Volume 105 Issue 03

volume 105 issue 3 • march 6, 2013 • santa monica college

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March In March

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volume 105 issue 3 • march 6, 2013 • santa monica college

E D I T O R I A L S TA F F Amber Antonopoulos···· Editor-in-Chief c o rs a i r. e d i t o r i n c h i e f @ g m a i l . c o m Muna Cosic··············Managing Editor c o rs a i r. m a n a g i n g @ g m a i l . c o m Elizabeth Moss··············· News Editor c o rs a i r. n e w s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Molly Philbin··············Opinion Editor c o rs a i r. o p i n i o n p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Merissa Weiland······· Health & Lifestyle c o rs a i r. l i f e s t y l e p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Alex Vejar·········· Arts & Entertainment c o rs a i r. c a l e n d a r p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m David Yapkowitz············ Sports Editor c o rs a i r. s p o r t s p a g e @ g m a i l . c o m Daniella Palm·········Multimedia Editor c o rs a i r. m u l t i m e d i a @ g m a i l . c o m Paul Alvarez Jr.···············Photo Editor c o rs a i r p h o t o e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Jhosef Hern······················ Illustrator c o rs a i r. c a r t o o n @ g m a i l . c o m Allie Silvas····················· Web Editor c o rs a i r. w e b e d i t o r @ g m a i l . c o m Henry Crumblish··········· Design Team Mikaela Osterlund·········· Desgin Team Cocoa Dixon················ Design Team Gimlet Rivera··············· Design Team c o rs a i r. d e s i g n t e a m @ g m a i l . c o m c o r s a i r s ta f f Ray Alvarado, Trevor Angone, Luis Arias, Fernando Baltazar, Vanessa Barajas, Lorentious Barry, Scott Bixler, Raul Cervantes, Sara Cheshm Mishi, James Coster, Jeff Cote, Jenna Crowley, Erika Cruz, Tina Eady, Skya Eiland, Djon Ellams, Jana Ferreira Soares, Rachal Garcia, Amy Gaskin, Marine Gaste, Manon Genevier, Felipe Gouveia, Linda Harrell, David Hawkins, Sam Herron, Jasmin Huynh, Simon Luca Manili, Daniel McCarty, Asha McClendon, Rona Navales, Jerome Newton, Sarah Neyhart, Andrew Nguyen, Mark Popovich, Jimmy Rodriguez, Myriam Santiago, Kandace Santillana, Chanell Scott, Hajung Shin, Ryan Sindon, Niklas Thim, Eva Underwood, Heran Yirgu

Alex Vejar Corsair During Tuesday night’s Board of Trustees meeting at the Santa Monica College Business Building, Chair Nancy Greenstein presented a certificate to the Associated Students, accepted by AS President Parker Jean and Yacob Zuriaw, director of financial support and student advocacy, to thank the AS for their $200,000 donation for winter session last year.

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news 3

MARCH IN MARCH

volume 105 issue 3 • March 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Alex Vejar Corsair Thousands of college students arrive at the Capitol building in Sacramento, Calif. to rally for education during the March in March protest.

Elizabeth Moss News Editor Carrying signs that proclaimed monetary woes and education reform, thousands of college students convened on the state Capitol steps Monday morning for this year’s March in March protest.

Members of Santa Monica College’s Associated Students joined the March to Advocate and Reclaim California’s Higher Education, from Raley Field to the Capitol building, where students from all levels of California’s public higher education system joined in chants, shouts and cries for reform.

A charter bus carried more than 35 SMC students to the state capital.

Students from the California Community College, California State University and University of California systems gathered on the steps of the Capitol building to lobby the legislature about the problems facing higher education.

“I think this is both a moment where we get to visually and experientially show our legislature just how much our education means,” said Rich Copenhagen, president of the Student Senate of California

Community Colleges, the body that organized the protest.

With numbers down compared to previous years, Copenhagen noted that certain schools had different priorities.

“There are a lot of different issues that we face this year,” he said.

A major bone of contention during the protest was the governor’s proposed budget, which includes a widely opposed 90-unit cap. The cap would prevent students from receiving the Board of Governor’s fee waiver after the completion of 90 units, effectively requiring students to pay full price for classes.

“It is a very short-sided policy that doesn’t legitimately address the issues I hope the governor is trying to add,” said Copenhagen.

One of the speakers, fifth-year Chico State student Ian Ruddell, called the cap “elitist,” and asked for more course sections. He was met with shouts of agreement from the crowd.

Performance-based funding and the return of the two-tier system was also brought into the spotlight during the protest.

“The lobbying aspect of the march is very important,” said Yacob Zuriaw, AS director of financial support and student advocacy. Zuriaw, along with other SMC students, met with assembly members Das Williams and Richard Bloom later that day to discuss and ask for their votes against the proposed budget.

“Das Williams said he doesn’t like [the budget] as it stands,” Zuriaw said.

