Spring 2019 Issues 01 by Santa Monica College Corsair Newspaper

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | Journalism Advisor Gerard Burkhart | Photo Advisor

Jenni Chang, 39, a Los Angeles resident, speaks to Bernie Sanders supporters at the #MarchForBernie demonstration, Saturday, February 23, 2019 in Hollywood, Calif. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. (Yasamin Jafari/ The Corsair)

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The crisp Winter air lingers as we settle into another rainy Southern California Spring, and Santa Monica College begins the 2019 academic year. As we return to class, our nation and the world at large, is at a crossroads. Still in its youth, the 21st century has already provided its fair share of unprecedented challenges. Torrential storms herald worsening climate change; fundamental societal and cultural divisions still plague societies around the globe and have found in the internet a new space to thrive. The world, and humanity itself, is undergoing a cultural metamorphosis as we come to grips with the new tools and challenges of the young century. Our inner worlds are now exposed, shared, dissected, and forgotten in minutes, and our opinions are often formed by the relentless tides and echoes of debate and discourse on social media. At the end of January - nearly a month ago - a story about actor Jussie Smollett broke across America and continues to captivate national attention into the waning days of February. Smollett, 36, was an actor on Fox’s television drama “Empire,” who claimed to have been assaulted during the early morning hours in Chicago. Smollett’s initial account of the assault was chilling. Smollett, who is an openly gay African-American actor, claimed that assaulters approached him aggressively on the street, shouted “racial and homophobic slurs,” poured an “unknown chemical substance” on him, and wrapped a noose around his neck. Shortly after, Smollett would also claim that the assaulters shouted, “this is MAGA country,” while carrying out the assault. Fitting an attack of such magnitude, once the news emerged in the following days, the internet exploded with opinions and hot takes from the media, actors, Hollywood personalities, politicians, to our neighbors, family and friends. The blizzard of information following the attack was as overwhelming as it was captivating. Some voices doubted Smollett’s claim, but many were quick to take the assault as a reinforcement of beliefs, whether political, or even geographic, some reasoning that Chicago’s history with racism added credibility to his claims. It would not be long before doubts would surface regarding Smollett’s story. Details such as his initial reluctance to report the assault, and the heavily redacted phone records he provided Chicago Police, began to chip away at his narrative. In many cases, social media figures and opinion curators dug-in on their positions, bringing a level of vitriol to the discussion worthy of America’s current political arena. It would prove fateful then, that most Americans were caught proverbially trying to steal home by rushing to conclusions of guilt. In early February, details began to emerge that the Chicago Police Department was questioning two “persons of interest,” caught on surveillance video near the crime. Soon, CBS News would break that two brothers, Ola and Abel Osundairo were paid by Smollett to assault him. The two brothers, American-born actors of Nigerian descent, living and working in America, obtained the rope found around Smollett’s neck at a nearby hardware store. A raid of the brothers’ apartments would soon reveal more rope, masks, and bottles of bleach. Within weeks, the brothers would meet with Chicago Police and confirm their involvement, and backed up CPD’s assessment that Smollett had in fact staged the assault. Today, Jussie Smollett faces charges of felony disorderly conduct in Cook County, Illinois, after having being dismissed from his role on “Empire” for his involvement in the staged attack. The Osundairo brothers have yet to face any charges for their involvement. Whatever Smollett’s motivation, the attack he staged captured national attention and divided opinions across the board. As the facts fall, many who felt compelled to defend Smollett initially, or those who felt appalled by the nature of the attack itself, are scrambling to understand how they could have been so easily mislead. It serves as a warning to all Americans, and doubly so to the media itself, that not all is always as it may seem. It is impossible not to consider that the toxicity surrounding other issues of race and inequality seeped into the interpretation of Smollett’s story. The allegory of Jussie Smollett reminds us of the importance of accountable critical thinking, and that any incomplete set of facts with an inflammatory appearance must be considered in an emotional vacuum, or risk being misinterpreted. However much any issue confirms our knowledge or biases, it is imperative that we separate and consider the facts, and internally rebuke any narrative that is constructed without investigative due diligence, no matter how it reinforces previously held beliefs. This is especially important in an age where judging the validity of any given fact or story is an essential skill to remaining accurately informed. There is no shame in being wrong, but there is in reckless acceptance, and in an incapability to accept a reality which might not fit a personal narrative. As we bring you a new semester of Corsair editions, we consider it among our highest responsibilities to deliver accurate and complete information to the student body, while keeping our readership as informed in as large a range of issues as possible. Throughout this edition, you will find a variety of reporting from a diverse and enthusiastic set of student journalists whose lust for the truth of things is as inspiring as it is essential. Their commitment to the Corsair, and the SMC student body is in the strongest tradition of our publication, and it is clear their dedication towards factually informing our students is paramount above all concerns. As you prepare to turn the page into our first edition of the 2019 Spring Semester, remember a quote by Mark Twain, who once wrote, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

