Vol109 issue008

CORSAIR

RENAISSANCE A DAY AT THE FAIRE

APRIL 22, 2015 | VOLUME 109 ISSUE 08 SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

FIRST COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25

(PG 6)

JESSE RANDEL ON WINNING THE A.S. PRESIDENCY PG. 3

SMC FILMMAKER PREPS TO SHOOT PROJECT PG. 8

SMC CELEBRATES EARTH WEEK PG. 10

THE DEADLY DUO OF SMC TENNIS PG. 12

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CONTENT

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 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 William Miguel ........................... Design Editor 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

FACULTY ADVISORS

A Native American man dances at Chumash Day, a Pow wow and intertribe gathering sponsored by the Chumash tribe in Malibu on Sunday, April 12th.

(Veronica Aviles The Corsair)

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Saul Rubin & Gerard Burkhart AD INQUIRIES: corsair.admanager@gmail.com (310) 434 - 4033

ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FRONT COVER An actress known only as her character’s name “Serenity” displays her costume at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday. Identifying as mute, she communicated only through sign language.

(Kira VandenBrande The Corsair)

Spring break came and went. For The Corsair it was a well-deserved break after our staff took 18 awards at the Journalism Association of Community Colleges (JACC) conference in Sacramento. Our staff labors day and night (literally) to bring you print and online content and the efforts paid off.

Not only did we win multiple awards in top categories, but The Corsair was also awarded a Pacesetter Award which means we ranked among the top three schools statewide at the conference. It was the first Pacesetter the paper has received since 2011 and we are very proud of seeing our blood, sweat and tears deliver content worthy of such recognition.

Just getting to the conference in Sacra-

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mento was an odyssey as we faced multiple obstacles. Simply packing everyone into cars and making the trip was an adventure in itself that left us with little sleep. Yet our staff delivered with several first place wins in the Publication and On The Spot competitions. Among the categories in which we took first place awards were News Story, Critical Review, and Team Feature.To see those and other articles/photos that placed visit our official Facebook page.

The trip to JACC was pure teamwork. I remember being up late into the night the Wednesday before we left with our designer William Miguel and co-photo editor Kira VandenBrande hunting for the last available rental car in Los Angeles for members of our staff who still needed a ride. But we managed to get everything arranged and the trip itself was a great collaboration not just in getting there, but participating at the conference where the best of the state's community college papers gathered to show off their work.

It was a great experience to see other papers pick up our issues and flipping through our stories profiling students from Iran and Egypt while reading our reporting on the A.S. elections. For the second half of the semester we have even more content of this caliber coming your way. This week we bring you the sights @THE_CORSAIR •

of a recent Renaissance Fair, an interview with the new A.S. president Jesse Randel, who won the elections by the hair-thin margin of 10 votes, and by popular demand from our opinion editor, I offer a piece on the misguided concept of the "friend zone."

In the coming weeks we will bring you interviews with some notable figures including an MMA fighter who studies at SMC, and two student siblings from Syria who share their experiences as descendants of a country embroiled in a civil war shaking the world.

As I write these words the Newsroom is a loud, bustling cocoon of work. And even though this week sees a new issue hit the kiosks, cafeteria, and school departments, we must then begin planning the stories and images we will publish next week.

We also invite you to visit our website where we run content only available via web. With the release of a new trailer for J.J. Abrams's upcoming "Star Wars" film, we feature online a piece on how "Star Wars" remains such a cherished part of our culture because of its links to classical mythology. Make sure to visit our Twitter and Facebook pages where we also feature photos of our staff at work and video reports on campus events, interviews and more.

Break time is over, now we're back to work.

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NEWS

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

WINNER OF THE RACE

The fact that most students have no idea what benefits they receive from being members of the Associated Students is simply unacceptable. We must do a better job of reaching out to the student body and ensuring that they know of all the tools they have at their disposal. Also, veteran performance at this school is not great, and the dropout rate is high. Securing a new office, or perhaps a house, strictly for veterans so they have a quiet, private place to meet with counselors and study outside the hustle and bustle of the campus is one step we could take to help resolve this issue.

Jesse Randel on winning the A.S. presidency

ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF On Thursday Jesse Randel won the presidential seat of the Associated Students by the razorsharp margin of 10 votes. It was a memorable victory that came just as Randel was leaving Los Angeles to spend spring break back home in Georgia. On Monday night Randel found himself delayed at an Atlanta airport on his way back to California but still took some time to discuss via e-mail his new role on campus and the hard work that lies ahead.

What was it like finding you that you had won the elections? How did you find out?

Honestly, I was shocked. I was at the Denver airport flying home on short notice, and I started getting texts and messages congratulating me. It was truly a watershed moment for me.

to absorb what he's learned over his term in office, and that combined with my leadership experience in the military will prepare me for the job as much as possible.

What is your opinion on the ongoing construction on campus?

What is the key piece of legislation you hope to see passed during your tenure?

What do you think the voting percentage by which you won says about the campaign and how you ran it?

The narrow margin speaks volumes about the quality of my competition and the excellence of their campaigns.

I worked so hard on this campaign, and it just goes to show you that every single little bit of effort can make or break you. I also had excellent slate members, without whom I would not have stood a chance.

How are you going to prepare now to assume power?

I feel the best way to prepare for the presidency is to shadow the current president, Ali Khan. He's a very smart guy who knows how the system works and how to get stuff done. I can't wait

I am going to work as hard as I can to expand the work study program and scholarships on a non-federally funded basis so that EVERY student at SMC has the same opportunities for success, citizenship or financial background notwithstanding. That is what originally inspired me to run for office, and that is what I will work to accomplish.

We have a great start with the Student Success Award, but we need to keep moving forward.

Progress is messy sometimes. There is a lot of work to be done to improve this school, and when it does get completed our school will be not only nicer, but more eco-friendly as well. It is important to remember the students that will come after us. It might not be pleasant right now, but we are ensuring a brighter, greener campus for our future fellow alumni.

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student is ready to transfer, he or she should already know who to talk to, what paperwork they need to have ready, and the dates and deadlines for all of it. Students also need to be educated on the different challenges a major university poses as opposed to SMC, for example UCLA being a research institution, or USC being a private school.

