Volume 105 Issue 09

volume 105 issue 9 • april 24, 2013 • santa monica college

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

Sports pg. 12

Opinion pg. 5

Bomb Scare at College Fair

news PG. 3-4

CORSAIR

Marine Gaste Corsair

Health + Lifestyle pg. 8-9

Santa Monica Police Department K9 officer Adam Barry and his dog search for any possible explosive in the quad on Tuesday.

Quad Evacuated ALEX VEJAR A&E Editor

A bomb threat at Santa Monica College Tuesday afternoon forced more than a thousand students gathered for the College Fair to evacuate the quad.

After a bomb-sniffing dog, provided by the Santa Monica Police Department, canvassed the

area, officials re-opened the quad and informed students that the threat was clear.

The source of the threat is still unknown and under investigation.

“In light of the recent events, we had to take precautionary measures and make sure we had cleared out the quad,” Romano said. “That’s where the target was; it was a bomb in the quad.”

Bomb threat PG. 3

photostory PG. 6-7

Amy Gaskin Corsair Students wait outside of Drescher Hall awaiting news on whether classes would be canceled.

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Rachel Porter Contributor Daniel Nannini, transfer center faculty leader for Santa Monica College, calmly warns college recruiters about the potential bomb threat.

2 contents

volume 105 issue 9 • april 24, 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 Mark Popovich···············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·········· Design 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, Rachael Garcia, Amy Gaskin, Marine Gaste, Manon Genevier, Felipe Gouveia, Linda Harrell, David J. Hawkins, Sam Herron, Jasmin Huynh, Simon Luca Manili, Daniel McCarty, Asha McClendon, Christophor McGovern, Rona Navales, Sarah Neyhart, Andrew Nguyen, Jimmy Rodriguez, Kandace Santillana, Chanell Scott, HaJung Shin, Ryan Sindon, Niklas Thim, Eva Underwood, Heran Yirgu

Sam Herron Corsair Students of the Aijo Nippon Kenpo Foundation perform a live demonstration of Nippon Kenpo at the 16th annual Monterey Park Cherry Blossom Festival on Sunday in Monterey Park. Nippon Kenpo is a form of Japanese mixed martial arts.

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news 3

volume 105 issue 9 • April 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Bomb scare interrupts college fair from Bomb Threat on PG. 1

Amy Gaskin Corsair Albert Vasquez, chief of the Santa Monica College Police Department, and Mike Tuitasi, the college’s vice president for student affairs, speak about the bomb threat in the quad on the main campus of Santa Monica College Tuesday afternoon. “The main thing is not to panic everyone,” Tuitasi said.

A note, which was found in the women’s bathroom in the library, was specific to the time and place of the threat, said Albert Vasquez, Santa Monica College Police Department chief. There will be an ongoing investigation going forward.

Romano said the note was discovered by a student.

Some students were under the impression that the entire campus was being evacuated when word started to spread about the bomb threat. However, that was not the case.

“People are going to spread their own message, but it was an isolated incident to the quad, which is why we cleared the quad out,” said Mike Tuitasi, vice president for student affairs.

Students were informed by SMC through email, phone call and text message, and they were evacuated from the area after campus police were called on scene. As the threat was being investigated, students were directed to the left or right of the quad and not allowed straight through.

In addition to the clearing of the quad, nearby portions of the Humanities and Social Sciences building were also evacuated, Vasquez said.

“The fact that we had the university College Fair going on made us an ideal target,” Romano said.

Daniel Nannini, transfer center faculty

leader for SMC, was involved with organizing the College Fair on campus Tuesday, which was interrupted by the threat.

“This is one time I’m glad to say the College Fair did not end with a bang,” Nannini said.

Nannini said that classes were not cancelled, but students were allowed to leave their classes by their instructors in droves.

This threat came just over a week after the tragic bombing during the Boston Marathon that left three dead and over 180 injured.

“It’s a little bit scary as well, because last week we experienced that awful bomb in Boston where lots of people got injured and three people died,” said Mahsa Sadreameli, SMC student and employee at the Cayton Center.

Romano said he does not want students testing the police now that there is a heightened alert for bomb threats.

“Just because we’re sensitive to this issue right now, I don’t want people leaving backpacks unattended going, ‘let’s see what they do next,’” Romano said.

Amber Antonopoulos, Elizabeth Moss, Henry Crumblish, Amy Gaskin and Rona Navales contributed to this report.

SMC remembers Boston

rona navales Staff Writer

Santa Monica College student Miranda Haeick received a text from her roommate while she was at work. It read, “Boston’s under attack.” At first she thought it was a joke, or maybe it was something sports-related, but once she realized it was real, she immediately called her mom to make sure her family and her cousin, who was running in the marathon, were not harmed.

As the citizens of Boston geared up for the aftermath of the marathon bombing, students at Santa Monica College had cause for worry.

Every year, two of her cousins join the Boston marathon, but only one of her cousins ran the marathon this year.

Haieck said that the cousin not running would have finished around the same time the bomb exploded.

“My heart dropped,” said Haeick. “I’ve always looked at Boston as the safest place in the world.”

Haeick will return to Boston this summer to visit her mother’s side of the family, and she knew she will see more memorials around the city dedicated to those affected by the tragedy, especially since she emphasized how Bostonians have a very close bond.

Former SMC student Maury Ferreira, who now resides in Boston, spoke of his experience in an email.

“The first and second marathon bombings were about five minutes away from where I was at that time,” he said. “On that day, I received alert notifications from [University of Massachusetts, Boston] that my school was closed on Tuesday morning in light of the bombings and fire. Even if the school had reopened, I would not feel comfortable going to my class in light of the fire incident in the JFK library.”

Two of Ferreira’s close friends had left the explosion site at the marathon five minutes before the explosion happened. He received close to a dozen alert text messages and phone calls about possible bomb threats in the week that followed.

“I was even terrified to learn that I happened to be in the same vicinity in Cambridge when somebody

reported suspicious packages around Cambridge to the authorities,” Ferreira said.

“This experience is very unusual and traumatic for me.

I feel angry and scared right now. This is my first time experiencing being in the vicinity of the bombing and shooting incidents,” he said.

Since the incident, the suspects were identified and taken into custody as brothers Tamerian and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was the older brother who was killed by police, while younger brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found in a boat after an intense manhunt that kept Boston on lockdown for hours. He did not have his Miranda rights read to him, and he is currently in stable but serious condition in the intensive care unit, replying in writing to investigators’ questions. If convicted, the death penalty is a possibility due to the use of weapons of mass destruction, according to local news sources.

