Vol109 issue007

CORSAIR

APRIL 8, 2015 | VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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VOTING FOR A.S. SPOTS BEGINS PG. 3

FEEDING THE NEEDY ON EASTER PG. 4

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION OPENS PG. 6

DEFENDING "ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD" PG. 6

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CONTENT

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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 William Miguel .................. Editorial Designer corsair.designteam@gmail.com

CORSAIR STAFF Carlos Espinosa, Alendy Galindo, Veronica Aviles, Jose Lopez, Josue Martinez, Mark Logarta, Ricardo Hernandez, Raymond Martinez, Michael Downey, Daniel Bowyer, Oskar Zinnemann, Christian Gianni Martin, Bailey Peraita, Chiaki Kudo, Kevin Monterroso, Jocelyne Ruiz, Josh Shure, Stefanie Flores, Nerllyn Eskenassy, Tim Lee, Ryanne Mena, Ethan Singleton, Michelle Melamed, Keya Quick, Jose Luis Balderas

Help Wanted .

ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF This week SMC will elect a new student government. Voting has commenced and the following week could see an uptick in the political temperature on campus, or there might just be silence. This year's elections have come with a strange serenity.

There was little time given for campaigning.

The so-called "debate" last Tuesday was more of a Q&A and the fact that only one week was allotted to the entire election cycle raises a big question mark.

As a news publication it is our duty to keep track of the political going ons on campus. Even if it means taking a few foam bricks. Last week, after we brought you the story of a recent, public flare up at the last A.S. Board meeting, an A.S. advisor decided to issue a response. The comment was in the style of "How did the Corsair newspaper become worse than TMZ in its reporting?

Stop looking for angles that aren't there & take journalism 101 to learn how to report on facts, not your one-sided twisted opinions." Politics always makes for heated climate and in a college campus this is no

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serve as a pulse on how politically engaged the student body is with campus politics.

With spring break around the corner we also invite you to take heed of the information being offered on campus this week as part of "consent month." The issue of consent when regarding sexual relations is an important one as campus sexual assaults remain a serious problem in our society.

Even if you plan to copulate with the fellow waiter at work, in these jaded times please still do so consensually. Even when it comes to the evolutionary impulse to procreate, you should fully exercise the right to choose, consent and even back out.

We at The Corsair we preparing to spend the first few days of our spring break at the Journalism Association Of Community Colleges Conference where we will represent SMC and see what other campus publications are up to. The presses are always running and we'll see you soon.

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In this week's issue A.S. Director of Activities Andrew "Andy" Koo writes us a letter where he tries to clear up the air regarding some of the recent going ons at the Cayton Center. In particular he defends A.S. advisor Sonali Bridges and attempts to clarify the recent debates and slight tensions within the campus student government. We are more than open to criticism as with another letter we are running this week from a cast member from the recent campus production of "Elephant's Graveyard." It is very easy to simply throw an offense in anger, but it is something else to sit down and articulate a response.

It is fitting that this is an issue where voices are being heard because this week a portion of the student body will make its voice heard by electing the new student government. It will be interesting to collect the data of just how much student participation there was in the elections after the winners are announced this week. It might

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NEWS

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

A.S. ELECTIONS JOSE GUTIERREZ & JUAN LOPEZ NEWS EDITOR & WEB EDITOR

Candidate for Activities Director Amber Winter (left) and candidate for Director of Outreach Alexandra Brechensbauer (right) speak with students at the Cayton Center as voting for the A.S. commences. (Ricardo Hernandez The Corsair)

A.S. presidential candidate Jesse Randel campaigns for votes in the Cayton Center on Tuesday.

(Ricardo Hernandez The Corsair)

OPINION

IN REGARD TO RECENT A.S. TENSIONS Hello, my name is Andrew Koo and this is my 3rd semester here at Santa Monica College. I serve on the Board of Directors as the Director of Activities for the Associated Students. I am writing this letter to you because I wanted to communicate and provide another perspective on Sonali Bridges, Associate Dean of the Associated Students.

My experiences with Dean Bridges have been very productive and insightful. I have gained so much from working with her on the A.S. Activities Meeting, which I chair, discussing how to plan events for the students of SMC, and working with her in the office.

Dean Bridges is the designated advisor for these Activities Meetings. We work together every Tuesday to ensure students and clubs have their events or activities approved.

