CORSAIR
volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
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Summertime in Cuba Inside the forbidden island the c orsair • thec orsaironline.c om • 19 0 0 pic o blvd. santa monica, ca 9 0405 •(310) 434-4340
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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 Jonathan Ramos······Managing Editor c o rs a i r. m a n a g i n g @ g m a i l . c o m Rachel Gianuario··········News Editor c o rs a i r. n e w s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Paulian Eriksson·····Health & Lifestyle E l i n E d k h a l ······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 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 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 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 Liz Phillips················ 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 David Veta················Design Editor c o rs a i r. d e s i g n t e a m @ 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 c o r s a i r s ta f f Brandon Barsugli, Scott Bixler, Carlos Espinosa, Adrien Piteux, James Powel, Luis Salvador, Raven Newaly, Brenda Cruz, Matthew Toss, Stacy Ellen, Jeffrey Chacon, Stella Ngigi, Carlos Espinosa, Alfredo Gutierrez, Zoila Campos, Jacqueline Rodriguez, Jillisa Jenkins, Yasha Hawkins, Branisolv Jovanovio, Jose Gutierrez, Catherine Drabicki, 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, Tony Peterson, Adriane Hale, Tiffany Hernandez, Mary Leipziger, Claudius West, Deni Rodriguez, Richard Lewis, Brandon Wong, Dominique Maddox, Maddy Weber, Lorena G.
volume 108 issue 2 • september 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Amy Gaskin Corsair Anthony Solis, Tony Gonzalez and dog Khloe visit a 9/11 memorial during the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Remembrance Ceremony at the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center on Thursday. “I still need a place to come and grieve,” said Solis
A Cuban man enjoys a cigar under summer sunshine, He was one of many locals encountered by Corsair Multimedia Editor Ronja Jansz during her summer trip to the famous, socialist island 90 miles away from the United States. This week’s Photo Story chronicles her journey and experiences in a country so close, yet so distant from our shores. (Ronja Janz/The Corsair)
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Letter From the Editor Thoughts on a Cuban Summertime Alci Rengifo Editor-In-Chief
In this week’s issue we take you into one of the most fascinating and historically key territories of our hemisphere. For more than half a century Cuba has been part of the American consciousness for mostly political reasons. Since the 1959 Revolution which brought Fidel Castro to power, Cuba has been a source of debate, admiration and animosity. For many Americans the simple name of the country evokes the bearded image of Che Guevara, fevered revolutionary leaders exporting revolution into the Americas, the red specter of Communism and newsreel footage of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which was the only time the world truly did come close to nuclear war. As the son of a mother who survived the civil war in El Salvador and a father from restless Colombia, the Cuban Revolution would find its way into dinner table conversation. It was the key political event of my parents’ generation, its impact on Latin America was akin to that of the French Revolution on 18th century Europe. Now our Multimedia Editor, Ronja Jansz, shares her observations in this issue as a traveler through post-Cold War Cuba where the economy is slowly beginning to open up to the capitalist world and yet the population remains one steeped in a spirit of perseverance. It is a nation where an entrenched political system operates hand in hand with a society which is not wealthy, but in comparison to much of
Latin America if not the Third World in general, has much to be proud of in terms of health standards, employment rates and education figures. Unlike the tragic scenes associated with Haiti, Cuba is a nation which has achieved a unique status in terms of social development, now it only awaits an economic transformation. And yet, how beneficial would it be for Cuba to fall into the hands of corporate consumerism and rampant commercialism? In the photos Ronja shot throughout the island, we never see billboard advertisements or corporate slogans, only the revolutionary proclamations and signs of the socialist state. It is almost warming to see a country devoid of the crass commercialism that has so marked our own culture. While Ronja travelled to Cuba as a visitor seeking to know a culture and its people, readers should ponder what the reasoning could be for the United States to maintain its embargo on the island. It can be said that one of the great failures of the recent foreign policies of American presidents, including President Obama, has been the lack of will to finally reopen relations with Cuba. The embargo is a relic of the Cold War, it is as useless today as it was in the 1960s. Consider that most of Latin America is now governed by leftist or center-left governments, Venezuela being prominent among them. It seems puzzling
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that our entire hemisphere, including Canada, has full ties with Cuba while the United States remains stubborn in its ideological, imperial isolation. Ronja could travel to Cuba because she is a European citizen, but an American citizen such as myself cannot travel there freely. Only Cubans residing within the United States with relatives on the island can make the trip, and even then with certain limitations. As the Obama White House plans to wage war in the Middle East, this time against the militant Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, our continued denial of our Caribbean neighbor makes absolutely no sense at all. As we transfer our fears and military might towards new adversaries, with Cuba we cannot stay locked in the past. In the rest of this issue we also feature pieces on our new Associated Students board finally passing a budget, an opinion piece pondering the growing militarization of our police forces and in the Arts & Entertainment section we look at the crude boldness of the new German film “Wetlands.” The new horror mazes at Universal Studios are also reviewed with input by its designer, who shares the phoebias and fears that make a modern haunted house imaginable. We invite readers to send us their comments and observations. As we explore lands beyond our borders, we want to hear the chatter happening beyond our Newsroom. @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
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news 3
volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Photographer Corsair Santa Monica College Director of Auxillary Services George Prather speaking at the Associated Students board meeting in the Cayton Center in reference to their fiscal policy for the year, which he helped draft, on Monday, September 15, 2014.
A.S. passes 2014-2015 budget and sets agenda Rachel Gianuario News Editor
At the third A.S. meeting of the school year on Monday, September 15th, the new board adopted the 2014-2015 budget after tabling the issue twice at two previous meetings and changing the fiscal policy language. A candidate for the position of A.S. Vice President stepped forward, and concerns for the Cayton center were discussed. In the first meeting of the year, on September 3, the board attempted to adopt the budget presented by Director of Auxiliary Services, George Prather. The board added and crossed out line items, and redistributed funds. The added line items such as the Organic Learning Garden were originally proposed by last year’s A.S. board and had been approved, according to previous A.S. president Ty Moura. The board negotiated adopting the budget after moving funds around and approving specific expenses. In particular, the board wanted to move $50,000 from the contingency line item into two new line items ($25,000 to support the Organic Learning Garden and $25,000 for consulting). Additionally, the A.S. Board wanted to move half of the money from the Public Relations/President’s line items into the New Technology and Student Success line item to expand scholarships for A.S. members.