"The LAPD is an excellent bomb squad, and they will do everything they can to protect the citizens."

—Sgt. Gary Morgan, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Since the Boston explosion, there has been an increase in phone calls about suspicious objects throughout the nation.

On Tuesday afternoon, SMC faced a bomb threat that initiated the evacuation of over a thousand people from the main campus quad during the College Fair.

After the incident, Santa Monica College Police Department Sgt. Jere Romano said that he has witnessed about four bomb threats in the more than 20 years he has served on campus.

Officer Deladrian Chua of the SMCPD cited a bomb scare at SMC a few years ago which turned out to be an

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unattended bag.

If something like the Boston explosion occurred at SMC, Chua said that the “first initial response as emergency responders is to care for the sick and wounded and evacuate everyone as quickly as [they] can.”

Chua, who has a military background, explained that there could be a secondary explosion, like what happened in Boston, which is why they initially quarantine.

In terms of investigation, because resources are limited, they also work with the Santa Monica Police Department, especially with arson investigations, Chua said. The SMCPD staffing is pretty low, with only seven officers and three sergeants.

Sgt. Gary Morgan, of the Arson-Explosives Detail with the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department, explained that, to his knowledge, Santa Monica has not had any explosions such as the Boston explosion, but Los Angeles has had explosions in the past.

Morgan said that bombings have always been terrorists acts.

“The bombing in Boston was a terrorist act, whether if it was done by a jihadist or a homegrown terrorist who doesn’t like something about somebody,” he said. “They might just want to kill for the thrill of seeing people being murdered.”

“Since the bombing Monday, calls have tripled,” Morgan said. “None of them have been active bombs.”

In order for people to feel safe in Los Angeles County during events like the Rose Bowl and LA Marathon, there will be more visible patrol and arson canines, said Morgan. The dogs will travel around the entire perimeter and look for suspicious packages. Usually they will get one call a day of the event of suspicious activity, which can be costly.

Morgan mentioned specifically that there is a heightened alert and since the Boston incident the sheriff ’s department is monitoring the railway system more diligently.

“The LAPD is an excellent bomb squad, and they will do everything they can to protect the citizens,” said Morgan, regarding upcoming marathons. /thecorsairnews •

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4 news

volume 105 issue 9 • april 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Muna Cosic Managing Editor A possible freeze on tuition has higher education turning a cold shoulder to the state government.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget plan includes updated requirements, such as affordable college education, a 10-percent increase of transfer students from community colleges, freshmen graduating in four years, and more course offerings.

But the governor’s demand to halt tuition increases for the next four years at the University of California and California State University systems, which correlates with the proposed Assembly Bill 67, is a distressing matter for the higher education systems.

“We are trying to address the issues with the authors [of AB 67] and work with them,” says Erik Fallis, a CSU media relations specialist. “We are interested in the budget discussions happening in Sacramento, but we have concerns.”

According to the budget, only 16 percent of CSU students complete their degree within four years, and 60 percent of UC students. Brown is pushing for students to graduate in four years, which is another worry for the higher education institutes.

“We’d like to go back to the drawing board,” says Patrick Lenz, a top UC budget official, to the Los Angeles Times.

“The university was not consulted in advance about the details of Brown’s proposal.”

Republican Assemblymembers Kristin

Olsen, Rocky Chavez and Jeff Gorell authored AB 67, in compliance with the passage of Proposition 30 last fall, to ensure that the tax revenue from Prop.

30 will fund public education and enable a rise in tuition fees. The California Legislature Assembly’s Higher Education Committee passed the bill with bipartisan support on April 9, according to a press release from Olsen’s office.

“AB 67 is still going through the legislative process,” says Kim Nikols, communications director for the Office of Assemblymember Kristin Olsen.

“It was put on the suspense file by the Appropriations Committee where we are hoping it will be taken off and be heard again in late May.” Brown’s budget plan states that a General Fund increase of $125.1 million will be given to both UCs and CSUs, in addition to the $125 million both school systems will receive in 2013-14 for not raising the tuition fees in the 2012-13 academic year, according to the official 2013-14 Governor’s Budget Summary document.

“There are no plans [for CSUs] to raise tuition for the 2013-14 academic year,” says Fallis. “We didn’t raise the tuition for last year either.”

According to Olsen, the cost of college is keeping many students away from furthering their education, and by stabilizing the tuition rate, it will help students advance with their college

Elizabeth Moss News Editor Four Associated Students constitution amendment changes and one student representation fee initiative are on a ballot from the AS this week for students to vote on through Santa Monica College’s Corsair Connect.

Of the five, four involve changes to the AS constitution.

They would include enabling the Inter-Club Council communication officer to vote on the AS board of directors, allowing the director of sustainability to serve on the AS finance committee, and requiring AS presidential and vice presidential candidates to have previous experience in AS. “We needed to make this clear in the constitution,” said Samantha Ross, AS secretary.

Ross said that members of the board sat in meetings every Friday “for hours,” discussing these changes.

Another potential change is the elimination of the financial support title from the director position of student advocacy and financial support, creating a new

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Lawmakers seek affordable higher education education.

“I am grateful that my colleagues chose to support our state’s college students and move AB 67 forward,” she says.

If the bill passes, it could have a role in easing the transfer process for California Community College students.

“It is something to consider when a student is ready or close to being eligible to transfer,” says Robert Isomoto, vice president of business and administration at Santa Monica College.

Brown’s budget plan will ensure a five percent increase in the General Fund contribution to the UC and CSU systems in the next two years, and a four percent increase in the following two years, according to the budget summary.

Tuition has risen by 84 percent since the 2007-08 academic school year at the UCs, and by 97 percent at the CSUs. “The budget provides stable funding growth over multiple years and should eliminate the need for further tuition increases,” states the document.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “both university systems are wary of agreeing to a four-year freeze.” And Mike Uhlenkamp, director of CSU media relations and new media, told the newspaper that, “if economic problems take another bite out of tax revenue, state funding may not be able to keep pace with needs on campus.”

“By stabilizing tuition and fees for

four years, AB 67 will allow students to financially prepare for their education and prevent them from being priced out of completing their degrees,” Chavez says in the press release.

“SMC students are very smart and will definitely consider all conditions which will affect transferring to a university and their educational goals,” says Isomoto.

Gorell says the budgets of the universities were balanced over the past decade by tripling the tuition and fees, which resulted in college education being unaffordable for many California families.

