CORSAIR
MARCH 25, 2015 | VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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ARAB SPRING
LIVING THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION PG. 8
smc clubs gather at the quad pg. 3
think twice about adopting a pet pg. 6
elephant's graveyard bites the dust pg. 6
smc softball falls short pg. 7
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CONTENT
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
EDITORIAL STAFF Alci Rengifo ...............................Editor-in-Chief corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com Jonathan Ramos...................... Managing Editor corsair.managing@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
Chicago-based artist William Pope.L displays his exhibition "Polis or the Garden or Human Nature in Action," Onions and Paint at the Geffen MOCA Museum. The show featuring the painted produce took place in a warehouse in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles. Pope.L is best known for his performance art, centering around media political theater. (Carlos Espinosa The Corsair)
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FRONT COVER SMC student Ahmed Sayed smokes hookah at the Habibi Cafe in Westwood while discussing the trials and tribulations of the 2011 Egyptian uprising. Sayed was a witness to the mass uprising against the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak before moving to the United States to pursue a degree in computer engineering. Kira VandenBrande
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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The seasons have changed again we are now in spring once more. If it is indeed a season of change (and the ghastly image of mushy couples around campus), then it is fitting that we feature in this article a story out of the Arab Spring, the great upheaval in the Middle East that shook the world in 2011. SMC student Ahmed Sayed was a witness to the revolution that erupted in his homeland, ancient and proud Egypt. The events still developing in the Middle East are of historical importance and have been compared by modern thinkers like Alain Badiou to the 1848 revolutions that birthed most of Europe's modern states. It is also an important story because it demonstrates how this generation faces the same problems and questions that sparked previous generations to rise up. Issues Sayed raises from his home city of Cairo are issues students face in Los Angeles: the search for jobs, the lack of opportunities, the search for identity and bonds in a fast-changing, consumerist society. How can we change things? This question still faces Egypt as it slides back into a military dictatorship. Hopes that were so powerful in 2011 are now overtaken by fear and uncertainty. But Sayed still sees hope for the future amid harsh times. As the Surrealist Andre Breton once wrote about the Russian Revolution, "though violence nested between its horns, the whole of springtime opened in the depths of its eyes." From the streets of Cairo to Los Angeles we bring you in our photo story the recent protests still demanding justice for the disappearance of 43 Mexican students in the state of Michoacan back in September. Their families, friends and classmates are touring @THE_CORSAIR •
California to raise awareness of the upheaval next door. Springtime for the survivors of the Ayotzinapa massacre, where local Mexican troops disappeared and most likely murdered activist students, is about demanding a renewal of their country and our photographers have captured their faces, full of sorrow and determination. A year ago some of those now carrying signs in the streets were average workers and housewives, now they are voices in rebellion. For these families have faced a terrifying change in their lives, now they are responding by demanding a positive change in the Mexican system and U.S. awareness. Other voices featured in this week's issue also tackle the recent elections in Israel and the question of whether it is right for some college students, packed with such busy schedules, to take on the responsibility of adopting a pet. We are also gearing up to cover the upcoming student government elections as fresh faces and new names take on the challenge of taking the helm. Change is in the air everywhere, because change is a constant in nature. As students our lives are in a constant highway of change and renewal as we take new classes, learn new things and many of us prepare to move on to major universities or other lifestyle shifts. In this issue we bring voices from campus and beyond that have experienced transformations and changes both big and small. A friend of mine recently gave me a copy of the new edition of Noam Chomsky's "On Anarchism." A passage in the book states, "people are born not merely to speculate, but to act."
