Corsair The Santa Monica College
Volume C, Issue 13
www.thecorsaironline.com
Informing Since 1929
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Special Edition
From workaholics to alchoholics, the Corsair explores cultural taboos and a society rife with vice.
Laysa Quintero Corsair
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THIS WEEK
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Wednesday December 1, 2010
ONLINE www.thecorsaironline.com America in excess By Ashli Townsend America is a nation of excess. From supersize food portions to supercharged cars, it appears as if most Americans are striving for the ‘go big or go home’ lifestyle. Ashli Townsend takes a look at how Americans live outside their means, and how it affects our society as a whole.
QR Code
Alfredo Luna Corsair A photo illustration depicting a literal couch potato. With the advent of new technology, it becomes necessary to question whether convenience is worth losing our physical connection with the world outside our homes.
This is a QR Code, a Quick Response barcoding system made to connect print to the internet. If your phone has a camera and internet capabilities, simply load any code-scanning application and take a picture of this image.
Exhibit
10 & Good and Bad Vices 11
Corrections: In the article “Angels watching over Santa Monica” from issue 12, the Corsair incorrectly cited the founder of the project as Matthew Hannigan, when the actual founder’s name is Matthew Parker.
News
Sports
Addiction 3 Aids in Porn & Fake ID 4 Third St. Performers
Pro-Contract Hold-outs 12 Brawls & 13 Steroids Jocks with glocks
Rehab Eating Disorders Four Lokos Sugar Daddies Letter to the Editors
Opinion
5 & 6 & 7
A&E
Burlesque 14 Movie and Music Guilty Pleasures
Photostory
8 & Heroine Addiction 9
Lifestyle
Barfly 15 Taste of The World & 16 Gaming Seven Deadly Sins
Wednesday December 1, 2010
NEWS
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Addiction, a sobering experience for students By Miles Arnold Staff Writer
On the road of life everyone is faced with challenges, most of which can be overcome. But for some, the trials of life can be too great to overcome, leaving drugs and alcohol as the only salvation. This rings particularly true for the current crop of college level students whose often laden workloads leave them yearning for some kind of respite from the daily grind. Santa Monica College Student and former Betty Ford Hospital Patient Michelle Perez said that peer pressure was one of the contributing reasons for her introduction to heavier drug use. However, she says that drugs like alcohol and marijuana were not contributing factors to her addiction. Perez explained that Marijuana was a normal sight in her house at a young age. “My dad had a medical [marijuana] card so pot was always around” she says, adding that alcohol and marijuana were not the reasons for her admission into rehab. Perez was introduced to drugs like heroin and, soon after, crystal meth. Cocaine also came into play and it got to the point where her family felt they had to step in. “My family and I all sat down to discuss my problem to figure out how to get the right team of people around me,” Perez explained. “That is when they showed me the papers for the Betty Ford clinic.” Another SMC student, who requested to stay anonymous, is a former patient of the Clearview Treatment center in Venice and a current employee of the
Photo Illustration by Alfredo Luna Corsair The temptation of alcohol and drugs proves too strong for so many college students overwhelmed with the sheer volume of work placed upon them.
center. Most of the people they treat are alcoholics and, according to her, there are a variety of reasons someone of a young age will come to the center for treatment. “Some of the patients have normal upbringings where there was no abuse or anything like that while others do
go through that tough childhood, and it leads them to drinking,” she said. “There are also people who just have that addictive personality who start drinking and let it get out of control.” She personally didn’t start drinking until she went to college. “Being away from home and my parents was new to
Photo Illustration by Anisa El-Khouri Corsair The recent furore regarding HIV in the porn industry has once again brought to the fore the question of safety practices within adult entertainment.
Positive steps for the Industry By Stephanie Sommer Staff Writer Imagine walking into a room, meeting a person for the first time, introducing yourself and asking how they are. After these short few moments together, how would you feel if you were expected to take off all of your clothes and create a steamy scene with this complete stranger? For adult film actors, this brief introduction leading directly to intimacy is the norm. While the adult film industry is notorious for the moral dilemma it presents, the latest concern lies not in the morality of the act but rather the
safety. The danger of unprotected sex is no secret and sexually transmitted diseases are not a new phenomenon in the porn industry. While all studios don’t require testing, many call for the actors to be free from HIV and STDs. Actors also usually need documentation from the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation. However regular the
testing, this method has proved to not be completely reliable. This past October, an unidentified male actor, labeled “patient zero,” made headlines after testing positive for HIV. This discovery has halted many productions and has stirred up controversy over the safety measures at the companies. Larger corporations such as Vivid Entertainment and Hustler Video
“I did it for the money... You would only get tested if you were doing a bareback video.” -Anonymous
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me,” she says. “It led to drinking.” That is when she moved out to California to go through rehab. It has been about four and a half years since she has left the center as a patient. Since then she has worked in the center’s outpatient program, which helps patients maintain their daily schedule while still recovering from their addiction. “It’s better than working around the people who are not as far along in treatment” she says in regards to working in the outpatient program. “They are more easy going.” She says that most of the younger patients that come through the program go back to school to places like Santa Monica College as a means of reconnecting with the outside world and easing their way back into a normal sober lifestyle. SMC is currently working with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, a company that sends prevention specialists to campuses around the city to help counsel kids who are showing signs of addiction Juan Gavidia and Jennifer Beckwith, who are substance abuse counselors with Didi Hirsch, travel around the city to council and speak to students about the dangers of drug abuse. Most of the time they work at high schools with students who have been referred by the school staff but they also travel to campuses like SMC to inform the students of the services they offer. “We work with adults as well as students,” says Gavidia. “Analyzing addiction and educating our crowd is our goal on a campus like this.” closed down productions so they might be able to test anyone who potentially came into unprotected contact with “patient zero.” No performers have yet tested positive, but the situation is still under investigation due to the 90-day seroconvert of the disease. Between January 2003 and March 2005, approximately 1,000 performers had one or more STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea. And L.A. county officials have counted more than 3,600 cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea among performers since 2004. Religion and moral values aside, pornography is sliding down a slippery slope of health hazards. Production companies do not enforce condom use for fear of losing ratings and profit. Former adult film actor for Helix Studios, who wishes to remain anonymous stated, “I felt safe most of the time and you had a choice in everything you wanted to do.” The actor stated, “I did it for the money. The testing procedures are kind of different with every studio. You would only get tested if you were doing a bareback video and with other studios you get tested either way.” Los Angeles County public health officials and state occupational health officials blame the widespread lack of condom use on porn sets for putting performers at risk for contracting HIV and other diseases. Twenty-two other performers have tested positive from 2004 through last year. State officials are considering altering and enforcing stronger rules concerning condom use, but it cannot be determined how the effects will change. With the immense power and money within the porn industry, it is highly debated whether their steps toward STD prevention are adequate.
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NEWS
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Faking it: Never that easy to identify In an undercover expose, Vienna Urias tests the limits to discover the truth about underage drinking.
By Vienna Urias Staff Writer It was my first time in Downtown Los Angeles. The streets were packed with cluttered storefronts and bustling with people. But even in this flurry of excitement, I was focused and could not forget my mission – to get a fake ID. College is a time to cut loose and party hard, but with so many laws and measures taken to prevent underage drinking, the party lifestyle is hard when you’re actually underage. But for those willing to take a risk, a fake ID makes it possible to get around these laws. I went undercover to discover how easy it is for an underage individual to obtain a fake ID, and determine the validity of the laws that supposedly prevent underage drinking. According to the Alcohol Policy
and Information System (APIS), the punishment for getting caught with a fake ID could include a fine of anywhere between $250 or a maximum $1,000 fine, hours of community service, possible jail time and license suspension. These are just some of the possible punishments for getting caught with a fake ID, but one could also find themselves in an even worse situation. JP Holland, a student at SMC, was caught using a fake ID last year. “It was extremely easy for me to get a fake ID,” Holland said. “I just got it through a friend and within three weeks I had it. But when I tried to use it one night at Coachella I was carded by an undercover cop. I was put on probation for a year and charged $150 fine. These laws are set up to prevent underage drinking but they don’t. Just like with any substance, teens are going to find a way to do it anyways.” In a recent study conducted at the University of Tampa, researchers found that 64 percent of underage students have fake IDs, while 61 percent knew of someone who got in
trouble for using fake ID. Therefore, the laws that seek to prevent underage drinking are proving to be inadequate. From my own investigative experience, getting a fake ID wasn’t a problem – in fact that was the easy part. Actually using it, however, is an entirely different story. Whereas some stores have strict regulations that prevent those with fake IDs from obtaining alcohol, many others do not. Emma, (who wishes to maintain her privacy because she still uses a fake ID), is a student at SMC who reflected on her first experience using it. “I had just gotten my fake ID and was dying to use it,” said Emma. “I went to a liquor store and tried to buy some wine. I pulled out my ID and the guy asked my birth date, looked at me make sure I looked like my picture, and that was it. It was so easy to just walk out of there because all liquor stores only want your money and don’t care about the laws.” Clubs, on the other hand, are completely different. Many clubs and bars now “swipe” all IDs, or use a black light to test their authenticity. So if
you get caught with an ID, you might as well kiss your liberties goodbye. Alex Manos, owner of multiple bars in the Los Angeles area, told how he deals with the issue of fake IDs in his bars. “At our bars we swipe and black light all IDs,” said Manos. “All of our security guards take training courses like the STAR program [The Standardized Training for Alcohol Retailers] from the LAPD, which trains our guys to spot fake IDs, and keep them updated on what real state IDs look like so its easier to find the fake ones. Also, we have a system where we photograph every ID, and simultaneously another picture is taken of each person as they walk in the door. Basically, this protects us against underage people using fake IDs.” But for every club or bar that diligently pursue underage drinkers, such as those owned by Manos, there are plenty others whose security practices are decidedly more relaxed. As long as fake IDs continue to be so easily obtained, there will always be a sizable market with underage drinkers.
