CORSAIR
MAY 20, 2015 | VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
FIRST COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25
WORLD IN MOTION
VISIONS OF GLOBAL MOTION BEFORE THE SHOW PG. 6
A.S. HOLDS MARATHON FINAL MEETING (PG. 3)
THE DELICIOUS STORY OF SHAKA BURGER (PG. 5 )
SMC ATHLETE ON RUNNING WHILE LOVING MUSIC (PG. 11)
VOICES OF PALESTINE ECHO ON WILSHIRE (PG. 12)
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CONTENT
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 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
Santa Monica College students Graeme Wior and Jacob Hernandez cut mats to mount their photos that were chosen for the 36th Annual Juried Student Photo Exhibition on Monday, May 11. The exhibition showcased some of the best photographic talent from Santa Monica College. The process of choosing photos to be displayed was very selective. Among those whose work was chosen were photographers of The Corsair. (Veronica Aviles The Corsair)
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, Nerllyn Eskenassy, Tim Lee, Ryanne Mena, Ethan Singleton, Michelle Melamed, Jose Luis Balderas
FACULTY ADVISORS Saul Rubin & Gerard Burkhart AD INQUIRIES: corsair.admanager@gmail.com (310) 434 - 4033
FRONT COVER Dancer Mi Ja Kim performs a traditional dance from Korea entitled "A Moment Before Time" with the Santa Monica College Dance Department and The World Dance Company on May 14, 2015. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
In The Corsair issue of May 6 an ad was run on the back color page for applications for the President's Ambassadors program. The ad was not slated to run that week. The deadline for applications had already passed on May 4 and the ad was accidentally run for an extra week. It was an error purely on our part.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Our 12th issue of the semester is being released into your hallways and kiosks as campus political life takes on another strange turn. ICC Vice Chair Courtney King has written a letter to the editor in which she chronicles her time on the A.S. board of directors and the apparent, sour end to her tenure there. Until information is verified and others involved in the story come forward and give their side, King's letter for now raises once again serious questions as to the going ons in the Cayton Center during the tenure of this student government. Just as the board met for its final Monday meeting, it appears the simple utterance of a "bad word" that is no doubt common in most political offices is exposing the tensions between Dean Bridges and certain members of the elected student body. This is not uncommon between advisors and students, especially in a group environment. I myself have had casual, many times friendly disagreements with our advisor over content, story relevance, style, etc. But we always get the work done.
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If the letter and its story prove anything, it is that college life is indeed a training ground for students to prepare themselves for the outside terrain where wolves prowl in every corner. Simply turn on the news and witness the circus surrounding the emerging candidates for the 2016 presidential elections. Neither Republican or Democrat are immune to the microscopic lens of the press and investigators. Names that at one point garner great respect and awe suddenly become minimized to human scale. Student government is very much like the campus paper in the sense that students are thrown suddenly into real world situations and forced to make intense decisions. In the last year we have faced threats, attacks and harsh criticisms along with praise and support. Life within student government is no different. We have therefore decided to publish King's letter not because what she has to say is attention-grabbing, but because it is a very honestly composed statement about juggling student life within a high pressure environment. We have already begun reaching out to relevant parties to get their responses. @THE_CORSAIR •
In this week's issue we also bring you stories from around campus as Global Motion again storms the Broad with its eclectic collection of world dances and music. In our Arts & Entertainment section we review the new "Mad Max" film. I myself went to see it over the weekend and agree with the reviewer that it was an adrenaline rush of a film, full of striking images and a ferocious energy to its creativity. The only part of the review I respectfully disagree with is the notion that the film has no subtext or metaphor, like classic science fiction it imagines a future based on our own, current faults: War, conflicts over resources, tribalism and an addiction to settling scores with violence. With two more issues to go after this one, we are pulling all the stops to bring you a diverse range of content and insights. There are always stories to be told, and we will continue telling them until the last page prints.
ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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NEWS
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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APPROVED ITEMS 7.1
Free SMC Opera $8,587
7.2
Two student field research for Life Science $6,000
7.3 New textbooks in library $15,000 Director of Technical and Instructional Support Kishore Athreya, Director of Student Advocacy TK Flory, and Director of Sustainability Andrea Gonzalez (left to right) discuss funding to replenish toners and other needs during the final A.S meeting in the Cayton Center at Santa Monica College on Monday. (Michael Downey The Corsair)
FINAL A.S. MEETING FOR SEMESTER ENDS WITH APPROVAL AND DENIAL OF FUNDS ALCI RENGIFO, JAMES POWEL, & JUAN LOPEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SPORTS EDITOR, & DIGITAL EDITOR Lasting five hours and eight minutes, the Associated Students board met for their final meeting of the semester and school year to approve and deny petitions for funding for clubs, events, and their own activities. The meeting proved so long that during an hour long period, AS Director of Budget Management Hasun Khan took over chair duties from his brother, AS president, Ali Khan. Among the petitions which were turned down was for the archaeological class of professor Brandon Lewis which had petitioned for $25,000 in funds to cover the cost of the class' annual student trip to Belize. Funds were denied because the trip was not for competitive purposes, a prerequisite for funding out of state activities according to the body's fiscal policy. A.S. Director of Student Advocacy TK Flory raised his hands and said "fine, half of the students won't be able to go on the trip, fine." One of the items that was approved was $2,150 for the Inter-Club Council Social Tea Party Celebration organized by ICC Vice Chair Courtney King. The board also turned down a proposal to raise the semester stipend of the incoming board of directors from the current $500 to $1,000. During the debate on the motion Dean of Student Life Sonali Bridges made it clear that there are board members who work long hours and others who do not. Also struck down was a proposed $1,782
for a board trip to Disneyland. However $1,285 were approved for the A.S. board to attend a Dodgers game and a shuttle. As the hours moved forward, the board found itself in civil debate over various other agenda items. One of the hotly debated items was item 7.13, the funding for the incoming board's summer retreat. Though the item passed as written, the board was split on whether the current board could decide how the incoming board could spend the money. On the chopping block was the hiring of a parliamentarian and the administration of a Myers Briggs Personality Inventory. Both portions of the proposal caused amendments that forced a split vote of the voting board and each time the chair, Hasun Khan, to break the tie. Each time, Khan voted to keep the funding at $10,000. However, the board did approve many of its own projects including $1,314 for the A.S. to purchase 30 cap and gowns for students in need and and $1,600 for funding "feed the students" events. Also approved was the introduction of color printing and recycled paper to the Cayton Center Lab. A.S. members will soon be able to print in color for 45 cents and 90 cents double sided, a direct counter to the library's 50 cents for color printing. The printers in the lounge will now use 30 percent recycled paper at the insistence of Director of Sustainability Andrea Gonzalez.
