CORSAIR
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
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2 contents/News
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
E D I T O R I A L S TA F F Alci Rengifo············ Editor-in-Chief c o rs a i r. e d i t o r i n c h i e f @ g m a i l . c o m Rachel Gianuario····Managing Editor Co-A&E Editor, News Editor c o rs a i r. n e w s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Paulina Eriksson·····Health & Lifestyle c o rs a i r. l i f e s t y l e p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Jonathan Ramos········ Opinion Editor c o rs a i r. o p i n i o n p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m James Powel··············· Sports Editor c o rs a i r. s p o r t s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Ronja Jansz ........ Multimedia Director c o rs a i r. m u l t i m e d i a d e p t @ g m a i l . c o m Mia Duncans ············· Photo Editor c o rs a i r p h o t o e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Ju a n L o p e z . . . . . . . D i g i t a l E d i t o r c o rs a i r. w e b e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Jhosef Hern····················Illustrator c o rs a i r c a r t o o n @ g m a i l . c o m
UCLA student and Martial Arts Society President Jassi Patayon teaches Santa Monica College students how to do round house kicks during Martial Arts practice on Monday Oct. 6, 2014 at the Clock Tower. Patayon teaches the free class every Monday and Friday. Scott Bixler Corsair
c o r s a i r s ta f f Zafer Acar, Brandon Barsugli, Scott Bixler, Carlos Espinosa, Jazmine B. Heard, Adrien Piteux, Luis Salvador, Raven Newaly, Brenda Cruz, Matthew Toss, Stacy Ellen, Jeffrey Chacon, Stella Ngigi, Carlos Espinosa, Alfredo Gutierrez, Zoila Campos, Jillisa Jenkins, Yasha Hawkins, Branisolv Jovanovio, Jose Gutierrez,, Julianne Oseberg, Nour Kabbani, Farhanah Ali, Devin Page, Jason Biney, Jose Lopez, Sherrie Dickinson, Patricia Stallone, Ava Gandy, Nicholas Cardona, Nick Carrion, Veronika Kacha, Hans Saudestroem, Adriane Hale, Tiffany Hernandez, Mary Leipziger, Claudius West, Deni Rodriguez, Richard Lewis, Brandon Wong,, Maddy Weber, Lorena Garcia.
On The Cover: Allegra Houghton, an SMC Art Major, prepares for Sustainibility Week events on Tuesday in front of the Organic Learning Garden. Upcoming events include; “Beauty and the Beard”, GMO Day and Beach Clean up. Mia Duncans Corsair
FA C U LT Y A D V I S O R S Saul Rubin & Gerard Burkhart AD INQUIRIES: Sa r it Ka s h a n i a n corsai r. admana g er@g m ai l . co m (3 1 0 ) 4 3 4 - 4 0 3 3
Letter From the Editor Alci rengifo Editor In Chief
Our seventh issue for this semester comes after an exciting, rewarding weekend for The Corsair at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges conference in Fullerton. For two days, staffers attended workshops, conversed with other college papers, and competed in events focusing on photography, writing, and other areas of journalism. We are proud to announce that The Corsair took home 16 awards at the conference for content mailed in for judging and on the spot competitions. This included three first place awards for news and column writing, and sports photography. However, the truth is, those of us on staff don’t do this for awards, the work itself is rewarding and we do it because of the commitment we feel to our readers and campus community, and a drive to chronicle and dissect the world we live in. Seeing our staff be awarded is simply a kind of confirmation about the work we do and time we invest. One element that makes our paper stand out is its diverse range. We try hard to cover topics that range from the local to the international. In this issue we begin our coverage of upcoming November 4 elections within the Santa Monica community. While nationally, all eyes will be on the midterms which will determine the future makeup of Congress, locally there are important races taking place which will determine local and even campus policy. In the News section we profile two candidates standing on opposite ends of a generational divide. Dennis Frisch, a previous SMC professor, and Nick Boles, a previous SMC student, are both running respectively for the SMC Board of Trustees and the Santa Monica City Council. At 28, Boles is the youngest candidate on the ballot and he reveals the excitement but personal
trials of running for a seat on the city council. Myself and editor Rachel Gianuario sit down with the candidates to discuss their proposals, hopes and experiences in seeking public office. Yasha Hawkins also reports on the events of Sustainability Week, a collective effort by students and teachers to raise awareness about environmentalist issues and the urgency to deal with a rapidly changing ecosystem. Our seventh issue also takes a slight detour down south to the Andes. In the Opinion section I comment on the recent re-election of Evo Morales in Bolivia. For those who follow global politics, Latin America has been a hotbed of leftist, radical elections and social shifts since the late Hugo Chavez first won the Venezuelan presidency in 1999. In Bolivia the socialist Morales made history in 2006 by becoming the first indigenous president in a country where the majority of the population is indigenous. While Bolivia may seem distant, its recent journey is universal. After decades of vast inequality between the native population and a small, entrenched elite, the masses voted in 2006 for a political party formed out of street protests that erupted when the government went as far as attempting to privatize rain water. This insane policy and its consequences were dramatized in the movie “Even The Rain” (2010). How does this even apply to student life? The power to bring great change from below is one of the key lessons of the Bolivian experience. As students we have the ability to learn, observe, and absorb new information and experiences and as students we can start learning now about the power of mass participation. We invite you to read this week’s issue and listen, judge, observe, and think in continents.