What will you do your first day in office?

I plan to get everyone on the new board of directors excited about the influence they can and will have on the student body! It's going to be a great year, and a busy one. A good jump off the line sets the tone, and positive steps forward start with positive, eager mindsets.

What is the greatest threat being faced by students seeking to transfer to a major university from SMC and how would you address the issue?

How do you think being president might affect your friendships and other social connections on campus?

I think the greatest threat students face is entering the transfer process unprepared and unsure of the right steps they need to take to get to where they want be. Again, something we as the board of directors can do to rectify this is to better market the benefits and tools that are available to them through Associated Students. By the time a

To be honest, I don't have a whole lot of social connections on campus so I doubt it will affect it much at all. I'm a student first and I came here with the goal of making good grades and succeeding, not being popular. I enjoy my interaction with fellow classmates, but I'm not here to hang out, I'm here to work, and that's what I'm going to do.

Will you have people call you "Mr. President?"

Absolutely not. I'm no different from any other student at this school, and I'm not here to serve my own ego. Jesse is fine.

What is the key thing you think demands immediate change at SMC?

ELECTIONS SEE STEADY DECLINE IN VOTERS JOSE GUTIERREZ & JUAN LOPEZ NEWS EDITOR & DIGITAL EDITOR The Associated Students election season of 2015 has seen Santa Monica College’s lowest voter turnout since 2008. A total of 1,394 students voted in the final tally for the 2015 AS elections. The figures showed a clear decline when compared to the number from 2007, the first time the AS used electronic voting which brought in 2,395 voters.

This year also saw only 18 candidates, the lowest amount of candidates in comparison to other years; 2013 alone had 40 contenders in all, running for different positions.

“Because a lot more people ran [in other years]. Look at the number of people running and that’s why,” says Student Advisor Benny

Blaydes. “When a lot of people are running and every position is contested, you’re gonna get a lot more people [voting].”

According to Blaydes, student voter turnout directly correlates to the amount of political activity going on in the area. “This year, we had a lot of other stuff students were involved in. We don’t have any major political stuff going on statewide,” he says.

“When there’s more political activity and more statewide issues, students will feel the need to do something.”

The year that saw the highest voter turnout also saw the most contention amongst candidates and the looming threat of what was

then popularly known among the general student population as a "two-tier" tuition plan.

In 2011, a total of 3,767 students went to the AS polls to voice their support of candidates who each opposed the Board of Trustees' plans to create a tuition payment plan that would allow students to pay more for access to classes, similar to the model at UCLA Extension.

That same year saw a large number of election code complaints filed between candidates Harrison Wills and David Stavis.

Another possible cause of the low turnout could be that some other events took away from the focus. “The big thing in this year’s publicity is that it’s very easy to get overshad-

owed by bigger events like Consent Month,” said Inter-Club Council Chair Maya Kaitel in an interview prior to the results. “You’ll notice that, in the quad, there aren’t that many candidate posters but there’s a ton of Consent Month posters. This year, the publicity that [we did] is a little more small scale.”

Despite the low numbers in yearly comparison, several AS directors and Blaydes have pointed out that other schools see as little as 500 students voting in their respective student government elections. According to Blaydes, prior to the availability of electronic voting, SMC's AS shared similar lower voter turnout to those other schools.

4000 3750

3250 3000 2750

Number of votes

NUMBER OF VOTES EACH YEAR

3500

2500 2250 2000

3767

1750 1500 1250 1000

2566

2395

775

2795 1765

2407

1797

1150

500

1394

250 0

2007

2008

2009

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2010

2011 year

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2013

/THECORSAIRNEWS •

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2015

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OPINION

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Dispatches from the friend zone ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF I am writing this from the comfortable land of the friend zone. Some readers may scoff and curl their lip with bitter scorn, but if we approach the term from a purely linguistic angle, it can be a blessing.

Essentially the term "Friend Zone," in its cruel pop culture identity, simply means you've been deemed inadequate by a friend for dating, copulation or any other exchange of fluids or physical contact that is not a normal greeting hug, etc. The cruel term was first coined in an episode of the 1990s sitcom "Friends," which thanks to Netflix is experiencing a baffling revival.

Even friendship cannot overcome the way of nature, and if you're not an adonis or half-way attractive it's not an easy road.

A very respected mentor of mine once told me "when people say 'it's the inside that counts' I think of organs, blood, guts."

And yet at times trying to defy the way of nature proves to be a real test of friendship. If you turn a friend down and they suddenly cut you out of their life, it probably means the friendship wasn't genuine.

And for the rejected, you should respect a friend's decision not to engage in procreation with you. And no, they are not playing hard to get or are too afraid to admit their feelings, they really just didn't like you.

Francois Truffaut once said that you really can't criticize a movie unless you made one yourself. In that spirit I write from experience having mustered up the courage to call a friend in the middle of work to make some grand pronouncement and other embarrassing leaps of faith. But the truth is the pain that lingers more is losing a friend than being rejected.

After all, "love" does not cross boundaries, but friendship does. This is why some successful relationships arise out of friendships, because a natural bond was already formed.

In a letter to the scholar of Jewish mysticism Gershom Scholem, the great thinker Hannah Arendt explained why she didn't believe in nationalism or ethnic loyalty to one race or group. Arendt wrote "I have never in my life 'loved' any people or collective- neither the German people, nor the

French, nor the American, nor the working class or anything of that sort. I indeed 'love' only my friends."

We're an increasingly connected yet increasingly lonely society. The rush to make money, make careers or attain status is producing a generation that runs at a hundred miles per hour with few links to anyone. A recent study by the American Sociological Review found that 1 in 4 Americans claim they have no one to talk to about anything.

The study showed a staggering increase in feelings of loneliness in the United States.

It's essential to have at least one good, trustworthy friend in this kind of atmosphere. Solidarity among people is necessary and you shouldn't let the fact that you were denied a useless date get in the way of having a different kind of relationship with whoever it was that you wanted to lighten your wallet for. I was once told "did you ever stop to think you were more valuable to people in another way?" Fluff to cushion a rejection? Maybe, but at the same time there's a pearl of wisdom there.