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NEWS
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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CLUBS TAKE OVER THE QUAD From anthropologists to film buffs, SMC clubs gather to attract new recruits and spread the word on upcoming activities JOSE GUTIERREZ NEWS EDITOR Every semester the Santa Monica College campus fills up with hundreds of students crowding around various club booths lining the quad. This Tuesday, however, the event was shrunk down in order to give many clubs, many being new, the opportunity to advertise themselves before Club Row. “Club Awareness Day is a smaller version of Club Row, where the clubs can come out in tables and represent themselves so that they can get membership, so that Club Row can be even more awesome,” said ICC Vice Chair Courtney King, while she encouraged students to join different clubs by blowing up balloons. Some clubs, like the Feminist Leadership Alliance, met more than just people who were interested in potential membership; They had their share of interesting characters visit them as well. “One guy told me that men make less money in porn, so we should be fighting for men’s rights, instead of women’s," said the club’s president, Raven Hustun. "I think it’s the controversy that attracts people, to be honest with you.” “[The USC division] actually just started about a month ago, but [we coordinated a USC hospital visit] with them,” said Marvin Hakimian, a member of Generation Of The Future. While some clubs are trying to expand,
Kseniya Lyalina, an international student from Russia, informs a fellow student about the Marine Biology Club during Club Awareness Day on Tuesday at Santa Monica College. (Raymond Martinez The Corsair)
others are entirely new. “I think it’s one of those things where the first time you create a club as it continues to go on you’ll learn … how to continue to enhance it,” said Nadiatu Deen, president of the newlyformed World of Glamour Club, a club that wants to join make-up artists, hairstylists, and photographers. “Honestly it hasn’t been difficult, just going with the flow of creating a club for the first time.” Other new clubs, such as the Adelante Club, have had a previous presence on campus. In Adelante Club’s case, it would be the latino program on campus for which it’s named. Despite having had a head-start of sorts, it doesn’t make things any easier for them when it comes to creating a club.
SMC REACTS TO NETANYAHU VICTORY Israeli PM's unlikely victory met with joy and disappointment. OSCAR ZINNEMANN STAFF WRITER Last Tuesday, incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured a fourth term after a turbulent re-election campaign. Netanyahu’s triumph was met with mixed reactions from various students at SMC, both Jewish and of general Middle Eastern descent. Rachel Friedman, an SMC student, was “over-the-moon thrilled” with Netanyahu’s victory. She described Netanyahu as “the Winston Churchill of our time,” and emphasized that Israel is the only place where “every type of person -- Blacks, Whites, and ‘Middle-Eastern-looking-people’ -- all vote and have the same rights.” Friedman also
expressed confidence that Netanyahu and his party have “done a very good job of keeping Israel safe.” Mati Geula Cohen, SMC student, activist, and founder of the Young Jewish Zionists, was also pleased with the results. He too emphasized that Israel is a democratic country and viewed the election as “a very fair and accurate assessment of the public’s opinion.” “Contrary to popular belief,” Cohen added, “the elections very well showed this public opinion, highlighted by the voting for Likud [Netanyahu’s party.]” Though he preferred candidate Naftali Bennet, he was supportive of Netanyahu. Cohen reiterated that the people in Israel have a need for a “strong and stable leader,” which they see in Netanyahu.
“I think for being new, we’re really trying to survive and just get more people to join. We’re looking for board members. We’re actually starting to pick it up, I think we’re gonna do really well,” said the club’s AS liaison Ruben Rubio. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had a latino-based club here, we feel that the majority here is latino nowadays, so I think it’s gonna do really good." Improv Club’s vice president Mariah Casillas felt that there were very real difficulties in not only creating a club, but running one. “I think [what’s difficult] is really finding people that are committed,” said Casillas. “Like, it’s tough to go ‘okay, we want you
guys to be officers, and you guys need to attend the meetings’. And if they don’t attend the meetings, it’s like, okay, we need to find other people who are passionate about it and who want to be a part of it.” The entire event went smoothly except for a couple of minor inconveniences, according to King. The Associated Students met with some trouble when none of their representatives showed up on time, to the first-come-first-serve event to set up their table. “We ran into a little bit of trouble trying to get food trucks here today [as well], but this event is still really fun. It’s all going very well,” she said.