Prather informed them, however, that the board had to adopt the budget as a whole and the new line items (which were object codes) could not be added to the budget per the California Accounting Manual. Associate Dean of Student Life, Sonali Bridges suggested the board should review the current fiscal policy to change the language regarding these line items at the next Finance meeting. Then they could return with an accurate policy that does not need suspendion in order for the A.S. budget to be approved.. Though Khan made an attempt to adopt the budget as it was, the item was tabled and moved to the second meeting. In the mean time, the board was left unable to access funds from the budget to begin approving student activities and other expenditures. Following a meeting with the Finance Committee last Thursday, September 11, the board made several amendments to the Fiscal Policy that were more in line with this current board’s values. Specifically, they removed the Organic Learning Garden as a line item and included it under the Sustainability line item. After making motions to fix a spelling error and fine-tune proposal submission rules, the board adopted the new fiscal policy, thus allowing them to adopt the budget in total. The budget was unanimously adopted and a swift slam of the gavel began this year’s budget
spending. A recurring issue at the board meetings is the discussion of the A.S. board becoming an auxiliary organization. According to the California Education Code, section 72670, an auxiliary board is organized for the “purpose of providing supportive services and specialized programs for the general benefit of its college or colleges.” Dean Bridges explained to the A.S. board that the SMC Board of Trustees does not currently recognize A.S. as an auxiliary organization, but as a student organization pursuant to CA Ed Code 76060. The board voted to table the issue and ask other community colleges about the positive and negative effects of becoming an auxiliary board. At Monday’s meeting, the board voted to table the issue indefinitely. Also, mentioned at this Monday’s meeting was the announcement by Trae Smith, C.E.O. of Generations of the Future, that he would be running for Vice President. In his swift two minute speech, Smith explained his credentials and intentions for the position. He announced that he does not want to make money, but simply wants to help people. Present at this meeting, and the previous one, was SMCPD Sergeant Mark Kessler, who was asked to supervise weekly meetings due to members on the board feeling unsafe
in the presence of former A.S. Director Of Activities Matt Nicholson following comments he made at the Associated Students retreat this summer. He continues to insist that last semester’s A.S. elections must be repeated due to what he considers to be his unfair dismissal as a candidate. Lee Peterson, SMC’s Academic Computing Instructional Specialist, made a public comment concerning Cayton Center issues. He explained that students using the newly installed foosball table in the Cayton center as a prop to keep doors open for the sake of airflow is a fire and safety hazard. He went on to mention that due to the computer lab lacking air conditioning, eighteen computers have recently overheated and engineers are being called in to fix the inner fans. In response to these comments, Dean Bridges said that doorstops are already being added to doors in the Cayton center and that AC options in the center are being explored. Director of Instructional Support, Jeffrey Lewis discussed the possibility of an A.S. app, televisions in the Cayton center, and the purchase of wireless speakers for the weekly board meeting, matters that are tabled until proposed to the Financial Committee. In closing, Dean Bridges congratulated the board on adopting their budget and revising fiscal policy, overcoming their first big hurdle.
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Fiction A Rose is Just a Rose
&
Poetry
Upon Observing Students at the SMC Campus
A rose is just a rose.
Who am I to make complaints Or to whine about my days It’s not by any other name. When in truth I have no real restraints It isn’t Summer or Spring or lovers or anything like that. That proves my hearts dismay. It isn’t Christ or England or York; What courage has my soul gave forth wars have been named after, but not fought over them. People have cared for them and grown them Or what patience do I live? and picked them and hid them places What ways have I revealed my worth? and put them under things and on top of others and inside boxes. What meaning do I give? What burning pain abides in me It’s a red, but it isn’t a pinkie or a commie Or what shackles melt my skin? or a Brit or Mick or Spic or span. What fire walls my eyes to see It isn’t a dandelion or a dinosaur or a can of soup The grace I drown within? or a spare key or a shoelace To watch my brother forgive Ill fate with one aglet missing Enforces my verve to celebrate. or a copy of the New York Times from April 11th of 1967 By Chase Maser or a small bit of rubber that fell off of something you bought a while ago and now you’ve lost the the thing it came off of and all that’s left of it is the small bit of rubber which is no good anymore. Lots of things aren’t roses, but there’s only one thing in the whole wide world that isn’t not a rose. It’s a flower. It looks lovely and it’s fairly often red, though it can certainly be other colours and it smells sweet too. It’s a fucking rose. By David Veta
CONTRIBUTE YOUR ART, POEMS, AND FICTION! Submit your work to corsair.calendarpage@gmail.com
Untitled By Adriane Hale
Health & lifestyle 5
volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Choosing between high end and affordable degrees Stacy Ellen Staff Writer Flashing lights, catwalks, glamorous models and red-carpets is what usually comes to mind when imagining the fashion industry. What many people might not think of is all the hard work it takes to get to the top, and to stay there.Choosing the right school for a specific major is something that can be easier said than done. “You’re making a much more calculated decision about your education, coming out of a two year school [junior college] you’re going to have a much stronger chance of getting into a better school, with automatic transfer [from SMC] into Cal State or UC with the [high] GPA,” SMC Fashion Professor Susan Kolko said. A degree is many times a must in this ever changing job market, but all degrees are not created equally. SMC first year fashion student Ashley Blackburn started her college career at the Art Institute in Kansas City but found out, when attempting to transfer to the AI Hollywood campus, that her credits where not transferable.Blackburn switched gears, applied and was accepted into FIDM. Budget was important to her. “A two year degree from [FIDM] was outrageously expensive,” Blackburn said. A junior college can usually offer many of the courses as a fashion/art school, for free or a small cost compared to a private school. “You have to really know what you want, if you’re going to go to FIDM or Parsons, you need to know that this is your destiny, if you change your mind your degree can’t
really be applied anywhere else,” Kolko said. Whether a student wants to earn an associate degree or transfer to another university, many times the choice seems to be made because of the name. Some fashion/art schools such as Parsons New School of Design, Art Institute and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) seems to be more desirable just because of the weight their names carry in the industry. According to college.niche.com, 78% of SMC students plan to transfer to another school to complete their degree and whereas specific fashion/art schools such as FIDM, 55% plan on looking for a new job after graduation . Students that have earned an associate degree can take online degree programs from fashion/art schools such as Parsons and Academy of Arts Institute without relocating outside of Los Angeles. According to fashionista.com, firms such as Vogue, Elle, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue, hire 2-4% of their total employees from Parsons and firms that frequently hire FIDM graduates include Disney, Abercrombie & Fitch and Smashbox. Employers are looking for candidates not only with higher education degrees but also work experience. According to The National Association of Colleges and Employers, 63% of college graduates who received job offers participated in paid internships and only 35% of graduates with no internship experience. “Absolutely internships and working is the most important thing to do at the same times as earning a degree,” Kolko said.