The Russian anarchist and scientist Peter Kropotkin wrote an important book 100 years ago titled "Mutual Aid" which argued that the species who have survived the most through out evolution's long, bloody crawl have been the ones that form communities.

I have too many countless memories of finding myself in an impossible situation and being saved at the last minute by the aid of a friend.

At The Corsair we have such a close crew that our phone numbers have at times turned into virtual life lines. I've had fellow staffers save me from rain storms, bad grades and other calamities. And some of us have come to trust each other to the level of family members. Even when some staff transfer to other schools next semester, friendships have formed that will remain long after our tenure here has ended.

So if a friend doesn't feel like acting out a cheap Nicholas Sparks movie with you, don't mope about it, be grateful you have a friend to begin with. Respecting someone's wishes entails genuine appreciation for someone.

In a society trapped in the cold vacuum of modern capitalism, be grateful to not walk alone.

Less Socializing and Partying Among College Students, Survey Reveals TATIANA VILLALOBOS STAFF WRITER A 2014 comprehensive survey released

by UCLA found a declination in socializing among today’s college students with social media replacing face-to-face interaction.

With more and more educated people joining the labor force, as it demands, and more college freshman entering, as the survey reports, with aspirations of advanced degrees, socializing, it appears, has taken a backseat in the college experience.

Depicted by flicks like “Neighbors,” and “Animal House” the picture of the raging university, parties, alcohol, drugs, and sex its unwritten promise, has become its own archetype. Today, however, the raging university picture has become just that. 37.9% of incoming college students reported socializing with friends at least 16 hours per week in 1987 with 18.1% spending five hours or less socializing. In 2014 this drastically and quite almost literally reversed with 18% of students reporting spending at least 16 hours per week socializing with friends and 38.8% reporting dedicating five hours or less with friends, an “all-time low” as the survey claims.

Online activity has replaced this decline in socializing with the percentage of students

who spend an hour or less on social networks declining from 31.9% to 21.7% and the percentage of students who spent six hours or more per week online increasing from 18.9% to 27.2% in a comparison between a 2007 and 2014 survey.

Students today prefer to satisfy their social cravings through organized clubs and activities. In 1982 24.4% of students reported that a college’s social activities was a “very important” reason for their college choice, however in 2014 44.2% responded in favor of a college’s social activities.

For those students who have no interest in seeking out clubs and organizations, a concern over their emotional health is being raised. Students' self-reported emotional health dropped to 50.7%, at its lowest ever, with the proportion of students who "frequently" felt depressed raising to 9.5%.

Are students today more serious...boring even? Are the days of the "weekend rage" over? Has this generation become...anti-social?

Arguably not. With apps like Yik Yak, Instagram, SnapChat and so on, our socializing patterns have become instant, if not

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more personal, and 24/7. With the flick of an app your best friend's daily doings are at your fingertips.

However, of course, this cannot replace the comfort of actual human interaction raising a concern over the general emotional health of students today. Checking your Instagram to see what your old high school friends are doing while taking a study break cannot compare to the actual thrill of meeting someone completely new and random in person, of course that is to say if you're that type of person who enjoys face-to-face interaction, but as you are human, we are all human, real live interaction is essential.

Perhaps the new breed of college students is just a more driven and motivated bunch and the idea of partying just doesn't satisfy us anymore. We are the "Peter-Pan" generation, helicoptered by our parents from a very early age. We were raised to be productive and driven machines. Our methods of socialization run in favor of online interaction and not loose forms of socialization. We have been raised on structured socialization. Perhaps that's why parties don't appeal to the majority of us. Discussion and thought is what we crave, not "wild times" as depicted by the likes of "Neighbors."

Of course that is not to say that partying does not still go on in college which of course it does and that all students shy away from the idea of partying, it's just that there's less students partying today. Could this be a @THE_CORSAIR •

good thing? Perhaps, but students should definitely find time for fun and learn how to have fun their emotional needs calling for it. Having fun, knowing how to have fun, is important as it can add a lot to a work environment. Parties, with this thought in mind, help students learn not only how to have fun but to be confident as well. It provides an environment of complete release un-harbored by the structured forms of socializing that clubs and organizations provide. What differs between a party and a club or organization is the difference of stress between the two mediums of socialization. Where in a club/organization you're under a pressure to present yourself in a certain light, at a party being yourself is acceptable, confidence-boosting a given.

Of course, in both situations, the means of confidence boosting differ and if you're not the type of person who enjoys a good party than the structured socialization that clubs and organizations provide will be for you.

Regardless of whether or not you prefer a party or a structured club or nothing at all, there is no doubt that the college environment has definitely been changing.

Students are approaching college with a lot more serious focus now more than ever before, brought about by today's labor market, a high GPA and an impressive resume the new employment model. Partying and socializing is definitely the last thing on the average student's mind today.

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OPINION

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Why It May Be Hard to Care for the A.S. Board

student. Just like citizens vote for candidates they feel make the greatest attempt to relate to them, students will vote for the nominees that they have the most personal interest, in which relatability is essential. The difference is that prospects for U.S government positions generally have years to show people who they are while SMC students are made to choose their government based on a two week campaign period where they vote for students who, just a couple of weeks earlier, were complete strangers to them.

JONATHAN RAMOS MANAGING EDITOR The new A.S president has been selected, and so ends the annual two-week period in which SMC students actually care about their student government. It is difficult to garner a student's full attention to the A.S. when they have no motive to give it.

This, however, does not mean the A.S board is to blame. These are three simple reasons as to why interest in the A.S. is hard to gather:

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The dividing line between administration and the AS is too strong

Again, I was told about AS fees and how they would complete my world but perhaps if SMC would have put a bit more emphasis into why students should actually get to know the AS board rather than just what they do, I would’ve been more comfortable with them as people. Instead, it sometimes seems like even the administration doesn’t know what the AS is up to. Every semester, new candidates promise new things that most students predict the administration will inevitably veto, an issue that was brought up during a Q&A segment of the most recent election. “I’ve been around long enough to know that no student up there that says they’re going to do anything about textbooks could do anything about textbooks. You can’t do anything about parking,” said Nahasi Lee, former Inter-club Council chair member. “There have been some difficulties that have popped up between the associated student organization and the administration of this campus. What are you going to do to ameliorate that?” By the candidates’ responses it seems that communication has been lacking between the AS and administration. In fairness to students, it is difficult to really invest in the student government if it becomes predictable that no changes will actually be made, something that can be directed to the lack of togetherness between the two groups.