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news 3
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
THE STUDENTS COME FIRST
TALKIN’ ABOUT MY GENERATION “Local politics are by far most important because every local policy directly affects you.”
“It’s disturbing because education is a public good, not a private good... These trends have to stop.”
Former SMC history professor and current Board of Trustees candidate Dennis Frisch standing near the school clocktower.
Former Santa Monica College student and current Santa Monica City Council candidate Nick Boles looks over the balcony at the Cayton Center.
Adriane hale Corsair
DENNIS FRISCH LOOKS TO PUT HUMAN VALUE BEFORE DOLLAR SIGNS AS TRUSTEE CANDIDATE RACHEL GIANUARIO Managing Editor Members of the Board of Trustees have gone on unopposed and endorsed by Santa Monica Renter’s Rights (SMRR) in the last two elections cycles, maintaining the same cast of characters for the last eight years. This is, however, with the exception of the recent appointment of Barry Snell in February and the passing of Vice President Randal Lawson in August. This year, two challengers have stepped forward (queue Rocky music). One is Maria Loya, an active Los Angeles community member who has 20 years of experience in public policy as well as community organizing. The second is Santa Monica College’s former Faculty Association and Academic Senate leader and history professor of 28 years who recently retired at the age of 70, Dennis Frisch. Serving as a president of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, as well as a representative of SMC to state level community college associations, Frisch announced his candidacy in June. “It’s time for a change in culture on the board. So here I am,” he proclaimed. A member of community college administration for seven years, Frisch felt action was necessary to reverse the growing effects of corporatization. In recent years, he explains the college has begun to think more in business terms rather than educational terms when making various decisions concerning the students. Currently as a part of the school’s push toward’s corporatization, SMC has roughly 300 full time professors and about 1,000 part time professors. In Frisch’s view, having more part-time faculty than full-time sacrifices students’ access to teachers for cheaper labor costs. Students often are unable to meet with part-time professors because they are often not on campus and part-time professors do not qualify for health benefits unless they meet contract criteria. Frisch says this private sector model is one of the direct results of corporatization at SMC and negatively effects both students and professors. Part of his clout on on the Board of Trustees, if elected, would be directed towards increasing the full-time faculty to 75 percent of the teaching staff, and reducing part-time to 25 percent. The increase of administrative faculty in recent years as opposed to education staff has also been a growing concern to Frisch, feeling that the backbone of the community,
the teachers, is shrinking. He notes the salary of administrators, including the president’s, is increasing, while the salary of professors remains stagnant. “It’s disturbing because education is a public good, not a private good...These trends have to stop,” says Frisch. Frisch feels the college has to come to rely on numerical values and quantitative data to determine student success and “normal progress”. The amount of time it takes students to transfer and graduate, using the number of units a student takes per semester as a determinate, is one way the school numerically tries to measure success. Frisch feels that these numbers ignore the diverse population present at SMC, and doesn’t accurately explain what “normal progress” is. “Our student body is so diverse, in terms of socio-economic background, that not all students are going to finish in two years… or even five years...So what?,” says Frisch. “They’re pursuing their goal. They’re reaching their goal. They are successful.” He also feels that the college thinks of students in terms of dollar signs, citing the international population at SMC in comparison with the local demographic. Though he feels that the growing international population at SMC is one of the aspects that makes this college unique and diverse, Frisch has noticed that local students are undervalued and under-represented because their tuition costs do not bring in as much revenue for the college and the state. As a Board member, Frisch wants to aggressively push recruitment locally, to better provide access, equity, and benefits to populations directly related with SMC. Frisch also wants to spear-head efforts aimed at blocking the increase of cost per unit, attempting to reverse the “pay to play” culture being pushed by the current board. As a member of the Academic Senate, Frisch fought against the increase of tuition from $46 per unit to $90 per unit, considering the move completely contradictory to the school’s original mission statement. Though he notes it would take a momentous amount of effort, Frisch wants to focus his efforts on returning to zero fee-based courses to help provide greater equity and access for everyone. “Provide every Californian resident with higher education, regardless of their income or socio-economic status,” said Frisch. “I think that’s an idea that’s worth pursuing.”