With over dozens upon dozens of approved activities, I make sure clubs or departments proposals are in order and have all the required documents. There has not been a single incident where I had to say no to a club and not provide a alternative or solution for them. Dean Bridges goes out of her way whenever she can to provide permits for clubs to have their events around campus.

There are several vocal people who say Dean Bridges prevents the us, the Board of Directors, from doing our jobs or that she disrupts our board meetings. Personally, I have never felt intruded upon by Dean Bridges when she raises her hand to be acknowledged and then advises us on a certain topic or item. She has the best interest for our success as student leaders, the organization and the Santa Monica College community. It is very easy for people to

The scent of fresh baked Macadamia chocolate chip cookies wafted through the air of the Cayton Center lounge as students gathered in groups filling the room. The cookies weren’t the only thing out of the ordinary, the candidates running for next year’s Associated Students board were holding their official meet and greet; but just like the cookies meant to lure in the surrounding students, few were taking notice to them.

The AS elections kicked off on March 25 when candidates were officially announced their campaigns to the SMC student voting public, giving candidates only two weeks to campaign and reach out to students with their platforms. They were given only a few days notice of their public forum, “debate,” on Tuesday, March 31, in which student Precious Onuohah asked candidates “How are you supposed to relate to the students, and come impact with the students, when the majority of us don’t know who you guys are?”

Vice presidential candidate Kevin Picard on the HI-Five slate said yesterday at the meet and greet, “How many students on campus knew about the debate?” He expressed a concern many candidates did for outreach and publicity in the AS. Jonathan Eady, running for student trustee on the Reading Rainbow slate, thought there needed to be a more “boots on the ground” approach to publicity for elections and the lowly applied Student Success Awards. “I think the students should have more time to vet and look at their candidates and see what they have to offer,” said Eady. “I think when it comes to informing

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the students, there shouldn’t be much pushbacks against letting students know what’s available as far as opportunities for them.”

Second-year SMC student Hessel Pineda believes that the lack of participation in elections lies with voters. “These things [election turnouts] are never really high because people never really take this seriously in the sense that they don’t really pay attention”, he said. “I’d like to think that they [college students] are interested, there are some people that are interested in what happens in the elections. That is only if they are taking everything that they do here seriously.”

Though there are three candidates running for president, seven of the other candidates are running unopposed, while the position of director of advocacy has no candidates running for it.

Former director of outreach Robert Espinosa, who had the most votes of any candidates in last year’s elections, said “I think they could be doing a lot more. I remember last year I was here every single day getting more votes.”

Inter-Club Council Chair Maya Kaitel, who is also the chair of the elections committee, said the short amount of time given to campaigning and elections is not something out of the ordinary. “A lot of that [one week of campaigning] is just to do with timing.

Spring break is happening super soon, and we want it to happen before spring break so candidates can get some time to get oriented to spend some time in the office, look into their positions, all that,” she says. “If we do it after spring break, we’re worried they’re not really gonna have that much time.”

Voting for the AS elections is open online through Corsair Connect until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday April 9.

If students vote at a designated polling place on campus between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. by the last day of voting, they receive a free snack.

criticize someone in when they make a simple mistake or has to say no. But she has done so much for the organization that nobody seems to talk about.

For example, I once doubted myself and my capability to put on a certain event, thought it would be impossible to pull off, and simply wanted to move on. However, I communicated to Dean Bridges about my concerns and we discussed other alternatives.

In the end, I was able to put on an event which turned out ten times better than I had originally thought and I owe that success to working with the Dean. She has been consistently supportive to directors and encourages us think about the students first.

She has also been putting countless hours into helping Consent month go smoothly and using her resources to make sure we have a successful month. She works with Daniel Kolko, Caitlin Corker, and the consent month team to educate students and spread awareness about sexual assault in the SMC community.

There are passionate and excited directors who are more vocal than others, and sometimes their ideas for projects or events can be unrealistic. When Dean Bridges communicates to them ahead of time in an effectively manner about a project or event that cannot happen, some directors tend to take it personally and lash out. If and when a time comes where Dean Bridges has to say no, she never leaves it at that note.

Not only has she been professional and effective in communicating what needs to happen, she provides ample alternatives or solutions to what else could be done in order to have an event.

I hope this letter has communicated and provided you an insightful and realistic perspective on Dean Bridges. I can firmly place my trust in her and know she will fully support me during my time in the Associated Students.

