CORSAIR volume 107 issue 2 •march 5, 2014 • santa monica college
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You can’t stop the music pg. 5
Cayton revamp photo story pg. 6-7
Locker room segregation pg. 11
RARE MLK FOOTAGE premiere pg. 9
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volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
E D I T O R I A L S TA F F Henry Crumblish····· 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 Elizabeth Moss·Digital Editor-in-Chief c o rs a i r. w e b e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m David Yapkowitz······Managing Editor c o rs a i r. m a n a g i n g @ g m a i l . c o m Ronja Jansz···········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 Alci Rengifo····· Arts & Entertainment c o rs a i r. c a l e n d a r 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 Trev Angone·············· 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 Albert Andrade····· Multimedia Editor c o rs a i r. m u l t i m e d i a @ g m a i l . c o m Jimmy Janszen············· Photo Editor Rachel Porter············· 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 Jhosef Hern····················Illustrator Maggie Louie··············Design Team David Veta·················Design Team corsairdesignteam@gmail.com c o r s a i r s ta f f Brandon Barsugli, Scott Bixler, Rob Black, Cesar Clarke, Alejandro Colmenares, Marlene Conner, Amalia Darin, My’Sson Downs, Mia Duncans, Maurice Dwayne, Elin Ekdahl, Paulina Eriksson, Walter Flores, Darin Geesey, Rachel Gianuario, Jorge Gonzalez, Qalil Ismail, Shakeel Joyce, Sarit Kashanian, Nick Kovalenko, Aaron Leaureaux, Juan Lopez, Eva Malin Lord,, Jazmin Martinez, Devon Marque, Christophor McGovern, Delmy Moran, Adrien Piteux, James Powel, Yaddick Rivas, McKenzie Roberts,- Elia Sanchez, Patrick Shanley, FA C U LT Y A D V I S O R S S a u l Ru b i n & Gerard Burkhart AD INQUIRIES: co rsai r. admana g er@g m ai l . co m (310 ) 4 3 4 - 4 0 3 3
SMC Community! If you have photos, feelings or opinions on what we publish, we want to hear from you! Email, tweet or facebook us. Corsair.opinionpage@ gmail.com
Amy Gaskin Contributor Santa Monica College Associated Students Director of Publicity, Michael Greenberg speaks to students at the March in March rally on the capitol steps on Monday. Greenberg was instrumental in organizing the march. At the top of their agenda is the desire to pass SB 1017, which could help pay for higher education by taxing oil companies.
On the cover: Director and cinematographer George Silano presents unseen footage of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Personal Portrait” last Thursday at Santa Monica College. The film consisted of rare footage of King,which was shot in his home over four days in December 1965. Nick Kovalenko Corsair
Letter from the Editor Henry Crumblish Editor-in-Chief
For some students higher education is a life-long dream. Merely stepping foot onto campus is the culmination of youthful optimism meeting adult ambition. For others, college is the means to an end. A tool utilized to capture their life’s goal. For some other students college is a chore. A lowly, dreadful, bore of an activity only required to get parents out of their business, and to delay job-hunting for another month. College however, can be a fickle mistress. Typically you attend college in the hopes of achieving or accomplishing a dream but quite often academia can be a sorrowful wasteland of dashed hopes. College is a time of experimentation and exploration of the outside world and of one’s inner self. Every day, dreams are killed on campus, unseen to passers-by on the quad.
This spring semester is the Associated Students election. I’m sure there are students who will go to sleep tonight dreaming of taking office and making meaningful change to Santa Monica College. Those elected will be fortunate to have their dreams realized, while students who are not elected, failed to bring their dreams to life and will be met with inevitable disappointment and sadness. However, they should work to turn that failure into future success. The polarizing effects of success and failure are not limited to student government, they are sprinkled all throughout SMC from the gym to parking lot. Every semester students try out for sports teams and either become superstars or get relegated to the bench. The funny thing about College is adults get
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to witness their own work and potential and compare it to the success (or failure) of their peers. We realize what our latent skills are and discover where our shortcomings may lie. College is not meant to be a melodramatic pity party but for many students it will be the first time in their life that they experience true abject failure. College is where you realize your dreams, or forge a new path. My purpose is not to burden readers with emotional drivel but rather to awaken the student body to the realities faced by your peers. What you consider just a stupid club, a trivial election, or even the boring campus newspaper is the realization of a student dream. College, like life, is what you make of it. If you don’t care enough to change the college, you don’t care enough to change your life.
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volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Are you smarter than a new teacher? Rachel Gianuario Staff Writer
Have you ever wanted to decide the fate of a professor’s future instead of the other way around? Last weekend was your chance for poetic justice, as Santa Monica College students volunteered (with incentives of extra credit and penalty free absences from their instructors) to participate in mock lectures taught by prospective candidates for the history department. Some educators were applying for the first time whereas others were applying for tenure or full-time teaching positions. Professors being considered conducted a 15 minute lecture for their respective
department chairs and a panel of students History department chair Suzanne Borghei explained that professors are given the opportunity to teach to a live crowd complete with students who provide feedback when the lecture is finished. “The judges try to gauge their level of interest, but we can also see how the candidate engages with students,” she said. Borghei clarified that the majority of the departments at SMC interview professors in this fashion, using a method developed by the math department. The interview environment was at one point much more intimidating, Borghei explained, when these mock lectures were only attended by department heads.
When she was initially interviewed, her audience discouraged her to smile, look interested, or be engaged. “I was teaching to statues and it felt so artificial.” said Borghei. Allowing students to attend the lecture adds a real world element, as opposed to teaching to colleagues who have doctorates in the subject area they are presenting. Student involvement in these mock lectures is valuable for ascertaining the professor’s ability to react to questions. “It matters that professors are comfortable and engaged with students,” said Borghei. While this allows interviewees to get
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an idea of the real thing, it also allows for the possibility of classroom debate, disagreement and confusion. The topic of discussion provided by one professor applying for a full time teaching position, Yvette Saavedra, was Westward Expansion. The core of her lecture was the racially motivated pursuit of “civilizing” the American frontier and native populations by white Anglo-Saxon men in the early 17th century. Following the initial awkwardness of introductions, Saavedra began her lecture with the well known painting “American Progress” by John Gast depicting the concept of manifest destiny.