Ronja Jansz Corsair SMC students walk in the fashion department’s annual LA Mode Fashion Show at the California Market Center in Downtown Los Angeles, in June of 2014. 23 collections were featured and conteed for awards such as “Best Collection” and “Most Creative.”
Riding the heat wave: how SMC is pulling through Tiffany Hernandez Staff Writer It is the third week of fall semester at Santa Monica College and with September being the hottest month in Los Angeles, many students are resourcing to ice-cold drinks, air conditioning and refreshing shade under the trees. We are half way through the year 2014 and it isn’t getting any cooler—not outside and for some SMC students, not in the
classrooms either. “It’s too hot to even concentrate on what the teacher is saying because I’m sitting on my chair thinking ‘oh my God can I leave?’” said SMC student Gulya Mansurova. Santa Monica is in general cooler than the cities farther from the beach. Students coming from the San Fernando valley or West Los Angeles rely on the cool breeze from the beach of Santa Monica but according to SMC student Fara Mansurova it is not any cooler here.
“It’s just as hot and with the classrooms not having functioning air conditioner it makes it worse to bear,” Mansurova said. “I’m sitting in class thinking ‘eww I’m sweating, eww I’m sweating,’” SMC student Gulya Mansurova said. According to Gregory Brown, facility manager at SMC, there are a few buildings from the 1950’s on campus that do not include air conditioning. These buildings include the Liberal Arts, Letter’s and Science, the Gym and Locker
Rachel Gianuario Corsair
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building and portions of the Art building. “There are long term plans to replace many of those buildings so there is no investment being planned for air conditioning in any of the buildings except the Cayton Center where the Associated Students have asked us to study the feasibility of adding air conditioning,” Brown said “HSS was originally designed to utilize natural ventilation. But due to the warmer weather and more students in each classroom during peak periods, natural ventilation is not working,” Brown said. According to Brown they have plans to install air conditioning in the HSS building but it is not schedule to be completed until 2016. Fall semester at Santa Monica College has always been packed with students trying to crash courses that in return cause the classrooms to overheat. “Unfortunately, the warmest weather in Santa Monica usually occurs right when fall classes start and we have a high number of students in each classroom, which makes the rooms feel even hotter,” Brown said. SMC student Suleymi Amaya thinks it’s unacceptable that both the students and teachers must tolerate the heat in class. “I really hope the school does something about this because it doesn’t look like it’s going to get cooler any time soon,” Amaya said. September has been a hot, humid, and sweaty month for SMC students and many are waiting for the school government to act and improve the environment in the classrooms. “I really hope they fix the air conditioners in classrooms because there’s still next fall semester and I really do not want to be sitting in a hot air bubble again,” said Amaya.
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6 photostory
volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
A picturesque street scenery in one of Havana’s side streets providing a glimpse into the daily activity of the woman on the left trying to sell fruits as locals walk and cycle on by. Many of the houses have gotten worn out over the years and this process, in combination with their colorful painted coatings, add to the historical atmosphere the city continues to breathe. 29th of July 2014.
Ronja Jansz
Ronja Jansz Corsair
The Mural de la Prehistoria, is a large mural in the Valle de Dos Hermanos, reportedly ordered by Fidel Castro. Its basic colors can be found in nature and represents the becoming of the social human being. 26th of July 2014.
Ronja Jansz Corsair
A newly wedded woman gets inside a bicycle taxi in Santa Clara, Cuba. 20th of July 2014.
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Ronja Jansz Corsair
A man sits on a stoop on a cloudy day in Cienfuegos, Cuba. 24th of July 2014.
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z
photostory 7
volume 108 issue 2 • september 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Ronja Jansz Corsair
Two elderly men sita on a front porch in the streets in Santa Clara, Cuba. 21st of July 2014.
Ronja Jansz Corsair Corsair
The view from the top of the Bell Tower in the city of Trinidad, which is situated right by thet edge of the Southern Range in the province of Sancti Spíritus. 23rd of July 2014.
Ronja Jansz Corsair
A young boy plays with a wooden stick on the rooftop of a small building in Santa Clara, Cuba. 20th of July 2014.
Journey to Cuba By Ronja Jansz Multimedia Editor
Inside the legendary island’s cities and backlands
“A love that can last forever takes but a second to come about.”