Street performers striving to be heard Ariana Masters Corsair
Blaze Blandrix a Third Street Promenade guitarist, performs for shoppers on a cold Monday afternooon - just a little more quietly than usual. By Ariana Masters Staff Writer The Santa Monica City Council has enacted new restrictions on Third Street Promenade performers in an effort to reduce noise levels. Although the Third Street Promenade is protected by the First Amendment, its management company, the Bayside District Corporation, considers the noise levels to be beyond an appropriate intensity. “The noise levels are completely assaulting. It’s just simply too loud,” Bayside’s CEO Kathleen Rawson told the Los Angeles Times. “One thing that we know for sure is that the noise level has to be reduced.” “It’s a matter of managing it for the public safety and the public comfort while still preserving their first amendment right,” said the city’s Economic Development Manager Miriam Mack. Many performers disagree with the management’s position and are upset that what they say is an intrusion on their First Amendment rights. While anyone is allowed to perform, they must first obtain a permit and pay a fee “They are charging us all this money to express the First Amendment,” said Promenade guitarist Blaze Blandrix. “I had to pay $37 to get a permit. The way it works is, you have $37, you’re in. If not, then leave, get the money
and come back,” he said. Rules to stop the noise altogether would be considered an unconstitutional act, even limiting the sound “could be interpreted as an impediment to free expression,” according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. Promenade vocalist Sophia Bella thinks that this argument is futile. “No matter how low we turn the volume down, there will always be people complaining,” she said. Bella continues, “If you want quiet, have it somewhere else and don’t come to the Promenade.” Though it’s mainly musicians who are being affected by the lowered amplifier decibels – which reaches 107 dbl – dancers are also speaking out against Bayside District Corp. Performers across the spectrum feel their freedom of speech is being limited by creating these regulations. Michael, from the Promenade Dance and Flip crew said, “For dancers and flippers like us, pretty much we’re not allowed to do anything. No volunteers, no interacting with the crowd.” “What’s loud to them is like what’s loud in a bedroom. People can’t hear that outside,” said Memphis of the same crew. “We’re artists, and I like to express what I’ve got. They should think these new rules over before putting them through.”
“They are charging us all this money to express the First Amendment.”
-Blaze Blandrix
OPINION
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Eating disorder treatment lacking Eating disorders demand more attention and improved treatment measures. By Leni Wile Staff Writer Over the past nine years I have waged an internal war and recently came out victorious. I was in an abusive relationship with myself. My love affair with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa almost took my life.
This November marks my first full year without being in the hospital or in inpatient treatment centers. I have had numerous stays for many months at a time in these rehabilitation facilities, and have noticed an alarming trend. Not only is the priceper-day of treatment the average person’s monthly mortgage, insurance companies are failing to recognize the severity of eating disorders. Keep in mind eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all psychological illnesses, according
to the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action, the mortality rate for Anorexia alone may be as high as 20 percent. When a person is in treatment, there are nurses, counselors, psych techs, and other staff watching the patient 24/7. By law, if patients show any indication of harming themselves or their recovery, they can be taken out of the center by police force, and put in the psychiatric ward of the local hospital.
[See Illness, page 6]
Photo illustration by Sal Guerra Corsair
Sugar Daddies can be a sweet deal The Sugar Daddy/Baby arrangement can serve the needs of both parties. By Emma Dantoft Staff Writer When I first moved to Los Angeles and became a full-time student I was struggling with rent, tuition fees, and all sorts of bills. As I was sitting on a bed without a frame, eating noodles for $1 a pack; my friend introduced me to the term “sugar daddy.” A sugar daddy, or mommy, is usually an older, rich man or woman, who provides support in form of expensive gifts-paying your bills, etc. In short
terms the sugar daddy assures that you are a well kept young being. That completely sounded like the ideal man to me, since I’m not dating younger guys anyway. (In frantic times, your mind will think radical thoughts that you are not willing to own up to in retrospection.) Being a sugar baby sounds an awful lot like prostitution in many people’s ears, given that the baby is offering companionship and intimacy to an affluent man/woman and in return living a wealthier life. In this case, however, both parties are looking for a mutual beneficial relationship. Even babies need intimacy and affection, and the mommies or daddies often want a
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younger and attractive trophy that they can spoil. There are several websites where you can find these wealthier people. Seekingarrangement.com states that, “It’s human nature for people to want younger and more attractive partners. It’s also natural for younger men & women to seek out more experienced, sophisticated partners, specifically those who have the means of providing them with comforts and luxuries.” These websites are just like regular dating sites, except that the members are more specific about their needs. There is no prostitution allowed on Seekingarrangements.com.
Fall 2010 Staff Rebecca Slawter Brandon Quin Brian White Sal Guerra Jennifer Martinez Daniel Ross Tieg Slattery Kevin Duron Ingrid Rosales Alica Forneret John Stapleton IV Jeremy Biglow Guiliana Dakdouk
Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor Photo Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Sports Editor Calendar Editor Lifestyle Editor Online Editor Exhibit Editor Design Editor
Faculty Advisors Saul Rubin and Gerard Burkhart
[See Elderly, page 6]
REHAB
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Rehabilitation requires much more than a short stay in a resort-style facility. By Julie Newsome Staff Writer
Whether it’s alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling or even food – people are battling more and deadly addictions. But the real story is in the way that people, especially celebrities, are choosing to deal with said problems. While rehab is now seen as the best way to get better it seems like nowadays more people are using the façade of rehab as a cop-out. Contemporary society says once you go to rehab you are forgiven of all former trespasses and are “rehabilitated” but is that really what happens? According to almost every website, book or source related to the question of whether rehab actually works; the answer relies on several factors, such as the type and length of addiction, the duration of the rehabilitation program, and what kinds of long-term support are provided to the recovering addicts. Basically, it’s a shot in the dark even with the best of intentions. But as rehab grows in the minds of the masses as the answer to all problems, more addicts are seeing rehab as simply a way out. Once one has gone to rehab it is fairly easy to simply go back to exactly what you were doing before and basically fool everyone. Even if you have to go to rehab five or six times you are still viewed as having good intentions, which is apparently better than no intentions at all. So when does rehab stop becoming a cure and start becoming a joke? Surely the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Whitney Houston and Tiger Woods are not helping the case for rehabilitation as a serious matter. Although it is true that many a person has gone through rehab and come out on the other side a completely different, more successful, and overall better person, free of the demons they once had. Take for instance Drew Barrymore who was highly addicted to drugs and alcohol before the age of 13. Barrymore entered rehab and has since turned her life around becoming an extremely successful actress and producer in Hollywood. So while yes it is possible for rehab to change a person it is more plausible that the person has to want to change first. Rehab will continue to be a joke as long as society establishes that rehabilitation is only the first step in a very long process to recovery.