The Organic Learning Garden was also funded for the 2015-2016 fiscal year at the cost of $7,000. The board approved $10,000 for international scholarships but struck down $10,000 for scholarships for incoming high school students. The board continued their contract with the Marina Del Rey bicycle co-operative Bikerowave, allowing A.S. members to have free stand time and instruction from co-op members for $3,780. The SMC Student Success Initiative summer program, "Summer Jams" received funding from the board. The SSI will receive $1,974.22 for food from In-n-Out and Campus Kitchen and $2,050.75 for gifts including backpacks, pens, and USB drives. Towards the end of the meeting, Gonzalez voiced her disapproval of Bridges' sending each member of the board annotated versions of the agenda with her thoughts on how the board should vote. "It made me feel like I couldn't make my own decisions," Gonzalez said. "It made me feel like you didn't trust us, as the finance committee, on what we had already voted on," said Gonzalez. "On behalf of Courtney too, we wasted four and a half hours in finance meetings to come to the board and fix everything we had already done." As each director gave their final goodbyes and their share of advice to the incoming board, Hasun Khan even took it upon himself to advise the incoming board saying, "I do not recommend dating in the office."
7.6
OLG funding $7,000
7.7 A.S. stipends for new board $15,000 7.11 International scholarship $10,000 7.12
Summer budget and beginning of Fall $21,800
7.13
Retreat $10,000
7.15
ICC Tea Party $2,150
7.16
Club Row awards $803
7.17 / 7.18 Color printing $30,420 7.19
Feed the Students $1,600
7.20
Purchasing viewing rights for Solidarity in Saya $500
7.21
Thirty caps and gowns for students in need $1,314
7.22
Dodgers game funding $1,295 *unanimous
7.24
Free stand time at Bikerowave $3,780
7.25 Student Success Initiative summer jam food $1,974.22 7.26
SSI gifts $2,050.75
SMC B.A. PROGRAM RECEIVES FINAL APPROVAL: SLATED TO LAUNCH IN SPRING 2016 YASHA HAWKINS NEWS EDITOR Santa Monica College has gained final approval for a Bachelor’s Degree pilot program in Interaction Design, or User Experience Design. The program’s approval comes after it faced the possibility of not coming into fruition because of overlap between the proposed curriculum and that of Graphic Design curricula at California State Universities Long Beach, San Luis Obispo, and Pomona. “Community colleges are uniquely positioned to deal with the flexible and changing world,” said Governor Jerry Brown, who signed SB 850 at Monday’s board meeting. “For us, this has been about our students first, and also about fulfilling our mission
to create a competitive workforce to keep California on the economic cutting edge,” said SMC President Dr. Chui L. Tsang. “We are thrilled at the prospect of training our students for a career that pays well and will launch many of them into the middle class, while meeting a dire need in our tech industry.” In California, only two private universities, Art Center College of Design and California College of the Arts, have four-year degree programs in Interaction Design, or IxD. The estimated cost of an IxD degree at either of these schools is $160,000 compared to $10,000 for the same degree from SMC.
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The pilot program is set to begin in fall 2016, when upper-level division courses will be offered. Will be up for review by the Legislative Analyst’s office in 2018 and 2022, and will be up for renewal by the Legislature and Governor after the 2022-23 school year. “This decision cements our place in the greater LA entertainment and tech industry,” said Board of Trustees Chair Rob Rader about the program, which will be housed in an redesigned $89 million design and media campus slated for a spring 2016 opening. According to an SMC press release, “over 100 letters of support” came from Los Angeles and Silicon Beach tech and enter@THE_CORSAIR •
tainment companies like Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Disney, Fox TV, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Amazon Web Services, confirming the local demand in this field. Vice President of Academic Affairs Georgia Lorenz calls it a “historic moment in academic history” and expresses excitement about the approval. “We are excited to offer this degree specifically in Interaction Design which is an important, emerging career path with jobs that need to be filled.” A list of suggested lower division classes for the first two years of the program will be posted on www.smcdesigntech.org, where students will be able to sign up for updates.
