Volume 105 Issue 14

volume 105 issue 14• may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

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volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 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, Tina Eady, Skya Eiland, Djon Ellams, Amy Gaskin, Marine Gaste, Manon Genevier, Felipe Gouveia, David J. Hawkins, Sam Herron, Jasmin Huynh, Simon Luca Manili, Asha McClendon, Rona Navales, Andrew Nguyen, Jimmy Rodriguez, Kandace Santillana, HaJung Shin, Niklas Thim, Eva Underwood

Sam Herron Corsair Santa Monica College student Joe Mielich takes a photo of Jenny Gustavsson as she models for SMC photography students inside an overturned refrigerator on Tuesday. The students were working on an end-of-semester project near the science buildings on campus.

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volume 105 issue 14 • May 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Suspected gunman identified

news 3

Elizabeth Moss News Editor The student suspected of threatening to shoot at Santa Monica College has been identified as Neiman Jerome Smith, the Los Angeles Police Department Media Relations Unit stated.

Smith is being charged with making felony criminal threats. Authorities have placed a $50,000 bail over his head.

According to the California Penal Code 422, a “criminal threat,” formerly known as a terrorist threat, is a threat of “death or great bodily injury to another person.”

The guilty party can be charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony and spend up to four years in state prison.

Nineteen-year-old Smith phoned at 8 a.m. on May 16 threatening to “shoot up the school,” according to a press release from the Santa Monica Police Department. The suspect made references to other schools Alex Vejar Corsair in the city, prompting the lockdown and Santa Monica College Police Department Sgt. Jere Romano and other officers escort the evacuation of several institutions that suspected gunman out of Psychological Services on Thursday, May 16. morning.

Smith turned himself over to police via Psychological Services. He was unarmed.

“I think what it does for the whole community is, it raises our awareness that we really should all know what we need to be doing during those situations,” said Albert Vasquez, chief of the Santa Monica College Police Department.

While Pearl Street was closed for the duration of the threat, students continued to walk into campus from Pico Boulevard.

Vasquez said that the Big Blue Bus was eventually contacted about the situation and henceforth stopped letting people off at the front of the school.

Vasquez said the SMCPD is looking to revamp the emergency call stations located throughout campus so that they can hold speakers that would alert students to any threat.

Vasquez said President and Superintendent Chui L. Tsang has assembled a “small task force” to work on these issues.

The LAPD is leading the investigation.

The end of an era Molly Philbin Opinion Editor He made winter session possible. He controversially brought a green party candidate to speak at the school. He saw the passage of Proposition 30.

Through thick and thin, Parker Jean has represented Santa Monica College as president of the Associated Students.

The Texas native was raised by his single mother alongside his older brother, Grant, who moved to Los Angeles upon graduating high school. Jean and his mother followed suit, and Jean finished high school at Corona del Mar, then attended SMC. “I came into [SMC] knowing that I wanted to get involved, and be as involved as I could possibly be, except I just didn’t know in what field I would focus my attention in,” Jean said.

At the beginning of his time at SMC, Jean was invested in sports. In his first year, he took an advanced weight-lifting class and trained with the football team. He also accepted an offer to be an AS commissioner for then-president and roommate Harrison Wills.

At the time, Jean said he really enjoyed campus politics, but was not ready to make his academics secondary to football, although he still wanted to remain involved.

When spring came around, and elections were coming up for student government, Jean ran for president, even though he was still torn between politics and football.

“I was sort of letting the universe decide for me — I set it up so where if I didn’t win, then I would go and play football,” Jean said. “Looking back on it, I’m glad that I won because football is just not where my future is.”

Jean won the presidential election with 823 votes and 49.3 percent in a three-way race, succeeding Wills.

Jean led the Paradigm Shift ticket, which swept the year’s election, taking 11 of the 13 seats. All but one member from the slate was not elected, except six people dropped out during his presidency for varied reasons and had to be replaced. Members of Paradigm Shift were endorsed by Wills.

Compared to Wills’ board, Jean said he had a very peaceful board because in

general, everyone respected each other’s goals and visions, and nobody tried to block anybody from accomplishing anything.

With the help of Yacob Zuriaw, director of financial support and student advocacy, AS was able to execute three town hall meetings and create a town hall forum in the quad where students who had problems could freely express them, from expensive cafeteria food to parking problems.

“That was really incredible because students were really able to start speaking up in places that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to,” Jean said.

Jean was also proud of the teach-ins held such as the State of Education Teach-In at the Cayton Center in anticipation of November’s election in October, which provided a platform for the Peace and Freedom, Libertarian, Republican and Green parties to share their platforms’ views on politics, Proposition 30, and their stances on education.

“My goal is never to indoctrinate; my goal is to discuss and give the ability for students to question and to ask questions,” Jean said.

Proposition 30 and voter registration was another focus of the AS this year because Jean said they acknowledged the proposition was critical in its passage because of the immediate effect it would have on classes. Jean’s campaigning paid off, and the proposition was passed.

“I wanted to tell students that it’s not all up to me; it’s up to us,” Jean said.

The Budget Planning Committee passed a motion to revisit dialogue about having a winter session, which was then received by the District Planning and Advisory Council that Jean sat on. He brought up the possibility of the AS donating money to the deficit fund.

The AS voted and approved the contribution of $200,000 to provide an AS co-sponsored winter session — the money covered 15 percent of the roughly $1.5 million price tag, Jean said.

“That was monumental, reopening those classes, because that really shifted the tone on campus from a lingering pessimistic wave to a very positive reality,” he said.

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Colette Blonigan Contributor Santa Monica College Associated Students President Parker Jean participates in the SMC Bike Club’s Bike and Hike from SMC to Temescal Canyon on Friday. The Bike Club has a festival and bicycle exposition and a night ride planned before the end of this semester.

Jean said he is glad that he ended up involved in student government and that it changed his life and left him with fond memories.

“I remember a lot of students coming to me afterward that said that because [they] had the winter session [they were] going to be able to transfer now; that was really cool,” Jean said. “I would just tell them, it’s not my money, it’s the students’ money — I just facilitated where it went.”