Other SMC students had vastly different opinions. Hamza Alam and Khizr Mirza were both disappointed to hear the news of Netanyahu’s re-election. “He’s a douche. He kills innocent people,” Alam said, referring to Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip last summer, which left more than 2000 civilians killed. Mirza Khizr was also critical of Netanyahu’s foreign policy, and argued that while both Israel and Palestine are at fault for the conflict, Israel has at times been justified in its defensive posture. Mirza also noted that being from Saudi Arabia, he is exposed to an entirely different news angle than most Americans and is more conscious of the mistreatment that Palestinians face. Though some were opposed to Netanyahu and his policies, the majority of students questioned on campus seemed to be in favor of his mandate. Daniel Ferszt, who was in Israel prior to the elections, was “absolutely pleased with the results.” When asked about Netanyahu’s main rival, Isaac Herzog, Ferszt said he would feel “conflicted” and “let down” had he won the
election, though he did not necessarily disagree with Herzog’s policies. “Right now, Israel needs Bibi Netanyahu,” Ferszt said. Ferszt sees Netanyahu as a strong figure that can stand his ground in the international community and will not back down under pressure. Ferszt described him as “bold, charismatic, and bright.” Others were indifferent towards him and waiting to see how his new term pans out before casting judgment. "I can’t say that I agree with him on all of his policies. I don’t disagree with him on all of his policies," said Rabbi Eli Levitansky, director of the Chabad Club on campus. "From my perspective, I think that the most important factor is the non-negotiable element of Israel not giving away any land. On a lot of different levels, but just on a historic level, every time they have given away land, it’s proven to do the opposite of what it’s supposed to accomplish. It brings more danger and greater elements of war. On that part, if that’s what he will actually follow through on, I’ll be glad he got elected."
NEW POLICIES AIM AT DEALING WITH CALIFORNIA DROUGHT BAILEY PERAITA STAFF WRITER On March 12, Jay Famiglietti, the senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech, and a professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine, wrote a piece that was published in the LA Times to inform people that California’s water reservoirs have a supply of approximately one year left. However due to public concern, the article had been revised to appease the public and further discuss.
Recently the LA Times corrected themselves on that exact article, saying: “A previous version of this article's headline left the impression that California has only one year of water left. As the article indicates, the state has one year of water stored in its reservoirs.” To further follow, an article on March 20th ran as a follow-up to ensure that the reservoirs are low with water supply but emergency legislation will replenish the reservoirs is addition to community conservation. According to the LA Times, Famiglietti said he never claimed that California has
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only a year of total water supply left. He explained that the state's reservoirs have only about a one-year supply of water remaining. Reservoirs provide only a portion of the water used in California and are designed to store only a few years' supply. However, great interest was generated by the public due to the blunt headline, despite it creating a false impression, which was corrected. “We have been in multiyear droughts and extended dry periods a number of times in the past, and we will be in the future," said Ted Thomas, a spokesman for the @THE_CORSAIR •
California Department of Water Resources. "In periods like this there will be shortages, of course, but the state as a while is not going to run dry in a year or two years.” The state plans with state legislation to shorten water lawns, replenish reservoirs with snowfall and additional rain, and like the city of Santa Monica to build self-sufficient reservoirs. California is familiar with droughts and shortage of water supplies yet with the combination of state and public action, California’s water reservoirs and supply will continue to be supported.