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OPINION
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
BANNED FROM THE TEA PARTY? ICC VICE CHAIR SPEAKS OUT COURTNEY KING ICC VICE PRESIDENT This letter has been long in coming, yet I am nervous even writing it that my position will be taken from me and I will be stripped of any honors. I am Courtney King. The Inter Club Council Vice Chair, Former SMC presidential candidate and Crafting Club president. It is the responsibility of me and two other directors to run all sixty two of our clubs on campus. It is a matter of personal pride for me to honor my commitments. When I was 18 I moved to California to start a new life and chase my dream, which is to travel the world and become a toy maker. I moved here because I was scared of acquiring college debt and decided to come to Santa Monica to attend this community college. I missed home, and called my grandmother daily. Two years passed. In order to be less lonely I founded the Crafting Club and became very involved in our school’s Inner Club Council. I try to run for AS president, and lose by 28 votesinstead of giving up I decide to dedicate myself to clubs. In the spring of 2014 I was nominated the position of Vice Chair of the meeting of club presidents and delegates. My goals were to have more events on campus for those involved in clubs and to try to make it so that people who were having trouble starting clubs had an easier time. I envisioned having both full time and part time associated faculty be club advisors. The system which is in place makes it difficult to find an advisor for a new club, and often students are disheartened and do not participate. Those who do are rewarded with ‘Club Appreciation Day’, Club Row, and the ICC Social- all which fall under my responsibility. This year I coordinated a Club Renaissance Fair and a Tea Party- in an attempt to bring magic to an otherwise old tradition. When attempting to plan more events for the students I was thwart-
ed many times by the Associated Dean of Student Life. My experience with the student government has not been what I expected. I have devoted at least four hours a day to this organization, sometimes going to meetings which would last six hours. In addition to my role as a director I was interested in lobbying for students rights on a state level at General Assembly- however I was not allowed to attend either time because I was told my contribution was not relevant. One event I was able go to was the March in March, a visit to the capitol to lobby for student’s rights. Again my name was left off the list to be approved, yet instead of giving up I drove myself to Sacramento while everyone else was bought a plane ticket- because it was important to represent student interests. The Dean got really angry about the fact we went to do an impromptu march when we arrive and she changed everyone else’s flight to be sent home earlier. She told the directors that if they did not get on the plane they would be left in Sacramento to find their own way home. I ended up being one of only two directors who was able to stay to appeal to the congressmen because of her quick emotional judgment. A few weeks later I attempted to turn our Club Appreciation Day into a food truck festival; I methodically planned this event and was told that I could have contracts signed the day of by my ICC advisor. On the day before the event the Dean cancelled the event and forced me to call the trucks I booked and tell them they cannot come. The event happened without catering and I concealed disappointment, though many of the club's expressed their grievances. Clubs also expressed their unhappiness during this Spring’s Club Row. Within our AS office there was a delay in uploading
the paperwork for clubs to sign up for this event so we had to change the date- at her request we change it to May 5th. Planning continues, money is approved. Suddenly I hear from the Vice President of the school that we cannot have it on this day since it is Cinco De Mayo. I had not realized this and was strongly requested to change the theme or to further reschedule my event. Instead we are “strongly recommended “ to honor Mexican heritage during the festival by purchasing and giving out traditional Spanish cuisine. This work was allocated to another director because I was so busy with the planning and thus I never warned the clubs that the tacos would be free. A few clubs complained about making less profit and I was forced by the Dean to issue an apology to all the clubs for how poorly the event went. This was incredibly difficult for me. I was so proud of how well the clubs had come together and they had put countless hours of work into the event. It was never my aim to seek recognition, but to receive admonishment and that is incredibly disheartening. I choose to believe that my involvement itself is not the root of my frustration, it is the flaws in the system. The point I would like to address up is that the Dean is psychologically abusive. Myself and many other directors have been victim to her intense psychological bullying. She has tricked directors into coming into her office with promises to help with financial aid, and then harshly verbally critique their actions without the chance to defend themselves. She will promise to write letters of recommendations and then never do so. She employs the use of coercion, fabricates regulations and uses them as threats in order to get what she wants. She has actively violated administrative regulation by trying to influence student legislation and has tried to shut down our
meetings because of policies she did not approve of. The Dean will continue to terrorize the incoming board and make their lives difficult unless they behave exactly how she desires. Last semester we had several directors resign. One director was even at the point of frustration that he made an attempt to end his own life. This is a very serious problem. However what tipped me over the edge and made it so I am writing to you was my tea party. This Thursday there will be an ICC Tea Party exclusively for all the presidents of clubs and advisors. Although I have planned the event I will not be allowed to attend because I made a comment about another director which was perceived as unprofessional. I had asked this director to help fund the event through his line item, he walked away rudely after a harsh discussion and I muttered this comment under my breath. He complained about what was said and I was told that I could no longer participate in my event. My reaction to this was utter desolation. From the beginning I have tried to bring happiness, light and magic to a political system which was mirthless and tired. This effort has been rewarded with such little support it has all but crushed my spirit. Yet I will not go gentle into the good night, but instead rage against the dying of the light. I am writing this just to bring attention to the climate of our associated students office which goes unmentioned, and the amount of stress we are under due to the work which is expected of us. However, it is all strictly voluntary- I chose to be here. It remains to be seen if it will all have been worth it.
*This letter in no way reflects the views or opinions of The Corsair staff or its editorial board. Upon receiving Courtney King's letter Dean Sonali Bridges was immediately contacted for comment. Her reply was as follows via e-mail: " Due to FERPA, Administrators are prohibited from sharing private conversation regarding any students. However, what I can share with you is that decisions are not made in a silo. They are made in consultation with other college officials & all decisions are made after careful review. Our decisions are made in a fair and just manner for all students.*
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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
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Owners of Shaka Shack Kathy Gibboney and Mike Anapol serve food and run the popular establishment. Shaka Shack has firmly established itself as a go-to eating spot for local residents and students in Santa Monica. (Juan Lopez The Corsair)
Local burger joint Shaka Shack shakes up food scene JUAN LOPEZ DIGITAL EDITOR Four short blocks south of the Santa Monica College main campus, a culinary institution is gaining its sea legs. Shaka Shack has been open for only two and a half years and has managed to gain a following strong enough to garner a four and a half star rating on Yelp and a growing number of glowing reviews from publications. The restaurant is owned by Michael Anapol and his wife Kathie Gibboney who both reside in Topanga, nestled away in the Santa Monica Mountains. "I had a small idea, it just fell into my lap," said Anapol of his decision to open the restaurant. For the west side native who grew up surfing just down the street, the decision was a no-brainer. "It became available on craigslist, and I put in a bid, next thing you know, I have a restaurant," he said. "In all of Santa Monica this [area] has changed the slowest or the least," said Anapol. "They haven’t built it out of control yet."