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Juan Lopez Corsair
NICK BOLES SEEKS GENERATIONAL CHANGE FOR CITY COUNCIL Alci rengifo Editor In Chief Not so long ago, Hollywood native Nick Boles was studying accounting at Santa Monica College, finding himself standing by the back wall of a full classroom where all the seats were taken. Now he seeks a seat on the Santa Monica City Council. Boles is one of the candidates who’s political aspirations will be weighed by voters on November 4. At the age of 28, Boles is the youngest candidate on the ballot. An experienced accountant who has worked as a nonprofit consultant, Boles became immersed in the world of labor unions and nonprofit groups through his career and as a result, was inspired to seek political office. “I wanted to stay in Santa Monica,” he says one afternoon, “but I also realized that there’s no real representation for the future of Santa Monica.” A self-described political moderate, Boles believes there is a major generation gap between those in city government and the city’s own inhabitants. The majority of Santa Monicans range from the ages of 25 to 35 and it is that group Boles seeks to tap. “We have different wants, we have different needs,” he says. His staff has already come back from the campaign trail with interesting, sometimes bizarre stories to tell. “We’ve had a canvaser chased off a property, one of my canvassers had a door be opened by a man without any pants on, fully aroused. I’ve knocked on a door and had a guy with nothing on but a halter top and snot coming out of his nose.” But Boles adds that “the majority are really good people. For every bad apple there are ten people who are very appreciative.” It is no secret that Santa Monica’s younger residents, especially students, deal with the immense cost of living in this area by seeking roommates or small bedrooms with price tags of over $800. Boles himself still lives with roommates because he simply can’t afford a place for himself. “We’re looking at Santa Monica being the highest-priced city in Los Angeles County,” he observes, “and if you look back 15 years ago there were 30,000 units that were considered affordable for low to moderate income earners. Fast forward to today there’s only 18,000. The cycle is continuing and it’s getting worse.” Building more housing to relieve market rate pressures is just one policy on Boles’s proposed agenda as well as innovative policies for middle income earners. “We had a huge influx of new businesses, entrepreneur @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
start ups, you name it, which boomed the economy but didn’t provide adequate housing for that workforce. We have so many workers who commute here everyday, but no place to put them,” says Boles. If elected Boles hopes to push forward policies that will make rent flow with wages and not market rate. “You would be maxed out at 35 percent. Let’s say you’re making $50,000 a year, you’re maximum allowable rent would be 35 percent of your take home as opposed to market rate,” he explains. Boles also envisions making transportation in Santa Monica easier and faster, this would include all revenue made by the Bergamont Station be invested in faster buses and easier, accessible routes for students and other residents who commute and have a hard time finding parking. Bringing change has never been an easy proposition. While Boles states that he has an open, friendly relationship with the current city council, the major roadblock in seeking office there is money. Boles revealed that one candidate has invested $90,000 into his own campaign, whereas the council seat only pays $1,000 a month. Anyone in their 20s seeking office but who lives from paycheck to paycheck will find it a difficult venture. “We’re seeing the biggest road block is funding the younger generation against those who are entrenched already in the funding process,” he says. Indeed, jumping into politics has proven to be a decision that has re-shaped his everyday life. “I have no personal life,” he says with a laugh, “it goes on 24/7. Luckily I have a very good team which is in fact mostly comprised of Santa Monica College students.” A bachelor, Boles hasn’t had time to meet anyone properly because of the hectic world of political campaigning. He occasionally goes ballroom dancing but all that has taken a backseat to campaigning intensely for a spot in the city council. He’s a lone wolf with a cause. On the recent, controversial issue of whether the Santa Monica Airport should be closed, Boles believes the land belongs to Santa Monica and should be taken back, but only through a popular vote. Boles says “local politics are by far most important because every local policy directly affects you. The city government works in lock step with Santa Monica College for example. It’s pivotal that students become active so this school stays up front on the cutting edge.”