NEWS

Ana Duraes Peixoto ǀSocial Media Editor Five days after Bernie Sanders announced his candidacy for the 2020 presidential run, it was up to the local group the “Bernie Sanders Brigade” to quickly organize the march, aiming to mobilize current and previous supporters from Sanders' 2016 campaign. A group of about a hundred supporters gathered on Hollywood Blvd and marched their way down Vine St. in Los Angeles, California on Saturday Febuary, 23. Their goal was to reach CNN’s building on Sunset Boulevard three blocks away. The conglomeration stood and listened as speakers from several progressive partisan and politically unaffiliated organizations advocated for Bernie Sanders and some of his most popular policies: medicare for all, tuition-free college, tackling homelessness, and support for Green New Deal are among a few. The march and rally was peaceful and it was close to sundown when the assembled dispersed, having chanted eagerly “Feel the Bern” and “I say Bernie, you say Sanders” throughout the day. “We needed to have a quick response to show that Bernie Sanders has the grassroots people behind him,” said Carlos Marroquin, co-founder of Bernie Sanders Brigade and community activist of the Los Angeles area. “Many of the other candidates have pretty

Sanders Supporters Rally in Hollywood

Bernie Sanders supporters march south on Vine St. toward Sunset Blvd., Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019, Hollywood, Calif. Sanders announced his run for the Democratic nomination for president on Tuesday. (Glenn Zucman/ The Corsair)

much co-opted Bernie Sanders’ message. Many will say they are for medicare for all, but when you actually ask them, just as Kamala Harris did, she backtracked everything and began using a different kind of language. Not only her, many of the other Democrats are saying certain things but they don’t actually believe in it. Bernie Sanders has been fighting for this for ten decades, it’s nothing new." Sanders, 77, has advo-

High Cost of Living Hits SMC's International Students

Theo Greenly, Megan McNaughton ǀ Staff Writers

Ada Unal travelled over five thousand miles from Norway to study business at Santa Monica College. She was attracted to the United States’ open education system which would allow her to change majors more easily than the rigid system in Norway. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to study,” Unal said, “so coming here with the general ed system... it just was a better option for me.” Despite the convenience of changing majors, however, the cost of high tuition paired with expensive housing hits international students hard. Unal came to the United States on an F-1 student visa which largely prohibits her from working. F-1 students are mostly relegated to low paying jobs on campus, which only pay eight dollars an hour. Shaoyi Sun, a first year student from Xi’an, China, doesn’t blame the US for imposing work restrictions. “There’s gotta be some protection for natives, for locals,” Sun said. “I understand, but the tuition is freakin’ high.” Tuition and other school expenses are exponentially higher for international students. According to the Bursar’s Office, international students pay an additional $300 per unit more than students with residency, and since last semester they must pay a mandatory health insurance fee of $702.