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PHOTOSTORY
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
Nansi Cisneros, an ex-Santa Monica College student, holds a photo of her brother Javier Cisneros, who was kidnapped in Mexico in 2013, as she walks in solidarity with the families leading the Caravana 43 march toward the Mexican Consulate at MacArthur Park on Sunday in Los Angeles. The demonstration is part of the larger Caravana 43 tour throughout the US where the family members of the kidnapped students are meeting up with students, teachers, and community members to raise awareness about government repression in Mexico. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)
VOICES OF REBELLION DEMAND JUSTICE FOR AYOTZINAPA ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The chant resounded through the room like a cry to remember. "Ayotzinapa vive! La lucha sigue!" (Ayotzinapa lives! The struggle continues!). The chant announced that survivors of the September massacre of 42 students in Ayotzinapa, Mexico had arrived at the Sequoia Hall of the Cal State Northridge campus. Gabriel Gutierrez, a CSUN professor of Chicano Studies, hoped the event would raise awareness of the U.S.'s involvement in Mexico's drug war through the funding and training of its armed forces. "There is a direct link to what's happening here because when you follow the money and all the other trails, we're talking about the war on drugs," he said. Angel Ayala, one of the students who survived the massacre, stood before a packed audience, next to him Cruz Bautista held a banner with the photo of a missing classmate. Ayala told a chilling story about how him and his classmates gathered to protest capitalist reforms to Mexico's education system in the plaza of their hometown. "Armored vehicles pulled up, men stepped out and began firing at us," remembered Ayala, recounting how one classmate's skull was shattered by a military bullet. He recounted taking wounded comrades to a hospital where the army also appeared, arresting some students, taunting them and then releasing them into the night while
43 other students who participated in the protest were never seen again. Since then the Mexican government has provided no answers to a restless population over the fate of their incinerated children. The portrait Ayala painted of Mexico was of a land mired in inequality, suppressed by a system that has abandoned its masses to the fate of a brutal war being waged between drug gangs and a decaying state. On Sunday the voices of Mexico's angry citizens reached the streets of downtown Los Angeles as other survivors of the massacre and family of the missing students marched through the streets, holding photos and signs calling for an end to the corruption and exposing how murder is choking Mexican society. Among the marchers was Nancy Cisneros, a former SMC student whose brother was kidnapped in Michoacan in October 2013. "With the families of Ayotzinapa it's been six months, for me it's been a year and a half," said Cisneros. "I have received no answers, nothing." Cisneros hoped that the voices of Ayotzinapa would open eyes in the United States to how U.S. funding of the drug war is fueling the terror. "I hope that their eyes will open to what our country has been helping to happen. I hope some minds can change and get involved."
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College students Raquel Cetz (left), Leticia Velez (Center), and Jose Montes (right) show their support for the 43 students who were kidnapped in Ayotzinapa, Mexico last year during a march down 6th street on Sunday in Los Angeles. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)
A protestor holds an Aztlán flag during a protest march in honor of 43 kidnapped students from Iguala, Mexico. The flag symbolizes the Xicano movement and a statement of belonging in the Southwest. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
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VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
PHOTOSTORY
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Socorro Vazquez (left), 50, offers her support to Blanca Luz Nava Velez (right), the mother of kidnapped student Jorge Alvarez Nava, during the Caravana 43 rally held in front of the Mexican Consulate at MacArthur Park on Sunday in Los Angeles. Vasquez explained that she relates to Nava's pain, since she has also lost her son who was a journalist assassinated in Acapulco, Guerrero. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)
Demonstrators march from Plaza Olvera to the Mexican Consulate office on Sunday in Los Angeles to honor 43 Mexican students who were kidnapped in September 2014. According to protestors, government officials have not thoroughly invested the students’ disappearance. (Daniel Bowyer)
A protestor holds a piece of corn, which holds particular cultural significance, to represent one of the 43 students kidnapped in September 2014. The march was led by families of the victims on Sunday in Los Angeles. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
Angel Neri de la Cruz Ayala (right) stands alongside his brother Josimar De la Cruz Ayala (left) as he urges demonstrators during the Caravana 43 event to continue demanding justice for the missing students in Ayotzinapa, Mexico during a rally at the Mexican Consulate at MacArthur Park on Sunday in Los Angeles. They are both survivors of the events of Ayotzinapa and tour throughout the US with family members of the kidnapped victims to meet with students, teachers, and community members to raise awareness about government repression in Mexico. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)