Thank you, Andrew Koo

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PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Volunteer Holly Wells serves Easter dinner to visitors Jasmin (left), Mary (middle) and Linda Mulvey (right) at the Fred Jordan Mission on Skid Row on Saturday in Los Angeles. (Amy Gaskin The Corsair)

EASTER MEAL: GIVING TO THOSE IN NEED

Chef Brian Compton stirs the pot of beans he has cooked for the Easter dinner for homeless and hungry families at the Fred Jordan Mission on Skid Row on Saturday in Los Angeles. (Amy Gaskin The Corsair)

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KIRA VANDENBRANDE PHOTO EDITOR On Saturday at Skid Row, hundreds lined up in the street to receive a free Easter meal at the Fred Jordan mission. Their faces reflected on the windows of a stretch limousine parked alongside a string of tents on the sidewalk. It was a surreal moment amid a scene of hunger and charity.

Attendees were required to attend a sermon presented by the mission prior to receiving a meal. Each wave of sixty-five guests gathered in front of the preacher as children squirmed in their seats and others nodded off in the heat. From the pulpit, the preacher’s voice resounded with a religious tome of hope from despair.

A number of families quietly prayed

together. Some guests raised their hands in solidarity, chanting along with the preacher’s words, while others remained stoic or restless as they anticipated their meals.

In the kitchen, chef Darrell Hackett rallied a host of volunteers as the first guests trickled into the dining area. The meal resembled a hearty Thanksgiving feast as attendees crowded around communal tables.

After exiting the dining room, guests were greeted by a host of volunteers passing out baskets of seasonal treats and bags of food. For these visitors, Easter brought with it a meal and a sense of community.

Leslie Mota hands off a tray of meals ready to be served to the many guests who are present at the Fred Jordan Easter Celebration in Los Angeles. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)

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PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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(Top Left) Jesus Munoz leans on the sign that is welcoming guests to the Fred Jordan Mission Easter Celebration meal on Saturday in Los Angeles. (Jose Lopez The Corsair) (Top Right) Guests at the Fred Jordan mission watch a sermon prior to receiving an Easter lunch.

Some attendees actively participated while others fell asleep in the crowded room. (Kira VandenBrande The Corsair)

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas Jordan (left) speaks to volunteers with recently hired Cordon Bleu chef Darrell Hackett (right). (Amy Gaskin The Corsair)

A Los Angeles County Sheriff Department Officer watches over the crowd outside Fred Jordan Mission on Saturday in Los Angeles. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)

A child watches a man pray during a sermon at the Fred Jordan Misson in Los Angeles on Saturday.

The mission hosted an Easter celebration for those in need, serving a warm meal and providing take-away packages. (Kira VandenBrande The Corsair)

A woman comforts a relative during a sermon presented by the Fred Jordan Mission on Saturday in Los Angeles. (Amy Gaskin The Corsair)

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A woman walks along the side walk on Towne Ave. alongside a limousine where guests were lining up for the Easter Celebration meal at the Fred Jordan Mission in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. (Jose Lopez The Corsair)

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OPINION

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

IN RESPONSE TO THE ELEPHANT'S GRAVEYARD REVIEW Corsair, The publication of Keya Rivera-Quick (Miss K)’s article on Elephant’s Graveyard (Corsair 3/25/2015 “A southern tale that should be put to rest”), surprisingly mischaracterizes all in title and verse, and grotesquely exposes deficiencies of character, work ethic and judgment. That the Corsair would publish for public consumption such obvious evidence of a student who failed to do her homework, is remarkable. Perhaps it’s tough love, but good golly!

One of the benefits the educational environment usually provides is an opportunity to try new things, without the dangers that accompany public release. Oddly enough both the Theater Department’s work and yours, intended for a public audience, is open to critique, regardless of the quality or quantity of the intelligence utilized to generate said critique.

Miss K shortchanges everyone unfortunate enough to fall into the maelstrom of disaster that was her assignment.

Elephant’s Graveyard opens with “Foley the Clown” setting the stage for “The Ringmaster”, who then in grand fashion reveals to us the incredible scene that is the circus.

Miss K begins her assignment with a flowery description of fiction manufactured within her own head, because she arrived 15 minutes late to the one-hour long performance.