SMC requires international students to provide bank statements which demonstrate their ability to pay for school. According to SMC’s International Education Center and Career Services, international applicants must show that they have “sufficient funds” for “tuition and living expenses per year.” Some international students are able to receive money from their governments to get an education abroad. “Luckily, I’m getting grants and loans from my government,” Unal says, “but, again, it’s not enough for living, school, and food, and fun.” Dounia Boughelous and Lia Blanquet are film students from Paris. “We’re poor basically,” explained Boughelous. “We have to watch everything,” Blanquet added, “because we’re living off our savings.” Now, with the housing crisis, the cost of living is only going up. Although other cities have recently surpassed it, Santa Monica was the most expensive rental city in the country according to a 2017 study from Apartment Guide, with an average apartment rental price of $4,799.20. “In one year,” Unal said, “I think I’ve changed my living situation about four times.” She complained that “you basically gamble on who you live with” and that it does not “always work out.” She claimed that shady roommates scammed her out of thousands of dollars. Denise Kinsella, Interim Dean of the International Education Center, said that the organization “warns students to be careful

cated for medicare reform throughout his political career, and actively continues to perpetuate this platform into his presidential runs. The event was organized so promptly that several posters and signs had to be quickly recycled from the previous campaign, adding a 20 on top of the 16. However, this event is set to be just the first of many, since supporters of the Democratic candidate now

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have their high hopes renewed for the next presidential run. “After Bernie Sanders lost in 2016, some people were demoralized, some felt betrayed, but many of us, many of our groups, we are still pretty active, fighting for the issues that he represented, that he cared about, because those are the issues that we care about so we never went away. The only difference now is that as soon as they announced [the candidacy], all we had to do was put the switch back on and have a call to action. People were just waiting for this," explained Marroquin. As the Vermont Senator begins his second presidential campaign, he is counting on the support received from his previous run and the new voters. QR Code T-shirts to register for voting or the old-fashioned bring-a-friendalong are worthy methods used by Sanders' backers to attract more supporters. Theresa Aguilar, a local fashion production coordinator and Sanders supporter, took the opportunity to bring her friends marching as well. “I am very excited that he has confirmed he will run again for president because I was very hopeful last time,” said Aguilar. “I agree with many of his views and I appreciate that he looks out for the people, not just one sector. And he has been very consistent with his views since he was younger, so he has proven that what he wants for the people is genuine rather than trying to say things just to gain more attention.”

Anson Dahong Su, an international student poses outside The International Education Counseling Center of Santa Monica College on February 21st, 2019, in Santa Monica, California. (Victor Noerdlinger/ The Corsair)

of scams” and counsels students to “avoid falling prey to scammers.” Despite the pitfalls of life in a new country, Sun stated “we’re lucky, actually.” He said that, “After Trump was elected, it’s getting tough for all the foreigners to get a visa.” Kinsella confirmed that “F-1 enrollment has seen a decline in the past couple of years.” She approximated that there are currently “about 2,900 F-1 students” enrolled at SMC, “down from about 3,100 last year.” The dream of studying and later working in the United States is still a big draw to many, despite the cost. Anson Dahong Su travelled from Guangzhou, China, to study computer science at SMC. He hopes to stay in the country after graduation and go to work for Blizzard Entertainment, a video game programming company based in Irvine,

California.. “When I was young, I played a famous video game, but that game was made by Americans, so I want to study computer science and go to that company to work,” Su said. But the outlook for students who wish to work in the country after graduation is grim. A 2016 study from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that “for every 100 F-1 students educated in a state, none were working in the state five years after graduation.” Despite the difficulties and drawbacks, however, many students still think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. “Whether you like it or not,” Sun said, “America is number one."