He advised that the incoming board should not worry about achieving @t h e _ c o r s a i r •

consensus on everything they do, but instead everybody should have one goal that they carry through.

Jean said he will spend his summer in Washington, D.C. on the Dale Ride internship, which allows SMC students to participate in politics.

“Hopefully students remember me not as someone who was here to gain power, but to just dedicate my time to benefitting students and having genuine and sincere intentions to do good things,” Jean said.

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4 News

volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Website sends class opening alerts to your cell

iPhone 5 users, carry on 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

Vanessa Barajas Staff Writer

crim e log

Thieves at Santa Monica College have somehow managed to avoid the hype of the new Apple iPhone, since they are only stealing the older model.

Last Monday, an iPhone 4S was reported stolen from the Humanities and Social Sciences Building on the main campus.

According to the report, the cell phone was left unattended after the female student set it down on the shelf before washing her hands in the restroom. Upon returning to pick it up, it was gone and she was unable to see who took it since the restroom was crowded.

No witnesses have come forward regarding the cell phone.

Last Wednesday afternoon, another iPhone 4 was stolen after being left unattended along with other belongings on the side of the track. The female student went for a run and upon returning one hour and 40 minutes later, she realized it was missing. According to the report, an unknown individual may have been seen standing near the victim's belongings by a possible witness. However, more information cannot be disclosed as the case is still under investigation.

Last Friday morning in the Library, an iPhone 4S was stolen after being left unattended by it's owner for a reported thirty minutes when the student fell asleep on his desk. There were no identified witnesses and no new leads regarding the stolen phone.

Scheming potential thieves may do well to know that citations for petty theft remain on his or her record forever, as there is no way to clear a citation such as these.

"It will remain part of their criminal history and available to anyone who performs background check investigations particularly for employment," says Santa Monica College police Sgt. Jere Romano.

Illustrations by Vanessa Barajas & Jhosef Hern Corsair

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Santa Monica College has budget restrictions and heavy budget cuts that result in fewer classes for more than 30,000 students, reducing course offerings.

Alertification, a website launched early this May, allows students to receive an alert through text or email as soon as a space becomes available in a previously filled class.

The website was built by University of California, Los Angeles graduate Brian Roizen and his younger brother, undergraduate Robert Roizen.

Alertification is capable of working with nearly any school’s website. Users enter a specific URL to their school’s course listing, and are navigated to a page where they can then click on a desired class and receive an alert sent to their phone once a selected class has a status change.

“I made the website actually with UCLA in mind,” said Brian Roizen. “I used it when I was an undergrad. I made it just for myself and my brother.”

Molly Philbin Opinion Editor After making the site available to a few classmates, friends from other colleges started asking if they could receive the alerts too.

“The problem was, I had just made it for UCLA and it was very difficult to make it work at SMC and every subsequent college, so I rewrote it so it would work everywhere,” Brian Roizen said.

It took the brothers about two weeks to make Alertification for UCLA, Brian Roizen said. In order to make it more general, the UCLA version was scrapped, and the entire system was reworked, which took six months.

Alertification is set up so students can easily navigate the site, and if problems are encountered, there is a video that walks students through the process. Brian Roizen also suggests students to send feedback and is open to suggestions to improve the website.

Naomi Robin, a second-year student at SMC who plans to transfer to UCLA,

found out about Alertification through Facebook sharing. She said that she was so impressed with the program that she initially wanted to keep it to herself, but eventually suggested it to her friends.

“It’s really hard to find classes here at SMC, so to finally have something that helps [students] get the classes we need is heavenly — the best thing I could have asked for,” Robin said.

According to Alertification’s databases, about 20 colleges use the site and many students have learned about it through word-of-mouth, said Brian Roizen.

Brian Roizen said he hopes that the site expands to more schools in general because the frustration of checking on something periodically is a problem that college students experience, but very few people think of automating it.

Alertification may begin charging for use, Brian Roizen said, but will remain free for about two more months.

Student awarded Cooke scholarship Elizabeth Moss News Editor

At the age of 17, Santa Monica College student Scott Pine suffered football injuries to the head so traumatic, his ability to talk, read and write was severely damaged.

Four years later, he is the recipient of the nation’s largest privately-funded scholarship of its kind.

Pine is the second SMC student in three years to win the Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, which this year awarded 73 community college students out of 769 candidates up to $30,000 to complete their bachelor’s degree at a four-year university.

It took Pine six months to recover from his football injuries. During that time, he had trouble comprehending words on a page and talking was extremely difficult.

“It’s definitely been a journey,” said Pine.

“At the time football was my identity; it was who I was. It was very painful physically, psychological, emotionally. Laying in bed,

I realized football was not an option.”

He then decided to take advantage of his education. Pine has since won a number of scholarships, including the Second Chance Foundation scholarship and the SMC Foundation President’s Scholarship.

“When I found out [about the Cooke scholarship], I was completely surprised because I was waiting for a very long time,” said Pine. “I initially felt mixed feelings of gratitude and relief because I worked so hard just to be nominated by the school.”

As a psychology major, Pine has conducted original research in the field, as well as had an article published in a rookie newsletter for the Society for Psychological Studies Association. Pine will be transferring to University of California, Los Angeles in the fall as a pre-psychology major. He is currently a volunteer intern at the UCLA psychology lab.

“I was happy but not surprised that Scott

Pine was the recipient of the Jack Cooke Scholarship,” said SMC’s President and Superintendent Chui L. Tsang in a press release.

Pine serves as one of Tsang’s 13 student ambassadors.

“He is extremely focused on getting an education and he is on a mission,” Tsang said.

Pine will also spend his summer in Washington D.C. as a Dale Ride intern at the American Psychological Association’s Public Interest and Government Relations Office.

“I would have never imagined that I would be here today, going to UCLA, doing everything I’ve done in my community,” Pine said. “It’s not something I wanted to do at the time. Suffering this injury really forced me to take a step back and reassess who I was, what I valued and what I wanted to do moving forward.”

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Opinion 5

volume 105 issue 14 • May 29, 2013 • santa monica college

When sex becomes an issue Rona Navales

Staff Writer Sex is typically a beautiful, healthy activity for relationships, but when someone can literally not keep it in their pants, then this enjoyable act can become a serious medical concern.