Black Collegians celebrates end of Black History Month James Powel Staff Writer Santa Monica College’s Black Collegians held a celebration of Black History Month during the student activity hour last Thursday. The event was organized in honor of club member Tijera Rencher’s grandmother, Mary Shy, who was a strong advocate for social issues. Rencher felt that her grandmother was a strong leader who deserved to be recognized. “She fought for rights in her community and was the voice of her community,” Rencher said. The event, which included several guest performers, was opened with a song by club representative Jagaite Packford and was followed by a spoken word piece on the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela written by club member Lucy Mesure. After Mesure’s piece, the quad was treated to rap performances by Jermond “Set” Davis and Damon “Real8” Turner. Black Collegians president Tekoah Flory saw the event as a chance for students to celebrate their ancestry as well as commemorate black history.
“We would not have access to our education if it weren’t for the folks in the Civil Rights Movement,” Flory said. “We would not have access to the same tools as people who are not of color.” Black Collegians member Sabrina Boyse wanted students of all races to become aware of black history. “This was a celebration of black history. This event was simply to recognize and commemorate our past and the importance of it and how people in the past can show us how to be successful in the future. For everyone, not just us,” Boyse said. Turner, who claims to be the ninth generational grandson of slave rebellion leader Nat Turner, said his message was one of love. “Not to sound [like I have an] ego or cocky but that’s the message, it’s about love,” Turner said. As the event drew to a close with open dancing, Rencher took a moment to reflect on the woman for whom the event was organized. “It takes you far to be a sweet person and that was what she was trying to get everybody to do,” Rencher said of her grandmother. “To always care about other people before yourself.”
Cesar Clarke Corsair Students watch the Black Collegians event in the quad on Santa Monica College’s main campus last Thursday.
Cesar Clarke Corsair Damon Turner raps a freestyle in front of students in the quad at Santa Monica College’s main campus on Thursday.
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volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Court documents shed new light on Bread Factory closure Alci Rengifo Arts & Entertainment Editor
Court documents at the Santa Monica District Courthouse and accounts by former workers have revealed further details in the case of the Bread Factory’s closure. What emerges is a tale of alleged mismanagement and court proceedings that left Soo Jeong Pak, owner of the Bread Factory, owing Santa Monica College $74,758.21. According to the official file on the case, The Bread Factory, which had been a staple of the SMC cafeteria for nearly 12 years, suddenly stopped paying rent sometime in early 2013. The signs had become apparent in October 2012 when Pak only paid a portion of the rental fee. This development took place four years after the snack shop had signed an indefinite contract with the college in October 2008 and agreed to a month-to-month payment deal. Pak was served a three day notice on June 17, 2013 by Director of Contracts And Event Services Charlie Yen. When Pak failed numerous times to pay the required fee for the space, SMC then took the matter to court. A trial date was set for January 6, 2014 but when Pak attempted a last minute bankruptcy filing, the court dismissed the attempt and the court date was actually sped up to December 12, 2013. On December 16, a judgement was reached by Judge Gerald Rosenberg and Pak was ordered to pay $56,224.92 in unpaid rent plus attorney’s fees and court costs which ballooned to the amount of more than $74,000. The Bread Factory was ordered to evacuate the premises before SMC’s Winter semester was to begin. But the case of the sudden fall of the Bread Factory does not end there. Allegations have began to surface from former student workers of unpaid wages. This has prompted the Santa Monica College Police Department to post signs on
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campus asking any unpaid Bread Factory employees to come forward and contact SMCPD. SMC student Dennis Dougherty worked at the Bread Factory for three years. “There were a lot of weird financial things that were going on, they were frivolous with money,” alleged Dougherty. He described a work environment where the cash register would always be mysteriously short on money. Tips were not kept by employees and were made to go around to make sure the amount in the register was balanced. “A few of the managers would take money out of the registers. The worst was about two or three years ago when I was first starting and one of the managers took out $300 just for a bottle of champagne,” Dougherty alleged. “The owner was aware.”
Dougherty also acknowledged that he experienced sudden lapses in getting his check. “Every so often there would be paydays where they would say ‘oh we’ll pay you next Friday,’ then they would say ‘oh we’ll pay you next Tuesday,’” claimed Dougherty. “At one point I hadn’t been paid for three or four months. They finally gave me a check for two hundred bucks.” Dougherty alleged that Pak and the managers would give him bizarre explanations for the lack of payment. At one point he was told there was no ink to make the checks. He also claimed that employees who inquired about missing checks were encouraged by Pak to take as much food from the store as they wanted. “It didn’t really do much. This was with everyone, we had several people leave
because of pay irregularities,” he claimed. “When I started, you would get paid every two weeks, then progressively it got worse and worse where every two weeks we would occasionally get a paycheck.” Attempts to contact Pak through phone numbers made available in the court documents have yielded no answers. One number already has a new owner and while a voice message was left for the second available number, no call backs have been received. At the time of the Bread Factory’s eviction, Pak filed a lawsuit against SMC which means this case will continue in the courts for some time. On March 10, there will be a new court hearing involving Pak who has decided to represent herself. More updates to this story will be provided as new information comes to light.
Scott Bixler Corsair Santa Monica College cafeteria restaurant, “The Bread Factory” has been closed down as of December 2013 due to the inability to pay rent. Former student employees are also claiming they were not paid wages for a prolonged period of time.