Reporters
Alexandra Ahneman,Zuleima Alvarado, Nisha Anais, Miles Arnold, Jonathan Bue, Alessandra Catanese, Emma Dantoft, Kevin Duncan, Alvaro Escalante, Jennifer Ferrada, Stephanie Forshee, Khalil Grier, Cyndi Gomez, Wendy Gonzalez, Matt Gottesman, Zineb Hafiz, Danny Henson, Vaimiti Herlaud, Vera Hughes, Sean Hunt, Alexandra Lazar, Neelofer Lodhy, Ariana Masters, Cristina Maxwell, Sarah McIntosh, Jonathan Mendoza, Michael Mendoza, Brandon Minikwu, Natalie Miltcharek, Julie Newsome, Wendy Ng, Ayla Pound, Adam Rubin, Laysa Quintero, Michael Santana, Stephanie Sommer, Ashli Townsend, Vienna Urias, Lauren Walsh
Photographers Anisa El-Khouri, Luana Kasahara, Albany Katz, Danyale Kotur, Konstantin Marowitz, Ariana Masters George Mikhail, Ted Olsson, Michelle Ponder, Geraldine Plachart, Laysa Quintero, Alex Rogers, Jarrad Rosson, Alex Soltes, Sara Stark, Sammy Solimon
Advertising Consultant Lisa Anderson corsair.admanager@gmail.com Computer Consultant Agnius Griskevicius Graphic Design Jhosef A. Hern Classified Ads: Daily Bruin (310) 825-2221 Letters to the editor are encouraged. They should be no longer than 250 words and must be signed by the writer. corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com
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Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
OPINION
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Editorial Cartoon
Jonathan Bue Corsair
A psychological illness [Illness, from page 5] Essentially, there is little room to not follow the program. On paper, most patients look like they are progressing. In reality, the patients have no option but to obey the rules, and take care of their bodies. Insurance companies have been failing to recognize this critical fact, and are cutting off funds after merely a few weeks. Hypothetically, this means that a woman who has been battling Bulimia Nervosa for ten years will only be given two weeks of treatment because her insurance company claims that she is “cured” since she has not engaged in harmful behaviors for that period of time. Eating disorders are not about eating “clean,” cutting carbs, or exercising more. This is not about being health conscious or a role model. They are not about the physicality of the body, looking good in a bikini, or fulfilling any thought motivated by vanity. They are not about getting positive attention for beauty, wanting boys to notice you and girls to envy you, or fitting into sample sizes. They are not about fitting in, or following the ridiculous standards of the media. Eating disorders are not a hoax driven by surface insecurities. Eating disorders are the result of having the self-esteem as clear as a ghost. The same self-esteem that was once destroyed by a traumatic experience, neglect, lack of needs being met by family in accordance to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, resulting in an atrocious sense of self-worth. They are the slow and silent way of committing suicide, hoping to be saved, but too stubborn to do anything about it. This is about hovering between life and death, torturing oneself and fading
out until it is all over. It wasn’t until I broke every fiber within myself. Lost my mind, hair, brain, bones, friends, family, school, and sanity, and was shivering in a rollaway cot in the ER, when I hit “pause” on life. Everything stopped. I was totally disconnected. This was when I had reached my finale. I wasn’t living. I was merely surviving life. An eating disorder is like any other addiction, being food is the drug of choice. The outer appearance is just a by-product of all the turmoil and abuse. The only problem with this addiction is that the Anoretic, Bulimic, or EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified) person can never abstain from their drug of choice. Food is the most vital source for life, and therefore the addict has to come face to face with it everyday. Three times a day, and sometimes more. This is about having zero trust of oneself and others. It is about not feeling deserving of the most basic human right to live. This is about checking out, taking the cue to exit. This is about being sick, afraid, needing love, and fear. It’s also about not being sick enough. This is just a skewed way of coping. It really isn’t about the food. So why do insurance companies neglect their most critical clients? They close their eyes and stick fingers in their ears, singing “La la la” until they can prematurely discharge a patient from treatment. Is this really helping? The patients already know that they have to eat to live, and treatment isn’t there to educate patients on the obvious. Treatment is about an intense psychological dig and rebirth of selfvalue. This is just a polite, but much needed, wakeup call-WAKE-UP.
Photo illustration by Sal Guerra Corsair
Like candy from a baby [Elderly, from page 5] They state that it is “strictly forbidden to ask for compensation for the purpose of meeting.” You get to state exactly what kind of relationship you are looking to have with the daddy or mommy and how much financial assistance you acquire. “It’s nice to know that all my expenses are paid for,” says Maria, 23, who asked the Corsair not to run her last name. She graduated from Santa Monica College last year and is now trying to get her Bachelor Degree with the help of a sugar daddy. “But attraction is necessary,” she continues. “We both know what we want and have a good understanding of each other’s needs.” Maria has been in a relationship with her sugar daddy for five months now and has never had a doubted the relationship. “He pays for my tuition fees, my car payments, and my rent,” says Maria. This gives her more freedom with her own money and she never has to stress out about bills. Since this is a relationship where both are happy with the arrangements, how could it be wrong? If the man/woman has the bread, why wouldn’t he/she be able to
share it with the individual they are seeing? However, the potential sexual favors and the exchange of money could easily turn a relationship like this from a mutually beneficial arrangement into prostitution. Then there is the fact that all relationships are different. There have been dream scenarios where the relationship actually has turned into a marriage, and there have been situations where the exchange has only happened once. Where do we draw the line of prostitution and how do we know which sugar daddy/babe relationship has turned into something more? I never got so far that I took action; a simple thought was enough for me to realize that I would never be comfortable with anything that involves money for sex. It all comes down to the fact that in both the street-walker and the ‘sugar daddy relationship’ there is a business deal that involves intimacy and money, which, according to the law, makes it prostitution. If you receive money you can be pretty sure that you have to work for it, and if you are working from your back, then that occupation is likely classified as prostitution.
OPINION
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
07
Four Loko ban is based on insanity
By John Stapleton IV Web Editor
The current Four Loko ban (read: travesty) is the latest and most glaringlyobvious example of America’s inability to take any accountability whatsoever for its actions, especially when it comes to consuming in moderation. In the same way that McDonald’s is making people overweight, Four Loko is making people overdrunk, and as long as there’s a successful corporation profiting from our gluttony, we don’t hesitate to blame the corporation instead of our own failure at practicing self control. For whatever reason, the American collective seems utterly determined to play the victim, and to have regulatory bodies monitor and delegate everything we do, because once a company makes a product we want, we simply do not have the power to stop consuming it until it makes us die. This of course, has little to do with our continued purchase of said goods, and everything to do with the corporations selling us things that we are powerless to refuse. Since we can’t do it, the government should save us from ourselves. Ironically, this is the same culture that expresses a nearly universal disdain for Big Brother’s gradually tightening grip. When are we going to stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror? First of all, stop blaming Four Loko for your blackouts – I know this will come as a surprise to everyone, but alcohol has been doing that on its own since the dawn of man. Besides, an inanimate aluminum can didn’t make you march yourself to the liquor store to fork over your hard-earned money
for booze. You did that. And when you drank your third can knowing good and well that you probably didn’t need another drink because you spent the last hour drunkdialing your exes while humping someone’s parked car in broad daylight, it didn’t matter that you still felt hyper – you voluntarily did that too. So tomorrow, when you wake up in the hospital because you decided to play chicken on the 405 with a bloodalcohol content hovering around .3, consider this question before you go firing off angry letters to the FDA about how you were taken advantage of by alcopops: did Four Loko come over to your place and inject itself into your body? Or did you do all the work? The argument against Four Loko is immediately absurd because it focuses on how the drink chemically tricks us into drinking unsafe amounts of alcohol, without ever suggesting that drinking alcohol of any chemical makeup is inherently dangerous, and should be done in moderation. Because the caffeine counteracts drowsiness – the human body’s natural defense against alcohol poisoning – we are left completely oblivious to the fact that what we’re doing might be bad for us. It’s alcohol people, it’s a poison. If you put it in your body you are knowingly taking a risk. If you can’t control the rate at which you put this poison into your body, it’s because you lack the fortitude to simply say “that’s enough.” You are not the victim of clever advertising. You have not been swindled by chemical wizardry. You simply drank too much because you don’t know your limits. Saying that the caffeine makes it impossible to gauge
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etter to the Editor
Rebecca Slawter Corsair An assortment of alcoholic beverages, including the recently-condemned alcopops MAX and Four Loko, provide a variety of indulgent experiences for partygoers that know when to say when
your own level of intoxication is like saying the surge of adrenaline we get from mashing the accelerator makes us unaware that going over 100 miles per hour into a hairpin turn on a wet road is BAD FOR US. And let’s be honest: Four Loko has a pretty direct allure because it’s a cheap, quick drunk that keeps us from passing out first – but alcopops in general taste like shit. So when they return to our liquor store shelves, full of alcohol but devoid of stimulants, we’ll leave them on the shelves like we did with the Sparks when they pulled the same stunt last year, and we’ll all
go right back to the original, palatable alcopops: Jack and Coke, Red Bull and vodka, Absinthe and 5-Hour Energy. It comes down to this simple logic: If we, as Americans, keep telling ourselves that we don’t have the testicular fortitude to control ourselves – that nicotine is a chemical addiction, that alcoholism is a disease, that obesity is genetic – then we are willingly revoking each other of our inalienable right as human beings to choose between right and wrong. All of these vices are usually pretty fun, but the right thing and the fun thing are not always the same thing.