shouldn't we do a less expensive student break burger and have it not be the grass fed so that we could afford to drop the price," she said. "But my husband has said no, that’s not what we’re doing, we’re going to try to educate people and let them find something
their adopted son," said Bell. "These are the kindest people you can possibly work with." Customers have often remarked being able to hear singing coming from the kitchen along with the laid back, old-school R&B, and surf music mix the restaurant plays. When I was there, you could hear the melodies of Corinne Bailey Rae's "Put Your Records On" echo the room minutes after the song has passed in rotation. According to chef Jimme Morrison, whom the owners often joke with guests is the singer for The Doors, Anapol selects all the music played. "Some days he gets
The Business
The success of the food is no happy accident, since the menu was created by chef Lisa Stalvey who was a head chef at Spago on Sunset in the 80s and was named one of the Top 100 Chefs in America in 2006 and 2007 after opening Bambu in Malibu. How did a small burger shop end up with a menu from a renowned chef? Easy. Stalvey is Anapol's ex-wife. Divorced for 23 years, Stalvey and Anapol maintained a strong friendship and working relationship, even leading them to compete and nearly win short-lived cooking reality competition show "The Chopping Block." Working with Anapol and Gibboney to form the menu, Stalvey said "it was like when we used to work together." One menu idea that didn't make it past the concept stage was a lamb burger, due to Gibboney's insistence to leave "Bambi" off the menu. Another important part of the menu is for all of the food to be fresh, organic, and GMO-free. "Most restaurants are afraid to raise [the price] even five cents," said Stalvey. "We all knew it was going to be a little more expensive because unfortunately good food is more expensive." Gibboney admitted she's considered skimping on quality to afford more customers before. "Now and then I thought,
Incoming Santa Monica College student Mario Correa enjoys a burger at Shaka Shack in Santa Monica. (Juan Lopez The Corsair)
that’s better quality." Stalvey was a part of the process for a few years, even getting advance press for the restaurant just from her involvement. However, she had to drop out of the project once she found a more lucrative business opportunity. Anapol said of the situation, "It took so long to go through the process of opening up the restaurant, by the time we finally got close, she said I couldn’t afford her anymore, which is probably true." "If there’s anything that’s different about Shaka Shack, it’s the absolute family commitment that Mike and Kathie have put in there," said Stalvey. "Even if they’ve been struggling or not, they still have a smile on their face and they're still serving great food."
Family and Community
Max Bell, a writer who also works as a waiter at Shaka Shack was a regular customer who just walked in one day and was offered a job. "When I’m here, I’m [like]
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kudos, other days I wanna take him out back," joked Morrison. "But I’m not violent." As they expand, Shaka Shack has met some growing pains, including some that have caused sounds not as jovial as singing to come out of the kitchen. Gibboney and Anapol both joked about the stresses that come in a relationship where your significant other is with you the entire day. "We have no budget for advertising and marketing," said Gibboney. "It’s a struggle as far as being a small family business." She and Anapol have taken it upon themselves to remember regular guests orders and personal lives, making sure they reach out to all of their guests. "We’re very pleased to be in the neighborhood," she said. The restaurant's kitschy tiki theme with bold colors matches the bold personality of Gibboney, which, be advised, some Yelp reviewers have not been the kindest to. "I really like to have a personal relationship with everyone that comes in here," said Gibboney. "We keep getting these delightful Yelp @THE_CORSAIR •
reviews from people who have put us at the top of the list with burgers in Santa Monica."
The Food
Their four and a half star rating on Yelp has placed them above such staples as Pono Burger, The Counter, Father's Office, and even Umami Burger. It has been featured in LA Weekly, Los Angeles Magazine, and have been hailed as much for their onion rings and vegetarian options as their burgers. Chef Morrison has a recipe for his onion rings that he brings with him every restaurant since he first created it at the Rusty Scupper in Glendale. Created by a dislike of heavy breaded onion rings, Morrison's key ingredient is buttermilk to make the rings light and crispy "like a potato chip," keeping the sweet onion flavor rather than masking it like most other onion rings. When it comes to the burger, Stalvey left the credit to Morrison, for knowing how to build a burger, who took over after she left Shaka Shack with its intact menu. Morrison in turn gave the credit to Stalvey, saying he didn't have to do anything with the menu. "Most people put cheese on top," said Morrison. "That’s not the experience i wanted you to have. I want you to taste everything in the burger on the first fucking bite." "When you put it all together, the sauce does this to that and that does this to this," said Morrison. Their burgers are grass fed Angus beef, organic ground chicken, Alaskan salmon, or ground turkey. Vegetarians would be advised to check out the Lava Bean burger or the Maui Mushroom burger, made with wild rice, corn, and black bean and wild rice and portabella mushroom respectively. The Maui Mushroom can be vegan if ordered as a wrap, as all burgers are available to be. Morrison plans on possibly making the Lava Bean into a vegan option as well. "When i chose food, it was because it’s a positive experience," said Morrison. "You can’t make good food pissed off." Stalvey said of Shaka Shack after a recent book signing visit, "for me it’s about their love for what they’re doing. Anybody that goes in there and they’re not happy, they gotta go and do some drugs or something, because [their food is] so good." Customers heaped on praise when approached, for both the food and the atmosphere. "It’s good to know that not only are they good tasting delicious burgers, but they are actually quality ingredients that we don’t have to feel bad about," said Tsega Dinga, who was eating there with his two young daughters. "Especially for the kids."
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PHOTOSTORY
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
The Santa Monica Community College Dance Department and The World Dance Company showcasing Bachata, a form of dance from the Domican Republic for their Global Motion performance. The Dance Company performanced traditional cultural dances
BEFORE THE SHOW Images of Global Motion in rehearsal
ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF On Friday and Sunday SMC's Dance Department once again staged its grand romp of global dances and international melodies known as Global Motion. But days before the performance, Corsair photographer Daniel Boyer was present at the rehearsals. His images capture the grace, beauty and athletic precision of the SMC dance department's performers and choreographers. Boyer was given the rare opportunity to witness SMC dancers rehearse before an intimate setting without a large audience. As is custom, Global Motion featured an array of dances ranging from the West to the East. Boyer photographed performers as they practiced under rich lights, framed by lush
settings, dances such as "El Son del Mariachi" from Mexico, choreographed by student Maritza Olmos and Ashley Ramirez and "Voices From The Veil" from the Middle East, the brainchild of SMC faculty choreographer Jennifer Jesswein. Even modern hybrids of Latin and rock music such as Santana were thrown into the mix for pieces such as "Santana Dreams Of Love." Boyer's photography has the power of still paintings only because his lens captured pieces that were crafted with elegance by SMC students and instructors. His images are a testament to the kind of international culture the dance department has fostered, bathed in gorgeous imagination.