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It's 5 a.m. and Santa Monica College (SMC) Fashion major and “mompreneur” Porscha Woodard starts her day walking into her kitchen and feeding her recently adopted kitten Princess Jasmine, preparing lunch for herself and her daughter Isis, showering, getting dressed, and heading out to congested LA traffic where she sits for about forty-five minutes to an hour. This has been Woodard’s daily routine for a couple years now: a routine that has enabled her to run a personal business, manage her daughter’s acting career, and attend college classes all while maintaining a 3.2 GPA. Fascinated with the glitz and glamour of the fashion world, Woodard set out to create her very first business at the age of twenty. Chasing her fascination, she established “Porscha Starr,” a lingerie brand that was successful at infiltrating exclusive runways and catering to top celebrities. Working as head of the brand with no college degree alongside a group of designers, Woodard was enjoying every minute of it. Until she wasn’t. After a separation, her daughter's birth, and suffering from postpartum depression Woodard says, “honestly, I lost the drive.” Her daughter changed her perspective, “I didn’t really want that lifestyle around her, because I look

PHOTOSTORY at her like a princess.” Although she still loves lingerie and considers it “beautiful” she didn’t want to continue being so close to a sex-sale industry. Despite the success, Woodard closed that chapter in her life and decided to come back to school to formally learn the craft of fashion and business more in-depth. “I was motivated by the handson side of the business with fashion, and also my daughter was a lot of motivation,” says Woodard. She confesses she has “always had a drive for fashion,” but lacked knowledge in the actual design aspect. “I never really knew the handson side of it, like how to design, cut, sew that whole deal, but I always had the business aspect of it,” continues Woodard. Her biggest inspiration is her grandmother. “She is almost 70 and looks like a million bucks all the time,” she remarks with a smile on her face. “My grandmother was a seamstress, she used to make wedding dresses, and some of the most beautiful prom gowns,” says Woodard and continues, “I was a little kid... two-three years old, and always watching her picking up her pins and needles.” Today Woodard is focusing all of her energy in her new business “Mommy

and Me Swag” taking her from fashion designer to successful “fashion-mommy” blogger. Starting this new endeavor back in March, 2018, the site will soon be celebrating its one year anniversary and continues to steadily grow. Her change of direction came from wanting to report on the latest fashion, hair products, and discussing mother and daughter relationships explaining, “Mothers and daughters have really difficult relationships, including myself with my own mother so it's very personal.” The part she enjoys the most about this business is the interaction with other mothers online, sharing motherhood along with them and their daughters. Whether she is running to her daughter's next audition, next gymnastics class, her college course, or just being a mom, Porscha Woodard never gives up, and embodies a strong female character and a rich African-American heritage.

“The best thing I can tell you is fight, because the moment you give up it’s over, you have to continue to fight, you gotta get up every morning and still make it happen to come to school, go to work, go to those auditions, run that business, be a mom. You gotta continue to fight,” is Woodard’s suggestion for women with or without children who are going through hard times. She admits that SMC has helped shape her as an entrepreneur and a person and will be transferring to a four-year university this coming Fall.

Designin

Threading A Brighter Fut Casey Contreras ǀ Culture Editor

Fashion student Porscha Woodward poses for the camera before starting her work load, Friday, February 22, 2019 within the Fashion Department in Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, Calif. Porscha Woodward is enrolled in Fashion 6A, Pattern Analysis and Design, and learns the basics of tracing taught by Professor Sofi Khachmanyan. (Janet Ali/The Corsair)

At Right: Fashion student Porscha Woodward takes heavy duty scissors to start cutting, Friday, February 22, 2019 during Fashion 6A, Pattern Analysis and Design, at Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, Calif. Professor Sofi Khachmanyan teaches the class Fashion 6A, where she helps the students on a very close level. (Janet Ali/TheCorsair)

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At Left: Porscha Woodward learns and works on the basics of tracing, Friday, February 22, 2019 within the Fashion Department at Santa Monica College (SMC), in Santa Monica, Calif. (Janet Ali/The Corsair)

Below: Mannequins decorate the classroom for Fashion 6A, Pattern Analysis and Design, Friday, February 22, 2019, at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif. (Janet Ali/The Corsair)