You can always send your opinions to corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com.
Criticism for “A Dream or a nightmare” I’m writing in regards to the article entitled “A Dream For Some, A Nightmare For Others” by Julie Newsome. I would like to start out by saying that the illustration on the website is offensive and racist. The fact that you would allow for something like to be published shows a lot not only about your character, Julie’s character but also about Santa Monica College’s character. “In a nutshell, Joe from Massachusetts is stuck paying $50,000 to attend UCLA while Jose, here illegally from Guatemala, is paying $20,000 because he immigrated to California when he was 15.” This is utterly unacceptable and shows lack of research. Undocumented immigrants cannot apply for any government aid of any kind without a social security
number. Try getting help from the government without the proper documentation. You will be denied, I promise. Let us not forget that Joe can take out students loans, apply for scholarships, get financial aid and apply for a job if all of that isn’t enough while Jose can’t get any of that nor can he legally apply for a job to help him pay his way through college. “Regardless of the justness of this measure the question remains: how was Jose allowed to even attend an American high school without any proof of citizenship? If the problem is not the flood of illegal immigrants coming to America, it must then be that they can so easily slip through the cracks to gain special preference over natural born American citizens and the lawful foreigners who completed the arduousprocess of
immigration.” Please illustrate what “special preference over natural born American citizens and the lawful foreigners who completed the arduous process of immigration” undocumented immigrants are gaining because I can’t see any. In states such as South Carolina and Georgia, undocumented students are not allowed to attain public universities - even if they can pay for it. “According to University of California 2008-2009 statistics, about 400 students currently enrolled across their ten campuses were illegal immigrants.” Four hundred out of how many students? The truth is that if undocumented immigrants worked just as hard, if not harder, in high school than US citizens, then they deserve to go to a good school. Anyone who argues with that is bitter
because they weren’t good enough to get into the school of their choice and yet an undocumented immigrant worked hard and got in. The only solution to this problem is the passage of the DREAM Act, followed by a Comprehensive Immigration Reform that would fix our broken immigration system as well as securing the borders. Those brought here as minors should not be punished for the victimless crime that their parents committed and if the immigration system weren’t so broken and it didn’t take 10-15 years for someone to even be considered to enter here legally, than maybe illegal immigration wouldn’t be such a problem. Thank you for your time. Have a fantastic day. Hilda Queiroz
Editor’s note: This letter was edited for space. To read the full, unabridged version please visit thecorsaironline.com
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Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
PHOTO
(right) Carlos overlooks the San Francisco Bay while visiting his girlfriend last January. Upon his return from this trip his addiction to heroin began.
(above) On the pedestal you can see a bottle cap which is filled with water, small bags of heroin, Xanax , syringe and a belt that is used as a strap to make the veins more visible.
Carlos (23) has been battling with drug addiction since the age of 16. He only recently has progre drugs have always in some way fit in," he said.
Photos an
(above and right) Carlos, a current college student, is pictured here injecting heroin. When asked about his thoughts on sobriety he says: “ I admire anyone who rids themselves of an addiction. I simply can’t.”
My brothe and hate - a He started him cave to potential fo He started Then it tur to pot, coca The low po He went in I never un I love him a We came f it or how lo entering yo
O S T O RY
Wednesday December 1. 2010
“ I admire anyone who rids themselves of an addiction. I simply can’t.” (below) Carlos begins to fall deeper into a state of inebriation as he continues to abuse heroin.
essed to smoking and shooting heroin on an everyday basis. "I guess ever since I was young kid I never quite felt I fit in anywhere and
nd text by Laysa Quintero
er Carlos and I are two years apart. He’s the younger one. Over the years, our relationship has been one of love all due to the drug addiction he’s been facing, which I’m only now beginning to understand. d out with such promise in life, but the peer pressure to fit in among a rough crowd in his public school made o his conviction and test out a myriad of previously off-limits substances. He is an incredible artist with so much or a great career in the art industry. d with cigarettes. The moment is still vivid in his mind, and you can tell it affects him greatly. rned into nighttime escapes where he and a few friends would get drunk. This type of crowd later introduced him aine, and then the worst drug that has kept his life in shambles ever since - heroin – aka: The Devil. oints have been endless arguments and estrangements within our family. nto rehab last Friday. We talk every day, but I’m always waiting for that other shoe to drop. nderstood until I started learning more about addiction, and stopped thinking it was something he was doing to us. and I hope he stays healthy. I wish I could take away whatever fear and hurt that drove him to this predicament. from a “good” family, and I’m living proof that it can happen to any family, no matter how much you try to prevent oving your parents are. You just have to do your best and try to do everything you can to prevent drugs from our family’s life.
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EXHIBIT
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Vices: The minor ones Writing by Jennifer Ferrada and Debby Vasquez Photos by Albany Katz
Being lazy never felt so...DANGEROUS Being a couch potato is just an American past time, albeit a vice. Yury Lisennov who loves being lazy, candidly says, “I would like to basically tell you guys I am a lazy ass; but politely saying, a couch potato.” However, he is striving more and more to become a proud and responsible student because life is tough. “I started realizing it’s a whole lot better to be an active citizen than couch potato,” he stated. But he fears the day when being a casual “couch potato” makes you “the Dude” from the film “The Big Lebowski.” So get up and stay up.
Sleeping: The modern silent killer Promptness makes perfection but for many students like Olivia Sylvan, she almost always finds herself running late to some appointment. Why? Because sleep is her poison and its intoxication is as alluring as the sweetest wine or the most delicious filet mignon. Always on the run, Sylvan can’t help but laugh at her situation, “I have a group project which I was supposed to be there an hour ago. My friend called me 30 minutes ago and woke me up,” Sylvan stated. Calling herself a night owl, her bedtime is usually after midnight. Her nocturnal habits have made her consider night classes because she “can’t wake up in time.” The early bird may get the worm, but night owls are always party animals.
Shop ‘til you drop, just don’t stop There comes a point in a person’s life where they realize enough is enough, but for Karina Porras there’s never a cap on what’s enough. For her, shopping has become a vice driven addiction. Her favorite stores include Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 to the occasionally high-end retailer Armani Exchange. Even though she isn’t from the wealthiest background, working a minimum wage part-time job, she still finds enough means to buy three full bags of new clothes at the new Santa Monica mall and promenade on a regular basis and still be a chic trendsetter. For this shopaholic her spending spree will never end. We may all feel guilty about buying the new $99 snazzy acrylic wool hand knit sweater from Urban Outfitters; but take comfort that you are not the only one that binges on clothes.
Procrastination can get you nowhere, fast Sebastian Domareille is the utter procrastinator. He acknowledges the fact that he has never been a school person. He constantly questions the point of doing the latest homework assignment, especially if he already knows the material well enough. “Like, ‘why should I?’” he emphasizes. While he is aiming to be a video game programmer, he even procrastinates the course assignments he has interest in, despite loving them. Domareille cannot help but spend time on his hobbies. “I will spend four to five hours doing martial arts, do an hour doing homework, then stop again and go eat a burger or something.” Putting things up to the last minute might seem like the easy thing to do but putting things away might take away from the important things.
Wednesday December 1, 2010
EXHIBIT
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Vices: The major ones Texting until you can’t text anymore With every passing year, technology seems to be making our lives easier and easier. One year, we can record TV shows from our phones, the next year we can voice activate our facebook from our blackberry or iPhone. For Sumer Marquette, she has taken the advantages of today’s technology by texting nonstop. Marquette admits that the addiction of texting takes her, that it’s just another everyday norm to text while driving. “My family, we’re all texting and driving,” Marquette says as she also admits that she has gotten tickets for it. As technology grows, we must be aware that technology might take over our lives but as Oprah says, “Texting and driving don’t mix.”
Speeding towards a future grave Some people are as totally indifferent to the law in some aspects, and Adria Brown proudly roars it with a completely calm and collected attitude about it. Many other people have this same philosophy and sometimes this philosophy pays the price. “I’ve gotten lots of speeding tickets. I just don’t like the law,” she stated. She always retaliates against other drivers who annoy her in the daily traffic in Los Angeles, giving other drivers the finger. L.A. is famous for its congested traffic but for Brown her risky speeding continues to put her life in constant jeopardy every time she is behind the wheel.