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opinion 5
volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Time to turn up the volume Jonathan Ramos Opinion Editor
The authority has done it again. Last week, after years of students playing music on the quad area of Santa Monica College, the activities were put to an abrupt halt by the SMC administration. “Our primary focus as an institution is education,” said Vice President of Student Affairs Mike Tuitasi via email. “The use of amplified sound everyday in the quad was becoming a problem.” Tuitasi noted that complaints consisted of more and more radios being played on campus, creating a disturbance for classroom instruction, the use of profanity and words degrading women during the rap battles, and obstruction of walkways and paths during gatherings for campus carts and vehicles. He did not specify the source of the complaints, noting only that they came from students and staff and that “the policy was enforced across the board.” While the degradation of women and use of profanity should not be promoted in an institution meant to exemplify community embodiment, the rest of the “complaints’’ sound more like irrational excuses to make a student’s campus life that much more dull. It strikes odd that a boombox played in the center of SMC’s main campus can generate enough volume to pose any kind of disturbance to class instruction. Most of the time during my classes in the Humanities and Social Sciences building, one of the closest buildings to the quad area, I was not even aware that there was music playing in the quad. SMC student Manuel “the boombox guy” Henriquez, said that during the past four years, he has been able to play his music aloud in the quad free of a permit and has never heard a complaint about classroom disturbance. “I will email the vice president just to ask him if he would like to come to my spot and have a policeman come to my spot just to prove to them that my music did not go
that loud,” said Henriquez. He also proclaimed that he would sign a petition if that is what it takes to get his music back on the quad. Sure, Henriquez turning up the volume on a couple of speakers might get a little loud for students nearby, but to say it can legitimately effect the flow a classroom is absurd. Bystanders can ask him to lower the volume, but let’s not act like he is plugging his iPod into the Staples Center and letting it rip on campus. As far as the obstruction of the walkway, Henriquez is commonly located along the side of the walkway, probably has been for the past four years, and poses no roadblock to any vehicle. Heaven forbid, any mounted motorcycle officer, resembling Robocop, not have a path to ghost ride his motorcycle across campus. The same can be said for the rap battles also known as “Word Warz”. Milton “Sarge” Hall, one of the originators of Word Warz, is still confused as to what the school’s actual problem may be. “We are not understanding why it is so difficult for us to have one hour out of the entire academic week, for us to have one activity that’s not necessarily associated with the AS (Associated Students),” said Hall. Hall does not feel his activity has to necessarily be driven by the student government as long as they are able to keep it within a reasonable volume for one day each week. He feels that there is a divide between what an SMC student can do and what an AS member can do. “Either you’re with the AS or your’e not,” he said. “It almost seems that if you didn’t pay those fees that you don’t even have any rights as a student.” It is important to note that certain members of the AS such as President Ty Moura have supported Henriquez and Hall, saying that the volume has not increased to the point of disturbing any
classes. Hall also put focus on what he feels is a misleading student activity hour. “What is this activity hour? Does this activity hour only entail AS or is this a student activity hour? That’s the grey area and no one has any answers.” SMC’s student activity hour is between 11:15 a.m. -12:35 p.m. and is defined on the school’s website as “a time designed to provide students with an opportunity to interact with one another, meet fellow peers, and simply get involved.” It is safe to say that these rap battles definitely meet what the hour was designed for. Interaction and involvement are the basis for these weekly events. Yet, the school has decided to give the ax to an activity that gives SMC something else to sell other than the seemingly never-ending silence of a classroom. The difference between SMC and other schools is its active student body. Take a trip down to Los Angeles Valley College. You will find it similar to starring on an episode of “The Walking Dead.” There is no life, no activity, and nothing to really look forward to, other than awkward silence and anti-social behavior between students. This is where SMC stands out. The administration needs to wake up and see what’s in front of it. They have students who are willing to bring life to the campus, students who are not afraid to speak their minds, share their hobbies, cultures, and really put it out there for the rest of the school to see. Is the administration honestly ready to strip that away? They need to take advantage of it. Don’t kill it, but work with it. SMC student Daniel Hunter, who also helps out with the production of Word Warz feels that the school should look to compromise rather than making it a war between staff and students. “Tell us what the good volume level is and we’ll keep it to that level,’’ she said. “We don’t want to interrupt the college or what
Rob Black Corsair SMC student Manuel Henriquez now sits silently in the quad without the comfort of his music.
the college has planned but at the same time compromising what the students want versus what the college needs.” She also suggested that the college offer them what they feel would be a more suitable location for the activities if that is really the issue. The student body is a powerful force that the college need not take for granted. Much of a school’s appeal comes from the life it’s student body emanates and SMC’s is one-of-a-kind for a community college. The students don’t want a battle, but they’ve proven time and time before, the lengths they will go to in order for their voices to be heard. The pepper spray has yet to be drawn, but you can never really know just how far things can escalate. “It shouldn’t be like this,” said Hall. “I’m just trying to shake things up a little bit and let students have some rights.”