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OPINION
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
ADOPTING A PET? ARE YOU REALLY SURE ABOUT THAT? CHIAKI KUDO STAFF WRITER I had a friend who adopted two dogs from a pet shelter but could not tend to them properly as he was too busy with school work. Because they were neglected, they became aggressive. He then started calling them "bad boys," kicking, and beating them. Finally, he sent them back to the pet shelter. He was just one of many students that adopt pets after moving for college. However, it may not be such a good idea for a first time college student, or any for that matter, to adopt a pet. Of course, adopting a pet can be one of the most surefire ways to help a shelter animal. Pets can also relieve stress from a person who may want a companion during their first experience living on their own. I've seen many college students adopt pets only to take them back when they became too busy. One friend of mine adopted a pet and quickly began to neglect it. After attending one of his many parties I found his cat, scared in his closet, hiding from the noise and guests. Lastly, another friend adopted a dog, only to leave it looking for a home when she finished her education and moved back to her home country. It can be especially difficult for international students to have a pet because their stays in the United States tend to be temporary and they choose not to take the pet along with them. There is nothing wrong with an owner truly willing to adopt and care for a pet properly. But for those who adopt before establishing a secure living situation, moving back and forth between shelter and home is not the way a pet should live.
Stress among pets is often neglected with people not knowing the signs of stress, nor the reasons the stress is caused in the first place. According to Petco, in dogs, the number one sign of stress is house soiling. Other signs also include increased irritability, illness, and/or destructive behavior. These stressors are caused mainly by changes in the environment, likely from the pets having to move back and forth after a person's change of heart. A worker at West Los Angeles Animal Shelter, Christina Flores, said, "Many college students visit here and adopt pets, but students cannot take care of them and bring them back here, especially dogs. It happens a lot, all the time." According to Flores, even though approximately eight to nine animals are sent to the shelter each day, only five are adopted each day on average. "Students live with a bunch of roommates together in one place and adopt a dog, but when they move out, nobody wants to take care of the dog and [they] bring it here," said Stella Sullivan, another worker at the shelter. "When it comes to having a dog, it is harder than having a cat because dogs are more dependent, just like having a kid," she said. Students need ask themselves a few questions before deciding to adopt a pet. Do they know enough about the needs of the pet? Is their environment appropriate for a pet to live in? If roommates are involved, are they in agreement with the adoption? Do they have enough time and money to spend on the pet? Most importantly, what happens to the pet if they are unable to care for it any longer? A pet should be considered much more than a simple expense. A pet should be treated as family not a toy to throw away once they've gotten bored. Jhosef Hern The Corsair
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
"ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD," A SOUTHERN TALE THAT SHOULD BE PUT TO REST
Santa Monica College theatre student Staffan Edenholm as Trainer (center) stands in front of Ballet Gir, played by Silvana Gonzalez Manzur (left), and Muddy Townsperson, played by Andalusia Kear (right), during a performance of "Elephant's Graveyard" at the Main Stage of SMC's Theatre Arts building. (Juan Lopez The Cosair)
KEYA RIVERA-QUICK STAFF WRITER As the lights ascend upon the Main Stage, one can't help but be awestruck by the dazzling costumes adorning the actors. The fragmented lights scattered across the stage immediately create the sense of brokenness among the characters as they present their dark story. "Elephant's Graveyard" is a play that
explores humanity's malicious nature. The story recounts a terrible real-life event in a small Tennessee town. The play centers on a circus troupe who detail the story of their star, a massive female elephant named Mary. An unfamiliar trainer is paired with Mary during a public parade, which ends with the death of the trainer, and Mary condemned by the townspeople and labeled a murderer. Outraged, the public demands the elephant is publicly executed,
