Vol109 issue004

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MARCH 18, 2015 | VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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L.A. MARATHON RUNS THE CITY PG. 4-5

women's military week at smc pg. 3

classic jazz at the edye pg. 6

women's tennis shuts out pg. 7

smc student lives with rare skin disease pg. 8

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CONTENT

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

HAVE EDITORIAL STAFF Alci Rengifo ...............................Editor-in-Chief corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com Jonathan Ramos...................... Managing Editor corsair.newspage@gmail.com Jose Gutierrez ................................ News Editor corsair.newspage@gmail.com Yasha Hawkins ................................. News Editor corsair.newspage@gmail.com Paulina Eriksson ................. Health & Lifestyle corsair.lifestylepage@gmail.com Jonathan Ramos .........................Opinion Editor corsair.opinionpage@gmail.com James Powel .................................... Sports Editor corsair.sportspage@gmail.com Claudius West ................ Multimedia Director corsair.multimediadept@gmail.com Devin Page .......... Arts & Entertainment Editor corsair.calendarpage@gmail.com Brandon Barsugli ......................... Photo Editor corsairphotoeditor@gmail.com Kira VandenBrande ..................... Photo Editor corsairphotoeditor@gmail.com Juan Lopez .......................................Digital Editor corsair.webeditor@gmail.com Jhosef Hern ...........................................Illustrator corsaircartoon@gmail.com William Miguel .................. Editorial Designer corsair.designteam@gmail.com

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The times we live in are determined more than ever by appearances. In a world dominated more by the power of moving images and photographs, where the power of the image has completely overtaken the power of the word, appearances matter.

In this week's issue Ronja Jansz brings us the story of Maritza Andrade, an SMC student whose very appearance is changing through the terrible test of a disease that is hardening her very skin. While I recommend you read the story for its human dimension, the simple fact of her persevering through adversity is endearing. As her appearance shifts in uncertain, sometimes scary ways, Andrade works in a world of illusion making others also undergo a kind of metamorphosis.

Andrade is building a life within a society of visual preconceptions. A 2012 study by the British National Child Development institute concluded that "the taller men are, the less likely they were to be single or childless, concluding that taller men are deemed more sexually attractive and more likely to find a mate." Some of us have specific, visual preferences. A friend of mine prefers tall, usually white men, with the occasional well-built guy thrown in. Another one

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Runner Daniel Kiprop Limo, 31, from Kenya takes first place at the 30th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday.

(Brandon Barsugli The Corsair)

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prefers tall, but chunkier guys with beards.

A friend of mine who is a lesbian makes a habit of carefully analyzing a woman's hair color. It's like shopping at a store, we go for what we like based on general ideas of attractiveness in a superficial society. Not to say everyone is this way, but most are.

Yet someone like Andrade, who is transforming into a look different from what we generally perceive as "normal," is defying the odds, has a relationship and is studying to work at a craft she loves. As students it is a particularly relevant story because we have to constantly move against economic and social barriers in the pursuit of a career and financial security. Jansz's article is about a disease, yet at its core, the message is universal for everyone. We shouldn't let cosmetic fears keep us from doing what we feel in our core we want to do with our lives.

Another act of perseverance rushes across our pages in the photostory section where we cover the epic sprint of the 30th annual Los Angeles Marathon. Our photographers and writers woke up with the dawn, made their way to far corners of the city to capture this exhausting display of endurance.

Perseverance and endurance are two things we summon every week in our Newsroom as we work hard to produce an issue for our readers every week. We also encourage readers to visit us online at www.thecorsaironline.com and please visit us on Facebook where we constantly upload photos, story previews and videos. As always, we invite you to write to your editors your opinions and views. For us, looks don't matter, but thoughts and words do.