Grammatical errors and fabrications aside, Miss K’s article includes zero quotes, cites zero references, and upon reading, clearly shows that Miss K did zero research to draft her article on. The SMC Course Catalog says of Journalism 16, “Each week students assign, research and write stories;”. Not only did Miss K obliterate the research portion of the classwork, she did so with astounding negligence. The truth of which is laughably revealed in less than 60 seconds of fact checking.

Miss K’s statement, "The actual point of the play remains mostly ambiguous,...", is the most revealing, and breath-taking admission of her failure to do her assignment. Shocking as it is that anyone would be comfortable deriding a student production as if it were a Broadway show, Miss K plunges headless first into a vapid, uninterested recounting of an experience she didn't even attempt to afford attention to. Nowhere does Miss K highlight the plays’ themes or how they might relate to the contemporary reader/viewer, because she couldn’t even be bothered to consider her own audience.

Maybe it is safe for her to assume that nobody would read her work, but certainly the Corsair believes somebody out there must read the publication.

Miss K reminds us on her Facebook page to 'not just follow our dreams, but chase them'. Unfortunately for the more then forty dream chasing artists who brought Elephants Graveyard to life on the SMC Main Stage, Miss K was the student honored with reviewing the performance; A student clearly not interested in following a dream of journalism, let alone chase it. Through what must be cognitive dissonance, Miss K squanders the Corsair's opportunity to highlight SMC, the faculty, staff and students, and instead offers a grossly, oafishly uninformed, un-researched, invalid opinion piece which falls flat.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

"CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION" IS AN EXHAUSTING ORDEAL ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR IN CHIEF The experience of sitting through "Circle Mirror Transformation," the newest production by SMC's theater department, is the equivalent of being at a bar with a loud drunk and you're not drinking, or enduring one of those special people who can talk, and talk loudly, for hours on end without a break.

Yet drunks and loud mouths can also have interesting things to say and indeed, this is a play with some engaging moments that find themselves plowed under by the craziness.

Friday night's opening performance began 9 minutes late in the intimate Studio Stage which is suitable for quieter affairs than the in your face bombast of this journey through vapid acting psychology. The play tells the story of an experimental, week-long acting class led by instructor Marty (Sarah Long) involving her husband Schultz (Zeno Robinson), 16-year-old rumbunxious Lauren (Lara Wallace), the class wench Theresa (Olivia Worthen) and James (Nicolas Lozano), who starts being attracted to Theresa.

The play consists of a series of whacky "acting exercises" during which Marty makes everyone play strange tag games, act out scenarios and perform improv monologues where they pretend to be someone else in the group. As the exercises continue jeal-

ousies creep in and frustrations start to grow.

"Circle Mirror Transformation" is a play that works best when it quiets down and focuses on its repressed jealousies and hidden rages as opposed to wild explosions.

The version performed on Friday night was the most interesting during the sections that deal with having feelings for someone within an intense group environment. It is quite hellish to have feelings for someone within the swirl and madness of a working environment. The best moments were between James and Theresa as they flirt, get closer to each other but then have to deal with being made to express very personal thoughts and secrets in the acting classes. When she develops a quirky attraction with James there is tension there the production never took full advantage of.

The way "Circle Mirror Transformation" is being staged at SMC buries the play's emotional power under a swirl of manic acting that makes the work appear more silly than deep. And not just silly, the style of the performances were so uncontrolled that ears must have popped everytime Long shouted like a banshee or Worthen, the best performer of the troupe, screamed or laughed like an asylum patient on the loose.

The confined atmosphere of the stage eventually made the style of the perfor-

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Zeno Robinson (left) and Sarah Long (right) as Schultz and Marty in SMC's new, loud production of "Circle Mirror Transformation" at the campus Studio Stage. (Juan Lopez The Corsair)

mances feel exhausting to sit through. It was as if the director had decided to evoke Artaud's theater of cruelty, without involving the audience. The acting fluctuated between smart and manic. Lozano was capable of delivering tense, penetrating scenes with Worthen where he could express real jealousy and anguish, but then a simple greeting would be acted with such overdone facial expressions and hand mannerisms that they felt like "acting" as opposed to a real performance.

One of the standout performances was Wallace as Lauren. In pig tails and green sweater, equipped with a backpack carrying her headphones and a pickle for lunch, she did an excellent job conjuring up a frustrated teenager who wants a real class, and is instead stuck in a circus run by crashing marriage. @THE_CORSAIR •

She could express sheer maleficence in her eyes or with a wicked grin. And when she erupted it would make sense, it was in fine tune with her adolescent character. Worthen's Theresa also had sly moments where she brought to life that clueless tease every office or group has to have.