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I’m focused on the idea that I just need to pass my classes and get out.

When I applied to SMC, I did not come in with the idea that I would become the most popular student, have knowledge of every extracurricular activity or every resource that was available to me, and understand what my student government could do for me. I was here to pass my classes and transfer as soon as possible, as societal pressures gave me the impression that I would be imprisoned if I did not have my future completely laid out. Being invested in all of this, I didn’t have time to take into consideration who the Associated Students were and what they actually did.

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SMC tells you about your AS fees but doesn’t tell you who is behind them

After enrolling into the school, much emphasis was put into me paying for my AS privileges. They told me what they entailed, why I should pay for them, and how they could make my school life much easier.

The problem was that I didn’t spend enough time in school to really put the luxuries to use and SMC really didn’t provide a lot of detail into who passes the decisions on what the AS fees provide. Now, I’m not an imbecile; I am fully aware that most schools have a student government; I figured that out on my own but knowing the personalities behind the desks would certainly have helped my interest by allowing me to see how relatable they were to the common

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PHOTOSTORY

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

A FAIRE OUT OF TIME

Owner of Whirlwood Magic Wands, Gary Hall, displays his hand-crafted wands at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY KIRA VANDENBRANDE PHOTO EDITOR For a day the old world and styles of the future melded at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire in Irwindale.

Last Saturday, under the spring sun, adventurers and jesters, wenches and lords gathered for “Time Traveler’s Day”, a special event meant to accommodate the younger generation, sci-fi lovers, and steampunk.

This particular subgenre fuses industrialism with 19th century aesthetics and clothing, resulting in a surreal hybrid of machinery and rebellious style.

Vendors lined an unpaved market road, meant to evoke the Middle Ages, proclaiming their wares in accentuated English accents. Goods ranged from intricate handcrafted wands to extravagant robes and jewelry. Some even offered full suits of armor for those willing to handle the price tag.

A baronesse in full renaissance regalia greeted attendees in her character Charlotte de Sauve’s native language of French. It was

pure, classical reverie.

“What a miraculous world it is,” said de Sauve, “I came to England to wait upon her majesty.”

Actors remained in character , feigning ignorance when faced with technology and describing the fair as an Elizabethan spring festival.

The gathering has kindled a Renaissance of its own since its origin in the 1960s. Vendor Raymond Amsbury, a long time veteran of the fair, described his first impressions of the festivities when he got involved 44 years ago.

“The beauty of it back in the day was that it was open and free, hippie-like,” said Amsbury, “It really did create a renaissance during that time period, people were just starting to get into arts and crafts and that gave us a venue to show our work and sell.”

The debauchery and grandeur of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire will continue until May 17th

Vendor Raymond Amsbury (right) speaks with a customer at his booth at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday. He has sold model weapons and costumes at various fairs across the nation for the past 44 years.

Vincent Anthony (left) is defeated by Matthew Mansour (right) during a joust competition at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday.

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VOLUME 109 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

PHOTOSTORY

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“What a miraculous world it is... I came to England to wait upon her majesty.”

A guest dresses in steampunk style at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday.

Two guests dress as witches during the annual Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday.

A vendor at a coffee stand plays an authentic stringed instrument from the Middle Ages during the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday.

Various minerals and stones sit bottled on a display table for any visitors to buy,

Guests walk past the dam in Irwindale at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire on Saturday.

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8

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

THE SHAPE SHIFTER Kelly Thompson prepares to shoot latest Film 33 project

ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SMC film student Kelly Thompson is preparing to tell a story about the way consumer society distorts our sense of physical beauty. Thompson is the latest auteur to be given the chance to shoot a short film as part of SMC's Film 33 production course.

Her script entitled "The Shape Shifter" was selected by the program's head, professor Salvador Carrasco, to be funded, produced and released as a full, professional production. The program has already garnered much attention and praise with projects that have made it all the way to the Cannes film festival in France and won numerous awards at national film festivals.

Now Thompson is preparing to join the ranks of SMC's emerging film generation with the program's first ever comedy.

The script reads like a stinging comedy full of compassion for its characters. It takes fun jabs at the world of weight loss products while looking profoundly at the inner pain and emotional scarring of hating your own appearance.

"It's a really personal script for me," said Thompson while sitting down to discuss her project. "It's about a woman who sells weight loss products on an informercial and she knows they don't work," she explained. "She finally has to come to a decision on whether she can continue doing that or not. It's a moral decision."

For Thompson the topic strikes a personal chord because of personal experience.

"I've struggled with weight loss issues and body image issues. I think people who buy those kinds of products are looking for an answer, to find happiness."

The combination of storytelling and

personal experience makes Thompson's script vibrate with a unique sense of insight.

As she herself puts it, the story flows out of her own journey in finding self-acceptance.

Thompson herself found inspiration for the script when she worked on a weight loss infomercial where behind the cameras, the personalities behind the product obviously didn't believe in what they were selling.

Starting off as a Biology major at Sacramento State, Thompson decided to move to Los Angeles and pursue her passion for writing and storytelling while working on film sets. "I wanted to take classes and learn more about the technical aspect of filmmaking and from the first class I took, professor Carrasco's class on film history (Film 2), I was got so excited about talking about movies all day. I loved it," she said.

Thompson then moved into the renowned Film 33 program where Carrasco selects a script from several submissions and the class then produces the script into a professional short film. "There were a total of 20 scripts that were submitted. Ultimately I had to write something that was personal and that I cared about. I don't think I would be good at writing or directing something I couldn't relate to," she emphasized.

The cosmetically Darwinian culture we currently inhabit was a subject that, as Thompson discovered, others could relate to when reading her script. "When we first read the script in the class tons of the students stood up and discussed how they've had to deal with body issues. Either with physical insecurities or other things," she recollected.

The issue also crosses gender divides.

"It wasn't just women. It's always kind of sold that women are the ones who deal with body issues but it's guys and girls. It makes me feel less alone."