Sex addiction is often looked down upon in the media and, like in Tiger Woods’ case, made the butt of everyone’s joke. However, to those caught in a cycle of pain, guilt and shame, this seemingly self-indulgent act brings little relief or happiness and is very real.

Dr. Arsalan Malik, a Santa Monica psychiatrist, explains that the term can be used too casually to justify inappropriate and unfaithful behavior.

Athletes or people in the entertainment industry have affairs for years, and as soon as they admit to being unfaithful, all of sudden it is due to sex addiction. Irrationality and lack of self-control cannot automatically be an addiction.

Sex is essential and an optimistic part of life. To classify it as an addiction due to bad behavior is absolutely controversial. Sex should be continued to help a relationship grow.

Someone’s overall health can improve by having a healthy sex life because it reduces stress and boosts confidence within a relationship. At the same time, it burns calories and are in tune with your sensual side.

From a health perspective, magazines like Men’s Health and Cosmopolitan encourage safe and great sex.

“If someone is compulsive around sex in a way where it is harming their relationship or preventing them from tending to their life commitments like their job, relationships, those kinds of things, then it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with,” said Dr. Jenn Berman, host of VH1’s “Couples Therapy” and “The Love and Sex Show” on Cosmo Radio.

Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

Although obsessive sexual behavior is not an addiction, as classified by the DSM-5, which is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, “sex addiction” is a common term for a progressive intimacy disorder characterized by compulsive sexual thoughts and acts that interferes with a person’s normal day-to-day life, including family, work and school.

“There’s a lot of controversy behind the idea of sex addiction,” said Berman. “To me what you call it is so much less important than what the problem is, and how you treat it.”

Sex is a big deal in college. Tension among students that initially seems innocent may be a gateway to sex addiction, so when a student reaches a point when they are neglecting their schoolwork because of a growing sexual obsession, then students should reflect on their priorities and be aware of the harm sex addiction can bring.

“Out of control sexual behaviors can be seen in a variety of difference, such as psychiatric illnesses — for example, what is commonly known as nymphomania in women and satyriasis in men,” said Malik.

The term sex addiction is a manifestation of other psychiatric disorders, which is the case for most situations. Additional underlying issues should be accommodated prior to looking at the sexual behaviors.

Positive aspects of sex are that it is fun, contributes to healthy relationships, and releases endorphins. Without sex in a relationship, typically infidelity arises.

Berman and Barthol both suggest that sex addicts abide by a 12-step spiritual deficit, which provides a support system and role models who have been abstinent.

Sara Barthol, LCSW, Therapist and Clinical Social Worker, says she helps her clients by having them identify their problems and reflect on the consequences of their overly-expressed sexual behavior such as sabotaged relationships or career issues.

Similar to the withdrawals of a substance abuse addict, sex with multiple partners over and over again becomes habitual and if it is not maintained, then addicts may experience a very negative emotional state, said Malik.

Malik explains that medically, when a sex addict is going through a withdrawal, their dopamine levels decrease and stressinducing neurotransmitters, like cortisol, increase.

Malik said that sex is a normal sexual appetite, and that they need to have sex in order to have a fulfilling life.

Sex is a part of life that should not be neglected nor out-of-hand.

YouTube knows comedy Raul Cervantes

Staff Writer YouTube is transforming the platform for comedy and is redefining the creative capabilities for the hopeful comic.

Students may have heard of YouTube’s Comedy Week that took place from May 19 to May 25.

There are roughly 150 videos that are the product of the weeklong event. Although this was a proposed “live” event, the videos will forever remain viewable on YouTube.

A week’s worth of laughs and awkward moments, Comedy Week was star-studded with some very high-profile comedic names, and some not-so-high-profile ones.

Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, The Lonely Island, Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Jeff Ross, Skrillex and Andy Milonakis were all a part of Comedy Week. Also many YouTubers participated alongside these big names, such as Grace Helbig of DailyGrace, and Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld of CollegeHumor.

There were even musical appearances by Garfunkel and Oats and Reggie Watts.

As demonstrated by the activities of the past week, YouTube has become a platform

for comedic creativity that is unlike any other medium, and that is a great thing.

It allows literally anyone with a camera and Internet access to try their hand at creative entertainment.

Even influential actors, musicians and comedians take to YouTube to continue their craft, and in some cases, like Bobby Lee, completely convert from television to YouTube exclusively.

If it were not for YouTube, a lot of comics would not see the light of day.

YouTube serves as a gateway to bigger projects, such as full-length movies or sometimes even comedy tours, like the midtour NoFilter Tour with Helbig.

With the big success YouTube’s Comedy Week has seen, I would expect similar events to be held in the future and even advertised through other means of entertainment, such as television commercials or Pandora and Spotify ads.

Comedy Week might even set the trend for events to be hosted on YouTube.

However, with events with such highprofile celebrities, I would not be surprised if YouTube were to start charging fees to subscribers for premium memberships.

Although predicted to be nothing more than $8 a month — compared to the rates offered by Hulu and Netflix — charging people for a media that has grown based

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Illustration by Jhosef Hern Corsair

off of its simplicity and acceptance would change its concept entirely and upset many.

If people wanted to pay to see these comedians and actors, they would be better off paying to go watch a movie they are in, or paying for a ticket to their tour. For all we know, we do not need more people investing in and obsessing over something on their computer screen.

Regardless of the future perils and success, Comedy Week was a great idea and was very well received. Unarguably, blending “real-world” fame with YouTube fame was amazing.

The break from seeing movie stars only hang out with other movie stars was refreshing, and many real-life actors seemed like they had more wiggle-room to be themselves and project their comedic genius.

With YouTube being such an expansive platform on which to build, the future looks bright for comedy.

@t h e _ c o r s a i r •

Staff Editorial

Good riddance spring, hello summer Unfortunately, Santa Monica College has been no stranger to tragedy and calamity this semester. Spring 2013 has been synonymous with a myriad of morbid firsts that seem intent on lowering the morale of the student body.

