's still dancing is a testament to her willpower." (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
Congratulations Future Alumni. We look forward to celebrating your accomplishments at this year's Associated Students’ Post-Graduation Alumni Reception. Stay Connected! Your Presence Matters!
Join the Network alumni.smc.edu
Stay Connected. Your Presence Matters!
CULTURE
Bonnie & Clyde Raise A Little Hell Ana Duraes Peixoto |Social Media Editor In a mix of bang-bang, lively blues, an eccentric preacher, and some hot smooching, Bonnie and Clyde lives once again through a melodic, turbulent, and romantic musical show. The Main Stage production by Santa Monica College (SMC) is based on Ivan Menchell's Broadway playbook. Despite being inspired by the real-life Bonnie and Clyde, it takes its own artistic liberties when musically exploring the story of the early 1930's outlaws turned folk heroes. Having the struggles of rural communities during the Great Depression as background, it tells the story of a poor waitress, Bonnie Parker, and farmboy, Clyde Barrow, as they become wanted criminals. In this production, the journey is certainly what matters most, as it starts exactly where it ends; with the death of Bonnie and Clyde, massacred in a police ambush in Louisiana on May 23, 1934. This historical event occured exactly 85 years prior to the preview opening at SMC. Bonnie is described as a "good girl," with Hollywoodian dreams, crushed by her reality in weary West Dallas. Meanwhile, bad-tempered Clyde has been on the lam from a young age, praising violence and Billy the Kid. Unlike in 1967's celebrated
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Showtimes available: May 31 and June 1 at 8pm. June 1 and 2 at 2pm.
Arthur Penn film adaptation, stage Clyde is everything but impotent. When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their chemistry becomes a driven force. They are both passionate and explosive, leading to a hot-blooded relationship. They fight often and make up quickly, revealing an appreciation for the heat of the moment which is intrinsic in the characters more than just sexually. Confident and provoking, the troublesome duo drive around the American Southeast and Southwest in a stolen V8 Ford, robbing small banks and businesses, throwing tantrums, and madly making love. They toy with law enforcement, often sending letters and photos to Val Castano (Bonnie Parker), Joseph Martinez (Clyde Barrow), Ethan Eliafan (Buck Barrow), and Francesca Noe (Blanche the newspapers, inciting their Barrow) argue about their situation during the dress rehearsal for the SMC production of Bonnie and Clyde on the SMC Main own celebrity status. The couple Stage on Tuesday, May 21, 2019. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair) is later joined by Clyde’s brother, Buck Barrow, and his wife, Blanche. Buck conflict of their actions. For Clyde, it seems definitely American." is conflicted about the criminal lifestyle, simple, you either kill or you die. It is also Amidst the gunshots and constant unmostly due to religious morality and fear of hinted that he is physically mistreated while easiness, the show thrives with its humorous putting his wife in danger. Regardless, he in prison and his actions might be Robin- moments, often dark and involving religious can’t get himself to abandon Clyde and Hood inspired. He despises the legal system sarcasm and infidelity. There is not much decides to join him, forming the infamous due to police harassment and harsh punish- room on stage for big dance numbers, but Barrow Gang. ments for his small infractions. As for Bonnie, the audience gets a taste of it in the church In their quest for excitement lies the an acting career is undoable and she finds scenes which symbolize suffering and forthe attention she dreamed of through crim- giveness. The atmosphere in the theater is inal delinquency. She is happy to be described instantly lifted as the raspy-voiced, enerin the papers as a “ravishing redhead,” but getic preacher puts on some Gospel. is upset there isn’t a nice picture of her to The young cast, many fresh out of high go with it. When Bonnie contemplates being school, give an extra sense of recklessness. killed as she beautifully sings the ballad It reminds the audience that behind the history “Dyin’ Ain’t So Bad,” she doesn't mind it and the legends, Bonnie and Clyde were much. She dislikes the small-town mental- merely 19 and 20 when they met. Freshmen ity and boringness, claiming everyone else Valeria Castaño and Joseph Martinez, who is “dead” besides her and her beau, which give vibrant life to the leading couple, are are very much alive. inversely 20 and 19 themselves. "They killed a lot of people, mainly police, Bonnie and Clyde is currently running but they were really folk heroes of their at the SMC Theater Complex. Advanced time, people loved them, applauded them sale prices are $20 for general admissions when they came, even though they were and $17 for senior citizens, SMC students, killers," adds play director Dr. Adrianne faculty and staff. At-the-door purchases cost Harrop. "There's something American an additional $3. Western about that. It's not English, it's
Val Castano (Bonnie Parker) a communications and music major from Miami, FL visits a beaten Joseph Martinez (Clyde Barrow) a theatre major from Lancaster, CA, in prison during the dress rehearsal for the SMC production of Bonnie and Clyde. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
A church choir sings joyously during the dress rehearsal for the SMC production of Bonnie and Clyde. (Glenn Zucman/The Corsair)