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NEWS

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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DIRECTOR OF SUSTAINABILITY STEPS DOWN BUT LEAVES KEY LEGACY JUAN LOPEZ DIGITAL EDITOR As SMC Associated Students Director of Sustainability Andrea Cabrera stood outside of the library last Thursday, she was approached by a member of the Bike Club, who energetically rattled off numerous ideas of what to do now that the club was officially installed by the Inter-Club Council. Relays, scavenger hunts, and group rides with other clubs, he went on and asked Cabrera if Genevieve Bertone, Campus Director of Sustainability, was around so he could ask her for advice on coordinating them, to which Cabrera answered, “She’s gone.”

He asked, “For the day?”

Cabrera said, “No, she’s gone-gone. Today was her last day.”

Genevieve Bertone announced to her close-knit group at SMC’s Center for Environmental and Urban Studies (CEUS) of her upcoming departure for Santa Rosa College during the winter break. To many it came as a surprise that she was leaving less than halfway into the next semester.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” said Cabrera. “I don’t think it has hit me that she’s gone, to be honest.”

Bertone started being involved with SMC early in 2007 as the director of Sustainable Works, a non-profit, currently housed in the CEUS, that seeks to provide “green” education to communities and businesses.

From her work there with current Sustainable Works director Susy Borlido, she went on to start the CEUS as a project manager, later officially becoming an administrator as the Director of Sustainability for SMC and the CEUS. Before getting the chance to become a part of SMC in that way, her master’s thesis at UCLA was a full audit of SMC’s environmental impact.

Executive Vice President of SMC Jeffery

Shimizu said, “She essentially built our sustainability program here at the college.”

He noted that Bertone played a large role in many “green” initiatives of the school including composting, chairing the campus transportation task force which helped build a strong relationship with Big Blue Bus, the bike program and bike parking, Earth Week, “greening” the curriculum, the Organic Learning Garden, and even starting two Associate degree programs, Recycling & Resource Management and Solar Photovoltaic Installation.

“We needed somebody to champion this and push us in this direction. I mean, this is Santa Monica right?” said Shimizu. “She really was a leader in that for us.”

SMC has received many accolades for its “green” initiatives, most recently becoming the first community college to earn a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly University award from the League of American Bicyclists; a merit achieved thanks to 800 bicycle parking spaces throughout campus, an active bicycle club that encourages students to bike and use public transit, and a paid incentive program the school offers employees for biking or taking public transit to work.

The Organic Learning Garden garden master Dana Morgan, a retired English professor at SMC, remembers meeting Bertone back in 2007 and being taken by her public speaking. Morgan sees the difficulty in getting programs and initiatives off the ground at SMC and the support Bertone lent to the “green” initiatives.

“I don’t think she had any idea of what she was going to accomplish here,” said Morgan. “It will be literally impossible to replace her and her institutional knowledge.”

Morgan credits Bertone with making

Illustration of Genevieve Bertone. (Juan Lopez The Corsair)

SMC the “green” campus that it is and regrets not having had more time to celebrate her achievements before her departure.

President of the Chemistry Club Eugene Kim, who tends to his club’s plot in the Organic Learning Garden, had only met Bertone a few times before her departure but remembers her as being strict, but very helpful and patient with all students who worked in the garden.

Cabrera, who is only the seventh director of sustainability the AS has had due to Bertone’s push for the position on the board, sees the garden much the same as Kim did. “[The garden] builds a community within the movement,” said Cabrera. “It’s our icon for sustainability on the campus.”

Cabrera herself was originally interested in pursuing architecture and design to follow in her father’s footsteps, but once she had a class on “green” architecture solutions, she found her calling. She will earn her Associates degree in Recycling & Resource Management in June and is looking

to transfer to San Francisco State for Family & Consumer Science.

“My pathway is kind of open because of this program,” said Cabrera of the program she says Bertone referred to as “her baby.”

“Sustainability has to do with social aspects, environmental aspects, consumer aspects, community building, health.”

Cabrera became involved with AS because “I see the problems and try to find solutions.” Right now her latest mission is to do something about the smoking areas on campus, which extend past their legal zones and are often littered with cigarette butts and cartons. She recently spent five minutes picking up this litter and presenting it to a facilities DPAC in the form of a tower to address the problem.