Film 33 student Kelly Thompson poses on Monday afternoon as she prepares to direct “The Shape Shifter,” the latest project from the renowned SMC film program.

One of the ironies of "The Shape Shifter" is that it will attempt to critique something that at times feels inherent in Hollywood culture, especially the way women and men are portrayed in movies as specific body types. Hollywood and celebrity culture tend to define what is considered "beautiful."

"While casting I was trying to think of a dramatic actress who is overweight and I couldn't. They are so underrepresented, the whole variety of body types," said Thompson. "The movies I appreciate the most are the ones that either make you think about something or they can make you see things in a different way. Movies can be used in a very powerful way."

Not only is Thompson taking on the Hollywood body stereotype, she is in a sense tackling another issue: The lack of women directors in the industry. "It's always something that I've been aware of. The statistics are really bad. I think 2% of DGA directors are women.

It's an exciting opportunity. I love that about

the SMC film program, that professor Carrasco tries to have equality between genders and economic backgrounds and races. Everyone who gets a chance deserves it."

The next step is now pre-production which entails putting together a $20,000 budget, location scouting, casting and even the design of a logo for the weight loss company in the script. Her producers, fellow SMC film alumni Michael Osborne and Carrie Finklea (who was the female lead in Gus Van Sant's Palm d'Or winner "Elephant"), are now how at work to make it all happen. "There are no egos, we're really really busy trying to nail things down," shared Thompson.

When asked if looks do matter Thompson in a sense revealed the essence of her script. "I think they do. There's this snap decision based on looks but people need to look beyond that. It's natural but at the same time it impedes us. It holds us back from seeing people as they are."

Street art fair in Koreatown strives to save the Earth one mural at a time OSKAR ZINNEMANN STAFF WRITER Never before has such a grungy Koreatown alley looked so beautiful. Thanks to the efforts of passionate and dedicated local artists, Koreatown and Greater Los Angeles are looking better than ever with their creative and thought-provoking murals.

This past Sunday, local street artists gathered in an alley behind Gabba Arts Gallery in Koreatown to create murals in celebration of Earth Day. These street art fairs were also part of a larger effort by the Gabba Arts District and the newly-established Street Art Brokerage Firm. The goal of this particular session was to raise awareness of California's drought crisis, to create a more appealing environment that the local community could be proud of, and to "simply celebrate Mother Earth." Artists were invited by curator Jason Ostro and street artist Andrea LaHue, who goes by the stage name of "Random Act." LaHue, who has been painting giant flowers on buildings for several years, said the idea for the Earth Day street art fairs came after her arrest in 2013. "I needed to somehow celebrate Earth Day, which, for me, was like Christmas for my flowers, in a way that was legal," she said. In 2014, LaHue put out a call for local artists to meet up and create "Earthinspired art," and the first annual #EarthDayStreet fair took off from there. After the success of last year's fair, she said, "This year, since it's my baby, we decided to do it again."

More than a dozen artists participated in the fair, creating murals in Downtown

LA, South Central, and the Melrose District, in addition to Koreatown. They focused on water as a common theme and used the hashtags "#EarthDayStreet2015" and "#WaterLove2015" to promote their work. Each mural was done on private property with explicit permission from local residents.

Pan Pantogia and Kelsey Sweet, a pair of artists from Reno, came down to participate with the other artists, spreading the message across Los Angeles. "The idea is to clean up these spaces to keep people from tagging on the walls," Kelsey explained.

Their abstract Earth Day mural read like an existential message, "Be a fish, be able to see the water."

Local street artist "Pasty White," who specializes in cityscape pieces, came down to create a second mural behind the Gabba Arts Gallery, his sixth so far. Like every other mural, Pasty's had a water theme. While he does not consider himself to be a politically-driven artist, Pasty White said he enjoys inserting touches of social commentary and humor in his work. He also introduced his partner, Hannibal also known as "Porno," and explained "[while] I kinda drive the projects, Hannibal helps me out a lot." A former theater student, "Pasty White" has been doing street art for five years, but has been involved with art for much longer. "I decided being a cooperative theater artist wasn't really for me," he said.

Another street artist, Cody Bayne, was there to contribute to the art fair and celebrate Earth Day as well. He reiterated that the project "serves to beautify and enhance the neighborhood and to bring more art

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The Gabba Gallery and StreetArt Brokerage Firm celebrate Earth Week by hosting a street art festival in Koreatown. More than 30 Artists are working on an Earth inspired art project in Los Angeles.

(Carlos Espinosa The Corsair)

and life to it." Bayne believes art can play a huge role in Earth Day. He believes it is equally important to every other day. He said the water-themed art at the fair "starts a conversation that's needed" about the importance of climate change and the impact of California's drought.

Bayne has been doing art for his whole life on the street and in the studio, and classifies his work as "Neo-Urban-Expressionism" and "New Informalist." "I take visual information and physical information [objects] and take them back to the studio to contextualize it and create a conversation," he said.

Finally, Jason Ostro, curator of the Gabba Arts Gallery, arrived on scene to observe the murals in the afternoon. The Gabba Arts Gallery was founded to give street artists all over the country a chance to feature @THE_CORSAIR •

their art legally and give them "a fair shake."

After the founding of the gallery, LaHue, a close friend of Ostro, started the #EarthDayStreet project as a means to "give back to the community."

Though the Earth Day fair was relatively small, with only a few dozen people (including artists and spectators) it is part of a larger trend that appears to be making a positive difference in Southern California.

"This being our second year, we've grown a little bit and have almost 40 artists painting in different areas through Los Angeles," Ostro told us. "It's kinda just growing from there. The neighbors are pretty appreciative overall and everybody seems to be happy.

[We are here] just to clean up the alleys and make them safer. We're just guests, but we're trying to do our best,"

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

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SMC STUDENTS VOICE THEIR OPINIONS ABOUT CONSENT PAULINA ERIKSSON HEALTH & LIFESTYLE EDITOR No means no and yes means yes. This is something Santa Monica College wants to emphasize this month. Informative workshops and events are held to educating the Santa Monica College community and to create a safer environment on campus. But what is sexual assault and where do we draw the line between a serious action and someone slapping your butt as a joke? SMC students give your their thoughts of "Consent Month" and sexual harassment.