When in doubt, drink it out Inebriated, tipsy, and flushed. These three words describe Zache’s favorite condition when drinking a bit too much. A former bartender, Davis has returned to school to further his education but finds it difficult to let go of his boozy habit. An example of his latest blitz came last weekend when he went out, and now he is paying the price by doing “hung over” homework. Being under the influence can lead to many things: quick marriages at the Vegas strip, dancing on a table, flashing people. For Davis, his tattooed name sprawled on his fingers is his memento from a binge with his friend in the past. Once joking about tattoos, they turned around and literally got some tats, whilst sloshed. So if you think you are the only one who has “mother” or “ABBA” tattooed on your chest or that piercing where the sun don’t shine, you are not alone.
Too much caffeine can cause an early death She is a java lover in every sense of the word. “ I have like three cups of coffee and a sugar free Red Bull everyday,” she said. With a full work and school load, Vreede gets only the bare minimum of sleep at night; averaging three to four hours max. She has been on a caffeine trip since she was 13. “ I’m literally addicted to it, “ she said. But this last year her caffeine trip has interfered with her health. With all of her coffee splurges Vreede has developed heart problems, so she admits that her dependency is far from good for her. “Sometimes I just feel like I need a breather and take a trip to Hawaii,” she said. In the past Vreede has tried to stop her addiction by switching to green tea, but unfortunately dire results have occurred such as: headaches, and impatience.
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Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
S P O RT S
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Stubborn athletes earn more cash By Jonathan Mendoza Staff Writer
We live in a time when the economy is in a downward spiral; adults can’t find work and students, as a result, are intimidated of the situation they walk into as soon as they graduate. However amidst the major depression that defines this era, professional athletes are finding ways to get paid millions more than offered to them originally, simply by not showing up to work. It seems like an interesting dynamic, as in the real world displaying such insubordinanace would buy any employee a pink slip in a matter of minutes. But in the world of sports, the talents and abilities of these individuals allow them to hold multi-million dollar organizations for hostage, and for the most part get their way. The resulting effects are detrimental to the perception of these athletes, as well as to the organizations themselves. While initially it would be assumed having a stud on your team would always mean success, the effects of owning such players can hurt not only a team’s immediate success, but their long-term prospects as well when they hold out for a bigger contract. Los Angeles should be all too familiar with the headaches caused by holdouts, as most recently the Dodgers had to endure a long off-season due to Manny Ramirez’s stinginess after the ‘08-‘09 season. The result? A two-year $45 million dollar contract that the Dodgers didn’t even see the end of, amidst the steroid allegations and suspensions that Ramirez faced throughout his time with the club. In short, it was massive waste of cash. Additionally, the Dodgers also missed
out on improving their team in areas that needed to be addressed, as key free agents were overlooked, making their competition only got stronger as a result. The Dodgers’ organization found itself short-handed at times, questioning itself and the lack of morale in the locker room that was expected to propel them when
another reason for increased allotted income, which lay in the mortal confines of a human body. Injuries are a constant for athletes, and because of this they know how to capitalize when their stock is the highest or risk it dropping to pennies on the dollar.
Jonathan Bue Corsair
Ramirez first arrived. It’s that same boost that compels teams to spend millions more on players, because while some turn out to be busts, there’s always a glimmer of hope that things will work out. Enter Darrelle Revis, cornerback of the New York Jets, who is such a unique talent that teams have to plan around him: with that in mind, it should be known that he decided it was in his own best interest to holdout on his initial $1 million contract. Aside from the fact that his talents provided compelling evidence that he should be paid like an elite player, he had
College players often drop out for this very reason. If they face even one major injury, coaches and sports analysts alike automatically label them as “injury prone.” Given this, Revis’ actions were completely justified since he puts his body at risk every week. Conversely this same reasoning can be used in another case – Brett Favre. There’s no doubt that Favre makes an impact on a game, he’s a seasoned quarterback with fundamentals that many young players wish they had in their arsenal. However Favre finds himself in the
drugs. That said, if we were to completely rid the MLB of PEDs and we calculated the average maximum output of homeruns a non-juiced player could conceivably achieve in a season, would that make any of the current records less significant? Sure, we’ll put asterisks next to the statistical milestones achieved by drugenhanced performances of McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds, but won’t all future players be forever doomed to be “almost” as good as the current records, punctuation and all? Which leads to the much more significant – if not completely overlooked – second problem: is Barry Bonds really the greatest home-run hitter of all time? Is it fair to say “yes” simply because he broke Hank Aaron’s career homerun record even if he was on drugs? Is it fair to say “no” simply because he took drugs that only enhanced his already astronomical performance? And does it really matter? Clearly, no amount of injected hormones is going to make Nomar Garciapara into a record-breaking Sultan of Swat – steroids aren’t made of leprechauns and unicorns. Players aren’t (yet) ingesting gamma rays and mutating into the Hulk when they step up to the plate. In fact, PEDs usually just decrease muscle recovery time so that players can train harder. Does having better gym equipment count as enhanced performance? Does having a better physical therapist? Of course not. So why do we care? In
short, we don’t. As Bonds has said to the press, repeatedly, “baseball is a business.” He wasn’t striving for record-breaking status so that he could become our generation’s role model of athletic supremacy; he just wanted to make money. To Bonds, and apparently to American baseball fans at large, it was perfectly acceptable to see baseball records destroyed because it was good for business. If you’re upset about this disgrace, don’t be. Let’s not pretend that no one noticed when a 40-something outfielder from the Giants suddenly morphed into a club-wielding rhinoceros and began successfully chasing baseball’s holiest grail. We all saw that he was cheating, and we all tuned in to root him on. And this is where the whole steroids controversy comes crashing down under its own juiced-up weight: We don’t really care. We don’t care if performanceenhanced players break 50-year old baseball records because we’re collectively empathetic. We are desensitized to the moral bankruptcy of cheating. In fact, as a society, we seem to be developing a disdain for legitimate competition as a whole – we want everyone to have free everything and no one should ever have to struggle for it because, hey, people cheat, and that’s not fair unless we all get to cheat.
dimming days of his own Hall of Fame career, one that has allowed his ego to inflate to the point that he puts himself above the team. Favre was fully aware he probably couldn’t make it through another season this year. Look no further than the NFC Championship where the Saints showed that constantly attacking the arthritic and fragile quarterback was enough to make him play erratically. With this in mind, he still found it perfectly reasonable to reconstruct his contract to $20 million guaranteed, and the Vikings, regretfully, agreed. Favre constantly urged that the move “wasn’t for the money”, but instead was based on the health of his ankle. Truthfully it was a question of his ankle and just how much it was worth to him. The answer was apparently $8 million more than the team previously determined. As a result the Vikings have to watch their season go down the drain as a team that isn’t getting any younger and has many questions going forward. When speaking about holdouts, the question organizations should be asking is if the player is really worth it and examine the situation from a panoramic perspective. Big contracts and instant gratification is the more enticing option however, and like anything in life, the long-term must be focused upon. Although it may be hard to find a player who can stand in the spotlight, they shouldn’t let that cloud their judgment from what they know is a bad decision. Given this, L.A. natives can be glad for two things – that Manny Ramirez no longer has to plague our outfield, and that Kobe Bryant is making enough to be happy for a few more championships. Then again, in four years that may be a different story.
PEDs get the best of baseball, America
By John Stapleton IV Web Editor
The moral debate presented by the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is a tricky mistress, not because of its current erosion of athletic validity, nor because of its inevitable historical repercussions, but because of what allowing this practice says about our culture as a whole – and yes, we allow it. No one is questioning whether or not the greatest statistical achievements of the last two decades are due to the universal use of drugs that enhance performance – that’s pretty much a given. The problem is that we accept these new sports statistics with a noticeable amount of ennui. And nowhere is our indifference more glaringly apparent than in the numbersdriven microcosm that is Major League Baseball. In the lifetime of the average college student, almost every major statistical milestone that has been used since the beginning of baseball to gauge the prowess of a major league superhero has been either shattered or obliterated, catapulting home run scores, batting averages and no-hit streaks into the unRE-obtainable depths of performanceenhanced space. The trouble this presents is twofold: one, people are only human. Baseball records have been growing harder to reach exponentially faster than evolution could possibly account for. As such, we rightfully blame the
[See Steroids, page 13]
‘94-‘04 The period in baseball history named “the juiced era,” associated with the shrinking strike zones, smaller ballparks, and expansive use of performance enhancing drugs.
756 The record of most career home runs hit by any player in Major League history, set by Barry Bonds in 2007. Some beleive that the milestone should be accompanied by an asterisk in the record book to note Bonds’ alleged steriod use.