Cabrera sees the need to fix these problems because much like Bertone, SMC president Chui L.Tsang, and latest soon to be retiree Director of Auxiliary Services George Prather, “at the end of the day, we’re all going to leave.”

WOMEN VETERANS HONOR THEIR HISTORY JOSE GUTIERREZ NEWS EDITOR This Tuesday, Santa Monica College hosted an event to honor Military Women’s History Week, which itself is a part of Women’s History Month.

The event consisted of presentations about female veterans throughout history and their struggle to attain equality within the armed forces of the United States. It was coordinated and put together by SMC Counselor Audrey Sandoval.

According to SMC Librarian and veteran Brenda Antrim, the event was intended to “inform the community about the history of women in the US military, highlight the living history embodied in one of our own with our keynote speaker, and recognize the duty and sacrifice of our current women student veterans.”

The event had guest Linda Sinclair, who co-advises the SMC chapter of the Student Veterans of America with Antrim, along with special guest Special Major Doctor Nancy Cattell.

Antrim kicked off the presentations, specifying that it was important to see female veterans not as a general whole, but as individuals. “What do the numbers tell us about women who have served in the military?”, Antrim asked the audience. “Not

much, really. Like all vets, when you’ve met one, you’ve met… one. We’re all individuals with individual stories, individual challenges, and individual triumphs.”

Antrim’s speech shifted to iconic female veterans and the roles they took in wars throughout American history. Among those mentioned were Deborah Sampson, who was dishonorably discharged for serving in the Revolutionary War whilst disguised as a man, and the many women who served as nurses during the Civil War. After several more informative videos about the progression of women in the military and their growing roles, Nancy Cattell, who held several positions from Company Commander to Chief of Military Personnel from 1942 to 1947, shared her own experiences serving.

“The only person I’ve had a conflict with concerning sex in the army was with one man who did not want to work for a woman.

I said I was glad he told me that and I immediately got him reassigned somewhere else,” she said. “But it was mostly wearing this little pin on my collar that irritated people. And they questioned whether I had the right to wear it. I wore it anyway, whether they didn’t like it or not.”

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Women's Auxiliary Army Corps. veteran Nancy Cattell, who served from 1942-1947, speaks at an event held by Santa Monica College's Veteran Resource Center in honor of Women Veterans Appreciation Week on Tuesday in Santa Monica. (Raymond Martinez)

According to Antrim, the event itself was aimed at everyone who wanted to show support for women veterans, but it was also meant to inform people about their importance to the US military.

“The legal inclusion of women in the @THE_CORSAIR •

US military is relatively new but women have found ways to serve their country since its inception”, she said. “The history of women in the military is often invisible, but is intrinsic to who we are as a nation.”

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PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Stephanie Seiffert (left), 34, from the Westlake Village community in Los Angeles passes the 9-mile marker on Hollywood Boulevard during the 30th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday. (Raymond Martinez The Corsair)

30 ANNUAL L.A. MARATHON: THE GLORY AND THE WINNERS TH

DEVIN PAGE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Dean Wright manages a special light show in honor of the 30th Los Angeles Marathon at the Santa Monica Pier on Friday. This station marked the last spotlight that illuminated the 26-mile path throughout Los Angeles. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)

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It was a cool Sunday morning, the usual traffic nightmares were nonexistent even with the roadblocks all over the city, but the roads were far from empty.

Spectators lined up throughout the city to watch the 30th annual LA Marathon, in which people from all over the world braved the 26.2 miles from Dodger Stadium all the way to Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The event was sponsored by Asics.

This annual event grows each year, usually seeing over 20,000 participants from all over the U.S. and even cultures beyond.

The clear cut winner, Daniel Limo from Kenya finished the race with a time of 2:10:36, with the next person coming in two minutes after him.

It was a good day for the U.S. and for women too with the top U.S. placer Jared Ward finishing at 2:12:56 and the top women's placer Ogla Kimaiyo finishing at 2:34:10.