This is a Cuban proverb that had proven itself to be true the moment I arrived on the Caribbean island. I was hanging out of the crooked car window of an old American vehicle that had been renovated over a dozen times. My hair was dancing in the wind and my skin was bathed in the heat that enveloped the city, even late at night. We were on our way to Cárdenas, a smaller city in the north-central part of Cuba that rarely enjoys the company of tourists, or “yumas,” as they are referred to by the local population. In Cárdenas I was going to be staying with the family of an acquaintance of mine. Their kindness reached beyond my expectations and I was soon told to call her parents “Mami” and “Papi.” Awash in the spirit of Cuba, our arrival was to be celebrated with a dinner and every attending family member contributed with an authentic dish of their own. The smell of rich, herbed, and fruity foods filled the courtyard of the small house and soon enough we were setting the table with arroz congrí, oven-cooked chicken, cold salads, breadbaskets, lobster, and flan for dessert. It was a feast that most Cubans wouldn’t be able to afford and it was an honor to be treated in such fashion. Continued on next page for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •
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8 Photostory
volume 108 issue 2 • september 17, 2014 • santa monica college
A young boy that couldn’t have been older than five years came up to me and without expecting an answer asked, “You’re not from here are you? Would you like to play a game?” He presented an empty can of soda, lifted the lid and hit it as hard as he could with his middle finger. He gestured that it was my turn and explained that the person to knock it off would be the winner. However, his attention was quickly caught by an older boy that was giving out candy and he left as suddenly as he’d come. I particularly enjoyed this moment because I was blown away by his inventive idea to make up a game with what little he had, proving that the smallest things in life can make us happy and the importance of sharing those moments with others. This would continue to be a reoccurring theme throughout my entire journey and is one of the characteristics that I came to appreciate most about cubans. Viñales was a rural city that was situated in a dreamlike landscape of green and lush mountain valleys. I remember waking up to the sound of a pig being slaughtered next door and the rumbling of horse carriages that drove by. My days were filled with horse riding through the valleys along with visits to caves where one could swim in an underground lake as well as a trip to one of the tobacco farms where cigars were rolled right in front of our eyes. One sight that should not be missed is the Mural de la Prehistoria, a large mural in the Valle de Dos Hermanos that had reportedly been ordered by Fidel Castro. The mural has been colored in basic colors that can be found in nature and represents the becoming of Ronja Jansz Corsair the social human being. “Hasta La Victoria Siempre,” meaning “Until Victory, Always!” is the most famous slogan by guerrilla leader Che Havana is the island’s world-famous capital that long ago used Guevara and can be found on many banners throughout the country. This particular sign is located in Cárdenas, to be the Las Vegas of the Caribbean but underwent a major a smaller city in the north-central part of Cuba. 19th of July 2014. transformation throughout the Revolution. It is a complex, [Continued from previous page] vibrant city where the richest and poorest of Cubans meet in the busy suburbs that thrive During my days in Cárdenas I got the unique opportunity to experience Cuba from a on tourism. Many youth move here in the hope to find prosperity and opportunities to local perspective. I was living under one roof with Mami and Papi, roamed the streets to start a modern life for themselves. pick up groceries, went dancing late at night, sat on our front porch to gaze at the stars and The city is a center where young students attend school six days a week, where elderly exchange stories about the world with next-door neighbors, and cycled amongst horses, men play dominos and seek shade on park benches as the younger ones catcalled after donkeys, and bicycling-taxis that filled the streets. I also swam at a small beach that that women and cycled their way through the city to make what was located next to a run-down rum factory that overlooked little money they can. It is a city where women support babies a specific part of the sea where many had attempted to leave on their hips as they converse with next-door neighbors and the island in the past. where eager tourists wander the streets with dollars ready to It was a great start of my trip and only the beginning of spend. a mind-blowing journey that would culminate in an active The province is divided in 15 parts with Habana Vieja, or series of experiences, fascinating landscapes and inspiring “Old Havana,” being the most thriving one because of its encounters with Cuban society. I was nervous, this I had to historical heritage that over the years has undergone several admit. I had traveled by myself before but that had been in a renovations with the help of UNESCO. The neighborhood country where people spoke English, where one could always houses over 900 landmarks including the Presidential Palace rely on Internet and Mobile data connectivity, and pay with and the Cathedral Square. Socialist slogans and illustrations debit and credit cards. This trip would be different, that was can be found in most of street corners that easily stand out on certain. the walls of vibrantly colored houses. Each city and town that I visited in Cuba has a style of its Major parts of the city consist of run-down houses that give own. Santa Clara is best known for its historical influence the city a picturesque look as well as the American vintage during the 1959 Revolution that brought Fidel Castro to cars roaming around, offering tourists the opportunity power. The Tren Blindado was a train that got derailed to explore the city fifties-style and drive on the legendary by guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his troops. It was a Malecón with its sea walls overtaken by constant waves. It is a historical moment for Cuba and as a result, three of its red common meeting place for Cubans after the sun has set and a wagons have been made available as a historical attraction Ronja Jansz Corsair welcoming air in a city that for so many years symbolized the and now serve as a museum for tourists and visiting Cubans The immense statue of Cuban independence hero encroachment of Communism in the Western hemisphere. alike. Another impressive monument was the Che Guevarra José Martí overlooks the Plaza de la Revolución in Tradition is upheld with the ritual of firing a cannon every Cuba. The plaza is best known for the many Mausoleum, a blank plaza that showcases an immense statue Havana, night at 9:00 P.M., once used to announce the closing of the political rallies that took place there. 30th of July 2014. of Che and sculpted figures of other icons of the revolution. forts and city walls, but nowadays is a cultural ceremony that Trinidad was an idyllic city that, judging by the amount of foreign visitors, was high on serves as a reminder of the island’s vibrant history. the list of must-sees. Unlike other cities, the majority of ventures in Trinidad only allowed As my journey came to an end, I came away with the impression that Cuba is a country tourists to pay using CUC, a separate currency from that of the locals’ that was initially rich with a luminous vibrant culture that has overcome many obstacles in the storm of designed for foreigners and the purchase of luxury items, but overtime has become a part history and did so with a humorous approach. The tropical temperature temperature of the general economy. tempers the character of the Cuban people and their inventive and generous approach Ernesto, the host of the casa particular that I stayed at, was one of the most generous culminates in a rhythm of life that is as elegant and alive as a joyful dance. and accommodating people I met throughout my trip. In 1997 the Cuban government started allowing Cubans to privately rent out rooms in their houses or apartments and since then he has made several rooms in his house available to tourists to generate some extra income. He informed me of all the do’s and don’ts in the area and connected me with a scuba instructor with whom I explored the bottom of the ocean. During the day I would walk the neatly paved brick streets in an attempt to get a better grasp of Cuban life and visited the Convento de San Francisco, an old bell tower that overlooked the city and offered a great view of the mountains in the distance. Evenings were filled with visits to the renowned Casa de La Musica where locals and visitors alike got to show off their dancing skills and were sometimes followed by dancing festivities in a nearby cave that had been transformed into an underground club. Visiting Cienfuegos offered quite the opposite experience. The majority of side-streets were typified by potholes and dirty pools of water that one had to be careful not to step into. Its plentiful, pompous manors and palaces are the heritage of the city’s cosmopolitan and prosperous history and the Teatro Tomás Terry is a must-see theater that has showcased performances by legendary artists ranging from Enrico Caruso to Anna Pavlova. One of my favorite features of Cienfuegos was the Paseo del Prado, an elongated street that stretched from the northern part of the city all the way to its most southern point. Walking along the bay area offered a welcome breeze and the paseo was connected to a small road that led to a hidden beach where Cuban families splashed in the water. Here I went inside the water and,a being Ronja Jansz Corsair the only tourist, was struck by how easily the local population took me in. Two classic, vintage cars pass one another on the meandering road to Viñales, Cuba. Ahead of us drives a wagon transporting two horses. 26th of July 2014.