0 The difference in average home runs for low-power hitters before and during “the juiced era” (according to Basball Prospectus). This implies that hitters who don’t usually hit home runs don’t particularly benefit from steroid usuage.
Wednesday December 1, 2010
S P O RT S
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
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Multi-million dollar jocks with glocks By Kevin Duncan Staff Writer
Guns and sports don’t mix unless you’re hunting game or splattering your opponent’s helmet with paintball bullets. That means for all other athletics, the only guns present should be on a player´s biceps. A professional athlete can be any kid’s idol and role model, but if a gun possession charges are filed against them, it can change a person’s whole perspective and attitude towards him or her, especially an adolescent’s. Professional athletes may have relationship problems, drinking issues, or even money issues, but all that is left behind when they are found to have a gun in their possession. Guns are something that can alter – or end – a person’s life with a single pull of the trigger. Marital problems can be solved in time and a person can stop drinking if they commit to it, but a lost life can never be replaced. While possession in any circumstance is looked down upon in our society, in sports it’s unacceptable, because it puts a role model and vital athletes’ lives at risk. Some athletes claim to strap heat for only personal and home protection, but history has shown that even these able-bodied superstars are too immature to
handle a weapon. NBA standout Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards is a perfect example of a highly skilled and successful athlete who handles a concealed weapon like an arrogant street thug. Arenas crossed the line last December when he brought guns into the Wizard’s locker room. Not only did he bring four lethal weapons into a professional NBA institution, he proceeded to share his toys with teammate Javaris Crittenton after ‘playfully’ aiming them at him and other players. To make matters worse, he thought it was funny. He made the media and Wizards organization even more infuriated for his subsequent actions when he attempted to make light of this episode, sarcastically commenting: “I wanted to rob banks, I want to be a bank robber on weekend.” To add even more insult to injury, before his eminent suspension, he was also caught on camera in the pre-game warm-ups jokingly shooting teammates in a circle with his hands mimicking guns. Everybody knew Gilbert Arenas as a shooter, especially behind the three-point line where he would hound defenders on the perimeter. But he took his “role” too literally when he brought lethal weapons to his job. Some would probably take
Photo Illustration by Sammy Soliman Corsair When gunplay is incorporated into the world of athletics, many professionals expose their immaturity and arrogance by abusing their right to conceal a weapon.
pleasure if he accidentally shot himself for being so careless with a gun, as did NFL’s Plaxico Burress, but thankfully no muliti-million dollar athletes were harmed. Even without injuries, his image was damaged permanently it seems, and the association even took banners of Arenas down from the Wizards’ playing complex. While the gun incident led to loss of money, credibility, and playing time for Arenas, not all
was lost in Washington. Gilbert Arenas was placed in a halfway house for 30 days and did ample of community service afterwards, a less-than-ideal situation for an athlete conditioning himself. The lesson to be learned here is that no matter who you are or how important you may be, when a gun is involved you can lose everything you have in a split second. The argument that athletes need guns to protect their families and monstrous wealth is
By Alexandra Lazar Staff Writer
there was the potential for a bad scene.” As time goes on and SMC’s football program progresses under the new coaching staff, the brawls and exchange of nasty words will hopefully be a thing of the past. “It was a great teaching moment for our team,” said Lindheim. “That will not happen again.” But our football team isn’t the only sport on the field that has feuds with other robust teams. Since the creation of
diminished when they abuse the right to conceal them. Their elevated status in society does not grant them permission to carelessly travel with and play with firearms; it in fact should prevent them from acting like the adolescents that look up to them. Let’s hope that all professionals alike will learn from the stupidity of actions carried out by immature athletes like Arenas, whose only target this season should be the hoop.
Steroids U.S.A. Pros need to fight clean [Steroids, from page 12]
“Gotta look out for number one,” we say, or “the only person you can trust is yourself.” And so, almost to prove to ourselves that cheating itself is a form of competition, we let obviously-juiced, obviouslylying players like Bonds rob us of not only the history of our great sports, but of our own cultural integrity. As we each strive to be successful individuals in our communities, we have become less concerned with sports, and obsessively focused on sports stars. We are done looking for admirable role models, and are desperately looking for confirmation that looking out for number one is the best business model. Look at the celebrity of players in other top-three sports like Kobe Bryant and Michael Vick (or hell, look at Lance Armstrong, the insufferable personality that still insists he nabbed seven Tour de France victories with a single testicle on Gatorade alone – we should be insulted). It’s not even sports anymore, it s a popularity contest – it’s “American Idol.” No one’s playing for the love of the game anymore because it’s all business. We don’t have a national pastime because time is money, and nobody wants “pastmoney.” So – yup! – athletes are still
using performance-enhancing drugs, and this will continue. They can’t stop because rationally, Americans won’t settle (read: pay money) for the inevitable future disappointments of players who simply can’t compete with the performance-enhanced goals hung lofty and unobtainable by their predecessors. And morally, cheaters make us feel better about ourselves – this is America’s vice. It’s okay to steal because Robin Hood did it and he’s a hero. It’s okay to lie because O.J. did it and literally got away with murder. It’s okay to practice adultery because Jefferson did it and he wrote the Declaration of Independence. We are slowly letting ourselves believe that individual financial success is worth moral sacrifice – Bonds is, after all, incontestably a steroid user and incontestably number one. At best, he represents a bad apple; a self-aggrandizing jerk that contrived a way to the top spot of the Hall of Fame using illegal substances all in the name of fiscal prosperity – fans be damned. At worst, he represents the entire American consciousness, and our deliberate suspension of moral composure for the sake of personal gain. But then, in a world of cheaters, if you’re not cheating, you’re not really competing.
threw a beer at Artest, creating what would come to be known as the most horrific Some would say that brawls fight in basketball history. define a sport; others will say The tension between the that brawls corrupt them. two teams formed initially In my case, I believe that after Artest managed to shoot without brawls, games an outstanding .414 from wouldn’t have that extra dose the field, sparking tension of excitement to them. amongst the Pistons who fell Throughout the history behind as a result. of sports, there have been The altercation that ensued numerous occasions that after the foul was chaotic: brawls have broken out in players started throwing every arena that you can punches, fans stumbled on think of. the court in the madness and But the most familiar to all of were also struck by some us at Santa Monica players, and Artest College would be even charged the “As the last of our guys headed across the altercations year seats to pummel the after year between spectator who threw their locker area towards our bus, our football squad the beer at him. some words were exchanged between with our rivals, seen It was the most players.” in the consistently immature and powerful L.A. Pierce unprofessional -Coach Gifford Lindheim Brahmas. showing during “Pierce College a contest by NBA has a locker room setup where basketball back in 1891 by the professional athletes. both teams are in very close Canadian professor James Soon after the brawl, Artest proximity to one another,” Naismith, the highly physical and eight other NBA players explained Gifford Lindheim, sport has been prone to all were suspended and their head coach of the Corsairs. sorts of disputes. salaries were affected as a “They consistently have Perhaps the most famous result for their actions during issues with it when teams fight in recent history the brawl. come to play them.” embodies Ron Artest and the The message is clear: leave Thankfully, this dispute Detroit Piston’s brawl during the violent fighting to the was one of lesser violence a 2004 NBA game. hockey players. In-game than many that have been The fight began when Ben disputes are acceptable, at Pierce’s home field. Wallace of the Pistons had because they sometimes serve Coach Lindheim gives the a confrontation with the to fire a team up and compel details: “As the last of our Indiana Pacers’ Ron Artest, them to win even more. guys headed across their which ended with Wallace But once the game is over or locker area towards our bus, shoving Artest for blocking if the spectators are involved, some words were exchanged Wallace’s slam dunk that brawls have no place in between players. It drew the resulted in a foul for Wallace. the arena of professional attention of more players and Next, an upset spectator athletics.
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Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Burlesque show leaves little to be desired By Vera Hughes Staff Writer
Jennifer Martinez Corsair A burlesque entertainer dances seductively for a special event honoring the premiere of the movies “Burlesque” starting Cher at club Eleven.