Name: Anya Gumberg Major: Mathematics

Name: Daniel Bassett Major: Theater Arts

Name: Isaac Salas Major: Biology

Name: Isabel Castillo Major: Business Management / Philosophy

What does sexual assault and consent mean to you?

What do you consider sexual assault?

What do you consider sexual harassment?

What does sexual assault and consent mean to you?

When a person touches someone else or verbally abuses them in a sexual manner and the victim is getting offended by it and the person doesn't catch the messages and he continues. So I consider that sexual harassment.

Well consent is obviously when you verbally get the right to someone to do something and sexual assault is when you aren't okay with someone doing certain things.

Like that could be that you turned your back and someone slaps your butt you know. Like you didn't give them a consent to do that so that would be considered sexual assault.

Sexual assault would be is there is resistance and you continue forcing yourself on somebody and consent would obviously be no resistance. Not just verbal but I guess also physical.

I mean I've only been here for a semester so I don't know if its a problem at Santa Monica [College] specifically. I haven't experience anything here and I haven't noticed anything here.

What do you think of SMC hosting "Consent month"?

I guess when something is forced. Like if the other party doesn't want to, you know, when they don't say yes, it's like a "no," you know.

Do you think sexual assault occurs at SMC? Not that I know of. I mean, I don't stay around campus that much, but I can see it maybe being a problem. like on that walkway [next to the quad] it seems like people yell at girls or whatever so that could be an issue.

Well I don't know about the whole month part but I know that making emphasis on it is a good point. Bringing attention to something that I didn't even realized was a problem, which I'm sure people didn't realize either, and I'm sure this kind of emphasis that it's wrong to those who thought that it wasn't like a big deal. I guess it could also give that support to someone to stand up if they're uncomfortable in a situation, because they know it's a common problem, and not just a situation with them personally.

Personally I don't see much of it going on. Then again I'm not a girl so I wouldn't know but yeah it could be that guys tend to take advantage of them. I don't think girls sexually harass guys on campus.

What do you think of SMC hosting "Consent month"?

It's pretty good actually because then more people will be aware. I think like the more it gets out there, more people are going to stop doing it because then they're going to be put on the spot, nobody wants that.

Do you think sexual assault occurs on SMC? The couple of times I've been here, maybe like twice, someone has said like kind of vulgar comments to be but other than that it's nothing like hand on in my opinion.

Do you think having a "Consent month" is a good thing?

Yeah definitely, I think many people are unaware of their actions. Having events definitely makes people conscious of what they do and what they say. Sometimes you think that a verbal abuse isn't really abuse, you just think it's like messing around or hitting on someone.

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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

The sounds of enlightenment on 3rd Street Meet the Hare Krishnas DEVIN PAGE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR You may have seen them here on campus with copies of the Bhagavad Gita looking for monetary donations. You may have seen them on Fridays at the Third Street Promenade dancing and singing. “Hare Hare Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Rama Rama Rame Hare,” the group chants.

The Promenade attracts characters of many kinds, musicians, the homeless, religious groups. This time the popular Hare Krishnas take to the sidewalks and begin dancing and singing their praise to the divine Krishna.

The men wore dhoti kurta and the women colorful drapes called sari. As they danced and spun around, some of the men played mrdanga and kartals like drums, which represent transcendental sound vibrations from the Vedic literature.

“We’re chanting the names of God. We’re trying to spread peace, love, we’re trying to spread God consciousness essentially,” said Jarred Richardson.

The chanting is called sankirtana, which is the congregational chanting of the holy names of God. The mantra consists of the three names of God: Hare, Krishna, Rama.

Onlookers joined in the celebration, dancing and ad-libbing their own chants.

This expression is what the group believes to be at the core of what they're trying to do. "We believe this is for everyone. Anyone doing anything can apply this to their own lives," said Richardson.

"It doesn't matter your designation: Christian, Hindu, Muslim," Bhakta Jordan (right) dances with Bhakta David (center) at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica on he continued.

Friday. The title "bhakta" indicates that the men are religious devotees, since they are both being tutored in Richardson himself started off spirituality by senior members of the group. (Kira VandenBrande The Corsair) working in a factory but was really into filmmaking. He and his fiancee chron- they are. "Just like a cop when he takes off He refutes anyone's opinions that the group's icled the life of a mutual friend from high his uniform, he's still a cop. He doesn't lose beliefs are just a fad. school who became a monk and moved to his ability to fight or protect. If we're not The Hare Krishnas are a group who are a temple here in Los Angeles. The life of wearing this dress it doesn't mean that our not afraid to spread their message, whether the monk piqued their interest which consciousness changes." or not you're interested in their spirituality. prompted their lifestyle change. "We made The group consists of diverse individu- "I never hesitate to approach people about the documentary and have been living in als from all over the world. Participants in Krishna because we understand that evthe temple ever since," said Richardson. the celebration were from South America, eryone's essence is their spirituality," The Hare Krishna group consider them- Asia, and all parts of the United States.

Govinda Datta Dasa said, a member of the selves disciples who are devoted to God. One participant, a Brooklyn native group for 43 years.

Some of them identify themselves as Bhakta named David Mendez was born into the The music is just one way to celebrate meaning "religious devotee." "Everyone has lifestyle. He doesn't speak much English spirituality. The drums continued to echo a uniform; like a police officer, he wears a but believes in his spirituality. throughout the Promenade. uniform that lets you know he's a police In the past the group has acquired the "It [mrdanga] adds spiritual strength to officer. Similarly, we wear this Vaishnava label of a cult from their methods of conver- the ambience of the music," said Bhakta clothing and it signifies that we're devoted sion but not all of them see things that way. David. "These books are called mrdanga to God," said Richardson.

"This is not like I just decided to do this and because the bass is going for a couple of Whether their clothing changes, they then quit tomorrow. I'm not gonna be a blocks, but when you open one of these things don't believe it changes the core of who Muslim or a suicide bomber," Dasa said. the bass is going anywhere in the world."

Earth Week piques interest in sustainable clubs JUAN LOPEZ DIGITAL EDITOR Monday morning during activity hour, many students leaving the Science and Art buildings found an unusual sight as they exited classes. Tables topped with vegetables lined the exterior pathway of the Organic Learning Garden as part of the first day of the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies (CEUS) and Associated Students' Earth Week at Santa Monica College.