Also mentioned during one of the meetings was a proposed penalty of $20 for students who drop classes after the period for adding classes is over.

Marchers met statewide educational leaders on the steps of the Capitol building for a series of speeches that riled the crowd.

“I wanted to see the student activism after the fact that Prop. 30 passed,” said AS President Parker Jean, who set up a meeting with assemblyman and former Santa Monica mayor Richard Bloom. “I didn’t want everyone to go back to sleep and pretend that everything was OK. That was simply a Band-Aid on a gushing wound.”

Parker hopes to see an oil severance tax.

Colleges from across California came to support the movement, including the San Bernardino Community College District, which brought five buses between San Bernardino Valley College and Crafton Hills college, totaling at least 120 students.

“It’s all about awareness,” said Mary Valdemar, financial aid staff at SBVC. She has attended March in March since its initiation six years ago.

“California colleges are supposed to be free,” she said. SBVC came to fight for the “ongoing fight for higher education.”

Shaaron Vogel, vice president of the Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, said her concerns lay with the 90-unit cap, as well as online education, which she thought did not work well for students.

“I wish there would have been a larger crowd, but the ones that are here are so focused and have such a purpose and know what they need and want to get their education,” she said. “That meets needs.”

“We’re all really here to get educated,” said Jean. “That’s what matters most. We need to protect that.”

Jasmin Huynh contributed to this report.

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4 News

volume 105 issue 3 • march 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Gov. Brown proposes faster, more affordable education Jasmin Huynh Staff Writer Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget proposal for 2013-14 provides increased funding for California’s higher education and aims at improving graduation and transfer rates.

After several years of reduction in revenues, the current budget proposal suggests a five-percent increase in funding for community colleges in California.

“This small increase does not address the magnitude of great loss we had,” says Chui L. Tsang, Santa Monica College president and superintendent. “But this new budget proposal would start to restore what has been reduced. The additional funding, although it is a small amount that we will be getting, will help tremendously.”

Even though the budget proposal is still being revised and will not be available until May of this year, students can expect additional class offerings, according to Tsang.

As stated in the proposal, it is planned that the 112 community colleges in California will focus on the offering of high-demand

Keep your friends close, and your cell phones closer

courses and core programs that provide general education, basic skills, and classes necessary for certificates and degrees. In addition, $16.9 million from the budget is intended to fund more online classes.

The budget proposal emphasizes the improvement of graduation rates and the acceleration of completion and transfers.

In order to encourage students to identify their educational goals and to shorten their time to finish their degrees, the new policy requires students who exceed the accumulation of 90 semester credit units to cover the full cost of instructions, making them ineligible for the Board of Governor’s fee waiver, in addition to losing the status of priority enrollment.

“I’m in opposition to the budget as it stands,” says Yacob Zuriaw, AS director of financial support and student advocacy.

“There is money given to more classes, but there are some limitations to it as well that push people out of the system with the 90unit cap.”

Santa Monica College crime and theft The recent cr that have be reported ha involved b students a Last wee crimes include theft a prope dam oth acc at

“I am always strongly opposed to performance based funding,” says Zuriaw.

“It rewards schools in nice areas and penalizes schools in bad areas.”

Avocational classes that students enroll in for non-certificate purposes would no longer be considered a priority, which “would be very controversial because those things are what we’ve been doing at the college for a very long time,” says Shimizu.

An additional change that would significantly impact students is the application process for the BOG fee waiver. Students would have to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, instead of filling out a simple application form.

Although it is clear that the governor’s proposed educational policy strives for affordable access to higher education and the improvement of transfer and graduation rates at community colleges, it remains to be decided how it will be implemented.

crim e log

Illustrations By Jhosef Hern Corsair

Vanessa Barajas Staff Writer A week of opportunistic thefts in Santa Monica College’s library, gym, math complex, and cafeteria, left some on campus without cell phones.

An iPhone was left on a metal ledge in the stall of a women’s bathroom in the Humanities and Social Sciences Building last Monday morning. Upon returning to search for it, the victim found it missing.

Also on Monday, within a few hours of the first crime, three more cases of stolen Apple products occurred on campus. An iPhone was left on the tabletop and was taken while the victim went to the restroom.

A backpack was stolen in the gym when the owner set it aside to play basketball.

The backpack was later recovered but was, however, missing an iPhone.

An iPad was stolen after being left in a classroom at the Math Complex in a desk basket, and was later missing after the

In addition to the 90-unit cap, the budget suggests that funding will be based on the amount of completed degrees and transfers as opposed to the number of enrolled students, as it currently states.

“SMC would probably have an advantage on some fronts because SMC has a reputation for success, particularly in the transfer area and completion,” says Randal Lawson, SMC executive vice president.

“However, the devil of the details is going to be determining what we are going to define as completion, and how we are going to measure it.”

According to Jeff Shimizu, SMC vice president of academic affairs, the new funding strategy based on completion might become a disadvantage, since students who attend classes but do not seek a degree would not be taken into account.