The word “burlesque” implies partaking in extremely naughty activities. But burlesque isn’t just a strip show; it’s meant to be more tasteful. For The Provocateurs, however, that wasn’t exactly the case. Last Wednesday night, Nov. 24, Club Eleven of West Hollywood hosted The Provocateurs for an evening of burlesque, to partner the opening of Christina Aguilera and Cher’s new movie, “Burlesque.” Slated to begin at 10 p.m., the dancers didn’t appear on stage until more than an hour later, and that was just the beginning of the disappointment. The room was full to the point of frustration with visibility scarce, and waiters barely able to squeeze their way through the packed crowd. Most people resigned themselves to watching the live feed on the televisions scattered throughout the club, and gave up on seeing the dancers on stage. Attendees already felt a little daring and adventurous for even being there, but the
half-naked girls weren’t even visible. And the glimpses one could catch started to convince the audience that they really weren’t missing much, bringing up the performance background these girls had, or didn’t have. “I would’ve thought they would be more graceful,” said audience member Kimberly Shantz. “This isn’t really sexy.” And it wasn’t. For people excited to be swept up in a Fosse-esque darkness, The Provocateurs failed to succeed. They had the sexual force of Prince behind them, and yet they still couldn’t arouse an audience. The stage at club Eleven is suspended over the first floor of restaurant style seating, and directly in front of the second floor. Its precarious placement, with only a couple of wires across the front to keep performers from falling off, made it fairly difficult to see the show unless you were privy to a reserved table on the second floor. What really hindered the performance was the showing of classic burlesque dancers like Bettie Page on the television screens for an entire
hour before The Provocateurs went on. Page wooed audiences by being whimsical and sexy, while these girls managed neither. All six of them went in the aggressively sexy direction, and they didn’t hold their own. Being classically trained in dance isn’t a requirement to successfully pull off a burlesque show. It never has been. But the movements are supposed to be seductive, not jerky and awkward. It makes much more sense to take a dancer and turn her into a burlesque dancer than to take someone who seems sexy and fit for burlesque and try to make them graceful Knowingly delving into a world of questionable morals sounds evocative and exhilarating, but being greeted by The Provocateurs deadens the rush you might have felt. Their performance was extremely lackluster and left audience members confused. “I’m not sure if I desperately want to see [“Burlesque”] now to reassure myself that this really was bad in comparison,” said audience member Nathalie Shipp, “or if I’m turned off of burlesque forever.”
Guilty pleasures: The top 3 in music and film
Courtesy of Fox
Courtesy of Sony Entertainment
Courtesy of Paramount
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975): Considered a financial failure when it came out in 1975, “Rocky Horror” is now the ultimate guilty pleasure classic with midnight showings all around the country, where the philosophy of the film, “don’t dream it, be it,” is taken literally. With its plot -- a mixture of science fiction (aliens from Transsexual, Transylvania) with horror -- Frankenstein allusions, sex, and glam rock song numbers, “Rocky” is one of those bizarre films you can’t help but watch again.
“Labyrinth” (1986): So incredibly bad, and yet so incredibly good, this tale of Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) who must find her baby brother or marry the goblin king (David Bowie) is all over the place with pissing puppets, masquerade balls, interesting song and dance numbers, and an outrageous nonsensical ending. If you want to see David Bowie in interestingly tight clothing, Connelly’s wooden acting and a slew of interesting puppet creations, you will relish this film.
“Zoolander” (2001): Watching a “walk off” judged by David Bowie, Will Ferrell in a poodle haircut, and models not understanding that gasoline is flammable makes this film a modern guilty pleasure. The film follows the misadventures of male model Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), famous for his looks like, “Blue Steel” and “Ferrari.” Unpopular when it came out, it has gained a great following, so much that there will be a sequel. So catch this film if you want to see the seedy, fashionable world of male modeling.
Courtesy of Frontiers Records
Courtesy of Jive
Courtesy of Fiction
Journey – Yeah, you know you like them. This cheesy 80’s band was nowhere to be heard but on the oldies station. Once the song “Don’t Stop Believing” appeared on the “Sopranos” finale and on T.V. shows like, “The Hills” and “Glee,” the song along with other Journey singles sold more than four million downloads on iTunes than it previously did. So they might seem like an old band but those iTunes numbers don’t lie. Just admit it. Journey rocks.
Britney Spears – She might be more in the gossip mags than in the charts, and might be labeled an “airhead” for her actions in the past, but there are some songs that even the hard rocker or rapper might rock out to privately when no one is looking. “Toxic” is one of them, and “Gimme More” is the ultimate campy guilty pleasure. She might be a pop staple to many, but to a large, quiet minority, she is the skeleton in the closet that will forever live on in our hearts.
The Cure - For the girly girls, jocks, tough guys and pop lovers, this band is their skeleton in the closet. No way would they be caught in a Hot Topic store or wearing black. The band has dealt with this “closet loving” since the 1980s when “Lovesong” reached #2 at the top of the charts in 1989. This was such a shock to singer Robert Smith, that according to Spin Magazine, he wanted to quit the band. With songs like, “Friday I’m in love,” and “Just like Heaven,” this should not be a guilty pleasure band. Embrace your inner goth! Written by Debby Vasquez
Wednesday December 1, 2010
LIFESTYLE
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Flames of Dante’s deadly sins lick the heels of students By Stephanie Forshee Staff Writer
You’re in the middle of your final and the hot guy in class is distracting you, you can’t help but notice how much cuter your outfit is than the girl’s sitting next to you, and you didn’t really study because last night’s episode of “Glee” was far more interesting. Not only are you likely failing your test, but according to Dante’s seven deadly sins, you are sinning without even realizing it. Christianity recognizes sin, in general, as immoral. But there are seven namely instances where it is not only unforgivable but considered deadly: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, wrath, greed, and sloth. Of the deadly transgressions, sloth is what Italian Professor Maria Giribaldi claims to witness the most from her classes. “In my classes there’s a lot of immaturity,” said Giribaldi. “And usually it comes the moment of the final grade when they think they should have more. But they don’t deserve it because they don’t go to the lab, they don’t do the work, they don’t even pay attention in class. They’re just lazy.” “I think it’s a disease of the times and a disease of this society. I don’t think other cultures have the same sense of entitlement,” she continued. Sloth goes beyond the doors of the classroom though. SMC student Ron Collins sees the laziness most when he’s working around campus to encourage student involvement with the Bus Riders Union. “I do a lot of political work on campus and try to get students to do anything,” said Collins. “Like ‘Hey they’re cutting your
By John Stapleton IV Web Editor There’s a pretty universal list of places in which you wouldn’t want to find yourself after a four-day-long, Thanksgivingweekend bender. While there is an unspoken understanding that these places are not inherently bad locations in and of themselves, there’s a very reasonable logic behind making every attempt to avoid waking up in these places – especially if you spent the previous night (or nights, sure) deliberately drinking yourself into a coma. In no particular order: You never want to come to in a bathtub full of ice in Tijuana; you never want to wake up in the arms of your ex in their bed; and you never ever want to regain consciousness in Skid Row. It’s not that Skid Row’s multitudes of homeless people are frightening, but the area’s cesspool of shady characters that gather on Skid Row will make your primal fight or flight instincts lock on to “flight” quicker than you can say buzzkill. Plus Skid Row is cold, has limited resources, and really, no matter where you’re from, you’re always unnervingly aware that everyone else can tell you’re lost. If you do find yourself somewhere between 3rd and 7th, your head will probably be full of throbbing and your pockets will be empty – at best. At worst, you’ll be riddled with track marks, STD’s and stab wounds. The exception to this rule is if your drunk self had the foresight to guide you to the asshole of L.A. so that your hung over self could be healed with some microwaveable breakfast foods and some hair-of-the-dog beers that will only cost as much as the change you can dig out of your pockets. In that case, Skid
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classes, they’re taking your money away,’ they’re like, ‘And? I’m going to go smoke a bowl.’” Although Collins criticizes others’ lethargic ways interfering with school, it takes a vice of another variety to distract him from his education. “There’s a lot of sexual tension on campus,” he says. “Lust kind of winds up taking over the campus and becomes more important than school.” “Sometimes you’re not going to school to go to school, you’re going to see whomever. There’s a friend of mine that I always totally ditch class with because I really like them,” he said. But don’t think the professors don’t notice the wandering eyes in their classrooms. “I feel they’re distracted, there might be some lust. They’re young and they wouldn’t mind jumping on each other,” said Giribaldi. Student Elena Kivnick doesn’t blame lust so much as greed. “Everyone wants the same thing,” said Kivnick. “So when people go to the libraries and rip the pages out of textbooks, they’ll do whatever it takes to get a good grade.” “I think society shows these stupid problems in movies where people go and get everything that they want,” said Giribaldi. “It doesn’t matter how they get it, if it’s stealing, if it’s cheating, if it’s whatever. [Young students] grew up with that kind of mentality.” The deadly sins appear in a multitude of means across campus, but are there solutions? “I would not allow them to watch certain programs, to play certain video games, stuff
like that,” said Giribaldi. “I would rather they watch things that are celebrating people who are more hard working, honest, more than being a delinquent and getting everything that you want.” “Ironically, I think the solution is education,” said Collins. “Making classes more engaging to students and making
campus life more engaging to students.” Some students like Dennise Sosa are uncertain if there actually is an attainable remedy. “It’s hard because you try to push yourself, but then you’re like nah. Everybody’s lazy, so I might as well be a little bit lazy too,” said Sosa.