Unlike other marathons he's partici@THE_CORSAIR •

pated in, Ward feels the support here is on a higher magnitude. "It's amazing to see a big city like here, [how] the city really comes out. It's amazing to run down the streets and see all the people who've come out to watch the marathon," he said.

The event didn't only celebrate the elite runners though; every participant was greeted with a sash at the finish line as family and friends held up signs of affirmation.

Over 22,000 participants registered to give the marathon a shot. Many participants conquered the race and finished, while not everyone was so lucky as there were ambulance sirens blaring in the vicinity all day.

At the reunion area vendors set up shop and there were food trucks, Nutribullet giveaways, flowers for loved ones that just finished the race, and even a beer garden because it's always 5 o' clock somewhere.

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PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Daniel Kiprop Limo (left) hugs fellow runner and friend Lani Rutto (right) after taking first and second place respectively at the 30th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday. (Brandon Barsugli The Corsair)

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Oscar Gomez cools off after finishing Sunday’s Los Angeles Marathon.

Temperatures in downtown Santa Monica climbed as the day moved on and many runners struggled with the heat. (Tobias Sandstroem The Corsair)

Nobuaki Iwaoka, 32, struggles from heat and exhaustion after running a 3:02:32 marathon in Los Angeles on Sunday. The day of the race was the hottest on record for the running of the L.A. Marathon. (Brandon Barsugli The Corsair)

Blake Russell wears an American flag after earning third place at the 30th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday in Santa Monica. (Brandon Barsugli The Corsair)

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David Levine proposes to Julie Weiss crossing the finish line together during the 30th annual Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday in Santa Monica. (Scott Bixler The Corsair)

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6

OPINION

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

LYFT SAFETY IN QUESTION? RYANNE MENA STAFF WRITER I never once gave a second thought about the safety of me or my friends after deciding to call upon the services of Lyft one Saturday night before a party.

No one really thinks much about the fact that the driver is a complete stranger, how his night is going, or how safe of a driver and person he/she is to be around.

I thought since the drivers were hired by companies such as Lyft, Uber, or Sidecar that they would be safe, or safe enough to drive people around without anyone getting hurt. Sure, upon applying for the job, drivers have to pass certain background checks; but these background checks are not as rigorous as the companies claim they are, this according to an article in LA Weekly.

Well a few weeks ago, three of my friends and I were at a party and decided we wanted to go to another person’s house so we called a Lyft. The drive started out normally, as expected, until my friend Nick who was in the front passenger seat decided to get a little bit too rowdy with his dancing, something the driver apparently did not like.

The driver said, “If you don’t chill out then I’m going to pull over and leave you guys there,” which my friend complied to and stopped dancing. Also, the driver didn’t like the music that we chose to listen to so he shut it off and would not turn it back on even when we asked if he could put some music on.

About 10 minutes later, we arrived at our destination. As Nick began to get out he said, “This was the worst Lyft ride of my entire life,” to which the driver responded by getting out of the car and pushing Nick

Jhosef Hern The Corsair

to the ground.

Another one of my friends, Josh, then tackled the Lyft driver to the ground. Vulgar words were exchanged and everyone began to head their separate ways. Then Nick decided to spit on the driver as he was walking towards his car. The driver went into his car and a pulled out a pocket knife.

My other two friends and I immediately intervened and left the scene. After experiencing such a shocking and dangerous incident such as this, I no longer feel completely at ease when using apps such as Lyft, Sidecar, or Uber.

I can no longer use the service without that thought in the back of my mind telling me that this person, who is driving me and my friends around, could be dangerous. “I would never take Lyft again. It was a traumatic experience and it was really unexpected. I was in shock,” said Anja Ellam, another one of the passengers who witnessed the entire incident.

Just this past September, an Uber driver was allegedly charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury after hitting a customer in the head with a hammer, according to Gawker.

There are many more cases reported regarding dangerous Uber drivers, and even more that are unreported. Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, and any other similar company needs to perform background checks that are actually valid to prevent more--and possibly worse--cases, such as the one my friends and I experienced from occurring.