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4 PHOTOSTORY
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
Above: Santa Monica Corsair running back Elliott Valdez scores during the first quarter of the SMC Corsairs v. West LA College game on Saturday, to tie the game 7-7. The Corsairs go on to win the game 49-48 after a goal line stand on an attempted two point conversion by the Wildcats. Scott Bixler Corsair
Right: Santa Monica Corsair running back Melvin Davis runs the ball down the field and is tackled by two West LA Wildcat defenders. Scott Bixler Corsair
SMC Corsairs 49 - West Los Angeles College 48
Just T Barely Football pulls off goal line stand to defeat West Los Angeles College Trev Angone Sports Editor
he Corsairs are coming off of their biggest win of the season Saturday, narrowly defeating the West LA Wildcats 49-48. With 12 seconds to go, West LA quarterback Dallas Lopez threw a high arching bomb down the left side for a touchdown, presumably tying the game, and forcing overtime. But in one of the gutsiest calls the Corsairs have seen, the Wildcats elected to attempt a two-point conversion, and go for the win. As the Wildcats lined up, and attempted to break the Corsairs 23 game conference win streak, as well as spoil their run at a fourth consecutive conference championship, SMC dug in and prepared to defend their season. With everything on the line for the Corsairs, the Wildcats hiked the ball, and tossed it to their running back Trayviel Boone up the right side. But before Boone could make a
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move, SMC defensive back Kevin Johnson shot through the defensive line, and stopped the play for a loss, saving the Corsairs season. Coming off an exhilarating win can be tough to move past, especially a young team like the Corsairs. But, getting the team focused after a big win or a big loss is just part of the job for head coach Gifford Lindheim. “We allow ourselves through Monday to enjoy the win. “After we finish After we finish watching the film w a t c h i n g on Monday, whether the film on Monday, it is a good or it bad outcome, we whether was a good or don’t talk about bad outcome, it anymore,” SMC we don’t head coach Gifford talk about it Lindheim anymore. It’s @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
on to the next play,” said Lindheim. This Saturday the Corsairs travel to LA Valley College for a late matchup. Not only has SMC have yet to win on the road, but all their road games have been 6pm starts, just like the one this Saturday. The Corsairs await the potential epic conference showdown in two weeks which will pit them against the only other team undefeated in conference, Santa Barbabra. If the Corsairs are going to stay undefeated, they will have to figure out how to win on the road, and fast. “LA Valley poses some interesting challenges for us. They have good players and are well coached,” said Lindheim. “On defense, we have to respond and play better this week, and I think we will. On offense, we’ve got to continue to grow and develop. We want to play with tempo and energy and efficiency.”
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volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
PHOTOSTORY 5
Above: Corsair freshman running back Rodger Jones carries the ball in SMC’s 4948 win over the West Los Angeles College Wildcats. Tobias Sandstrom Corsair
Left: Head coach Gifford Lindheim celebrates the win with the team. Colleen Bush Corsair Contributor
Below Left: Corsair quarterback Steven Hamm drops back to throw during Saturday’s game. Tobias Sandstrom Corsair Below Middle: Wide reciever Damaja Young carries the ball after a reception. Below Right: Defensive coordinator Steven Garcia yells at his defense. Scott Bixler Corsair
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6 OPINION
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
Weekend Scores Home team in bold
10/17
Women’s Soccer SMC Bakersfield
4 0
Men’s Soccer SMC Canyons
3 1
Men’s Water Polo SMC Mini Tournament Southwestern SMC
12 11
Saddleback SMC
14 11
Women’s Water Polo Citrus College Tournament East Los Angeles SMC
18 4
10/18
Adam Rinney Corsair Oxnard College sophomore forward Jaime Alvarado posesses the ball from the Corsair defense during the 2-0 Condor Victory on Tuesday.
OXNARD CONDORS DOMINATE CORSAIRS MEN’S SOCCER OFFENSE GETS SHUT OUT
James Powel Sports Editor
Women’s Soccer Citrus College Tournament El Camino SMC
14 4
Rio Hondo SMC
16 5
Schmittdiel wins WSC Player of the week
James Powel Sports Editor
Santa Monica Corsair women’s volleyball freshman outside hitter Greta Schmiddtel was named the Western State Conference women’s Player of the Week for week 5 last Friday. Schmittdiel led the Corsairs to a 2-0 record in the week and a 3-0 record including the weekend, leading the team through a five set match against Antelope Valley College and two straight game sweeps over West Los Angeles College and Citrus College. She posted a .319 kill percentage over the week including an impressive 16 kill, .419 kill percent, two ace performance in the sweep of the Wildcats. This is the first time Schmittdiel has won the award.