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despite some of the circus members protests. The play is very character based, and allows for most of the actors their moment in the spotlight, quite literally thanks to the SMC lighting crew. Although some actors flourished under the demanding roles they were selected for, many did not rise to that challenge. The imaginative plot and the story lines dark themes called for equally compelling characters, which were at times not delivered. The Ringmaster, played by Theodore Folsome, leads the rest of the troupe as the central figure but was unable to set a stellar example as he spent most of the play grasping for lines. His counterpart, the main female lead entitled Ballet Girl (Silvana Gonzalez Manzur) carried half the play with her on point performance. From her sparkling makeup to blinding smile, one felt as if Miss Gonzalez was a born performer, circus or otherwise. Her understanding of the character was clear, as displayed by her well rehearsed accent and her delicate dancer movements which were showcased throughout the play. Another brilliant performance was given by Staffan Edenholm, who played Mary’s main trainer. Edenholm’s character stood out immediately from his Disney prince good looks to his powerful monologues that truly encapsulated the play's somber genuine undertones, beneath the flash and glam of the circus facade. Edenholm’s monologue describing Mary’s death and the aftermath is one of the play’s shining moments, and one can’t help but sympathize for the trainer who had been working diligently and lovingly with Mary for years. Another standout performance was given by the town’s preacher Brendan Cobia, who @THE_CORSAIR •
was able to accurately and vivaciously play his role of holy man. Cobia’s conviction during his performance was able to lift the play out of some of its admittedly dull moments. Rojan Telo lightheartedly portrayed the circus strongman and provided some much needed laughs throughout the dramatic piece. Many of the roles required accents, ranging from southern to European. Although some actors were able to do so with reasonable believability, one couldn’t help but notice that half the dialogue was lost in forced accents and stammered lines. Overall this play was spectacular visually but some of the actors fell flat in comparison to the clear stars of the show. This play is definitely not appropriate for the entire family, and parents should read the synopsis before considering taking their children to a show which mostly details a vicious small town executing an animal over an accident. The actual point of the play remains mostly ambiguous, the disconnection most of the actors displayed with their characters left the audience confused. This play requires extreme, almost forced focus from the crowd in order to comprehend the uncoordinated jumps from one character to the next. The play does however find it's niche at times, when it drops the over the top performance that many of the actors could not handle, and sticks to the simple southern cautionary tale that it was meant to be. Viewers who enjoyed movies like "Moulin Rouge" and "The Great Gatsby" will be mesmerized by the set design and costumes. Despite the attention to detail, the play fell flat at times, but it’s redeeming heartfelt characters and interesting historical value will leave the viewer satisfied.
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SPORTS
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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SMC freshman Adriana Hernandez (Shortstop/Pitcher) slides home after successfully dodging a tag at home plate by the Antelope Valley College Marauder catcher during the SMC Corsair vs AVC Maraudes Softball game on Tuesday at John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica. (Scott Bixler The Corsair)
THE BAKER'S DOZEN: SOFTBALL LOSES 13 STRAIGHT JOSH SHURE STAFF WRITER
ruin Antelope Valley’s chance at finishing the no-hitter. The only other player to record a hit for the Corsairs in game one was sophomore outfielder, Christine Padilla who almost drove in Adriana Hernandez who was thrown out at home plate for the last out of game one. Freshman pitcher, Savannah Swan took the mound for the SMC Corsairs for the entirety of game one but gave up a whopping 19 runs over the course of the early afternoon. By the time the umpires ended the game in the sixth inning the scorecards read 19-0, Marauders. After a thirty-minute intermission, the Corsairs were ready to face off yet again against Antelope Valley. Adriana Hernandez was put on the mound to try her luck against
And deeper into the trench they went. The Santa Monica College Corsairs’ softball team lost both ends of a doubleheader against the Antelope Valley College Marauders on Tuesday. The Corsairs were trying to find a way to register a “W” in the win column after dropping 11 straight games and haven’t won a game since February 16th when they defeated Hartnell College. SMC entered the day with only two wins and 20 losses. The Antelope Valley freshman pitcher Maria Acosta flirted with a no-hitter for four full innings. In the bottom of the 5th inning with one out, the Corsairs’ freshman infielder, Adriana Hernandez, was able to
Antelope Valley in game two. The Corsairs were able to come out with more energy than they did in game one. After falling to a four run deficit after the first three batting opportunities for Antelope Valley, the Corsairs were able to string together a rally to register their first runs of the day as well as their first lead. In the bottom of the third, SMC was able to score five runs on seven hits. Corsiars' infielder, Chelsea Leaf, had two RBIs, while Chae Persinger, Gabriela Munoz and Ivana Petergacova each drove in a run. Unfortunately for the Corsairs, the lead was short-lived when Antelope Valley was able to drive in five runs themselves in the top of the 4th inning to reestablish the lead which they would maintain for the remaining of game two.