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Opinion 9
volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Fortress America, bringing the war back home Maddy Weber Staff Writer Controversy regarding police enforcement is at an all time high due to the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. Police enforcement is under scrutiny for numerous reasons, and the sweeping coverage of Brown’s death is instrumental in demands for change and justice. protests are no longer solely focused on Brown’s death, but have turned into a nationwide debate regarding demands for demilitarization. Police militarization is a prominent topic of discussion due to the extensive money spent needed to finance militarygrade weapons and resources, and the contemptuous dynamics between enforcement and the public as a result. The American Civil Liberties Union states that “the war comes home” with “the excessive militarization of American policing.” The public fear that what once was a protective power has turned into a war-minded force, bearing irrefutable consequences. The fear of racial profiling is not a newly generated fear; in small towns such as Ferguson with a prominently black community being run by a majorly white over-populated police force, convictions of injustice happen all too often. Statistics show a progressively higher trend in action taken against black men ages 1834, much like the Brown incident. Beliefs that police disproportionally target young black men and other men of color has been an ongoing certainty in communities, and the war-like tactics being practiced recently are leaving an even higher level of fear in citizens. SMC student Ryan Miles believes there’s a “higher level of aggression and assumption towards people of color.” She says that “for as far back as [she] remembers, there’s always been reports of unwarranted action taken against nonwhite people.” Admittedly not knowing
hard details, Miles comments that “there is a greater fear of police, and an uncertainty of whether they’re for or against us.” With such turmoil and concern regarding police, the government should be taking action in attempts to resolve a historically high profile matter. In spite of prudent attempts for change, there has been less than satisfying results; such as Brown V. Wilson, a lack of cold, hard evidence is upheld in court, rather than witness reports with discretionary inconsistencies. It’s no coincidence that when asked of the publics confidence in police ethics and honesty, 45 percent of blacks answered yes compared to 59 percent of whites. The ACLU commented that police militarization “unfairly impacts people of color and undermines individual liberties.” Looking at the bigger picture related to distrust in the policing system, militarization is at the core of the matter. An East Los Angeles Police Officer, who wished to remain anonymous due to the current sensitivity in the matter, said, “[he] understands the controversy and the outrage, but in the broader spectrum, the change and accessibility of military-grade weapons needs to be taken in account. If someone dangerous may be in possession of a weapon of that nature, [he] needs to feel secure in the ability to protect.” The need to feel secure arguably plays a big part in the matter at hand. Furthermore, though, is the cost of arming these forces with such weapons. Back in 2011, reports of the Department of Homeland Security showed at least $34 billion dollars have gone to supplying military equipment. Property foreclosures have brought millions more to finance the change. In 2014 alone, an estimated 22 percent of federal spending goes to defense. Ever since the war on terror in 2001, money toward national defense has skyrocketed. The war on drugs only adds to the expenditure and in turn continues to create a police force that could easily be mistaken for a military
Students Surpassing Parents Jazmine B Heard Staff Writer
Besides being the first in their families to attend college, certain students may be on their way to becoming “smarter” than the people who raised them. The school year has begun, and whether you are a first generation college student or following the family tradition, we all reach that point of conscious adulthood sometime or another. Being able to speak to your guardians as intellectuals and not just from elder to pupil is just as important. As college students we are constantly learning new ideas and ways of thinking about the world that we may advance the people we look up to. Being a first generation myself, there is no doubt there are times that communication about certain academic subjects are more difficult to speak with my parents rather than others. “I may have different applied knowledge,” said Santa Monica College student Kamari Carter, 21, who isn’t knew to a family of collegians. Other students agreed on one thing, conversations with their elders ended when it hit a certain peak in education; the peak that presents itself when someone realizes what they’re saying no longer has a place with the person who they’re conversing with. Do we intentionally dumb ourselves down? As harsh as it sounds, the possibility is real.
Our guardians are the ones who filled our heads up and even if it wasn’t with very much. But how do we as students try to keep what we’re learning away from the people we want to share it all with? This is nothing knew, children have been challenging their parents’ thoughts and ways of living for years, but in a generation where “school is cool” and opportunity is tangible for everyone, there can be new insight to those who have guardians who weren’t as lucky or financially fortunate in past generations. An elder can argue that what they were taught or the way they were taught don’t match the level of today’s students. There are discussions now that would not have been a topic in class twenty years ago. How do we take what we’ve learned and apply it within a liberal or conservative family? There will be things that’s parents always have the upper hand on, such as wisdom. If we were to say that wisdom comes with age then we wouldn’t exactly be consulting the learning experience that aging comes with. But it is possible to not include age when considering if that is the only factor of wisdom. Since wisdom comes with experience, a student can very well surpass a parent intellectually and academically. And as appalling as the scenario may be, it is OK to have a superior thinking advantage compared to your parents. Stop trying to compete.
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unit. There is a sobering acceleration of the number of SWAT raids in the 1970s compared to recent years. From what was once only a few hundred annually, by 2005, an average of 50,000 raids take place per year. The majority of these raids are due to nonviolent crimes and to make matters worse, black and latinos account for about 50 percent of the raids. As debates of police militarization and discrimination spiral out of control, the problems are likely to get worse. With
Jhoseph Hern Corsair
no reformation, and as sensitivity on the matter rises, conclusions of racial targeting and brutality will be made with or without substantial evidence due to an unheard nation. The police must actively be demilitarized and again become a protective force rather than an intimidating one. Money, should begin funding education and other various systems that lessen the number of participants in the drug trade. Race must become an unconsidered factor in policing tactics.