Brandon Barsugli Corsair Files Greta Schmittdiel celebrating after winning a point during a sweep of Citrus College on October 15.
Tuesday afternoon the Santa Monica College men’s soccer team left their scoring boots somewhere in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere or Jyväskylä. After a string of multi-goal games, the Corsairs could not find the finish to stave off a shutout at the hands of the Oxnard College Condors, dropping their sixth game of the season 2-0. After Condor sophomore forward Jaime Alvarado opened the scoring on a broken attack in the 15th minute, giving freshman goalkeeper Eduardo Garcia all he needed to record his third clean sheet in a row. The Corsair’s could not break the back line of the offense until late in the second half when desperation set in. “I don’t take my clean sheets just by myself,”
Garcia said. “I give credit to my defense, I believe in them and they believe in me.” After the Alvarado goal, the Condors had similar problems finding the back of the net until Andres Mendoza scored the capper in the 90th minute. “We really want to improve on finishing chances, because we had a few good ones,” Condor head coach Ross Greany said. The shut out was suprising, considering that the Corsairs were coming off the heels of a 3-1 win over College of the Canyons last Friday. “The whole season long, we’ve actually been pretty good about goals,” head coach Tim Pierce said. “Today was one of those freakish things where we were struggling to score goals.” It did not help that SMC could not convert on the best chance in the early going when sophomore forward Jonathan Navas was
awarded a free kick when sophomore defensive back Elmer Perez earned himself a yellow card on a dirty tackle. Tuesday showed a change in the attacker of the referees as the normally bombastic Pierce yielded the bully pulpit to Greany and the Oxnard bench. “[The referee] is a good one [but] he had a special game,” Greany said. Despite the result, Pierce was still proud of the performance. “I thought the guys played really well and really hard,” Pierce said. “I have nothing but good feelings to take away from the game. Aside from the result obviously.” The loss drops the Corsairs to 4-7-4 overall and 4-3-3 in Western State Conference play. The win improves the WSC leading Condors to 9-3-3 overall and 8-0-2 in conference play.
SPORTS OPINION:
VOYNOV IMMEDIATELY SUSPENDED
NHL TEACHES ROGER GOODELL HOW TO HANDLE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE James Powel Sports Editor After the major scandal that was the Ray Rice domestic violence fiasco occurred and the National Football League administration had to answer for their inaction, all the NFL Commissioner Rodger Goodell could offer in his moment of crisis was, “I will get it right.” On Monday, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman delivered a right hook Ray Rice style to Goodell. By suspending Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov before most of the hockey world knew of his his arrest for domestic violence, Bettman proved that a major sporting league can at least get the optics right on the issue. In doing so, it tore up any last strain of credibility that Goodell previously clung to. The NHL suspended Voynov by lunchtime on Monday, just over 12 hours after the incident occurred. Not only is it possible for justice to move swiftly in these cases, but a sports league can absoluletly make a transparent and appropriate decision before inaction turns into scandal.
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In the press release, the NHL sites the exact section, subdivision and clause that gives the league the power to suspend the two time Stanley Cup winner. The NFL had to pull new policies out of its behind and launch an “internal investigation” to find the genesis of a single video recording. Due to the bumbling mistakes made by Goodell, Bettman was able to immediately push the focus of the situation towards prevention and aid to the victims of domestic violence. “More importantly we focus on counseling and education, and in the joint programs we have with the Players’ Association we’ve been counseling and educating on domestic violence for more than a decade,” Bettman said prior to the King’s banner raising ceremony this month. However, Bettman indicated that his house is far from spotless when he spoke of NFL domestic violence scandals, “Our players know what’s right and wrong...we have the mechanisms in place to hopefully not get to that point.” It was not more than a year ago when a goaltender of the Colorado Avalanche, @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
Semyan Varlomov arrested for similar charges that were eventually dropped. He was still allowed to play for the team, however, and put back on the ice by head coach Patrick Roy. Deputy Commissoner Bill Daley noted that “Circumstances were different” for the Varlomov case. It’s obvious, though, that the Goodellian levels of stupidity provided a perfect example of what not to do. That’s the “different circumstance” between the Varlomov and Voynov domestic violence cases. But at least Bettman did what was right while Goodell still can’t figure out which way is up. As long as Ray MacDonald, defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers, is still allowed to play on an NFL field, Rodger is still getting it wrong. For that, he should be fired. He cannot walk away from this with even so much as a good bye from the league. The NFL could use a commissioner with a modicum of common sense and conscience. My suggestion, Gary Bettman.