Students have endured smear campaigns and apathetic student voters, a bomb threat, a suicide on campus, all before the gunman showed up.

Values cherished by the college’s own mission statement are in jeopardy.

Heading into spring from winter 2013, SMC was riding an emotional high.

Proposition 30 had passed, the intersession commenced and crisis was averted, the horizon looking bright, and troubles of the past behind us.

The campus was even beginning to forget the pepper spray incident. However, it would not be long before the sense of security and accomplishment was shattered.

The 2013 Associated Students election took place and resulted in Taynara Moura, the former President’s Ambassador, becoming the new AS President.

On the other hand, there could not be greater voter apathy on campus when no more than 600 people came out to vote for the ballot initiative elections — less than a whopping two percent of our more than 33,000 student body. The AS even resorted to bribing students with cookies to generate votes.

Eight weeks in, the lackluster attempt at student governance seemed to be the low point of the school season.

A week after the results, there was a bomb threat on the nation’s number one transfer school, after a note was left in the women’s bathroom. The quad was evacuated, and thousands of students either left or missed their classes.

Less than two weeks later, an SMC student was found dead near the parking structure.

Feeling depressed, Tian Lu committed suicide, becoming the first student to do so on campus in SMC’s 84-year history, days before Mental Health Week.

Shortly following Mental Health Week, Neiman Jerome Smith made claims to campus police that he had a firearm on campus resulting in an hour-long lockdown; the first lockdown in years.

Smith turned himself into Psychological Services, and thankfully, no one was injured, but the damage to SMC’s reputation was already done.

Amid the chaos and threats of destruction of lives and property, the 2013 study abroad program in China was canceled.

The campus was almost blown up, and shot up, and now students cannot even go overseas to flee the omnipresent danger.

Students should never be afraid to come to campus and yet, with the series of unfortunate events that have plagued the community college in the city by the sea, this is now a sad reality.

If SMC is to move forward, it will take a communal effort. We implore everyone to not be complacent and stay informed about the events going on around us.

Or else, get used to this semester, because this will be SMC, and behold the dredges we have sunk to.

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6 photostory

volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Abel Zarate (left) served in the Marines from 2003 to 2010 and mourns the death of his mentor and platoon sergeant, Nicholas Nolte. “Nick was my mentor when I first went my platoon sergeant and was killed in Iraq.” Brody Schmidt (right) comforts Zarate. Schmidt’s nephew was killed nine months ago in Afghanistan. A ceremony was held at Ar for Peace, where doves were released and crosses and caskets were displayed on Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, in Santa Monica.

Visitors look at the memorial photos of veterans at the beach near the Santa Mon

Amy Gaskin Corsair Beachgoers walk past memorial flags, crosses and mementos.

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Memorial Da Honoring our fallen

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photostory 7

volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Amy Gaskin Corsair into the Marines,” he says. “He was rlington West, a project of Veterans

nica Pier.

Arlene Karno Corsair Aron, a homeless United States veteran, takes donations on Rose Avenue in Venice on Memorial Day. When asked where he served, Aron looks at the ground and says, “I’d rather not discuss it. That’s why I am here.” He claims to be on a cleansing diet, but in fact, he cannot digest food. His official diagnosis is a herniated ulcer of the stomach. He subsists on chocolate-flavored Ensure.

Amy Gaskin Corsair

ay: n heroes

Amy Gaskin Corsair Lola Castorina, 8, of Los Angeles, puts flowers and flags at veterans’ graves at the Los Angeles National Cemetery on Memorial Day.

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+ Entertainment 8 Arts

volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Fun book promotes digital detox Alex Vejar A&E Editor If you start marking things you “like” with Post-It notes, you might be a Facebook addict.

If your mom lets you know that dinner is ready by posting on your wall, instead of coming to your room, you might be a Facebook addict.

If on your first date, you suggest changing your relationship status to "in a relationship," you might be a Facebook addict.

Those situations and more are at the heart of a humorous new book that promotes a break from the digital world that the general population seems to be engulfed in.

Live Consciously Publishing hosted the launch party of Gemini Adams' new book "The Facebook Diet: 50 Funny Signs of Facebook Addiction and Ways to Unplug with a Digital Detox" in the Writers' Bootcamp space at Bergamot Station last Thursday.

The theme of the night was "Get Unplugged," which is also the name of the book series that Adams is producing — the Facebook book being the first.

Excerpts from the book hung on the wall, and after Adams gave a presentation, the audience enjoyed a musical performance and a yoga session.

Attendees could have their pictures taken in a booth with a pink, fuzzy backdrop.

The book is meant to be "tongue in cheek," but also to have a serious message, Adams said.

Christophor McGovern Corsair Gemini Adams gives a presentation on her new book “The Facebook Diet: 50 Funny Signs of Facebook Addiction and Ways to Unplug with a Digital Detox” in the Writers’ Bootcamp space at Bergamot Station on May 23.

"I wanted to kind of tickle people into awareness," she said.

Adams came up with the idea for the series after realizing that she was spending more and more time on Facebook and writing in front of a computer screen.

After getting a break from her digital world by doing illustrations outside, she wanted to find out other ways that society as a whole can live their lives.

"It just sucks us in and it's hard to control that sometimes," Adams said about the ease of getting lost in social networking.

There are currently over one billion

users on Facebook. As of December 2012, 67 percent of adults online use social networking sites, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Alexandra Hernandez, 25, said she deleted her Facebook to help her get over a recent breakup. At first, she struggled.

"The first week or two, I felt really isolated," she said.

But after awhile, she got used to not being so connected to the digital world, and now enjoys the feeling of having faceto-face connections with people in her life.

"I feel like the older you get, the less

continuity you have in your life," she said.

"So I feel like I spend the majority of my time communicating with my friends, but just not on a social network."

Tom Hummel, publisher of the book, said that while he does have a Facebook account, he does not use it very often because it becomes "some sort of compulsion" when he checks it, and considers the popular social networking site as "a way to kill time."

However, he also sees a positive aspect of social networking as a whole.

"I think that it actually serves a purpose for a lot of poeple that dont have a lot of time and still want to keep up on what their friends are doing," Hummel said.

"It's a good way to keep in touch."