“The concern we would have is the new funding proposal based on completion rates because we don’t have a mechanism of tracking,” says Shimizu.

victim returned from the cafeteria.

An Android device was left unattended in a men’s restroom in the library on Wednesday, and was not found when the victim returned to search for it. On the same day, an Eat Street employee had her iPhone stolen when she was distracted.

Security cameras captured the suspect in action, and campus police later located and took the suspect into custody.

Sgt. Romano recommended recording product serial numbers, and registering personal belongings with companies such as BoomerangIt.com. This way, police can submit stolen items to the National Crime Information Center’s automated property system so that they can be returned easily, if recovered.

Anyone who sees any suspicious behavior or crime is urged to call the SMCPD immediately at (310) 434-4300.

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volume 105 issue 3 • March 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Real music, not remastered

Eva Underwood Staff Writer Whether inside a packed arena with 18,000 screaming fans rocking out to The Black Keys, or lounging on a grassy lawn at the Hollywood Bowl singing along to John Mayer’s soulfully bittersweet love songs, live performances are worth the feetstomping, grass stains and sunburns just to feel engaged with the performers baring their souls through their music.

Experiencing a live musical performance can be an amazing experience.

At times, artists hold their microphones out to an audience singing along, personalizing the experience and creating a sense of community — a community that would not be found at a dance club spinning tracks. But whether that microphone is turned on or not makes all the difference.

Musicians, singers and entertainers should not be allowed to use lip synchronization, a technical term for matching lip movements with prerecorded vocals, because it negates a great experience.

Santa Monica College student Michelle Friedman, a music therapy major, is strongly against artists lip-syncing at live performances.

“If you’re a performer, your goal is to perform,” Friedman says.

Friedman elaborates about how it is not fair to those artists who do perform live and work hard to create a special performance.

SMC associate professor of voice Janelle DeStefano, who has been a vocal coach and professional singer for 20 years, strongly disapproves of lip-syncing.

“I think the most amazing part of a live performance is that it’s live,” DeStefano says. “You’re watching a human being do something that we perceive as almost superhuman, and they’re able to use their voice, and evoke emotion from us in such an exciting way.”

Although at times theatrically impressive, lip-synced concerts lack sincerity and are not as personal.

“You don’t get that human connection of someone giving themselves in the moment,” DeStefano says. “If you listen to recordings that are just live recordings, there are always mistakes being made, and it wouldn’t be a live performance if there weren’t. Part of being a performer is learning how to deal with that.”

Live music allows fans to connect with performers on a personal level, which is something special that can not be manufactured.

Artists are under so much pressure to be perfect live, which, with today’s technology, seems realistic, but I do not want perfect.

I would rather hear something real and imperfect, than something remastered.

“Sometimes, it’s even the imperfections that we find the most engaging,” DeStefano says.

Opinion 5

Illustration by John Crumblish Corsair Contributor

Staff Editorial

Fiscal Cliff 2.0: Sequester

As a matter of fact...

Aaron Lee Contributor On skepticism and critical thinking in everyday life The way we know things today is vastly different from a century, a decade or even a year ago. New technologies and mediums are constantly introduced and integrated into our lives. Consequently, the way information is transmitted also changes with the introduction of television, the Internet, smartphones and social media.

In the next minute, 700 YouTube videos will be shared through Twitter, more than 600,000 pieces of content will be posted on Facebook, and 2 million Google searches will be made, according to social media consultant Jeff Bullas’ website.

The dominant presence of social and mass media in our lives has led to an overwhelming volume of information being fed to us daily. Yet, how many of us ever stop to think critically about these bits of facts and information?

According to The New York Times’ website, the publication’s most shared and e-mailed article in 2011 was an opinion editorial by a team of researchers, headlined, “You Love Your iPhone. Literally.” Using brain scans, the researchers found neuronal activity in the insula — a region of the brain linked to love and compassion — when showing subjects a video of a ringing iPhone.

They concluded that people must truly

love their iPhones.

As it turns out, the insula is also linked to memory, language, attention, anger, disgust, and pain. With that same logic, it appears we are literally disgusted and hurt by our iPhones too. Thus, research proving our love for iPhones may seem plausible, and even obvious, but upon closer analysis, we can see it is not as simple as that. Consumers should take a step back and do some critical thinking — or critical Googling.

Skepticism, not to be mistaken with cynicism, is a word that comes with connotations of doubt and distrust. When iPhones are already proposed to trigger so many emotions from us, memory should serve that doubt and distrust would also be included.

Skepticism encompasses deciding if a claim is true or false, as well as reflective reasoning about beliefs and action. In an era when everything published or shared is about being more eye-catching, more impressive and more persuasive, skepticism is certainly a useful outlook.

After all, coming into contact with misleading ideas and stretched facts is almost inevitable. In everyday life, we see it in political speeches, advertisements and heart-wrenching videos that promote a certain cause. (Remember Kony 2012?)