Film criticism still matters Alci Rengifo Arts & Entertainment Editor
Film critics still matter. What has been lost is a genuine sense of cultural criticism and writing. The genuine appreciation and study of a film, any film, has been lost in our current circus of gossip and tabloid fodder. “We need thoughtful and insightful film critics more than ever in this age of sound bites, uninformed and superficial opinions and entertainment ‘news’ about meaningless trivia such as designer clothes and what actor is seen where and with whom,” said Sheila Laffey, Adjunct Professor of Film Studies at Santa Monica College. And she’s right. In popular culture, the critic is seen as some kind of snobby knowit -all who will praise a boring, three-hour foreign film with subtitles but scoff at the fun popcorn flick. Audiences now prefer to scan the internet for loud, mind-blowing trailers or will migrate to a film because Jennifer Lawrence happens to be in it. In the 1960s, college students worshipped French auteurs like Jean-Luc Godard or American rebels like Nick Cassavetes. It was hip to read critics like Pauline Kael who wrote lengthy, sometimes wicked critiques of all kinds of films ranging from big American releases to rare documentaries. Today that’s all gone in an age when it’s easy to just browse through Netflix or other
outlets for a vast selection of films that were unimaginable 50 years ago. “I yearn for the days of more solid film criticism and enlightening film review programs such as Siskel and Ebert or Ebert Presents,” lamented Laffey. “I frankly can’t watch most of the entertainment news for more than a few minutes.” It is a popular fact that what the critics praise might not even be liked by audiences themselves. None of this year’s Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards came close to the $1 billion raked in by “Iron Man 3.” The only real blockbuster on the nominees list was “Gravity,” which collected around $600 million. Compare the reviews and you’ll see a few critics give a marginal pass to “Iron Man” for being entertaining but heap praise on “Gravity” for its technical innovation and directing. Yes, it’s true, the average moviegoer is not a film school grad or film buff. They could care less about the cinematography, screenplay or nationality of the director. But genuine film criticism isn’t about just liking or hating a movie. A good film critic will make you see things that you might have missed or guide you to other directors, genres and titles you might not have heard of. One of my favorite film critics, J.Hoberman, recently published an essay titled “Godzilla: Poetry After The A-Bomb,” for a new, remastered edition of
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the original 1954 “Godzilla” on DVD and Blu-Ray. In the essay, Hoberman explains how “Godzilla” isn’t just a monster movie about a giant lizard stomping on Tokyo, but a powerful meditation on how the Japanese felt after the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and their collective fear generated by atomic bomb tests the United States was carrying out in the Pacific. Hoberman goes on to explain how scenes where Godzilla rampages through the city as frightened civilians cower in fear were designed to evoke famous images of Hiroshima after the bomb. It’s a good essay to read ahead of the May premiere of the new “Godzilla” movie which might also be a cinematic expression of our own uncertain times. This is just one example of how good film criticism benefits people who like to watch movies. “In fact, odd as it sounds I occasionally enjoy a good review about a film more than the film itself,” said Laffey. “A recent example of this phenomenon is Godfrey Reggio’s “Visitors” which is edgy, innovative, unique and sometimes quite boring but insightful reviews of the film help me appreciate it on deeper levels.” The sad truth is film criticism might not be respected as much as it used to be because the greats have started to pass away. In 2013, Roger Ebert, possibly the world’s @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
most popular and respected film critic, died of cancer. The death of Ebert signaled the passing of a generation that defined film criticism in the 1960s and well into the new millennium. Ebert had that unique gift of bridging intellectual criticism of cinema with down to earth observations. He would praise a meditative, philosophical film such as Terrence Malick’s “The Tree Of Life” and give a thumbs up to a monster movie like “Gamera: Guardian Of The Universe.” Laffey herself grew up watching various incarnations of Ebert’s film review TV show as a cinema studies grad student at New York University. “It was a ritual that I, and many others, truly miss,” said Laffey. She also noted that there are some very good critics alive and kicking today. “Other fine film reviewers are alive and well such as Kevin Turan and Betsy Sharkey with the LA Times and Elvis Mitchell and Manohla Dargis with the NY Times to mention only a few,” said Laffey. Before you go to the movies this weekend, take some time to read a few good film critics because it might change your experience at the theater. As for the remaining movie critics out there, or those looking to break into the business, Laffey put it simple. “Keep writing, we need you,” she said.
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volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Santa Monica College students Adam Spencer-Campeau (front left), and Judith Santiego (middle), relax in the newly revamped Cayton Center on Thursday, while friends Alan Vasquez (back le
Cayton Center revamp Delmy Moran Staff Writer
“I’m so happy, so excited, I’ve never seen this many people hanging out in here. We wanted this to not be another study area,” AS President Ty Moura said of the new space, named “The Student Lounge.” “We wanted this to be a social area where students feel like its their home because this is their home.” The AS presented certificates to those involved with the planning behind the renovation. To celebrate the architectural achievement, free food, cookies and candy were given to guests, as well as complimentary lanyards and pins. Members of student government weren’t the only ones excited about the new lounge area at Santa Monica College. “Honestly I like it, I really like it, it’s more like a fresh feel to it, more so then it was before,” said Allen Garay. According to Moura, the budget for the new Cayton Center originally started at $13,000 but expenses escalated to over $250,000 once construction began. The funds for the renovation come from “The Cayton Center” account, a restricted AS account that can only be used for improvements to the student space. The account had nearly $1 million in it, $350,000 of which was
approved for the renovation. AS stuck to SMC’s sustainable ethos. Old furniture was recycled, chairs were given to various departments on campus and the new carpeting is also comprised of used carpet. In an effort to further transform the former study area, one of the new additions to the Cayton includes a foosball table for students, which Moura said she had to fight to get approved. Students noticed the hard work that was put into the building makeover, “I came in here at six in the morning and I was like damn, it’s so nice, why didn’t
they have this two years ago,” said SMC student Catherine Santizo. “It makes me feel like I’m at Starbucks or Coffee Bean.” However, the AS is not completely done and plans to add more to the student lounge in an ongoing effort to create a student community, said Michael Greenberg, AS director of publicity. “We’re even thinking about putting lounge music,” he said. “This is where people can come and make friends, we want people to come here and interact and learn of cool things to do on campus.”
Liz Phillips Corsair SMC faculty partake in the generous spread of food provided by the A.S. at the opening ceremony of the newly renovated Cayton Center Lounge on Thursday.
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volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
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“I came in here at six in the morning and I was like damn, it’s so nice, why didn’t they have this two years ago.” -SMC student Catherine Santizo
Jimmy Janszen Photo editor eft) and Derek Obana (right) talk about campus life.
Liz Phillips Corsair Associated Students Director of Student Outreach, Cassandra Ramirez (left) and Associated Students President, Ty Moura (right) unveil the Cayton Center Lounge plaque, declaring the newly renovated student lounge of Santa Monica College on Thursday.
Santa Monica College students Cirilo Rojas (front left) and Walther Perez (back left) play fellow SMC students Hawshon Walker (front right) and Cristian Najera (back right) in a game of foosball in the newly revamped Cayton center on Thursday.