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Kyoka Takahashi (left) helps classmate Porscha Woodward (right) understand how the design is to be made by showing her personal notes, Friday, February 22, 2019, in the Fashion Department at Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, Calif. (Janet Ali/The Corsair)

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Is Apex Legends the New Fortnite? Mila Greenberg ǀStaff Writer If you’ve been hearing less of the word “Fortnite” being tossed around lately, you’re not the only one. A new video game called “Apex Legends” has swept the gaming world off its feet and could be putting an end to the Fortnite hype. Developed by Respawn Entertainment, "Apex Legends" was virtually unheard of before its launch on February 5 this year. According to the CEO of Respawn, Vince Zampella, the game gained 25 million players within its first week. By contrast, the similar online multiplayer game “Fortnite” had only about 2 million players during the first week of its initial release in 2017. "Apex Legends" is a Battle Royale game, a sub-genre of competitive online multiplayer games, popularized by earlier titles such as "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" (PUBG) and later "Fortnite." Battle Royale games consist of setting up a large number of players against each other in a continually shrinking map. In both "Apex Legends" and “Fortnite,” teams start the game by skydiving into each match and fighting for survival. In both games, players start off with nothing, and have to procure weapons

CULTURE

and items around the game world while taking down opponents. However, the two games have their differences. “Apex Legends” is considered a “hero-based” game — players take on the role of one of eight hero characters, whereas “Fortnite” has many customizable characters to choose from (and purchase). Santa Monica College (SMC) student Curtis Crowe says he prefers “Apex” because it allows for more “player individuality” since “each character has different abilities as opposed to “Fortnite” where everyone is the same, the only changes between players are cosmetic.” David Javelosa, a Game Development and Design teacher at SMC, also points out

A naked Rock Star, looking forlorn, in a fetal position, embracing his now widowed wife Yoko Ono: is one of the last photographs taken of John Lennon, captured just hours before he was murdered outside of his residence in New York City. Los Angeles residents were able to see original photos taken by American photographer Annie Leibovitz at the Hauser & Wirth Museum, located in downtown Los Angeles, this past weekend. Titled "The Early Years", this body of work was shot between the years of 19681983 and chronicles the socio-political climate of the times. An array of images telling the stories of hippies, flower children, rock stars, writers, poets, political activists, and politicians. The exhibit begins in the tumultuous time of the Vietnam War documenting the anti-war protests centered in the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco, California. Photos that landed her a job at what was then a small magazine called "Rolling Stone". It was there at "Rolling Stone" where Leibovitz would work with journalists such as Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe. Early photos with personalities such as Grace Slick, Louis Armstrong, Van Morrison, and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson are on display capturing

nounced that their new game had 25 million players. In March 2019 “Apex” is expected to unveil its "battle pass" which is supposed to work similarly to “Fortnite's" battle pass feature, but will have free and premium models that will enable gamers to unlock different weapon cosmetics and characters. Twitch, a live-stream gaming network, is also seeing a change in numbers as “Fortnite” was finally de-throned from the number one viewership spot. As of February 8, just three days after its release, “Apex Legends” was in the first slot on streaming website Twitch with the most views. At that time “Fortnite” was relegated to the fifth slot. Crowe, said that he would “prefer to watch a professional game of Apex because the use of the abilities leaves each player with more room for individual creative potential.” Crowe admitted that he used to watch “Fortnite” games on Twitch, but that they would “get boring quickly.” “Fortnite” has had a long, extremely successful run so far, with more than 200 million players as much as people may be done with hearing about this game, “Fortnite” won’t be disappearing just yet. Nevertheless, “Apex Legends” did steal its spotlight and it won’t stop shining for a while, it’s just the beginning. “Fortnite” has had an extremely successful run since release, with more than 200 million active players, but “Apex Legends” has already threatened its reign over Twitch’s top viewership spot.