Instead of bemoaning the manipulative nature of humans, it is wiser to do some critical thinking. Taking the time to question or critically analyze the information we are presented with can reveal insights that we would have missed if we had just taken something at face value.

Essentially, there is no such thing as “a matter of fact.” Question everything. Even this article.

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Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

No one really understands what the sequester will do, much less what it is.

However, most Americans know that if we do not get our financial house in order, things will get worse.

President Barack Obama said during a surprise press conference Friday that the voice of common sense needs to be heard.

Two months ago, Congress compromised on the fiscal cliff, raising taxes on the rich and kicking spending cuts down the road to March 1.

The sequester cuts, which are projected to total $1.2 trillion, were evenly split between defense spending — such as weapons purchases, military operations and airport security — and discretionary domestic spending, or Medicare specifically, according to a Pew analysis of the Congressional Budget Office data.

“It’s happening because of a choice Republicans in Congress have made,” Obama said during the press conference.

“They’ve allowed these cuts to happen, because they refuse to budge on closing a single wasteful loophole to help reduce the deficit.”

It is unclear exactly how bad the cuts are going to be, or if they can be changed. However, many will not link the budget cuts to their lives @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

until they actually experience them.

Of the potentially less personal experiences, these cuts will mean more time wasted in line at the Los Angeles International Airport. The Santa Monica Airport control tower, which handled about 370 operations a day last year, is one of 100 targeted for closure because of the sequester — meaning an overworked LAX control tower.

“We just need Republicans in Congress to catch up with their own party and the country on this,” Obama said during the press conference.

More Americans blamed the Republicans in Congress for the difficulty in reaching a budget agreement, even though both sides were urged to compromise, according to a Gallup survey.

However, like little brats, politicians pointed their fingers at the other party.

Sixty-nine percent of Republicans blamed the president and Democrats in Congress, while 72 percent of Democrats blamed the Republicans in Congress, according to a CBS News poll.

But it really does not matter who is right, or who is to blame. Congress needs to put aside their knock-down, drag-out bickering for the better of the country.

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6 Photostory

volume 105 issue 3 • March 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Rich Copenhagen (right to left), president of the Student Senate for California Community Colleges, Raquel Morales, UC Student Association president, Daniel Clark, student senator for California president of legislative affairs for California State Student Association, carry a banner during the march to the Capitol steps on Monday.

March Madness at the

Capitol

Alex Vejar Corsair Mary Valdemar, a financial aid staff member at San Bernadino Valley College, makes protest signs before the march.

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A sign opposing the proposed 90-unit c

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volume 105 issue 3 • march 6, 2013 • santa monica college

photostory 7

Amy Gaskin Corsair Sen. Fran Pavley (third from right) meets with a delegation of students and faculty from Santa Monica College and other schools regarding budget issues.

Amy Gaskin Corsair a Community Colleges, and Pedro Ramirez, vice

Amy Gaskin Corsair UCLA student Devon Murphy speaks to demonstrators on the Capitol steps about the need for diversity on campuses.

Amy Gaskin Corsair cap is displayed during the march.

Amy Gaskin Corsair A view of the protest from inside the Capitol building.

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+ Lifestyle 8 Health

volume 105 issue 3 • march 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Magic pills to cure hangovers? manon gevevier Staff Writer For those who have seen the movie “The Hangover,” and for others who have experienced one, the effects of overconsuming alcohol can be unpleasant.

But what if there were magic capsules that would not only prevent hangovers, but also led to sobriety faster?

Yunfeng Lu, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, along with his colleagues, developed a pill to reduce the effects of alcohol.

The researchers gathered together several enzymes that have a destructive effect on alcohol. The enzymes inside the pill effectively process the alcohol the way the liver naturally does, according to the peerreviewed journal “Nature Nanotechnology.”

“Normally we break down alcohol over time,” said Santa Monica College chemistry professor Michael Strathearn. “If we supply more of that biochemical that breaks down alcohol, we can do it faster.”

The pills were tested on mice that were intoxicated for 30 minutes. Forty-five minutes after taking the pill, their blood alcohol levels were 15.8 percent lower than the mice that had no treatment. A difference that climbed up to 34.7 percent lower after three hours, according to the “Nature Nanotechnology” journal.

Although this cure against hangovers

may seem appealing, the primary goal of scientists is to help people with liver ailments.

Even though the pill was created with good intentions, college students may see that as a reason to drink more freely.

“I think if people know that this pill exists, there is a possibility that they might go out and drink more,” said SMC student Michael Amerine.

“If college students could drink more without any adverse conditions, then yes, they would definitely use it,” said former SMC student Austin Kim. While some may have a laid-back attitude toward alcohol consumption, the statistics show how prevalent, and possibly dangerous, binge drinking can be to a person's health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by youths under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.

Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including both unintentional and intentional injuries, alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy, according to the CDC. The pill has yet to be tested on humans, so until then, it may be wise to follow the advice of alcohol manufacturers and drink responsibly.