“This bill reaffirms California’s commitment to supporting higher education and maintaining a welleducated workforce, one of the most important pillars of California’s economy,” he says.

Students who plan to climb up the path to higher education will have some reassurance of a set tuition rate of the UC and CSU systems with the passage of AB 67.

“It would be great to get as much support from students as possible by asking them to call the members of the Appropriations Committee and voicing their support and asking them to pull it off of the suspense file,” says Nickols.

“Until it comes off of the suspense file, the bill is idle and will not be able to be voted on and sent to the Governor to become law,” she says.

Ballot initiatives seek change in Associated Students position just for student advocacy.

The student representation fee is a statewide initiative that proposes instituting an optional $1 fee to be paid by students to “advocate more effectively for political activism and the finding of education,” AS President Parker Jean said.

Jean said that since AS cannot use the money they receive to fund bills or political movements, the fee would allow for the sponsoring of education.

The recently proposed Assembly Bill 1350 seeks to double that non-mandatory contribution, but would instead send the money to the Student Senate of California Community Colleges, a student advocacy

group for the CCCs, and not to the AS. “[The representative fee] gives us a greater political presence,” said Yacob Zuriaw, director of student advocacy and financial support. “That’s our job, to look over student affairs.”

Zuriaw admitted that the election has been poorly publicized.

“They dropped the ball with this election and the last,” he said.

A glitch in the system when voting first opened on Monday left students unable to select “yes” or “no” on the online ballot.

Voting on ballot initiatives ends Thursday.

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Opinion 5

volume 105 issue 9 • April 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Goodbye, movie theaters On the rare, eventless Friday night, there is always comfort in knowing that a movie theater is nearby, shoveling buttery popcorn into red-and-white-striped bags for a like-minded audience there to share the screening experience communally.

Years from now, this scene could be something of the past.

Recently, the AMC Criterion 6 on the Third Street Promenade closed its doors to moviegoers. The Criterion 6 was one of three AMC movie theaters in Santa Monica, all of which were within half a mile of each other.

Even though Hollywood keeps releasing box office hits that rake in millions, movie theaters across the country cannot keep up with the fraying interest of audiences

and maintenance costs.

The problem lies in that the biggest film studios, like 20th Century Fox, have declared that they will stop making 35-millimeter movies by the end of 2013. Overseas, Fox already has ceased distributing 35-millimeter prints in Hong Kong, effective Jan. 1, according to John Fithian, National Association of Theatre Owners president and chief executive officer, who spoke at CinemaCon. This news has turned classic theaters, which have been run on analog 35mm film equipment since the dawn of the 20th century, into vacant pockets of history destined to be bought up by Gap and forgotten.

According to Yahoo, the costs for a movie theatre to upgrade to the new and improved format would cost $85,000, while bigger theaters like IMAX would probably not have a problem paying this premium fee, and smaller theaters like the AMC Criterion 6 obviously struggle to upgrade.

AMC was not available for comment as

As classes are cut and budgets plunge, enrollment numbers drop along with them. However, at an already crowded community college like Santa Monica College, fewer students has been favorable.

The California Community College system is at a 20-year drop in enrollment numbers, according to a document released by the Public Policy Institute of California last month.

The drop in enrollment can be attributed to the budget cuts California has had to face in education, which totaled to $1.5 billion from 2007-2008 to 2011-2012, according to the PPIC document.

The effect of the enrollment drop could be felt before the spring semester even started. Although this is my first year at SMC, the difference between the fall and spring semesters’ waiting pools was felt.

Walking around SMC, even though there are still a flood of people at almost any hour in the morning or afternoon, the drop in enrollment is noticeable, to say the least.

The number of students that are enrolling

for classes in the California Community College system are 500,000 lower now than they were in previous years.

“There are a lot less people now on campus,” said SMC student Kimberly Burciaga. “I can actually get classes now instead of being put on the wait list.”

The cuts in the budget were mostly in areas such as music and business. With such a low number of classes offered, people are turning away from education ,which is resulting in low enrollment numbers.

Proposition 30, which passed in November, is helping alleviate the cuts of classes with the additional funding received of $210 million, but even that amount is not enough to accommodate everyone.

According to the PPIC, the biggest drop in enrollment was with students who would take a semester off and return, only to have fewer classes available to them than when they had left.

The decline in returning students’ availability for classes is attributed to

SImon luca manili Staff Writer

to why the theater shut down recently, but the mandatory switch to digital is more than likely the culprit.

Jason Harris, economic development manager at City of Santa Monica said that the developer, who is renovating the space were the Criterion 6 used to be, already has a new tenant, but is not ready to disclose who they are.

Harris also said that based on the size and the location of the retail space, the city expects the new tenant will have flagship store operations.

Fewer students, fewer problems

colleges favoring current students and providing for them the groundwork to get them on their way to transferring or earning their Raul associate degree.

Cervantes Although these Staff Writer results may seem devastating, for current students there are now vacant couches in the library to sit on, bathrooms with a much smaller crowd, and places to sit in the cafeteria. Almost every part of campus seems less crowded during this semester as opposed to previous.

Even parking is a lot more bearable this semester.

Rarely are there positives when envisioning a suffering economy, however for those who have continued to attend SMC, the drop in enrollment is a breath of fresh air and students should take advantage of it, for now.

4/20, where’s the money?

Molly PhilBin Opinion Editor April 20 is a “holiday” dedicated to celebrating marijuana — the nation’s most popular illegal drug.

Chronic laziness and cotton mouth plague participants on a day, colloquially known as “4/20.”

Its adherents shortened the name to three syllables because saying “April the twentieth,” at a whopping six syllables, requires too much effort, apparently.

But, even after a day of having the “munchies” and being blown away by reruns of “Grandma’s Boy,” the nation has to wonder why the drug is not yet legalized.

A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 52 percent of responders favored legalizing pot use, while only 45 percent opposed.

A 1969 Gallup poll on the same subject revealed just 12 percent favored legalization, while 84 percent opposed.

As of the beginning of this month, the majority of Americans support weed legalization, according to a Pew Research Center poll.

So, what’s changed?

Whether or not people like marijuana or support its legalization, the nation has realized that its prohibition is a shining example of an ineffective and bloated government program.

Eighteen states and Washington, D.C. have already made medical marijuana legal and 10 others are currently considering legislation to legalize the drug, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association.