Curtis Crowe, Santa Monica College (SMC) student, playing as Apex Legneds character Bangalore in his home in Pacific Palisades. February 22, 2019. (Pablo Eden Garcia/Corsair Staff)

Annie Leibovitz - "The Early Years" A Chronicle of American Culture

Shayn Almeida ǀ Staff Writer

that “Apex” is strictly team-based, requiring three-person teams. “Fortnite,” on the other hand, “leaves more room for solo action and one-on-one Battle Royale.” Another immense difference between the games is that “Apex” has no building aspect, whereas “Fortnite,” although the main objective of the game is to take out other players, is known for its creative structure building. Javelosa explained that “Fortnite” attracts “Minecraft” players because of the building factor, while “Apex” is attracting more “Call of Duty” and “Overwatch” players because of the gaming style and mechanics. Due to Apex’s astronomical success, shares of its publisher EA Games went up 8.5 percent on February 12, after they an-

her early career. By 1972, Leibovitz became one of the few female Journalists to cover the presidential election. When Thompson failed to submit coverage for the magazine, Annie Leibovitz saved the issue with a 50-page photo story of images illustrating the divisiveness that the Vietnam War and the presidential election had on America. The exhibit then moves into "The Warhol Factory" and we see candid pictures of artists, actors, dancers, divas, and "Factory Superstars", people that Warhol had thrust into the limelight through his paintings and photographs. The time travel continues, as we are eased into images of the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Xerox Research Center in Palo Alto, Calif. We learn about Stewart Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalogue, who wrote about the first "Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics" with first-hand photos of some of the early scientists and technicians who helped develop personal computers. "The Early Years" captures the evolution and raw talent of Leibovitz with early images of social angst and political upheaval. Her skill continued to shine through time with photographs of emerging Hollywood stars such as Peter Fonda, Jane Fonda, and Warren

Beatty to name a few. In 1975, Leibovitz was asked to photograph the British rock band The Rolling Stones on the 27 city “Tour of the Americas." With an intimate behind-the-scenes look at the lives of touring musicians through the life of her lens, we also learn about the pressures that sent Leibovitz over the edge landing her in a drug rehabilitation center. "At the time," Leibovitz said, "I thought the way to get the best work was to become a chameleon. To become so much a part of what was going on that no one would know you were there. Of course, it was terribly naive of me to pick that situation to become one with." Towards the end of the exhibit, attendees were treated to photos of a young comedian named Richard Pryor, a Rastafarian named

Bob Marley, a completely ripped, young, and iron-pumped Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a peanut farmer from Georgia who would later go on to become a President named Jimmy Carter. Lastly, we see unique, unstaged, nonchalant and natural looking pictures of fellow photographers whom she admired: from Ansel Adams, and Richard Avedon, to Helmut Newton, and Jaques Henri Lartigue, as an audience we are able to see who inspired this incredibly inspiring photographer. Be it a lesson in history, a chronicle of American culture, a study in photography, an artistically uplifting date, or simply just an eyeopening way to spend your afternoon, "Annie Leibovitz: The Early Years" captures a shifting American landscape through the eye of her lens.

Museum attendee tours the extensive exhibit of photographer Annie Leibovitz “The Early Years” at the Hauser & Wirth Museum located in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles, Calif. The exhibit is open through April 14, 2019. (Shayn Almedia/The Corsair)

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Trump's Non-Emergency

Illustration by Conner Savage

Trump’s declaration of a national emergency is a cynical–and desperate–distraction Earl Agustines ǀ Staff Writer If you thought the government shutdown was the worst the Trump presidency could do, just remember, this is the Trump presidency. The administration that allows children to be detained by ICE, calls asylum seekers “invaders”, spouts lies on a daily basis and who fails to live up to campaign promises is now willing to declare a national emergency to get its way. President Trump made this declaration in order to build a border wall due to, "...an invasion of drugs and criminals coming into our country." The border wall, which has been denounced as completely ineffective by experts, will cost $8 billion. Trump plans to divert money that Congress gave for building a fence into building the wall, in addition to other funds from government projects and the Treasury Department. How does declaring a national emergency allow the president to divert funding from other government projects? To put it simply, the president is allowed to do whatever he needs to do without oversight, during a national emergency. For example, In a New