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Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

LA tuberculosis outbreak, no cause for alarm Jasmin Huynh Staff Writer Public health officials are currently investigating a recent outbreak of tuberculosis in the Los Angeles area.

However, Jonathan Fielding, director of the LA County Department of Public Health and health officer for the county, told reporters during a press conference call that "the TB outbreak is not a threat to the public at large."

Tuberculosis is caused by a bacteria that attacks the lungs and can spread to other parts of the body such as the kidney, spine and brain, according to the LACDPH. If not treated, the disease can be fatal.

Although there were 78 cases related to tuberculosis outbreaks in LA since 2007, 60 of which were among homeless, the public does not need to be overly concerned, according to the LACDPH. "But part of the problem is that the public understands 'outbreak' as something new they have to be worried about, when, in fact this is clearly a prolonged outbreak that started in 2007," Fielding said. "There is nothing particularly new about it."

According to the LACDPH, tuberculosiscausing bacteria is spread through the air.

Unlike other contagions, it is not spread through contact with clothes, drinking and eating utensils, handshaking, or contact with surfaces. The transmission usually only occurs with prolonged, frequent and close

contact with an infected person.

As stated by the LACDPH, tuberculosis symptoms include coughing, fever, chills, sweating at night, pain in chest, weakness and fatigue, no appetite, weight loss, and coughing up blood.

However, the outbreak is not an immediate danger to the general public, said Fielding.

People who work with those that may be infected with tuberculosis should be alert and tested, since the signs do not necessarily occur immediately after contamination, according to the LACDPH. It is possible for someone to have latent tuberculosis, meaning the infected person does not have any symptoms and cannot spread the bacteria, but should still take preventive therapy to avoid the development of the disease.

To prevent further spread in LA, the infected homeless population is being treated, said Fielding. The LACDPH is providing housing, directly observed therapy, and medication until the person is no longer infectious.

If a student at Santa Monica College developed tuberculosis symptoms, the person would be isolated and directed to a medical institution to receive proper treatment, said SMC health science professor Salvador Santana. "[The outbreak] is an isolated incident," Santana said. "There hasn't been any indication that any of the homeless in Santa Monica are TB-positive."

14124-13

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health + Lifestyle 9

volume 105 issue 3 • March 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Sam Herron Corsair Santa Monica College President and Superintendent Chui L. Tsang speaks at the SMC Bike Parking Grand Opening Ceremony on Thursday.

Bicycle parking lot officially kicks off simon luca Manili Staff Writer

Sam Herron Corsair Santa Monica College student Cade Maldonado (left) rides his bicycle at Thursday’s event. Maldonado, 18, secretary of SMC’s Bike Club, says he rides his bicycle to SMC from downtown Los Angeles every day. The new bicycle parking facility features fix-it and

A beat-bumping bicycle parade kicked off the official opening of the 400-space bicycle parking lot on Pearl Street.

Fifteen bicyclists took part in the parade, riding through the campus with speakers on high volume to raise awareness for the Bike Parking Grand Opening Ceremony. The event was organized by Genevieve Bertone, director of sustainability at Santa Monica College, and the school's Eco-Action Club and Bike Club.

Event activities included bicycle registration workshops, lock sellers, free giveaways, free pizza and recyclable water bottles, and even a bicycle-driven mixer that made smoothies for the students.

With a large group of students in attendance, guest speakers were welcomed with claps and smiles.

The guest speakers included Bertone, as well as SMC's Superintendent and President Dr. Chui L. Tsang, Associated Students President Parker Jean, director of facilities planning Gregory Brown, and Santa Monica City Council member Ted Winter.

The energy was high among both

participants and speakers.

"Well, we're just really happy that we had great weather and we have a good turn out," said Brown. "Everybody seems very excited about the new parking area and it has come out better than our expectations."

Even though the bicycle rack was officially opened at the event, it has been available for students since the beginning of this spring semester.

There was more to the event than just free food and a cool bike mixer. There was even a soap bubble machine onsite, blowing bubbles to the passersby under the hot California sunshine.

The AS contributed financially to making the event a success.

"As far as this particular event today, we have funded about $7,000 to provide some of the bike giveaways, helmets and some other items for safety, a little bit of food, and bottles to encourage students to reuse their bottles," said Jean.

The new bicycle rack is on Pearl Street adjacent to the Liberal Arts Building, across the street from the Campus Police Office.

hydration stations, skateboard racks and 400 new bicycle parking spots.

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+ Entertainment 10 Arts

tina Eady Staff Writer

volume 105 issue 3 • march 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Mo’ gangsta rap, mo’ problems

Black History Month wrapped up at Santa Monica College, as the Black Collegian students hosted Benjamin P. Bowser last Monday, who gave a lecture entitled, “Gangsta Rap vs. Hip-Hop: The Immense and Lasting Impact on American Society.”

Bowser, professor emeritus in the department of sociology and social services at California State University, East Bay, spoke to a room full of students about his latest book, which is about the differences between hip-hop and gangster rap.