Veronica Adams (Top Cente
Monica Community College
forming with thier company Yuka Naiki, a dancer in the Santa Monica Community College Dance Department, and The World Dance Company
mance. The Dance Compa
performed to "Hollow", a piece that showcased the Viennese Waltz on May 14. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
world on May 14. (Daniel Bo
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VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
PHOTOSTORY
7
s from all over the world on May 14. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
Dancer Brianni Williams in the Santa Monica College Dance Department and The World Dance Company performed traditional dance from the Middle East on May 14. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
er) and Bianca Mora (Center Bottom) members of The Santa
e Dance Department, and The World Dance Company per-
y to a dance from Indonesia for their Global Motion perfor-
any performanced traditional cultural dances from all over the
owyer The Corsair)
Members of The Santa Monica Community College Dance Department and The World Dance Company performing a dance piece from Indonesia for their Global Motion performance. The Dance Company performanced traditional cultural dances from all over the world on May 14. (Daniel Bowyer The Corsair)
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OPINION
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
The Green Commune Why SMC needs a communal farm JOHN SILVERS CONTRIBUTOR
Vegetables grown for a small, initial version of a communal farm at SMC. Photo by John Silvers
I believe holding a communal farm on campus would be a great idea not only for our school, our community, but also you, my fellow students. As a current student, I believe that there are several reasons as to why you should support the communal farm on campus: It would provide a source of income for the students, including international students, as an employment opportunity, it could supplement the cafeteria, it could be sold to the community, and it is a self-sufficient, and sustainable way to produce and consume healthy food. Firstly, having a communal farm could serve as an employment opportunity for students. International students can be employed on the farm, which would be a huge benefit for international students since they have a considerably higher tuition, and on top of that, are not allowed to work in the United States. There are eager students, whether national or international, that are often on campus waiting for their next class, or waiting for office hours, or waiting to get picked up: all the while they could be working on the farm, reducing their tuition costs, or earning community service hours. Rather than going back and forth to a job, you could work on campus, thus creating a reduction in transportation, which would be easier on your schedule, and on the environment. Our quality of air on campus would be improved, as the plants will absorb Carbon Dioxide and emit Oxygen. Hence, we will breathe a higher oxygenated, higher quality air, enabling more oxygen to our brains, improving our academic performance. Eating healthier non-GMO produced foods that are organically grown without chemicals will also raise your health, thus your academic performance too. Growing food on campus would reduce the amount of food that we have to import and export to SMC, which takes a lot of resources like water, fuel, and electricity, all of which are scarce, especially in a drought. Speaking of a drought, one would ask, how do we have the water for such a project during a drought? It takes much more water to transport food in massive, gas-guzzling, dirty trucks than it takes to water these plants here on campus. So, having a communal farm would actually save water, especially in the long run. The academic opportunity in having a communal farm is another component I think should be evaluated: Say you have an Environmental Science major, or you are taking a Botany class, or you are studying the function of photosynthesis in plants in your Biology Lab class; the farm could
be a fundamental site to learn in all of these situations. The Sustainable Works Program could be supplemented with the opportunity for students to learn how they could grow their own food at home instead of just reading or talking about it. There could arise more of an academic variety from having a communal farm. Not only would working on the farm be an experience where you learn working skills and cooperation skills with other students, but, it can also become a variety of experiences for many: Some will connect with nature while working, and find the farm to be a temporary escape from the stressful environment in the city and in your classes; others would see it as an opportunity to learn new skills with farming, taking home ‘tricks-of-the-trade’ and putting it to work in their own house, or, you could simply come in and work the farm if you need community service hours. Once the food is made, it will not just go to our cafeteria, but it would also be sold through Farmer’s Markets to the public every weekend. The revenue made would be put into improving classrooms, bathrooms, or whatever else it may that the students need. What has stopped SMC from having this idea put into motion? Why is it that people in the community will use the SMC track to work out, people will use the SMC library to study, but people do not have the option to buy organically grown food from SMC? Is it the money? It will take money to get this started, but, once started, the communal farm will be an on-going procedure. We have a compost-bin on campus as it is: imagine we put the waste from the organically grown crops off of the plates of students in the cafeteria into the compost bin, which creates fertilizer for the new crops to grow, thus the cycle keeps repeating itself. We have the resources, we have the (wo)man-power, the motivation, the ideology, and we certainly have the money to get it started. Is it the space? Ideally, I would suggest growing it on a plot of unused land close to the college, but, if that couldn’t work, we could grow on roof of classrooms, which in turn would cool off the classrooms, saving energy by reducing the need for air-conditioners. Going forward, what would happen if other college campuses took our lead? Accumulatively, students around the country could make a difference in their pockets, the school’s budgets (maybe more money for scholarships…), the community’s air quality, and the community’s food source.