Row is right where you want to be at around 6 a.m. so you can join the rest of L.A.’s bottom rung when the doors open at King Eddy Saloon. “Six in the morning is our busiest time!” exclaimed bartender Leo LaMadrid. “We
for those of us who have a hard time balancing the collective value of a dive bar with friendly service, interesting people, breakfast and dirt cheap beers against the collective value of trivial things like… survival. This epitome of “dive bar”
playwright or failed actress as they cultivate cirrhosis and stare out the windows as the LAPD officers usher countless tent cities off the sidewalks. At King Eddy’s “no one gives a shit about your name,” so feel free to sit in silence while you sip your $2.50 breakfast beer under small screen televisions, bobble-head dolls, and a collection of neon beer signs that probably accounts for more than half of the entire block’s electric power usage as recently-evicted “campers” stroll in for something strong (“That’s how you know it’s cold outside: people start asking for 151,” said LaMadrid). But King Eddy’s has more to offer than flea market décor, microwaveable breakfast, and cheap beer with a view. It has pride. Not self-righteousness, but utter shamelessness. King Eddy’s is what bars would be like if prohibition never happened, drinking never became cool, and Old West saloons stayed the exact same. It’s a place for those who are hard on their luck, who are down and out, who are hopeless, or criminals, or running from their past – and it is completely unapologetic about its role as a refuge for the underprivileged. But it’s not depressing; it isn’t sad. You never feel sorry for the bar or its patrons. You feel like everything might just work out in the end, and if everything hasn’t worked out, it’s not the end. Located in the worst part of L.A. with quite possibly the most pitiable clientele, it still gets just as rambunctious as it did over 100 years ago when Stevie Nicks comes on the jukebox. If anything, King Eddy’s will teach you this: When life hands you lemons, get hammered.
Photo Illustration by Sal Guerra Corsair Aside from the morning after all-night study sessions, or post-finals partying, students find themselves asleep at all hours of the day due to one of Dante’s deadliest sins: laziness, or sloth.
Brian White Corsair The homeless and regulars seamlessly mingle over cheap beers and spirits in the middle of skid row at King Eddy’s Saloon.
are jam-packed. A lot of people just come for breakfast, but you got your alcoholics that need that first drink, and those people that were out partying all night that just wanna keep going. But yeah, we usually have a line outside in the morning.” Dubious locale aside, the bar colloquially referred to as King Eddy’s presents something of a conundrum
dive has been located in the corner of the once-luxurious King Edward Hotel since the structure was erected in 1905, and while the building once hosted the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, it now serves as a refuge for the opposite end of the success spectrum. In fact, you’re more than welcome to saddle up next to some forgotten
LIFESTYLE
Corsair Newspaper Santa Monica College
Wednesday December 1, 2010
Alfredo Luna Corsair
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By Jeremy Biglow Exhibit Editor Battling Night Elves in Darnassus City, protecting the country from deranged terrorists, or controlling the lives of simulated people all just seems like simple tasks but, there’s one catch: (fighters) are faced with completing the objectives before dinner is ready. Those types of scenarios are all too familiar to what the quintessential gamer would go through during the course of a day. For some, gaming is something to do when you’re bored, but for others it starts to become more of an addictive vice than a pastime hobby to the point where gamers find themselves craving the intensity of a graphic video game rather than enjoying actual reality. As technology continues to steadily rise, video games are becoming more realistic and often resemble reality more than reality itself, giving
gamers the opportunity to games establish meaningful ideology between the id, the subsitude the virtual reality relationships and salient fantasy perspective, and the with actual reality. With emotional experiences, as ego, reality. games like World of Warcraft, well as real-life leadership As for SMC student, Patricia Call of Duty, and even such skills from these virtual Snyder, playing online video simplistic game such as the environments.” games has become a full time EA hit The Sims; games are Despite these findings, job. When not studying for giving addicted gamers the Wilkins managed to justify the her computer science classes opportunity to escape into a belief that extensive gamers Snyder spends majority of her virtual dimension filled with are anti-social is misinformed. time on the popular MMORPG action and fantasy. “When you play online, you (Massively Multiplayer Online For Santa Monica Role Playing Game) College student World of Warcraft “I often get so into the game that I Daniel Wilkins, (WoW as diehard have to plan my school schedule around gaming is used as gamers often refer an escape method. to it) as a level 80 WoW, because of the constant raiding After his father Warrior Blood Elf missions.” passed away from defending the plains cancer Wilkins of Silvermoon City - Patricia Snyder found himself against the alliance. venturing into the “I often get so into extraterrestrial the game that I have realm of Halo 3 or the are constantly communicating to plan my school schedule industrial plains of Call of with people and making social around WoW, because of the Duty. connections,” he said. constant raiding missions,” “It was an escape for me Where it becomes the issue Snyder says. “My favorite where I could take out my is when a number of gamers thing about the game is that anger,” said Wilkins. that take it to another level even though you reached the Studies that were done and often become addicts of maximum level in the game by Stanford University the virtual world. Once they there’s still so much to do and professor Nick Yee showed enter this realm it’s as if they you honestly never actually that “users that play online lose the ability to separate the ever beat the entire game.”
According to ScienceDaily. com the students who played online multiplayer games faithfully did so about three times as much as those playing independent based games, averaging over 14 hours a week. Snyder knows that her addiction to WoW is an unhealthy path but she brushes it off with the idea that “if I didn’t play WoW I would be letting down my troop.” She felt that her only true friends that would never betray her are the people she’s met on WoW, along with friends she’s met at SMC that join her in her raids from time to time. For some playing video games are used as escape methods from facing an imperfect reality. For others it’s used as an attempt to make friends. Regardless of the motive for playing them, games like World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, or even Halo can often create addictions that rival that of any type of drug.
A Taste of the World: Chocolate Chip Cookies By Alessandra Catanese Staff Writer There has never been a better excuse for overindulgence than the holidays. Worried about the permanent lipstick stain your great aunt Margaret is going to leave on your cheek during your family’s big Christmas Eve party? Drown your anxiety in sweets and treats without an ounce of guilt! You may be worried about your mom’s traditional tuna casserole, but you can always count on warm, soft homemade chocolate chip cookies. So, for my conclusion to this cooking endeavor which I know you have been patiently following all semester, I present to you the recipe for the most perfect chocolate chip cookies you will ever make. To start, let your butter sit out so it gets to room temperature and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the brown and the
white sugar with the soft butter. If you don’t have time to let the butter come to room temperature, put it in a small bowl and heat it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. It’s important not to melt the butter completely because this affects the consistency of your cookie dough and will result in flat crispy cookies. Mix the butter and the sugar until it forms a cream. Lightly beat two eggs in a small bowl. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract to the creamed mixture. Next, in a separate medium sized bowl, sift in the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add this to the creamed mixture. Your dough will start to get stiff, but have no fear! stiffness of the dough is exactly what you want. Be warned: the softer the dough, the flatter your cookies will bake. Remember, the dough is going to melt a little in the oven, but the flour and egg combination is what holds the cookie together.
Once you have finished adding the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, you can add the chocolate chips. The best type of chocolate chips to use are semi-sweet ones specifically labeled for baking. Market chain Ralph’s has some good, cheap chocolate chips, perfect for baking. Now that you are ready to bake, lay a sheet of tinfoil onto the baking pan. For the perfect sized cookie, use an ice-cream scooper to scoop up the dough, and mold it with your palm into a little ball. Put this down on the tinfoil and flatten the ball a little with your palm. Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes. Once you start to see a golden brown ring around the bottom edge of the cookies, they’re just about done! I like my cookies gooey in the middle, so I take them out of the oven after exactly 12 minutes, but if you like them a little bit cagier or crispy, let them cook for about three to five minutes longer.
INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup Granulated sugar 1 cup Brown sugar 1 cup Butter 1 tbsp Vanilla 2 Eggs, slightly beaten 3 cup Flour 3/4 tsp Baking soda 3/4 tsp Salt 3 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips There you have it, the perfect chocolate chip cookie. However, no cookie recipe is complete without a glass of milk, so pour yourself a tall one and enjoy! I must say, it has been a pleasure cooking for you. I hope you all have a happy holiday season, cooking or not, and enjoy your winter break. To check out our final video and the recipe online visit TheCorsairOnline. com. Photo Courtesy of Anna Cervova
The Santa Monica College Corsair, Fall 2010, Issue 13