He used seven years of critical research in order to explain the impact of people who adopt a particular lifestyle and listen to a particular kind of music.

According to Bowser, the message of hiphop started out as an anti-gang movement by former gang members who wanted to establish peace among various gangs in the Bronx.

“It wasn't about bling bling, sneakers, guns, or you being better than me, or vice versa,” Bowser said during the lecture. “It said, you're family. It was about equity, and when you encountered each other.

There was a mutual respect.”

However, Bowser explained that the messages for gangster rap are quite the opposite, with its chronic use of the N-word in lyrics, glorification of guns, and going to prison being regarded “almost as a badge of honor.”

Gangster rap's messages of gangs, drug use, and the use of the word “bitch” are recurring themes in the genre, as is the physical and sexual domination of women by males, according to Bowser.

“African American girls 7 to 12 years old, who are at the beginning of their sexual maturation, see this image of themselves as women wrapped up in a gangster diva

Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

thing, and it's damaging,” Bower said.

“Years of conditioning by listening to and seeing these images, they internalize it, and it plays out in various ways.”

According to Bowser, the hip-hop movement is “strangled” by gangster rap because of corporate sponsors who pour

playing more of the gangster rap instead of a more smooth kind of hip-hop, so there is a definite push,” said Martin Mikitas, a cinematography student at SMC. Bowser said his research shows that the corporate formula is essentially a

"It wasn't about bling bling, sneakers, guns, or you being better than me, or vice versa. It said, you're family.

It was about equity, and when you encountered each other. There was a mutual respect."

-Benjamin P. Bowser, author and professor millions of dollars into its promotion, making gangster rap, “music that has to have a certain formula.”

Those sponsors see hip-hop as competition and “starve the rest of the system so that nothing else can come out and compete with them,” Bowser said.

“I've noticed [some] radio stations are

“minstrel show” that has existed for 200 years.

“These corporations are using the big names in the music industry as puppets to perpetuate this institutionalized racism,” he said.

Bowser cited MC Hammer as the artist who started dancing in the rap and hip-hop

genre, which was sometimes considered uncontrolled and “uncivilized.”

Dr. Chui L. Tsang, superintendent and president of SMC, spoke to students in attendance about the importance of having Bowser speak at the college.

“It helps to enrich our campus when we can hear from speakers of stature like Dr. Bowser [who have] prominence in the field,” Tsang said.

By the end of his lecture, Bowser concluded that gangster rap ultimately diminishes the quality of life, leading to inferiority among black people, and racism among whites.

“What happens when you internalize the minstrel show is a sagging pants fashion with your rear end hanging out,” Bowser said, regarding the cost of gangster rap being consumed by the general public.

He also said that hip-hop has tremendous potential.

“It has revitalized music and theater; it has inspired architecture in Spain and France,” Bowser said.

‘Mad Men’ goes mod Sara Cheshm Mishi Staff Writer Tunes from the 1960s were pumping out from the speakers. Waitresses were circulating the floor serving hors d'oeuvres. The crowd lined up to order "Peggy’s Gimlet" and "Megan’s Madtini" cocktails, while others were examining the clothes.

Everything about this event screamed mod.

The three-story Banana Republic store at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica launched a limited edition "Mad Men" collection titled "Mad Mod," showcasing styles on mannequins on each floor.

Banana Republic’s designers teamed up with the Emmy Award-winning costume designer Janie Bryant for a third time to put together the mod line.

The collection, inspired by the costumes featured in the previous five seasons of the series, mirrors the late 1960s mod vibe with loud geometrical patterns and bold colors.

The women's clothes are modeled after the character Don Draper’s wife Megan, featuring pants, tops and dresses.

The menswear collection ranges from stripes, plaids and tailored uniforms suitable for a boardroom meeting, to more casual options such as tennis shirts and fedoras.

"I have been watching the show since it started, and I love the collection," said Erik Lindqvist, a customer. "These tennis shirts are perfect because I am golf player."

Shoppers passing by the store on Wilshire Boulevard and Third Street were drawn in to the store, even those who do not regularly follow the show.

"I really like the shorts and the dresses," said Michelle Bitencourt, a waitress hired

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for the event. "The colors are really nice, and I feel that the collection is right in terms of trends."

As "Let's Twist Again" by Chubby Checker started to play, two models entered the store and started dancing on the podium, located in the middle of the store.

As the hours passed, the store staff changed their clothes to show the customers how the clothes looked while twisting to the DJ's music.

One of the most bought items from the women's collection was a green jerseyknitted dress, made with nylon synthetic, a material commonly used in clothes during the time period.

Another frequently purchased dress was a red-orange printed long-sleeve dress with a geometrical pattern.

Sara de Souza, another customer at the event, has not seen "Mad Men" yet, and is not really as convinced about the

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collection.

"I like the whole idea of the '60s, but I don’t really see anything that I would like to buy," de Souza said. "Although, I have been wanting to see the show for some time, but haven’t really got to it yet."