Jimmy Janszen Photo Editor
“This is where people can come and make friends” - Michael Greenberg
At the grand opening of the Cayton Center on Thursday, the Santa Monica College Assosiated Students gave away complimentary lanyards, pins, and candy. Jimmy Janszen Photo Editor
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+ entertainment 8 Arts
volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Kevin Maxwell, director of “Cora” to everyday, because it’s a lot of lot work. I didn’t understand how much work.” said Maxwell. When filmmaking became the Maxwell would settle on classmates overpowering passion in his life, Cristiano Cardoso and David Kevin Maxwell knew he wanted to Field to serve as producers. When make a film about his grandmother discussions began over how much Cora’s riveting story. the project would cost early estimates “It was an idea that happened when were of $12,000. I worked as a Logistics Specialist “I’m a big thinker so I said no, at the Department of Homeland $30,000,” said Maxwell. “That’s Security,” said Maxwell. “One of what I felt would make it more my bosses, who was a mentor to me, authentic.” told me I should be interested in my A campaign was soon launched family history and know where I on Indiegogo, an international came from.” crowd-funding site, with the help of Two sudden incidents would be the organization Operation Street catalysts for a journey Maxwell was Kidz led by Josof Sanchez and Julie unaware he would take. Masumoto. “One of my friends was killed in One major shift in the film’s the line of duty on a motorcycle, prospects came when Annie he left work at five o’clock and said Spielberg, Steven Spielberg’s sister, bye to everybody and died at 5:15,” became involved with the project. recalled Maxwell. “Right after that “My grandmother used to work for my grandmother slipped and fell her,” recounted Maxwell. “She used on some steps and as a result nearly to have a home cleaning business. died.” Annie Spielberg was one of her best Maxwell would resign from his job clients.” and go care for his grandmother A proposal package was put while slipping into a terrible together and sent to Spielberg. depression. But amid this time of “One day I was driving and getting personal hardship he grew closer to off the freeway, I was real stressed Cora and began to learn her story. and I get a private phone call. I She would reveal to him her answered and I hear ‘hey this is dangerous, scarring experiences as Annie Spielberg, is this Kevin? I an African American woman living couldn’t breath.” recalled Maxwell. in the Jim Crow South of the 1960s Spielberg committed to be the film’s while being trapped in an abusive executive producer and Maxwell marriage. immediately relayed the news to “The same sheriff ’s officers who Carrasco. were responsible for the notorious Inspired by films such as Alan murder of Emmet Till, they used Parker’s “Mississippi Burning,” to just break into her restaurant Maxwell and his classmates became that she owned and smash up the one big film crew. Under the entire restaurant. They would come guidance of Carrasco, they set out into her business and tear her pots to find locations and props for a and pans, they would dig into the grueling eight-day shoot that would food with their hands and terrorize sometimes last late into the night. the customers,” said Maxwell. With “Cora” now in the can and Arlene Karno Corsair “And when she would go home, her undergoing the equally laborious Kevin Maxwell is the young and talented director of the film “Cora”, the most ambitious project yet to husband would beat her right in front process of post-production which come out of SMC’s film 33 production program. of my dad. He was cheating on her includes editing and sound mixing, with a woman in the restaurant. So Maxwell and the crew hope to have she was dealing with racial prejudice the film ready to premiere at SMC and with infidelity and abuse, all this soon. followed was a period of revising the script too far to give up now.” simultaneously.” Until then he hopes Cora’s story carries a Maxwell went home and began writing under the instructor’s guidance. Group An urgency was born in Maxwell to universal appeal. readings took place with the rest of the the script he would title “Cora.” tell his grandmother’s story on film, “Everyone goes through things, no “It was the first script I would allow class. first in a documentary for which he shot matter what race or where you come First Maxwell had to decide who in the anyone to see. I don’t allow many people to some initial footage. But some words of from,” said Maxwell. “What I want see my writing, it’s too vulnerable for me. I class he could trust as a producer. advice would guide Maxwell towards people to get out of the story is that you “Carrasco told me to basically choose use a lot of my life stories,” he said. Santa Monica College’s growing film can pull through and make it.” The script Maxwell fashioned was an someone I was prepared to be attached production course. intense powder keg full of historical “I had a screenwriter friend who I worked memories, unchained passions and raw with at Staples Center before I had worked characters. The dialogue is fierce and the for the government. We were talking and drama unflinching. he told me about Santa Monica College’s “When I turned it in I got an e-mail from great film program,” said Maxwell. Professor Carrasco, he took interest in it He would go on to enroll in Film 31 and asked me into his office and talked and advance into Film 32 and 33, the about the class producing my script.” set of courses taught by film professor The film focuses on Cora’s years at a diner Salvador Carrasco which place students in the rural south. While she struggles with in an authentic, film production the harshness of an unhappy marriage, she environment. must also deal with the local, racist sheriff ’s During this time, the documentary project department which violently harasses the about Cora fell through due to funding local black community. problems. “This is my dream, to get my “I wasn’t going to do it,” said Maxwell. grandmother’s story out there before she “Then, it was like a ray of light smacked dies,” he said. me in the forehead. I realized I had gone After the script was accepted, what Alci Rengifo Arts & Entertainment Editor
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Arts + entertainment 9
volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Rare King film screened on campus James Powel Staff Writer For some, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a man on a page, a face on a black history poster, or the answer to a question on a history exam. However, for the people who filled the Main Stage at Santa Monica College for the east coast premiere of “Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Personal Portrait” on Thursday evening, King was shown to be a man whose intellect was unmatched and conscience unshakable. Presented by the departments of communication and global citizenship, the film consisted of rare footage of King which was shot in his home over the course of four days in December 1965. It would not be an overstatement to call Thursday’s screening a historic event. The footage, commissioned by television producer Arnold Michaelis, laid unused until George Silano, who directed and shot the project, and was the guest of honor Thursday evening, found it in the University of Georgia archives. “Have you ever played the what ever happened to him game?” Silano asked the packed theater. “That’s what I did with this film.” After receiving a courtesy copy of the film from the Michaelis’ Library of Living History, Silano, the only living member of the crew that shot the footage, was told that he could only screen the film for educational purposes. Prior to Thursday’s screening, the film had only been seen by approximately 1,000 people and according to Silano, the audience present would be the largest audience yet to enjoy this unique opportunity. Those in attendance were also treated to an intimate discussion of King’s views and philosophies. Before Silano introduced the film, Santa Monica College film professor Salvador Carrasco opened the event
with a speech exploring the growth and radicalization of King during the 1960s. He discussed King’s support for Third World liberation movements, his antiwar views concerning Vietnam, and his doctrine of non-violence as the ultimate form of resistance against tyranny. Carrasco emphasized the need to understand King beyond the official image that is usually celebrated every Jan. 15. He stated, “When the myth gives way, the legacy only grows.” Carrasco was followed by Associate Dean Frank Dawson who introduced Silano by outlining his career and experience as a filmmaker who sat down with figures such as President Lyndon B. Johnson in addition to King. Silano then took the podium and showed a series of photos capturing the kind of institutionalized racism that dominated the Jim Crow South in the 1960s. Once the film began the audience was taken into the King home. There was the man, not the icon with the booming voice, but instead an intellectual observer of his times sitting on a chair in a living room and discussing a rapidly changing society. Viewers also saw the inner workings of the partnership between King and his wife Coretta. In the final question of the interview, King was asked if he was willing to die for the advancement of civil rights. Though King’s tenor did not change, the answer he gave communicated an understanding that his death was possible. One of the standout features of the film was the unwavering calm and intellect displayed by King during the interview. After the film Silano was joined onstage by Carrasco and Dawson for a question and answer session between the three men. “Martin touched the third rail. He knew the crosshairs were on him,” Silano said discussing the constant threat of violence that hung over King. “In Martin’s presence
Nick Kovalenko Corsair George Silano, director and cinematographer, presents unseen footage of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Personal Portrait” on Thursday, at the Main Stage.