Hummel likes to detach from the digital world by reading.

"If I get sucked into a good book, I cant wait to pick it up again," he said. "I don't feel that way same way about Facebook."

Steven Releford, 24, said he does not think it is that easy to completely let go of social networking.

"It's almost like it's hard to detach because we have so many aliases and so many parts of us that are on social media," he said. "So we feel like we have to control these different worlds that we’re also simultaneously a part of, and that kind of takes you out of the present."

Hernandez said she feels that letting go of the digital crutch can benefit others.

"I think it could be a good reminder just to kind of enjoy the moment," she said.

Adams will release “diet” books on Twitter, YouTube and Instagram in the future.

SMC vocalist sings national anthem at Dodger game Asha McClendon Staff Writer Not too long ago, Santa Monica College appliedvocal student Jonathan Hernandez was performing "Drinking Song" from the famous opera "La Traviatta" with SMC's symphony orchestra at the Broad Stage.

After the show, Hernandez was approached by two people in the audience with a huge opportunity that he just could not pass up — a chance to sing the National Anthem at Dodger Stadium.

"It was a dream come true," Hernandez said about singing before a Los Angeles Dodgers game on May 1. "The way it happened was so sudden, and it just felt right being able to perform in front of all those people.

It was just very organic. It felt like home."

With only two weeks to practice, Hernandez made sure he was well prepared by working with his teacher David Goodman, a music professor at SMC. "I was the most relaxed out of everyone," Hernandez said. "I didn't get nervous, just maybe right before I was going to sing. But as soon as I grabbed the mic, I heard the organ, then all the nerves went away. It was really fun and exciting."

Hernandez said he has been a part of numerous plays and shows at SMC, such as the vocal showcase in April and the "SMC Opera Theatre Workshop: An Opera Extravaganza" this past Friday.

Hernandez' time at SMC has been a learning experience for him vocally.

"I grew up singing in church, so I grew up that way

with church music and pop and little bit of jazz, so coming to this new world of classical was definitely fresh and new for me," he said. "It was very refreshing and exciting because it allowed me to explore my instrument in a different way."

Hernandez has seemingly shown growth and consistency throughout his time in the applied vocal program. After singing opera for only six months, Hernandez has been awarded with a Full Production of Opera award.

"Jonathan is like many of my other upper level students — talented, career-driven and always an asset to the class with his beautiful voice," Goodman said.

"One big thing distinguishes him from most others.

He has been in the trenches overseas fighting for our country's freedom with his tour-of-duty in Iraq."

Hernandez said he was in the military from 2001 Courtesy of Los Angeles Dodgers to 2009, singing in multiple ceremonies, plays and showcases while he was in the army.

Jonathan Hernandez sings the national anthem before a Los In addition to being a singer, Hernandez is also a Angeles Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium on May 1. songwriter and is working on his album, which mixes pop and classical music. With Hernandez consistently "I grew up singing in church, so I grew preparing for shows, he is ready and excited to up that way with church music and pop continue working on his music career.

"I've been singing for such a long time, and I've and little bit of jazz, so coming to this been wanting to this for a long, long, long time and new world of classical was definitely now some doors are opening up for me, and it feels good," Hernandez said. "It's like, OK this is actually fresh and new for me." happening, and I'm really excited."

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

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volume 105 issue 14 • May 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Arts + ENtertainment 9

Film student goes to Cannes Marine Gaste Staff Writer The international popularity of Santa Monica College strikes again as Thales Corrêa, a film student from Brazil, had his first short film "Parents" screened during the Festival de Cannes in Paris, France this past week.

Corrêa wrote and directed the film, which features a teenager who is bullied by her friends and misunderstood by her own parents, a situation that tragically leads to her suicide.

Last year, it received Best Picture and Best Cinematography awards from the SMC Film Festival. It is also an official selection for the Black Hills Film Festival in South Dakota and Hamilton Film Festival in Ontario, Canada.

Having his work shown at the Short Film Corner screening room in Cannes increases Corrêa’s chances of having his film selected by international festivals, as well as revealing his talent to professionals in the industry.

“It is a very big event, and you have to plan a lot before you come here,” Corrêa said in an interview through Skype. “It is difficult for people to choose what to see, and since I am not famous and not even in the competition, I had to get a crew just to secure an audience to my screening.”

Although Corrêa was attending the

festival without his crew, he found support at the American Pavilion, the international booth representing countries from all over the world. He also said he had an encounter with the programmer of a festival of short films in San Francisco, who expressed an interest in screening his film next year.

Attending the event was a learning experience for Corrêa. He said being surrounded by people from all over the world presenting movies made in all sorts of ways comforted him into thinking that producing a film is not just creating and selling a piece of entertainment.

Corrêa said he wants to make a difference by touching people and by having them think deeper. He is always pleased to hear positive feedback on what effect the film has on his audience.

“The feedback is very important to me because it means that despite the artistic form I added to it, my message was still getting through,” Corrêa said.

Corrêa was already interested in film before he arrived to the United States from Brazil two years ago, but he got into the filmmaking process at SMC. He said all general education, as well as the film classes he took, contributed to his making of the film.

“They helped me shape the project I was creating having me consider different angles for my story,” he said.

Love at the center of ‘Millie’ David Yapkowitz Sports Editor

What's love got to do with it? Everything.

Love, a subject that has plagued mankind for centuries, is one of the central themes at the heart of "Thoroughly Modern Millie," the latest production from the Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department.

Originally written by Richard Morris, the play takes the audience on a journey back to the Roaring ‘20s, a time remembered for swing and jazz music sauntering in and out of dimly-lit bars and women in flapper dresses dancing along with sharply-dressed men sporting fedoras.

Arriving in New York from Kansas, Millie Dillmount, played by SMC student Allisen Beall, is determined to break into the workforce. She embraces the changing attitudes in the country to a more positive outlook on women, and embarks on an adventure in a strange new world.

On her first day in New York, a chance meeting with a slick-talking, charming Jimmy Smith, played by SMC student Jordan Paradise, changes her life forever.