Although she is not a fan of the collection, de Souza said she appreciated the event and thought it was a great opportunity to see what the store had to offer.

Besides capturing the color palette and patterns from the mod era, the collection also showcased fabric that was used to give the items an authentic 1960s feeling.

The collection contains 32 pieces for women and 23 for men, priced from $30 to $140, in stores for a limited time. The clothes can be found in selected stores and on Banana Republic’s website.

The sixth season of AMC's "Mad Men" will kick off with a two-hour premiere on Sunday, April 7 at 9 p.m.

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Sports 11

volume 105 issue 3 • March 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Win streak continues for women’s tennis

Paul Alvarez Jr. Corsair Santa Monica College tennis player Carmel Peterson hits a backhand against Antelope Valley at home on Friday.

Niklas Thim Staff Writer The Santa Monica College women’s tennis team defeated the Antelope Valley Marauders, 9-0, at their home court Ocean View Park on Friday, pushing the team’s winning streak to six.

Not only did the Lady Corsairs play the day before at Ventura College, but they were missing a few players, leaving them with only six available.

“I want to play every day; in this case, I might be able to improve faster,” said freshman Kaori Tsuda.

Because of the shortage of players, the head coaches from both teams decided to begin with the doubles.

The Corsairs’ pairs were Tsuda with Juliana Nelkin, Carmel Peterson and Ana Beatriz Barcelos de Souza, and Elin Hedberg and Karla Hernandez.

The Nelkin and Tsuda duo never gave their opponents a chance, winning the match, 8-0.

Peterson and de Souza won their match, 8-3.

In the third game, Hedberg and Hernandez had a 7-0 lead, and were only one game away from the winning match with a perfect 8-0. However, Antelope grabbed their last chance and came back to 7-2 before Hedberg and Hernandez could close the match at 8-2.

After the doubles, the singles took place.

Perhaps the match to watch was the last of the day, Hedberg against Antelope Valley’s Crystal Aki. The combatants took turns winning sets, with many plays being returned over the net multiple times before a point could be scored.

It was Hedberg’s first single for SMC. The loss was the Marauders fourth in a row, and head coach Joe Watts had his theories about their struggles.

“We have a young team and we still need to figure things out,” he said. “We start our conference play next week, and we have a better chance against those teams. We just have to keep plugging away.”

He also pointed out that his team needs to cut down unforced errors and work on

their serves.

“We are our own worst enemy,” Watts said.

The Lady Corsairs’ head coach Richard Goldenson said that good preparations made it for his team.

“The girls were strong enough to win today, even though people were missing,” he said.

Tsuda advocated practice and good communication to keep the streak alive, and Goldenson stressed that the team can never be satisfied.

“We always need to improve,” he said.

The Lady Corsairs take to the court next on Thursday at home against Santa Barbara City College at 1 p.m.

David Nwaba, a match-up nightmare

Ryan Sindon Staff Writer David Nwaba has been referred to as a match-up nightmare by Jerome Jenkins, the head coach of the Santa Monica College men’s basketball team.

Recently honored as the player of the year for the Western State South Conference, and named to the allconference team as well, Nwaba is the type of player that other teams game plan for.

Playing as a guardforward, he averaged 20.5 points per game, shot 55.3 percent, and pulled down 8.8 rebounds per game.

“He’s just an all around good and versatile player,”

said Jenkins.

Basketball IQ is not something that shows up in stats, but is very evident when watching Nwaba on the

David Hawkins Corsair

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court.

He came to SMC from Hawaii Pacific University, and spent his high school years as a standout at University High School.

“I came to SMC because I want to transfer to a Division I one school,” said Nwaba.

His stellar play in his single season at SMC so far has earned him high praise from his coach.

“He is a Division I player, and if a Division I college was smart they would pick him up now so that he has three years with them,” said Jenkins. “If he comes back [to SMC], he will be top five in the state.”

One player that Nwaba looks up to, and tries to model his playing style after, is NBA and Miami Heat superstar LeBron James.

“I admire his ability to fit into every role as a player,” said Nwaba.

James’ ability to do everything on the court is a role that Jenkins asked Nwaba to step into this season.

“Coach wants me to play every role on @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

the team, from grabbing rebounds, getting my teammates involved, getting to the basket, and scoring at will,” said Nwaba.

With the season now over, Nwaba plans to continue improving his game with Jenkins in preparation for playing at a higher level. Already an efficient scorer, Nwaba is working on becoming more of a consistent shooter.

“With the numbers that he is putting up, it will be hard for a college to turn him down,” said Jenkins.

Nwaba has already planned out what he wants to do after leaving SMC. “I’d like to go to a Pac-12 school or UC Santa Barbara, but more importantly, somewhere I can play my game and fit in,” said Nwaba.

Despite Nwaba’s play, the Corsairs did not qualify for the playoffs this season, which only serves as motivation for him to continue improving, and to wait for those Division I schools to come calling.