As thick as the cloud of smoke may be, lawmakers should continue to be encouraged to look into national legalization when considering ways to balance the national budget.

The federal legalization of marijuana would offer approximately $8.7 billion in federal and state tax revenue annually, according to a research from the Cato Institute.

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A fair argument is that illegal drugs should remain illegal to protect the youth and physical and mental health, however, according to New York’s 1944 LaGuardia Committee Report and 1894’s Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, “marijuana’s relative potential for harm to the vast majority of individual users and its actual impact on society does not justify a social policy designed to seek out and firmly punish those who use it.”

Aside from being glued to a couch glossed in Cheetos dust, there are no critical side effects or health concerns associated with hitting the bong.

Assuming that legalized marijuana would be taxed similarly to alcohol and tobacco, and that the income earned by pot producers would be subject to standard income and sales tax, this herb-based drug is a godsend.

It is not about politics, acceptance of living out of a Volkswagen van, or drug administration and safety, it is about money — money we would all benefit from if accessed. @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

Illusrtation by Jhosef Hern Corsair

Now that 20th Century Fox has decided to switch completely to digital, we will probably continue to see this trend catch up to the other Goliaths of the movie industry like Universal Studios and Miramax.

Will theaters become something of the past like phone booths, paper maps or letters? Only time will tell, but, in the meanwhile, forget that Netflix membership and go watch a movie among supporting company at a movie theater.

Staff Editorial Social media versus media Last week’s coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing manhunt led to massive amounts of information from scanner traffic that spread like social media wildfire.

This information, which proved to be highly speculative and often incorrect, was disseminated by social media editors of reputable news outlets.

Information in breaking news comes fast and furious — incorrect reports are nothing new. But the way that information is communicated at light speed with the Internet undermines the reputation of the news industry. This is why it is still important to rely on the harbingers of truth we have come to trust from print.

The nation has, unfortunately, become accustomed to hearing about tragic news and responding to it. More than ever, during these events, social media has become the place people turn to find out about what is happening on the ground and how they can help.

Pertaining to the manhunt, considerable clues, tips and speculation came to light on various sites that led to at least three people being misidentified as the bombers.

Not to say that professional news platforms are perfect — last Wednesday CNN falsely reported that an arrest had been made in connection with the bombing — but the infrequency of social media accuracy from unreliable sources is a cause for concern.

Social media blankets news under hashtags and keywords, not credibility. Although it can be invaluable in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or breaking news story, it can also provide a dangerously distorted picture of what is actually happening.

This was most recently illustrated on campus yesterday as students viewed Twitter as a credible source when pertaining to the bomb scare on the main campus quad.

A note threatening a specific time and location, left in the women’s bathroom in the library, caused an evacuation of the quad. However, many who were following the Twitter coverage of the originally-vague threat opted to leave their classes at different locations on the main campus and falsely reported that the entire campus was being evacuated and that all classes were cancelled.

Students stared at computers and smartphones instead of listening to officials and credited news sources.

Incidents like this will only become more prevalent. With breaking news, everyone goes to the web. But we still need mediums that value accuracy to keep information in check.

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6 photostory

volume 105 issue 9 • April 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Amy Gaskin Corsair

SMC Superintendent and President Chui L. Tsang speaks on his phone outside of Drescher Hall after the quad was evacuated.

Bomb scare empties quad

Erin Kaitel (left) and her sister Maya (right)

Amy Gaskin Corsair Students wait around campus until further instruction was given.

“It’s a little bit scary, because last week we experienced that awful bomb in Boston where lots of people got injured and three people died.”

- Mahsa Sadreameli, SMC student and employee at the Cayton Center.

Parking officer Mike Burgueno guides

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volume 105 issue 9 • april 24, 2013 • santa monica college

photostory 7

Rachel Porter Contributor

) walk through campus after hearing of a possible bomb threat on Tuesday.

Marine Gaste Corsair Amy Gaskin Corsair

s second-year student Catherine Garcia to safety.

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A bomb-sniffing dog was provided by the Santa Monica Police Department to help search the quad.

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+ Lifestyle 8 health

volume 105 issue 9 • april 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Big buzz around Earth Week Amber Antonopoulos Editor-in-Chief A blender was filled with honey, ice, bananas, almond butter and almond milk.

But it was not a typical blender.

Severed from the forces of electricity, this blender was perched atop a stationary bicycle that, when pedaled, set in motion the energy to power the blender’s operation.

EcoAction Club members handed out the resulting ice-cold, creamy smoothies to intrigued onlookers at the Honeybee Festival outside the Organic Learning Garden Monday at Santa Monica College.

Earth Week kicked off in full bloom at the event, where local beekeepers, food purveyors, environmental activists and participants celebrated honeybees.

“We’re gathering to not only shed light and information about the sensitivity of the honeybee population, but to also celebrate the fruits of their labor,” said Cory Phillips, EcoAction Club member who facilitated the club’s participation in the event. “So we, here with our bike blender, are kind of acting like the honeybee habitat.”

The event was hosted by Food Justice Project SMC, led by anthropology professor Gillian Grebler, and the Center for Environmental and Urban Studies, managed by director of sustainability Genevieve Bertone.

“Food Justice Project’s goal is part of the effort to make healthy, fair, sustainable food accessible to everyone,” Grebler said. “Part of that effort is educating ourselves about where our food comes from — promoting community gardening, including beekeeping, as one way of bringing healthy, sustainable food to people.”

Grebler said that the purpose behind organizing the event as part of SMC’s weeklong Earth Week festivities was to

raise awareness about the essential role of honeybees in the ecosystem and the increasing threats they face.

“The threats to honeybees are part of a complex of issues that threaten the healthfulness of our food — industrialization of agriculture, the use of pesticides, loss of habitat, pollution,” Grebler said.

SMC English professor Dana Morgan, coordinator to the Organic Learning Garden and Club Grow’s adviser, was actively involved at the event to encourage environmental education.

“We become observers as gardeners, and we have to observe the health of the pollinators,” Morgan said. “Everything that we grow depends on them. Everything we eat depends on them, and right now, they’re at risk.”

Morgan gave gardening advice for attracting pollinators, such as avoiding pesticides, planting native plants in clumps with flowers of different shapes and colors, and planting in sunny spots without strong winds.

“I think it’s important to get people to grow for bees, and think about what we can do to protect them, but also, what do we plant to attract bees to the garden,” she said.

Morgan said that beekeeping coincides with demonstrating sustainable gardening practices.