Young Millie, persistent in redefining women's roles in society, is intent on eventually marrying a rich man, believing that reason is superior to love when it comes to marriage, completely oblivious of Jimmy's developing feelings for her.

Along the way, Millie befriends several aspiring actresses, including Miss Dorothy Brown, played by SMC student Autumn Powers, who are all staying at The Priscilla Hotel while looking for work.

The girls become caught up in a sinister plot headed by the sly and cunning Mrs. Meers, played by SMC student Krystyna Rodriguez, a singer who has fallen from

grace and is reduced to impersonating a Chinese hotel clerk while smuggling American women to Hong Kong as part of a prostitution ring.

The play is strung together with highly delightful musical numbers, which are performed impressively by the cast along with an amazing pit orchestra conducted by Gary Grey, a performance accompanist and instructor in the SMC music department.

Beall and Paradise were captivating in their respective roles as Millie and Jimmy, providing entertaining and comedic banter throughout the play, resulting in nonstop laughs and enjoyment.

In fact, the entire cast does a tremendous job. From the highly successful, yet very humble singer Muzzy Van Hossmere, played by SMC student Amanda Korkunis, to the quirky and aloof businessman Trevor Graydon, played

by SMC student Kelvin Chiang, to the stumbling and bumbling Chinese brothers Ching Ho and Bun Foo, played by SMC students Alex Cooper and Isaac Che, respectively; every character enhances the story and makes it very enjoyable.

Although set in the 1920s, the main themes of the play are highly relevant to any audience. The changing dynamic of the perception of women and their roles in society is still a major issue. The play uplifts women to a stature equal to men and as strong individuals capable of achieving whatever their male counterparts can.

The theme of love enforces the belief that material possessions and wealth do not make a relationship. Attraction and love are the most important components and if you follow your heart, you just might be surprised at what you discover.

for extended coverage visit us at thecorsaironline.com •

Marine Gaste Corsair Student Thales Corrêa looks at film books in the Santa Monica College library on Tuesday.

“SMC contributed to give me a cultural background about the history of the country and the people. SMC is basically the center of everything I am doing, everything is coming from there.”

All the projects Corrêa is involved in are with people he met at or through SMC. One of them is David M. Leidi, a former SMC student who currently attends New York University. They are currently working on a script together.

Besides filmmaking, Corrêa said he is very involved in the community in an effort to make a difference.

He and his marketing classmates created the Suicidal Awareness Team under the supervision of SMC professor A.J. Aldeman. It started as a mean to promote the film, raise awareness about suicide in the community, and gain more social responsibility following the recent suicide at SMC in which a student jumped to his death from a parking structure.

“When that happened, we got the message and it increased our responsibility

to bring awareness even more,” Corrêa said.

The team had already prepared campaigns developing a marketing plan to create an impact on people. One of them will occur on campus on June 4 with the distribution of wristbands that are yellow, which is the color of suicide prevention.

Another one titled “What Would You Say?” involved filming SMC students while they wrote positive messages to try and save lives. The videos will be posted on YouTube.

In addition, the team organized an offcampus event at a high school in Santa Monica, where they will screen Corrêa’s film as well as invite professionals who will discuss suicide to teenagers and their parents in an effort to raise awareness.

Corrêa still has a year to go at SMC. “I know it is difficult, but I have faith that SMC will help me transfer to UCLA,” he said.

For more information about the “Parents” film, visit parentsmovie.com.

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+ Lifestyle 10 health

volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Living the realities of post World War II

Vanessa Barajas Staff Writer Finn Reske-Nielsen currently retains functions as the United Nations’ resident coordinator and the UN Development Programme resident representative in Timor-Leste, making this his third post in the country. His UN career began in Zambia in 1977 when he wanted to take a short break from academia to “see the real world.”

During a lecture at Santa Monica College last Tuesday, Reske-Nielsen spoke about the effects, benefits and drawbacks of globalization.

Reske-Nielsen said he believes that in his 35 years of experience, the biggest lesson he has learned is that local promoting is the best way to make something work in a country, and if an international community attempts to make a change that locals do not want, it will fail.

Reske-Nielsen has also held the title of head of the UN Integrated Mission in TimorLeste, where he oversaw the withdrawal of UN peacekeeping forces in 2012.

Timor-Leste, or East Timor, is a small country located in Southeast Asia where the languages spoken are Tetum, Portuguese, Indoneisan, and English. The population is 1.172 million, according to the Central Intelligence Agency online library publications World Factbook page.

Reske-Nielsen’s involvement with international diplomacy has taken him to Geneva, UN Headquarters in New York, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Laos.

“Over the years, I worked in the areas of humanitarian relief, political affairs, development and UN peacekeeping,” said Reske-Nielsen in an email. “After more than 35 years in the service of the United Nations, I have just retired in my native country, Denmark.”

At the lecture, Reske-Nielsen explained how the UN formed to build peace and stability in different countries, how it has influenced simple functions in countries and that the UN reflects the global realities of

post World War II. All together, the UN includes 200,000 people, globally. One hundred thousand are employed in peacekeeping operations, making the UN the biggest peacekeeping operation in the world and an $8 billion peryear business, said Reske-Nielsen.

The United Nations also has an influence in everyday functions in the United States. Reske-Nielsen explained how all international civilization is regulated by a part of the UN. “You wouldn’t be able to travel by plane if it wasn’t for the UN because all International Civil Aviation is regulated by part of the UN,” said Reske-Nielsen. “If it wasn’t for the UN, involving United Postal Union, you wouldn’t be able to mail a letter beyond the border of the United States. If it wasn’t for the UN being involved with the International Telecommunications Union, that regulates all technical issues related to telecommunications, you would be in trouble.”

Reske-Nielsen said that Timor-Leste showed overwhelming support in 1999 for independence after which nearly 1,500 people were killed by anti-independence Timorese militias, after the referendum and 300,000 people were forced to become refugees.

“With peacekeeping, you deal with troops and police,” said Reske-Nielsen. “There were no state institutions or functioning police and [Timor-Leste] had no functional government or civil service.”

A short video clip shared at the lecture by Reske-Nielsen showed how the country of Timor-Leste has been affected by poverty with the people of the country living in flimsy, makeshift tents.