ENTERTAINMENT LA County Rises for Mental Health Awareness Month 10
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Jarina De Marco performing at We Rise, a pop-up immersive art gallery with a focus on mental health, on Friday, May 17, in Los Angeles. (Danica Creahan / The Corsair)
Martha Ramirez | Staff Writer Lush greenery sprouts from a white wall, breathing life into the open room. Dozens of monarch butterflies, wings intermingling in a still dance, cover a stretch of canvas. At the end of the labyrinthine gallery, an explosion of color streaks across the length of a wall. The theme is renewal. It is rebirth. It is the sprigs of grass that come after a wildfire and the rainbow after a storm. May is Mental Health Awareness month. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly one in five adults in
the U.S. lives with mental illness. Less than half of adults with mental illness receive any type of mental health services. Although the days when psychiatric disorders were attributed to demonic possessions or moral failings are long gone, there is still a great deal of stigma surrounding mental illness. In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) has organized its second-annual We Rise pop-up, which is an immersive experience dedicated to spreading awareness of mental health and wellbeing.
"A lot of it is pushing out," Mimi Martinez McKay, Deputy Director for DMH stated, "not expecting people to come to us for services, meeting people where they're at and meeting them with an engagement that is meaningful." We Rise consists of film screenings, workshops, and discussions. However, the focal point of the event is its art gallery, which houses works that addresses a wide array of mental health topics, including depression, anxiety, trauma, body image, and post-traumatic stress disorder. "The narrative here is through the gallery," Martinez McKay said. "And so this year's themes are Connectedness and Purpose. You're going from a place of being disconnected in your life and trauma, to a place of connectedness and hope. So you'll see rather more dark images as you start…It gets more positive." A corridor dedicated to community trauma lies near the beginning of the gallery, depicting images of the institutional racism that preys on black communities. Further on, a bed hangs from the ceiling, where the huddled figure of a woman struggling with depression lies isolated from the world. The layout of the gallery represents the difficult journey toward mental wellbeing, its winding corridors echoing the disorienting, exhausting steps needed toward recovery. As attendees turn a corner, the grays, blacks, and dark blues that suffuse the early sections of the gallery give way to color and life. Ashley Lukashevsky's painting, "Space," depicts the imperfect bodies of women lying on a bed of flowers and greenery. "I really wanted to create a piece that would encourage women and non-binary people to feel like they deserve the space they take up because so often we're told from a really
young age to shrink ourselves, whether that's shrinking into our clothing or shrinking into the roles that are available to us...I wanted to create something that really stood out and captivated and made me feel like these people are stretching and expanding and growing and are fully knowing of their worth," Lukashevsky said. The women in her painting have tattoos, surgical scars, and body hair. "When I illustrate people," Lukashevsky explained, "I love to add stretch marks and marks on your body that aren't typically portrayed in media. I remember being a teenager and my body changing so much and being so upset that my skin wasn't smooth…I remember being so ashamed." We Rise is part of a larger campaign titled Why We Rise, whose goal, according to Martinez McKay, is for people to lend their voices as to why they rise for mental health. Although it can be difficult to take the first step toward seeking help, Santa Monica College (SMC) offers numerous resources for students. In addition to having a psychologist on-call at the Center for Wellness and Wellbeing, SMC also has an Active Minds club. SMC student and Active Minds club member Camille Horrigan-Slajus stated, "We're a mental health advocacy club here on campus. We aim to destigmatize the talk around mental health… Suicide is the number one killer of college-aged women, and I think it's number three for men. So we're just here to talk about it, to destigmatize it, and try and help people out." The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers 24/7 free and confidential support. The number is 1-800-273-8255. Students can also text 'HOME' to 741741.
Skylight Books, Free Events, and Author Readings
Stan Misraje | Staff Writer Skylight Books, one of the last independent brick and mortar retail stores in the Hollywood area, offers free events with author readings, and audience interaction almost daily. Supporting the literary arts and building an active community is one of Skylight's strongest points. Skylight Books is full of patrons gathered to hear author Xuan Juliana Wang read from her new book "Home Remedies." One excerpt she reads garners much laughter and attention from her audience: "Puking outside of a gay club after too many tequila shots, while your gay best friend rubs your now whale-sized back, mechanically, as if he were washing a minivan. In your drunken rampage, you ask him, if you two were the last people on earth, would he consider a domestic partnership? Solution: Join a gym and torture yourself. Once you become skinny again you can puke outside of regular clubs," says Wang reading from her book "Home Remedies."