Safety is a justified demand, especially when it is a service people pay for; it only makes sense. Of course, it is an obvious risk a person takes when getting into the car of a complete stranger, but the risk should not have to be so high.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A FAMILIAR BLUE: CLASSIC JAZZ VOICES ENVELOP THE EDYE ETHAN SINGLETON STAFF WRITER Friday night, as no more than fifty curious heads crowded the Edye, an undersized 1,800 square-foot music room, an all too familiar shade of blue fogged the air.

It was jazz.

Led by vocalist Sherry Williams, the quartet-ensemble consisting of pianist Jon Mayer, bassist Richard Simon and drummer Roy McCurdy, took listeners on a rhythmic journey of pleasurable highs and melancholic lows.

The beginning of the eight-song set was easy, the warm up. With listeners waiting patiently in the dimly-lit yet heavily shadowed classroom, the white-haired Richard Simon on bass kept audience members in a mild equilibrium with his gradual rises and sensitive declines.

And with the 77-year-old Jon Mayer there to compliment him on piano, the two veterans seemingly had no trouble taking turns in breaking down the virgin ears of listeners early on.

Mayer, a proud New York native, brought along with him an elementary bebop style that you can only admire. As he grew comfortable, one would note his passionate left-shoulder lean, where the finesse motions of his right hand and sensitive compliment of his left, became so much their own entity that logical rhythmic responses were momentarily disregarded.

By the third song though, it became clear that there was a correlation between an

exponentially increasing tempo and the artists’ improvisational decline.

Midway through the fourth piece; which was entitled “Social Call,” originally arranged by jazz saxophonist Gigi Gryce back in 1955, Richard Simon explored the room with a low-string, in-pocket solo, supported by the nonchalant ones-and-twos of Roy McCurdy on drums.

And after a brief interlude, the quartet resumed with a song entitled “When Sunny gets Blue,” originally composed in 1956 by Marvin Fisher and Jack Segal.

Interestingly enough, because the original piece compositionally favorited wind instruments, singer Sherry Williams assumed the role, contorting and distorting her vocal chords in elegance.

And it was in this moment, that the climax of the night began.

At the deepest depths of her tone, Sherry’s lyrics evoked a feeling as though the rain was falling, and at the most subtle peak of her vocal strength, the rain would end.

And over and over again, with repetition somewhere at its artistic balance, the rain would fall.

Sherry’s voice took listeners on an emotional ride to their own individual depths.

There was an overwhelming feeling of sadness, almost melancholic, that was triggered by lyrical “used tos” and a brief reference to the word “blue.”

And despite the fact that within the song

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Singer Sherry Williams performs at Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center’s Edye stage on Friday. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)

the rain never seemed to end, listeners were somehow galvanized by their change in mood.

But beautifully enough, the group followed suit with a piece emphasizing the natural role of darkness as it comes before each day. Once again it was Sherry taking the audience to a dark place which was not necessarily uncomfortable, but a place wherein one could confide.

When asked after the show about love, melancholic sadness and why both are so appealing to the average jazz musician, Sherry epitomized human emotion in few sentences.

She responded, “When I’m singing, I’m in a totally safe place.” She says, “I’m not worrying about being judged and I feel free to say exactly how I feel. How I really feel @THE_CORSAIR •

in that moment.”

By beginning the set with an upbeat, bebop style of play and ending with the casual ones, twos and threes of the southern church, the quartet ensemble did an astounding job at breaking the listener down.

Roy McCurdy, a former colleague of jazz legend Cannonball Adderley and presentday University of Southern California music professor noted, “We did a lot of different things, a lot of different feels,” and as he was commended for keeping the group in unison from his right-stage drum set, he modestly noted, “That’s my job.”

Because the quartet is not a formal group, but rather a group of long time friends, each artist walks their own path. But on Friday night as the stage was set, they together, tinted the Edye blue.

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SPORTS

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

7

Americans eat 100 acres of pizza each day.