It is a country in which one in two children, under the age of five, are stunted as a result of malnutrition, he said.

However, the UN aiding Timor-Leste showed promising progress. It usually would take five to ten years to allow those who have been displaced from their homes to find a home, but it only took four years in TimorLeste, said Reske-Nielsen.

Through a process of institutional building,

Temperature Rising rona navales Staff Writer To kick off the summer, MAC Cosmetics used Memorial Day weekend to launch their new summer collection called Temperature Rising in front of their store, located on Third Street Promenade.

The event included entertainment such as DJs, performances and models.

People passing by or participating in the event were able to take pictures with the well-defined male models, who were wearing the MAC product Strobe Liquid’s Golden Elixir, that gave the models a glow, and Man Rays, which is a body oil.

The female models wore a cutout printed swimsuit, while the male models wore black boxer briefs to expose the adorned skin.

A few female models had very dramatic smoky-eye makeup with dewy, glowing tan skin. The male models did an exercise routine that received the attention of most of the audience.

The makeup artists and models also gave out pink or orange MAC water bottles.

Platinum-selling recording artist, singer-songwriter and model Kreesha Turner performed for the crowd.

She also had her makeup done at the store.

MAC southwest regional manager of artist training and development Melanie Lewis has been with the company for more than a decade and is still so passionate about the brand.

Lewis described the Temperature Rising line as very user friendly, meaning that any girl can use it. The products are said to illuminate, highlight and bring out the best of your summer skin.

HaJung Shin Corsair Finn Reske-Nielsen and students participate in a question-and-answer session after the lecture about his 35 years of experience with the United Nations on May 21 at Santa Monica College.

it took Timor-Leste two years to establish a system and elections were held in 2001.

The establishment of a new system was an arduous process.

“There were no courts in Timor-Leste,” said Reske-Nielsen. “We needed lawyers and we realized that was very difficult and would take a long time. Imagine what the United States would be like without a justice system.”

In 2002, Timor-Leste became its own official country, with Portuguese influence in East Timor and Dutch influence in West Timor.

However, a second crisis hit the country and the government collapsed in 2006.

“Timor-Leste is stable as of last year,” said Reske-Nielsen. “However, it still has many different problems.”

In an interview with a CNN reporter in Timor-Leste, Reske-Nielsen was asked what keeps him going, to which he replied, “I look at the way these people are living. I wouldn’t want to live like this. I’m sure you wouldn’t either.”

However, the job also comes with its

dangers. He has gone through “tense moments, having been arrested by Zimbabwean guerrillas on suspicion of being a spy and having been shot at by criminals in Port Moresby, the Capital of Papua New Guinea,” he said in the email.

“During my peacekeeping years in East Timor,” he said, “I was protected by armed body guards, and despite a precarious security situation at several points in time, actually felt very safe.”

Having served for more than three decades, Reske-Nielsen expressed the joyous privilege he feels to have served the international community, promoting peace, security and development for the world.

“It is important for all of us to be global citizens who contribute, each in our own way, to tackling a growing agenda of issues that truly can only be tackled comprehensively through cooperation across the globe, including challenges such as poverty, climate change, international terrorism and human and drug trafficking,” he said. “We all need to chip in in an era where the world has indeed become a small village.”

Lewis said the event had 100 makeup artists working at it.

The creative department is in charge of cultivating all things based on trends and popular colors, said Lewis.

Since summer conjures images of bronze and tan skin, the Temperature Rising line has many products that can create that look, said Lewis.

Lewis recommended the face and body foundation for the summer dewy glow that the models had on them during the event.

Colors for the season are very versatile and easy to wear, Lewis said. These include a pearl with a satin finish, a mellow soft taupe with pearl, a golden-brown and a rich-bronzy brown.

Mostly young girls and women, ranging in ages from teens to senior citizens, were getting their makeup done to see if the new line worked for them.

“I love it! I came with makeup already but they just added some of the new product to what I had on already and it made a difference, and I love their new line,” said Christine Ascueta, an event attendee.

Temperature Rising comes in special packaging, custom packaging, and special limited editions.

The Temperature Rising line includes water-resistant, long-wear products, making it appropriate for the hot summer weather.

The product names fit with the title of the collection.

These include a pro-longwear bronzing powder called Sun Dipped, lipgloss called Undressed, lipstick named Caliente, and a powder blush called Hot Nights.

Lewis said that MAC knows how to embrace Rona Navales Corsair celebrating all elements of life. She also said that one of the beautiful things about Temperature Rising is that it Industry professionals experiment with MAC’s new Temperature Rising gives everybody an opportunity to bring out their inner products on participants Monday at the Third Street Promenade. summer goddess.

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Sports 11

volume 105 issue 14 • May 29, 2013 • santa monica college

Alfonso Medina:

The next chapter Trevor Angone Staff Writer Student Athlete of the Year might be a lifetime achievement for some people. It might signal the winding down of a dream that began during childhood.

But for Weber State University quarterback Alfonso Medina, it is just the beginning.

“I think winning [Student Athlete of the Year] is pretty crazy,” said Medina. “I thought I had a good season, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates and coaches.”

Medina was chosen out of a group of 17 nominated Santa Monica College student athletes representing their respective sports. The award represents scholastic achievement, athletic talent and persistence.

Over the last two seasons, Medina helped lead the SMC football team to their first back-to-back conference titles in over three decades.

“I would rather have the ball in my hands,” said Medina. “I feel like I know what I can do, I’m comfortable and I know what my teammates can do.”

During his time at SMC, Medina emerged as the team leader which he displayed in a variety of ways.

“I’m not real loud or vocal, I lead more by example and with my play on the field.

Off the field is where I talk a lot more to the guys,” said Medina.

Finishing up his first semester at Weber State, Medina hopes to have made an impression on the coaching staff as the team prepares to enter spring workouts.

“I’m not cocky, but I’m a very confident person,” said Medina. “I think I can definitely lead this team too.”

Despite the new surroundings, Medina believes what he learned at SMC will definitely benefit him.

“SMC’s been good for me,” said Medina.

“It has made the jump that much easier.

The only difference is the new place and the new people.”