Microbiology student Christian Cervantes, ate from a sample of pestos and salad, all made by students. ”I noticed there were a lot of people eating and I just wanted to join them eat,” said Cervantes. “It’s delicious.”

For other students, the event sparked involvement and interest in the green clubs.

Student Alexander Bogayevicz waited for six minutes in a line that curbed around the walkway to be able to pick out free vegetables. He left shortly but returned soon after to inquire with the organizers about involvement with the garden.

He said he always liked growing his own vegetables to cook with and enjoyed their succulence. When asked why he wasn’t before involved with the garden and the clubs, Bogayevicz said, “It was just never in front of me. I was always busy.” He added, “I think it’s important to use any free space you can find to grow plants and food.”

A large portion of the vegetables that were given out were gleaned from local farmer's markets, meaning that they were taken as donation where they otherwise would have been thrown away. The AS was

also on hand to provide info and free reusable bags to students.

Garden manager Cheyenne Morrill is a common fixture at the garden and she contributed her popular tahini salad dressing to the sample offerings.

“I make this almost everyday and sometimes I forget that other people aren’t eating healthy and making the same kinds of decisions as me," said Morrill. "It was really exciting for me to see everybody really liking the recipe, taking pictures of it, and wanting to try it at home.”

The gleaned offerings were nearly exhausted after a few hundred students passed through to claim their free bags and vegetables, causing the CEUS staff to search for more boxes of bags on two occasions.

Morrill noticed the popularity of the event growing from the previous year, saying “it wasn’t overwhelming to the point where we can’t manage the people. I think it was a lot more well managed than last year.”

New interim Sustainability Project Manager Ferris Kawar, who is replacing the recently resigned Sustainability Director Genevieve Bertone, said he gives "all the props" to Bertone for leaving a crew of students in place who were self-driven and self-motivated to manage the event over a month and a half without any set leadership, while he has only been at SMC for three weeks.

“It’s great because all of the clubs get together," said Kawar. "They all kind of channel their energies into this one week.”

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Santa Monica College Organic Learning Garden manager Cheyenne Morrill serves students a salad with tahini dressing that she prepared at "Students Feeding Students" on Monday, the first day of SMC's Earth Week. (Juan Lopez The Corsair)

No stranger to SMC, Kawar worked at Sustainable Works teaching green workshops to local residents 14 years ago, before Bertone helped lead a charge for a green initiative at SMC. Kawar notes how much the campus has grown since then, going from one green club to three highly active clubs, educational programs that were nonexistent, and an infrastructure for supporting the sustainability program.

Each day for Earth Week a different sustainability club is leading the activity organization.

Tuesday, Eco-Action organized a discussion/debate over whether environmentalists could still eat meat and later hosted a screening of “Cowspiracy” which shines a light on the environmental issues behind the meat industry.

Wednesday, all of the sustainable clubs will host a series of workshops in the Organic Learning Garden, ranging from using a bike @THE_CORSAIR •

that generates electricity to urban foraging, which AS sustainability director Andrea Gonzalez referred to as “intense” adding “it’s gonna be awesome.”

Thursday, AS and Plastic-Free SMC will present what’s been dubbed the Cultural Festival on the quad, featuring the Green Truck and two live bands. The event will also feature displays of art made from recyclable materials which have been “upcycled.”

On the final day of Earth Week on Friday, the sustainability clubs will meet at guard tower 20 on Santa Monica Beach for a SMC Community Beach Clean Up, which plans to attract hundreds of participants.

AS representatives will be on hand at the events on Wednesday and Thursday to give out free reusable bags, reusable water bottles, and bamboo utensils to AS members who have paid their AS membership fees at the beginning of the semester.

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SPORTS

VOLUME 108 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

PLAYOFFS

Santa Monica College freshman middle-block Daniel Vaziri deflects a ball close to net during a volleyball match on March 11th between Santa Monica College & Pierce College. (Tobias Sandström The Corsair)

2015 CCCAA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL APRIL 23RD

FINAL APRIL 25TH

MATCH #1

Thursday @ 4:30 PM PCAC #2 Orange Coast College (16-5)

WSC #1 Santa Monica College (16-2)

MATCH #3 Saturday @ 6P

MATCH #2

Thursday @ 7:00 PM PCAC #1 Grossmont College (16-4)

El Camino College (17-3)

11

Semi-final match up pits the Corsairs against the team they lost to in last year's final JAMES POWEL DESK EDITOR It's rare that one gets to have a second chance to be victorious.

However, the Santa Monica College Corsiars men's volleyball team will have that opportunity when they face the Orange Coast College Pirates, the team that defeated them in last year's California Community College Athletic Association State tournament finals, in the CCCA state tournament semi-finals on Thursday.

In last year's finals, the Corsairs took the Pirates to the fifth set after falling behind 2-0, though the blue and white eventually fell to OCC 3-2.

Coach John Mayer says that this year's Corsair team has found a balance that last year's team lacked.

"Last year's team was a great group that accomplished something that hadn't been done at SMC since 1981 [but] we relied a lot on Keats Stanley and Taylor Tattersall," Corsair head coach John Mayer said.

However, with Keats gone to play professionally in Greece, the team has had to find other sources of offense.

This year, four players recorded over 100 kills and sophomore right side hitter and freshman middle blocker Daniel Vaziri each accounted for 222.5 and 206 points respectively.

This year's edition of the Corsairs is markedly different from last year's as only four of the 14 man roster were in the gym for the finals at Santiago Canyon College last year.

Mayer's approach to Thursday's game, as it has been all season, is to keep going one game at a time.

"We have to serve and pass at a high level.

We also plan on being aggressive and playing in a confident, fearless style. If we do these things win or lose we'll feel successful," Mayer said.

But if the blue and white want to win, they will have to defend well to get past the Pirates. Orange Coast comes in leading the state in kills with 929 and second in kills per set.

SMC will have to account for Pirate freshman outside hitter Adrian Faitalia, who accounts for 33 percent of OCC's kills.

The Corsairs were able to keep Faitalia in check when the two sides met on February 6, holding him to five of the 40 kills in the Corsair's 3-1 victory.