Wang, aside from being an author, also teaches a creative writing workshop at UCLA and a senior seminar on Asian American Literature. “Writing is the way I make meaning, to make sense of lived experience. I can't imagine what could happen to me that would absolve me of that need," says Wang. Skylight Bookstore has done a lot for many authors by providing them with the ability to engage with their audience and sell signed copies of their books. "We tend to book our in-stores 3-4 months in advance … We have a limited in-store schedule, so it is pretty competitive to get an in-store event,” says Assistant Events Manager at Skylight Books, Madeline Gobbo. Retail stores with physical locations aiming to better our community through social events are rare. Skylight Books excels at this, but still faces the challenges that most brick and mortar stores face in this digital era. "Some things about it [operating a retail bookstore] is tough, and other things about
it is easy and wonderful. The tough things are always money and paying the staff enough, and making sure that we keep our heads above water. The easy things are building community and reaching out to customers and giving people recommendations that they would not have otherwise heard of. That is always wonderful," says Gobbo. To find out about all upcoming free events at Skylight books, go online.
Illustration by Janet Ali
OPINION Conceiving Regression:
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Undoing 46 Years of a Woman's Right to Choose Jackie Sedley and Hazel Siff | Staff Writers Over the past six months, eight states have passed the most elaborate anti-abortion laws that America has seen in decades. On May 15, Alabama passed a bill that prohibits abortion in the most restrictive fashion of any current law in the country. The measure includes a penalty of up to 99 years in prison for any doctor who performs abortions. Additionally, the Alabama law does not provide exceptions for victims of rape and incest. Of the 25 members of the Alabama Senate who voted to pass the bill, all were white men. The bill was then officially signed into law by female governor Kay Ivey. Since the establishment of a five-justice conservative majority on the United States Supreme Court, anti-abortion states have been pushing laws that clearly violate Roe v. Wade, with the hope of ultimately overturning Roe. There are some things that need to be understood about the bigger picture surrounding abortions in order to truly grasp the gravity of the situation in Alabama. First, let’s discuss the often-seriously misconstrued details of the abortion process. As it is, abortions almost never
Lauri Helin | Design Editor I am not a confrontational person. I do, however, enjoy debate and sharing ideas, arguing about views of life, and dissecting what behavior is moral and what isn’t. People around my age generally agree with me on most things, particularly politics. Thus, I seek people older than I, who will challenge me in my thinking, resulting in a discourse more fruitful because we will disagree. Recently, though, I talked to someone a few decades beyond me about a political matter and heard a certain phrase fall from their lips. It wasn’t the first time it’s been said to me, nor will it be the last, but it’s a phrase of disrespect potent enough to deter me from talking to a person any longer; a phrase so damning, so revealing of their character to strip them of all ethos; a sequence of six words equal to spitting in my face; an insult simply begging me to turn and walk away. They had the audacity to say: “you’ll understand when you are older.” “Kill Bill” sirens went off. First of all, how dare you? The reason hearing this sucks so hard is this: it’s true. But we all know it is; it does not need to be said. Of course opinions will change with age. Experiences transform views. Knowl-
take place when a fetus is past the first trimester (12 weeks) of development. This only happens when the fetus either has an unsurvivable abnormality or the mother is not able to safely carry a baby through birth. This might be hard to understand when the President of the United States himself has consistently spread the opposite message: “The baby is born, the mother meets with the doctor. They take care of the baby, they wrap the baby beautifully. And then the doctor and the mother determine whether or not they will execute the baby." Furthermore, the term fetus refers to the developing cluster of cells beginning at 10 weeks of development, meaning that many abortions take place before the term can even be used. At most, a fetus aborted in the first trimester is two-and-a-half inches long, and not yet able to move or hear according to Mayo clinic. Additionally, according to the New York Times, a fetus’s nervous system is not matured enough to feel pain until 27 weeks of development, debunking the myth that serious pain is involved in the process of abortion, at least as it concerns the fetus. Many women that choose abortion do so either because they know they could not offer a child a good life or because a pregnancy would have a negative impact on their own lives. Abortion is already a physically and