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& Entertainment 10 Arts
volume 108 issue 2 • september 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Horror Nights: John Murdy’s mad, mad world Rachel Gianuario Arts and Entertainment Editor
Many in Southern California have heard of Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights, equipped with men with swinging chain saws, cackling Chuckie characters, and unforgettable lengthy mazes that reach to the darkest corners of your nightmares. Universal’s gore kings and queens will be opening their doors to this fantastic Halloween extravaganza this Friday, September 19th at 7pm. Walking through one maze takes perhaps five minutes or so, maybe eight if you savor every step, however, what perhaps doesn’t come to mind while phantoms pop out at you is the time it took to create the whole arena. From the gruesome prosthetic masks to themed mazes, it is all carefully crafted by a skilled and imaginative team of perverse people who wait for Halloween every year like most three-year-olds wait for presents under the Christmas tree. The brainchild of this year’s project, and of many in years past, Horror Nights is creative director John Murdy. An avid lover of Halloween and all things horror, Murdy began assembling scare mazes in his parents’ garage at the age of ten and, always possessed a twisted sense of dark humor gathered from classic horror films. With Murdy at the helm, this year’s Horror Nights features seven new mazes with themes from classic horror films, new releases, and television shows. This year, will brave the darkened walks of The Walking Dead, Alien vs. Predator, From Dusk Till Dawn, An American Werewolf in London, Syfy’s Face Off, Dracula Untold, and Clowns 3D: With Music by Slash. Popular television has turned to zombie ever since the premier of “The Walking Dead” in October, 2010. Since the premier of Frank Darabont’s modern series about the surviving community of humans in a zombie populated America, “The Walking Dead” has been nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Television Series Drama, and was nominated for three Emmy awards. “‘The Walking Dead’ transcends horror into popular culture,” says Murdy, explaining his choice for Universal’s zombie-themed walk. The Walking Dead maze feature’s the show in its most recent season, visiting episode eight of season four when The Governor, played by David Morrissey, uses a tank to mow down a fence outside of a prison. Zombies, also referred to as “walkers” or “biters” by characters on the show, thereby pour into the once safe haven and havoc is released on the survivors within this dimly lit, tightly cornered prison. The maze takes you on a tour of the corpse-ridden prison, as well as multiple other scenes from the show. Murdy insists on including the most accurate details, things that people walking through the hallways may not take the time out of being petrified by scare actors to notice. Simple things like a sign saying “home sweat home” instead of sweet home, the creation of a store filled with made up brand names and recognizable scenes from season fours episodes. While the “Walking Dead” maze connects with maze walkers on a national pop culture level, another maze within the repertoire connects with people on a more personal level, specifically the common fear of clowns. The “Clowns 3D” maze features a sick family of clowns, their creepy wide eyes and smiles, and their secret vengeance against humanity. Usual clown things. Murdy explains this maze idea came from
multiple sources, including an NPR report by Mark Memmot made in February saying that membership for clown schools and associations are at an all time low due to audiences being majorly coulrophobia. Though Murdy suffers from claustrophobia and a fear of small wooden spoons and cotton balls, clowns have never held a place in his favor either. “I’ve never liked clowns. I’ve never found them amusing,” he says, recalling the popularity of sad clown paintings by Red Skelton and movies like “It” (1990). The narrative for this maze is a clown family of three owns an ice cream factory and has unfortunately slipped further into madness due to the family business going under. Their desire is to invite people into their 3D home, fill them with ice cream until they puke and then turn them into a clown to help build up the world’s lacking clown force. The rooms explore into all the creepy manifestations of a clown world, headed by the family’s patriarch Sweet Licks, a demented father and mastermind of the factory. He is joined by his two disturbed children; his daughter Cuddy with a severe cutting problem, and son Bubba, who is based on Steinbeck’s character Lenny from “Of Mice and Men”. Bubba has a love for smashing stray fluffy kitties (sorry crazy eHarmony cat lady) and wearing them around his neck. While there will be plenty of terrifying performers with crimson noses and dark corners for popping out, the maze utilizes multiple senses in order to effectively scare. From psychological fears of clowns, the 3D lighting to keep you disoriented, to the incredibly detailed gory prosthetic figures, to the smell of vomit and urine. Unfortunately, they don’t actually give out ice cream at the end, but it’ll at least send you running to the nearest vendor. Or it’ll just send you running. The maze music was written by Slash, lead guitarist for Guns N’ Roses,who became involved with the project after attending last year’s celebrity maze-walk night. In his own John Hammond way, Murdy spared no expense in the detailed creation of every room, attempting to incarnate your nightmares into a walking reality with each step, only to have you wake up sweating as you finally find the exit. Much of what makes a maze so terrifying is the director’s use of personal experience to create a place of terror that everyone can actually relate to. Scenes from the 2012 Horror Nights maze “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell” was a recreation of one of Murdy’s actual nightmares. Scare actors, or scarators, as Murdy calls them, undergo a very rigorous scare training in the months leading up to late September. He works with every single performer to help them get the scare just right, working with them on timing, readiness, body language and consistency, among other things. “For the performers, there is a new show every ten seconds,” he says, noting that a performer will undergo a single scare 60,000 times during an event. “There are a million ways to scare people,” says Murdy, but the most successful ways combine geometry and psychology. For instance, scaring people from a frontal direction is not as terrifying as a scare coming from just outside of your peripheral vision. Many in Murdy’s scare academy, his “demented little family”, are loyal actors who return back to Horror Nights year after year, only really recognizable to Murdy when they’re in character as Chucky or a girl slitting her tongue open (a prosthetic tongue, for the fain-hearted readers).
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Rachel Gianuario Corsair Prothestic zombies reaching out for maze walkers created for “The Walking Dead” maze at the Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights in Universal City, CA.
Horror Nights will be open Fridays and Saturdays in September and Thursday through Saturday in October, from 7pm to 2am. Blood Thirsty Thursdays are College Nights, featuring a pre-party at the Hard Walk Cafe on CityWalk from 6 to 8pm with food and drink specials, 20%
off merchandise, a live DJ and raffle prizes for students. Tickets can be found a ushtix.com/smc for those of you daring enough to step foot into your deepest darkest nightmares. My best piece of advice, keep looking over your shoulder and, when in doubt, look twice.