he made you feel a certain kind of calm. He was as cool as a cucumber when the crosshairs were on him.” Silano made it clear that he did not believe King’s accused assassin, James Earl Ray, actually fired the shot that killed the civil rights icon. He hinted that the killing might have been the work of powerful forces, quite possibly within the government or FBI. He also discussed the technical hurdles of making the film in 1965 with just one camera. “You only had 10 minutes per each roll of film,” explained Silano. Students in the audience were also given the opportunity to ask questions. They ranged from mesmerized impressions after
watching the film, to questions about how the movie changed Silano’s life. Each student who was given an opportunity to speak, either thanked Silano or praised the film. “It took the good will of a lot of good people to bring the film here to SMC,” Carrasco said after the screening. Throughout the evening Silano remarked multiple times on how well King’s vision applied to the issues of today and implored the audience to become more politically active and aware. “Let’s get to work. Let’s get involved, get out and vote,” Silano said.
Melodies from Mali at The Broad Eva Malin Lord Staff Writer
With powerful emotional expressions and rhythms from the musically rich culture of Mali, Fatoumata Diawara and her band members gave The Broad Stage’s crowded concert hall a unique musical experience on Friday night, that would leave the audience on its feet dancing. The Malian singer Diawara, born on the Ivory Coast but now based in Paris, has claimed fans worldwide with her original compositions now featured in her debut album “Fatou.” In it she tells her turbulent life story which includes rebelling against her family’s Wassoulou traditions in order to find freedom. “Music is power, it saves my country,” Diawara said before the show and explained that her music has helped her share her experiences from Mali and reach a new level of happiness. At 7:30 p.m. Diawara kicked off the 90-minute concert by welcoming the audience with a solo number in the form of acoustic song “Wilil.” Diawara filled the concert hall with her raspy voice and
smooth guitar chords before her three band members, Jean Baptiste on drums, Jal on bass, and Greg Emonet on guitar joined her for the rest of the evenings show. The night’s most memorable moment came when Diawara asked the audience to stand up in order to send health and love to the children of the world while she was singing “Sowa.” During the song she explained that parents should never give away their children to be raised by others. Diawara shared how this had been a scarring experience in her own life. There was something special about Diawara. Even when she sang in the language of Bambara, it felt as if you did not have to know the language to understand what the lyrics were saying – her emotions were so powerful that they transcended language. “Her personality is infectious,” concert goer Wamahu Wawera said and explained that she was amazed by Diawara’s ability to connect with people. By the end of the concert, Diawara put her guitar to the side and began performing a traditional African dance. She wanted to
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transport the audience back to Mali with her. The audience started to move along with Diawara, creating a wave of swaying bodies and hips that overtook the concert hall. From that moment on, the stage was lit up with all the vibrant colors of a rainbow as Diawara performed the exhilarating final number. She combined singing and dancing and even allowed members of the audience to accompany her on stage. For a brief moment it felt as if the viewer had left Santa Monica for the African plains. “The show took me to the motherland of Africa,” visitor Tom Chino Nguyen said. “It was an inspiration for my soul.” After the last song, Diawara left the stage as the audience continued dancing. It was a moment all who were in attendance might not easily forget. Arlene Karno Corsair Fatoumata Diawara performs at the Broad Stage on Friday.
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+ lifestyle 10 health
volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Nek Nominations, a fatal trend Paulina Eriksson Staff Writer
The classic pick-up line asking for a martini shaken not stirred, seemed to work just fine for James Bond. However, a new era of technology clearly demands for more. A pint of vodka mixed with dishwashing soap, raw eggs, and topped with a goldfish has become the new standard. An online drinking game referred to as Nek Nominations is spreading like a viral virus on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and has provoked a wave of discussion. The rules for the game are simple. If you get nominated by someone you are challenged to make a video of yourself, traditionally “necking” a pint of beer within the time span of 24 hours. Once you’ve accomplished your mission, it’s your turn to share the clip on the World Wide Web and nominate a friend, family member, neighbor, or complete stranger and challenge them to reply with an even more outlandish mutant drink. The online craze started to spread like wildfire in the beginning of this year. Its origin is still unclear but according to the British newspaper, The Independent, the trend began in Australia. What started off as a playful form of entertainment quickly escalated and became a dangerous game, at times even fatal. Soon enough videos of people drinking everything from cold beer out of a toilet, to a cocktail mixed with four mice, a spider, grasshoppers and their larvae, were shared on YouTube. According to CNN the game has already claimed five victims under 30 in England and Ireland. This happened after some contestants decided to switch from beer to
hard liquor. For Santa Monica College student Josefin Ersson, Nek Nominations are stupid and unsafe, “In some videos people are drinking alcohol right before they go to school and work, it’s dangerous,” she said. She thinks that people over 21-years-old should be able to do whatever they want but that they should keep in mind the negative effects of the game on underage individuals, because it encourages dangerous drinking. Ersson suggests that
said. She also points out that uploading a Nek Nomination clip could potentially create a negative image of yourself that others will see. SMC student David Cvictorino has seen a couple of Nek videos and thinks it sounds like a good time. He insisted that if he were nominated he would gladly take part but with his own touch of originality. “Watching people drink anything that is stronger than beer is more fun, so if I was
Brent Lindesque, a man from Johannesburg, got more than 700,000 views on his Nek Nomination YouTube clip, when he decided to create his own challenge. Instead of drinking beer, Lindesque filmed himself handing out a sandwich, a chocolate bar and a coke to a homeless man at a traffic junction. “Downing a can of Castle Light is easy... imagine if we all harnessed the power of social media to make a real difference in
Courtesy of Youtube.com
there are more important things to do with your time than videotaping yourself consuming alcohol. “I would never want to have a video of myself drinking beer on Facebook,” Ersson
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nominated I would definitely try to neck a whole bottle of liquor just like the people in the videos I have seen,” Cvictorino said. Some people have tried to find more positive uses for the game.