York Times article from 2009, an outbreak of swine flu prompted former President Obama to declare a national emergency and allow hospitals to set up offsite locations and disaster relief centers for quick vaccinations. However, the difference between the immigration crisis and a flu outbreak is that a flu outbreak is an actual national emergency.

of emergency powers to fund his wall. Other groups such as homeowners with property on the border, the Democratic Party, and the American Civil Liberties Union are also filing lawsuits to combat Trump's declaration. So far, it looks like the lawsuits will be major obstacles for Trump. Trump admitted that he only declared a national emergency to make the process of building the wall more expedient. This flimsy excuse, in addition to the lawsuits, sounds like it will only make Trump even more unpopular. One shouldn't necessarily be too confident yet.

"If you thought the government shutdown was the worst the Trump presidency could do, just remember, this is the "The difference Trump presidency." between the immigration crisis and a flu outbreak Despite Trump declaring his national is that a flu outbreak is emergency, it may not be as simple as signing an actual national emera few papers. According to Time Magazine, California along with 15 other states are gency." suing President Trump for his unlawful use

As has been seen before with appointing Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the recent government shutdown, and as far back as the 2016 elections, Trump has ways of subverting expectations. It's important to remember that Republicans still have the support of both the Senate and the Supreme Court, both of which could simply allow Trump to act as he sees fit and not challenge his claims. However, according to the Atlantic, Republicans seem to be somewhat split on the issue of declaring a national emergency, with ten percent supporting Trump's decision, five percent opposed, 16 percent who have concerns and 22 percent who've remained ambiguous about the situation. While the Trump Administration has made rash decisions before that ended in failure, such as the recent game of chicken surrounding the government shutdown, Trump is more than likely to pull something even worse in the future.

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SPORTS The Corsairs' Hot Streak Continues

Christian Vasquez Ç&#x20AC; Sports Editor The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs softball team continues their undefeated winning streak with a tense, lowscoring match on Thursday, February 21, while hosting the Allan Hancock College Bulldogs at John Adams Middle School Field. Corsair starting pitcher Ireland Miessau

(#22) shut out the Bulldogs. Miessau pitched through all seven innings, allowing just two hits, striking out seven batters and not allowing any walks. The Corsairs managed to finally light the scoreboard at the bottom of the third inning. First-baseman Erika Soto (#6) drew a fly ball to center field. The sacrifice fly ball allowed second-baseman Taylor Scott (#37) to run into home-base.

The female Corsair softball team stand for the national anthem on Thursday, February 21, 2019. They defeated the Allen Handcock Bulldogs 1-0 with seven strike outs and no runs. (Clyde Bates Jr./The Corsair)

The remainder of the match was a neck and neck battle. Both teams struggled to put any points on the board. The final score was 1-0 in favor of The Corsairs. SMC had more opportunities to score but were unable to, stranding a total of six players on base. The Bulldogs only managed to strike out four batters and allowed five hits and two walks. The Corsairs now stand at (4-0). Their first

win against the Compton College Tartars ended 6-1. They played two matches against the Oxnard College Condors which were both won 4-2 and 7-4, respectively. They will be on the road on Tuesday, February 26 to face off against Ventura College. Their next home game will take place on Thursday, February 28 against Cuesta College at 2:30 pm at John Adams Middle School.

Corsair starting pitcher, Ireland Miessau, 22, on the mound at the top of the third inning against the Allen Handcock Bulldogs on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Miessau finished the game with seven strike outs and no runs. (Clyde Bates Jr./The Corsair)