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OPINION
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
ZOOT SUIT MOM, BALTIMORE MOM How the media stereotypes social unrest
MICHAEL GOUGIS SMC PROFESSOR The video of the Baltimore youth whose mother dragged him out of a protest against police brutality has, as they say, gone viral. And within hours of the video hitting the airwaves, my Media 10 students were emailing me. They’d seen this story before – more than 70 years ago. For if you scroll through the Friday, June 11, 1943 issue of the Los Angeles Times, you will find the following headline: “Mother Tears Up Zoot Suit Of Boy Wounded In Clash.” In a nutshell, 15-year-old Vincente Duarte had been shot by a railroad guard in Azusa during the period of anti-Hispanic ethnic cleansing in Los Angeles now known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Duarte’s parents visited him in the hospital, and mother Vera Tru-
jillo tore his fashionable garments “seam to seam right before him in the hospital,” the newspaper reported. This was big enough news to make it into the pages of the Los Angeles Times. Why? The message to the predominantly nonHispanic readership of the Los Angeles Times is clear: The “zoot suiters” – in other words, any young Hispanic male in Los Angeles – were the ones at fault for the riots. If even the mothers of young Hispanic mem didn’t approve of what they were doing, then of course those who were beating the young Hispanic men and stripping them of their clothing were perfectly justified in doing so. The lead of one Times story makes the mainstream point of view clear: “… the zoot suiters, having learned a great moral lesson from servicemen, mostly
sailors, who took over their instruction three days ago, are staying home nights.” So the story of the “zoot suit riot” mom and “Baltimore mom” Toya Grayham are the same – that the subculture is acting inappropriately, and that extreme measures including violence are acceptable for the mainstream to restore order. If “Mom” says it’s bad, it must be bad! But why is “Mom” so important and effective in making the story newsworthy? What about the “Moms” who were protesting? What about the “Dads” who were taking their children out of the riots? What about the parents who simply explained to their children why they should not be engaging in street protests? Why did none of those stories gather the attention of the “Baltimore mom?” The newsworthiness of the story is based on our stereotypical understanding of the role of adult females as “mothers.” “Mom” is nurturing and protective of her brood. “Mom” disciplines her young ones. And “Mom” always is right – “Mother Knows Best” is one of the most-overused clichés in our culture (seriously, Google it).
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So when “Mom” takes aggressive action toward a young one, it’s clear that the action that the young one is engaged in is wrong. That is the appeal of the “Baltimore mom” story to the mainstream. And it only makes sense if you understand the stereotype of “Mom” – otherwise, it’s just one person hitting another person. Our mass media communicates with us in a very simplistic language of stereotypes and stories that are repeated because they have proven to be effective. As a comparison between “zoot suit mom” and “Baltimore mom” indicates, once our text producers have a stereotype that is effective and a narrative proven to be effective in gathering an audience, they will reprise that story, decade after decade. And in doing so, they perpetuate and reinforce those stereotypes. His next performance will be at "The Mint" in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 21 where he hopes to draw a large crowd. Once again, Lewis references Smith, "There is a certain delusional quality that all successful people have to have," and this is what drives him.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Mad Max Explodes into Theaters NIK LUCAJ CONTRIBUTING WRITER From the very first scene, "Mad Max: Fury Road" staples you to the wall and spins you around like a centrifuge until you feel yourself starting to blackout. Then it pulls you down and offers you a warm cup of tea and an icepack before throwing you headfirst through a fifth-story window into an alligator pond. "Fury Road" is a tight, succinct and efficient work of art that is all story and action. Never wasting a moment on extraneous subplots for the sake of filler or forcing contrived love stories down your throat, it is a movie of unwavering focus. That focus is centered right on your adrenal gland and when you leave the theater, everyday life will take on the dull gray tones of Pleasantville. The fourth installment in the "Mad Max" series is once again led by Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) who is immediately taken hostage by a group of pale zealots serving a brutal warlord named Immortan Joe ( Hugh Keays-Byrne). Max’s path eventually crosses with Imperator Furiosa (Charlize Theron), who has betrayed the warlord in order to escort a group of women used as breeders and wives of Immortan Joe, to somewhere called the Greenplace. They attempt to drive a giant war rig, an 18-wheeler with all the murderous amenities one could want when traversing a postapocalyptic landscape, to the Greenplace while outpacing three different war clans hellbent on their violent deaths. George Miller, who has written and directed every "Mad Max" movie to date, revives his legendary series with defibrillators attached to lightning towers and along with it, a side to his directing that one may have thought he lost after his last three outings included "Happy Feet," "Happy Feet Two" and "Babe: Pig in the City." But he shows his genius and versatility as the 30 years between this and his last action outing seem more like a nap than three decades. He finds a sweet spot that provides wall to wall action while giving you enough breaks in between to rest your heart rate and surprisingly, never comes close to being
gratuitous or gaudy. His intermittent use of accelerated motion camera adds intensity while almost making you feel like you’re losing your mind. The battle choreography is some of the best you’ll see in any movie. While no movement is wasted for the sake of aesthetics, the battle scenes are both vicious and beautiful providing so much eye candy that you may get a cavity. The plot is well written and the mythology created by Miller kidnaps the audience into the scorched, post-nuclear wasteland that the movie inhabits. It caters to both fans of the earlier titles and newcomers, requiring no prior knowledge to understand the plot but reprising plenty of easter eggs from the first three films, letting the diehard fans know that it’s the same hell on earth they’ve come to love. Tom Hardy makes acting look effortless as he continues his trend of being the baddest man on the planet. He steps out of the way and lets the story and environment take center stage while maintaining the smoothness and cool that Mel Gibson infused in the character in the earlier films. Both Hardy and Theron bring incredible subtlety to their roles which contrast perfectly with the tone of the rest of the movie. Their characters play well off each other creating a chemistry that doesn’t get thrown in your face. Hugh Keays-Byrne, hidden behind Immortan Joe’s mask, will not be recognized by fans of the series until they are told that he played Toecutter, the main antagonist of the first movie. While the two characters are not connected in any way, the choice to bring back Keays-Byrne was a good one as
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Katt Marcia Hall & Aaron Daly
the image he projects on the screen is powerful, sinister and intimidating. If there was one flaw in the film, it was the need to throw Victoria’s Secret model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (Transformers: Dark of the Moon) into yet another prominent action movie as Immortan Joe’s favorite wife, a role that could’ve been played by someone with more acting skill. The other wives played by Zoe Kravitz, Riley Keough, Abbey Lee and Courtney Eaton filled the screen well with diverse personalities that created different connections with each and Nicholas Hoult brings great heart with his performance as Nux. @THE_CORSAIR •
The film doesn’t muddy itself up with subtext, symbolism or metaphor. It’s nothing but a good ol’ wholesome popcorn flick designed to keep you enthralled. It is so well done as to have a universal appeal and even people who don’t consider themselves fans of action movies will have a great time and testify to the quality. The overabundance of good in this movie compared with the modicum of bad has turned this review into nothing but a love letter. In fact this entire thing was superfluous and the movie could be summed up in one commonly overused word: Awesome.