“I want to have a beehive in this garden,” she said. “It’s part of a whole ecosystem; the bees are part of it.”

Morgan cited potential obstacles to housing bees in the Organic Learning Garden, including possible student allergies and the new Student Services Building set to be erected near the garden, but said that they could feasibly be overcome.

“The college is very litigious, so it has to

be done right, safely,” Morgan said.

Grebler also supported the idea of initiating beekeeping in the campus garden.

“I would love to be part of a beekeeping community at SMC — to keep our own healthy honeybees, provide a bee-friendly habitat for them and learn how to advocate for them at a policy level,” Grebler said.

Many of the organizations represented at the booths offered honey tastings, including Food Justice Project SMC and Club Grow, and others sold honey products as well, including RedBread, The Natural Honey Company, and HoneyLove.

“Bees are essential to growing food,” said Ricardo Chavira, marketing director for Co-opportunity Natural Foods, who represented the Santa Monica co-op grocery story at the event. “If you don’t have bees, you can’t pollinate. Without pollination, you can’t have a lot of the crops that we depend on as a store. It’s not only important to the community, but also to our organization.”

Dael Wilcox, owner of The Natural Honey Company, demonstrated the process of extracting wildflower and orange honey by hand, the method his company uses to harvest and distribute raw, natural honey.

Wilcox also explained his other duties of bee education and proper bee removal.

Representatives from other organizations were present to inform the community about beekeeping, including HoneyLove and Backwards Beekeepers.

Chioma Ojini, director of student services for the Associated Students and EcoAction Club’s marketing coordinator, recited her original spoken word poetry written for the event.

“It was spawned out of an email to my boyfriend,” Ojini said. “My boyfriend calls me Honeybee, and I was going to reply to him and call him Honey, but then I just

Karissa Fricke Contributor Roxana Villa (right) of Backwards Beekeepers explains the demonstration hive, showing the process of honey production on Earth Day at SMC Monday.

started writing a poem. With the bee day coming up, I just twisted it so it sounds like I’m talking from the perspective of the human race, with honey representing what bees really are and what they mean to the human race.”

A photo contest was held at the event, where SMC students were encouraged to photograph the event and submit entries to be judged by photography professors and a local art curator. Winners will be announced on April 29 and displayed at Cafe Bolivar, according to an event flyer.

Following the festival, attendees were encouraged to attend a screening of “Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?,” a film examining the significance of the disappearance of bees.

Santa Monica rededicates tree for Earth Day

Paul Alvarez Jr. Corsair Elias Washington is awarded with the No Toy Guns Merit on Tuesday at Palisades Park.

Molly Philbin Opinion Editor About 30 green-clad people bared the frigid winds in Santa Monica Palisades Park, just north of the entrance to the Santa Monica Pier, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the planting of the Children’s Tree of Life on Monday.

Before the opening ceremony, a moment of silence was held for the victims of the Boston Marathon. Jerry Rubin, peace and environmental activist and event coordinator, said that it was a tragedy that fell on planet Earth.

Rubin spoke on behalf of all three victims

who had been killed in the explosions, most notably 8-year-old Martin Richard.

Wrought with emotion, Rubin had to pause several times to collect himself.

“I still remember the beautiful sign he was holding that said ‘No more hurting people — peace,’” Rubin said. “It’s a message we are trying to convey here today.”

Rubin said that promoting environmental and peaceful messages can mend society, even in the face of monumental tragedies.

People gathered and listened solemnly as the glow of the green solar-powered Ferris wheel lit up the darkening sky.

Following an opening drum ceremony, led

by Ossie Mair, founder of OM Rhythm

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

Circles, Rubin spoke of the tree’s history.

The tree was first planted in the Santa Monica Palisades Park at an Earth Day peace celebration April 22, 1983.

The tree was officially proclaimed by late Santa Monica Mayor Ken Edwards on April 16, 1984 as a “living monument to world peace,” according to the original proclamation.

Rubin married his wife Marissa, who was present at the celebration, in front of the Children’s Tree of Life 30 years ago, and has been deeply involved in the upkeep and spirit of the tree.

The young tree, a New Zealand Christmas Tree, has been destroyed three times , twice by vandalism and once by accident, and has been replanted each time.

Although this is the fourth tree planted, Rubin believes that all the past trees have emanated the same message of peace and community.

The youngest participant, 2-and-a-halfyear-old Elias Washington, who was an honorary recipient of the No Toy Guns Award this year, helped light a piece gavel, which was a small, dark red, heart-shaped @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

candle. Although the candle took several matches and a lighter before the flame caught, the little light bared the heavy winds for the remainder of the evening.

“Peace is possible, but it’s up to us to make it happen,” Rubin said.

Former mayor Judy Abdo read the city’s proclamation for this year, written by current mayor Pam O’Connor, proclaiming Earth Day in Santa Monica as the “Children’s Tree of Life Public Rededication Day.” The tree was blessed by Rev. Janet McKeithen of the Church in Ocean Park.

Rubin requested people touch the tree — or touch someone touching the tree — while it was being blessed.

Marissa and Jerry Rubin read their favorite poems, and guests spoke, recited poetry and sung environmentally friendly songs.

Rubin requested a second, more embracing tree hug after the presentations.

“As an organizer I want to try and get us so connected today,” Rubin said. “Give [the tree] the best tree hug we can give.”

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health + Lifestyle 9

volume 105 issue 9 • April 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Santa Monica stands up for clean water

Niklas Thim Staff Writer

Under the clear blue sky and the crashing of the ocean waves, a large crowd that included both participants and spectators gathered to spend the day in the name of clean water.

For the second year in a row, the Los Angeles Waterkeeper hosted the StandUp for Clean Water event.

The event took place on Saturday near the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica, and included paddle board contests and a beach clean-up.

Some visitors took their morning yoga to the beach, while others brought their bongos and bells to cheer for the racing paddlers.

The day kicked off with the five-mile, paddle-board race. All of the different age categories competed at once. The first to cross the finish line was Riviera Paddlesurf's Thomas "Maximus" Shahinian from San Clemente.

"It was fantastic today," Shahinian said.

"Beautiful conditions and not too much wind."

Paddling lessons were taught to those who wanted to learn while the competitors crossed the finish line, one after the other.

Once all the paddlers had crossed the finish line, the hosts of the event spoke to the crowd.

Liz Crosson, executive director at LAW, explained their mission and how they work to reach their goals.