Alas, "Circle Mirror Transformation" ended as a performance with highlights but an obnoxious whole. At nearly 2 hours it also felt much too long, especially for what it was offering as material. Shakespeare, Lorca, Brecht, these are names worthy of such a long running time, but not Baker. In the show's program Dr, Adrianne Harrop mentions that she does not approve of the teaching techniques used in the play's world, it would be wise to keep that as policy.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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SPRING BREAKERS: SMC STUDENTS PREPARE FOR VACATION CHIAKI KUDO STAFF WRITER Spring break conjures images of wild partying, sexed up activities and intoxicated festivities. But some students would rather enjoy their days off relaxing and visiting the sites of Los Angeles. SoCal students don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a plane ticket and hotel to enjoy sunny weather and beautiful beaches. We have it all right here.

With some friends and a car you can have the most exciting spring break without even leaving the state.

SMC student, Leo Kawai, is looking forward to a week filled with joy as he plans to go to Oceanside, California, with his friends. Instead of taking care of drunk friends and dealing with police men on call for noise complaints, which was a standard for spring break in Seattle, he found a condominium with 7 bedrooms just in front of the ocean.

Since he recently found a passion for surfing, he is really looking forward to vacation. He plans to spend some time by the beach, cook good food and grab a beer at night after day out under the the sun catching waves with his friends.

He already found 8 people to tag along with him but to make it even more affordable he wants to gather more people so that everybody could stay there at cheaper price.

SMC student Yukari Yuhara is planning on doing some traveling but she's also going to spend some time in Los Angeles. Due to a hectic schedule in school, it's been hard for her to find time to go check out the University of Southern California, where

Illustration by Josef Hern

she plans ro transfer in the future. She's also going to pamper herself with some beauty treatments as she goes to get her hair and nails done.

Yuhara does not only have exciting and fun plans, she is also going to dedicate some of her time to studying for her math exam, which she is taking right after the spring break. "SMC has spring break in the middle of the semester, so I have to worry about my upcoming assignments or exams," she said.

For students who wish to do something fun and different on spring break, but don't want to spend a fortune on a vacation, here are 7 things to do in Southern California that won't leave you with an empty wallet.

1. Disneyland Going to Disneyland is another thing Kawai put on his "to do list" for the week off. ‘’I love Disneyland and I want to visit there every season if possible,” he said. “You know what, Disneyland looks different every

season.”

2. San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is located inside Balboa Park and features more than 4,000 animals including some of the rarest animals in the world. You will see anything from giant pandas to koalas and polar bears.

3. Catalina Island Catalina Island is located approximately 26 miles off the coast of Southern California. Except perfect snorkeling and scuba-diving conditions, Catalina also features hiking trails, bike-riding paths, zip lining and golf courses.

4. Six Flags If you are a fan of coasters this is the place for you. The rides will spin you in every direction possible and with over 100 different attractions you can be sure to find something you would like here.

5. El Matador Beach El Matador Beach is located north of

Malibu and is famous for its cliffs and massive rocks. Grab a blanket, pack some snacks and head down to El Matador to enjoy the amazing view and romantic atmosphere.

6. Bonfire at Dockweiler beach This is one of few close beaches that allows you to make a bonfire on the beach.

As L.A. typically gets colder at night this is a perfect way to warm up while having a good time with good friends.

7. Malibu creek If you like hiking and want to try something different you should go check out Malibu Creek. Hiking the creek is slightly unusual since its path goes through dramatic rocks with some spectacular scenery at any time of the year.

Whether you want to go beaching, hiking, clubbing, whale watching or shopping, Southern California has thousands of things to offer, and not everything will cost you a fortune.

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VOLUME 109 ISSUE 07 • APRIL 8, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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PRESIDENT’S AMBASSADORS PROMOTE COLLEGE LIFE. ENCOURAGE CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT. CHAMPION ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.

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Applications DUE Monday, May 4, 3:00pm Submit applications to Deirdre Weaver, Director of Student and Alumni Relations, at 1510 Pico Blvd., (just west of 16th Street).

At CSU Dominguez Hills, our students represent many cultures. And share multiple perspectives. With one of the nation’s most diverse campuses, including a thriving international community, we encourage our students to embrace their individuality. While preparing them to collaborate in a global workforce.

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