people’s lives,” Lindesque wrote in the description of his video. Whatever forms it might take, until the trend dies out, Nek Nominations will be the subject of cyber fodder for some time to come.
Textbooks and toddlers Qalil Ismail & Ronja Jansz Staff Writer & H & L Editor
When Evelyn Alfaro was 19-years-old she never expected to face the responsibilities and stresses of motherhood so early in life. Among the many students dealing with the daily trials and hassles of college life, single parents face an especially difficult challenge. They must juggle their daily schedule between classes, homework, jobs, and taking care of their children. This requires a lot of effort and savvy scheduling. Alfaro is now a 21-year-old student at Santa Monica College and is the single parent of a 15-month-old boy and a newborn girl. She knows all too well how difficult it can be to raise children by yourself while still attending classes. Alfaro has had to adjust every detail of her schedule to being a mom, including classes. “I can no longer take early classes on campus because I take care of my son during the day. Sometimes it’s difficult to find the classes you need in the afternoon, so most of my classes are done online,” she said. For Alfaro support from her family is essential. Her parents have made it significantly easier for her to manage her time while juggling a student lifestyle. “It’s hard to focus on the workload when you have a toddler running around.” she said. “With the support of family, pursuing a college degree and being a single parent is less of a hassle.” Full-time SMC student Deborah Atwater is also a single mother and supports herself and her 18-month-old daughter. For Atwater, a regular day begins by having breakfast and after dropping her @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
pride and joy off at daycare, she makes her way to SMC where she has class until 6 p.m. Atwater explained that she is taking the maximum amount units allowed per semester in order to transfer as soon as possible. “School is a full-time job and grants cover my tuition.” Atwater advises other single parents to use every available resource. She does not believe that there is a future in living off financial aid and is confident that in continuing her studies she will soon be able to provide for her daughter on her own. A majority of single parents depend on a wide variety of support and aid when continuing their studies. One example of this is the CalWORKs Child Care Services, offered by SMC. Their services are designed for legal guardians and parents that attend classes full-time that are in need of support. The child care services alleviate some of the more stressful responsibilities and encourage parents to pursue their academic goals while remaining responsible guardians, Atwater uses the CalWORKs Child Care Services, and encouraged others to do so as well. However she might have to relocate when transferring and this could possibly result in the loss of her childcare grants. While this could mean that she would have to account for nearly $20,000 a year out of her pocket, she is confident she can overcome this new upcoming challenge. Both mothers face their own, unique hurdles but feel positive about the future. Alfaro is determined to major in Psychology and Atwater plans to transfer to the University of Southern California in the fall with a double major in business and accounting.
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Sports 11
volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
All it takes is one step Jonathan Ramos Opinion Editor
After joining the Brooklyn Dodgers In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the barriers of racism and discrimination as he stepped onto Ebbets Field, becoming the first African American athlete to play for a professional North American sports franchise. Before then, it was unheard of for an African American player to join an all-white league. After breaking those boundaries, Robinson went on to face a mountain of criticism and scrutiny for refusing to bow to a world so keen on knocking him down. For all of his efforts, Robinson paved the way for athletes such as Ernie Davis, the first African American Heisman trophy winner, to make their mark on sports history. Now, an athlete of a new generation has emerged, ready to face his own share of skeptics and doubters. Michael Sam, a former football player for the Missouri Tigers of the NCAA, recently came out. Since his announcement, a firestorm of debate and discussion has been unleashed within the media as to whether major sports are ready for an openly gay athlete to play for a professional sports franchise. Players around the National Football League were quick to respond to Sam’s announcement, showering Sam with praise for what they feel was an act of great courage and heroism. Others were not quite as comfortable with the idea of sharing the locker room with a gay man. “Imagine if he’s the guy next to me, and you know, I get dressed, naked,
taking a shower, the whole nine, and it just so happens he looks at me, how am I supposed to respond?” said former NFL linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, Jonathan Vilma, in an interview with the NFL network. Influential lobbyist, Jack Burkman has gone as far as crossing legislative borders, proposing a ban against gay players in the NFL. “We are losing our decency as a nation,” Burkman said in a statement. “Imagine your son being forced to shower with a gay man. That’s a horrifying prospect for every mom in the country. What in the world has this nation come to?” To answer Vilma’s question, you just keep on showering. Homosexuality is not a drug, disease, nor a choice. So Vilma can share a locker room with a coach who paid his players to purposely hurt and injure opponents but he cannot comprehend what to do if a gay man looks his way? Perhaps it would be less fearful if MIchael Sam was wielding a gun or carried a contagious disease; anything other than being gay right? As far as Burkman’s question goes, the world has come to a state where having an athlete with the “wrong” sexual orientation playing in a major league is an abomination. But an arrogant pop star who gets pulled over on a DUI, resists arrest, and then shows no remorse whatsoever, is deemed “misguided.” A gay man is far and away from the worst kind of person that’s ever played in a major sport. Heavens forbid a gay man join the NFL, you know, with all the exceptional human beings the league already carries.