The Corsairs will also need freshman outside hitter Harrison Hodgin to continue his strong serving season. He earned the Corsairs 42 points on service aces and averaged 3.2 points per serve.

Should the Corsairs defeat the Pirates, they will face the winner of the match between the Grossmont College Griffins and the El Camino College Warriors.

The Corsairs swept the season series against the Warriors and lost their only game against the Griffins.

The entire team was in the audience as the Pirates defeated the Long Beach City College Vikings last Friday.

According to Mayer, the team was immediately excited for the looming match up.

"After OCC won, the guys were pumped to get the opportunity to play a great team," Mayer said.

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SPORTS

VOLUME 109 ISSUE 08 • APRIL 22, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

The deadly duo:Nazdracheva and Jovic Sunday April 26 9:30 am — 4 pm

Event Sponsored by the Foundation for Pierce College and Pierce Agriculture Department.

EXPLORE, LEARN AND HAVE FUN!

Farm Animals Petting Zoo Self-Guided Tours Cow Milking Wool Spinning Sheep Shearing Equestrian Demos Exotic Animals Face Painting Carnival Games BBQ Live Music

Adults — $5 donation Children Under 12 — Free Parking — Free Thank you for helping to support and promote Agricultural Science Education.

Only service animals are permitted due to livestock. Don’t forget to bring hats, sunscreen, sunglasses and cameras!

Izabel Nazdracheva and Myra Jovic bump fists (Brandon Barsugli The Corsair)

ETHAN SINGLETON STAFF WRITER It’s not very often that you stumble across a pair of something great. I mean, you’ve got socks, chopsticks and tennis shoes-- but what good is one without the other, right?

Izabel Nazdracheva and Mayra Jovic had neither seen nor heard of one another before the winter of 2014.

Though they both lived the majority of their lives in the Greater Los Angeles area, both ladies come from drastically different ethnic backgrounds-- as Jovic proudly expresses her Argentinian roots, while Nazdracheva, or Naz, as the women's tennis team has come to know her by, holds true to her Soviet upbringing.

As Jovic embodies the confidence, finesse and athletic swagger that emanates from Buenos Aires, Nazdracheva fully embraces the idea of being a classic Russian powerhouse; character traits that makeup the genome of a terrifying women’s doubles duo.

It’s nothing short of a miracle that these two girls were brought together as they have wreaked competitive havoc in the Western State Conference this season.

Both girl’s resumes are impressive.

Jovic won her first tournament by the age of eight, and since then has been addicted to the game.

By fifteen, she was training on clay courts at Club Athletic de Mar De Plata, a tennis academy in Argentina, and by nineteen she was ranked the number one (all-conference) women’s singles player in the Western State Conference.

When she and her family first arrived to the country, her father declared that she and her sister must be involved in sports and Jovic and her father found tennis.

“I was having a blast. I was running around hitting the balls and I was with my dad, you know, so for me it was really, really fun,” she said.

As she alluded to tennis being a behavior ingrained in her psyche-- almost an addiction, Jovic noted that her father remains the prime source of her competitive edge. “[He] still, to this day, feeds me the balls.

We’ve been doing the same drills for almost fifteen years," said Jovic.

Naz, who is in her second season at SMC, was ranked fifth in the conference last year.

She picked up a racket reasonably late at the age of 10, however has not yet slowed down as she continues to refine her powerful yet energetic play.

Nadracheva, whose stature, rich accent, and ruthless playing style have the power to easily intimidate her opponent, shared telltale signs of warmth and a motherly compas-

sion as she draws inspiration from her entire family.

At age eleven, just a year after being handed a racket, and before she could properly serve a ball, her mother signed her up for tournaments. Naz explained that she was drawn to the game by its beauty and by its competition.

“It was a stress reliever. I loved [it.]," she said.

This year with Jovic by her side, Nazdracheva has bumped up to the number two women’s singles spot and along with her teammate is ranked number one for women’s doubles in the conference.

The two are preparing for the California Community College Athletic Association Regional/ State Finals at the 115th Ojai Tennis Tournament.

The topic of conversation then digressed.

However, we spoke briefly of pre-game superstitions– where Izabel explained that in order for her to perform well she must have her hair braided one time in a particular fashion; and Mayra, well Mayra must step on the court every time with her right foot forward, similar to her Argentinean forefathers.

Both girls confessed that most of the pressure they experience throughout the season comes from within themselves. Mayra was the exception however, adding that she faces substantial pressure stemming from the high expectations of her father, Papa Jovic.

But as Naz struggles to escape from her own analytical abilities-- constantly criticizing herself throughout game play, and Jovic is weighed down by heavy expectations, both girls play a role in balancing each other out as teammates.

“We’re in sync. We have been training for this moment since winter, since we met each other,” Jovic said. “[Since] day one. Ojai. Give me Ojai. Which is fitting, and may explain how the young women have remained goal oriented this far into the postseason," Nazdracheva added.

Despite their support for each other, which manifests itself through in-match prep talks, intense training sessions with the men’s football coach, and out-of-game friendship, the women made clear that they placed the utmost importance on providing support for their teammates, as they too look to make the transition from good to great.

But aside from being groundbreaking athletes, the ladies are still human.

They love their mothers, they sometimes struggle with confidence and before a game, they sometimes won’t eat.

At the end of the conversation they gave a shoutout to special people in their lives.

Firstly, their mothers-- who they ought never forget. Izabel gave special thanks to her Grandmother for introducing her to the sport,

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E!

DLIN A E D N O TI APPLICA her younger brother who introduced her to the defensive coordinator of Santa Monica’s men’s football team (who got the girls’ training regimen started,) and Kobe Bryant-- for being a positive role model.

Mayra gave her thanks to Richard Goldenson, Santa Monica’s women’s tennis coach, her father, who is also her coach, and also Kobe Bryant-- claiming that she and the basketball star shared lots in common. @THE_CORSAIR •

The girls then proceeded to bicker, not over their conference rankings, but over who was more like [Bryant;] which due to their humility is highly unlikely for the both of them.

And as the girls’ short time at SMC may be coming to an end this season, they, along with six of their other teammates have a chance to leave a footprint, or two, on SMC's long lived athletic history.

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