Santa Monica College Corsairs' sophomore women’s tennis player Izabel Nazdracheva returns the ball to Jessica Arreola from Bakersfield College during her straight set victory over Arreola as a part of the Corsairs' 9-0 win over the Renegades on Tuesday. With the win, SMC ended their two game losing streak against Western State Conference opponents. Freshman stoandout Laruen Voiers also defeated her opponent, Amorita Gonzalez, in straight sets. The Renegades did not win a set in either singles or doubles play. "[Bakersfield] has improved a lot since the last time we faced them," Corsair head coach Richard Goldenson said. With the win, the blue and white improve to 6-4 on the season and 6-3 in confernce play. For more sports coverage, including the full report on Tuesday's match, go to thecorsaironline.com/sports (Brandon Barsugli The Corsair)

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WE START AS STUDENTS WE LEARN BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

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professionals is an opportunity for every They learn how problems can be solved.

These are more than field trips or internships to put on resumes. These are the lessons on which to build careers.

INTERNSHIP: CI interns held semester-long positions at more than 35 business partner and non-profit community organizations for 2014-2015 Academic Year. As part of the Henry L. Hank Lacayo Institute for Workforce & Community Studies (HLI) Internship Program, the Pleasant Valley School District Office hosted interns Chelsea Ames and London Lang in the Curriculum and Occupational Therapy Departments.

LEARNING THROUGH EXPERIENCE Learn more at go.csuci.edu/smc

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8

HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 04 • MARCH 18, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

THE SKIN I LIVE IN: LIFE WITH SCLERODERMA RONJA JANSZ DESK EDITOR It’s a warm day in the Monrovia forest as the cast and crew work on the set of Santa Monica College’s most recent short film project “Like A Rolling Stone”. The heat is encapsulated by the trees and makes it all the more challenging for the Make-Up department to keep the actors their foundation and wounds intact.

Among them is Maritza Andrade, a 28 year-old esthetician graduate who is currently studying to obtain Entrepreneurship certificate at SMC. “It is the transformation that excites me most,” she explains as she skillfully daps patches of foundation on the actress’ skin.

She starts applying clods of blood on the fake wounds and continues “I remember the first time that my mom took me to a drag show in West Hollywood. I must have been about eight years old and was amazed to see men transforming into women. It’s what started my curiosity in the art of transformations and inspired me to become a make-up artist.”

Seeing Andrade work so hard for days in a row and in such an unpredictable environment, many would not be able to guess that she is diagnosed with Scleroderma.

Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease that is characterized by the thickening (sclera) of the skin (derma). According to the Scleroderma Foundation, there are approximately 300,000 cases of scleroderma estimated in the United States, 80% of which are female. It is an unfamiliar disease that typically strikes between the ages of 25 and 55 and is different for every patient. Misdiagnosis is therefore a common occurrence.

For Andrade, a rollercoaster ride of unfortunate events started in the summer of 2010 when she worked at a cell phone company. Unlike her colleagues, she was having a hard time with the air conditioning that blasted full force to keep the space cool. “I was always very cold to the point that the tips of my fingers would become purple and my hands swollen.”

Andrade didn’t know it at the time but the phenomenon of hands and feet being abnormally sensitive to the cold is a common sign of the disease. It is referred to as the Raynaud Phenomenon and is 95% of the time a beginning symptom of those who have scleroderma.

As time went on, Andrade’s symptoms progressively worsened and she started reaching out for professional help. However, her medical visits were inconclusive. Her blood tests came out fine and the doctors told her that she was “perfectly healthy,” often making Andrade feel as though she was lying.

She was in so much pain that she requested disability leave. Her employers didn’t believe that she was debilitated and terminated her. Andrade explains that this was unlawful and in response sought the help of an attorney and opened up a case against the cell phone company. She was sent to different doctors to figure out what was wrong with her and prove that she did have a disability.

For two long years, doctors would tell her that she most likely suffered from arthritis. However, Andrade had done her own research online and knew that the symptoms did not match. She kept on reaching out to new doctors in the hope to find answers and resolve the mystery around her suffering.