The SMC Corsairs were unable to register another run and ended up losing at the end of six innings, 15 to 5, making the day's run differencial a total of 34-5. After losing both game of the double header against Antelope Valley, the Corsairs record fell to a mere two wins and 22 losses. The Corsairs have now lost thirteen straight games. The Marauders are now 13-9-1 and 6-3 in conference play. SMC Corsairs' softball coach, Daniel Ross, was unavailable for comment due to emotional distress after the two losses at the hands of Antelope Valley. The Corsairs' softball team will suit up again on Thursday, March 26th for a home game against Glendale Community College at 2:30pm.
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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 05 • MARCH 25, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
LIVING THE ARAB SPRING: SMC STUDENT REMEMBERS THE DAYS OF THE EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION
Santa Monica College student Ahmed Sayed reads from one of his favorite philosophers, Frederich Nietzsche, in the campus library. Sayed now studies computer engineering in the U.S. after experiencing the 2011 Egyptian Revolution in his hometown of Cairo. (Kira VandenBrande The Corsair)
ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF In January 2011, Santa Monica College student Ahmed Sayed found himself a witness to history. His hometown, the ancient city of Cairo, had erupted in mass protests against the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak. The historic upheaval now known as the Arab Spring had arrived in Egypt. Sayed, an Engineering major who has resided in the United States since 2012 with hopes of being admitted into MIT. But the memories of the revolution that overtook his country remain vivid. "Everything started on Facebook. Facebook is very popular, people have enough time to waste on it," said Sayed with a smile one Friday afternoon. "I remember watching and following posts saying 'we need to go out to the streets on January 25, 2011, because that day is the annual festival of the police. So everyone said we need to go out that day to protest the repression we face from the government, against the poverty and unemployment we face," he recalled. Sayed remembered how the local newspapers, heavily controlled by the regime, tried to smear the protest organizers as spies and saboteurs, but nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. At the time Sayed was a student at Cairo University and it is not difficult for him to describe why the Egyptian masses rose up. "When you graduate you cannot find a job," he explained, "corruption was everywhere. There was no justice, you couldn't express your opinions. The country was controlled by the police. The citizens had no dignity." According to Sayed, the population of Cairo can be broken up into three layers: The very wealthy, the medium level citizens and the very poor. "The poor can barely survive every month, they are 60 percent
of the country, 40 percent of them cannot read and write," described Sayed. "The medium income people eventually fall to the level of the poor because of corruption." Supported by the U.S., Mubarak (and subsequent governments) never banned American films or TV, or even internet access. "We have virtual freedom, but not physical, we're like machines," said Sayed. Sayed recalled how in Mubarak's Egypt, it was common knowledge that if you were taken to a police station, you might not come back alive. "We used to have mini protests on campus. The police would have spies pretending to be students, they would go around campus trying to see who wanted to start a protest." Once a protest organizer would be identified, a squad car would arrive, police would beat the culprit before his students and teachers, and then drive him away. If his classmates were to see him again, it would most likely be at his funeral. In 2011 the Arab world was shaken when a revolution first overthrew the Ben Ali dictatorship in Tunisia, igniting a fire that spread to Egypt and beyond. On the first day of protests, Sayed stayed home out of fear of the inevitable violence that would ensue. "I watched everything on the news the first day, on Al Jazeera, CNN, I was watching live and on Facebook," he said. On the second day of the protests Sayed stepped outside and witnessed security forces gunning down people in his neighborhood. "Police car would come, shoot protesters and drive off. It was random killing in the streets." Sayed eventually joined the human wave of rebellion overtaking Egypt when he joined a couple thousand of his schoolmates to march and join the general demonstrations. "We moved from Cairo University to Tahrir Square," recalled Sayed. The mood among the crowds was described by Sayed as a "celebration" where for a brief moment