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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
DIAGNOSING THE CAMPUS Peer Educators help SMC students deal with psychological hurtles ALCI RENGIFO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Santa Monica College's Psychological Services department is raising awareness through its Ready to Talk, Ready to Listen Peer Educator pilot program. Two student pioneers of this project are SMC psych majors Nicole Cutrona and Mirian De La Cruz. Both are working through an internship as 'Peer Educators' to essentially provide a service that does workshops for classrooms but more importantly, provides an avenue of aid for students who might be suffering from the kind of psychological and emotional stress so associated with millennials. The department also plans to hold 'destressing' events ahead of finals. "It's basically students helping other students," said Cutrona. "We go out into classrooms and promote, we were out in the quad today promoting May as Mental Health Awareness Month. We're recruiting right now for next semester and hope to get 10 more peer educators." The Psychological Services Department trains peer educators in the formation of workshops to educate students on various psychological issues. "We each develop workshops," explained De La Cruz, "my last one was on setting standards." "I did one on stigmatization of people with sexually transmitted diseases," said Cutrona. "It doesn't sound like a psychological issue at first but 1 out of 4 college students has an STD and if you talk to people,
what you get is 'yuck, well of course that's the kind of person who would get an STD, she's a slut.'" According to Cutrona, such value judging can render a person afraid to even seek medical attention. "When you have the flu you see a doctor. But when it's sexual it can be taboo. It's very isolating." The Psychological Services Department has also conducted studies with the peers on campus to determine the psychological pulse of the campus. "We conducted a survey and students listed anxiety a lot," said De La Cruz. De La Cruz revealed that expectations and stress are the key emotional and psychological red lights affecting the average student. Mirian De La Cruz (left) and Nicole Catruto (center) sit behind their booth to promote Mental Health "For a lot of people this is their first Awareness Month. Catruto and De La Cruz are part of the peer educators program designed to help SMC time away from home and the safety net students overcome emotional and psychological challenges. (Tobias Sandström, The Corsair) of their family," added Cutrona. "They have to fend for themselves and it's scary and already be going through some kind of "It's an internship opportunity for evstressful and can be an adjustment period." mental breakdown. "Going to Psych Ser- eryone, regardless of your major," explained As Cutrona explained, the average brain vices is free. If you're not feeling emotion- De La Cruz. Cutrona shared how on Tuesday really begins to reach a peak of maturity at ally stable or healthy, you should see a a woman approached their booth on the around the age of 25 and this is when mental psychologist. People might say 'I'm not crazy, quad, amazed that there was a Psych Serillness or other psychological ailments can I'm not going.' But you should feel comfort- vices department on campus. arise. "You can go through high school being able getting help," said De La Cruz. A car crash survivor, the woman knew just fine and then all of a sudden all these The Psychological Services Department she needed to speak with someone, but changes start happening. This is why we is now accepting applications to join the didn't know where to look. "I turned to Mirian need these resources here, to function as a peer program. Applicants can go to the and said 'we just saved a life," said Cutrona. safety net." Psych Services program to fill out an ap"It's about accepting things without The average misconception is that in plication and read a job description. The letting them build up and really looking in order to see a psychologist you have to deadline for applicants is May 29. and acknowledging how you feel."
Dreamt is the only word that ends in a-m-t. With 1,025,108 other words in the English language, what are the odds? One in 1,025,109, actually. Learn even more earning a bachelor’s degree at National University. Online. On campus. Non-profit. Don’t think you have time to learn something new? You just did. Los Angeles Campus 5245 Pacific Concourse Drive (310) 662-2000
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SPORTS
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
GENESIS SMITH GEORGIA SONO STAFF WRITER
Santa Monica College Track and Field member Genesis Smith smiles during his return to school Monday at Santa Monica College following the state championships held over the weekend. Smith finished with his best jump of 13.81m in the men's triple jump event, which landed him in 9th place and looks forward to next season. (Michael Downey The Corsair)
On Monday afternoon, Santa Monica College Track and Field athlete Genesis Smith sat at the top of the bleachers at Corsair Stadium and stared at the track below. “I wish I was on my game a little more,” Smith said heavily showing the wear and disappointment from his previous competitions. As the only athlete from SMC’s Track and Field team to qualify for the State Track and Field Championship, Smith with the results of 13.81 meters, finished the competition in 9th place. “Things happen and I know now,” Smith said. “I am glad that I went and saw it. I learned a lot, but everyone is good.” Three weeks ago, the weight of the upcoming Southern California Regionals at Cerritos College was bearing its full brunt. “I was really tired," said Smith. Regretting his seasonal approach of not putting in “100% from the start” and instead using the “cramming like a test” method in the last two weeks, Smith continued to emphasize his underperformance due to the lack of “consistency”. Smith was anxious, twitchy and alone as the majority of his teammates were under the injury tent. He made it to the regional finals, barely, with a distance of 14.04 meters. Now, back at Cerritos, he is much calmer. This time he is alone by design. Smith is the only SMC athlete to have made it to finals. He is buried under his brilliant red Beats headphones by Dre. “I love music. I love acting. I love
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everything,” Smith said, the words falling out of his mouth. “I have been loving Frank Sinatra’s album “Where are you?” and in specifically the song “The Night We Called It a Day,” Smith said. He listens to something different before every jump. “There is this beat inside of me that never leaves. It is like riding a bike; you don't lose it,” Smith said. After the regional finals, it took two days for the official word to come to Track and Field head coach Larry Silva that Smith had advanced to the State Finals. Yet Smith retains a cool exterior despite the pressure of high achievement. “I come here to charge my phone,” Smith said. As he starts to talk, he begins to relax, the weight of competition lifts. The bleachers are where he goes when he becomes tense. He can see everything and the first thing that comes to his mind is how he began. Born in Fort Irwin, Calif. to a Seargent in the United States Army and shared running with him. “I always ran with my dad,” Smith said. “I [run] to think. I always ran next father when we were thinking. You think a lot when you run,” Smith said. Smith started cross-country in 6th grade and started track in 10th grade at Silver Valley High School, continuing later at Granite HIlls High School. He may return to his cross country roots in the fall but his mind, immediately at least, is on his true love “I like to song-write and play the drums,” Smith said. When asked about his upcoming plans, with no hesitation Smith said “music.” And so, Smith will continue his career at SMC as a gemini athlete, lost in the rhythm of his sport and his beloved melodies.