"We fight for a drinkable, fishable and

Christophor Mcgovern Corsair Standup paddleboarders compete in the one-mile race during the Clean Water Event at the Annenberg Beach House on Saturday.

swimmable LA," Crosson said. "We just won a lawsuit in Malibu, which will help us in keeping beaches clean."

According to the LAW website, a lot of the work in the field is done by the Stormwater Assessment Team, which consists of volunteers. These teams gather water samples and help clean beaches and rivers, partly from information they get from their website where anyone can report pollution.

The LAW is part of the bigger Waterkeeper Alliance, which does its work

all over the world.

"We do over 32,000 water inspections a year in LA county," said Pete Nichols, the National Director of the Waterkeeper Alliance. "Clean water is a basic human right."

Representatives from Toyota, who were a sponsor, also attended the event.

"We at Toyota believe in a strong environment," said Toyota's Community Outreach Coordinator Karen Matsuyama. "It's everyone's responsibility, especially big companies. We are proud to

be a part of this."

Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tempore Terry O'Day spoke about the changes LAW has managed to accomplish.

"These are real improvements in our water quality improvements that show on lab results," O'Day said.

He later pointed out that LAW plays an important role in the environmental work here in Santa Monica, where the environment is a high priority.

"But, before you say I'm just another politician," said O'Day as he rolled up his pants to reveal his ankle. "Let me show you my Waterkeeper tattoo."

After the speeches, the one mile paddle board fun race started, which included several children.

The end of the race turned more into a swimming contest since the waves threw most paddlers off of their boards.

Immediately after the one-mile race concluded, the paddlers who had paddled in the 17-mile downwinder from Point Dume could be spotted making their way to the shore.

Once they arrived on the shore, powered by the cheering audience, it was time to draw the winners in a raffle, where they could win everything from backpacks to boards.

The day concluded with an award ceremony for the competitors, and a final message from Crosson about the importance of their work: "The job is not done, but has definitely come a long way," she said.

‘EcoHero’ awarded

Jasmin Huynh Staff Writer

As a child, she was embarrassed when her father composted. Today, she composts in her own backyard.

Vicki Drake, chair of the earth science department at Santa Monica College, received the annual EcoHero Award for her work in developing and expanding the sustainable technologies program.

“I don’t feel like a hero,” Drake said after accepting her award at the event. “I am just doing what I was taught to do since I was a little girl, which was to respect nature

ecologically literate, so that they can flourish in their lives here on earth,” said philosophy professor Amber Katherine, who played a major role in the green curriculum movement.

Genevieve Bertone, SMC’s director of sustainability, adviser to the EcoAction Club, and organizer of the EcoHero Awards, said that Drake and the committee have been instrumental in campus sustainability efforts.

“We wouldn’t have the sustainable technologies program without [Drake], and anytime you develop a program, you need the support of the curriculum

“All the other kids had garbage disposals and we didn’t. Respect nature, don’t trash the world, recycle and compost everything” -Vicki Drake, Ecohero award recipient and the environment. I’m doing the best to make this a better environment. And if that is greening the curriculum and offering a new program and courses, then that’s what I do.”

Drake’s father set her on the path of an environmentally conscious geographer and inspired her to “make the earth a better place,” she said.

“My dad was a composter when composting wasn’t cool,” she said. “All the other kids had garbage disposals and we didn’t. Respect nature, don’t trash the world, recycle and compost everything.

That all came from my dad. He was my big EcoHero.”

SMC also honored the curriculum committee that worked in cooperation with Drake on the greening of the curriculum.

“We want to create students that are

committee,” Bertone said. “They have been instrumental at advising us on how to navigate the process and on how to make the best of turning our passion to a program.”

The program enables the student to earn certificates in energy efficiency and recycling resource management, which makes SMC the only institution in the nation to offer a degree in recycling, as stated at the event by Jeff Shimizu, vice president of student affairs.

Drake said that it is important to acknowledge the value of the planet and to promote sustainability at SMC. “Santa Monica College is a leader,” she said. “We always have been a leader in all different areas. Now we are a very big leader in sustainability. We have set the bar so high that we are creating a national standard.”

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

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+ entertainment 10 arts

volume 105 issue 9 • april 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Hitting the books “We expanded to not just be about books, but everything that is inspired by the written word.” ­ —Scott Dallavo, director of events and strategic partnerships for the Los Angeles Times.

Hajung Shin Corsair

Alan finds an interesting book at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books at University of Southern California on April 20.

Maria Chiu Contributor The year’s 18th annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books featured conversations with renowned authors, such as Joyce Carol Oates and Orson Scott Card. American icons like Debbie Reynolds and Carol Burnett took the stage to speak about their memoirs.

Children were giddy from having met Lemony Snicket in person.

“Where else can you sit and see Carol Burnett and Debbie Reynolds and hear them tell stories about the golden age of TV and film?” said Cindy Dlughch, who was there with her daughter, Lillye Dlughch.

The familiar white tents filled the University of Southern Californa campus last weekend as book lovers came together for the festival.

“Lillye has grown up at the book fair, she’s been coming here since she was little… I used to bring her in a wagon and now she’s going to college,” said Dlughch.

“I’m kind of as old as the book fair then,” said Lillye Dlughch, who has been coming to the festival since the age of 1.

She is now 18 years old.

On stage, Molly Ringwald, of "Sixteen Candles" fame, read an excerpt from her new novel, "When It Happens to You." “Writing is something I’ve always done, since I could pick up a pen,” Ringwald said. “It was something that I didn’t know I would necessarily do professionally or publicly. My writing had to get a certain level for myself.”

Danica McKellar, also known for her acting, talked and at times sang about her passion for motivating young girls to love math. With witty titles like, "Kiss My Math" and "Girls Get Curves: Geometry Takes Shape," McKellar subtracts away the fear of the subject.

“My favorite thing about writing the books is that challenge of how do I make this so non-mathy? How do I make this feel fun?” McKellar said.

By the USC football field, famous chef and TV personality, Ludo Lefebvre, led a cooking demonstration and shared his

favorite ingredients.

“Ten or fifteen years ago, I hate flowers on food,” Lefebvre said. “It was so tacky.”

Lefebvre admitted to putting flowers on food sometimes, “but it needs to be a good flower, with a lot of flavor.”

Amidst the music, food and tents, panels on a variety of topics brought people out of the sun and into the USC auditoriums and classrooms.

During the "Guns in America" panel, the audience listened to experts detail and debate the history and nature of the second amendment, the popularity of Glock handguns, and the rise of the National Rifle Association.