With the recent success of National Football League quarterbacks coming out

DeShawn Stephens:

Journey to the top David Yapkowitz Sports Editor

Rachel Spurr Corsair Alfonso Medina is Santa Monica College’s 2012-13 Student Athlete of the Year.

of smaller collegiate programs, Median said he hopes that one day he too may travel down that path.

“If playing professionally becomes more of a reality later on, then yes it’s something I would like to pursue,” said Medina. “If not, I would definitely like to go to grad school, maybe a little closer to home and get a degree in civil engineering.”

Medina has been playing organized football within a few miles of his home in Venice, California since he was 8 years old. While playing for Venice High School, Medina won two league championships as well as being named to the all-conference first team and the all-city first team.

He attributes his love of the game to his father who introduced him to football at a young age. Other people would come to influence his football career as his skill set progressed, most notably his high school coach.

“From the beginning it’s been my dad, he’s always been supportive,” said Medina.

“Then when I got to high school, my coach is the one who really groomed me to be a better quarterback.”

From being cut in high school, to the bright lights of March Madness, it has not always been an easy road for DeShawn Stephens.

Having just completed his senior year at San Diego State University, the six-footeight-inch guard has arrived.

Stephens began his aspiring basketball career at Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, Calif. In his senior year, he was cut from the team.

“When I look back at it, it really did not matter,” said Stephens. “Regardless, I was going to continue to work. I saw where I needed to be.”

After high school, Stephens enrolled at Santa Monica College, and after a talk with the men’s head basketball coach Jerome Jenkins, he made the team as a walk-on.

“SMC was like my introduction to organized basketball,” said Stephens. “It gave me that team feeling — the road trips and everything — just an all around great experience.”

Stephens played at SMC for two years, averaging 9.7 points and 8 rebounds while shooting a blistering 69.1 percent from the field.

His sophomore year, Stephens was selected to the Western State-South Division allconference first team, while leading the Corsairs to a 20-8 record and the conference championship.

It was then that major colleges started taking notice.

“The school helped me out entirely, and got me to a better place,” said Stephens.

Stephens eventually accepted a scholarship to San Diego State University, working his way into the rotation as a key contributor for a nationally-ranked team.

When Stephens arrived, SDSU had begun to revitalize itself as a major basketball powerhouse, producing Kawhi Leonard

of the San Antonio Spurs and Malcolm Thomas of the Chicago Bulls, both of whom had just left when Stephens joined the team.

Both of Stephens’ seasons saw the Aztecs earn a top 25 ranking in country, including two National College Athletics Association postseason tournament appearances.

“It’s a different type of pressure level,” Stephens said of the tournament. “It’s a humbling feeling. You want to make that run to the Final Four and win a championship; at the same time you’re just appreciative that you’re there.”

Stephens final year at SDSU came to an end when the Aztecs were knocked out in the first round of the tournament by the upstart Florida Gulf Coast University Eagles.

The next chapter in Stephens’ ascension is yet to be written.

“I’m looking to probably go overseas; I’m not entirely sure,” said Stephens. “I just know I’m looking forward to pursuing basketball. I’ll try and figure it out by the end of the summer.”

For now, Stephens can be found showcasing his talents at the Los Angeles Drew League, a basketball summer league in its 40th year, going toe-to-toe with many current and former professional players from the National Basketball Association as well as minor leagues and overseas.

“Every time I play basketball, I can improve myself,” said Stephens. “When there’s NBA guys and overseas guys, the best thing to do is go as hard as you can, test your ability. If they’re better than you, you work and make yourself better than them.”

Wherever Stephens’ journey continues, he makes sure that he always carries with him the foundations he set at SMC. “It was definitely the best experience I’ve had,” said Stephens.

Golf tournament raises funds for athletic department Elizabeth Moss News Editor Arriving at the eighth hole, jokes were passed around.

“If I win this hole, lunch is on me,” one golfer jested. He planted his feet on the green, grips his club, aims, hits.

The ball made it ten feet from the hole.

There was disappointment and anticipation as the next golfer lined up at the $10,000 hole, where anyone who made a hole-in-one received the pot.

Over 50 professors, faculty, and students from Santa Monica College came out on May 18 to play a round of golf for the SMC Athletic Department’s second annual golf tournament at the Westchester Golf Course.

The tournament was “started to raise funds and to raise awareness about the athletic department,” said Joe Cascio, SMC athletic director and tournament organizer.

Cascio found that the tournament built camaraderie across campus, and that those who played are more likely to attend campus events afterwards.

“The fact that we’re going to raise a bit of money helps, but just seeing how positive the campus community is about athletics is great,” he said.

Scattered among the course were six contests for the players.

One was the $10,000 hole, but there were no winners. In another contest, “beat the pro,” a golfer won if they made it closer to a designated mark than the professional on duty

could.

Eight items were offered at a silent auction, one of them being a basketball signed by Michael Jordan.

The money generated by the tournament will be divided among all 17 sports at the college.

“I think it’s important that we support athletics for the college,” said Albert Vasquez, chief of the Santa Monica College Police Department.

He does not play golf regularly, and this was his first time at the tournament.

“It’s fun to be out here and just have a good time with folks,” he said before teeing off.

The event garnered the support of 18 local businesses, a big jump from the four sponsors the tournament had for its inaugural year.

“I think everyone’s going to have a fun time that’s playing,” said Lynn Ralston, a SMC golf instructor and Westchester Golf Course’s head coach. “But the whole goal is to raise funds for the athletic department, for the teams.”

Ralston, who has taught at SMC for 10 years, said that none of her students could afford the $150 entry fee, so no one competed.

“I think they have a bigger turnout than last year,” she said.

Tim Pierce, SMC’s men’s soccer coach, said the event was mainly faculty and friends.

“I think there’s probably like half of them that like to play, but some are just kind of for the event,” Pierce said. “They’re going to come out here and have some fun.”

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Sam Herron Corsair Santa Monica College Police Department Chief Albert Vasquez tees off at the second annual SMC Golf Tournament on May 17 at Westchester Golf Course in Los Angeles.

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volume 105 issue 14 • may 29, 2013 • santa monica college

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