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opinion/A&E 7
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
KEATON RESURRECTUS: “BIRDMAN” REACHES CINEMATIC HEIGHTS Alejandro González Iñárritu’s newest release is a magical realist
Rachel Gianuario Managing Editor Welcome to another episode of “Black Swan”, with your host, the completely forgotten and possibly schizophrenic Michael Keaton as your star obsessed with feeling relevant (aren’t we all) in “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).” This time, though the star still has repressed bird episodes, the madness takes place in the hectic environment of a doomed to fail Broadway play. From the director of the heavy and unforgettable dark films, “Biutiful”, “21 Grams”, and “Babel”, Alejandro González Iñárritu has given us a magical realist dark comedy that bends and breaks his actors in this depiction of the Broadway world. Keaton’s finally ready for his close-up Mr. DeMille, with the pair of wings and tightywhities he’s always wanted. Fasten your wing harness, its going to be an uncontrollable Icarus ride. And mark my words, just like Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart”, Keaton will win the best actor award for his performance onscreen in his underwear. If anything, he will surely be nominated with the usual suspects. Michael Keaton’s performance comes from out of left field, giving a completely true and vulnerable depiction of desperation that only those in the entertainment industry could really understand. His character brings to mind the age-old problem many actors face once they become pigeon-holed into being one character and find breaking out of this about as difficult as
men trying to break free of the friend zone. Some actors peak too early, like those kids in high school who you know will never leave their home town. Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series, Molly Ringwald after the 1980’s, Haley Joel Osmit after “Sixth Sense”. Actors who most certainly feel the brunt force of this effect are actors from super hero movies, as it is presented by Keaton’s character, whose has-been nature results from his previous film performances as a comic book character called “Birdman”. Keaton, though his range as an actor is pretty large, is really only known for Beetlejuice and the two painful 90’s Batman movies. But González Iñárritu has plastered him back into the spotlight, picking the perfect forgotten Hollywood actor to give a performance that rescues his career from behind the refrigerator. And for the buffoons who thought “Magic in the Moonlight” was Emma Stone’s climax to her career, boy do you look like paper weights to your editors. Though her bulging eyes made her look like an alien through the cinematographer’s fish-eye camera lens, the complexity she brought to the screen will not be soon forgotten. Though I’m sure it might burn to hear herself being compared to an actress a year younger and with more accolades, Stone presented her character in the rawness reminiscent of Jennifer Lawrence’s performance as a similarly pissed-off and unpredictable
woman in “Silver Linings Playbook.” Edward Norton gives a magnetic performance in his role of the seasoned Broadway star who swoops in to save the day and steals the show with his transparent middle aged looks and balsy, unorthodox acting technique. Honestly, its always fascinating watching actors play roles where they act, especially when they have to play someone who is better than everyone else. Zach Galifianakis plays the role of the show’s producer, Birdman’s manager and the glue that holds the tumultuous cast together. His performance is reminiscent of our beloved Robin Williams in “The Birdcage”; the hilariously eccentric man in charge of keeping the situation from self-destructing. The entire film is a broken fourth wall web that’s both dizzying and fascinating. Previous winner for best cinematography for “Gravity”, Emmanuel Lubezki, uses the camera as a ghost that curiously swings around the halls of the backstage, following the cast. His camerawork and editing were manipulated to give the appearance that the film is one long take, a technique very similar to his previous work in “Gravity”, “Tree of Life”, “The New World”, “To the Wonder” and “Children of Men”. In these films, as well as “Birdman” the place of the camera in the story is not simply a structured fly on the wall or intrusion into a scene, it becomes a fully fleshed out character.