The Santa Monica College Corsairs men's soccer team plays the Allan Hancock Bulldogs in front of a sparse crowd on October 28, 2014 at Santa Monica College. The Corsairs won 5-1. (Kira VandenBrande The Corsair)
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HEALTH & LIFESTYLE
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 12 • MAY 20, 2015 • SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
LOCAL PALESTINIANS HOLD "NAKBA" DEMONSTRATION ON WILSHIRE
"My goal, my dream is to see the Palestinians live next to the Israelis with a homeland."
Activist Jil Love holds a bloodied baby as a symbol of the victims of the Israel/Palestine conflict. She regularly appears at demonstrations focusing on human rights issues in the Palestinian territories. (Kira VandenBrande The Corsair)
OSKAR ZINNEMANN & ALCI RENGIFO STAFF WRITER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF) For them it's about getting their side of the story out. On Friday a small group of local Palestinians and activists gathered in front of the Israeli consulate on Wilshire blvd. to protest what they call the "Nakba," which in Arabic means the "catastrophe."
In this case it means the day the United Nations declared the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. The small event was itself a local microcosm of the Middle East conflict between Israel and the Palestinians that has been a
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focal point of world politics for decades. The demonstrators, waving Palestinian flags as drivers honked both in support and hostility, claimed that the founding of Israel resulted in the displacement of thousands of Arabs who had lived in the British-occupied territory known as Palestine. The crowd was much smaller than the massive protests that overtook these same streets over the summer when Israel launched an invasion of the Gaza Strip. Local Santa Monica resident Shafik Musa, in a kaffiyeh, said "We are here to commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Nakba, 'the catastrophe.' It is the day when the Israelis displaced 800,000 Palestinians and forced them to leave their homes under gunfire." As Musa explained, thousands of Palestinian refugees remain without citizenship and living in Arab countries such as Syria and Lebanon. "The Western world are starting to recognize that this is an issue that needs to be resolved," said Musa while pointing out that the Vatican and France recently officially recognized Palestine as a state. "I want to see peace," said Musa. "Until the Palestinians have a homeland there will never be peace in the Middle East. My goal, my dream is to see the Palestinians live next to the Israelis with a homeland." For Musa both Jews and Arabs deserve a home in that slender waist of tears. "I want to see them live side by side with one flag or two flags, whatever. But that is our dream." Local Palestinian resident from Gaza Loay El took photos and said "It's about a people who need a country." El lamented the current plight of Palestinian refugees trapped in countries like Syria where civil war is raging and radical groups like Islamic State (ISIS) are spreading. ISIS recently took control of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus. "ISIS wants to eliminate the Palestinian cause. They don't believe in nationalities and want everyone to be under their flag." Danyah Mousa, a young PalestinianAmerican activist, spoke of the significance of the Nakba and how her own personal experiences in Israel shaped her view of the ongoing conflict. She and her family attempted to enter Israel, and witnessed troubling conditions for Palestinians also trying to enter. “I was turning into an 8th-grader, and we were going to the Dome of the Rock,” she said. @THE_CORSAIR •
Even though her family was permitted to go, they could not get past the Israeli checkpoint. She described the wall separating Israel and Palestine’s West Bank as that of a “jailhouse,” and explained “people were in lines, fighting to try to get in.” “People couldn’t stand because of how narrow they made the gates. It felt like a prison cell.” Mousa also mentioned that the fighting made it seem “as if they were not brothers. It’s not humane.” When asked who is to blame for all the hatred today, she laughed and said “Herzl, the first guy,” reffering to the founder of Zionism, Theodore Herzl. Mousa also criticized U.S. support of Israel and how it affects the conflict. "As an American citizen, I just hope America stops. Obviously lots of Americans also have the same opinion, it’s not just Palestinians. Isn’t it about time that they start listening to their people?” Despite all of the setbacks, Mousa believes Palestine still has a chance. “Even after all this time, there’s still just this spirit that gets passed down generation after generation. Even now in Palestine there’s still this unrest, and no matter how much time passes by, we’re still going to fight back and do things to make our land free. As long as this will is passed down through Palestinians, nothing is going to change that,” she said. “My wife is fairly active in politics, so I came out here to be with her,” said Michael McKay, another protester. Brandishing a Palestinian flag, he told us he “definitely support[s] every people’s right to self-determination and freedom to have a place to live.” McKay believes the best solution, twostate or otherwise, is “for the Palestinian people to decide,” and criticized Israel’s current right-wing government, saying “I don’t think that they’re helping the cause of peace by building settlements and continuing to expand into areas that were not originally part of the Israeli state.” He also believes the Palestinians would come to an agreement for peace “fairly quickly” if Israel stopped its occupation of the West Bank and “granted people the freedom of movement that they deserve.” In regards to which solution is best for the Palestinians, McKay simply said, “I think that they should have a say in how they’re governed.”
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