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12 Sports

volume 105 issue 3 • March 6, 2013 • santa monica college

Winning tradition for Madison Higgins Trevor Angone Staff Writer

Championships and individual awards are nothing new to the Corsairs' point guard Madison Higgins. But what the young college freshman has planned next is definitely unfamiliar ground.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Higgins first picked up a basketball when he was 2 years old.

“I have to give my dad credit; he put the ball in my hands,” said Higgins. “But after he got me started, it was mostly up to me.”

At the age of 4, Higgins had his first taste of organized basketball.

“I started at the Westchester Y around 4 or 5 years old,” said Higgins. “We always won the championship at the Y. It was all fun and games back then.”

Fun and games soon turned into a more serious approach, especially once Higgins realized the game he loved could possibly afford him an opportunity at a college scholarship, or even a professional career.

“Basketball wasn't really serious until I was about 13,” said Higgins.

Higgins moved around during middle school, relocating to Mississippi at one point, and playing for a few club teams there, before attending St. Bernard's High School in Playa Del Rey, Calif.

His high school years were just as busy.

“I attended St. Bernard’s my freshman and sophomore year,” said Higgins.

“Then I transferred to Price my junior year.”

DAVID J. Hawkins Corsair Madison Higgins, freshman basketball player for the Santa Monica College Corsairs, poses for a portrait on Monday inside the SMC gym. Higgins has earned team and individual honors, and looks forward to his sophomore season.

While at St. Bernard’s, Higgins won the defensive player of the year award.

Following his junior year at Price, Higgins switched back and forth to Hamilton High School and back to Price, forfeiting his basketball aspirations.

This year as a freshman at Santa Monica College, Higgins earned team captain honors, as well as an honorable mention to the Western State South Conference all-conference team.

“Me being vocal and how I interact

with teammates in school, practice and games probably have a lot to do with why my coach elected me to represent our team as captain,” said Higgins.

Higgins has already been making plans for his upcoming sophomore season.

“I’m most definitely comfortable with the ball in my hands late in the game,” said Higgins. “This year was definitely a learning experience. It’s not how you start, it's how you finish.”

With the Citrus Owls being the lone representative for the conference in the postseason this year, Higgins and his young teammates have their sights set on next year.

“All of us have talked about coming out strong next year,” said Higgins. “I feel like we’re never going to lose to the Owls again. We have a totally different mind set.”

As a defensive and three-point specialist with a standout mid-range game, Higgins hopes to make that leap after SMC. “I would love to go to the next level and just keep progressing and not just getting to the next level, but producing,” said Higgins. “I would love to go overseas.”

With the road to the next level being a tough one, Higgins already has planned out other opportunities, such as getting a degree in kinesiology.

“I plan on getting a degree regardless; it’s part of the path,” said Higgins.

“Physical therapy and strength training is a field I could see myself going into after basketball — maybe be the physical trainer for a professional sports team.”

Corsairs on four-game skid with loss Eva Underwood Staff Writer

The Santa Monica College men’s volleyball team was unable to bring home a win on Friday in their first conference matchup against Los Angeles Pierce College. The Corsairs lost to the Brahmas, 3-1.

SMC head coach John Mayer attended Pierce College from 2000 to 2002, and although he has fond memories of the college, he wanted SMC to win.

"We were really gearing up for this one," Mayer said. "Conference matches are what decide playoffs."

The third match of the evening was a nail-biter with back-to-back points for each team, leading into overtime.

"Any time you go into overtime in a set and you have to side out for a point, it’s a challenge for our guys," Mayer said. "I thought they responded really well. There were probably about four or five times we had to side out to save a set and we did, so I thought that reflected well on us."

The match was a tense learning experience for the Corsairs.

"I've been in a lot of tense experiences, and I think when you've gone through it, you know how to respond; nothing beats experience," said Mayer. "I think if I’m antsy and crazy, the guys lose it too. If I can just be calm and positive, I think it helps."

The loss was the fourth in a row for the Corsairs, dropping them to the bottom of the Western State Conference in early season play. There are a few things the team wishes to address in order to break out of their slump.

"Usually the team that serves and passes better wins the match," said Mayer. "That’s where we spend most of our time, serving

and passing. I think during the fourth set, we didn't pass very well, so we lost pretty big."

The Corsairs look to end their losing streak against the top team in the conference, Long Beach City College. The game will take place at SMC on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

"Good teams can win at any gym, home or away, so if you’re good enough, you’ll win," said Mayer.

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Recognized nationally for our community service, we challenge our students to make a difference in their communities. Along with a degree, you’ll be prepared to change lives for the better. Including your own.

Learn more at CSUDH.EDU/FutureStudents sam herron Corsair Santa Monica College men’s volleyball player Cody Hughes (right) spikes the ball over a Pierce College defender during their match on Friday at SMC. The Brahmas defeated the Corsairs 3-1, handing them their fourth consecutive loss.

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