It flies uncontrollably with Sandra Bullock, it dances with Jessica Chastain and Collin Farrell, it runs through the fields alongside Rachel McAdams and it flies with Michael Keaton, all the while paying homage to the glory of nature and the universe. The camera becomes the free-flowing thought that is paired with the uncontrolled, free-flowing plot. The script and screenplay, brainchildren of González Iñárritu as well as writers from “Biutiful”, is entirely engrossing, mostly because it pulls you into the lingo and language of the Broadway world, as well as the politics that occur both onstage and off. The film is both technologically complex as well as emotionally gripping as it ambitiously attempts to represent the realistic and human fears of not existing, of never existing to anyone. And the writers present a simple truth; that humans are so inherently insecure and are madly driven to convincing themselves that they are special hidden gems. “Birdman” stands as a kind of parable about the pitfalls of fleeting fame and the toxin of an inflated ego. By being about a man seeking validation, it has a theme that anyone in its audience might be able to relate to in one way, or another. What perhaps is more inherently apparent from “Birdman” is something Tennessee Williams once wrote in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ”; “Truth is dreams that don’t come true and nobody prints your name in the paper ‘til you die.”
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10540‑10530 Wilshire Blvd LA, CA. Ammenitties: controlled access, valet parking, on‑site laundry, pool, jacuzzi, gym, elevator. Close to UCLA and Westwood Village. one bedroom+one bathroom Manager’s phone: 310‑470‑4474 10905 OHIO AVE, Los Angeles, CA 90024 1+1, Single + Bathroom. Amenities: Intercom Entry, On‑site Laundry and Parking, Pool, Close to UCLA. Manager: 310‑477‑6586
Apartments for Rent .
10933 ROCHESTER AVE. 2BED/2BATH, 2 BEDROOM‑ 2 BATHROOM JUNIOR‑1BED/1BATH. Rooftop pool, sundeck, intercom entry, parking, on‑site laundry, wifi. Close to UCLA and Westwood Village. 310‑473‑5061 1134 N. SYCAMORE AVE., Los Angeles, 90038. Intercom Entry, Elevator, On‑Site Parking, On‑Site Laundry, View of Hollywood Hills, Balcony,1BEDROOM+ BATHROOM. 323‑467‑8172 11640 KIOWA AVE, Los Angeles, CA 90049. Balcony, Elevator, Dishwasher, Parking On‑Site, Laundry, Intercom Entry, Central A/C, Heated Pool, Close to UCLA. 2Bdrm+2Bath, 1Bdrm+1Bath. 310‑826‑4889 11666 GOSHEN AVE., Los Angeles, 90049. Intercom‑Entry, On‑Site Laundry, On‑Site Parking, Elevator, A/C. Close to UCLA. 310‑312‑9871. One Bedroom + Den + 1Bathroom. Single +1. 11730 SUNSET BLVD.,1BDRM/ 1BATH‑JR Exec‑1BATH Amenities: Rooftop Pool, Deck, Intercom‑Entry, Parking, Onsite‑Laundry, Close to Brentwood Village and UCLA. Manager: 310‑476‑3824 125 North Barrington Ave. Control access, dish washer, parking, on‑ site laundry, pool, elevator, central A/C. 2bed/2bath. Manager 310‑476‑2181 2220 Beverly Glen Blvd. Roof‑top Jacuzzi. Control access, parking, on‑ site laundry, elevator. 1bed/1bath, Single/1bath. Close to UCLA/Century City. 310‑552‑8064 320 N. LA PEER DR., Beverly Hills, CA 90211 1BDRM/1BATH&2 BDRM/2BATH Amenities: Intercom‑ Entry, Elevator, Pool, Onsite‑Laundry, Parking Manager: 310‑246‑0290
Apartments for Rent .
Health and Beauty .
443 S. Oakhurst Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. Amenities: Elevator, control access, parking, on‑site laundry. 2+2, 1+1. Manager: 310‑435‑3693 8725 Clifton Way, Beverly Hills. Amenities: Control access, elevator, parking, close to shops/restaurants. on‑site laundry. One bedroom+ Den+two bathroom. Manager: 310‑276‑1528
THE MISSION
WESTWOOD Grand Opening! LA’s finest most luxurious apt rental. Every extra luxury. Custom cabinets, granite countertops, stone entry, pool, health club, spa. Low move‑ in. 1350 S. Midvale Ave. Los Angeles. Available 2+2, 1+1. 310‑864‑0319
SE ADVERTI IN EDS CLASSIFI
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Research Subjects .
Spending more time and money smoking pot than you would like? The UCLA Outpatient Clinical Research Center is looking for marijuana dependent volunteers, age 18 to 50, who would like to stop or reduce their marijuana use, and are interested in receiving up to 12 weeks of no‑cost intervention including medication. Compensation for your participation is provided. For more information call the UCLA Outpatient Clinical Research Center at (310) 267‑5020.