“The language of the second amendment is an enigma,” said Erwin Chermerinsky, dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law and a member of the panel. “[The idea that] gun ownership is for individual rights is a fraud.”

In another classroom, Thomas Curwen, Constance Hale and Ben Yagoda discussed the nuances of writing in a panel called Not Just Writing Good: Writing Well.

“We humans have this innate love of the sound of words and delight in the music of language, which is completely beaten out of us in school," Hale said. “We’re taught to write academically. I regret that we aren’t encouraged to play and fail a little bit more.”

Authors, books and book signings were the main attractions, but the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books has evolved quite a bit from earlier years. Now, live bands, performances, cooking demonstrations, food trucks, comic books, poetry readings, film screenings, and hot topic panels are all in tow.

“We expanded to not just be about books, but everything that is inspired by the written word,” said Scott Dallavo, director of events and strategic partnerships for the Los Angeles Times.

If the assortment of events and activities could possibly leave anyone wanting more, Dallavo mentioned there were plans to expand the hours of the festival.

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

“We were endeavoring to do a night-time program, like a paid ticketed program for charity, a vaudeville show of some kind based on the written word or a musical

performance,” said Dallavo. “That was the goal for this year. We just didn’t find the right fit, but it’s definitely a goal.”

At CSU Channel Islands students make each other extraordinary. Every day they share ideas, learn from their diversity and give the kind of personal support that people expect from lifelong friends. It’s why students learn deeply here and prepare for their futures so well.

TOGETHER WE INNOVATE joinus.csuci.edu/cor @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

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CSU Channel Islands - Find Our Way Santa Monica City College - The Corsair Insertions: March 27, April 3, 17, 24, 2013

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volume 105 issue 9 • April 24, 2013 • santa monica college

arts + Entertainment 11

Trailer trash play a winner

Marine Gaste Corsair Jason Millward (left to right), Deborah Robinson, BreAnna Wittman, and Diane Fidalgo rehearse “The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife” by Del Shores at Santa Monica College on March 27. Millward plays the angry, abusive, adulterous, alcoholic husband, J.D. Winkler, Robinson plays LaSonia, Willadean’s best friend, Wittman plays Rayleen Hobbs, the waitress with whom the husband has an affair, and Fidalgo plays the trapped, weathered and abused housewife.

Kandace Santillana Staff Writer Santa Monica College's "The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife," directed by Adrianne Harrop, is a strong play that will make you laugh, cry, infuriate you, and even scare you.

Set in Texas, the play opens with the Piano Player and Blues Singer, played by SMC students Greg Rutledge and Janiqua Nettles, singing a song that sets up the opening scene. These two characters perform these types of songs in between scenes throughout the play.

The main character is Willadean Winkler, played by SMC student Diane Fidalgo, a housewife who suffers from the abuse of her husband J.D. Winkler, played by Jason Millward. Her neighbor LaSonia Robinson, played

by Deborah Robinson, tries to help out Willadean Winkler by telling her that being silent about her husband's abuse can take her to her death.

Throughout the first act, the fear of Willadean toward her husband is evident as she tries to appease his desires.

J.D. Winkler is a drunk who feels he has power over his wife because she follows his orders to avoid mistreatment.

Willadean constantly repeats the phrase "I will not shrivel up and die" in a scared voice while rocking back and forth in place, bringing to light just how much she has to deal with what she is going through.

One day, she finds her husband cheating on her with the waitress Rayleen Hobbs, played by SMC student Breanna Wittman, and finally decides to stand up to him.

With no surprise, J.D. reacts angrily and abuses his wife more than usual.

The first act ends with a terrifying scene that will leave the audience in suspense.

The second act does not begin with the continuation

of the cliffhanger scene from the previous act, displaying Willadean Winkler up on her feet as if nothing had happened. This act is where the stronger abuse begins, but it is also where a lot of changes happen for Willadean.

While beating his wife once more, J.D. yells at his wife saying, "I love you so much, Willi, and I want you to do what the Bible says so we can be happy." This juxtaposition will remind of the utter insanity in an abusive relationship, and will make the audience boil over with anger.

Each character has an interesting backstory that is revealed as the play goes on. The beginning the play will draw the audience in with its unique opening and will keep them engaged with the compelling storyline.

"The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife" is a must-see play.

‘Evil Dead’ should have stayed dead David Yapkowitz Sports Editor

Dismembered limbs, blood spraying everywhere and plenty of gore. Throw in a little demonic possession into the mix, and that is a typical horror movie these days.

Being a fan of horror movies, early previews sparked my curiosity of "Evil Dead," even though I was not very familiar with the franchise.

While the original "The Evil Dead," released in 1981, may have been innovative for its time, the newer version is simply a rehash of a story that has been overdone.

The new movie does engage the audiences' attention more quickly than the original, with a father being forced to burn his possessed daughter alive as she hurls obscenities at him. This serves as a nice little introduction to the following events that will take place in the film.

After that, however, there is not much to make it stand out as a horror movie

except for the never-ending gore.

The plot starts off quite simply with a group of college friends looking for a getaway in a remote cabin in the woods, and unsuspectingly release a dormant evil.

Where the new movie deviated from the original, which made it less enjoyable, was that it tried to weave in too many subplots that did not add much to the story.

Shiloh Fernandez played one of the lead roles as David, a young man who was lured to the getaway by his friends in a ploy to wean his younger sister off of her drug habit.

David has been away from his family for years and missed the death of his mentally ill mother. The back story of his mother's death, as well as his sister's drug addiction, did not enhance the story at all.

It would have been better served to leave it like the original without trying to add multiple storylines.

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

The original film also explained the evil in the woods better than the newer version.

In the original, the evil is summoned by the characters listening to an audio recording of the prior inhabitant of the cabin, a professor who uncovered an ancient Sumerian text that contains spells to unleash supernatural beings during an archaeological dig.

In this remake, one of the characters is drawn to the text for no apparent reason, and can somehow translate the book and understand all the spells it contains in another somewhat useless subplot.

Aside from the poor minor plots, the characters themselves were not very strong - the lead in particular.

Fernandez's character was rather weak compared to his counterpart in the original, Ashley Williams, played by Bruce Campbell.

David did not really react to the situation much and despite the numerous supernatural events occurring, he still refused to acknowledge anything, cuddling with his girlfriend and monotonically @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

telling her everything was okay, while she was drenched in blood and missing several limbs.