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volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Arts & Entertainment 11
Art exhibit by Roxanne Sexauer premiers at The Broad Deni Rodriguez Staff Writer The gallery is empty. The room is pleasantly cool. The desk operators are patiently awaiting arrivals and making the last necessary adjustments. While you look around and watch how the white walls and wooden floor in the yellow lighting give off an elegant glow, you thank yourself to have dressed accordingly. In Roxanne Sexauer’s opening at the Barrett Art Gallery at SMC’s Performing Arts Center, her printmaking is portrayed with grace and professionalism. The gallery management made sure the planning was organized “three years ahead of time,” recalls the gallery director, Maryan Winsyrg. As an artist herself, Winsyrg emphasizes the importance of centering the eyes of the guests with the placement, spacing and lighting of the framed artwork. Susan E. Funk, wife of Gordon L. Fuglie, Director and Head of Curatorial Affairs at the Central California Museum of Art, plays an interesting early attendee, walking around and occasionally chuckling quietly to herself, as she contemplates Sexauer’s intricate printmaking. “These walls sing in a different way,” Funk explains of Sexauer’s artwork display. Having earned a BA in Music at Yale, she expresses her appreciation for the almost musical order of the display. She gestures enthusiastically as she describes the process of printmaking, “You have to dig into it, squish it – it is very physical.” From careful planning and detailed drawing, to the actual carving of the wood and printmaking, the process takes long and laborious hours. Funk goes on to explain that it is not as easy as flinging paint around a canvas carelessly. “This is not Jackson Pollock and it isn’t Photoshop,” she remarks. “She both assaults and discovers the world around her,” Fuglie adds. He observes that
her use of ancient tools and techniques that date back to the Middle Ages, portray modern ideas and social movements that is looked upon as “a very different choice for her to make in the art world.” Inspired by German Expressionism and artists belonging to this movement, many of Sexauer’s earliest prints portray such edgy and almost sinister styles. As she progressed, she moved on to an array of visual imagery in which one of her prints, Chopsticks, 1987, displays a Pop Art style to reflect on the early feminist movements and the violence of illegal abortion. In less than 30 minutes, the gallery brims with enthusiastic and artistic people. When Sexauer arrives, she is swarmed by continuous cycles of guests eager to greet her. Many of which know Sexauer as current and former students at CSULB. “It is almost a 40 year survey of her career, right here at SMC,” highlights Fuglie. Hired right after grad school in 1989 by CSULB, Sexauer continues to teach at the university as a Professor and Head of the Printmaking program. As apparent in her gallery exhibit, students keep in touch with her over the years and are invited to her events. Matthew Thomason, one of Sexauer’s former students, proudly states, “In 88’ I graduated and now I am a Printmaking professor at SMC.” Upon being asked about these outcomes Sexauer confesses, “That’s the best part. It’s fabulous; it’s like watching your life story all in one room! It’s a trip down memory lane,” she looks around from wall to wall over the crowds of students and other attendants. Nora Ayala, former student of Sexauer’s who majors in Printmaking at CSULB, discovers that one of her undergraduate professors, who also does woodcuts, has similarities in his own work. It may come to no surprise that as former students, such professors would be influenced by her work. Strangely, Sexauer
does not seem to boast or reveal her art to any of her students as a professor. One of her former graduate students, Nancy Brown claims, “As I was telling Roxanne earlier tonight, when we are in her art class we are always learning about the major artists, never about her. She is definitely a master of the art.” Another student, Hagop Najarian, exclaims, “We haven’t even seen 10% of her work!” He walks towards her in disbelief. As Sexauer later converses, she purposefully keeps her work away from her class setting. “With my professor, we were just so aware of whom he was and we were so enthralled by him – I want them to develop their own style,” she smiles as she is swept away by her students.
Many describe her work as a laborintensive process that can only be accomplished in the love for the art. Sexauer’s husband, who accompanies her through the buzzing of happy guests, laughs when asked about the time it took her to complete one of her works. “She would get up at night and start working,” her husband grins. “I have insomnia,” she agrees,” it takes a long time; I listen to books or podcasts [in order] to measure time – maybe 6, 7…10?” She estimates and laughs as she turns to embrace former students waiting to congratulate her. Sexauer’s exhibition will last through September to October 11. The artist will perform a printmaking demonstration on September 24 on the SMC Main Campus.
Stella Ngigi Corsair Michael Nannery, current student of Roxanne Sexauer, pursuing an MFA in printmaking at CSULB. Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center, Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery. Santa Monica,CA. September 14, 2014.
“Wetlands,” a film that bares all, but says nothing Alci Rengifo Editor in Chief We live in the age of sensationalism. In the landscape of current post-modernism, the limit is pushed in music, TV and film for the sake of being pushed, there does not even need to be the pretext of a coherent, focused idea(l). For a clear, in your face example, look no further than Germany’s little infant terrible offering for the season, director David Wnendt’s “Wetlands,” a naughty beast that is not so much shocking as it is simply gross. While the film offers some skillfull cinematography and at least one interesting performance, it’s all gloss over an in your face symphony of blood, mucus and semen that bares all, but says little. The film stars Carla Juri as Helen, an odd girl in modern Germany who has a cemented distaste for general hygiene, this includes a fascination for the sticky, slimy, quite literally unclean aspects of modern life such as dirty toilets. Helen’s great emotional scar in life involves the hellish marriage of her parents, which ended in divorce, which becomes a source for much of her outlandish behavior. When an anal fissure caused by a quick shaving session sends Helen to the hospital, her childhood memories will clash with current life hurtles in a swirl that might help her finally find some happiness. The spirit of the times is such that horror means grotesquery and funny means
disgusting, and while some films find an interesting balance or use of the two, Wnendt directs “Wetlands” with the spirit of someone who shoves a rotten banana in your face or opens his mouth to display its chewed contents. This is not to say he’s completely talentless, Wnendt knows how to position his camera and some of the neon cinematography and editing was reminiscent of Tom Tykwer’s “Run Lola Run”. However, a real grasp of this material’s potential escapes him. Unlike Pedro Almodovar, who knows how to balance the sexually edgy with a strong script, Wnendt seems to be obsessed with pushing the envelope to the point where the shocks overtake the narrative. For example there is a side character, Corina (Marlene Kruse), who is Helen’s best friend. Their friendship however, is never allowed to be fully realized or established because Wnendt is more obsessed with showing us the pair masterbating and smearing menstrual blood on their faces without any context or insights into why Corina would even go along with Helen’s unorthodox habits. The novel by Charlotte Roche on which the film is based is supposed to be an edgy, defiant take on the expectations imposed on women. While unread by me, it appears Wnendt and his co-writer, Claus Falkenberg, dismissed the sociological aspects of the book and simply retained the graphically blunt elements.