John Stewart said it best. “No team wants the controversy that having a gay player would cause,” he said on a segment of the Daily Show. “If he had just been accused of DUI vehicular manslaughter, or obstruction of justice in connection with a murder, or had been accused of sexual assault, or screamed the n-word at a concert or killed a bunch of dogs and buried them in his [expletive] yard, you know, NFL material.” The players who own those claims which involve, Donte Stallworth, Ray Lewis, Ben Roesthlisberger, Riley Cooper, and Michael VIck, have all been welcomed back by the NFL with open arms. With these athletes on the loose, only someone as naive and just plain stupid as Burkman can believe that a gay man is more of a monstrosity than some of society’s other products. It is unfortunate that Sam’s sexuality has become more important than what he can actually do on the field. That being said, in the society we live in, it’s to be expected. “It’s definitely not fair,” said Gifford Lindheim, head coach of the Santa Monica College football team. “However, he bears the responsibility and the scrutiny that always falls to those who break boundaries.” To Sam’s credit, Lindheim feels he has done an incredible job in handling the doubters. Lindheim feels more than comfortable with the idea of a gay athlete on any of SMC’s sports teams, feeling that his team has created an accepting culture and would respond in a positive way. Fortunately for Sam, he is not alone in his battle against prejudice. Before the NFL prospect made his announcement, Jason Collins of the NBA had already opened
up about his homosexuality and has since become the first openly gay athlete to play for a professional North American sports franchise. After Collins, Darren Young of World Wrestling Entertainment shocked the wresting world with the sudden announcement about his homosexuality. Collins’s and Young’s revelations, like Sam’s, were met with a fair share of approval and disapproval. The difference between Sam and Collins however, is that while Collins is nearing the end of his career, Sam is only in the beginning. Still, most of society has shown acceptance of Collins. He currently signed a contract with the Brooklyn Nets and even his jersey became the top seller on the National Basketball Association’s website last Tuesday. Although not everyone is ready to accept an openly gay player into a major professional sports league, the NCAA as well as the NFL and NBA have proven that the future is bright. It is yet to be seen whether Michael Sam can become as powerful a symbol as Robinson has been. However, the courage and professionalism that Sam and Collins have displayed is more than one can say for people like Vilma and Burkman. It is now or never for the NFL and other sports organizations to accept openly gay athletes into their ranks. But it requires individuals like Sam and Collins to take the necessary steps and keep the world moving in a more accepting direction. As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
SMC Skeptics Club together with Physics and Psychology Clubs, and the Associated Students present:
Sounds From Beyond with Brian Dunning
When: Thursday, March 20th 11:35am - 12:35pm Where: HSS 165 Admission: FREE!
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12 Sports
volume 107 issue 2 • MArch 5, 2014 • santa monica college
Runners on the storm Jay Singer Staff Writer
As thunder rolled in and lightning lit up the sky, Moorpark College would not be denied the rare opportunity to host a Los Angeles area track meet in the pouring rain. The Western State Conference track and field meet, on Friday at Los Angeles Valley College would be held come rain or shine. Moorpark hosted the meet at LA Valley College after LAVC had their entire track team eliminated due to budget cuts. The rain started immediately as the first events got under way. To stay dry, track team members waited underneath bleachers until it was their turn to compete. Although the bleachers did provide some shelter from the storm, athletes still got soaked during warm-ups and power failures led to even more complications. Some runners were visibly shivering as they waited to register. Sign-ins were held manually at the starting line to speed up the process, while others were done by iPhone. When events finally got under way, Santa Monica College freshman Kendall Holiday started the day by winning the 200-meter dash in 23.24 seconds, acing out Venzel Rucker of West Los Angeles College. Kendall also claimed second in the 100-meter and helped SMC take second place in the 4x100 and 4x400 meter relays. Also representing SMC in the 200-meters was sprinter Zachary Stern who took third. Helping SMC’s chances on the day was sophomore Drew Brown who took third in the 400-meter dash and also helped SMC take second place in the 100 and 400-meter relays. Brown believes that the 4x400 meter relay team “has a good chance to take the state title this year.”
Last year’s sophomore middle distance ace Terrence Luevano took second place behind Glendale’s Bryant Flores, narrowly losing his first race of the day by a mere 0.18 seconds. Luevano also took third place in the 1500-meters. All this after missing the entire cross country season due to a foot injury. “I’m fully recovered now and ready for track season,” said Luevano. The lady Corsairs were led by freshman Marisa Lemus who took second in the women’s 200-meters. Following up Lemus was returning sophomore Ashley Bootesaz who took fifth place in the 1500-meters as the rain refused to let up. Bolstering SMC’s team total was Devyn Ruiz who took first place in the 100-meter hurdles, second place in the long jump as well as helping SMC take second place in the 4x100 meter relay. Ruiz will definitely be called upon throughout the season to help SMC make a run at the state championships. Due to numerous delays causing most events to fall behind schedule, the 3000-meter race included men and women. The cold and wet conditions made it difficult to beat personal bests, set state records or even hold proper races. Considering the conditions, no more could have been asked of the SMC track team than what they already gave during the cold and gloomy afternoon. If The Corsairs can match the level of competition showed at LAVC, SMC should have a great shot at qualifying and competing for multiple state titles this May. In just six weeks, a series of four meets will determine who gets to compete in the state championships at Mt. San Antonio College May 16-17.
Jay Singer Corsair Corsair track team member Terrence Luevano leads the pack in the 800-meters on Friday. Luevano placed second in the race, and followed it up with a third place finish in the 1500-meters.
Brandon Barsugli Corsair Santa Monica College Corsairs men’s volleyball player Taylor Tattersall spikes the ball over defenders during a Corsairs match against Santa Barbara College on Wednesday Febuary 26, 2014 at Santa Monica College. The Corsairs won 3-1 during there first conference game. Santa Monica Calif.
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