Meanwhile, the symptoms worsened.

Andrade would be in constant pain, dealt

with swellings, and was tired non-stop. “Any step or move would make me feel out of breath. I couldn’t keep up with other people anymore, my relationship ended and people accused me of exaggerating. This was not the case,” she reminisces.

In 2012, Andrade finally found the answers she had been looking for. She was referred to a doctor who immediately recognized her symptoms and performed a test during which he stuck long needles in her arms and legs. She couldn’t feel the needles and the doctor explained that this was the case because of the thickening of her skin. He diagnosed her with Scleroderma.

Relieved to finally have found proof and answers but scared of her diagnosis, Andrade started doing a great deal of research. “I had never heard of Scleroderma before and didn’t like what I saw online. I was scared by the images of doll-like fingers, stretched out faces and the posts that spoke about those that died from it.”

A cure for the disease does not exist (yet) but treatments for Andrade’s specific symptoms are available. However, she did not have insurance and as a result became her own doctor. She started searching for more information on the Internet and quickly found out that the disease affects everyone differently. “Some people are affected only on the outside, some just on the inside and others in both ways,” says Andrade when explaining how for some patients, the disease can mean the hardening of the tissue of internal organs.

Andrade started researching the benefits of specific foods, avoiding toxins, and cutting out any type of inflammatory food. Slowly but surely her energy level and joints started feeling better. She decided to go back to school and enrolled in Elegance International, a make-up school in Hollywood.

When it comes to her personal life, Andrade shares that she consciously tries not to involve her friends and family too much. She shares that they felt just as clueless about the disease as she did when she first found out. “This journey is difficult enough as is and I don’t want to drag others into it. I don’t want to worry them so I prefer to fall alone and pick myself up.”

This year was the first time that she and her parents went to a meeting of a Scleroderma support group. She explains that she had never attended one before because it is concerning to see people with Scleroderma at later stages. Some of the attendants have had Scleroderma for over 20 years and Andrade explains that their drastically changed appearances and disabilities are a foresight to what she might look like in a few years. This frightens her tremendously.

She prefers to stay as busy as possible and surround herself with healthy and positive people. She feels very fortunate to have a girlfriend that supports her through thick and through thin. She completed her studies at Elegance International in 2012, started studying Cosmetology at SMC and got her certificate in 2014. She currently pursues an Entrepreneurship certificate to be able to start her own business.

As Andrade faces an uncertain metamorphosis of herself, she is now working to mold and transform the appearance of others. On the side, Andrade freelances on film projects and additionally works for a cosmetic line that she sells products for.

She explains that this job is perfect for her; “I occasionally have bad days in which I have to stay in bed and working on a freelance basis allows me to set my own schedule. I feel fortunate to be able to help resolve

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Santa Monica College student Maritza Andrade poses for a portrait.

Andrade's life was drastically changed when she was diagnosed with Scleroderma, a condition which hardens a patient's skin. Despite the physical obtsacles rooted in her condition, Andrade is studying the craft of makeup at SMC and freelances on film sets. (Ronja Jansz The Corsair)

others their skin issues as I am dealing with my own.”

Andrade plans on starting treatment as soon as her insurance is approved, a process she is working on right now. Her grip is not what is used to be, she cannot hold onto things, has a difficult time sucking from a straw, cannot reach her back, do her own hair, and is incapable of bending over.

“People have to tie my shoes for me and I sometimes feel like an old lady. That being said, I still CAN do a lot of things that I feel passionate about,” Andrade emphasizes while discussing the limitations she faces yet overcomes with a determined will.

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Andrade now lives her life aware that she is not alone in her struggle. “Scleroderma triggers people differently. It’s a deadly disease - it has and still is killing people. I really hope that more research will be done and provide answers and solutions to those who struggle with it.”

Yet amid the pain and uncertainty, Andrade forges ahead. “Of course I wish I was healthy again like I used to be and live an active lifestyle, but I work with what I’ve got and try to manage my limitations in the best way possible. My dream and life goal?

To live!”

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