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gender and social differences dissipated. "We never felt that brave before. It was impressive that we had a lot of women, a lot of our students are girls. It felt like 'how can I step away from protesting when so many protesters are girls?' You almost felt ashamed as a guy if you stepped away." Fear had disappeared due to social realities linking them all. Christians and Muslims protested together against the regime lording over their lives. "That was the secret of its power, you couldn't distinguish. Everyone had the same goal." At first the protesters demanded reforms within the system, but once Mubarak unleashed the full force of his security forces and hundreds began to die, the capital and the country burned with demands for the full overthrow of the 30-year-old dictatorship. Sayed recalled how Tahrir Square itself, the center of protests, was dangerous because of regime snipers on rooftops aiming at the revolutionaries on the streets. After days of riots, protests and street battles, Mubarak resigned. "It was a full week of celebrations, continuous celebrations all over Egypt. Everyone waved flags, congratulating everybody. Nobody went to sleep. Poor and rich, everybody was in the streets," remembered Sayed. "We had faith in the country again, people preparing to emigrate came back to help with the change." The armed forces stepped in his place and promised needed reforms. But as Sayed puts it, "the army tricked us. But we had no choice but to trust them, there was no one else. The Muslim Brotherhood made a deal with them to hold elections." Before the Revolution, the Muslim Brotherhood had a reputation as an underground, Islamist party brutally suppressed by the regime. But after their candidate, Mohammad Morsi, won elections in 2012, disappointment soon set in. Yet Sayed agrees that the Brotherhood @THE_CORSAIR •
were fairly elected because there were few political options and disagreed with the July 2013 coup, when General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi overthrew Morsi and established a new, repressive regime. "That is one lesson I have from America, that you have to respect who won the election, even if you don't like him," said Sayed. "It's the same now in Egypt like under Mubarak, if not worse. They arrest anybody against al-Sisi." Now a student at SMC, Sayed has transitioned from the restless streets of Cairo to the fast-paced, consumerist culture of the United States. "Too much capitalism here," said Sayed half-jokingly. "Education is very expensive here, health is very expensive. Here you have higher luxuries, but you're so worried about bills, debts, loans, stressful work, there's so much stress here." Even the rite of marriage or dating provides an interesting contrast. In Egypt it is common an interested man to first meet the woman's family who can then vet his prospects. A period of engagement then begins where the couple makes the effort to know more about each other. "When you know about her, if you get along with your fiance, then you marry. It's simple yet controlled by rules," said Sayed, but he added the insight of "it's not like here where you just live with her, but now I'm fed up and I'll find someone else. It's not like something you buy, or sell or rent, use it and leave it. You have to exert effort to marry, in order to appreciate what you have." Sayed also emphasizes his nation is still a land of beautiful beaches, hospitable people, beautiful culture and a proud heritage. But Sayed warns that sooner or later, another revolution will erupt. "It's on hold because we are lost and afraid. But the anger is not done, it's not gone, it will increase because the current president hasn't learned from the past."
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