mentally painful choice. Now, imagine that these women will also be legitimately breaking the law by choosing an abortion. Imagine the combination of pain, fear, depression, and anger that they must feel, and the impact that the lack of support and safety from their own country must have. While anti-abortion activists argue that the mother can choose to put the child into the foster care system, people fail to acknowledge how dysfunctional these programs are. The National Foster Youth Institute claims that there is less than a three percent chance for any child who ages out of foster care to earn a college degree, and that upon leaving foster care 20 percent of children will instantly become homeless. A woman’s body should be her own, under all circumstances. Each and every woman is entitled to have her own values, but no matter one’s personal or religious beliefs, what a woman does with her body should always be her choice, and she should be allowed to follow her belief system in order to make her own decision. Second, the idea that a ban will actually eliminate abortion is factually inaccurate. A report by the Guttmacher Institute found that the more legally restrictive the setting, the riskier abortions tend to be. A look at the history of America pre-Roe v. Wade
proves that the banning of abortion has caused poor and middle-class women to use extremely unsafe methods to terminate a pregnancy, including using sharp objects or simply blunt force to pierce or injure the uterus. In the three years following Roe v. Wade, the amount of women that died during fetal termination decreased by 50 percent according to Politifact. Finally, the topic that is oh-so-conveniently left out of the conversation: why do women choose abortion in the first place? The Guttmacher Institute polled roughly 1,200 American abortion patients in 2004 to pinpoint the specific reasons. The results included financial inability to raise a child, being a victim of rape or incest, and physical health problems. Addressing financial responsibilities, the average cost of the act of just giving birth is $11,000, reports Business Insider. The fact that women have to fight for the right to choose, yet again, is infuriating to say the least. However, this could be an excellent opportunity to overthrow the beyond-outdated procedures in which the most important decisions a woman can make are made for her by the law. Take the power of choice into your own hands. Call your local state legislators. Stay informed. Whatever you do, do not go silent.
edge reshapes thinking. But in this moment, I am attempting to communicate how I view things, how I think, at the age I currently am, based on things I’ve observed and things that have happened to me. I am communicating as if my words carry the truth, for I can only communicate my reality. To what end are you telling me “I’ll understand?” Excuse me, but allow me to have ten minutes to grow up 30
years in order for us to have a conversation. Secondly, with those nasty six words you effectively invalidate anything I have to say, even outside of the current subject. You’re simultaneously saying your hypothetical religion is correct, and my hypothetical one isn’t, for I am young. The utterly dismissive nature of that phrase is equivalent to as follows: I think strawberry ice cream
is bad, but when I’m 47 I may love it, and therefore my opinion on strawberry ice cream is wrong, invalid, and baseless. Why should I talk to you about anything since my youth, to you, makes my words carry no weight? Thirdly, why won’t you, dear older person, since you have the blessing of age, the wonderous wisdom of years, share what happened to you? Based on what experiences do you now feel this way about a subject, instead of patronizing me? Why elect to murder a conversation over sharing the wealth of knowledge? Why escape dialogue with a rude sentence to sit in a hotsytotsy ivory tower? Share mistakes you made, so I’m not doomed to repeat them. Educate me on the subject, so I won’t embarrass myself in the future. When the appalling phrase is uttered to me, I will find other company: company that won’t hold me to a low standard due to my age. If that reaction, or this article, seem extreme or petty, disrespect demands disrespect, for the echo is a phenomenon found in nature. If that reaction, or this article, seem irrational or unwarranted, perhaps you’d understand if you were younger. So allow me to express as eloquently as I can and in vernacular I feel is expected of me: “Goo-goo Gaa-gaa.”