Compare that to Ashley, the lead character in the original, who took charge of the situation right away and knew exactly what he was up against — demons from Hell.

Speaking of demons, the whole possession aspect of the horror genre is overdone in general. While this "Evil Dead" is a remake, the original can stand as is without any tinkering.

It seems like every horror movie these days has to include a demon who takes control of a human host and begins to wreak havoc. The demon then proceeds to engage its victims with immature banter that comes across more as annoying and something you would expect out of a small child, rather than some all-powerful creature from the beyond.

Unfortunately, good horror movies are dead, and great plots have been replaced with blood, guts and infantile demons.

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12 sports

volume 105 issue 9 • April 24, 2013 • santa monica college

Kaori Tsuda: Uncharted territory

Mark Popovich Corsair Kaori Tsuda, the second-ranked singles player on the Santa Monica College women’s tennis team, will participate in the State Championships April 25-28 in Ojai, Calif.

Tina Eady Staff Writer The journey from Tokyo to Los Angeles was a necessary one for Kaori Tsuda, to chart a course that led to Santa Monica College and a historic win for the Lady Corsairs tennis team.

For the first time in team history, SMC won the doubles competition of the

Western State Conference Championships on April 12, highlighted by Kaori Tsuda, and her teammate Juliana Nelkin.

Add that to Tsuda's current singles ranking, 13th in Southern California, and she was beaming at the win-win situation.

"She's got a killer forehand," said Nelkin.

"And she poaches well."

In Japan, Tsuda's parents played tennis as a hobby and she played the sport throughout her grade school years.

"My family was very active. They liked sports," said Tsuda.

Tsuda had a constant diet of tennis and competitive tournaments. She went to the nationals in Japan, twice. She also served as an instructor at a tennis club for men and women over forty.

After graduating high school, Tsuda took a break from tennis and studied tourism, ending up with a job at the Japanese Travel Agency for four years.

"I didn't have time to play tennis while working," said Tsuda. "I didn't want to stay in tourism, so I decided to leave Japan and come to the US." After a discussion with her parents, Tsuda came to Los Angeles at the age of 24. She started work at a publishing company in Torrance.

"I was adjusting to life here [in Los Angeles] and I played tennis with some friends I met at work," said Tsuda.

One of her friends from work asked her to play with her on a United States Tennis Association team.

"I played on the team and realized how much tennis was a part of me," said Tsuda. "It was something I was missing."

Her passion led her to enroll in SMC's tennis class.

"The fall semester I took the [tennis]

class and Richard [Goldenson] asked me to join the team," said Tsuda.

She began training and preparing for her first season in college sports.

"I started practicing in January and by March I noticed my mind was fixed, my muscles got bigger and I was playing better," Tsuda said.

In February, she earned a number-two ranking amongst her teammates in singles play.

"With more practice, my tennis improved, my style of playing got better too," she said. "My trainer helped me. My back muscles were weak and she told me how to strengthen it with push ups, sit ups and using a machine that massages my back."

Her improvement and increased conditioning has come much to the delight of SMC head coach Richard Goldenson.

"She is becoming more fit because of training. She's doing the exercises and becoming a much stronger player," said Goldenson.

Goldenson attributed the WSC doubles championship win for Tsuda and Nelkin to Tsuda's increased training and practice.

"The win for me and Juliana was a good one, but I still want to get stronger and better," said Tsuda.

The State Championships for tennis are scheduled for April 25-28 in Ojai, where Tsuda will be representing SMC along with the rest of her teammates.

A true example of dedication James Hustace Contributor Bradley Rava was out of the pool by 9 a.m. on Sunday, after finishing what he called a “warm down,” a type of recuperative workout.

Rava, along with the rest of the Santa Monica College swim team, had just returned from the Western State Conference swim championships at Los Angeles Valley College.

It was a typical Sunday for him in some respects, Rava often takes to the pool every morning each week, but with an added emphasis.

Later that afternoon, swimmers from across California would find out whether or not they qualified for the State Championships.

“The whole team was shaved and tapered for the meet. We got in our tech suits and everyone dropped times,” said Rava with a serious enthusiasm.

Tapering, he explained, is the process of gradually reducing a swimmer’s workload prior to a big competition.

Rava is a self-described competitor, and as a freshman at SMC he has been a standout, regularly finishing in the top four at swim meets, including two-first place finishes at SMC’s last home meet.

He grew up in El Segundo and started swimming in the fourth grade at the behest of his mother.

“My sisters were swimming and my mom wanted me to do something, so swimming was the natural choice.”

Rava got serious about the sport in middle school when he first broke a minute in the 100-meter freestyle.

“I was really excited about that,” said Rava.

This season, Rava performed best in the 500 and 1,650-yard freestyle events.

“I am not that versatile. I pretty much stick to the freestyle events, but I am the only one at SMC with the background to swim distance,”

said Rava, a strength he attributed to a coach he had in high school whose focus was distance oriented.

Steven Contarsy, SMC's head swim coach, sees it a little differently. He credits Rava’s success to his tenacious “unparalleled work ethic,” and “incredible focus.”

According to Contarsy, Rava never misses a practice and is usually the first one in the water.

“Bradley [Rava] performs at his maximum ability all the time. He doesn’t take short cuts, and he never cheats. He is a true testament to the idea that dedication and hard work pays off,” said Contarsy.

Monday through Friday, Rava is in the pool twice, once at 6 a.m. and then again at noon, for two-hour workout sessions. A typical warm-up set is 20 laps followed by a 400-meter medley.

Rava, who thinks a lot about the science of swimming, explained that the workouts main set, which might include pulling sets and kick sets, varies from day to day in order to maintain flexibility of movement.

Rava was recruited out of high school for his swimming talents by a number of Division II and III schools, but decided to attend SMC for, as he put it, “the same reason many students come here. We want to do better.”

Ultimately he hopes to transfer to USC to continue his swimming career and pursue his major, which is mathematics.

On the immediate horizon though, is a date at East Los Angeles Community College.

Beginning April 25, swimmers with the best times in California will converge there for the 2013 state championships.

Rava placed second in the 500-yard freestyle and third in the 1,650-yard freestyle at last weekend’s conference meet.

“It looks like my times are going to get me in,” said Rava.

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

David J. Hawkins Corsair

Bradley Rava, a freestyle swimmer for Santa Monica College, poses on Monday at the Santa Monica Swim Center. Rava will swim in the 2013 Swim State Championships, hosted by East Los Angeles College, on April 25-27.

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