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& LIFESTYLE 8 HeALTH
volume 108 issue 7 • October 22, 2014 • santa monica college
Going green during sustainability week Yasha Hawkins Staff Writer Forget recycling, public transportation, and any other element that typifies an introduction to sustainability. At Santa Monica College this week marks Sustainability Week, an effort on the behalf of the Center for Environmental Urban Studies, Eco-Action which is sponsored by Associated Students to raise awareness about sustainable living. Sustainable Works decided to begin with “Drought Day” along the Library Walkway in the quad. Currently California is in a severe drought, so severe that Governor Brown declared a State of Emergency in January. State-sponsored messages are frequently popping up advising people to cut their water usage. For those who see lawn elimination and more control over an individual’s water usage as a remedy, Sustainable Works provided succulents and low-flow shower-heads to students passing by their tables on the quad. “It’s the future for our state, you know,” said Harrison Trussel of Sustainable Works to gathering listeners. “It’s getting dryer so we need plants that are more efficient, and they’re beautiful, too.” Trussel explained that lawns, unlike succulents, are not native to California and are just not “part of our climate reality.” As enlightening as events like this can be, the crowd stayed fairly small, a reflection of something Isabelle Schiros, Vice President of Eco-Action and Chair of Club Grow, found surprising about the Southern California lifestyle. Schiros said that sustainability “doesn’t have to be something different that you do. Sustainability can just be part of your
everyday life.” Another suggested way to make sustainability a part of everyday life is a gray water system. It’s a system that recycles the water a household uses after doing laundry, for instance, and sends it to mulch bases or generally waters plants. With a PVC pipe, SMC student Brian Cervantes, created his own system for only $70.00, which is much cheaper than a typical gray water system. According to Cervantes, gray water seems to be a financially promising sector, with incentives soon to come for these systems. “Gray water is in the state that solar was ten years ago. There’s gonna be a company that just focuses on gray water and it’s gonna be the next Solar City. If you’re an entrepreneur I would definitely recommend getting involved with this right now,” he said. With the drought having so much to do with agriculture and food supply, Michael Wittman, founder of Blue Sky Biochar, has a well deserved place here. Biochar is a basic carbon used for agricultural purposes to strengthen a plant’s root and immune systems, and most importantly, makes plants drought tolerant. “What we’re doing with this carbon is mimicking nature. For a billion years, nature has been putting carbon back into the soil through natural fires progressing across the planet,” Wittman said. Carbon’s high surface area gives it an ability to hold thirty times its weight and makes for a 50% reduction in water usage depending on how much biochar is used. His product is also carbon negative: for every single pound of carbon put into the soil, three parts are taken from the atmosphere. Ironically enough, the crew cleaned a
section by the gym with water sprays, while signs mark the lawn nearby as “treated with RoundUp.” Tuesday marked Sustainable Sustenance Day, which includes vegetarian, vegan, and pescetarian cooking demos, a seedling station. In addition to that, Brownwyn Hancock, an environmental science major with a droop who just returned to SMC,talked about the fishing industry on Tuesday. According to Hancock, 27 million tons of fish are thrown out each year and 300,000 fishes, including whales and dolphins, are killed each year from bycatch. Bycatch is the marine life caught by fishermen in attempts to catch other fishes, most of which has to be thrown back dead. Hancock also touched on how methods of reaping and towing rip up natural marine habitats as well as wipe out populations of fish. The planet’s dependence on plastic as well “have an impact on habitats and economies.” Sustainability events and informational seminars will continue until Friday. On Wednesday, Beauty and the Beard will include workshops on how to avoid carcinogenic beauty products, as well as demos on making deodorant, body butter, and mouthwash. GMO Day is Thursday, and a faculty will debate on the pros and cons of GMOs in addition to a discussion on eco-labeling are scheduled. The Treeman will be in the AS Lounge on Thursday at 1:00 p.m. along with Heal The Bay and the Center of Environmental Urban Studies to help students get involved in ecoactivism. Friday is a day of action, with a Beach CleanUp at Tower 20 at 9:00 in the morning.
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18th Street Arts Center’s BAM Fest
October 26th, 1-5pm
1639 18th Street Santa Monica
www.msmconline.la.edu :: 310.728.2099 MSMC_Santa Monica College.indd 1
sustainability week on October 21.
TRACK FOR SUCCESS.
:: Financial aid :: No text
of SMC, supervising The Club Grow during
beer
ONLINE
ON
Carlos Espinosa Corsair
Genevieve Bertone, director of sustainability
9/12/14 10:52 AM
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tickets available:
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