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It is common knowledge that human beings masterbate, Wnendt gleefully gives us a long form scene where Helen pleasures herself with various vegetable items, but in this uncensored age there must be more of a reason to give us the full experience on film. So Wnendt adds the bonus of having people unknowingly cook a barbecue with the veggies Helen just used for orgasmic escape. In another, operatic sequence, Helen recounts a pointless story about a group of bratty women who order a pizza and are baffled by its strange taste. Lab tests soon reveal that the pizza contains semen from four different men. Wnendt proceeds to give us a slo-mo sequence where pizza workers gather in a circle to masterbate over the undelivered pizza to the strings of “The Blue Danube.” Daring? Yes, but in the context of someone who just yells “f--k!” in a public space and runs off. Wnendt is late to the party, he wants to revel in showing us raw nudity in a time when hackers gleefully spread Jennifer Lawrence’s private photos around the net, but he wants to make it feel special by making it cringe-inducing. Sitting through “Wetlands” is the same as spending time with someone who has refused to shower for a month. Characters in this film seem to inhabit a nether region where their real stories are kept hidden away from us, they simply enter scenes to say an expected line and then disappear. Consider the storyline @t h e _ c o r s a i r •
involving Helen’s parents, they only serve the purpose of giving the film some kind of excuse for a traditional plot. Once Helen is in the hospital for her anal fissure, she finds ways to remain interned in order to try and bring her parents back together. Of course this scheme, like all the others, is literally soaked in blood and feces. It must be said that Juri’s performance in this film is no easy feat and it takes a certain amount of bravery to submit and expose yourself to the demands of this movie. It is common for high profile actresses to appear topless or nude in films, but Juri is made to be, for 2 hours, as exposed and intimate as the 20-minute sex scene in “Blue Is The Warmest Color.” On top of that she must act out behavior that, let’s be frank, is not common coin among the average person, even in private (when was the last time you ate a surgical extraction?). But should she be commended? If “Wetlands” was a stronger, more focused film then yes, but Wnendt’s misguided directing almost makes her effort mute. Maybe the times are ripe for a film like “Wetlands.” In its own way, it does crystalize much of the modern culture which is glossy, superficial and hyper-sexualized (not erotic, there’s a difference). Rebelliousness today means “being different” by being nasty, and in that sense “Wetlands” succeeds for itself, but not for its viewers. Warning: Do not eat before, during or after watching this movie.
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12 sports
volume 108 issue 2 • September 17, 2014 • santa monica college
Op-Ed: Conditioned to Disrespect Rachel Gianuario News/Arts & Entertainment Editor
Now that spotlight for the Ray Rice issue has shifted to the National Football League administration, including league commissioner Roger Goodell, discussions about domestic abuse and its place are now further underway. Domestic violence is a common occurrence for women. According to recent global prevalence figures from the World Health Organization, 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime. An interesting angle to study this phenomenon from is through genderbased lenses. According to United States Department of Justice, in a homicide trend report from 1980 to 2008, males represent 90% of the total number of offenders. In this way, violence becomes a male phenomena. In the same report, young adult black males had the highest homicide-offending rate compared to offenders in other racial and sex categories. Ray Rice is specifically a young adult black male, the king of the Baltimore Ravens, and has been caught on tape assaulting a woman. Think about Rice’s position on the field. He is the alpha male of his arena. He holds all of the dominance, control, independence and recognition that both society and the media have deemed to represent masculinity. This is crystallized power in the form of a football. It is easy to believe that Rice would bring this mentality off the field and back home which is what landed Rice in the position he’s in now. What is it that we attach to masculinity through the media? Sports fights, gunfights, knife fights, prison, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), boxing; lots of violence, lots of oiled up bulky muscles. Men are perceived through the media as tough, rough, independent, in control, powerful, and
dominant. Fighting serves as a way to express the most masculinity, and serves as a way to train boys to become men. How many school shootings have been committed by women? Not many. Looking at the most recent school massacre committed by gunman Elliot Rodger, much of his now infamous final retribution video concerns matters of gender. Rogers constantly notes how women have always rejected him, how he felt like a mouse in a jungle of predators. He determines his ability to kill and to threaten with a gun as his way of becoming a god among all of humanity. With the gun in his
SMC dominated by Southwestern’s defense Trev angone Sports Editor Santa Monica College football fans have come to expect big things from the Corsairs’ championship defense in recent years- and although it was the defense that made all the difference in Saturday’s matchup versus Southwestern, that defense did not belong to SMC. Before the Corsairs seemingly knew what hit them, the Southwestern College Jaguars had a 21-0 advantage just 10 seconds into the 2nd quarter. The Jaguars caught the Corsairs’ defense off guard early thanks to two passing touchdowns, as well as a one-play, 79-yard rushing touchdown courtesy of David Clark. At that point, it would have been very easy for the Corsairs to mail it in, and count the minutes off the clock until it was time to make the long drive back to Santa Monica. But that’s not what championship teams are designed to do. SMC responded in kind, as Roger Jones scored his first of two touchdowns on the ground, rushing for a 35-yard score, cutting Southwestern’s lead to 14. A couple series later, it would be last week’s hero Jake Dashnaw, connecting with Terrence Baker for a 49-yard passing touchdown making it 21-14, and giving SMC the head of steam they were looking for. But the Southwestern defense would prove to be too much for the three-time champions. Not only did the Jaguars sack Jake Dashnaw for a safety to end the half, but Southwestern opened up the third
quarter with an interception taken for a touchdown. Making things worse, was Southwestern’s unrelenting offense. In the blink of an eye, the Jaguars managed to put together a 75yard touchdown drive with just over two minutes gone in the third quarter, giving them a 37-14 lead. At that point, all hope seemed lost for the young swashbucklers. But leave it to SMC, not to give up, and play to the final minute. Down more than three touchdowns, SMC closed the gap thanks to the Corsairs imposing run game. Melvin Davis rushed for a 29-yard touchdown, and Roger Jones’s coming out party continued, as he posted a career-high 79-yard touchdown run making it 37-27. But despite SMC closing the deficit to just 10 points with over five minutes left in the third quarter, victory was secured by the Jaguars thanks to a 95yard touchdown drive by the offense, and another interception for a touchdown by the defense for a final score of 52-27. Despite a combined 207- yard, threetouchdown performance by Melvin Davis, and Roger Jones, the passing woes were just too hard to overcome. It’s a long season, and winning road openers against tier-one opponents is a lot to ask for, especially from an offensive unit that is still coming together. But if the Corsairs are going to make a run at their fourth consecutive conference championship, they’re going to have to become more efficient, not only on the offensive side of the ball, but the defensive side too.
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Courtesy of Patrick Smith/Getty Images North America
hand, he became he alpha male, with every inch of power in the tip of his index finger. Masculinity is something learned from society and has transformed through the decades into what it is today. The media and society have given people like Ray Rice a winning ticket to power and, only until recent exposure, invincibility. This instills an understanding of masculinity as a point of invincibility that can go on unchecked because that is what society has made him to be. Marie Antoinette’s famous words “let them eat cake” make most people think of her as this fluffy idiot who used her power to buy shoes
and masterful wigs (even if it was actually said or not). But what most people forget is the fact that Marie Antoinette was exactly the person she was raised to be. She was a noble from Austria, raised to bear children. Nothing more. We have to examine what it really means to be a man. Ray Rice is the result of what society and media have designed masculinity to be. And maybe, if society examines what it has assigned to our respective genders, then maybe the continuance of domestic violence against women could be better responded to and understood.
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