A Letter to Those Older
Illustration by Janet Ali
SPORTS Coach Tim Pierce Sends Six Soccer Athletes
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to the Next Level
From top to bottom: Cesar Oliva, Giancarlo Canas-Jarquin, Ruben Soria, Oscar Palacios, Narcisco Cervantes and Juan David Torres prepare to start their weekly practice on the Corsair Field, Tuesday, May 14, in Santa Monica. (Photo by Clyde Bates/Caption by Cristian Vasquez/The Corsair)
Cristian Vasquez | Sports Editor The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs Men’s Soccer team has a total of six athletes signing with four-year schools. In a span of three months, head coach Tim Pierce has announced six of his players, including captains Narcisco Cervantes and Cesar Oliva, have officially signed with
universities. The Corsairs had an impressive campaign during the fall 2018 season, winning 17 games, losing only three, and drawing four matches. They qualified for the California Community College Athletic Association SoCal Regionals and made it past the second-round, defeating Santa Ana College in November 2018. Their season came to an end later that
month in the third-round of the playoffs in a 3-0 loss to Cerritos College. On March 30, Pierce announced the first three athletes that had signed. Mid-fielders Oscar Palacios and Juan David Torres obtained scholarships to Kansas Wesleyan University, joining female soccer player Jaqueline Montepeque in Salina, KS as the three Corsairs soon to be Coyotes. That same day, captain and defender Ruben Soria, a two-time All-Western State Conference Selection and Team Defensive Most Valuable Player (MVP), signed with UCLA. Soria only managed one goal in the 2018 campaign, but his defensive skills and tactics show a promising future with the Bruins in Westwood. “I feel great, super excited. It’s been a long-term goal of mine since I was a kid just to play at that level. It means everything. I’m the first person in my family to go to college, especially from a world-wide school like UCLA, it’s really great,” said Soria. In early May, captain and defender Cesar Oliva signed a letter of intent to play at Loyola Marymount University (LMU). As a two-year starter, Oliva was a two-time All-Western State Selection. He managed to score two goals last season, one of which was a gamewinner. On Saturday, May 25, Pierce announced
that the Corsairs’ other captain, Cervantes, will join his teammate and co-captain at LMU. Cervantes was an All-Western Conference Selection and an All-Regional Selection. He was also titled the team’s MVP. His 2018 season finished with a total of six goals and six assists. “I’m excited… it’s just a really good feeling to know that there’s a future. There’s a lot of really good friends that I’ve made here so I know they’ll be my friends forever,” said Cervantes. Forward Cyrille Njomo from Cameroon signed a letter of intent to play at California State University, Los Angeles. He obtained the offer after a very successful season, scoring 15 goals and four assists. Four of his goals were game-winners. Njomo received offensive MVP and All-Western State honors. He was also the leading scorer on Pierce’s squad. As his athletes prepare to embark on their quests for success, Pierce wants them to know that their biggest challenge is yet to come. “The game is going to be that much more serious and the level is going to be higher. You can’t really be too intimidated, but you have to go in there and know the things that got you there and be true to who you are as a player.”
SMC Table Tennis Achieves Unprecedented Success at a National Level Michael Fanelli | Staff Writer The Santa Monica College (SMC) Table Tennis team’s journey in the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (NCTTA) ends in the Round of 16. They reached this far for the first time in the program’s 40-year history. They performed well in singles play, with one team member advancing to the quarterfinals. In doubles, the team advanced to the Round of 16. Of the 24 teams who qualified for the national tournament, SMC was the only community college, all others were four-year universities. In order to make it to the national level, SMC defeated USC and UCLA, ultimately winning the SoCal West division. On the national stage, in North Carolina, the team won the Round Robin, beating Duke University to move to the round of 16 and losing a close game to the University at Buffalo. These unprecedented team victories were overseen by coach Kamran Khairzad. He was a player at SMC in 1994 and has stayed involved with the table tennis program ever since. While he currently works full-time at UCLA, he still considers SMC to be home. He attributes the team’s success largely to the strength of the program and the amount of support they receive from the Kinesiology and Athletics Department Chair, Elaine Roque. SMC only has one gym, so they have to
split time with other big programs like basketball and volleyball, and Roque is very helpful with facilitating this. The program is funded fully through the department, and has been able to raise money through fundraisers like recently hosting a national team trial. Khairzad says that SMC table tennis has international notoriety. “We are very wellknown for our table tennis. We have players that came from Japan and Korea, and told us that they knew about Santa Monica College’s table tennis program. You’re not going to find anything like this in Southern California.” The team’s players are also proud of the strength of their program. Ayush Kapoor, a native of India who has been playing since age 8, and at SMC for the past two years, said the support he’s received here is unparalleled. “Even compared to all the other universities, like any university, any big university, we get the most support from SMC.” Kapoor was particularly appreciative of the capability to play on a national level without having to worry about how to pay for the trip. “As a college student, funds are a big concern. So it reduces the financial burden if you want to play. So you can focus more on playing and less on the funding.” He’s transferring to his dream school, UCLA, in the fall. Tiziano Valentino Aiello, a native of Italy, was the only Corsair to advance to quarterfinals in singles matches. While he felt that the team could have won another round in
the nationals, he was proud that they were nominated as the most improved team. Aiello is transferring to LMU in the fall to study business, and says he might start his own table tennis team there. The SMC table tennis team is losing all but one of its players to transfers next year. Practices take place on Sundays at the Corsair Gym.
Members of the Santa Monica College table tennis team, Ayush Kapoor (left) and Tiziano Valentino Aiello (above) placed first in the NCTTA Southern California West division tournament and second place in the NCTTA singles division, Thursday, May 28, at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica. (The Corsair/ Janet Ali)